7 Things Worth Reading This Week (1/20/23)

GameChange Solar, a manufacturer of fixed-tilt racking and tracker equipment, has just announced the launch of the 1P-2Row Genius Tracker. It is a lower cost version of their 1P-1Row Genius Tracker as it has one controller managing two rows. The company also recently announced that it is increasing domestic manufacturing to 24 GW annual capacity by expanding existing facilities and establishing new factories across the US.

Aurora has launched a series that highlights prime resources online for solar installers looking to meet and exceed goals in 2023. So far the series includes info on leadership (unpacking the IRA, NEM 3 in CA, and Aurora’s leadership bundle), how to streamline operations (going lean, tapping APIs, a case study on reducing change orders), and kicking up your solar sales (roundup of interviews with buyers, overcoming objections). Next up: C&I.

Slowly but surely, solar adoption is shifting to lower income communities. A recent study found that solar adopter combined household incomes have dropped from $129,000 in 2010 to $110,000 in 2021 at an average of 1 to 2% drop per year over that period. Thought it’s still higher than the U.S. median of $63,000 for households and $79,000 for owner-occupied houses it’s important.

Utility Dive takes a good look at market trends to watch in 2023. The discussion includes FERC’s focus on transmission and the loss of Glick at the head, the problems with a divided Congress, cybersecurity issues, supply chain constraints and manufacturing problems, the industry in the wake of the IRA, energy storage growth and more.

Hoymiles has a new offering: a new HMS-C series of microinverters that are expected to lower upfront cost for customers while not compromising the overall performance. They are a lower cost add-on to their HMS series. The C and D series all come with 1,600-V, 1,800-V and 2,000-V output power options and can be used with mainstream high-powered modules.

EnergySage highlights CES 2023 – digging into the key trends at this Las Vegas tech bonanza. They talk about the fact that EVs and other electric vehicles were especially hot, that energy storage (from home batteries to solar generators) continues to expand exponentially, and that clean, smart homes truly are the future in the face of rising energy costs.

5 top contractors across the country started supporting and talking with one another during the pandemic – and that effort has continued post-COVID. Calling themselves The Wolf Pack, they now discuss trends and strategies about the industry on a regular basis. The five are SUNation Energy, Baker Electric, Renue Energy, RevoluSun and Streamline Solar. Check out their insights.