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Energy community bonus credit delivers lucrative project sites to solar developers and tax dollars to towns

Kelsey Misbrener — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 12:01:52 +0000

The “energy community” tax credit adder in the Inflation Reduction Act presents a potential renewable windfall to developers and could bring much-needed tax revenue to communities affected by the dissipating fossil fuel industry. Solar projects are eligible for an additional 10% tax credit adder on top of the potential 30% investment tax credit (ITC) or…

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4 ways installers can communicate the benefits of energy storage to hotels

SPW — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 12:00:33 +0000

By Ruben Willmarth, Senior Sales Engineer, Commercial ESS at LG Electronics USA Power outages occur across the United States daily for a multitude of reasons. Whether due to Mother Nature, maintenance or operational failure, hotels and resorts are not immune to outages. Extended power outages in commercial settings can result in loss of business…

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Lithium alternatives capture interest of large battery installers amidst supply chain challenges

Kelly Pickerel — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 12:00:36 +0000

Although still very much in its infancy, the U.S. utility-scale battery storage market has existed in earnest since 2011 led by one dominant battery chemistry choice: lithium. According to data through 2021 from the U.S. EIA, 97.95% of utility-scale batteries installed in the United States were lithium-based. While there are significant battery projects in the…

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Contractor’s Corner: Black & Veatch This century-old company evolved into renewable energy construction and isn’t looking back.

Kelsey Misbrener — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 12:00:16 +0000

Black & Veatch is a legacy construction company that prides itself on embracing change and new technologies. Although it started in fossil fuel development, the company pivoted to EPC work for solar, storage and now green hydrogen in the 2010s. The company built a Florida solar project that made national headlines last year for keeping…

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This century-old company evolved into renewable energy construction and isn’t looking back. appeared first on Solar Power World.

Preserving American farmland through solar Solar and farming can successfully cohabitate.

SPW — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 12:00:43 +0000

By Geoff Sparrow, VP of Development, Green Lantern Solar Solar and farming have more in common than many people realize, and they can uplift each other in unexpected ways. The two industries currently have an unprecedented opportunity to work together to alleviate some of their most pressing issues. One of these issues is where developers…

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Solar and farming can successfully cohabitate. appeared first on Solar Power World.

Inverter downtime could be shortened with more manufacturer transparency Some inverter-makers have embraced technology to simplify O&M, but others are lagging.

Kelsey Misbrener — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 12:00:43 +0000

Troubleshooting faulty inverters is a post-install task that isn’t going away. These power electronics are the components most likely to fail in a solar project, according to a 2020 Solar Risk Analysis report by kWh Analytics that found inverters were responsible for around 80% of non-weather production loss across a 3-GW utility-scale portfolio. Simplifying that…

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Some inverter-makers have embraced technology to simplify O&M, but others are lagging. appeared first on Solar Power World.

How to plan for the unexpected with solar development projects

SPW — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 12:00:27 +0000

By Dennis Breza, Director of Enterprise Development at DSD Renewables Solar adoption has become more accessible and prevalent across the United States. The International Energy Agency predicts global solar PV capacity is set to almost triple between 2022 and 2027 — making it the largest source of electricity generation in the world. The Inflation Reduction…

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PV cable sizing pt. 2: Safely reduce cable sizes to maximize project returns

Billy Ludt — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 12:00:53 +0000

By Joe Jancauskas, Senior Electrical Engineer at Castillo Engineering While moderately oversizing your solar panel cables can ensure fire safety and help you meet your voltage drop criteria, vastly oversizing your cables and strictly adhering to a voltage drop mandate could unnecessarily reduce the long-term profitability of your solar projects. In this second part of…

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PV cable sizing pt 1: Inverter output conductors

SPW — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 12:00:10 +0000

By Joe Jancauskas, Senior Electrical Engineer at Castillo Engineering Second to only PV module ratings, nothing changes faster than inverter kilowatt ratings. In fact, inverter manufacturers revamp product ratings so often that inverter derating are becoming commonplace in order to keep the interconnect alternating current (AC) rating the same and avoid reentering the cumbersome utility…

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Larger residential solar panels create market for rooftop transport equipment

Billy Ludt — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 12:00:26 +0000

Carrying heavy solar modules up to rooftops is one of the most physically demanding and dangerous parts of an installer’s job. That risk is only increasing as PV modules continue to grow in wattage and size. A panel from Canadian Solar is marketed for residential projects but is about 89 in. long and 44 in.…

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The rise of above-ground solar cable management systems

SPW — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 11:59:37 +0000

By Glenn Bills, solar business development director, Gripple Solar is playing a central role in the global push to reduce carbon emissions and move towards net-zero. In 2019, the global solar energy market was valued at $93 billion and is forecasted to reach $244 billion by 2027. This huge growth is being driven by the…

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Contractor’s Corner: Arizona Energy Pros Small Arizona installer invests time and money into global volunteer efforts.

Kelsey Misbrener — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 13:00:27 +0000

In this episode of the Contractor’s Corner podcast, we talk to family-owned residential installation company Arizona Energy Pros about prioritizing volunteer energy work despite its small size. Rusty and Amanda Gardner took over the company in 2020 and forged a partnership with GivePower, a nonprofit with a mission to build and deploy solar-powered clean water…

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Small Arizona installer invests time and money into global volunteer efforts. appeared first on Solar Power World.

Residential solar installers share their best on-the-job tips Solar Power World's 2023 Install Tips

SPW — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 12:01:43 +0000

We hear from manufacturers and execs often, but this time Solar Power World talked to the people spending hours on rooftops every day for their best tips and tools for better installations. Read on for installation tips from pros from Alaska to Maine. What’s a piece of clothing you can’t live without on the job?…

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Solar Power World's 2023 Install Tips appeared first on Solar Power World.

Whole Sun Designs installer: Finish hard tasks first and invest in good roof shoes Solar Power World's 2023 Install Tips

SPW — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 12:00:55 +0000

Solar Power World editors reached out to the people spending hours on rooftops every day for their insight on the best tips and tools for residential solar jobs. Ryan Zaricki, founder and president of Bloomington, Indiana’s Whole Sun Designs shares his thoughts below. What’s your favorite installation tool? Zaricki: There are two things I’ve become…

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Solar Power World's 2023 Install Tips appeared first on Solar Power World.

Current Electric installer: Watch the weather and keep a clean line Solar Power World's 2023 Install Tips

SPW — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 12:00:50 +0000

Solar Power World editors reached out to the people spending hours on rooftops every day for their insight on the best tips and tools for residential solar jobs. Jenny Conrardy, electrical apprentice/solar installer at Wauwatosa, Wisconsin-based Current Electric shares her thoughts below. SPW: What’s your favorite installation tool? Conrardy: My favorite everyday, basic installation tool…

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Solar Power World's 2023 Install Tips appeared first on Solar Power World.