Embracing New Fire Safety Standards for BESS

EnergySage, the leading clean energy marketplace, announces its expansion to all 50 states and Washington, D.C., becoming the first platform of its kind with a nationwide footprint. With this milestone, EnergySage is poised to help homeowners adopt clean energy solutions at an even greater scale and become a leading partner for corporations, electric vehicle manufacturers, and non-profits looking to bring whole-home electrification to their audiences across the country.

For over a decade, EnergySage has been at the forefront of promoting clean energy and energy-saving solutions, providing a platform for consumers to comparison-shop and save on rooftop solar. It has since evolved to provide energy storage, heat pumps, EV chargers, and community solar. Now that EnergySage has reached national coverage, it is prepared to connect even more homeowners with these sustainable and cost-saving options.

"Our goal has always been to make clean energy more accessible and affordable for everyone, and this expansion allows us to reach an even larger audience," says Charlie Hadlow, EnergySage President & COO. "We are incredibly grateful to our dedicated network of installers – most of which have been with us for many years – who have helped us expand our reach to the whole country."

EnergySage makes it easy to transition to clean energy. Consumers can easily request multiple high-quality quotes from vetted and accredited solar, HVAC, and electrical installers. The process is free, simple, and frictionless through its in-depth resources and unbiased support. 

EnergySage also serves as a valuable resource for clean energy companies and providers across the country. By partnering with EnergySage, these businesses can grow their customer base, reduce costs, and simplify their sales processes.

"We are proud to be the trusted partner for so many reputable installers," says Erik Holvik, EnergySage Associate Director of Business Development. "We are dedicated to providing the best service and support to our customers, and this milestone is a testament to our commitment to scaling clean energy solutions."

With EnergySage's expansion to all 50 states and Washington, D.C., clean energy solutions are now more accessible than ever. Visit EnergySage today to start your clean home energy journey. For installers interested in working together, please visit this page.

About EnergySage, Inc.

EnergySage | https://www.energysage.com/

Vestas has received a 347 MW order to power the Pohénégamook - Picard - Saint-Antonin - Wolastokuk (PPAW) wind project in Quebec, Canada. The order consists of 56 Enventus V162-6.2 MW turbines.

The order includes supply, delivery, and commissioning of the turbines, as well as a multi-year Active Output Management 5000 (AOM 5000) service agreement, designed to ensure optimised performance of the asset. 

Vestas’ EnVentus turbines offer a wide range of standard hub heights and modes of operation that can be combined with an extensive list of technology options to create customised solutions to suit the needs of each unique project.

“This is a significant deal for Canada, and we’re thrilled to partner with Invenergy as they continue to expand their North American wind energy portfolio,” said Laura Beane, President of Vestas North America. “This collaboration, alongside Quebec’s ambitious net zero goals, is confirmation of our shared vision for a clean energy future, and we are pleased to provide our leading EnVentus platform to help meet those ambitions.”

“Along with our partner, Alliance de l'Énergie de l'Est, Invenergy is thrilled to work with Vestas to begin laying the groundwork for the future PPAW Wind Energy Center,” said Louis Robert, Vice President, Renewable Development at Invenergy. “We look forward to building on our existing relationship with Vestas, to support Quebec’s energy transition.”

Turbine delivery and commissioning is expected in 2025. 

Vestas | www.vestas.com 

GameChange Solar, with a long track record of providing solar tracker and racking solutions in high-wind regions worldwide, is excited to announce that its rectangular head bolt design has achieved recognized component status per UL 2703 from the nationally recognized testing lab Intertek.

This patent-pending innovative bolting solution is designed to streamline the installation process and reinforce the connection between trackers and solar modules. The new rectangular head bolt addresses the common issue of pry-out failures caused by extreme winds, offering a robust and efficient alternative.

In areas prone to strong winds, a high number of bolting connections are typically required between tracker purlins and solar modules. Traditional installations can necessitate up to 12 bolts per module to ensure stability, leading to prolonged installation times and increased labor costs.

The rectangular head bolt’s larger bearing area on the module frame ensures better load distribution and reduces the risk of pry-out failures, providing a more secure attachment. This allows for each bolt to transfer more force from the module to the rack. The result is either increased mechanical capacity of the PV module and rack assembly or a decreased number of bolts per module required to hold the module to the rack.  For the latter case, by decreasing the number of bolts needed without sacrificing load capacity, they cut down on installation time and material costs.

GameChange has performed extensive third-party testing per the IEC 61215 international standard for module load testing with full-scale samples of rectangular head bolts and solar modules.  These tests have shown increases in module capacity beyond 20% when compared to standard bolts.

In addition, the bolt’s elongated head is designed to catch on the inside of the module frame during installation, allowing for torquing of the nut to be done with one hand.  The current standard of holding the bolt head with a wrench in one hand while torquing the nut from below with another is no longer required with this design.  This feature will further reduce panelization times.

“It’s always great when an innovation addresses multiple customer needs,” said Scott Van Pelt, Chief Engineer at GameChange Solar. “In this case, the rectangular head bolts not only increase the mechanical capacity of each bolted connection between the PV module and the rack but also improve installation rates for modules due to the bolt’s self-holding features.”

For more information about the new rectangular head bolts and how they can benefit your next project, please contact [email protected].

GameChange Solar | https://gamechangesolar.com/

The R&D Lab Co, an engineering consulting company that designs products and processes to scale solar and sustainable building, announced that it was selected to receive a $1,000,000 award from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) to pursue their innovative idea to support photovoltaic (PV) industry growth. This project will refine, manufacture, and commercialize a new roofing-integrated solar mounting system to reduce costs and for scaling adoption.

With this Federal funding, The R&D Lab will bring manufacturing to the US, further refine their product, answer fundamental questions about the solar roofing business model and system wire management, in service to integration of roofing and solar so every homeowner is offered solar when seeking a roof.

“We have 5 million re-roofs in the US every year and last year only 700,000 people got solar. We think that if everyone is offered solar at the time of re-roof, we can grow the solar market because it makes financial sense. Why get a roof when you can get a roof that pays for itself? ” says Amy Atchley, co-founder of the r&d lab and owner of Amy’s Roofing and Solar, a solar installer based in Petaluma, CA.

“We are trying to help roofers become solar roofers by giving them an integrated product and supporting them to develop their processes. Our mission is to scale solar massively in the US. This grant will boost our efforts,” Atchley says.

Max Vera, C.O.O. of Wine Country Roofing, based in Santa Rosa, is a roofing contractor that also offers solar roofing solutions. Vera says “integrating solar into our work has a transformative impact. By offering solar roofs, we not only contribute to sustainable energy production but also pave the way for our community to reduce our carbon footprint and energy costs. Our partnership with StarlingRFS enables us to further these goals, accelerating the adoption of clean energy and setting new benchmarks for the solar roofing sector."

The r&d lab was selected as a part of the SETO Silicon Solar Manufacturing and Dual-use Photovoltaics Incubator Funding Program. Projects in this funding program will enable continued solar cost reductions while developing next-generation solar technologies and boosting American solar manufacturing.

If 30% of re-roof customers in the US choose a solar roof instead of a roof, the country would double annual solar installs. At Amy’s Roofing and Solar, Atchley says about 60% of homeowners choose a solar roofing option over a roof alone: an optimistic number for the future of clean energy.

r&d lab co | www.therdlab.com

GivePower, an award-winning nonprofit helping meet the world's water and electrification needs, is thrilled to celebrate its longstanding partnership with leading solar module manufacturer, Silfab Solar. Since 2020, Silfab has donated 1,955 solar panels, powering projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Angola, and now Kenya! Last month, the Makindu Solar Water Farm Mobi+ opened in Makueni County, Kenya, providing access to clean drinking water to over 26k people.

"Silfab Solar is proud of our partnership with such a remarkable organization as GivePower, as we strive to deliver clean energy and sustainable solutions that can empower communities across the globe. As a leading solar module manufacturer, we are excited to witness the positive and tangible impact solar energy and this collaboration can have on so many lives" remarked Paolo Maccario, President & CEO of Silfab Solar. 

This four-year partnership began with the development of three solar installation projects at the Congo Peace School and Garamba National Park in the DRC. Supported by Congo Power and Google, these projects collectively powered over 1,000 households and businesses, improving the lives of 3,982 people. Additionally, their donations supported the Okavango Delta project in Angola, in partnership with Wild Bird Trust, by installing solar panels that powered local community centers and approximately 900 homes across 21 surrounding villages. 

"We are very grateful for our partnership with Silfab Solar," said Michele Magee, President of GivePower. "Our work together reflects our shared commitment to the proliferation of clean renewable energy sources around the world. We are thrilled to assist in meeting marginalized communities most basic need with these solutions."

GivePower | www.givepower.org 

Silfab Solar | www.silfabsolar.com

Exus Renewables North America, a leading developer and operator of utility-scale renewable energy projects, recently announced that it has begun repowering the 139 MW Twin Ridges Wind Farm in Somerset County, Pennsylvania as part of a planned $200m investment in the community.

Wind energy repowering involves upgrading older wind turbines or entire wind farms with the latest technology to increase their efficiency, capacity, and lifespan. This process typically includes replacing outdated components such as turbines, blades, and nacelles with more modern, efficient versions. Repowering can also involve updating control systems and other infrastructure to enhance performance.

The primary goals of repowering are to:

• Increase Energy Output: Newer technology generates more power from the same wind resource, thanks to improved design and efficiency.
• Extend Turbine Life: By replacing aging components, the operational life of the turbines can be extended, making the investment in wind farms more viable long-term.
• Reduce Maintenance Costs: Newer turbines require less maintenance, which can significantly lower operational costs.
• Enhance Reliability: Modern turbines are more reliable and less prone to breakdowns.
• Optimize Use of Existing Sites: Repowering allows for the continued use of sites that have proven wind resources, existing infrastructure, and grid connections, which can be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than developing new sites.

The Twin Ridges repowering, which involves replacing the nacelles and blades of the existing wind turbines while retaining the towers and foundations, will produce a 30% increase in energy generation for the project and residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania. 

“As the wind energy industry faces increasingly complex obstacles to growth, including a nearly 3 gigawatt interconnection queue of renewable energy projects trying to connect to the grid, repowering has become a path to help meet clean energy goals,” said Jim Spencer, CEO of Exus Renewables North America. “Thanks to these upgrades, the Twin Ridges project will generate clean, reliable and renewable power - and millions in community investment - to the region for decades to come.”

Exus Renewables will invest approximately $200 million in the project, creating 150 union construction jobs. It expects to inject over $7.35 million into the local economy through the procurement of materials and services from local suppliers and anticipates that over the 30-year life of the project, more than $100 million will be invested in the community through tax and landowner payments. Vestas American Wind Technology supplied American-made nacelles, hubs, blades, and tower adaptors for the project. 

Exus Renewables | https://www.exuspartners.com/

The American Clean Power Association (ACP) released the following statement from Anne Reynolds, ACP Vice President for Offshore Wind, after the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approved the Record of Decision for the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind 1 and 2 projects off the New Jersey coast:

"ACP applauds BOEM for yet another important milestone in today’s announcement of the Record of Decision for the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1 and 2, which is terrific news for New Jersey. Offshore wind power will strengthen the grid and provide clean electricity to meet the growing energy demands of the Garden State. 

"This decision follows a lengthy and comprehensive environmental review and permitting process and is an important step in making this project a reality. The Atlantic Shores South project includes two facilities which will be able to generate up to 2,800 megawatts of electricity, enough to power nearly one million homes. The offshore wind energy industry commends the Biden Administration's continuing commitment to this growing U.S. energy sector." 

American Clean Power Association | cleanpower.org