Demand is soaring in the US for residential solar and storage, driven by a desire for energy resilience and sustainability, but traditional utilities are hampering progress.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have unveiled a new ‘paper-thin’ solar PV cell that can be applied to a variety of surfaces to generate highly integrable, versatile solar energy, they say.
On 15 December, the California Public Utilities Commission will vote on the latest net energy meeting (NEM) proposal regarding the state’s rooftop solar market. Ahead of the vote, activists have taken to the streets in a series of demonstrations against the legislation, and the California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA) and other representative groups have been vocal in their criticism of the proposal.
With the US Department of Commerce finding that solar manufacturers in Southeast Asia are circumventing duties on Chinese PV cells, questions have been raised over potential legal challenges that lie ahead and whether American project developers will be able to secure enough modules to meet soaring demand.
Arizona-based solar technology company Erthos, the inventor of Earth Mount Solar PV, has signed an agreement for a 100MWdc+ utility-scale PV installation in Texas. It is the company’s largest contract to date.
Solar module manufacturer REC has shelved the construction of a 4GW French heterojunction module manufacturing facility, citing "changes in market conditions".
Module-level solar electronics supplier Tigo Energy is due to become a publicly listed company after signing an agreement for a business combination with Roth CH Acquisition IV, a US$117 million special purpose acquisition company.
As of today, less than 10% of the necessary solar and wind power needed for a 2050 global net zero scenario exists, whilst global electricity generation will need to more than triple to 80,000TWh, according to the 2022 BloombergNEF (BNEF) New Energy Outlook.
US Secretary of The Interior Deb Haaland has announced plans to expand solar deployment on public lands across the west of the country, including three major solar projects in Arizona representing just under 1GW of capacity.
