Solar is Surging: The United States Solar News For March 2024[Roundup]

The sun is shining bright in the United States solar industry. As climate concerns and energy independence are gaining a lot of attention, solar power is soaring across the country. 

Let’s go through the exciting news and latest developments in the US solar industry this March.

Massive Solar Installations in January Made it A Booming Month in the Year

March 28, 2024 : 2024 is witnessing strong growth in the United States solar industry. The latest FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) reports have indicated new dominant figures with 2.527 gigawatts of solar energy capacity this January. Solar along with other renewable and wind energy has contributed 98.3% of new capacity. It is projected that this trend will continue in the coming years. ~ Source

Aurora Solar’s Recent Study Finds 75% of Homeowners Can’t Afford Solar

March 28, 2024 : Based on Aurora Solar’s recent survey report conducted on 1000 homeowners and 500 solar installers, 51% of participants considered solar a good investment, and 75% without solar showed interest in solar but expressed that huge associated cost is a big hurdle in making purchasing decisions. ~ source

California Might Add Income-based Fees to Electricity Bills (Up to $128/month)

March 27, 2024 : The proposal of charging $128 per month for residential electricity in California is under consideration. Irrespective of the energy consumption, a fixed charge of $128 would be applied to the monthly utility bills which is concerning for many California households. Some lawmakers say this will burden low and middle-income households and even discourage renewable energy switches. ~ Source

Walmart To Become Corporate Leader in Adopting Solar Technology

March 26, 2024 : With 600 on and off-site projects under development and in operation across 10 countries, Walmart has announced two massive deals to add utility as well as community-scale solar across the United States. They aim to become completely powered by renewable energy by 2035. Walmart has committed to adding 10 gigawatts of clean energy capacity which is enough to efficiently power 2 million houses, by 2030. This retail giant is undeniably taking responsibility for environmental sustainability. ~ source

Maxeon Has Announced 24.9% Efficiency For IBC Solar Panels

March 26, 2024 : Maxeon, a Singaporean solar manufacturer has claimed a 24.9% efficiency rating for the Maxeon 7 PV panels using IBC (Interdigitated Back Contact), the United States NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) has confirmed the results. A 24.9% efficiency rating indicates solar panels can convert 24.9% of sunlight into electricity which is higher than the average of around 15-20%.  ~ source

$1 Billion 800 Megawatt Solar Project Gets Approval From OPSB

March 25, 2024 : The construction of the 800 Megawatt Oak Run Solar Project which involves 300 megawatts of battery storage and regional transmission equipment construction has been approved by OPSB (Ohio Power Siting Board). This massive solar project will take up approximately 4400 acres in Madison County, Ohio. A $1 billion investment in this project will create jobs in maintenance, and construction, and likely add new solar sectors in Ohio.  ~ source

DOE Investing $475 Million for Clean Energy Solutions

March 22, 2024 : DOE (The United States Department of Energy) is ready to invest $475 million in clean energy solutions for mine land and provide ways to decarbonize their operations. This money will fund five projects in Arizona, Nevada, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania on existing and former mine land. This will also encourage other mining communities nationwide to follow and replicate such projects.  ~ source

Primergy Solar Developing 400 MV Solar and Storage Project for CCA, California

March 21, 2024 : Primergy Solar is making a breakthrough in the California energy sector by building a 400 MV solar and storage project for CCA (California Community Choice Aggregation). This massive capacity project named Purple Sage Energy Center with the inclusion of 1.6 GWh of battery energy storage will generate huge amounts of solar energy, combat climate change, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. This project will be fully operational by 2027.  ~ source

Doral Renewables Secured $114 Million for Financing their Solar Project in Ohio

March 21, 2024 : Doral Renewables has secured $114 million for its Great Bend Solar project in Ohio. This funding indicates a large-scale solar project in Ohio to bring significant production of clean energy. This facility will be located on 370 acres of land and boasts a capacity of 48 MVac, which is enough to power up to 9000 households.  ~ source

Record-breaking Growth in Energy Storage in the United States

March 20, 2024 : The latest report has outlined that the energy storage industry in the United States deployed 8.7 gigawatts which is a 90% record-breaking growth. In 2023, the US deployed 4.2 gigawatts in quarter 4 wherein California and Texas contributed 77%. In Q4, 2023 the marginal record quarter of the residential energy storage market deployed 218.5 megawatts, surpassing the record of 210.9 megawatts in Quarter 3. The most deployments occurred in Massachusetts, California, and New York.  ~ source

Sinovoltaics Tracks Emerging PV Manufacturing Zones in North America and Europe

March 20, 2024 : Sinovoltaics, a Hong Kong-based firm has started publishing supply chain reports about emerging PV manufacturing hubs in the market of North America and Europe. This report contains existing and planned production for manufacturers of modules, ingots, cells, wafers,  multigrain silicon, and polysilicon from 2023 to 2027. This report also indicates manufacturing units and companies on hold, closed, or bankrupted. Solar developers and other related buyers can find relevant manufacturers in a specific region using these free reports.   ~ source

DOE is Investing $44 Million to Improve the Nation’s Electricity Grid

March 19, 2024 : The US Department of Energy (DOE) is investing $44 million to enhance the country’s electricity grid and make it more cleaner. $34 million is provided to eleven projects developing new tools to manage and integrate renewable energy effectively into the grid and $10 million will be dedicated to create new funding opportunities to simplify the connection of clean energy sources to the grid.  ~ source

SolarEdge Introduced Inverter Upgrade Program Called ‘Re-Energize

March 18, 2024 : SolarEdge has launched an inverter upgrade program for their customers to upgrade their existing equipment with a new one with a fresh warranty. This includes a 12-year warranty, a new five-year data cell card, and the ability to integrate smart home devices such as battery backup and EV chargers. Homeowners who installed SolarEdge system before 30, June 2022 might be eligible for this program.   ~ source

$10000 Cash Prize for Solar Games Champion

March 14, 2024 : The first solar installer competition named ‘Solar Games’ in the industry is ready to roll in another competition in 2025 live in the Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America expo hall. Along with the title ‘Solar Games Champion’ the winner will take home a whopping cash prize of $10000. Aloha Solar Power from Encinitas, CA has earned this title for 2024.  ~ source

Exciting Advancements in Solar Cell Materials

March 13, 2024 : Researchers have identified a new material zinc-phosphide (BaCd2P2) that has exceptional potential for solar absorbers (the major of a solar cell that converts sunlight into electricity present in the center) among 40,000 inorganic materials. It has a carrier lifetime of up to 30 numbers and an energy bandgap of 1.45 eV.  ~ source

US recycled Steel Solar Frames are Greener than Aluminum

March 12, 2024 : A recent study by Origami Solar and Boundless Impact Research & Analytics has shown that US-made recycled steel solar module frames have comparatively lower embodied carbon emissions than traditional aluminum frames. The study highlights a 90.4% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional frames that are imported from China. This means using recycled steel for solar module frames can be a more sustainable choice than aluminum alternatives.  ~ source

$5 Million Upkskill Prize for the Best Solar Proposal

March 08, 2024 : With the aim of creating high-quality jobs, boosting the solar supply chain, and strengthening the workforce involved in solar manufacturing, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a $5 million upskill prize for the winner. 

This will require US solar manufacturers and training organizations to put forward proposals to upskill the existing workforce and attract new employees through specialized equipment training, precertification programs, etc. Winning proposals are eligible to get $500000 each.  ~ source

The US Installed 32.4 GWdc (Gigawatts-Direct Current) of Solar Energy in 2023

March 06, 2024 : For the United States solar industry, the year 2023 was the biggest year as the country installed 32.4 GWdc which is 51% more than what it was in 2022. As people rushed to take benefit of the net metering program, the residential solar grew by 12% in California which added 6.8 GWdc of capacity. By 2034, the aggregate solar capacity in the US is projected to grow to 673 GWdc which will power over 100 million households.  ~ source

New Legislation Nulified NEM 3.0 Decision

March 04, 2024 : Damon Connolly, the assembly member of California introduced new legislation to lower taxes and fees on residential solar projects. This bill also reinstated the incentives for solar projects in California which was reduced by the CPUC (California Public Utilities Commission) NEM 3.0 decision. This legislation is restored to attain the goal of generating 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045.  ~ source

MEA Announced $3 Million Solar Grant Program for 2024 

March 04, 2024 : Maryland Energy Administration has unveiled a budget of $3 million to expand clean energy production and access to community solar for the residents. This solar grant program is designed to fund clean energy systems for LMI communities. This grant cannot exceed $500000 for individuals for any project.    ~ source