The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission fined Xcel Energy $1 million for exceeding a maximum number of customer service complaints as a result of significant delays in its processing of interconnection requests for solar projects. This is a pretty big deal considering commissions historically do not hold utilities accountable for theirRead 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

Equipment standardization for portfolio-level purchasing is a proven strategy to simplify procurement, establish repeatable construction practices, and promote efficient commissioning. While racking, modules, inverters and transformers are common bulk buys, the MV interconnection components are often excluded. A collection of components, and the work product of highly specialized labor, the interconnectionRead More

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) just issued sweeping changes to Rule 21, the rules under which distributed energy resources, like solar power and energy storage, may interconnect to the grid. The revisions encompass many issues but three of the most noteworthy include: 1) the plan to incorporate data on theRead More

A number of countries, states, and municipalities have been setting 100% clean energy goals. As the price of renewables keeps dropping, more people and businesses are turning to clean local energy, often in the form of rooftop solar. But in some locations, like Australia and Hawaii, solar adoption has beenRead More

In any scenario, the construction phase of a solar energy project brings with it a slew of logistical challenges and decision points for the delivery team. During the COVID-19 crisis, that list has understandably grown. COVID-19 has impacted all aspects of construction, both administrative and in the field. Where solarRead More

Watching a professional kitchen operate is an impressive sight. At first glance, it appears chaotic and disorganized. But upon closer inspection, it is clear that everyone, from the line cook to the head chef, has a distinct responsibility, all while working in concert with the rest of the cooks. ThisRead More

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) released its nationally applicable IREC Model Interconnection Procedures, 2019 Edition, last week. The model procedures reflect the latest evolution in best practices to facilitate higher penetrations of distributed energy resources (DERs) on the grid, integrating new technologies while maintaining grid safety and reliability. TheRead More