Opinion & analysis
Repowering aging U.S. solar farms: A strategic pivot in a changing energy landscape
With one-third of U.S. solar nearing mid-life, developers weigh the economics and challenges of upgrading existing assets over building new ones. As the U.S. solar infrastructure matures, the industry is facing a pivotal inflection point: a growing share of solar farms are now reaching the end of their original design lifespans, triggering a meaningful shift […]
Solar plus storage optimization in ERCOT: What developers should know
The independence of the ERCOT market is driving Texas’s energy transition, and pushing ahead solar-plus-storage the new gold standard. However, capitalizing on this trend requires developers to master the state’s volatile market by understanding locational pricing and smart battery operations rather than just bolting technology together. There is something distinctly Texan about the ERCOT market. […]
Solar pricing needs a reality check
Sustainable projects depend on prices — and suppliers — that hold up under compliance, delivery and long-term performance requirements. At RE+ in Las Vegas, one of the dominant themes was pricing across the solar supply chain. Numbers were being shared that sounded almost too good to be true and, in many cases, were. Some offers […]
Efficiency first: How commercial real estate owners can thrive with solar
Amid soaring demand and shrinking solar subsidies, taking an efficiency-focused approach to energy management can offer a pathway to project success. America’s commercial real estate (CRE) portfolios are under a two-sided squeeze. On one side, electricity demand is exploding as data centers, reshored manufacturing, and fleets of EV chargers are plugged into buildings never designed […]
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 […]
Western wildfires, storms cut solar gains in the West while Eastern US sees boost
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that trontal systems, widespread wildfires and an omega block pattern contributed to highly mixed irradiance anomalies across North America in September. Solar conditions underperformed in much of the West and Midwest, while the Northeast, South, and parts of Canada recorded a strong […]
Don’t leave money on the table: How timely renewable energy quality data leads to smart decisions
Inadequate data management in renewable energy projects can result in significant financial losses due to forfeited payments and poor market performance. Reliable data systems and proactive commercial strategies are essential for financial viability. The financial consequences of inadequate data systems in renewable energy projects can be staggering. Drew Epps, President of MidDel Consulting, recalls a […]
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 […]
The steel supply crunch threatening U.S. solar ambitions
With U.S. domestic steel mills booked solid through 2025, a sudden doubling of tariffs on imported steel has created a critical bottleneck for American industries. The move, which hits specialized Indian steel particularly hard, is now delaying projects for builders and renewable energy developers who rely on steady, affordable supply. The American steel market has […]
Driving momentum for energy projects post-One Big Beautiful Bill with DER modeling
The energy sector continues to face challenges like increasing power demands and grid instability, intensified by AI growth and climate change, despite recent policy changes. States are addressing these issues by promoting flexible solutions such as microgrids and utilizing predictive modeling for future energy projects. While the passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill has […]