Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) is reporting that the benchmark cost for lithium-ion batteries has fallen 35% since the first half of 2018. This trend continues significant cost declines for batteries which, when combined with renewable resources, are challenging the role of coal and gas.
March, 2019
2019 Community Power Scorecard
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance has released its “Community Power Scorecard,” an assessment of state policies that encourage clean local energy development. The top ranking states, in order, are Massachusetts, California, New York and Illinois. Not surprisingly, these same states are also moving ahead rapidly with other renewable energy initiatives including storage incentives and policies that facilitate the development of microgrids.
India’s Microgrid Market: Ready for Takeoff
India is a leader in renewable energy among developing countries and recently completed the world’s largest solar park. But beyond utility-scale installations, India is also working on a plan to build 10,000 microgrids to deliver energy access to the millions of people who still don’t have it. It’s no surprise that – of over 190 countries – India is also HOMER Energy’s second largest user base:
Energy Future: Diverse, Decentralized, Distributed, Decarbonized, Democratized, and Digitized.
We are in the midst of a critical paradigm shift as our energy system evolves from a centralized power plant model to a complex array of smaller, distributed energy networks that incorporate multiple – primarily renewable – technologies. Driven by the new cost advantages of renewable energy, as well as an urgent need to reduce our carbon emissions, these changes are upending century-old beliefs about how energy should be produced and distributed. HOMER Energy CEO and co-founder Dr. Peter Lilienthal explains the new principles that should guide our energy decisions: