Markets & Policy
DOE guts $7.5 billion in energy funding, exclusively in Democrat-led states
The Department of Energy announced the cancellation of financial awards for manufacturing, clean energy demonstrations, energy efficiency and renewable energy, grid deployment, advanced research projects and fossil energy in 16 states – all of which voted Democrat in the 2024 presidential election. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced the termination of 321 financial awards supporting […]
Conventional C&I solar sales techniques are broken. Here’s how to fix them
For commercial & industrial solar, getting the initial “yes” is only half the battle. The real challenge is keeping momentum and closing multi-stakeholder deals that often stall for no clear reason. After decades of relying on traditional sales techniques, I realized that success in today’s long-cycle projects demands a fundamental shift from micromanagement to vision […]
Wisconsin Republican lawmakers push for community solar bill after utility pushback
Community solar advocates are hoping third time’s a charm as Republicans work on a new community solar bill, revamping it with considerable changes. Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin are once again trying to pass community solar legislation that would legitimize community solar in the state. Community solar enables renters, homeowners and businesses to participate in solar […]
U.S. solar will pass wind in 2025 and leave coal in the dust soon after
Solar and wind represent about 11% to 12% of the energy mix each, while coal sits just under 15%. Developers brought online 16 GW of solar out of a total 21.5 GW electric generation capacity cumulatively added through July in 2025, said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. There is currently about 5 GW more wind […]
Freight costs steady after early September spike
Freight costs, which contribute towards the total cost of a solar installation, have fallen week-on-week on trade lines out of the Far East, helping to offset a price surge in the US-bound short-term market recorded at the start of September. From pv magazine Global Freight container shipping spot rates have declined week-on-week, with a spike […]
California required new hardware for dynamic pricing, and manufacturers built it
As California works to launch opt-in dynamic pricing of electricity that favors low-cost renewables, three manufacturers now offer 73 models of a type of price-responsive device. For dynamic pricing of electricity to work in California, devices that can respond to price signals must be available. The first set of such devices is now on the […]
Republicans could legalize community solar in Ohio soon, but with a caveat
Ohio lawmakers picked up legislation that ran out of time during last year’s session, this time changing the proposed “community solar” pilot to “community energy.” In a battleground state’s Capitol, Republican persuasion for community solar legislation might seem like a twist from typical in party lines. But Ohio’s lawmakers have been working on the legislation […]
Solis launches 16 kW residential and 60 kW commercial hybrid inverters
Ginlong Solis released two new hybrid string inverters that range from 9.6 kW to 16 kW for the residential market, and from 30 kW to 60 kW for the commercial market. Ginlong (Solis) Technologies launched two new solar inverters intended for the U.S. market. The hybrid string inverters support flexible configuration and support whole-home or […]
Why California’s closed $2 billion solar plant is not a signal of industry failure
Beginning operations in 2014, the Ivanpah Solar plant in California cost $2.2 billion to build. It is now closing operations, but the plant’s closure is not an indication cost problems for the solar industry. Headlines have been circulating major news outlets around the impending closure of the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, a $2.2 billion project […]
From development to bankability: How accurate modeling can save your solar project
In the high-stakes world of solar development, a project’s journey from concept to completion is fraught with challenges, with financing representing the ultimate hurdle. At the core of a project’s viability lies the energy assessment, where a single miscalculation can jeopardize millions and send a project back to the drawing board. There’s nothing more challenging […]