Generac and CPower Announce DER Program for Commercial and Industrial Customers
Generac and CPower have teamed up to deliver a distributed energy resources (DER) program for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers across the PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest grid. The offering lets participants tap demand‑response, virtual power plant (VPP) and on‑bill services, turning generators, batteries and flexible loads into market‑ready assets. By managing peak load contributions (PLC) under PJM’s capacity pricing—currently $329.17 per megawatt‑day—customers can shave tens of thousands of dollars in annual charges. The program is live now, promising new recurring revenue streams and grid‑support benefits.
New York Can’t Afford to Wait: We Need Modern Meter Socket Adapter Rules Now
New York’s Public Service Commission is reviewing rules for Meter Socket Adapters (MSAs), devices that let homeowners install solar, batteries, or EV chargers at a fraction of traditional costs. Industry groups argue the utilities’ draft proposals impose year‑long testing, vague...
PowerBank Announces $1.1M in New Funding for New York Community Solar Project
PowerBank secured more than $1.1 million from NYSERDA’s NY‑Sun program for its 7.1 MW Jordan Rd 2 community solar project, a brownfield redevelopment in Skaneateles, New York. The project also qualifies for a $1.58 million Inclusive Community Solar adder, requiring at least 40% of...
PV-Driven Hydraulic Hydro Storage May Hit $0.022/kWh LCOE in the U.S.
An international study shows utility‑scale solar PV paired with hydraulic hydro storage (HHS) can achieve a levelized cost of energy as low as $0.022 per kilowatt‑hour in select U.S. regions. The techno‑economic analysis of 936 sites models gigawatt‑hour‑scale systems that...
Bluetti Launches New EnergyPro 13K Energy Storage System in the U.S.
Chinese battery maker Bluetti has introduced the EnergyPro 13K (EP13K) energy storage system for the U.S. market, priced at $7,919. The modular unit delivers 13.2 kW of continuous power and 9.6 kWh of storage out of the box, with the ability to...
Heterojunction Vs. TOPCon in Perovskite-Silicon Tandem
Australian researchers report that tunnel‑oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) silicon cells have narrowed the open‑circuit voltage (VOC) gap with heterojunction (HJT) cells to less than 10 mV, while maintaining wafer‑tolerance and scalable production. Although TOPCon‑based perovskite‑silicon tandems lag slightly in peak efficiency,...
New Pilot Program From kWH Analytics Will Reward Hail-Ready Solar Projects with Lower Insurance Costs
San Francisco‑based kWh Analytics and its insurance arm have launched a pilot with tracker maker Nextpower that rewards solar projects using hail‑ready NX Horizon trackers with lower insurance premiums. The program shares real‑time and historical stow performance data, giving insurers...
Inverter-Based Resource Performance History Leads to Regulatory Change
NERC has introduced three new standards—PRC-028-1, PRC-029-1, and PRC-030-1—to tighten inverter‑based resource (IBR) reliability after the 2022 Odessa event caused a 2,555 MW loss of solar and synchronous generation. PRC-028-1 mandates high‑resolution disturbance monitoring and 90‑day reporting; PRC-029-1 enforces IEEE‑2800 voltage...
All Emerging Cyber Threats Targeting Power Infrastructure at a Glance
Researchers at Morocco’s Higher School of Technology examined the expanding cyber‑threat landscape facing smart grids, cataloguing attacks such as DDoS, false‑data injection, replay, IoT‑based malware and zero‑dynamics exploits. Their study highlights the growing role of artificial‑intelligence and machine‑learning intrusion detection...
Researchers Find Higher UV Degradation in Tracker-Based PV Systems
Researchers at the University of New South Wales have built a high‑precision global UV irradiance model for tilted PV surfaces, revealing that single‑axis tracking (SAT) systems receive markedly more ultraviolet radiation than fixed‑tilt arrays. In desert and tropical climates, trackers...
Why Chemical and Materials Science Engineers Are the Unsung Heroes of Solar Innovation
The solar industry is shifting focus from pure cell physics to materials science as efficiency gains near theoretical limits. With global manufacturing capacity exceeding 1.5 TW and oversupply driving down prices, durability and long‑term reliability have become the primary performance constraints....
Vote Solar Testimony Urges North Carolina to Adopt Distributed Storage over Gas
Vote Solar and the Southern Environmental Law Center submitted expert testimony to the North Carolina Utilities Commission, urging the state to prioritize distributed battery storage over new natural‑gas plants in Duke Energy’s resource plan. Their filing highlights that Duke’s modeling...
Heat Dome and High Pressure Boost Southern U.S. Solar as Polar Vortex Clouds the North
Solcast’s March 2026 analysis shows a stark solar divide across North America. Southern regions—including northeastern Mexico, southeastern Texas and much of California—recorded 20‑25% above‑average irradiance, driven by persistent high‑pressure systems and a southwestern heat dome. In contrast, Canada, the Great...
Electrification May Not Be Enough to Protect Against Gas-Driven Price Shocks
Electrification does not fully insulate companies from natural‑gas‑driven electricity price spikes, as grid pricing remains tied to gas dynamics. ABB’s Stuart Thompson warns that static supply contracts and unchanged grid infrastructure leave firms exposed to real‑time market volatility. Storage and...
Maine Becomes Third State to Pass Plug-In Solar Legislation
Maine’s Senate passed LD 1730, making the state the third in the nation to legalize small plug‑in solar and battery systems up to 1,200 watts. The bill mirrors Utah and Virginia’s statutes but adds two power classes, requiring licensed electricians...
FlexGen Moves to Expand Offerings with Acquisition of Clean Energy Services
FlexGen announced the acquisition of Clean Energy Services (CES), making CES a wholly‑owned subsidiary. The deal adds CES’s national footprint and its lifecycle services to FlexGen’s portfolio, allowing the combined entity to serve over 25 GWh of storage assets and more...
Louisiana Projected to Add 12 GW of Utility-Scale Solar by 2035
A University of Louisiana study funded by NextEra Energy projects that the state will install 12.1 GW of utility‑scale solar by 2035, enough to supply roughly 27% of today’s electricity or 17% of the 2035 forecast. Deployment is expected to dip...
U.S. Solar Module Prices Face Upward Pressure as Trade Risks and FEOC Rules Dominate Q1 2026
The Anza Q1 2026 report shows U.S. solar module prices stabilizing at a median $0.28 per watt, up from $0.25 in early 2025. The rise reflects tighter anti‑dumping and countervailing duties, plus new Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) rules that tighten...
Rooftop Solar Now Accounts for One Fifth of Puerto Rico’s Generation Capacity
Rooftop solar now supplies roughly one‑fifth of Puerto Rico’s total generation capacity, overtaking natural gas as the island’s second‑largest source. Distributed solar accounted for 81% of all new capacity added between 2016 and 2025, bringing the installed rooftop base to...
Terabase Energy Invests in Automation and Engineering to Streamline Solar Construction
Terabase Energy’s upgraded Terafab V2 system has completed field testing and is now ready for commercial deployment, using AI‑assisted robotics to assemble and place solar panel‑tracker modules on‑site. The automated line can process assemblies in two‑minute cycles, potentially delivering 20 MW...
Georgia Power Breaks Ground on 1 GWh BESS Near Existing Solar Site
Georgia Power has broken ground on a 260 MW battery energy storage system with just over 1 GWh capacity adjacent to its existing solar farm near Wadley, Georgia. Burns & McDonnell will build the BESS, targeting completion in 2027. The storage will capture...
Global Solar Additions Reached Record 511 GW in 2025, Says IRENA
IRENA reports a record 511 GW of solar added in 2025, representing 75% of the 692 GW of renewables capacity installed worldwide. Total renewable power capacity reached 5.14 TW, about 49% of global installed power. Asia supplied 74.2% of new renewable capacity, while...
The Battery Linchpin: Why Energy Storage Is the only the only Way to Safely Power the AI Boom
The AI boom is set to push North American summer peak demand up by 224 GW, a 69% jump over the previous decade forecast. To meet the 24/7 power needs of hyperscale data centers, developers plan 24.3 GW of utility‑scale battery storage...
Colorado House Passes Legislation to Legalize Plug-In Solar for Renters
The Colorado House approved HB26‑1007, a bill that legalizes plug‑in solar systems for renters and multifamily residents. The legislation treats these portable photovoltaic arrays as personal property, sidestepping HOA and municipal bans, and mandates UL 3700 safety certification. It also...
Workforce Gap of 53,000 Threatens 2026 Solar Deployment Targets
The U.S. solar sector must meet a July 4, 2026 construction deadline to secure full federal tax credits, prompting a surge in project activity. Current employment stands at 280,000, but analysts project a need for 355,000 workers by late 2026, leaving a 53,000‑person...
IOWN Energy Closes Sale of 127 MW Nevada Battery Project
IOWN Energy completed an all‑cash sale of the 127 MW/506 MWh Roccasecca battery storage project in Boulder City, Nevada, to independent power producer DESRI. The transaction transferred all shares of the project SPV and bundled a $290 million senior secured credit facility to...
Dimension Energy Announces $650 Million in New Financing for Community Solar
Dimension Energy secured a record $650 million financing package to develop a 132 MW portfolio of 25 community solar projects across Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The deal combines $415 million of debt from existing partners—First Citizens Bank, MUFG, ING Capital and National...
U.S. Solar and Storage Market Report: 2026 State Rankings and Forecasts
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s latest report ranks states by solar generation share, cumulative capacity, three‑year installation pipelines, and operational battery storage. California dominates solar generation at 32% and leads battery storage with 18.5 GW, while Texas holds the second‑largest solar...
Michigan Approves 1.3 GW BESS Portfolio, Including Contested Oracle Data Center Assets
The Michigan Public Services Commission approved six battery energy storage system (BESS) projects delivering a combined 1.3 GW of capacity. DTE Electric’s three facilities provide roughly 1 GW to meet the utility’s state‑mandated storage obligations, while 332 MW will support a 1.3 GW Oracle‑owned...
U.S. Adds 26.5 GW of Solar in 2025 as Renewables Dominate New Capacity
In 2025 the United States installed 26.5 GW of utility‑scale solar capacity, accounting for the bulk of the 36.6 GW total new generation added that year. Solar and wind together supplied nearly 90% of all new capacity, pushing solar’s share of total...
SolarEdge Outlines Path to 800 V (DC) Data Center Infrastructure
SolarEdge released a white paper outlining a five‑stage roadmap to replace legacy AC power with integrated 800 V DC infrastructure in data centers. The paper highlights that current AC‑to‑DC conversion wastes 10‑30% of input power, limiting AI workload growth. By moving...
Tracker-Based Agrivoltaics Turn Fields Into Wind-Safe Zones
Cornell University researchers used CFD modeling to show that single‑axis tracking solar panels can serve as effective windbreaks for crops, reducing shelter‑zone wind speeds by up to 70% compared with a single row of trees. A novel lowered‑first‑row panel configuration...
Rhythm Energy Expands Renewable Electricity Plans to Commercial Customers in Texas
Rhythm Energy, a Houston‑based retailer, launched two commercial electricity plans—All‑Business and PowerShift Business—targeting small‑to‑mid‑size firms in Texas. All‑Business offers a fixed flat‑rate, while PowerShift provides off‑peak pricing for 20 hours a day and higher rates only during 6 p.m.–10 p.m. Both plans...
Qcells Launches Turnkey Solar and Storage Program for New Home Construction
Qcells has launched "Qcells New Homes," a vertically integrated division that offers homebuilders a turnkey solar‑plus‑storage solution for new construction. The program bundles domestically manufactured panels, battery systems, financing from its subsidiary Enfin, installation support and long‑term monitoring into a...