Ryan Kennedy
Too much to choose from, too little to decide
Market pressure in the solar and storage sectors often favors low-cost solutions, but long-term success depends on balancing price, quality, and reliability for assets designed to operate for decades. Numerous examples, from low-grade silicon modules to residential hydrogen and redox flow storage, show how technically ambitious products can fail when costs, complexity, or durability are misjudged.
Demand diligence from U.S. battery integration
Tariffs continue to reshape the U.S. storage market. Rising costs for overseas systems have created new incentives to integrate equipment domestically, and many developers are turning to US firms to assemble battery systems. Integration capacity can scale faster than battery cell manufacturing, but not without risk. Unlike cell plants, where automated processes keep variations in check, battery assembly and integration depends on people, as Jeff Zwijack from Intertek CEA explains.
The journey of urban microgrids: From backup to backbone of city resilience
Integrating microgrids through advanced management systems transforms isolated backup power into a dynamic, interconnected foundation for urban grid resilience and stability.
T1 Energy announces 900 MW U.S. solar module supply deal with Treaty Oak Clean Energy
The company signed a three-year deal to supply solar modules assembled from its U.S.-manufactured solar cells.
Building resilience amid intensifying weather events
In its latest monthly column for pv magazine, IEA PVPS shows that with climate-specific site selection, robust design, proper installation, and proactive O&M, most PV systems can be made resilient and remain reliable despite intensifying weather risks.
Adapt to thrive: Managing the residential solar market downturn
Residential solar in the United States is in a sustained downturn as policy support shifts in key states, with conditions likely to worsen as federal tax credits near expiration. Companies in the sector now depend on cutting costs, expanding products and services, and innovating with customer financing to stay competitive.
The roof-solar connection: Can roofing accelerate growth?
While the roofing and solar industries share common economic drivers and “solar-ready” design potential, true market acceleration requires transitioning from separate installations to a single, integrated rooftop system.
Machine learning models identify hidden physical defects in solar arrays
The software tool developed by Stony Brook University uses self-supervised learning to detect long-term solar equipment damage weeks or years before manual inspections find it.
Solar and storage program forecast to save all Massachusetts ratepayers $313 million per year
Solar plus storage can also offer winter reliability improvements and limit gas consumption, finds a report from Synapse Energy Economics and the Solar Energy Industries Association.
California winery powers 100% of its operations with floating solar array
The Nelson Family Vineyards is expected to save $90,000 per year from electricity provided by its floating solar and rooftop arrays.
