Solar Builder walks thorough a detailed, visual survey of the NEC 2020 code revisions and label changes for installers. They break them into four basic groups: 1) code-making-panel driven, 2) industry driven, 3) editorial driven and 4) overridden by the local AHJ. They also note to check public comments submitted to the panel.
750 companies, led by SEIA, poked Congress for long-term solar policy that sticks. They framed needed policy actions: long 30% ITC with a direct pay provision and energy storage added on, incentives for panel and other component manufacturing, grid resilience and upgrades, and job training and equitable employment policies.
Solar Reviews does a thorough review of Solaria panels. The article includes specs on power rating and tolerance, efficiency, temperature coefficient, and warranty for the company’s PowerXT Pure Black Panel (four different wattages). They link to the data sheets as well.
The DOE Solar Futures Study details solar’s role in decarbonizing the American power grid. By 2035, massive deployment of clean energy sources could mean that solar would power 40% of America’s electricity, push forward significant grid decarbonization, and employ 1.5 million people – all without raising electricity prices.
FERC’s 2 Democrats -2 Republicans split needs to be broken by filling the 5th vacant seat, urges Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill. He argues that this is particularly true due to FERC’s role as an independent regulator vs. a divided Congress. Advocates caution, however, prudence so the best choice is made.
Chinese scientists discovered that changing the hole transport layer material helped minimize voltage loss in a PV solar cell. The result could mean an all-perovsykie tandem solar cell with 24.9% efficiency – handling a perennial challenge for PVs that are used as the top layer in a tandem device.
Unirac and CED Greentech walk through a live video demo of their flat roof and ground mount racking systems. They look at the step-by-step process of how to use the latest solutions and highlight specific design and install techniques and best practices along the way. They also touch on CED Greentech’s C&I solutions.
Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Portal Welby shared a statement with world leaders about to meet at the Nov UN climate talks in Glasgow that asked them to focus on the current climate crisis. It urged them “to listen to the cry of the earth and of people who are poor.”
A study of interconnection projects in the Midwest and Great Plains found that wind and solar projects (and not grid operators) are being pushed to pay for all upgrades to the transmission, despite the fact that the entire system benefits. It is resulting in a lot of system-wide benefits that other users of the shared system are enjoying at little to no cost.
347 business and advocacy groups issued a statement in a last ditch attempt to save the power of net metering in CA. It comes as the governor is considering changes that would heavily reduce credit received by solar consumers for excess energy and tack on a $65-90 monthly solar penalty fee to their energy bills.