Clearway has completed the 147 MW Rosamond Central Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Kern County, California, placing the system into commercial operations. Rosamond Central BESS was developed and will be operated by Clearway Energy Group and owned by its public affiliate, Clearway Energy Inc. The project comprises 4-hour lithium-ion batteries and is located adjacent to Clearway’s... View Article -- Solar Builder magazine ..read more

By Dennis Wamsted and Seth Feaster | IEEFA The Energy Information Administration (EIA) did not even begin releasing solar generation data until 2014, and utility-scale solar generation did not top 1% of total electricity output until 2017. But the situation has changed significantly in the past five years.  Texas and California still drive the market, with output... View Article -- Solar Builder magazine ..read more

A coalition of clean energy, consumer protection, and environmental groups filed a motion today seeking a preliminary injunction to halt enforcement of a new California rule that would severely restrict solar contractors from installing and servicing battery storage systems. The rule, approved by the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) in April, prohibits licensed solar... View Article -- Solar Builder magazine ..read more

Global PV tracker shipments grew by 28% in 2023 to 92 GWdc, reflecting a strong year for utility-scale solar in most regions across the world. The top 10 vendors accounted for 90% of the global market share, according to Wood Mackenzie’s “Global solar PV tracker market share” report 2024. For the ninth consecutive year, Nextracker and Array Technologies continued to lead the market, taking the first and second positions in the global tracker market, respectively. They were followed by GameChange Solar, which made it to No. 3 in the rankings for the first time. Nextrac ..read more

Massachusetts-based solar and storage installer Solaris Renewables is now a Maxeon Preferred Partner, offering Maxeon IBC (Interdigitated Back Contact) solar panels for its residential and commercial installations. Solaris is expanding its business. As a former SunPower Elite partner, Solaris Renewables has over 12 years of experience selling and installing Maxeon solar panels and has built or serviced thousands of installations across the New England region. “Our experience with Maxeon has proven their panels have the best performance, superior reliability and aesthetics, and the support Max ..read more

The rooftop solar market is super competitive, so managing costs and growth is crucial. That’s where ABC Supply Co., the largest wholesale distributor of roofing and other select exterior and interior building products in North America, can help. Since its founding in 1982, ABC Supply’s sole focus has been serving professional contractors and “making it easy” for them to do their jobs by offering the products, support and services they need. For example, myABCsupply allows you to place material orders and manage account details from anywhere. “The future is bright for the solar industry, but ..read more

National solar installer Sunrun reports it is now operating the nation’s first vehicle-to-home power plant using a small group of customer-owned bidirectional electric vehicles. Sunrun’s much ballyhooed partnership with Ford, to enable vehicle-to-home backup via F-150 Lightning EV batteries, has been slow on implementation. This regulator-approved initiative with Maryland’s largest utility, Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), gives it a shot in the arm. BGE will utilize the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning trucks to deliver power to owners’ homes this summer during peak demand times to ..read more

The Avalon Whole Home Energy Storage System from Fortress Power sets itself apart in the market with its versatile and differentiated solutions, providing a significant edge over the competition. As a Fortress Power Avalon installer, you can leverage this innovative product to win more projects, thanks to its rich features that make it stand out, allowing you to avoid the common pitfall of price wars. The unique offering of the Avalon system not only attracts more clients but also enhances your profitability through its quick installation process and lower component costs. Additionally, you c ..read more

The solar industry has been riding high since the passage of the IRA, but potential obstacles loom in the form of new tariffs imposed by the U.S. International Trade Commission. Tariffs on solar modules and battery components could increase costs for developers and lead to a level of uncertainty in the market. These higher prices implemented on top of other headwinds — including domestic factors and trade restrictions that are already in place and impacting the industry’s trajectory — could seriously hinder U.S. progress on solar deployment. While the IRA spurred a significant increase in U.S ..read more

Scanifly uses real-time, onsite drone data that is automatically scaled to produce a 3D scene and digitally simulate bankable shade values. Scanifly, a software platform for PV design and field operations, has partnered with solar fintech company SunRaise Technology to accelerate service level agreements (SLAs) for residential solar leasing. Under the partnership, SunRaise can automatically pull milestone project data, such as site survey images, shade reports, CAD files, and install punch lists, into their review queue from Scanifly’s software in real time. This eliminates the back-and-forth ..read more