Drafting vs. Engineering: Choosing the right partner for commercial projects

Baltimore Aircoil Company, Inc. (BAC), the world’s cooling partner, proudly announces that Bill McQuade – P.E., CDP, Fellow ASHRAE, LEED AP – will serve as the 2025-26 President of ASHRAE, a global association of HVAC&R and building services professionals that develops building standards and provides resources to improve energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and sustainability. McQuade will continue to hold the position of Global VP & Head of Government Affairs and Sustainability for BAC while simultaneously fulfilling his role as ASHRAE President.

The 2025-26 ASHRAE Society Year will center around McQuade’s theme, "Healthy Buildings: Designing for Life." This theme emphasizes the connection between energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality (IEQ), offering practical approaches to improve air quality, thermal comfort, acoustics, lighting, and water quality within buildings.

McQuade said, “Balancing energy efficiency with good IEQ ensures that buildings are not only environmentally sustainable but also conducive to the health and productivity of their occupants, creating a win-win situation for both people and the planet.” He added, “We are all so proud of the work that ASHRAE has done to protect our climate and outdoor environment by improving energy efficiency, eliminating ozone depleting refrigerants, conserving resources, and decarbonizing buildings. We can build on a half-century of progress in the energy performance of buildings and now focus the same effort on the indoor climate and environment.”

McQuade has spent over 32 years in the HVAC&R industry leading initiatives in regulatory collaboration, ESG strategy, and technical innovation. He previously served on the ASHRAE Board of Directors as president-elect, treasurer, vice president and director-at-large. He has also served in numerous leadership roles including Vice President of Sector Service at AHRI, contributed to global climate policy discussions, and holds 22 U.S. and international patents related to chiller design, oil separation, chiller control algorithms, and leak detection for flammable refrigerants. McQuade was also chosen by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to represent the industry on the Indo-U.S. Taskforce on Hydrofluorocarbons and contributed his expertise to the U.S. Department of Energy's HVAC Roadmap Collaboration Team (Oak Ridge National Lab). To watch McQuade’s presidential address, presentation, and IEQ resources visit www.ashrae.org/president.

Also, congratulations to ASHRAE’s other newly elected officers including the other Executive Committee members, Directors and Regional Chairs, and Directors-at-Large whose leadership and expertise will help shape the Society’s continued commitment to excellence through the 2025–26 Society Year and beyond. The full Board of Directors can be found at www.ASHRAE.org/bod. 

BAC | www.baltimoreaircoil.com 

ASHRAE | www.ashrae.org

RE+ 25, North America’s largest clean energy event, brought together more than 37,000 industry professionals and 1,325 exhibiting companies September 8–11 at The Venetian Expo, Caesars Forum, and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The event spotlighted clean energy’s critical role in meeting the rapidly rising demand for power across the U.S. and around the world. 

The program opened with RE+ On Air, a packed General Session hosted by Molly Wood, Founder and CEO of Molly Wood Media and host of Everybody in the Pool, a podcast for the climate economy. Education highlights included the launch of the Main Stage Theater, featuring sessions such as Federal Policy Update: Tax Incentives, Trade, Tariffs, and Other Goings-On in Washington and BESSt Foot Forward: Building up Battery Energy Storage Systems in the U.S. In addition, Monday Deep Dives provided attendees with in-depth learning and networking on topics ranging from sales and business development to workforce growth and cybersecurity. 

“By welcoming more than 37,000 attendees this year, we’ve once again demonstrated why this is the largest and most influential clean energy tradeshow in North America. As the U.S. faces new challenges and rapidly rising energy demand, the leadership, collaboration, and innovation happening at RE+ 25 are critical to delivering the solutions to tomorrow’s needs,” said Stephen Miner, President and CEO, RE+ Events. 

This year’s International Showcase featured Denmark as the Spotlight Country, alongside pavilions for Germany, Canada, Austria, Türkiye, and South Korea. The nearby Global Markets Stage drew strong crowds with sessions on international PV and energy storage opportunities. 

RE+ 25 also partnered with leading organizations to host special on-site programming, including the 2nd Annual Agrivoltaics Showcase from the American Solar Grazing Association, the H2GP Sprint from the H2GP Foundation, the Clean Energy Job Fair presented by GRID Alternatives and Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE), and the Grid Edge Theater, created and led by EMerge Alliance. 

RE+ Events | re-plus.com

Boviet Solar Technology Co., Ltd. (the "Company" or "Boviet Solar"), a leading solar energy technology company specializing in monocrystalline PV cells and its premium Gamma Series Monofacial and Vega Series Bifacial PV modules, announced the successful addition of its third PV module manufacturing production line at the company's Greenville, North Carolina factory. This expansion increases the facility's annual PV module production capacity from 2.0 GW to 3.0 GW.

The Greenville PV Module Factory (Phase I) began operations in April 2025 and produces Boviet Solar's top-performing Gamma Series Monofacial and Vega Series Bifacial PV modules. The addition of the third line strengthens the company's ability to meet the growing demand for domestically produced solar products while supporting the United States' clean energy transition.

In late August 2025, Boviet Solar also announced the completion of exterior construction for its Phase II PV Cell Manufacturing Facility in Greenville, which is on track to commence mass production in 2026. Importantly, the facility's planned 3.0 GW annual PV cell capacity will align with the Greenville PV Module factory's expanded 3.0 GW PV module capacity, ensuring fully integrated U.S. solar manufacturing.

"The addition of a third production line marks another important milestone in our Greenville journey. It further enhances our ability to serve our customers with reliable, U.S.-made PV modules while creating high-quality local jobs," said Marco Marquez, General Manager of Boviet Solar's Greenville Factory.

"Boviet Solar is deeply committed to the U.S. solar market. With 3.0 GW of PV module capacity and the upcoming PV cell factory, we are delivering on our promise to expand domestic manufacturing, drive investment into local communities, and accelerate the nation's renewable energy goals," added Sienna Cen, President of Boviet Solar USA.

With both factories combined, Boviet Solar will contribute a total of 3.0 GW of PV cell production capacity and 3.0 GW of PV module production capacity in the United States. The Greenville investment represents more than $400 million in total capital investment and will create more than 1,300 skilled local jobs once both phases are fully operational.

With this milestone, Boviet Solar reaffirms its role as a reliable, trusted, and long-term partner in the global solar industry, dedicated to delivering top-performing products, supporting domestic manufacturing, and driving the clean energy transition.

Boviet Solar | www.bovietsolar.com

Soltage, a leading independent power producer (IPP) specializing in the development, financing, and operation of distributed utility-scale solar and energy storage assets, announced the closing of a $525 million tax credit investment agreement.

This innovative financing structure includes the purchase of investment tax credits over two years, providing Soltage with stable, long-term capital to continue the development, construction, and operation of its 2+ GW pipeline of photovoltaic and battery energy storage projects.

Specifically, this transaction is expected to fund the next 260 MWs of Soltage's energy asset deployment. The agreement also includes a commitment from a Fortune 500 company to purchase tax credits generated through the partnership through 2026.

"We are pleased to announce this investment vehicle, accelerating our ability to deliver mission-critical generation resources to our customers across the U.S.," said Mihir Mehta, Chief Investment Officer of Soltage. "This transaction supports the continued growth of domestic clean energy infrastructure and helps create high-quality local employment opportunities."

Following Soltage's $260 million debt raise in June 2025, this transaction further solidifies the company's position as a leader in US energy development—delivering reliable, sustainable power to communities and businesses across the country.

Soltage | www.soltage.com

Lightstar Renewables LLC celebrated a major milestone in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy with the successful ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Plains Road agrivoltaics project. The groundbreaking initiative, launched at the DiMartino Farm in Montgomery, New York, drew significant attention from state officials, agricultural leaders, and local media, and other local faming families marking a new chapter in dual-purpose land use that benefits both farming and clean energy production.

Representing Assembly Member Brian Maher, whose legislative support was instrumental in the project's development, was his Chief of Staff, Meghan Hurlburt. She stood alongside representatives from American Farmland Trust (AFT) and Iain Ward, Farmer, Founder, and CEO of Solar Agricultural Services, Inc. (SolAg).Together, they joined local farmers, community members, and regional media outlets who had gathered to witness the commissioning of New York's first agrivoltaics installation.

In a message crafted especially for the event, Assembly Member Brian Maher said, "Today marks a turning point for sustainable development in New York. The Plains Road project demonstrates how we can honor our agricultural heritage while meeting our clean energy goals. This is the kind of innovative thinking we need to build a resilient future for rural communities." 

Linda Garrett, New York & New Jersey Regional Director at American Farmland Trust, praised the project's alignment with AFT's Smart Solar principles. "Lightstar has created a model that truly puts farmers first. This project shows how solar development can strengthen rather than compromise agricultural operations," she said. 

The ceremony highlighted the unique design features that allow hay planting and harvesting equipment to operate seamlessly around the solar installation. The project will also add two acres of vegetable production, providing opportunities for new entry farmers while generating enough clean energy to power 466 homes annually. 

Local farmer participants expressed enthusiasm about the project's potential to enhance farm viability. Iain Ward of SolAg emphasized the agricultural benefits: "This project proves that agrivoltaics can deliver real value to working farms. We're not just installing solar panels – we're creating new opportunities for agricultural innovation." 

Lucy Bullock-Sieger, Chief Strategy Officer at Lightstar, called on other communities to explore similar initiatives. "Plains Road is just the beginning. We encourage municipalities and farmers across New York and beyond to consider how agrivoltaics can serve their unique needs and contribute to a more sustainable future." 

Lightstar Renewables | https://www.lightstar.com/

While upfront costs for battery electric trucks are trending downward, Greenlane, a leader in public charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles, is launching its “Charge On Us” dealer program to help further reduce costs and ease the path to electrification for fleet customers. The program includes $500 in charging credits and six months of complimentary Greenlane Edge subscription access for every qualifying light-, medium-, and heavy-duty electric truck sold. Velocity Truck Centers, a major North American dealer for top commercial vehicle brands, is the first partner to sign up for the program.

“One of the biggest challenges our customers face when considering electric trucks is figuring out charging—where to charge, how to support it, and how to pay for it all," said Scott Zeppenfeldt, COO of Velocity. "Greenlane's ‘Charge On Us’ program removes those hurdles by letting our customers rely on public infrastructure instead of investing time and money in their own charging setup. We're excited to run pilot programs out of their flagship Colton facility and utilize other sites on their network, which gives us a real-world proving ground to show customers how straightforward electric can be when the charging piece is handled.”

Dealers participating in the program benefit from a turnkey solution that includes sales enablement support, marketing resources, and customer service, all backed by Greenlane’s growing public charging network and technology suite. For signing up, dealerships also receive a number of subscriptions to the network, which enables them to run pilots out of Greenlane facilities, simplifying customer billing and eliminating the need for expensive and complicated infrastructure. The Greenlane Edge™ subscription ensures access to discounted charging rates, advanced reservation tools, and a robust software ecosystem to help reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) and streamline billing and electric freight operations. Members benefit from real-time charging data, flexible technology integrations, and consolidated billing. Greenlane Edge can enhance route planning and reduce downtime.

“As more heavy-duty fleets shift to electric, we need to address the real concerns holding them back: where to charge, cost, and how to deploy charging infrastructure day one,” said Patrick Macdonald-King, CEO of Greenlane. “Our program tackles these issues by providing immediate charging credits, access to high-speed chargers and our technology ecosystem that delivers a seamless charging solution. Partnering with Velocity helps us scale that impact and make electrification easier for more companies by lowering the cost of entry and complexity of procuring power and deploying infrastructure.” 

In April, the company opened its flagship Greenlane Center in Colton, California, featuring more than 40 high-speed chargers, including 12 pull-through and 29 bobtail lanes for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles, amenities such as restrooms and wifi, carports, 24/7 security, and additional offerings like office space and parking. The Colton site, located at the intersection of I-215 and I-10, is part of Greenlane’s I-15 charging corridor from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and I-10 corridor which will include new sites to be developed in Blythe, California, and Greater Phoenix, Arizona. 

Greenlane | www.drivegreenlane.com

Velocity Truck Centers | https://www.velocitytruckcenters.com/

OCI Energy is proud to announce the successful closing of construction financing for its Project Alamo City, a flagship battery energy storage system (BESS) currently under development in Bexar County, Texas. With a planned capacity of 120 MW and with a 4-hour duration, Project Alamo City will be a significant standalone battery storage installation in Texas, designed to strengthen grid reliability and support the region’s energy future.

OCI Energy selected ING to underwrite the construction financing package which includes a construction-to-term loan, a tax equity bridge loan, and letters of credit. ING served as sole coordinating lead arranger, sole bookrunner, and sole green loan coordinator, and will also act as administrative agent. The relationship between ING and OCI Energy has proven instrumental in advancing the project from concept to construction.

“Project Alamo City represents a bold step forward in our commitment to enhancing grid stability and ensuring long-term energy reliability,” said Sabah Bayatli, President of OCI Energy. “It also marks OCI Energy’s return as a developer-owner-operator in the project finance space, and partnering with a financial institution like ING has been instrumental in bringing this transformative project to fruition.”

“The successful financing of Project Alamo City is a testament to the strength of the partnership between OCI Energy and ING Capital LLC. This project not only advances the deployment of cutting-edge battery storage technology in Texas, but also demonstrates the power of collaborative, innovative financing to accelerate the energy transition. We are proud to support OCI Energy and CPS Energy in delivering a project that will provide lasting benefits to the community and the broader energy market” said Sven Wellock, Head of Renewables and Power, Americas, ING.

OCI Energy had previously announced the execution of a 20-year Storage Capacity Agreement with CPS Energy, the largest municipally-owned electric and natural gas utility in the United States. Under that agreement, OCI Energy is responsible for the development, financing, construction, and ownership of Project Alamo City, and CPS Energy will have operational control.

The project brings together a powerhouse team for collaboration, including:

• LG Energy Solution Vertech will supply the advanced battery technology.
• Elgin Power Solutions will serve as the EPC contractor.
• Black & Veatch is acting as the technical advisor.
• Renewable Guard is providing property and casualty insurance brokerage services.
• Foley & Lardner LLP provided legal counsel to OCI Energy on the transaction.
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP represented ING.

Project Alamo City is expected to enter commercial operation in Q3 2027.

OCI Energy | https://www.ocienergy.com/

ING Capital LLC | https://www.ing.com/Home.htm