solar

  • BLM Considering 31 Million Acres of U.S. Public Lands for Solar Power Development

    The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has published details of a plan to make millions of acres of public lands across the western U.S. available for development of solar power. The Western Solar Plan, which revises guidelines from more than a decade ago, was published in the Federal Register on August 30. The BLM said […]

  • Arevon Energy Investing Millions to Build Indiana Solar Projects

    An Arizona-headquartered company is investing millions of dollars in Indiana with construction of a series of solar power projects in the Hoosier state. Arevon Energy, a Scottsdale-based renewable energy developer, owner, and operator, on August 21 celebrated the groundbreaking for the 192-MW Ratts 1 Solar Project near Petersburg in Pike County. Arevon also recently began […]

  • The Critical Role of Silicon Metal Production in the U.S. Solar Energy Sector

    Advocates for renewables in the U.S. see an abundant promise with solar power, which will push the country closer to achieving a greener economy. The U.S. is expected to add 62.8 GW of new utility-scale electric-generating capacity this year. The Biden-Harris administration in April 2024 announced $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects […]

  • The State of the Residential Solar Market: What’s Next?

    SEIA’s Solar Market Insight Report for Q2 2024 showed that the U.S. solar market set an industry record by installing 11.8 GWdc in the first quarter. Despite this impressive growth in the market overall, the residential segment experienced its lowest quarter since Q1 2022, with installations totaling only 1.3 GWdc—a decline of 25% year-over-year and […]

  • Biggest Mistakes Homeowners Make While Trying to Optimize Solar Energy

    Solar energy is one of the main ways to curb greenhouse gas emissions and take action against the impact of climate change. Solar power offers security that homeowners can continue to generate their own electricity and potentially store it, especially in areas prone to natural disasters and power outages. There’s been a surge in adoption […]

  • BlueWave Announces Agrivoltaic Projects in Massachusetts

    BlueWave, a solar power developer and owner in the U.S. Northeast, announced five projects across Massachusetts that incorporate the company’s innovative dual-use solar design and operate under the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program. BlueWave said the installations announced August 22 are located in Palmer, Haverhill, Dighton, and Douglas. The sites have 19.8 MW of […]

  • Investment Firm Buys Major U.S. Community Solar Provider

    A New York-based infrastructure investment fund said it has completed its purchase of a community solar and battery energy storage business in a deal to expand the U.S. community solar market. NOVA Infrastructure on August 16 said its acquisition of UGE International will forge a partnership “with UGE’s veteran management team with the goal of […]

  • RWE Signs PPAs With Meta for Power from Solar Farms

    U.S. renewable energy major RWE announced the signing of two long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) that will supply electricity to social media company Meta. The deal is for clean energy from two solar farms with combined generation capacity of 374 MW. The solar facilities are RWE’s 274-MW County Run Solar project in Illinois, and the […]

  • The Energy Transition Requires a Holistic Approach

    Over the last few years, the energy industry has moved down a path of massive change, disruption, and uncertainty. In the U.S., growth projections over the next 15 years include 2,000 GW of PV solar and wind, 1,100 GW of storage, all seemingly coming from nowhere, driving grid interconnection requests at the end of 2023 […]

  • LS Power Acquiring Renewable Energy Assets in $2.5 Billion Deal

    A New York-based power and energy infrastructure group will acquire more than 3 GW of operating renewable energy assets, along with another 8 GW of projects under development, from a Canadian company in a deal valued at up to $2.5 billion. LS Power, headquartered in New York City with offices in New Jersey, Missouri, Texas, […]

  • AES Indiana Switching Last Coal Units to Gas, Adding Solar and Storage

    An Indiana electric utility has announced a $1.1 billion investment in that state that includes switching coal-fired units to run on natural gas, along with new solar power and battery energy storage projects. AES Indiana, a subsidiary of AES Corp., and formerly known as Indianapolis Power & Light, on August 8 said it will convert […]

  • A Refined Approach to Onsite Power Generation

    The Pine Bend refinery in Minnesota added a 45-MW solar power array to support the facility’s supply of electricity, reaping the benefits of reduced costs, lower emissions, and more. Owners of commercial and

  • Applying Photovoltaic Charging and Storage Systems: Challenging the Limits of PV Technology

    To achieve net-zero goals and accelerate the global energy transition, the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that countries need to triple renewable energy capacity from that of 2022 by 2030, with the development of solar photovoltaics (PV) playing a crucial role. Additionally, the comprehensive electrification of combustion engine vehicles is an indispensable measure for reducing […]

  • Landrieu: Natural Gas Is ‘Not the Enemy, It Is Part of the Solution’ to Achieving Climate Goals

    Former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who is now a senior policy advisor for the law firm Van Ness Feldman and co-chair of the Natural Allies Leadership Council, is keen on natural gas and believes it is part of the solution to reaching both domestic and global climate goals. “Natural gas in America is not […]

  • Brighter Tomorrow Act Paves Way For More Solar Investment in Maryland

    Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in May of this year signed the Brighter Tomorrow Act into law. The measure expands the solar facilities that qualify for subsidy, and improve the level of subsidy, and contains certain miscellaneous provisions applicable generally expanding access to subsidies—as well as benefits to workers and persons of low to moderate income. […]

  • Historic Gemini Solar-Plus-Storage Project Now Fully Operational

    One of the largest solar-plus-storage installations in the U.S. has entered commercial operation. Primergy Solar and Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners on July 18 announced that the Gemini Solar + Energy Storage project, which will provide power to Las Vegas, Nevada, and other communities, is now fully online. Gemini has 690 MW of power generation capacity and […]

  • DOE Loans Office Will Support Solar, Energy Storage Systems in Puerto Rico

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) on July 18 announced a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $861.3 million to Clean Flexible Energy, LLC. The money will finance construction of two solar photovoltaic (PV) farms equipped with battery storage, and two standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS), in […]

  • Struggling SolarEdge Technologies Will Cut 400 Jobs

    SolarEdge Technologies said it would lay off about 400 workers, including 200 in its home country of Israel, as the company tries to become more financially stable. SolarEdge on July 15 announced the job cuts in a letter to employees. The company, which said it had about 4,600 workers prior to the layoffs, had announced […]

  • Avangrid Brings First Phase of Solar Farm in Texas Online

    Avangrid said it has started producing power from the first phase of the True North solar project in Texas, an installation the company said is its first solar installation in the state. Avangrid, headquartered in Orange, Connecticut, on July 15 said the solar farm when complete will have 238 MWac (321 MWdc) of generation capacity, […]

  • SEMA Coalition Encourages Biden Administration to Strengthen Domestic Content Bonus

    The Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition on July 15 submitted comments for consideration to update the domestic content bonus established in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). “The Biden Administration and Congress made a commitment to reshore the entire solar supply chain with the Inflation Reduction Act, but that will not be possible without […]

  • Unlocking the Benefits of Virtual Power Plants with Digital Technology

    Most people, when they imagine a power plant, picture equipment like smokestacks that stretch hundreds of feet into the sky, massive, spinning turbines and the hum of electric transmission lines that deliver power into the bulk electric grid. As power demand increases beyond current power plant capacities and clean energy goals are accelerated, power generation […]

  • GOP-Held Congressional Districts Cash in on Clean Energy Projects

    More than $106.5 billion in large-scale clean energy project investments have been announced in Republican-held congressional districts in the U.S. during the period from August 2022 through June 2024. The figure was released by E2, a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors, and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for “smart […]

  • Sinovoltaics Launches BESSential Quality Control Service to Reveal and Correct Battery Pack Defects

    A global group that provides quality assurance for the battery energy storage system (BESS) and solar photovoltaic (PV) industries has launched a battery pack review service designed to improve detection and correction of capacity imbalance issues. Sinovoltaics on July 11 said it has launched its BESSential analysis service, offering 100% battery pack review. The service, […]

  • Solar Roundup: EDP Projects Highlight New Developments

    EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) on July 10 marked the inauguration of Pearl River Solar Park in Scott County, Mississippi. Pearl River has an installed generation capacity of 210 MWp (175 MWac). The project features 400,000 monofacial and bifacial tracking photovoltaic panels, and is EDPR NA’s official entry into Mississippi, the company said Wednesday. […]

  • The POWER Interview: Growing Importance of Solar Recycling

    Waste from end-of-life solar panels and other solar-related equipment provides an opportunity to recover valuable materials, along with other benefits. The International Renewable Energy Agency said that by 2030, the cumulative value of recoverable raw materials from end-of-life panels alone will be about $450 million worldwide, which the agency said is equivalent to the cost […]

  • Sulzer Will Deliver Hot and Cold Molten Salt Pumps for China Solar Project

    A major concentrated solar power (CSP) project in China selected Sulzer, a global fluid engineering company, to supply both the hot and the cold molten salts pumps for the installation. The planned 100-MW solar project will feature technology designed to deliver electricity from solar energy 24 hours a day. Molten salts have been used in […]

  • Energy Evolution: What Technologies Are Leading the Way Today

    It’s not uncommon to hear people talk about the energy transition. Yet, throughout its history, the power industry has almost always been transitioning in one way or another. There are constantly new

  • Optimizing Solar Panel Manufacturing Efficiency and Reliability

    Whether you’re a longtime solar panel maker or just embarking on a business plan, it’s easy to overlook some key business considerations. Perhaps you need to design a new warehouse and develop support

  • Small Item, Big Impact: Why and How to Prioritize Solar Connector Safety and Performance

    U.S. solar installations saw a banner year in 2023. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), new installs set multiple records, exceeding 30 GWdc of capacity and comprising more than half of the nation’s new generating capacity for the first time. Many cheer this renewable growth; others, whether wary of change or wedded to […]

  • Ampion, Wendy’s Announce Community Solar Deal for Restaurants

    Community solar provider Ampion Renewable Energy is partnering with The Wendy’s Company to help Wendy’s restaurants source renewable energy. Nearly 100 company-operated restaurants and nearly 40 franchise restaurants in New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts are now enrolled in Ampion+, a product that helps organizations reduce energy costs and secure Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) that substantiate […]