Trackers

As solar has grown, the fossil fuel industry has begun to attack it by funding misinformation campaigns online and among Facebook groups.

The project, owned and operated by Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, was selected as part of the competitive bidding process established by 2017’s solar legislation in North Carolina.

pv magazine met with Nextracker CEO Dan Shugar and his colleagues to discuss leadership, Nextracker’s continued role in the energy transition, and how running a company can be a lot like performing in a band.

Also on the rise: Hot carrier solar cells could potentially breaking the Shockley-Queisser limit of silicon-based photovoltaics. Job moves at Nexamp, Algonquin Power & Utilities, and more. Photovoltaic cell harvests energy day and night. Power Factors selected to manage Vesper Energy’s development pipeline. New inverter from SMA for residential, commercial PV. Aluminum-nickel molten salt battery for seasonal renewables storage. Nautilus completes 24.9MW community solar portfolio in New York.

Also on the rise: Underserved communities get a clean energy boost from DOE. Michigan renewable energy program so popular that the utility has “thousands of megawatts” of clean energy planned to meet demand. Ampyr Energy USA plans 5GW solar development in US. Nextracker unveils all-terrain tracker.

Also on the rise: New York solar plan needs some tweeks to support energy justice. Jobs moves at NREL, CPower, Brattle Group, and more. FTC solar uses novel approach to tackle the damage potential of dynamic and static wind loads on single axis trackers. Sacramento utility signs its largest solar and storage PPA with D.E. Shaw.

In a new whitepaper, FTC solar looks to tackle the damage potential of dynamic and static wind loads on single axis trackers using a novel hardware approach and a zero-degree stow angle.

Also on the rise: Powin Energy signed a supply agreement with Borrego for 800MWh of Powin’s Stack750 storage solution. Rigid trackers may be best for large-format modules. Koch subsidiary DEPCOM expands portfolio to 650MWh. Over the next two years utility-scale solar and battery energy storage will combine for 60% of the capacity added to the grid. NASA’s 1.5 billion-mile Psyche asteroid mission will be solar-powered. IREC and partners announce on-line training courses for residential plan review and permitting.

Arctech Solar released a new white paper outlining the opportunities presented by stowing modules at a zero-degree angle in high-wind scenarios, a solution made possible by the advent of rigid trackers.

The technology promises lower LCOE, drastic reductions in project costs, and reduced shipping costs, yet availability issues and the variance in form factors have contributed to limited field usage thus far.