Convalt Energy’s plans for solar panel manufacturing plant in New York slowed, but not deterred. When National Grid estimated that it will cost $19 million to bring power to the proposed solar panel manufacturing plant in Hounsfield, New York, Convalt turned on a dime and hatched a new plan to get US-made panels to market.
Robot dog for PV plant monitoring. A robot dog developed by Boston Dynamics monitors a solar park by walking between the panel rows following a programmed route. It uses its built-in thermal vision system to generate thermographic reports on the status of the different PV plant components.
Have you taken the EnergySage solar installer survey? NABCEP has partnered with EnergySage to launch one of the most comprehensive business surveys for solar installation professionals in the United States. They’d like to hear from you.
Recycled silicon used in 19.7% efficient PERC solar cells Led by German research institute Fraunhofer ISE, the consortium has built the solar cells with 100% crystalline silicon recycled from end-of-life photovoltaic panels.
RFP Alert: DTE Energy seeks 500MW of renewables. The Michigan utility submitted a request for proposals for 500MW of solar or wind energy to support its voluntary MIGreenPower program.
Florida legislators attempt to appease solar advocates with amendment to controversial net metering bill. The amendment would allow existing net metering customers to keep their current rates for 20 years, but would slash future rates and add in base facilities charges, electric grid access fees, monthly minimum bills, or other fixed charges.
Grazing sheep increase carbon sequestration up to 80%, while also benefiting fixation of soil nutrients under solar panels. Researchers from Temple University have found that managed sheep grazing on an acre of recovering agricultural soil with native plants installed may sequester one ton of carbon per year, which may accumulate for 12 to 15 years before reaching saturation.
Greenbacker acquires 16MW Massachusetts rooftop portfolio. The 16 installations in the portfolio all entered operation between the third quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2020, and each has an offtaker contracted for its generation.
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Isn’t that exactly what FPL wanted, a way to dampen the ubiquity of roof too solar panels that was not only diminishing demand for their over priced electricity, but forcing them to buy the excess capacity at retail cost.
Shoppers of solar are no longer interested.
Job done!
Florida Power and Light spent 3.2 million dollars to obtain changes to solar rate structure to and from the Florida State legislature. The rates charged to receivers of power from FPL will have to be adjusted upward to cover that amount. Seems unfair. Those entities (Solar generators) that supply power to FPL should be compensated for all generated power at similar amounts that FPL charge its customers. Gas providers that sell their products to FPL aren’t asked to take a pay cut just because FPL doesn’t like the amounts they have to pay. (That FPL passes increases in cost on to it’s subscribers anyway in the form of surcharges.)