Parks Associates: Only 17 Percent of Households are Very Familiar With Solar
Chris White Parks Associates‘ latest report has found consumers are concerned about high energy prices but still have low familiarity overall with solar power. More than 60% of U.S. internet households report their electricity costs are too high, but only 17% are very familiar with solar, according to the “Solar and Storage: Opportunities in the Smart Home” report. “Consumers are concerned about energy costs and are also interested in solutions that would make them independent of their local provider, so market conditions could lead to strong growth in solar adoption, provided consumers become more familiar with these solutions,” says Chris White, research director of Parks Associates. U.S. households still have low familiarity with solar and other home energy management solutions, but adoption has increased slowly the past few years. Parks Associates research shows 7% of U.S. internet households have a solar panel. Climate awareness, energy…
SOLARCYCLE Raises Funds to Advance Recycling in the Industry
Suvi Sharma SOLARCYCLE, a tech-driven recycling company focused on producing sustainable materials at scale for the solar industry, has raised $30 million in Series A funding, bringing the company’s total funding to $37 million since its inception a year ago. The funds will be used to scale the company’s growth in solar panel recycling capacity and expand materials remanufacturing capabilities. The round is led by Fifth Wall, an asset manager, and HG Ventures, the corporate venture arm of The Heritage Group. The round also included participation from Prologis Ventures, as well as existing investors Urban Innovation Fund and Closed Loop Partners. The announcement follows the initial $6.6 million seed round raised in May 2022. The infrastructure financing, led by Fifth Wall Infrastructure and Special Situations Partner Alok Sindher, provides asset-level equity capital for SOLARCYCLE’s Odessa, Texas, factory. Solar adoption is expected to accelerate over this decade, increasing from 150 GW…
Catalyst Power Partners with Gates Historical Society
Garth Brokaw Catalyst Power Holdings LLC, a provider of energy solutions for the commercial and industrial sectors, has partnered with the Gates Historical Society for a new 1.4 MW community solar farm in Rochester, N.Y. The farm, to be built on 13 acres of land, will provide affordable clean energy while supporting local jobs and economic development. “Our partnership with Catalyst Power provides us with increased revenue and allows us to support the local community by hosting clean solar energy,” says Garth Brokaw, president of the Gates Historical Society. In addition to community solar, Catalyst Power provides its commercial and industrial customers with a suite of cleaner energy solutions, including a connected microgrid network. The company uses a proprietary technology platform that provides perspective on data to identify, underwrite, fund and provide solutions to customers while operating more cost-effective onsite energy projects for retail energy…
Emerson Ovation to Support Lodestone Energy Solar PV Plants
Peter Apperley Solar energy company Lodestone Energy has selected Emerson to provide advanced automation solutions for New Zealand’s first large-scale solar photovoltaic power project: a pair of 23 MW installations in Kaitaia and Edgecumbe. Emerson’s automation architecture will combine control software and technologies with enterprise data solutions to create an integrated, scalable control solution to maximize output and profitability while simultaneously contributing to grid stability. “Emerson’s expertise in automation software for power generation and sustainability will help us more quickly build a world-class facility, while also more seamlessly integrating with the national grid to drive successful, efficient operation over the lifecycle of the plant,” says Peter Apperley, general manager of engineering at Lodestone Energy. Lodestone will take advantage of Emerson’s Ovation distributed control system and new OCR3000 controller to provide control to minimize the impact of variability and intermittency in solar PV power generation. The…
IbVogt Deploying Nextracker NX Horizon-XTR for 150 MW Project
Solar developer IbVogt has chosen NX Horizon-XTR technology from Nextracker for its 150 MW Garnacha solar power plant in Spain. “Due to the local zero-grading requirements on our project, we needed a solar tracker solution that would have minimal environmental impact and allow us to secure local permits,” says Patrick Zenker, global procurement director of IbVogt. “With a 10-gigawatt track record, NX Horizon-XTR gave us peace of mind and low risk.” NX Horizon-XTR allows rows of solar panels to adjust to uneven terrain, following the natural curvature of the earth. Its terrain-following capabilities enable developers to work on challenging sites that would otherwise be infeasible. It also cuts costs by limiting grading work and associated delays, simplifying the permitting process, and reducing the need for soil-related maintenance, Nextracker says. Solar projects using NX Horizon-XTR have a lighter impact on the environment as they leave more soil intact, benefitting the local…
NYSERDA Solidifies Agreement for Renewable Energy Development
Shawna Black The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has reached agreements on two municipally owned sites for potential renewable energy development. Under these memorandums of understanding, NYSERDA will work closely with Tompkins County in the Southern Tier and Orange County in the Hudson Valley through its Build-Ready Program to explore developing renewable energy projects on otherwise underutilized lands. This represents progress under the state’s Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act and advances New York’s goal for 70% of its electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030. The first MOU was executed by NYSERDA and Tompkins County following a resolution passed in relation to a closed solid waste landfill. The Caswell Road Landfill took in an average of 29,400 tons of waste per year for 15 years until closing in 1985. The 112-acre site will potentially host a large-scale renewable solar energy project on…
Everlight Solar Breaks Ground on Headquarters in Wisconsin
Bret Newcomb, Casey Creech, William Creech, Edward Kinney, Tom Spritz and Luke Diaz. Photo by Brad Trick. Everlight Solar has begun construction on its new 64,000-square-foot headquarters at the intersection of Liberty Drive and Ambition Street in Verona, Wis. The company has operations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. “This project represents a significant investment in our community’s future, and we are proud to be part of it,” says Everlight Solar President and CEO William Creech. “It is an opportunity for us to take a bold step towards a more sustainable future, one that we can pass onto future generations,” he adds. “We have already helped thousands of Wisconsin homeowners go green, but the best part is we are only just getting started.” Source link
CertainTeed Launches Solstice Solar Roofing Line
CertainTeed, a building materials manufacturer and subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, has launched the low-profile solar roofing system Solstice. This product allows roofing contractors to more simply integrate solar technology into new and existing roofing systems with both shingles and traditional panels. Ultimately, Solstice complements a home’s aesthetic and durability to ensure it can weather years of changing seasonal conditions. Solstice Shingle integrates with new or existing asphalt shingle roofing and produces about as much energy as rack-mounted solar panels. The all-black solar panels have a high hail impact rating and perform well in diffused light and shade, leading to increased energy production. The shingle can also be installed directly by a roofing contractor with assistance from an electrician, and is backed by a 25-year warranty. “As we consider the impact of rising energy costs and homeowners looking to take advantage of IRA tax credits and other…
ArcVera Renewables Supports Acquisition of Onward Solar Portfolio
David Simkins ArcVera says it is expanding its activities in the solar space through independent engineering services to support transactions from development to operational facilities. “There is a strong need for qualified independent engineering teams who have the expertise to manage the myriad details of technical due diligence required at deal-flow pace,” says David Simkins, director of business development – global at ArcVera. The ArcVera team recently provided technical advisory and IE services for Onward Energy’s acquisition and financing of the ~1.2 GW Global Atlantic solar PV portfolio, which closed in January. ArcVera Renewables has wind energy analysis expertise focusing on data quality and mesoscale modeling. This knowledge will be applied to solar analysis as more clients seek independent engineering services. With the recent Inflation Reduction Act legislation, ArcVera anticipates an increase in demand for technical due diligence. In response, the company is hiring staff…
ClearPath Energy Partners with Brookfield to Secure Financing
David Khasidy ClearPath Energy, an energy transition platform and renewable energy developer, owner and operator, has closed on a facility with a direct lending infrastructure fund managed by Brookfield Asset Management. The capital will allow ClearPath to expand its existing 2 GW pipeline further while accelerating the progression of late-stage development assets into construction and operations. Proceeds will support the construction and operations of ClearPath’s North American renewable energy portfolio. Allen & Overy LLP served as legal counsel to ClearPath, and Shearman Sterling LLP served as legal counsel to Brookfield. “This financing enables us to seamlessly transition our late-stage development assets into construction and then into operation. We’re also looking forward to scaling our multi-sector development tools while expanding our geographic footprint,” says David Khasidy, co-founder and executive chairman of ClearPath. Source link