• May 29, 2025

The Loong Boat Festival is one of the four traditional festivals in China. It is the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. It is a folk festival that integrates worship of gods and ancestors, praying for blessings and exorcism, celebrating entertainment and eating. There are more than 20 nicknames, such as the Dragon Boat Festival, Loong Boat Festival, Chongwu Festival, Chongwu Festival and Tianzhong Festival. It is a traditional festival of Han, Shui, Naxi, Tibetan, Yi, Dai, Gelao ethnic group, Pumi and other ethnic groups. As a festival, Loong Boat Festival was formed in the Han Dynasty. There is a record in the "Customs and General Principles" by Ying Shao of the Eastern Han Dynasty that on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, people should guard against military service ghosts and prevent diseases and epidemics.  The origin of the Loong Boat Festival has varied from ancient times to the present. The main arguments are: the theory of commemorating Qu Yuan, the theory of welcoming the Tao God (Wu Zixu became the Tao God after his unjust death), the theory of evil days, the theory of dragon festivals (that is, the theory of sacrificing the dragon totem), and the theory of the summer solstice. The origin of the Loong Boat Festival covers the ancient astrological culture, humanistic philosophy and other aspects, and contains profound and rich cultural connotation. In the process of inheritance and development, it blends a variety of folk customs. Due to different regional cultures, there are differences in the content or details of customs. The main customs of the Loong Boat Festival include hanging the Zhong Kui statue, hiding from the noon, pasting the Wu Ye Fu, hanging calamus, wormwood, traveling to various diseases, wearing sachets, preparing animals, racing Loong Boat, contesting martial arts, hitting balls, playing swings, painting realgar, drinking realgar wine, calamus wine, eating five poison cakes, salted eggs, Zongzi and seasonal fresh fruits. In addition to the superstitious activities that have gradually disappeared, the rest have spread to all parts of China and neighboring countries. In May 2006, the State Council included the Loong Boat Festival in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. Since 2008, Loong Boat Festival has been listed as a national legal holiday. In September 2009, UNESCO officially approved its inclusion in the List of Representative Works of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Loong Boat Festival became the first festival in China to be included in the World Intangible Cultural Heritage.

• May 29, 2025

Bright Feeds, a startup based in New England, has commissioned Massachusetts solar contractor Solect Energy to build a 300 kW DC solar system at its 25000 square foot animal feed manufacturing plant in Berlin, Connecticut. This project, consisting of 625 solar panels, will provide one-third of the total power generation of the factory. Jonathan Fife, CEO of Bright Feeds, said, "We have been seeking ways to improve our processes that not only align with business logic, but also support our sustainable development mission and contribute to a healthier environment. Our new solar photovoltaic system not only advances our mission, but also provides electricity for our operations and reduces our monthly energy costs. Throughout the process, working with Solect was a pleasure as they helped us complete engineering, local permits, and other necessary approvals, ongoing maintenance, and other tasks. ” Bright Feeds uses artificial intelligence and drying technology at its Berlin factory to transform waste food into pure natural alternatives to soy and corn animal feed. The company serves customers in the Northeast region, from animal feed suppliers to dairy farms, recycling tens of thousands of tons of waste food from the region's garbage streams every year. Andreas Schmid, Vice President of Business Development at Solect Energy, said: "Collaborating with Bright Feeds to support its long-term sustainability is fantastic. This solar project will save them over $1.5 million in electricity costs over the 25 year lifespan of the system, while contributing to their overall sustainability efforts

• May 28, 2025

Ameresco announced that its solar photovoltaic shed project in Reston, Virginia has achieved commercial operation. The project was developed in collaboration between Ameresco and BXP, a developer, owner, and manager of office spaces. The 1.3 MW solar project will provide power to BXP's facilities located in the city center of Reston. Ben Myers, Senior Vice President of Sustainability at BXP, said, "Ameresco has been a key partner for us in delivering these impactful solar projects. This project needs to overcome many economic, technological, and logistics obstacles. Ameresco's investment, creativity, and proficiency in developing clean energy on-site in the bustling city center of Reston are crucial to the success of the project. ” The user side energy storage project will be completed by the end of 2024. The system is installed on the top of the parking lot. This innovative way of utilizing space not only increases the capacity of indoor parking spaces, but also transforms the parking lot into a megawatt level renewable energy power plant.

• May 27, 2025

Pennsylvania State Power Company PECO has initiated a new competitive bidding document (RFP) aimed at procuring long-term renewable energy, capacity, and renewable energy credits from new solar projects in Pennsylvania. The tender has been approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission with the aim of expanding the state's solar power generation capacity. Through this tender document, PECO plans to sign a fixed price purchase agreement for solar power generation with a maximum capacity of 25 MWDC for a period of 10 years. The project must obtain an operating license before May 31, 2029 in order to qualify. PECO is accepting bids for projects exceeding 25 megawatts, with a minimum requirement of 5 megawatts for each solar project. All projects must be connected to the PJM interconnected power grid and able to sell energy and capacity to the PJM market. PECO and Exelon utilities aim to reduce operational driven emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions through renewable energy sources such as solar energy by 2050.

• May 26, 2025

META Solutions is a government regional committee that provides services to school districts, local governments, and public entities across Ohio. The committee has announced the award of the main contract for delivering solar infrastructure projects to Veregy. Veregy stands out through a competitive RFQ and RFP process, which aims to select a qualified Risk Construction Manager (CMR) with design support capabilities based on Ohio procurement guidelines. The selection process follows the requirements of Section 9.33 and subsequent provisions of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC), while the main contract is formulated in accordance with ORC Section 167.081, which authorizes government committees to provide collaborative procurement solutions and adopt standardized unit prices for use by public entities throughout the state. Veregy will also provide Design Assistance (DA) services as stipulated in ORC Article 153.501. As the winning supplier, Veregy will support META Solutions members in implementing cost-effective and scalable solar projects, and simplify procurement and implementation processes. K-12 school districts, city governments, county governments, and other eligible public entities can now directly obtain pre qualified solar development services, thereby avoiding the time and administrative burden of independent bidding. Collaborative procurement through META Solutions will bring significant advantages to public entities, including time savings, cost reduction, and simplified procurement processes. By leveraging the collective purchasing power of its members, META ensures to provide high-quality services at competitive prices that were previously difficult to reach. This simplified approach eliminates the need for a separate bidding process, allowing schools and local governments to accelerate project progress, reduce administrative burdens, and concentrate resources on their core tasks. In addition, it has created new opportunities to seek innovative solutions that support long-term financial and operational goals, such as solar energy systems. Stephanie Zinger from META Solutions said, "This contract represents an important step forward for Ohio's public entities preparing to invest in sustainable energy solutions. By partnering with Veregy, our members can now more conveniently use solar infrastructure, achieving long-term savings and assuming environmental responsibility

• May 23, 2025

Commercial solar contractor Summit Ridge Energy is partnering with Digital Realty to provide 5.1 megawatts of solar energy annually to the data center company. Through this acquisition, Digital Realty, which provides cloud and operator neutral data center solutions, will advance its sustainable development goals. The agreement covers energy cost savings and the purchase of renewable energy credits generated from three commercial solar projects owned and operated by Summit Ridge in Illinois. These projects are expected to be electrified and interconnected with Commonwealth Edison by the end of 2025 to early 2026. This collaboration will enable Digital Realty's data center located in northern Illinois to offset some of its energy consumption. In addition, the newly constructed solar projects will help enhance the resilience of Illinois' power grid and support economic development by creating hundreds of construction and manufacturing jobs. Aaron Binkley, Vice President of Sustainability at Digital Realty, stated, "At Digital Realty, we are committed to advancing sustainable energy solutions that align with our global carbon reduction goals. Collaborating with Summit Ridge Energy will help us integrate more renewable energy into our operations and also contribute to building a more resilient power grid in Illinois. ” These projects are part of Summit Ridge's larger plan to enhance grid stability and further strengthen the local power system through measures such as voltage support and frequency regulation. The three distributed solar power plants powering Digital Realty are part of Summit Ridge's 439 MW solar power plant in Illinois. Marc Fioravanti, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Summit Ridge, stated, "Digital Realty's commitment to sourcing solar energy highlights the growing importance of utilizing alternative energy solutions in industries that rely on reliable electricity. Through this agreement, we will build a diversified and stronger power grid while bringing tangible benefits to businesses. This collaboration demonstrates that solar energy plays an important role in the rapidly growing energy demand of technology companies, including those driven by the growth of artificial intelligence and data processing

• May 22, 2025

New York Governor Casey Hochul announced today that 26 large-scale land-based renewable energy projects have been signed, which will provide over 2.5 gigawatts of clean energy upon completion, enough to power over 670000 households in New York State. These projects are expected to create over 1900 short-term jobs and bring in more than $6 billion in private investment, while consolidating New York State's commitment to developing local clean energy, enhancing grid resilience, and economic development. New York is creating competitive opportunities for the clean energy industry, and without a shared commitment from private sector partners, we cannot achieve this, "Governor Hochul said. The development of renewable energy is the foundation of New York's plan to transition to a zero emission power system and will continue to maintain the momentum of green economy development These contract awards are the result of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) 2024 Tier 1 Renewable Energy Standard tender. After completion, these projects will generate approximately 5000 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, enough to power over 670000 households and bring public health benefits by reducing exposure to harmful air pollutants; And will provide over $300 million in funding commitments to vulnerable communities defined by the Climate Justice Working Group through long-term payments to community welfare funds. The contracted projects include: capital region Dolan Solar in Washington County Hawthorne Solar Energy in Rensselaer County Washington County Summers Solar Shepherd's Run Solar Energy Project in Columbia County Central New York State Agricola Wind in Cayuga County Homer Solar Center in Cortland County finger lake Highbanks Solar in Livingston County Horseshoe Solar Center, Livingston County and Monroe County Valcourt Bliss Wind Farm in Wyoming County Mohawk Valley Dorgeville Hydroelectric Company in Hekimo County Montgomery County Flat Creek Solar Montgomery County Mill Point Solar I Skyline Solar， Oneida County the North Essex County ELP Ticonderoga Solar Franklin County Covington Fort Solar Farm Lewis County Lyons Falls Mill Power Plant Jefferson County Tracy Solar Center Shuanghe Solar Farm in St. Lawrence County Clinton County Valcourt Altona Wind Farm Clinton County Valcourt Clinton Wind Farm Southern region Morin Solar Center in Allegheny County South Ripley Solar, Shotokua County York Operations Solar Energy Company, Shotoqua County In addition, New York State will continue to emphasize interaction with the community where the project is located. The New York State Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) provides resources and free technical assistance to help local governments understand how to manage responsible clean energy development in their communities, including providing step-by-step instructions and tools to guide coordination, licensing processes, property taxes, site selection, zoning plannin...

• May 21, 2025

According to Wood Mackenzie's latest report on the competitive landscape of commercial solar energy in the United States, the third-party ownership (TPO) market share of non residential projects in the United States is expected to increase from 69% in 2023 to 72% in 2024. The report predicts that the TPO sector will continue to lead commercial and community solar financing, with market share reaching 74% by 2026 and dropping to 62% by 2029. According to Wood Mackenzie, Nexamp has the largest TPO market share (7%) in 2024, followed by Summit Ridge Energy (6.5%) and Standard Solar (5.3%). Amanda Colombo, research assistant at Wood Mackenzie, said: "The maturity of the tax credit transferable market is driving the growth of third-party ownership. Transferable tax credits provide TPO projects with simpler, more economical, and more flexible monetization options. Small and medium-sized project developers have stated that transferability simplifies third-party financing. ” The report also found that the overall commercial solar market in the United States reached an annual high in 2024, with a national increase in installed capacity of 2.1 gigawatts. Major states such as California, Maine, and Illinois drove an 8% year-on-year growth. Looking ahead, Wood Mackenzie predicts that the United States will add over 11 gigawatts of direct current commercial solar installed capacity in the next five years. The expected increase in electricity prices, growth in emerging markets, and continued impetus from the Inflation Reduction Act will be key drivers of installed capacity growth. Colombo said, "Driven by favorable factors such as low development costs, untapped solar potential, and sufficient available land, the installation volume of emerging solar state markets across the United States is surging. It is worth noting that commercial solar deployment in underdeveloped markets in the Midwest and Southeast regions is significantly increasing

• May 20, 2025

Network Valentine's Day is a love festival in the information age, celebrated annually on May 20th and 21st. The festival originated from the metaphor of "520" as "I love you" in singer Fan Xiaoxuan's "Digital Love" and the close connection between "I love you" and "online lover" in musician Wu Yulong's online songs. Later on, "521" was gradually given the meaning of "I am willing, I love you" by couples. Online Valentine's Day "is also known as" Wedding Day "," White Day "," Spoiler's Day ", and" Love Day ". In this trendy, youthful, spiritual, and implicit festival, "520 (521) 1314 I love you (I am willing) for a lifetime" is its classic digital quote, and Wu Yulong's "Online Lover" is the theme song of the festival. People boldly say (show) love through (mobile phone, traditional PC) Internet (WeChat, QQ, microblog, forum, etc. as platforms) or mobile phone text messages, and even send gifts (red envelopes) to convey love and find love on blind dates. There are also countless couples gathering to register for marriage and hold a grand wedding banquet. Many businesses also take the opportunity to carry out group buying, discounts and other promotional activities, which has set off a wave of holiday fever online and offline. With the increasing number of festival participants, various media (newspapers, television, the Internet, etc.) are competing to report the grand events of 520 and 521 "Internet Valentine's Day", "Daying", and "Pettish Day".