Solar

Operators of utility-scale commercial solar farms know the importance of predictive maintenance for their installations. Being proactive when it comes to developing operations and maintenance (O&M) programs can help operators anticipate equipment failures, and also streamline repairs in the field, allowing O&M service providers to better manage and plan staff assignments, find spare parts, and […]

Avangrid, the U.S.-based unit of Spanish energy giant Iberdrola, said it has terminated its planned acquisition of New Mexico utility PNM Resources after failing to receive final approval for the $8.3 billion deal from state regulators. Avangrid officials in a statement on Jan. 2 said the group needed to receive approval for the deal from […]

Solar, wind, and nuclear power, as well as battery storage systems, are the obvious winners as the world aims to decarbonize energy systems. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has been following trends

Data analysis is helping operators in the solar power sector develop more efficient systems that optimize operations and deliver cost savings. Utilities and other developers of solar power installations know

Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) touted its success at the recent UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the group noting it has deployed more than 100

Azerbaijan’s First Utility-Scale Solar Project Online. Officials in Azerbaijan in November announced the country’s first and largest utility-scale solar photovoltaic power plant is now operating. The

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation demonstrated the largest absolute growth of all renewable technologies in 2022, surpassing wind for the first time in history, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA has said continuous growth in the economic attractiveness of PV, massive development in the supply chain, and increasing policy support, especially in […]

India’s Adani Group announced more development of renewable energy, with the company on Dec. 27 saying its Adani Green Energy arm has received $300 million for the transfer of a 1,050-MW clean energy portfolio as part of a joint venture (JV) with France’s TotalEnergies. The announcement Wednesday came one day after Adani, led by billionaire […]

India’s largest solar photovoltaic (PV) module maker is moving some of its manufacturing to the U.S. Mumbai-based Waaree Energies on Dec. 21 said it would build its first U.S.-based facility in Brookshire, Texas, near Houston. Waaree, a major equipment supplier for the U.S. solar power sector, on Thursday said the new plant would have an […]

The U.S. is facing energy and climate challenges on multiple fronts. Rising energy costs, extreme weather events, and a transition away from fossil fuels have placed increasing pressure on governments and consumers. Residential solar is a compelling, multi-purpose solution that continues to experience rapid adoption among Americans. Six GW of home solar was installed in 2022, and […]

The seven European countries that make up the Pentalateral Energy Forum—Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland—will strive for the decarbonization of their interconnected electricity system by 2035. The countries, which form the Pentalateral Energy Forum—a 2005-convened voluntary framework for regional energy cooperation—in a joint statement on Dec. 18 formally concluded, “timely decarbonization […]

Life cycle analysis or assessments (LCAs) are a quintessential tool for power and utility industry professionals and tradespeople. They determine the environmental and financial value of new technologies. Consumer products get the most attention, but LCAs for renewable energy systems (Figure 1) should be discussed more. It is time to synthesize known information to create […]

Construction of what would be the largest solar array in Kentucky is underway. National Grid Renewables on Dec. 14 said the company’s 160-MW Unbridled project, located in Webster and Henderson counties about 40 miles south of Evansville, Indiana, and 160 miles southwest of Louisville, is expected to enter commercial operation next year. Unbridled is National […]

Growth in the solar power sector is being driven not only by ever-larger utility-scale farms, but also by growth in distributed generation. This smaller-scale use of solar energy is being supported as more homeowners and commercial and industrial (C&I) businesses install solar panels on rooftops, carports, parking garages and more. Distributed solar power generation is […]

Following a difficult period for the renewable energy industry, firms must begin prioritising foreign exchange (FX) risk management against the rising threat of currency movements. It has been a tough year for the renewable energy industry. The post-COVID inflationary pressures that have gripped the global economy over the last two years are weighing heavily on […]

The energy transition is an increasingly important trend, not just for power generation but also for communities across the U.S. As regions that have been dependent on hydrocarbons begin to shift production to renewable resources, they not only lower global carbon emissions, but also reap new economic opportunities from income-producing renewable energy. The Energy Community […]

Negotiators from nearly every country in the world closed COP28 with a decision that—for the first time—formally recognizes the necessity of moving away from fossil fuels to achieve Paris Agreement targets. The decision, adopted on the last day of the two-week 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate […]

A new report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Wood Mackenzie research group said the U.S. solar sector is expected to add a record 33 GW of new generation capacity in 2023, a 55% increase from 2022. The groups said that even with growth expected to slow over the next year due […]

More and more businesses are looking to use renewable energy as they set decarbonization goals, with public companies often pushed by shareholders to adopt environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. The same is true of private enterprise, as business owners look to take advantage of tax credits, rebates, and more to pursue cleaner sources of […]

Colorado-based cooperative Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association will accelerate the closure of a coal-fired unit in the northwestern part of the state, and also announced a retirement date for an Arizona coal plant, as part of the utility’s latest electric resource plan (ERP). Tri-State on Dec. 1 also said it wants to acquire at least […]

Upgraded equipment, new software, and innovations to serve both residential, and commercial and industrial customers are changing the solar power industry. Decentralized power generation continues to grow

Solar photovoltaic (PV) installations designed to support agriculture across the European Union (EU) received a boost in late October. BayWa r.e., a major Germany-based renewable energy developer, announced it

A growing number of companies across the telecom, utilities, renewable energy, and other industries are discovering the value that deployment operations management systems can bring to operations and

In late 2024, a first-of-a-kind, fully functional project spearheaded by Duke Energy, GE Vernova, and Sargent and Lundy could begin demonstrating the commercial peaking capabilities of an integrated hydrogen power-to-power system at Duke Energy’s DeBary power plant in Florida. In an exclusive interview, project partners revealed details of the potentially trailblazing installation, which is slated […]

Amazon has announced two utility-scale renewable energy projects in Maryland, with the company saying it now has invested in nearly 80 new wind and solar power installations this year. Among the new projects is a solar farm being built at the site of coal mine that operated for more than a century. That 170-MW project, […]

The solar energy industry in the U.S. is at a critical juncture. With the ambitious target set by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) to have solar produce 30% of the country’s energy by 2030, a monumental effort is required. We must add 48 GW of solar capacity each year to meet this goal. Achieving […]

U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said the agency’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is developing 15 new renewable energy installations across the western U.S., including some that recently have begun commercial operation. Haaland provided an update on the projects Nov. 6 as she addressed the Western Governors Association Winter Meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Haaland […]

A government agency in China announced that operators of coal-fired power plants will receive guaranteed payments based on the installed capacity of their units, part of a program to ensure a stable power supply across the country. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), in a notice published Nov. 10, said the program will commence […]

Government officials in the UK have shown further support for a plan to bring renewable energy from a massive project in Morocco to Britain, one of at least three projects worldwide in which miles-long subsea

Duke Energy, GE Vernova, and Sargent and Lundy will team up on a pioneering project to demonstrate an end-to-end energy system that produces, stores, and combusts 100% renewable hydrogen at Duke Energy’s DeBary solar plant in Florida. Duke Energy on Oct. 27 said construction on the project, a “one-of-a-kind end-to-end” system, will begin later this […]