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Sineng Electric, a global leader in solar and energy storage solutions, has joined forces with Trinasolar to supply its central PCS energy storage solution to the 300MWh Abydos Battery Energy Storage Project in Kom Ombo, Aswan Governorate. It is the first utility-scale energy storage project in Egypt, defining a new era for clean energy deployment in North Africa. Developed by AMEA Power and constructed by Energy China ZTPC, the 300MWh ene....
Electricity demand in the U.S. has surged dramatically, with ICF projecting U.S. electricity demand to spike by an average of 9 percent by 2028, after two decades of stagnation. This sharp rise is largely driven by the rapid expansion of data centers — expected to grow to 9 percent of U.S. electricity generation annually by 2030, up from 4 percent today, according to EPRI — and the industrial onshoring and electrification of heating....
For manufacturers looking to spearhead our sustainable energy future, electrolyzers represent an attractive — albeit elusive — solution to the need for efficient green energy production. Attractive because electrolyzers have been deemed by experts as a promising technology toward achieving “carbon peak and neutrality” goals.[1] Elusive because the costs required to mass produce and operate electrolyzers have thus far served as a dete....
The anxiety and, let’s be honest, fear when your phone’s battery hits 20 percent charge is palpable. Perhaps it’s because we have all experienced that moment when a phone went from 20 percent to 0 percent in the blink of an eye. Conversely, many of us also know the joy of when your phone’s last 1 percent magically lasts way, way longer than expected. This happens because the percent charge, the State of Charge (SoC), is not a mea....
Alternative Energies
Howard Skidmore, P.E.
Energy Storage
Emerson
Wind
Desirée Grace
Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (MSIP) and Torch Clean Energy (Torch or the Company), a premier U.S.-based utility-scale solar and storage developer, announced a strategic partnership to expand and transition the Torch platform. MSIP will make a strategic investment in Torch, enabling it to transition from a development platform to an integrated clean power platform with capabilities across development, construction and asset management.
Torch has a demonstrated track record of success, having originated, developed, and sold more than 1.2 gigawatts of renewable power assets in its core markets since its founding. The Company has cultivated close offtaker relationships and has developed a strategic approach to siting and interconnection. Torch has developed deep expertise developing projects throughout the United States, including in two key attractive markets: the Mid-Atlantic (including Virginia), a demand hub for data centers, and the desert Southwest, which has a strong solar resource. Torch believes it is well-positioned to benefit from tailwinds across these two regions given its incumbent position, longstanding relationships and development expertise in markets with a growing need for power.
Jonathan Kilberg, CEO of Torch Clean Energy, said: “We are excited to partner with Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners. This partnership gives us the resources and support to scale our operations, enhance our capabilities and continue to deliver real value to our customers. Together, we’re focused on driving innovation, improving efficiency, and meeting the rising demand for clean, reliable energy and capacity.”
Torch’s partnership with MSIP allows the Company to expand upon its value offering to customers as an integrated development and operating platform. MSIP will support the Company’s build-out of construction and operations management, procurement and project finance capabilities, leveraging MSIP’s network and platform resources. This evolution will allow Torch to expand its value offering to customers as an integrated independent power producer.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Torch team through this strategic investment that will support the next phase of their journey, transitioning into an integrated renewable power business,” said Chris Ortega, Head of Americas for MSIP. “We believe Torch is well-positioned to benefit from the industry tailwinds of electrification and data center demand through its differentiated strategy of siting high-value contracted projects in growing markets.”
Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal counsel for Torch Clean Energy, with KeyBanc Capital Markets serving as financial advisor. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal counsel for MSIP, with Santander serving as financial advisor.
Torch Clean Energy | www.torchcleanenergy.com
Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners | www.morganstanley.com/im/infrastructurepartners
The Zero Emission Transportation Association’s Executive Director, Albert Gore, issued the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s initial executive actions impacting the electric vehicle industry:
“America’s electric vehicle and battery supply chain has already created more than 240,000 American jobs and attracted more than $182 billion of private investment commitments, empowering economic growth in every corner of the country. Today, three out of four EVs on the road in the United States are built in the United States. By onshoring a strong domestic supply chain, the EV industry has reduced our dependence on other countries and grown our competitiveness in the global market.
“Yesterday’s executive orders contain some opportunities for securing mineral supply chains, along with the risk of undercutting growth in battery and vehicle manufacturing here at home. All of these sectors are critical to America’s security and future global competitiveness, and merit continued support.
“The private-sector investments that have occurred in the past four years came alongside policies supporting domestic job growth and the onshoring of manufacturing, and we stand ready to work with the Trump administration to enact policies that help unleash the next era of American automotive dominance.”
Zero Emission Transportation Association | https://www.zeta.org/
Renewable Properties, a developer and investor in small-scale utility, community solar, energy storage, and electric vehicle infrastructure projects, added 50 MW of completed projects to its portfolio in 2024. Located in four states, the projects consist of traditional community solar projects, utility administered community solar serving low-income communities, and traditional utility solar.
Five of the community solar projects, totaling over 18 MW, came online in New York State. Three of these, in Batavia and the Village of Minoa, were completed in July. The Slayton Settlement Road Solar A & B projects in the town of Lockport are notable additions for their use of agrivoltaics. Completed in February and March of 2024, the arrays incorporate the area’s sheep farmers for ground cover vegetation management and feature a reserved area designated for beekeeping. In addition, the Slayton sites are seeded with a Fuzz & Buzz seed mix to enhance the pollinator habitat for the residing honeybees as well as to improve the nutritional grazing value for the sheep. These dual-use projects support the New York region’s cultivation of honey, wool, lamb meat, and other related products, maintaining the agricultural production value of the property and allowing the landowner to keep the third-generation organic dairy farm in his family.
Three California projects were brought online in Q4 of 2024 in the towns of Chowchilla and El Nido. Totaling nearly 15 MW, the projects are part of PG&E’s Disadvantaged Communities (DAC) Green Tariff program, which is designed to promote the installation of renewable generation in disadvantaged communities as identified byCalEnviroScreen. The program incentivizes developers to build projects in these communities and to provide power from the projects to low-income households via a 20% bill credit.
Maine had three Renewable Properties community solar projects come online in 2024, with a project in Manchester completing construction in July, a project in Winslow completed in August, and a project in Bangor completed in November. The Maine projects total over 11 MW.
In North Carolina, a 6.62 MW project in the town of Gibson was completed in November. The project is participating in the Qualifying Facility program available in North Carolina.
“The 50 MW of projects Renewable Properties brought online in 2024 are furthering our mission to drive energy forward for local communities,” said Aaron Halimi, Founder and CEO of Renewable Properties. “These projects exemplify how we accomplish that mission, with a majority of them being community solar projects bringing communities a host of benefits, such as energy bill savings, local jobs, increased revenue, and local environmental benefits.”
Together, the 12 projects that were brought online in 2024 will generate enough electricity to power 11,822 homes per year and offset the equivalent of 56,727 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
With these latest projects, Renewable Properties is starting 2025 on a strong note. In addition to constructing new EV charging hubs for last-mile delivery fleets in the San Francisco Bay Area, the company has 235 MW of solar in operation or in construction across 51 projects. For 2025, Renewable Properties expects another 90 MW to be completed from their 1.2 GW solar, energy storage, and EV infrastructure development pipeline.
Renewable Properties | www.renewprop.com
Arizona-headquartered First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR), has established the Endowed Professorship in Critical Energy Materials in the materials science and engineering department at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). First Solar is America’s leading photovoltaic (PV) solar technology and manufacturing company, and the only U.S.-headquartered manufacturer among the world’s largest producers of solar panels. The decision to endow a professorship at Missouri S&T reflects the strategic alignment between the two organizations, which have collaborated on critical minerals, particularly tellurium, for the past decade.
“We recognize Missouri S&T’s unparalleled depth of expertise in responsible production of critical energy materials, and we’re pleased to be able to help ensure that this endures into the future,” says Mike Koralewski, chief supply chain officer at First Solar. “Our relationship is a great example of what’s possible when industry and academia work together to secure critical supply chains.”
Dr. Michael Moats, professor and chair of materials science and engineering at S&T, has worked with First Solar for many years, advising the company on existing tellurium supply and opportunities to increase affordable and sustainable recovery of the metalloid from existing operations. He believes First Solar’s endowment is key to Missouri S&T’s strategy to be a leader in critical minerals research by developing expertise on important points across the supply chain that governs each mineral’s journey to the marketplace.
“The position will plug into our team and complement the expertise we already have throughout the supply chain, from policy and economics to cleaning up afterwards,” says Moats. “The generosity and foresight of First Solar will enhance our ability to impact the nation and the world.”
Moats says the endowed professorship adds to the already extensive amount of work Missouri S&T has undertaken in the critical minerals arena.
Missouri S&T is home to the Thomas J. O’Keefe Center for Critical Minerals, which supports research and other scholarly activities, including the fourth annual Resilient Supply of Critical Minerals workshop funded by the National Science Foundation, which S&T hosted in August. In addition, Missouri S&T leads the Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy Tech Hub consortium, which was selected as one of 31 tech hubs in October 2023; the Tech Hub Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.
“The fact is, other economies dominate the global market for certain elements, and when restrictions are placed on those elements, there’s the potential to disrupt manufacturing, slow down our fight against climate change and impact our national security,” Moats says. “By ensuring that extractive metallurgy is taught at a college level, First Solar is helping us address these challenges.”
First Solar is committed to investing in the education of the next generation workforce that will enable the mining industry to better support the green energy transition. By endowing this professorship, First Solar aims to foster research and education that will equip future professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to advance the mining and materials industries. This investment is crucial for developing innovative solutions and technologies that will drive the green energy transition and ensure a sustainable future.
Koralewski says First Solar’s hope is to support research that benefits as many people and organizations as possible.
“As America’s solar company, we want to help enhance our country’s critical mineral security by enabling Missouri S&T,” he says. “If discoveries made as part of our collaboration with Missouri S&T can be disseminated and more widely adopted, it will have a much more meaningful impact.”
Missouri University of Science and Technology | www.mst.edu
First Solar | www.firstsolar.com
Vitro Architectural Glass has initiated a significant investment plan to expand its Wichita Falls, Texas, location to allow for the annual production of up to 25 million patterned solar glass lites upon completion. A $67.6 million investment tax credit allocation from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will enable this investment.
The Wichita Falls expansion will establish a new patterned solar glass facility, including a new furnace, a roll-forming chamber, and a cooling and production line.
“Today marks a significant milestone in Vitro's future,” said Adrian Sada, Vitro CEO. “We’ve completed several Department of Energy (DOE) and General Services Administration (GSA) awards and are ready to fulfill this new award at our Wichita Falls location, which has the necessary infrastructure, supply chain, glass operations and maintenance expertise to support current architectural glass production and a new patterned solar glass facility. We’re proud to be the only well-established and reputable company to receive an investment tax credit allocation of this type.”
This initiative demonstrates Vitro's commitment to innovation and addresses the rising demand for American-made solar glass products. By expanding its Wichita Falls location to accommodate a new patterned solar glass facility in the U.S., Vitro would be setting the industry standard, contributing to economic growth in Wichita Falls and creating approximately 290 new full-time jobs. Vitro would also collaborate with local and state agencies to provide apprenticeship opportunities for students from diverse economic backgrounds.
Vitro is in ongoing discussions with U.S.-based solar photovoltaic module manufacturers about sourcing patterned solar glass and is confident that it will shortly finalize binding agreements with customers seeking a reputable partner with more than a century of glass-making experience.
"Current partners and potential clients are enthusiastic about supporting the production of patterned solar glass made in America,” said Ricardo Maiz, President of Vitro Architectural Glass. “Sourcing this crucial component for solar modules domestically will reduce supply chain complexities and ensure product delivery reliability. This will also help U.S. installers meet the requirements for the Domestic Content Bonus of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC).”
In the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Congress appropriated $10 billion to the DOE, which announced $4 billion of round one funding in March 2024 and $6 billion of round two funding in January 2025. Solar glass is an eligible component under IRC Section 48C(e), Qualified Advanced Energy Project Credit, which includes property designed to produce energy from the sun.
“We genuinely appreciate the time the DOE took to understand the domestic demand versus supply equilibrium gap,” said Paul Bush, Vice President of Technical Services, Sustainability, and Government Affairs at Vitro Architectural Glass. “This understanding was crucial for supporting our request for an IRS investment tax credit, which allows for additional capacity to produce patterned solar glass at our Wichita Falls location.”
The full DOE announcement can be found here.
Vitro Architectural Glass | www.vitroglazings.com
The Challenge
When the province of Gelderland’s concession for 191 EV chargers expired in early 2024, the region faced a dilemma. These chargers, initially installed in 2013, were outdated and increasingly unreliable due to the manufacturer, EVBOX, ceasing support. Traditionally, such infrastructure is replaced entirely at the end of its lifecycle, leading to significant waste, high costs, and logistical challenges. However, Park&Charge, the successful bidder for the new concession, sought a more sustainable and circular approach. Park & Charge's recent acquisition through Qwello helped here, as Qwello manufactures charging stations and has co-developed a charge controller. This deep technical know-how came in handy here.
The challenge extended beyond technical obsolescence. Many of these chargers relied on proprietary technology, creating a significant risk of stranded assets. If a station operator or their vendor goes out of business or ceases support, proprietary systems often become unserviceable, requiring complete replacement. This risk is particularly acute in the rapidly evolving EV market, where several early players have exited the industry, leaving their equipment unsupported. For Gelderland, a traditional replacement approach would not only contradict the region’s sustainability goals but also incur substantial costs and disruptions.
The Solution
Qwello and Park&Charge opted to refurbish the chargers using LF Energy’s EVerest software stack. This open source platform, combined with the PhyVERSO charge controller co-developed by Qwello, Pionix, and Phytec, provided a robust and future-proof solution. Key aspects of the solution included:
Results
The refurbished chargers delivered exceptional outcomes:
Broader Impact
Qwello plans to deploy EVerest across its new generation of chargers in Sweden, Germany, France, Spain, and the Netherlands, with additional retrofit projects in the pipeline. By leveraging open source innovation, Qwello and Park&Charge have set a precedent for sustainable e-mobility infrastructure. The approach taken was also in-line with Qwello’s commitment to adhere to the highest possible market principles and criteria in terms of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards. This initiative demonstrates how collaboration and technology can breathe new life into aging assets, mitigate the risk of stranded assets, and align with global sustainability goals.
LFEnergy | https://lfenergy.org/
Stardust Solar Energy Inc. (TSXV: SUN)("Stardust Solar" or the "Company"), a leader in renewable energy franchise opportunities, is pleased to announce the closing of the first tranche of its non-brokered private placement offering (the "Offering"), as previously disclosed in the Company's news release dated December 4, 2024, and followed by the Company's announcements on January 14, 2025. The Company issued 6,350,000 Units at a price of $0.10 per Unit, generating aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $635,000.
Each Unit consists of one common share and one common share purchase warrant (the "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional common share at an exercise price of $0.20 for a period of 18 months from the date of issuance.
The Company paid finder's fees in the amount of $36,680 and issued 366,800 finder's warrants in connection with the first tranche of the Offering. Each finder's warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share at $0.20 for a period of 18 months, under the same terms as the Warrants issued in the Offering.
Closing of the final tranche of the Offering is expected to occur in the coming weeks, with final documentation expected to be filed on or before February 19, 2025. The proceeds from the Offering will be used to drive Stardust Solar's expansion efforts in the U.S. market, particularly following the Company's acquisition of Solar Grids Development LLC. Funds will also support working capital, marketing initiatives, and administrative operations, ensuring the continued scalability of Stardust Solar's franchise network.
All securities issued in connection with the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus one day in accordance with Canadian securities legislation. Completion of the Offering remains subject to final approval by the TSX-V.
Stardust Solar | www.stardustsolar.com
Energy Storage Jan 21, 2025
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