Looking Back on Our Favorite Features
It’s that time of year again! It’s Solar News of the Week Wrapped! In 2024 we published 24 editions of Solar News of the Week to bring you the latest solar, renewable energy, and utility sector stories. It was another record-breaking year for solar and we love following along with the latest innovations, challenges, and new projects from around the industry.
This year we’ll be highlighting stories in all your favorite categories from innovative new installations, exploring the energy transition, highlighting industry challenges, and stories about solar for good. Plus, we’re including a new category about sustainable building. Explore the sections below to look back on some of our favorite articles, videos, and podcasts from 2024!
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Innovative Installations
In Wyoming, Sheep May Safely Graze Under Solar Panels in One of the State’s First “Agrivoltaic” Projects – Inside Climate News
“I think the solar industry has learned that they don’t have to be just bare ground underneath. I find that very exciting and a continuation of Wyoming’s view on multiple use.” – Jim Willox, Converse County Commissioners chairman of the board.
A farm family in Converse County, Wyoming will lease their land for solar generation and keep their ranching roots intact. The new facility, known as the Dutchman Project, will feature raised solar panels, allowing the family’s sheep to continue grazing. The new technique known as “agrivoltaics” is an opportunity for two unlikely industries to collaborate.
Giant Batteries Are Transforming the Way the U.S. Uses Electricity – The New York Times
“What’s happening in California is a glimpse of what could happen to other grids in the future. Batteries are quickly moving from these niche applications to shifting large amounts of renewable energy toward peak demand periods.” – Helen Kou, Head of U.S. Power Analysis at BloombergNEF
To keep up with electrical demand after dark, California is turning to large-scale batteries. Thanks to its vast network of solar power excess energy is stored in batteries for use at night, partially replacing the need for fossil fuels at a peak demand time. The utility-scale battery market experienced significant growth in the last few years with California, Arizona, and Texas leading the charge.
An AI-Powered Robot is Helping Install a Solar Farm to Power Amazon’s Data Centers – Business Insider
As the energy transition heats up, labor shortages are on the rise. Robots may be the answer. Virginia-based AES Corporation recently introduced a robot named Maximo that they claim will install solar panels two times faster than humans for half the cost. The robot will make its first appearance in the California desert later this year to complete a large solar plus storage project that will power nearby data centers. To date, AES has installed roughly 10 MW of solar capacity with its robots.
Solar Farms Have a Superpower Beyond Clean Energy – The New York Times
U.S. solar developers are addressing habitat loss by planting and nurturing native plants at large installations. One test facility in Minnesota found that insect abundance tripled over five years when native plants were introduced below the solar panels. But while some developers may appear committed to biodiversity, many projects often fall short.
A Climate Resistant Community Passed Two Hurricane Tests – The New York Times
The unique Florida town of Babcock Ranch recently survived not one but two major hurricanes. How? Designed to withstand major storms, the town utilizes natural areas like wetlands to absorb flood waters and keeps the lights on with vast solar arrays. Could communities like this shape Florida’s future?
The Clean Energy Transition
How to Get People to Kick Fossil Fuels Out of Their Homes – Canary Media
Even with a boost from federal incentives consumer adoption of renewable energy tech is still too slow. One of the largest studies exploring household energy behavior was recently conducted to understand the holdup. So far the biggest hurdles are upfront and unclear costs and benefits. The study aims to help policymakers and program directors tailor messaging accordingly.
Solar Panels Spread Across America’s Heartland as Farmers Chase Stable Returns – Bloomberg
“We would prefer not to have any solar, but if we don’t have it, we won’t have the ability to keep this farm going.” – Stuart Woolf, California Farmer
Thanks to a boost from the Inflation Reduction Act more American farmers are turning to solar power as a buffer against volatile crop prices. Solar provides a more stable profit stream giving many the ability to earn more than they ever would with crops alone.
The Solar Breakthrough That Could Help the U.S. Compete With China – The Wall Street Journal
A new manufacturing process reduces the amount of silver needed for solar panels. The breakthrough is expected to prop up the U.S. solar supply chain by reducing costs. Georgia-based company, Hanwha QCells, will be the first to use the new technology at their manufacturing facility in the state. It’s an important milestone at a time when silver prices remain high and the U.S. supply chain struggles to keep up with China.
America’s Oil Country Increasingly Runs on Renewables – The New York Times
The Texas grid has become more resilient to surging demand thanks to renewable energy. In the summer of 2023, officials called on residents to conserve energy to avoid grid failure. But in 2024 that tune has changed thanks to solar and battery storage. The state saw record demand levels this year but held strong during critical hours thanks to renewables. And it’s not just in Texas. States across the country and nations around the world are grappling with increased energy demand and how clean energy might fill the gaps.
Industry Challenges
Local opposition to renewable energy projects is slowing the energy transition with at least 228 restrictions on renewable projects imposed in 35 states. After a handful of projects in Michigan and other parts of the Midwest were shot down, states are now seeking the power to supersede local restrictions to get projects back on track. The fight has ignited a political backlash.
The Planet Needs Solar Power. Can We Build it Without Harming Nature? – The New York Times
Habitat-friendly solar power installation methods do exist, but hurdles to their implementation are abound. With a patchwork of local and state regulations, lack of research concerning animal interactions, and no federal guidelines for siting and planning, a unique challenge arises at a pivotal time in the battle against climate change. How do we implement clean energy while preserving biodiversity? The decisions made today will reverberate for decades.
What Happens to Those Solar Panels When Solar Companies Shut Down – TIME
Solar company closures often leave customers in the lurch and in debt with many owing thousands of dollars on a system that may not even be functioning. It’s a bad look for a growing industry as headwinds prevail. Research firm Wood Mackenzie estimates that residential installs will shrink by 14 percent this year as interest rates dampen consumer enthusiasm.
As Data Centers for AI Strain The Power Grid, Bills Rise For Everyday Customers – The Washington Post
“A lot of governors and local political leaders who wanted economic growth and vitality from these data centers are now realizing it can come at a cost of increased consumer bills.” – Neil Chatterjee, former chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The AI boom is raising rates for everyday customers as data centers expand. Many facilities require expensive upgrades to existing infrastructure and drive up the price that local utilities pay for energy. Regulators expressed concern that big companies like Google and Amazon aren’t paying their fair share as they race to lead in AI development. Instead, expensive expansions leave homeowners and small businesses on the hook for their increased electric consumption.
Sustainable Building
Why People Don’t Have to Pay Anything For Electricity in This Florida Community – The Washington Post
“When you’re building a home or building a community, you’re investing in your own generation, but also future generations. The more that we plan in an integrated, sustainable way for the future, the more resilient our communities will be.” – Avery McEvoy, Rocky Mountain Institute
A new residential development near Tampa is the world’s first LEED Zero Energy certified community. Thanks to a 14-panel solar power system and a 12 kWh battery at each unit, all 86 homes will generate more electricity than they use.
How a Never-Ending Home Renovation Project is Fighting Climate Change – The New York Times
A Princeton professor is creating a laboratory of sustainable living solutions at his home in New Jersey. Students in his labs develop heating and cooling systems that he then tests at home. His “experiments” use a mix of cutting-edge technology and more traditional sustainability methods.
Doing Good
Solar is Here to Stay – Let’s Do It Right – Forbes
Agrivoltaics represents the future of solar. When land and renewable energy can coexist, everybody wins. That’s the perspective from Byron Kominek, the founder of Jack’s Solar Garden, an agrivoltaics research project in Boulder, Colorado.
Solar Companies Unite in Helene Disaster Relief in North Carolina – PV Magazine
It’s been two weeks since Hurricane Helene tore through parts of Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. Areas of North Carolina are relying on gas-powered generators, but fuel is expensive and must be brought from other states. Now volunteers from the nonprofit Footprint Project are bringing in solar generators, portable batteries, and larger solar microgrids to supplement power and provide relief.
They Hoped Solar Panels Would Secure the Future of Their Farm. Then Thei Neighbors Found Out. – USA Today
“I never in all my life thought I would stand up here to protect our property rights by being able to use our land legally for the best benefit of our family.” – Donna Knoche, Kansas Farmer
A multi-generational farming family comes face to face with the solar opposition movement after leasing their land for development in rural Kansas.
Researchers Aim to Figure Out How To Harvest Food and Electricity Off the Same Land – NPR
A research team in Iowa is exploring agrivoltaics at an experimental ten-acre site just north of Des Moines. The current array powers roughly 200 nearby homes and was built to test how different panel configurations impact crop growth. Researchers are especially excited about the symbiotic relationship between panels and plants.
How a Battle Over Solar Power Tore one New York Community Apart – The Reveal Podcast from Mother Jones
Tensions heat up in the small town of Copake in upstate New York when local farmers plan to lease their land for a large solar array. It’s a familiar story that’s playing out across the nation: how can communities coexist with the necessary change the energy transition requires?
Rooftop Solar’s Dark Side – Planet Money
Solar’s early days set the tone for the rest of the industry and big companies are trying to pivot as business structures begin to crumble. Are shoddy sales tactics and false promises finally catching up to the big national installers?
How China Became Solar Royalty – Planet Money
Two decades ago the solar sector was dominated by the U.S., Japan, and Germany, but China was eager to be part of the technological manufacturing revolution. In 2006 the country launched its 5-year plan, prioritizing solar energy over fossil fuels. After decades of tax breaks, preferential rates, and the creation of a localized polysilicon supply chain, China’s solar industry disrupted global markets and continues to dominate to this day.