Recurrent Energy, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar, signed a $103 million tax credit facilitation agreement with Bank of America for its North Fork Solar Project.

The tax equity agreement is Recurrent Energy’s first production tax credit (PTC) transaction and first tax credit transfer transaction. Recurrent reports that by transferring tax credits to Bank of America, it can access funding more quickly and efficiently.

In April the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released final guidance for the transfer of clean energy tax credits, a provision within the Inflation Reduction Act and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) act that allow tax credit owners to sell their credits to other entities with a tax appetite.

Under a tax credit transfer transaction, renewable energy developers and owners can sell tax credits for cash, making financing easier for new clean energy projects. The transferability option is generally open to the entities that are not covered by the direct pay option. More information in the frequently asked questions section can be found here.

Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA), which serves 42 municipally owned electric systems in Oklahoma, will purchase 100% of the energy produced by North Fork Solar under a 15-year agreement. This marks the first solar project in OMPA’s energy mix. Recurrent Energy will continue to own and operate the project long-term.

“This addition will further diversify our energy sources and provide our member cities with more energy options to offer their customers,” said David Osburn, OMPA general manager. “We look forward to maintaining a long-term relationship with Recurrent Energy.”

The 120 MWac North Fork Solar project, which sits on 1,012 acres in Kiowa County, Oklahoma, will provide enough electricity to power the equivalent of 35,000 homes year.

This project greatly increases the amount of solar installed in the state of Oklahoma, which ranked 46^th for installed capacity in Q1 2024 with 189 MW, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. At that time the Covington Solar Farm at 13.2 MW, which came online in 2017, was a landmark project.

Construction by Blattner began in August 2023 and was compete in June  2024 with approximately 250 people employed during peak construction and three permanent jobs during operation.

According to Recurrent Energy’s website, the project used construction methods to minimize grading and removal of soil, and preserved topsoil was redistributed across the graded areas to assist in growing ground cover as quickly as possible.

Recurrent Energy reports that during the project’s development and construction, the company supported local initiatives, including the Snyder 4-H and FFA, Snyder Prom, and Cyclone Educational Foundation. Now that it’s operational, the solar project will contribute about $26 million to community services.

Recurrent Energy began developing North Fork Solar in 2018. NordLB and Rabobank provided project financing for North Fork Solar. CRC-IB and Latham & Watkins advised Recurrent Energy on the tax credit transfer transaction.

The City of Detroit announced it has selected three sites for its Solar Neighborhoods initiative, which seeks to develop solar facilities on mostly vacant neighborhoods throughout the city. 

Detroit city-owned buildings use a collective 33 MW of electricity. The city seeks to meet all this demand with new solar projects distributed throughout the metro area. 

Phase one of the project will add 21 MW of capacity across the Gratiot Findlay, Van Dyke/Lynch, and State Fair neighborhoods. Lightstar Renewables was selected to develop 10 MW of the portfolio. Site maps can be found here. 

Under the agreement, the solar facilities will be operated for 25 to 35 years. When the arrays reach the end of their useful life, the contract calls for developers to remove the equipment and return the property to a green field.

A coalition of local nonprofits, environmental groups, energy experts and solar developers are participating in the program. The groups engaged in a several-months-long community engagement program to explain its benefits and reach residents. 

Projects are planned in mostly vacant neighborhoods. Residents located in the footprint of the proposed solar facilities are offered compensation equal to double the market value of their property (or $90,000 minimum) along with moving expenses and relocation services. Renters will receive 18 months’ worth of rent and relocation services. The initiative includes energy efficiency upgrades for surrounding homes, with a minimum value of $15,000 on average per home. 

Each acre contributed will be provided with up to $25,000 in community benefits for energy-efficient upgrades, prioritizing affected homeowners and renters within the solar array footprint. Neighbors can elect to install energy bill saving measures like new windows, roof repairs, energy efficiency, home insulation, smart thermostats, battery back-up, and residential solar panels. 

For the next steps, the Office of Sustainability, The Department of Neighborhoods, the program’s Neighborhood Solar Partners and the solar developers to work with the community and get their insight into how the sites will look and operate. There will be a negotiated and approved agreement between the developer and residents, which will include what the design, vegetation and maintenance will be for each solar neighborhood before any construction work begins. 

List of Neighborhood Solar Partners: 

Green Door Initiative  

EcoWorks  

D2 Solar  

MI Interfaith Power and Light  

Peace Tree  

Sustainable Community Farms  

Walker-Miller Energy  

Rescue MI Nature  

Manistique Community Treehouse Center  

Ryter Cooperatives  

First Family Solar  

Anti-Gravity, LLC  

SDEV  

Energy Alliance 

Maine may design a distribution system operator to advance distributed energy resources Maine has hired a consulting firm to evaluate whether forming a distribution system operator could speed deployment of distributed energy resources and support other state goals. Consultants are reviewing how the approach is used in five other countries.

New platform vets residential solar salespeople An industry plagued by deceptive practices is now verifying salespeople via a platform called Recheck.

Summit Ridge to procure 800 MW of Qcells solar panels The recent agreement brings the total to 2 GW of solar modules that the community solar specialist will purchase from Qcells, mostly manufactured in its facility in Georgia.

More solar installations coming to U.S. military bases In a partnership with Duke Energy valued at an estimated $248 million, the U.S. Department of Defense will be the exclusive purchaser of all output generated by two new solar facilities, which will serve five military bases.

Siting solar projects for best environmental results A new white paper from Clearloop identifies key U.S. regions for best carbon displacement impact of new clean energy projects.

Top solar panel brands in reliability, quality, and performance Solar modules are evaluated in the Renewable Energy Test Center annual PV Module Index.

pv magazine interview: ‘In the next year, some of these guys are going to be bankrupt’ At Intersolar in Munich, pv magazine spoke with Jenny Chase, solar analyst at BloombergNEF, about the incredibly low polysilicon prices, massive overcapacity, and increasing consolidation. According to Chase, this year there will be enough polysilicon capacity to produce 1.1 TW of solar modules, but global module demand is expected to reach around 585 GW. 

New York policy authorizes $814.6 million to fund energy storage The new order puts the state on track to install 6 GW of energy storage by 2030.

Utility-scale solar development: Good planning makes good neighbors A recent study by Berkeley Lab, the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University found that sharing plans for large-scale solar projects with local residents improves the perception of such sites.

GCL says perovskite solar module passes silicon degradation tests At Intersolar Europe, the Chinese manufacturer said the perovskite-silicon tandem module would cost 50% of a crystalline silicon module that costs $0.15 per W, meaning $0.075 per W.

A look at the prevailing wage and apprenticeship final rule Taxpayers seeking to claim the highest available investment and/or production tax credits for renewable energy projects must comply with the prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements.

Spontaneous glass breakage on solar panels on the rise The National Renewable Energy Laboratory noted an increase in spontaneous glass breakage in solar panels. The PV Module Index from the Renewable Energy Test Center investigates this and other glass-related trends in solar manufacturing.

In case you missed it: Five big solar stories in the news this week  pv magazine USA spotlights news of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.

Nextracker, a global provider of intelligent solar tracker and software solutions, has acquired Ojjo in an all-cash transaction for approximately $119 million.

Ojjo is a California-based renewable energy company specializing in unique truss systems that uses half the steel of a conventional foundation and a design that reportedly minimizes grading requirements in utility-scale projects.

The foundation company was founded by Jack West, who also founded Zep Solar. Zep was also known for its unique design in that it offered a rail-less way of installing solar on rooftops. Zep was acquired by SolarCity, which was later acquired by Tesla.

Ojjo’s truss is comprised of underground anchors, above ground legs and a truss cap. The Ojjo Earth Truss has more than 4 feet of reveal tolerance, regardless of Truss height, the company reports, which minimizes grading requirements. A hollow Screw Anchor is the heart of the Ojjo foundation technology, and it’s designed with a crimp collar welded to the top and a hollow tip at the end. Ojjo also has a Truss Driver machine that uses automation software for installations.

Today Ojjo is made up of industry veterans from Avantus, Vestas, SunPower, Recurrent Energy, and Canadian Solar as well as original members from the Zep days. Ojjo reports that, to date, it has delivered more than 2 GW of truss foundations and has 600 total patents issued and pending.

One of Ojjo’s notable projects is Gemini, a 690 MW standalone solar and battery storage project in Nevada on Bureau of Land Management land in the Mojave Desert. The company reports that the project’s owner, Primergy, and EPC, Kiewit Power, chose the Ojjo solution because it eliminated predrilling and reduced the need for grading.

Nextracker reports that for many years it has partnered with Ojjo on testing, evaluation and collaboration on joint customer solar projects. Nextracker sees the acquisition as a bonus for developers and EPC firms as Ojjo’s patented foundations portfolio paired with Nextracker systems provides an integrated solution for a variety of soil conditions.

“Their team brings geotechnical products and expertise in foundation systems that are especially well-suited to rocky sites, with control system intellectual property that is broadly applicable to a range of equipment,” Dan Shugar, Nextracker founder and CEO. “This acquisition furthers our successful global tracker foundation business with next-generation, differentiated technology.”

Nextracker reports that Ojjo technology paired with its NX Horizon integrated tracker system will advance Nextracker’s existing foundation capabilities. In addition, Ojjo technology will continue to be available to customers for use with other compatible solar trackers.

“I am proud of what the Ojjo team created. Nextracker is by far the best partner to drive this technology to its fullest potential in the utility-scale marketplace,” said Mike Miskovsky, outgoing Ojjo CEO, who will be providing transitional support to Nextracker into the next fiscal quarter.

The transaction closed on June 20, 2024, and is not expected to be material to fiscal 2025 results. The purchase price is subject to working capital and other customary purchase price adjustments.

From pv magazine Global

Global PV installations will range from 600 GW to 660 GW in 2024, according to Bernreuter Research.

Bernreuter said its forecast is supported by the shipment targets of the world’s six largest solar module suppliers for 2024. On average, JinkoSolar, Longi, Trina, JA Solar, Tongwei, and Canadian Solar aim for a growth rate of 40%, which, based on global solar installations of 444 GW in 2023, would result in 622 GW of newly installed capacity in 2024.

“Even if leading players gain market share as tier-2 and tier-3 manufacturers struggle in the current low-price environment, it is likely that new PV installations will exceed 600 GW (DC) this year,” said Bernreuter.

Bernreuter’s latest report, “Polysilicon Market Outlook 2027,” said low module prices will fuel demand in the second half of the year. “Once market participants conclude that the crash of the solar module price has reached its bottom, demand will accelerate,” explained Johannes Bernreuter, head of Bernreuter Research.

Global solar installations of 630 GW to 660 GW would exceed the report’s high scenario of 620 GW. The report also noted that China, with a market share of more than 50%, will continue driving global PV installations forward.

“Our new analysis confirms the more aggressive forecast approach we have adopted in the report,” said Bernreuter.

Startup Giraffe Financial aims to unravel tax credit complexities for businesses Giraffe received a $1.5 million pre-seed round of funding and plans to help underserved small- and medium-sized businesses access IRA tax credits.

CATL, Gotion deny U.S. accusations of forced labor U.S. lawmakers have urged for Chinese battery heavyweights CATL and Gotion High-Tech to be immediately added to an import ban list under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Both manufacturers have adamantly denied the allegations.

Bitech Technologies sells 2.4 GW of solar to focus on energy storage Bitech completed the sale of 2.425 GW of its greenfield solar projects to “a third party purchaser”. The company plans to turn its focus to its battery storage business, which it believes, could ensure better investment returns.

Hawaii’s largest solar-plus-storage facility now operational The 60 MW Kūihelani solar-plus-storage facility will generate enough electricity for 27,000 homes, with a 240 MWh battery energy storage system.

Solar represents over 80% of U.S. electric capacity additions in 2024 Combined with wind, the two technologies represent 99% of all capacity additions, according to data from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Maxeon reveals minimized risk of hotspots in IBC solar panels Maxeon’s Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) solar panels were found to disperse heat evenly, leading to lower operating temperatures in the shade and reduced degradation.

Swift Solar closes $27 million in funding, plans perovskite solar factory Swift Solar, a specialist in perovskite tandem photovoltaics, plans to build a factory in the U.S. in the next two to three years to manufacture thin-film solar.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released its Energy Infrastructure Update, issuing data through April 2024 for projects interconnected to utility electric grids.

Solar installed a cumulative 7,899 MW in January through April 2024, representing 80.5% of capacity additions. Wind followed with 1,825 MW, while natural gas added 67 MW of capacity through the first four months of the year.

In April, solar added 1,374 MW to the grid, representing 63.7% of all capacity added. Wind followed with 737 MW added, while 16 MW of natural gas was interconnected with the grid.

Despite its domination of new project queues and activations, renewable energy has a long ramp of growth ahead of it if the United States is to achieve its goals of decarbonizing the energy sector. FERC reports that natural gas has the largest share of the energy mix with 564.5 GW (44%). This is followed by coal (16%), wind (12%), solar (9%) Nuclear (8%), and hydropower (8%). Oil, biomass, geothermal and waste heat combine for about 4% of the energy mix.

Looking ahead, for a short-term outlook of new capacity additions from May 2024 through April 2027, FERC expects solar to add the most capacity by a wide margin. FERC defines capacity additions in two buckets, all additions (including proposed projects) and high probability additions (projects that are further along the development cycle and very likely to be approved and constructed).

For high probability additions, solar leads the way with 88,195 MW expected. This is followed by wind with 23,919 MW, and natural gas with 13,280 MW. All other generation sources are expected to add 400 MW or less, with zero nuclear energy capacity additions expected.

As for retired capacity over the next three years, about 20,177 MW of coal, among most emitting source of electricity, is expected to be retired. Additionally, 17,103 MW of natural gas capacity is expected to come offline, leading to a net decline of 3,823 MW. About 2,043 MW of oil capacity is expected to be retired.

FERC reported that 128.2 miles of transmission lines with voltages from 230 V to 500 V was constructed thus far this year. Through September 2026, FERC expects 2,056.2 miles of high-probability transmission lines to be added.

Below are highlights of project additions as reported by FERC:

• FGE Goodnight I LLC’s 258.1 MW Goodnight Wind Energy Project in Armstrong County, TX is online.
• AES Clean Energy Development LLC’s 216.0 MW wind powered Chevelon Butte Phase 2 in Coconino County, AZ is online.
• Ranchland Wind Project II LLC’s 148.0 MW Anchor Storage & Wind I – II Expansion in Callahan County, TX is online.
• Ranchland Wind Project LLC’s 114.9 MW Anchor Storage & Wind I – II Expansion in Callahan County, TX is online.
• Sparta Solar LLC’s 250.0 MW Sparta Solar (TX) Project in Bee County, TX is online.
• Hardy Hills Solar Energy LLC’s 195.0 MW Hardy Hills Solar Project in Clinton County, IN.•Sky Ranch Solar LLC’s 190.0 MW Sky Ranch Solar & Storage Project in Valencia County, NM is online.
• Zier Solar LLC’s 163.0 MW Zier Solar & Storage Project in Kinney County, TX is online. •South Cheyenne Solar LLC’s 150.0 MW South Cheyenne Solar Project in Laramie County, WY is online.
• Cane Creek Solar LLC’s 78.5 MW Cane Creek Solar LLC in Clarke County, MS is online.
• Misenheimer Solar LLC’s 74.4 MW Misenheimer Solar Project in Stanly County, NC is online. The power generated is sold to Duke Energy Carolinas under long-term contract.
• Foxhound Solar LLC’s 71.0 MW Foxhound Solar Project in Halifax County, VA is online.
• Castle Solar LLC’s 40.0 MW Castle Solar LLC in Emery County, UT is online. The power generated is sold to the University of Utah under long-term contract.
• Hayhurst Texas Solar LLC’s 24.8 MW Hayhurst Texas Solar Project in Culberson County, TX is online.
• Cottontail Solar 8 LLC’s 20.0 MW Cottontail Solar 8 Project in York County, PA is online.
• Spectrum Solar LLC’s 8.6 MW Spectrum Solar (MD) Project in Prince Georges County, MD is online.
• ASA DeKalb NY Solar III LLC’s 7.4 MW ASA DeKalb NY Solar III LLC in Saint Lawrence County, NY is online.
• Casco Standish Solar LLC’s 6.7 MW Casco Standish Solar LLC in Cumberland County, ME is online.
• Beaver Dam Solar 1 LLC’s 6.2 MW solar powered Beaver Dam (NY) Project in Albany County, NY is online. The power generated is sold to Southern Co Services Inc under long-term contract.
• Elk Solar LLC’s 5.0 MW solar powered Elk Project in Hoke County, NC is online.

Hawaii has the highest average electricity price of any state at 43.93 cents per kWh, nearly triple the U.S. average, yet this project will cut that cost for many residents. Developer AES Hawaii projects that the Kūihelani Solar-plus-Storage facility will generate enough electricity for 15% of Maui’s needs at just 8 cents per kWh.

“Maui residents will soon be seeing the benefit of Kuihelani in their electric bills and the reassurance of knowing they will have reliable electrical power for their homes and businesses,” said former Maui Mayor Victorino.

Islands that are not covering their energy needs with renewables are beholden to imported fossil fuels. The energy generated by this facility will offset the need to import an estimated 2 million barrels of oil.

Situated on 450 acres in central Maui, between Kūihelani Highway and Maui Veterans Highway, the project supports the state’s goal of 100% renewable energy and decarbonization targets by 2045. AES Hawaii broke ground for construction less than two years ago, and as with most large-scale solar projects, the company sought input from the community prior to construction. As a result, AES Hawaii modified its plans.

“We reduced the size of the project site by 35%, minimizing the project’s environmental footprint, while maximizing the usage of the available land in a responsible manner,” said Sandra Larsen, Hawaii market business leader for AES.

Hawaiian Electric is the offtaker of the electricity, having signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with AES Hawaii.

Nearly 300 jobs were supported during construction of Kūihelani Solar-plus-Storage and and generated approximately $68 million for Maui’s economy, according to AES Hawaii. In addition, project area is also designed for agricultural use.

AES Hawaii more than 300 MW of renewable energy in construction or operational, enough to power 120,000 homes statewide. The company estimates that this is the equivalent of eliminating more than 175,000 metric tons of carbon emissions and more than 15 million barrels of oil consumption over the course of project lifecycles.

Flexible interconnection with curtailed output can benefit everyone, analyst says  Allowing flexible interconnection for large solar projects can reduce costs and speed deployment, benefiting developers, ratepayers and utility staff, said a presenter at a North Carolina conference of utility regulators.

Startup launches online platform for residential PV system purchase Two-year old Monalee developed an online platform for homeowners looking to buy solar PV and storage systems. Its software enables the process from quotes to financing, installation and after-sales support.

Concentrator photovoltaic module based on surface mount technology A research group in Canada has optimized the performance of concentrator photovoltaics by using the so-called surface-mount technology for thermal management. The CPV module prototype utilizes four non-interconnected III-V germanium cells, a Fresnel lens, and a transparent glass printed-circuit board.

Five Puerto Rico reservoirs could host 596 MW of floating solar Potential sites for solar in Puerto Rico include reservoirs, brownfields, closed landfills, fossil generating plants after closure, and transmission rights of way, determined analysis by the National Renewable Energy Lab.

Weather-related damage to solar assets exceed modeling expectations by 300% The report from kWh Analytics, with input from several industry leaders, identified 14 risks to be aware of in the solar industry, including risks related to extreme weather, such as hail, and operational risks.

Cheapest source of fossil fuel generation is double the cost of utility-scale solar Solar levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) has fallen to $29 to $92 per MWh, said a report from Lazard.

List of top solar module manufacturers led by JA Solar, Trina Solar, Jinko Solar Wood Mackenzie says that JA Solar has taken first place on its list of solar panel manufacturers. Nine of the first 12 positions are held by Chinese manufacturers, seven of them could surpass 100 GW of capacity by 2027, and eight are self-sufficient in cell capacity, according to the research firm.

Largest ground-mount solar project in downtown Washington D.C. now operational  The community solar installation at The Catholic University of America was built through a collaborative effort between the university and 1,200 local residents.

New frontiers: All-terrain trackers are changing the rules of solar site selection As solar projects are built increasingly in populated areas, community pushback has become a major risk to solar growth and achievement of climate targets. Yet by allowing solar installations to fit the land in its natural form, we can remove one of the most significant sources of pushback. We shouldn’t have to protect nature from solar development.

Walking the hazardous line of qualifying for the brownfield energy tax credit The brownfield credit is significant and, therefore, it behooves a project developer to understand the definitions and rules in order to avoid any potential liability while also qualifying for the credit.

Solar cell prices hold steady in quiet market In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

Zinc-ion batteries: A less volatile alternative? At a time of growing demand for battery energy storage, pv magazine spoke with Eloisa de Castro, CEO of Enerpoly, a Swedish company preparing to launch the world’s first zinc-ion battery megafactory on its home turf. Having solved rechargeability issues, the company expects its safe and sustainable zinc-ion batteries, which rely solely on a European supply chain, to increase their market share in the years to come.

In case you missed it: Five big solar stories in the news this week  pv magazine USA spotlights news of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.

Utility-scale solar developer Arevia Power it has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Nevada utility NV Energy for one of the largest solar and energy storage projects in the state.

Under the PPA, the utility will purchase power generated by the 700 MW Libra solar project, 20 miles south of the Fort Churchill substation in Yerington, Nevada.

The project will include 700 MW of solar and a 700 MW / 2800 MWh battery energy storage system. The battery storage system is designed provide reliable power year-round, particularly for rural Nevada. Once complete, the project will span 5,141 acres, with most of the generation ties to the grid located in Lyon County.

The project is planned to reach commercial operations in 2027 and will employ 1,100 people during development and construction, providing $250 million in direct wages.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) will provide labor for the project and is also serving as an investor through GCM Grosvenor’s Infrastructure Advantage Strategy. 

“With the Libra project we are taking another step toward a sustainable future that also delivers the type of high-paying middle-class jobs the people of Nevada deserve,” said IBEW president Kenneth Cooper.

Over its lifecycle, the project is expected to generate $170 million in personal property and sales taxes.

The project is set to be approved through the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) submitted by NV Energy. Key components of the IRP include three solar and battery power purchase agreements (PPAs), totaling over 1,000 MW of solar energy and more than 1,000 MW of battery storage.

The PPAs under the IRP will be built, owned, and operated by third parties, which sell their projects’ output to NV Energy. The projects are expected to help the utility meet state renewable energy standards while creating fixed-cost energy pricing for customers.

Arevia was advised by Patrick Groomes and Brenda Hanzl, who also advised Arevia in its prior negotiations with NV Energy on the 690 MW Gemini solar and energy storage project.

Total U.S. solar module manufacturing capacity grows by 71% in Q1 2024 According to the U.S. Solar Market Insight Q2 2024 report, solar module manufacturing production capacity increased by over 11 GW.

World’s largest solar plant goes online in China  China Green Development Group has switched on the 3.5 GW Midong solar project in Urumqi, China’s Xinjiang region. The project required an investment of CNY 15.45 billion ($2.13 billion).

U.S. commercial real estate to host VPP-connected flywheels and batteries U.S.-based technology provider Torus has agreed to supply nearly 26 MWh of energy storage for Gardner Group’s commercial real estate portfolio. The project will integrate battery and flywheel energy storage systems (BESS, FESS) with Torus’ proprietary energy management platform.

Solar panel import tariffs are affecting the industry by increasing prices by up to 286% Clean Energy Associates released a summary of the seven solar module trade policies and solar panel import tariffs currently in place, including AD/CVD rulings, Section 201/302, and the Uyghur Protection Act. These tariffs have significantly increased, or will increase, the cost of hardware imports into the United states – predominantly from China, but not exclusively – by 91% to 286%.

IEA urges countries to accelerate renewables deployment A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that the world could miss out on a target of 11,000 GW of global renewables capacity by the end of the decade, as agreed at COP28. It also predicts that solar will become the world’s largest source of installed renewable capacity, surpassing hydropower.

California bill amends ruling that gutted value of solar for multi-meter properties If approved, SB 1374 would give schools, farms, apartments and other multi-meter properties “the same treatment” as single-family homes in solar crediting and billing structures.

The COP28 Tripling Renewable Capacity Pledge: Tracking countries’ ambitions and identifying policies to bridge the gap, says only 14 of the 194 National Determined Contributions (NDCs) explicitly lay out 2030 targets for renewables capacity. The commitments equate to 1,300 GW of renewables by 2030 – 12% of the 11,000 GW required to meet the global tripling objective set at COP28 in Dubai. China accounts for almost 90% of this NDC total, having explicitly set a goal of 1,200 GW of wind and solar by the end of the decade.

The IEA reported that governments’ domestic ambitions for renewables surpass NDCs. An analysis of policies, plans, and estimates of almost 150 countries revealed an intention to install nearly 8,000 GW of renewables worldwide by 2030, representing 70% of the required amount to achieve the tripling goal by 2030.

The  U.S. Solar Market Insight Q2 2024 report says 11 GW of new solar module manufacturing capacity came online in the United States during Q1 2024, the largest quarter of solar manufacturing growth in American history.

The report, released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie, estimates that total U.S. solar module manufacturing capacity now exceeds 26 GW annually.

In addition to solar manufacturing, the U.S. is also quickly ramping up solar installations. With 11.8 GW of new solar capacity installed thus far in 2024, total capacity now stands at 200 GW in the United States. The utility-scale segment alone accounts for nearly 10 GW of the new capacity added.

The report shows that the U.S. added over 40 GW of new solar capacity last year, and Wood Mackenzie now projects that the U.S. is on target to achieve the same goal in 2024.

“This quarter proves that new federal investments in clean energy are revitalizing American manufacturing and strengthening our nation’s energy economy,” said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “Whether it’s a billion-dollar investment in a nearby solar project or a new manufacturing plant employing hundreds of local workers, the solar and storage industry is uplifting communities in every state across this country.”

The report points to Florida and Texas as leaders in new solar capacity in Q1. Florida installed 2.7 GW in Q1 and Texas 2.6 GW. California, historically a solar leader, falls into third place with 1.4 GW of new installs; however, it is notable that in 2023, Texas installed nearly 12 GW, while California was about 6.4 GW. New Mexico is another leading market with 686 MW installed in Q1, with Ohio following close behind at 546 MW. Bringing up the bottom is North Dakota, Alabama and Alaska.

“The U.S. solar industry continues to show strength in terms of deployments,” said Michelle Davis, head of global solar at Wood Mackenzie and lead author of the report. “At the same time, the solar industry faces a number of challenges to its continued growth including availability of labor, high voltage equipment constraints, and continued trade policy uncertainty.”

The residential solar segment has been hard hit by high interest rates and unsupportive state policies. California, where the highly controversial NEM 3.0 went into effect, experienced its worst quarter in two years. Overall the residential sector installed 1.3 GWdc in Q1, reflecting a 25% decline year-over-year and 18% quarter-over-quarter but going forward residential solar is expected to be steady.

Commercial solar showed 23% growth in 2023 and expected to grow by another 14% in 2024. This sector is somewhat buoyed by California projects that were submitted under NEM 2.0 still being in the interconnection queue.

Looking at community solar, installations resulted in 279 MWdc of new capacity in Q1, with New York topping the charts at 17% year-over-year in Q1 2024, making up 46% of national installed capacity.

Again, state policy changes in California are punching holes in a previously growing market. As a result of the CPUC’s vote on AB 2316, the report authors revised their five-year outlook for California and now expects just 200 MW rather than the 1.5 GW—an 87% decline. Overall the community solar market is expected to grow 4% in 2024, exceeding 1.3 GWdc of annual capacity.

Questions and challenges

With many unanswered questions about tariffs on imported solar modules and other components, the report contends that a tariff increase will not have a significant direct impact on the U.S. solar industry, given that the U.S. is importing less than 0.1% from China at the present time.

Moving forward, the report’s five-year outlooks expects the U.S. industry to install around 40 GWdc a year for the next five years. Trade policy uncertainty coupled with shortages in workers as well as high-voltage equipment, will keep overall growth in the single digits through 2029. The five year projection, however, is for U.S. solar capacity to grow to 438 GW by 2029.

From pv magazine Global

China Green Electricity Investment of Tianjin, a subsidiary of China Green Development Group (CGDG), has switched on the 3.5 GW Midong PV farm in Urumqi, China’s Xinjiang region.

The PV facility is currently the world’s largest solar plant. Prior to commissioning, Chinese state-owned utility Huanghe Hydropower Development started operating the world’s largest solar park, a 2.2 GW facility, in October 2020.

China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corp and Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina) carried out the construction of the Mindong project in stages. The installation required an investment of CNY 15.45 billion. It features more than 5.26 million 650 W monocrystalline bifacial double-glass PV panels supplied by an unnamed manufacturer.

The extensive infrastructure of the project includes the installation of 1.23 million supporting piles, five 220 kV booster stations, and more than 208 km of transmission lines connecting the array to the grid via a 750 kV substation.

China Green Development Group (CGDG), established in December 2020, is a major energy investment entity under the central Chinese government, succeeding the former State Grid-owned Luneng Group. Managed directly by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), CGDG focuses on the investment, construction, and management of renewable energy projects. The group aims to achieve more than 20 GW of renewable energy installations by the end of 2024.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced its first proposed projects under its Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative, which seeks to repurpose DOE-owned lands into clean energy generation centers. 

The proposed projects include development on former nuclear weapons testing sites operated by the Idaho National Laboratory. DOE will enter lease negotiations for solar projects within the 890-square-mile site. 

DOE plans to support the development of 400 MW of solar capacity at the site, or enough to power about 70,000 homes. 

“Tens of thousands of acres of DOE-owned land across the nation are being transformed into thriving centers of carbon-free power generation,” said U.S. Energy of Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm. “Working closely with community leaders and private sector partners, we’re cleaning up land once used in our nuclear deterrence programs and deploying the clean energy solutions we need to help save the planet and strengthen our energy independence.”  

The Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative was launched in July 2023. The program dovetails with President Biden’s climate goals and responds to the directive in Executive Order 14057  and the accompanying Federal Sustainability Plan. 

Executive Order 14057 calls for federal agencies to achieve 100% clean energy by 2030 and authorizes them to use land for development of clean energy generation via leases, grants, permits, and other mechanisms. 

For the two developers with selected proposals Idaho National Laboratory site, NorthRenew Energy Partners proposed to install more than 300 MW of solar along with battery energy storage on approximately 2,000 acres. Spitfire proposed to install 100 MW of solar plus battery energy storage on about 500 acres of the site.  

DOE said it plans to open subsequent opportunities for the Idaho National Laboratory site. 

DOE has also issued requests for qualifications (RFQs) to lease land at four additional sites, including the Hanford site in Washington; the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico; the Nevada National Security Site in Nevada; and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. DOE plans to announce additional selections this year. 

More information on the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative can be found here.

The U.S. has a net-zero by 2050 goal, which means moving away from fossil fuel generated energy as fast as possible as much as 40% of all carbon dioxide pollution comes from fossil fuel power plants, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). The good news is that for the first time, solar accounted for over half of new electricity generation capacity added 2023 and, by 2050, solar is expected to be the largest source of generating capacity on the U.S. grid.

As the more large-scale solar projects seek approval in the U.S., the Department of Energy is concerned that measures are taken to gain public trust and understanding of the need for and scope of the projects. To that end, the DOE is investing $9.5 million in four new projects that support social science research that examines the ways that siting practices can influence public attitudes toward and permitting of large-scale solar facilities.

The award was one of four made by DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies office under their Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies 4 (SEEDS 4) program. The organizations receiving funding under the program include the Solar and Storage Industries Institute, Michigan State University, Princeton University, the and the University of Pennsylvania.

The Solar and Storage Industries Institute (S12) was awarded $2.5 million for a project that builds off the stakeholder-driven Uncommon Dialogue: Large-Scale U.S. Solar Development, convened by Stanford University, the Solar Energy Industries Associataion (SEIA) and The Nature Conservancy, and balances three imperatives in the development and deployment of large-scale solar projects: climate, conservation, and community.

In partnership with the Uncommon Dialogue working groups, the project team will identify the best ways to engage community, and these practices will be tested at large-scale solar project sites. The University of California, Santa Barbara and Lawrence Berkely National Labs will study how these practices shape local support for large-scale solar projects.

“We are incredibly excited to receive this award and thank the DOE for this opportunity to perform cutting-edge research on large-scale solar siting and permitting,” said David Gahl, executive director at SI2. “By testing stakeholder-developed community engagement practices at actual solar sites, we hope to yield new insights that improve outreach to host communities.”

Michigan State University was awarded $2.5 million for a project in which researchers will evaluate the potential to speed up large-scale solar siting and permitting processes while also reducing community burdens and improving procedural justice and energy equity. The project will study ten large-scale projects in four different regions of the country.

Princeton University was awarded $2 million for a project in which researchers will assess the potential for Community Benefit Agreements. These legal agreements between community groups and large-scale solar developers can deliver tangible benefits to communities, build credibility in solar projects and strengthen trust across stakeholder groups.

University of Pennsylvania researchers were awarded $2.5 million to evaluate how different siting practices shape community support for large-scale solar projects and how those dynamics differ across different types of communities.

Also read: Solar project developers face opposition from Joshua Tree conservationists

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Fronius unveils residential string inverter for rooftop solar The Fronius Gen24 hybrid inverter comes to North America after success in Europe.

Solar project developers face opposition from Joshua Tree conservationists  The site of the Aratina Solar Center in Kern County, California, is home to western Joshua trees, and therefore the developer has to comply with the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act that was enacted in July 2023. Incidental Take Permits authorize renewable energy developers to remove trees with an option to pay a standard mitigation fee rather than complete mitigation actions.

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A solar project that was unanimously approved by the Kern County, California Board of Supervisors in 2021 is coming under fire by some who oppose the cutting of western Joshua trees to make way for the Aratina solar project. An environmental review process is conducted prior to approval and before construction begins on any large-scale solar plant, including Aratina.

Aratina is a solar-plus-storage project with an intended generation capacity of up to 530 MW and 600 MW battery energy storage system. Once fully operational, it is expected to produce enough clean electricity to power 180,000 homes. The electricity generated by the Aratina Solar Center will be transmitted to utilities and community energy providers throughout California.

In addition to reducing 860,000 metric tons of carbon emissions every year, which is the annual equivalent to planting 14 million trees or removing 180,000 cars from the road, the project is expected to benefit the local community. Avantus has allocated over $135,000 toward programs and services in Boron and Desert Lake. It is also is expected to generate over $30 million in local tax revenue over the solar center’s lifetime that can go toward local services like schools, public safety, and street services. During construction, Aratina is expected to create approximately 570 construction jobs paying between $31 and $75 an hour.

To receive approval to develop the project located in the Boron and Desert Lake area of eastern Kern County, California, Avantus, the developer produced an Environmental Impact Report, as required prior to beginning construction. The company held public forums as part of the County review, during which some local residents raised concerns about visibility of the plant, and the developer altered its plans, stating that it “listened to the concerns and have incorporated them into a revised design that increases project setbacks from residential areas by up to a half-mile (almost nine football fields)”.

The revised site design, referred to as Aratina 2.0 by Kern County, increases project setbacks from Boron and Desert Lake’s residential areas. The company said the raised bed railroad that runs by the location and vegetation alongside the road will also reduce visibility of the project.

Because the site of the Aratina plant is home to western Joshua trees, the developer has to comply with the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act (WJTCA), a California Law that was enacted in July 2023. Incidental Take Permits of the WJTCA authorize renewable energy developers to take western Joshua trees with an option to pay a standard mitigation fee rather than complete mitigation actions. Under the act, the fees collected are deposited into the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Fund for the purposes of acquiring, conserving and managing western Joshua tree conservation lands and completing other activities to conserve the tree.

To meet these requirements, Avantus hired qualified biologists, approved by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW), to a complete count of all western Joshua trees within the site and they will provide the CDFW with a complete Tree Census report. As part of the mitigation requirement in the WJTCA, Avantus must pay a mitigation fee of $10,521.95 per acre to be mitigated to the Western Joshua Tree Mitigation Fund. In addition, prior to removing any western Joshua tree or engaging in groundbreaking activities, the developer was required to contribute $10,000 to cover the account fees and the cost of retaining a land acquisition specialist to assist the department in locating, acquiring and conserving the mitigation lands.

According to Avantus, the process of selective clearing of vegetation, including Joshua Trees and large natural obstacles, will soon begin. The removal has been approved by Kern County and the CDFW, with all impacts such as noise and traffic minimized throughout.

Going beyond the requests of local residents and requirements of the WJTJCA, Avantus purchased the grazing rights on 215,000 acres of federal land in Kern County and created the Onyx Conservation Project. The contiguous land area is seven times larger than the city of San Francisco and considered among the largest mitigation projects in the nation.

The habitat is home to 20 sensitive wildlife species including the California condor, Mojave Desert tortoise, American badger, Mohave ground squirrel and golden eagles. It is also estimated to include more than 80,000 acres of western Joshua tree habitat, including 3,000 acres of dense woodland. This conservation effort will help sustain the health and diversity of the desert ecosystem, which is underlaid by designated Wilderness Areas, Desert National Conservation Lands, and Areas of Critical Environmental Concern. All 215,000 acres will also be open for public recreational use, including hiking and camping.

Avantus will also invest millions of additional dollars for habitat enhancements across Onyx to jumpstart restoration for desert plants and wildlife species.

The CDFW is cognizant of how renewable energy development is necessary in the effort to combat climate change, and endorses such protective measures.

“Our Department is committed to the conservation, protection and restoration of the Golden State’s habitat, and this groundbreaking state and federal public-private partnership provides a roadmap for how renewable energy can continue to combat climate change while also providing landscape-level ecosystem benefits to native plants and wildlife,” said CDFW regional manager, Julie Vance. “By purchasing and permanently retiring the grazing rights, Avantus is assuring this rich, vibrant land is preserved and its inhabitants can flourish.”

Avantus, formerly 8Minute Energy, is a leading solar and energy storage provider and is on track to provide more than half of California’s utility-scale solar and storage demand over the next decade. Aware of the impact that solar projects can have on land, Avantus works closely with wildlife agencies and environmental organizations safeguard species throughout all stages of a project’s life. Avantus reports that its past projects have received support from groups including the Sierra Club, Audubon California, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Why large-scale solar?

Climate change threatens our nation and planet, as evidenced by the increasing number of extreme weather events. The U.S. has a net-zero by 2050 goal, which means moving away from fossil fuel generated energy as fast as possible as much as 40% of all carbon dioxide pollution comes from fossil fuel power plants, according to the Department of Energy.

The good news is that for the first time, solar accounted for over half of new electricity generation capacity added 2023 and, by 2050, solar is expected to be the largest source of generating capacity on the U.S. grid.

According to data from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie, the U.S. has officially exceeded five million solar installations, marking a milestone that comes just eight years after the U.S. reached one million installations in 2016.SEIA forecasts that solar installations in the U.S. will double to 10 million by 2030 and triple to 15 million by 2034.

While the number of installations in itself is impressive, cumulatively they are making a serious cut to carbon emissions. SEIA estimates that the installations displace 198 million metric tons of CO2 every year. This reduction is the equivalent to 22 billion gallons of gas, or enough gas to travel to the sun and back nearly 3,000 times in a traditional ICE vehicle. Overall, SEIA calculates that the current solar capacity in the U.S. offsets the emissions of 12 million Americans, which is greater than the population of New York City and Los Angeles combined.

With PV expected to triple in the United States by 2028, to reach an estimated 380 GW of solar capacity, according to the SEIA and analysts at Wood Mackenzie, sharing facts early on is important. Not only is it important to seek input from area residents—modifying plans when necessary—but going above and beyond permitting requirements to mitigate potential environmental damage is becoming more common among large-scale developers in the U.S.

CPUC vote expected to keep California community solar from reaching its full potential Coalition for Community Solar Access says the 3-1 vote ignored the will of the California Legislature and the broad coalition of ratepayer, equity, environmental, labor, agricultural, and business groups who have demanded a functional community solar program for more than a decade.

Alliant Energy completes 200 MW solar project in Wisconsin  The project is part of a multi-phase buildout of 12 solar projects totaling over 1 GW.

Long-duration energy storage poised to outcompete lithium-ion batteries While most long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies are still early-stage and costly compared to lithium-ion batteries, some have already or are set to achieve lower costs for longer durations, finds BloombergNEF.

Solar wafer prices continue to soften, complex international trade situation sparks concerns  In a weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

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Cowboy Solar, largest solar project in Wyoming moves forward The $1.2 billion project will be built by Enbridge, with 771 MW expected to be fully operational by 2027.

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Alliant Energy announced it has completed construction of the Grant County Solar project, a 200 MW facility in Potosi, Wisconsin that is large enough to generate the equivalent electricity demand of 50,000 homes annually.

The Grant County project covers 1,400 acres and is comprised of more than 430,000 solar panels. Alliant developed 350 acres of the site to host native pollinator habitats.

The company expects more than $30 million in shared revenues to be generated for the county and town over the life of the project.

“Solar lease payments help local landowners like me diversify our income and preserve our land’s value for the future,” said Dave Fritz, local business owner and participating landowner. “In terms of economic impact, the Grant County Solar Project delivered on its promise of jobs and will benefit local taxpayers for decades thanks to the added shared revenue payments.”

Alliant Energy contracted with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources for construction of the solar facility. Construction began in September 2022, employing more than 700 people.

The project is part of Alliant’s 12-project portfolio in Wisconsin totaling 1,089 MW. The project portfolio is expected to create more than 2,700 construction jobs and generate enough power for nearly 300,000 Wisconsin homes annually.

Alliant also plans to develop nearly 275 MW of energy storage capacity alongside its Wisconsin solar portfolio. This includes the 100 MW Grant County battery storage project that will be co-located with the 200 MW solar facility. The battery project is a four-hour duration facility. FlexGen was selected as the equipment provider for the batteries and energy management systems.

Alliant Energy provides regulated energy service to 1 million electric customers and 425,000 natural gas customers in Wisconsin and Iowa. Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL) are Alliant Energy’s two public energy companies.

Strategies to address thermomechanical instability of perovskite solar modules  A U.S. research team has investigated the thermomechanical reliability of metal halide perovskite (MHP) modules and cells in an effort to identify the best strategies to improve their stability under thermomechanical stressors. The scientists discussed, in particular, film stresses, adhesion of charge transport layers, and instability under light and heat.

U.S. scientists develop air-bridge thermophotovoltaic cells with 44% efficiency  U.S. scientists have developed a thermophotovoltaic cell that could be paired with inexpensive thermal storage to provide power on demand. The indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) thermophotovoltaic cell absorbs most of the in-band radiation to generate electricity, while serving as a nearly perfect mirror.

Guaranteed and transferable tax benefits will make the PV industry too big to fail  Trina Solar executive says policies in the Inflation Reduction Act will make or break the future of solar in the U.S.

Largest solar project in Wyoming moves forward  The $1.2 billion Cowboy solar project will be built by Enbridge, with 771 MW expected to be fully operational by 2027.

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Texas is the proving ground for a new way of electric grid operation Texas is uniquely suited to adopt virtual power plant technology due to its competitive, deregulated market. Its success highlights the “perverse incentive” of vertically integrated utilities in other states to make capital expenditures without discretion to raise profits.

Wyoming ranked 50^th in installed solar in 2023, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) with only 124 MW installed. As of Q4 2023, SEIA expected it to pop up to 43^rd place with 685 MW expected to be installed over the next five years. However, the Cowboy Solar Project, at 771 MW and 268 MW of battery energy storage, will surpass that in one fell swoop.

The Cowboy project was just approved by Wyoming’s Industrial Siting Council, and developer Enbridge plans construction in two phases with both beginning in March 2025. Commercial operation of Phase 1, which will include 400 MW of solar and 136 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) is expected in January 2027. Commercial operation of Phase II with 371 MW solar and 133 MW BESS is expected to begin in August 2027. The company estimates that the onsite workforce will have average of 285 temporary workers monthly, with a peak workforce of approximately 375 workers in April 2025.

For more on the process of obtaining permits for large-scale renewable energy project in Wyoming, read Early engagement avoids perils of Wyoming industrial siting.

The combined 771 MW of solar is estimated to be enough to serve 771,000 homes, or more than three times the number of homes in Wyoming. Enbridge has not yet announced an offtake agreement for the electricity generated.

Enbridge, a Canadian multinational pipeline and energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, intends to build the project about 4 miles south of Cheyenne on 3,845 acres of private land that it will lease.

While the company reports that it is currently responsible for moving about 30% of the crude oil produced in North America and 20% of the natural gas consumed in the United States, the company says it has committed to reducing emissions 35% by 2030 and being net-zero by 2050. It has a portfolio of over 5.2 GW of wind, offshore wind and solar projects in Canada, the U.S., France, Germany and England.

To keep the public informed about the massive Wyoming project, Enbridge held public meetings to notify neighbors within 1 km of the project in October 2023, which were advertised in the local newspaper, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. The company said it is planning further engagement with broader public notification and outreach to community stakeholders and Tribal communities as the project gets closer to the 2026 in-service date. Details of future outreach will be posted here.

(Read Opposition stymies solar—sometimes)

Approval by the Industrial Siting Council is just the first step in the process, as Enbridge must also obtain permits from Laramie County as well as necessary environmental and municipal permits required before constructing the project.

Once operational, the Cowboy solar project will be just the third utility-scale solar installation in the state. In April Southern Power, a wholesale energy provider and subsidiary of Southern Company, announced the operation of the 150 MW South Cheyenne Solar Facility, currently the largest in Wyoming. Southern Power acquired the project from Qcells USA, which had served as the project developer, module manufacturer and engineering procurement construction (EPC) provider of the site. Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power signed a 20-year power purchase agreement for the electricity generated, which will be used to provide renewable energy to a data center customer.

Prior to the South Cheyenne facility, the largest was the Sweetwater solar project, a 98 MW installation by SOLV Energy, developed by Clenera, an Enlight Renewable Energy company. Covering roughly 700 acres the project generates enough power to serve the equivalent of 12,000 homes each year.

Solar siting tool

With so much unspoiled land in Wyoming, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) developed the Brightfields Energy Siting Initiative (BESI) tool specifically for Wyoming. The intention is to guide new energy development to previously disturbed areas or “brownfields” so as to diversify the state’s energy mix without compromising the state’s iconic wildlife and natural areas.

The BESI tool identifies areas where new energy development is unlikely to encounter significant land use conflicts, permitting delays and cost overruns. It can locate sensitive places to avoid as well as provide information down to an individual project site. For example, it can determine if a potential site would risk conflict with a known mule deer migration route, a location with an abundance of cultural resources nearby or a golden eagle nesting area. It can look at habitat and can flag it as a site that would be better for restoration rather than the site of a new energy facility.

Access the BESI map tool here.

Acciona Energía, a renewable energy company headquartered in Spain, announced that the 458 MW Red-Tailed Hawk solar plant near Houston, Texas is now operational. The project is the company’s largest solar plant to date.

Acciona acquired the solar project in 2022 from Avondale Solar and Solar Plus Development. It is Acciona’s fifth investment in Texas, joining the Fort Bend Solar Farm and three operational wind farms in Cameron County.

Expected to generate clean energy equivalent to the consumption of 66,500 homes and avoid the emission of 430,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year, Red-Tailed Hawk created approximately 400 jobs during the peak construction phase, and will sustain up to 15 permanent positions.

The new facility features solar panels affixed to solar trackers that follow the sun’s path, maximizing sunlight exposure and production. It is expected to generate 742 GWh of clean electricity per year, equivalent to the consumption of around 66,500 Texas households. The solar generated will avoid the emission of approximately 430,000 tons of CO2 annually.

The project falls under Acciona Energía’s Social Impact Management program, which reallocates a portion of its annual revenue to support local community initiatives in education, wellness and environmental stewardship.

Texas is the number two solar state in the U.S., according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, with nearly 23 GW installed or enough to power 2.7 million homes. SEIA says that with supporting policy that removes market barriers, Texas can expect to see over 4 GW of solar capacity installed in the next five years. The Red-Tailed Hawk installation moves the state closer to that milestone.

Red-Tailed Hawk joins Acciona Energía’s existing portfolio of renewable energy projects in North America, which it reports now stands at 2.7 GW installed. The company currently has a 325 MW photovoltaic plant under construction in in Ohio. Worldwide the company reports it has 13.5 GW in renewable energy capacity.

Cleanleaf Energy, formerly Borrego O&M, announced the signing of agreements to provide operations and maintenance (O&M) services to new utility-scale projects totaling 350 MW in Georgia and Pennsylvania.

The portfolio consists of five total projects–four in Georgia and one in Pennsylvania, all of which are owned by Heelstone Renewable Energy.

Heelstone was launched in 2012 initially with projects in North Carolina. By 2016 the company had expanded its development into California and in 2019 received an investment from Ares Infrastructure and Power, to help develop its utility-scale solar projects across the U.S. In January of 2024, Heelstone was acquired by Qualitas Energy, at which time the developer reportedly had a portfolio of 20 GW of solar and storage assets.

“We did our homework, and Cleanleaf stood out with the most advanced and competitive services,” said a representative from the Heelstone Renewable Energy leadership team.

The agreements for the O&M of these projects are set for five years, with automatic renewals thereafter. All projects are scheduled to go live within the next 30 to 90 days, Cleanleaf told pv magazine USA.

“This achievement underscores our capabilities and readiness to handle more utility-scale projects and the synergies of our large DG footprint in 27 states combined with a growing utility-scale portfolio creates an exciting future for effective, high performing O&M services to the solar industry,” said Cleanleaf’s CEO, Mikael Backman.

With the addition of 350 MW in projects, Cleanleaf’s O&M portfolio now encompass a total of 1.8 GW. These new projects will be supported by Cleanleaf’s Realtime Operations Center in Dallas.

Cleanleaf was spun out of Borrego in 2022. Borrego, which was formed in 2002, began offering O&M services about ten years ago and grew to provide services for commercial and industrial as well as utility-scale solar.

Silfab receives funds to develop U.S.-made back-contact N-type solar cells Silfab Solar is one of seven awardees of DOE funding for projects that will use dual-use PV technologies to electrify buildings, decarbonize the transportation sector and reduce land-use conflicts.

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Renewables developer Arevon Energy announced it has broken ground on a 228 MW solar project in Posey County, Indiana, among the largest solar projects in the state.

Bechtel is the project’s engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor. The project, called Posey Solar, is expected to become operational by mid-2025.

Arevon and CenterPoint Energy first announced their partnership on the project in February 2021. CenterPoint received final approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission in October 2023 to acquire the project. The utility will be long-term owner and operator of the project.

“We value the relationship built with Arevon as we continue through the process to construct and bring into service a renewable project that will further diversify CenterPoint Energy’s electric generation portfolio,” said Richard Leger, senior vice president, Indiana Electric and CenterPoint Energy.

The project will create more than 200 full-time construction jobs at peak construction. It has a multi-million dollar budget for operations and maintenance over its estimated 35-year life.

Posey Solar will include a 20-acre local pollinator garden within its footprint. An estimated over $30 million in local tax revenues will be delivered over the life of the project. Over $31.2 million will be diverted to Posey County hotels, restaurants, and other local businesses. The project developers have also committed to providing funds to the Marrs Township Fire Department over the life of the project, including contributing $219,000 toward new communications towers that will support radio service for first responders.

“Posey Solar provides significant benefits to the state of Indiana and to Posey County, including cost-effective renewable energy, substantial construction jobs, and long-term tax benefits to the region,” said Kevin Smith, chief executive officer, Arevon.

Arevon is a utility-scale renewables developer providing energy to utilities and corporations across North America. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona and New York City, the company operates more than 3.5 GW of solar, storage, and hybrid projects and has more than 6 GW of projects in development.

California approves uncapped fixed charges on electricity bills The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted to approve a controversial electricity rate rule called the Income-Graduated Fixed Charge, enabling utilities to assess an average $24 monthly fixed charge on residential bills.–roughly double the national average in the United States. It applies to all customers, regardless of how much electricity they consume. 

Cypress Creek Renewables constructs 208 MW / 80 MWh solar-plus-storage facility in Texas The site reached commercial operation on May 2, adding enough capacity to the grid to serve the equivalent of 41,600 homes in the Brackettville, Texas area. Over $11.5 million in tax revenues are expected to be generated for the county by the project, along with $11.7 million earmarked for the Bracket Independent School District.

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Solar on the rise in Illinois In two separate announcements, a total of 285 MW of solar is beginning construction in Illinois in both a utility scale project and a community solar portfolio.

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Solar in Illinois is on the upswing, with 27 GW currently installed and 65 GW expected to come online in the next five years according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Illinois boasts a strong renewable portfolio standard that requires 25% of energy comes from renewable sources by 2025.

The state also has the Illinois Shines program with incentives that makes solar more affordable for all. And Illinois has targets to have 40% of its energy come from renewable sources by 2030 and is aiming for 100% by 2050.

Two recently announced solar construction projects will move the state closer to these goals.

Utility-scale with PPA

Adapture Renewables is set to begin construction this summer of two 128 MW projects in central Illinois, with commercial operation expected in early 2026.

The two new utility-scale solar energy projects will include more than 232,000 solar panels each. Adapture anticipates the projects will create more than 300 jobs during construction and over $250 million in economic impact to the local communities.

Large enough to power more than 34,250 homes, the electricity generated by the projects will be procured by an unnamed “social technology company” through an purchase purchase agreement.

Coordination of the projects will be managed and executed by Alberici in conjunction with resources from its enterprise affiliate Flintco Renewable Energy.

Community solar

Nautilus Solar Energy and TurningPoint Energy are partnering on a 29.3 MW community solar portfolio of four solar projects in Kankakee and Livingston counties.

Combined, the projects will generate enough energy to power 3,000 homes and 100 commercial businesses.

Additionally, Turning Point Energy makes charitable community investment commitments in each of its community solar project communities.

”In 2022 we made a commitment to Illinois that we would bring over half a billion of investment in the community solar market,” said Salar Naini, president of TurningPoint Energy. “This collaboration with Nautilus is the start of that commitment, with many more dollars of investment set to flow to the state in the coming years.”

For these four projects, Turning Point has designated $75,000 in planned donations to local Kankakee County and Livingston County organizations. Nautilus said it will match Turning Point’s commitment for a combined $150,000 in community investment donations on this transaction alone.

The portfolio of projects qualified under Illinois’ community solar program and is expected to be operational in 2025. Nautilus will be the long-term owner of the projects and is responsible for overseeing construction, maintenance and acquiring and managing customer subscriptions.

The projects will enable ComEd customers to save on their electric bills while supporting the expansion of renewable energy and Illinois’ ambitious clean energy goals.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its Short-Term Energy Outlook report, forecasting that the total electricity generation capacity in the United States will increase 3% in 2024 and 1% in 2025.

“Renewable energy sources—chiefly solar—will supply most of that growth,” said EIA.

Solar, wind, and hydropower in 2023 combined for roughly 21% of electricity generation in the United States. EIA expects this figure to grow to 24% in 2025.

Solar is the major driver of this energy transition. EIA said that solar will provide 41% more electricity in 2024 than in 2023. EIA said the 19 GW of solar capacity added in 2023 and the over 37 GW expected this year account for the large jump in generation. In 2025, total solar generation is expected to grow another 25%.

“In 2025, we expect generation from solar to exceed the contribution from hydroelectricity for the first year in history,” said EIA Administrator Joe DeCarolis.

U.S. electricity generation is expected to rise by 114 billion kWh (3% growth), in 2024, with 60% of this growth served by utility-scale solar. Among other renewable sources, wind contributes 19% of 2024 electricity generation growth, and hydropower contributes 13%, said EIA.

Solar is also actively reducing the amount of natural gas burned for electricity in the United States. “The availability of more electricity generation from renewable sources, particularly solar, in 2024 compared with 2023 is preventing growth in natural gas consumption beyond 2023 levels,” said EIA.

Despite the forecast for 3% electricity generation growth this year, EIA said “… we forecast that natural gas consumption in the electric power sector will be about the same as last summer, which saw the most power sector consumption on record.”

However, solar and other renewables will have a long way to go if the United States is to reach its goals of a decarbonized economy. Roughly 6% of the United States’ gross domestic product (GDP) is spent on energy, said EIA. In total, nearly 5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide is emitted by U.S. energy sources today, and EIA does not forecast a meaningful emissions reduction through 2025.

Currently, natural gas is the largest source of electricity generation, contributing 42% of the energy mix, and this is expected to remain relatively flat through 2025. The second most-common generation source is coal at 17% in 2023, which is expected to decline to 14% in 2025. Wind contributes roughly 11%, while solar is expected to climb from roughly 4% to about 7% of the total energy mix in 2025.

Hotter times will drive rooftop solar value An analysis suggests rooftop solar will increase in value by between 19% to 25% due to warming and changing weather patterns increasing onsite electricity demand.

Anza marketplace now offers comparisons of over 20 energy storage products The Anza platform offers real-time pricing and configuration details on modules as well as energy storage products from multiple vendors.

Cypress Creek Renewables constructs 208 MW solar facility in Texas The completed project includes 80 MWh of battery energy storage.

Accelerated declines in solar cell prices since late March In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, offers bite-sized analysis on solar PV module supply and price trends.

NREL interactive chart of solar cell efficiency now including ‘hybrid tandems’ The new cell category includes perovskite/silicon, perovskite/CIGS, III-V/silicon and perovskite/organic tandem PV devices. It will list the absolute record efficiency for all-perovskite, two-terminal tandems regardless of the number of junctions.

Cypress Creek Renewables announced it has completed construction of a 208 MW solar facility in Texas. The facility includes 80 MWh of short-duration energy storage that has already served the ERCOT grid during times of peak electricity demand, showing the ability of hybrid solar-storage plants to flexibly serve electricity demand oscillations.

The site reached commercial operation on May 2, adding enough capacity to the grid to serve the equivalent of 41,600 homes in the Brackettville, Texas area. Over $11.5 million in tax revenues are expected to be generated for the county by the project, along with $11.7 million earmarked for the Bracket Independent School District.

“Texas needs every available megawatt, and low-cost renewable energy has proven critical as it continues to reach new production heights in ERCOT,” said Judd Messer, Texas vice –president, Advanced Power Alliance. “Solar energy is ensuring sufficient capacity during day-time peak, setting records nearly every month, and quick-responding energy storage delivers a substantial reliability benefit when demand soars or when dispatchable energy unexpectedly falls offline.”

Cypress Creek is backed by EQT Partners, a global investment corporation. EQT said the project, called the Zier Hybrid Solar Site, is a critical step towards supporting Texas’ expanding power demands “driven by a growing population, ever increasing data center demand with the rise of AI, and electrification.”

The project was financed by several partners including the North American Development Bank (NADBank), a binational financial institution established to provide support for projects that preserve, protect or enhance the environment to advance the well-being of the people of the United States and Mexico.

“Combined solar and battery storage projects, like this one, are vital for ERCOT’s grid reliability and energy availability to power our great state,” said John Beckham, managing director of the NADBank.

Cypress Creek, founded in 2014, operates nearly 1 GW of solar and storage assets across Texas, including 18 Cypress Creek-owned projects. The company has a 6 GW pipeline of 24 utility-scale projects in construction or development, including a 100 MWh standalone battery project planned to reach operations in the Houston area next month.

Texas is a leading solar market in the United States, driven forward largely by utility-scale installations like the Zier Hybrid project by Cypress Creek. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) said nearly 23 GW of solar has been installed in the state, or enough to power about 2.6 million homes. Over the next five years, SEIA expects nearly 41 GW of solar to be installed in Texas.

Meet the pv magazine USA team at the RE+ Texas conference at the George R. Brown Convention Center, May 14 to 15 in Houston Texas.

Microsoft announces largest-ever corporate procurement of renewable energy The tech giant signed a power purchase agreement for 10.5 GW of renewable energy to help power its datacenters with clean energy. Cost to build is projected at more than $11.5 billion to build, according to Bloomberg NEF.

California hits energy storage milestone Batteries dominate the evening grid with 10 GW/40 GWh of capacity.

New green bank to support distributed solar and storage in the Appalachian region The Green Bank for Rural America will support community lenders in Appalachian communities to finance climate-supporting projects including distributed solar and storage. The bank and four others received a total of $6 billion in federal awards.

]]> https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/05/03/u-s-solar-industry-week-in-review-8/feed/ 0 103899 https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/05/01/sunrise-brief-4/ https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/05/01/sunrise-brief-4/#respond Wed, 01 May 2024 11:55:51 +0000 https://pv-magazine-usa.com/?p=103730 Also on the rise: U.S. solar manufacturing and the SEMA Coalition expansion. CATL presents EV battery with 1,000 km range. And more.

U.S. solar manufacturing and the SEMA Coalition expansion Solar Energy Manufacturers for America Coalition has a goal of rebuilding the solar supply chain in the U.S.

Solar mounting system update K2 releases a new product, and Martin Roofing & Solar’s hidden-fastening solar mount achieves UL 2703 certification.

California batteries dominate evening grid with 10 GW/40 GWh of capacity  The state is once again setting springtime output records from solar, while energy storage takes over the peak electricity demand period becoming the maximum output source.

IEC develops standards for vehicle-integrated photovoltaics In its first monthly column for pv magazine, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) explains how a team of its experts is currently working on the definition of new standards for VIPV systems.

CATL presents EV battery with 1,000 km range Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL) has shown its latest lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery at an auto show in Beijing. The Chinese company says it has an energy density of 205 Wh per kg, almost 8% higher than the current state of the art for such batteries.

Birch Creek to procure 547 MW of U.S.-made First Solar modules Birch Creek, which has a portfolio of over 14.2 GW of utility-scale solar and storage projects in various stages of development, says it plans to deploy the First Solar modules in projects across its development pipeline in the United States.

First Solar, Inc. announced an agreement to supply Birch Creek Energy with 547 MW of advanced Series 6 Plus bifacial thin film solar modules.

Birch Creek Energy, based in St. Louis, Missouri, is a utility-scale solar developer that develops, finances and owns utility-scale solar and storage projects in the U.S.

Operating since 2019, the company has developed 1.7 GW of solar projects and has a portfolio of over 14.2 GW of utility-scale solar and storage projects in various stages of development across MISO, PJM, ERCOT and the Southeast. The company was named the 3rd fastest growing privately-held company in America, and fastest-growing energy company on the 2023 Inc. 5000 list.

Birch Creek says it plans to deploy the First Solar modules in projects across its development pipeline in the United States.

“We are pleased to establish this relationship with First Solar, which we expect will enable certainty of module supply for a critical part of our development pipeline,” said Dan Siegel, CEO of Birch Creek. “By choosing to buy our modules from First Solar, we are strengthening our domestic content strategy with a trusted partner that delivers a competitive product.”

First Solar had a U.S.-made nameplate capacity 6 GW at the end of 2023, and is expected to expand to 14 GW by 2026 with announced manufacturing expansion in the U.S. Its $1.1 billion Alabama factory and $185 million expansion of its existing facilities in Ohio are expected to bring its total investment in American manufacturing to over $4 billion.. It expects to add at least 850 new manufacturing jobs and over 100 new R&D jobs, taking its total number of direct jobs in the U.S. to over 3,000 people in four states by 2025.

In addition to providing multi-gigawatts of domestic content to the U.S. market, First Solar’s investments in U.S. manufacturing are also bringing jobs. According to a recent study commissioned by First Solar, current operations supported an estimated 16,245 direct, indirect, and induced jobs in 2023, representing approximately $1.6 billion in annual labor income. The company says that in 2026 it is forecast to support an estimated 30,060 direct, indirect, and induced jobs across the country. The study projects that every direct job First Solar supports in 2026 will support 7.3 jobs nationwide.

South Korea plans 120 GW space solar project Two Korean research institutes are designing the 2.2 km × 2.7 km Korean Space Solar Power Satellite project with the aim of providing approximately 1 TWh of electricity to the Earth per year. The proposed system should use 4,000 sub-solar arrays of 10 m × 270 m, made out of thin film roll-out, with a system power efficiency of 13.5%.

Sungrow posts $1.3 billion profit for 2023  Chinese inverter manufacturer Sungrow shipped 130 GW of inverters last year, reaching a profit of $1.3 billion.

Hitachi Energy to invest more than $100 million to manufacture transformers in Canada  To help meet the demand for transformers, the Government of Quebec is helping with funding of a testing facility as well as an engineering and design center.

New green bank to support distributed solar and storage in the Appalachian region The Green Bank for Rural America will support community lenders in Appalachian communities to finance climate-supporting projects including distributed solar and storage. The bank and four others received a total of $6 billion in federal awards.

Major defense company plans to reduce emissions 46% by 2030 RTX, formerly Raytheon, signs an agreement with Engie North America to buy 1.5 million MWh of renewable energy over the next ten years, spurring further growth of Texas solar development.

Tier 1 defense industry contractor RTX (formerly Raytheon) signed a deal with Engie North America to purchase 100% renewable energy in its quest to reduce emissions 46% by 2030 from 2019 levels.

The deal involves buying a mix of wind and solar sources through renewable energy certificates as well as direct energy purchases, all originating in the state. The clean energy will reportedly power 12 of its facilities in Texas.

While the companies did not report the dollar value of the deal, they did say RTX would receive 1.5 million MWh of renewable electricity over the next 10 years, reducing the company’s carbon emissions in Texas by 560,000 metric tons of CO2 over the lifetime of the agreement, which is scheduled to run through 2033. RTX’s Raytheon facility in McKinney, Texas is expected to consume more than 55% of the total clean energy procured.

Initially, the deal includes RECs from Engie’s existing Priddy Wind Project for a portion of RTX’s forecast load in 2024. The remainder of its load for 2024 and beyond reportedly will be sourced with electricity and RECs from several Engie renewable electricity projects in Texas, primarily new projects.

California-based Trio (formerly Edison Energy) is RTX’s energy advisor on the Engie deal. Joey Lange, senior managing director at Trio, said the agreement is notable for a number of reasons, including its size and the fact that it involves RECs and direct purchases of electricity. Also important is the fact that it will spur future development of renewable energy projects.

“This specific engagement is a little unique because it’s going to be a mix of already built assets and projects that are not online yet,” Lange told pv magazine USA. “The use of existing generation is going to allow RTX to hit its goals of a 10% reduction in carbon by 2025. The ramping up of new projects will enable it to reach 46% by 2028 and then extend through 2033.”

Lange said Trio’s role is to help its client, always the energy buyer, to achieve its corporate goals with regard to renewable energy and CO2 emissions reductions. He explained that the deal with Engie in Texas worked because of the concentration of RTX facilities there and the fact Engie has a nice combination of a deep bench of projects available and in the development pipeline.

The deal with RTX means that many projects will now go forward sooner rather than later. “Without that off-taker, the developer is not going to get the hundreds of millions of dollars they need to actually build the project,” Lange said.

Although Engie already has many projects both built and in development in Texas. For example, late last year, Engie inaugurated its 250 MW Sun Valley Solar project in Hill County, Texas, which incorporates 100 MWh of battery storage. It also has the 260 MW Sypert Branch solar project under development in Milam County, Texas. In 2022 the company acquired a 6 GW portfolio of late-stage projects across ERCOT, PJM, MISO, and WECC regions. The acquisition included 33 projects, comprised of about 2.7 GW of solar with 700 MW paired storage, and 2.6 GW of standalone battery energy storage.

Solar manufacturers want anti-dumping tariffs enforced The American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, which includes First Solar, Qcells, Meyer Burger, REC Silicon, and others said the current “manufacturing renaissance” in the United States is under threat from heavily subsidized Chinese cells and modules that are alleged to be in infraction with antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) law.

SunPower to close business units, cut about 26% of workforce SunPower’s struggles reflect a market-wide retraction in residential solar, which has been battered by worsened economics from high interest rates and unfavorable policy and ratemaking changes. We did have an inkling when revenues reported last December reflected a 28% year-over-year decline, while operating expenses increased, and net income resulted in a loss of $123.9 million.

President Biden announced the ambition to upgrade 100,000 miles of transmission lines over the next five years  The Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP) program intends to fund upgrades and modernization of the transmission and distribution system to increase reliability and resilience to prepare the grid for extreme weather as well as to ensure delivery of affordable, clean electricity to all communities across the nation.

IRS issues final guidance for clean energy tax credit transferability Under a tax credit transfer transaction, renewable energy developers and owners are essentially able to sell tax credits for cash, making financing easier for new clean energy projects. The transferability option is generally open to the entities that are not covered by the direct pay option.

NREL updates interactive chart of solar cell efficiency The highest research cell efficiency recorded in the chart is 47.6%, for a four-junction cell developed by Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems. Also included is the 33.9% world record efficiency achieved in November by Longi for a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell and the 27.09% efficiency achieved by the same company for a heterojunction back contact solar cell.

The Fallon Two Rock Road Solar Farm is now operational, according to partners MCE and Renewable America.

MCE is a not-for-profit electricity provider for more than 585,000 customer accounts and 1.5 million California residents and businesses. The company reports that 60% to 100% of the electricity it sells comes from renewable power, and that it is currently delivering 14 GW. The Fallon installation is MCE’s sixteenth feed-in tariff project to come online in the Bay Area.

Renewable America is a renewable energy developer that specializes in small utility-scale solar storage and community microgrid projects in California. The company reports that it currently has over 320 MW of solar and 680 MWh of energy storage projects under development throughout California.

Fallon is a 1 MW agrivoltaics installation that is expected to produce an estimated 2.3 GW/h annually. Renewable America told pv magazine USA that the project uses 2,240 650W Astronergy bifacial solar modules on 25-degree, fixed tilt OMCO Solar Choice trackers, with 10 Chint Power 100 kW inverters (each power derated to 96kW). The site is expected to power 300 homes and save about 19,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions throughout its 35-year lifetime.

“Renewable America’s motto ‘Think Local. Act Local’, drives us to prioritize local projects like Fallon Two Rock that positively impact local communities. This is our first project with MCE, supporting local clean energy generation and committing to fast-tracking progress toward a clean energy future in California,” said Ardeshir Arian, president & CEO of Renewable America.

Renewable America designed the project to occupy only 3.5% of a 4.5-acre parcel, with the rest remaining in a natural state. The fixed tilt trackers follow the natural slope of the land, so no grading was needed, according to the developer. The project also accommodates sheep grazing between the rows, for natural vegetation management.

Fallon Two Rock was built with nearly 4,000 hours of prevailing wage labor, according to the developer. Prevailing wage is a requirement of the Inflation Reduction Act that developers must meet in order to qualify for a tax credit adder. In essence, the prevailing wage requirements states that the taxpayer (developer) must pay any laborer, mechanic, contractor or subcontractor at the prevailing rates for the location in which the construction takes place, as determined by the Secretary of Labor.

RNA Services LLC, a subsidiary of Renewable America, served as the EPC partner during construction and is continuing its role in operations and maintenance. RNA has also committed $20,000 to MCE for local workforce development.

“Clean energy is just one part of the transition to a sustainable future,” said Katie Rice, MCE board director and County of Marin supervisor. “The additional funding RNA committed will help MCE grow the clean energy economy, providing training opportunities for local residents to enter the green workforce.”

Important stories you might have missed: Week in review pv magazine USA spotlights news stories of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.

How AI can contribute to environmental sustainability Artificial intelligence models can be used during the solar pre-construction planning and design process, as well as afterwards to help with monitoring, weather forecasting, predictive maintenance and more.

EcoFlow unveils air-to-water heat pump, PV-powered water heater  EcoFlow has launched a new air-to-water heat pump for residential applications. The new product, equipped with R290 refrigerant, is available in 9 kW and 20 kW versions.

Neighbors like solar, to a point Research indicates that most neighbors of solar power facilities maintain positive attitudes toward these plants until they exceed 100 MW in capacity or approximately 400 acres.

Global PV capacity hit 1.6 TW in 2023, says IEA-PVPS The International Energy Agency (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS) has published a wide-reaching snapshot of the global PV market, covering installations, manufacturing, policy trends, and grid integration.

Mercom, WoodMac note challenging PV investment climate in Q1 Mercom Capital Group says that total corporate solar funding, global venture capital funding, public market financing, and PV mergers and acquisitions all fell year on year in the first quarter of 2024. The sector is still grappling with high interest rates, which Wood Mackenzie says is disproportionately affecting renewables projects.

Qcells leads petition to revoke bifacial exemption The bifacial exemption may be revoked once again, this time by the Biden Administration following a petition by Qcells, which has a large manufacturing footprint in the United States. Reuters reported that, Qcells, the solar division of Korean conglomerate Hanwha, sent the formal petition to the U.S. Trade Representative on Feb. 23 requesting the exemption to be revoked.

Quoted solar prices decreased on the marketplace, falling 3.5% to $2.80  For the first time since 2021, quoted solar prices decreased on the marketplace, falling 3.5% to $2.80 per watt for quotes in the second half of 2023. The median system size over that period was 11.3 kW, leading to an average quoted system price of $31,640 (before any associated tax credits or incentives). These prices are the lowest since mid-2020.

DOE lays out roadmap to advance interconnections of renewables The report presents 35 interconnection improvement solutions developed through a DOE stakeholder engagement process, known as the Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X) program.

Puerto Rico net metering law at risk  Central to Puerto Rico’s future success with residential solar is a law that extended the territory’s net metering policy for solar through 2031. Yet that law, known as Act 10-2024, has been challenged by the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) for Puerto Rico, a body created by federal law.

Important Q1 solar policies across 50 states  The Q1 2024 report by NC Clean Energy Technology Center finds that 43 states plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico took a total of 163 actions related to distributed solar policy and rate design. Read about what works for or against the advancement of solar energy.

From pv magazine Global

Global PV capacity grew to 1.6 TW in 2023, up from 1.2 TW in 2022, according to the IEA-PVPS Snapshot of Global PV Markets 2024.

The analysts said that up to 446 GW of new PV systems were commissioned last year, largely driven by rapid growth in China, alongside an estimated 150 GW of modules in inventories throughout the world.

“After several years of tension on material and transport costs, module prices plummeted in a massively over-supplied market, maintaining the competitivity of PV even as electricity prices decreased after historical peaks in 2022,” said the IEA-PVPS.

The report said that the oversupply of PV modules last year “shed light on the difficulties to align production and demand in a very versatile environment.” It noted that while production capacities increased significantly in China, growth only happened in a limited number of countries beyond China.

“Uneven political support in some markets could also be attributed to the difficulties to develop local PV manufacturing facilities in an already inundated market,” the report said, explaining that significant drops in PV module prices due to increased inventory, oversupply and competitive environment among manufacturers also caused strain on local manufacturing.

Elsewhere in the report, the IEA-PVPS said that both the rooftop and utility-scale segments grew in 2023. Approximately 45% of new capacity was on rooftops, continuing gradual growth seen since 2018 as rooftop markets opened in new countries, while decreasing installation costs and higher consumption costs made it more accessible for residential investors. The report noted that prosumers are becoming more active market drivers across the world, while noting a move away from net metering as PV costs go down.

The number of countries with theoretical penetration rates above 10% doubled last year, to 18. Spain, the Netherlands, Chile and Greece led in this metric, but more populous countries such as Germany and Japan also passed 10% for the first time.

Over 10 million homes are located within one mile of the 8,000+ large-scale solar (LSS) projects, as reported by Energy Markets & Policy (EMP) at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This number is expected to grow significantly, despite efforts by certain groups to spread falsehoods and hinder progress. Solar power does remain the most popular form of electricity nationwide, despite its popularity declining in more conservative and rural areas as a result of targeted attacks.

To better understand the perceptions of those living near solar power facilities, the EMP team, in collaboration with the University of Michigan, conducted a comprehensive, 12-page survey that explored 49 different aspects of living near LSS projects.

Data solicited from 4,974 households was published in ‘Perception of Large-Scale Solar Project Neighbors: Results from a National Survey’. The group shared the responses from 984 households located within three miles of 380 unique LSS projects, with 71% of these households located within one mile of the projects.

According to the EMP study, neighbor attitudes remained fairly consistent until projects surpassed 100 megawatts, at which point the sentiment shifted dramatically, displaying a 12 to 1 ratio of negative to positive responses. This strong opposition was closely linked to concerns about the impact on local aesthetics, overall quality of life, and perceptions of unfairness in the project planning process.

Notably, only 20% of those surveyed were aware of the projects before construction began, and about one-third discovered the projects’ existence only upon receiving the survey. Those who see large solar installations on a daily basis were significantly more likely to express negative attitudes toward these projects.

When asked about expanding LSS projects and other types of energy infrastructure, respondents showed the strongest support for rooftop solar, with less than 10% opposition. Support for new LSS projects ranked second, followed by wind energy, gas plants, pipelines, wells, and nuclear energy, in that order.

Interestingly, if a solar power project must be built, agrivoltaic projects (which integrate agriculture with photovoltaic systems to maximize land use) received the highest approval ratings, with less than 10% expressing a negative view, and 50% being positive or very positive.

The results showed that 85% of these neighbors held a positive or neutral view of their local solar power projects, 11% viewed them negatively, and 4% had a very negative perception. Attitudes were slightly less favorable among those living within a quarter mile of a facility.

Overall, support for constructing additional solar facilities was strong, with 42% in favor and only 18% opposed. However, attitudes shifted significantly as project sizes increased. Research from upstate New York echoed these findings, showing a change in perception when projects exceeded 50 acres.

From pv magazine Global

Battery industry heavyweight CATL has unveiled its latest innovation in energy storage system design with enhanced energy density and efficiency, as well as zero degradation for both power and capacity.

Its new TENER product achieves 6.25 MW capacity in a 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container, increasing the energy density per unit area by 30% and reducing the overall station footprint by 20% compared to its previous 5 MWh containerized energy storage system. For example, a 200 MWh TENER power station would cover an area of 4,465 square meters.

According to CATL, TENER cells achieve an energy density of 430 Wh/L, which it says is “an impressive milestone for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries used in energy storage.”

CATL describes TENER as the world’s first mass-producible energy storage system with zero degradation in the first five years of use. Leveraging biomimetic solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and self-assembled electrolyte technologies, it says that TENER enables unobstructed movement of lithium ions and achieves zero degradation for both power and capacity.

This represents a significant advancement in increasing the lifespan of batteries and creates the much coveted “ageless” energy storage system, at least in the first years of the system’s operation.

On the safety front, CATL has also introduced a few improvements.

“Powered by cutting-edge technologies and extreme manufacturing capabilities, CATL has resolved the challenges caused by highly active lithium metals in zero-degradation batteries, which effectively helps prevent thermal runaway caused by oxidation reaction,” it said.

It has also established a dedicated, end-to-end quality management system that includes technology development, proof testing, operation monitoring, and safety failure analysis. It sets different safety goals as required by different scenarios, and then develops the corresponding safety technology to meet those goals. In addition, it has built a validation platform to simulate the safety test of energy storage systems in different power grid scenarios.

After a project is put into operation, CATL continues to monitor its operational status through AI-powered risk monitoring and an intelligent early warning system. It calculates the failure rate of energy storage products throughout their life cycle, and thus verifies the safety design goals while continuing to optimize them.

The manufacturer says it has reduced the failure rate to the PPB (single defect rate per billion) level for cells used in TENER, which, when extended to the operation throughout its full lifecycle, can lower operating costs and significantly enhance the internal rate of return. CATL also says that TENER is equipped with long service life, without specifying the warranty specs.

The Chinese battery maker has ranked first in market share of global energy storage battery shipments for three straight years, with a global market share of 40% in 2023. In its latest annual report, it said that its sales of energy storage battery systems hit 69 GWh in in 2023, representing a year-on-year increase of 46.81%.