Covid-19

The formerly bankrupt and since reborn residential solar company abruptly laid off nearly 400 workers yesterday. For the third time in company history, a significant portion of the workforce was laid off with no warning. Now Sungevity’s future is uncertain – yet again.

Also in the brief: kWh Analytics’ insurance policy on solar production and revenues, Solar FlexRack has reached 200 solar tracker installations, the Wallingford Renewable Energy solar project has been sold and more.

With the scope of global turmoil caused by Covid-19, tax equity, the predominant vehicle for solar project financing will slow down considerably. What options will arise to replace tax equity, and how will they shape the different branches of development?

Also in the brief: Minnesota’s new residential solar restrictions, JinkoSolar donates 1,000,000 masks for pandemic fighting in 19 countries, NABCEP will offer Board Certification and Associate level exams online and more.

Wood Mackenzie has dropped the 2020 outlook down to 430 MW, still a more than 100% increase over 2019, amid concerns over the role of sales and commissioning and interconnection in a period of shelter-in-place ordinances.

Also In the brief: Iowa passes net metering right before suspending the session amid the Covid-19 pandemic, an international research team has developed a new type of solar cell that is 26.7% efficient in power conversion, Powerhome is hiring and more.

“It is not clear why refineries, chemical plants, and other facilities that continue to operate and keep their employees on the production line will no longer have the staff or time they need to comply with environmental laws.”

While national solar and storage projections fall, the opposite has been true for Bret Biggart and Freedom Solar, with more and more customers looking for residential storage to weather uncertain times.

Also in the brief: Tesla is planning to retool its New York gigafactory to manufacture medical ventilators, SEIA is projecting that coronavirus could slash the solar workforce in half, a 50 MW community solar project approved in New Mexico and more.

As long as their businesses are allowed to operate, residential solar companies have to adhere to the changing world that Covid-19 has created. In light of this, Sunrun and SEIA have both released best practice guidelines for installing solar during a global pandemic.