Two projects that would store heat in firebricks for industrial use may receive federal funding, in part because the projects are deemed highly replicable.

pv magazine USA spotlights news of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.

Also on the rise: Jackery, Geneverse present new residential energy storage system. Silfab launches 640 W utility-scale solar panels. And more.

The U.S. Department of Interior has given the green light to Nevada’s largest solar+storage development, the Libra Solar Project. It has also opened a comment period for the Bonanza Solar Project, which features a 195 MW/780 MWh battery storage system.

Also on the rise: Solis launches 60 kW and 125 kW string inverters. Solar cell makers can learn from giant clams, claim Yale researchers. And more.

The joint venture announced a 2 GW facility with plans to expand up to 6 GW.

Also on the rise: Demand for large capacity battery storage cells goes strong as prices continue to slide. Chinese solar module prices fall despite price hikes in upstream segment. And more.

Also on the rise: Canada considers surtax on solar products, batteries from China. Highlights from the floor at RE+. And more.

The solar tracking provider introduced NX Anchor, further expanding the types of soil and areas that solar installers can develop on.

Create Energy and OMCO Solar pair U.S.-made modules and trackers for utility and C&I solar markets.

DNV, an independent energy expert and assurance specialist, has unveiled a service that assesses the probability of hail events at the site of future solar projects across North America, covering a period up to 30 years.

Sharp’s new IEC61215- and IEC61730-certified solar panels have an operating temperature coefficient of -0.29% per C and a bifaciality factor of over 80%.

According to the 14th Annual National Solar Jobs Census released by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, solar jobs are plentiful and growing.

New report says power prices will drive behind-the-meter installation growth.

Also on the rise: Surging electricity demand puts pressure on utility planning. New refrigerant may improve coefficient of performance of air-source heat pumps by up to 21%. And more.

ICF report says retiring legacy fossil fuel plants will be more challenging.

Scientists have proposed a new system that uses surplus PV energy in the spring and the autumn to charge up underground thermal energy storage for later use in the summer and winter. They have simulated it on a school facility in Seoul, with a few optional configurations for thermal storage. Power savings were up to 39%.

As a grid operator works to automate its phase 1 study process for interconnecting solar, storage and other generating projects, the firm developing the automation software says the study process will take just one day.

Solar and storage systems smaller than 50 kW would receive an interconnection agreement instantly when requesting one, under 2030 targets in a draft Department of Energy roadmap.

Infinrel says its Energy Kardio Graph solution can sample small electrical perturbations on the input and output of the inverter at MHz scale and enable insight into the actual operation of the inverter on its switching cycle basis.