Robots Roaming Around Solar Projects? Sol Systems’ Newest Tech Addition
The robots are coming...to our solar sites! This spring, Sol Systems installed robotic mowers at its 1 MWac project in Rock Falls, Illinois to assist with vegetation management. For Rock Falls, Sol Systems collaborated with ... Read More
5 Solar Technical Issues Avoided with Integrated Delivery and Engineering
As the solar energy market grows, asset owners and investors must understand the technical risks that can emerge during project construction and impact the long-term operation and performance of their assets. However, owners and investors – who are rightly focused on project finance -- are not ... Read More
Bifacial or bust? Engineering solar financings of the future
The solar industry hates stasis, which is exemplified in industry members’ self-proclaimed rides on “the Solar Coaster.” Solar trade shows and conferences are filled with companies looking to provide solar with its “next big thing.” One of solar energy’s (literal) shiny new objects - bifacial ... Read More
How Is Solar Faring in the Face of Another Hurricane Season?
Last year, in the midst of what some called a “once-in-a-lifetime” hurricane season, we looked at solar energy’s resiliency in the face of extreme weather. A year/’lifetime” later, another devastating season of hurricanes including Michael and Florence have battered American shorelines. As ... Read More
Sunny-Side Up (and Down): How Feasible are Bifacial Trackers
As anyone following the solar industry understands, the costs of installing solar photovoltaic systems have declined dramatically and consistently over time. Despite massive cost declines over the years, solar PV systems today look a lot like solar PV systems installed a decade ago. This is ... Read More
A Clearer Look at the Solar Module Market
As the solar trade case loomed for much of last year, regulatory uncertainty drove price spikes. Now, three months after President Trump announced that he would be levying tariffs on solar modules and cells, the market is finally beginning to stabilize. Current module prices, which rest in the ... Read More
Module Prices: Finding Stability Amid Uncertainty
This is an excerpt from the December 2017 edition of The SOL SOURCE, a monthly electronic newsletter analyzing the latest trends in renewable energy based on our unique position in the solar financing space. To receive future editions of the journal, please subscribe. With the solar trade case Read More
Tracking the Sun: The Increasing Popularity of Trackers
This article was co-authored by Andrew Grin and Kevin Mayer. This is an excerpt from the November 2017 edition of The SOL SOURCE, a monthly electronic newsletter analyzing the latest trends in renewable energy based on our unique position in the solar financing space. To receive future ... Read More
Weathering the Storm: Solar and Extreme Weather
This is an excerpt from the September 2017 edition of The SOL SOURCE, a monthly electronic newsletter analyzing the latest trends in renewable energy based on our unique position in the solar financing space. To receive future editions of the journal, please subscribe. As the Atlantic ... Read More
Not Just Another Day of Sun: Reviewing the Solar Eclipse’s Effect on PV System Performance
On August 21, 2017, eclipse fever gripped the nation! A total solar eclipse is the Super Bowl of astronomical events, and millions of Americans were treated to a rare natural spectacle. The path of totality was about 70 miles wide, and swept from Oregon to South Carolina over a period of about ... Read More