• February 26, 2025

Onyx Renewables announced that the third phase of its on-site solar project at its US Army base in Fort Riley, Kansas, has been completed. The project is being implemented in collaboration with sustainable infrastructure solutions provider Corvias, and the latest development phase will generate an additional 4.23 megawatts of clean energy, providing stable electricity prices and energy security for the Leyburg residential community. The total installed capacity of solar energy in military bases has now exceeded 16 megawatts, making it one of the largest renewable energy projects in Kansas. The third phase of the project includes the installation of the first batch of ground solar cell arrays in Leyburg. The first few stages - completed in 2018 and 2021- include roof installation. About 40% of the annual electricity demand in the Lailibao housing community is now met by reliable clean energy sources. Onyx's Chief Commercial Officer, Patty Rollin, stated, "Onyx Renewables is honored to enhance the energy resilience of Leyburg through innovative on-site solar solutions. By expanding clean energy generation throughout the entire base, we have not only strengthened energy security, but also enhanced the long-term combat readiness of our armed forces In order to complete the latest installation in Fort Riley, Onyx collaborated with Power Factor, a preferred subcontractor that employs a large number of veterans and prioritizes hiring former military personnel. Through the Department of Energy's Solar Ready Vets program and employment programs such as USO Pathfinder, the development team is able to provide high paying clean energy jobs for former military personnel. Jim Champagne, Senior Vice President of Asset Management at Corvias, said, "Through our partnership with Onyx Renewables, we will continue to bring direct and tangible benefits to the Leyburg community. These solar plans not only provide cleaner energy, but also improve the quality of life for military personnel and their families

• February 25, 2025

The US solar industry is testing the feasibility of simultaneously developing solar photovoltaics and agriculture on the same site, and the use of solar brackets on these projects makes this possible. Combining solar energy projects with agriculture is not yet an exact science, but activities carried out beneath or near photovoltaic arrays (such as raising livestock, planting crops, or pollinating insects) typically require higher supports and larger module spacing. This combination of solar energy and agriculture is a dual-purpose photovoltaic power generation, also known as agricultural solar energy or agricultural photovoltaic power generation. According to the 2022 Agricultural Census, there are over 1.9 million farms managing 880 million acres of farmland in the United States. Although this still covers millions of square miles of land, according to census reports, the agricultural land area in the United States has decreased by nearly 75 million acres since 1997. According to an analysis released by FarmDocDaily, the majority of these disappearing farmlands are used for livestock grazing and are in line with policy changes that allow farmers to keep animals in captivity. Farmers are very willing to accept the idea of agricultural photovoltaics, but are very hesitant to take on risky projects, "said Ian Skor, owner and CEO of Sandbox Solar. Sandbox Solar is a solar contractor based in Fort Collins, Colorado and an advocate for agricultural photovoltaics. Making small changes to their farming methods could have a significant impact. Their profits are already very meager Solar energy is regarded as the lifeline of farmers, a stable source of income, and can help families maintain their farmland. Proving that agricultural activities within the range of solar cell arrays can continue has a greater economic impact than choosing one of the methods. Agricultural photovoltaic solar bracket Making the solar bracket suitable for agricultural photovoltaic projects mainly means raising it to a higher column to provide sufficient clearance for anything that happens below the module. Increasing the height of the array will increase the impact of wind and other environmental conditions, requiring additional engineering to ensure that it can withstand the extra pressure. If the solar cell array still shares land with active agricultural equipment or livestock (especially cows), it must also be built to cope with possible collisions. Based on our previous design decisions, we were born with the ability to resist or waterproof cows, "said Travis Jordan, CEO of MT Solar, a Montana solar bracket manufacturer. Even for large agricultural equipment, we can handle some slight rough shells. If the seeder is thrown off and hits a pillar, it won't cause any harm MT Solar produces pole top mounted solar brackets for agricultural photovoltaic projects, inspired by Jordan's upbringing on off grid family farms. This pole type bracket uses a single ground installation poi...

• February 24, 2025

On February 19th, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) announced the release of the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) power export permit standard, which defines the technical parameters that allow electric vehicle owners to use their vehicles as mobile energy storage devices and sell excess energy back to the grid. This standard outlines the characteristics of devices to achieve bidirectional charging instead of traditional unidirectional current flow to vehicles, effectively allowing electric vehicles to transmit power back to the grid. This standard defines the characteristics of key areas such as electrical, communication, and network security to allow for power output between EVSE and the power system. With the help of bidirectional or vehicle to grid (V2G) and vehicle to building/home (V2B, V2H) technologies, electric vehicles can act as energy storage devices or mobile energy storage units on the wheels, providing power to homes, buildings, and the grid itself. In addition, this standard can also make it easier for electric vehicle owners to store energy at night or when turned off, and then sell the electricity back to the grid in a profitable way during peak hours, allowing electric vehicle owners to earn back money. Patrick Hughes, Senior Vice President of Technical Affairs at NEMA, said, "Advanced bidirectional charging technology will play a key role in improving the resilience of our country's power grid and helping electric vehicle owners use their vehicles for more purposes than just from point A to point B. NEMA's Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) power export licensing standards are an important tool for achieving these goals, and local jurisdictions should refer to this standard when licensing these systems NEMA's mobile division has developed this standard as a practical resource to enhance grid resilience and reflect today's electrification landscape.

• February 21, 2025

Three years after launching its first studable solar tile to the market, GAF Energy today launched its second-generation Timberline Solar product. The Timberline Solar ES 2 provides 23% more electricity than its predecessor -57 W per tile. The Timberline Solar ES 2 represents everything we have learned about solar roofs and has been further refined through extensive feedback from contractors and homeowners. This is an innovation that provides a more powerful, easier to install, and versatile solar tile than ever before GAF Energy President Martin DeBono said. In addition to higher power output, the Timberline Solar ES 2 has also improved its appearance through a smaller conversion box and simplified wiring. It has a depth of less than 1/4 inch and is compatible with the complete GAF Timberline tile series. The product is assembled at GAF Energy's manufacturing plants located in Texas and California.

• February 20, 2025

EDP Renewables North America has launched its Ragsdale solar park in Madison County, Mississippi. The project will be put into operation at the end of 2024, with a power generation capacity of 100 megawatts, and will provide electricity for the Entergy Mississippi transmission system. Amazon has signed a full energy off take contract for the system through a 15 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The development of Ragsdale began in 2016, by Acadian Renewable Energy, a joint venture between SunChase Power and Eolian. EDPR NA acquired Lagsdale from Acadian in early 2022 and subsequently completed the development of the project. Throughout the entire lifecycle of the project, approximately $34.6 million in taxes will be paid to the local government to improve schools, roads, and other basic services. We will also pay approximately $15 million to local landowners, who will rent out a portion of the land to build the infrastructure for the solar park. Lagersdale has hired over 100 people to build these projects and will fill up to three full-time positions to operate and perform daily maintenance of the solar park. Lagsdale also promised to use SOLARCYCLE to recycle over 3200 solar panels, approximately 120 tons of damaged or discarded panels. Ragsdale marks EDP Renewables' continued commitment to Mississippi, its communities, and local businesses. The opportunity to develop utility scale solar energy and directly contract with customers such as Amazon is invaluable, who are also committed to expanding their business in Mississippi. We are proud to help the state's commercial and industrial development through local energy solutions, "said Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP Renewables North America. During the development of Ragsdale, EDPR NA collaborated with Signal Energy and Beta Engineering to explain to community leaders and stakeholders how renewable energy can stimulate community economic growth. Lindsey Launius, Director of Market Strategy at Beta Engineering, stated that the EDPR NA team is passionate about driving positive development in the communities they have built. Usually, this means directly engaging with the community throughout the entire project lifecycle to ensure transparency and recognition from landowners and nearby residents. I am honored to collaborate with clients such as EDPR NA and their stakeholders to help them tell their stories and propose a unified approach to energy transition

• February 19, 2025

Sunnova Energy, a solar service company, announced that it will lay off 300 employees to reduce costs and streamline operations. The 300 layoffs this time mainly come from its commercial department, accounting for 15% of the total number of employees in the company. Sunnova will save $35 million in cash annually due to layoffs. Sunnova stated that the company is positioning itself to achieve long-term success in the constantly evolving market currently facing high interest rates and policy uncertainty. Sunnova CEO John Berger said, "As we continue to focus on capital efficiency and high profit core customers through TPO, we must always optimize in the current economic and policy environment. In order to better position Sunnova's long-term success, we are taking proactive measures to simplify our operations while maintaining a strong foundation to support our valuable dealer network and end-user customers. These decisions are never easy, and we recognize their impact on every member of the team. For those who will not move forward with us, we are committed to providing support during the transition period and deeply appreciate everything they have done for our organization. We greatly appreciate their contributions and are committed to supporting those affected during the transition period. People Sunnova collaborates with local solar installation companies to provide solar energy to customers through third-party ownership (TPO) contracts. The customer leases solar projects from Sunnova. Last year, Sunnova mandated that all its solar projects comply with domestic content requirements and provided a limited number of American made solar products to solar installers to complete the projects. Sunnova stated that this move will support domestic manufacturing, but also enable Sunnova to apply for larger investment tax credits in TPO projects. However, due to high interest rates, the TPO market has experienced turbulence in the past few quarters. SunPower filed for bankruptcy in August 2024, while Sunrun will focus on energy storage and auxiliary electric vehicle services to withstand solar rollercoaster rides.

• February 18, 2025

NEXT Energy Technologies, a pioneer in organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology, has upgraded its trial production line in California to produce 40 x 60 inch laminated transparent power windows using its unique NEXT OPV coating and manufacturing process. The company stated that these 40 x 60 inch units are the world's largest transparent OPV windows. This trial production marks an important step for the glass industry towards producing full-size visual area glass for cleaning and solar powered exterior walls. NEXT OPV coating solves three major challenges in creating scalable solutions for the commercial glass industry: aesthetics, performance, and manufacturability. The neutral gray coating imitates the most commonly used color in North American commercial exterior walls, combined with power generation and online manufacturing, creating a valuable solution for the glass industry. The combination of the highest quality aesthetics, power generation, and integration with the glass supply chain is a key factor driving net zero building design, "said Andy Cohen, Co Chairman of Gensler, a construction group." Just last year, we showcased NEXT's 27 x 35 inch OPV windows in our Los Angeles office. With this larger window format, we can focus on sustainable building projects NEXT is preparing demonstration facilities with major partners in the United States and Europe, while focusing on transitioning from pilot to production scale and obtaining UL safety and performance certifications for grid connected projects. Daniel Emmett, co-founder, executive chairman, and CEO of NEXT, said, "This milestone further demonstrates the industry's thirst for solutions, where our OPV coating combined with advanced manufacturing processes is effective, scalable, and can be quickly deployed. This is evidence that gives us confidence in achieving commercial production of 60 x 120 inches NEXT's proprietary transparent OPV coating can transform commercial windows into clean energy generating exterior walls, making buildings more sustainable and resilient, and reducing power grid pressure. These windows not only generate on-site electricity, but also absorb and convert infrared light, thereby reducing the building's HVAC requirements.

• February 17, 2025

Fluence Energy's Smartstack energy storage platform is now commercially available for grid scale applications. The AC power system is expected to start delivery in the fourth quarter of 2025. Smartstack's patent pending design strategically breaks down battery storage systems into units that are easy to transport in terms of weight and size, thereby reducing transportation restrictions and installation complexity. On site, the system can maximize the density of the project site, providing up to 7.5 MWh of energy density when integrated with a 300 Ah power generation battery. This density is about 30% higher than the currently available communication systems. This platform can generate more megawatt hours of electricity within the existing project footprint, thereby reducing costs and making previously limited sites available for developing storage projects. Smartstack has reimagined energy storage design through a flexible modular architecture that can be tailored to meet different market demands. Two hour and four hour energy storage times, as well as longer six hour and eight hour energy storage times, are now available for purchase. The proprietary appearance of this product includes two key components: Intelligent slide rail - the basic platform that accommodates the core of the Smartstack system. The intelligent slide rail integrates advanced cooling equipment, power control system hardware, all cables, and comprehensive monitoring functions, and has convenient maintenance access. Battery compartment - The Smartstack battery compartment is located at the top of the Smart Skid and contains the system's battery units. The battery compartment supports battery units from multiple suppliers, ensuring the most competitive prices and optimal performance. The battery compartment is also designed to be interchangeable with replacement units during maintenance or technical upgrades to maximize system availability. Fluence President and CEO Julian Nebredo said, "Fluence's innovative record and execution speed drive us to lead the energy storage industry forward. With our industry-leading expertise in developing and deploying innovative solutions globally, Smartstack has reimagined the way systems are designed, built, and maintained. By addressing key challenges such as supply chain transportation restrictions, product density, maintainability, and modularity, we provide a platform that is more scalable and easier to operate than competitive solutions. This means that our clients can achieve excellent project economic benefits Smartstack's innovative approach ensures up to 99% availability and leverages Fluence's long-term service agreement to maximize revenue. Its innovative approach places intelligence, not hardware, at the core of innovation. This platform enhances system intelligence through locally deployed AI, autonomously optimizes embedded control, and provides comprehensive visibility across storage combinations.

• February 14, 2025

Invenergy announced that the 300 MW Delilah I solar center located in Lamar County and Red River County, Texas, has begun commercial operations. WEC Energy Group is the major shareholder of Delilah I. The energy generated by Delilah I Solar will be purchased by Honda Motor Company (200 MW) and Tesla (100 MW) through a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) and transmitted to the local power grid. Bristi Cure, senior vice president of renewable energy development of Invenergy, said: "Land owners and larger local communities have played an important role in Invenergy's realization of Delilah I commercial operation, creating good jobs for Texans, and cooperating with WEC, Honda, Tesla and other automobile giants to increase more American energy for the power grid." "With the growth of power demand, Invenergy attaches importance to every opportunity, supports customers' operation with affordable, reliable and clean energy solutions, and brings meaningful economic impact to Americans in our project community."