Existing California solar customers may get blindsided with net metering cuts

Major residential solar installer SunPower has closed its business after standing as one of the oldest and largest distributed solar companies in the United States. Solar panel manufacturer Maxeon announced it will provide warranty support for customers with SunPower-branded modules. 

The companies became two seperate entities when they separated in August 2020, as Maxeon spun off as an independent company focused on manufacturing. Maxeon previously had a supply agreement to provide solar panels to SunPower, but that agreement was terminated in 2023. Since Q1 2024, Maxeon has not been shipping any product to SunPower. 

Support will be issued as follows, according to a note from Maxeon: 

“For support issues on your SunPower solar system, please contact your solar installer. Maxeon will work with your installer to support any applicable warranty coverage. Warranty coverage will be outlined in a new Maxeon warranty document, which will be available soon on Maxeon’s website,” said the company. 

Maxeon products are typically tied to a 40-year warranty, considerably longer than the 25-year industry standard. 

By the decade’s end, data centers in the United States are projected to account for as much as 35 GW of demand and about 9% of the country’s electricity consumption. Though these are merely forecasts, to power the 24/7, 365-day operations, utilities plan to finance dozens of GWs worth of new generation resources from clean energy to natural gas.

According to a Goldman Sachs study, natural gas could supply 60% of the expected data center demand. This significant increase in gas is reflected in many utility integrated resource plans, including Dominion Energy in Virginia, which wants to build more than 2.9 GW of new long-term gas capacity in the next 15 years as a short-term solution to load increase. Some utilities have also resorted to proposing new payment structures in addition to planned generation resources. AEP Ohio proposed a unique tariff structure that, if approved, would require new large-capacity data centers to pay for their own transmission needs, and Duke Energy is considering contract agreements for data centers that would require them to provide upfront financial contributions to construct new generation resources to help power them.

Besides natural gas, nuclear is also seen as an option to power data centers, with various developers and data companies already examining this alternative. For example, Oklo, a California-based advanced nuclear company, has committed itself to providing its clean energy solution in response to increasing demand for AI adoption and data centers. The company announced a non-binding partnership in late May with Wyoming Hyperscale, which wants to use Oklo’s microreactor design to power a state-of-the-art data center campus using 100 MW of nuclear energy. As for data-heavy companies, Amazon Web Services bought a 960 MW Cumulus data center campus in northeast Pennsylvania in early March that will be powered by the 2.5 GW Susquehanna nuclear power plant. Nevertheless, with the construction price for compatible small modular reactors (SMRs) rising and SMRs and microreactors still far from commercialization, this reality may not come to fruition anytime soon. Plus, if new large-scale reactors are considered, the estimated $7.6 billion cost to ratepayers of the now-operational Vogtle Units 3 and 4 – which increased residential rates by about $9 a month – might dampen the prospects of nuclear as an option as well.

Either way, new resource proposals will persist as artificial intelligence and other significant data sources enter the equation as a catalyst, partly because heavy-data users like Google are experimenting with technology like AI-infused internet browsing. For context, compared to a Google search that consumes approximately 0.3 Wh per request, a single AI-powered Google search request may even consume about 23x to 30x more than, according to worst-case scenarios and research estimates published in late 2023. It is important to note that these estimations are dependent on a number of factors staying the same, including the availability of AI-based chips and the 24/7 operations of data centers at max capacity. However, as data center efficiency grows and operation procedures change, these estimates will shift.

Moreover, while the national impact of data centers is expected to take up a significant chunk of the nation’s overall electricity consumption, the most significant ramifications will be seen on a state-to-local level, especially as growth continues to concentrate in specific pockets of the country. State by state, Virginia is far ahead in the number of current data centers. The northern part of the state is considered the nation’s most significant data center market, even the world, with 35% of the globe’s hyperscale data center share – a type of data center facility that typically supports the business activities of massive data-driven companies like Google, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, just to name a few. The state legislature has responded by introducing bills this year to limit the provision of sales and use tax exemptions to only centers that demonstrate certain energy efficiency requirements, requiring localities to assess the grid impacts of proposed center sites, and disallowing utilities from recovering costs through their customers from electric grid infrastructure that mainly services the load coming from data centers.

Other state responses have been more mixed in their reaction, with Massachusetts – a state with about 50 data centers – introducing legislation courting new centers with a sales and use tax exemption, Michigan pushing forward with an extension of their existing data center tax exemption until mid-century, and New York – with almost 130 data centers – wanting to create an energy benchmarking program to account for high-energy infrastructure.

While the legislative and utility actions mentioned address the potential grid and energy impacts of data centers, they also touch on the future downstream cost issues associated with a utility’s response to the massive amount of incoming load growth and the capital recovery that customers, especially those that are low-income, will have to deal with.

Map of energy consumption from data centers in states with significant 2023 load. Data center consumption data depicts the highest-growth scenario states are projected to see in 2030 relative to total electricity consumption. Data Source: EPRI

Low-income load bearers

As utilities attack the projected data center load growth issue with additional investments and emerging technological applications, the customer is positioned to help subsidize the cost through rate increases as part of these utilities’ cost recovery processes. In the case of Duke Energy in North Carolina, the utility can recoup about 10% from new construction.

However, while wealthier households have the financial cushion to protect themselves from these rate increases, low-income customers do not, so the weight of frequent or significant bill increases bears greater financial struggle. The lack of financial security for low-income households is exemplified by one’s energy burden. In the United States, the national average energy burden, or the percentage of gross household income spent on energy bills, for low-income households is 6%, according to the Department of Energy’s Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) tool. This average is based on an estimated 51 million households that identify as low-income, which is about 42% of all households in the country.

Depending on a person’s locality and household income, the energy burden can even be higher than 30%, particularly if you live in the Southeast. Even the financial toll from trying to keep cool during the summer heat can spike a household’s energy burden, which the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) and the Center for Energy Poverty and Climate (CEPC) reported will increase by 7.9% this year. With the expected increase in utility bills in the coming years, such a high and localized energy burden rate may become more widespread and prevalent.

Low-income utility bill assistance

Since the reality of the energy burden in the country is not a new phenomenon, there are a number of financial assistance programs and approaches that the federal government, states, and investor-owned electric utilities have either implemented or are currently examining as options. For example, modeled after Maine’s “Project Fuel” program and created in response to the OPEC oil embargo in the early 1970s, the federal government established the Emergency Energy Conservation Program later in the decade to provide weatherization-focused assistance and eventually direct bill assistance for low-income households. It was one of the earliest programs of its kind. It would end up turning into what is now known as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), operating in every state, the District of Columbia, and most tribes and territories, to prevent energy-bill payment emergencies by providing payments to fuel suppliers/utilities and/or households.

Map depicting the national energy burden distribution for low-income households based on state median income; Source: U.S. Department of Energy Low-income Energy Affordability Data Tool

LIHEAP is commonly used to determine income eligibility for several other state and utility assistance programs. However, access to the federal program has been severely limited. Federal funding for fiscal year 2024 was cut by $2 billion compared to 2023, reducing the number of low-income households served by 1 million in addition to the program’s benefits. Because of the severe budget fluctuations that each state program faces due to federal decision-making, state and utility assistance programs are critical to help fill in the gap and then some.

Many additional state and utility programs exist and vary in terms of approach and scope and can take the form of an income-based discount, a percentage of income payment plan (PIPP), and an income-graduated fixed charge, among other types of payment assistance, like late payment fee and utility shut-off exemptions. Income-based discounts entail a utility or a state providing a continuous or one-time payment attributed to an income-eligible customer, either removing the mandatory fixed charge from a bill or providing a percentage reduction of the overall monthly bill according to a specific income range, among other offers.

Then, there are PIPPs, which refer to income-specific payment plans that allow certain customers to pay only a portion of their utility bill based on a percentage of their overall income. Existing PIPPs vary in terms of their price cap. Still, no program in the country inches above 10% of a household’s income, and some programs may also determine percentage payments based on the primary heat source, electric or otherwise. This payment plan is comparable to a student loan income-driven repayment plan. It can be a helpful tool to limit a low-income household’s monthly energy expenditures and allow households to dedicate a higher share of their disposable income to pay off other bills and to put food on the table, or perhaps allow a household to establish and/or grow their savings.

There is also the income-graduated fixed charge approach, which has only recently been implemented in California. This novel method of equitable ratemaking mirrors progressive taxation, in which the lower your income, the less you must pay, and is a significant departure for investor-owned utilities in the state impacted by this change, which did not impose fixed charges before this.

Part Two of this blog will look at the utility perspective on equitable ratemaking.

Justin Lindemann is a policy analyst at NC Clean Energy Technology Center.

This article originally published by NC Clean Energy Technology Center. Click here to learn about our DSIRE Insight subscriptions, custom research, and consulting offerings on various clean energy technologies for interested individuals or organizations. 

California has surpassed 150,000 public and shared private chargers installed statewide, including 137,648 Level 2 chargers and 14,708 fast chargers. In addition to the public network, the state estimates that more than 500,000 private home chargers are installed statewide.

Of the 48,000 chargers added to the data set since the end of last year, 24,202 new chargers were installed in the first half of 2024. The remaining 23,142 chargers were installed before 2024 and identified through new data sources, according to the California Energy Commission (CEC).

This announcement made by Governor Gavin Newsom comes weeks after California posted its second highest ever market share in zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales.

“When it comes to zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, California has no peers,” said Governor Newsom. “The state is all-in on clean transportation, dedicating unprecedented investments to supercharge our transition. We’re building a bigger, better charging network – faster.”

The CEC approved more than $1 billion in funding this year for EV charging and hydrogen refueling projects for cars, trucks, and buses, including $390 million for electric school bus charging. The state is also expected to receive more than $380 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for building out chargers.

As EV drivers are aware, reliability and uptime of chargers is extremely important, and the CEC reports that it will soon have state EV charging reliability regulations that will track the publicly funded chargers. It is also collaborating with the University of California, Davis, on a field testing program that will catalog the reliability of chargers.

California has a rule, set by Governor Newsom in 2020, requiring all new car sales to be zero-emission by 2035. As a result, more than one-quarter of all new cars sold in Q2 2024 are zero-emission vehicles (ZEV), with an average of 1,300 selling daily. CEC reports that 1,996,931 total ZEVs have been sold to date and the state now boasts that over one-third of all ZEVs sold in the U.S. are sold in California.

Given a choice, most people would prefer new renewable energy projects to new fossil-fuel generation sources. This is the finding of a survey conducted by energy storage systems provider Powin.

The company included responses from 1,000 American consumers 18 years of age or older in its survey.

Among the findings: Two-thirds of respondents said they would prefer that their electricity provider build more solar projects supported by storage to meet increasing demand rather than new natural gas (38%) or coal (13%) plants.

In addition, the survey found that 48% of respondents had confidence that solar-plus-storage facilities were capable of meeting future electricity demands. Only 25% did not think so.

At the same time, the survey suggested that Americans were undereducated about their own energy requirements and future needs. Only 38% of respondents knew how much electricity their residences consumed.

“While nearly half of respondents (44%) claim their residence does not need more energy today than five years ago, the lack of knowledge around overall consumption suggests that the average consumer is not actually aware of how their usage has changed,” the report said.

The report claims that this disconnect is especially troubling because public support is going to be needed for new energy infrastructure projects going forward. Powin cites a number of factors contributing to greater electricity demand in the near future, including new data centers driven by proliferating artificial intelligence needs, electric vehicles and residential electrification.

The penetration of utility-scale energy storage, seen as a key technology for expanding intermittent sources such as solar and wind, is tied closely with state-support. The Powin report points to a number of states that are leading efforts to implement storage through targets and mandates. New York is at the top of the list with a target of 6,000 MW of grid-connected storage capacity by 2030.

Powin’s survey is designed to highlight public support for renewable energy solutions to increasing energy demand as well as the need for consumers to become more knowledgeable about future energy requirements and the potential costs involved.

“Bridging this knowledge gap is crucial for gaining public support for the necessary changes and ensuring a smooth transition to a more sustainable and reliable energy future,” the report concludes.

From ESS News

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a $325 million funding opportunity with the goal to improve community-level energy resilience for vulnerable populations across Puerto Rico.

The new Programa de Comunidades Resilientes, funded by a second tranche of DOE’s Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF) will provide funding for solar and battery storage installations for community healthcare facilities as well as community centers and other common areas within public housing and privately owned subsidized multi-family properties.

“Every municipality in Puerto Rico has a facility that could be eligible for an installation through the Programa de Comunidades Resilientes,” said Maria Robinson, Director of DOE’s Grid Deployment Office. “This program will be a key tool in improving community-level resilience, ensuring that emergency rooms stay powered, residents of multifamily housing can refrigerate medicine and food, and vital services remain available during outages within low- and middle-income communities.”

DOE anticipates awarding between $70 million and $140 million to fund solar and battery installations for federally qualified healthcare centers, dialysis centers, and diagnostic and treatment centers.

Between $93 million and $185 million is expected to go to solar and battery installations in multi-family housing properties, subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S, Department of Agriculture. This includes community centers and common areas within public housing or privately owned multi-family housing properties available to all residents or shared building infrastructure that depends on electricity, such as elevators.

Applications to this funding opportunity are due on October 22, 2024, at 5:00 PM EST. Potential applicants may access an online Teaming Partner List to express their interest to other applicants and explore potential partnerships.

After devastating hurricanes and decades of underinvestment in the island’s electric grid, the U.S. government introduced the $1 billion funding package called PR-ERF to support residential solar and storage projects in Puerto Rico. In July this year, DOE announced its first installations of subsidized residential solar and battery storage systems through the PR-ERF’s Programa Acceso Solar.

Puerto Rico’s distributed solar capacity reached 842 MW by April this year, while residential storage has reached 1.6 GWh. Consultancy Wood Mackenzie has projected that over the next ten years more than 90% of Puerto Rico’s solar additions will be distributed solar.

Puerto Rico’s Act 17 calls for reaching an ambitious 40% renewable generation by 2025, followed by 60% by 2040 and 100% by 2050.

People on the move: Kinematics, Heimdall Power, Shiney.ai and more  Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

SolarLeaf ‘panel-level storage’ can be rolled out on commercial rooftops even easier Energy Toolbase’s energy management system and monitoring software has been configured for use with Yotta Energy’s SolarLeaf product, which provides solar energy storage without increasing the footprint of a solar array.

Microsoft signs 437.6 MW green energy deal with ReNew India’s ReNew says it has signed a 437.6 MW green attribute contract with Microsoft, supporting the US tech giant’s goal to be carbon-negative by 2030.

Grid Strategies and The Brattle Group propose “urgent” interconnection fixes The interconnection reforms proposed include a fast-track process for some projects, a “connect and manage” option, grid-enhancing technologies, advanced conductors, automating interconnection studies and speeding transmission construction.

EVLO introduces 5 MWh containerized battery energy storage system The company’s new battery energy storage system packs 5 MWh and two- to four-hour duration in a 20-foot container.

Clean energy jobs growing twice as fast as U.S. economy Jobs in the solar industry grew 5.3%, and the Department of Energy  expects this to double the share of electricity generation from clean energy sources by 2030.

One in nine U.S. K-12 students attend a school with solar panels Over 1.8 GW of solar is installed at nearly 9,000 schools across the United States, said a report from Generation180.

Schools in the United States from kindergarten through high school are adopting solar energy in significant numbers. A report from Generation180 found that one in nine students in K-12 have solar at their school.

Energy is second only to teacher salaries when it comes to cost, according to NREL, and U.S. schools spend more than $6 billion a year on the line item. Solar presents an opportunity for schools to alleviate budget pressure, often at little or no upfront cost, freeing up funds for more educational benefits.

Schools often sign a power purchase agreement (PPA) when going solar, allowing the school to buy the electricity produced by the solar installation for 10 to 25 years at a discounted rate, serving up cost savings from day one. Generation180 said about 80% of schools go for the PPA route, while about 12% opt for direct ownership via cash, loan, or bond, and 8% own the system through grants, government funds, or private donations.

Generation180 has tracked school solar data since 2014. Over the ten year span of the report, solar capacity at schools has more than quadrupled from 422 MW to 1,814 MW. Nearly 9,000 schools now have solar, and the average system size has grown about 50% from 134 kW to 202 kW.

“During the past ten years, the falling installation price made going solar an affordable option for more schools. Between 2014 and 2024, the cost to install solar dropped by 40%,” said the report from Generation180. “There has never been a better time for schools to flip the switch to clean energy.”

California has the most solar schools in the nation with 2,815, this is followed by New Jersey (696), Illinois (568), Arizona (411), and Connecticut (336). In terms of percent of schools that have adopted solar, the rooftop solar-friendly state of Hawaii leads the way with 30% of schools, followed by Connecticut (27%) and Washington D.C. (24%).

As for energy storage, which is increasingly being attached to solar projects from the residential to the utility-scale, schools have yet to adopt this technology. As of January 2024, approximately 40 schools across six states had installed battery storage with a cumulative power capacity of 7.7 MW, according to Generation180.

“Excess energy produced by the solar panels can be stored for later use,” said Generation180 on the benefits of storage. “The stored energy can be discharged to the grid when electricity rates are peaking, resulting in utility bill savings. During grid outages, energy storage can be used to power the building and keep the school operating for students or as a community shelter during natural disasters.”

Generation180 said there is much to look forward to with the buildout of solar on schools. Projects are being built via federal funding allocated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including over $3.1 billion in funding already awarded to K-12 public schools through the EPA Clean School Bus Program and Department of Energy’s Renew America’s Schools Program.

Furthermore, the first clean energy tax credit payments, enabled by Elective Pay, or direct pay, in the Inflation Reduction Act will be issued to schools in 2024. Under IRA, schools can qualify for up to a 50% tax credit when combining the base credit 30% with a domestic content bonus of 10% and an Energy Community bonus of 10%.

Montreal-headquartered EVLO Energy Storage, a subsidiary of Hydro-Québec, announced the launch of a new energy storage product called EVLO Synergy.

The product is a 20 foot containerized lithium ferro-phosphate (LFP) battery energy storage system that carries 5 MWh of power and flexibly operates in two or four hour durations.

EVLO said the storage system is fully tested and integrated, minimizing onsite work when installing the battery. The product meets NFPA 69 safety standards and is UL 9540 certified.

The company said the Synergy battery can run for up to 9,125 cycles over 25 years without the need for battery replacements.

The battery emphasizes the company’s commitment to “advanced, safe, and cost-effective energy solutions that support our customers’ requirements for clean energy projects,” said Sonia St-Arnaud president and chief executive officer, EVLO.

The enclosure dimensions are 6.06 m x 2.44 m x 2.90 m (20 ft by 8 ft by 9.5 ft). Operating temperatures range from -30°C to 55 °C (-22°F to 131°F).

The storage system’s software is cloud-based and NERC CIP-ready. It enables onsite and remote supervision and control, and has utility-grade SCADA security for industrial operations.

Globally, energy storage capacity is projected to exceed 1 terawatt-hour by 2030 according to BloombergNEF. Energy storage provides electric grid services like frequency regulation, peak shaving, capacity services, renewable energy integration, and a range of other cost-effective grid stabilizing services.

EVLO will unveil EVLO SYNERGY at the renewable industry conference RE+ in Anaheim, California. Visit Booth #N89019 on September 10, 2024, at 4 p.m. for an exclusive presentation.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released the 2024 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER), which shows that the energy workforce overall added over 250,000 jobs in 2023; 56% of those were in clean energy.  The clean energy sector now accounts for more than half of new energy sector jobs and is growing twice as fast the rest of the energy sector and the U.S. economy overall.

The report finds that unions are playing a huge role in the clean energy sector, with unionization rates at 12.4%, compared to the average rate in the energy sector of 11%. Unionized job growth is driven by construction and utility industries. The energy construction sector, for example, was found to have added nearly 90,000 energy jobs, growing 4.5%, almost double the economy-wide construction employment growth of 2.3%. The utilities sector saw the fastest employment growth of 5.0% in 2023, adding nearly 30,000 jobs.

Geographically, clean energy jobs showed growth in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The fastest growth (7.7%) was seen in Idaho, followed by Texas (6.0%), and New Mexico (5.9%).

Jobs in the solar industry grew 5.3%, and the DOE expects this to double the share of electricity generation from clean energy sources by 2030, as the country moves closer to the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

As the move to onshore the domestic supply chain steps up, more manufacturing jobs are becoming available.  The report found that solar and battery and other clean energy manufacturing facilities have added another 28,000 jobs in 2023. Also included here are jobs in ports for offshore wind, and warehouses to store and transport clean energy products.

“Our policies are working. We are now starting to see the job impacts of investments made through the infrastructure and inflation reduction laws – first in construction and as America builds more of these factories, we’ll see hundreds of thousands more,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The data clearly show that clean energy means jobs – good jobs, union jobs, and jobs retained – in communities across the country as we race to dominate the global clean energy economy.”

This year’s report reflects a record number of survey responses from 42,000 business nationwide. To read the full 2024 USEER National report, go to U.S. Energy & Employment Jobs Report (USEER).

From ESS-news.com

Solar and energy storage software company Energy Toolbase has linked up with Yotta Energy to simplify planning and deployment of the latter’s solar-panel-level energy storage product.

The SolarLeaf product offered by Texas-based solar equipment supplier Yotta provides direct-current (DC)-coupled modular storage for commercial customers.

According to Yotta, its SolarLEAF Battery (SL-1000) and 208 V and 480 V  three-phase microinverters work seamlessly together as a fully integrated energy storage system that properly integrates behind photovoltaic modules on commercial rooftops.

The system is engineered with an advanced passive thermal regulation technology, which is said to maximize the life and performance of the battery under extreme thermal conditions.

Now, Energy Toolbase has announced the configuration of its Acumen EMS energy management system product and its monitoring solution, ETB Monitor, for use with SolarLeaf systems.

The collaboration will enable modeling of storage-related savings and energy dispatch scenarios, simplifying the planning and deployment of SolarLeaf set-ups.

Continue reading at ESS-news.com

Global grid optimization technology Heimdall Power will announce the appointment of 16-year Duke Energy executive Brita Osmundsvaag Formato as president of Heimdall Power Inc., the company’s new U.S.-based subsidiary. Following her 25-year career in the oil, gas, electricity and renewables industry–including at ExxonMobil–Osmundsvaag Formato will act as a liaison to major utilities as they look to Heimdall Power to significantly increase the transmission capacity of their aging grids. She joins as pressure to do so increases ahead of FERC’s upcoming 881 legislation in 2025.

Shiney.ai, which specializes in providing AI-driven solutions specifically tailored to each business to increase saIes efforts and improve the customer journey, added two new advisors to its board: Dirk Morbitzer and Antonio C. Cintra. Morbitzer brings a wealth of experience in the renewable energy markets, scaling companies, and the technology and AI sectors, while Cintra adds his deep expertise in business strategy and global market expansion.

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP announced that Bruce Grabow and Jennifer Brough joined the law firm as partners in the Energy, Infrastructure and Project Finance industry team and the Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental practice group. They were previously at Locke Lord LLP.

Kinematics, a specialist in intelligent motion solutions, is excited to announce the appointment of Kyle Zech as the new chief operating officer (COO) as of August 2024. Zech is the longest-serving member of the executive leadership team, and in his 13 years with Kinematics has been instrumental in helping the company grow through roles in account management, sales, commercial, product management, and more. In his new role, Zech will focus on developing a strategic vision for operations, delivering innovation in the company’s supply chain and factory performance.

Canada to impose 100% tariff on Chinese EVs The tax will apply to electric and certain hybrid passenger automobiles, trucks, buses, and delivery vans as well as fuel-cell vehicles. A 25% tariff will be applied to steel and aluminum from China.

Back to school on electric buses Operator First Student committed to deploying 30,000 EV school buses by 2035.

New process to recover silver from end-of-life solar cells achieves 98% efficiency  Scientists have used hydrometallurgical and electrochemical processes to recover pure silver from solar cells. The proposed technique also utilizes a method known as electrodeposition-redox replacement, which reportedly increases the silver recovery rate.

Clearway closes $550 million financing for solar-plus-storage project in Kern County The 140 MW solar and 472 MWh storage  project is expected to generate enough electricity to power 63,000 homes.

Construction begins at Arevon 192 MW solar project in Indiana Along with a 73 MW project, the two Pike County projects represent almost $400 million in investment.

Clearway Energy Group closed $550 million in construction financing and started construction on its Rosamond South I solar and storage project in Kern County, California.

The project is expected to become operational in 2025, and with 140 MW solar and 472 MWh in energy storage capacity, will generate enough electricity to power over 63,000 homes every year.

“Kern County has long served as a critical provider of our country’s energy,” said Brooks Friedeman, vice president of Capital Markets at Clearway. “We are pleased to invest in and help continue Kern County’s energy leadership through our Rosamond South solar and storage project, which will provide reliable and low-cost power when needed most.”

Rosamond South 1, which is referred to as Golden Fields Solar IV LLC by its off takers, is under long-term contracts with several California load-serving entities, including 15-year agreements with MCE, The University of California, Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility, Eastside Power Authority, and City of Moreno Valley.

The project consists of JA Solar modules, Nextracker trackers and the BESS is provided by Wartsila.

To finance the $550 million construction loan for the solar and storage projects, Clearway assembled a bank consortium consisting of Societe Generale, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited Siemens Financial Services, Commerzbank, CoBank, DNB Bank ASA, and Nord/LB.

Clearway said more than 400 union labor jobs will be created during construction, which is being led by EPC contractor McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. Labor partners included Laborers Union 220, Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, Operating Engineers Local 12, IBEW Local 428, Ironworkers Local 416 and Local 433.

The project will bring Clearway’s operating footprint in Kern County to over 1,500 MW of wind, solar, and energy storage, which together contribute over $20 million in property taxes to the county each year.

It’s back to school for many of the nation’s students. Big yellow school buses are back on the roads, and an increasing number of them are electric powered.

Cincinnati-based First Student, the largest operator of school bus fleets in the U.S. and Canada, said it plans to deploy 110 new electric school buses in 10 districts this year, bringing its total to 465. The company has received more than $400 million from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program and other federal and state programs for its deployments.

Kevin Matthews, head of electrification at First Student, said school bus fleets are excellent candidates for electric vehicles because of their operating patterns and schedules. The average routes are about 80 miles a day – 40 in the morning and 40 in the afternoon – which is well within the range of current technology, he said.

“As we look at the routes we operate today across our 45,000 units, we think we could easily accomplish 75% of these with electric school buses,” Matthews told pv magazine USA.

Last week, the company unveiled six electric school buses for the Steelton-Highspire School District in Pennsylvania that will be charged with a 1.7 MW solar array on the campus that also powers every school building in the district. First Student has a plan in place to deploy 30,000 electric school buses in North America by 2035.

According to Matthews, the overwhelming majority of electric buses his company fields are new builds rather than conversions from diesel-powered vehicles. Three legacy producers of full-size school buses in North America make electric versions: Bluebird; IC Bus, a division of Navistar; and Thomas, a division of Daimler. In addition, new companies dedicated to electric technology are entering the market, notably Quebec-based Lion Electric. Matthews said the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law in 2021 has motivated a lot of this investment in electric technology.

Most school districts contract out their school bus acquisition, maintenance and operations to specialized companies like First Student, which employs nearly 50,000 drivers. Matthews said when his company looks to bring electric vehicles into one of its school district operations, it evaluates 27 factors that bear on the district’s suitability. These factors include length of the routes, the operating temperatures, topography and others that might be considered traditional issues.

“But then we have to get to the cost of electricity and potential issues and logistics related to the installation of charging infrastructure,” he said. “The very first thing we do is contact the local utility. Part of the attractiveness or even the ability to do electric buses is dependent on the cooperation of a utility that has policies to help support that.”

A growing number of states are enacting policies that support the deployment of electric school buses. In New York, for example, Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced that an additional $200 million is being made available to school districts and bus operators for zero-emission school buses through the New York School Bus Incentive Program, which provides support for the purchase of electric buses, charging infrastructure, fleet electrification planning and utility coordination.

In California, school bus service provider Zum announced is deploying 75 electric vehicles to the Oakland Unified School District for the 2024 to 2025 school year, making it the first major district in the U.S. to transition to a 100% electrified student transportation system. Zum said Pacific Gas and Electric cooperated on the charging infrastructure, which involved 74 bi-directional EV chargers. The utility was able to provide 2.7 MW of load to Zum’s Oakland facility, allowing the project to be deployed one year ahead of schedule.

First Student’s Matthews said its electric school buses are proving to be very popular with all concerned, citing lower fuel and maintenance costs when compared to traditional diesel units.

“The drivers like them better,” he said. “The anecdotal evidence is growing that the students are better behaved because the bus is quieter. So, they’re not yelling just to talk. Admittedly, we do not have a peer-reviewed study on this, yet.”

The Government of Canada intends to implement a 100% surtax on all Chinese-made EVs, effective October 1, 2024. This includes electric and certain hybrid passenger automobiles, trucks, buses, and delivery vans as well as fuel-cell vehicles. This follows similar announcements by the U.S. and EU.

This surtax will apply in addition to the Most-Favored Nation import tariff of 6.1% that currently applies to EVs produced in China and imported into Canada.

The Canadian Government also announced plans to impose a 25% duty on Chinese steel and aluminum to be implemented October 15.

According to the announcement by Chrystia Freeland, deputy prime minister and minister of finance, the move aims to level the playing field for Canadian workers and allow Canada’s EV industry and steel and aluminum producers to compete in domestic, North American and global markets.

“We are transforming Canada’s automotive sector to be a global leader in building the vehicles of tomorrow, but actors like China have chosen to give themselves an unfair advantage in the global marketplace,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Since 2020, China has emerged as the largest manufacturer and exporter of EVs in the world, and its capacity continues to grow, as a result of policies such as extensive state subsidies and other non-market practices. In 2023, China’s annual EV exports totaled $47.2 billion, up from $0.2 billion in 2018.

According to a news release by Canada’s Department of Finance, the country’s auto manufacturing industry directly supports over 125,000 good-paying Canadian jobs, many of which are unionized. Similarly, Canada’s steel and aluminum sectors support over 130,000 jobs across the country.

“The auto supply chain in Canada supports nearly 550,000 direct and indirect jobs, and automotive is one of the country’s largest export industries,” said The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “That is why our government is committed to supporting a competitive and fair industry and to protecting Canadian jobs. This is about securing the fair, prosperous future Canadians deserve.”

In May, the U.S. said it would quadruple its tariffs on imports of Chinese EVs and certain hybrids to 100%. The EU followed with plans to impose duties of up to 36.3% on China-made EVs.

Existing California solar customers may get blindsided with net metering cuts  Customers that have invested in solar under NEM 1.0 and 2.0 may be forced into a regulatory scheme that would threaten their return on investment, based on guidance from the California Public Advocates office.

Meyer Burger cancels U.S. solar cell plant, announces restructuring Colorado Springs solar cell plant halted as Swiss-German PV manufacturer announces company restructuring plans. Planned capacity expansion at Arizona module production plant also put on hold. Existing cell production site in Thalheim, Germany, to remain part of Meyer Burger operations.

Major U.S. corporations embracing community solar The Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA) noted that household names such as Microsoft, Google, Walmart, Starbucks, Rivian, Wendy’s, and T-Mobile are just a few of the Fortune 500 companies that have signed agreements with community solar developers.

Automating solar PV perovskite material discovery U.S. researchers have applied robotics and automation to perovskite material discovery for use in tandem perovskite solar cell technologies. The robotic platform is multifunctional, able to mix precursors, perform spin coating, annealing and characterization of the optoelectronic thin films.

U.S. power grid adds 4.2 GW of battery storage in H1 Battery storage accounted for the second-largest share of newly operating generating capacity in the United States in the first half of 2024. If all planned additions come online, this year could see a record amount of battery storage capacity added to the grid, totaling 15 GW.

Sungrow to deliver 1 GWh of battery storage for Spearmint’s Texas projects U.S. battery storage developer and operator Spearmint is looking to expand it battery storage fleet in Texas, after commissioning its first project in the state earlier this year.

A state entity, the California Public Advocates Office (PAO), released a report suggesting that residents who have invested in rooftop solar should be force-shifted onto a regulatory scheme that would greatly diminish the value of their investments. 

The PAO released a fact sheet claiming that rooftop solar net metering will create an $8.6 billion cost for non-solar customers in the state, and that this number is increasing. As a result, it has advised that net energy metering (NEM) 1.0 and 2.0 customers are forced to shift to the far less advantageous NEM 3.0 rate structure.

The issue at hand is justified based on the “cost shift” problem, a claim backed by utilities that electric bill payers that do not have rooftop solar are subsidizing their solar-installed neighbors. By paying solar customers a retail rate for electricity exported to the grid from a rooftop solar array, utilities say they are incurring a cost that must be paid in the form of raised electric rates.

The California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA) released a factsheet in response to PAO, debunking PAO’s assumptions about the cost shift. Specifically, it rejects that self-generation of electricity poses a cost to utilities, rejects the assumption that grid infrastructure costs are fixed, and challenges the foundation of the Avoided Cost Calculator, which is used to set the rate for solar exports. More details can be found here.

“For years, the State of California has encouraged people to invest in rooftop solar for the benefit of all. As a result, two million consumers have invested $40 billion to collectively build 12 gas power plants-worth of clean energy. If California goes back on its word, it would not only anger millions of people, it would undermine the solar market going forward as well,” said CALSSA.

The PAO is an agency designed to be a voice for California residents, interacting with the Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on energy related regulatory issues. It has historically repeatedly released guidance that dovetails with the demands of the state’s three multi-billion-dollar private electric utilities. 

“This cost burden – commonly referred to as a cost shift – to non-rooftop solar customers of Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric has risen from $3.4 billion annually in 2021 to $8.5 billion annually by the end of 2024, and it will continue to grow in coming years,” said PAO.

This was the central argument that led to the passage of NEM 3.0, a regulatory structure which transitioned the state from paying lucrative retail rates for solar grid exports to “avoided cost” rates that are roughly 80% lower. The change led to a nosedive in installations in the state, dropping it out of the number one spot for installations for the first time in over a decade.

California has since suffered numerous solar installer bankruptcies and lost tens of thousands of jobs. Solar advocates have argued that while a full retail rate could not be paid forever, the move to NEM 3.0 was too steep of a cut. It’s an issue so contentious that ongoing litigation has brought the issue of NEM 3.0 to California Supreme Court.

For solar owners, PAO suggested the shift from NEM 1.0 and 2.0 to 3.0, also known as net billing tariff (NBT), would occur upon the sale of a home, or after 10 years of interconnection. Most homeowners signed a net metering agreement along with their 25 year loan or lease with the expectation that their agreement would span the life of the solar array. However, net metering agreements do not have any legally binding requirement to grandfather in existing customers for their system’s life.

The PAO also suggested that NEM 2.0 customers have their compensation rates frozen to the time in which they signed the agreement. Rather than being paid a retail rate that increases with the ever-rising electric utility rates, it would remain fixed, cutting down on the benefit of solar.

Silver linings?

However, NEM 3.0, while a shot to the hamstring for the solar industry, has come with some benefits. More than half of solar installations are now opting to include battery energy storage, up from 20% or less in 2023. This may provide critical for California’s clean energy transition, as the intermittent cycles of generation of solar do not match up directly with when power is being used.

This mismatch can be best described with a chart known as the “duck curve,” which shows the daily imbalance the California grid struggles with. Battery energy storage allows this duck curve to be smoothed out, delivering power when demand reaches a high point. This helps grid managers avoid building out inefficient natural gas “peaker” plants to serve those high-demand hours.

Vincent Ambrose, chief commercial officer, FranklinWH told pv magazine USA about the many ways batteries can help solar evolve and continue to serve California residents’ power demands.

“You can think of PV like a knife, it cuts one way, does one thing, and does it efficiently. It produces electricity,” said Ambrose. “When you take a look at an energy management system with a battery, now you’ve got a Swiss Army Knife. It serves all kinds of functions, whole-home backup, peak shaving, load management, even grid-interactive services.”

While batteries offer customers at home a lot more flexibility, those that were sold a solar array with no battery during NEM 1.0 and 2.0 may find themselves in a financially precarious position on their investment should the PAO’s suggestion become reality.

From ESS News

Sungrow USA Corporation, an arm of the Chinese inverter and energy storage heavyweight, has entered into an agreement with Miami-headquartered battery storage developer and operator Spearmint to deploy more than 1 GWh of energy storage capacity at projects in Texas through 2025.

The agreement between Spearmint and Sungrow follows their collaboration on Spearmint’s inaugural project, the 150 MW/300 MWh Revolution battery energy storage project in Crane, 30 miles south of Odessa in West Texas. Commissioned in early January, Revolution utilizes Sungrow’s PowerTitan Series storage system and includes 134 battery containers holding 6,432 battery modules.

Spearmint has not specified which projects will be covered the by the new supply deal. Presently, the company has more than 20 projects, totaling over 10 GWh of capacity, under development in more than 10 states across four US regions.

“Spearmint’s latest projects will leverage Sungrow’s integrated platform and allow us to quickly deploy new storage capacity to meet the growing need for the reliable, low-cost energy that powers the Texas economy while creating new jobs and additional tax revenue for local communities,” said Peter Rood, Chief Development Officer of Spearmint.

The developer opted again for Sungrow’s latest liquid-cooled PowerTitan 2.0. Spearmint said the system includes an easily scalable design and enhanced fire suppression features and can maintain top performance in harsh environments – including high-humidity areas, dusty deserts, or high elevations – while reducing auxiliary power consumption.

The GWh-scale supply deals in the energy storage space are becoming a norm. Earlier this year, Sungrow landed a massive 7.8 GWh deal with Saudi Arabia’s investment group Algihaz Holding to deliver its PowerTitan technology across three projects.

Only a couple of days later, Tesla announced a nearly two times bigger order from developer Intersect Power. The deal amounted to 15.3 GWh, equating to around 165% of the total battery energy storage systems deployed in Q2 2024, which saw the highest quarterly deployment in the company’s history to date.

The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) has approved the Scioto Ridge Solar Project, a 110 MWac solar power facility coupled with 20 MW of energy storage. The project is located in the Lynn, McDonald, and Taylor Creek townships in Hardin County.

The project will occupy 822 acres of land within parcels totaling 2,029 acres. The facility will be built within the footprint of the existing Scioto Ridge Wind Farm, allowing project owner RWE Clean Energy LLC (RWE) to reuse existing infrastructure, such as the substation. A 40-year land lease agreement has been signed for the project.

Source: RWE – OPSB Agricultural Land Map

The OPSB approved the facility after the developers agreed to 45 conditions designed to “minimize and mitigate potential impacts” during construction and facility operations. These conditions include agricultural-style perimeter fencing; setbacks of 150 feet from roadways, 50 feet from non-participating property boundaries, 300 feet from non-participating homes, and 541 feet from wind turbines, as well as a decommissioning bond.

The 541-foot setback from the wind turbines is intended to mitigate the risk of turbine blades, which reach just over 500 feet in height, damaging solar hardware in the event of an unscheduled disassembly. The project managers submitted a total decommissioning cost estimate of $5,114,463 for the solar facility and an additional $457,958 to decommission the battery energy storage system (BESS).

The full project documentation is available on the OPSB website.

Because the facility will use existing electrical infrastructure, substation upgrade costs are estimated at only $2.7 million, provided the energy storage and solar facility are constructed and activated simultaneously.

Key tasks include installing a new 345 kV circuit breaker, extending one span of the 345 kV transmission line, installing new revenue metering gear, and connecting a fiber line directly to the Gunn Road Substation.

RWE projects the facility will generate $990,000 annually in local revenue, totaling just under $40 million over its 40-year lifetime, based on a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) of $9,000 per megawatt. The Kenton Community School District will receive approximately $330,000 annually, and the Ben Logan Community School District will receive approximately $123,000 annually.

No hardware has been officially purchased for the solar power project, but various engineering drawings have specified components. It is anticipated that RWE will install an 80-hour lithium iron phosphate model LG 0.25CP JH4 DC-Link Solution battery, or a similar product. The current design includes 263,800 JA Solar AM72D30-545W modules, totaling 143 MWdc of capacity. The project is required to use solar panels that pass the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) testing, regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to ensure they are not hazardous to people or the environment.

The specified inverters are Sungrow 4400UD units, which measure approximately 19.9 feet wide by 9.5 feet tall and 8 feet deep. Nextracker NX Horizon and NX Horizon XTR trackers are currently specified.

The facility is projected to generate 243,244 MWh of electricity annually, resulting in an estimated 24.5% capacity factor.

Community solar has recently taken off, surpassing 7 GW of installed capacity in the U.S. and analyst firm, Wood Mackenzie, expects community solar installed capacity to essentially double in five years.

Community solar typically involves a customer subscribing to a portion of an off-site solar project’s generating capacity, receiving credits on their utility bills for the electricity produced by the facility. The Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA) noted that household names such as Microsoft, Google, Walmart, Starbucks, Rivian, Wendy’s, and T-Mobile are just a few of the Fortune 500 companies that have signed agreements with community solar developers.

Corporations are signing onto community solar for several reasons, the first of which is that they are looking to meet their clean energy and sustainability goals. Distributed energy projects, like community solar, are smaller projects that are located on the distribution side of the energy grid and are generally up and running much faster than utility-scale projects. Furthermore, many community solar projects have an environmental justice component, often bringing lower-cost energy to low-income residents and supporting this cause support corporations’ ESG goals.

While the companies can invest in many types of clean energy projects and receive renewable energy certificates (RECs) that help them meet sustainability goals, yet companies increasingly want to give back to their communities beyond just buying clean energy.

For example, Microsoft and Pivot Energy announced a five-year partnership to develop up to 500 MW of community-scale solar projects, which will produce more than 1 billion kWh of electricity annually, starting in 2025. The agreement is Pivot’s largest REC agreement to date. It also marks Microsoft’s first major distributed generation portfolio investment. Microsoft will purchase RECs generated by the projects for a 20-year term.

Microsoft, which has over 200 data centers worldwide, reports that it has a goal of covering 100% of those energy needs with renewable energy production by 2025, plans to be carbon negative by 2030 and says that by 2050 it will “remove our historical emissions since our founding in 1975.” In its 2022 Solar Means Business report, the Solar Energy Industries Association ranked Microsoft fifth on the list of corporate buyers of solar energy, joining Meta, Apple, Amazon and Walmart as leaders.

“An economy fueled by clean, distributed energy can do more than provide power at low cost; it drives growth and success in communities across the nation. This [collaboration] helps to build more inclusive, local economic growth across 100 communities while addressing the sustainability needs and opportunities within those communities,” said Adrian Anderson, GM, Renewables, Carbon Free Energy, CDR, Microsoft in its announcement with Pivot Energy.

Walmart also recently announced a partnership with Pivot Energy to invest in 19 solar projects in development across the U.S., including 15 community solar projects. The tax equity investment will support the construction, operation, and maintenance of solar projects in Illinois, Colorado, Maryland, Delaware, and California.

The investment from Walmart will facilitate 72 MW of community solar projects, 41 MW of which are located in Colorado and designed to serve low- and moderate-income homes. The community solar projects are expected to be completed in 2024 and 2025, serving an estimated 7,000 households and creating an estimated $6 million in annual savings for subscribers to the projects.

In March Walmart also extended and expanded upon its 2021 agreement with Nexamp, to create 26 community solar projects across six states that will produce enough electricity to support community solar subscriptions for  about 13,000 residential households in the U.S. annually and enable approximately $8 million in annual bill savings.

In June, Ampion announced that Wendy’s will source between 30% and 100% of its energy from solar without the need to install solar panels onsite. Wendy’s plans to increase the number of restaurants enrolled in Ampion’s community solar program as additional solar generation capacity comes online and more franchise restaurants enroll in the program.

Last year, Wendy’s set near-term science-based targets to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 47%, and Scope 3 emissions from franchisees by 47% per restaurant by 2030, from a 2019 baseline.Through Ampion, Wendy’s locations have enrolled approximately 27.5 million kWh in community solar or the equivalent electricity needed for 2,200 homes for one year. Each kilowatt hour will be accounted for, tracked, and assigned ownership to a specific restaurant location via RECs through the Ampion+ product.

“We are excited about the opportunity this partnership provides our Company and franchise restaurant operators by making it easier and more accessible to source clean energy while ultimately realizing cost savings,” said Steven Derwoed, vice president, global design & construction at Wendy’s. “We are advancing progress toward our emissions reduction goals through community solar participation and RECs. It’s a win-win for the Company and our franchisees.”

In July, Starbucks and Nexamp agreed to 40 MW of community solar projects in Illinois in which Starbucks will receive a portion of the renewable energy credits, with the remaining capacity of each project being allocated to over 1,100 residents and small businesses throughout the area. Rivian and Pivot also recently agreed to partner on community solar projects in Illinois, in which each MWac purchased also includes a $5,000 donation to locally sited community development organizations.

“Community solar gives companies, both large and small, the versatility to structure their participation in innovative ways to meet their business needs,” said Jeff Cramer, CEO of the CCSA. “While mom and pop stores are an important contingent of community solar subscribers, we’re now seeing some of the world’s largest corporations invest in community solar and other distributed generation projects — driving local clean energy and enabling much needed bill savings to communities most in need. The buy-in to community solar is now vast and varied, coming from the Department of Energy, Fortune 500 companies, and state legislatures across the country.”

Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia have policies in place that permit third-party, competitive community solar development, while multiple states are advancing legislation to enable new programs.

From pv magazine Global

Meyer Burger has canceled plans to open a 2 GW solar cell manufacturing facility in the United States. In a statement, the Swiss-German PV manufacturer said construction of the plant at Colorado Springs is no longer financially viable.

The board of directors has also instructed company management to draw up a comprehensive restructuring and cost-cutting program for the business. A planned 0.7 GW expansion of Meyer Burger’s 1.4 GW module production plant in Goodyear, Arizona, has also been put on hold.  

The decision means Meyer Burger’s existing cell production site in Thalheim, Germany, will continue to form the backbone of the company’s solar cell supply, according to the manufacturer – a reversal on previous plans. Meyer Burger said cells produced at Thalheim represent the most economical option in the current market conditions. 

The manufacturer had sought a debt financing package backed by the monetization of tax credits available through the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Regulations in the United States allow an additional 10% bonus investment tax for U.S. solar projects. Announcing the Colorado production facility in July 2023, Meyer Burger said it planned to monetize up to $1.4 billion in tax credits from the start of production in 2024 until the end of 2032.

In the restructuring announcement, it said it will continue to seek debt financing on a reduced scale by monetizing the tax credits available to its US module production facility. It added its financing requirements will be “significantly lower” due to halting the Colorado Springs plant.  

In addition to announcing a “comprehensive” restructuring and cost-cutting program, Meyer Burger has postponed publication of its half-year financial result, previously announced for Sept. 16, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2024. The company said it could potentially postpone to an even later date, subject to regulatory approval.

Personnel changes are also expected at board level. Mark Kerekes has stepped down from the board of directors, with the company stating that its realignment will require a “new composition” of the board of directors.  

“We would like to thank Mark Kerekes for his very constructive cooperation and significant contributions during his membership of the board of directors,” said Franz Richter, chairman of the board of directors of Meyer Burger. 

Nevados trackers to qualify as domestic content in 2025 Nevados reports that now taking orders for its domestic content All Terrain Trackers that it says will fully comply with both Treasury’s new elective safe harbor and pre-existing direct cost requirements, helping developers qualify for a 10% domestic content tax credit, which is in addition to the 30% base investment tax credit.

Novel blockchain-based virtual utility for P2P PV trading Researchers from Canada’s Western University have developed an open-source, blockchain-based virtual utility for peer-to-peer (P2P) solar trading, using smart contracts to save up to $1,600 (US dollars) for 10 homes in simulated scenarios.

Global polysilicon prices stable amid steady fundamentals 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.

TMEIC announces 9 GW utility-scale solar inverter factory in Texas The Japan-headquartered manufacturer plans a 144,000 square foot U.S. facility.

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.

12 GW of utility-scale solar deployed in first half of 2024, doubling 2023 

The Energy Information Administration reports that 20.2 GW of electricity generation capacity was deployed in the U.S. in the first half of 2024, with solar energy leading and energy storage also seeing significant deployments. Fossil fuel retirements exceeded new fossil constructions more than tenfold.

Google invests in 800 MW solar project in Illinois

The Double Black Diamond Solar project may be the largest solar installation east of the Mississippi when complete in 2025.

U.S. module manufacturers seek “critical” retroactive tariffs

Led by First Solar and Hanwha Q Cells, U.S. solar module manufacturers have filed allegations with the Commerce Department, citing “critical circumstances” and suggesting increased module imports due to their previous lawsuit filings.

Most states with renewables targets are meeting them

Nearly all states with a renewable portfolio standard have met or nearly met their current standard. Four states have yet to meet their solar carve-out requirements.

We must onshore the supply chain

With the introduction of the American Tax Dollars for American Solar Manufacturing Act earlier this month, senators are trying to close this work-around and put American manufacturing back on a level playing field.

TMEIC Corporation Americas announced it will relocate its headquarters to Houston, Texas in March 2025. The headquarters move will coincide with the establishment of a new 144,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Brookshire, Texas.

TMEIC will manufacture utility-scale solar inverters at the facility. The company said the site is large enough to scale up to an annual production capacity of 9 GW of inverters and will scale based on demand.

The company has over 50 GW of its product installed and operational worldwide, with 28 GW installed in North America alone.

TMEIC is moving its headquarters from Roanoke, Virginia to Texas for the site expansion. TMEIC will maintain its office in Roanoke, Virginia, remaining devoted to designing, developing, and engineering advanced automation systems, large AC motors, and variable frequency drive systems for various industrial sectors worldwide.

The new Texas facility expansion is expected to create up to 300 local full-time jobs.

The Brookshire, Texas facility is scheduled to commence operations in October 2024. The facility will be situated near TMEIC’s existing uninterruptible power supply and medium voltage drive manufacturing plant in Katy, Texas. 

“This strategic expansion underscores TMEIC’s dedication to the renewable energy industry, advancing clean energy technology, maintaining strong client relationships, and competing on a global basis while proudly manufacturing in the United States,” said Manmeet S. Bhatia, president and chief executive officer, TMEIC Corporation Americas.

TMEIC manufactures centralized PV inverters ranging from 600 V to 1500 V.

TMEIC joins a small but growing number of solar inverter makers who are manufacturing in the U.S., thus filling what has long been a void in the U.S. solar supply chain.

Nevados announced that its all-terrain solar solar trackers will qualify for domestic content with delivery by Q2 2025.

Nevados is known for its All Terrain Tracker, a single-axis tracker that is designed to fit undulating terrain by integrating the driveline and articulating capability into the same components. Last November the 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 torque tubes, structural fasteners, controllers, and rails from American-made steel at its 23-acre factory and expects to expand as a result.

“Nevados was already working on a domestic supply chain before the inflation Reduction Act. We had set the groundwork before the IRA was released,” said Scott Troy, vice president of operations & global supply chain at Nevados. “Our partnership with Priefert has allowed more reliable production, shorter shipping times, and a lower overall carbon footprint for our customers.”

Domestic content enables developers to qualify for the 10% additional tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. According to guidance released in May by the U.S. Treasury and Internal Revenue Service, to receive the bonus, all manufacturing processes for steel and iron components and 40% of manufactured products must take place in the United States..

Nevados reports that its domestic content trackers will fully comply with both Treasury’s new elective safe harbor and pre-existing direct cost requirements, helping developers qualify for a 10% domestic content tax credit, which is in addition to the 30% base investment tax credit.

“We’ve found partners who believe in the same things that we do. We have helped our customers get the details they need to file,” said Yezin Taha, CEO and founder of Nevados. “As a result we’re proud to be able to launch an American-made solar tracker so early, and we have an industry-leading product.”

By the close of 2024, Nevados reports that it will have shipped enough trackers to supply more than a gigawatt of solar generating capacity in the U.S., of 1.3 GW total contracted with client partners such as Ampliform, 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 company plans to begin taking orders for domestic content trackers in Q4 2024 and to ship them by Q2 2025. For developers not seeking domestic content incentives, Nevados will continue to offer non-domestic supplies.

Terrasmart trackers now with hail stow feature Terrasmart reports that the hail mitigation system uses cloud-based monitoring to automatically trigger optimum stow position to protect solar assets without requiring operator intervention.

Report shows U.S. states and utilities easing into EVs The number and scope of electric vehicle regulations and charging incentives are increasing.

Utilities plan hydrogen power projects that crowd out renewables Several utilities have proposed hydrogen-capable generating units in their resource plans, a research center reports. But hydrogen projects face hurdles such that they “may not work” and conflict with renewables, another research group says.

The impact of semi-transparent solar modules on agrivoltaics yield Researchers have conducted a field study across two growing seasons, growing different kinds of vegetables under three types of modules with 40%, 5%, and 0% transparency. Their work is the first replicated research experiment that evaluates module transparency in an irrigated vegetable field setting.

New research finds solar module anti-reflective coatings may reduce LCOE by over 2% Researchers in Morocco have examined the effects of an anti-reflective coating on solar panel performance under desert conditions and have found that it enhanced both the annual performance ratio and the energy yield by 2% and 5.5%, respectively. They have also found it to be durable and able to withstand dry cleaning methods under accelerated testing.

Canadian Solar drops 15% post Q2 earnings report The solar company logged $1.64 billion in revenue, down from $2.36 billion in the previous year’s Q2.

Canadian Solar (Nasdaq: CSIQ), a global provider of solar modules, energy storage, and other clean energy components and solutions, announced its Q2 2024 earnings

The company posted $1.64 billion in revenues, roughly coming in line with Wall Street expectations. However, revenues are down from $2.36 billion in Q2 2023, and the company’s share price declin.ed about 15% in the trading session following the earnings report.

Canadian Solar attributed the decline in revenues to sharply falling global solar module prices.

Total module shipments recognized as revenues in the second quarter of 2024 were 8.2 GW, up 30% quarter-over-quarter and remained consistent year-over-year. Of the total, 135 MW were shipped to the company’s own utility-scale solar power projects.

“Today, we have reached an optimal scale—large enough to maintain a highly competitive cost structure yet lean enough to adapt swiftly to changes in industry dynamics,” said Dr. Shawn Qu, chairman and chief executive officer, Canadian Solar.

Shares fell as Canadian Solar forecast third quarter revenues of $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion, significantly lower than Wall Street expectations of $2.22 billion. The company now guides $6.5 billion to $7.5 billion for full year revenues, falling short of analyst estimates of $7.66 billion.

The company recorded 17.2% gross margin, in line with guidance of 16% to 18%. Its e-STORAGE order backlog grew to $2.6 billion, backed by a record 66 GWh of pipeline, as of June 30, 2024.

Its solar project development arm Recurrent Energy expanded its total development pipeline to 27 GW of solar and 63 GWh of battery energy storage, as of June 30, 2024. The company also achieved initial closing of BlackRock’s investment in Recurrent Energy, representing the majority of the planned $500 million capital infusion. During the quarter, the company also announced a $200 million private placement of secured convertible notes with PAG.

“In our module business, we continue to apply a disciplined approach to operations, from strategic capacity investments to stringent order management. At the same time, we are positioning ourselves for sustainable medium- and long-term growth through our energy storage business, e-STORAGE, and global project development platform, Recurrent Energy,” said Qu.

The company said Recurrent Energy will continue to increase leverage in the near-term to support its transition to a partial independent power producer (IPP) model. As of June 30, 2024, Recurrent Energy’s total solar project development pipeline was 27.4 GW, including 1.7 GW under construction, 4.8 GW of backlog, and 20.9 GW of projects in advanced and early-stage pipelines.

“While we continue to navigate challenging market conditions, our focus remains on sustainable, profitable growth. We are beginning to see signs of market rationalization, as module pricing and input costs reach record lows. In line with our commitment to strategic future planning, we are adjusting certain capacity investments to ensure a resilient financial profile. We anticipate stabilization in the second half of the year,” said Qu.

A report on state government- and utility-driven initiatives affecting electric vehicles (including hybrids) shows the majority of such efforts continue to focus on rebates and incentives for consumers and commercial fleet operators to acquire them. However, regulations and actions to modify electricity rates relating to EVs and develop charging infrastructure are also moving forward.

The Q2 2024 edition of “50 States of Electric Vehicles” published by the NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) at North Carolina State University said a total of 561 EV actions were taken during the timeline of the report. In 2024, as of early August, 29 states have enacted legislation related to transportation electrification. Massachusetts, New York, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Minnesota, Michigan and Hawaii were the most active in this regard, the report said.While the report shows that governments continue to invest heavily in creating markets and incentives for growing EV numbers, certain trends are showing the effects of these vehicles in the real world. For example, more states are imposing additional registration fees for electric vehicle owners, with most U.S. states now having such fees in effect. Also, a growing number of states are opting to adopt per-kWh fees for electric vehicle charging.

The publicly available executive summary of the $500 report did not identify a cause for these actions; however, it’s no secret that states imposes such charges in order to recoup gas taxes lost from non-hybrid EVs bypassing gas pumps.

The report also shows the growing footprint of EVs on the nation’s electricity grids. Utilities are developing charging programs to manage the EV charging load. The report cites NV Energy’s proposed charging programs as part of its latest transportation electrification plan as well as Xcel Energy’s request for a new active managed charging program in New Mexico. Actions of other utilities proposing to offer EV owners incentives to divert charging to during off-peak hours.

More importantly, a growing number of utilities are filing expansive transportation electrification plans on a routine schedule, the report said, with several states now requiring this.

“As the adoption of electric vehicles continues to grow, so too does the EV focused utility offerings, with an increased focus on active managed charging programs,” Emily Apadula, policy analyst at NCCETC, said in a statement. “These programs allow the utility to directly control a customer’s charging load in order to remotely optimize charging times and reduce stress on the grid.”

Terrasmart announced the release of a new hail stow feature for its single-axis tracker,TerraTrak.

The risk of damage to solar plants from hail storms has increased with the frequency of extreme weather evens. Over the past five years, hail damage has caused more than 50% of total insured project losses, said hail risk expert VDE. Though infrequent, these events can produce record losses. In 2022, hail losses exceeded $300 million in Texas alone. Forty-year financial exposure models from engineering firm VDE Americas suggest that hail events could result in up to $13 million in damage at 0° tilt, compared to only $620,000 at 60°.

Terrasmart’s new hail stow capability mitigates that risk with its PeakYield, cloud-based tracker control and monitoring software platform. Terrasmart reports that the hail mitigation system automatically triggers optimum stow position to protect solar assets without requiring operator intervention.

Available for both 1P and 2P trackers, the hail stow solution adds to Terrasmart’s racking portfolio. The portfolio offers both ground screw and driven piles, designed to perform in the most extreme terrain and weather conditions.

“Project de-risking has, and continues to be, our most significant contribution to the solar industry,” says Terrasmart president Ed McKiernan. “Our new hail stow feature adds to our existing array of foundation and racking products that bring unique reliability to unreliable sites.”

Terrasmart outlines the following advantages of its hail stow feature:

• Automatic stow feature puts trackers into safe position without requiring operator intervention, reducing potential lapses from human factors
• High-tilt stow angle accounts for both wind and hail conditions, eliminating contradicting positions and ensuring a safe tracker position (+/- 50° for 1P and +/- 60° for 2P)
• Real-time, cloud-based weather forecast triggers activate based on industry-leading data from Accuweather
• Auto-stow feature activates 60 minutes before a weather event but timing can be customized to meet owner requirements
• Stow function does not require installing additional hardware or calibration over time

“Our motto at Terrasmart is to stow early and stow often,” says Ashton Vandermark, Terrasmart’s software solutions lead. “We are adamant about automatically triggering hail protection to avoid instances where manual intervention has not occurred during storms. We are excited about this latest addition to PeakYield’s cloud-based functionality and machine-learning intelligence to protect assets.”

Terrasmart, owned by Gibraltar Industries, has more than 25 GWs of solar deployed across 6,000 PV systems.

Terrasmart’s software team will be at RE+ in Anaheim September 10 to 12 in booth #D30011 to give live demos of PeakYield as well as discuss hail stow and other TerraTrak features.

People on the move: Mayfield Renewables, First Solar, Meteomatics Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

Net metering hangs in the balance in New Hampshire A group of interested parties, including the state’s utilities and the Granite State Hydropower Association, agreed on a settlement that calls for the rate to stay the same for two years.

Northvolt closes Cuberg’s ops, shifts lithium-metal battery R&D to Sweden Three years after acquiring U.S.-based Cuberg, Swedish battery maker Northvolt has decided to shut down the California unit and move future lithium-metal battery R&D to Sweden.

PV module cooling tech based on single-channel containing nanofluids Scientists in Mexico have conceived a new solar module cooling tech that can reportedly improve PV power generation by up to 2%. The system uses nanofluids embedded in an aluminum single-channel attached to the back of the panel.

GM signs agreement to match assembly plant power demand with solar The automaker entered a 15-year, 180 MW solar power purchase agreement (PPA).

While the PUC will ultimately rule on net metering, a group of interested parties—including the state’s utilities and the Granite State Hydropower Association—agreed on a settlement that calls for the rate to stay the same for two years.

The settlement also calls for the electric utilities to file a NEM time-of-use rate two years from the approval of what they’re calling NEM 2.1. In response to claims that NEM shifts costs to non-solar ratepayers, the settlement calls for the utilities to impose application fees for net metered projects to reduce the administrative costs borne by non-net-metering customers. Fees suggested range from $200 to $1,000 per project.

The state’s leading clean energy advocacy group, Clean Energy NH, has sent a rallying cry in support of the settlement. Executive director, Sam Evans-Brown told pv magazine USA that he’s hopeful that the commissioners won’t cut the current compensation rate, but he said “we have seen with this commission that they are hostile to certain types of utility programs. This was most evident in their order in the Energy Efficiency docket from 2020, which was overturned unanimously on a bipartisan basis by New Hampshire lawmakers.”

Much evidence has been entered into the record for Docket 22-060, yet Evans-Brown said in the past, the order in the previous docket was not based on any evidence that was entered into the record, so Clean Energy NH is afraid that history may repeat itself.

The history of net metering in New Hampshire goes back to 1998 when NEM, a policy that provides credit to rate payers on utility bills for the amount of solar energy sent to the grid, was first enacted in New Hampshire. At the time it supported both solar generation as well as small-scale hydropower and it provided net credits at the retail rate which was 17 cents per kWh.

In 2017 NH’s NEM was cut to around 14.7 cents per kWh for small (<100 kW) systems and 10 cents per kWh for large projects compared to between 13 and 25 cents per kWh in Maine, and about 16 cents per kWh in Vermont.

Source: Clean Energy NH

While the net metering rate has been low in NH, the cost of electricity is high. New Hampshire currently has the 8^th highest electricity rate in the country, averaging 23.1 cents per kWh.

Furthermore, while solar would ease this cost burden for many ratepayers, the state is not known as a solar energy powerhouse. The state currently gets 1.94% of its electricity from solar, compared to neighboring Massachusetts that gets 23.75% of its electricity from the sun. NH and is ranked 41^st in the nation according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. That rank is expected to drop to 45^th over the next five years.

If the NH PUC chooses to reduce or eliminate net metering in New Hampshire, solar in the state may be affected. pv magazine USA spoke with Dan Weeks, vice president at ReVision Energy, New Hampshire’s largest solar installer. Weeks said that net metering has been “the critical foundation for thousands of families, plus housing authorities, nonprofits, businesses, and towns to go solar and get at least a portion of the value that they provide to the grid back in net metering credits.”

Weeks noted that right now net metering in NH is good through 2040, which is only 15 years away. With 20 years being the “minimum accepted duration for investing in projects,” he said ReVision is hoping the PUC leaves net metering in tact and extends the duration.

“We think that’s a very modest task,” said Weeks. “And the fact that all of the regulated utilities, as well as the consumer advocates, plus industry and environmentalists are in alignment should make it an easy decision for the PUC commissioners. But we’re also reading the signals showing that they could go in a very drastic direction, and that concerns us very much.”

California’s current solar conundrum is an example of what could happen to New Hampshire’s solar market. The updated net metering rule that was implemented in April 2023, called NEM 3.0, cut compensation for exported rooftop solar generation by roughly 80%. Since then interconnection queues show an 80% drop in installation applications. The California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA) reported that nearly 17,000 rooftop solar jobs, about 22% of the workforce, were lost this year as a result. Solar Insure, which backs many installation companies in the state, told pv magazine USA that its data shows 75% of solar installers are now in the “high risk” category following CPUC’s decision to implement NEM 3.0, with SunPower being the most notable bankruptcy among many.

Comments on the potential rate change can be emailed to ClerksOffice@puc.nh.gov. Clean Energy NH advises that comments be sent by August 30, 2024.

D.R. Horton, among the largest new home builders in the United States, announced it has selected Streetleaf as a national vendor. 

In the agreement, Streetleaf will provide its solar-powered streetlamps to D.R. Horton for its new construction communities. 

Streetleaf’s latest streetlamp includes a 21% efficiency solar panel, 220W high-efficiency LED lights, and an NiMH battery. The resilient structure can withstand temperatures up to 158 degrees F and winds of 160 mph. It an be installed at heights 15 to 25 feet and is available in black or white.

“Any housing project being developed without solar-powered streetlights is a missed opportunity for the future of that community,” stated Liam Ryan, chief executive officer of Streetleaf. “The demand for sustainable living solutions is growing exponentially and our streetlights are attracting the attention of potential homebuyers.” 

D.R. Horton already installs smart home technology in every home it builds. Now the company is incorporating smart neighborhood solutions, including solar-powered streetlights from Streetleaf. 

“Sustainable infrastructure is highly attractive to homeowners, and the added peace of mind that comes with knowing the lights are designed to remain operational even during many extreme weather events like hurricanes is equally important,” said Brad Conlon, senior vice president, business development, D.R. Horton. 

Over 7,300 Streetleaf streetlights have already been installed in more than 100 projects across the U.S. This has led to an estimated 2.6 million pounds of CO2 savings compared to traditional streetlights, said the company. 

Mayfield Renewables announced that Jacob Betcher has been appointed as its new chief executive officer (CEO), effective immediately. Betcher is an accomplished engineering professional and proven business leader having been an engineering manager at Generac Power Systems and COO at Apricity.

First Solar announced that Brian Willis is the new manager, corporate communications & external relations. Will was previously director of communications at Pioneer Public Affairs and at Zero Emission Transportation Association.

Meteomatics, the weather intelligence and technology company , is expanding work with U.S. energy companies and investors with the appointments of Durjoy Mazumdar as North America’s head of sales and Chris Hyde as senior sales manager for North America. Mazumdar and Hyde will lead Meteomatics’ continued expansion into the U.S. energy market, as it equips companies and investors with hyperlocal weather intelligence to predict energy demand and consumption in real-time.

ThinkLabs AI, Inc., a startup focused on developing technology to help enhance electric grid planning and operations through a combination of intelligent automation and AI, announced the appointment of five new senior team members:

As the chief technology officer at Thinklabs AI, Neal Vali drives the company’s overall technology strategy and vision. Prior to Thinklabs AI, Neal was the Head of Data and ML Engineering at GE Vernova, where he played a pivotal role in redefining Grid Orchestration using cloud-native solutions.

Gang Zheng, director of research and development at ThinkLabs, worked as the director of autonomous grid orchestration and senior manager of WAMS at GE. There, he led a software development and delivery team across the U.S. and Canada, focusing on product development, project delivery, and user support. His team successfully delivered key projects such as real-time distribution system state estimation, distribution model validation, and an oscillation source location system for power grids.

Chaitanya Baone, head of product at ThinkLabs brings over 12 years of experience in power and energy management products across T&D grid planning and operations, microgrids, EV smart charging and energy storage optimization. Baone has a proven track record of driving growth through innovation and has held leadership roles in R&D, engineering and product management organizations across GE, Eaton, Rivian and Itron.

Surendranath (Suren) Vallabhajosyula is the head of machine learning & data engineering at ThinkLabs. In this role, he is responsible for defining and building the company’s machine learning platform, overseeing application design, architecture, security practices, and infrastructure for multi-cloud data and machine learning applications. Before joining ThinkLabs, Suren served as the senior director of architecture and data platforms at Toyota Financial Services (TFS). There, he spearheaded the development of a secure, scalable, multi-tenant global data platform to support various data and machine learning initiatives.

Before becoming the Head of Finance at ThinkLabs AI, Vimali Pathmanathan, CPA, CA worked for GE Vernova and Opus One Solutions (acquired by GE Vernova in 2022) for seven years. She held key roles as controller and director of finance, playing a pivotal role in financing and acquisition activities.

From pv magazine ESS News

Middle-market infrastructure investment firm Nova Infrastructure announced it has completed its purchase of UGE International, a solar and energy storage developer and operator.

The acquisition includes Nova purchasing approximately 70% of UGE’s shares. The company is publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange.

UGE is a solar operator and developer of rooftop and ground mount commercial, industrial and community solar energy solutions. Founded in 2010, UGE develops, builds, finances, owns and operates solar and battery storage projects in New York, New Jersey, Maine, California, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Texas, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia and Massachusetts.

The company has delivered over 500 MW of projects and currently has a portfolio of more than 12 operating and 81 advanced backlog projects in 11 states. UGE is a community solar and battery storage platform with a vertically integrated business model and a diversified project portfolio.

“Nova committed acquisition capital as well as growth capital to support the expansion of the UGE platform and installed MW,” shared Allison Kingsley, co-founder and partner at Nova.

NOVA was advised in this transaction by Blank Rome LLP and Bennett Jones LLP, and UGE was advised by Mintz LLP and CP LLP.

California advances flexible demand that can absorb renewable power  With flexible demand appliance standards for pool controls set to take effect in California next year, the state is now developing standards for electric storage water heaters, to be followed by standards for five more types of appliances.

PV systems can now support grid as fossil fuels decline A new report by the International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaics  Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS) says that existing PV systems have the technical capabilities to provide various frequency-related grid services.

Google invests in 800 MW solar project in Illinois The Double Black Diamond Solar project may be the largest solar installation east of the Mississippi when complete in 2025.

The Hydrogen Stream: U.S. companies, institutions present hydrogen plans As the hydrogen project in Appalachia moves on, American Airlines confirms its commitment to hydrogen aircrafts. Meanwhile, a Scottish distillery might soon run on hydrogen for whisky production.

Startup Enteligent secures $6 million to scale solar EV charging The company offers a DC-to-DC electric bidirectional electric vehicle charger that allows EVs to charge directly from solar panels without the need to convert to AC.

Natron Energy announces $1.4 billion sodium ion battery factory in North Carolina The company will open a 24 GW annual production facility, creating over 1,000 jobs.

Enteligent, a startup offering solar-powered DC-to-DC chargers for electric vehicles, announced it has raised $6 million in capital from investors to scale commercialization of its products.

The recent funds bring Enteligent’s capital raise to $19 million since 2021. The funding round was led by Taronga Ventures, a global technology investor in real estate and infrastructure.

Funds will primarily be used to scale commercialization of the company’s DC-based solar optimization solutions. This includes the company’s signature technology, the TLCEV DC-to-DC bidirectional electric vehicle charger. Enteligent said its product is the first EV charger to be powered directly by DC-source electricity.

The startup has already secured orders for its technology. The company is supplying its long-dwell-time 25kW DC-to-DC EV charger to a large logistics company to power its newly electrified delivery fleet.

Enteligent said that traditional fleet charging infrastructure uses AC Level 2 chargers that require significant engineering planning, long permitting wait times, and high costs. Furthermore, AC charging relies on the vehicle’s onboard AC/DC converter to charge its DC battery, which wastes 10% to 20% of the energy through conversion losses and is often limited to charge rates of 9.6 kW or less.

The company said its direct DC product leans on the inherent efficiency and reliability of DC technology. It avoids the energy conversion losses and equipment costs associated with converting solar energy from DC to AC and back again, which reduces overall expenses and makes clean energy more effective and affordable.

Entligent also manufactures solar rapid shutdown devices, module level power electronics, and other solar balance of systems components.

“Enteligent’s technology sets a new standard in maximizing solar energy efficiency,” said Jonathan Hannam, managing partner at Taronga Ventures. “Their holistic approach to solar power optimization offers practical solutions with real-world applications that meet the needs of global real asset owners and operators. Together, we can significantly advance decarbonization efforts for real assets.”

Swift Current Energy reported that it has closed on a tax equity investment from Google for its 800 MWdc Double Black Diamond Solar project in southern Illinois. The amount of funding by Google was not disclosed, but previous reporting by pv magazine USA stated that over $779 million in project financing was closed for this project, making it among the largest solar project financings in U.S. history.

Located 30 miles west of Springfield, Illinois, the Project is currently under construction and is expected to reach commercial operations by early 2025. Once operational, according to Swift Current Energy, Double Black Diamond Solar is expected to be the largest solar project east of the Mississippi River.

The tax equity financing makes use of energy communities and domestic content adders, provided in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Energy communities are those that are expected to face challenges in the transition away from fossil fuels, such as certain metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) and non-metropolitan statistical areas based on unemployment rates. The domestic content adder is a 10% tax credit bonus for solar, wind, and battery energy storage developers that install projects using U.S.-made components, adding to the 30% base investment tax credit.

“As we work to responsibly grow our infrastructure, we need to partner with companies like Swift Current who understand the nuances of the energy markets where we operate and can help unlock new clean energy at a rate that matches the pace and scale of demand growth on electric grids today,” said Amanda Peterson Corio, global head of data center energy at Google.

The project uses First Solar modules, a majority of which are being manufactured in the US, as well as solar trackers from U.S.-based Nextracker. At peak construction, the project employed approximately 500 construction workers. Swift Current is the project developer and will be the long-term owner and operator, and McCarthy Building Companies is the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) partner.

Swift Current Energy said that Double Black Diamond Solar will contribute to communities in Sangamon and Morgan counties. The Project, capable of powering 100,000 homes annually, is expected to reduce regional carbon dioxide emissions by approximately one million tons per year.

“We are proud to be home to one of the largest clean energy projects in the nation,” said Andy Van Meter, Sangamon County board chairman. “The Double Black Diamond Solar project brings significant economic benefits to our community, contributing $100 million in tax revenue and supporting hundreds of jobs. This project is a win for both our community and the environment.”

Energy producer Constellation NewEnergy reportedly will purchase a portion of the energy and renewable energy credits (RECs) generated by Double Black Diamond Solar to serve the seven customers that have been announced. The City of Chicago will source renewable energy produced by the Project to power several energy-intensive facilities, including Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport. Additionally, Cook County Illinois, CVS Health, Loyola University of Chicago, PPG, State Farm, and TransUnion have agreements to purchase power from the Project via Constellation.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Societe Generale, Truist and ING provided construction financing for the Project. Vinson & Elkins LLP and Husch Blackwell LLP represented Swift Current in the transaction. Milbank LLP and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP represented Google.

The California Energy Commission expects to issue flexible demand appliance standards for electric storage water heaters “hopefully” within months, said Michael Sokol, director of the efficiency division at the California Energy Commission (CEC), on a webinar hosted by the Clean Energy States Alliance.

The CEC issued a flexible demand appliance standard for pool controls last October. CEC Commissioner Andrew McAllister said at the time that a standard for electric storage water heaters would be next, noting that ten of the largest heat pump manufacturers had committed to help California reach its goal of 6 million heat pumps for water or space heating by 2030.

Flexible demand appliance standards in California will work in tandem with flexible rates for electricity, enabling appliances to operate when rates are lower, for example when renewable generation is high.

EV chargers, batteries, and more

The CEC has set a tentative sequence for developing flexible demand appliance standards for five more types of appliances, based on “our early analysis” and preliminary stakeholder planning discussions, Sokol said.

The third standard, after pool controls and electric storage water heaters, is expected to cover electric vehicle supply equipment, such as EV chargers. Next would be standards for battery energy storage systems.

The next three standards to be developed would have “end-user time impacts,” Sokol said, namely low-voltage thermostats, electric clothes dryers and dishwashers.

McAllister said last year that California aims to reach 7 GW of load flexibility by combining 3 GW of price-responsive demand from appliances with 4 GW of traditional demand response, in which some customers “drop load” during the 100 highest-demand hours of the year.

A Californian who owns a pool and operated a flexible demand pool control unit on its default schedule would save about $100 per year, Sokol said. Customers will have the ability to override the default schedule and operate a pool control unit at times of their choosing.

CalFlexHub

Much of the research underlying the new standards is conducted by the California Load Flexibility Research and Deployment Hub (CalFlexHub) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

CalFlexHub will hold an all-day symposium on September 24.

Most states with renewables targets are meeting them Nearly all states with a renewable portfolio standard have met or nearly met their current standard. Four states have yet to meet their solar carve-out requirements.

U.S. module manufacturers seek “critical” retroactive tariffs Led by First Solar and Hanwha Q Cells, U.S. solar module manufacturers have filed allegations with the Commerce Department, citing “critical circumstances” and suggesting increased module imports due to their previous lawsuit filings.

12 GW of utility-scale solar deployed in first half of 2024, doubling 2023  The Energy Information Administration reports that 20.2 GW of electricity generation capacity was deployed in the U.S. in the first half of 2024, with solar energy leading and energy storage also seeing significant deployments. Fossil fuel retirements exceeded new fossil constructions more than tenfold.

We must onshore the supply chain With the introduction of the American Tax Dollars for American Solar Manufacturing Act earlier this month, senators are trying to close this work-around and put American manufacturing back on a level playing field. 

U.S. solar car race success for two Canadian teams Solar car teams from Canada outperformed in two categories of the latest Electrek American Solar Challenge.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. connected 20.2 GWac of utility-scale power plants to the grid during the first half of 2024. This capacity includes 12 GW from solar power, which represents 59% of the total additions. Additionally, 4.2 GW of this new capacity was attributed to energy storage.

Florida and Texas led the nation in utility-scale solar development, contributing 38% of the new solar capacity. Notable projects include the 690 MW Gemini Solar facility in Nevada, which integrates solar and storage, and the 653 MW Lumina Solar Project in Texas.

Energy storage was the second most significant technology by capacity with a total deployment of 4.2 GW. California led the charge, contributing 37% of the total energy storage capacity, followed by Texas (21%), Arizona (19%), and Nevada (13%). Together, these states accounted for 90% of the energy storage capacity added, with the 380 MW battery at the Gemini facility being the largest of the period.

Fossil fuel retirements far outpaced new fossil capacity deployments. The EIA noted that 5.1 GW of capacity was retired, with 53% from methane (2.7 GW) and 41% from coal (2 GW). In contrast, only 0.4 GW of new gas capacity was deployed.

The U.S. energy sector’s growth trajectory is expected to continue its upward trend. For the second half of the year, the EIA forecasts an additional 42.6 GW from new capacity deployments, including 25 GW from solar and an additional 10.8 GW of energy storage. Combined with the first-half capacity of 12 and 4 GW, the nation could finish 2024 with 37 GW of new utility-scale solar and 15 GW of new energy storage facilities. 

Is 37 GW real or a mirage?

Whether we can actually reach the projected record capacities of solar will be dependent on politics. The nation is currently debating the imposition of new AD/CVD tariffs, which if implemented at the rates suggested by the filers, would lead to the United States paying three times the international price for solar panels. Historically, similar AD/CVD tariffs led to delays and cancellations for about 20% of utility-scale solar capacity in 2022.

Solar industry analyst Roth MKM has suggested that developers are proceeding cautiously, potentially deferring some 2024 projects to 2025 due to these tariff risks. Just last week, U.S. module manufacturers filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Commerce seeking critical retroactive tariffs.

In 2023, the U.S. added just over 18 GW of utility-scale solar, according to the EIA. Including all capacities, from residential to utility-scale, Wood Mackenzie significantly adjusted their capacity estimations upward to just over 40 GWdc of solar power deployed in 2023. At the start of 2024, the EIA projected about 36 GWac of new utility-scale solar capacity. Combined with small-scale solar projections from various groups, it was suggested that nearly 53 GWdc of new solar capacity might be deployed in the United States in 2024. The EIA indicated that if the current pace continues, then 37 GW of utility-scale solar will be deployed in 2024, more than doubling last year’s record capacity.

Two years ago, the Biden Administration and Congress worked together to begin the process of reshoring solar manufacturing.

For the last 20 years, China has been working hard to secure a monopoly over this critical technology. While China has mostly succeeded, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) created a set of incentives to get us back in the game. But, one critical piece may undermine our progress – we are letting China-headquartered companies locate final manufacturing in the United States, taking advantage of those same incentives while preserving their supply chain monopoly over the fundamental components.

Fortunately, with the introduction of the American Tax Dollars for American Solar Manufacturing Act earlier this month, senators are trying to close this work-around and put American manufacturing back on a level playing field.

Solar energy was invented in the United States, but right now nearly all of it, and about 99% of the fundamental component (the wafer), is being manufactured elsewhere, specifically, by Chinese-controlled companies. As our government works to invest in clean energy, we’re incentivizing companies to build back their operations in the U.S. so Americans can benefit from good-paying jobs, foster innovation from our world-leading R&D abilities, and establish energy independence in the critical technologies for our future.

Congress created a remarkably far-sighted system to reshore solar, batteries and wind technology. Policymakers not only created supply-side incentives in the advanced manufacturing production incentive that encourage manufacturers to build big factories quickly, but they paired them with demand-side incentives to give developers who use the products a bonus if they buy the products of those factories as they build solar and wind farms.

Unfortunately, the guidance for that bonus issued by the Treasury Department so far has missed the mark and has now become one of the biggest obstacles to jumpstarting the onshoring of American solar manufacturing. As it stands, Chinese companies can continue to leverage their monopoly power over the fundamental components of solar, produced with weak environmental and labor protections as well as massive direct subsidies, and sell to projects claiming the “domestic content bonus.” The clock is ticking to get this right as billions of investment dollars and thousands of jobs in solar manufacturing hang in the balance. In a very real sense, the future of solar energy depends on it.

China has dominated the solar manufacturing sector for a decade, and they’ve done it using a familiar playbook to those of us who’ve watched what the OPEC cartel has done to oil markets. OPEC’s ability to control price was legendary and it wasn’t limited to keeping prices high. Much more importantly, they could crash prices when they wanted to in order to run out competition. From “heavy oil” in Venezuela, to oil sands in Canada, to fracking in the US, OPEC has demonstrated again and again that you can either join them like Venezuela or be run over, with the attendant economic crash that people in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas have seen many times over.

Now, China is doing the same thing in solar – as we are currently seeing the lowest prices in history, far below production cost – to stifle our manufacturing renaissance before it gets a chance to take off. Stymying competition and, thus, innovation is chapter one of the cartel playbook and China has perfected their execution.

Look no further than our friends across the pond: nearly all of the European solar manufacturers have closed operations due to insufficient protections from below market Chinese products. Many are even looking to the United States, but that will quickly change if our policies don’t keep pace.

To build a robust solar supply chain in the United States, our government must prove that we have the backs of our manufacturers. Companies will not invest here if they do not think they will be protected. How are U.S. manufacturers supposed to compete when China is setting prices far below the cost of production?

The fact is, international competition is not for the faint of heart. Our companies can hold their own, but only if the government has their backs and helps build the foundation for successful competition. This means leveraging our strengths; our unmatched innovation apparatus, strong investor base, and our brutally efficient market that forces constant improvement. But this only works if we don’t ignore the fact that China simply doesn’t have a free market economy.

Unlike the U.S., where most of our economy is us selling products and services to each other, their entire economic system requires exports, because their consumer class doesn’t have the ability to support their economy. This means, the U.S. government must work to produce a level playing field for U.S. manufacturers through the three legged stool of production support, demand incentives, and tariffs and other trade remedies. For the first time in several generations, we’re on the path to building the supports our economy needs to thrive in these all-important industries – as long as we don’t lose our will to succeed,

No one action can unwind the years of investment that Chinese-headquartered solar firms have made to control the solar industry, but we must act now with every tool at our disposal. By updating the domestic content bonus, enforcing smart trade policy, and standing up to the Chinese-controlled monopoly trying to protect their dominance by doing the minimum possible in the U.S. we can reshore the domestic solar supply chain, ensure the United States is clean energy independent, and secure a future for solar manufacturing in America that will benefit workers, businesses and the environment.

 Mike Carr is the executive director of the SEMA Coalition. Prior to joining SEMA, Carr served as the principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the senior advisor to the director of energy policy and systems analysis at the U.S. Department of Energy from 2012 to 2015.  Prior to serving the President at DOE, Mike served as Senior Counsel to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources from 2004 to June 2012. He holds a law degree, with a Certificate of Specialization in Environmental and Natural Resources Law, from Lewis and Clark College and a Bachelor’s from the University of Colorado – Boulder.

From pv magazine Global

Student solar car teams from Canada’s Polytechnique Montréal and École de technologie supérieure made it to the podium at the Electrek American Solar Challenge 2024, a distance-based competition for solar cars.

With a multiple occupant vehicle (MOV) named Esteban 11, students from Polytechnique Montréal won first place in the MOV category in both the qualifier circuit race, known as the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP) and in the main race, the Electrek American Solar Challenge, which requires completing a minimum of 1,500 miles (2,400 km).

The Esteban team completed 1,610.3 miles at an average speed of 36.2 mph (58.26 km/h), with an overall score of 73.86. The MOV category is scored on factors beyond the distance covered, such as practicality, amount of external energy used, and whether the 35 mph target average speed was maintained.

The other Montreal team, hailing from École de technologie supérieure, won silver in the single occupant vehicle (SOV) category, completing 2,004.5 miles with the Éclipse XI solar car. The SOV class is scored solely on miles driven. Only in the event of a tie is elapsed time relevant.

This year’s winner of the SOV class was the University of Michigan student team with its Astrum solar car, completing 2,095.5 miles (3,372 km) with an average speed of 37.51 mph.

Esteban 11 by the Polytechnique Montréal student team

The Esteban project spokesperson told pv magazine that the team began competing with a two-seater MOV in 2019. “Switching categories allowed us for more creativity in our design. Being multiple occupants also displays the efficiency of our car. Especially in the event, the broader public gets to learn how the technology evolves,” said the Esteban spokesperson.

The team used a 1218 W solar array with cells from Singapore-based Maxeon and encapsulation by German specialist PV panel manufacturer OPES Solutions. The 4-wheel vehicle weighed 293 kg, measuring 4.92m x 1.8m x 1.04 m. The battery was a 9.2 kWh by China-based BAK Technologies, weighing 47 kg, paired with two 5kW M2096D-3 hub motors from Japan’s Mitsuba in a carbon fiber monocoque.

“One great challenge we had was splitting the battery pack. This allowed us to have a lower center of gravity but complicated the monitoring and protection,” the spokesperson said, adding that a new printed circuit board design adhering to professional standards with features to manage heat effects also made a difference this year.

Éclipse XI by the École de technologie supérieure student team

The Éclipse XI, a 3-wheel design weighing 200 kg, measured 4.5 m x 1.5 m x 1.1 m. It was equipped with a 1000 W solar array spanning 4m2, based on Sunpower Maxeon Gen 3 solar cells. It had a 20 kg 5kWh lithium ion battery by Japanese manufacturer Panasonic.

The Éclipse XI team not only won a silver medal in the American Solar Challenge competition, it also won two awards, an Electrical Design Award, and the Abe Poot Award. The latter is named after an influential figure in the U.S. solar car racing community, that recognizes team spirit of collaboration and cooperation, according to the Éclipse XI team spokesperson.

The Electrical Design Award recognized the performance of the electrical setup. “At FSGP, we were the first team to complete both electrical and battery protection system inspection with all green status. We also proved that our electrical systems were robust and reliable along both races, more than 4500 km without any issue,” the Éclipse team spokesperson told pv magazine.

“For this race, we used a custom-made motor casing with air cooling system to help us climb the most steeped hills along the route,” they said, adding that the team is currently working on an improved maximum power point tracking that will “maximize efficiency across all operating ranges” to be able to reduce overall weight and cost.

The Electrek American Solar Challenge 2024 attracted over 30 student-run teams from the U.S. and Canada. It began on 20 July in Nashville, Tennessee, and ended in Casper, Wyoming, on 27 July. The primary route has 1562.2 total miles to complete and vehicles must average at least 35 mph for the event. There are seven optional loops to earn additional points.

Solar panel manufacturers First Solar, Hanwha Q Cells, Meyer Burger, Mission Solar, REC Silicon, Convalt, and Swift Solar, grouped under the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee (AASMTC), have filed a new complaint by the Wiley Rein law firm with the U.S. Department of Commerce alleging increased solar panel imports from Vietnam and Thailand as a result of the Alliance’s prior antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) legal filings.

The AASMTC, citing “critical circumstances,” has filed for retroactive tariffs on all solar panels imported since their filing in April.

The filing states that, due to the April AD/CVD actions, “several China-based companies operating in Thailand and Vietnam appear to have actively accelerated their U.S. solar exports, likely to evade impending duties.” The filing suggests that solar module imports from Vietnam have increased by 17%, while those from Thailand have grown by nearly 40%. In total, the increase relative to the prior months was about 2.6 GW of module capacity.

At the beginning of 2024, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and other groups suggested that the U.S. might install 53 GWdc of solar in the upcoming year. If realized, this would represent a 32% increase over the 40 GW of solar deployed in 2023.

Roth MKM, a solar industry analyst, provided insights on the complexities of the situation with an industry lawyer:

The data Wiley is using is not accurate, as it includes product subject to Solar I (i.e., the China case, because of circumvention). So, we have to wait to see what the accurate data says. And, even if DOC ultimately goes affirmative, the ITC also has to reach an affirmative finding, and the ITC rarely finds critical circumstances. So, this will cause (is already causing) havoc in the industry, but will likely turn out to be a flash in the pan.

In 2022, the EIA reported that the threat of AD/CVD tariffs had prompted delays or the cancellation of around 20% of utility-scale solar generation capacity. Solar industry analyst Roth MKM has suggested that solar developers are currently slowing project deployments due to the AD/CVD tariff risks associated with solar module procurement, pushing 2024 installations into 2025.

If the Department of Commerce were to implement the tariffs suggested by the group, it would lead to the United States paying three times the international price for solar panels. ACORE (American Council on Renewable Energy) president and Chief Executive Officer Ray Long said a finding of AD/CVD violation “could unintentionally cede U.S. leadership in the solar industry to other countries.”

Last week, the Biden administration maintained a 14.5% tariff on imported solar cells and increased the volume of cells allowed from 5 GW to 12.5 GW to keep up with growth in solar module manufacturing facilities.

All but three of the 29 states plus DC that have a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) are meeting their current targets, according to an analysis by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Vermont’s current RPS target of nearly 60% is the highest of any state, as shown in the featured image above, provided in the analysis. Every bar in the image without a light blue segment at the top means that state has met its current RPS.

The study says that “large shortfalls” in New York and Illinois are “expected to close” as contracted projects come online.

The study counts a state as meeting its RPS if the state’s utilities have retired renewable energy credits (RECs) equal to the amount of the RPS requirement. States award RECs for renewable power generation.

A state may also permit utilities to comply with its RPS by submitting “alternative compliance payments.”

Delaware’s “large shortfall,” the study says, is due to its low cost for alternative compliance payments compared to other states in the region.

Puerto Rico is not included in the analysis but also has a large shortfall in meeting its renewables target. The territory stands at 12% renewables, compared to its current target of 20% by 2022.

Solar carve-outs

Of the 15 states plus DC that have RPS carve-outs that require a certain amount of solar and/or distributed generation, all but four have met or nearly met the goals, as shown in the nearby image.

 Drivers

While the study says that “parsing out the incremental impact of individual drivers” for the growth in renewables generation is “challenging,” it observes that RPS policies have been a “larger driver” of renewables deployment in three regions:

• The Northeast, where almost all renewable capacity additions—mostly onsite and community solar in recent years—are serving RPS demand
• The Mid-Atlantic, thanks to solar carve-out capacity and RPS-certified projects with corporate power purchase agreements, which “potentially sell RECs into compliance markets”
• The West, where added renewables are driven by “aggressive” long-term RPS and clean energy standard (CES) targets throughout the region, and where non-RPS additions are mostly onsite solar.

Regions where RPS standards have been a “smaller driver” are:

• Texas, which achieved its final RPS target in 2008, so that all renewables growth since then is not influenced by the RPS
• The Midwest, where there is “lots of wind development,” some of which is contracted to utilities with RPS needs
• The Southeast, where renewables growth is primarily driven by utility procurement and qualifying facilities under the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA).

In all but two regions, renewable generation well exceeds the combined RPS targets for the states in the region, as shown in this graph from the study:

Ultimate targets

Across the 29 states plus DC with an RPS, 16 have ultimate RPS targets of at least 50% of retail electricity sales, and 4 have a 100% RPS. Sixteen states have adopted a 100% clean energy standard, which can be met by renewables and typically also nuclear and hydroelectric generation as well.

RPS and CES policies will require 900 TWh of new clean electricity by 2050, the study says, “equivalent to roughly 3x the historical rate of RPS buildout.”

Berkeley Lab is hosting a webinar on August 28 to present the study’s complete findings. The study is titled “U.S. State Renewables Portfolio & Clean Electricity Standards: 2024 Status Update.”

Sage Geosystems begins construction of 3 MW geothermal storage facility for ERCOT grid Company draws on oil and gas drilling tech to get renewable energy from dry rock formations.

The myth of meaningful and equitable energy access What it takes for low-income households to truly benefit from community solar.

Form Energy iron-air battery in Maine granted $147 million The U.S. Department of Energy is supporting Power Up New England with $389 million of federal funding. As part of the Power Up New England program, Form Energy is to deploy an 85 MW/8500 MWh multi-day battery system in Lincoln, Maine.

What to look for in tracker monitoring technology Software can boost production and mitigate risks.

Global solar module prices fall amid weak demand 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.

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.

Which solar inverter manufacturers are most financially stable?  Sinovoltaics, in its latest financial stability ranking of inverter manufacturers lists Hoymiles, Eaton and others at the top. 

Biden issues new proclamation on solar cell tariffs  Tariffs on solar cells remain, but volume increases from 5 GW to 12.5 GW.

What happens when solar is installed without homeowner’s permission A Connecticut couple and several companies including Sunrun have been sued by the state’s Attorney General for forging signatures, faking a voices, and unlawfully installing solar panels on a home without the owners’ consent.

Ebon Solar to invest nearly $1 billion in U.S. solar cell factory The solar cell manufacturing facility is to be located in New Mexico and expected to bring over 900 jobs to the area.

IRA 2-year anniversary: A look at its successes and failures David Burton, attorney with Norton Rose Fulbright and specialist in energy tax law, looks at tax credit transfer, domestic content, energy communities, prevailing wage and more.

Tracker monitoring software technology is an often overlooked but crucial element of solar development. New project discussions tend to focus on hardware components such as foundations and mechanical properties, but software capabilities are equally important. Inadequate technology can leave a site vulnerable to risks like weather damage and revenue loss.

Since tracker software is the underlying intelligence that optimizes all facets of a tracker’s performance and maximizes the likelihood of a site reaching its energy goals, it’s the “brains” behind the operation. Integrating the right monitoring software in the beginning can provide important benefits over the entire lifecycle of a project.

The ABCs of tracker technology

A tracker technology system consists of on-site hardware connected to compatible software. If tracker technology is lacking in the basics (i.e., the ABCs,)  it can lead to lower site production and make O&M responsibilities more difficult.

On-site, a coordinated and well-engineered system will include:

• A network controller: The network controller, also called the tracker control unit, is a central hub that connects to row boxes and weather stations for the purpose of collecting data on site and sending that data to the cloud. Network controllers should connect to Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems (SCADA).
• Row boxes: Row boxes securely communicate tracking angle status and other variables continuously to the on-site network controller. When assessing a system, ask for what type of data output is received from the row boxes to determine how much a system communicates, and how easy it will be to remotely monitor and diagnose.
• Weather stations: Weather stations equipped with an anemometer, an ambient temperature sensor, and a snow sensor can gather details about on-site weather conditions such as wind speed and snowfall in real time. The stations feed the data to the network controller which in turn sends it to the cloud. A technology partner should be able to recommend a customized number of weather stations based on a site’s size and unique topography.

From there, tracker monitoring software should integrate seamlessly with the tracker hardware, and include an intuitive, easy-to-use dashboard.

The three Ps of tracker software technology

Tracker software benefits fall into three categories – protect, predict, and produce.

1- Protect from weather damage

Tracking technology can enhance a site owner’s ability to prevent weather damage and anticipate changes in weather conditions.

• Prevention: Wind damage is one of the most prevalent challenges that trackers face, and hail is becoming an increasingly significant concern in the solar community. Weather risks are compounded in areas prone to snow and flooding. It is essential that a tracker monitoring system includes the appropriate onsite sensors to safeguard solar assets. Sensors measure ambient temperature, wind activity, and depth of snow or flooding. This information enables timely responses to minimize production loss or damage.
• Forecasting: Forecasting is another critical feature of tracker monitoring. While weather patterns can change rapidly and hail is notoriously hard to predict, features like API integration with AccuWeather help site managers anticipate and proactively respond to changes, such as safely stowing trackers before a storm hits.Storing this weather data in the cloud provides ongoing, valuable insights for future planning.

2- Predict and ease O&M

Tracker monitoring software allows O&M to stay one step ahead of any situation and respond accordingly. Imagine being able to instantly detect when a row is not tracking on its normal path versus days or weeks of production losses due to maintenance issues. Look for predictive features such as:

• Real-time alerts via email or text that notify you of issues or changes
• An in-depth and user friendly dashboard that allows you to see inside the site, view real-time data, and access historical data
• Automatic stow position adjustment when sensors recognize certain thresholds, circumventing potential damage from wind, hail, or snow
• Machine learning capabilities that identify issues such as rows not tracking properly so they can be fixed before they impact performance
• Remote access that allows troubleshooting without going on site
• Zone controls that make it easy to perform routine maintenance like mowing while the rest of the site continues tracking

3- Produce more energy

Tracker software can maximize energy production by improving power output and minimizing downtime and/or damage. A sophisticated system will allow adjustments based on time of day, topography, and angle:

• Backtracking algorithms that minimize row-to-row shading by adjusting to the time of day (.i.e., morning or evening when the sun is low in the sky) prevent shadows from reducing output.
• With perfectly flat sites and level terrain being a thing of the past, tracker software needs to be able to adapt to topography nuances that cause trackers to be higher or lower than its neighbors. Systems that recognize the impact of shading based on topography, and can respond with solutions, add significant value and production gains.

Five questions to ask 

Before making a final commitment, ask these five questions to get the clearest picture of a technology partner’s capabilities regarding its tracker monitoring software:

1. Who owns the technology for the trackers? Is it proprietary, or outsourced? Do you create both the software and hardware, or just one or the other?
2. Can the software be updated to include new features and improved functionality?
3. How accessible is the data? Is it stored in the cloud and easily available to the team?
4. Are there automatic features and integrated APIs that protect against weather damage – such as auto-stow based on sensor data? (Note that manual stow is a big red flag).
5. Does the software offer remote access for easy trouble-shooting, and an easy-to-use interface?

As sites age, the infrastructure ages as well, but software can be regularly updated, enhancing stakeholders’ abilities to protect against weather damage and optimize power production. With tracker monitoring software, owners and site managers are empowered to make decisions based on real-time data and historical details, and can rely on automatic adjustments designed to safeguard solar assets. Choosing tracker monitoring software technology wisely can yield immediate benefits, as well as benefits for years to come.

Ashton Vandemark is the founder and CEO of Sunfig, a part of Terrasmart since January of 2021, and maker of the Solar Instant Feasibility Tool (SIFT) design, performance and financial modeling platform.

From ESS-news

he U.S. Department of Energy has granted $147 million to construct an energy storage facility at a shuttered paper mill. The battery energy storage system (BESS) from Form Energy, a Somerville, Massachusetts-based grid-scale energy storage developer, will be able to store enough wind and solar power to serve up to 85,000 homes.

The 85 MW iron-air battery system is both safer and more affordable than its lithium-ion counterparts since it uses abundant iron and oxygen. The battery storage project will be one of the largest of its kind in the world and is meant to support one of the most congested parts of the New England grid.

Form Energy will deploy the 85 MW battery system at Lincoln Technology Park, which can discharge energy for up to 100 hours or just over four days. The Power Up New England program includes strengthening the transmission system to deliver higher power loads from renewable sources, including nearby onshore wind turbines.

According to local media sources, Sen. Angus King, an independent, said the project is a step forward in tackling the increase in extreme weather events in Maine. In December and January just passed, hundreds of thousands of Mainers were left without power for extended periods of time after the devastating storms that hit the state.

Although iron-air battery systems are a nascent technology, iron-air batteries are finding increased attention globally as governments strive to secure grids with renewable energy using energy storage systems from abundant materials.

A recent report in Chinese media describes the metal-air battery industry internationally as showing “great market potential”. Supportive policies for these battery types have been developed in China, Japan and in Europe, while the U.S. has funded the research and development of metal-air battery technology through the Advanced Energy Research Program (AERP).

According to the Chinese publication Sohu.com, the US and Japan are in the leading position globally in terms of metal-air battery technology research and industrialization. While some local news sites in Maine suggest the local population is still skeptical of the project, the operating company, Form Energy, is already building a number of such projects across the United States.

In June 2023, Form Energy announced a definitive agreement with Georgia Power, a Southern Company utility, to deploy a 15 MW / 1.5 GWh iron-air battery into the utility’s Georgia grid, providing a 100-hour dispatch long-duration energy storage (LDES) system. In July 2023, Minnesota’s public utilities commission approved Form Energy’s 10 MW/1 GWh iron-air long-duration energy storage facility construction project for Xcel Energy.

Continue reading on ESS-news.com.