Author: solarenergy

By Brad Kramer July 8, 2026 The federal policy turmoil has not slowed down the distributed solar generation (DG) market, but has actually accelerated it. In the cover story of the Q2 2026 issue of Solar builderI spoke with industry leaders to explain why the “middle market” of solar energy – too big for rooftops, too small for utilities – is becoming the most dynamic segment of the industry. The recently passed safe harbor deadline, coupled with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), has compressed margins and extended deal timelines from 60 days to 7-8 months as developers recalibrate…

Administrative strike prices for renewable energy projects supported by the UK government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) program have been confirmed for the upcoming allocation round 8 (AR8).Unchanged from AR7, the administrative strike price (ASP) for solar PV installations is £75/MWh, expressed in benchmark prices for 2024. It is the cheapest technology, after onshore wind at £92/MWh, offshore wind at £113/MWh and floating offshore wind at £271/MWh.ASPs are the maximum bid generators can place at auction, and historically the final strike prices that are successful at auction are 15-20% lower than ASPs.If previously confirmedAR8 runs with slightly adjusted conditions compared to…

Planning reforms have been approved in the UK that are expected to reduce the application timelines for large-scale solar by 12 months, reducing red tape for projects in England and Wales. From 24 July, the UK government will remove mandatory pre-application consultation requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), a move that will streamline the planning process for solar projects with a capacity of more than 100 MW in England and 350 MW in Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate planning regimes. Energy generating projects above these thresholds must apply for planning through the centralized NSIP process, rather than…

By Martin McConnell July 7, 2026 A new solar installation near the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital in Massachusetts is presenting a new energy model, the developer says, that intersects commercial solar with community benefits. Developed by Power Options Connect with help from Vineyard power and the Massachusetts Center for Clean Energythe new 138 kW installation is located in the hospital’s staff housing. The project is expected to generate more than $550,000 in energy bill savings for “income qualified island households” over the next 25 years. “This project reflects our commitment to both our staff and our community,” said Michael Cosgrave, chief…

UK battery storage developer Pulse Clean Energy has selected original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Envision Energy to supply a 129 MW/310 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) for its project in Wolverhampton, UK.The project was originally designed as a 2-hour system, but has been reconfigured to provide a 2.4-hour storage duration. Envision will provide a system-level solution that integrates the Gen 7 BESS platform, battery technology and network-building capabilities, increasing energy capacity to 310 MWh. Envision said the change reflects changing UK grid requirements.Envision added that its UK engineering team will oversee network integration and balance-of-plant work for the project.According to…

The global solar industry is entering another challenging period, with photovoltaic installations expected to decline this year and possibly remain flat through 2027, according to Frank Niendorf, vice president at JinkoSolar. In response, the company is placing greater emphasis on integrated energy solutions and accelerating the expansion of its energy storage business. “We are in the third consecutive year of consolidation in the solar industry,” Niendorf said pv magazine in an interview at The smarter E Europe in Munich, noting that while all photovoltaic manufacturers continue to report losses, the main players remain active in the market. Last year, Niendorf…

By Contributing Author July 7, 2026 By Will White | Anyone in the solar industry knows that sites are built to withstand challenging weather conditions. Wind, heat, hail, standing water, freeze-thaw cycles – none of this is unusual, and none of it automatically becomes an outage that costs you production. The problem is what these harsh conditions leave behind. The obvious damage gets attention first. The quieter damage often doesn’t occur: insulation worn out at a contact point, a ground fault that only occurs in wet conditions, a wire that remains offline because the team can’t justify hours of disruptive…

UK battery storage developer Field has reached financial close on two new battery energy storage systems (BESS) projects in Britain, adding 239MW/1GWh of flexible capacity to its construction pipeline.One of the projects, called Keith, a 39MW/200MWh battery storage facility, is one of the longest running BESS projects to reach financial completion in the UK to date. The project is expected to help manage Scotland’s heavily restricted B4 transmission border, a key transmission restricted area in central Scotland.The battery system for Keith will be supplied by Chinese energy storage supplier Sungrow, while the remainder of the factory works will be supplied…

By ESS news Battery asset owners trading in Britain’s frequency response markets faced a mixed outcome after Ofgem ruled in favor of some rewrites of the terms and conditions for its Dynamic Response range of frequency services, while rejecting others. Network operator NESO originally submitted ten amendments for industry consultation between November 20 and December 19, 2025, later withdrawing two before final submission to Ofgem. The regulator has approved six of the remaining eight proposed changes, spread over two effective dates. The first approved changes will come into effect from 31 July 2026 and include a new link between the…

By Martin McConnell July 6, 2026 Continue this week Projects weeklyindependent energy producer IPX Power has secured billions in financing for a series of massive solar and storage projects near Fresno, California. Elsewhere in the Golden State, two community facilities in Marin County are getting battery installations to help with growing concerns about power grid strain. Renewable America has also completed a series of locations for nut processing company Pearl Crop. In Illinois, New Energy Equity and the Harlem School District have powered a new community solar project and launched a new grant program for the district. Finally, Alaska is…