California

NEXT Energy Technologies received a grant from the California Energy Commission for its organic photovoltaic coating for commercial windows.

The funds, consisting of both company equity and infrastructure financing, will be used to scale Solarcycle’s solar panel recycling capacity and expand materials remanufacturing capabilities. Solarcycle also announced $1.5 million in new funding from the DOE.

Also on the rise: Top PV module manufacturers by shipment volume in 2022. 50 states of solar incentives: Idaho. And more.

The commission deemed Sunnova’s application to be an attempt to create a monopoly, while simultaneously showing affinity toward investor-owned utility-run microgrids.

Also on the rise: Building the workforce with Solar 101 online learning. Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub applications seeking $7 billion in funds. And more.

The bipartisan committee unanimously approved a bill to support tax credits for solar canopies over parking lots and along highways.

Acquiring a stake in the California 128 MW Big Beau solar-plus-storage facility is the first step the company’s partnership with EDF Renewables on a 1.6 GW portfolio of clean energy projects.

Tesla’s announced second Megafactory will be located in Shanghai and come online by 2024, increasing the company’s annual global Megapack manufacturing capacity to 83 GWh/year. At this rate, and according to Tesla master plan, only 55 more Megafactories are needed in order to achieve 100% clean energy globally.

Cannabis prohibition drove a culture of clandestine production in the past and solar helped growers to cultivate it at remote, off-grid sites. Now, as a global commercial cannabis market emerges, solar has an even bigger role to play.

The trade groups proposed interconnection process improvements including more transparency on available and planned transmission, incorporating best practices of other grid operators, and raising the grid management fee to pay for additional staff.