solar

  • Shedding Light on Solar Incentives—Why Property Owners Remain in the Dark

    As the world grapples with climate change and seeks sustainable energy solutions, solar energy has emerged as a front-runner in renewable energy sources. Despite the numerous benefits associated with solar power, many property owners remain unaware of the federal, state and utility incentives available to them for installing solar panels. There are also many grant […]

  • Catalyze Announces Community Solar Acquisition in New York

    Catalyze, a Houston, Texas-headquartered fully integrated developer and independent power producer of distributed renewable energy assets, announced it has acquired 48 MW of community solar projects in New York from hep solar, a globally operating German solar development and investment group.

  • Innergex Brings Hawaii Solar Project Online, Supports France Agrivoltaic Installations

    A Canada-based renewable energy developer recently announced commercial operation of a solar power paired with energy storage project in Hawaii, along with providing updates on two agrivoltaic installations in France.

  • How Solar Developers Can Navigate California’s Ever-Changing Energy Landscape

    With its history of solar-friendly policies over the past two decades, California set the pace for solar adoption across the U.S., leading the nation in installed solar capacity for eight of the past 10 years, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

  • India Continues to Expand Renewable Energy Resources

    India Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently reiterated his pledge to more than double his country’s current renewable energy capacity, telling delegates to the India Energy Week 2025 conference in New Delhi

  • South Africa Grants Emissions Exemptions to Coal-Fired Plants in Effort to Avoid Blackouts

    South African officials will allow some of the country’s coal-fired power plants to operate without the need to adhere to regulations on carbon and other emissions. The move comes as South Africa continues to struggle with producing enough electricity to power the country’s growing economy. South Africa, which relies on coal for more than 80% […]

  • Corporate Buyers Sign Deals with Texas Solar Energy Projects

    Technology company Cisco is among the groups involved in six virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) to secure energy from two solar power plants being developed in Texas.

  • Maryland Officials Support Gas Plants Among Cleaner Forms of Generation

    Maryland lawmakers have introduced a bill in the state legislature that sponsors say would provide an easier path to build new power plants, including natural gas-fired facilities, and lower utility bills for ratepayers as part of the process.

  • Arcadia, Perch Energy Announce Major Community Solar Deal

    A Massachusetts-based solar energy firm is merging with the community solar arm of a renewable energy group to create one of the country’s largest pure-play community solar companies. Perch Energy, based in Boston, and Arcadia on March 11 said they are joining to manage more than 3 GW of solar power capacity developed by more than 90 groups across 16 states.

  • Understanding the Complexity of REC Contracts and Why IT Systems Struggle to Manage Them

    Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) represent the environmental attribute of 1 MWh of energy generated from eligible sources of generation. They can be bought or sold together with energy, in which case they are referred to as “bundled” RECs, or without the energy component, in which case they are referred to as “unbundled” RECs. COMMENTARY There […]

  • Leveraging VPPs to Prepare Utilities for Extreme Weather

    From the Midwest to the South, the U.S. has experienced dangerous cold snaps this winter that challenge grid operators to meet rising heating demands. These temperature extremes are driven in part by climate change, which is why the past decade has had the highest temperature extremes in recorded history, as well as why temperature extremes […]

  • POWER Digest (March 2025)

    Major Solar-Plus-Storage Project Announced in Middle East. A solar-plus-storage project that could provide gigawatts of generation capacity was unveiled in January during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW)

  • The POWER Interview: O&M Solutions for C&I Solar Installations

    Jon De Martin, CEO of Australia-based SCE Energy Solutions, talks with POWER about his company’s work with solar power technology for commercial and industrial enterprises.

  • Transitioning to a Cleaner Energy Future Without Sacrificing Reliability

    As 2025 kicks off with new leadership, the U.S. faces new challenges like a rapidly growing demand of electricity driven in large part by data center expansion, electric vehicle adoption, bitcoin mining operations, and continued industrial growth. Electricity supply and security remains a critical concern, particularly as aging infrastructure and supply chain disruptions complicate efforts […]

  • GridBeyond Will Optimize 200-MW ESS in California

    GridBeyond said it has signed a contract with Gore Street Energy Storage Fund to provide scheduling coordinator, trading, and energy optimization services for the 200-MW Big Rock energy storage system (ESS) in Southern California.

  • Microsoft, Clearloop Have Deal for Community Solar Projects

    Clearloop, a carbon solutions platform for Silicon Ranch that partners with companies in support of decarbonization, on Feb. 25 announced a new multi-year agreement with Microsoft to deploy up to 100 MW of renewable energy projects over the next three years in historically underinvested communities. The new agreement accelerates decarbonization and drives capital investment in […]

  • Invenergy, Verizon Expand PPAs for Solar Power

    Energy major Invenergy and telecom company Verizon are moving forward with power purchase agreements (PPAs) involving 640 MW of solar energy from projects across four states. The deals announced Feb. 19 mean that Verizon now has procured more than 1 GW of power from Invenergy, the Chicago, Illinois-based renewable energy group considered the largest privately […]

  • Space-Based Solar Power: The Future of 24/7 Clean Energy Generation

    Imagine a field of solar panels floating silently in the endless day of Earth’s orbit. Unlike their terrestrial cousins, this space-based solar array never faces nighttime, clouds, or atmospheric interference. Instead, they bathe in constant, intense sunlight, converting this endless stream of energy into electricity with remarkable efficiency. But the true innovation lies in how […]

  • Microsoft Buying Power from Three EDP Renewables’ Solar Projects

    Technology giant Microsoft is buying nearly 400 MW of power from three new utility-scale solar projects in Illinois and Texas. EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) on Feb. 10 said the installations have come online with long-term virtual power purchase agreements (PPAs), through which Microsoft will take 389 MW of electricity and renewable energy credits. […]

  • The POWER Interview: Enhancing Reliability of the U.S. Power System

    Designing, building, and maintaining the network of power transmission lines and associated infrastructure that delivers electricity across the U.S. is a complex task. It involves disparate components, from thermal power plants using different fuel types, to renewable energy such as solar, wind, and geothermal installations. Substations are another component, and the use of battery energy […]

  • Building for Solar Growth—Selecting the Right Foundation for Any Site

    Solar builds are becoming more complex. “Perfect” sites with the ideal topography and terrain profile are less available, and sites that remain pose additional challenges for developers and EPCs alike. Selecting the right foundation is key to mitigating risks, overcoming hurdles, and constructing a project that delivers reliable solar power on budget and on time. […]

  • Major Solar Tracker Technology Deal as Kinematics Completes Acquisition of P4Q

    Kinematics, an Arizona-headquartered global group focused on intelligent motion control, said it has completed its acquisition of P4Q. Kinematics on Feb. 4 said it will now integrate P4Q’s high-performance electronics portfolio—which includes more than 1 million solar controllers deployed across 2,400 solar sites globally—with Kinematics’ installed base of 2.9 million solar actuators (Figure 1). The […]

  • Could Space Solar Power Play a Key Role in Disaster Relief?

    The Los Angeles wildfires of January 2025 highlight a critical vulnerability in disaster response: power failure. With insured losses potentially reaching $45 billion and more than 170,000 residents displaced, reliable power could have supported essential emergency services and potentially saved lives. Space Solar Power (SSP), which can beam energy directly to disaster zones from space, […]

  • Oil and Gas Exec Wright Confirmed to Lead DOE

    The U.S. Senate in a 59-38 vote has confirmed Colorado-based oil and gas executive Chris Wright as secretary of the Dept. of Energy (DOE). Seven Democrats, including both Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper from Wright’s home state, crossed party lines and voted with Republicans on Feb. 3 to confirm Wright. Angus King, the independent from […]

  • Lightsource bp Brings 288-MW Solar Portfolio in Texas Online

    Lightsource bp announced two solar power projects in Texas with a combined 288 MW of generation capacity are now online, pushing the company’s operational fleet in that state to more than 1 GW of power production. The company on Jan. 31 said the 163-MW Starr Solar project in Starr County, along with the 125-MW Second […]

  • Advancements in Solar Products and Their Role in Mitigating Carbon Emissions

    The necessity for sustainable energy solutions has never been more pressing. As global carbon emissions continue to rise along with the increase of natural disasters, innovative companies are stepping up to offer practical, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional energy sources. Advanced solar power products not only represent a technological triumph but also contribute significantly to the […]

  • Examining the Real Cost of Renewable Resiliency

    In the face of escalating climate challenges, renewable energy asset owners come to a critical crossroads: invest in resilient, hardened assets or opt for standard equipment to minimize upfront costs. In the context of solar energy, resilience refers to an asset’s ability to withstand, adapt to, and quickly recover from disruptions caused by extreme weather […]

  • Solar Trade Group’s Plan: 700 GWh of Energy Storage by 2030

    The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) published a white paper outlining the industry group’s vision for U.S. energy storage, setting a target to install 10 million distributed energy storage sites and reach 700 kWh of installed storage capacity the end of the decade. The white paper, released Jan. 28 along with a guide to energy […]

  • DeepSeek Sparks Demand Debate, While Chevron Plans Gas-Fired Plants for Data Centers

    The debate over just how much power will be needed to support the artificial intelligence (AI) industry became heated when a Chinese company said it has a low-cost AI model that could upend the sector’s energy needs. DeepSeek created a global stir after releasing information that said the company’s DeepSeek-V3 required less than $6 million […]

  • Coal Continues to Lead China’s Record Levels of Power Generation

    China’s thermal power generation reached a record high in 2024, primarily due to the country’s coal-fired power plants, even as the country continues to add renewable energy resources to its power grid. Data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics showed electricity production from the country’s coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear power sectors increased 1.5% […]