Markets & Policy

Bigger PV module designs are now hitting the market, but the production of larger, more powerful solar panels is challenging. Canadian Solar is launching its new Series 7 modules with pv magazine in a webinar on Oct. 29. Our editorial team recently caught up with Canadian Solar’s chairman and CEO, Shawn Qu, and director of module R&D, Alan Xu, to discuss the company’s latest efforts to shake up the market.

Also in the brief: The reality of clean coal, according to the Coen Brothers, plus, Utility CEOs contribute personal money to help Republicans; Utility PACs also favor GOP — an analysis of federal campaign dollars in the 2020 election cycle. And NextEra’s burgeoning renewable portfolio.

A new report from BW Research Partnership has found that, in 2019, clean energy jobs paid 25% more than the national median, with some states seeing nearly 30% higher hourly wages than their own median.

Also in the brief: Time to see how serious industry is about ESG and D&I versus LCOE. Plus Hawaii solar on the rise.

The utility has announced three new, massive solar projects, set to be developed by subsidiaries of NextEra Energy Resources. With these projects confirmed, the utility has now secured roughly 1.4 GW of the 2.3 GW it is looking to bring on-line to replace its aging coal fleet.

Big systems with long-lived assets, like the worldwide energy sector, are hard to redirect. How have CO2 emissions and energy use changed over the last 3 years and 9 months? Catherine Wolfram of the Haas School of Business takes a look.

Tesla’s solar and battery businesses show signs of life in another profitable quarter for the EV maker.

Also in the brief: First Solar to provide 869 MW of Series 6 to Vistra, Solar welcomed in Colorado, eyed with suspicion in Utah.

Bloomberg NEF’s head solar analyst, Jenny Chase is decidedly unimpressed with perovskite, floating solar (solar onna boat) or — as of her latest #unpopularopinions on solar thread on Twitter — agrivoltaics (solar onna field).

Henk Rogers, of Tetris Fame, talks shop about saving the planet, the future of energy storage in Hawaii and how a life-changing experience dictates how he tackles each day. Tam Hunt interviews the entrepreneur.