Canadian company Enertopia Corp applied for a US patent for a tech that could boost PV system output by 10% or more and reduce panel heat stress. They discovered that panels are subject to heat stress as temperatures rise and that they can address the issues associated with this. Apparently the tech can be retrofitted for existing panels.

Solar Builder digs into how various mounting systems help you handle typical problems on C&I installs. They look at
Sollega’s FR510 (no assembly required, higher leading edge height than most offerings, only one size tool needed for install, flexibility) and SunModo’s SunTurf (super dense layout, leading edge heights of 7+ feet).

Two members of Engine No. 1, a hedge fund that has historically pushed Exxon to invest more heavily in renewables, were elected to the board of directors of Exxon by shareholders. The hope is that having members of an investing group bent on fighting climate change on the board could mean they can use their positions to push Exxon to take on climate change more aggressively.

SEIA has created the Storage Advocacy Network intended to forward energy storage and expand the market through policy advocacy, membership, research and events, nationally and on a state level. They’re offering ten free memberships to companies focused on energy storage and will work in tandem with other SEIA committees.

New PVEL report reveals that 1 out of 3 panel manufacturers fail to apply basic quality controls to prevent safety failures for end users. Most of these failures were observed before stress testing! 26% of the BOMs this year had at least one failure, compared to 20% in 2020. Takeaway: buyers should (and currently never) request BOM details from suppliers.

A two part series, NEC 690.12 Rapid Shutdown of PV Systems on Buildings, does a deep dive into the subject. Part 1 looks at the impact of NEC 690.12 on inverters and system design (i.e. you have to shut down the power at the solar panel itself) and Part 2 examines options for Rapid Shutdown for charge controllers and the various options with a battery based solar system.

The Senate Finance Committee is pushing forward the Clean Energy for America Act as they work out provisions that keeps resource-specific tax credits. They plan to put it in the Senate calendar without more committee wrangling for another try after the last vote on it ended in a tie. While Democrats support it, Republicans think it promotes renewable energy at the expense of fossil fuels.

There are many things solar installers can do to embrace more green business practices. They can replace facility lighting with LEDs or more natural light, regulate temperature with thermal heat pumps, employ EV fleets, buy carbon offsets, recycle component packaging like plastic film and donate pallets, install low-flow plumbing or go solar themselves.

Here are 5 reasons why inverters fail: premature aging due to a design with fewer IGBTs to reduce costs, shoddy reliability testing built into a shorter design life cycle, a weak link in the inverter like a faulty IGBT or capacitor, failure to properly maintain the inverter per the manufacturer’s instructions, and poor assembly line construction at the manufacturer.

LG is partnering with Sense, provider of home energy monitors, to give LG res solar customers detailed, real-time data on their solar generation and power usage. The data drills down to the appliance level, and the app has data latencies of typically less than a second. The app can also detect potential issues like a sump pump running too long.