solar

  • Accelerating the Transition to Green Energy with Product Lifecycle Management

    Rising concerns over climate change have caused a major shift in the energy ecosystem, away from fossil fuels and toward renewable, clean, and sustainable energy. Currently, the earth is about 1.1C warmer than in the late 1800s. As outlined in the Paris Agreement, the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, limit global warming […]

  • DOE, NREL, EPRI Announce Program to Support Grid Integration of DERs

    The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) has announced a new competition designed to support the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into the nation’s power grid. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm unveiled the program Feb. 7 during a presentation to attendees of the DISTRIBUTECH 2023 event at the San Diego Convention Center in California. The program […]

  • SEPA Report: Utility Transformation to Carbon-Free Electricity

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 7, 2023) — The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) today released the 2023 Utility Transformation Profile, providing unique insights and recommendations that all utilities can utilize to accelerate their transition to carbon-free energy. SEPA is a non-profit member organization of over 1,100 utilities, corporations, and government entities singularly focused on, accelerating the transformation to a […]

  • Watershed Partners with Ever.green to Bring New Solar Plant to the Texas Grid in First Fixed-Price VPPA

    SAN FRANCISCO, CA & LONDON, UK (Feb. 7, 2023) – Watershed, the leading enterprise climate platform, today announced it is partnering with renewables marketplace Ever.green to launch the first fixed-price virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA). The long-term commitments of Watershed customers including Samsara, Stripe, and TaskUs will help build a new solar plant in Laredo, […]

  • Summit Ridge Energy and ComEd Mark 75th Community Solar Project in Northern Illinois

    JOLIET, Ill. (Feb. 2, 2023) — ComEd and Summit Ridge Energy (SRE) today announced the opening of the 75th community solar development in ComEd’s service territory. The 2.495 megawatt (MW) Speedway Solar project 10 miles south of Joliet, Ill., will provide more than 350 ComEd customers with access to the benefits of solar energy and […]

  • TotalEnergies reaches 1 GW of solar power contracts for self-consumption by its B2B customers worldwide

    Paris, 2nd February 2023 – TotalEnergies has reached a new milestone with the signature of 1 GW of green Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for self-consumption on the sites of its B2B customers. This performance is the result of a strong development strategy based on a multi-energy approach to support its B2B customers in their energy […]

  • New Rules, Incentives Shaping Solar-Plus-Storage Market

    An evolving regulatory environment, expanded tax credits, and moves for more reliability and resilience in the power space are impacting the growth of solar-plus-storage installations. Several state utility

  • The Big Picture: Off-Grid Power [Infographic]

    An estimated 91% of the world’s population had access to electricity in 2020, marking substantial progress toward goals to ensure universal access to power. Still, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 733 million people remain unserved. Off-grid and decentralized energy systems may be emerging as an alternative to facilitate energy access and resilience, […]

  • POWER Digest [February 2023]

    Geothermal Plant Planned in Colombia. Colombian petroleum company Ecopetrol in December announced plans to build a 250-kW geothermal power plant in the Apiay oil complex in Meta, Colombia. The power plant will

  • Repowering PV Sites: Challenges and Opportunities

    More inverters are coming to the end of their life, and needing replacement, as the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry matures. Inverter failures usually occur on systems that are 10-plus years old. At that age

  • Why Solar Parks Are in Desperate Need of Good Publicity

    Americans have much to gain from having a solar project installed in their local community, but their relationship with solar energy is hardly a love affair. The infamous NIMBY (not in my backyard) phenomenon

  • Curtailment Challenge: How Long-Duration Energy Storage Improves Solar Utilization and Delivers Immediate Carbon Reductions

    Most major utilities and energy generators have by now committed to cutting carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions in order to meet both government and corporate targets and ultimately avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Decarbonizing the energy sector, which contributes 35% of the world’s total emissions, is thus a critical aspect of […]

  • The POWER Interview: Shift to Renewables Requires Energy Storage

    Jamal Burki is president of IHI Terrasun, a company that provides energy storage systems, including standalone systems and also those paired with solar power installations.  Burki, who has spent just short of two years in his current role and has been with the company since 2015, recently provided POWER with insight into the energy storage […]

  • Renewable Properties Signs Nearly 30 MW of PPAs with PG&E for Community Solar Projects in Disadvantaged Communities

    San Francisco, January 31, 2023 — Renewable Properties, a developer and investor in small-scale utility and community solar projects based in San Francisco, has signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) for five projects with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), California’s largest investor-owned utility. The projects will bring the benefits of clean solar energy to households that can’t […]

  • Duke Energy begins operation of Idaho’s largest solar plant

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Jan. 26, 2023) – Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, a non-regulated commercial brand of Duke Energy, today announced it has placed into commercial operation the 120-MW Jackpot Solar project in Twin Falls County, Idaho. This is the organization’s first utility-scale renewable energy project in the state and is the largest solar facility in operation […]

  • The POWER Interview: Benefits of Adding Storage to Solar Power Systems

    Utilizing energy storage with a solar power system is a way for power generators to help balance the supply of energy with demand for electricity. Energy storage can be used during periods when the sun isn’t shining, and it also help support periods of high demand for power along the grid. Many residential and commercial […]

  • Antora Energy Begins Production of Highly-Efficient Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) Cells in New 2MW Manufacturing Facility

    SUNNYVALE, Calif. (January 24, 2023) — Antora Energy, a leader in zero-carbon heat and power for the industrial sector, has built the world’s first dedicated manufacturing line for thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cells, achieving a major milestone in the production and scalability of TPV technology. The company has also demonstrated an efficiency rate greater than 40% for […]

  • The POWER Interview: Abu Dhabi’s Plan for Renewable Energy in the UAE

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is in the midst of an energy transition, moving away from its nearly exclusive use of natural gas-fired power generation to a strategy based on renewable energy resources. The country has an abundance of natural gas, and it also has significant solar power potential. The UAE also is adding nuclear […]

  • Texas Utility Will Close Remaining Coal-Fired Units

    The largest municipally-owned electric and gas utility in the U.S. will close its remaining coal-fired power units by 2030. The board of trustees for San Antonio, Texas-based CPS Energy on Jan. 23 voted 4-1 to approve a plan to shutter the last two coal-burning units at the J.K. Spruce power plant. The plan, known as […]

  • Group Says China Will Add 70 GW of Coal- and Gas-Fired Generation in 2023

    A lobbying group for China’s power generation sector said the country will add about 70 GW of fossil fuel-powered capacity this year, even as renewable energy is set to provide more than half of China’s electricity production in 2023. The China Electricity Council in a report published Jan. 19 said the 70 GW of new […]

  • Ørsted Buys PSEG Stake in Offshore Wind Project, Announces Major Texas Solar Farm

    Danish energy developer Ørsted continues to expand its presence in the U.S. market, with the company on Jan. 18 announcing it has signed a deal to acquire Public Service Enterprise Group’s (PSEG’s) 25% stake in the 1.1-GW Ocean Wind 1 project about 15 miles off the coast of New Jersey. The move will give Ørsted […]

  • California City Now Home to World’s Largest Multicampus Solar & Energy Storage Installation

    San Ramon, Calif. (Jan. 17, 2023) – San Ramon is now home to the world’s largest multicampus solar and energy storage installation, equating to nearly 25 megawatts (MW), as Sunset Development Company and DSD Renewables (DSD) again partner for phase two of its renewable energy solution and solar installation at Bishop Ranch, the thriving 600-acre, […]

  • Burns & McDonnell Completes 250 MWac of Solar Projects for Alliant Energy in Wisconsin

    Company Now Mobilized on Six Additional Wisconsin Solar Sites Totaling 414 MWac of Capacity KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Burns & McDonnell has completed engineer-procure-construct (EPC) services for three Alliant Energy solar projects in Wisconsin. The projects are part of Alliant Energy’s Clean Energy Blueprint. These projects are now energized: Bear Creek — 50-MWac North Rock — 50-MWac […]

  • Energy Storage Being Added to California Gas-Fired Peaker Plants

    A North Carolina-based group that provides battery energy storage and software technology is set to co-locate 420 MWh of storage at four natural gas-fired facilities in California. Durham-headquartered FlexGen Power Systems on Jan. 17 said it would provide energy storage to Middle River Power (MRP), a Chicago, Illinois-based independent power company. MRP was created in […]

  • Virtual Power Plant Partnership Launched With Support from General Motors, Ford, Google Nest

    JANUARY 10, 2023 — RMI, a leading nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the global energy transformation, announced the formation of the Virtual Power Plant Partnership (VP3) Tuesday. In recognition of the critical work needed to tackle scaling the market for virtual power plants, initial funding of the VP3 effort was made possible by General Motors and Google […]

  • bp brings green energy and jobs to Ohio with construction of new utility-scale solar project

    JANUARY 10, 2023 — bp announced today its 134-MWdc (107-MWac) Arche Solar project in Fulton County, Ohio, is beginning construction, helping support the global transition to lower carbon energy. Arche is expected to create around 200 U.S. jobs across the supply chain during construction and provide more than $30 million in revenue to benefit local […]

  • Construction Underway on South Dakota’s Largest Solar Project

    A 128-MW solar energy project that will serve customers of a regional electric power cooperative is under construction in South Dakota, with the facility expected to enter commercial operation later this year. National Grid Renewables on Jan. 10 said work has begun on the company’s Wild Springs Solar Project in Pennington County. The array will […]

  • The POWER Interview: Sphera Exec Talks Supply Chain Solutions

    Several executives in the power generation space weighed in for POWER’s recent report on supply chain issues in the sector. Sourcing of equipment also was a hot topic in POWER’s 2023 forecast for the industry. It’s no surprise. The power sector is not exempt from the problems that have impacted business and industry worldwide, from […]

  • SolarEdge to Acquire Hark Systems, a European-Based Energy Analytics and IoT Company

    LEEDS, United Kingdom and MILPITAS, California – January 3, 2023 – SolarEdge Technologies Inc. (“SolarEdge”) (NASDAQ: SEDG), a global leader in smart energy technology, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the entire share capital of Hark Systems Ltd. (“Hark”). Founded in 2016 and based in Leeds, UK. Hark offers […]

  • Power Sector Seeks Solutions for Supply Chain Issues

    The pandemic exposed issues with the global supply chain that provides resources for power generation. The pressure of having enough equipment to meet industry needs has spurred an emphasis on domestic