Ben Zientara
Solar asset managers talk underperforming systems, catastrophic losses and AI at SAMNA 2026
More than 650 solar industry professionals gathered in San Diego at the annual Solarplaza Summit Asset Management North America conference to discuss the most important topics facing today’s O&M marketplace.
Maine’s plug-in solar law takes effect in July and some companies are already selling products in the state
Representatives from both APsystems and CraftStrom say their products are already available in Maine, while EcoFlow plans to launch one product as the law takes effect and offer another after it obtains UL listing.
Residential solar company Freedom Forever files chapter 11 bankruptcy
Filings from the company, reportedly the second-largest residential solar installer in the U.S. in 2025, indicate it owes more than $500 million to its creditors compared to assets of between $100 million and $500 million.
Bills containing plug-in solar provisions pass in Maryland and Colorado
The measures join similar laws in Utah, Maine, and Virginia as the movement to pass portable solar legislation continues across the United States.
Span and Nvidia to develop AI data centers in your backyard, lowering electric bills
The two will develop XFRA, a distributed network of compute nodes connected to homes with smart panels, batteries and optional solar generation, in partnership with Nvidia and homebuilders like PulteGroup,
Terra Energy aims to make signing up for solar as easy as signing up for cell phone service
The company, which offers solar subscriptions to homeowners on an initial 36-month agreement, seeks to retain those customers for the long-term by proving it can offer something better than the alternative.
Modular microgrid company Critical Loop announces $26 million Series A round
The Los Angeles-based startup says it has now raised $49 million to accelerate its work to provide flexible industrial solutions that help its clients connect to power faster and bypass long waits for permanent grid infrastructure upgrades.
Volta Space Technologies leverages government partnerships and funding to develop laser-enabled lunar PV power network
The public-private partnership plans a 2028 demonstration of its LEPTON technology designed to deliver photovoltaic power to the moon’s surface from low orbit.
The world added 4 GW of new solar capacity for every GW of wind in 2025, but wind is gaining
A new report from global energy think tank Ember shows 814 GWdc in new solar and wind capacity was installed in 2025, but the pace of wind deployment rose 47% year-over-year compared to just 11% for solar.
Colorado PUC decision codifies environmental justice advocates’ settlement with Xcel Energy
A coalition of environmental justice groups is celebrating a Colorado Public Utilities Commission decision that will dedicate more funding to income-qualified programs.
