John Fitzgerald Weaver
Patent violation by standardization? Judge tosses Tigo lawsuit
A court ruled that the SunSpec Alliance, a trade organization setting industry standards, cannot be held liable for any patent infringement activities conducted by its members under their established standards, particularly those concerning patents previously ruled as controlled by Tigo Energy.
Massachusetts greenlights 800 MWh battery energy storage facilities
The Commonwealth overruled the decisions of its own siting boards and one town’s moratoria on all solar and storage projects, paving the way for the imminent construction of two significant energy storage facilities.
Former coal plant to house 100-hour iron-air battery
Minnesota’s public utilities commission approves Form Energy’s 10 MW/1 GWh iron-air long-duration energy storage facility construction project for Xcel Energy.
Solar generated 7% of U.S. electricity in April
Solar electricity was up 16% from 2022, a relatively modest increase due to lower deployed solar capacity in 2022 than in 2021. For the year, solar has covered 5% of all electricity so far, with emission-free sources greater than 43%.
Solar defends title as most popular U.S. electricity source
Pew Research reports a steady Democratic support for solar energy while its acceptance among Republicans has fallen, particularly following the most recent presidential transition.
Roof-integrated solar takes 44% less time to install on new construction
A time-motion study by NREL discovered that retrofitting installations of roof-integrated photovoltaics takes 7% less labor time than standard solar installations. For new construction, the installation time drops by 44%.
A review of functional requirements for grid-forming inverters
As the grid evolves toward a future dominated by inverters, transitioning from the large spinning masses within turbines to a system managed by power electronics and software, manufacturers are developing and refining necessary stability functions.
Increasing restrictions on siting solar in the U.S.
A study from Columbia University has identified 59 new local renewable energy siting restrictions across 35 states in the U.S., taking the total count to 228. In addition, nine state level restrictions were noted as being severe enough to block projects.
Agrivoltaics seeking mainstream recognition in Farm Bill
Proposed legislation from two U.S. Senators would prioritize pollinator-friendly solar facilities for government funding, ahead of traditional, compacted dirt facilities.
Better solar projections mean better models and higher project valuations
Denowatts helps solar asset owners know what they’re ‘supposed’ to be generating, via their Deno Simulator, a self-powered digital weather station, and the corresponding Digital Twin software package.
