PV
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 […]
Operational issues hit returns in one in five battery storage projects, report finds
A recent report from battery intelligence firm Accure reveals that while most battery energy storage systems (BESS) operate reliably, nearly 19% of projects experience reduced returns due to technical issues and unplanned downtime. From ESS News BESS are fast becoming central to the global energy transition, but the sector still faces significant operational and financial […]
Zombie apocalypse-ready solar + storage kit
JDEnergy introduced its eBlock 100C, eStation MV-6880, combined control systems, and the milestone deployment of its 20,000th energy storage block. Exhibiting at its booth at the RE+ trade show, battery integrator JDEnergy focused on the gear: specifically, how its products integrate, how they’re installed, and how control systems can be streamlined by removing unnecessary components. […]
EcoFlow launches energy management system providing whole-home backup
Global energy company EcoFlow’s latest product, Gateway, is a wall mounted hardware system that can be installed indoors or outdoors and is compatible with third-party inverters and diesel generators as well as EcoFlow’s own extensive product suite. From ESS News EcoFlow has launched a new home energy management system to help householders manage their energy usage. The […]
Community solar may have peaked in 2024, said Wood Mackenzie
Wood Mackenzie reported a 36% decline year over year for the first half of 2025 and forecasts 12% annual contraction through 2030. After a record year for installations in 2024, community solar dropped 36% year-over-year for the first half of 2025, said a report from Wood Mackenzie and the Coalition for Community Solar Access. The […]
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 […]
New control strategy for grid-forming inverters
Researchers in the United States have created a droop control strategy for grid-forming inverters that purportedly improves power system frequency stability. By using an exponential active power–frequency relationship, the novel technique optimizes the use of available headroom, reduces frequency deviations, and enhances overall grid resilience. Renewable energy resources using grid-forming inverters can actively regulate voltage […]
NREL researchers address safety implications of next-generation battery technologies
Report says new evaluation methods, including AI, will help make future batteries safer. If lithium-ion batteries were once viewed as an expensive energy storage solution with tenuous supply chains, mass production has made them both affordable and readily available for a wide variety of applications. Consumer electronics, electric vehicles and, importantly, battery-based energy storage systems […]
Transforming existing solar arrays to microgrids could generate revenue for many customers
SolMicroGrid’s Kirk Edelman says the technology is there to be utilized if the tariffs – and Washington – will allow. Solar-powered microgrids have progressed from generators of electricity in isolated, off-grid locations to key infrastructure for delivering economic and resilient power. The widespread availability of lower cost battery storage has been a key driver in […]
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 […]