Wendy’s enrolls in community solar to power 130 locations Through a partnership with Ampion, Wendy’s restaurants will access renewable energy certificates to offset carbon emissions.

Recurrent Energy transfers $103 million in tax credits for Oklahoma project The owner and operator of the 160 MW North Fork Solar project signed the tax credit facilitation agreement with Bank of America.

IEA-PVPS releases fact sheet on environmental life cycle assessment of PV Systems The updated IEA PVPS Task 12 Fact Sheet provides a comprehensive assessment of the environmental impacts associated with PV systems. It highlights the significant advancements made in PV technology, emphasizing improved efficiencies and reduced environmental footprints.

Generac acquires commercial and industrial energy storage provider The company acquired engineering, procurement, and construction firm PowerPlay Battery Energy Storage Systems.

Solar ingot and wafer manufacturing coming to Oklahoma The Norwegian company, Norsun, announced an investment of $620 million in a 5 GW ingot and wafer facility planned in Tulsa.

People on the move: Spruce Power, ConnectDER, Amp Energy and more Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

pv magazine interview: ‘Oversupply issues may continue in 2025’ As part of our Intersolar 2024 interview series, pv magazine spoke with Amy Fang, Senior PV analyst at InfoLink Consulting, about new solar factories coming online and decreasing solar modules prices. She says the downward trend may continue until the first half of next year, with prices reaching $0.07/W, and estimates global module demand for this year could reached between 470 GW and 500 GW.

Back contact solar beats mono PERC at lifetime energy generation A new analysis finds that back contact solar shows an average lifetime energy generation increase of 16.0% over mono PERC. The paper also says back contact had an average 9.7% shorter payback time and 10.7% lower LCOE across all modelled locations.

New York governor urged to double solar deployment goal Currently New York has a state target of 10 GW deployed by 2030. The state’s Solar Energy Industries Association has called for a new target of 20 GW of distributed solar by 2035.

• David Rogers, founder & CEO of Amp Energy, welcomes Andy Hoffman, CFA, to the team as its newest Chief Financial Officer, joining from The Carlyle Group, where he led the origination, structuring, and underwriting of private credit real asset transactions within the firm’s $5B+ AUM Infrastructure Credit platform.
• Matthew Dorsen just joined Deriva Energy as their new Director of Development.
• Jiwan Singh is announcing their new role as Director of Engineering at Atwell, LLC.

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Meyer Burger set to begin production at U.S. module factory The relocation of the photovoltaic manufacturer’s core business from Germany to the USA is taking shape. Production of heterojunction solar modules is starting and financing for a new cell plant is progressing.

Solar tax transfer for smaller projects: Dissecting a $600,000 tax credit transaction Basis Climate has closed its smallest IRA transferable tax credit deal to date,  marking the end of an era dominated by million-dollar minimum tax credit transactions.

Origami Solar sets up regional fabrication of steel solar panel frames Partnerships with steel equipment producers in Ohio and two locations in Texas will enable Origami to have its steel solar module frames shipped from fabricator to module manufacturer in one to two days, the company says.

‘Module prices surprisingly keep going down’ As part of our Intersolar 2024 interview series, pv magazine spoke with Yana Hryshko, head of Solar Supply Chain Research for Wood Mackenzie, about overcapacity, declining panel prices and expected PV demand for the next years. She revealed that Chinese module procurement schemes are currently seeing unprecedented, “ridiculously” low bids, but she also noted that the $0.08/W threshold may now be difficult to exceed. Hryshko also expects many manufacturers to backpedal on previously announced capacity expansion plans and renegotiate module supply contracts.

Cultural considerations for international solar expansion Each region has a different way of doing things, whether it’s selecting sites, managing employees, or implementing manufacturing standards. Companies looking to expand into foreign markets need to be prepared to deal with these cultural differences, says Clean Energy Associates (CEA) Vice President Mark Hagedorn.

City of Detroit to install solar in mostly vacant neighborhoods Three Detroit neighborhoods were chosen as sites for solar facilities. The City plans to build 33 MW of solar to power its municipal buildings.

‘We expect solar panel prices to stabilize in the second half of the year’ At Intersolar Europe 2024, pv magazine spoke with Edurne Zoco, executive director, Clean Energy Technology at S&P Global Commodity Insights, about module price trends, increasing solar demand and PV manufacturing outside China. She claims panel prices may stabilize in the second half of this year or in early 2025 and says top seven Chinese manufacturers may even continue with capacity expansion plans. She also believes that, without further substantial incentives, Europe will not be able to recreate a domestic PV supply chain.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aiko presents ABC solar module with world record efficiency of 25.2% at Intersolar The Chinese back contact module maker said its new products rely on the company’s all-back-contact (ABC) cell technology and feature a temperature coefficient of -0.26% per C.

People on the move: Amp Energy, Deriva Energy, Atwell LLC, and more Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

Arizona’s largest energy storage project closes $513 million in financing The 1,200 MWh Papago Storage project will dispatch enough power to serve 244,000 homes for four hours a day with the e-Storage SolBank high-cycle lithium-ferro-phosphate battery energy storage solution. 

Scientists develop silver-free PEDOT:PSS adhesive for shingled solar cells Researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have developed a new silver-free adhesive for shingled solar cells. The novel adhesive is based the PEDOT:PSS polymer and can reportedly reduce silver consumption to approximately 6.3 mg/W.

Longi launches ultra-black HPBC solar modules for residential applications The Chinese manufacturer said its new Hi-MO X6 Artist series has an efficiency of up to 22.3% and a power output ranging from 420 W to 430 W. The smaller version is currently priced at CNY 298 ($41.7)/m2 and the largest model is sold at CNY 268/m2.

Nextracker acquires solar foundation specialist Ojjo for $119 million Ojjo makes a unique truss system that reportedly uses half the steel of a conventional foundation and a design that minimizes grading requirements.

• David Rogers, founder & CEO of Amp Energy, welcomes Andy Hoffman, CFA, to the team as its newest Chief Financial Officer, joining from The Carlyle Group, where he led the origination, structuring, and underwriting of private credit real asset transactions within the firm’s $5B+ AUM Infrastructure Credit platform.
• Matthew Dorsen just joined Deriva Energy as their new Director of Development.
• Jiwan Singh is announcing their new role as Director of Engineering at Atwell, LLC.

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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.

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.

Solar visionaries form ReCreate, bringing 5 GW solar module and cell manufacturing to Tennessee Dean Solon and Hamlet Tunyan, two solar industry leaders, have partnered on a new venture that will bring 5 GW of solar cells and 5 GW of solar modules to U.S. and EU markets.

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

2024 Outlook: What could La Niña mean for U.S. solar this year? In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, describes the possible consequences for PV plan and grid operators of a possible switch to La Niña conditions in North America.

Solar-powered bus depot features green hydrogen production The integrated microgrid will be connected to the utility, but engineered to operate indefinitely in island mode, according to developer AlphaStruxure.

New York continues long duration energy storage investments with $5M funding initiative NYSERDA is allocating $5 million to fund up to 50% of project costs for developing energy storage systems capable of operating for 10 to 100 hours, addressing key integration challenges and promoting viable economic products within New York’s energy grid.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People on the move: 3E, Pure Power Engineering, Crux, CMBlu, and more Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

New York invests $5 million in agrivoltaics The Empire State seeks “active farming,” such as cattle grazing, cannabis, corn, foraging, or specialty crops, on solar power sites. Offers up to $750,000 per site for demonstration projects that share data publicly.

Texas gas station to save on costs with solar installation A Shell gas station is expected to save over $150,000 from a solar array installed on the roof of its pumping station.

Assessing solar asset operational risks A report from kWh Analytics shares new data on mitigating solar asset operational losses.

Solar module prices increase for first time in years, Anza reports Using its own database of price quotes, the Anza Q2 Pricing Insights Report highlights the first price increase in years as a result of AD/CVD petition and the reinstatement of bifacial import duties.

• Edgar Lim is starting a new position as Director of Business Development at Pure Power Engineering
• Hugo Lapie has joined 3E, a leader in the renewable energy industry, leaving Prescinto

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bosch unveils water source heat pumps for residential, commercial applications  Bosch Home Comfort has presented two new heat pumps series that can be used for both retrofits and new buildings. Both products have a size of a size of ½ to 6 tons and a coefficient of performance of up to 4.9.

Community solar increases energy equity, report finds For the first time research looks at data about households adopting community solar along with policy that promotes outreach, and the results confirm that coalition efforts are beneficial.

U.S. solar trade case moves forward The U.S. International Trade Commission unanimously voted that solar cell manufacturing in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, supported by local incentives, is harming U.S. industry. This decision paves the way for the Commerce Department to finalize its determinations on Countervailing Duties by July 18 and Anti-Dumping duties by October 1.

Empowering multifamily housing with Solar for All grants As multifamily housing emerges as a key player in the solar revolution, it is poised to not only benefit from but also drive positive change in the clean energy landscape.

Longi presents 24.4%-efficient 660 W HPBC solar panel Intended for applications in utility-scale PV projects, the new Hi-MO 9 module is available in eight versions with power output ranging from 625 W to 660 W and power conversion efficiency spanning from 23.1% to 24.4%.

More states now require smart inverters, enabling more distributed solar Pennsylvania and Minnesota have joined six other states in requiring smart inverters for distributed solar and storage. Certain utilities in 13 states and Puerto Rico also require smart inverters, while six states are considering the requirement. Smart inverters enable more solar on distribution circuits.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Solar module reliability ranked in scorecard  The independent test lab Kiwa PVEL names 53 manufacturers and 388 models–a record number of Top Performers in the ten-year history of the Scorecard.

Building public trust around large-scale solar energy projects  The Department of Energy awards $9.5 million to four projects intended to learn about best community engagement practices for solar siting and permitting.

ITRPV says solar module prices fell 50% in 2023 The new edition of the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV), published this week, reveals that the world’s installed PV capacity reached 1.6 TW at the end of last year. The learning curve, which reflects average module prices relative to cumulative shipments, is 24.9% for the period from 1976 to 2023.

Freight costs edge toward pandemic levels, hitting solar module costs  Freight costs, which represent around 4% of a solar module’s total costs, are increasing on trade lines between the Far East and the US West Coast, Northern Europe, and Mediterranean region.

People on the move: Wood Mackenzie, Borrego, Skydweller Aero and more  Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

Former U.S. nuclear weapon test site to host solar energy projects The Department of Energy will develop a 400 MW solar array at the Idaho National Laboratory site, large enough to power about 70,00 homes.

• Katlyn Lawver has accepted a role as VP of Pre-Construction with Convergent Energy and Power after 9 years with Borrego / New Leaf Energy
• Raman Mall is starting a new position as Director, Transmission & Distribution Engineering at SaskPower
• Michael Williams started a new position as Senior Vice President of Sales at Catalyze
• Chris Kalowes started a new position as Senior Key Account Manager- Energy Storage at Sungrow Power Supply

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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.

PVRadar offers solar project risk assessments factoring in historical climate data  PVRadar Labs has expanded its software platform to include PV project risk assessment functionality, reportedly enabling more realistic performance estimates based on historical climate data.

JinkoSolar claims 33.24% efficiency for perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells JinkoSolar says it has achieved a 33.24% efficiency rating for its perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells, confirmed by the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Vermont becomes first state with Climate Superfund Act  The Vermont legislation intends to hold fossil fuel corporations responsible for climate change.

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

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

Texas to host 300 MW of geomechanical energy storage projects  Quidnet Energy, a provider of geomechanical energy storage (GES) technology, has joined hands with distributed energy resources developer Hunt Energy Network to deliver 300 MW of storage projects in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid operating region.

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

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

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

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

Gulf heat dome and polar jet stream shape solar outcomes in May In a weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that a strong polar jet stream and a record-breaking heat dome in May resulted in a stark contrast in irradiance patterns across North America. The western and central USA, along with Mexico, experienced higher than normal irradiance, while the Gulf and East Coast regions faced lower irradiance.

TCL Zhonghuan reveals plans to acquire majority stake in Maxeon Chinese wafer manufacturer TCL Zhonghuan says it wants to invest around $197.5 million to increase its stake in Maxeon from 22.39% to at least 50.1%. A Maxeon spokesperson told pv magazine that the plan would place the company in a solid financial position.

Are false pretenses driving solar cell tariff case? Global manufacturer Canadian Solar challenges prevailing support for tariffs among solar manufacturers, questions the accuracy of capacity estimations, and adverse financial effects.

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

Battery energy storage tariffs tripled; domestic content rules updated Breaking down U.S. market impacts on energy storage from recent policy changes with insights from Clean Energy Associates.

People on the move: Catalyze, SaskPower, Pineapple Energy, and more  Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

Sharp unveils new TOPCon solar modules The Japanese electronics manufacturer has launched the NU-JC440 and NU-JC430B panels with efficiencies of 22.53% and 22.02%, respectively. Both products are IEC/EN61215 and IEC/EN61730-certified and rely on M10 wafers.

• Daniel Smith started a new position as Director of Development Engineering at Catalyze
• Katlyn Lawver started a new position as VP of Pre-Construction at Convergent Energy and Power
• Raman Mall started a new position as Director, transmission & Distribution Engineering at SaskPower
• Nicole Tomasin started a new position as Head of Sales, US at SolaX Power US

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

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

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

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

21 states accept the grid modernization challenge The Federal-State Modern Grid Deployment initiative aims to shore up the U.S. energy grid to prepare for both challenges and opportunities in the power sector.

Battery energy storage tariffs tripled; domestic content rules updated Breaking down U.S. market impacts on energy storage from recent policy changes with insights from Clean Energy Associates.

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

What tax credit transfer buyers need to know about IRA compliance The key to ensuring expected financial returns from the IRA comes down to a single word: compliance, and tax credit compliance is fraught with risk and complex to manage.

Solar peaks at 123% of grid, supplies 31% of California’s April electricity The Golden State set multiple clean energy records in April, with solar power increasingly dominating the grid, supported by robust energy storage solutions.

Perovskites move into production Perovskites remain a great hope for the future of the solar industry, once the possibilities of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and heterojunction PV have been exhausted. A look at the latest perovskite research shows that industry optimism is built on a strong foundation.

Solar industry panel cautions about 2025 Texas Legislature According to BloombergNEF’s just released 1H 2024 US Clean Energy Market Outlook, Texas promises to top the charts in terms of solar, wind and battery storage deployments in the period from 2024 to 2035. But it’s position as the number one U.S. state for renewable energy is not a given, as panelists made clear at last week’s RE+ Texas conference in Houston, Texas.

The Hydrogen Stream: Nikola to sell 100 fuel-cell hydrogen trucks to Port of LA In a hydrogen news roundup: Nikola plans to sell 100 hydrogen fuel-cell trucks for logistic operations in California, Volvo has started developing hydrogen combustion trucks, and Airbus has announced plans to launch a study into hydrogen projects in the US state of Georgia.

Energy security in renewables-based systems A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) examines the global energy system’s transformation and its implications for energy security. It tells policymakers that energy security in renewables-based systems will require multi-dimensional thinking.

When is the next Aurora due and what’s the impact on solar generation? In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, explains that the solar cycle does tend to increase the earth’s average annual extra-terrestrial irradiance, but only by a very small amount. It also explains that, while the annual cycle of extra-terrestrial irradiance causes a steady, predictable and significant 3.5% change through the seasonal cycle, the peak of the 11-year cycle of solar activity causes a smaller, more sporadic and unpredictable set of fluctuations.

“Green zealots” scare Florida administration from 100% renewable goal In a significant policy reversal, Florida has scrapped its renewable energy targets for 2050, imposed a complete ban on offshore wind projects, and eased regulations for gas pipeline expansions.

From pv magazine

World records for perovskite solar cells have a short shelf life. Until April 2022, a silicon-perovskite tandem cell from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), a German research organization, led with an efficiency of 32.5%. Researchers at the Photovoltaics Laboratory of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), in Saudi Arabia, later hit 33.2%, and then 33.7% in May 2023. That record stood for a few months. In early November 2023, a perovskite-silicon tandem cell from Chinese PV manufacturer Longi converted 33.9% of incident sunlight into electricity. “This means that the solar cell efficiency of silicon perovskite tandem cells is now in ranges that could previously only be achieved with III-V semiconductors,” said HZB managing director Bernd Rech, referring to materials such as gallium-arsenide, which offer strong solar cell performance at a much higher cost.

Even single-junction perovskite solar cells without the crystalline silicon or other tandem element are attracting commercial interest. Record after record fell in quick succession in 2023, albeit in increments of tenths of a percentage point. Since November 2023, a group from the Key Laboratory of Photovoltaics at the Hefei Institute in China, with support from German, French, and South Korean scientists, has held the world record with 26.1% efficiency. The successes are based on clever design and the purity of the perovskite crystals. The crystals are, in principle, based on diverse, highly optimized production processes that make it possible to minimize impurities and other defects, which are the most important cause of recombination – where a charge is lost before it can be transported out of the cell.

Knowledge of the fundamental processes within perovskite materials is also growing. For example, Thomas Kirchartz and his team at Germany’s Jülich Research Center discovered a major difference between perovskites and other solar cell materials. In a paper published in the journal “Nature Materials” in January 2024, the group outlined differing roles for “deep” and “shallow” cell-material defects. Kirchartz suspects deep defects, which can occur in silicon, cannot exist in perovskites. “Understanding the processes is crucial to further improving the efficiency of perovskite-based solar cells,” he said.

Lab to fab

“Perovskite solar cells can become a game changer in photovoltaics,” said Michael Powalla, a board member at the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart. Values of more than 33% in perovskite-silicon tandem cells could give modules up to 30% efficiency. Most records to date, though, have been achieved with prototypes typically measuring around 1 cm². There is no shortage of unsolved challenges for cells hundreds of times larger. Research institutes and PV companies large and small want reliable, cheap, fast production processes for large cells. Another unresolved issue is the guaranteed durability of perovskite modules that would age as little as possible and give high electricity yields for at least 25 years. “We need everything at the same time: high efficiency, outdoor stability, and scaling with compatible production processes,” said Powalla.

Simple, inexpensive spin coating is sufficient for small tandem laboratory cells. In this process, solutions are thinly ­distributed on a fast-spinning surface. For larger cells, with an edge length of more than 15 cm, other, less wasteful processes are required. With recent commercial silicon cells boasting up to 21 cm edge lengths, large-area processes are more important.

“Several processes are suitable for this and are currently being tested,” said photovoltaics researcher Kaining Ding, from the Jülich Research Centre. The challenge is that the perovskite crystals must evenly cover the textured surface of the silicon cell without gaps. If the perovskite layer is too thin, the tips of the pyramids on the silicon surface – which are less than 1 micrometer in size – could puncture the perovskite layer and reduce efficiency. On the other hand, if the layer is too thick, it becomes more difficult to collect charge carriers efficiently.

One variant is slot die coating, in which a perovskite solution is applied as an ink-like liquid, and forced through a slot to be evenly applied to a substrate. What then becomes difficult is to precisely control perovskite layer thickness with the process, especially at edges. Perovskite layers can be applied more evenly under vacuum from a vapor phase using a physical vapor-deposition process. The challenge here is finding a perovskite precursor solution that can be completely converted into the necessary vapor phase.

“There is also a hybrid approach that combines the advantages of both process types,” said Ding.

First, a thin, porous, inorganic precursor layer is deposited as a vapor. This is followed by a liquid phase that can be applied by slot die coating or other print- or spray-type processes. This liquid migrates into the porous layer, causing the desired perovskite crystals to grow. Ding said many solar companies are focusing on this hybrid method of wet chemistry and vacuum processes and hope to apply it to full-sized tandem cells in the near future.

A new approach developed by a research group led by Ulrich W. Paetzold, from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, also promises to accelerate developments. The group trained an artificial intelligence device to recognize the smallest deviations in light emission by the cells during the production of tandem devices. The quality of a solar cell could thus be quickly deduced from the light emission.

“Thanks to the combined use of AI, we have an idea of which adjustments we need to make, first and foremost, to improve production,” said Paetzold. This means that experiments can be carried out in a more targeted manner and that production routes can be identified more quickly.

PV modules

Large perovskite silicon tandem cells, or even entire modules, are still hard to find. Anglo-German company Oxford PV has a clear lead, having set up the world’s first series production line for perovskite silicon tandem cells in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany. At 28.6%, Oxford PV also holds the world record efficiency for a large tandem cell, with a surface area of just over 285 cm².

Others are catching up. In May 2023, Chinese startup Auner presented a tandem cell with a 5 cm edge length and 30.83% efficiency. The company plans to launch a 100 MW pilot production line producing 166 mm cells later in 2024. Swiss manufacturer Meyer Burger also presented a medium-sized (24.5 cm²) cell with 29.56% efficiency as early as 2022, in collaboration with Swiss research center CSEM. Japan-based Kaneka, meanwhile, has hit 28.4% on an 8 cm cell.

Manufacturers of pure perovskite solar cells are striving for faster series production using wet chemical processes such as slot die coating. This is where Chinese companies are making a leap into the market. Last year, for example, Microquanta Semiconductor, based in Hangzhou, started series production of perovskite modules measuring 1.2 m by 60 cm, albeit with efficiencies of less than 20%. Since November 2023, a 1 MW power plant in the Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia featuring those modules has been supplying not only electricity but also valuable data on the durability of perovskite solar cells under real-world conditions.

Silicon solar manufacturer GCL Group has also joined the ranks of perovskite producers with modules measuring 1 m by 2 m and achieving efficiency of 18.04%. The company says a 2 GW production line is currently being prepared in Suzhou, China. Utmolight, which was only founded in 2020, plans to start building a 1 GW production line in 2024 in Wuxi, China, set for completion in 2027. Another 100 MW pilot line is planned for 2024 by startup Mellow Energy. It is targeting 20% module efficiency from modules measuring 1.2 m by 1.6 m, having demonstrated efficiency of up to 22.86% on smaller devices. While those figures are barely competitive with today’s silicon modules, let alone tandem devices, they do offer significantly lower production costs.

Achieving stability

“None of these companies can guarantee the stability of their modules for 25 years,” said Jülich’s Ding. Despite promising results in the laboratory, the durability of perovskite solar cells remains a challenge – both alone and in tandem devices. There is a lack of concrete information from the manufacturers, as well as a lack of measurement data from long-term outdoor use or standards for tough tests that simulate real-life loads of up to 25 years. Laboratory tests on small cells do, however, show how perovskite solar cells can be stabilized, for example, with the addition of certain chemicals. “But there is a gulf between research and industry,” said Ding. Many promising approaches are simply not pursued after publication in renowned scientific journals.

That is precisely the problem that Ding and his colleagues at Jülich and at the HZB want to tackle. Michael Saliba from the University of Stuttgart is also convinced that, with the progress made over the last few years, 20-year stability could, in principle, already be achieved today – provided that the available knowledge is utilized in a bundled manner for the development of sophisticated manufacturing processes.

This means that the hurdles to the low-cost series production of perovskite solar cells – alone or in tandem – appear to be surmountable in the next few years. In a recent paper published in the journal “Science,” Erkan Aydin and his colleagues at KAUST estimated the point at which perovskite-silicon tandem cells will be economically viable compared to standalone silicon. He calculated that higher production costs constitute a premium of 30%. The result is that if a tandem cell loses 2% of its (relative) efficiency every year, the new module should already have an efficiency of more than 32%. If long-term stability can be improved – for example, if a module only degrades by 0.4% per year, similar to today’s silicon PV products – then 24% efficiency would already be sufficient. Then, as forecast by analysts at Rethink Energy, in the United Kingdom, the target of 2 GW of global production by 2026 could easily be achieved. By 2040, some 90% of all solar modules could even contain perovskites.

By Jan Oliver Löfken.

PERC solar products hard to sell due to falling TOPCon module prices Prices for tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar panels continue to fall. pvXchange.com founder Martin Schachinger explains how this will affect the sale of PV modules based on passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) cells.

Colorado modernizes community solar program Governor Polis signed into law bipartisan legislation that launches a new dispatchable distributed generation program and leverages Solar for All funding to upgrade its grid, lower energy bills for all and promote energy equity.

SunPower now offers Tesla Powerwall 3 to residential solar customers SunPower Financial reported it has expanded its suite of solar financing options to include loan and lease financing through Mosaic for Tesla battery installations.

California is now a batteries-included rooftop solar market About 60% of customers have included battery energy storage with their rooftop solar installation, up from roughly 10% prior. However, a “sustained downturn” is expected for the market.

Bladeless wind energy innovation aims to compete with rooftop solar A compact, “motionless” wind turbine with a magnetic generator designed for large commercial rooftops provides 5 kW of capacity per unit. Aeromine Technologies secured Series A funding for scaling its innovative design.

Quantifying losses from harmonics in solar facilities Gamesa Electric has released a white paper on losses due to harmonics in PV plants, including an independent study that compares the performance of ultra-low total harmonic distortion inverters.

Research shows repaired PV modules can perform with acceptable losses A research group has demonstrated the technical feasibility of using repaired solar modules with satisfying results. It also warned, however, that there is an urgent need to define a protocol for evaluating the features of a “viable” repaired panel.

GoodWe U.S. inverter on Sunnova’s approved vendor list This partnership allows GoodWe and Sunnova to meet the growing demand by commercial and industrial customers that want to stabilize energy costs.

Renewables must triple by 2030 to hit net-zero by 2050, says BloombergNEF BloombergNEF says in a new report that solar and wind must drive most emissions cuts before 2030 to stay on track for net-zero by 2050. Its net-zero scenario targets a combined solar and wind capacity of 31 TW by 2050.

Acciona completes Texas-size solar project near Houston The 458 MW Red-Tailed Hawk solar plant is the company’s largest solar plant to date.

EV manufacturer Rivian invests in solar energy Rivian will subscribe to community solar and purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs).

Market impacts from the recent flurry of solar policy actions The U.S. had an extremely busy week of policy changes, including AD/CVD, domestic content, bifacial panel exemptions, and changes to 301 tariffs.

Enel, Energy Vault build 18 MW/36 MWh of U.S. gravity storage Energy Vault and Enel have revealed plans to build 18 MW/36 MWh of gravity storage in the United States. They say that the project will be the first large-scale gravity energy storage in a Western country.

Impact investment firm Advantage Capital announced the appointment of energy executive Steven Lichtin as managing director and chief executive officer of Advantage Capital Renewables. Lichtin brings nearly 15 years of experience developing solar and energy storage projects totaling over 10GWs in various markets across the U.S. Prior to joining Advantage Capital, he was Vice President of Development at CypressCreek Renewables, a renewable energy independent power producer (IPP).

Additional job moves provided by EnergeiaWorks:

• Darren Devine started a new position as Chief Financial Officer at Linea Energy
• Ty Baccile II was promoted to Director of Development at New Energy Equity
• Oran Arms started a new positions as Director of Business Development at Catalyze
• Emilie Wangerman started a new position as Chief Operating Officer at Lightsource BP

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NYPA prequalifies 79 developers and investors for renewable projects The developers and investors were selected based on a Request for Information (RFI) issued in March that sought to assess potential interest and opportunities for solar, wind, battery storage, green hydrogen, geothermal, and related transmission projects.

What are states doing to make virtual power plants a reality? With policymakers, utilities, and private enterprise working collaboratively to find solutions that work for a given state’s unique circumstances, we will surely see continued growth of virtual power plants.

NREL-led consortium releases PV reliability forecasting tools  The Durable Module Materials consortium (DuraMAT) announced in its latest annual report the availability of new PV forecasting tools, and new research results towards the goal of more reliable PV modules.

Qcells residential solar financing arm closes its first asset backed securities totaling over $250 million Qcells residential solar finance platform EnFin secured an asset backed securities transaction totaling $252.86 million.

Minnesota legislature passes energy infrastructure permitting reforms The legislation removes key roadblocks to the development of solar, wind and battery energy storage.

Cleanleaf Energy O&M portfolio grows to 1.8 GW Cleanleaf, spun out of Borrego in 2022, signed agreements with Heelstone Renewable Energy to provide O&M services to five solar projects in Pennsylvania and Georgia.

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

IEA-PVPS launches action group on agrivoltaics A new format for expert engagement will include an action group on agrivoltaics, as well as a collaborative effort to match agriculture and solar generation. 

Competition, oversupply to reduce n-type solar module prices  Global solar demand will continue to grow in 2024, with module demand likely to reach 492 GW to 538 GW. Amy Fang, a senior analyst at InfoLink, looks at module demand and supply chain inventories in a market still affected by oversupply.

Simplified calculation for accessing the solar domestic content bonus A 10% tax credit incentive is added to solar projects that achieve a determined amount of U.S.-made components. New simplified calculations for eligibility are released.

Trends in residential solar finance, equipment and maintenance An installer survey shared typical loan terms, top equipment brands and what to expect from system maintenance services.

Plug Power’s $1.6 billion loan guarantee for clean hydrogen facilities The Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office announced a conditional commitment for loan guarantee to help finance construction of up to six facilities across several U.S. states to produce clean hydrogen using Plug Power’s own electrolyzer technology.

U.S. solar exceeds five million installations Over half of all U.S. solar installations have come online since the start of 2020 and over 25% have come online since the Inflation Reduction Act became law.

No ceiling on U.S. glass opportunity With PV module capacity ramping up, glass suppliers have been investing in new solar glass production capacity. As in India and China, new facilities are popping up in North America, with unique twists to ensure competitiveness, such as using recycled material.

‘We must push back on net billing’ With California’s NEM 3.0 legislation having gutted panel sales and Arizona heading a bevy of other US states preparing to reduce solar-export payments, it’s time the United States solar industry stepped up, for ourselves as well as our customers.

Faulty installations often to blame for battery fires The Electric Power Research Institute, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and German battery analysis specialist Twaice have jointly evaluated 26 battery fires between 2018 and 2023. They say that the diversity of components plays a critical role in igniting fires.

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.

The U.S. multi-pronged approach to onshoring solar manufacturing The U.S. aims for a domestic solar supply chain, but the industry’s capacity to serve the early stages in solar manufacturing are minimal. Will its recent industrial policy efforts make a difference?

]]> https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/05/17/u-s-solar-industry-week-in-review-10/feed/ 0 104344 https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/05/17/sunrise-brief-bifacial-solar-module-tariffs-reinstated/ https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/05/17/sunrise-brief-bifacial-solar-module-tariffs-reinstated/#respond Fri, 17 May 2024 12:00:06 +0000 https://pv-magazine-usa.com/?p=104287 Also on the rise: More bark than bite--U.S. solar tariffs and the shadow of larger trade measures. Solidion seeks to provide sodium-based electrolytes as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries. And more.

More bark than bite: U.S. solar tariffs and the shadow of larger trade measures Intensified trade measures against China via increasing tariffs on imported solar and battery cells represents a significant policy step, however, the impact is clouded by global manufacturing shifts, price decreases and looming Commerce Department trade complaints.

Startup debuts wall-mountable, tabletop residential heat pump Quilt unveiled a residential heat pump with a coefficient of performance (COP) of up to 4 and noise levels of 27 dBA to 47 dBA. The startup recently raised $35.9 million from a group of investors.

Bifacial solar module tariffs reinstated The Office of the President has turned its focus to solar panels, announcing the removal of the bifacial solar panel Section 301 tariff exclusion and addressing issues of stockpiling during trade cases, alongside promoting the nation’s manufacturing base.

Solidion seeks to provide sodium-based electrolytes as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries  The company says the technology’s better cycle times and potential lower costs would benefit grid storage and EV sectors.

U.S. government doubles tariff rates on PV cell imports from China to 50% The administration of President Joe Biden raised tariff rates on PV cell imports from China from 25% to 50%. It also increased the tariff rates for semiconductors, electric vehicles, and EV batteries from China, among other goods.

PV players wrestle tariff threat and oversupply  The requirements of measures such as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) mean that solar panel prices in the United States can be twice as much as in Europe. 

Midea unveils outdoor residential heat pump Midea says its new outdoor residential Evox G3 Heat Pump ranges in size from 1.5 tons to 5 tons, with a coefficient of performance of 1.8. It features enhanced vapor injection technology and uses A2L as the refrigerant.

People on the move: Schneider Electric, Lightsource bp, GoodFinch and more Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

Catalyze secures $100 million to support 79 MW New York solar portfolio The funding comes from NY Green Bank, which is requiring that a significant percentage of solar project subscribers benefit disadvantaged communities.

Schneider Electric announced the appointment of Ruben Llanes as CEO of Digital Grid, the company’s line of business that accelerates grid modernization through cutting-edge digital management software. Under Ruben’s leadership, Digital Grid will continue its mission of helping customers modernize their grid systems by maximizing resources and minimizing ecological footprints, helping to drive the industry’s global green energy transition. 

Lightsource bp is announced the appointment of Emilie Wangerman as its chief operating officer (COO) of the United States and member of our executive team, effective immediately. Emilie will lead the growth and development of our ambitious U.S. portfolio. Wangerman has been an integral part of Lightsource bp since joining in late 2017 to significantly accelerate expansion into the U.S. market. Over the last seven months, Emilie has been acting as interim COO of the U.S.

Key Capture Energy, LLC, a leading developer, owner and operator of battery energy storage systems in the United States today announced that Joel Vyduna is joining its growing team as executive vice president of technology and will be a member of the company’s leadership team. In addition, two members of the KCE team were promoted: Taylor Quarles is now executive vice president of development and Jim Brown is executive vice president of engineering and construction.

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FERC transmission rule to shore up the nation’s power grid The ruling, which is being praised by industry groups, is the first time in more than a decade that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has addressed regional transmission policy as well as the need for long-term transmission planning.

Solar powered electric truck stop opens in California WattEV’s 5.7 MW solar-powered truck stop, with demand charge management driven by solar-;plus-storage, has begun operations in Bakersfield, California.

Powering drones with ultra-thin, flexible perovskite PV cells An Austrian research team has demonstrated that lightweight, flexible and ultra-thin perovskite solar technology can power palm-sized autonomous drones.

Trina Solar records 65.21 GW of solar module shipments for 2023 Trina Solar says its solar panel shipments reached 65.21 GW in 2023. The Chinese module maker achieved a turnover of $15.75 billion and a net profit of $768.2 million in fiscal 2023, with an annual module production capacity of 95 GW by the end of December.

Two approaches to save net metering in Puerto Rico A solar trade group wants the White House to appoint new pro-solar members to the federal oversight board that has challenged Puerto Rico’s net metering law, while the former president of the Puerto Rico Senate advises considering amending the law.

Solar and wind powered boat’s final voyage across the sea The Energy Observer has one more stop in Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, a French territory just south of Newfoundland, before powering across the North Atlantic to retire.

Renew Home launches with virtual power plant solution Through the partnership of Google Nest Renew and OhmConnect, Renew Home, has a goal of expanding from 3 GW of electrical energy use to 50 GW by 2030.

Opposition stymies solar – sometimes Strong growth in U.S. solar installations might suggest that solar has strong support but developers cite public opposition as a major challenge.

Active Surfaces raises $5.6 million to develop ‘solar 2.0’ This MIT spinout is developing lightweight, flexible solar panels that can be integrated into virtually any surface and manufactured using a printed, roll-to-roll process.

Shift to renewables to combat climate change and air pollution The need to move away from fossil fuels is clear, but the path forward involves addressing both technological and economic challenges.

Solar-friendly Maryland passes the Brighter Tomorrow Act  Hailed as landmark legislation, SB 783 empowers municipalities to speed permitting, raises net metering cap, supports a payment in lieu of taxes program and more.

Quino Energy ramps up production of its organic flow battery formulation The company seeks to replace vanadium and compete with lithium-ion batteries for grid storage.

Sinovoltaics publishes energy storage manufacturer financial stability ranking The report lists Tesla as number one, followed by South Korean’s LG Energy Solution, Taiwan-based Kung Long Battery, China’s Mustang Battery, along with U.S.-based Solid Power in the top five.

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

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

Heliene inks supply agreement with UGE for U.S.-made solar modules With the Heliene supply agreement in place, UGE is projected to begin qualifying for the domestic content adder on projects that start construction as early as this summer.

Energy transition needs batteries… and more batteries A recent IEA report says China holds all the cards in chemistry and production.

Sunrun to aid California in its electricity imbalance with home solar and battery VPP Over 16,000 Sunrun customers will supply the grid during peak electricity demand events.

$20 Million federal initiative targets low-emission silicon and thin film research The Solar Energy Technologies Office has launched a dual initiative to propel upstream advancements in a collection of solar cell types, and to reduce the emissions of solar-grade polysilicon under 1 kg CO2 per kg.

Longi announces 27.30% efficiency for heterojunction back contact solar cell The Chinese module manufacturer said the new efficiency record was confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH).

Enteligent taking pre-orders for DC-to-DC solar-powered EV charger The company reports that the hybrid bi-directional EV charger can supply 12.5 kW of fast DC charging, charging two times faster than AC Level 2 EV chargers.

California approves uncapped fixed charges on electricity bills An uncapped average monthly charge of $24 will be added regardless of the amount of electricity used at home, sparking the ire of consumer advocates and energy conservationists.

People on the move: Wood Mackenzie, Trina Solar, New Leaf Energy and more Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

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

Was 2023 the peak for global electricity sector emissions? A report from Ember highlights how “a new era of falling fossil generation is imminent.”

Tigo introduces power electronics supporting solar modules up to 800 W The new MLPE from Tigo is designed to support commercial and industrial as well as utility-scale solar projects.

Global solar manufacturing sector now at 50% utilization rate, says IEA The International Energy Agency (IEA) says that global solar cell and module manufacturing capacity grew by around 550 GW in 2023. 

Kiterocket announced it has hired Jessica Fishman as director for its renewable energy practice. As the climate tech sector experiences exponential growth, Fishman will lead the agency’s renewable energy client portfolio and continue its proven track record of advancing brands advancing the world.

Fishman brings 20 years of experience as a strategic marketing leader. Prior to joining Kiterocket, she worked at leading clean energy companies including Conergy and AlsoEnergy where she led marketing and communications departments. Fishman also spent nearly seven years as head of global public and media relations at SolarEdge where she built a highly effective and efficient public and media relations department during a high-growth period, which included three acquisitions and an IPO. The company ultimately emerged as an industry thought leader with a multi-billion-dollar valuation.

Wood Mackenzie announced that Jason Liu has been appointed chief executive officer (CEO). Mr. Liu replaces former CEO Mark Brinin, who is departing to pursue other opportunities after successfully leading the company through its transformative carve-out.

Mr. Liu is a distinguished leader with over 25 years of experience leading growth-oriented, private equity-backed companies in the software and data industries. He most recently served as CEO of Zywave, a prominent provider of software, data, and analytics in the insurance technology space, where his strategic vision and operational execution doubled the size of the company and substantially enhanced its market position.

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