Higher Power PV Modules Drive Up BOS Costs

Greenskies Clean Focus (“Greenskies”), a national leader in commercial renewable energy development, announced that Vijay Singh has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Singh recently joined the company and is leading strategy and operations as Greenskies builds on a record year of growth and execution.

Greenskies delivered 82 projects nationwide in its most recent year, reflecting the company’s operational discipline, strong project pipeline, and long-term ownership model. With a national commercial and industrial (C&I) footprint and a fully integrated development and operational platform, Greenskies continues to scale while maintaining rigorous execution standards.

Singh brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in renewable energy and energy storage, with deep expertise in corporate strategy, finance, business development, project finance, and asset management. Over the course of his career, he launched and scaled NextEra Energy’s energy storage platform into a multi-billion-dollar business and led PPL Corp.’s unregulated renewables business, including its C&I platform, Safari Energy.

“Greenskies has built a strong foundation rooted in disciplined development, operational excellence, and long-term ownership,” said Vijay Singh, CEO of Greenskies Clean Focus. “The C&I solar market continues to present meaningful opportunities as organizations seek cost-effective, resilient energy solutions. Our focus remains on executing high-quality projects, maintaining financial discipline, and delivering reliable outcomes for our partners.”

“Greenskies has established itself as a disciplined operator with a strong national presence, and Vijay is the right leader to accelerate our momentum,” said Sarah Wright, Hull Street Energy Founder and Managing Partner. “Given his track record of building and scaling renewable platforms, we are confident in his ability to drive our next phase of growth, deliver strategic value for our customers, and deepen our social impact.”

“Greenskies benefits from a seasoned executive leadership team and a long-term ownership model that supports sustainable growth,” said Andrew Kim, Managing Director of JLC Infrastructure. “We believe the company is well-positioned to navigate evolving market and policy conditions while continuing to expand its commercial and industrial solar platform.”

Under Singh’s leadership, Greenskies will continue to expand its national portfolio of solar and energy storage assets, reinforcing its position as a trusted partner to large corporations and commercial real estate owners seeking long-term energy solutions.

Greenskies Clean Focus | www.greenskies.com

JLC Infrastructure | www.jlcinfra.com

Hull Street Energy | www.hullstreetenergy.com

DNV, the independent energy expert and assurance provider, has acted as market consultant to Grenergy Renovables, supporting the company in securing project financing for its Central Oasis portfolio in Chile. The transaction covers 398 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity, alongside 1.4 GWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) located in the Maule and Bíobío regions.

The financing, arranged with leading international financial institutions including BNP Paribas as coordinating bank, along with Santander and Rabobank, marks a significant step in Chile’s accelerated energy transition. As the country pursues its legally-binding target of carbon neutrality by 2050 and advances the decommissioning of coal-fired power plants, large-scale hybridization of solar generation with energy storage has emerged as a critical enabler. By storing surplus solar energy and dispatching it during periods of low irradiation or high grid demand, projects like Central Oasis reduce curtailment, enhance grid stability, and displace thermal generation.

Chile’s renewable ambitions are among the most ambitious in Latin America. The national energy policy aims for 80% renewable electricity by 2030 and a fully decarbonized matrix by 2050. However, the integration of variable renewable energy at scale requires firm capacity. Battery storage is now rapidly scaling to meet this need, with the country expected to deploy several gigawatts of storage capacity over the coming decade. The Central Oasis portfolio represents a strategic addition to this build-out, located in the central grid where demand is concentrated.

DNV was engaged to provide comprehensive market consultancy and technical advisory services to support the financing process. The scope included market due diligence to evaluate project feasibility, detailed review of power purchase agreements, and independent auditing of the expected operational strategy for the BESS assets. DNV’s analysis assessed the plant’s ability to meet Chilean regulatory requirements and PPA obligations through optimized dispatch, revenue stacking, and capacity income forecasting. Tailored scenarios were developed to support lenders in understanding long-term market risks and revenue certainty.

“Hybrid renewable projects combining solar and large-scale storage are essential to completing Chile’s coal phase-out and ensuring a reliable, low-cost power system,” said Brice Le Gallo, Vice-president and regional director for Southern Europe, MEA & LATAM, Energy Systems at DNV. “Our role was to provide the market clarity that lenders require to finance these complex assets with confidence. This project demonstrates that bankable, utility-scale storage is no longer a future concept: it is happening now in Chile.”

By enabling the financing of this portfolio, DNV supports not only its customer’s growth strategy but also Chile’s broader energy transition objectives. Projects like Central Oasis illustrate how storage is transforming solar from an intermittent resource into a dispatchable, firm capacity contributor – an evolution that will be replicated across renewable grids worldwide.

DNV | www.dnv.com

Buzz Solutions, an AI software company that enables a smart, stable, and resilient energy infrastructure, announced an expansion of its PowerAI platform to support inspections of utility-scale solar assets.

As utility-scale solar capacity grows rapidly, operators are facing a new challenge: how to efficiently inspect and maintain vast installations spanning hundreds of acres and millions of panels. While traditional transmission and distribution (T&D) infrastructure inspections focus on delivering power reliably, solar introduces a dual objective: maximizing energy output while extending asset lifespan.

With supply chain constraints making panel replacement more costly and complex, proactive maintenance is increasingly critical. Operators must quickly identify underperforming assets while preserving long-term panel health to maximize overall system performance and return on investment.

Today, drone programs used for solar inspections are generating massive volumes of RGB and thermal imagery that cannot be analyzed manually at scale. This is driving the need for automated solutions that can turn visual data into actionable insights.

The expanded PowerAI capabilities enable utilities to analyze inspection imagery using AI to detect thermal anomalies across PV panels, connectors, combiner boxes and inverters. Inspectors can also use PowerAI to manually identify and label visual equipment issues such as cracked panels, soiling and vegetation encroachment.

PowerAI enables teams to manage and analyze large volumes of inspection data by automating visual analysis and connecting insights directly into GIS, asset management and maintenance systems. By transforming imagery into actionable intelligence, utilities can identify issues faster, prioritize maintenance and improve overall asset performance.

PowerAI for Solar: AI-Enabled Inspection Workflows for Solar Asset Management

The expanded solar capabilities extend PowerAI’s end-to-end inspection workflows, from ingesting drone-collected data to delivering actionable insights for operations teams. The platform combines visual data management, geospatial mapping and automated thermal defect detection to support proactive, performance-driven maintenance.

Key capabilities include:

• AI Detection of Solar Defects: Identify thermal anomalies

• Inspectors can also use PowerAI to identify and label cracked panels, damaged cells, connector failures and other performance issues using RGB imagery.

• Geospatial Asset Mapping: Map solar panels and equipment using geospatial analytics and Esri-based tools.

• Automated Analysis of Drone Data: Process large volumes of inspection imagery collected by drones equipped with RGB and thermal cameras.

• Actionable Reporting: Export results into PDF, JSON or Excel and integrate insights into GIS and asset management systems.

“Solar is fundamentally changing how the grid operates, and it’s introducing a new layer of operational complexity for utilities,” said Kaitlyn Albertoli, CEO and Co-Founder of Buzz Solutions. “This isn’t just about adding more generation, it’s about managing performance at scale. Utilities need modern, data-driven approaches to ensure these assets are delivering the energy output the grid now depends on.”

PowerAI enables teams to manage and analyze large volumes of inspection data by automating visual analysis and connecting insights directly into GIS, asset management and maintenance systems. By transforming imagery into actionable intelligence, utilities can identify issues faster, prioritize maintenance and improve overall asset performance.

“For utilities, the challenge is the sheer volume and complexity of visual data being generated from inspections,” said Vikhyat Chaudhry, CTO and Co-Founder of Buzz Solutions. “PowerAI applies advanced visual intelligence to RGB and thermal imagery, automatically detects thermal defects, and integrates those insights directly into existing utility systems allowing inspection workflows to scale efficiently.

Proven Impact Across Scaled Inspection Programs

Early deployments of PowerAI have demonstrated the ability to reduce manual image review and accelerate inspection timelines, enabling faster issue detection and more effective maintenance prioritization across large-scale infrastructure.

The solar inspection capabilities build on Buzz Solutions’ broader visual AI platform used across transmission, distribution and substation infrastructure. By extending PowerAI to solar assets, utilities can manage inspection data across multiple infrastructure types within a unified system, reducing fragmentation and improving operational consistency.

Buzz Solutions | www.buzzsolutions.co 

UNIGRID Inc., the ultra-safe sodium-ion battery company, announced a breakthrough in long-cycle life cell performance, setting a new benchmark for the stationary storage industry. Its proprietary NaCrO2 (NCO) sodium-ion chemistry has achieved 5,000 full-depth cycles (100% depth of discharge) with greater than 95% capacity retention in commercial-grade cells. This milestone translates to an expected cycle life of 20,000 and operational life of up to 25 years, finally bringing battery lifespan in line with the multi-decade warranties of solar PV assets.

For more than a decade, solar-plus-storage projects have operated with a built-in mismatch. Solar panels are designed to perform for 25 years or longer, yet conventional lithium-ion batteries typically degrade within 7 to 10 years under daily 100% depth of discharge cycling. This disparity forces project owners to budget for costly mid-life battery replacements, introducing reinvestment risk, complicating financing structures, and undermining long-term bankability.

UNIGRID’s proprietary NCO chemistry eliminates that structural weakness. By delivering more than three times the cycle life of conventional lithium-ion systems, UNIGRID transforms energy storage from a depreciating, replacement-driven component into long-life, financeable infrastructure. The result is energy storage designed to last as long as the assets it powers.

“This 25-year lifespan changes the economics of energy storage,” said Darren H. S. Tan, CEO of UNIGRID. “Instead of planning for costly battery replacements halfway through a project, operators can now align storage with the full life of their solar assets. That opens the door to more predictable financing models like Battery-as-a-Service and long-term energy leasing, while reducing risk and lowering lifetime costs across the grid.”

UNIGRID’s technology is uniquely suited for high-utilization applications where reliability, safety, and longevity are critical. From renewable energy storage systems (RESS) that cycle daily alongside solar and wind assets, to commercial and industrial (C&I) microgrids requiring dependable, long-life performance, UNIGRID’s sodium-ion platform is built for sustained operation. The technology is also well positioned for datacenters and UPS systems, where uptime is non-negotiable, as well as extreme weather backup scenarios where conventional lithium-ion batteries often suffer performance degradation.

UNIGRID | https://unigridbattery.com

PowerBank Corporation (NASDAQ: SUUN) (Cboe CA: SUNN) (FSE: 103) ("PowerBank" or the "Company"), a leader in North American energy infrastructure development and asset ownership, is pleased to announce an update on the development of the NY-South Park project (the "Project"), located on a closed landfill site in Buffalo, New York. The Project was first announced here, with a progress update shared here. The Project has now secured all discretionary municipal approvals to enable the project to move forward, including a negative declaration under SEQRA, area and use variances and a zoning map amendment.  The Company is currently pursuing NYS Department of Environmental Conservation approval to enter construction on the Project.

Following receipt of the final construction approval and financing, the Company intends to commence the construction of the Project. Once completed, the Project will be operated as a community solar project. Community solar is a group of solar panels with access to the local electricity grid. Once the panels are turned on and generating electricity, clean energy from the site feeds into the local power grid. Depending on the size and number of panels the project has, dozens or even hundreds of renters and homeowners can save money from the electricity that is generated by the project. By subscribing to a project, a homeowner earns credits on their electric bill every month from their portion of the solar that's generated by the project, accessing the benefits of solar without installing panels on their home. This allows homeowners to realize a reduced cost per kW/hour from the power they consume versus standard utility rates.

PowerBank's proven expertise, with over 100 MW of completed projects and a development pipeline exceeding 1 GW, underpins the Project's execution. Strategic partnerships and institutional-grade development capabilities position PowerBank to deliver reliable, high-impact renewable energy solutions.

The Project advances New York's ambitious Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal of 6 GW of solar capacity by 2025. As a national leader in community solar, New York accounts for nearly one-third of the United States' 6.2 GW of installed solar capacity, and PowerBank is honored to contribute to this transformative milestone.

PowerBank Corporation | www.powerbankcorp.com

Doral Renewables LLC ("Doral"), a leading, U.S. utility-scale solar and battery storage developer and independent power producer, announced the successful financial close for the Cold Creek Solar + Storageproject in Schleicher and Tom Green Counties in Texas.

This 430 MWac solar generation + 340 MWh storage project marks Doral's largest venture to reach construction financing, behind the 1.3 GW Mammoth Solar complex in northwest Indiana. The project's forecasted generation will be able to power the equivalent of nearly 66,000 homes. Full construction has now begun with Notice to Proceed ("NTP") issued this month; commercial operation is expected in summer of 2028.

MUFG acted as Lead Arranger for the transaction, with Santander, HSBC, Ally, and IDB rounding out the syndicate of debt providers. The debt facilities are comprised of over $400 million of construction-to-term financing, close to $35 million of tax equity bridge loan financing, and approximately $55 million of Letters of Credit. The project will also monetize $360 million of Production Tax Credits through a 10-year PTC Tax Credit Transfer Agreement with an investment-grade rated corporate buyer.

"We are delighted to announce the close of these financings for Cold Creek," said Evan Speece, Chief Financial Officer at Doral Renewables LLC. "Partnering with such a robust lender group led by MUFG and expanding our network with new collaborators while also closing the PTC Transfer transaction positions us well for continued growth. This project will be a cornerstone for our future work across the Lone Star State."

"We are proud to support Doral Renewables on the Cold Creek Solar + Storage project, which underscores our commitment to standing alongside clients as they advance critical infrastructure," said Louise Pesce, Head of North American Power, Project Finance, MUFG. "Projects like Cold Creek play an important role in strengthening U.S. energy independence while helping meet growing power demands with reliable, utility‑scale solutions. MUFG is pleased to work with Doral and the broader lender group to deliver unique financing solutions that support long‑term growth."

McDermott Will & Schulte served as legal counsel to Doral with respect to both the construction financing and the PTC Transfer, while Norton Rose Fulbright acted as counsel to the lenders. Marathon Capital served as financial advisor to Doral in connection with the PTC transfer, while White & Case served as counsel to the PTC buyer, with Stonehenge Capital providing syndication and asset management services to the PTC buyer.

Doral Renewables | https://doral-llc.com/