United States

It is now the 10th U.S. state to set a goal for energy storage procurement.

Developed and owned by Silicon Ranch, the solar facility is a significant step by Vanderbilt University toward its goal to power its campus entirely through renewable energy and become carbon neutral by 2050.

Kansas is expected to ramp up its solar buildout considerably over the next five years. The state sources much of its clean energy through the operation of wind turbines.

The Longroad Energy’s 108 MW Foxhound Solar Project to be acquired by Dominion Energy was the first utility-scale solar project to receive Virginia Pollinator-Smart biodiversity certification.

A robotic PV construction solution from Sarcos delivers, detects, lifts, and places PV modules in large-scale solar plants. It has recently field tested and validated the prototype solution in a pilot project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Also on the rise: Solar-powered cannabis cultivation. U.S. costs are too high for new Chinese solar polysilicon factory. And more.

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.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory tool surveys how changes in costs, battery adoption scenarios, and international actions affect long-term trends in the battery supply chain.

GCL Technology Holdings, a global leader in polysilicon, said it is looking to expand its operations outside China, but the United States doesn’t appear to be a viable location, reports Bloomberg.

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.