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					</table><p>Scientists have found a cleaner way to produce ammonia from rare-earth metals, which works well at room temperature and pressure. The process, known as the Haber-Bosch process, involves using catalysts made from rare-earth metals to efficiently convert nitrogen into essential products such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and other fine chemicals under ambient conditions.</p>
<p>Ammonia could be used as a future carbon-free replacement for fossil fuels in vehicles. But, synthesizing it from molecular nitrogen is often an energy-intensive process.</p>
<p>In a recently published study, scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy&#8217;s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (<a href="https://www.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Berkeley Lab</a>) found that employing catalysts made from abundant rare-earth metals can achieve the same reaction results at room temperature.</p>
<p>The study introduces new catalytic systems capable of reducing and functionalizing atmospheric nitrogen to valuable chemical products, expanding the understanding and capabilities of nitrogen fixation chemistry. The discovery of distinct mechanistic pathways for N₂ reduction and functionalization, particularly involving zirconium and lanthanides, opens up new avenues for research in the field of catalysis.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our catalysts activate and hold the dinitrogen, while different reagents come in and react to form different products,&#8221; says Polly Arnold, senior staff scientist and director of the Chemical Sciences Division at Berkeley Lab. She intends to use electrodes instead of the potassium reagent as a source of electrons since these can be renewable if they derive from solar cells.</p>
<p>The research work also contributes to advancing the field of dinitrogen chemistry by providing insights into the roles of different metal centers and ligand environments, which can inform the design of more efficient and selective catalysts.</p>
<p>By demonstrating catalytic systems that could potentially use electrochemical sources of electrons, the research points toward more sustainable and environmentally friendly methods of chemical synthesis.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, researchers from the University of Adelaide <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/researchers-split-untreated-seawater-into-green-hydrogen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> a way to successfully split seawater to produce green hydrogen, which is also useful for ammonia synthesis.</p>
<p>Under the Indian government&#8217;s pilot projects for leveraging green hydrogen in shipping, green ammonia will be <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/government-pilot-green-hydrogen-shipping" target="_blank" rel="noopener">utilized</a> for existing ocean-going and inland waterways vessels.</p>


A Cleaner Method to Produce Ammonia from Rare Earths


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					</table><p>New residential solar installations in the U.S. had a median size of 7.2 kW in 2022, a significant jump from the 2.4 kW seen in 2000, thanks to cost reductions and improved module efficiencies,  according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (<a href="https://emp.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LBL</a>).</p>
<p>This trend is heavily influenced by California, which contributes significantly to the data even if it has smaller residential system sizes. In most states, the median size of residential photovoltaic (PV) systems in 2022 exceeded 8 kW, with many states exceeding 9 kW.</p>
<p>The annual “Tracking the Sun” report from Berkeley Lab outlines patterns in the U.S. grid-tied solar PV systems and PV systems combined with energy storage. The report is based on data from 3.2 million systems installed up to the end of 2022, which accounts for more than 80% of all systems installed up to that point.</p>
<p>Distributed solar refers to residential installations, non-residential systems mounted on rooftops, and ground-mounted systems with a capacity of up to 5 MW.</p>
<p><strong>PV System Characteristics</strong></p>
<p>Over the last two decades, residential solar system sizes have consistently increased in the U.S. due to reduced costs and improved module efficiencies. Non-residential solar system sizes have followed a less predictable path, spanning a wide range of sizes. While most of these systems are relatively small, with a median size of 25 kW in 2022, a long tail of larger installations contributes to the variability in system sizes in this category.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-59454 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture1-1.png" alt="" width="752" height="265" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture1-1.png 752w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture1-1-300x106.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture1-1-650x229.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture1-1-624x220.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture1-1-600x211.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /></p>
<p>According to the report, median module efficiencies in residential systems showed a consistent upward trend over time from 13.5% in 2002 to 20.8% in 2022.</p>
<p>The use of module-level power electronics, such as microinverters or DC optimizers, has continued to grow. These electronics were present in 93% of residential systems, 83% of small non-residential systems (those with less than 100 kW capacity), and 39% of large non-residential systems (those with 100 kW or more capacity) installed in 2022.</p>
<p>Inverter-loading ratios (ILRs), which measure the ratio of module-to-inverter nameplate ratings, have generally increased as module costs decline. Historically, ILRs were higher for non-residential systems, but rising residential ILRs have narrowed the gap. In 2022, the median ILR was 1.22 for residential systems compared to 1.26 for large non-residential systems.</p>
<p>About one-third (34%) of large non-residential systems installed in 2022 were ground-mounted, and 8% had tracking capabilities. In contrast, only 12% of small non-residential and 1% of residential systems were ground-mounted, and tracking was rarely used.</p>
<p>Panel orientation has remained relatively consistent in recent years, with 54% of systems installed in 2022 facing southward, 24% to the west, and the majority of the remainder facing east.</p>
<p>Third-party ownership (TPO), including leasing and power purchase agreements, has declined in residential systems over time, from a peak of approximately 60% in 2012 to 24% in 2021. In the non-residential sector, TPO shares have remained relatively stable and historically been lower for small systems than large ones (14% vs. 32% in 2022). TPO tends to be more common in states with robust incentives.</p>
<p>For-profit commercial customers constitute the majority (&gt;75%) of non-residential site hosts, while the rest are a mix of tax-exempt customers like schools, government entities, and nonprofits. As expected, TPO is more prevalent among tax-exempt site hosts, with a rate of 38% compared to 16% among commercial hosts in 2022.</p>
<p><strong>Paired PV+Storage Systems</strong></p>
<p>Battery storage is increasingly being combined with distributed PV. In 2022, 10% of new residential PV installations and 7% of non-residential installations included battery storage. Hawaii had the highest residential attachment rate at 96%, while California had an 11% attachment rate, and most other states were in the range of 5-10%.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-59455 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture2.png" alt="" width="752" height="285" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture2.png 752w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture2-300x114.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture2-650x246.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture2-624x236.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture2-600x227.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /></p>
<p>Storage is also being retrofitted onto existing PV systems. In 2022, 23% of new paired PV+ storage systems were retrofitted onto existing PV systems. California led in residential retrofits at 26%, driven by concerns about resilience and time-of-use pricing. More PV capacity was added to the existing PV system in about half of these cases.</p>
<p>The residential market has been moving towards paired systems with larger batteries, primarily due to the demand for backup power. However, in 2022, there was a slight reversal, with 35% of paired systems having 10+ kW of storage.</p>
<p>Conversely, paired non-residential systems are becoming smaller as smaller customers adopt them for various applications beyond managing demand charges. In 2022, just over half (51%) of all paired non-residential systems <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/solar-plus-energy-storage-gains-market-share-in-residential">had</a> batteries smaller than 10 kW.</p>
<p><strong>Median Installed Price Trends</strong></p>
<p>Over time, standalone PV system prices have decreased by roughly $0.4 per watt annually. However, this decline slowed down after 2013, averaging $0.1-0.2 per watt per year due to stabilized module costs. Current price trends are mainly influenced by balance-of-system and soft costs. These costs have gradually fallen by $0.1-0.2 per watt per year on average, notes the report.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-59456 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture3.png" alt="" width="752" height="269" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture3.png 752w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture3-300x107.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture3-650x233.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture3-624x223.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture3-600x215.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /></p>
<p>Nominal PV system prices increased recently but remained lower in real terms. Between Q1 2021 and Q4 2022, median prices rose by $0.1-0.3 per watt (4-13%). The price decreased by about $0.2 per watt for residential and large non-residential systems. This aligns with the decade-long trend.</p>
<p>National median installed prices from the Tracking the Sun dataset are higher than other PV pricing benchmarks, mainly due to different methods and data sources.</p>
<p>Median installed prices for paired residential PV+ storage systems have declined, reflecting a maturing market. However, pricing trends for paired non-residential systems are unclear due to limited sample sizes.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-59457 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture4.png" alt="" width="752" height="278" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture4.png 752w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture4-300x111.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture4-650x240.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture4-624x231.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Picture4-600x222.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /></p>
<p><strong>Variations in Installed Prices</strong></p>
<p>System size significantly affects installed prices, with a $1/W difference in median prices between the smallest and largest residential systems and a $2.6/W difference between the smallest and largest non-residential systems.</p>
<p>In the non-residential sector, prices are higher for systems installed at tax-exempt customer sites compared to commercial site hosts. However, this trend appears to be unique to California, which is a significant part of the market. The price difference is most pronounced for large non-residential systems in California, where tax-exempt customers paid a median price of $3.6/W in 2022, compared to $2.1/W for commercial customers.</p>
<p>The energy storage market in the U.S., including grid-scale, residential and community, commercial, and industrial segments, <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-grid-scale-energy-storage-q2-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">experienced</a> an 80% year-over-year growth in the second quarter of 2023, adding a total of 5,597 MWh, a report by Wood Mackenzie and American Clean Power Association said.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>


Reduced Cost & Module Efficiency Drive Residential Solar Growth in the US


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					</table><p>A consortium of battery scientists, led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (<a href="https://www.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Berkeley Lab</a>), is working to advance battery technology without reliance on metals like nickel and cobalt, which are in short supply. The goal is to expedite the development of battery cathodes known as DRX (disordered rock salt) to enhance energy density in batteries.</p>
<p>The consortium focuses on creating DRX cathodes using more readily available materials like manganese and titanium to ensure a stable supply for the automotive industry and prevent price fluctuations.</p>
<p>DRX cathodes have the advantage of flexibility, allowing them to be made with various transition metals, a key factor in transitioning to electric vehicles (EV), according to principal investigator Gerbrand Ceder, a scientist at Berkeley Lab.</p>
<p>The DRX Consortium, consisting of around 50 scientists from multiple research institutions, secured $20 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy&#8217;s Vehicle Technologies Office.</p>
<p>This financial support will enable the development of DRX battery cathodes that match or surpass the performance of current lithium-ion battery cathodes.</p>
<p>DRX cathodes offer a sustainable, cost-effective, and abundant source of minerals for battery production, reducing reliance on scarce resources like nickel and cobalt.</p>
<p>DRX technology, developed about a decade ago, is on a path toward commercialization. The consortium aims to demonstrate commercially viable DRX cathodes in less than five years, aligning with global clean energy transition goals.</p>
<p>To achieve these targets, the consortium&#8217;s approach involves computer modeling, chemical synthesis, electrolyte development, and materials characterization, with experts from various national labs contributing their expertise.</p>
<p>Recently, a team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology has <a href="https://mercomindia.com/aluminum-anodes-show-promise-powerful-batteries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taken</a> a novel approach, utilizing aluminum foil to create solid-state batteries with increased energy density and stability compared to the widely used lithium-ion technology.</p>
<p>Another group of researchers from the University of Ulm and the University of Freiburg <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/researchers-method-boost-storage-aluminum-ion-batteries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developed</a> a positive electrode material made of an organic redox polymer based on phenothiazine for aluminum-ion batteries to help enhance its storage capacity.</p>
<p>In a similar study, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/aluminium-sulfur-batteries-outperform-lithium-ion-mit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developed</a> a new battery made from aluminum and sulfur, two of the nature-abundant and cost-friendly materials.</p>


DRX Cathodes Hold Potential for High-Energy-Density Batteries


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					</table><p>At the end of 2022, there were 374 hybrid power projects (each with capacities of 1 MW and above) in the United States, a 25% year-over-year increase, according to <a href="https://www.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</a>.</p>
<p>The hybrid projects comprise solar plus storage, wind plus storage, wind-solar plus storage, thermal plus storage, and solar plus wind power projects.</p>
<p>These projects accounted for 41 GW of generating capacity, a 15% increase from the previous year. The integration of energy storage surged to 5.4 GW/15.2 GWh, representing a 69% and 88% growth, respectively.</p>
<p>The annual briefing by Berkeley Lab provides a detailed map of existing hybrid or co-located projects across the U.S. It includes power purchase agreements (PPAs) and generation interconnection queues, providing information on development trajectories.</p>
<p>The report encompasses &#8220;co-located hybrids,&#8221; involving two or more resources (varied generations and/or storage) independently, and &#8220;full hybrids,&#8221; characterized by synchronized operations of co-located resources.</p>
<p>Solar plus storage hybrid projects were the most popular, with 213 projects. These projects had storage capacities of 4 GW/12.5 GWh, a storage-to-generator capacity ratio of 49%, and a storage duration of 3.1 hours.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Solar-hybrid.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-57961 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Solar-hybrid.png" alt="Solar hybrid" width="752" height="427" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Solar-hybrid.png 752w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Solar-hybrid-300x170.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Solar-hybrid-650x369.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Solar-hybrid-624x354.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Solar-hybrid-600x341.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /></a></p>
<p>Massachusetts led solar hybrid installations, with 80 projects, with 75 of these projects featuring a combination of solar plus storage. All these projects incorporated solar capacities below 7 MW.</p>
<p>California was second with 52 solar hybrid projects. Among these, 21 projects stood out for their substantial solar capacities, each reaching the threshold of more than or equal to 100 MW.</p>
<p>The hybrid landscape features an array of approximately 20 diverse configurations, encompassing combinations such as fossil hybrids, wind plus solar, geothermal plus, and more.</p>
<p>There was a surge in solar plus storage hybrid projects in 2022, with 59 out of 62 additions falling under this category. By the year&#8217;s close, there was almost as much storage capacity within solar plus storage hybrid projects as in standalone storage projects (~4 GW each). Solar plus storage edged out standalone storage by about 2 GWh (12.5 GWh vs. 10.4 GWh, respectively), underscoring the dominance of solar plus storage hybrid projects in the evolving energy landscape.</p>
<p>Hybrid power projects accounted for 37% (500 GW) of generation capacity, increasing from 31% in 2021. Hybrid power projects, including solar, represented 48% (457 GW) of this capacity. Proposed hybrid power projects are concentrated in the West, particularly within the California Independent System Operator region.</p>
<p>The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of August 2022 has introduced a significant shift in the energy storage landscape. Under the IRA, standalone storage systems now have access to the investment tax credit (ITC), eliminating the previous requirement for storage to be paired with solar to access the credit—a change set to take effect in 2023. While this change appears to lessen the incentive for combining batteries with solar installations, the full impact on the hybridization trend remains to be seen. This report acknowledges several factors contributing to the uncertainty around how this policy shift might influence hybridization.</p>
<p>The timeline of the IRA&#8217;s passage in August 2022 and the subsequent implementation of the standalone storage ITC in 2023 suggests that the market&#8217;s response is still evolving. Additionally, the closure of application windows in major regions and varying policies have shaped the context for this shift. Despite the potential impact of the standalone storage ITC, there are compelling reasons to believe that the hybridization trend might persist, underscoring the complexity of the evolving energy storage landscape.</p>
<p>In July 2023, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued Order No. 2023, titled &#8220;Improvements to Generator Interconnection Procedures and Agreements.&#8221; This order mandates transmission providers to permit multiple generating facilities or storage resources to co-locate on a shared site with a single point of interconnection. These entities can collectively submit a single interconnection request.</p>
<p>Notably, interconnection customers can now add resources to an existing request without it being classified as a &#8220;material modification,&#8221; which could have previously caused delays. The order&#8217;s impact on the trend toward hybridization is still uncertain, given that some regions already implement such practices.</p>
<p><strong>Hybrid Project Proposals Surge</strong></p>
<p>The interconnection queue data showed increased developer interest in hybridization. At the close of 2022, there were 51% more hybrid projects, representing 59% more generating capacity, in interconnection queues across the U.S. than at the end of 2021. There were 457 GW of solar capacity proposed as a hybrid, representing ~48% of all solar capacity in the queues.</p>
<p>Over 50% of hybrid power projects feature storage (358 GW), and wind hybrid projects totaled 24 GW (about 8% of wind capacity in the queues).</p>
<p>The report noted that operational solar plus storage projects, on average, have greater storage ratios (49%) and longer durations (3.1 hours) than other hybrid setups. Planned solar plus storage projects are inclined to have higher storage ratios and longer durations (although rarely exceeding 4 hours).</p>
<p>Almost 70% of hybrid capacity in the queues has applied for online deployment by 2025&#8217;s conclusion, with 12% having secured executed interconnection agreements (IAs). The ambition is for approximately 92% of hybrid capacity to be operational by 2028. Solar plus battery combinations are the primary choice for requested hybrid capacity additions until 2028.</p>
<p>There are over 56 GW (13%) of solar plus battery projects with executed IAs, while other hybrid types have much less, with standalone storage at 23 GW (7%).</p>
<p>In August last year, the Ministry of Power in India <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/rules-issued-bundling-renewables-thermal-hydro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> guidelines for competitive renewable power procurement by thermal and hydropower generators under the Generation Flexibility Program. The program intended to allow flexibility in generating and scheduling thermal and hydropower stations by bundling renewable energy and storage.</p>
<p>Wind-Solar hybrid projects have been hailed as the most viable option to manage intermittency issues faced by India&#8217;s standalone wind and solar power sources. Hybrid projects go a long way in optimizing land and transmission systems and providing a longer-duration power supply. On the sidelines of Mercom India Solar Summit 2022, experts <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/wind-solar-hybrid-play-role-maintaining-grid-stability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> how states like Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana have seen the most hybrid project developments. While other states are slowly picking up on the pace for hybrid projects, the segment has a lot of ground to cover.</p>
<p>India&#8217;s installed hybrid capacity stood at 4.9 GW, according to data from Mercom&#8217;s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-project-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Project Tracker</a>.</p>


Solar Plus Storage Leads Hybrid Power Project Market in US


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					</table><p>Solar, storage, and wind projects account for 95% of over 2 TW of all proposed generation capacity awaiting connection to the grid in the United States at the end of 2022, the Lawrence and Berkeley Laboratory (<a href="https://emp.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LBL</a>) report said.</p>
<p>The average time of queued renewable projects seeking connection to the power grid increased significantly by over 40% in 2022.</p>
<p>More than 10,200 proposed clean energy projects, representing a generation capacity of 1.3 TW and 680 GW of storage projects, actively await permits for connection with the grid, piling the capacity in the interconnection queues that have kept the construction work at bay.</p>
<p>Project developers submit their proposals to utilities and regional grid operators, where the projects are assessed for new grid system upgrades that would be needed before a project can connect to the system.</p>
<p>The list of such projects wherein the developers have agreed to initiate the assessment process is known as “interconnection queues.”</p>
<p>The report collected crucial insights from seven power markets in the U.S. along with additional 35 utilities outside America and found that the proposed solar capacity of 947 GW is the largest share of generation capacity in the queues in Arizona, Texas, and California, followed by 300 GW of wind projects, mostly offshore, which await permits for interconnection.</p>
<p>The amount of offshore wind capacity in the queues totaled 113 GW by the end of 2022, which is three times more than the goal of <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-strategy-offshore-wind-2030" target="_blank" rel="noopener">achieving</a> 30 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030.</p>
<p>LBL found that between 2000 and 2017, approximately 21% of clean projects seeking connection to the grid reached commercial operations by 2022, that too with just 14% of capacity. The seven grid operators and 35 other utilities collectively represent over 85% of the power load.</p>
<p>Further, the report projects that 339 GW of projects are in the queue in the MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator) region, followed by PJM (Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection) where 298 GW of projects await interconnection with the grid to commence construction.</p>
<p>Joseph Rand, lead author of the study and Energy Policy Researcher at Berkeley Lab explains, “The increasing delays and high withdrawal rates point to a major barrier for developers of these projects. The amount of solar, wind, and storage in the queues today exceeds that needed to get to 90% of U.S. electricity from zero-carbon resources by 2035.”</p>
<p>The report revealed that developer interest in electricity storage skyrocketed in recent years, with capacity in the queues reaching an estimated 670 GW last year.</p>
<p>LBL highlights that hybrids comprise 358 GW or 52% of active storage capacity followed by 457 GW or 48% of solar, and 24 GW or 8% of wind capacity.</p>
<p>Interconnection requests are now taking over 3 years to complete the requisite grid impact studies in most regions. The timeline from the initial connection request to having a fully built and operational project has increased from over 2 years for projects built in 2000-2007 to nearly 4 years.</p>
<p>Developers have proposed operationalizing 695 GW of solar projects by the end of 2025, followed by 472 GW of storage, and 145 GW of wind.</p>
<p>The report considered some impactful <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-seeks-public-feedback-transmission-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reforms</a> initiated by the U.S. administration to strengthen the country’s grid, while supporting the decarbonization efforts across sectors.</p>
<p>Last June, the U.S. government <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-doe-launches-i2x-initiative" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launched</a> the Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange initiative to connect more green energy to the country’s grid. The initiative is aimed at cutting the waiting period for clean energy sources in interconnection queues while lowering the grid connection rates.</p>


Renewables Dominate 2 TW of Energy Projects Awaiting Grid Connection in US


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					</table><p>If heating and cooling loads are excluded from backup, small behind-the-meter Solar Photovoltaic plus Energy Storage Systems (PVESS) with just 10 kWh of storage can fully meet backup needs over a three-day outage in virtually all U.S. counties in any month of the year.</p>
<p>The findings were part of a <a href="https://emp.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</a> study considering a set of 10 historical long-duration power outages and evaluating how PVESS could have provided backup power during those events.</p>
<p>If critical loads like heating and cooling are included, a 10 kWh PVESS could meet 86% of the critical load on average across all counties and months. A larger PVESS of 30 kWh could meet 96% of the critical load.</p>
<h6 style="text-align: center;">Backup performance across battery size, for critical load with heating and cooling</h6>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42202" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Backup-performance-across-battery-size-for-critical-load-with-heating-and-cooling.png" alt="Backup performance across battery size, for critical load with heating and cooling" width="567" height="560" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Backup-performance-across-battery-size-for-critical-load-with-heating-and-cooling.png 567w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Backup-performance-across-battery-size-for-critical-load-with-heating-and-cooling-300x296.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Backup-performance-across-battery-size-for-critical-load-with-heating-and-cooling-45x45.png 45w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Backup-performance-across-battery-size-for-critical-load-with-heating-and-cooling-100x100.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 567px) 100vw, 567px" /></p>
<p>Performance tends to be lowest in regions where electric heating is common, like the southeast and northwest. It is also low in regions with large cooling loads like the southwest and parts of the southeast. The results are based on the existing U.S. building stock, where electric space heating consists primarily of electric resistance-based heating rather than heat pumps, and on typical battery sizing currently in the market.</p>
<p>The study found that for a PVESS with 30 kWh of storage and critical loads that include heating and cooling, backup performance drops from a population-weighted average of 100% of critical load served for a 1-day outage to 92% for a 10-day outage.</p>
<p>In seven of the ten historical outage events analyzed, most homes would have been able to maintain critical loads with heating and cooling using a PVESS with 30 kWh of storage.</p>
<p>The hurricane events were the lowest performing among the various event types sampled, and performance varied considerably across those events. The dip in performance of PVESS can be because hurricane events often include periods of reduced solar insolation levels due to cloud cover. Of the five hurricane events analyzed, backup performance was lowest for Hurricane Florence, where almost no PV generation occurred over the first three days of the ~8-day outage.</p>
<p>A recent Berkeley Lab report said the U.S. had seen a drastic <a href="https://mercomindia.com/solar-plus-energy-storage-gains-market-share-in-residential/">rise</a> in PV plus storage installations, with 10% of all new residential PV installations and 5% of all non-residential installations, including battery storage, in 2021.</p>
<p>According to global research and consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie, the U.S. energy storage system market <a href="https://mercomindia.com/us-installs-record-energy-storage-q4-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">registered</a> a record growth in new system installations with 4,727 MWh in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021.</p>


A 10 kWh Battery Storage System Can Fully Meet Backup Needs of Three-Day Outage in the US


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					</table><p>Nearly 12.5 GW of new utility-scale solar capacity came online in the U.S. in 2021, taking the cumulative capacity to 51.34 GW across 1,131 projects.</p>
<p>Falling costs drove the strong installation trend. Median installed costs for standalone utility-scale solar projects have steadily fallen by more than 75% since 2010, to $1.35/W for 62 projects installed in 2021. The median cost for solar projects with battery storage systems was $3.46/W, according to a <u><a href="https://www.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</a></u> report.</p>
<p>Single-axis tracking systems were used in 90% of all new utility-scale solar installations in 2021.</p>
<p>The report said utility-scale solar projects’ levelized cost of energy (LCOE) fell by about 85% since 2010 to $33/MWh in 2021. This number decreases to $27/MWh if the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is factored in. The dip in LCOE is driven by lower project costs, improving capacity factors, lower operating expenses, and longer design life.</p>
<p>Aided by the ITC, most power purchase agreements were priced around $20/MWh for projects located in the West and $30-$40/MWh for projects elsewhere in the continental U.S.</p>
<p>Across all 7 Independent System Operators (ISOs) and 35 additional utilities, there was 674 GW of solar in interconnection queues at the end of 2021. More than 40% of this proposed solar capacity is paired with battery storage, with the highest concentration of these solar plus battery projects in California ISO and the non-ISO West.</p>
<p>Over 930 GW of zero-carbon generating capacity is currently seeking transmission access. With over 676 GW, solar accounts for the largest share of generation capacity in the queues. A substantial wind capacity of 247 GW is also seeking interconnection. Offshore projects account for 31% or 77 GW of the capacity.</p>
<p>Solar could <a href="https://mercomindia.com/solar-energy-could-account-for-40-of-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">account</a> for as much as 40% of the U.S. electricity supply by 2035 and 45% by 2050 with aggressive cost reductions, supportive policies, and large-scale electrification.</p>
<p>The country <a href="https://mercomindia.com/us-adds-5-7-gw-solar-capacity-q2-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will</a> add an average of over 29 GW of solar capacity annually through 2026. However, the deployment pace is short of reaching President Joe Biden’s 2035 clean energy targets. To achieve the targets, the industry needs to install over 80 GW of solar annually from 2022 through 2035.</p>


Falling Costs Drove Solar Installations in the US in 2021

<p>The proposed solar, battery storage, and wind power project capacity lined up to connect to the electric grid across America has risen to 1,400 GW, according to new research published by <a href="https://www.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</a>.</p>
<p>The total capacity active in the queues is growing year over year, with over 1,000 GW of generation and 427 GW of storage capacity as of 2021. Over 930 GW of zero-carbon generating capacity is currently seeking transmission access. With over 676 GW, solar accounts for the largest share of generation capacity in the queues. There is substantial wind capacity, i.e., 247 GW, which is also seeking interconnection, of which 31% or 77 GW is for offshore projects.</p>
<h6 style="text-align: center;">Developer interest in solar, storage, and wind is strong</h6>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-34467" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Developer-interest-in-solar-storage-and-wind-is-strong.png" alt="Developer interest in solar, storage, and wind is strong" width="638" height="440" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Developer-interest-in-solar-storage-and-wind-is-strong.png 638w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Developer-interest-in-solar-storage-and-wind-is-strong-300x207.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Developer-interest-in-solar-storage-and-wind-is-strong-624x430.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Developer-interest-in-solar-storage-and-wind-is-strong-600x414.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px" /></p>
<h6 style="text-align: center;">Source: LBNL</h6>
<p>Solar and battery storage are the fastest-growing resources in the pipeline. Combined, they account for nearly 85% of new capacity entering the queues in 2021. The share of hybrid projects is also increasing. Over 286 GW of solar hybrids —primarily solar+battery— and 19 GW of wind hybrids are active. Nearly half of the battery storage capacity is paired with some form of generation, mostly solar.</p>
<p>Berkeley Lab compiled and analyzed data from the seven organized electricity markets in the U.S. and 35 utilities outside those regions, representing over 85% of all U.S. electricity load. This included 676 GW of solar capacity, 247 GW of wind capacity, and 427 GW of storage.</p>
<p>“Together, this proposed capacity represents more than half of the estimated 1,100 GW of wind and solar capacity that studies say is needed to deeply decarbonize the U.S. electricity supply,” said Joseph Rand, lead author. “But our research also points to increasing lead times, high rates of withdrawn projects, and a large backlog of projects in the queues, which could be a potential bottleneck in the transition to zero-carbon electricity in the United States.”</p>
<p>However, most projects that apply for interconnection are ultimately withdrawn, and those that are built are taking longer on average to complete the required studies and become operational. Entering a transmission interconnection queue is only one of many steps in the development process; projects must also have agreements with landowners and communities, power purchasers, equipment suppliers, and financiers and may face transmission upgrade requirements. Among a subset of queues for which data are available, only 23% of the projects seeking connection from 2000 to 2016 have subsequently been built. Completion percentages appear to be declining and are even lower for wind and solar than other resources.</p>
<p>Interconnection wait times are also on the rise. The typical duration from connection request to commercial operation increased from ~2.1 years for projects built in 2000 -2010 to ~3.7 years for those built in 2011-2021.</p>
<p>The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office and the NREL  <a href="https://mercomindia.com/solar-energy-could-account-for-40-of-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> that solar could account for 40% of the nation’s electricity supply by 2035 and 45% by 2050.</p>


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