New Mexico

Array Technologies broke ground on a factory in New Mexico, while Nextracker expanded operations with a contract manufacturer.

Residents in eligible states can save on their electricity bills by subscribing to community solar via the Clean Energy Connector software. The Department of Energy is inviting more states to join the program, which vets solar providers and integrates consumer protections.

The software tool is designed to connect eligible households to community solar projects through the Department of Health and Human Services’ HHS’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Indoor cannabis growth was estimated to use 1% of all U.S. electricity consumption back in 2012, before any states had legalized it. This number has grown like a weed, creating an opportunity for solar to decarbonize operations.

A New Mexico judge upheld rules that prevent utilities from deducting transmission costs from solar bill credits received by customers.

The future is bright for community solar notes Arcadia’s report, as states have strengthened programs, federal legislation is increasingly implemented and billions of dollars are invested in solar projects for all income levels.

Developer Pattern Energy estimates the $5 billion project, the largest renewable energy project in North American history, will power more than 3 million homes annually when complete, all while creating more than 2,000 construction jobs. 

Sandia National Laboratories and CSolPower are researching the use of landscaping gravel as a thermal energy storage medium.

In addition to the solar panel patent portfolio, Maxeon will gain complete Solaria’s dealer channel operations and contracts.

Also on the rise: Funding for second-life EV battery materials manufacturer reaches $4 billion. Model procedures for fixing distributed solar and storage interconnection. And more.