Customs Sets up Refund Process for Trump’s Unlawful Global Tariffs
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that on April 20 2026 it will roll out the first phase of its Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) tool within the ACE Portal to handle refunds of the global tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declared those tariffs unlawful because the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize such duties. CAPE will aggregate IEEPA‑related duty refunds, including interest, for eligible entries rather than processing each entry individually, initially covering unliquidated entries and those liquidated within 80 days. Importers and brokers must have ACE Portal accounts to submit a CAPE declaration.
University of Hawai’i Branch Campus to Install Solar Carports with Battery System
The University of Hawai’i–West O’ahu is allocating $14 million to build solar‑carport canopies with integrated battery storage, slated to begin construction in August 2026. The 1.3‑MW system is projected to generate roughly 2.38 million kWh annually, covering about half of the campus’s net‑zero energy...
UMass Study Finds States Approve Most Solar Projects in Under 1 Year
A University of Massachusetts Amherst study of 460 wind and solar projects in 19 states finds most receive permits within roughly a year, with a 90% overall approval rate. Kentucky and Mississippi process applications about five months faster than the...
Insulation Manufacturer Commissions 3rd Rooftop Solar Project
REC Solar and Dynamic Energy have completed an 881‑kW rooftop solar array on Kingspan Insulation North America’s manufacturing plant in Mendota, Illinois. The system occupies 50,000 sq ft and is expected to produce roughly 1 GWh of clean electricity each year, contributing to...
Construction Begins on 102-MW Murch Solar Project in Michigan
Greensol, the U.S. arm of Spain’s Greening, has broken ground on the 102‑MW Murch Solar project in Van Buren County, Michigan. The development is being led by Heelstone Renewable Energy, a Qualitas Energy subsidiary. Greensol provides turnkey EPC services, leveraging...
Solar EPC Mortenson Acquires Nor-Cal Controls
Mortenson, a leading solar EPC contractor, has acquired Nor‑Cal Controls, a specialist in control systems for solar, battery storage and microgrid projects. The deal brings Nor‑Cal’s open‑architecture platform that directly interfaces with the grid to store, dispatch and manage power...
Two Savion Solar Projects Completed in the Midwest
Joint venture Tango Holdings, combining Shell’s Savion Equity and Ares Infrastructure Opportunities, has placed two 100‑MW utility‑scale solar farms into commercial operation in Indiana and Ohio, delivering 200 MW of clean power to the U.S. grid. The Elkhart County project in...
Illinois County Courthouse Cuts Ribbon on 1.3-MW Solar Project
Cook County, Illinois, celebrated the ribbon‑cutting of a 1.3‑MW solar array at its Skokie courthouse, installed by Ameresco. The project is part of a broader Clean Energy Plan that already includes an 806‑kW system at the Markham courthouse and 17...
EG4, OutBack Power Offer Residential Battery Leasing Programs
OutBack Power and EG4 Electronics have launched two residential battery leasing programs—the OutBack Power Advantage Program and the EG4 Advantage Program. Both initiatives let homeowners lease professionally owned and managed battery systems, with options for DIY or installer‑led installations and...
Sitetracker Unveils Scout AI Platform
Sitetracker, a leading asset‑management platform, has introduced Scout, an agentic AI system aimed at infrastructure owners, operators, and contractors. Scout connects disparate data sources to create automated work packages that span the entire asset lifecycle, from planning through maintenance. The...
California Legislature Considers VPPs and Solar-Charged Battery Compensation
California lawmakers advanced two bills aimed at unlocking distributed energy resources. Senate Bill 913 would let solar‑charged batteries, EV chargers and heat pumps receive credit for electricity exported to the grid, enabling virtual power plants to participate in the state’s...
ABB Manufacturing Facility in SC to Meet 80% of Electricity Needs with On-Site Solar
ABB’s 47‑year‑old electrification service plant in Florence, South Carolina, now sources about 80% of its electricity from a new on‑site 840‑kW solar array. The facility also achieved over 90% waste diversion through a waste‑to‑energy program and implements ABB Ability Nsight...
Maxeon Claims ‘Financial Distress’ in Singapore Court
Maxeon Solar Technologies filed with the SEC that it has applied for judicial management in Singapore, a court‑supervised restructuring process distinct from bankruptcy. The filing cites severe cash‑flow strain caused by U.S. Customs seizing its panels under the Uyghur Forced...
KWh Analytics to Reward Hail-Ready Solar Projects with Lower Insurance Costs
kWh Analytics has launched a data‑sharing pilot that lets solar developers provide real‑time tracker stow performance to insurers. By incorporating metrics such as 70° or 75° stow angles and heat‑tempered glass, the program demonstrates that resilient designs can slash projected...
Texas Attorney General Launches Investigation Into Residential Solar Sales Practices
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened a formal investigation into residential solar sales practices after more than 100 consumer complaints. Civil investigative demands were issued to Freedom Forever, Sunrun, Lone Star Solar Services and CAM Solar, alleging violations of...
Solar United Neighbors Publishes Consumer Guide to PPAs, Leases
Solar United Neighbors released a consumer‑focused guide on power purchase agreements and solar leases, the two primary third‑party ownership (TPO) models for residential solar. The report notes that TPO financing now represents 45% of U.S. residential solar installations. These arrangements...
Trump Metal Tariffs Stick Around, with some New Exceptions
The Trump administration has reaffirmed its Section 232 tariffs on imported steel, aluminum and copper, keeping the 50% duty on primary metal products while introducing tiered rates for lower‑content items. Products with substantial metal composition now face a 25% duty, those...
Designing for Decades: Tips for Long-Term Solar Project Success
Radian Generation warns that rising interest rates are turning solar project financing into a tighter, more risk‑averse arena, making early‑stage defect detection critical. Design flaws that cost a few thousand dollars can balloon to ten‑times that amount during construction, and...
Renewables Groups Believe Minnesota VPP Program ‘Misses the Mark’
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved Phase 2 of Xcel Energy’s Capacity*Connect virtual power plant program, targeting 50‑200 MW of battery storage by 2028. The initiative marks the first U.S. utility‑owned VPP, where Xcel retains full capacity ownership rather than relying on...
Ohio Solar Project Built with Modules Manufactured in State
Geronimo Power has placed its 117‑MW Dodson Creek Solar Project in Highland County, Ohio into commercial operation. The utility‑scale farm uses First Solar’s Series 7 modules that are manufactured in‑state, expanding Geronimo’s Ohio portfolio to 675 MW and delivering roughly $240 million in...
New York Funds $50 Million More for Renewables Workforce Development
New York has added $50 million to its clean‑energy workforce initiative, bringing total funding to $320 million. The money backs the Clean Energy Career Pathways Training and Technical Skills Training and Upskilling programs administered by NYSERDA. The state already hosts over 6 GW...
Solar Companies Donate System to St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway
Solar industry partners Tigo, Greentech Renewables, and GOAT Solar donated a 5.72‑kW solar system for the 2026 St. Jude Dream Home in California’s Coachella Valley. The package includes a 3.8‑kW Tigo EI inverter, Tigo TS4‑A‑O MLPE devices, and installation services,...
US Modules Opens Solar Panel Assembly Plant in East-Central Texas
US Modules has launched its first solar panel assembly line in College Station, Texas, capable of producing 400 MW of utility‑scale panels per year. Backed by Carey International Group, the 150,000‑sq‑ft facility can expand to 1.4 GW annual output, with a second...
5-MW Hannacroix Solar Project in NY Gets State Support
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) will finance the 5‑MW Hannacroix Solar project in Greene County, aiming to fast‑track its development before federal solar tax credits expire. The project will feed into NYPA’s REACH program, delivering bill credits to low‑income...
Terrasmart’s Latest Solar Tracker Software Works for Utility and DG Projects
Terrasmart has launched the Peak Production Package for its PeakYield solar tracker software, touting a 5 % performance gain over prior versions. The upgrade adds terrain‑aware backtracking, cloud‑responsive positioning, and real‑time production monitoring, and it is DNV‑validated. Designed for both utility‑scale...
Bluetti Unveils New EnergyPro 13K Energy Storage System
Bluetti introduced the EnergyPro 13K residential battery system, delivering 13.2 kW continuous power and a 150 A surge capability. The modular design lets homeowners stack up to four EnergyPack 500 units for a total of 19.2 kWh, while an integrated automatic transfer switch and 155‑A...
New Qcells Division to Serve Residential Homebuilders with Solar Solutions
Qcells has unveiled a new division, Qcells New Homes, to supply U.S. homebuilders with a turnkey solar‑and‑storage solution. The platform bundles Georgia‑made panels, domestically produced battery systems, financing, installation support and long‑term monitoring under one roof. Backed by Hanwha Group’s...
Greenskies Brings Solar Back to Connecticut Town’s Public Works Building
Greenskies Clean Focus installed a new rooftop solar system on West Hartford’s Department of Public Works building, replacing a 2012 array removed during a 2022 roof replacement. The developer will own and operate the system under a 20‑year power purchase...
APA Solar Expands Manufacturing Campus in Northwest Ohio
APA Solar, a ground‑mounted solar racking and foundations maker, opened a new 30,000‑sq‑ft headquarters in Ridgeville Corners, Ohio, consolidating its business, engineering, customer service and manufacturing teams under one roof. The campus now hosts a Foundations Center of Excellence that...
Op-Ed: We’ve Built Gigawatts, but Can We Build a Winning Coalition?
The op‑ed contends that despite installing gigawatts of solar and storage, the clean‑energy sector has failed to translate technical success into political clout. A delegation of industry executives tried to soften a rollback of key Inflation Reduction Act provisions, but...
OneEthos Acquires Solar Customer Platform Bodhi
Financial services firm OneEthos announced the acquisition of Bodhi, a solar customer‑experience platform that automates referrals and AI‑driven engagement. The combined offering will pair Bodhi’s software with OneEthos’s 30‑year, no‑dealer‑fee solar loans backed by Climate First Bank, aiming to lower...
GameChange Solar Successfully Tests Tracker for Earthquake Conditions
GameChange Solar completed the industry’s first full‑scale seismic shake‑table test of its Genius Tracker system at UC Berkeley’s Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center. The test, performed to IEEE 693 standards, subjected a complete tracker with PV modules to progressively stronger earthquake...
Solar Array Outperforms and Saves San Diego Church Thousands Solar Power World’s Projects of Impact
A 55‑kW rooftop solar array installed on Canyons Church in San Diego’s University City has generated nearly $40,000 in annual savings, far exceeding the original $25,000 projection. The system operates under a power purchase agreement (PPA) arranged by Watthub, allowing...
Logistics Real Estate Brand Prologis Taps SolarCycle for PV End-of-Life Plans
Logistics real estate giant Prologis has signed a recycling agreement with SolarCycle to handle the end‑of‑life solar panels and related equipment across its U.S. portfolio. The deal covers more than 1 GW of installed solar and battery capacity, establishing SolarCycle as...
Safe Harboring Solar Projects Now to Avoid Future Energy Shocks
The Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) shortens the window for the commercial 48E solar tax credit, ending eligibility for projects that start after July 4 2026 and are not placed in service by December 31 2027. It also imposes Foreign Entity...
Legislators Campaign for Plug-In Solar Access in Illinois
Illinois State Senators Rachel Ventura and Rep. Daniel Didech introduced the Plug‑In Illinois Act (SB 3104/HB 4524) to permit small‑scale, plug‑in solar systems that connect to a standard wall outlet. The bill targets renters, condo owners, and homeowners lacking suitable roofs, removing...
Solar Project Turning Laundromat Into Resilience Hub for Pine Ridge Reservation
Everybody Solar and the One Spirit nonprofit are installing an 18‑kW rooftop solar array with battery storage at Pine Ridge Reservation’s first district laundromat. The system will produce roughly 25,672 kWh of clean electricity each year, lowering utility expenses and providing...
Brooklyn SolarWorks Installs 1st Residential Battery System in NYC
Brooklyn SolarWorks has completed the first residential battery energy storage system (BESS) installation inside New York City, situating a 19.6‑kWh battery beneath a solar canopy in Chinatown. The system uses Briggs & Stratton’s AccESS storage, the only rooftop‑approved residential ESS under...
Robots Install 100 MW of Solar Panels on 1-GW AES Project
Maximo, an AES‑incubated solar‑robotics firm, installed 100 MW of panels at the 1‑GW Bellefield project in Kern County, California, using a coordinated fleet of four robots. The robotic system achieved peak installation rates of 474 modules per day, boosting human installer...
Report: Cutting Red Tape in Residential Solar Could Save Homeowners Billions
A coalition of industry groups released the Solar Permitting Scorecard, grading all 50 states on residential solar permitting practices. Only California, Texas, New Jersey and Colorado earned grades above D, while the rest fell into D or F categories. The...
Construction Starts on Arevon’s 250-MW Energy Storage Project in California
Arevon Energy has broken ground on its Cormorant Energy Storage project in Daly City, a 250‑MW/1,000‑MWh lithium‑iron‑phosphate battery facility costing about $600 million. The plant, expanded from its original 188‑MW design, is slated to begin operations in 2027 and will supply...
EDP Renewables’ 150-MW Illinois Solar Project Supports Microsoft
EDP Renewables North America has completed the 150‑MW Pleasantville Solar project in Fulton County, Illinois, delivering enough electricity for over 39,500 homes. The entire output is secured under a long‑term power purchase agreement with Microsoft, guaranteeing stable revenue streams. The...
Virtual Power Plant Demonstration Sets up in Washington, D.C.
Ecosuite and Ecogy Energy have been chosen by the District of Columbia Public Service Commission for a five‑year pilot that tests virtual power plant (VPP) concepts on the city’s grid. The project will install Ecosuite’s open‑source software and edge compute...
Battery Storage Moves Forward in Massachusetts as Barriers Fall
Massachusetts’ 2025 Duxbury Land Court decision extended the Dover Amendment’s Solar Energy Provision to standalone battery energy storage systems, removing a key zoning barrier. The ruling, reinforced by a new statewide BESS zoning bylaw, aligns permitting requirements for storage with...
Vortex Weather Launches HailSafe Insurance Product
Vortex Weather Insurance has launched HailSafe, a parametric hail insurance product now available directly through the company to brokers and weather‑exposed businesses such as solar projects. The 12‑month policy pays out automatically when hail of at least one inch in...
New Orleans Day Shelter to Benefit From 44-kW Solar Array
The Harry Tompson Center day shelter in New Orleans will receive a 43.8‑kW rooftop solar array through a partnership with nonprofit Everybody Solar. The system, installed on the Rebuild Center campus, is projected to produce roughly 56,347 kWh annually, covering nearly half...
Ohio Power Board Cancels 94-MW Agrivoltaic Solar Project
The Ohio Power Siting Board voted unanimously to deny Open Road Renewables' 94‑MW Crossroads Solar Grazing Center, an agrivoltaic project slated for 570 acres in Morrow County. The development, which would have paired solar arrays with sheep grazing, had been...
Michigan Senate Committee Advances Bills for State VPP Program
The Michigan Senate Energy and Environment Committee moved forward two bills, SB 731 and SB 732, to establish a state‑wide virtual power plant (VPP) program. The legislation would task the Michigan Public Service Commission with creating a framework that compensates residential owners...
Massachusetts Governor Signs Executive Order for 10 GW New Energy
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed an executive order mandating 10 GW of new energy resources and 5 GW of storage by 2035. The plan includes 4 GW of in‑state solar, 3.5 GW of demand‑side reductions, and a mix of wind, gas, nuclear and geothermal...
Terabase Automated Solar Construction Platform Is Ready for Its Full Market Debut
Terabase Energy announced the commercial launch of its automated solar construction platform, Terafab V2, following successful deployments on five pilot projects. The system combines AI, advanced robotics, and a Manufacturing Execution System to pre‑assemble modules on torque tubes, achieving two‑minute...