Global height safety specialist Guardian has partnered up with Twiceme Technology to add an additional worker safety system to their new Guardian’s B7-Comfort Harness. The tech – twICEme – allows end-users to enter personal data into the harness. If the person is incapacitated due to a medical or traumatic event, first responders can access the data by tapping the twICEme symbol displayed on the harness with a smartphone.
Another Canadian panel manufacturer is coming to America. Mitrex intends to open a 2.5-GW solar panel factory here and expects to begin production in Q1 2024. The plant will produce a mix of building-integrated and traditional panels. Currently, they have a 500-MW plant in Toronto where they make colored panels, BIPV cladding, and traditional panels.
EnergyWire gives us a walkthrough for the Justice40 Initiative, Biden’s environmental justice plan. They review developments over the past two years, which includes an analysis of actions taken by the Biden Administration, Congress, and the Dept of Energy. We also hear from key players in the industry and in the federal and state governments.
Utilities are warning that DOE mandating improved transformer efficiency too quickly would threaten grid reliability. The DOE’s plan is to require new liquid-immersed distribution transformers to use amorphous core steel. However, the U.S. doesn’t produce enough of that steel so making replacements would be tough. Despite this, the sole domestic producer of amorphous steel cores, Metglas, says they can meet demand.
SolarBuilder interviewed several leading inverter manufacturers to pick their brains about the new standards UL 3741, that listing to meet the PV Hazard Control subsection of NEC 690.12(B)(2) to comply with rapid shutdown, and UL 1741, meeting interconnection requirements set by the IEEE 1547-2018 standard and include additional tests for fire and electrical safety. They talked about pros and cons of 3741 and the actual importance of 1741.
In the third of a nine part SunCast/SolarAcademy solar conversation, Ted Thomas, founder of Energized Strategies and former chair of the Arkansas Public Service Commission, discusses how transmission ownership by utility companies affects wholesale competition among generators in energy markets. He explains how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) enables utilities to join Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) to open up their transmission systems to competition. The video is below.
In this third video in the seven-part series, Joe Tanner, Director of Sales at Enact Systems, and Kerim Baran of SolarAcademy look at Enact’s Design-as-a-Service. Joe highlights things like criteria, new features and how to reach their sales team. The video is below.