Inlyte Energy Plans Pilot Projects to Prove Its Iron-Sodium Battery Technology
Inlyte Energy, a California‑based sodium‑iron battery startup, is launching two pilot projects in 2026 to demonstrate its long‑duration, fire‑safe storage solution for data centers. A 600 kWh system will be installed at Swiss colocation provider NTS, with a potential scale‑up to 2 MW by 2028. A parallel utility‑scale demonstration will run for at least a year at Southern Company’s test site in Wilsonville, Alabama. The company also announced a domestic manufacturing plant targeting 2 GWh annual output and 70% U.S. content, with shipments expected in 2027.
Integration and Commissioning Support Helps Complete 220 MW BESS Project in Texas
GridStor and Swiss energy firm Axpo signed an agreement to build the Hidden Lakes Reliability Project, a 220 MW/440 MWh battery energy storage system in Galveston County, Texas. The developer pursued a self‑integrated model, handling design and procurement, but personnel changes and...
Most States Face Regulatory Logjams on Solar-Plus-Storage as Interconnection Procedures Lag
The Freeing the Grid report shows that most U.S. states lag behind modern interconnection procedures for solar‑plus‑storage, with only New Mexico earning an A grade. Eight states receive B grades, while 16 earn C, 14 D, and 13 receive F...
Batteries on the Move: Gridstor Buys 796 MWh Birdseye BESS, Hull Street to Buy FirstLight’s 1.4 GW Portfolio
GridStor, backed by Goldman Sachs, announced its fifth acquisition in 18 months, buying the 199 MW/796 MWh Birdseye battery energy storage system in Colorado, with construction slated for 2027 and commercial operation by the end of 2028. Hull Street Energy signed an...
Fixed-Charge Hikes Undermine the Economics of Rooftop Solar and Storage, Elevate Consumer Costs
State utility regulators in 27 states are imposing high fixed monthly charges or minimum bills on residential electricity accounts, while simultaneously lowering per‑kilowatt‑hour rates. This rate redesign erodes the financial returns for rooftop solar owners and those pairing solar with...
California Senate Passes Plug-In Solar Bill
The California Senate approved SB 868, the Plug and Play Solar Act, by a 35‑1 vote, permitting portable solar generators up to 1,200 watts to plug into a standard 120‑volt outlet. The legislation defines “portable solar generation devices” and exempts...
States Rethink Solar Rules as Affordability and Grid Constraints Reshape the Market
The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center’s Q1 2026 report logged 253 distributed‑solar policy actions across 44 states, with most activity centered on compensation, interconnection and community‑solar rules. States are moving beyond simple net‑metering decisions toward nuanced frameworks that balance customer...
U.S. Solar Faces Massive Gap Between Stated Capacity and Real Factory Output
The U.S. solar sector touts $43.1 bn of announced manufacturing investments since 2022, but only $14.5 bn has reached operational status. Nameplate module capacity has surged to over 70 GW, yet upstream components such as polysilicon, wafers and cells lag far behind, creating...
Bluetti Launches New Storage Systems for Balcony PV
California‑based Bluetti unveiled two new balcony‑mounted PV storage solutions, the Balco 260 and Balco 500. Both units combine MPPT, micro‑inverter, LFP battery and smart controls in a plug‑and‑play package aimed at apartments and small homes. The Balco 260 offers 2.56 kWh...
Tigo Energy Delivers U.S.-made Optimizers to EG4 Electronics for Use in Domestically-Produced Goods
Tigo Energy has delivered its first U.S.-made shipment of module‑level power electronics to EG4 Electronics, including 650W TS4‑A‑O optimizers, Cloud Connect Advanced data loggers and TAP units assembled in Vancouver, Washington. The components will be integrated with American‑made EG4 inverters,...
Cost-Effective Hail Resistance Comes From R&D and Insurance Feedback
Heliene CEO Martin Pochtaruk says robust R&D and insurer feedback are essential for creating hail‑resistant utility‑scale solar modules. The Canadian‑government‑backed 35% R&D tax credit lets Heliene conduct destructive testing with Sandia National Labs, validating its 3.2 mm front glass and aluminum...
Massachusetts Distributed Solar Potential Reaches 92 GW as Electrification Demand Rises
A new Applied Economics Clinic report finds Massachusetts holds a technical potential of 92 GW for behind‑the‑meter solar, roughly four times the state’s projected 2050 peak electricity demand. Pairing that solar with storage at a 0.4 ratio could add 40 GW of...
Solar Generation to Surpass Coal in Texas
Utility‑scale solar in Texas is projected to generate 78,000 GWh in 2026, outpacing coal's 60,000 GWh for the first time. The forecast reflects 14 GW of new solar capacity slated for the state, including the 837 MW Tehuacana Creek 1 solar‑plus‑storage project. Solar’s share of...
Inox Clean Buys U.S. PV Manufacturing Assets of Boviet Solar for $750 Million
Inox Clean Energy Ltd, the renewable arm of India’s Inoxgfl Group, announced a $750 million purchase of Boviet Solar’s North Carolina assets, adding 3 GW of operational TOPCon solar‑module capacity. The deal also includes a binding agreement to acquire another 3 GW of...
NERC Inverter-Based Resource Registration Initiative Enters Final Stretch for Asset Owners
NERC’s Inverter‑Based Resource (IBR) Registration Initiative reaches its final phase as the May 15 2026 deadline approaches. Solar and storage owners previously exempt must now register as Category 2 generators and operators under the expanded bulk power system compliance framework. The process, governed...