Author: solarenergy
The Second Quarter 2026 Edition of “The 50 States of SolarThe report shows that 45 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have taken some form of policy action on distributed solar by the second quarter of 2026, with the largest number of actions continuing to focus on net metering policies (53), community solar policies (48), and increases in residential fixed charges or minimum bills (45). A total of 284 distributed solar policy actions were taken in the second quarter of 2026, with the most actions taken in Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine and…
By Martin McConnell July 14, 2026 Construction on the largest solar and storage project in U.S. history is officially underway, officials say Cypress Creek Energy And Googling. The construction team broke ground on the first two phases of the Wilson, Arkansas-based Steel River Energy Center on July 14, representatives said. These two phases alone will deliver approximately 1.6 GWdc of new solar generation to the local grid, as well as 1.9 GWh of battery storage, which will help support economic growth in the natural state. In total, the project will deliver 2.5 GWdc and 2.9 GWh of battery storage once…
Independent power producer (IPP) Aura Power has secured planning permission for a 100MW/400MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Sandford, North Somerset.North Somerset Council gave the green light to the 4-hour Sandford BESS, which will be connected via the existing National Grid infrastructure. According to Aura Power, it will continue to work with National Grid to bring forward the project’s connection date through its ongoing electricity network reforms.Only BESS projects that have been granted ‘protected’ connections will connect to the UK electricity grid before 2035. A similar project, Zenobē’s transmission scale 200MW/800MWh Coalburn BESSwill connect in 2028, after it reaches…
What replaced the cheap REDD credit on the boardroom slide deck, and why procurement is leading the rewrite. Three years ago, a corporate slide showing a portfolio of cheap REDD+ credits could carry a board meeting. The number was big, the price was low, and the press release wrote itself. Today, that same slide gets sent back with questions. The questions are uncomfortable, the answers are unclear, and your general counsel is suddenly in the room. Conventional carbon offsets are not dead. The voluntary carbon market retired 202 million tonnes in 2025, and the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing…
Transgrid, the New South Wales (NSW) transmission network operator, plans to add more grid-forming batteries to its portfolio to provide vital system strength services to the state’s electricity grid as aging coal-fired power stations continue to leave the transmission network. Transgrid, as system strength service provider for NSW, had previously called for contracting of up to 5 GW of grid-forming batteriesalong with ten synchronous condensers, to replicate the critical system services traditionally provided by coal, gas and hydropower, but the grid operator said it has now reassessed its plan. In the revised portfolio, Transgrid reaffirms the need for synchronous condensers,…
European solar panel manufacturer SoliTek has signed a distribution partnership with Wind and Sun, bringing its products to the UK market.SoliTek’s European-made glass-to-glass TOPCon solar panels will be available through the distributor to installers across the UK. The Lithuania-based company has done just that two production plants in his home country.The focus is on glass-to-glass modules built for “demanding weather conditions,” the company says, because it uses thicker glass than standard.The modules are offered with a 30-year product warranty and a 30-year performance warranty, which guarantees at least 90% rated output power after 30 years.Steve Wade, managing director of Wind…
Aligned climate capital has acquired Armoracia, a 7.3 MWdirect current community solar project in Collinsville Township, Illinois, which will deploy high-density terrain-following solar arrays to reduce land use. Armoracia will serve subscribers through the Illinois Adjustable Block Program on the Ameren Illinois network and is expected to begin commercial operations later this year. Credit: Planted Planted manufactures a dual-tilt solar racking system that reduces or eliminates the need to level land for installation. It has a shorter profile than traditional post-based ground supports and is supported by the company’s design platform. “This acquisition is significant because it helps establish the…
France, Italy and Spain set record highs for solar energy production last week, according to analysis from AleaSoft Energy Forecasting. The Spanish consultancy found that France reached its all-time high on July 6, with a record 199 GWh. Spain broke its record two days later when it reached 277 GWh, while Italy recorded a new record on July 10 with 167 GWh. Germany recorded the second highest figure in history, generating 494 GWh on July 10, which also represented the highest figure on a single day in July. Portugal also broke its record for solar energy generated in July when…
Renewable energy supplier Two Blues Solar has completed more than 1.8 MWp of solar projects across three Scottish industrial sites.The developer said the projects, delivered to Kanthal in Perth and Lossie Seafoods and Ennovi in Arbroath, represent a combined investment of approximately £1.64 million. The installations are expected to generate approximately 1.39 GWh of electricity annually.Two Blues also retains ownership of the solar systems, while customers can purchase on-site electricity through power purchase agreements (PPAs) with terms of 15 to 25 years.“Business electricity bills are increasingly determined by more than just wholesale prices,” says Rachel Stark, commercial director of Two…
Recent litigation over tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell technology illustrates how patent enforcement can shape manufacturing strategy, limit technology adoption, and create ripples downstream. Solar cell technology provides a useful lens for understanding how intellectual property (IP) risk works in the U.S. solar industry, as Isaku Begert, associate at Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP, explains. Intellectual property risks increasingly affect everyone, from manufacturers investing heavily in process innovation to developers and asset owners who create value by financing, installing and operating projects. A growing controversy facing U.S. solar manufacturers centers on patents covering manufacturing methods for nuclear tunnel…