To help states launch programs to compensate owners of distributed batteries for providing energy at peak times, Solar United Neighbors has developed model legislative language. Under one approach, the owner of a 5 kW battery could earn $1,100 per year.

Also on the rise: Energy storage is a solved problem. Infinity sends fuel cell to NASA for lunar testing. And more.

Ashtrom Renewable Energy activated its first U.S. utility-scale solar project, located on 2,200 acres in Texas.

The three solar installations in Johnstown, New York are under development by BlueWave.

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

Import tariff rates range from 0.14% to nearly 300% of the cost of shipped goods on certain solar cells and modules shipped from Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand.

The closing of the strategic equity investment from Transition Equity Partners will help Heliene build out both solar cell and module manufacturing in the U.S.

Also on the rise: Data-driven O&M supercharging solar asset performance. Solar wafer prices steady amid improving supply-demand balance. And more.

The company plans to expand its high-voltage switchgear and breakers factory in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, a distribution, power, and traction transformer factory in South Boston, Virginia, and to build a distribution transformer factory in Mexico.

Also on the rise: First Solar opens $1.1 billion solar factory in Alabama. Solar levelized cost of electricity 56% lower than lowest-cost fossil fuels. And more.

Pew Charitable Trusts intends to develop a roadmap to help policymakers increase DERs and microgrids that bring equitable energy resources to communities.

Runergy is pushing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to cancel Trina Solar’s tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) patents, US9,722,104 and US10,230,009.

Also on the rise: Heliene receives $54 million investment to boost U.S. manufacturing. Enabling distributed battery owners in every state to earn compensation. And more.

While some Texas lawmakers are pushing restrictions to solar development, 89% of surveyed Texans, including 83% of self-identified Trump voters, said they support the right for property owners to lease land for solar development.

Also on the rise: A high-renewables grid with faster transmission buildout can save $270 billion or more. What to expect in a residential solar loan. And more.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales claim to have identified new TOPCon contact degradation mechanisms that are significantly influenced by the combination of ions and aluminum-silver paste compositions. The primary degradation mechanism was a significant increase in series resistance.

The U.S. Department of Energy found increasing levels of savings under a high-renewables grid across three transmission frameworks: first, accelerated transmission expansion, then point-to-point high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission, then HVDC using more flexibly sized multiterminal converters.

An international group of scientists has designed a patented mooring tech and a vertical PV system that reportedly allows the bifacial solar panels to align with the prevailing wind direction to shed wind loads. Depending on a project’s latitude, the system can deliver different power yield.

As we introduce more renewable energy into the mix, we must also address these challenges to ensure a reliable grid that can support the nation’s clean energy goals. Nick Tumilowicz, director of product management, distributed energy management at Itron offers four solutions.

UK-based Caldera has developed a new heat storage technology that can reportedly convert on-site generated solar power into on-demand heat, thus replacing conventional gas boilers. The system uses a composite of recycled aluminum and volcanic rocks to store heat at up to 500 C and produce steam.