Commercial & Industrial PV

With installers and developers needing to squeeze every kilowatt-hour out of every roof and project, racking and trackers are the unsung heroes that secure and tilt panels while maximizing output and protecting wiring and other gear.

A new report by Generation180, the Solar Foundation and SEIA shows that the amount of schools turning to solar energy is surging, as over 5% of the country’s K-12 schools now have some sort of PV installation.

Can the solar industry’s biggest conference make the transition from mulitday marathon to six weeks of virtual “microconferences”? Opening sessions started strong, pragmatic and urgent — with a focus on collaboration and the opportunities ahead.

Also in the brief: Solar in schools

“Putting a price on GHG emissions creates an economic incentive to allocate capital toward the development of new lower-emitting technologies,” claims a report from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Also in the brief: BayWa r.e. expands PV and storage capabilities with acquisition of Enable Energy, Hemlock Semiconductor to vertically integrate polysilicon production.

The utility-scale solar pioneer and specialist is going small. After decades of avoiding distributed generation, its distributors will now offer First Solar’s series 6 modules to “projects and customers of all shapes and sizes.”

The public-private partnership will put 10-12 MW of solar on commercial rooftops, multifamily housing and schools, but could face regulatory barriers to third-party ownership and net metering.

A high level of distributed solar in Indiana would reduce utility costs by up to $540 million per year, a national lab has found. Fair compensation for rooftop solar power in southern Indiana would be 13¢/kWh, an expert calculated—not the 3¢/kWh proposed by a utility.

For corporates with a global footprint, there is now a single place to view and compare the risk and value of each PPA available in North America and Europe.