Author: solarenergy

Summit Ridge Energy (SRE), an Arlington, Virginia-based commercial solar contractor, will soon complete construction of a 17 MW community solar portfolio of seven projects – or so it is believed by interconnection standards – built on four different rooftops in Maryland. The 4.8 MW solar project built in the LBA Logistics building on Quad Avenue. Summit Ridge Energy All four locations are commercial buildings owned by industrial real estate operator LBA Logistics. Work with Black Bear energyan agency that represents institutional real estate owners looking to build renewable energy on-site, LBA started the process of adding solar PV to its…

Thornova Solar is launching a new TOPCon module series exclusively for utility-scale projects. Based on the larger G12 silicon wafers, the TS-BGT66 and TS-BWT66 modules offer output power ranging from 695 to 720 W, with conversion efficiencies of 22.4% to 23.2%. Thornova offers a 15-year product warranty and a 30-year performance warranty on modules sourced from its manufacturing facility in Vietnam. Thornova G12 Series 720-W modules leverage the key advantages of Thornova TOPCon modules in higher efficiency, output power and reliability. N-type solar cells, devoid of boron-oxygen pairs, virtually eliminate light-induced degradation (LID) compared to PERC solar cells, resulting in…

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $22 million to improve the planning, siting and permitting processes for large-scale renewable energy facilities. Six state-based projects will receive $10 million through the program Renewable energy location through the Technical Engagement and Planning (R-STEP) program to develop and expand statewide initiatives that provide expertise, training, and technical resources to local governments and communities in planning and evaluating large-scale renewable energy and energy storage projects. DOE also announced its intention to open a second round of the program with up to $12 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding. “Solar and wind energy…

Primergy Solar, a developer, owner and operator of utility-scale solar and energy storage projects, has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for the full capacity of its 400-MWAC and 1.6-GWh energy storage Purple Sage Energy Center with San Diego Community Power (SDCP). SDCP, California’s second largest Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) serving nearly 1 million customers, will receive renewable energy and attributes in a long-term power offtake agreement when the project is expected to come online in 2027. “Signing a PPA with SDCP marks a significant milestone in the development of Purple Sage Energy Center,” said Primergy CEO Ty Daul.…

Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts, has just powered on a 725-kW solar project. The solar system, installed by Solect Energy with support from SolarKal, should provide 95% of the power used by the zoo, which is managed by Zoo New England. The 1,500-panel array was constructed in the existing zoo parking lot. “The solar canopy project at the Stone Zoo will have a substantial impact on reducing the zoo’s carbon footprint, while saving money, and serving as an example of solar solutions at work to the Zoo’s many visitors,” Yaniv Kalish, CEO of SolarKal said. One of the primary goals…

Energy Toolbase has added a new feature to its ETB Developer product to model savings from solar and storage projects. The ability to model grid services and utility bill savings empowers solar and storage projects to leverage a wide variety of value streams, enhancing overall project economics and reliability. This new feature builds upon Energy Toolbase’s advanced modeling technology, which includes optimization across multiple behind-the-meter value streams, rapid forecasting during simulation, and access to a utility rates database. This new feature is now available to all ETB Developer subscribers. “At Energy Toolbase, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s…

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) published its “2023 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report,” which highlights the state’s clean energy industry growth, being home to over 108,000 direct clean energy workers. The state’s clean energy industry has grown 80% since 2010, or approximately 48,176 jobs. The industry contributed more than $14 billion to the gross state product (GSP) in 2022, a 63% increase since 2012. It also shows that 7,315 clean energy businesses exist across the state. In terms of direct jobs, the clean energy industry is on par with both the higher education and restaurant industries in Massachusetts yet…

Enact Solar, a digital platform for planning, implementing and overseeing solar and energy storage projects, has launched its Insider Partner Program. The goal of the program is to streamline and simplify its partners’ solar and storage businesses by providing signed solar projects while using Enact’s cloud software platform. “Our newly launched Insider Partner Program is designed to help installers grow and build their solar business while meeting the requirements of their solar and energy customers, through providing a cost efficient, transparent and simplified solar process,” said Deep Chakraborty, CEO and co-founder at Enact. “Solar energy will proliferate in California in…

Terremachtthe recycling department of BBB industries and Ontility has opened a solar panel recycling line at its facility in Sparta, Tennessee. The Terrepower facility provides complete separation of solar panel materials such as aluminum, glass, precious metals, silicon, plastic and components. This process should enable more efficient disposal of materials for reuse. “We can reduce environmental waste by extracting the most value from the original part before it is recycled,” said Maria Caballero, president of Terrepower. “With the addition of our fully automated recycling machine, we can now tackle the problem of solar energy waste while complementing our existing sustainable…

Solar Power World has dedicated its March 2024 coverage to installation tips for solar contractors big and small. You can read the rest of our Q&As in the magazine and online here. For insight into the “hand-held tools” segment, SPW talked with Will White, solar applications specialist at Fluke, to learn more about the various electrical testing tools used in the solar industry. What PV testing tools are used during solar project construction and commissioning? There aren’t a lot of tests that are done during construction. The big one is insulation resistance testing — ensuring that the insulation of the…