Solar Power World

If you've driven through the American Rust Belt, you've likely seen abandoned steel mills. They're a common sight — some might say a sore one — and often remain untouched and undeveloped once shuttered. However, Scalo Solar Solutions helped reinvigorate a long-abandoned steel mill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that's shedding new light on the redevelopment potential of these sites. In the fourth episode of The Case for Solar, associate editor Billy Ludt narrates his case study written for the November 2021 issue of Solar Power World. Read the case study here: solarpowerworldonline.com MUSIC "Himalayas" by Mona Wonderlick — bit.ly/youtube-monawonderlick Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free download: bit.ly/himalayas-download

Heyo! We have our first repeat interview within KP's Contractor's Corner run. We hope you enjoy today's interview with George Hershman, president of SOLV Energy, the new name of Swinerton Renewable Energy. Today we talk about the industry's top solar installation company and its new name, and so much more, including the recklessness right now around suggested tariffs, what's needed to boost domestic manufacturing and how the big guys are dealing with supply chain disruptions. Check out project photos here: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/11/contractors-corner-solv-energy/ Interested in the OG 2016 interview? Check it out: https://soundcloud.com/solarpowerworld/contractors-corner-swinerton-renewable-energy

Aurora Energy has established a name for itself in the Washington, D.C., area as a risk-taking, ahead-of-the-curve solar installer. The company has evolved over the last three decades and sees its specialty in commercial projects that may need a little custom engineering. In this episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast Aurora talks about the company's desire to take care of its customers seeking all the financial and environmental benefits that come with installing solar. This has led Aurora Energy to branch out into community solar and take on more unique projects like green roofs. We also talk tariffs and price increases happening right now. Find the story: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/09/contractors-corner-aurora-energy/

Fulfilling development tasks, arranging an interconnection agreement and designing and then building a solar array is no simple task. But Oakland, California-based solar developer Adapture Renewables did it 10 times over when it acquired a portfolio of projects planned for Western Oregon. In the third episode of The Case for Solar, associate editor Billy Ludt narrates his case study written for the September 2021 issue of Solar Power World. Read the case study here: solarpowerworldonline.com MUSIC "Himalayas" by Mona Wonderlick — bit.ly/youtube-monawonderlick Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free download: bit.ly/himalayas-download

In this special edition of Contractors Corner, solar tracker and racking manufacturer OMCO Solar discusses the company’s latest innovations in bifacial trackers. Sponsored by OMCO Solar.

In this special edition of Contractor’s Corner, solar installation business management platform BluBanyan and bank-to-bank payment software firm Paystand talk about how financing technology can help boost solar company margins and ROI. Sponsored by Paystand.

Big-name, multi-site contracts can increase a solar installer's standing in the industry, but for SolareAmerica, a partnership with the Wawa convenience store chain only built on the 12-year-old company's legacy. In this episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast, John Scorsone, president of SolareAmerica, talks about the gas-pump solar canopies and ground-mounts involved in the Wawa project portfolio, and how it has provided the company with a front-seat to the emerging EV charging market as well. https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/07/contractors-corner-solareamerica/

In this special edition of Contractors Corner, solar mounting manufacturer Preformed Line Products (PLP) talks about the advantages of using uniform, building-block-style solar carport designs on all projects. Sponsored by PLP.

Veregy is a newish energy services company (ESCO) with a much longer history. The company started in 2019 after six regional ESCOs merged to offer energy optimization and performance contracting to commercial clients nationwide. One of those companies was a commercial solar installer out of Arizona, and the new Veregy now focuses on a holistic energy package for customers — with energy efficiency, solar, smart building integration, maintenance services and more. In this episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast, John Mitman, VP of distributed energy resources for Veregy, describes the joining of knowledge and expertise as a way to better execute on customer goals. Now when K-12 school districts and healthcare institutions want to save money on their utility bills, the Veregy team can create a long-term strategy with multiple phases of energy conservation measures that may include solar arrays. Read the story: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/06/contractors-corner-veregy/

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Top Solar Contractors list this year, Solar Power World was joined by representatives at McCarthy Building Companies, Inovateus Solar, RPCS and Renu Robotics to discuss the utility-scale market. The utility-scale solar market may seem like an assembly line of tried-and-true installation methods, but most of the industry’s technology advances first arrive on our largest projects. Large-format and bifacial solar modules are tested on new trackers and hooked up to more powerful inverters every day. Utility-scale contractors talk about how they keep abreast on the latest technology designs while building successful projects with a shrinking ITC. Watch the roundtable: https://youtu.be/9ijpFP2GejY

In this special edition of Contractor’s Corner, solar structure manufacturer and installer M Bar C talks about how the company has adapted to new construction markets and solar technologies over the years. Sponsored by M Bar C.

In this special edition of Contractor’s Corner, solar mounting and racking manufacturer SnapNrack talks about its new, Miami-Dade-approved mounting solution that does away with cumbersome metal flashing. Sponsored by SnapNrack.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Top Solar Contractors list this year, Solar Power World was joined by representatives at Standard Solar, Nexamp and Pivot Energy to discuss the community solar market. One of the fastest growing solar segments involves the community solar model. Instead of one end-user, many customers are involved with the unique solar projects on landfills, townhomes and community fields. C&I contractors involved with community solar will discuss the design, installation and post-project considerations necessary for this quickly emerging market in the United States. Register for future roundtables: www.solarpowerworldonline.com/tsc-roundtables/ Watch the roundtable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp49LQZG_9s

It's no secret that utilities are having a difficult time in California right now. With wildfires increasing in intensity each year, more utilities are having to shut down power to save their grids. It's pushing even more people to consider solar and storage to create their own microgrids to keep emergency services online. So it's not especially surprising that the state's investor-owned utilities have cried that age-old claim that solar customers are not paying enough for grid upkeep. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is now considering a monthly charge for solar customers, and solar advocates have joined against this attempt by the utilities to "undermine consumer choice." It leaves installers like Cosmic Solar in a precarious position. In this episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast, Solar Power World editor-in-chief Kelly Pickerel talks with Cosmic co-owners Bahram and Judith Shadzi about how they are supporting the "Save California Solar" campaign while also diversifying into roofing

The term "off-grid" is often associated with small energy projects located off the beaten path, and while Derrick Zearley's home is remote, it's no small project. He teamed up with South Carolina contractor Firefly Solar to take his new home construction project off the grid with solar + storage technologies after utilities left the site without power. In the second episode of The Case for Solar, associate editor Billy Ludt narrates his case study written for the May 2021 issue of Solar Power World. Read the case study here: solarpowerworldonline.com MUSIC "Himalayas" by Mona Wonderlick — bit.ly/youtube-monawonderlick Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free download: bit.ly/himalayas-download

What started as being a nice neighbor to a regenerative farm has turned into a whole new way of building and maintaining solar projects for Silicon Ranch. With close to 1 GW of installed projects, the utility-scale solar developer and owner was seeing the real impact of using herbicides and pesticides to manage vegetation growth. After siting a new project next to one of the larger regenerative ranchers in the Southeast, Silicon Ranch (whose mission is to be a supportive community member) wanted to ensure it wasn't applying chemicals or contributing to soil erosion that may affect the rancher's mission. With some tips from the rancher, Silicon Ranch dove into regenerative land management practices that could improve the land at each of its solar sites. In this episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast, Solar Power World editor-in-chief Kelly Pickerel talks with Silicon Ranch CEO Reagan Farr about the company's regenerative energy process, and how bringing more native plants and grazing livestock to solar s

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Top Solar Contractors list this year, Solar Power World was joined by representatives at Mortenson, GenPro Energy Solutions and SUNation to discuss solar + storage installations across all markets. The rise of extreme weather has many homeowners concerned about keeping the lights and refrigerators on through extended power outages. And with more utilities looking at energy storage to improve the resiliency of their grids, the storage market has finally hit its tipping point. Panelists described how they’ve incorporated batteries into their service offerings along with the important installation considerations that come with storage systems. Register for future roundtables: www.solarpowerworldonline.com/tsc-roundtables/ Watch the roundtable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMOOu7Dr350

In this special edition of Contractors Corner, solar mounting product manufacturer K2 Systems talks about the evolution of solar roof flashings from “goop and a prayer” to tried-and-true metal solutions and new plastic solutions. Sponsored by K2 Systems.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Top Solar Contractors list this year, Solar Power World was joined by representatives at LightWave Solar, ReVision Energy and Semper Solaris to discuss the current residential solar market. Panelists discussed best business practices the installation community has adopted for the residential solar + storage market. While COVID-19 sent many in the United States to work and learn at home, utility bills increased along with the interest in solar and storage. Residential solar installers talk about their businesses and where they’ve found success — from sales software, mounting techniques, lead generation, inverter choice, battery backup requests and more. Register for future roundtables: www.solarpowerworldonline.com/tsc-roundtables/ Watch the roundtable: https://youtu.be/b8pBY-f1on4

Solar + storage technologies are a growing option for homeowners seeking additional energy security, especially in areas where grid outages are commonplace. Daren Goldin, CEO of Goldin Solar, a contractor based in Miami, Florida, has a solar + storage system installed at his home where he often invites prospective customers to see how it all works. For a state like Florida, where residents endure hurricanes annually, having electricity when the grid goes out is paramount, and Goldin is trying to ensure that it stays on. In this first episode of The Case for Solar, associate editor Billy Ludt narrates his case study written for the March 2021 issue of Solar Power World. Read the case study here: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/03/contractor-uses-ceos-home-to-demonstrate-reliability-of-solar-storage-technology/ Read the March 2021 digital issue of Solar Power World here: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/03/march-2021-issue-the-residential-issue/ MUSIC "Himalayas" by Mona Wonderlick — b