Branson group is rebuilding another hurricane-damaged solar array
Hardened to withstand winds up to 180 mph, the 6.4 MW facility in the U.S. Virgin Islands is expected to enter service in the fourth quarter.
Insuring against hail is all about risk management for solar project developers
In the second installment of this series, pv magazine talks with Michael Kolodner of Marsh to learn about the evolution of hail risk management and how insuring a solar project is about more than just the policy.
Sunrise brief: California approves electric microgrid program for vulnerable communities
Also on the rise: Hydro-Québec will work to commercialize hydrogen technology, San Antonio’s electric utility gets a financial safety net, and Silicon Ranch wraps up a 200 MW solar portfolio in Georgia.
Storm season has the solar industry looking to protect assets from costly hail damage
The destructive potential of hail on solar arrays has only been fully realized in the last two years. In this series, pv magazine talks with experts in storm modeling, risk insurance, and damage mitigation to learn how solar arrays can survive nature’s wrath.
Muni utility sues ERCOT as fallout from Texas’ electric power crisis continues
The utility alleged that ERCOT “ran up $20 billion in charges” for five days of energy supply due to its “lack of oversight, preparedness, and failure to follow its own protocols.”
Insurance for renewable energy projects adapts to more frequent and destructive disasters
As much as 70% of losses linked to solar energy systems in the past decade have occurred since 2017. The insurance industry is no longer “naive” to the risk.
Sunrise brief: A Texas-sized ‘oops’ for grid operator ERCOT
Also on the rise: Researchers use AI to model how grid failures cascade in a disaster, VEIR raises capital for its novel transmission line technology, NV Energy issues a community solar RFP, Freedom Solar gains two new partners, and Daqo New Energy signs a polysilicon supply deal.
The Texas blackout is a man-made disaster of epic proportions
The ERCOT market has served Texans well, producing low energy costs and the nation’s leading market for renewable energy. This same system also failed the state’s residents and businesses spectacularly in a moment of great need.
As Texas recovers, report warns grid operators to plan better for extreme weather
Grid planning fails to consider extreme climate scenarios that a resilient grid needs to handle, said EPRI’s president and CEO. “Traditional planning processes do not represent how resources actually perform under extreme conditions.”
Probes launched as Texas works to get the lights back on
For many Texans, this week’s blackouts seem a lot like a 2011 winter storm that was supposed to have ushered in a host of reforms.
