When it comes to designing solar systems for clients, handling the technical aspects of the job is easy. You have the tools, you have the knowledge, and you have the job that needs to be designed. People, though. People can be a problem. “I have come across many difficult customers inRead More

In the space of a few weeks last summer, climate-driven extreme weather compromised the U.S. electricity grid on both coasts. Hurricane Isaias brought power outages to millions in the Northeast while California, amid record heat and wildfires, experienced its first rolling blackouts in almost two decades. Both events were starkRead More

This barn on Hopeful Hollow Farm in Rockingham County, VA is 100 years old. So is the roof, but now it can generate 9-kW of new power every day. Sunflare installed LiteMount, the only ultralight weight module that can be installed on weight-constrained roofs — installing at less than 1 lbRead More

It was big news this summer when a federal appeals court upheld Order 841 of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. FERC Order 841 clarified that energy storage systems as small as 100 kW (which are interconnected on the distribution grid, under state rules), cannot be barred from participating in wholesaleRead More

After the Solar Builder readers cast their votes to choose our annual Project of the Year winners, Solar Builder’s editor gets to pick his favorites among the Project of the Year field of nominees. In a variety of categories from the Most Resilient to the Coolest Carport, here are the 2020 SolarRead More

A safer, zero maintenance and lower cost alternative to lithium-ion batteries is a sought-after storage dream, but startup EnerVenue says it’s close to reality right now in the form of a metal-hydrogen battery technology that’s been used in outer space for almost half a century. It is a compelling case.Read More

Sparks, Nev. | 61.17 MW Developer: Greenbacker Capital Contractors: McCarthy Building Companies, TerraSmart Mounting: TerraSmart Inverters: TMEIC Modules: ET Solar The project site for our 2020 Utility-Scale Project of the Year, as voted by the Solar Builder readers, is located in the Reno Technology Park, approximately 15 miles northeast ofRead More

Harvard, Illinois | 1.7 MW Developer: Simpleray Contractor: Althoff Industries Mounting / Design: OMCO Solar Inverters: SMA America Modules: HT-SAAE What else can I tell you about our C&I Ground-Mount Project of the Year, as voted by the readers of Solar Builder, that tops the photo? Hmm. Guess I’ll startRead More

State of Virginia | 1.25 MW in total (6 rooftops) Nonprofits and places of worship are in that no man’s land when it comes to solar — operations that would benefit immensely from the savings of renewable energy but with no easy path to financing. The 2020 C&I Rooftop ProjectRead More

Arvada, Colo. | 25.41 kW Contractor: Ecology Solar Modules: Jinko Inverter: SolarEdge Mounting: Unirac, Aerocompact The 2020 Residential Solar Project of the Year, as voted on by the readers of Solar Builder, is the Villa Residence and Home Brewery, located in Arvada, Colo. It belongs to Keith and Jodi Villa,Read More