Sunrise brief: Is the solar sector as healthy as it seems?
Also on the rise: Chinese solar group calls forced labor allegations ‘unfounded’, and two southwest utilities issue RFPs for solar and distributed energy resources.
Import action ratchets up risks for U.S. solar companies
Further price increases for residential and C&I projects, along with a possible drop in module shipments and even more delays for utility-scale projects are possible in the wake of action by the Biden administration to address forced labor allegations in China.
Solar is as popular as apple pie (but some folks still prefer pecan)
A Pew Research Center study found that solar enjoys the strongest support among those surveyed. Splits emerged when it came to Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X, and Boomers, not to mention the Republican-Democrat split.
Solar 101: It all comes down to curb appeal
The residential solar industry has taken notice of the demand for beautiful, hidden panels, and is now providing creative and attractive designs that you can incorporate into your rooftop solar project.
Non-profits get creative to expand the benefits of solar to low- and moderate-income people
Two recent initiatives in Massachusetts and New York offer examples of how non-profit and community organizations are working to extend solar’s benefits.
Sunrise brief: U.S. solar industry passes 100 GW of installed capacity, SEIA report says
Also on the rise: Stem and CleanCapital extend their business ties and eye C&I energy storage, Heliogen raises $108 million from industrial heavyweights for its CSP refinery, and Ameresco will deploy a solar array at Cannon AFB.
Supply chain constraints are starting to hit the solar industry, SEIA says
A Q1 market report said the biggest impact has been on utility-scale projects, with some developers trying to rework PPAs. It warned that “compounding cost increases across all materials are just beginning to affect installers.”
Solar 101: Grumpy neighbors and falling quahogs are just two perils to jolt your solar project
Homeowner associations and town councils can derail your solar project. So can dust from nearby factories and bivalve mollusks falling from the sky.
Solar for manufactured homes: the next frontier for energy equity
Manufactured households represent an often-overlooked portion of low- and middle-income solar access equity, one that presents its own unique challenges and opportunities on both the individual and community level.
Sunrise brief: NV Energy plans to replace a coal plant with 600 MW of solar and 480 MW of storage
Also on the rise: Tesla’s solar roof factory in Buffalo: more EV and less roof? DOE outlines policies to create a domestic battery supply chain, FPL hits a solar milestone, and Connecticut moves closer to setting an energy storage goal.
