The growth in renewable energy and clean tech is a terrific story which inspires optimism, but it can overlook how much more opportunity exists. NEXTracker CTO Alex Au looks at why tackling the now-infamous Duck Curve once and for all is a long overdue mission that needs completing – and how we can do that. The first blog entry in #SmartSolarStorage2020.

Commercial energy storage ‘pioneer’ Stem Inc and NEC have announced a master supply agreement and wide-ranging partnership that will see the latter’s equipment and solutions used in solar-plus-storage projects in Stem’s pipeline.

With Public Safety Power Shutoffs increasingly common in California to prevent the spread of wildfires, many are calling for more residential solar-plus-storage to help keep the lights on.

Susan Kennedy has stepped down as CEO of Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS), with chief product officer Seyed Madaeni appointed to take her place.

Power shut-offs affecting millions in California, enacted by utilities Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison to prevent wildfires and their spreading, are a “draconian” measure and don’t address the real problems, SimpliPhi Power CEO Catherine Von Burg has said.

Communities most likely to be affected by both the effects of and the response to devastating wildfires which have wreaked havoc on California will be given extra incentive to install solar-plus-storage at their properties.

While an investigation into a recent fire incident at one of its energy storage facilities remains ongoing, representatives of utility Arizona Public Service (APS) will appear onstage with technology provider Fluence to discuss fire safety at an upcoming event in California.

GE Renewable Energy, an arm of the US engineering giant, will supply 100MWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) to three projects being developed by Convergent Energy + Power in California.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) last week approved power purchase agreements for what is thought to be the cheapest solar-plus-storage project so far in the US.

Despite the huge strides energy storage has made, significant hurdles remain before the technology in its many guises can be claimed to have fulfilled its massive potential. E-S.n editor Andy Colthorpe assesses the key successes and ongoing challenges for this indispensable part of the future power system.