Opinion & analysis

Devastating wildfires in Southern California last January exposed severe grid resilience issues. Damage to the electrical infrastructure caused far-reaching power outages. Furthermore, PG&E’s Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS)—deactivating power to prevent utility-sparked fires—resulted in economic losses and risks for people with medical needs. Microgrids are a potential solution, but they face significant utility company opposition.

As renewable energy deployment accelerates, the industry falls under an intensifying spotlight. Developers and financiers face mounting pressure to prove credible environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance across the solar and battery storage value chains.

Inverters must withstand the high levels of heat generated when operating, otherwise system performance and reliability could be at risk. Cody Schoener of Dow Performance Silicones argues using silicone-based materials for inverters can improve thermal management and fire protection, while offering thermal stability, environmental resistance, electrical isolation and support for operational efficiency.

The global PV market faces uncertainty amid fluctuating module prices and evolving energy policies. Changes to Chinese export taxes may further raise module costs, affecting European and Asian markets.

With one-third of U.S. solar nearing mid-life, developers weigh the economics and challenges of upgrading existing assets over building new ones.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that trontal systems, widespread wildfires and an omega block pattern contributed to highly mixed irradiance anomalies across North America in September. Solar conditions underperformed in much of the West and Midwest, while the Northeast, South, and parts of Canada recorded a strong month.

For commercial & industrial solar, getting the initial “yes” is only half the battle. The real challenge is keeping momentum and closing multi-stakeholder deals that often stall for no clear reason. After decades of relying on traditional sales techniques, I realized that success in today’s long-cycle projects demands a fundamental shift from micromanagement to vision alignment, trust-building, and team autonomy.

Amid soaring demand and shrinking solar subsidies, taking an efficiency-focused approach to energy management can offer a pathway to project success.

The independence of the ERCOT market is driving Texas’s energy transition, and pushing ahead solar-plus-storage the new gold standard. However, capitalizing on this trend requires developers to master the state’s volatile market by understanding locational pricing and smart battery operations rather than just bolting technology together.

Sustainable projects depend on prices — and suppliers — that hold up under compliance, delivery and long-term performance requirements.