Solar

How solar microgrids are bringing power (and quiet) to North Carolina

In areas hit by Hurricane Helene, the nonprofit Footprint Project is replacing noisy and polluting generators with solar panels and batteries.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 28 October 2024

Solar panels on the ground with people around — Workers installing a solar microgrid in Marshall, North Carolina. (Footprint Project)

Solar

This startup has a smarter way to make solar work for apartments

Allume Energy’s SolShare tech can divvy up solar output among apartment units however property owners choose, delivering more flexibility to an underserved market.

By Jeff St. John . 16 March 2023
Climatetech finance

Community solar industry says it can ride out Silicon Valley Bank failure

The collapse of SVB, a key early funder of community solar, won't halt the sector's growth — but the ripple effects will likely impact all clean-energy development.

By Jeff St. John . 14 March 2023
Energy efficiency

Google's huge solar buys help fund efficiency fixes for low-income homes

In partnership with Sol Systems, the tech giant is using a slice of its clean-energy investments for repairs and efficiency upgrades in lower-income communities.

By Jeff St. John . 8 March 2023
Food and farms

There's a push underway to help more US farms save big with clean energy

Advocates say revamping the 20-year-old federal Rural Energy for America Program could give cash-crunched small farms some much-needed breathing room.

By Kathiann Kowalski . 6 March 2023
Solar

Chart: Who's the leader in utility-scale solar — California or Texas?

After several years running of massive solar capacity buildouts, the Lone Star State is rapidly gaining ground on the long-established renewables leader.

By Eric Wesoff, Maria Virginia Olano . 24 February 2023
Solar

Thin-film solar sparks a manufacturing boom in the Midwest

Home to domestically produced solar panels, Ohio is landing lots of new jobs with help from federal incentives and its deep roots in the glass industry.

By Kathiann Kowalski . 22 February 2023
Grid edge

Inside the software running Sunrun's home solar-battery fleets

Virtual power plants are only as good as the software that controls them. Here's how Lunar Energy is making the most of Sunrun's grid potential.

By Jeff St. John . 21 February 2023
Grid edge

PG&E is testing different flavors of virtual power plant

What's the best way for home batteries to help ease summer grid stress? This California utility is trying out two different models with Tesla and Sunrun.

By Jeff St. John . 20 February 2023
Climatetech finance

Two superstar investors go all-in on Complete Solaria merger

John Doerr and T.J. Rodgers put their money on vertically integrated residential solar.

By Eric Wesoff . 14 February 2023
Climatetech finance

Solar hardware maker Nextracker scores $638M in 2023’s biggest IPO so far

Eschewing the SPAC siren song, the tracker manufacturer went public in an old-school IPO that exceeded analysts' expectations.

By Eric Wesoff . 13 February 2023