Opinion & analysis

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.

In a series covering the process of building an eco-friendly and energy-efficient home in Minnesota, Jessica Fishman describes the process behind installing solar.

The energy sector continues to face challenges like increasing power demands and grid instability, intensified by AI growth and climate change, despite recent policy changes. States are addressing these issues by promoting flexible solutions such as microgrids and utilizing predictive modeling for future energy projects.

Extreme weather is no longer a rare event for PV sites across the United States. It’s a costly, recurring reality eroding performance, reliability, and profitability. Wayne Burnett, chief strategy officer and chief technology officer at sensor equipment supplier EKO Instruments, offers insights from projects in hard-hit regions. With lessons learned from the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, he examines how these are shaping best practices for long-term energy yield and resilience.

With U.S. domestic steel mills booked solid through 2025, a sudden doubling of tariffs on imported steel has created a critical bottleneck for American industries. The move, which hits specialized Indian steel particularly hard, is now delaying projects for builders and renewable energy developers who rely on steady, affordable supply.