Meyer Burger loses biggest customer, questions business viability
Swiss solar manufacturer Meyer Burger faces a significant setback as its largest U.S. customer, D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments, has terminated a long-term agreement to purchase solar panels from its Arizona facility.
U.S. government releases bottom-up solar pricing tool
The U.S. Department of Energy’s latest solar cost model shows that residential solar prices are up, commercial solar is getting cheaper and utility-scale pricing remains flat. The addition of batteries increases costs by $1.75/W for residential projects and $0.75/W for larger installations.
Battery storage drives revenue for solar arrays in high-demand areas
One to four hours of battery storage for a solar power facility can significantly increase site revenue in areas with high population density or abundant solar energy. However, the added value diminishes with storage capacities exceeding four hours.
Positive early results from first test of perovskite tandem solar cells in space
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin has reported strong initial results from its first test of perovskite tandem solar cells in space, where perovskite-silicon and thin-film cells on an OOV-Cube satellite are showing resilience to high radiation levels and possible “self-healing” from radiation damage.
California farmers developing 20 GW solar-plus-storage plan
The Golden State recently signed AB 2661, granting the Westland Water District authority to develop transmission lines that will enable solar energy and storage projects on 130,000 acres of drainage-impaired farmland.
Tornado rips through solar farm in Florida
Duke Energy’s Lake Placid Solar Power Plant experienced an EF-2 tornado during Hurricane Milton, shredding a swath of solar modules while leaving most of the facility intact.
California crosses 10 GW utility-battery storage threshold
CAISO set a new peak battery discharge record of 8.3 GW on October 9, as the state’s future EIA energy storage queue holds 177 GW of capacity, with 1.9 GW expected added through the end of the year.
Why $0.25 per kWh electricity makes off-grid solar-plus-storage a smart investment in U.S.
Once electricity prices hit $0.25/kWh, disconnecting from the grid with residential solar-plus-storage starts to become financially viable, with sunny places making strong financial arguments. With recent drops in battery prices, the case for leaving the grid has grown even stronger.
US electricity generation rises, led by solar
In 2024, the US power grid’s electricity generation increased by more than 109 TWh through the end of July, marking 4.5% growth. This surge was led by a 52 TWh increase in methane generation, while solar power contributed an additional 36 TWh.
Solar-plus-storage dominates future US power grid
A new report from the US Department of Energy’s (DoE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows a major expansion of solar-plus-storage facilities in the US power plant market.
