L R AS Published on Saturday 8 February 2020 - n° 308 - Categories:the American PV
The American 8minute wants to extend its activity to storage
In turn, 8minute wants to install batteries to provide energy at the time of consumption.
One year after the change of CEO, California's 8minute Solar Energy, the 5th largest solar energy company in the world, has become the new CEO.
the largest American developer, is attracting more and more attention due to the size of its projects and a marked evolution towards the solar power plant + storage junction.
The company is focusing on the same geographical areas in order to reduce costs. For example, a 15 to 20 mile gap in the Californian desert can have a considerable impact on the cost of electricity. Recently, 8minute has expanded into Nevada and Texas - areas that are relatively similar to California in terms of land dynamics, market and where large projects are viable. This is because the company is attentive to size and flat land. This has led it to exclude certain states that do not have the same geographical conditions. This selection allows 8minute to offer the cheapest prices in the United States.
The company is adding more and more storage to its projects. It plans to install storage at every solar or wind power plant. The 2 GW already in operation does not include a storage facility, but most of its 15 gigawatt (AC) pipeline will be equipped with a storage package.
This move towards storage is due to the fall in battery prices but mainly to customer demand to match electricity supply with renewable supply. This is leading to the withdrawal of gas-fired installations. Solar and storage installations are becoming larger and larger.
GreenTech Media of 5 February
Editor's note Two or three weeks ago, NextEra announced the same policy: offering energy when the customer needs it.
