Business
08:05, 05-Aug-2017
Solar energy industry expects rapid growth
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CGTN’s Mark Niu
With solar panel system prices falling nearly 20 percent last year, the industry is expected to almost triple in size within the next five years.
That’s why in Oakland, California, a startup accelerator program is hoping to cash in on the boom by developing innovative products to usher in an intelligent energy era.
Powerhouse is the world’s only incubator and accelerator program solely focused on what it calls intelligent energy – which includes solar, storage and power grid integration.
Avalon Battery, one of the 43 companies under Powerhouse, has developed something called flow batteries.
Their product, already used at solar system sites, can better handle intense discharges while extending battery life.
In 2016, US solar had its biggest year, for the first time ever, adding more electric-generating capacity than any other source of energy. The Trump administration took office with a very different mindset, but Powerhouse will continue to think of innovative ideas in hopes of achieving 100% renewable energy in their lifetime.