From pv magazine Global

The latest supply chain report from Sinovoltaics, the Hong Kong-based technical compliance and quality assurance company, covers the North American manufacturing hub, tracking factory size, location, owner, current and planned capacity. It provides details on 95 factories producing PV modules, cells, wafers, ingots, polysilicon, and metallurgical-grade siliconin the region, up from 81 in the first quarter.

The Sinovoltaics Supply Chain Map (SSCM) – North America for Q2 2024 notes 42 GW of total module production capacity spread across Mexico, Canada, and the United States, which manufacturers plan to double to 84 GW in the coming 3 to 6 years. A Sinovoltaics spokesperson told pv magazine that the figures represent “nameplate capacity.”

The report presents data from publicly available sources, as well as Sinovoltaics contacts with manufacturers. “The report gives insights into the theoretical capacity if the factories are running at 100%,” a spokesperson from the company said. “Our data are based on the press releases that we’ve received from different manufacturers and different research, and marketing analysis documents that we’ve seen.”

There are ten more manufacturers included in the second quarter report than the previous one, a mixture of thin film, TOPCon, and perovskite tandem technology companies. The additions are Ascent Solar, Astronergy, Boway Alloy, Caelux, Great Lakes Solex, NanoPV, Prism Solar, Runergy, Solaria, and Ubiquity Solar.

The analysts noted constraints in the region’s supply chain at the cell and wafer nodes. Cell production is at 8 GW and growing to 55 GW in the coming 3 to 6 years, while wafer production is to grow from 3.2 GW to 24.5 G.

The Sinovoltaics team noted the CubicPV decision to halt silicon wafer production to focus on tandem perovskite technology and REC Silicon’s plant closure in Butte, Montana, observing that the market had not moved yet to fill the void.

Sinovoltaics has been tracking the development of PV manufacturing hubs and began publishing a series of free quarterly reports this year, mapping production in India, North America, Southeast Asia, and Europe

Origami Solar announced partnerships with three steel fabricators who will domestically produce steel solar module frames. The fabricators include with Welser Profile of Valley City, Ohio; Priefert, of Mt. Pleasant, Texas; and Unimacts of Houston, Texas. Origami expects to be able to ship steel frames to customers in the first quarter of 2025, and by producing regionally says that frames will get from the fabricator to the module manufacturer in one to two days.

“America has one of the world’s strongest steel industries” said Origami Solar CEO Gregg Patterson. “We have the energy efficient steel mills and the world-class fabricators that can produce every solar frame America will ever need.”

Origami Solar, founded in 2019 and based in Bend, Oregon, is a pv magazine 2023 award winner for manufacturing. The company produces patented, steel solar module frames that are said to lower cost and improve module performance. The company reports that the frames are made of “green” recycled steel, thereby reducing greenhouse gases by up to 93%, representing a reduction of 80 kg per module or 200 metric tons per MW.

A recent report by Wood Mackenzie and Origami Solar notes that while the U.S. is working toward building up its domestic module manufacturing, thanks for the IRA, a less well-known problem is U.S. dependence on aluminum module frames. The majority of these are currently imported from East and Southeast Asia, and the report says that they are all made from carbon-intensive aluminum.

Origami sees an opportunity to supply module manufacturers in the U.S. market who are switching from imported aluminum frames to domestically made steel frames. Its use of recycled steel from suppliers in the U.S. and Europe in its frames give it a competitive edge when it comes to greenhouse gas scoring as assessed by Boundless Impact

Patterson points out that by having regional fabrication centers in the U.S., customers will avoid “shipping issues, labor strife, or impoundments delaying the arrival of the frames they need.” He added that by procuring domestically produced steel frames customers won’t have the worry of “geopolitical tensions” or “ever-increasing tariffs.” In light of recent news about fragile solar panels, he noted that steel frames may alleviate the risk of frames failing to support ever-larger solar panels.

Switching to domestically produced products across the solar supply chain has the further benefit of supporting good-paying jobs.

“Thanks to our partnership with Origami, we were able to expand our investments in the solar industry, keep our Benton, Arkansas facility open, keep our current employees hard at work and expand to up to 70 additional skilled workers over the next three years,” said Rocky Christenberry, Priefert’s executive vice president

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.

BASF, NGK launch sodium-sulfur battery with less than 1% degradation rate A set of technological improvements incorporated into the new product NAS MODEL L24 allows for lower maintenance costs compared to the earlier sodium sulfur battery type developed by the two manufacturers.

NREL guide for anyone seeking more solar and storage in utility resource plans A guide to utility resource plans aims to help state regulators and others engage effectively with utilities in reviewing the plans, which have often been challenged for limiting solar and storage in projections of new generating capacity needed.

Nextracker expands U.S. manufacturing with Unimacts Owned by Unimacts and located near Las Vegas, this factory will produce steel components exclusively for Nextracker, bringing the tracker specialist’s annual domestic solar tracker capacity to over 30 GW.

Final guidance released on IRA’s prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements According to the Treasury Department, developers of clean energy projects may be able to claim an increased credit equal to five times the base incentive.

Solar startup claims doubled energy per acre with terrain-following array California startup Planted Solar uses construction robots and high-density arrays to deliver what the company says are higher energy outputs and lower balance of system costs.

U.S. grid-scale storage grows 84%, residential storage 48% Wood Mackenzie reported large growth in Q1 year-over-year for grid-scale storage and residential storage, while commercial and industrial storage slowed.

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.

Nextracker announced its second steel torque tube factory with Unimacts, a specialist in industrial manufacturing and supply chain solutions.

Like the first Nextracker/Unimacts partnership, this factory will be located in Sloan, Nevada, near Las Vegas. This factory will also will be owned by Unimacts, with all steel components produced exclusively for Nextracker, bringing the tracker specialist’s annual domestic solar tracker capacity to over 30 GW.

The steel torque tubes produced in the new 160,000-square-foot facility will be used to hold and rotate solar panels in large-scale solar power plants. The two factories will produce enough torque tubes to support more than 2 GW of new solar power each year, equivalent to the energy used by 400,000 U.S. homes.

With this new factory, Nextracker has now opened or expanded over 20 U.S. manufacturing facilities since 2021, including new or expanded dedicated production lines across the U.S. The tracker specialist locates plants near its target markets with the goal of reducing time and cost for its customers The Unimacts plant will produce steel components for Nextracker’s solar power generation plants primarily in Nevada and southwestern states. 

Since passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, solar developers are focusing on U.S. made content for solar power plants in order to qualify for the domestic content bonus credit. To qualify all steel and iron used in projects must be completely manufactured in the U.S., with the exception of certain metallurgical processes related to steel additives. This primarily applies to construction materials used for racking, trackers and foundation components anchoring solar panels.

“American manufacturing has quickly become the heartbeat of the clean energy revolution,” ​​said Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of Nextracker. “There is a trifecta of perfect conditions for this manufacturing renaissance: a terrific workforce, a great localized clean steel industry, and strong demand for renewable energy. Over the last three years, Nextracker has operationalized over 20 factories, catalyzing thousands of jobs. This is what growth and scaling look like.”

In addition to enabling solar developers to reap further tax credits, domestically produced materials is an economic driver, bringing good jobs to local communities. American Clean Power estimates that the IRA will help create 550,000 new clean energy jobs – more than doubling the current clean energy workforce. As a result, the clean power industry will support a direct workforce of nearly one million Americans by 2030.

 “Today’s announcement is a great example of clean power driving an American manufacturing renaissance in Nevada and across the United States. Creating and expanding supply chains here at home strengthens America’s energy security, creates good-paying jobs and boosts the economy. These new manufacturing facilities also exemplify the key role of American technology in creating a clean, reliable, and affordable grid,” said Jason Grumet, CEO of American Clean Power.

In addition to making torque tubes for the solar industry, Unimacts solar piles and drives for trackers as well as wind turbine components and other industrial products.

“The federal incentives allow us to confidently invest in U.S. manufacturing, provide manufacturing jobs in Nevada and growth in the local economy,” said Alan Hayes, CEO of Unimacts. “Having inaugurated our first Nevada site for solar component production in Las Vegas just nine months ago, we’re pleased to be once again partnering with the Nextracker team, expanding clean energy manufacturing capacity and contributing to local jobs.”

Reshore solar manufacturing but don’t stall construction with tariffs, suggests union official A leader of a union whose members work in construction and maintenance said the union supported a moratorium on tariffs on certain imported solar panels, as domestic panel output increases, to preserve opportunities in solar construction and installation.

Bill seeks to establish community solar market in Michigan Community solar projects are non-utility owned assets that allow customers to subscribe to a portion of the project’s electricity generation capacity in exchange for bill credits.

Titan Solar latest in residential solar business closures An email informed company employees that the company had ended operations.

Long-duration stability of perovskite solar cells US scientists have analyzed the impact of “seasoning” a formamidinium lead iodide solution with two-dimensional (2D) perovskites. They have found that the template improved the efficiency and durability of their solar cells.

Princeton NuEnergy scores $30 million in funding for lithium battery recycling The low-temperature plasma-assisted separation process, developed at Princeton University and now trademarked as LPAS, produces battery-grade cathode and anode materials suitable for direct reintroduction into cell manufacturing.

Soltec launches specially designed floating PV tracker Soltec has developed a floating PV tracker with pumps in the central tank for mobility and ballast, enabling operation in wind gusts above 100 km/h.

Longi claims 34.6% efficiency for perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell The European Solar Test Installation (ESTI) confirmed Longi’s achievement of a world record-breaking efficiency rating of 34.6% for a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell.

Two-thirds of jobs in the solar industry are in construction and installation, versus 13% in manufacturing, said a union leader on a webinar hosted by the American Clean Power Association (ACP).

“We’re a little concerned that the “tail” of manufacturing “could wag the dog,” said Jeff Soth, legislative and political director of the International Union of Operating Engineers, referencing his union’s support for a moratorium on solar panel tariffs that support domestic solar manufacturing. “We’ve adopted the ACP position,” he said.

Chiming in, Bill Parsons, American Clean Power (ACP) senior vice president and political director, said Soth had “articulated a really important principle, which I think our member companies would subscribe to, which is a very firm desire and commitment to reshore as much of the supply chain as we can, as quickly as we can, consistent with deployment.”

“If you cut off” foreign solar panel supply “too quickly,” Parsons said, “you haven’t really helped anything. You’ve just slowed down the construction jobs and the benefits for the grid and for the economy.” Parsons said companies are faced with a dilemma, “the choice to buy stuff that doesn’t exist yet.”

Two-thirds of operating engineers work in construction, Soth said, typically operating equipment such as cranes and backhoes, while one-third are maintenance engineers. Operating engineers work across all energy industries, he said.

Union support for projects

Turning to the potential for union support of new projects, Brad Markell, principal with Clean Energy Labor Advisors, said “you see some opposition” to both utility-scale solar projects and transmission projects. Yet “local unions, that are everywhere, are a key locus for local participation,” he said. Unions can add value “early in community involvement, because union members are living in these communities, and once they understand there’s a potential project coming through their area that they would like to work on, they become advocates.”

Soth said three unions had responded to a request from the solar industry, which led to a tri-trades agreement among the unions representing “the three essential crafts to build solar generation,” namely operating engineers, electricians and laborers. “We’re in the business of meeting the needs of owners and developers,” he said, “and they demanded, frankly, a streamlined project labor agreement with the three essential crafts, and that’s what we gave them.”

Wages, apprenticeships

“The skills and productivity” of union members, Soth said, give the union “a competitive edge, and frankly, allow us to command at the negotiating table the kinds of wages and benefits that our folks receive.”

Noting that a prevailing wage requirement is a condition for receiving energy tax credits, Soth said the requirement “provides some support for our role in the workplace and ensures that the green jobs of the future are, in fact, good jobs.” Clean energy industries have struggled, he said, “to be able to demonstrate that those are family sustaining jobs, particularly in the solar industry, historically, and that’s a function of residential deployment, small projects.”

Noting that women represent less than 25% of construction workers, Soth said his union is “doing everything we can” to recruit women and people of color into the trade, including marketing apprenticeships to students in high school. The operating engineers’ union offers training and apprenticeship programs.

“Apprenticeship is the primary pathway into a career in the operating engineers,” Soth said, adding that apprenticeship is “the best kept secret in career and vocational training.” He suggested that government investment in apprenticeship preparedness would be worthwhile, such as providing young people with “an introduction into the variety of craft unions out there and the opportunities that exist in the construction business.”

Has the Inflation Reduction Act bolstered the U.S. solar supply chain?  Wood Mackenzie is tracking the capacity that manufacturers have announced will come online in the U.S.; however, three challenges remain including a balance of materials, pricing and tariffs.

RFP alert: CAISO and TID seek renewable energy and storage projects Using the Ascend Analytics Energy Exchange, Turlock Irrigation District announces a request for proposals to meet its California Renewable Portfolio Standards and reliability goals.

A new federal transmission rule won’t help renewables projects anytime soon Although promptly deploying grid-enhancing technologies and advanced conductors could speed interconnection in the short term, a new federal transmission rule will improve interconnection only once new transmission is built, said panelists on a webinar.

ABB launches smart panel for home energy management In partnership with Lumin, the company released an electric panel with software for controlling solar, batteries, EV chargers, and more.

Researchers build 24.4%-efficient perovskite solar cells with room temperature process Researchers from the U.S. and South Korea have developed a method to make high-quality perovskite films at room temperature. The film was tested in a conventional perovskite solar cell architecture and the result was a power conversion efficiency of exceeding 24%.

Startup uses agricultural waste to produce low-cost, safe batteries U.S.-based start-up SorbiForce uses no toxic products or metals in production of its batteries. It claims its systems are cheaper and safer than lithium-ion batteries and have near zero end-of-life waste.

Solar carport to provide 100% electricity needs for Los Angeles Six Flags  Recom Technologies was selected as the solar panel provider for the 12 MW solar carport.

From pv magazine

In mid-March 2024, Canada’s Silfab Solar, a high-efficiency module manufacturer with plans to expand into South Carolina, said it would source glass from U.S.-based PV panel recycler Solarcycle, which is planning a $344 million solar glass fab in the U.S. state of Georgia, supplied by recycled panel materials.

“We’re excited about the potential for domestic solar manufacturing growth to provide jobs and R&D development in the US,” Solarcycle Chief Operating Officer (COO) Rob Vinje told pv magazine.

Global growth

Andries Wantenaar, from market intelligence company Rethink Technology Research, said that “demand for solar glass is looking robust. It is a growing market with relatively stable prices.” He noted a 66% increase in every part of China’s solar manufacturing industry in 2023, and even more rapid growth outside China, where output doubled from 65 GW in 2022, to around 130 GW in 2023.

“If you make solar glass, you have a very large and very rapidly growing ­market outside of China to sell to,” said Wantenaar. “You won’t be stuck in the situation of Western polysilicon makers, whose customers are the wafer makers in China who are now buying from Chinese polysilicon makers exclusively at prices well below the Western marginal cost of production.”

Glass material prices are relatively stable. “The price of solar-grade glass has been stubborn for at least a decade now because it’s a totally figured-out product,” said Wantenaar. The caveat is that glass is an energy-intensive product, which is a strong cost factor, and one reason why China dominates its production. Wantenaar estimated that China holds “around 90%” of the solar glass market, higher than its 80% PV module share.

Two sides

Wantenaar believes glass will represent a bigger share of module costs in the future, as other elements become more cost-efficient and the bifacial module trend, typically featuring glass on both sides rather than a glass front combined with a polymer backsheet, intensifies.

“Bifacial recently passed 50% market share, looking at Chinese manufacturing outputs, and will continue to grow, to perhaps 75% in 2030,” said the analyst.

Bifacial glass modules typically use two 2 mm glass panes, sometimes 1.6 mm, as opposed to conventional panels, that feature 3.2 mm glass. The use of thinner glass might require different heat-strengthening processes and that may impact quality.

The trend toward glass-glass is something researchers at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are looking into, regarding module durability.

“The really thin glass is optimized for shipping and logistics, not necessarily for durability performance in the field,” said Teresa Barnes, who manages the PV reliability and system performance group at NREL, and serves as head of the DOE-funded Durable Module Materials (Duramat) research consortium.

“Historically, silicon PV modules have been made with rolled and textured cover glass while thin film has used antimony-free float glass with a thickness of 2 mm or 3 mm,” said Barnes. “Thinner is possible but it’s trickier due to the heat-tempering process.”

It could be that glass material made for the North American market will have different mechanical requirements than for other regions.

“Extreme weather, such as hail, could mean that US modules would need the thicker-tempered glass,” said Barnes.

There are also similar signals coming from Europe.

“The trend here is to find niches,” said Martin Zugg, managing director of German glass manufacturer Interfloat, which is owned by India’s Borosil. “It is hard to find a niche but we see manufacturers developing more and more new niche markets, which includes hail-resistant panels that require thicker glass, roof-integrated modules, and building-integrated PV applications.”

Interfloat produces enough low-iron, high-transmission textured solar glass for 2 GW of modules per year. It makes glass with thicknesses ranging from 2 mm to 6 mm, in conventional as well as custom and special-request dimensions.

The use of thicker glass could give local glass manufacturers a market opportunity and lower transport-related costs.

“Glass is an expensive material to ship,” said the NREL’s Barnes. “Logistics costs, shipping, and storage are all paid by the PV module manufacturer.”

First Solar effect

U.S.-based thin-film PV giant First Solar is expanding capacity with 13 GW of operational output as of September 2023, and plans for 25 GW of global annual nameplate capacity in 2026, with 14 GW in the United States.

That expansion trajectory is triggering glass industry investment to supply it with the float glass it needs for its thin-film modules. In the United States, manufacturers NSG Group and Vitro Architectural Glass have announced contracts and plans for dedicated lines to serve First Solar.

In India, where First Solar recently inaugurated its 3.3 GW Series 7 module plant, French materials company Saint Gobain is reportedly bringing production online at a plant in the state of Tamil Nadu in order to supply the American manufacturer.

In November 2023, NSG said it would add transparent conductive oxide (TCO)-coated glass capacity in Ohio to supply First Solar, planning the move in early 2025. NSG has produced TCO-coated glass for thin-film PV for more than 25 years.

“Every year the solar market is bigger and bigger; more capital, more resources,” said Stephen Weidner, who heads NSG’s North ­American ­architectural glass and solar products groups. “We see this on a global basis.”

Glass for solar is becoming more significant. “It has gone from virtually nothing 10 years ago, to 10% to 15% of the total supply of the flat glass market in North America,” said Weidner. “Our goal is to grow with the market. That means that by end of [2024] we will have three float lines in North America dedicated to the solar segment, a further two lines in Vietnam, also one in Malaysia, which we converted to TCO from architectural glass earlier.”

Vitro Architectural Glass is also adding U.S. capacity to supply First Solar. In October 2023, it announced an expansion of its contract with First Solar and a plan to invest in a plant in Pennsylvania, as well as in adapting existing PV glass facilities. The company said in a statement that it expected “significant growth” in solar glass business due to the “nearshoring” effect in the United States.

IRA impact

Besides influencing First Solar and its growing glass supply chain, policies such as the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), are also spurring crystalline silicon manufacturing investment, triggering Canadian Premium Sand (CPS), a new entrant from Canada, to announce a solar panel glass project. CPS plans to build a factory in Selkirk, Manitoba, to produce 1.8 mm to 4 mm glass module covers in enough volume for 6 GW of solar panels per year.

“We are estimating demand in the North America region for solar pattern glass to reach nearly 100 GW by 2030, driven by the reshoring of the solar panel manufacturing supply chain in the US,” said Anshul Vishal, who heads up corporate development at CPS.

The business announced offtake agreements with the likes of Swiss module manufacturer Meyer Burger, Canada-based Heliene, and Qcells, owned by South Korea’s Hanwha. Further offtake discussions with other potential patterned solar glass customers are under way, according to Vishal, with plans to reach 100% contracted status prior to construction.

The CPS integrated glass project needs a CAD 880 million ($639 million) investment to set up the plant and to develop a silica sand site. The plan includes multiple lines of tempered and patterned solar glass, including anti-reflective and anti-soiling coating lines, to be online in 2026.

“It is a project endorsed by both provincial and federal government agencies and the environmental permits are in place,” said Vishal. “We just had the sand material tested in Europe, which confirmed that we will be able to use simple, low-cost, and environmentally responsible processes to refine it to patterned solar glass-grade specifications.”

CPS will be able to tap the Manitoba energy mix for low-CO₂-emission hydroelectricity and wind power. Being in the North American Free Trade ­Agreement zone at a site that is three to four days overland from customers – supporting simpler shipping and less potential disruption – are other location-related advantages, according to Vishal.

A consortium is contracted to build the CPS plant. It includes Henry F. Teichmann, an international glass plant contractor based in the United States; France-based industrial engineering firm Fives Group; Italian glassmaking equipment supplier Bottero; and two Canadian firms, Elrus Aggregate Systems, a mineral processing equipment provider; and PCL Constructors, a civil engineering firm.

Recycled glass

Like CPS, the plant planned for two-year old Solarcycle has an annual capacity with the module equivalent of 5 GW to 6 GW of generation capacity – but using recycled glass. Using recycled materials recovered from end-of-life crystalline silicon panels means the recovered glass has the right chemical composition. It is already a low-iron material, as Solarcycle’s Vinje sees it, and that will reduce energy demand and embodied carbon.

“It is the first low iron rolled glass plant to be built in the US market,” said the COO. “We are currently receiving offers from international glass processing equipment suppliers while the contracts for engineering, construction, and multiple subsystems are being negotiated with U.S.-based suppliers.”

In the works is an 800-meter-long patterned glass production line with both hot and cold processing segments. It includes a specially designed cross-fired regenerative furnace construction that reuses exhaust gases to reduce fuel consumption; hot rolled processing equipment; and the cutting, grinding, glass tempering, and other cold end process steps needed to make glass for dual-and single-glass modules.

Solarcycle is not the only glass supplier looking to benefit from using recycled material. Canada’s CPS also said it plans to use recycled glass cullet from external sources in its products while the likes of Japan’s AGC and Saint Gobain have also announced projects.

Tigo Energy announced a new line of module-level power electronics (MLPE), the Tigo TS4-X line. The MLPE product line is designed to support newer high-powered solar modules with power ratings up to 800 W.

“The installers operating at the cutting edge of solar are pushing the envelope on system output as well as cost, and the TS4-X closes an important gap at the top end of the module performance spectrum,” said Jing Tian, chief growth officer at Tigo Energy.

The device offers module-level power optimization, monitoring, and rapid shutdown. The new devices are compatible with a large list of third-party solar inverters, said Tigo.

Tigo combines its MLPE and solar optimizer technology with cloud-based software capabilities for energy monitoring and control. Tigo MLPE products boost module performance, enable real-time energy monitoring, and provide code-required rapid shutdown at the module level.

Three different product lines in the TS40X include TS4-X-O with optimization and advanced module-level monitoring, the TS4-X-S with advanced monitoring, and the rapid shutdown-only TS4-X-F.

All three product lines include a 25 A rating and 80 V maximum input voltage. Tigo said the new product line can be designed with selective optimizer deployment across the array, supporting a low levelized cost of electricity (LCOE).

Tigo TS4-X MLPE devices are IEC and UL certified for global acceptance and are compliant with NEC 2017 and 2020 690.12 Rapid Shutdown specifications when installed with the Tigo RSS Transmitter and UL PVRSS-certified inverter or an inverter with a built-in Tigo-certified transmitter.

Tigo said the frame-mounted MLPE can be installed in 10 seconds and is connected via industry-standard MC4 connectors and an IP68 enclosure for durability.

The company also develops and manufactures products such as inverters and battery storage systems for the residential solar-plus-storage market.

From pv magazine Global

The global solar cell and module manufacturing industry is currently operating at a utilization rate of approximately 50%, according to the IEA’s Advancing Clean Technology Manufacturing report. It said that global investments in new solar factories amounted to $80 billion in 2023 alone, which is two times more than in 2022.

The Chinese solar industry accounted for approximately 95% of global investments in wafer production capacity last year, 96% of investment in polysilicon production facilities, and 83% of module factories. The IEA said that around 440 GW of 500 GW of total cell and module capacity was deployed throughout the world last year.

“Existing manufacturing capacity for solar PV modules and cells could today achieve what is necessary to meet demand under the NZE Scenario in 2030 – six years ahead of schedule, with only modest gaps remaining for the upstream steps of wafer and polysilicon manufacturing,” the report noted. “While the sharp increase in supply has driven down module prices, supporting wider consumer uptake, stockpiles of solar PV modules are growing and there are signs of downscaling and postponements of planned capacity expansions, particularly in China.”

The agency said that around 80% of the world’s PV manufacturing industry is currently concentrated in China, with India and the United States accounting for 5% each and Europe at just 1%.

“The high geographical concentration of the full solar PV supply chain is unlikely to change significantly on the basis of announced projects, with China’s share of capacity for modules, cells and wafers decreasing marginally and increasing for polysilicon, to reach close to 95% in 2030,” said the IEA.

It also presented data on levelized cost of manufacturing, upfront and operational costs, as well as national incentives for manufacturing. It said that a 56 GW solar module factory under construction by JinkoSolar in China’s Shanxi Comprehensive Reform Demonstration Zone is cheaper than national average values.

“While estimates are not outturn costs, the facility is projected to come in at $7.8 billion, or $140/kW for full-chain solar PV manufacturing, compared with our national average figure of $185/kW for China,” said the IEA.

The report also includes data on global wind energy, electrolyzer production, and heat pump manufacturing.

Sinovoltaics releases inverter manufacturer financial stability ranking  Sinovoltaics analyzed publicly traded inverter producers using a balance sheet-based model and publicly available financial information to track financial strength over the past three years. The top-five in the latest ranking are Hoymiles Power Electronics, Enphase, Kstar, Eaton, and Goodwe.

Swiss company Staubli expands U.S. manufacturing of solar components Staubli plans to increase manufacturing of American-made connectors and wire harnesses in its California and North Carolina facilities.

With high demand for domestically produced solar components, driven in part by the Inflation Reduction Act, Swiss-headquartered Staubli announced it is expanding its manufacturing and assembly operations in South Carolina and California.

The company first began manufacturing in the U.S. in 1980 when it set up a facility in Duncan, South Carolina (shown above). The 103,000-square-foot facility houses manufacturing, logistics and personnel to operate and support the company’s different divisions. In 2011, Staubli opened a 43,000-square-foot manufacturing facility for electrical PV connectors and other products in Windsor, California.

“We plan to steadily increase our made-in-America products at these manufacturing facilities,” said Brian Mills, head of renewable energy, North America. “Increasing our already established solar connector manufacturing footprint in the U.S. puts Staubli in a strong position to support the increasing demand for domestically made components driven in part by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.”

In the solar industry Staubli is known for its MC4 PV connector, which the company reports is installed in 800 GW of systems, or 50% of global capacity. The company also manufactures a PV cable coupler, junction boxes, in-line fuses and eBOS products in the U.S.

Staubli says that what sets its connectors apart is its use of Multilam technology, which features specially formed and resilient contact elements. Constant spring pressure from Multilam louvers ensures continuous contact with the contact surface, resulting in a constantly low contact resistance that mitigates power loss and heat seepage, the company reports.

In addition to expanding manufacturing, Staubli is offering new customer support with field services and technical training.

“This comprehensive support is unique in the industry and extends through each critical stage of a solar project: from initial design, through pre-construction and construction, right up to the operational phase. This includes support of proper product selection and assembly, optimized design for limited waste and power loss, and proper implementation of the product in the field to ensure that our customers achieve safe and reliable solar installations,” said Mills.

Staubli was originally founded in 1892 as a small workshop in Horgen/Zurich, Switzerland. Today, headquartered in Pfäffikon, Switzerland, it is a global solutions provider operating in 28 countries with a workforce of 6,000.

While many solar panels installed in the United States are imported across the globe, the structures they are mounted on at the utility-scale are most often provided by U.S.-based companies. Nextracker and Array Technologies are two of the largest solar tracker providers, with a strong market share both in the United States and internationally.

The United States installed 32.4 GW of solar in 2023, a 51% increase over 2022. To meet the steadily rising demand, U.S. solar tracker and mount manufacturers are expanding their operations.

In Pittsburgh, a city famous for its steel production, Nextracker has worked with JM Steel since 2022 to produce torque tubes for its solar tracker systems. Now, it has more than doubled its contract manufacturing agreement with JM Steel, expanding its operations to about 4 GW of annual torque tube production.

The facility now features updated manufacturing processes including automated drilling and swedging. The expansion marks the 20 new or expanded manufacturing partner facilities for Nextracker since 2021 and enables the company to provide over 25 GW of solar tracker capacity each year.

“This facility is also expected to produce core components of our new low carbon tracker offering announced this week,” said Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of Nextracker. “The U.S. solar market is continuing to demonstrate strong growth. The U.S. Energy Information Administration has forecasted solar to grow 26% on an annual compounded rate and be the number one source of energy in the U.S. within a decade.”

Also this week, in New Mexico, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm joined Array Technologies at a groundbreaking for a $50 million-plus manufacturing site. The facility is Array’s second in the state and is expected to create over 300 jobs. Array was founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico over three decades ago.

The new 216,000 square foot campus will produce components for Array’s solar tracker solutions. The facility was supported by Inflation Reduction Act tax credits, a $2.5 million economic assistance from the Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) and the city and county each provided an additional $250,000 through LEDA funds. Total economic impact between capital investments and job creation is expected to exceed $300 million over the next 10 years.

“This announcement from Array is an example of how smart federal policies can directly benefit states and localities with jobs and economic growth,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and chief executive officer of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “Investments in domestic solar manufacturing like this one are critical for strengthening our nation’s energy security and ensuring our energy future puts people and communities first.”

Enphase, a global provider of solar microinverters and distributed battery energy storage, announced its Q1, 2024 earnings, reporting $263.34 million in revenues, or about 5% short of consensus estimates. The company delivered an earnings-per-share of $0.35, or about 10% short of consensus.

Revenues were split 57% in the U.S. and 43% internationally. Despite the moderate dip in revenues quarter-over-quarter, European revenues surged 70% with overall sell-through of microinverters and batteries increasing 7%. The company said it aims to continue boosting sales in Europe through serving the booming solar balcony market and serving social housing units.

The company shipped about 506,000 microinverters from its contract manufacturing facilities in the United States, making them eligible for the 45X production tax credit. Once fully ramped, the company expects to have a global capacity of 7.25 million microinverters per quarter, 5 million which will be produced in the U.S.

U.S. revenues declined 34% sequentially, led by declines in sell-through of equipment in California. However, declining revenues were attributed to a broader slump in U.S. residential solar. The company increased its market share in the U.S., which was highlighted in data shared by residential solar marketplace platform EnergySage. EnergySage said Enphase microinverters represented 70% of quoted systems on its marketplace and nearly half of energy storage quotes provided.

Chief executive officer Badri Kothandaraman said dynamics are beginning to shift in U.S. residential solar, and that Q1 2024 may have represented the “bottom” for the industry as it adapts to changes like California’s NEM 3.0. He said the industry has shifted from focusing on loaned systems to a third party-owned or leased model.

“In Q1, 50% of our California installs were NEM 3.0 systems. These systems have a very high battery attach rate of over 90% compared to NEM 2.0 systems, which have an attach rate of 15%,” said Kothandaraman. “Our data also shows that half of our NEM 3.0 systems are using Enphase batteries. Taking this data into account, our average revenue per NEM 3.0 system is approximately 1.5 times our average NEM 2.0 system.”

Enphase said it believes this gain in market share and boost in captured revenue per system will contribute to stabilizing and increasing its revenues in the second half of 2024.

“We have been managing through a period of slowdown in demand. We believe Q1 was the bottom quarter. Europe has already begun to recover, and we expect the non-California states to bounce back in Q2,” said Kothandaraman. “California is becoming less of a wild card, and we expect demand to stabilize and increase in the back half of 2024. We are bullish about NEM 3.0 in the long term. The payback is attractive for solar plus batteries. The utility rates are going up steeply and the sales teams are learning rapidly.”

For Q2, the company is expecting sequential growth, lifted partly by seasonality of residential solar sales. The company guided for $290 million to $330 million in revenues. It also expects to ship 100 MWh to 120 MWh of IQ batteries, beating Wall Street expectations.

The company also expects to pilot its fourth-generation home batteries later this year. Enphase is developing its next generation IQ9 microinverters, targeting a product launch in the first half of 2025. The company said IQ9 will make use of gallium nitride (GaN) parts that promise to reduce costs and increase power output.

Give distributed resources a greater role in grid reliability, say four law professors  Distributed solar and storage, along with demand response, “perform during extreme weather events” and deserve a greater role in reliability planning, the law professors say, while a new public office of grid reliability could guide transmission planning.

Tesla reports record energy storage deployment figures Tesla’s electric vehicle (EV) sales are plummeting, but its energy storage business is surging, with more than 4 GWh deployed in the first quarter of 2024 alone.

Microsoft signs two large solar power purchase agreements  The software giant entered into two power purchase agreements for a total of 400 MW of solar energy from Texas solar plants.

Two universities add solar to their energy mix  Princeton University plans four solar installations on its New Jersey campus, while Northeastern University celebrates the completion of a highly visible rooftop solar project on the downtown Snell Library.

People on the move: Silfab Solar, Green Lantern Solar, Generac, and more Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

From pv magazine Global

Sinovoltaics, a Hong Kong-based technical compliance and quality assurance service firm, has begun to publish supply chain reports about PV manufacturing in North American and European markets. In the pipeline is coverage of India and Southeast Asia.

Published in the form of infographics and data tables, the supply chain reports are free.

“We have been observing supply chain trends and movements for years and years, for example also witnessing the gradual growth of manufacturing in Southeast Asia, which is why we have nowadays quality engineering teams on-site at the factories in that region,” Sinovoltaics CTO Niclas Weimar told pv magazine. “This new type of report is basically putting our observations into report form, starting from this year onwards, helping to visualize the distribution of manufacturing capacities across different jurisdictions.”

The analysts expects the information to be used by solar developers and other buyers to locate manufacturers in relevant regions, assess the scalability of the supply chain for larger projects, or to source modules for projects more efficiently with an eye on reducing transportation costs and carbon emissions.

“The solar industry needs the most up-to-date module purchasing information,” said Dricus de Rooij, co-founder and CEO of Sinovoltaics in a statement. “Every four months, solar developers will have critical and dynamic data that will enable them to stay informed about emerging PV suppliers and the latest developments in global solar manufacturing.”

The supply chain reports cover current and planned manufacturing activity from 2023 to 2027 for producers of modules, cells, wafers, ingots, polysilicon, and multigrain silicon. It notes capacity at each of a manufacturers’ factory locations. There are also symbols indicating if a company is now bankrupt, or a manufacturing site is closed or on hold.

The first edition of North American report covers 81 sites in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, while the European version lists 91 sites across the region, including companies located in Kazakhstan and Turkey.

From pv magazine Australia

With an eye to local job creation, shorter supply chains, and reduced carbon emissions from transportation, Nextracker is continuing to use locally produced steel for some major projects. The latest in the strategy is the 480 MW Aldoga Solar Farm in Queensland, which will use Bluescop steel torque tubes, produced in Brisbane.

Nextracker announced the deal at an event in Brisbane on Thursday, March. 15. The event was attended by local politicians, steel industry representatives, and Nextracker management.

The local supply deal involves Nextracker, Orrcon Steel, Bluescope, and Baojia.  It involves “critical steel components” being produced at the BlueScope steel coil at Orrcon Steel’s Salisbury Tube millin Brisbane. The toirque tubes will then be finished by Baojia – which works with Nextracker on a global basis.

The supply deal will underpin a decision to open a new steel manufacturing line. It will be equiped to produce 50,000 tonnes of torque tubes a year – a PV capacity of 2.5 GW.

“This foundation strengthens Nextracker’s commitment to deliver energy security to Australians with a local supply chain and new manufacturing jobs to make clean energy affordable and accessible. We support Queensland’s Energy and Jobs Plan and applaud their ambitions to create jobs for the clean energy economy,” said Peter Wheale, Nextracker GM for Australia, Southeast Asia, and New Zealand.

Thursday’s opening ceremony was attended by the Queensland Minister for Energy Mike de Brenni; Tania Archibald, Chief Executive BlueScope Australian Steel Products; Tony Schreiber, Chair of the Australian Steel Institute and General Manager of Orrcon Steel and Peter Wheale, General Manager of Nextracker Australia, Southeast Asia, New Zealand.

Rival tracker supplier Array Technologies announced in February that it would establish a manufacturing line in Australia. The decision was made on the back of project supply wins, including the 102 MW Glenrowan Solar Farm.

In announcing the supply deal, Nextracker pointed to Rystad Energy research that showed that the US tracker company had supplied 7.45 GW of projects in Australia – of a total fleet of 13.5 GW, making it the market leader. Other major projects Nextracker has supplied in Australia are the New England Solar Farm (521 MWd), Stubbo Solar Farm (520 MWd) and Western Downs (460 MWd).

From pv magazine Spain

In its strategic plan for the 2024-27 period, Spanish inverter manufacturer Power Electronics said it plans to invest €300 million ($328 million) to expand its inverter production capacity in Spain and the United States.

A company spokesperson told pv magazine that its current production capacity is 30 GW, and it will increase manufacturing capacity in the United States by more than 20 GW by 2026.

The new factory will cover an area of 174,015 square meters and “will be designed with the latest manufacturing and assembly technologies to serve as an optimal center for the manufacturing and distribution of its products throughout the country,” said the company.

The plan also foresees the completion of a new plant in Llíria, Spain, for the Electric Mobility division.

Power Electronics products are present in almost 2,000 plants in 35 countries around the world. The company closed the year 2023 with an installed AC power capacity of 91 GW. According to Wood Mackenzie’s report on inverter shipments in 2022 published in August, Power Electronics is ranked seventh globally.

Large area organic PV module achieves world record efficiency of 14.5%  The module has a size of 143 mm x 143 mm and an active area of 204.11 cm². The result was certified by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE).

Weather records tumble across U.S. as Atlantic pressure keeps eastern skies clear  In a new weekly update for <b>pv magazine</b>, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that persistent high pressure in the upper atmosphere led to irradiance as high as 30% above normal, and new records for solar generation and temperature in North America in mid-February.

GameChange validates 40-year maintenance-free design of Genius Tracker drive system At an outdoor site in Massachusetts, GameChange Solar trackers worked overtime in a test to determine how the drive system can be expected to function for 40 years.

Polysilicon prices further decouple, adverse factors thwart contract negotiations In a new weekly update for <b>pv magazine</b>, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, offers bite-sized analysis on solar PV module supply and price trends.

Solar simulator for perovskite-silicon tandem PV cells, modules A new measurement and solar simulator instrument designed for perovskite-silicon tandem cells and encapsulated mini-modules is the latest product from a collaboration between Canadian solar simulator supplier G2V Optics and U.S.-based measurement instrumentation company Sinton Instruments.

Charged by the IRA, U.S. expected to outpace Europe in lithium-ion battery cells Global manufacturing of lithium-ion battery cells are expected to triple between 2022 and 2025, according to a report from Clean Energy Associates.

U.S. solar industry week in review pv magazine USA spotlights news stories of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.

U.S. residential solar prices drop, strong interest in storage The 18th edition of the EnergySage Marketplace Report finds the residential solar segment in the U.S. is rocked by persistent inflation, the California NEM 3.0 and rising loan fees. Yet prices have fallen and consumer interest in storage is strong.

Grid operator PJM could add 5.5 GW of renewables with grid-enhancing technologies Deploying GETs technologies in the PJM grid region would have a 70-to-1 benefit-cost ratio, finds an analysis by Quanta Technology. The nonprofit RMI published the analysis, and aims for it to be replicated to evaluate GETs in interconnection studies.

Investment opportunities in Africa’s clean energy transition Leaders from over 15 African countries will meet with U.S. stakeholders to discuss how to ensure the continued, equitable growth of renewable energy projects in each country.

Shoals to invest $80 million in Tennessee manufacturing expansion The electrical balance of systems provider serving the solar industry will move its manufacturing and distribution center to a new, larger facility.

Beaming radio frequency solar power from space Researchers at the California Institute of Technology successfully beamed solar power from space to Earth in July. The experimental microwave-beaming satellite was tested for eight months, uncovering existing strengths and weaknesses that will guide future developments of space solar power.

PV goes portable Portable solar generators are making their way from the fringes of solar and energy storage to become a mainstream consumer item. The rise has been charged by a range of factors that have created massive brands. Where did the sector emerge from, who was buying before, who is buying now, and what’s next?

Nearly 800 MW of solar bound for the Texas grid Enel North America announced its 297 MW Fencepost solar project is operational, while Clearway Energy Group‘s 452 MW Texas Solar Nova complex is complete.

Shoals Technologies Group was joined by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter to announce an expansion of its Portland, Tennessee manufacturing operations.

Shoals will invest $80 million to move its Tennessee operations to a new, larger location. It is expected to add 550 new jobs at the facility, bringing the total employment in the region to approximately 1,400 people. The new 638,000 square-foot plant will be at 1500 Shoals Way, Portland, Tennessee.

The electrical balance of systems (EBOS) provider serves the solar, energy storage, and electric mobility industries. It said increased demand for solar EBOS products drove the expansion decision.

“Portland is excited to once again be a destination for investment and industry. Shoals has already been a vital community partner, and now, with $80 million of new capital and hundreds of jobs, they will be a top employer in the region as well,” said Mayor Mike Callis.

Shoals said its total manufacturing capacity is now 35 GW, with the ability to expand to 42 GW at existing sites. At current capacities, Shoals can serve demand well into 2025, said the company.

Shoals joined the NASDAQ exchange in January 2021 with a $1 billion initial public offering. It is set to report earnings on February 28, 2024.

In its last earnings report, Shoals posted a record quarter with $132.2 million in revenue. This represents a year-over-year growth of 48% for Q3. The revenue total came in slightly below Wall Street expectations.

Backlog and newly awarded orders reached $633.3 million, growing 34% year-over-year. Adjusted EBITDA grew 81% year-over-year to $48 million. Shoals said its growth was primarily driven by domestic demand for solar EBOS. Shoal’s balance sheet showed total assets of $840.1 million, with current assets at $214.2 million. The company’s total liabilities totaled $315.5 million, while stockholders’ equity was $524.6 million.

Shoals provides big lead assemblies, interconnection components, combiner boxes, transition boxes, service and design and more for solar projects.

Puerto Rico program to bring low-cost solar and batteries to 30,000 households Applications open February 22 for the DOE’s Solar Access Program for eligible single family homeowners in Puerto Rico.

Survey finds 26% of battery storage systems have fire detection and suppression issues The Clean Energy Associate’s survey also found 18% of the energy storage systems had issues with the thermal management system.

Reducing cost of residential solar financing with virtual power plants Solrite Energy says its new power purchase agreement has more agreeable finance terms due to the ability of distributed solar-plus-storage to make money as part of a virtual power plant.

California introduces bill to reevaluate rooftop solar net metering  Assemblymember Laura Friedman introduced a bill that would require the California Public Utilities Commission to consider the costs and benefits of rooftop solar and its non-energy benefits when designing net metering rates.

Solar panel glass plant planned for Georgia Solarcycle plans to invest an estimated $344 million in a solar glass manufacturing facility, bringing 600 new full-time jobs to Polk County and bolstering the U.S. solar supply chain.

Solarcycle, a solar recycling specialist, recently signed a contract with Qcells to recycle its panels. Now the company is stepping into solar glass manufacturing, setting up shop in Georgia to generate 5 GW to 6 GW of solar glass a year.

The U.S. solar manufacturing supply chain is bolstered by new solar module entrants, but it has lagged behind in solar glass manufacturing. Solarcycle aims to change that by taking the circular and sustainable approach of recycling the glass from used or damaged panels to make new solar glass.

The company made the announcement alongside Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp, stating that Solarcycle’s $344 million investment will create more than 600 new full-time jobs in Polk County.

“Solarcycle’s first-of-its-kind facility is a transformational investment for the Polk County community and will help drive its economy for years to come,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “In Georgia, our strong energy mix is one of the key reasons our state has attracted generational investments in recent years. We will keep working to secure our power supply through exciting projects like this one.”

The glass plant, scheduled to begin construction in 2024 and to be operational in 2026, will be located in a Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) certified site in Cedartown. The company reports that the plant will be the first of its facilities to manufacture glass in addition to recycling solar panels.

Solarcycle operates solar recycling facilities in Odessa, Texas and Mesa, Arizona, and has long-term partnerships with more than forty of the largest solar companies in the U.S. to reuse and recycle their solar panels. The new glass facility in Georgia will position Solarcycle as one of the first manufacturers of specialized glass for crystalline-silicon (c-Si) photovoltaics in the U.S., the company reports.

Solarcycle recently inked a recycling deal with Qcells, a major manufacturer of solar modules, also with facilities in Georgia. While the Solarcycle glass announcement does not state that Qcells will be a customer, Qcells operates one of the largest solar manufacturing operations in the United States, with plans to expand production to 8.4 GW annually by the end of 2024.

“The United States’ landmark Inflation Reduction Act has spurred unprecedented levels of domestic manufacturing investments,” said Becca Jones-Albertus, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, which has invested $1.5 million in Solarcycle’s research and development efforts. “We are excited to see U.S. solar companies expanding their footprint in the domestic solar supply chain and creating economic opportunities in their communities.”

Solar tracker design has become more challenging than ever as some utility-scale solar projects require larger module arrays, while others contend with complex terrain, unique environmental conditions, and ongoing pressure to control costs.

The actuation system in utility-scale solar trackers, the part that drives the tracker motion, will have an outsized impact on project performance. But many solar professionals may struggle to spot the differences between one actuation system and another. How can you know if the actuation system in your next project will be optimized according to need?

An actuator or drive should not be viewed as a one-size-fits-all component. It’s not a good idea to source actuation systems by comparing some data points on a product spec sheet and assuming that all similarly sized drives are alike. First, be sure to understand the solar project’s structural requirements and the torque demands that will be placed on the actuation system throughout its operating lifetime.

Basics of torque

Torque is a measurement of the force that causes something to rotate around a point. It is most often expressed in kilonewton (kN) for solar applications since one kilonewton represents approximately 224.8 pounds of force (lbf). This measurement is used to size the torque required to rotate something, like a 15,000-lb. array of solar modules attached to a steel tube for example. Torque is also measured by the force needed to hold that same array in a stationary position ensuring the array can survive forces such as wind or imbalances of the array when tilted.

It’s essential for large-scale solar projects to optimize actuation systems according to structural loads and other design parameters. Oversizing the actuation system means taking on unnecessary added costs for the project. Under sizing the system means taking on unnecessary risk, putting plant reliability and longevity in jeopardy.

Why torque matters

During normal operations, single-axis tracker systems can be expected to make small changes in module tilt angle throughout the day to optimize energy output. In the early morning and the late afternoon, the module array may point as much as 60+ degrees from horizontal. The system might also perform backtracking, reversing the tilt angle to reduce energy losses due to shading. Or it might make other adjustments to optimize yield using bifacial modules or to account for variable terrain. All these conditions can apply forces that measure in the hundreds of kN or tens of thousands of pounds of force.

Torque plays a critical role in enabling systems to carry out routine maintenance and respond to extreme weather. Technicians might need to reposition the array to inspect equipment, perform module cleaning, carry out vegetation management, or complete other tasks that increase yield and maintain system uptime. The threat of hail may require the array to be tilted more than 70 degrees to mitigate damage, at the same time ensuring there is enough torque to withstand the increased impact of wind due to the increased tilt angle.

For a system that rotates twice a day reliably for 25+ years, the potential for failure is always present. What do you do if actuator system performance might become less reliable long before the project reaches its expected lifetime?

To safeguard projects from system failure, from having to choose between replacing drives or reverting to a fixed-tilt configuration, product engineers can design in a margin of safety. The safety margin should come from a robust set of field data and thorough, solar-specific testing.

What’s in your actuator?

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when considering what actuator to use would be to evaluate a drive based on a single number and relying on generic engineering and testing not specific to the operating conditions for solar infrastructure. Testing procedures for different applications can vary considerably, even if they generate similar numbers on the product datasheet. You ought to know inputs and outputs. How were the test results derived? How applicable are they to large-scale solar applications?

Product engineers who test actuation systems for solar tracking applications design test plans based on real-world scenarios. Following the concept of Pareto efficiency, engineers look for opportunities to increase loads for one set of scenarios without decreasing loads for other scenarios. This process continues until it reaches an optimal state where no further improvement can be made without an equivalent tradeoff.

Engineers perform static and dynamic testing to measure all the ways that actuation systems perform under various loads. They perform accelerated life testing to detect failure points in the lab faster than would be possible out in the field. They also monitor system performance throughout testing so we can analyze results and improve understanding of how systems will respond to conditions at the project site.

To make sure the system you are designing as tracker manufacturer or specifying as an EPC or developer is optimized according to need, work with suppliers who provide project-level consultation. Make sure your supplier understands solar applications and builds drives specifically for solar infrastructure. Without test results or the underlying data to support the figures you see on a product spec sheet, ask yourself: What else don’t I know about this drive?

Kyle Zech is senior vice president, advanced manufacturing technology at Kinematics, where he leads the development and implementation of manufacturing technologies, systems, and processes. Under his guidance, Kinematics has increased annual production volumes tenfold while simultaneously improving product quality by 4 levels (AGMA). Kyle is named on multiple Kinematics manufacturing technology patents. 

Enteligent, maker of solar power optimizers and solar electric vehicle charging solutions, is relocating its manufacturing operations to the United States. The move is primarily driven by the desire to maximize the benefits offered by the Inflation Reduction Act’s 45x Advanced Manufacturing tax credit, thereby enhancing the offerings for their inverter partners.

Sean Burke, the CEO of Enteligent, discussed with pv magazine USA the details of this transition, emphasizing its role in optimizing the available tax incentives under the IRA.

Burke underscored the financial incentives tied to the move, explaining, “when U.S.-based inverter manufacturers sell their hardware fully integrated as a full system solution, then those companies can claim the IRA 45x $0.11/W transferable tax credit.” Without the inclusion of the optimizer, residential solar inverters secure a credit of $0.065/W, and commercial units a lesser $0.02/W.

This strategic shift aligns with industry trends, notably First Solar’s recent sale of $700 million in tax credits to fund the development of its solar panel manufacturing operations in the U.S.

Highlighting its specialized niche in the market, Burke noted, “We are the only supplier of power-line communication module-level power optimizers that can be integrated with a DC-coupled PV inverter system.”

Burke candidly shared the operational hurdles this transition entails. The shift demands a comprehensive capital investment, covering not just the physical factory and manufacturing lines but also the human resources required for operation. This also marks a shift from their prior business model, which had primarily focused on design, sales, and marketing, and outsourced manufacturing.

Enteligent is actively collaborating with prominent industry partners like Sol-Ark and Solis. Their 0900-80V optimizers are already integrated into Sol-Ark’s residential and commercial units, and both Sol-Ark and Solis incorporate Enteligent’s transmitters. 

The units, boasting Sunspec certification, adhere to industry standards ensuring interoperability and secure communication. They offer rapid shutdown capabilities, along with module output optimization to mitigate issues like shading, and provide detailed module-level data. This granular data is relayed to inverter manufacturers, allowing seamless integration into their user-facing inverter information interfaces.

Enteligent also streamlines the installation process with an app designed for quicker commissioning of systems.

Currently, the hardware production is situated in the Philippines, following a relocation from China. Enteligent anticipates having U.S.-manufactured units ready for their partners by the second quarter of 2024. The core technical components, such as microprocessors, are already sourced from U.S.-based Texas Instruments, while other components like capacitors, cables, connectors and miscellaneous items are produced globally.

Burke did not provide specific insights on the potential impact of these domestically produced units on the 10% domestic content tax credit, a significant consideration for stakeholders in the solar power sector.

MAKE IT Prize accelerate manufacturing of critical clean tech components The $30 million fund incentivizes collaboration between developers looking to build green energy manufacturing plants and communities seeking a more comprehensive socio-economic benefit from developing these facilities in their region.

‘Flexibility is key’ as energy sector moves to net-zero future GridBeyond report notes that while a reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels and increased renewable use can lead to greater energy security and independence, grid operators have to overcome certain challenges connected to them, such as intermittency. 

U.S. government identifies 22 million acres for solar in western states The Western Solar Plan, which will govern the leasing of US public land for solar, has been updated for the first time in more than a decade. It has identified 22 million acres (8.9 million hectares) that are best suited for solar development across 11 featured states.

NYC solar mecca created by policies and incentives At the close of 2023, the city passed a series of zoning amendments, as part of Mayor Adams’ ‘City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality’ initiative, which will relax burdensome zoning restrictions on solar development.

Bloomberg signs 15-year PPA for Texas solar The 80 MW power purchase agreement was signed with Ørsted, supporting conservation commitment and advancing Bloomberg’s pledge to 100% renewable-sourced electricity by 2025.

Scale Microgrids acquires 500 MW of distributed solar projects The company purchased distributed solar and storage projects across the United States, including in New York and California.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that investments resulting from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act will contribute $3 trillion to the green energy economy, primarily driven by the private sector. 

This clean energy boom is expected to help accelerate the build-out of green infrastructure. To help ensure that domestic capacity for developing green technology components will meet growing infrastructural demands, the Department of Energy (DOE) launched the Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies Prize (MAKE IT). 

The $30 million fund is meant to incentivize the domestic manufacturing of green technology critical components while ensuring facilities also benefit the communities in which they exist. It includes two multiphase tracks: The Facilities Track and The Strategies Track. 

The Facilities Track

This track is meant to help manufacturing plant developers transition from the planning stage to being ready for construction. It’s open to U.S.-based organizations interested in manufacturing. 

To apply, participants begin by submitting a Statement of Intent. This introductory letter is an opportunity to describe their team and the clean energy technology they want to manufacture. 

If the competitors are approved to compete in Phase 1: Scope, they must submit a proposal detailing their green technology manufacturing facility development plan. The American-Made Challenges program page states that about 12 winners will be awarded $500,000 each and move on to Phase 2: Shovel Ready.

Here, participants will exhibit how they can begin building a manufacturing facility by providing evidence of having control of a site, permits, financing, and proof of community engagement. There will be a maximum of four winners awarded $4.5 million each.

NREL states that The Facilities Track is currently accepting statements of intent from new teams interested in joining the track’s secondary timeline until Feb. 1. Participants whose statement of intent was deemed eligible under the primary timeline have until Feb. 1 to submit a Phase 1: Scope proposal.  

The Strategies Track

The Strategies Track invites U.S.-based organizations to submit proposals for boosting clean energy manufacturing, economic development, growth, and quality of life in their communities. Nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, economic development organizations, and other groups focused on a culturally responsive approach to nurturing the communities where these manufacturing facilities will exist are invited to apply, said Rebecca Szymkowicz, the commercialization program manager at the DOE. 

The American-Made Challenges Program page states that interested applicants get two chances to compete through two rounds, and each round has three phases. 

Phase 1: Engage asks participants to submit an introductory narrative sharing information on their team, region and possible approaches to their manufacturing development community engagement plan. About 30 winners will receive up to $50,000 each across each round of the competition. 

For Phase 2: Create awardees should submit a concept roadmap detailing the results of their community engagement and including a list of possible manufacturers for their region. About 20 concept roadmaps will be selected to move forward to the next phase, each winning $100,000 across each round of the competition. 

Those selected to move forward to Phase 3: Activate will be asked to submit a final copy of their roadmaps along with proof of interest from at least one entity looking to develop a clean energy manufacturing facility in their region. About eight winners will be selected to receive $250,000 across each round of the competition. 

The deadline to apply for Round 2 of Phase 1: Engage is Feb. 15. For a detailed list of each round and phase deadline, visit the American-Made Challenges Program page. 

NREL states that cross-track collaboration is welcomed to foster more cooperation between teams looking for sites for their manufacturing facilities and those searching for developers for their regions. 

The MAKE IT Prize is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Technology Commercialization Fund. 

Soltec announced the launch of its new SF7 USA solar tracker at Intersolar in San Diego, booth 720.

As the build-out of large-scale solar plants escalates in the U.S., the perfectly flat land easily amenable to solar is becoming scarce. Soltec is banking on its new trackers meeting a growing need in the market.

The SF7 is designed to adapt to terrain and to be easy to install in the field by cutting installation processes, reducing pile counts and taking other measures to streamline the design.

The tracker’s mounting tolerances range from 20 to 40 inches, and Soltec reports that the solar tracker can be installed on slopes of up to 17% and can be customized.

The SF7 tracker features wireless communication designed to withstand low temperatures. It uses Soltec’s TeamTrack system to ensure maximum production, delivering up to 6.8% more yield, Soltec reports. This works by minimizing shading losses between rows, especially on uneven terrain. Bifacial tracking also boosts efficiency, the company says, optimizing its position to make use of both sides of the module.

As with Soltec’s SFOne tracker, the SF7 includes Dy-Wind technology, which offers a method for designing wind-resistant tracking structures and the optimization of the diffuse booster system for low-light conditions. It also includes a Soltec-designed algorithm for hail defense, which is aimed at better protecting solar modules.

Like the SFOne, the SF7 can be locally manufactured, which Colin Caufield, VP of sales North America said is “reflecting our strong commitment to sustainability and support for American socio-economic development. It is a strategic market for us, and we want to be more than a technology provider, positioning ourselves as agents of change towards an energy-independent United States”.

Soltec sees the U.S. as a growing market for the Spanish firm. Europe currently accounts for about 27% of its turnover, with the U.S. accounting for 25% and Latin America 47%.

Maryland YMCA to cut energy costs with rooftop solar Secure Solar Futures installed a 222 kW solar array on a Maryland YMCA, which is expected to save about $100,000 on electricity bills.

California to grant $52 million for vehicle-to-grid home energy stations Smart home energy company Dcbel was awarded grant money for the deployment of EV charge-controlling devices that can respond to dynamic grid price signals.

Plus Power to construct 175 MW / 350 MWh energy storage in Maine The Cross Town project will add 175 MW of storage to New England’s grid while helping to ensure Maine meets its 2030 and 2050 decarbonization goals.

Rain insufficient for removing tree pollen from solar panels  An analysis by NREL in North Carolina reveals that various types of tree pollen can reduce solar panel efficiency by over 15%. Unlike the immediate improvements assumed to follow heavy rain, recovery of performance post-pollen season is gradual. Manual cleaning post-rain can boost performance by 5% to 11%.

EcoFlow battery generator can back up a house for up to a month  The Delta Pro Ultra, shown this week at CES 2024, works with multiple energy sources for whole-home backup, solar power storage and off-grid use.

Nautilus Solar acquires 16 community solar projects in Illinois  The community solar specialist expands its footprint into the Midwest with the acquisition of this 75.6 MW portfolio.  

Qcells inks its largest module and EPC agreement In an eight-year agreement with Microsoft, Qcells will supply 12 GW of modules along with EPC services.

Vertical agrivoltaic plant to be constructed in Vermont Vertical solar plants with bifacial modules can absorb more energy than other tilted models and are finding agricultural application around the world.

Utility trade groups call for $1.2 billion to boost transformer manufacturing  To cure a shortage of distribution transformers, trade groups representing the utility and housing industries have called for federal funding to boost U.S. manufacturing of the equipment.

Auxin Solar files lawsuit against U.S. government for Biden solar tariff pause The small solar panel manufacturer filed suit against the U.S. Department of Commerce and Customs and Border Patrol related to the pause of tariffs on goods in alleged antidumping violations.

Off-grid solar truck tent concept on display at CES 2024 Jackery will unveil its solar powered tent truck attachment at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Small town in Maine bans commercial solar The township of Moscow, Maine, home to just over 500 residents, banned all commercial solar installations greater than 40 kW within town limits.

Seven trade groups have called for $1.2 billion in federal funding to help manufacturers of distribution transformers boost their production capacity, in a letter to U.S. Senate leadership.

“Robust domestic production” of distribution transformers “is essential to ensuring a reliable U.S. grid while reducing dependence on foreign products,” the letter says.

Distribution transformers step down the voltage of electricity on a distribution circuit so the power may be used by customers.

The trade groups say that ongoing supply chain challenges and “unprecedented demand” for grid components have resulted in a distribution transformer shortage.

About 80% of transformers of all types are manufactured abroad, the Niskanen Center reported last year.

A limited global supply of transformers for large-scale energy storage projects has become a bottleneck for those projects, a Wood Mackenzie analyst told pv magazine in October.

The seven trade groups calling for federal funding support for transformer manufacturing include four utility groups, two homebuilder groups, and an association of equipment manufacturers.

In their letter, the groups said that the Senate Appropriations Committee last July unanimously passed language specifying $1.2 billion in repurposed supplemental funding for the Department of Energy to “bolster the transformer and critical grid component supply chain.”

The groups called for this language to remain in the Senate’s final Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill, and urged the inclusion of the Senate Appropriations Committee language in any forthcoming House-Senate conference negotiations.

The groups’ letter said that more manufacturing capacity “means home construction can be completed, communities can modernize their infrastructure to incorporate IIJA investments, and regions can bounce back quickly from natural disasters.” The IIJA, or Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act in 2022 to mobilize federal resources to support production of distribution transformers and other electric grid components, the Bloomberg Law news service has reported.

Yet last July, the news service said, Energy Department and Labor Department officials interviewed pointed to a systemic workforce shortage and supply chain issues that would be difficult to fix quickly, and a lack of funding from Congress that limited what the departments could do.

The seven trade groups signing the letter were:

• American Public Power Association
• Edison Electric Institute
• GridWise Alliance
• Leading Builders of America
• National Association of Home Builders
• National Electrical Manufacturers Association
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

IBEW union members to build SunZia transmission line Developer Pattern Energy estimates the $5 billion project, the largest renewable energy project in North American history, will power more than 3 million homes annually when complete, all while creating more than 2,000 construction jobs.

Using waste heat from PV panels to generate residential hot water Scientists in the United States has developed a new photovoltaic-thermal system design that utilizes parallel water pipes as a cooling system to reduce the operating temperature of photovoltaic panels. The waste heat generated by this process is then used to generate domestic hot water.

Form Energy awarded $30 million for 100-hour iron-air battery project in California The California Energy Commission awarded a contract to deploy a 5 MW / 500 MWh energy storage project in Mendocino County.

Guidance released for 45x clean energy manufacturing tax credits The IRS has released guidelines for attaining the lucrative manufacturing credits contained within the Inflation Reduction Act.

Record-breaking Q3 for U.S. energy storage deployment  Wood Mackenzie/ACP report estimates that grid scale energy storage deployment increased by 37% quarter on quarter.

The U.S. Treasury has unveiled proposed guidelines for the 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit. Full guidelines can be found here. 

The tax credits, made available as part of the $369 billion in climate and energy spending set forth by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, are designated for clean energy components manufactured in the United States. Credits are paid at a varying dollar per Watt rate and are organized by component classification. 

The law creates production tax credits for various clean energy components through 2032.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) celebrated the new guidance. Specifically, it said the inclusion of contract manufacturers for credit eligibility was a strong move that will further accelerate U.S. clean energy manufacturing. 

“America is undergoing the largest expansion of domestic solar manufacturing in history, and today’s developments will help support this economic boom,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and chief executive officer, SEIA. 

The guidance also provides credits for power optimizers, a boon for providers like SolarEdge. Power optimizers will be offered the same 11 cent per Watt credit as long as they are sold together with a DC-optimized inverter. 

Language in the issued guidance suggests that manufacturers like U.S.-based First Solar will be eligible for a credit at the wafer, cell, and module level, meaning that it will be able to take advantage of a $0.175 per Watt credit, said Roth Capital Partners. 

Lucrative tax credits have been attracting clean energy manufacturers worldwide to build factories in the United States. Now with the guidance issued, these companies can begin to move forward with their plans. 

(Read: “’The times of supply shortage are over,’ solar giants bet big on U.S. manufacturing”) 

“Over the past year, nearly $100 billion in clean energy manufacturing investments have been announced, with plans for close to 100 new facilities across the U.S.,” said José Zayas, executive vice president of policy and programs for the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE). 

“However, this remarkable progress is only just beginning,” said Zayas. “Projections show the Section 45X manufacturing tax credit will help spur billions of dollars in new economic activity over its life.” 

The guidelines will undergo a 60-day period of public comment before final guidance is issued. 

Summary of IRA manufacturing incentives

Enphase launches three-phase inverter  The residential microinverter manufacturer released a 208V three phase inverter for the small commercial market. The advancing hardware comes with a specialized support team, expedited one-day financing options, and tailored design tools – optimized for efficiently handling systems up to 200kW.

SMA to build 3.5 GW inverter factory in U.S.  SMA Solar Technology AG says it will open a new 3.5 GW inverter factory at an unspecified location in the United States in 2025. The German manufacturer is currently talking with several U.S. states and potential partners to select the best production site.

Fostering a mindset of innovation and inclusivity for the renewable energy future Ensuring equitable access means guaranteeing that the benefits of the energy transition are not exclusive to privileged countries but are extended to every individual and community, allowing them to benefit from cleaner energy sources.

People on the move: Array Technologies, Baker Botts, Key Capture and more  Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

Canadian startup unveils residential air source heat pump for cold climates Terravis Energy said its heat pump prototype uses difluoromethane (R32) as the refrigerant and has a seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) of approximately 3.0 under Ontario’s environmental conditions.

Could blue hydrogen offer a ‘pragmatic transition’ to green hydrogen? Blue hydrogen is a form of the resource produced from fossil fuels, where the carbon dioxide is then captured and stored.

Community solar developer commits $5 million to train 1,500 workers Dimension Renewable Energy committed funds for a solar installation workforce development program. The company also activated a portfolio of New Jersey solar projects.

Portable off-grid solar provides electricity, water filtration and hot water A device from Power Panel offers critical utilities for humanitarian needs and off-grid living.

From pv magazine Germany

German inverter maker SMA Solar Technology AG plans to build an inverter factory at an unspecified location in the United States.

The company said the new manufacturing facility will use production equipment that was originally intended for its production site in Thalheim, Germany.

The factory will likely be operational in 2025 and will have an annual capacity of 3.5 GW.

Discussions are currently underway “with several federal states and potential partners to find the most strategically advantageous production location and the right approach,” the company said, noting that up to 200 new jobs will be created in the first three years.

“The U.S. is a key market for SMA, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offers an extraordinary opportunity for long-term growth,” said CEO Jürgen Reinert. “With this step, we will significantly strengthen our market share in the USA and set the course for SMA’s future growth.”

SMA is also pushing ahead with capacity expansion in Germany, where it plans to reach 40 GW. It said it wants to produce solutions for large PV projects and storage systems from 2025 at its Niestetal site, for use in global markets.

Mainstreaming grid flexibility to make room for renewables A strategic and coordinated approach to integrate various clean energy solutions into the grid is vital to making space for the surge of renewables and electrification across the country, which is where “grid flexibility” enters the scene.

Los Angeles looks to expand community solar to lower-income customers Expanding community solar is among the strategies that would help the Los Angeles municipal utility improve equity, found a study led by NREL and UCLA.

Waaree to supply 1.5 GW of TOPCon solar modules for U.S. projects Waaree Energies has signed a three-year deal with Spanish developer Acciona to supply 1.5 GW of TOPCon solar modules for Acciona’s PV installations in the United States from 2024 to 2026. The contract follows Waaree’s latest 850 MW mono PERC shipment to Acciona’s four projects in the U.S.

Solar surging 58% in 2023, 413 GW of installations expected globally Historically low module prices are expected to propel the global solar industry to record installations in 2023.

Utility-scale solar projects secure billions in financing Developers secured $1.3 billion in financing for a project in Utah and over $300 million each for project portfolios in Arkansas and the Dominican Republic.

Renewables developer Longroad Energy secures $600 million in debt financing The funding adds to a $500 million equity investment made in Longroad Energy in 2022.

D.C. area targets 250,000 solar rooftops by 2030 There are currently about 72,000 solar rooftops in the target region that includes Washington D.C., Northern Virginia and parts of Maryland.

Study frames out EV charging network for the western National Park system Assuming there are nearly 40 million EVs on the road by 2030, researchers suggest the region needs between 2,350 and 4,610 direct current fast charging ports.

Infinite Turbine debuts heat pump turbine for homes, businesses Infinite Turbine has developed a heat pump turbine for residential and commercial applications, using PV or alternative electricity sources for simultaneous cooling and hydraulic power. The tech can be retrofitted with existing CO2 heat pump systems for air conditioning, hot water, and process heat.

Solar module prices may reach $0.10/W by end 2024 Tim Buckley, director of Climate Energy Finance, speaks to pv magazine about the current steep trajectory of solar module prices. He estimates that PV panels prices will end up dropping by 40% this year and predicts the closure of old technology and sub-scale solar manufacturing facilities, both in China and globally.

Lessons learned: Battery energy storage systems Taking a rigorous approach to inspection is crucial across the energy storage supply chain. Chi Zhang and George Touloupas, of Clean Energy Associates (CEA), explore common manufacturing defects in battery energy storage systems (BESS’) and how quality-assurance regimes can detect them.

Solar wafer prices marginally rise, supported by currency exchange rate 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.

Grid interconnection: The bottleneck holding back renewables developers “The reality is that without adequate electric grids and processes in place to connect this new wave of electricity supply with demand, it will be hard, if not impossible, to reach our clean energy goals,” writes Jeff Perry of Agilitas Energy.

Inverted perovskite solar cell achieves 25.1% efficiency via new passivation technique A group of scientists in the United States has utilized a new passivation strategy based on sulfur-modified methylthio molecules to build an inverted perovskite solar cell with a certified efficiency of 25.1% and remarkable stability. The proposed passivation approach reportedly led to a five-fold increase in carrier lifetime and a three-fold reduction in photoluminescence quantum yield losses.

An ag-tech revolution powered by the sun The growing role that agrivoltaics can play in helping to significantly reduce energy costs and meet clean energy targets.

Indiana killed net metering, solar down 67%, utility now seeking 23% rate increase A recent filing by Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana reveals a 67% decrease in distributed solar installations since Indiana-Michigan Power Company replaced net metering with the “excess distributed generation” program.

Glass manufacturer pairs its operations with rooftop solar The manufacturer is expected to save around 40% on its annual electricity bill.

VPPs get the VIP treatment With net metering waning in the United States and utilities looking for ways to affordably bolster their electricity networks, the US Department of Energy (DOE) is trying to support virtual power plant (VPP) deployment. Solar industry veteran Jigar Shah, known as the father of the solar power purchase agreement, is now leading the charge at the department’s Loans Programs Office.

Drags on demand for U.S. residential solar The Invesco Solar exchange traded fund (ETF) TAN significantly underperformed relative to the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) stock indexes in September. Jesse Pichel, of Roth Capital Partners, puts this down to oversupply in the United States residential sector.

Rollercoaster year for U.S. residential solar segment The rollercoaster of surging and plunging demand is a familiar feature of many PV marketplaces. Ethan Miller, the chief operating officer of Powur, a residential solar sales and project fulfillment platform, reports that the ‘solar coaster’ has arrived in the United States this year.

Defining domestic content in solar projects A closer look at guidance on the Inflation Reduction Act domestic content adder.

Gallium arsenide solar cell achieves 23.1% efficiency via electrochemical porosification An international research group has utilized a new porosification technique to build gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells that allow the recovery of germanium films. The new cell achieved an efficiency that is reportedly in line with that of other GaAs PV devices, but can be produced at a lower cost thanks to the reuse of germanium.

Reconductor existing transmission to “unlock” renewables, says UC Berkeley study Large-scale reconductoring of existing transmission lines could cost-effectively double transmission capacity within existing rights-of-way, a study says. Renewable energy projects near reconductored transmission lines could more easily interconnect.

How to meet the need for certified EV infrastructure maintenance experts Technological advancements are informing the way maintenance specialists are trained and deployed in the industry. 

Enphase launches commercial scale microinverter The IQ8-3P solar microinverter enables peak power output of up to 480 W.

Using air conditioning to cool down PV modules, dry dishes An international research team has investigated how air conditioning may be used to reduce the operating temperature of PV panels. The researchers not only found that the proposed approach is technically viable, but they also tested the use of excess heat from the panels for drying dishes.

From pv magazine Australia

Fortescue has announced it will invest almost AUD 54 million ($35 million) to kickstart a major manufacturing facility in the United States that is expected to serve as a hub for the production of automotive and heavy industry batteries, hydrogen generators, electric vehicle fast chargers and electrolyzers.

Fortescue said the manufacturing facility is being developed in the state of Michigan as part of the company’s plan to rapidly expand its US presence as a direct result of the IRA.

The IRA, which is aimed at ramping up onshore production of renewable energy, electrification and the development of clean energy industries such as green hydrogen, offers subsidies, grants and tax breaks to businesses to establish clean energy projects in the United States.

Fortescue’s new manufacturing center is expected to benefit directly from IRA tax credits for battery modules, offering approximately $10 USD per kWh.

Fortescue Executive Chairman and founder Andrew Forrest said the IRA has changed the US from a laggard to a world leader in clean energy, demonstrating that countries which incentivize green energy place an “economic engine” firmly inside their economies.

“The IRA makes the United States the most attractive place in the world for green energy and green manufacturing projects,” he said.

“Fortescue is putting the United States at the forefront of our global strategy, with the incentives on offer, a win for both the US and the wider Asia-Pacific region.”

The company said the Michigan facility, projected to employ up to 600 people in its initial phase, will serve as a major hub for Fortescue’s production of batteries, fast chargers, and hydrogen generators and electrolyzers.

“Michigan and the United States are extremely attractive places to manufacture, given the skilled workforce, existing supply chain and incentives from state and federal governments, including the Inflation Reduction Act,” Fortescue Energy Chief Executive Officer Mark Hutchinson said.

The new manufacturing facility is one of three clean energy projects Fortescue has planned in the US.

Fortescue is targeting a final investment decision this year for the Phoenix Hydrogen Hub, an electrolyzer and liquefaction facility in Arizona. Stage one of the project is planned to include an 80 MW electrolyzer and liquefaction facility capable of producing up to 12,000 tons of liquified green hydrogen annually.

Fortescue is also planning to construct a large-scale green hydrogen production plant near in the state of Washington. The Centralia project has been selected as part of the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub to receive funding from the US Department of Energy. The project is currently in the design stage with a final investment decision yet to be taken by the Fortescue board.

Power Struggle: The grid barrier stifling community solar  Interconnection, or the process of acquiring a utility’s permission to connect to the local distribution grid, threatens to derail tremendous progress being made across the country to build out innovative types of energy, including community solar.

Solar tracker manufacturing comes to East Texas  Nevados announced a partnership with Priefert, a steel manufacturer that has begun manufacturing the all-terrain solar mounting and tracking equipment at its 23-acre U.S. factory.

S-5! kept environment in mind with new solar-powered corporate headquarters With native timber and moss covered rocks on the outside, the building has energy efficiency features on the inside and is topped with a 53 kW solar array mounted on its metal roof.

California slashes rooftop solar export compensation for renters, schools, farms The California Public Utilities Commission made yet another ruling to harm the value of rooftop solar and create beneficial market opportunities for the state’s large investor-owned utilities.

Treasury releases guidance for clean energy Investment Tax Credit Section 48 guidance has been released, updating the requirements for the ITC under the Inflation Reduction Act.

]]> https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/11/20/sunrise-brief-california-slashes-rooftop-solar-export-compensation-for-renters-schools-farms/feed/ 0 98548 https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/11/17/solar-tracker-manufacturing-comes-to-east-texas/ https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/11/17/solar-tracker-manufacturing-comes-to-east-texas/#respond Fri, 17 Nov 2023 15:29:02 +0000 https://pv-magazine-usa.com/?p=98534 Nevados announced a partnership with Priefert, a steel manufacturer that has begun manufacturing the all-terrain solar mounting and tracking equipment at its 23-acre U.S. factory.

Nevados, a California-based all-terrain solar tracker company, announced a manufacturing partnership with Priefert Manufacturing, an East Texas family-owned business that has long supplied the ranch and rodeo markets. Priefert has begun manufacturing Nevados’ all-terrain solar mounting and tracking equipment at its 23-acre factory and expects to expand as a result.

Nevados offers the All Terrain Tracker, which is a single-axis tracker that fits to undulating terrain due to its design that integrates the driveline and articulating capability into the same components.

By the end of the year, the company expects to have contracted for enough trackers to supply around 1.5 GW of capacity in the U.S. Jenya Meydbray, chief commercial officer of Nevados said the company is “inundated with opportunities.” He said Nevados is in the “hockey stick growth phase of our life… and we don’t see that slowing down.”

In one deal alone, announced in February, Nevados agreed to supply Ampliform’s near-term project pipeline of 700 MW as well as its longer-term pipeline of 2 GW of projects under development across the U.S. Other Nevados partners include Cupertino Electric Inc., BlueWave, Cogent Renewables, CS Energy, Cupertino Electric, Inc., D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI), Energix Renewables, Nexamp, Primoris Services Corporation, and SOLV Energy.

The Nevados and Priefert partnership is one example of the shift in manufacturing to meet the needs of the rapidly growing U.S. solar industry. The Priefert factory currently employs 900 people in a town of 16,000, with 100 of those employees focused on making Nevados solar trackers. Priefert expects both numbers to grow and plans to nearly double the size of the facility.

“We’ll keep growing the solar until we make up more than half of the employees,” Meydbray said.

While the final rules are still pending on domestic content adders as well as the advanced manufacturing tax credit under section 45X, Rocky Christenberry, vice president of manufacturing at Priefert said they are sourcing U.S. materials and will provide full traceability.

Nevados began its R&D process, winning a 2015-2016 SunShot award from the U.S. Department of Energy. Meydbray said that the proprietary design sets the All Terrain Tracker apart from its competitors, with bearings that allow for installation on slopes up to 37% with slope changes as great as 26% across a foundation. Other unique design aspects include non-continuous torque tubes, shorter pilings, and large tolerances, all of which simplify and speed up the installation, Meydbray said. Top-clamp clips also reportedly help solar modules to align during installation, and accommodate different module sizes. The torque tube and damper designs improve wind performance, which he noted have proven to withstand hurricane-force winds with zero structural damage.

Spain-based solar tracker maker Soltec is launching the SFOne US, a single-axis tracker designed for the U.S. solar market.

The company said the difference in the design of the U.S. tracker system compared to Soltec’s system for other markets is the reduction in the number of parts, and the option to have several pieces come pre-assembled.

For example, the tracker is longer for the U.S. market, with piles that are thicker in profile. Using thicker piles means that fewer are needed. Colin Caufield, VP of sales, North America for Soltec, said “in the U.S., the number of piles to install is a major factor that needs to be reduced to be competitive.” He noted that this is true even if the cost of the material is slightly higher, but there are fewer foundations to install.

Soltec has a supply chain for the SFOne’s steel components in the United States and it has contract manufacturers that can produce the piles, tubes and purlins domestically. Caufield said the hardware is made in the U.S., too.

“By being able to manufacture locally, we reaffirm our commitment to the U.S. market as a player that can help achieve IRA compliance for our customers. SFOne.”

Another way that the SFOne US can meet the needs of the growing U.S. market is that, like the original SFOne, it has terrain undulation tolerances that forgive slopes in the east-west direction and north to south. The connecting rod in the east west direction is flexible and absorbs changes in elevations while still connecting multiple rows.

The SFOne is designed for modules with 72- and 78-cell designs and is self-powered by a dedicated module that, according to Soltec, translates into a lower operating cost.

While there is an option to have a 1P independent row, SFOne can also connect two trackers that are adjacent in the east-west direction (shown below), creating a 1P dual-row configuration. Caufield told pv magazine USA that doing this reduces the number of motors and electronics by up to 50% and reduces product cost and tasks required to install the system.

Like the original SFOne, the U.S. version includes Dy-Wind technology, which offers a method for designing wind-resistant tracking structures and the optimization of the diffuse booster system for low-light conditions. The tracking system also features the StringRunner, which is Soltec’s proprietary standard component that combines fused PV source circuits and cabling within the tracker torque-tube to a DC power switch. This technology can reduce trenching costs, the company reports, as it allows for in-tube cable management and low-voltage trenching minimization.

The SFOne US has been put through numerous tests, according to Caufield. “Perhaps most importantly, there have been countless wind tunnel tests influencing the design and giving Soltec essential information that allows us to give a standard product that is design to withstand windspeeds up to 130 mph and a product tailored to high winds that can withstand speeds up to 160 mph,” he said. “The latter of which has a design modification that costs more than the standard product but allows it to be installed in conditions that are far more hazardous.”

More testing has been performed to understand energy capture in different conditions, Caufield noted.

While hail tests are commonly performed by module manufacturers, Soltec designed the system to stow at a high angle in the event that there is hail detected. “The idea is simply that we avoid a direct, perpendicular strike of hailstones down onto the modules by tilting the tracker at angles that can exceed 60°,” Caufield said.

Soltec sees the U.S. as a growing market for the Spanish firm. Europe currently accounts for about 27% of its turnover, with the U.S. accounting for 25% and Latin America 47%.

During the busy week of RE+ 2023, Nextracker hosted industry leaders at an opening ceremony at a steel plant in Las Vegas.

The steel manufacturing facility will be owned and operated by Unimacts, a specialist in industrial manufacturing and supply chain solutions, and all steel components will be produced exclusively for Nextracker.

The idea for the facility came to Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of Nextracker, after passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. He contacted Matt Arnold, CEO of Unimacts, urging Unimacts to provide a steel tube manufacturing facility for Nextracker in the western U.S., reported Eckhart Gouras, publisher and managing director of pv magazine group, who attended the ceremony. Shugar’s goal was to have the Unimacts’ facility in place by January 1^st, 2023. At the time of that phone call, Unimacts had no production sites in the U.S., but a steel manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico. The solution was to take that facility and put it in Las Vegas to ensure that Nextracker was locking in the support that the IRA provides to domestic clean energy manufacturing.

This is Nextracker’s sixth manufacturing facility in the U.S. since 2022 and the 15th facility the company opened or expanded with key suppliers in the U.S. in that time. The tracker specialist has located plants near its target markets with the goal of reducing time and cost for its customers The Unimacts plant will produce steel components for Nextracker’s in ground-mount solar power generation plants primarily for projects in Nevada and southwestern states. Another plant opened last year in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania just outside Pittsburgh, and it serves the rapidly growing solar markets in Pennsylvania, Indiana, New York, and Ohio.

“Unimacts is excited that our partnership with Nextracker will create new jobs and increase the amount of solar we can produce here in the US,” said Arnold. “With the Nextracker dedicated line, we will be supporting gigawatts of utility-scale projects annually, powering homes and businesses across the Southwest and even as far east as Indiana and Kentucky.”

The Las Vegas facility features expanded production capacity generating what Nextracker estimates to be more than 100 new jobs currently, and over 200 expected by 2024. The plant includes Unimacts manufacturing machinery and equipment relocated from Mexico as well as new equipment.

“By partnering with Unimacts on this new production line, we’re bringing back American manufacturing jobs and building out America’s energy infrastructure to enhance energy security and de-risk the supply chain,” said Shugar. “This plant will support our customers with quick shipping and American-made products.”

Since passage of the Inflation Reduction Act just over one year ago, solar developers are focusing on U.S. made content for solar power plants. In order for developers to obtain the domestic content bonus credit all steel and iron used in projects must be completely manufactured in the U.S., with the exception of certain metallurgical processes related to steel additives. This primarily applies to construction materials used for racking, trackers and foundation components anchoring solar panels.

“Nextracker and Unimact’s new facility is a shining example of how smart policy can uplift communities with jobs and local investment,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “The United States is in the midst of a clean energy manufacturing renaissance, and investments like this are helping drive us toward an abundant, reliable, American-made clean energy future.”

At the opening event, Shugar called on the audience to spread the word that the U.S. solar industry is not only delivering lower cost energy, but also creating clean jobs and “advancing energy independence, all while we’re facilitating clean water and clean air.”

From pv magazine

The IRA sets two requirements for the domestic content bonus of its tax credits. First, all structural steel in new products must be U.S.-made (the “steel and iron” test). And second, 40% to 55% of the cost of manufactured products in solar, battery, and wind installations – including the labor costs required to make them – must relate to U.S.-made products (the “manufactured product” test).

Treasury guidance

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service has issued guidance for taxpayers to access new investment tax credits (ITCs) and production tax credits (PTCs) and bonuses.

On May 12, the Treasury published interim guidance which will apply until a final rule is set down. While some aspects of domestic content bonuses remain unclear, the Treasury clarified which parts of solar, battery, and wind systems fall under the manufactured product test and which the steel and iron test.

For example, while modules are unambiguously manufactured products, solar trackers comprise complex machinery with a structural solar project role but are made of steel. The Treasury considers trackers manufactured products but fixed-tilt steel racking is deemed steel and iron.

The Treasury listed the manufactured-product components in crystalline silicon PV modules, which will determine domestic content bonus eligibility under the manufactured product test, but did not list equivalent components for trackers or inverters.

The Treasury also specified that subcomponents – the parts and materials that go into making manufactured-product components – will not be counted in the manufactured-product test. For example, the location a solar cell was manufactured will be considered in the test but the region the wafer subcomponent was made in, will not.

For the manufactured-product test, the Treasury requires a calculation of the direct cost of manufactured-product components. This definition, of “direct cost” is a very specific and limited portion of total costs and the party claiming the IRA tax credit will need to provide accounting of the direct cost for every manufactured-product component.

This is perhaps the most challenging part of the domestic content bonus, as many manufacturers consider direct costs to be confidential and are not prepared to share them with their customers.

The treasury guidance left many questions unanswered. Is aluminum racking considered in the steel and iron test, the manufactured-product test, or not considered at all? What are the manufactured-product components that the treasury will consider for inverters? And finally, will electrical balance-of-system (BoS) components be considered manufactured products? If so, which parts of the electrical BoS will be considered manufactured product and which components?

These questions are likely to be addressed in the final rule the Treasury issued a notice of intent, on May 12, to introduce. In the interim, however, the lack of clarity on these details presents challenges to parties attempting to claim tax credits.

Accessing credit

CEA has run many scenarios to see how a PV project owner could claim an ITC or PTC. For those projects using crystalline silicon modules, by far the most direct way to reach the 40% to 55% threshold is to use a module with a domestic cell, as the cell represents the highest cost of all the manufactured-product components.

This is easier said than done, however. There are, currently, no crystalline silicon PV cell factories in operation in the United States. Several are planned or under construction but it will be more than a year before the first US-made cells roll off the production line. Even when manufacturing does begin, there is far smaller production capacity planned for domestic cell factories than there is for US module fabs.

There are other ways to access the domestic content bonus. One is to use thin-film solar; however, U.S. manufacturer First Solar is sold out for many years ahead, which limits the ability of many buyers to take that route.

Tax-credit-bonus applicants could attempt to reach the domestic content threshold via other materials, such as trackers, inverters, or electrical BoS equipment. This is also very challenging, however. While several of the largest tracker suppliers have ample domestically produced components available, there are very few inverters suitable for utility-scale solar applications which are made in the United States.

Evolving ruleset

Ultimately, there are many hurdles between buyers and the domestic content bonus, under the current rules issued by the Treasury. Beyond the challenge of getting all suppliers of manufactured product to share their direct costs, there is the problem of accessing U.S.-made cells, thin-film modules, or sufficient other domestic components to meet the 40% to 55% threshold.

CEA is looking forward to reviewing the final rules that the Treasury implements for the domestic content bonus. There is broad anticipation that these will address some of the gray areas in the current guidance. There is also the possibility that the Treasury will move away from its “direct-cost” construct.

Either way, CEA will be guiding clients on how to comply with the complexities of the new tax credits to help expand the U.S. solar industry on both the manufacturing and deployment fronts.

Learn more from leaders and experts about the U.S. manufacturing renaissance during the pv magazine USA Roundtables 2023 event on October 12.

Christian Roselund leads policy research and communication on consultant CEA’s market intelligence team, with a focus on trade, supply chains, and national policy. He has 13 years’ experience in clean energy, including serving as a founding editor of <b>pv magazine USA</b> and as editorial director at the Rocky Mountain Institute sustainability research body. He has written extensively about solar policy, manufacturing, and technology.

Yaskawa Solectria Solar announced it will exhibit its new XGI 1500-250 series of utility-scale string inverters at the RE+ 2023 event, September 11-14 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Solectria’s full line of inverters range from 25 kW to 250kW, with string combiners and web-based monitoring for all sizes of solar arrays. The new XGI series inverters are Made in USA at its Illinois facility, made of U.S. and global components. The company said its products qualify for the domestic content bonus tax credit within the Inflation Reduction Act.

The XGI 1500-250 series was developed in collaboration with U.S. solar panel manufacturer First Solar and are optimized for the company’s solar modules. Tesla PowerPack Microgrid systems have also been tested and demonstrated for compatibility with the XGI 1500 series.

The inverters feature Silicon Carbide technology and have an electrically grounded DC input for optimal performance and longevity.

“As the largest and longest-standing U.S. Manufacturer of PV inverters for Commercial and Utility applications, Yaskawa Solectria Solar is proud to showcase our newest XGI 1500 inverter models and energy storage solutions at RE+ this year” said Mark Goodreau, general manager at Yaskawa Solectria Solar.  “We look forward to helping project developers and owners to qualify for the 10% Domestic Content Bonus Credit by designing PV systems with our U.S. manufactured inverters.”

The XGI 1500 series comes in output ratings between 175 kW and 250 kW, with 480 Vac and 600 Vac configurations. The absolute maximum input voltage is 1500 Vdc and the peak efficiency is 99%, while the CEC rated efficiency is 98.5%.

For communications and monitoring, the inverters are WiFi and Ethernet compatible and have SunSpec Modbus TCP/IP monitoring. Firmware updates can be performed remote or local.

The inverters have passed IEEE 1547 and UL 1741 standards for safety and the enclosure is polyester powder-coated aluminum that is NEMA 4X, IEC IP66 and Type 3R rated. Each unit measures 29.5 inches by 44.3 inches and 15.4 inches deep and weighs 290 lbs. The inverters come standard with a 5 year warranty with option for 10 years.

Find the products on display at RE+ Las Vegas, booth 925, Sands Level 2. Read the full spec sheet here.

Domestic content guidance on solar cells and structural steel  The IRS and Treasury released the first round Domestic Content Bonus Credit Guidance – but the new guidance seems to raise more questions than it answers.

German-based Siemens announced it will add manufacturing capacity in the United States, announcing a factory that will produce 800 MW of utility-scale string inverters per year starting in 2024. 

The facility, which will be operated by Siemens’ manufacturing partner Sanmina, will produce Blueplanet string inverters. Siemens acquired the inverter business of KACO in 2019, which has already actively been producing inverters at the Kenosha, Wisconsin site. 

Tax credits and demand-side incentives like the domestic content bonus in the Inflation Reduction Act are attracting record levels of clean energy manufacturing to the U.S., and the Siemens announcement adds to the growing domestic supply chain. Over the past four years, Siemens has invested $3 billion in U.S. manufacturing and acquisition activities. 

“Working with Sanmina to establish this new production line, Siemens is well positioned to address supply challenges our country is facing as we work to localize production for green and renewable infrastructure,” said Brian Dula, vice president of electrification and automation at Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA. 

KACO Blueplanet inverters range from 110 kW to 165 kW and offer a more modular, transportable option for utility scale projects than a large containerized central inverter. The inverters are made with a reliable silicon carbide design, are NEMA 4X enclosed, and are compatible with fused, cable-trunking systems up to 600 kcmil eliminating the need for string-combiner boxes. 

“Single-MPPT inverters are proving to be the preferred choice when it comes to ease of layout and flexibility in design. It is clear that in today’s inverter landscape there is no one multi-MPPT inverter which can provide a satisfactory design for all high-power modules,” said Siemens in a whitepaper on the inverter. “The KACO singleMPPT string inverter range offers a much easier and more flexible design through the use of DC combiners which is crucial when optimizing your PV module layout.” 

Read more about the “virtual central” approach to utility-scale inverter sizing and design in a whitepaper from Siemens.