New frontiers: All-terrain trackers are changing the rules of solar site selection
As solar projects are built increasingly in populated areas, community pushback has become a major risk to solar growth and achievement of climate targets. Yet by allowing solar installations to fit the land in its natural form, we can remove one of the most significant sources of pushback. We shouldn’t have to protect nature from solar development.
Sunrise brief: Solar panel import tariffs increasing prices by up to 286%
Also on the rise: Total U.S. solar module manufacturing capacity grows by 71% in Q1 2024. California bill amends ruling that gutted value of solar for multi-meter properties. And more.
California bill amends ruling that gutted value of solar for multi-meter properties
If approved, SB 1374 would give schools, farms, apartments and other multi-meter properties “the same treatment” as single-family homes in solar crediting and billing structures.
IEA urges countries to accelerate renewables deployment
A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that the world could miss out on a target of 11,000 GW of global renewables capacity by the end of the decade, as agreed at COP28. It also predicts that solar will become the world’s largest source of installed renewable capacity, surpassing hydropower.
Solar panel import tariffs are affecting the industry by increasing prices by up to 286%
Clean Energy Associates released a summary of the seven solar module trade policies and solar panel import tariffs currently in place, including AD/CVD rulings, Section 201/302, and the Uyghur Protection Act. These tariffs have significantly increased, or will increase, the cost of hardware imports into the United states – predominantly from China, but not exclusively – by 91% to 286%.
Total U.S. solar module manufacturing capacity grows by 71% in Q1 2024
According to the U.S. Solar Market Insight Q2 2024 report, solar module manufacturing production capacity increased by over 11 GW.
U.S. commercial real estate to host VPP-connected flywheels and batteries
U.S.-based technology provider Torus has agreed to supply nearly 26 MWh of energy storage for Gardner Group’s commercial real estate portfolio. The project will integrate battery and flywheel energy storage systems (BESS, FESS) with Torus’ proprietary energy management platform.
Building public trust around large-scale solar energy projects
The Department of Energy awards $9.5 million to four projects intended to learn about best community engagement practices for solar siting and permitting.
People on the move: Wood Mackenzie, Borrego, Skydweller Aero and more
Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.
Freight costs edge toward pandemic levels, hitting solar module costs
Freight costs, which represent around 4% of a solar module’s total costs, are increasing on trade lines between the Far East and the US West Coast, Northern Europe, and Mediterranean region.
