solar

  • Nautilus Solar Energy Closes Debt Financing With National Bank of Canada and Royal Bank of Canada

    SUMMIT, N.J., April 29, 2020 — Nautilus Solar Energy, LLC (“Nautilus”), a leading owner-operator of distributed generation and community solar projects located throughout North America closed a $90 million debt financing agreement led by National Bank of Canada “NBC” and including Royal Bank of Canada (“RBC”) as lender. The financing consists of a $75 million […]

  • Innovative Distributed Generation Projects Provide Power to Remote Areas

    Remote communities have become testing grounds for innovative power projects. These areas traditionally have been powered by fossil fuel generation, usually diesel fuel or oil and sometimes natural gas, and

  • Renewable Energy Workers Deemed ‘Essential’ in California

    Workers who install solar power and energy storage systems, along with those working in other sectors of renewable energy, are considered “essential” to maintain “critical infrastructure” in California, according to a clarification from the California Energy Commission (CEC). The state’s Public Health Officer had earlier designated a variety of personnel, mainly health care staff, as […]

  • HyperSolar Enters Into Technical Services Agreement With Global Engineering Corporation Fluor

    SANTA BARBARA, CA , April 28, 2020 — HyperSolar, Inc. (OTC:HYSR), the developer of a breakthrough technology to produce renewable hydrogen using sunlight and water, today announced that it has executed a Technical Services Agreement with engineering giant, Fluor,  in preparation for engineering required for a future pilot plant and other projects. “We believe that […]

  • Natural Gas and Renewables as Natural Partners, Especially in Challenging Times

    Earth Day is normally when we honor the headway made in advancing environmental and climate goals, while also reflecting on the challenges that remain before us. However, this year our society was caught up in a pandemic-induced economic downturn that has left Americans focused squarely on sensible preservation of ourselves, our families, and our way of […]

  • Inovateus Solar Completes Three NIPSCO Solar Projects With Zero Construction Waste

    SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Inovateus Solar recently completed three solar projects for Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO). The projects, which are the utility’s first solar installations, include a ground-mount solar array at NIPSCO’s Merrillville, IN headquarters. Consistent with NIPSCO’s steps toward a more sustainable energy future, Inovateus Solar achieved zero-waste construction by recycling equipment […]

  • Virginia Commits to End Coal-Fired Generation

    Virginia on April 12 became the latest state to commit to a phase-out of fossil fuel-powered electricity generation, as Gov. Ralph Northam signed the Virginia Economy Act into law. The legislation sets new requirements for energy efficiency among the state’s leading utility companies, and also requires most of the state’s six remaining coal-fired power plants […]

  • Siemens CEO: No Job Cuts Due to Coronavirus

    Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser told a German newspaper the company will not reduce its workforce despite the economic downturn due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Kaeser, in an interview published April 11, said the company would likely continue having some employees work fewer hours at some of its facilities in Germany, and could extend that […]

  • France Moves to Support Renewables During Pandemic

    U.S. renewable energy advocates have warned of industry slowdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic, and decried the lack of support for solar, wind, and other technologies in the recent aid package passed by Congress. It’s a different story in some foreign countries where the federal government has thrown its support behind renewable energy. France’s ecology […]

  • POWER Digest [April 2020]

    Group Readies Hydrogen Production Plant in Japan. A consortium including Toshiba, Tohoku Electric Power, and Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in March said it has

  • What Does It Take to Develop Utility-Scale Solar Projects?

    Constructing a utility-scale solar project requires more than simply buying PV panels and mounting them in a field. It can take years to find the right location, conduct feasibility studies, obtain permits, and align the proverbial stars. A couple of experts, who have managed multiple projects through the process, were guests on The POWER Podcast. […]

  • Renewable Energy Advocates Decry Lack of Help in Stimulus Bill

    The $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Senate on March 25 should provide some economic relief to the nation’s households and businesses, but the renewable energy industry is disappointed the bill does not extend investment tax credits and other incentives to keep wind, solar, and other projects moving forward. Clean-energy industry groups […]

  • COVID-19: Resources for the Solar Industry

    As the economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, one thing has become very clear – the solar industry is at risk. A survey of our member companies conducted over the past ten days provides further proof points to this story: the data clearly shows that solar companies and workers are being put out of […]

  • Power Loads Changing as Coronavirus Impacts Energy Sector

    Power industry analysts who’ve spoken with POWER agree there will be an impact to power load due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the loss of much of the U.S. commercial and industrial demand for power, and certainly an uptick in the amount of demand from the residential sector as more people work from home, away […]

  • Pandemic Creating ‘Crisis’ for Solar Industry

    The president of the Solar Energy Industries Association on March 17 said the solar industry is seeing “a pretty significant crisis” along with the overall economy due to the global coronavirus pandemic, as the situation likely will limit growth in the solar sector this year. Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the SEIA, told […]

  • Solar Drives Down Price for ISO-NE Power

    Silicon Valley-based SunPower on March 16 said it has secured grid capacity for about 11 MW of power after a winning bid in ISO New England’s 14th Forward Capacity Auction (FCA), in which companies predict the cost of making power in 2023. The auction, which closed in February, saw a record low price of $2 […]

  • Nation’s Largest Community Solar Program Set to Launch

    Florida Power & Light (FPL) on March 3 received approval from state regulators to launch the nation’s largest community solar program. FPL’s $1.8 billion SolarTogether project will more than double the amount of available community solar power nationwide. The program, unanimously approved Tuesday by the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC), adds almost 1.5 GW of […]

  • The Case for Autonomous Network Management

    There is a near-global drive to replace carbon-based, polluting, resource-constrained energy sources with non-carbon renewables as the primary fuel for the electricity industry. Even traditional sources of

  • More renewable energy options available under Duke Energy’s Green Source Advantage

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (February 25, 2020) – The North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) has approved Duke Energy’s Green Source Advantage (GSA) program in North Carolina, enabling the company to expand renewable energy options for customers. View the NCUC order. “Large customers focused on securing more renewable energy now have an additional option with Duke Energy’s Green […]

  • Duke Energy Florida announces installation of one-millionth solar panel in state

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (February 24, 2020) — One million solar panels and counting… Duke Energy Florida today announced the installation of its one-millionth solar panel in the state at the company’s Columbia Solar Power Plant in Fort White, Fla. Duke Energy Florida plans to install a significant amount of additional solar energy over the next […]

  • TECO Announces $800-Million Investment in New Solar

    Tampa Electric Co. (TECO) on Feb. 19 said it plans to invest about $800 million to add another 600 MW of solar power generation capacity by year-end 2023. TECO on Wednesday said the expansion will increase its solar portfolio to more than 1.25 GW of solar generation, or about 14% of its total generation mix. […]

  • Geronimo Energy and Basin Electric Power Cooperative Announce Power Purchase Agreement for 128 MW South Dakota Solar Project

    PIERRE, S.D., Feb. 18, 2020 — Geronimo Energy (Geronimo), a National Grid company, and Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric) announced today the execution of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the Wild Springs Solar Project (Wild Springs). Wild Springs is a 128 megawatt (MW) clean solar energy project located in Pennington County, South Dakota, […]

  • Signal Energy Australia to Provide Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Services for the 706-Acre, 149 MW(P) Glenrowan West Solar Farm

    SYDNEY, Feb. 18, 2020 — Signal Energy Australia Pty Ltd has partnered with WIRTGEN INVEST, a German investment company, to lead the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) effort on the Glenrowan West Solar Farm. Signal Energy Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Signal Energy, a leading design/build contractor providing EPC services to the renewable energy industry. […]

  • WFW advises Noy Fund on acquisition of 421 MW Spanish PV portfolio

    February 13, 2020 — Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) has advised Noy Infrastructure & Energy Investment Fund (“Noy Fund”) on the acquisition of a majority stake in a photovoltaic (“PV”) portfolio of two plants with a total installed capacity of 421 MW from Hive Energy and White Light Energy. It represents Noy Fund’s first investment in […]

  • California Official: Solar’s Future Bright, but Clouds Persist

    The technology behind solar power is changing rapidly. Researchers at the University of California, Davis have said so-called “anti-solar” panels could even generate power at night. But even as solar deployments grow worldwide, more innovative solar products are launched, and more governments enact clean energy mandates, political headwinds threaten to slow the progress of the […]

  • Endesa to Close Two Giant Spanish Coal Plants

    Endesa on Dec. 27 formally moved to shutter two massive coal-fired power plants—the 1.4-GW As Pontes plant in A Coruña, Galicia, which is the biggest coal-fired power plant in Spain, and the 1.16-GW

  • India’s Energy Market Overhaul—Infrastructure, Renewables, and Keeping Coal in the Mix

    India wants to reform its power generation sector, including upgrades to energy infrastructure, and plans to introduce new technology to make its electricity supply more reliable and resilient. It’s part of

  • The POWER Interview: Benefits of a Smarter Grid

    The smart grid is transforming the way utilities communicate with their customers. Smart grid technology, including control systems and automation that help new technologies work together, supports a power grid that can respond digitally to quickly changing electricity demand. The smart grid enables electricity producers to enhance reliability, availability, and efficiency. It can provide cost […]

  • Qatar Will Boost Middle East Solar with 800-MW Project

    Qatar’s energy minister on Jan. 19 said the country will build an 800-MW solar power project that will push the country far beyond its announced goal for solar energy. That goal of 100 MW of solar generation was established when Qatar in December 2010 was awarded rights to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament. […]

  • Small business, big impact: E.ON extends 100% renewables-backed electricity offer to small business customers

    January 20, 2020 — E.ON today announced it would be extending its 100% renewables-backed electricity supply to eligible small business customers across Britain – committing to source electricity matched with wind, solar and other sources for 100,000 or more small businesses over the next 12 months. E.ON already provides its residential customers electricity supply backed […]