Neglected PV Maintenance Fuels Fire Risk

VDE Americas, a global leader in technical advisory and catastrophic risk assessment services for the solar industry, announced the internationalization of its innovative hail risk assessment and mitigation services. Since 2021, VDE Americas has offered location- and technology-specific financial hail risk exposure reports to solar project developers, owners, financiers, and insurers operating in the most hail-exposed region in the world—the continental United States. After supporting increased customer demand in Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and South Africa, the company has formalized the global expansion of its hail risk assessment service territory.

Severe convective storms—a meteorological category that produces tornadoes, high winds, and damaging hail—account for tens of billions of U.S. dollars of insured losses worldwide each year. As solar project deployments have increased in size, frequency, and geographic distribution, financial losses specifically due to hailstorm damage have risen in parallel. According to GCube, a specialty insurer with an international book of business, hail accounts for less than 2% of solar project insurance claims by count—but more than 50% of total financial losses. Since 2018, hail-related solar losses in the state of Texas alone have exceeded $600 million.

Originally developed to de-risk capital investments in utility-scale solar, VDE Hail Risk Intelligence provides state-of-the-art hail severity and frequency forecasts to support engineered financial loss assessments and risk mitigation responses. Because severe hail hotspots occur globally, VDE Americas leveraged its longstanding collaboration with Dr. John Allen, a professor of meteorology at Central Michigan University, to develop state-of-the-art data analysis and transposition tools capable of characterizing hailstorm frequency and severity anywhere in the world, the results of which can be applied to any industry susceptible to hail damage.

“Though severe hail is often associated with the Great Plains of the United States, hail occurs regularly on every continent except Antarctica,” explained Dr. Allen, co-leader for Project ICECHIP, the largest-ever hail-focused field campaign and research initiative funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. “Hail can form in any location that experiences severe thunderstorms. In Australia, as an example, where I am from originally, severe hail events are most frequent on the central east coast and nearby inland, from north of Brisbane to south of Sydney. This is a region where severe hail events are coincident with utility-scale solar development activities.”

The limited availability and quality of radar data is a key challenge in assessing hail risk outside the United States; this is especially true of many locations where solar development occurs. To solve this blind spot, VDE Americas has built upon novel work by the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), ETH Zurich, and others. By using a combination of human expertise and a proprietary meteorological model that pairs rich radar and ground-based hail data from the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) with high-quality atmospheric data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), VDE is now able to offer Hail Risk Intelligence free of population bias to nearly every location in the world.

“Though large-diameter hail is inevitable in some parts of the world, large solar project losses are not,” noted Brian Grenko, president and CEO of VDE Americas. “Our hail products and services have consistently demonstrated that project stakeholders can limit catastrophic damage and financial loss via better technical literacy, due diligence, and risk mitigation practices.”

“Today’s solar farms are tomorrow’s critical power generation assets,” said Ansgar Hinz, CEO of the VDE Group. “For a worthwhile future, solar assets and portfolios must operate safely, sustainably, and reliably under their expected use conditions. Leveraging the VDE Group’s strong international network, we are excited to offer these financial hail risk assessments and consulting services to global markets.”

To kick off product internationalization, Jon Previtali, vice president of VDE Americas, is attending All Energy Australia, which takes place 29–30 October 2025 in Melbourne, to introduce VDE’s Hail Risk Intelligence capabilities to solar and insurance industry stakeholders at the southern hemisphere’s largest clean energy event. "Based on its solar development trends and severe convective storm activity, Australia represents an ideal market for our catastrophic risk assessment and loss prevention services,” said Previtali.

VDE Americas | www.vde.com/en/vde-americas

This signature marks a major milestone in KEOL’s growth and the beginning of a strategic alliance between two innovative and complementary French companies. Together, KEOL and SOCOMORE will combine their expertise to accelerate growth in UV adhesives, structural bonding technologies, and high-precision dispensing systems. KEOL’s expertise and agility with Socomore’s strength will help offer bonding solutions perfectly tailored to customers needs. 

This partnership will strengthen KEOL’s industrial capabilities, boost R&D projects, and expand its international reach through SOCOMORE’s global network. 

Socomore will draw on KEOL's 12 years of experience in the adhesives market to support growth in the global aerospace and defense market, thereby expanding the portfolio of solutions for its customers. This range complements the surface preparation solutions prior to bonding, painting, or sealing already available in the SOCOMORE portfolio. 

“This alliance is built on shared values — a passion for innovation, technical excellence, and the ambition to shape a more efficient and responsible industry.” - Christophe Brunel, President of KEOL 

“I am delighted with this collaboration with KEOL, which gives us expertise in the adhesives market and thus supports our development strategy by bringing new solutions to our customers. This new venture will enable us to combine our resources and ensure the success of this collaboration.” - José Coelho, CEO of SOCOMORE 

KEOL extends its thanks to José Coelho, Frédéric Lescure, and Nathalie Vigouroux for their trust and commitment to this new chapter. 

SOCOMORE | https://www.socomore.com/

Janta Power, a leading developer of innovative three-dimensional solar tower systems, has closed a $5.5 million seed round led by MaC Venture Capital, with participation from Collab Capital, to accelerate the commercialization of its patented, high-density 3D photovoltaic tower technology. This investment will support product scale-up and deployments across data centers, EV charging hubs, telecom towers, universities, and a range of industrial facilities.

Janta’s vertical solar towers are engineered to generate ~50% more energy than traditional flat-panel systems while using one-third of the land area, overcoming energy-density and siting constraints that limit conventional solar.

Pilot programs are underway with major global airports, including Munich International Airport, Aena (operator of over 70 airports worldwide), and Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), as part of the Airports for Innovation (A4I) initiative.

Janta’s patented tower geometry maximizes energy generation density, producing up to three times more power output per land area compared to traditional solar technology. Each tower’s stacked vertical design captures both low-angle morning and evening light, producing a dual-peak power curve that better aligns with real energy demand.

Janta’s technology can reach capacity factors of up to ~32% compared to ~22% for flat panels, thanks to active shading optimization and control software. Each structure is engineered to withstand winds of at least 110 miles per hour and as much as 170 mph, and feature steel construction and modular helical or pier foundations that eliminate the need for extensive grading.

Unlike traditional solar technology that concentrates output near midday, Janta’s 3D configuration smooths energy delivery throughout the day—reducing ramp stress on grids and lowering reliance on peaker plants. This unique generation profile complements conventional solar and enhances overall grid stability.

Currently, Janta Power’s solar solution can achieve a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) as low as $0.05/kWh, compared to the global average of approximately $0.15/kWh. As the company continues to scale and optimize its manufacturing and deployment processes, the goal is to further reduce the LCOE in the next few years.

Janta Power | jantaus.com

The City of Lancaster, First Public Hydrogen Authority (FPH2), and Western Systems have partnered to deploy hydrogen-powered backup traffic signals, a major infrastructure upgrade that enhances traffic safety, ensures reliable operations during power outages, and supports the City's decarbonization initiatives. This marks the latest milestone in the City and FPH2's work to help cities integrate hydrogen into essential public services.

The new backup systems, powered by HyMax fuel cells, keep traffic intersections functioning during blackouts and disruptions. Conditions that are becoming increasingly common due to grid strain, wildfires, and extreme weather.

"Lancaster has always embraced innovation when it comes to public safety and infrastructure," said Lancaster Mayor and FPH2 Chairman R. Rex Parris. "Projects such as these reflect our commitment to practical, forward-looking investments that make life better for our residents. It is an example of how hydrogen can support vital infrastructure where it's needed most. We're proud to partner to launch this in Lancaster and provide a practical solution that keeps traffic flowing and communities protected."

HyMax fuel cells, manufactured by Western Systems, are designed for long runtime and minimal maintenance. With no internal moving parts and a compact footprint, the systems provide a dependable alternative to diesel generators for traffic management and other critical services.

The backup signal installation is part of a broader strategy to deploy hydrogen across Lancaster's municipal systems, including transportation, emergency services, and utility operations. Through collaboration with FPH2, the city is advancing a hydrogen model that supports reliability, safety, and operational continuity.

FPH2 is working with cities to integrate hydrogen in ways that deliver tangible value. This project demonstrates the role hydrogen can play in supporting core municipal functions, from traffic safety to emergency response, while delivering real value to communities. Formed by the City of Lancaster and the City of Industry as a public Joint Powers Authority, FPH2 connects hydrogen producers with reliable off-takers through a seamless, transparent process.

Through its Joint Powers Authority structure, FPH2 enables public agencies to access shared tools for procurement, technical planning, and infrastructure deployment at no cost to participants. The organization continues to invite cities, transit providers, and local utilities to explore how hydrogen can strengthen their operations.

City of Lancaster | www.cityoflancasterca.org

First Public Hydrogen | www.firstpublich2.com

HyMax | hymax-inc.com

Ocean Winds, the international offshore wind energy company created by EDP Renewables and ENGIE, has once again renewed its Market Intelligence contract with Spinergie to sharpen its project planning and execution. With a global portfolio of projects across eight countries, Ocean Winds needs precise intelligence to navigate the challenges facing the offshore wind sector. Rising costs, volatile supply chains, and looming vessel bottlenecks, mean that securing capacity requires advanced vessel intelligence. 

Spinergie’s Market Intelligence platform addresses this challenge by providing real-time and historical insight into global installation and maintenance campaigns. With detailed fleet schedules, specs, and project intelligence, Ocean Winds can identify and secure the right construction vessels well in advance. 

The platform equips Ocean Winds to make the best decisions for their 17 secured offshore wind projects. By benchmarking operational metrics such as days per turbine and days per foundation, they have a clear view of performance relative to industry standards and can plan accordingly. With a stronger understanding of how previous, similar, projects have been managed, they can use lessons from industry learning curves. 

Ocean Winds uses Spinergie’s open data architecture to combine Market Intelligence intel with its own internal intel. This helps them undertake more personalized, detailed analysis specific to their own projects. Through this integration, Ocean Winds has gained a centralized platform that keeps their internal teams aligned. 

“Spinergie enables us to benchmark our project plans against the broader market. We can more readily identify vessel opportunities and stay a step ahead of the tightening supply chain with reliable availability and performance intelligence.  

“We value Spinergie’s ongoing support and expertise and look forward to continuing this trusted collaboration,” said Oscar Diaz, Chief EPCI Officer at Ocean Winds. 

“There is no room for guesswork in today's offshore wind market. Developers need accurate vessel availability and performance benchmarking that they can rely on to make impactful decisions. “

“Ocean Winds is proving that combining their own expertise and operational data with intuitive Market Intelligence is the only way to build projects that can withstand supply chain volatility and deliver without delays,” said Fabien Scemama, Head of Client Success at Spinergie.

Spinergie | www.spinergie.com

Indeximate, the leading provider of fibre sensing-based cable health monitoring to the offshore wind energy industry, announced that it has demonstrated its cable health monitoring to the offshore wind farm operator RWE. Following their success in RWE’s 2023 innovation competition, over winter 2024-25, Indeximate’s proprietary Scattersphere technology provided continuous health monitoring tracking and analysis of two strings at Arkona offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea, covering 13 turbines. 

Indeximate’s technology leverages existing optical fibres that commonly exist in subsea power cables to collect and automatically interpret distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) data. The monitoring and analysis included key areas of the cable protection system (CPS) between touchdown and aperture, as well as inside the monopile from aperture to hang off where installation of sensors for monitoring has long been a legacy issue for the sector. 

Over the six-month period, data was collected on the cables as they were subject to typical winter storm conditions, the effects of gravity and 7-metre-high waves. Dynamic strain measurements from DAS were taken 2,000 times per second at 10m intervals along the cables. Indeximate compressed the raw data in real time using its proprietary Indeximation technology, uploaded to their cloud portal, the Scattersphere, where automated analytics extracted several long-term risk profiles for the cable including abrasion, strain, fatigue integrity and vibration. 

Automated analysis of the data identified signatures related to cable movement, abrasion and vibration, as well as fatigue and damage. Analysed alongside co-registered wave and wind data, the long-term data record allows Indeximate to observe how the cables behaved in certain conditions, such as directional weather and specific wave heights and identify where issues may emerge. These insights have the potential to identify points of failure in advance, providing time for O&M teams to develop approaches to mitigate issues and avoid disruption and downtime, that can cost operators millions. 

Commenting on the ongoing monitoring work, Dr Chris Minto, Director, Indeximate said: “Our proprietary data compression and analysis technologies are unlocking vital insight into cable health that previously was unavailable to operators and allows us to establish health and risk profiles for all subsea power cables, helping operators avoid repair costs. We are hugely proud of our work with RWE to provide a clearer view of the condition of their cables at the Arkona wind farm in the hard to inspect regions inside the monopile and through the CPS, showing how weather variations effect cable health.”

Anika Borm-Schmelcher, Head of Innovation & Industrialisation at RWE Offshore Wind commented: “We have been impressed by the work Indeximate delivered to monitor our cables at our Arkona offshore wind farm. Since participating in RWE’s Innovation Competition in 2023, Indeximate and their data processing and monitoring technologies have further developed and now demonstrated their potential to deliver insight on our assets and to exploit the cloud-based resource for multiple approaches beyond cable health. The solution might finally enable RWE to better forecast the health of seabed power cables and, further in the future, to monitor the working environment of our offshore wind farms.”

Indeximate uses industry-leading proprietary data compression technology to enable the analysis of petabytes of long-term DAS data collected using optical fibres that commonly exist as part of subsea power cables, in Indeximate’s cable health monitoring Scattersphere technology. 

Historical pattern and trend analysis allows the creation of years-long risk profiles, which enable cable operators to continuously assess risks to assets, understand remaining life and benefit from early warning and detection of cable flaws. New fibre sensing and data compression approaches are enabling the offshore wind industry to reevaluate cable monitoring and the extent of insights that can be gathered on cable health, environment and the water column. 

Indeximate | https://indeximate.com/

Woodchuck, the AI-powered climate-tech startup redefining how construction and manufacturing industries handle wood waste, announces that Barton Malow, a 101-year-old construction enterprise committed to delivering innovative, trust-based solutions, has partnered with Woodchuck to divert wood waste from the Hart Solar Farm project away from landfills and into clean energy production. Together, the companies are not only diverting thousands of tons of wood waste from landfills, but also saving valuable time and resources by streamlining the waste hauling process. The diverted material is processed and delivered to Genesee Power Station, a NorthStar Clean Energy project, where it is repurposed as biomass to generate renewable power.

The collaboration addresses one of the most significant challenges in renewable energy construction: waste management. Traditionally, pallets, cable spools, and miscellaneous wood supports would have been sent to landfills. By working with Woodchuck, Barton Malow is ensuring that these materials find a higher purpose in clean energy production.

“Partnering with Woodchuck gives our project teams a real opportunity to put waste diversion into practice on a large scale,” said Jill Katic, Senior Sustainability Director at Barton Malow. “Not only does this help us reduce environmental impact, but it also provides quantifiable reporting we can use in our greenhouse gas inventories and annual sustainability reports. That level of accountability helps us deliver greater value to our clients.”

For Woodchuck, the partnership reflects its mission to eliminate construction waste from landfills and create renewable energy streams.

“Our work with Barton Malow at the Hart Solar Farm is proof that waste can be an asset,” said Todd Thomas, CEO of Woodchuck. “By coordinating hauling, shredding, and processing on-site, we make the logistics easier for builders while ensuring that every pallet and piece of wood debris is diverted into clean energy production instead of buried in a landfill.”

NorthStar Clean Energy, which utilizes the repurposed biomass, sees the project as a demonstration of how collaboration across industries can drive measurable sustainability outcomes.

“Turning wood waste from a solar construction site into clean, renewable energy is exactly the kind of circular solution our energy future demands,” said Brian Hartmann, President of NorthStar Clean Energy. “Working with Barton Malow and Woodchuck shows how innovative partnerships can scale sustainable practices while delivering reliable energy to Michigan communities.”

The Hart Solar Farm project, which spans more than four square miles, has already diverted nearly 500 tons of wood waste that was converted into 38M BTU, enough energy to power 16 Detroit homes for a month (or equal to 824 tons of CO2e, the equivalent of taking 180 cars off the road for a year). For Barton Malow, the effort underscores its commitment to helping clients meet sustainability goals while advancing renewable energy infrastructure.

Not only does this project support Woodchuck’s mission, but it also proves that the company’s model can be scaled dramatically to support large construction projects. Any construction company struggling to manage waste due to cost or lack of manpower can look to Woodchuck for a proven, scalable solution.

Woodchuck | https://woodchuck.ai/

NorthStar Clean Energy | https://northstarcleanenergy.com/