Embracing New Fire Safety Standards for BESS

APsystems, a global leader in solar microinverter technology, is proud to announce its inclusion in the CertainTeed Solstice Panel warranty approved vendor list (AVL). This strategic partnership marks a significant advancement for the solar industry, offering unprecedented warranty coverage for solar roofing systems.

With this new relationship, credentialed contractors who install CertainTeed’s Solstice Panels with APsystems microinverters will now benefit from a comprehensive 25-year warranty covering parts and labor for the entire solar roofing system. 

"Being added to CertainTeed’s AVL represents a significant validation of APsystems’ product reliability and performance," said Dan Burke, U.S. Business Unit Director at APsystems. "Our microinverters are designed to maximize solar energy delivery and now, combined with CertainTeed’s trusted Solstice Panels, customers can enjoy top-tier performance fully backed by an equally maximized and robust warranty coverage." 

As a leader in the United States solar industry, CertainTeed has been a cornerstone in building materials for over 120 years. As part of the Saint-Gobain Group, CertainTeed is committed to delivering innovative, sustainable, and reliable solar roofing solutions. The addition of APsystems to the CertainTeed AVL enables contractors to offer an enhanced solar array setup that combines superior microinverter technology with CertainTeed’s high-quality solar panels.

"This partnership underscores our commitment to providing comprehensive warranty solutions that support both the contractor and the homeowner," said Phoebe Kwan, General Manager of Solar Solutions at Saint-Gobain. "With APsystems, we are ensuring that our customers receive not only the best in solar roofing technology but also the peace of mind that comes with knowing their investment is secure."

The inclusion of APsystems on the CertainTeed AVL is a testament to the synergy between leading manufacturers committed to advancing the standards and reliability of solar power systems. 

APsystems | https://apsystems.com

CertainTeed | www.certainteed.com

Industrial Sun, the renewable energy and storage developer purpose-built to serve industrial customers, announced it has tapped industry veteran Jeffrey Sabins as its new Chief Development Officer. Sabins will play a vital role as he brings deep renewables experience at a time when high-energy demand customers are increasingly seeking trusted experts in alternative energy solutions.

“We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Jeffrey Sabins as our new Chief Development Officer,” said Wade Gungoll, CEO, Industrial Sun. “With more than 13 years of distinguished renewable development experience, Jeffrey brings a wealth of expertise and leadership to Industrial Sun.” 

Sabins joins Industrial Sun after serving as Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer at Solar Proponent, where he led the creation of a world-class development organization and its portfolio of large-scale solar and storage assets. During his tenure there, Sabins’ strategic vision enabled the successful siting, acquisition, and development of 6GW of solar and 6GWh of energy storage projects in ERCOT. All told, Sabins has delivered 1.2GW completed projects and $1B+ in completed project investments during his career in the renewable sector.

His earlier experience also includes a leadership role as U.S. General Manager at Energiekontor, where he established the company's first office outside of the EU and developed a substantial portfolio of solar projects. At RES Americas, he led the development of a mixed renewable energy portfolio, which included both solar and wind projects. Sabins holds a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Energy Finance from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. 

“We are confident that Jeffrey's values-aligned approach and deep industry knowledge will greatly contribute to our team’s mission of advancing renewable energy solutions for data centers and other commercial and industrial clients at Industrial Sun,” said Gungoll.

Industrial Sun | www.industrialsun.com

The Schletter Group, the globally active manufacturer of solar mounting systems, has been awarded the contract for the largest solar project in Baden-Württemberg. The company will supply the mounting systems for the Langenenslingen solar park, which will boast an output of 80 MWp and meet the electricity needs of approximately 30,000 households in the region. Conecon, based in Aschaffenburg, Germany, is the project’s planner and general contractor (EPC).

"Projects of this size are crucial for advancing the expansion of renewable energy in Germany with competitive solar power," says Florian Roos, CEO of the Schletter Group. "We are thrilled that our robust and materially efficient systems are in high demand, particularly for large-scale projects like these." The plant is currently under construction and is scheduled to be connected to the grid in 2025.

For this project, the Schletter Group’s FS Duo—a free-standing, twin-post system made of high-strength steel—was selected. "A twin-post system was the more economical, long-term solution in this case," Roos explains. "The benefit of additional stability clearly outweighs the slightly higher material costs, especially considering the system is designed to last thirty years." The modules were attached from below, which, as Roos adds, “enhances safety, as installers do not have to work on the high module tables. This approach also saves time during installation, which is why we offer various module fastening options for our systems.”

The system is anchored firmly into the ground using rammed, galvanized steel foundations. These foundations are extremely stable and can be installed more quickly and cost-effectively than their concrete counterparts. They can also be easily removed at the end of the system's service life, allowing for complete dismantling.

The operator, EnBW, plans to put the solar park into operation by mid-2025. Once completed, it is expected to produce approximately 80 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year—enough to power about 30,000 three-person households. This will save around 54,000 tons of CO₂ annually. In the future, sheep will graze the meadows surrounding the more than 146,000 solar modules to maintain the terrain.

The Schletter Group has successfully collaborated with EnBW for several years. Together, they have implemented the Gottesgabe and Alttrebbin solar parks in eastern Brandenburg, with a combined output of 300 MWp. The Schletter Group's FS Duo system was also used in these projects. Additionally, construction of a 62 MWp plant in Gundelsheim, Baden-Württemberg, is scheduled to begin this summer.

Schletter Group | https://www.schletter-group.com/en-US/

Greenpower Park, the UK’s Centre of Electrification and Clean Energy, has called on the next UK Government to accelerate domestic battery production to attract further global battery manufacturers, as well as the associated supply chain, to invest in the UK. 

Securing battery cell supply in the UK today is as vital as securing steel was in the 1940s and 50s. The UK urgently needs to acquire a security of supply for battery cells to ensure the country meets the massive power demands as the world transitions to electric energy use and storage.  It’s a huge challenge and so far, the UK is lagging behind many other global countries, such as the US, France and Spain, when attracting multiple investors. 

“This is not the first time the UK has faced a resource crisis. We ramped up steel supply in the 1940s and 50s to build and replace military and civil equipment and can draw a parallel from this with battery cell demands today.  And if we act now, we can still resolve the crisis”, comments Richard Moore, Greenpower Park’s Battery Strategy Expert. 

“The UK has got to get its head out of the sand if it thinks it’s going to hit its battery cell targets.  The government and stakeholders have been slow to react to battery cell supply demands. If the next government doesn’t take action, there will be a major risk to the security of energy supply, which will leave the nation in a perilous state.”

Currently, the UK has one operational gigafactory - Envision AESC - which is producing up to 6 GWh of battery capacity per year. According to The Faraday Institution's 2022 gigafactory report, to support the automotive industry alone, the UK will need 100 GWh per annum by 2030 and this is expected to double to 200 GWh by 2040. 

However, demand for batteries extends beyond the automotive industry alone and battery capacity will be required across electricity storage, domestic residential as well as broader emobility sectors such as marine and aviation. This demand is expected to grow exponentially in a similar time frame.  

Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council said, “The current Government has made some progress, but we need the next Government to go even further to accelerate the UK’s growing battery sector. From automotive to energy storage, there is an urgent need to secure global battery manufacturers along with the associated supply chain to meet the growing demand for electrification in the UK.

Electrification, across all sectors, is of strategic importance for the UK and it needs to be part of the next Government’s broader industrial strategy which will ensure that potential investors consider the UK in the future.”

Greenpower Park is based in the electrification skills capital of the UK, adjacent to the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, and within an established network of more than 315 higher, further and vocational educational institutions.

The West Midlands is rapidly becoming the centre of cell and battery research and development in the UK. With access to 800,000 highly-skilled people, the UK battery industry’s workforce is on its doorstep. In addition, the UK Greenpower Park has the strongest pipeline of future talent in the country with more than 210,000 students studying relevant degrees in universities across the West Midlands. 

Based on the border of Coventry and Warwickshire, Greenpower Park is the only site in the UK that sits within an investment zone which offers significant tax incentives for investors; it has planning permission for a large-scale battery manufacturing facility and has confirmed customer interest from a handful of global battery manufacturers.

Located within the West Midlands Investment Zone, Greenpower Park, including the West Midlands Gigafactory, can offer significant tax incentives and breaks for investors for up to 10 years, including stamp duty, land tax relief, business rate relief on newly occupied premises and national insurance contributions for new jobs created. In addition, there will be support available to develop the supply chain and skills as well as innovation and R&D for electrification and clean energy.

Perfectly placed as a pioneering centre of excellence for battery technology and manufacturing, the Coventry site is the only available site in the UK with planning permission already in place for a large-scale battery production facility with capacity for up to 60GWh per annum, enough to power 600,000 electric vehicles, like this one.

The site is located at the heart of the UK’s manufacturing industry in the West Midlands with access to world-class skills, talent and supply chain capabilities in the region. It benefits from a strong transport infrastructure for the future Gigafactory’s logistics requirements, supply chain and access for up to 6,000 employees.

As the electrification revolution represents the largest shift in industrial skills for the UK in a generation, the UK Centre of Electrification and Clean Energy, including the West Midlands Gigafactory, is ideally situated to be a catalyst to strengthen the region’s high-value skills and research credentials as part of the UK Government’s West Midlands Investment Zone.

Greenpower Park | https://greenpowerpark.co.uk/

Henry Ford Health Energy Partners, a team including Kiewit and Veolia, is excited to announce its partnership with Henry Ford Health, one of the nation’s premier academic and integrated health systems, to develop and operate their new Central Energy Hub as part of the Destination: Grand project, a major and transformational expansion of its century-old hospital campus in Detroit.

The Central Energy Hub, a key component of the expansion, will provide heating and cooling via a hot and cold-water system that will tie into the new hospital facilities. The facility's design incorporates advanced technologies such as electrification, waste heat recovery and digital energy management. The plant supports Henry Ford Health's goal of achieving net zero by 2050.

The Henry Ford Health Energy Partners team, led by Kiewit Development Company with Kiewit Power Constructors Co. and with Veolia Energy Operating Services, LLC, providing the design-build and operations respectively, is proud to be part of this project. 

Sam Chai, president at Kiewit Development Company, said, “We are very excited to be partnering with Henry Ford Health to help them deliver on their overall hospital campus expansion plans to better serve the people of Detroit. With project financing that includes tax-exempt green bonds, our team worked tirelessly to provide a cost-effective solution for Henry Ford Health that also reflects the project’s important emphasis on sustainability.”

To facilitate the tax-exempt green bond issuance, Kiewit Development Company teamed up with Provident Resources Group Inc., a leading national 501(c)(3) organization and manager of projects in various sectors including healthcare, education, workforce housing, hospitality, governmental, and essential services.

Veolia, a global leader in environmental services, will provide operations management, preventative and lifecycle maintenance over a 30-year term. Patrick Schultz, CEO of Sustainable Industries and Buildings for Veolia North America, said, “As part of our GreenUp strategy, Veolia is excited to lead operations at the planned Central Energy Hub and help advance the sustainable development goals of Henry Ford Health through this innovative project in Detroit’s New Center neighborhood. By employing advanced digital monitoring, predictive and lifecycle maintenance, and engaging facility stakeholders in ongoing improvement projects, we plan to set the standard for sustainable healthcare operations.”

The Energy Partners team is committed to engaging and including minority and women-owned subcontractors as well as those that are based in Detroit. Construction on the Central Energy Hub is expected to begin in late 2024.

Henry Ford Health | https://www.henryford.com/

California's leading solar microgrid manufacturer, Paired Power, announces its partnership with the City of Campbell to deliver sustainable, smart energy for Campbell’s first electric vehicle in its Public Works Service Center. Paired Power will deliver solar electricity through its revolutionary pop-up solar canopy, PairTree, combined with Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) chargers and management software from EV Connect. The installation will charge the city’s first EV truck – a Ford F-150 Lightning Pro. 

“It’s gratifying to be an EV charging provider to the city in which Paired Power was founded and has grown its made in America business,” said Tom McCalmont, Paired Power CEO. "We’re proud to offer Campbell a clean, resilient energy option and happy to partner with EV Connect to provide onsite EV charging to power the city’s electric vehicles.”

The infrastructure was purchased using the resiliency grant from Silicon Valley Clean Energy, and presents a significant opportunity for the city and its Public Works Department to integrate EVs into its Service Center fleet. 

"We're excited to add PairTree solar EV charging that's truly green here at the Service Yard," said Peri Newby, Environmental Program Specialist at Campbell Public Works Department. "This installation by Paired Power and EV Connect reflects the City of Campbell's commitment to a sustainable future and clean energy."

Paired Power and EV Connect’s clean energy installation enables Campbell to establish its first sustainable, resilient EV charging infrastructure. By combining solar power with available grid power and battery storage to deliver day or night charging for electric vehicles, Paired Power’s PairTree provides a fully resilient source of electricity and emergency backup power during grid outages – helping to reduce the city’s dependence on the grid.  

"We're excited to work with Paired Power to supply the City of Campbell with a 100% renewable EV charging solution powered by the sun, further enhancing the city’s commitment to sustainable transportation," said Scott Kaptur, Director of Government and Fleet Solutions at EV Connect. “Paired Power’s pioneering technology and our advanced software provide the City of Campbell with the tools necessary to develop top-tier services that drive innovation and accelerate EV charging accessibility for the city’s fleet.”

City of Campbell | www.campbellca.gov

Paired Power | www.pairedpower.com

EV Connect | www.evconnect.com 

A review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data newly released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) confirms that solar has continued its decade-long streak as the nation’s fastest growing source of electricity.

Key Year-to-Date (YTD) Trends for Solar:

In its latest monthly "Electric Power Monthly" report (with data through April 30, 2024), EIA says the combination of utility-scale and small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar increased by 25.4% in the first four months of 2024 compared to the first third of 2023. Small-scale solar alone grew by 19.3% while utility-scale solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 28.4% - substantially faster than any other energy source.

As a consequence, solar was 6.0% of total U.S. electrical generation during the first third and growing rapidly. In April alone, its share rose to an all-time high of 8.4%.

Small-scale solar accounted for nearly a third (30.8%) of all solar generation and provided almost two percent (1.9%) of U.S. electricity supply in the first four months of this year. It reached 2.5% in April.[1]

Key YTD Trends for Wind, Hydro, and Other Renewables:

Following significant declines in 2023, electrical production by both hydropower and wind continued to show signs of recovery.

For the first third of 2024, hydropower’s output rose 5.5% compared to the first four months of 2023. Moreover, for April alone, hydro production was 9.8% above the level reported a year earlier.

Electrical generation by wind in the first third of 2024 was 0.7% more than that of a year ago. However, wind-generated electricity in March 2024 was 2.9% above the level recorded in March 2023 and in April 2024 it was 10.7% above that produced in April 2023.

Electrical generation by the mix of all renewables (i.e., solar, wind and hydropower plus biomass and geothermal) grew by 6.3% in the first third of 2024 compared to the same period a year earlier and provided 26.2% of total generation.

In April alone, electrical generation by renewables grew by 13.5% compared to April 2023 and reached 31.0% of the U.S. total - the first time that renewable energy sources ever provided more than 30% of the nation’s electrical generation in any month. A year earlier, it had been 28.4%.

The combination of just wind and solar accounted for almost a quarter (23.45%) of the nation’s electrical generation in April alone – another record.

Other Developments:

During the first four months of 2024, solar generation (6.0% of the total) pulled nearly even with hydropower (6.1%) and did surpass it in April by almost 40% making solar the second largest renewable energy source – behind only wind (whose own output in April was more than double that of hydro). [2]

Similarly, electrical generation by wind alone approached the output of the nation’s coal plants during the first third of 2024 and surpassed coal’s output by more than a quarter (28.1%) in the month of April. Wind plus solar produced more than two times as much electricity as did coal in April.

Meanwhile, the combination of wind and solar nearly matched the electrical output of the nation’s nuclear reactors during the first third of 2024 and did, in fact, outproduce nuclear power by more than 30% in April alone. The mix of all renewables provided almost 40% more electricity than did nuclear power during the first four months of 2024 and surpassed nuclear power by 72.1% in April alone.

Taken together, renewables strengthened their position as the second largest source of electrical generation, behind only natural gas whose lead over renewables continues to narrow. Natural gas’ share averaged 40.1% during the first third of 2023 but fell to 38.5% in April.

"EIA’s latest data do not yet include the sunniest days and weeks of the year and it can therefore be assumed that more records will be broken by renewables in the months ahead," noted the SUN DAY Campaign's executive director Ken Bossong. "And it appears that renewables are once again out-performing earlier EIA projections."

EIA released its latest “Electric Power Monthly” report on June 26, 2024. The full report can be found at: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly

[1] In its “Electric Power Monthly” report, EIA refers to small-scale or distributed solar as “Estimated Small Scale Solar Photovoltaic.” All calculations presented in this release include electrical generation by small-scale solar which EIA estimates to have totaled 25,239 gigawatthours (GWh) in the first third of 2024 and 7,909 GWh in April alone.

[2] In April 2024, utility-scale and small-scale solar combined produced 26,847 GWh (8.4% of total U.S. electrical generation) while hydropower produced 19,190 GWh (6.0%). Wind produced 47,689 GWh (15.0%).

SUN DAY Campaign | https://www.eesi.org/