Global energy transition hits a hardware bottleneck
As transformer lead times double and U.S. prices surge 79%, a manufacturing “supercycle” struggles to keep pace with the explosive growth of AI data centers and renewable energy.
The richest silver mine isn’t underground: It’s in solar panels
As primary silver grades decline and solar demand surges, the industry must transition from viewing retired panels as waste to treating them as high-grade mineral reserves essential for the energy transition.
Sunrun touts record storage attachment rate, positive cash flow in 2025 earnings report
The company also predicts positive cash flow for 2026 as it shifts away from affiliate partners and toward a direct model under which it sells half of the storage and solar systems it builds to a third party upon installation.
Can solar and energy storage plug the gas leak?
Demand for gas turbines has never been higher, with an anticipated spike in future energy demand filling order books for years to come. Complex engineering makes expanding manufacturing capacity tough, but can solar and energy storage plug the gaps left by gas?
New model reveals pathway for land-efficient U.S. solar expansion
McGill University researchers, publishing in Communications Earth & Environment, used deep-learning computer vision to analyze 719 solar projects across the Western U.S. The study establishes a new “land-sparing” benchmark, providing developers with precise data to balance rapid capacity expansion with conservation and land-use priorities.
A winter survival checklist for residential solar and storage
Otovo provides tips for solar customers to avoid getting caught with a dead battery or snow-covered panels when the next winter storm hits the grid.
Batteries backing up wastewater plant and replacing generators
Viridi batteries have been deployed in New York to replace diesel generators, accelerating a trend where batteries replace and complement generators of all sizes.
The future of solar is unwritten
Whatever decision the U.S. Department of Commerce makes on polysilicon imports, some market segments are in for a bumpy ride in 2026 as the expiration of tax credits and other policy levers change the trading environment faced by residential installers and others. Jesse Pichel and Lev Seleznov of Roth Capital assess what lies ahead for U.S. solar.
National lab assesses alternatives to “direct transfer trip” that can block solar projects
“Direct transfer trip,” a costly approach to ensure that distributed generation shuts down during a power outage, can make solar projects uneconomical. A national lab report points to a combination of inverter-based approaches as a viable alternative.
Tigo Energy debuts real-time solar equipment commissioning software at IESNA 2026
The solar equipment and software provider said its new platform will help installers complete jobs faster and reduce the need for repeat truck rolls.
