In an era marked by increasingly severe weather from Mother Nature, utilities face mounting pressure to enhance the resiliency and reliability of their power delivery systems. While icing of the wind turbine blades has been discussed extensively, the physical means of distributing that energy has been addressed far less. Just as wind farms components are adopting the latest technologies to modernize their fleets and extend life expectan....
Ensuring the reliability and efficiency of wind turbines requires a deep understanding of the fluids that keep them running smoothly. To that end, compatibility testing plays a critical role in preventing costly issues that arise from mixing incompatible lubricants. This article explores the significance of fluid compatibility testing in industries such as power generation, highlighting its ability to enhance equipment reliability, reduce mainten....
The wind industry takes pride in advancing a clean energy future while protecting species across the globe from the impacts of climate change. However, no energy solution is without challenges. Wind turbines, for instance, have been shown to cause direct mortality to bats. With bat populations already declining due to habitat loss, diminishing food sources, and disease, the wind industry has diligently sought solutions to mitigate this impact.&nb....
Natural disasters including hurricanes, severe storms, winter storms, wildfires and heat waves are becoming more frequent and severe, causing widespread power outages across the United States. Between 2000 and 2023, 80 percent of U.S. power outages were caused by weather events. Power outages caused by extreme weather can impact critical services like emergency response, hospitals, and communications networks. Energy storage on a utility level se....
Energy Storage
Craig Tropea
Solar
Jonathan Lwowski
Solar
Steve Macshane, CESSWI
Heliene, Inc., a customer-first provider of North American-made solar PV modules, celebrated the grand opening of a new solar PV module manufacturing facility in Rogers, MN on May 30. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, MN Commissioner Matt Varilek, and Rogers’ Major Shannon Klick together with other State elected officials were in attendance to mark this milestone achievement for domestic clean energy manufacturing, regional job creation, and economic development.
The Rogers facility houses Minnesota Line 3, Heliene’s third U.S.-based manufacturing line. Minnesota Line 3 has been operational since April 29 and has an annual capacity of 500MW. Heliene also owns and operates 300MW-Minnesota Line 1 and 500MW-Minnesota Line 2 at its existing Mountain Iron, MN facility. The opening of Line 3 brings Heliene’s total U.S.-made module manufacturing output per year to 1.3GW.
“Heliene is experiencing continued demand for our high-quality, high-domestic content solar PV modules,” said Martin Pochtaruk, CEO of Heliene. “By nearly doubling our manufacturing capacity at our new Rogers, Minnesota facility, we can continue to provide best-in-class fully domestic content products and service to our customers, while we deliver on our broader goal of onshoring U.S. solar supply chains, by incorporating domestically-produced, cells, frames, polymers and other critical components.”
The completion of Minnesota Line 3 expands Heliene’s commitment to offering U.S. solar developers high-quality PV modules made with an industry-leading percentage of domestic content. The Company is hiring more than 220 new employees in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area to support operations, maintenance, and engineering at the new facility. Heliene received $2.3M in funding from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), with specific funding from the Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF), Minnesota Job Creation Fund (JCF) and the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP), to support the above mentioned job creation.
“The opening of this new manufacturing plant means high-quality solar panels will be produced in Rogers to meet increasing demand for energy across our state and throughout the country—and it will create hundreds of new jobs for the region,” said Senator Klobuchar. “I’m committed to working together to strengthen our manufacturing economy, increase affordable clean energy, and bring the jobs of the future to Minnesota.”
Across all its U.S. manufacturing lines, Heliene is producing bifacial, high-efficiency crystalline solar PV modules with the highest possible percentage of domestic content available on the market. To support this effort, Heliene has secured a number of strategic partnerships with domestic solar module component manufacturers in recent years.
Heliene | www.heliene.com
Avangrid, Inc., a leading energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, announced that it has achieved commercial operations at its Powell Creek Solar project in Putnam County, Ohio. The 202 MWdc (150 MWac) project, Avangrid’s second power facility in Ohio, is now generating enough electricity to power the equivalent of 30,000 homes annually. Powell Creek is a timely addition to the regional electric grid ahead of peak summer demand and represents new American energy capacity that will help to meet the growing power needs from data centers, domestic manufacturing, and electrification.
“Avangrid has achieved commercial operations at Powell Creek at a pivotal moment for the local community in Ohio, where rapidly growing energy demand requires new sources of power generation,” said Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO. “Putting this critical project into service demonstrates Avangrid’s unique ability to deliver on the energy needs of communities across the country. In addition to this needed power, Powell Creek is providing important benefits to the local, state, and regional economies. Projects like this represent significant capital investments that generate hundreds of construction jobs, permanent employment opportunities, and new tax revenue that supports important public services in the local community.”
Powell Creek is in Northwest Ohio near the town of Miller City and reached commercial operation in April. The project includes over 300,000 solar panels and supported about 500 jobs during construction, most of them filled with local union workers from the region.
The project is directly supporting the community through new jobs, tax revenue, and landowner payments. Powell Creek is expected to contribute an estimated $31 million to local taxing jurisdictions over its lifetime and about $1.1 million in annual lease payments. In a unique relationship, Miller City is capturing significant revenue from the project which it will use to construct a new sewer line to encourage new home and business development. Growth was historically limited there because the village’s homes, businesses, and school run on individual septic systems.
“Partnership with Avangrid has been and will be beneficial to Miller City,” said Jim Erford, mayor of Miller City. “This is a major economic development opportunity that will help us grow for the first time in many years, bringing new families and businesses to our Northwest Ohio community.”
According to a recent U.S. National Power Demand Study by S&P Global, energy demand in the U.S. could rise by as much as 50% by 2040, driven largely by new data centers. Projects like Powell Creek are helping to meet growing energy needs, improve the reliability of regional electric grids, and deliver sustained economic growth.
Powell Creek is Avangrid’s second energy project in Ohio, following the 304 MW Blue Creek project built in 2012. Avangrid now has over 500 MW of installed capacity in Ohio, which can generate enough electricity for over 100,000 U.S. homes annually. Avangrid’s Ohio footprint contributed about $3 million in state and local taxes last year and about $5 million in lease payments to participating landowners. The company employs 22 people in the state.
Avangrid has added nearly 600 MW of domestic energy capacity to the U.S. grid in the past six months. This achievement underscores Avangrid’s commitment to meeting surging electricity demand, supporting local jobs, and ensuring homes and businesses have a reliable source of energy. Avangrid operates about 10.5 GW of energy capacity across the country.
Avangrid | http://www.avangrid.com
Peak Demand Inc., a leading U.S. manufacturer serving the electric utility industry, announced that it has officially changed its name to AccuGrid Technologies Inc. The rebranding reflects the company’s sharpened focus on instrument transformers and its commitment to setting new standards for accuracy, reliability, and performance on the grid.
“For the past nine years, Peak Demand has been defined by entrepreneurial growth and product innovation,” said Jon Rennie, President and CEO of AccuGrid Technologies. “Now, as AccuGrid, we’re zeroing in on our core strength — delivering the highest performing instrument transformers in North America with the shortest lead times in the industry.”
As part of the rebrand, AccuGrid Technologies is launching AccuGrid Easy — a customer-focused program offering:
All manufacturing will continue at the company’s Wilson, North Carolina facility. The company’s leadership, team, and customer service remain unchanged.
“AccuGrid Technologies represents our commitment to precision, performance, and speed for a stronger, smarter grid,” Rennie added. “We’re excited about what’s ahead and proud to continue serving utility customers across North America.”
AccuGrid Technologies | www.accugridtech.com
Green Rack Solar, a trusted provider of residential solar solutions serving Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio and a Civic Renewables company, is proud to announce its acceptance into the Amicus Solar Cooperative. Amicus is a 100% member owned cooperative of more than 80 local solar businesses with excellent reputations and extensive experience operating in their community.The partnership reflects Green Rack's continued growth and commitment to bringing cost-effective and high-quality solar to local homeowners—now with the added strength of the Amicus network.
"Joining Amicus enables us to continue doing what we do best—providing top-tier customer service and reliable solar installations—while learning from and contributing to a network of of local solar businesses across the country," said Eben Needham, Founder of Green Rack Solar. "We're committed to delivering value and quality for our customers and partnering with Amicus is an exciting step forward."
""We're thrilled to welcome Green Rack Solar to the Amicus Solar Cooperative. Their commitment to quality, community, and customer service reflects the very best of what it means to be an Amicus member. We look forward to learning from and growing with their team," said Stephen Irvin, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Amicus Solar Cooperative
Green Rack Solar is part of Civic Renewables, a national platform launched in 2024 to empower local solar businesses with the tools, scale, and resources to thrive. Backed by GEF Capital Partners, Civic brings together exceptional local companies—like Green Rack—that prioritize customer trust, energy savings, and lasting community impact.
Green Rack Solar | www.greenracksolar.com
Civic Renewables | www.civicrenewables.com
Amicus Cooperative | www.amicussolar.com
Canadian Solar Inc. (the "Company" or "Canadian Solar") (NASDAQ: CSIQ) announced that e-STORAGE, which is part of the Company's majority-owned subsidiary CSI Solar Co., Ltd. ("CSI Solar"), has successfully completed Large-Scale Fire Testing (LSFT) for its SolBank 3.0 energy storage system. The successful test demonstrated that SolBank 3.0 meets key fire safety criteria by containing thermal events within a single enclosure, providing enhanced safety assurance for utility-scale deployments.
The test was conducted under the CSA C-800:25 §9.7 Large-Scale Fire Testing (LSFT) protocol—a rigorous, industry-recognized standard used to evaluate how a fully developed fire condition inside the enclosure of an initiating BESS unit affects propagation risk between adjacent enclosures. During the test, all doors, louvers, and structural elements on target units remained closed and intact throughout the event. The protocol is in compliance with key safety objectives outlined in NFPA 855, such as preventing cascading thermal events and containing fire within a single unit.
During the test, e-STORAGE's SolBank 3.0 energy storage system showed no fire propagation to target units and successfully passed the LSFT, confirming the robustness of SolBank 3.0's passive fire containment design.
The test was witnessed and independently verified by both CSA Group, the testing agency, and Energy Safety Response Group (ESRG), a fire safety consultant.
Josh Dinaburg, Fire Test Specialist at CSA Group, commented, "Key stakeholders in the energy storage industry have raised justifiable concerns about the ability of BESS to limit the spread of fire between units without relying on complex extinguishing systems or putting first responders at risk. The e-STORAGE system demonstrated that an aggressive fire consuming all available fuel in one unit does not ignite new fires and spread to adjacent units. This is critical performance data for the end-users and site managers, first responders, insurance adjusters, and the community at large where these systems may be installed."
Colin Parkin, President of e-STORAGE, stated, "Successfully completing the Large-Scale Fire Testing reinforces our high standard on system safety. At the same time, it once again positions e-STORAGE as a leader in delivering safe, scalable energy storage solutions—across products, projects, and markets—and our continued commitment to go beyond industry standards for operation safety."
Canadian Solar | www.canadiansolar.com
e-STORAGE | www.csestorage.com
Aerones, the world’s leading provider of robotic inspection, maintenance, and AI-driven solutions for wind turbines, announces that it has secured $62 million in capital in a significantly oversubscribed financing to accelerate its global expansion and technology development.
The funding round was co-led by Activate Capital and S2G Investments (“S2G”), with additional participation from Carbon Equity and Overlap Holdings, alongside existing investors Lightrock, Blume Equity, Metaplanet, Change Ventures, and Extantia. This latest funding follows Aerones’ securing of a €4 million grant from the EU Innovation Fund in 2024 and a $30 million funding round in 2023.
As the global wind industry accelerates towards doubling in size by 2030, it faces a shortage of skilled technicians and the challenge of maintaining ever-larger, more complex turbines. These pressures are driving urgent demand for efficient, scalable, and safe maintenance and inspection solutions. Aerones meets this need by combining advanced robotics with AI-powered software, reducing reliance on manual labour and delivering faster, more reliable operations for wind farm operators worldwide.
“Our mission is to automate wind turbine inspection and maintenance globally,” commented Dainis Kruze, Co-founder and CEO of Aerones. “The world cannot meet its renewable energy goals without innovation—and there simply aren’t enough qualified technicians to keep up with the growth of this industry. With this new investment, we’re expanding faster than ever to meet the urgent demand for intelligent, robot-enabled and AI-powered solutions.”
Following a record-breaking year in which Aerones nearly tripled its revenue and expanded operations, the company has solidified its position as the global leader in robotic wind turbine inspection and maintenance. With a new operational hub in Dallas, Texas, Aerones is expanding its reach in the U.S. and internationally, working with industry leaders such as GE Vernova, NextEra, Vestas, Enel, and Siemens Gamesa, and delivering the full spectrum of robotic inspection, maintenance, and data-driven diagnostics.
Aerones’ technology is delivering measurable progress in clean energy by optimising turbine performance, extending asset lifespans, and minimising downtime for wind farm operators globally. Since 2020, Aerones has enabled nearly 400,000 MWh of additional clean electricity and helped avoid 165,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, with the potential to prevent over 170 million tonnes in the next five years, while servicing over 10,000 turbines annually in more than 30 countries.
With this new $62 million investment, Aerones will significantly expand its operational capacity worldwide and accelerate research and development in AI-driven automation, robotics, and customer-facing software solutions. The company plans to scale up its robot manufacturing capabilities and invest in advanced predictive maintenance tools, leveraging data from thousands of robotic inspections. These initiatives will enable Aerones to further accelerate preventive maintenance in the wind industry, delivering safe, efficient, and scalable robotic solutions that set new standards for reliability and performance.
Paul Neal Jordan, Activate Capital: “Our investment in Aerones represents the continuation of a long-held thesis at Activate that successfully transitioning our energy systems to renewable power will require fundamentally new technologies and business models to manage the distributed infrastructure. In a world where energy costs are rising – and energy resilience and security more critical than ever – Aerones brings a unique set of robotic and AI capabilities to bear for wind, one of the fastest growing and cheapest forms of new energy generation globally. Aerones represents the future of intelligent, automated wind O&M, unlocking value for more than $1 trillion of installed wind assets globally, a figure that will double by 2030.”
Bala Nagarajan, S2G:
“At S2G, we invest in solutions that unlock step-change improvements in productivity, safety and sustainability. Aerones is enhancing the resilience and performance of the wind industry with its robotics and AI-enabled platform and automating high-risk, labor-intensive tasks. In an industry facing growing labor shortages - particularly of experienced wind technicians - Aerones offers a scalable solution that equips wind operators with data and capabilities needed to shift from reactive to predictive and preventative maintenance strategies. We believe Aerones represents a critical advancement in the infrastructure supporting the energy transition and a clear example of innovation that scales both performance and impact."
Veronica Barner, Wind Energy Product Executive, GE Vernova:
“As a supplier, Aerones has provided us with various robotic solutions for wind turbine blade inspections and maintenance, and we've seen steady progress in both their technology and service delivery. Their technology is helping to address safety and services productivity in wind farms around the globe.”
Aerones | https://aerones.com
ABB Electrification Canada Inc. announced it has completed its acquisition of Bel Products Inc., a leading Canadian manufacturer of commercial, industrial and custom-made enclosures. This acquisition enhances ABB’s market presence in Canada and the U.S., expanding its product portfolio and enabling the company to leverage its manufacturing, warehousing and supply chain capabilities to better meet growing customer demand. The financial terms of the transaction are undisclosed.
The enclosures market is experiencing strong growth, fueled by rising demand in data centers, OEM applications and the electrical industry. As digital infrastructure expands and electrification accelerates, the demand for safe, reliable, high-performance enclosure solutions continues to grow.
“This additional acquisition reflects our commitment to strategic growth and strengthens our ability to deliver greater value to our customers and partners” said Khalid Mandri, President, ABB Installation Products Division. “We continue to focus on opportunities that enhance our offerings to serve our markets.”
A key player in the Canadian enclosures market, Bel Products brings extensive industry expertise that complements ABB’s Electrification Installation Products portfolio and expands its reach across multiple industries. The company delivers high-quality, industry-rated offerings for a range of applications and environments.
“The acquisition of Bel Products complements our electrical offerings and strengthens our ability to deliver locally manufactured solutions,” said Mike Shenouda, Canada Region Leader and General Manager, ABB Installation Products Division. “By combining ABB’s technological leadership with Bel Products’ market expertise, we are leveraging our shared local roots to drive further growth.”
Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Bel Products is recognized for its custom-built enclosures, housings, panels and accessories, serving key industries such as commercial, industrial, data centers and utilities. Bel Products will continue operations from the current manufacturing facility in Montreal and warehouse in Terrebonne, Quebec.
“Joining ABB marks a new chapter for Bel Products,” said Réal Bélanger, President at Bel Products. “ABB’s reputation and global reach open new opportunities for us, and we are excited to extend our capabilities and serve a broader range of customers.”
Building on its long history of pioneering in electrification, ABB’s Installation Products Division creates solutions to safely connect and protect electrical systems that power businesses, cities, homes and transportation. With more than 200,000 products under 38 premium brand names, ABB Installation Products Division, formerly Thomas & Betts, solutions are found wherever electricity is used around the world and in space
ABB | www.abb.com
Energy Storage May 15, 2025
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