Solar Power World January 2023

CLIMATE SOLUTIONS START HERE: SOLAR + STORAGE LEAD THE WAY

Gain Forward-Looking Insights

Explore the integral role solar + storage play in transformation during conference sessions; get technical (and earn NABCEP CEUs); hear real-world applications during presentations at The Hub expo hall theater

Meet with the Right People

Build and strengthen your professional network before #isnaesna23 using our new matchmaking platform and onsite during the WRISE Networking Breakfast, Casino Night party, and exhibit hall happy hours

Discover Leading Products and Solutions

Meet and do business with 355+ exhibitors in our sold-out exhibit hall and new outdoor exhibit space, including Fluence, BayWa r.e., Power Electronics, FranklinWH Energy Storage Inc., PowerFlex, ESS Inc., and many more

Have Fun

Cheer on solar + storage installer teams from across North America as they compete for a $10,000 cash prize during the live Solar Games competition

Produced by:

The Year of the Good Guys

The solar industry is trendy again, thanks to last year’s monumental passage of the Infl ation Reduction Act. Manufacturing tax credits, installation subsidies, skilled-labor requirements, oh my! With that trendiness comes great responsibility. We have the opportunity to really accelerate solar and storage adoption across the country. The sales pitch is easy now — climate change is accelerating, electricity grids are overloaded, solar is the cheapest it’s ever been. Our focus must shift to making sure the right, moral companies take us to the next level.

Time has a way of working itself out. One of the biggest “national” installers with an infl ated self-worth dropped out of the market last year. But the new installation opportunities granted in the IRA opens the door for more fl y-by-night companies looking for a quick cash-grab to enter our industry. The promotion of the good guys will come from within.

A really great story in this fi rst SPW issue of 2023 is our look at “The Wolf Pack,” a group of solar installers working together to boost each other’s businesses. There are enough homes and commercial rooftops to go around. Instead of competing for contracts, these installers are sharing internal effi ciencies, getting the most accurate information to the public and building lasting friendships. They share personnel across the country and ensure their company names are getting the exposure they deserve.

We at SPW have always recognized that our annual Top Solar Contractors campaign is a unique showcase of the best in the business, and our associated events are a celebration of everyone’s success. We look forward to applauding more good guys in 2023, and we hope you all will continue to do the same. The success of solar and storage in 2023 is depending on it. SPW

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SOLAR POWER WORLD - VOLUME 13 ISSUE 1 - (ISSN2164-7135) is published 7 times per year: January, March, May, July, September, November and December by WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Avenue, 26th Floor, Cleveland, Ohio 44114. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH and additional mailing o ces.

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Specializing in Renewable energy solutions & services to include SCADA, MET Stations, Managed Services, Retrofits, and Training

2023 TRAINING & EVENTS

SOLAR & STORAGE OPERATIONS

TRAINING (SSOT):

March 7-9 | May 16-18

November 14-16

Trainings will be held in El Dorado Hills, CA

SOLAR & STORAGE OPERATIONS CONFERENCE (SSOC):

Coming in August Conference will be held in South Lake Tahoe

CONTENTS

As the solar industry enters a new year, strong policy support and technological advancements have the potential to push renewable energy deployment forward.

Credit: Namaste Solar

BUSINESS INSTALLATION

THE WOLF PACK

A group of solar CEOs work together to overcome shared challenges and learn best practices

POLICY

CASE STUDY

Tune in to “Solar Radio” at this experimental installation in the Catskill mountains

TECHNOLOGY

STORAGE

Storage developers will soon have more options for American batteries thanks to a new Arizona factory

PANELS

Thin-film solar modules made in America could boost energy independence and project production

MOUNTING

Floating solar projects are supported by racking and anchors built for marine applications

INVERTERS

Some string inverter manufacturers are combatting PID on big projects with new product features

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CPUC guts California

rooftop solar incentives by 75%

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

On December 15, the California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to approve the state’s next phase of the net-metering program. The new “net-billing” program will decrease the incentives paid for excess solar generation by an average of 75%, according to the California Solar & Storage Association.

Commerce approves antidumping tariffs for solar cell and panel imports

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Dept. of Commerce released its preliminary decision that certain Chinese solar cell and panel producers in four Southeast Asian countries are working in those countries to avoid paying duties on Chinese-made solar goods. Commerce has suggested an extension of antidumping duties to imports from companies working in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

DOE invests in research to minimize wildlife impacts on large solar sites

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The U.S. Dept. of Energy announced $14 million in funding for researchers to study the ways solar infrastructure interacts with local wildlife and ecosystems. The department will study nine solar sites addressing wildlife interactions across the country and hopes this research will help the industry develop best practices around responsible solar site development.

A GUIDE TO RECENT LEGISLATION AND RESEARCH THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

SunCommon

New Mexico simplifies distributed resource interconnection and shifts to smart inverters

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

A ruling by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission in late 2022 significantly improved the state’s interconnection rules by incorporating national best practices for the review of solar and energy storage projects. The new rules aim to reduce cost and time barriers to the interconnection of energy storage by recognizing their limited-export capabilities.

Georgia PSC declines to expand monthly solar netting pilot program

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

On December 20, the Georgia Public Service Commission voted for a final rate case order that declined to expand the 2020 pilot program that credited solar owners at the full retail rate of electricity. Instead, the commission adopted Georgia Power’s proposal of instantaneous netting and a $100 interconnection fee for new solar customers.

Gov. Hochul releases roadmap for 6 GW of New York energy storage

ALBANY, NEW YORK

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a new framework for the state to achieve 6 GW of energy storage by 2030, which represents at least 20% of the peak electricity load of New York State. If approved, the roadmap will support a buildout of storage deployments estimated to reduce projected future statewide electric system costs by nearly $2 billion.

Puerto Rico groups ask Congress to fund solar + storage for vulnerable communities

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

Over 40 Puerto Rican organizations, business and churches have asked Congress to approve $5 billion in spending for distributed solar + storage for vulnerable communities on the island. The group says rooftop solar + storage systems are necessary since Puerto Rico’s energy grid remains poorly managed and unreliable in the face of increasing extreme weather events.

Solar technology spared in proposed International Building Code changes

WASHINGTON, D.C.

After originally suggesting groundmount solar projects should be moved from risk category I to IV, the International Code Council and Federal Emergency Management Agency took SEIA’s input into account in proposed changes to the International Building Code. The ICC is reportedly approving the proposed move to risk category II instead.

Consumers Energy increases distributed generation limit

JACKSON, MICHIGAN

Consumers Energy filed a settlement agreement with the Michigan Public Service Commission voluntarily raising the utility’s cap on distributed generation from 2 to 4%. The utility also agreed to increase the outflow credit, or the rate provided to distributed generation customers who provide energy to the grid.

Minnesota PUC approves new cost-sharing program for residential solar interconnection

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved a cost-sharing plan by Xcel Energy and nonprofit organization Fresh Energy to ease interconnection burdens for residential solar projects. Under the new plan, customers with projects up to 40 kW will pay a single fee of $200 that will cover interconnection upgrade costs up to $15,000 per project.

Georgia PSC declines to expand monthly solar netting pilot program

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

On Dec. 20, the Georgia Public Service Commission voted for a final rate case order that declined to expand the 2020 pilot program that credited solar owners at the full retail rate of electricity. Instead, the commission adopted Georgia Power’s proposal of instantaneous netting and a $100 interconnection fee for new solar customers.

Activists protest Idaho Power’s value of solar study findings

BOISE, IDAHO

Solar advocates asked the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to reject or heavily review Idaho Power’s value of solar study that will guide future net-metering rate structures. Advocates say the utility used faulty methodology and outdated data in the study.

HOWLING AT THE SUN

economic uncertainty as lockdowns took effect and many American industries were put on hold. Some states designated solar contractors as essential workers who could continue operations through the early pandemic lockdowns with proper safety precautions in place.

New York was one state where solar installation ceased altogether. With no work flowing in, Long Island-based contractor SUNation Energy furloughed 80% of its staff, which left founder and CEO Scott Maskin searching for ways to keep his business afloat.

Seeking solace and guidance from someone in a similar position, Maskin called Mike Teresso, president of Baker Electric Home Energy of San Diego. After that, Maskin called Jay Radcliffe,

CONTRACTORS COLLABORATE TO SURVIVE THE PANDEMIC.

president of Renu Energy Solutions in Charlotte, North Carolina. Then, the three company heads scheduled a conference call with Josh Powell, CEO of RevoluSun in Honolulu, and Andy Clemans, CEO of Streamline Solar in Phoenix.

That was the start of a collaboration between five solar contractors that has lasted longer than pandemic restrictions. Then “The Wolf Pack” was born.

suggested it was lifted from the chaotic protagonists in Todd Phillips’ 2009 comedy film, “The Hangover.”

State University Wolf Pack, the

Radcliffe contends that the name was inspired by the North Carolina State University Wolf Pack, the athletics program at the school near Renu’s coverage area. Other members

the T-shirts to prove it.

What originated as a chance for, as Maskin called it, “CEO therapy,” eventually turned into constructive

Regardless of its origin, the name “The Wolf Pack” has stuck, and the group has conversations on the industry and their

Powell, CEO of RevoluSun

BILLY

Those early phone calls were check-ins, a means for survival, to see where these solar installers stood during an unprecedented time.

As time went on, group members brought trials and triumphs to discuss on each call. What was working at an operational level? Was anyone having any luck navigating the supply chain? What software was everyone using? The crew shared any tips that would keep them all operating in the black.

“More often than not, we’re talking

Maskin said. “All the things we have to deal with on a daily basis, we can learn from each other, and we can save each other tremendous amounts of money and time by not going down the rabbit hole alone.”

The five CEOs were talking as a group nearly every other day, which eventually evolved into more direct avenues for support between the companies. They’ve shared personnel on projects, shipped each other backstock equipment and even purchased company vehicles from one another.

“I think it’s unique because we don’t compete. It’s unique because we’re all mature companies and there’s ego checked at the door,” Renu Energy’s Radcliffe said. “We’re just talking, and we’re involved with the good and the

about what we’re struggling with,” bad. We’re honest about the issues. It’s a

personalities in CEOs, then maybe you

blend of a healthy family of personalities, and if you can find those kinds of personalities in CEOs, then maybe you can emulate it.”

SUNation, RevoluSun, Streamline Solar, Baker Electric Home Energy and Renu Energy operate in different installation territories around the country, so while the competition is lacking, the camaraderie is not. Some members of The Wolf Pack have known each other for more than a decade, meeting through SunPower’s now-defunct dealer network. Each company in the group credits its longevity within the industry to providing solar installation services that are customer-focused. That mutual desire to create a positive customer experience is what kept The Wolf Pack together through the last two years.

other for more than a decade, meeting providing solar installation services that are customer-focused. That mutual desire is what kept The Wolf Pack together really

“The reality of the group is it really allows us to get biased and unbiased opinions,” RevoluSun’s Powell said. “These guys might as well have been the guys sitting on the couch with

MEET THE WOLF PACK

me when I was 16. It’s a super-tight group and everybody in this room makes payroll and has been doing it for quite a while.”

As pandemic travel restrictions lessened and vaccinations became widely available, members of The Wolf Pack were able to visit each other. They made cross-country trips to tour one another’s headquarters and facilities. It’s an uncommon practice among solar contractors but provided insight for these collaborating companies.

“The one thing that I took away from that visit, I can implement that tomorrow,” Streamline Solar’s Clemans said. “I can do what they do, and I can spend two grand and be better, and all of a sudden, we’re better because of that one visit. It’s absolutely invaluable, how you can become a better businessman just by sharing ideas.”

This collaborative practice has been passed onto other departments within each of The Wolf Pack’s companies. Marketing, operations and safety teams among the contractors have started holding regular meetings to discuss ideas, too.

While membership to The Wolf Pack is closed, the group often welcomes guests with industry relevance to discuss different topics. They’ve brought on financing companies and other services; they have spoken to module and energy storage manufacturers and tested new solar equipment; they let this solar journalist experience it first-hand.

Nearly three years later, The Wolf Pack still meets every Wednesday to catch up with each other, to discuss where they can improve and to continue collaborating as the solar industry presses onward.

“When this whole thing started up, we thought it was therapy. This group of people, we’ve all been through the same things all at different times,” Baker Electric Home Energy’s Teresso said. “We’ve all experienced the issues that I deal with every day, and it’s helpful having somebody that truly understands. Every time we get on these calls, I’m learning something. Hopefully I’m able to bring something to the party, as well, and I think it’s made us stronger as individual businesses working together as a collective.” SPW

JOSH POWELL REVOLUSUN

MIKE TERESSO BAKER HOME ENERGY

ANDREW CLEMANS STREAMLINE SOLAR

JAY RADCLIFFE RENU ENERGY SOLUTIONS

SCOTT MASKIN SUNATION ENERGY

One of The Wolf Pack’s recent T-shirt designs.

bring

TheInflation Reduction Act established 10 years of solar tax incentives, but added new requirements to reach the full 30% ITC for projects 1 MWAC and larger. Starting on January 30, 2023, contractors with four or more workers on a jobsite must employ apprentices for a certain number of labor-hours and pay prevailing wages to all workers to receive the full tax incentive. Project contractors are responsible for meeting these new requirements, adding a layer of risk for all large solar project partners that wasn’t there before.

Prevailing wages

Categorizing workers correctly for prevailing wage calculation could be a challenge for solar companies, where workers are performing many different roles on a jobsite. In its November 2022 guidance, the Dept. of the Treasury advised contractors to visit the Dept. of Labor's website sam.gov to locate the Davis-Bacon Act's mandated prevailing wage information across the country. Sam.gov is a database searchable by state and broken down by county and type of laborer.

"Part one is figuring out what the right wages are, and then it's how do you maintain records?" said Eli Hinckley, partner at law firm Baker Botts. "I think that the key is having good justification for why you've categorized things the way you have.”

If there's no applicable prevailing wage for a type of worker in a particular county, Treasury instructs contractors to contact the Dept. of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division by email at IRAprevailingwage@dol.gov. Contractors should note in the email the type of facility, location, proposed labor classifications, proposed prevailing wage rates, job descriptions and duties, and any rationale for the proposed classifications.

However, Hinckley expects an email process with the federal government to pose its own issues.

"Ever emailed the government for anything? Unless it's automated, it's very difficult to get an answer on a one-off basis," he said.

SEIA's VP of state and regulatory affairs, Sean Gallagher, believes that categorizing workers will be simple in most cases and won't require a conversation with the government. But he still believes the industry could use some more clarification to ensure that subjective worker categorizations don't cost project owners their tax credits.

"Most of the work of solar projects, it's reasonably straightforward. It's electrical work, it’s laborer work, or it’s operating engineers and pile-driving work," Gallagher said. "You assign the workers to those classifications, and the prevailing wage is published, and you pay the prevailing wage, and you keep good records, and you're all set."

A job like un-crating solar panels and moving them around the site could be done by a carpenter, an electrician or a laborer, leaving contractors to decide which prevailing wage classification applies to the worker.

"I think we would like more guidance from Treasury on…if the employer makes a rational choice,

POLICY

POLICY

based on precedent, to classify workers a particular way or assign the work to a particular classification, and pays the worker correctly in the classification, then the employer is not subject to later challenges," Gallagher said.

Apprenticeships

electrical apprentices but will likely need other types of apprentices on jobsites — from laborers to solar installers.

Big companies are already creating inhouse apprenticeship programs to meet these new metrics.

must perform 12.5% of the total labor

Any solar contractor that employs four or more workers must now hire a certain number of apprentices based on total project labor hours. In 2023, apprentices must perform 12.5% of the total labor hours of construction, alteration or repair work. In 2024, that number increases to 15%.

Requiring apprentices could also bring some growing pains to the solar industry. Electricians have extensive apprenticeship programs nationwide, but the Dept. of Labor doesn’t recognize a national solar installer apprenticeship yet. Only Florida has successfully registered a state Solar Technician apprenticeship program with the DOL. Solar companies might be able to find

Moss Construction started a program in Florida, with plans to expand into all states in which it works. The company says apprentices who complete the program will receive a "Nationally Recognized Certificate in the Occupation of Solar Installer."

“The Moss Apprenticeship Program was developed in response to the labor needs facing our growing industry as well as to address the recently passed IRA legislation requiring apprenticeto-journey-worker ratios,” said Andrew

McAllister, president and chief scaling officer at Moss, in a press statement. “It also reinforces Moss’ focus on safety and quality by having an exceptional workforce.”

Secure Futures Solar and GOT

Electric started a high school solar apprenticeship program in the southwest coalfield region of Virginia, which culminates in college credits for 10 students. Company-helmed solar

HSGS

apprenticeship programs not yet approved by the DOL exist in a gray area when it comes to IRA requirements.

"I think that if I establish the apprenticeship program, and I'm awaiting certification from Dept. of Labor, but I'm treating them as though they're qualified apprentices and I'm doing a somewhat reasonable job compared to what the DOL rules are, that probably gets you safe," Hinckley said.

The November 2022 Treasury guidance on apprenticeships includes a "Good Faith Effort Exception," so contractors that

have requested apprentices from a registered apprenticeship program and had the request either denied or unacknowledged within five business days aren’t penalized for not meeting the requirement. This might also apply to companies awaiting internal apprenticeship program approval from DOL. Gallagher expects Treasury to issue further clarification around apprenticeship issues.

"We'll be engaged in that process to get some clarity on the Good Faith Exception. I think right now, what employers are instructed to do is to follow local customs," he said.

Those "customs" would include how far outside a region a company is expected to go to seek apprentices. Companies can look to other industries that require apprentices for local advice.

Government contractor advantage

Prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements aren't new for installers that have experience building solar projects for the government.

"If you build a federal project, you've done it. In the wind space, because most of the wind-based EPCs tend to be bigger and more established companies, nobody's really panicked about it. On the solar side, where we've got lots of smaller EPCs who have never done this, there is a lot more anxiety," Hinckley said.

I think right now, what employers are instructed to do is to follow local customs.

Hannah Solar Government Services has built a brand working on federal solar projects. Johnny Bagley, director of business development, believes the new IRA requirements could open more commercial opportunities for HSGS outside the government.

"In the past, when we've done a commercial project, we had to find a customer who was willing to pay our prices, because of the standards that we already had instilled for [what the] military and the federal government require on their projects," Bagley said. "I'm hoping that [the IRA] makes it more of a level playing field going forward."

HSGS and other government contractors are also required to adhere to the Buy American Act and source solar products from the United States when possible. The contractor’s existing vendor relationships could help when project owners are looking to secure the 10% domestic content adder.

HSGS also has experience paying prevailing wages. Bagley estimates 85% of the company's business requires DavisBacon compliance. For those projects, the CFO produces wage reports for the contract holder on a regular basis, detailing the hours worked and rates paid.

"That goes for every aspect of our install, whether it's material handlers, the manual laborers, the journeyman electricians, the master electricians, the project managers — we have usually a DC electrical manager and an AC electrical foreman," Bagley said.

Then, HSGS must ensure any subcontractors the company hires adhere to the same protocol.

For apprentices, Bagley said HSGS is already surpassing the minimum requirements in the jurisdictions where it operates. It hasn't always been easy to find workers, though.

"We've had to grow in-house a lot. We've been fortunate, too, because of the rates that we pay, we've been able to get the workers that we needed that were already qualified," he said.

SOLAR CARPORT

Most of HSGS's apprentices fall in the electrician category, so new programs like Florida's could help source apprentices in other job roles.

"Anything like that would certainly help," Bagley said. "Then, we can train them up to move to the next level if they're interested."

New financing risks

New apprenticeship and prevailing wage requirements are placed squarely on the contractors building the projects. Project owners and tax equity investors, who finance the project and expect to receive the full 30% tax incentive, will be relying on EPCs to check those boxes and keep accurate records.

"Part of the contract I have with you is going to require that you provide me adequate records, and then if you fail to meet prevailing wage or apprenticeship in some way, you are on the hook to make that whole with the employee and any penalties you owe to the Dept. of Labor," Hinckley said. "All that's going to be built in now to this contractual process between owner and contractor."

Hinckley expects solar project insurance companies to take on some of the risk, too, especially on larger projects.

"For larger projects, where there are some questions, there are third-party insurers that will step in and say, 'We'll evaluate what was done and take that risk for you for a premium and so if there is a problem in the tax credits, we'll take that responsibility,'" he said.

The industry is expecting more guidance on these new requirements eventually, but at least there's a starting place on January 30, 2023. Contractors should start planning how they'll meet these new requirements now and prepare to explain how they'll manage it during negotiations with project owners.

"It's an administrative challenge. It'll cause some friction, but not so much that it'll slow things down in terms of deal velocity," Hinckley said. SPW

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INSTALLATION

SunCommon installed a 48.6-kW rooftop solar system atop Wave Farm’s Study Center that now powers the entire site. Patrick McCormack/SunCommon

POWERS A SPECTRUM OF SOUNDS AT NEW YORK’S WAVE FARM LIGHT

IN

the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountains, a short radio tower encircled by photovoltaic solar cells stands in a pine forest clearing. As the sun rises, the solar cells power artificial intelligence that records and reinterprets the natural sounds found in a meadow in eastern New York State, then broadcasts them to internet and FM radio stations.

“Solar Radio” is one of several installations powered by solar at Wave Farm, an organization in Acra, New York, pioneering the auditory medium of transmission arts. Across its 29 acres, Wave Farm explores the boundaries of experimental radio transmission through 12 installations that create sounds from sources like sunlight, weather patterns and traffic, and synthesizes them into entirely new audio.

“Really, what we’re talking about is art intentionally using the electromagnetic spectrum, radio being one of the seven categories. Visible light is in there too, so it starts to become pretty conceptual,” said Galen Joseph-Hunter, executive director at Wave Farm. “But it’s really about the act of transmission and reception and communication. It’s very much radio art, which you can think of more as art made explicitly for radio broadcast.”

While many of these transmission art installations run on individual solar panels, the plan had always been to power all of Wave Farm’s grid-tied facilities with solar, including a radio transmission tower on a separate parcel. For a decade, Joseph-Hunter researched solar installation and spoke

to contractors and peer organizations to find an installer that could bring PV to Wave Farm when it was finally financially feasible.

“It’s uniquely tied to our interest in financial sustainability, ecological environmental responsibility and organizational artistic mission in a way that makes it an incredible trifecta of impact,” Joseph-Hunter said.

Transmitting solar to all radio

Wave Farm started in 1997 as an artist collective operating an experimental music venue and micro radio station in Brooklyn. Seven years later, the group migrated to the Hudson Valley, a region with a history of embracing the arts, where Wave Farm also runs a community FM radio station called WGXC.

The organization broke ground on its Study Center in 2006 and completed the facility in 2012. The Study Center has housing for resident artists, a research library, a broadcast studio and offices, and was built with the goal of hosting Wave Farm’s long-sought solar project. In 2021, Wave Farm contracted Northeast solar installer SunCommon to design and construct a 48.6-kW array on the building.

“Solar should not just be for for-profit companies,”

“Solar should not just be for for-profit companies,” said Tavit Guedelekian, integrated marketing director at SunCommon. “It’s great that it saves money, but it shouldn’t be about just moving the margin. They built that building with the intention of going solar. It’s a part of their mission and obviously a part of ours.”

Despite its initial intent to hold solar panels, the Study Center did require some reinforcement to do so. Structural beams supporting the roof spanned the 26-ft length of the building and would have been stressed further by the addition of solar, so installers reinforced the beams

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with laminated plywood and vertical strutting in sections closer to the ceiling.

The Study Center’s roof is a single pitch covered with corrugated metal that appropriately resembles a sine wave. SunCommon installers were building the array through the winter, contending with an icy roof, snow and rainfall. They hoisted equipment to the roof with a 60-ft boom lift and, when the ice slid away, managed to move hardware around safely.

SunCommon installed 108 LG 450-W panels at the same 7° pitch as the Study Center’s roof, covering about 90% of its surface. The array uses four 10-kW SolarEdge string inverters and optimizers and S-5! CorruBracket metal

roof mounts with SnapNrack rails. The system was sized to power the grid-tied electrical loads on site, including the Study Center and transmission sculptures, and generate enough renewable energy credits to cover the electrical load of Wave Farm’s radio tower located on a separate property through remote net metering.

A ’symbiotic’ partnership

SunCommon is a small commercial and residential solar installer that started in Waterbury, Vermont, and recently merged with Hudson Solar of Rhinebeck, New York. The company is a certified B Corporation, participates in local solar advocacy and founded the Climate Action Film Festival in 2020,

which shows climate activism-focused work from filmmakers around the world. “I actually didn’t know about that until we started our conversation, but it became very obvious that it was a symbiotic connection,” Joseph-Hunter said. “They very quickly wanted to engage with Wave Farm as one of their storytelling projects.”

until we started our conversation, but SunCommon produced a video

SunCommon produced a video series on Wave Farm, showcasing its facilities, transmission art installations and the new solar project. The solar contractor is also a Wave Farm underwriter, regularly donating to the organization.

While there is no transmission art sculpture creating sounds directly from SunCommon’s solar installation, there is

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equipment on-site that responds to electromagnetic activity, “so the solar install is certainly contributing to those recordings,” Joseph-Hunter said.

A place like Wave Farm, where art is the purpose, is an uncommon project for solar contractors. Solar has the same impact on a department store rooftop as it does for an art collective where submerged microphones record the sounds of a pond, a synthesizer hums along with changing weather and pipes project radio operas into a pine forest.

“I think there’s a bit of synergy or poetry to the fact that now that entire campus is powered by these light waves that are being converted into energy by our little installation on their campus,” Guedelekian said. “For the next 20 to 25 years, every artist and researcher who comes through that space and uses that campus is also going to be powering their work with solar waves, and that is freaking cool.” SPW

THAT WORKS LIKE A MACHINE A MOWING CREW

“Pond Station” is one of several transmission arts installations at Wave Farm that is remotely powered by solar. Patrick McCormack/SunCommon

Gregg Nobel (left), VP of sales and development, and Jay Bellows (right), president of KORE Power, in the Network Operations

Center at KORE Solutions.

WITH

U.S. LITHIUM BATTERY MAKER KORE POWER

as the United States is entering a solar panel manufacturing renaissance thanks to manufacturing tax credits included in the Inflation Reduction Act, the domestic battery-making industry should see a similar boost. Battery cells, modules/packs and electrode materials will all receive some type of credit when

made domestically.

Thus far, primarily only major lithium

battery makers in the EV space have announced new multi-gigawatt factories in the United States — Panasonic is building a 30-GWh facility in Kansas that

will largely supply Tesla vehicles, and LG Energy Solution is working with Honda on a 40-GWh EV battery plant in Ohio. The country is still lacking significant production for the stationary energy storage market. There are some domestic manufacturers making small-scale lead- or lithium-based systems for mainly off-grid situations, but few major outfits have stepped up to provide much-needed support to a greening grid, until now.

factory in Buckeye, Arizona, that will supply battery cells to both EVs and energy storage systems. KORE has secured a U.S. supply of graphite anode materials (from Novonix out of Tennessee) that it will use in both its NMC and LFP battery cells made in America beginning in 2024.

stepped up to provide much-needed

KORE Power of Idaho is one of the first. The storage company was 2022 on a 12-GWh lithium battery

scheduled to break ground in December

its batteries through a Chinese

KORE Power was founded in 2018 and has U.S. intellectual property, but currently makes its batteries through a Chinese contract manufacturer. Before IRA passage, KORE was already

looking to set up domestic

manufacturing to bring everything stateside. After acquiring Northern Reliability, a 50-year veteran in the energy storage commissioning space, in early 2022 and launching its own stationary energy storage installation division, KORE aims to be the only vertically integrated energy storage company in the United States — not only making products but also offering ESS installation services.

Solar Power World talked with Jay Bellows, president of KORE Power, about the company’s move into U.S. manufacturing and its outlook on the domestic market. This interview has been edited for clarity.

KORE Power was founded in 2018 as a “storage technology developer.” How would you describe the company now?

KORE Power is a manufacturer of battery cells and modules, both NMC and LFP — which is pretty rare. We have a lot of customers that want just batteries, and some want just cells to put in their own packets for EVs. We have a solutions group as well and offer complete systems through KORE Solutions. [Northern Reliability] has been building energy storage solutions for well over 50 years, and we’re probably the most experienced in the industry. With KORE Power, you ultimately get a vertically integrated solution, from soup to nuts, with arguably more market knowledge and experience than anyone else in the field.

Why was setting up battery manufacturing in the United States important to KORE, even before the IRA passed?

There wasn't really anybody else, quite frankly. And we have all these jobs disappearing in the fossil fuel industry, and it would be amazing to fill that with a more renewable mindset. The workforce for that is monstrous and taking advantage of that is a big deal. It’s a big goal of ours to bring everything home as much as we can, and we’re trying to do the same thing with the supply chain as well.

Secondly, the ESS market and the EV market in the United States is growing exponentially. It’s a big deal to have that locally sourced as much as possible, for logistics and everything else. The cost of doing everything has gone up. When you include shipping and tariffs, it can be price-sensitive and restrictive for the industry. Bringing that here helps the industry grow substantially.

Here in the states, as we try to electrify our world, it’s going to be difficult for that to happen without storage. As we grow a renewable footprint with solar, wind, hydro, all of those things, we have to have a way to store that energy. It’s the perfect time to build out energy storage.

Why does KORE manufacture both NMC and LFP chemistries? Are the manufacturing methods significant to establish?

NMC has been around a long time. It’s one of the oldest lithium products. And then LFP came on identified as being a safer product — although NMC is also very safe at this point. For KORE doing them both, it really is about what the solution ultimately becomes. A lot of automobile manufacturers have built their chassis around different chemistries, so the goal is to be able to provide both.

I wouldn’t say [manufacturing NMC vs. LFP] is vastly different, but it’s different enough that each line has to be dedicated. The NMC line is larger than the LFP line.

How will the KOREPlex factory in Arizona be set up?

Right now, we’re in Phase 1 of our build, which will be done at the end of 2024. We’ll have two lines — one NMC and one LFP. It’ll be just over 3 GWh for each chemistry — 6 GWh total. Phase 2 will either be a direct replication of Phase 1 to get us to 12 GWh or we may just do LFP for the ESS market, so that would give us three lines of LFP.

How will the storage ITC and other installation incentives transform the U.S. storage market?

Storage already made financial sense. It already had a five- to seven-year return

on investment. But now with the IRA, for a product that already made financial sense and was already identified as a key cog in bringing renewables [to the grid], it’s supercharged. It brings in a whole different level of customer for energy storage companies. Initially, large-scale customers were utilities and maybe some C&I. Now, it brings in every developer in energy. They get the same tax credit on top of everything else. The 30% ITC, the domestic product adder, the brownfield adder. When you’re an investor of a product that has a fiveyear ROI and now you’re getting a 50% tax credit? This is perfect timing for where the market was heading.

What will it take to make the United States an energy storage manufacturing powerhouse?

If the United States wants to become a leader, the focus has to be on consuming U.S. products. That may not be popular as the majority of our batteries come from Asia. If we want to be an industry leader, then we have to be committed to consuming localized product. I think we’re getting there. The IRA is a good step in that direction — with that 10% kicker for domestic product. We have to be committed to that, and it goes for both manufacturing and consuming. SPW

Accelerating CdTe solar panel adoption can make U.S. solar more secure

Even before the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 increased and extended financial incentives for solar panels and awarded an extra 10% investment tax credit for panels made fully in America (40% ITC total), consumer demand was surging for solar power in the United States and globally.

Solar panel installations increased by 40% year-over-year, adding 5.3 GW of residential solar power production to the grid. In many cases, demand outpaced supply as rising energy prices, climate change realities and supply chain disruptions combined to make it especially difficult for people to acquire and install solar panels.

Meanwhile, the cost of rooftop solar prices has dropped by 60% in the past

decade, but many homeowners are still priced out, with upfront costs estimated between $15,000 and $25,000 to purchase and install a new solar system.

In other words, as solar becomes increasingly popular and important to green energy production, it faces dual challenges that hinder its adoption: affordability and accessibility. With supply chain challenges and geopolitical uncertainties straining international production capacity, a stateside solution is desperately needed.

The Cadmium Telluride Accelerator Consortium (CTAC), a group of research teams, universities and companies, is working to accelerate the development of domestically manufactured, cheaper, more efficient cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells, making American-made solar panels more affordable and accessible for consumers.

CdTe’s impact on green energy

The consortium, funded by the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, has been focused on CdTe photovoltaics, a type of thinfilm solar cell made from a combination of cadmium, tellurium and other materials. CdTe cells offer several advantages over traditional siliconbased solar cells, including lower production costs and higher efficiency at converting sunlight into electricity.

With a theoretical maximum conversion efficiency of over 31%, CdTe solar technology has yet to reach its full potential for growth. CdTe is already a powerful solar PV product, historically powering the utility-scale markets.

However, CdTe products face significant competition from Chinesemade silicon solar panels, a logistical

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PANEL TECHNOLOGY

and human rights problem, increasing the need for American-made solar solutions. Chinese solar companies have been connected to forced labor in the Xinjiang region, prompting the U.S. government to ban more than 1,000 shipments of solar energy components following a June law banning imports from the solar manufacturing region.

As a result, demand for Americanmade CdTe solar is outpacing supply, making it difficult for suppliers to lower costs. CdTe solar panels are an essential part of the energy transition, with most utility-scale projects in the United States powered by CdTe technology. Making CdTe more broadly accessible for consumers is Toledo Solar and CTAC’s principal focus.

Already, the consortium has experienced a growing number of students and faculty working together with the solar industry to accelerate CdTe research, eradicating information silos and leveraging collaboration to facilitate long-term improvements.

Specifically, the consortium aims to enable CdTe cell efficiencies above 24% and module costs below 20¢/W by 2025, and cell efficiencies above 26% and module costs below 15¢/W by 2030.

Enabling American-made solar at scale

Historically, global energy market trends are tied to natural gas prices. The cost of fossil fuels increased sharply this past year, and geopolitical conflict is

reminding many people that adversarial energy partners are a bad long-term energy strategy.

Consequently, nearly 70% of homeowners say they are interested in installing solar panels to lower long-term costs and reduce their carbon footprint. With lower production costs and higher efficiency compared to traditional silicon-based solar cells, CdTe technology has the potential to increase the adoption and use of renewable energy sources. What’s more, CdTe has the lowest carbon footprint in the solar industry, and U.S.based production facilities help mitigate ethical or supply chain concerns plaguing the industry.

Solar panel demand is expected to increase for the next several decades. CdTe development alone won’t make solar power a success. However, it’s a foundational product with long-term implications for countries striving to meet climate targets, communities investing in more sustainable energy solutions and homeowners looking to lower costs.

Simply put, more affordable and cleaner energy from ethical products with long-term benefits like recyclability that can support solar adoption at scale are in high demand. CTAC is hastening accessibility and affordability, leveraging the power of public/private partnership to power the green energy transition. SPW

Buoyant racking turns water into an ideal solar site

Floating solar projects are scaling up in the United States, and while the technology is still emerging here, it isn’t necessarily entering uncharted waters. The buoyant solar structures have been deployed in single international projects reaching almost 100 MW, using blowmolded plastic floats as racking, mooring adapted from existing marine industries and anchors like those found on groundmounted solar projects.

U.S. installation requirements will differ from international rules, but the structural components holding the panels in place are the same, and they are tested to withstand the elements of these marine environments. In fact, water bodies benefit these solar arrays with built-in temperature control.

“When your panels are cooler, they operate more efficiently, so you get more production out of them,”

said Chris Bartle, director of sales and marketing for the Americas at Ciel & Terre. “Water managers like [floating solar arrays] because when you block light, you’re preventing algae growth; you’re preventing evaporation from that water body. In places like California, Texas and the Southwest, where we’re in a perpetual drought, water’s valuable, so putting a lid on those open reservoirs, you get a double benefit there.”

Ciel & Terre, an international floating solar components manufacturer, compares the layout of these aquatic arrays to commercial rooftop projects. However, the installation process is unlike anything else in the industry.

Securing an island of solar panels

Floating solar projects are typically installed on artificial bodies of water, like water treatment facilities, hydropower

dams, quarries and reservoirs, because these sites can be contaminated and have little on-water activity. The first step in the installation is securing anchors and mooring lines that will attach to the floating solar array.

Mooring is either guided to the shore or sunk to the bottom of the water body. That choice depends on the array’s location and the circumference and depth of the water. If the water is too deep, then mooring can be run to the shoreline. If it’s shallower and the project owner prefers to have the array further offshore, then mooring can attach to submerged anchoring. Or the array can use a combination of both submerged and shoreline anchoring.

Much like ground-mounted, and, in certain cases, commercial rooftop solar, floating projects can use penetrating or ballasted anchoring. The choice

Floating solar projects are typically installed on artificial bodies of water, like water treatment plants and quarries. RETTEW

for anchoring often comes from the permitting authority on a given project. There are cases where a lakebed cannot be penetrated, because of contaminated soil or a liner covering the surface, so weighted ballasts would be used in those instances. Otherwise, penetrating anchors like ground screws or helical piles work well.

“The anchors themselves are the same that would be used for any other kind of ground-anchoring application, similar to a cell tower or an antenna,” Bartle said.

Since working on water is new territory for solar contractors, it requires hiring OSHA-certified boat captains and either divers or drilling rigs to install and inspect anchors.

Different than land-based solar arrays, a floating project’s mooring lines must have some built-in elasticity or slack to anticipate water movement. Anchors and mooring are meant to keep arrays in place, but water is constantly in motion. River-fed bodies of water experience currents, waves caused by wind and rising and falling water levels due to evaporation and precipitation; while dammed reservoirs will be drained or filled, and water can freeze and thaw.

“In some cases, with a hydro dam, it might go up and down 100 ft, so we have to have pretty complex anchoring assemblies to accommodate that,” Bartle said.

Mooring line features vary by manufacturer. Ciel & Terre produces

The anchors themselves are the same that would be used for any other kind of groundanchoring application, similar to a cell tower or an antenna.

Darin Johnson, Owner, Midstates Energy Solutions, Bluffton, IN

”By utilizing the PVKIT, we were able to reduce our installation time by 40% compared to traditional rail mounting. We will definitely be using the PVKIT on all our metal roof installations moving forward.”

custom mooring to fit project needs and parabolic lines that attach to the shore. SEAFLEX is an international mooring manufacturer that has served the marina industry for 40 years, and its mooring uses an elastic rubber that can stretch up to 30 ft and remains taut when unstretched.

Once anchors are set, buoys attach to the ends of mooring lines and await groups of floating solar panels.

“It’s a combination of the water body owner, the EPC contractor, the anchoring [subcontractor], the owner of the electrical system and us to decide what the best anchors are,” Bartle said.

Assembling the island

After the anchors and mooring lines are installed, floating panel rows are assembled on shore. The hollow floats connect in a series and use secondary floats between each panel row that act as walkways for maintenance access.

“You’re assembling the panel to the racking, and the racking to the float and then the floats to each other, all on shore,” Bartle said.

He likens the process to building something out of Legos or an Erector set. Ciel & Terre floating solar platforms are composed of high-density polyethylene and manufactured using blow-molding, the same process used to make food and beverage containers. Kayaks, buoys and marina docks are also made of the same plastic.

"It's not a new material — it's a new application for the material," Bartle said. "But it allows the product to exist in cold and hot temperatures, so it can expand and contract without failure."

Ciel & Terre's Hydrelio floating solar line includes aiR 1280 floats. One solar panel is installed per float at either 5 or 12° tilts. Previous models had built-in tilts, but aiR uses metal brackets and rails to offer variable panel angles. Ciel & Terre floats can be assembled in one- or two-row configurations, including east-west orientation, depending on wind loads.

Contractors must build ramps to guide the floats down to the water, especially if the shoreline is steep. Once a block of floats is assembled, it is launched into the water and hitched to a boat. Then the block is pulled out to the mooring lines and attached, and the process is repeated until the entire array is assembled.

“There’s a whole other safety and regulatory piece to it that we don’t have as much in ground-mount or rooftop — you can just walk to the work,” said Jason Wert, market leader of renewables and energy production at RETTEW. “Here, it’s a little different. We try to do a lot of the work, as much as we can, on shore. You’re trying to minimize the amount of onwater work that you’re doing.”

RETTEW is an engineering firm that has designed and built three floating solar projects on the East Coast, recently completing construction on an almost 9-MW floating array in Millburn, New Jersey. Its first floating solar project in Sayreville was 4.4 MW, and Wert said that RETTEW is already in preliminary planning for systems about 10-times that size.

U.S. floating solar is on the rise, but its pricing is still not as competitive as other racking solutions on the market. Ciel & Terre’s Bartle estimated that a floating solar project costs 10 to 15% more than a ground-mount system of a similar size.

“The reality is that it’s more expensive than ground-mount. If you’re doing largescale solar, it’s hard to beat a single-axis tracker on a farm field in the Midwest,” Wert said. “We view floating solar as being a very good application for where [ground-mounted is] just not a suitable technology.”

Extraneous services like hiring boat captains and divers will add to project costs, and solar floats occupy more space than other styles of racking during shipping, which increases costs too.

However, there is still a unique value for floating solar for customers that do not have adequate rooftop or land space. An NREL study from 2018 claims that more than 24,000 water bodies in the United States are suitable for floating solar projects, and installing on 27% of those sites could provide 10% of the country’s electricity.

It might not be the first choice for every project, but there will be applications where floating solar will be the best option.

“What I tell EPCs is to just consider floating solar as another tool in the toolbox to get your customers to renewable energy,” Bartle said. “We’re not trying to take over any market share from any other solar product. It’s just a complementary product line that developers and EPCs are excited about. It’s a new frontier.” SPW

Sections of a floating solar project are assembled on shore, dropped into the water and pulled by boat to the anchoring. RETTEW

Inverters help combat PID as solar technology evolves

Potential induced degradation (PID) has haunted the solar industry since its origin. This phenomenon happens when the high-voltage DC side of a solar project is installed next to other equipment with differing voltage. The discrepancy can induce sodium migration, where electrons enclosed in module glass escape and speed up degradation.

"That inherent big magnitude drives this PID behavior, if the modules or the power electronics are not designed in a particular way to mitigate this," said Steven Marsh, senior director of technology and design at large-scale developer Origis Energy.

Thin-film modules are more susceptible to PID because of their higher voltage and material makeup, but crystalline silicon panels are also at risk if there are any flaws in the wafers. Developer Silicon Ranch prioritizes antiPID functionality for string inverters on both types of projects.

"They're made different, but it's the same overarching worry that a solar designer has to have, which is these minor weaknesses in the solar panels, you guard against with anti-PID features in your inverters," said Nick de Vries, SVP of technology and asset management at Silicon Ranch.

When new panel technology comes out, it often takes some time to hone the product to reduce the risk of PID. Early models of glass-on-glass bifacial modules had issues with PID, but manufacturers have made strides since then, Marsh said.

"[PID] comes back from time to time as the technology evolves, just because it's very new and it's evolving. It's a very demanding condition that modules have to go through," he said.

Central inverters are a safe bet for avoiding PID. They include builtin transformers that are negatively grounded, isolating the DC and AC sides of the system.

Yaskawa Solectria string inverters on a thinfilm solar project . Yaskawa Solectria

INVERTER TECHNOLOGY

But as transformerless string inverters are increasingly deployed on larger projects for their O&M simplicity, with thin-film panels and otherwise, project owners must now consider PID mitigation.

"There are a few key ways that you can achieve galvanic isolation, and a transformer is one of them. Making that change to transformerless unfortunately creates that issue," Marsh said. "The PV array will end up floating, and usually what that means is about half the modules in the entire system will experience a negative bias relative to ground."

A few methods can be used to help avoid PID in transformerless string inverters. Installers can add a grounded isolation transformer or ground the

step-up transformer on the AC side. And manufacturers are now adding special hardware and software to string inverters to combat PID.

Marsh said there are two categories of PID mitigation in string inverters — active anti-PID methods and passive PID recovery modes. Active anti-PID hardware and software solutions take the DC side of the system and elevate the voltage so all modules are above ground. On the other end, PID recovery methods work at night to undo the PID accumulated during the day. However, thin-film manufacturer First Solar says its modules respond more favorably to active anti-PID functionality rather than PID recovery.

A few string inverter manufacturers on the market now include anti-PID hardware and accompanying software to

protect from degradation, or sell separate accessories to perform the protective functions. For example, CPS America offers the CPS Energy Balancer, while Sungrow builds anti-PID hardware into its SG125HV and SG250HX string inverters. Sungrow started offering anti-PID string inverters around 2018.

"There were questions about the degradation rates of panels in general at the time, so we developed the solution," said Daniel Friberg, director of product and engineering at Sungrow.

Yaskawa Solectria recently announced an anti-PID version of its XGI 1500-250 series string inverter that's tailored to work with First Solar thin-film modules.

"That takes a few small changes internal to the inverter. It's not a huge

deal, but it does require some engineering time and a listing update for a brand-new specific model in this series, so we are in the midst of proving that out in the lab," said Miles Russell, director of product management at Yaskawa Solectria Solar.

Both Solectria and First Solar make their products in the United States, giving installers an easy pairing to achieve domestic content incentive goals included in the IRA. But they discussed PID mitigation well before the IRA was written.

"We started that relationship two years ago, with just purely the goal on a technical level to achieve a product which is easily compatible with our product," said Alex Kamerer, project engineer at First Solar. "We go that extra step to ensuring that we have compatibility with our system providers, which benefits our customers."

Although more inverter manufacturers are starting to incorporate anti-PID functions in string inverters as the technology is increasingly used in larger projects, engineers still sometimes have to dig through data sheets to check on a product's anti-PID capabilities, according to Origis's Marsh.

"We find that there are a few options out there, and they're not necessarily a big driver in the capital initial cost of the inverter," he said. "However, these don't tend to be heavily publicized inverter features, maybe because the topic is very, very technical, or even [because] PID itself is pretty hard to detect in the field. So we certainly see some transformerless inverters that come without this function."

But mitigating PID is going to become even more important as solar companies now have the option to take the production tax credit (PTC) in the IRA. Keeping degradation in check so the modules produce maximum power for as long as possible will be crucial for tax credit certainty.

"I think having a widespread industry understanding of the factors in PID is probably what needs to increase — education about the times that your modules may be prone to PID, as well as detection methods," Marsh said. SPW

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2023 TRENDS IN SOLAR + STORAGE

It’s the start of another exciting year where political and technological headwinds are pushing the solar + storage industry forward. In this special section, we look at the trends expected to defi ne the upcoming year. A standalone storage ITC is slated to grow the nascent market and open new possibilities for the technology, solar product recycling is making strides, microinverters are becoming more powerful and trackers are entering new markets and terrains. Just a glance at the headlines makes clear this industry does not stand still but is ever-evolving.

APsystems

Solar adoption is starting to shift to less-affluent communities

BY KELSEY MISBRENER

Clean, local energy in the form of rooftop solar power is a powerful tool for fighting environmental injustice, but accessibility for the low-to-moderate income (LMI) community has been a stubborn barrier. Owning a home to put solar on in the first place is a challenge, and being able to afford a system is more complicated still. But a 2022 study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) found some hopeful new trends in rooftop solar adoption.

Solar adopter incomes are declining over time, with the median solar adopter's combined household income dropping from $129,000 in 2010 to $110,000 in 2021. Researchers found an average 1 to 2% drop per year over that period.

That's still significantly higher than the U.S. median of $63,000 for all households and $79,000 for all owneroccupied houses, but it's a notable shift.

I think it gets a bit more interesting when you are able to play around with state- or county-level information," said Sydney Forrester, scientific engineering associate in the electricity markets and policy department at LBNL.

At the state level, for example, an average of 55% of North Carolina’s solar adopters have an annual income below $100,000. But according to county-level data, 70% of solar adopters are making under $100,000 in a handful of North Carolina counties.

Researchers also found a substantial share of solar adopters that are considered LMI, with 22% of all 2021 adopters earning less than 80% of the area median income.

Researchers found that contractors with more than 1,000 systems installed are doing the most work with LMI households. Part of this trend is those installers are so large and widespread that they're just capturing more of the LMI market. But these installers are also more likely to offer third-party ownership or solar leasing options for those who can't afford the upfront cash or qualify for a big loan, increasing access to more populations.

"That, we think, is maybe because of just having more options. So, with more choices and more options, maybe there is an option that is just friendlier to lowand moderate-income adopters, even if they're not necessarily targeting that demographic," Forrester said.

"Once you average an entire country, it does look pretty gradual. And

country, it does look pretty gradual. And

Part of the shift is attributed to rooftop solar broadening into LMI areas since 2016. The study found initial solar adopters in a county tend to be highincome, but as time goes on, the new adopters in the county start to reflect the area's median income.

The study also looked at race trends in solar adoption and found there's been a national increase in Hispanic solar adopters and a decrease in white adopters. Since California makes up half of the country’s rooftop solar market, the

2023 TRENDS IN SOLAR

large Hispanic population there is influencing these new stats. But this trend only holds true for Englishspeaking solar adopters. If the "primary householder" is Asian or Hispanic but doesn't speak English as a first language, they are less likely to adopt solar.

This could be a result of solar companies not incorporating different languages in advertising, or the lack of education and awareness of state and federal tax incentives that help make solar more affordable.

"It shows the compounding effect of language in addition to ethnicity, which impacts the adoption equity," Forrester said.

White and Asian households are still generally over-represented among solar adopters, while Hispanic and Black households are under-represented relative to the general population in each state. At the aggregate national level, solar adopters in 2021 were 12% Asian, 7% Black, 25% Hispanic and 55% white.

"Black households are more universally, no matter how you cut it, underrepresented. [But] there's diversity among states. There are some states that are doing better than others,” Forrester said.

There’s still work to do to make rooftop solar access a reality for less-affluent households and increase racial equity in deployment, but progress is starting one percentage point at a time.

At the aggregate national level, solar adopters in 2021 were 12% Asian, 7% Black, 25% Hispanic and 55% white.

BY KELLY PICKEREL

The U.S. energy storage industry has met many milestones in recent years, but 2023 should be a banner year for battery adoption across all markets. Thanks to the new storage investment tax credit (ITC), systems of any size have access to a 30% installation credit.

Research firm Wood Mackenzie is forecasting 59.2 GW of energy storage capacity to be added through 2026, up from the market’s 13.5-GW cumulative capacity in 2022.

“The U.S. energy storage industry is reaching maturity,” said Jason Burwen, VP of energy storage at the American Clean Power Association, in a press release. “Energy storage is now regularly being installed at over 1 GW per quarter. Combined with the tailwinds of newly available tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act, the question for investors and grid operators now is not whether to deploy storage, but how much storage to deploy — and how fast.”

Where energy storage previously had to be charged by on-site solar panels to tap into solar’s ITC, now batteries can be installed on their own or at least without strict paired

solar requirements to receive financial support. An independent battery can be operated more efficiently alongside large-scale solar sites when not restricted to receiving all of its power from the solar panels, making the entire project more valuable. And residential storage systems can better navigate time-of-use rates and enroll in more grid participation programs straight away, shortening system payback periods.

At the same time, grid programs and virtual power plants (VPP) are entering more markets across the country. Through a VPP, aggregators group numerous residential batteries together, and a utility or grid operator calls on that stored power when needed, compensating the storage customers for that access. These additional incentives make buying a residential energy storage system even more attractive.

VPPs and energy storage adoption are already making a difference to California’s shutdown-prone grid. A late summer 2022 heat wave stressed the California grid, but 76% of the state’s 80,000 customer-sited batteries provided 684 MW of power when the

grid needed it most, saving residents from potential blackouts. Just two years earlier, the state only had 30,000 batteries. California’s current customersited battery capacity is equal to the state’s Diablo Canyon 1 nuclear power plant.

Speaking of batteries in California, the state’s new NEM 3.0 program, which establishes the rate owners are credited for their solar production, will likely provide a boost to storage adoption in the country’s largest solar market. The new net-billing rates in California extend the payback period for solar — decreasing the economic value of solar-only systems by 85%, according to analysts at Roth Capital Partners. Adding storage to a residential solar system in California would improve its ROI.

Online installation marketplace EnergySage has found that solar coupled with storage is on the rise — 17.1% of its quoted solar systems included batteries in 2022, up from 9.5% in 2020. Now with more grid programs and a stand-alone storage ITC, battery adoption in the United States is climbing to new heights.

With more compensation and incentive options, energy storage adoption is on the rise

sonnen

2023 TRENDS IN SOLAR

Mightier microinverters can power four solar panels

BY KELSEY MISBRENER

Solar microinverters may be the smallest of the power conversion class, but new commercial models can handle more energy than ever before. Instead of a one-to-one approach, manufacturers are now making microinverters that can connect to four solar panels.

APsystems, Hoymiles and Huayu are all offering fourin-one, three-phase microinverters with varying power levels. The APsystems QT2 comes in 1,728- and 1,800-W outputs, the Hoymiles HM has 1,200- and 1,500-W options and Huayu's HY comes in 1,600- and 2,000-W outputs.

APsystems started making quad microinverters for residential projects almost a decade ago, but just released the three-phase option for commercial applications. While microinverters were once double the cost of string inverters, they're much more competitively priced now, especially when numerous solar panels can send power through a single unit.

Along with the cost parity, APsystems was intrigued by the growth potential of solar on corporate rooftops across the country.

"There's a huge opportunity to develop a product that's really going to help in that endeavor. Because they are an MLPE system, [microinverters] are far more effective at producing energy than traditional string inverter systems," said Jason Higginson, senior director of marketing for APsystems.

Microinverters also satisfy rooftop fire safety requirements due to their lower overall voltage, eliminating the additional cost of installing a rapid shutdown box on each module.

"The fact that you can combine four microinverters into one…it's much more competitive these days on a dollar-per-watt basis," Higginson said.

Manufacturers like APsystems are able to charge less for quad microinverters due to their shared componentry with other products on the line.

New APsystems microinverters power four modules each.

"They're manufacturing one inverter and it serves four PV modules. Compare that to the time and equipment and energy and labor that's needed to make four individual microinverters that serve one panel each — it's a strong reduction in the overall manufacturing cost. It helps make it more competitive," Higginson said.

The QT2 microinverters come with dual MPPTs, allowing project owners to view production and mitigate shade on two pairs of modules. Even on flat roofs with no obstructions, microinverters can eke out more production if the panels get dirty.

"The question that I ask the commercial installers is, 'Do you have any dust or dirt? Does it ever get snowed on or bird droppings?' Any of these can bring down the performance of a string inverter array. Microinverters help to mitigate that issue by not allowing what's affecting one or a series of PV modules to affect the entire array's performance," Higginson said. APsystems doesn't have plans to go bigger than four-in-one at the moment. But Hoymiles is advertising a new six-in-one microinverter, pushing the limits of mightier-than-ever microinverters.

States

finally recognize unique

capabilities of solar + storage systems in interconnection planning

BY KELSEY MISBRENER

The solar + storage industry evolves rapidly as new technologies and capabilities come to market. Meanwhile, the bureaucratic institutions that regulate how these systems interconnect to the grid usually lag far behind. But some standout states are finally making significant progress on catching up.

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) has led the charge on modernizing interconnection across the country. Most recently, the group's work with the New Mexico Public

Regulation Commission (NMPRC) has led to one of the most progressive new interconnection rulings nationwide.

One breakthrough of New Mexico’s ruling was establishing special considerations for energy storage interconnection. Prior rules made no mention of energy storage, leading utilities to either deny non-energyexporting solar + storage projects or study them as if the battery was fully exporting power to the grid, just like the solar array.

"They're usually designed to charge from the solar and then discharge into the evening hours, but the default for a utility would be to study [batteries] as though they are simultaneously exporting, which would significantly increase the potential grid impacts," said Sky Stanfield, lawyer for IREC and partner at law firm Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger.

So IREC and its partners set out to give utilities the required information to study energy storage projects differently, considering the battery’s ability to limit energy exports to the grid. Those “limited exports” are made possible by UL-certified power control systems, which can be programmed based on settings established by utilities. IREC brought research from its Dept. of Energy-supported BATRIES (Building a Technically Reliable Interconnection Evolution for Storage) report to New Mexico’s proceedings to develop these new evaluations or “screens” for energy storage interconnection.

“You give the utilities the confidence that these are safe and reliable means and then you make sure that they're reviewing the projects appropriately in in the screening process,” Stanfield said.

New Mexico’s ruling also includes what's known as "inadvertent exports" in storage interconnection planning — meant to address the power that is unintentionally exported from a distributed energy resource when

Blue Planet Energy

Socomec NAM Solar Solutions

2023 TRENDS IN SOLAR

the load drops off suddenly, before the power control system can respond to the signal to limit or stop export, according to IREC.

“New Mexico is the first state to adopt that screen. We think that's a really important step forward and should give utilities the confidence that they aren't going to see impacts from inadvertent export and clarifies the process from the developer standpoint as well,” Stanfield said.

The state will also require using smart inverters that comply with the IEEE 1547 standard on new projects starting in spring 2023. Smart inverters can make autonomous decisions to keep the grid stable as more distributed resources come online or the grid’s voltage or frequency fluctuates. Each utility will set forth its own smart inverter technical interconnection and interoperability requirements to ensure it’s in sync with the grid's needs, but it must align with the NMPRC’s ruling.

Along with new considerations for batteries and inverters, New Mexico’s ruling attempts to expedite the interconnection process. Applicants will now be allowed to make limited modifications to an application to fix any issues that arise in the study process, without being sent to the back of the interconnection queue. This should especially help developers working with utilities that don't provide much upfront information on grid status.

"Where you don't have a really detailed hosting capacity map, you can't figure any of this out in advance. So, the screening and study process becomes a little bit more interactive between the customer and the utility," Stanfield said.

New Mexico isn't the only state making progress on streamlining and accurately studying interconnection of solar + storage systems. New York, Maryland, Massachusetts and others have either already implemented or started working on energy storage and smart inverter integration. But those states can look to the Southwest for a holistic road map for interconnection overhaul.

"There's such a diversity on each issue. It's hard to say one state has it all. And that's why I think we're excited about what the New Mexico rule is," Stanfield said. "They didn't just do a little bit of good stuff over here and then backtrack over here. They went ahead and tried to do a comprehensive update."

Downstream players adapt to irregular panel sizes entering all markets

BY KELLY PICKEREL

It’s not often that one looks at the early years of the solar industry with nostalgia, but it was at least a time that had some consistency in solar panel sizes. It was generally understood that 60-cell solar panels were made for the residential market, while 72-cell panels were used in commercial and utility-scale applications. The larger solar panels had two extra rows of cells, making them longer and more powerful for bigger projects.

Now, the global market has moved to larger cell sizes, which has in turn increased the size of solar panels. That wouldn’t be an issue if each company used the same-size cell, but the industry has split into two main cell-size camps that lead to inconsistencies in final module sizes — one company’s 72-cell panel is not the same size as another’s if cell sizes differ by 30 millimeters.

The two new main wafer sizes that have dominated the market are the M10 (182-mm) and G12 (210-mm). LONGi Solar is the leading M10 wafer supplier, and JinkoSolar, JA Solar and Qcells have signed on to the 182-mm camp. Chinese silicon wafer supplier Zhonghuan Semiconductor is championing the larger G12 size, and supporters of the 210mm wafer include Trina Solar, REC and Maxeon.

The industry’s new sizes are influencing how panel companies market their models, said Thomas Koerner, corporate VP of global sales for modules with Canadian Solar, a manufacturer that is using both of the larger wafer sizes.

“Our naming convention has moved away from using terms like ‘72-cell panels.’ We refer to them by power class,” he said. “Our customers use the power class and size/efficiency when ordering.”

While no longer confined to standard sizing, companies do still follow certain guidelines. For example, solar panels used primarily in the residential market are influenced by labor and weight limitations in the United States, Koerner noted. But customers make the final

decision on the optimal type of solar panel for each project.

“We are agnostic with our residential and utility-scale modules. If residential customers want to use larger-format modules, we are technically capable to design and make [them] available,” Koerner said. “We define our sizes to work best for our customers for optimum power, efficiency and reliability.”

The International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV) report already shows the larger M10 and G12

Seraphim company SEG Solar displayed the two differing wafer sizes at the RE+ tradeshow in 2022. The 675-W panel on the left uses the largest 210-mm wafer size, while the 455-W module on the right uses 182-mm.

2023 TRENDS IN SOLAR

wafers holding over 50% of the market and expects the two largest wafers to be the only size options by 2032, with, of course, the opportunity to go even bigger.

Although product names and dimensions are changing, software makes designing projects easy for installers turning to bigger solar panels. Aurora Solar’s 3D layout tool can handle any-size module, and CEO Chris Hopper said the company pulls module dimensions and electrical specifications from data sheets throughout the year. The software handles the rest.

“Installers can take advantage of the global component libraries in both Aurora and HelioScope, where several thousand (1,700 and 2,400, respectively) modules have been added in the last year alone,” he said. “There's no need to manually import dozens of parameters, and if we don't have the module in our database, our teams will add it for you.”

Bigger modules are here to stay, and industry players are making the transition simple for installation crews.

Entrepreneurs finally bring real sustainability to solar

BY KELLY PICKEREL

Back in 2018, one industry source said it was premature to focus on solar panel recycling in the United States, but almost five years later, significant steps are being taken to establish protocols to bring more sustainability to the solar industry. From solar panel recycling to waste cleanup on project sites to better packaging for shipments, the solar industry is greening-up its image.

Members of SEIA’s PV Recycling Working Group began making recycling checklists and finding preferred partners in 2019, and a grassroots website (SolarRecycle.org) has collected information on reuse, resale and recycle outlets that accept solar materials. But

the biggest step forward for the solar recycling space came with the 2022 founding of SolarCycle, a PV-technologybased recycler that opened a processing facility in Odessa, Texas, that recovers 95% of a solar panel’s value. Both national residential installer Sunrun and utility-scale developer Silicon Ranch have inked partnerships with SolarCycle to process end-of-life modules.

“As Sunrun deploys PV systems at the scale needed to confront the climate crisis, we’ve embraced the responsibility and opportunity of managing the full lifecycle of our hardware,” said Mary Powell, CEO of Sunrun, in a statement.

“We are committed to sustainable end-

of-life processes and excited to partner with an innovative company that shares our vision and is dedicated to creating a circular supply chain for the solar industry.”

In addition to end-of-life forwardthinking, some innovators are working on ways to prevent premature solar panel scrapping due to delivery damage. PVpallet began testing its collapsible, plastic pallet in late 2021 and found a 100% success rate with Greentech Renewables delivering panels to Palmetto Solar. Where previously Greentech was reporting 10 broken modules each month, PVpallet’s vertically stacked setup prevented forklift damage and

distributed weight during transit, leading to no broken panels. More distributors, including BayWa r.e., have signed on to use PVpallets in warehouses and deliveries.

Those reusable pallets also cut down on wooden pallet waste at project sites, a focus for Green Clean Solar. Founded by industry veteran Emilie O’Leary in 2022, the company supports waste diversion by taking cardboard, shrink wrap and more refuse associated with solar product delivery out of landfills and into recycling centers. In addition to trash pickup, Green Clean Solar helps with solar panel decommissioning and complete solar site cleanup.

“When I owned a commercial installation company, I was visiting utilityscale sites and noticed how much waste was accumulating from building these types of projects,” O’Leary said. “It was very counterintuitive building these massive energy efficiency systems to help the world but then turning around

and filling the Earth with tons of waste. It motivated me to start Green Clean Solar. I want to revolutionize the way we build solar projects.”

O’Leary said her team has been overwhelmed by calls during Green Clean Solar’s first year of business, with many asking for ways to recycle solar panels. Working as one national EPC’s dedicated recycler, Green Clean Solar was able to recycle 8,110 solar panels in 2022, and O’Leary said more clients are signing on every day.

“No one was taking recycling seriously, because no one was requiring companies to take this on or even consider this as part of their scope of work. I have collaborated with the waste industry and informed them we need recycling partners all over the country to help manage and find solutions to this ever-growing problem,” she said. “When people are aware and know they do have options now, they are willing to partner and recycle as much as possible.”

When people are aware and know they do have options, they are willing to partner and recycle as much as possible.

Brandon Beckwith, Green Clean Solar operation manager, at a utility-scale site before cleanup.

Single-axis trackers upgrade to handle uneven land sites

BY BILLY LUDT

Many single-axis solar tracker manufacturers have developed new iterations of their rotating racking that can be installed on uneven topographies, potentially unlocking large-scale solar development in hillier regions.

Historically, the ideal setting for a single-axis solar tracker project has been on flatter land that would require little to no geotechnical grading. No land parcel is perfectly flat, and the value of sites close to fitting that description are growing in both demand and cost.

When developers don’t have to grade land, it can shorten the permitting process, leave native vegetation in place and deter erosion. Skipping grading also means developers can spend less money on site preparation.

“We heard from our customers, and they needed help. What you hear is, ‘We want to invest in a certain kind

of land, but it doesn’t make sense a lot of times,’” said Erica Brinker, chief commercial officer and head of ESG at Array Technologies. “Some of the very progressive developers globally, they don’t want to disrupt the topography, they don’t want to change the environment.”

In the last year alone, three of the largest single-axis solar tracker manufacturers unveiled proprietary solutions for deploying these solar projects on uneven land. Array Technologies debuted OmniTrack; Nextracker released the NX Horizon-XTR; and Nevados Engineering developed its All Terrain Tracker.

Each system has different drive mechanisms and row architectures, so their solutions for tackling uneven land differ as well. All systems also promise shorter foundational pile lengths.

Nevados’ All Terrain Tracker has articulating bearings atop foundations that let each panel-bay install at different

angles while maintaining rotation. Nextracker’s NX Horizon-XTR has an undulation tolerance of 0.75° between piles and a total slope tolerance of 8.5°.

Array’s DuraTrack single-axis tracker can install on uneven surfaces because it can adjust by 1° from pile to pile. Unlike Nevados and Nextracker, Array’s trackers rotate by using inter-row drive lines, so the hurdles to working on undulating land were adjusting pile heights and increasing the number of motors in a block.

“It’s a mindset shift in the way that you think about the torque tube, because we’re asking the same torque tube to do something different,” Brinker said. “In a motor block, there’s a lot more torque when you’re moving at different angles instead of a straight line. You’re asking for more capability from those parts.”

Single-axis solar tracker deployment will undoubtedly increase in hillier

RE+ RENEWING WHAT’S POSSIBLE

SEPTEMBER 11-14, 2023

LAS VEGAS, NV

2023 TRENDS IN SOLAR

regions in the coming years thanks to this new built-in slope tolerance. Nextracker has already deployed the NX Horizon-XTR in more than 2 GW of projects, and Array’s OmniTrack is hitting the market in 2023.

“Our customers are telling us that this opens a huge opportunity for them,” Brinker said. “They haven’t quantified that for us, but there are many places that were once thought impossible to put solar, especially a utility-scale solar site where you need a large amount of land. They’re telling us there’s incredible opportunity to permit more places, especially with the timing of the IRA bill. So developers and investors feel that we have a long enough runway to actually make that investment.”

Solar software developers integrate with financiers

BY BILLY LUDT

Solar design and sales software providers are increasingly integrating with financing services to streamline the PV project commissioning process.

Last year alone, Energy Toolbase added commercial solar financing service Luminia to its developer platform; Aurora Solar integrated with Dividend, Sungage Financial, Mosaic and GoodLeap for residential solar financing; and even solar panel manufacturer Solaria merged with California residential sales platform Complete Solar to make a whole new company, Complete Solaria.

“I think what’s driving the consolidation is, you have to realize that a lot of these companies are startups in a startup industry — ourselves

included,” said Sam Adeyemo, chief revenue officer at Aurora. “It’s not unusual that when a new operation and a new industry emerges, there’s just this flood of activity. Interested participants feel they have a solution for that industry, and then over time, there emerge a few clear winners.”

Services like Aurora are used by solar salespeople to pitch projects to potential customers. The sales process starts with determining the customer’s motivation for going solar, checking their electrical costs and seeing how many panels can fit on their roof, and ultimately how that will affect their energy costs. Then it’s a question of financing the project.

Adeyemo said the majority of residential projects started

Aurora Solar

They’re telling us there’s incredible opportunity to permit more places.

through Aurora do require some financing. Integrating with solar financiers means customers do not need to leave the sales software platform to see what loan offerings are available to them.

“The whole idea is that we want you to be able to use Aurora from the beginning of the process for the full lifecycle of the solar installation,” Adeyemo said. “We had to provide financing integrations where people no longer had to go into a separate application to pull relevant interest rates, to pull in the terms of financing, to even apply for credit.”

Through consolidated sales software, a client could have a model of a solar project on their home, an idea of how PV would affect their energy costs and several loan offerings for the array – all in one session.

“I think that what you’re seeing and what’s driving that is just the natural evolution of a fast-growing industry that is maturing,” Adeyemo said.

However, this push for consolidation in the financing space might slow with the introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act. As the rules for qualifying for certain tax credits in the IRA are determined, it is likely that other standalone financiers will see an opportunity to enter the solar market, Adeyemo said.

The IRA is expected to provide 10 years of security for growth in both the solar manufacturing and installation space; and while the tax subsidies will encourage more solar development, they will not cover the entire costs of projects, so financing services will still be needed.

The whole idea is that we want you to be able to use Aurora from the beginning of the process for the full lifecycle of the solar installation.

Renewables overtake coal and nuclear electrical output in 2022

BY BILLY LUDT

Renewable energy sources like solar and wind are consistently outpacing the new deployment of fossil fuels and nuclear energy in the United States. In April 2022, wind and solar combined produced 17.96% more electricity than all of the country's nuclear power plants, according to an analysis of EIA data by the SUN DAY Campaign. This was the first time renewables outproduced nuclear power in the United States.

That trend continued throughout 2022, with renewable energy sources providing nearly 23% of U.S. electrical generation through September. U.S. solar output increased by 25.68% over those nine months, providing 6% of the country’s electrical load. Solar generation increased by 21% in September 2022 alone.

“As we begin 2023, it seems likely that renewables will provide nearly a quarter — if not more — of the nation’s electricity during the coming year,” said

Ken Bossong, executive director of the SUN DAY Campaign, in a press release. “And it is entirely possible that the combination of just wind and solar will outpace nuclear power and maybe even that of coal during the next 12 months.”

Over the last five years, renewable energy sources have claimed second place in terms of national electricity generation, pushing coal to third place and nuclear to fourth. Despite that leap, the United States did see a 17% decrease in total installed solar capacity in 2022

compared to 2021, according to the “U.S. Solar Market Insight” report, published by SEIA and Wood Mackenzie.

The industry installed 4.6 GW of solar in the United States in both Q2 and Q3 2022, but it is still less than its output from 2021. Wood Mackenzie suggested the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act — legislation banning all goods imported from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China under suspicion of alleged forced labor practices — is preventing the

As we begin 2023, it seems likely that renewables will provide nearly a quarter — if not more — of the nation’s electricity during the coming year.

Longroad Energy

United States from taking full advantage of recent Inflation Reduction Act incentives aimed at the solar industry.

Supply chain constraints tightened further with the Dept. of Commerce’s recent preliminary decision to apply antidumping/countervailing duties to solar imports from Chinese solar cell and panel producers operating in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

“America’s clean energy economy is hindered by its own trade actions,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA, in a press release. “The solar and storage industry is acting decisively to build an ethical supply chain, but unnecessary supply bottlenecks and trade restrictions are preventing manufacturers from getting the equipment they need to invest in U.S. facilities.”

Despite these hurdles, utility-scale solar was still the most-installed form of electricity in 2022 at 6.75 GW, outpacing wind at 6.32 GW and natural gas at 6.08 GW, according to FERC reports. And the residential market saw a 43% increase from 2021, installing 1.57 GW of new solar in Q3 2022.

Additionally, FERC anticipates a solar project pipeline of at least 71 GW. Meanwhile, the natural gas industry is expected to retire more capacity than it will install over the next three years.

“A sharp increase in FERC’s three-year forecast for wind and solar within just the last month coupled with an apparent peaking of natural gas seem to confirm that the nation has finally turned a corner on its transition to sustainable energy sources,” Bossong said.

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A sharp increase in FERC’s three-year forecast for wind and solar coupled with an apparent peaking of natural gas confirm that the nation has finally turned a corner on its transition to sustainable energy sources.

CONTRACTOR’S CORNER:

Lightsource bp

A national developer works with local farmers to maintain solar grounds.

Large-scale developer Lightsource bp prioritizes environmental stewardship in the communities it’s working in, whether that’s through planting pollinator-friendly ground cover underneath arrays or paying local farmers to maintain the land using their flocks of sheep. Oil and gas company bp invested in Lightsource in 2017 and helped the company expand its solar footprint into the United States.

In this episode, Alyssa Edwards, Lightsource bp’s VP of environmental affairs and government relations, talks about the company’s work with the Dept. of Energy to research sustainable solar site management and pave the way for new standards to elevate the entire solar industry. An edited portion of the interview is below, but be sure to listen

to the full podcast for more insight on new opportunities for co-locating solar and food crops.

SPW: Tell me how you got into solar. Alyssa Edwards: It’s kind of been a journey. I’ve always been interested in the environment and climate, I think, even before it was really vogue to do so. I really set my whole education around it. My undergrad is in environmental science. My master’s is an environmental economics. I always followed Al Gore back in the day, and I just always saw [climate change] as such a huge crisis for humanity.

It’s funny, though, because when I graduated from grad school in 2005, I remember I have an uncle who came up to me and said, “What are you

going to do with that degree? That’s, like, totally worthless.”

And it’s just funny because thinking about the trends and the thinking around 2005 to now has really changed.

Can you give me the CliffsNotes on Lightsource and its relationship with oil and gas company bp?

Lightsource is a privately held company. We’re a 50/50 joint-venture with bp. We were formed in 2010 in the UK, so we’ve been solar developers for over a decade. And we’ve really grown to a global leadership position. We have almost 1,000 team members across 18 countries, which is pretty amazing.

Since bp’s first investment, Lightsource bp’s activities have expanded. We used to be in five countries, now we’re

bp acquired 9 GW of solar projects from 7X Energy, and we are taking those assets and developing them and putting them into construction and operation. We’ve grown tremendously over the past decade, so it’s been really cool to be on that journey.

You wrote a series about the importance of environmental stewardship in solar development, especially utility-scale solar development. Tell me why that’s important to you, and about some of Lightsource bp’s efforts to be environmental stewards.

When I joined Lightsource in 2020, in the U.S., we were still pretty young, but we knew that we wanted to tell a different story with solar, which is adding on benefits beyond clean, renewable energy. The way we look at solar facilities, we start with the vegetation underneath and around the panels. If you’ve ever been to a solar facility, you know that the footprint is actually extremely light. There’s all this available land underneath and around the panels where we can really add biodiversity and ecosystem benefits. So we start with large-scale vegetation installations underneath and around the array. We work with internal and external experts to curate seed mixes that are planted there to provide habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. That’s like our standard offering — we do that on every single project. We put a lot of thought and creativity into how we can grow vegetation that is beneficial, but also

is compatible with the solar operations, related to height and fire risk. And then from there, we look to add other benefits. So we might consider habitat creation, we might, outside the array, do highvalue pollinator gardens, so big, lush, beautiful pollinator gardens that support pollinator species.

We might add other types of habitats that support birds and bats, reptiles, things like that. And then from there, we see if we have an opportunity for agrivoltaics. We have quite a few projects now in the U.S. that have sheep grazing underneath and around the panels. Sheep grazing also contributes to biodiversity. The sheep waste, the compaction of the soil, just the act of grazing itself is incredibly beneficial for habitat and vegetation. And there’s lots of social benefits to that as well, because, local farmers, we pay them to essentially manage the land for us. It offers a diversified revenue to farmers in rural areas, which is great. So we love that there’s a biodiversity and a social nexus there.

And we’re looking at other types of agrivoltaics as well. We’re looking at partnering with the Dept. of Energy on some research to grow food crops underneath solar panels. We always say on my team that the possibilities are endless, it just takes creativity, a lot of thought and a lot of science and sort of a willingness to see what kind of multi-use opportunities there are for solar. It’s a pretty fun job that I have to come up with these ideas. Every project is different in terms of what benefits can be added and what makes sense in different eco regions. SPW

We put a lot of thought and creativity into how we can grow vegetation that is beneficial but also compatible with the solar operations.

The solar industry is constantly evolving into emerging markets through product innovation. Success would not be possible without the ingenuity and determination of our leaders. These individuals and companies are working for the growth of the entire solar industry.

The future of the industry will build on the foundation of today’s efforts. Solar Power World would like to acknowledge such achievements on the following pages. These accomplishments in racking and mounting, inverters, modules and more are what drive those gigawatts and create jobs.

We think they deserve recognition from you, too. Vote online through October for one or more of the companies listed in this special section.

SETTING THE BAR WITH ADAPTIVE SOLAR MOUNTING.

AceClamp® manufactures fast-installing, precision-engineered metal roof clamps for SSMR, membrane, slate, and asphalt that are compatible with almost any roof type. Our patented non-penetrating “slide-pin” metal roofing clamp eliminates the need for set screws, helping to protect the metal roofing panel’s finish from installation damage. AceClamp® manufactures solar mounting systems, like our fast-installing rackless Solar Mounting Kits or our L-Foot Kit for use with racking systems. Both kits utilize identical, non-penetrating roofing clamps for convenience. Simplify your inventory with one clamping system for all rooftop needs.

AceClamp® is a manufacturer of precision-engineered snow retention and solar mounting systems, like our fast-installing rackless Solar Mounting Kits. Today, AceClamp is setting the bar in solar racking with its most recent innovative product called Solar Snap®. Solar Snap is an Adaptive Solar Racking System designed to work with any of our SSMR clamps, and can be adapted to work on asphalt, membrane and concrete cover board roof types - making it an ideal solution for almost any roof type. Solar Snap uses our ever-popular, fully-assembled, non-penetrating Ace clamps.

Assembly is a breeze, just snap-in pre-assembled components along the rail and secure.

Our fully-assembled component groups get you off the roof faster, while our unique, cross-platform system adapts to all roof types creating less inventory to maintain.

We offer unique clamping systems that are compatible with almost any roof type. Our patented nonpenetrating “slide-pin” metal roofing clamp eliminates the need for set screws, helping to protect the metal roofing panel’s finish from installation damage. AceClamp® is always looking for new opportunities to collaborate with our industry partners and bring new and innovative technology to the market.

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

Allied Moulded Products, Inc. (Allied Moulded) is the Contractor’s Choice of nonmetallic electrical boxes and enclosures in today’s residential, commercial and industrial markets. Leveraging more than half-a-century of experience, headquartered in Bryan, Ohio, Allied Moulded has grown to become the benchmark of USA-made quality within the electrical industry.

Manufacturing Nonmetallic Electrical Boxes & Enclosures

Allied Moulded’s achievement of ISO 9001:2015 certification is a testament to our company-wide commitment to providing our customers with a quality product. Our full-service molding operation includes expertise in compression and injection molding, using thermoset and thermoplastic materials, as well as our unique resin transfer molding process. Utilizing a modern, automated assembly process, we are pleased to provide our customers with a superior product at a competitive price.

Allied Moulded Products, Inc.

222 North Union Street Bryan, OH 43506 United States

Phone: (419) 636-4217

Fax: (800) 237-7269

Email: sales@alliedmoulded.com

www.alliedmoulded.com

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Allied Moulded’s industrial enclosures can be found all over the world in many di erent control applications such as industrial & manufacturing plants, waste water treatment, wind turbines, security, SCADA, solar, marinas, data and telecommunications, mining, and more. Allied Moulded’s extensive line of NEMA type 4X/IP66 fiberglass reinforced polyester (FRP) enclosures, made with our proprietary ULTRAGUARD® resin formulation, outperform our competitors in the areas of: yellowing, gloss retention, discoloration and change in texture. With a wide range of sizes, accessories and customizations available, Allied Moulded o ers a complete solution to your industrial enclosure needs. In addition to fiberglass, Allied Moulded also o ers our POLYLINE® series, a line of polycarbonate, injectionmolded enclosures.

Altech - Components to Build Solar Devices

Serving automation and control industries since 1984, Altech’s products meet UL and international standards and all are RoHS and REACH compliant. Altech’s commitment to quality have been recognized since May 27, 1999 when they were awarded the prestigious honor of ISO 9001 certification and maintains a ISO 9001:2000 certification today.

Product lines include miniature circuit breakers, busbars, DC-UPS devices, digital panel meters, terminal blocks, enclosures, contactors, many types of relays including safety relays, motor disconnect switches, strain reliefs, receptacles, foot switches, push buttons and pilot lights. Many other products are also available.

Altech Corporation is an established USA supplier of components and devices used in industrial control, instrumentation and automation. It is an ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturer and distributor of electrical, electronic and electromechanical components.

Altech provides many services. This begins with its product managers, providing technical support and partner with customers in design assistance, ensuring the best solutions. The Customer Service Department ensures that customers are informed with complete order information. The versatile assembly department provides manufacturing, value added or customization services to expedite delivery. The marketing department has been highly recognized for its catalogs, advertising and website, while the sales department motivates over 25 manufacturer representative companies throughout North America, ensuring product information is complete.

35 Royal Road

Flemington, NJ 08822

Phone: 1-908-806-9400

Email: info@altehcorp.com

www.altechcorp.com

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The product line includes fuses up to 1500V, circuit breakers, busbars, DC-UPS devices, panel meters, high-voltage terminal blocks, contactors, motor disconnect switches, pin & sleeves, receptacles, foot switches, many types of relays, push buttons. Also available are metal detection systems, ferrules, marking & engraving systems, fuses, power distribution blocks, tubing, liquid tight strain reliefs, timers, test & measurement, LED panel lights, thermostats, panel filters, tower lights & wire ducts. Altech’s products meet UL and many international standards and all are RoHS compliant.

Established in 2001, American Wire Group (AWG) has become the leading material supplier of wires, cables, components, and accessory solutions. We hold the nation’s largest inventory of products used in the power T&D, substation, solar, wind, battery energy storage, and EV infrastructure markets. Our team supports customers with full services including cable management, cable engineering and design, supply chain, emergency services, and more. For more information, visit us at www.buyawg.com.

American Wire Group has the experience you can trust in the solar energy sector. We have more than 100 full-time employees across North America, with over 200 years of combined experience in electrical wiring and cable systems.

Wire and cable are critical to the function of any photovoltaic system, so it’s important to choose the right ones for your system. AWG offers a full range of wire and cable solutions that are suitable for solar power applications including PV wire, medium voltage underground collection system cables, grounding wire, communication cables, control cables, overhead bare conductors, accessories, equipment, and more.

AWG’s primary mission is to provide a complete solution from inventory, in all aspects of electrical transmission & distribution systems, and power generation. We hold the nation’s largest inventory in our nationwide warehouses so that our customers can source product for a project from stock.

AWG’s team of experts supports our customers with full services, including cable management, cable engineering and design, supply chain (procurement, logistics, transportation), and much more.

When you’re ready to build the future, we’re ready to empower your project!

American Wire Group

2980 NE 207TH ST, Suite PH

Miami, Florida 33180

www.buyawg.com

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Aptos Solar Technology is a U.S. based solar technology provider committed to producing innovative and affordable solar solutions. Aptos Solar Technology panels are optimized with patented Dual Nano Absorber (DNA) technology which allows the panel to operate at high efficiencies in extreme temperature environments. Now offering microinverters, Aptos Solar Technology is focused on bringing solutions that minimize clipping and maximize AC power output to pair with its highperformance solar panels. To learn more about Aptos Solar Technology visit www.aptossolar.com, follow @aptossolar on Twitter or connect on LinkedIn.

Aptos Solar Technology is a leading solar technology provider headquartered in Silicon Valley. With over 35 years of industry experience across the solar value chain, Aptos is pushing the boundaries when it comes to solar panel performance, aesthetics, and cost. Aptos Solar Technology brings revolutionary technology advancements to the solar industry designed to empower solar contractors and end users. Its patented Dual Nano Absorber (DNA) technology lies in the solar cell. Aptos has taken the best of PERC and bifacial technology and stacked intrinsic layers of negatively charged atoms between sublayers to produce a highefficiency solar cell with heightened heat tolerances, all while driving the cost of manufacturing down. Its line of DNA solar panels is powerpacked and beautiful. The panels feature much more than a sleek design, the panels undergo extensive long-term reliability testing to ensure optimal performance for 30 years. Aptos Solar Technology solar panels have been tested to surpass industry standards by 3X and are proven to perform excellently in extreme weather conditions. The top tier panels feature an industry leading 25 year product warranty and a 30 year power performance warranty.

Aptos Solar Technology

949-932-0733

info@aptossolar.com

www.aptossolar.com

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Aurora Solar is creating a future of solar for all. The company is putting the power of data and technology into the hands of every solar professional to make solar adoption simple and predictable. The cloud-based platform uses data, automation, and AI to streamline workflows and grow solar businesses faster. More than 7,000 of the industry’s top organizations rely on Aurora and over ten million solar projects have been designed with the platform globally. The San Francisco-based company was the only climate tech business named to the 2022 Forbes AI 50 and was voted the best solar software by Solar Power World in 2021.

FAST & ACCURATE PROPOSALS

Aurora’s Sales Mode gives sales teams access to industry-leading design accuracy in an interactive, tabletfriendly format. From just an address and electric bill, Sales Mode enables solar professionals to assess the site’s solar potential, design the optimal PV system, apply for financing, and more. With engaging 3D visuals and customizable proposals, Sales Mode has everything sales teams need to “wow” the homeowner and make their decision to go solar a no-brainer.

DESIGNS IN LESS THAN A MINUTE

Aurora Solar Inc.

363 Clementina St, Suite B San Francisco, California 94107

hello@aurorasolar.com

www.aurorasolar.com

F: https://www.facebook.com/aurorasolarinc/

T: https://twitter.com/aurorasolarinc

L: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-solar/

Creating an accurate 3D site model has never been easier. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, Aurora AI generates 3D models of any home at the click of a button, directly within Sales Mode. Complete with automated obstruction detection and shading analysis from LIDAR, homeowners can watch a virtual model of their house come to life and design an optimal PV system in real-time.

INTEGRATED E-SIGNATURE

Aurora’s Contract Manager enables sales reps to close deals faster. Within Sales Mode, Contract Manager generates contracts in seconds and automatically populates documents with your proposal details – eliminating manual data entry and avoiding costly errors. Then, contracts can be sent to the homeowner to sign on the spot.

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Merging Cost Efficiency with Solar Optimization.

baja Construction specializes in designing, engineering, supplying, and installing hightensile cold form steel and structural steel Solar Support Systems™. We customize your solar project to provide a high quality, cost effective structure, tailored to optimize specific structural objectives for commercial, municipal, and multihousing family developments. These projects include, Solar Carports, Ground-Mounts, Covered RV & Boat Storage, and Solar/EV Charging Stations.

After 40 years in the solar carport business, baja Construction has streamlined the “Design to project execution” process, leading the solar carport industry and providing invaluable support to our clients nationwide.

baja CONSTRUCTION | is headquartered in Martinez, California. It’s from here that Founder and CEO, Bob Hayworth oversees operations that span across the country, and abroad. [The corporation also has satellite offices in Nevada, Southern California and Arizona.]

Today, baja Construction is a vertically integrated company! With its trademark Solar Support Systems™ product line of structures branded under baja Construction, baja Carports, and baja RV and Boat Storage, the company is recognized nationwide for its strong presence in custom solar design-build carports and covered RV and boat storage. With over 500 MW PVs successfully installed, baja is a nationally recognized name brand and is gaining momentum internationally.

What sets baja apart in the industry are its in-house designers, engineers, diligent project managers, and construction crews. baja is a one-stop carport/canopy shop. They provide customers with oneon-one customized site plans that they pre-fabricate and install to steel structures. baja’s steel canopy products meet the criteria of developers, architects, contractors, and end user’s specifications.

baja Construction Co. Inc.

Corporate Headquarters:

223 Foster Street

Martinez, CA 94553

1-800-366-9600

bajacarports.com

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THE MISSION OF baja CONSTRUCTION | To provide the highest quality construction services and products to all project shareholders including municipalities, agencies, developers, designers, and contractors. We help clients achieve their project goals with creative, cost-efficient and custom solutions from inception to completion.

In business since 1938, the four generation, family-owned company based in San Diego has earned countless recognition for electrical contracting excellence throughout the region. Just a handful of accolades include being named by Solar Power World Magazine the #1 California Electrical Subcontractor, #1 Nevada Electrical Subcontractor, #2 National Electrical Subcontractor, and the #5 California Solar Contractor.

Baker Electric, Inc

WE EXCEL IN CREATING RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS, TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES FOR A RESILIENT FUTURE.

While many Commercial and Utility Scale Solar Contractors still hear the rumbles of COVID-19-related disruptions in the construction industry, Baker Electric and its team of seasoned industry vets are on the front lines navigating an increasingly volatile supply chain that is smooth for some firms while stalling others with sticker shock.

Baker Electric Renewables

Contact: Michael Garro

mgarro@baker-electric.com

760.690.5010

bakercommercialsolar.com

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A full two years into the pandemic, the challenges are largely the same. Increasing costs, rising risks and scarce skilled hands to keep their operations moving at peak production are top of mind for most, but Baker is working smarter with the resources they must manage expectations and complete projects on time. Staying on the bleeding edge of industry trends including the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act and the very recent California Net Metering 3.0 decision, their diligence is paying dividends with one of the largest reported backlogs in company history for 2023.

Even considering ever-changing renewable energy policy, solar still brings significant savings, a positive cash flow and environmentally sustainable operations to Baker’s clients. Baker is a steward of the industry striving to educate the market on the notion that going solar is not “now or never” but “now is simply better.”

CAB® Solar Products are manufactured in the USA by the Cambria County (Pennsylvania) Association for the Blind and Handicapped.

Our manufacturing operations provide a safe, supportive workplace for our employees with disabilities, and help support many vital services for persons with vision loss.

Innovative CAB® Products are used worldwide in a range of industries from solar power to mining and tunneling, utilities to shipbuilding, custom sewing, assembly and more.

CAB® Products consistently exceed the most stringent quality standards of our national and international customers.

CAB® has a 45-year tradition of leadership in manufacturing durable, cost effective, and innovative cable management for the electrical and utility industries.

CAB®’s industry leading solar cabling systems deliver many advantages over trenching or cable tray. Project costs are far more predictable, with no delays, cost overruns or penalties due to flooded trenches, deep mud, hard rock, or unforeseen site conditions.

CAB® Solar Hangers are quick and easy to install and provide safe, strong and long-lasting support for all types of cables in tracker, ballasted and fixed tilt projects. CAB®’s innovative multi-carrier hangers safely separate large bundles of DC feeders, string wires, data, AC and other cabling.

CAB®’s patented Integrated Grounding option offers dramatic savings in labor and material as it can also provide the EGC and GEC.

Manufactured from galvanized, high-tensile strength spring steel, CAB® Hangers feature a heavy thick PVC coating for added safety and protection of cables. The durable PVC coating is flame retardant, high dielectric grade, and UV stabilized for long service life.

CAB®’s patented Torque Tube Hangers provide a tight, secure, snap-on fit over most torque tube or fixed tilt structures. Available in single or multi-carrier styles, they are ideal for bifacial panels, as their low profile greatly reduces shadowing.

CAB®’s patented Solar Hangers have been installed in solar pv power plants across the US and around the world. Each order of CAB® Solar products support the mission of the Cambria County Association for the Blind and Handicapped.

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

ChemiTek is the World’s number one company to develop specific products for the solar cleaning industry. In line with ChemiTek’s sustainability policy and its environmental consciousness, our R&D department have a special focus in developing biodegradable and environmental friendly solutions.

Remediate and prevent are the main concepts we adopt for all soiling problems that reach us.

ChemiTek Solar

Rua Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro

Zona Industrial de Bouro Letra C, Braga Esposende Portugal

Website: https://www.chemitek.pt

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ chemiteksolar/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chemitek

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chemiteksolar_/

We develop products based on solar industry specifications and requirements.

With our products we are able to solve numerous problems that are found on pv projects worldwide such as cement, lichen, moss, fungi, bird droppings, paint over sprays, resins, pollen, coal ash, greasy residues, amongst others.

Together with Solar Industry’s renowned companies, we have numerous case studies proving the products efficiency and performance. Our product range is divided into two categories: Remeadiation of the contaminants and Soiling Mitigation products.

The whole product range is fully tested and certified by the international laboratory TÜV Sud, in addition to being readily biodegradable, also have letters of conformity from the largest solar panels manufacturers.

Our market know-how and experience allows ChemiTek to be capable of leading you for the best cleaning practices, procedures, products and equipment’s to use for your specific projects, locations, type of soiling and other conditions.

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EcoFasten, an Esdec Solar Group Company, has established a reputation for being one of the industry’s leading innovators by providing expert solutions for mounting solar PV on any roof. EcoFasten’s broad portfolio of solar rooftop mounting systems and attachments stems from the direct needs of solar PV installers. EcoFasten takes pride in providing the right solution for every application.

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FAST & EASY TO INSTALL PATENTED WATERTIGHT TECHNOLOGY

EcoFasten’s founding principle is, and has always been, to provide easy-to-install, 100% watertight rooftop solar racking and mounting solutions. EcoFasten has been an innovative leader in the rooftop solar mounting & racking industry since 2007, and over time, our customers have come to trust EcoFasten as a reliable brand that provides the peace of mind that their solar installations will remain durable and watertight throughout the life of the roof.

FOR INSTALLERS. BY INSTALLERS.

For over 15 years, EcoFasten has developed our products hand in hand with those on the roof – solar installers. Our innovative product offering has been tailored to meet the needs of all installers on a wide variety of roof applications. At EcoFasten, we are focused on designing fast installing solar racking systems and attachment solutions while providing fast delivery, outstanding customer service, and unsurpassed on-going support.

EXCEPTIONAL PRODUCTS EXCEPTIONAL SERVICES

Our product portfolio includes a variety of solar racking systems, attachments, and eBoS solutions that give installers maximum versatility for quick, easy solar installs. The EcoFasten brand stands for quality, reliability, and complete customer satisfaction. We strive for excellence in everything we do.

Residential energy management solutions

FranklinWH is a research-driven company focusing on next-generation residential energy management and storage solutions. Founded in 2019, headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, and funded by Sequoia Capital. FranklinWH’s team has decades of experience in energy systems, from design, through manufacturing, to sales and installation. We are also AVL listed with multiple financial institutions.

FranklinWH is focused on energy management solutions providing safety, reliability, and energy independence for homes. Franklin Home Power (FHP) is a whole-home energy management system integrating solar, battery, grid, and generator power sources and managing them to optimize the safety, reliability, and efficiency of home energy.

FranklinWH designed and manufactures a leading home energy management and storage solution, the Franklin Home Power system (FHP).

It has two primary components: aGate X and aPower X. The aGate X is the power distribution center and energy management device that integrates all power sources, including the grid, solar generation, batteries, and a generator, to power the whole home. The aPower X battery contains a DC-AC bi-directional inverter and LFP cells, with 13.6 kWh storage.

The FHP system fills a market void as a truly integrated whole-home energy management system. Since its 2021 launch, FranklinWH has received praise from industry experts, business partners, media communities, and our end users, as the FHP system is a solution that can best meet the market’s needs.

The FHP has achieved many milestones during its first year. In May 2022, the FHP was approved for California’s SelfGeneration Incentive Program and in July 2022, it was approved for the Hawaii Battery Bonus Program. In the same month, FranklinWH was approved for Mosaic and Goodleap AVLs to offer better financial options to homeowners.

Every step that we take, we put 100% effort into it. As we move forward, we always put end users’ and business partners’ needs as our priority. Their needs guide our research and development so that we can provide even better solutions to the market and improve the industry as a whole.

+1 888 - 837 - 2655

info@franklinwh.com

www.franklinwh.com

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Voting

GoodWe USA Inc. - Power Whenever You Need

GoodWe is a leading, strategically thinking enterprise which focuses on research and manufacturing of PV Inverters and energy storage solutions. With an accumulative installation of 35 GW installed in more than 100 countries, GoodWe solar inverters have been largely used in residential and commercial rooftops, industrial and utility scale systems, ranging from 0.7kW to 250kW. GoodWe offers reliable operation and excellent performance and is well recognized by customers worldwide. GoodWe’s philosophy is to always create win-win partnerships with customers by identifying and integrating the most advanced components and techniques available while offering an unparalleled after-sales service.

GoodWe USA Inc.

2266 Dayton St. Suite A, Denver, CO 80010 USA

https://en.goodwe.com/

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Technological innovation is GoodWe’s main core competence. With an in-house R&D team of approx. 700+ employees in 4 R&D centers, GoodWe can offer a comprehensive portfolio of products and solutions for residential, commercial and utility scale PV and storage systems, ensuring that performance and quality go hand-in-hand across the entire range.

Global Leading Distributed Energy Solution Provider

Growatt was founded in 2011 by a group of pioneers in the global PV industry with a vision to build a green and sustainable future. Specializing in sustainable energy generation, storage, consumption as well as energy digitalization, Growatt designs, develops and manufactures PV inverters, energy storage products, EV chargers, smart energy management system and others.

Since its foundation, the company constantly introduces new upgrades and innovations in the energy efficiency, functional safety and intelligent solutions of inverter, energy storage and EV charging applications. To date, Growatt already ranks among the global top three PV inverter suppliers according to Wood Mackenzie, and its business spans across 180 countries and regions.

Growatt

usa@ginverter.com

us.growatt.com

Growatt was established in 2011 by a group of pioneers in the global PV industry with a vision to build a green and sustainable future. Specializing in sustainable energy generation, storage and consumption, as well as energy digitalization, the company designs, develops and manufactures PV inverters, energy storage products, EV chargers, smart energy management system and others.

Since its foundation, Growatt has been committed to continuous product and technology innovations to change the way homes and businesses are powered. The company constantly introduces new upgrades and innovations in the energy efficiency, functional safety and intelligent solutions of inverter, energy storage and EV charging applications.

Growatt holds itself to comprehensive and strict engineering and quality control standards. From design to manufacturing, the company has implemented the FiveStep Quality Engineering System to ensure high level of product quality, reliability and performance.

To date, Growatt already ranks among the global top three PV inverter suppliers according to Wood Mackenzie, and its business spans across 180 countries and regions. The company provides localized service support for global customers through its subsidiaries and dedicated local customer service teams with a combination of online and offline support, offering a greater customer experience.

Honeywell Energy Storage Solutions

Honeywell’s battery energy storage systems, software solutions and outcome-based performance guarantees help industrial companies, independent power producers and utilities realize key performance advantages such as:

• Grid stability

• Revenue stacking

• Reduced electricity costs

• Improved business continuity during grid disruptions or outages

• Reduced back-up and emissions from captive power plants

• Increased procurement of renewable energy and utilization of self-generation

We focus on helping plant owners and operators make the most of new, smarter technologies and guiding them toward best practices for energy management.

Our BESS technology helps reduce the need to bring additional, non-renewable power generators online, improving grid stability while helping to decrease supply costs. A remote facility can maintain redundancy as BESS operates in parallel with traditional generators as a hot standby. The system enables restarting of a tripped generator or initiates back-up gen sets and then returns to hot standby mode.

Honeywell Energy Storage Solutions

Address 2101 City West Blvd, Houston, Texas 77042 United States process.honeywell.com

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Originating from tier-1 research institute in China in 2012, Hoymiles boasts strong R&D abilities from the very beginning. The company is centered around MLPE, a technology designed to improve and extract more energy from solar installations. Its product portfolio includes microinverters, rapid shutdown systems, hybrid inverters and communication gateways for energy conversion, storage and data monitoring. Present in 110+ countries and regions, Hoymiles is now one of the fastest-growing microinverter manufacturers in the industry, with an average 100% annual sales volume increase since 2016. With a vision of a clean, sustainable future, Hoymiles strives to lead the smart energy industry through its advanced technology and reliable products.

Why Hoymiles is a leader in solar power:

Hoymiles is a global smart energy solution provider. It is devoted to making solar energy impactful by ensuring it’s accessible to everyone.

Well-versed in the MLPE (Module Level Power Electronics) technology for more than 10 years, Hoymiles specializes in modulelevel microinverters, rapid shutdown systems and storage solutions, suitable for residential, commercial and industrial settings. The wide-power range and flexible design help to make solar installations as adaptable and effortless as possible.

Hoymiles

F6, Building 5, 99 Housheng Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou 310015

P. R. China

+86 571 2805 6101

https://www.hoymiles.com/us/

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With 800+ global experts and a distribution & service network spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania, Hoymiles has empowered homeowners and professionals in more than 100 countries and regions to join the journey to true open energy. Hoymiles microinverters are certified by CSA, BV, SAA, CQC, etc. By 2022, over 1 million microinverters have been installed worldwide.

As the annual manufacturing capacity sets to reach 5 million units in 2023, the company is poised to better meet the ever-growing solar demand in the world. In February 2023, Hoymiles will open its U.S. office to better serve the Northern American market—another milestone in its rapid development. After a decade of open energy journey, Hoymiles is now favored by the market as a trustworthy partner for investors, installers and end consumers.

JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS) is a leading PV module manufacturer and energy storage system integrator. The company has deployed more than 100 GW in 160 countries globally, including more than 17 GW in the U.S. EAGLE Modules come from facilities in Malaysia and Florida. EAGLE Storage brings together the best energy storage technology for turnkey hardware and energy storage services. Publicly vetted by trusted industry third party laboratories and top financial institutions, EAGLE is a trusted choice for U.S. solar and storage projects. As a global leader with strong regional focus, JinkoSolar has more than 300 employees based in San Francisco, CA and Jacksonville, FL offices to provide timely, local service.

JinkoSolar

595 Market St. Suite 2200, San Francisco CA, 94105 415.402.0502

www.jinkosolar.us

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As a global industry leader, JinkoSolar manufactures top-of-the-line, high-efficiency solar modules in premium facilities in Malaysia and the United States. The company heavily invests in its R&D efforts, consistently breaking efficiency records for both PERC and TopCon technology. JinkoSolar currently leads TopCon efficiency at 25.4%. JinkoSolar’s innovative solutions focus on unique needs of both the U.S. solar and storage market, offering solutions for residential, C&I, and utility.

Engineered with quality and durability at the forefront, JinkoSolar’s EAGLE Modules are designed to endure even the most extreme weather events: certified to withstand strikes by 1.77” - 2.17” (45mm - 55mm) hailstones and hurricane force winds of up to 113mph (category 3 hurricane). The company has been recognized for its module reliability by renowned industry third-party labs, scoring overall High Achiever for the RETC PV Module Index Report, and Top Performer in PVEL’s PV Module Reliability Scorecard for eight consecutive times.

JinkoSolar’s EAGLE RS is a high-capacity, DC-coupled residential storage system designed to deliver the best value. This newly launched product earned the Green Builder® Sustainable Product of the Year in 2022. Its utility and C&I counterpart, the EAGLE CS, is a highly configurable solution with pre-engineered system blocks and partnered with leading PCS suppliers.

A trusted brand with a proven track record, JinkoSolar continues to be one of the most bankable solar companies around the globe. The company remains committed to serving its customers and markets, and as a result became the first manufacturer in the world to deploy 100 GW.

K2 Systems, LLC is dedicated to advancing solar energy installations by offering cutting edge mounting systems for solar technology. K2 Systems, formerly known as Everest Solar Systems, continues to improve its broad portfolio of industryleading mounting solutions for residential, commercial, and utility scale solar deployments.

The mission of K2 Systems is to offer innovative mounting solutions backed by world class quality, engineering and customer support. Based in Oceanside, California, the company will support North America’s long-term market development with a broad set of capabilities including local product development, sales, applications, project services, manufacturing and sourcing operations.

K2 Systems supports PV systems around the world

As solar racking specialists, we focus on developing and optimizing innovative mounting systems, while always keeping our feet on the ground. Through constant exchange with our customers, we offer practical, longlasting and secure solutions.

We know that PV installers are fully committed to driving the energy transition forward. But they are also confronted with a multitude of complex problems. K2 Systems ensures that you can concentrate on your main tasks. As rooftop specialists, we offer highly functional products for roofs around the world – and support our installation partners competently, quickly and reliably.

We invest in research and development in order to construct sustainable, economical mounting systems for roofs globally. All K2 systems are developed in Germany, Mexico, and US and are constantly tested according to strict performance criteria. The mounting systems are supported by our digital tools. With K2 Base, we provide a comprehensive foundation for planning.

We all have a responsibility to preserve the Earth as a livable planet for future generations. K2 Systems has the know-how, the power, and the team to decisively advance the energy transition with the help of solar power. And above all: we have the will to tackle things today –and not put them off until tomorrow.

K2 Systems, LLC

4665 North Avenue, Suite I

Oceanside, CA 92056

+1.760.301.5300

K2-systems.com

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We have a colorful and creative collection of many talented people from all over the world: with different cultural backgrounds, different experiences, and different areas of expertise. But we share a common goal: we want to bring momentum to the energy transition. We work hard to achieve this goal, but we also enjoy our work. We work with a smile, because we simply like what we do.

M Bar C Construction is proud to provide superior solar & non-solar carports, steel shade structures, DSA-Approved structures, and parking garage canopies from coast to coast.

We are honored to support our partners in the combined goal of building a better future.

M Bar C Construction 1770 La Costa Meadows Dr. San Marcos, CA 92078 (760) 744-4131

mbarconline.com

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M Bar C Construction has provided superior carport and shade installation solutions since 1975. With over four decades of experience, M Bar C Construction has installed more than 750 megawatts of renewable energy nationwide. With this history, M Bar C has mastered navigating even the most challenging installations.

M Bar C teams thrive in creating the most effective and innovative solutions to your commercial shade structure projects. We partner with our clients from start to finish to ensure that each installation has the maximum return on investment. As a result, M Bar C provides cost-effective carport and shade solutions while never compromising quality.

If it’s made of steel and covers from the sun, M Bar C Construction can build it.

M Bar C Construction provides our partners with superior solutions tailored to your goals.

Learn how M Bar C Construction can support you in building a better future today.

Mana Monitoring

One platform to Monitor Them All

Mana Monitoring is a hardware agnostic solar energy monitoring and management platform. With an ever-changing solar PV landscape, Mana works with asset owners solar O&M companies in order to aggregate and centralize their portfolio for maximum uptime, off-taker billing, O&M coordination ensuring a peak performing renewable energy portfolio.

Find out more @ www.manamonitoring.com

Mana

808-650-3913

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

Mana Monitoring grew out of the dynamic commercial solar industry in Hawaii. Leading the nation in solar per capita and one of the most diverse landscapes in solar installations. With a clear goal of providing solar companies and asset managers a hardware agnostic software to monitor all solar PV systems in one platform, regardless of the make/ model of meter, inverter and onsite equipment. Over the past decade Mana has built out one the largest equipment interface libraries enabling the integration of virtually any inverter and meter allowing solar companies the independence to select the equipment best suited for a specific project. Mana is used to monitor nearly 1 GW of solar across North America and the Caribbean. Recently winning the Made in America Solar Prize from NREL for grid integration, Mana continues to provide advanced solutions for integrating solar assets into a single platform.

Solar companies that take pride in their work chose Mana to integrate their portfolio of solar pv systems because of the seamless interoperability with virtually all inverters, whether brand new or legacy.

Mana’s engineering solutions are built on top of a secure and reliable platform that natively provides solutions for solar and load monitoring, submetering, battery integration and EVSE management. Mana platform provides a secure database and field mobility tools to coordinate asset managers with field crews to ensure maximum uptime of solar assets and succinct work-order management in a central platform.

America’s Most Trusted SCADA Provider

Specializing in renewable energy solutions & services to include:

SCADA

EMS

MET Stations

Managed Services

Retrofits

Training

Experience the Nor-Cal way.

Nor-Cal Controls provides custom, open architecture solutions that reduce your risk while empowering you to build for the future. With nationwide experience we have projects completed in 42 states and counting. Nor-Cal has successfully installed SCADA systems on 22.5GW+ of solar projects and 3.5GWh+ of BESS projects. The Nor-Cal difference provides a customized open architecture solution that is customer focused and responsive. We provide all the necessary tools to ensure owners can operate their site as efficiently as possible for the life of the plant.

Your

Nor-Cal

Norcalcontrols.net

916.836.0800

contact@norcalcontrols.net

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

Additionally, Nor-Cal Controls offers three Solar & Storage Operations Trainings’ (SSOT) throughout the year as well as an exclusive networking and educational seminar in South Lake Tahoe to top industry professionals, held in August.

PLP mounting systems are backed by over 70 years of US manufacturing experience.

EPCs and installers from coast to coast can depend on PLP’s high-strength roof, ground and pole mount solutions, along with our industry, leading customer service and application support.

PV Mounting Solutions for any Application

Since 1993, PLP has been designing and manufacturing innovative solar mounting solutions for utility-scale, commercial, and residential PV applications. Tested in our lab and proven in the field, PLP’s high-strength mounting solutions are engineered to exceed expectations. Many of our solar racking systems arrive pre-assembled for quick installation and are manufactured in the USA at our Albemarle, North Carolina facility. PLP’s products are in compliance with code requirements and are backed by our industry-leading customer service and experienced technical support.

Roof Mount Systems include:

POWER RAIL™ — Residential and Commercial

POWER MAX™ — Ballasted Commercial

Ballasted POWER RAIL™ — Commercial

Ground and Pole Mount Systems include:

Global Headquarters

660 Beta Drive

Mayfield Village, Ohio 44143

Telephone: 440.461.5200

Fax: 440.442.8816

Website: plp.com

Email: info@plpsolar.com

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

Solar Carport — Commercial

POWER PEAK™ — Utility Scale, Commercial and Residential Kits

Ballasted POWER PEAK™

Multi-Pole Mounts (MPM-G2) — Commercial and Residential

Top-of-Pole Mounts (TPM)

Side-of-Pole Mounts (SPM)

Innovator in carports and wind resiliency

Quest Renewables is an award-winning racking company, regularly recognized for its innovative products and projects throughout the solar industry.

The team includes solar veterans and thought leaders committed to delivering the best solar racking systems possible. Quest Renewables’ leading product, The QuadPodTM Canopy, offers superior project aesthetics and durability with a design inspired by traditional architectural principles, at a competitive price. The system is known for maximizing power production with minimal foundations, and less site interference.

Quest Renewables has provided racking for projects across the entire US, while maintaining the highest standard of quality. All system components are manufactured in the USA.

Spaceframe Design

Quest Renewables’ products leverage a spaceframe design which enables a beautiful modern aesthetic as well as durability in challenging environmental conditions. The QuadPod allows solar developers and EPCs to turn basic parking areas into stunning outdoor power-generating landscapes for customers and their clients, employees, and visitors to enjoy.

Ground Level Assembly

Ninety percent of construction activity takes place on the ground, significantly increasing the speed of assembly and installation while minimizing the amount of work done overhead. QuadPod Canopies enable greater safety and rapid installation with a repeatable, straight-forward construction deployment process.

Reduced Foundation Count

Quest Renewables, Inc.

75 5th Street NW

Atlanta, GA 30308

https://www.questrenewables.com

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

Quest’s newest product, Windmaster Perimeter Shield (WPS), enables more resilient solar projects in areas prone to hurricanes. This ground mount system acts as a shield to protect other structures against high wind storms like hurricanes. The WPS benefits from modern spaceframe elements found in all of Quest Renewables’ racking products. WPS was developed through a research project supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science, Solar Energy Technologies Office.

Featuring minimal foundations, Quest Renewables’ designs benefit projects by 1) reducing material count and labor costs onsite, and 2) preventing interference with the existing site layout (such as drive aisles, parking spaces, etc.).

Solutions that are Straight to the Point QuickBOLT has always believed solar mounting should be easier for the industry. What have they done to make that happen? They have been changing the game for 10 years with their innovative line of mounting solutions. In that time, they have created an impressive catalog to supply the widest range of solar roof mounts in North America. From their patented BoltSeal® and Microflashing® products, to the custom production services they offer, they have been working with solar installers to make solar installations easier than ever before. Their experienced team is available Monday through Friday from 7am to 5pm PST to answer any questions you may have. Check www.quickbolt.com to find a salesman near you.

Commitment to Solar Installers

QuickBOLT solar solutions are designed with installers in mind. Solutions that solve real-world problems and help installers save time and money. QuickBOLT has focused on offering straight-forward solutions since they entered the industry over a decade ago.

QuickBOLT

Corporate Office

5830 Las Positas Road

Livermore, Ca 94551

(888) 567-0832

www.quickbolt.com

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

Every year since then they have demonstrated their commitment to installers by releasing new or updated products that provide benefits every day. The newest innovation is the QB2 and the apex of their BoltSeal® technology that seals mounts at the point of penetration.

Installers have been putting QuickBOLTs on roofs for the past 10 years, and with ZERO reported leaks in that time. Skip the chemical sealants for their Intertek lab and field tested BoltSeal® solution.

Don’t ever worry about losing business because your solutions are high-maintenance, because QuickBOLT is dedicated to designing products for installers that are easy to use, help cut costs, and deliver quality.

The Future Of Vegetation Management Is Here

Renu Robotics’ Renubot is a fully-electric autonomous vehicle designed for precision vegetation management on utility-scale solar power plants and other energy facilities.

For most solar facilities, the rising cost of vegetation management is the top budget item. Now there’s a solution to this growing problem.

The Renubot is designed by solar O&M professionals specifically for vegetation management on these locations. It’s rugged, reliable and significantly cuts vegetation management costs and eliminates carbon emissions.

Since it can mow during the day or night, O&M managers are realizing how much more schedule flexibility that creates. The Renubot also has no problem mowing under panels on the majority of sites.

When it’s finished mowing for the cycle, it returns to its Recharge Pod to replenish its battery and remain secure in changing climate conditions. Mission Control continuously monitors, controls and updates the bots in the field.

Renu Robotics is revolutionizing the way solar and energy facilities conduct vegetation management. The Renubot is the game changer that asset owners and O&M providers have been waiting for to solve various vegetation problems.

It has a number of technological and communications capabilities that result in an autonomous vehicle unlike anything on the market today.

After it’s finished mowing, it returns to its Recharge Pod to replenish its battery and is protected from inclement weather. The pod can be powered by available AC or DC power or by our Solar Charger connected to the pod that consists of three self-ballasting solar skids.

Mission Control continuously monitors, controls and updates the Renubots in the field. System access allows for updates, programming and adjusting maintenance schedules day or night. At any time, asset owners and O&M providers can monitor performance, location and schedules with computers, tablets and cell phones.

Renu Robotics

12918 Delivery

San Antonio, TX 78247

https://renubot.com

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

Mission Control gives owners and operators peace of mind with a secured and encrypted data flow indicating how their facilities are being maintained. More and more asset owners and O&M providers are using Renubots on their facilities. They’re benefitting from significant budget savings and realizing they’ve finally found an invaluable carbon-free solution to their continuous vegetation management problems.

Roof Tech is the global pioneer in solar flexible flashing. We have been engineering solar mounting solutions since 1994 with flawless performance—over one million rooftop installations all over Japan and North America. We are offering a 25-year warranty on all our products from the date of installation. We do not rely on sealants for solar P.V. mounting on asphalt, membrane, or metal roofing. We partner with over 40 distributors throughout North America and offer full support with installation manuals, installation videos, digital estimator design tools, and in-person training. Download our P.E. Stamped letters in over 35 states and five Canadian territories that are IBC and IRC compliant. If you want the authentic, waterproof flexible flashing that has captured 70% of Japan’s solar P.V. racking market, choose Roof Tech.

Roof Tech

The Standard for Waterproof Flexible Flashing Since 1994.

Roof Tech

10620 Treena St. Suite 230

San Diego, CA 92131

roof-tech.us

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

Roof Tech is the first U.S. subsidiary of Yanegiken, a company renowned in Japan for more than four decades of innovative roofing technologies. Roof Tech’s legacy is linked directly to Yanegiken Technology and Research Institute, founded in 1968 to conduct research and develop new roofing technologies. Roof Tech U.S. brings these unique P.V. mounting solutions to the U.S. solar market. Headquartered in Southern California, our national sales teams are now in place to provide superior service to installers and solar panel manufacturers throughout the U.S. We aim to minimize the environmental impact of our products, and we comply with all environmental regulations.

RT-APEX

Advanced rail-less and self-flashing PV mounting system

The second-generation self-flashing mounting base for conventional rail mounting systems with a more efficient design utilizing less raw materials.

RT-REB (Roof Entry Bracket) 100% waterproof wire entry system

Please visit our shop for all products needed for solar mounting. roof-tech.us

S-5! Solar PV Mounting Solutions for Metal Roofs

In 1992, S-5! invented the very market space of manufactured roof attachment solutions. S-5!’s clamps and brackets are engineered for a variety of applications, including residential and commercial solar installations on exposed-fastened and standing seam metal roofing.

The company has a portfolio of more than 3.6 GigaWatts of rooftop solar arrays, including many Fed-Ex and Walmart buildings; 700 Costco stores in eight countries; international airports; and corporate headquarters for Google, IBM, NATO, NREL and Apple. S-5! technologies are also affordable for domestic applications with more than 15,000 such solar installations in 50 countries.

Endorsements from every major metal roof manufacturer, extensive load-testing and 3.6 GW of engineered PV installations prove S-5!’s durability and explain its use in critical applications like fall restraint and snow retention. S-5!’s commitment to excellence is evidenced by industry leadership in ASTM, ASCE, SEIA, MBMA, NRCA, MCA and CSI.

Principals of S-5! have won lifetime memberships with trade groups and numerous industry awards for their contributions, including 100+ technical writings, training curricula and standards development. Their research, lectures and papers have been translated into eight languages and won esteemed recognition from ASTM, MCA UWMadison and CSI.

http://s-5.com

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

As PV industry advocates, S-5! team members chair the SEIA Mounting Systems Mfg Committee and MBMA/UL Non-Combustibles Working Group, improving metal roof/PV construction codes and standards. They serve on 6 UL 1703/UL 2703 task groups and the Standard Technical Panel. S-5! has worked extensively with other countries such as Australia (Univ Adelaide), Germany (Univ KIT, DIBt), and the UK (MCS 012 Mounting Mfrs). They have also worked with CEIR/NRCA, and AHJ’s such as DSA, LA Co/ City, and Miami Dade to educate users on the marriage of PV to metal roofing while preserving roof integrity.

When track record, installation ease, product integrity, economic value and true technical competence are the objectives, S-5! offers metal roof attachments The Right Way!®– for any metal roof, every time.

8750 Walker Rd. Colorado Springs, CO 80908 United States

PVKIT® & ProteaBracket

PVKIT® EdgeGrab

Saulsbury Industries is a full-service engineering, procurement, fabrication, and construction company that specializes in building the infrastructure necessary to power the future. Saulsbury serves its clients in heavy industrial and renewables markets by designing and building safe, well executed, capital-efficient projects nationwide. Headquartered in Odessa, Texas, the company’s national office footprint includes Houston, Port Arthur, Henderson, Abilene, Pecos, and Corpus Christi, TX; Carlsbad, NM; Tulsa, OK; and Bismarck, ND. For more information, please visit www.saulsbury.com and follow Saulsbury on LinkedIn or Facebook. For information or inquiries, please contact Saulsbury Marketing and Communications at marketing@saulsbury.com.

Saulsbury is using its more than five decades of experience in heavy industrial project execution to support new and existing clients with their solar construction projects. Saulsbury began internal discussions regarding entering the solar market in 2020, and by 2021 had developed strategic partnerships that allowed it to land an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract for a 200 MWAC utility scale solar field with 100 MW of four-hour battery energy storage system (BESS). Saulsbury was then selected as the EPC contractor to perform the second phase of the project, which included an additional 300 MWAC and 150 MW of four-hour BESS.

Saulsbury Industries, Inc.

2951 E. Interstate 20

Odessa, TX 79766

https://www.saulsbury.com/

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

With the rise in demand for renewable energy and environmentally friendly infrastructure, Saulsbury is leading the way in providing EPC solutions to power the future of energy with the strengths of its past. By extending its core competencies into emerging energy transition markets like solar power, Saulsbury is well-positioned to be a market leader for years to come.

Drone-based solar software

Scanifly is the leading drone-based solar software focused on automating and centralizing the manual day-to-day tasks in your solar project workflow. Our easy-touse platform is specifically designed for the solar industry, providing the consistency and quality today’s installers need while tripling surveying capacity. Whether you’re working with rooftops, ground mounts, canopies, or carports, Scanifly helps organizations of all sizes work more confidently and efficiently on residential, commercial, and small utility-scale projects. It’s no wonder that solar contractors in over 30 countries use Scanifly’s platform to eliminate rework, redesigns, and revisions.

Scanifly is the driving force behind the growing movement to incorporate drones into residential and commercial solar project workflows. As the only photogrammetry platform exclusively created for solar project development, Scanifly empowers contractors to leave their ladders, tape measures, and sketch paper behind for new technology and a more reliable process. Across more than 150,000 projects on the platform, Scanifly users have reduced their survey and design time by as much as 90%.

Scanifly also offers the leading shade analysis tool available, which combines the benefits of real-time, 3D data and a digital, web-based solution. It’s the only dronebased shading tool approved by regulators and lenders across the US, allowing users to capture the precise on-site shading data required without having to get on the roof.

Scanifly

1624 Market St, Ste 226

PMB 23121

Denver, CO 80202

http://scanifly.com

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

With a staff of former solar professionals, Scanifly strives to publish articles, ebooks, and other resources to educate the industry on solutions and best practices. Through its Academy program, Scanifly offers the Surveyor Associate Program - a first-of-its-kind certificate for aspiring solar drone pilots - along with other educational courses. It also teaches classes and workshops each year in partnership with NABCEP and SEI, offering participants up to 9 hours of NABCEP CE credits at in-person and digital events. More than 4,000 solar professionals in 80 countries have expanded their knowledge and skillset with Scanifly’s educational resources.

Snake Tray® is the leading designer and manufacturer of cable management solutions for commercial and utility grade solar installations. Snake Tray products are specifically designed with features to substantially reduce the total cost of construction. Key features of the Solar Snake Max XL™ trenchless system, include the open-air design which eliminates the need to de-rate cables which can harvest up to 8% more energy. Snake Tray’s 407 Series hand bendable cable tray has a “lobster trap” design to secure cables and is the ideal solution for roof tops and car parks. Lean on Snake Tray’s engineering know-how to help develop the ideal solution for your next project.

CABLE MANAGEMENT FOR SOLAR

Solar Snake Max XL™ for Utility Ground Mount Installations

Maintain NEC 310.15 code compliant cable separation to keep cables cool and energy efficient No trenching or derating of cables

Accommodates cables from 350 Kcmil up to 1250 Kcmil

Snap together modules require no tools

Wire messenger and Aluminum Rail Mounting systems can traverse any terrain

Ideal for “no digging” installations like brownfields and Superfund sites

407 Series Hand Bendable Solar Snake Tray® for Roof Top Installations

Bends around all obstacles

Lobster trap designs secures and protects cables

Built in mounting rings

Muliple mounting options

Snake Tray®

291 Skip Lane Bay Shore, NY 11706

www.snaketray.com

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

801 Series Solar Mega Snake® for Ground Mount and Roof Top Installations

High capacity cable tray

Pre-fabricated Straights, Turns, TEEs, and Crossing Grids

Connects together quickly and easily with splice kit

Muliple mounting options

Solar Racking Made Simple

Solar Mounts LLC is a one-stop-shop for all solar racking needs, including carports, ground mounts, and ballasted roof mounts. Headquartered in Marshall, Michigan, right on the intersection of I-94 and I-69. Also having a distribution and construction warehouse in New Jersey. Carport racking consists of L, T, Y, and A-frames, as well as custom long span carports. Offering in-house design, manufacturing, and installation services, Solar Mounts LLC offers competitive prices with quick lead times. Over 100MW of solar racking manufactured and installed in 2022, and almost 800MW in total shipments. Solar Mounts offers services nationwide.

Solar Mounts LLC takes pride in our industry leading innovations, giving us quick lead times and competitive prices. With our universal mounting brackets and standard designs on all systems, we are able to stock over a megawatt in our warehouse at all times. While offering standard designs with the best lead times, we also offer in-house design on custom projects.

We proudly over design our racking systems for wind and snow loads, while still offering industry leading prices. This enables our customers to rest easy at night, knowing that the structure they purchased and installed will withstand the harshest of elements.

Solar Mounts LLC

300 Woolley Drive

MARSHALL, MI 49068

https://solarmounts.com/

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

Solar Mounts LLC has a patent on our adjustable bolt down racking systems and has more patents pending in the oven. One of them being an innovation that will take care of the progressive module sizes, while eliminating bolts and torque checking, with 2703 grounding solutions.

Revolutionary solar racking, made radically simple

Founded in 2009, SolarPod has always endeavored to set the gold standard in solar racking. By simplifying solar installation, reducing the number of components and ensuring versatility in application, SolarPod is leading the rooftop solar racking solution in innovation and cost effectiveness.

Today this Minnesota based solar pioneer has over 1100 installations in 40 states and 2 countries.

SolarPod’s innovation includes Zero Roof holes and Zero use of fossil fuel products such as caulking compounds that are made with fossil fuels as the precursor.

Makers, manufacturers and installers of:

– self-ballasted flat roof solution:

Using all recyclable materials and 90-95% less GHG emitting concrete than traditional ballasted racking systems, Z-Lite is securely entrenched as the lightest weight (4 psf) flat roof solar solution on the market. Z-Lite’s self-ballasted design allows you to minimize onsite waste, labor, roof load, carbon emission and ultimately, cost.

https://mysolarpod.com/

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

– zero penetration sloped roof solution:

Using patented counterbalance technology Z-Rack is the most universal sloped roof racking solution available. Allowing systems to lay flush on any roof type, Z-Rack requires no penetrations for installation and shaves install time down for projects of any scale.

SunModo is a private U.S. company headquartered in Vancouver, Washington that is focused on innovative racking and mounting solutions for professional installers in the fast-growing solar industry. Energized by a desire to make solar installation easier, more reliable, and more affordable, our solar racking solutions are at work in 15 countries, and from Hawaii to Connecticut. Our commitment to innovation can be seen across our entire product line, which includes 20 plus industry-shaping patents. More information is at www.sunmodo.com or from the company at 360.844.0048

Mounting equipment have a significant bearing on the speed and reliability of solar installation. SunModo is energized every day by a desire to make solar installation easier, more reliable and more affordable. Our mission is to drive down the total cost of solar installation through product innovation.

Innovative – We are constantly innovating to improve our current products and develop new solutions in response to the needs of the market. As a result, our products consistently deliver the most value by reducing both material costs and installation time. Our SMR System represents a huge leap in racking technology. Pair SMR with one of our industry leading mounting options and save money and time on your residential solar installations.

Relentless – We are relentlessly pushing to be the best racking company in the market in every possible way. From product development to customer support, and cost reduction to logistics, we are relentless in our pursuit of excellence and we refuse to rest on our past accomplishments.

Responsive – We are obsessively attentive to the needs and feedback of our distributors and solar installer end customers. We are determined to provide the best support in the market and to channel feedback into continuous improvement in both our products and service.

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

The SMR System

The World’s Most Bankable Inverter Brand

Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd.

(“Sungrow”) is the world’s most bankable inverter brand with over 269 GW installed worldwide as of June 2022. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial & industrial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions, NEV driving solutions, EV charging solutions and renewable hydrogen production systems. With a strong 25-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power over 150 countries worldwide.

Sungrow has been engaged in new energy power generation for more than 25 years. Our products and services cover more than 150 countries.

Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters, with a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial, and residential applications, as well as an internationally recognized floating PV plant Solutions. As a leader in innovation in the solar industry,

Sungrow possesses a dynamic technical R&D team consisting of over 3100 employees. The Company has also invested in its own in-house testing center approved by SGS, CSA, and TÜV Rheinland. Sungrow has the world’s largest inverter factory. The company’s global annual production capacity reaches 145 GW, including 25 GW in its overseas factories.

THE WORLD’S MOST BANKABLE INVERTER BRAND BRAND

Sungrow

575 Market Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

info@sungrowamericas.com

www.sungrowpower.com

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

Offering a wide range of solutions and services, Sungrow is committed to providing clean power for all and is steadfast in its efforts to become the global leader in clean power conversion technology. Learn more about Sungrow by visiting us.sungrowpower.com.

SG36/60CX-US

SG4400UD-MV-US

Twain Financial Partners is a full-service specialty finance firm with $4 billion in assets under management providing a full range of capital needs to renewable energy and real estate developments throughout the United States. Founded in 2013, the firm is based in St Louis, Missouri, and maintains offices across the country. https://twainfinancial.com

TWAIN FINANCIAL PARTNERS

2200 WASHINGTON AVE. ST. LOUIS, MO 63122 https://twainfinancial.com/

For more information:

Grant Owens Vice President, Renewable Energy grant.owens@twainfinancial.com

Michael Park Director, Renewable Energy michael.park@twainfinancial.com

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

Twain Financial Partners is committed to funding $1 billion in renewable energy projects over the next three years, providing capital to accelerate renewables development across the U.S.

The firm’s clean energy platform offers something that is hard to come by in the industry: single-source funding. Twain can provide all the capital needed for developers with renewable energy projects. This is particularly necessary when you consider how complicated and messy renewable energy project financing is. Many project developers have difficulty juggling multiple capital sources for tax equity, pre-NTP financing, construction debt, and permanent debt.

Twain Financial brings both the lender and the developer perspective – through

a strong energy lending track record from an experienced team, and through deep developer relationships – to provide essential support to ensure energy project developers have access to the most suitable, and flexible, financing products through a single organization.

Twain primarily focuses on solar projects–including community, commercial and industrial (C&I), and utility scale – but has quickly begun assessing additional technologies for financing to include biofuels, biopower, hydro, wind, and stand-alone storage, among others.

The firm is currently providing capital to some of the industry’s most respected and experienced renewable energy developers with projects across the U.S.

Celebrating 25 years of solar innovation.

A pioneer in solar racking, Unirac has been North America’s leading manufacturer of solar PV mounting systems for over two decades. The premier U.S. solar racking manufacturer with products that outlive their warranties, Unirac has more than 10GW of experience and over 1,500,000 installations that back up their engineering service and supply-chain excellence. Unirac is committed to being a partner throughout the full project lifecycle.

At Unirac, Better Solar Starts Here.

Partner with UNIRAC on your next C&I project and save time and money while you’re at it.

UNIRAC’s industry-leading C&I project support seamlessly integrates into your project lifecycle to help you save time and money on any size commercial project. With customized system design and engineering, our C&I team is ready to provide detailed support as you start your next project.”

Unirac

1411 Broadway Blvd. NE

Albuquerque, NM 87102

https://unirac.com/

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

UNIRAC Engineering Services has one of the largest engineering and design teams dedicated to commercial projects. With over a century of solar experience combined, our team will partner with you through design, engineering, permitting, and installation.

We understand that your project doesn’t have time to wait—which is why we’ve gathered the best professionals in the industry to get your job done quickly and efficiently. Our team of over 50 C&I-focused employees works to get solutions back to you quickly so you can focus on moving forward with your C&I project.

Our engineers and designers are experienced in all types of solar installations—flat roof pitched roof, ground mount—and will leverage our broad product portfolio to optimize your project. When you are ready to build, Unirac’s unmatched team of field installation specialists is ready to support you on-site.

Let us support your project at Unirac.com or commercialservices@unirac.com.

WAGO Corporation provides North America with innovative Interconnect, Electronic Interface, and Automation products and solutions. As a leader in industries such as utilities, buildings, marine, lighting and renewable energy, WAGO features state-ofthe art warehousing and customer support in the USA.

Headquartered in Germantown, WI, WAGO provides extensive engineering resources, a 25,000+ product portfolio, custom manufacturing, and a global network of dedicated professionals ensuring they have the resources and expertise to help you get the job done. To see our capabilities in action, watch the video at www.wago.us/ capabilities.

From residential, C&I, and utility grade products for monitoring and control, as well as PCB solutions for EV charging and board level connections, WAGO provides answers for all of your renewable energy assets.

Recent Innovations:

WAGO’s Devices on the Cutting Edge of Network Computing

WAGO is combining the advantages of decentralized Cloud computing with local control networks by debuting their new Edge Controller and Edge Computer. These devices for edge of network computing provide low latency control and simplified connection with Cloud based services providing multiple interfaces for connection to field devices and monitors. https://www.wago.com/us/edge-devices

WAGO TOPJOB® S Rail-Mount Terminal Blocks offer three actuation variants

Choose from lever, push-button or open tool slot for wiring your SCADA panels. All variants come with WAGO’s patented CAGE CLAMP® Technology to ensure a reliable, maintenance-free connection. For compact spaces where standard DIN Rail is not available, the TOPJOB® S Terminal Blocks come in a mini version with all the features of standard terminal blocks.

https://www.wago.com/us/topjobs

Unmatched Reliability - 221 Series Lever Nuts®

WAGO Corporation

N120W19129 Freistadt Rd

Germantown, WI 53022

1-800-DIN-Rail

www.wago.com/us

info.us@wago.com

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.

WAGO’s 221 Series Splicing Connector allows for an easy combination for different wire sizes and types from 24-10 AWG for maximum convenience. Quickly and easily connect all wire types of different sizes using 2-, 3-, and 5-wire connectors for pass-through or combiner box. https://www.wago.com

Cargill Bioindustrial takes nature-derived ingredients – such as corn, soybeans, jojoba and seaweed – and transforms them into bio-based solutions that offer planet-friendly alternatives to fossil-based products. Visit www.Cargill.com/Bioindustrial to learn more about how our plant-based solutions are transforming a wide range of beauty products and industrial applications.

Cargill helps the world’s food system work for you. We connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients and families with daily essentials—from the foods they eat to the floors they walk on. Our 160,000 team members around the world innovate with purpose, empowering our partners and communities as we work to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, sustainable way.

FR3™ – Setting the new standard in solar power

FR3™ fluid – the original and most proven natural ester transformer insulating fluid – was specifically designed and formulated to keep projects running at their full capacity while eliminating the unplanned interventions that come with mineral oil. FR3 fluid allows for up to 20% more loading capacity in the same sized transformer; the ability to lower costs by making transformers smaller, and significantly improved reliability thanks to the robustness of the fluid, all while also being a more sustainable, plant-based solution. FR3 fluid is becoming the new standard in insulating fluid in solar power transformers.

The demanding environments created by solar power farms are quickly exposing mineral oil’s many shortcomings. Mineral oil simply can’t handle the extreme conditions that come with solar power, which leads to

high levels of gassing, frequent tripping, and vastly accelerated aging of the insulation system. FR3® fluid is specifically formulated to handle the difficult situations created by solar power, even on the warmest of days. It’s unique formulation easily handles high load fluctuations and high heat, with a top fluid temperature that can safely operate at up to 140˚C,1 which also makes the transformer less prone to a partial discharge. FR3 fluid continuously dries paper insulation without creating any damaging byproducts, helping make it robust enough to manage the difficult harmonics caused by the frequent switching of the invertor.

Learn more about how FR3 fluid can help keep your solar farm operating at full capacity at www.FR3fluid.com.

www.FR3fluid.com

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/leadership

Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the solar power industry.