Drafting vs. Engineering: Choosing the right partner for commercial projects

Weidmuller USA, a leading provider of smart industrial connectivity and automation products and solutionsheadquartered in Richmond, Va., announces the debut of Data Hub, a new core service inside its industrial automation u-OS operating system that amplifies the platform’s unwavering commitment to stay open, flexible and independent.

Weidmuller’s u-OS currently supports a wide range of commercially available applications and programs, such as CODESYS, Node-RED and Grafana, along with custom programming and support for most fieldbus and IIoT communication protocols.

Now, the Data Hub simplifies collaboration between different applications by offering the only service that supports three open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) – a feature that is unprecedented for the industry. 

Data Hub allows any app, controller or sensor to share data through these three APIs: 

• REST - for low-code IT calls
• NATS – a high-speed message bus for event-driven communication
• REAL TIME – a deterministic cyclic channel for real-time industrial exchange

“With this new feature, we further push into a truly open system that allows for seamless data exchange between applications without the need for complex programming. With this innovative service built into u-OS, machine builders, system integrators and plant operators can easily interact with the system’s I/O modules to access essential data and make variables from one application visible to another,” said Ken Crawford, Senior Director of Automation at Weidmuller USA.

Additionally, by eliminating protocol silos and the need for third-party middleware, Data Hub is fully independent of any particular manufacturer’s technology. This industry-leading level of openness allows users to connect CODESYS variables, Node-RED flows, PROCON-Connect data aggregates, or any customized application in just a few clicks. 

Data Hub removes traditional barriers such as proprietary gateways, cloud lock-ins or requirements for recurring licenses so integrators can focus on analytics, optimization and new services rather than hand-coding protocol bridges. 

“Hardware-agnostic by design, Data Hub runs across the full u-OS portfolio – from compact u-control PLCs to Weidmuller’s industrial-edge gateways – so projects can scale without re-writing a single line of integration logic. Secure authentication, role-based access, and comprehensive API documentation ensure developers can build confidently while meeting stringent plant-floor security standards,” added Crawford. 

Engineers, programmers and businesses can download u-OS version 2, 2.0 anytime and enable Data Hub immediately through the built-in update service or by visiting weidmuller.com/u-OS for further details.

Weidmuller USA | www.weidmuller.com

Southwire’s commitment to sustainability continues to grow with the construction of a new solar installation at our North Campus. The project will feature two solar arrays, including both solar roof and ground mount components, which will significantly contribute to our clean energy efforts. Construction on the roof mount system began in August, while work on the ground mount system will commence in the fall.

When complete, the combined arrays will provide a capacity of approximately 4 MWdc, 3 MWac, which is expected to supply between 15 and 20 percent of the site’s electricity needs. Nearly 7,500 solar panels will be installed as part of this initiative, making it one of the largest renewable energy projects in the company’s history.

The project is expected to be completed in late 2025 or early 2026. In addition to providing clean energy, the ground space will be enhanced with pollinator-friendly landscaping, furthering Southwire’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

This installation is another example of how Southwire is advancing toward its sustainability goals while also supporting operations with cleaner, renewable energy. 

Southwire | https://southwire.com/sustainability

Turbo Energy S.A. (Nasdaq: TURB) (“Turbo Energy” or the “Company”), a global provider of leading-edge, AI-optimized solar energy storage technologies and solutions, announced that it has been selected to supply and implement energy storage projects in Spain with a total capacity of 366 MWh. The projects, valued at approximately $53 million, are scheduled to be executed over the next two years.

This large-scale initiative will be developed for a major industrial group in the construction industry. Turbo Energy will provide turnkey integration of the systems, along with its AI-driven energy management platform, for deployment across more than ten industrial facilities with varying technical requirements. These systems will help the factories optimize electricity consumption, enhance operational efficiency, reduce exposure to volatile energy prices and significantly advance the electrification of its operations.

“This landmark project underscores Turbo Energy’s position as a trusted partner in delivering cost-efficient energy solutions, highlighting our unique ability to integrate advanced solar storage solutions with an AI-driven digital platform,” said Mariano Soria, CEO of Turbo Energy. “By entrusting us with the deployment of our C&I systems across multiple industrial facilities, this project is not only validating our competitively differentiated storage technology but also enabling substantial operational cost savings. With this project, Turbo Energy is helping companies manage energy more efficiently and redefining how industrial energy is optimized across Europe.”

The SUNBOX Industry solar battery storage solution, introduced in 2024, is a patent-pending, highly scalable energy storage and management system designed for commercial and industrial facilities. It supports new solar PV deployments, expansions of existing systems, or direct rooftop connections to expand energy capacity with smart storage. Each system integrates with Turbo Energy’s cloud-based AI energy management platform, which automatically mitigates electricity market volatility by purchasing energy at optimal times and prices. SUNBOX Industry also provides configurable backup power during outages or periods of peak demand. With scalability ranging from 30 kW to 2,000 kW in power and 30 kWh to 4,000 kWh in storage capacity, the solution offers unmatched flexibility for both isolated and grid-connected projects. Notably, Turbo Energy’s brand-agnostic design allows SUNBOX Industry to be deployed seamlessly in existing facilities, while also enabling photovoltaic expansions to connect in direct current and share surpluses in parallel with legacy systems.

Through deployments of its proprietary SUNBOX Industry, Turbo Energy is helping industrial and utility-scale customers accelerate their decarbonization pathways, while strengthening resilience and competitiveness in an evolving energy landscape. Moreover, these major projects reinforce Turbo Energy’s strategic roadmap to expand its presence in large-scale storage solutions, providing value-added services that support customers in meeting their sustainability objectives and advancing Europe’s broader energy transition.

Turbo Energy | www.turbo-e.com

Ascent Solar Technologies (“Ascent” or the “Company”), the leading U.S. innovator in the design and manufacturing of featherweight, flexible thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions, announced the signing of a teaming agreement with Emtel Energy USA (“Emtel Energy”), a provider of graphene-based electrostatic long duration energy storage (ELDES). The agreement is intended to achieve mutually beneficial goals that would advance Emtel Energy’s energy storage capabilities and aid the proliferation of thin-film PV solutions in space environments.

Emtel Energy has developed a high-agility solid-state graphene battery alternative that circumvents the low energy density and swift degradation concerns that plague flow batteries. This durable power storage technology, paired with Ascent’s thin-film PV, will be instrumental in powering satellites, spacecraft and other space architecture.

“The Department of Defense and Space Force are in great need of durable, reliable energy production and storage technologies that can withstand the punishing elements of space,” said Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies. “Our lightweight, flexible thin-film PV, combined with Emtel Energy’s long-lasting energy storage technology, creates an ideal offering for these organizations as they seek out solutions that will stick around for the long haul while they continue to build out their space vehicle infrastructure.”

Ascent Solar | https://www.ascentsolar.com

Emtel Energy USA | www.emtelenergyusa.com

As utilities face surging demand from electrification and the advancement of artificial intelligence, Fourth Power, a flexible-duration energy storage provider, has secured $20 million in Series A Plus funding. Led by Munich Re Ventures, with follow-on investments from DCVC and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the funding will accelerate the commercial deployment of Fourth Power’s modular, utility-scale thermal energy storage system. The funding will support commissioning of an integrated 1 MWh-e demonstration using full-scale commercial components and is the company’s final step before customer deployments. Additionally, this capital will be used to deepen partnerships with suppliers and customers further and grow the customer pipeline.

“We’re in a race between the growing need for reliable electricity and the grid's ability to provide it quickly and affordably. Existing solutions are too slow to deploy, too expensive for customers, and oftentimes both,” said Arvin Ganesan, CEO of Fourth Power. “Fourth Power offers a new path forward: scalable, flexible-duration energy storage built from abundant domestic materials. It’s how we deliver reliability at a price point that works—for energy providers, their customers, and the future of the grid.”

Since its $19 million Series A in 2023, Fourth Power has doubled its team size and achieved breakthrough engineering milestones that validate its commercial readiness. The company constructed three large-scale, accelerated life test rigs to validate the durability, safety, and lifetime performance of its subsystems at temperatures up to 2400°C. Further advances include demonstrating a self-lubricating graphite pump for moving molten tin, high-pressure-rated graphite fittings for liquid metal containment, and a scalable inert gas enclosure system.

“Fourth Power is solving a grid problem that’s very real and very near-term, and they’re doing it with a system that’s safer, cheaper, and dramatically more scalable than anything we’ve seen in this category,” shares Peter Ortez, principal at Munich Re Ventures. "We focus on companies tackling the biggest risks facing society. And we believe Fourth Power’s approach represents exactly the kind of resilient infrastructure investment the energy transition demands.”

A principal breakthrough of Fourth Power’s technology lies in its architecture. The thermal energy storage system converts electricity into heat using 2400°C liquid metal as a heat transfer fluid. It then stores that energy in carbon blocks and converts it back to electricity using proprietary thermophotovoltaics (TPVs). The company’s use of very high-temperature liquid metal for heat transfer achieves unprecedented power density, dramatically reducing overall system costs. Fourth Power's modular design separates power and energy, allowing utilities to add storage duration over time as needs change at just a fraction of the initial installation cost. This flexibility, enabled by storage costs of less than $25/kWh-e, allows Fourth Power's customers to grow with the grid, a key differentiator from lithium-ion batteries, where adding duration means duplicating the entire system.

“Fourth Power’s modular approach solves the fundamental challenge utilities face: how to build storage infrastructure that adapts as grid conditions evolve,” said Rachel Slaybaugh, partner at DCVC. “What excites us about the next phase is seeing their technology move from laboratory validation to commercial readiness.”

“This technology doesn’t just incrementally improve on existing solutions, but completely reimagines how we approach the problem,” said Carmichael Roberts of Breakthrough Energy Ventures. “With energy demand rising rapidly, we need storage technologies that can scale cost-effectively alongside that growth. Fourth Power’s flexible-duration approach is that kind of infrastructure-grade solution.”

With utilities across the country facing capacity shortfalls and aging infrastructure, Fourth Power's commercial timing aligns with urgent grid modernization needs. The company expects to announce its first commercial partnerships by 2027.

Fourth Power | gofourth.com

Munich Re | https://www.munichre.com/mrv/en.html

DCVC | www.dcvc.com

Breakthrough Energy | www.breakthroughenergy.org 

SolarKal, the nation’s leading commercial solar marketplace, released a visual guide breaking down the Treasury’s updated Investment Tax Credit (ITC) Safe Harbor rules. With the goal of helping CRE owners, developers, and investors quickly grasp key deadlines and requirements that could impact millions in tax credits, the graphic highlights the two compliance paths for small-scale projects (≤1.5 MW AC) and large-scale projects (>1.5 MW AC). 

(credit to SolarKal)

Key Highlights 

● Small-scale projects (≤1.5 MW AC): Either 5% safe harbor or physical work test; must start before July 4, 2026, with service deadline Dec 31, 2030. 

● Large-scale projects (>1.5 MW AC): Physical work test only; must start construction before July 4, 2026. 

● Continuity safe harbor: All projects must be in service within four years of start (unless excused). 

“After the Treasury’s update, CRE owners and developers are asking what qualifies, and by when. By translating policy into a simple visual, we’re helping the market see the two paths available and the deadlines that can’t be missed,” said Neil Sharma, Chief Commercial Officer at SolarKal. 

Key Highlights 

● Small-scale projects (≤1.5 MW AC): Either 5% safe harbor or physical work test; must start before July 4, 2026, with service deadline Dec 31, 2030. 

● Large-scale projects (>1.5 MW AC): Physical work test only; must start construction before July 4, 2026. 

● Continuity safe harbor: All projects must be in service within four years of start (unless excused). 

“After the Treasury’s update, CRE owners and developers are asking what qualifies, and by when. By translating policy into a simple visual, we’re helping the market see the two paths available and the deadlines that can’t be missed,” said Neil Sharma, Chief Commercial Officer at SolarKal. 

“This tool helps to visualize how project timelines will impact tax credit benefits, so CRE owners and developers can optimize the NOI delivered from any given solar project,” he added. 

For additional insights from the webinar or to understand how these rules impact CRE portfolios, contact [email protected]. 

SolarKal | https://www.solarkal.com/

Amprius Technologies, Inc. (“Amprius” or the “Company”) (NYSE: AMPX), a leader in next-generation lithium-ion batteries with its Silicon Anode Platform, announced it has secured a purchase order totaling over $35 million for its SiCore cells from a leading Unmanned Aerial Systems (“UAS”) manufacturer. This follows a $15 million purchase order placed in February 2025, underscoring the accelerating adoption of Amprius’ high energy density batteries.

Produced at scale while maintaining breakthrough performance, Amprius’ SiCore cells are engineered for the rigorous demands of UAS missions, from take-off through sustained flight to landing. With industry-leading energy-to-power performance, SiCore extends flight times and mission ranges beyond the limits of conventional lithium-ion batteries, enabling next-generation aircraft to achieve the endurance required for critical operations.

“This follow-on order of more than $35 million from an existing customer highlights both the trust we’ve built with leading drone manufacturers and the strong momentum behind our revenue and market share growth,” said Dr. Kang Sun, CEO of Amprius Technologies. “As a leading supplier of silicon anode batteries, we are delivering the performance that enables our customers to meet their most demanding mission profiles. We believe the next phase of UAS growth will be powered by advanced high-performance batteries, and Amprius’ technology, products, and manufacturing capabilities uniquely position us to capture a growing share of this rapidly expanding market.”

Amprius supports large-scale orders through its global contract manufacturing network, which now exceeds 1.8 GWh of secured capacity. This includes a strategic agreement in South Korea, that supports adoption across aerospace, defense, and electric mobility markets.

The global unmanned systems market was valued at $26.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $48.3 billion by 2030 at a 10.5% CAGR. Growth is primarily driven by defense, commercial, and industrial adoption, with UAS accounting for more than 57% of the market and North America contributing over 45% of global revenue in 2024. By combining industry-leading silicon anode batteries with established global manufacturing partners, we believe Amprius is solidifying its leadership in the future of electric aviation.

Amprius | amprius.com