Aurora interviews a number of solar COEs and rounds up some of their top insights. They talk about the IRA and nonprofits, replacing credit checks when applying for a PV loan, how and why the industry is getting smarter, innovative tech, and solving the labor shortage.
Major developer EDF Renewables North America created a partnership with Solarcycle, a tech-based recycling company, to recycle damaged or broken solar panels during construction and operation. The company is pursuing this to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and promote a new domestic supply chain.
Companies are leveraging new IRA rules to successfully finance clean energy given that the new tax credit provisions could more than triple the $20 billion annual tax equity market. However, partnerships with large investors can also prove to be legally complex and costly, demanding significant legal and other due diligence work that can cost “up to 15% of the value of the original tax credit.” The consequence is that financing has been going to the biggest and lowest risk projects.
LONGi announced that it set a new world record with 33.9% efficiency for crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells, a fact certified by NREL. The company claims that this is definitive proof of the advantages of crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells over crystalline silicon single-junction solar cells around efficiency.
Analysis of solar PV module supply and price trends shows module prices falling and are predicted to continue to fall through to the end of the year. These falling upstream prices and weak demand in China in key export markets have resulted in the lowest prices ever recorded. One solar vet on record states there is “brutal competition” coming, and that “industry consolidation may see more momentum.”
In this Solar Conversation, Al Vasquez, an executive coach for software companies, interviews Joe Marhamati, co-founder and principal of Sunday and Ipsun Solar. Sunvoy is a leading solar customer portal & fleet management system built by a solar installer for solar installers. In this conversation, Joe shares his story in the solar industry, first building a residential-focused solar installation business and the challenges they faced in the process. And how that led to the founding of Sunvoy, a great SaaS tool for any solar installer to increase customer satisfaction and build a stronger brand in their service territories and communities. The video is below.
CritterBlok offers a secure stainless steel (and reusable) mesh bird barrier and animal guard designed to fit any resi size panel. The video below walks through the install process – a quick and painless process. They state that due to mesh on the front and back, it provides greater reinforcement per clip. The install video is below.