USA

SMA America has released a new mobile application, empowering PV installers with up-to-date system information, quick error analysis and repair assistance.

Energias de Portugal (EDP), through its subsidiary EDP Renewables North America LLC, has acquired a 50% stake in a 278MW US solar portfolio that was developed by First Solar.

SunPower building 35MW project to supply Chevron's Lost Hills Oil Field. Assam tenders for 25MW solar project. Constant Energy partners Sodexo Thailand

Origis Energy USA announced it has selected Renewable Energy Systems to construct the Origis Energy Tanglewood Solar project, a 57.5-MWAC solar farm in Mitchell County, Georgia. Origis Energy developed the solar site as one of the facilities under the Georgia Power Renewable Energy Development Initiative (REDI) serving the utility’s customers participating in the Commercial and Industrial REDI (C&I REDI) program. This contract represents the first construction partnership between Origis Energy and RES. Origis Energy will own and operate the facility.

A new Harvard study shows that to achieve the biggest improvements in public health and the greatest benefits from renewable energy, wind turbines should be installed in the Upper Midwest and solar power should be installed in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions. When adjusting for energy produced, the benefits ranged from $28 per MWh of energy produced from wind in California, to $113 per MWh of wind in the Upper Midwest and for utility-scale solar in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic.

KDC Solar has completed a 4-MW solar carport project for CentraState, a healthcare provider in Freehold Township, New Jersey. Combined with a previously completed ground-mount array, CentraState can now generate 61% of its energy consumption via on-site solar.

Tesla is offering a discount on solar panels and batteries to people who are affected by wildfire power outages, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted today. More than 2 million people across California have been affected by power outages since October 25th as utility companies try to prevent their power lines from sparking new blazes. A fire just north of San Francisco has already consumed more than 66,000 acres and is only 5 percent under control.

Dominion Energy has acquired a 72MW PV project from First Solar that is expected to enter service in late 2019. The installation will provide power and renewable energy attributes under a Dominion Energy South Carolina contract that was previously filed and accepted in South Carolina.

RP Construction Services has begun the 3-MW solar installation for clothing retailer Gap’s distribution center in Fresno, California. Once complete, the system is expected to help Gap meet approximately 50% of the Fresno facility’s energy needs and reduce the company’s operating expenses, while supporting the company’s goal to reach 100% renewable energy across its global owned and operated facilities by 2030.

Renewable energy sources (biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) accounted for 18.49% of net domestic electrical generation during the first eight months of 2019, according to a SUN DAY Campaign analysis of just-released data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). A year earlier, renewables’ share was 17.95%.

A U.S. research team has used protein bacteriorhodopsin to improve the efficiency of what it called ‘bioperovskite’ solar cells. The scientists used Förster Resonance Energy Transfer to predict the strength of long-range excitonic transport between the perovskite and protein layers.

U.S. oil major Chevron did not respond to pv magazine’s questions. Exxon Mobil and BP did not produce figures for their clean energy investment activity and Total responded only with its ‘low carbon electricity’ spending. Shell stated it had invested €1.6 billion in clean energy from late 2016 up to June.

Leading US solar developer 8minute Solar Energy is to collaborate with Doosan GridTech to use advanced, predictive software controls to dispatch energy from solar-plus-storage plant in California.

One of the largest solar arrays in Vermont has a new owner.

CleanChoice Energy is introducing town partnerships for its CleanChoice Community Solar offerings. The company’s first Community Solar Partnership is with the Village of Wappingers Falls, where CleanChoice Energy will serve as the town’s preferred provider of community solar, allowing local residents to realize savings while working toward the town’s sustainability goals. Wappingers Falls’ residents can subscribe to CleanChoice Energy’s new portfolio of local community solar farms and save up to 10% on their utility bills.