Controlled Liquid Hydrogen Storage: The backbone of decentralized energy

Renewable America, a leading provider of distributed energy resources, local small utility-scale solar+storage, and multi-customer community microgrids projects in California, announces the completion of 1.9 MWdc commercial solar projects with Pearl Crop, Inc. (Pearl Crop), a food processing company with multiple state-of-the-art facilities in central California. Pearl Crop, a family-run nut-processing business, turned to Renewable America to transform its operations through commercial solar. Its facilities have high energy demands, and Pearl Crop faced escalating energy costs. The company also has ambitious sustainability targets and recognized the need to power its operations with clean energy.

The agreement between Renewable America and Pearl Crop covers four different projects across three different locations in Ripon, Linden, and Stockton, CA. The largest site, Stockton, will use solar for 86% of its energy needs, providing Pearl Crop with an estimated $230,000 in annual utility cost savings.

“We’ve had a collaborative and beneficial partnership with Pearl Crop from agreement to completion, and it’s fulfilling to see three of the project sites running on solar power,” says Ardeshir Arian, President & CEO of Renewable America. “These projects foster energy autonomy in the local communities and contribute to our statewide carbon neutrality targets.” 

Renewable America provided a turnkey solution, serving as both developer and EPC for the four-project portfolio. By optimizing the design and installation process, the team completed work before the rollout of Net Energy Metering 3.0 (NEM), securing valuable NEM 2.0 savings for Pearl Crop. Their process maximized financial benefits while minimizing upfront costs and reducing long-term operational expenses.

Specifically, Renewable America solved multiple unique challenges in the design and installation phases. Through roof inspections and evaluations, they ensured that the site roofs could support the additional weight of the solar panels without compromising structural integrity. They also ensured that the panels would avoid shading from nearby buildings, increasing the system’s efficiency. In the installation phase, the team prevented any potential roof leaks to protect the quality of the almonds and walnuts processed by the facility.

 “Our Pearl Crop operations have high energy demands, and we’re on track for significant cost reductions from the transition to solar power,” says Ulash Turkan, CEO of Pearl Crop. “We appreciate Renewable America’s expertise, cost-effective solutions, and partnership as we celebrate this major sustainability milestone and work toward a greener future.”

Renewable America | https://renewam.com

Comstock Inc. (NYSE: LODE) (“Comstock” and the “Company”) and Comstock Metals LLC (“Comstock Metals”), a leader in the responsible recycling of end-of-life solar panels with the only certified, North American, zero-landfill solution, announced that all of the industry-scale facility precision equipment and unit operations have arrived and are assembled. Three of those unit operations have been commissioned and tested and are undergoing integration to date: the robotic loading arms, the Eddy system, and the washing system. This represents significant progress toward the full commissioning, start-up and continuous operation of the 100,000 ton per year solar panel recycling production line. 

“We are pleased to report that, as of last week, we completed the “tuning” of the entire glass-upgrading Eddy system, including full capacity stress-testing. The unit met and exceeded its quality and capacity performance requirements operating at full capacity levels and working towards delivering clean glass that meets or exceeds all the quality specifications communicated from our customers,” stated Corrado De Gasperis, CEO of Comstock Inc. 

“A production plant comes to life the way a finely tuned orchestra does. Each instrument is tuned individually to make sure it is working and if not, then retuned, and then stress-tested at volumes representing the equipment’s stated capacities, and only then does the true performance begin,” stated Dr. Fortunato Villamagna, Comstock Metals’ President. “Our plant is moving through that same sequence, and the instruments, the nine distinct unit operations that make up our process, are now being tuned one by one.” 

“The start-up sequence is largely dictated by the engineering requirements and, in part, in response to requests for materials and samples from the growing population of our potential offtake customers,” continued Villamagna. “We are currently stress-testing the other two-unit operations that are now calibrated, while beginning the “tuning process” for the next three in the sequence.” 

Commissioning, and all aspects of integration, tuning, and staged stress-testing will continue through late July 2026, when continuous operations will commence. The first full month of operation will begin within the next two months. 

Comstock I https://comstock.inc/

Solar power plants are designed for long-term operation. Many projects built during earlier periods of solar growth are still running today and still have years of productive life ahead. However, across a project’s full lifecycle, panel damage is difficult to avoid. Birds, debris, hailstorms, extreme weather and electrical faults can all affect solar modules over time.

The challenge is that damaged panels do not always stop working completely. In many cases, they continue operating at reduced efficiency, creating energy losses that may remain unnoticed until they accumulate.

This makes panel replacement more than a simple maintenance task. It becomes part of long-term asset performance management.

Damaged Panels Can Create Long-Term Losses

For example, in a 1MW installation with more than 3,000 panels, around 100 panels may be damaged annually. If left unaddressed, this can result in:

• Around 30,000 kWh of energy loss per year
• Around $6,000 in annual revenue loss at $0.20/kWh
• Around $36,000 in accumulated losses over 6 years

For long-term solar asset owners, this is not only a maintenance issue. It can affect revenue, safety and lifecycle performance. The question is not only whether damaged panels should be replaced. It is also how to replace them without adding unnecessary cost, complexity or downtime.

When New Panels Don’t Fit

Replacing a panel may seem simple, but solar systems are built around specific designs. New panels often have different sizes, power ratings and structures. If they don’t match the original system, issues may include:

• Mounting adjustments
• Electrical mismatch
• Extra engineering work
• Longer installation time
• Increased downtime and cost

What starts as a simple replacement can become a larger project. That’s why compatibility matters.

Discontinued Models Make Replacement Harder

Another growing challenge is product availability.

The solar industry moves quickly, and many older module models are no longer available. Manufacturers update designs, discontinue products, or exit certain markets. As a result, asset owners often struggle to find compatible replacements for aging systems.

When matching panels are unavailable, they may need to search longer, accept less suitable alternatives, or consider system modifications—adding cost, time and complexity.

GBP Replacement Panels

GBP replacement panels are designed to support solar asset owners, installers and O&M teams facing damaged panels, discontinued models or underperforming modules. Our replacement panel solutions help match the specifications of existing solar systems, supporting the reuse of current mounting structures and reducing unnecessary engineering work.

This helps simplify replacement projects, reduce redesign needs and support continued system operation with less disruption.

Through GBP Direct, customers can also access 400+ replacement solar panel options and search for compatible modules more efficiently. This supports faster sourcing for aging solar assets and helps customers respond more effectively when replacement needs arise.

GBP Direct | https://www.gbp-direct.com/

Next Hydrogen Solutions Inc. (“Next Hydrogen” or the “Company”) (TSXV:NXH) is pleased to announce a collaboration agreement with Fusion Fuel Cycles Inc. (“FFC”) to demonstrate purpose-built electrolysers for the fusion industry.

This partnership builds on two contracts totaling approximately $3.75 million awarded by FFC to Next Hydrogen in March 2026. Under these contracts, Next Hydrogen will engineer and deliver an electrolyser for the extraction of tritium, the fuel of fusion, from heavy water. The electrolyser will be integrated into FFC’s overall fusion fueling system.

The collaboration supports FFC’s vision to create a holistic fusion fuel cycle — a standardized balance of plant that allows fusion developers to source proven, integrated systems to enable their demonstration and commercial deployments.

FFC and Next Hydrogen Signing Ceremony at Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan

Signing ceremony between Yuhei Nozoe (Co-CEO, FFC) and Raveel Afzaal (CEO, Next Hydrogen) in the presence of the Honourable Maninder Sidhu (Minister of International Trade), Ambassador to Japan Ian G. McKay, Christian Howes (Senior Economic Officer, Ontario Trade & Investment) and Guillermo Freire (SVP, Mid-Market Group, EDC).

The fusion industry is widely seen as a massive long-term market now entering its prototyping and demonstration phase. Fusion promises a near-limitless, clean, and inherently safe source of baseload power, and once fully commercialized could rival or exceed today’s global electricity market to become one of the world’s largest industrial sectors.

“Next Hydrogen has a unique electrolyzer design that is very well suited to the demands of fusion power,” said Yuhei Nozoe, Co-Chief Executive Officer of FFC. “Its alkaline cell delivers the durability these applications require, while high current density operation keeps the system compact and minimizes potential leak points. Just as importantly, its novel cell design architecture with internal gas-liquid separation reduces contamination risk — exactly the characteristics we need to build reliable fuel cycle systems for our customers.”

“We strongly believe in FFC’s value proposition and team. One of the major strengths of FFC is its ability to leverage the historical strengths of the Japanese fusion industry and the Canadian nuclear industry,” said Raveel Afzaal, President and Chief Executive Officer of Next Hydrogen. “By delivering a standardized balance of plant, FFC allows fusion companies to concentrate on their core intellectual property while FFC handles the supporting systems around it. That focus translates directly into lower costs and faster timelines for an industry where speed to demonstration matters enormously. FFC also brings a very strong pedigree as a joint venture between Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and Kyoto Fusioneering, and we are proud and grateful to support its mission to help bring fusion energy to commercial reality.”

Next Hydrogen Solutions I www.nexthydrogen.com

Sabanci Renewables, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sabanci Holding, one of Türkiye’s leading holding companies with deep expertise in the energy sector, has entered into a long term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Meta for 100% of the environmental attributes from its 100 MWac / 130 MWdc Lucky 7 Solar and 120 MWac / 156 MWdc Pepper Solar projects in Texas with a total capacity of 220 MWac / 286 MWdc.

Both projects are expected to be completed in the second half of 2027 and form a part of Sabanci Renewables’ growing utility-scale renewable energy portfolio in the United States. Lucky 7 Solar and Pepper Solar are also expected to contribute to local communities by supporting more than 600 jobs during construction, creating long-term employment opportunities during operation, and bringing lasting economic benefits to the region, including more than $30 million in total property tax revenues for local taxing entities over the life of the projects. The projects will further support Texas’ growing need for reliable energy infrastructure by adding new renewable generation capacity within the ERCOT market.

A milestone for the U.S. market journey

“Entering into a long-term renewable energy agreement with Meta is an important step for Sabanci Renewables as we continue to grow our presence in the United States,” said Tolga Kaan Doğancıoğlu, Strategic Investments and Operations President, Sabanci Group. “For Sabanci Renewables, it also marks another strategic milestone in our US market journey and reinforces our focus on building durable partnerships with institutional and corporate off-takers.”

"We're excited to support the development of the Lucky 7 and Pepper solar projects, which together will add new solar capacity to the Texas grid," said Amanda Yang, Head of Clean and Renewable Energy, Meta. "This long-term agreement with Sabanci Renewables reflects the kind of partnerships we value — ones that bring meaningful new energy resources online.”  

AI-driven digital and data centers need long-term energy security

The agreement reflects Sabanci Renewables' continued focus on long-term contracted renewable energy investments in the U.S. The company continues to develop and build renewable energy projects designed to provide scalable and reliable electricity generation capacity while supporting the evolving operational requirements of large organizations operating in the United States.

Sabanci Renewables | https://sabanciclimatetech.com/en/climate-ventures/index/Climate-Ventures/4/0/0/

PowerBank Corporation (NASDAQ: PBK) (Cboe CA: PBK) (FSE: 103) ("PowerBank" or the "Company"), a leader in independent energy development and asset ownership in North America, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract (the "Contract") to construct a photovoltaic array, electric vehicle chargers and associated infrastructure for the United States Federal Government (the "Project"). The Contract was awarded to PowerBank Corporation's US subsidiary Abundant Solar Power Inc. and was granted by the United States Department of Defense and the Department of the Army for the Armed Forces Reserve Center Farmingdale in Farmingdale, New York (the "Owner"). The AFRC Farmingdale facility serves the Army Reserve, the Naval Reserve, the Marine Corps Reserve, and the New York National Guard.

The Company responded to a federal solicitation administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers for the Project, which will provide onsite power and electric vehicle charging capabilities to the facility. The Company has received Notice to Proceed under the Contract, and will commence with the engineering, procurement and construction of the Project which will be retained by the Owner.

This is PowerBank's first project for the United States Federal Government, demonstrating the Company's experience in providing code-compliant products and services which meet all Federal Acquisition Regulations. The work is provided under the NAICS (North American Industry Classification) code 236220 for Commercial and Institutional Building Construction. This announcement follows recent state-level contracts awarded to Abundant Solar Power Inc. with the New York Department of Military and Naval Affairs for the construction of several ground-mounted and rooftop solar projects as well as battery energy storage systems.

PowerBank's President and Chief Operating Officer Andrew van Doorn commented, "Being awarded this contract by the US Army Corps of Engineers is a meaningful validation of the standard to which our team builds. Federal procurement is rigorous by design, and meeting those requirements on our first submission reflects the institutional-grade capabilities we have built over decades of delivering complex energy infrastructure. We are proud to be bringing reliable, on-site solar and EV charging to the Farmingdale facility, and we look forward to executing this project with the same discipline our clients have come to expect from PowerBank."

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.

PowerBank Corporation | www.powerbankcorp.com

Because the 500 MW Highland Wind Farm is undergoing a major repowering process with existing components being changed out and upgraded with new more efficient components plus the addition of an Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS), the wind farm owner and the O’Brien County Board of Supervisors must enter into a new Decommissioning Agreement.  These complex and detailed discussions have been ongoing for several weeks.  

With the original Decommissioning Agreement entered into back on Oct. 9, 2013, the O’Brien County’s Wind Energy Device Ordinance requires an updated Decommissioning Plan that outlines the anticipated means and proposed financing methods adequate to remove the Highland Wind Farm, after being repowered, if it should incur a period of being inoperable.

Decommissioning a wind farm typically entails the removal of all wind energy devices, facilities, additional upgrades including to rotors, nacelles, towers, all step-up transformers, all overhead transmission and underground power collection systems and access roads unless the landowner wish to keep the roads.  Also requiring removal are all cement foundations, pads, underground electrical cables and any underground wind energy structures to a minimum depth of four’.  All areas must then be regraded, topsoil restored and then seeded.

At the Tuesday, June 16, 2026 O’Brien County Board of Supervisors meeting, the Highland Wind Farm Repowering Team consisting of project developer Alex Behnke, associate project director Caden Easter and associate project outreach manager John Huff discussed in greater detail what an agreed to Decommissioning Agreement will look like.  The owner’s attorney, Lee Greenwald, joined in on the discussion virtually.

Why Wind Turbines or Wind Farms Require Decommissioning

Greenwald began the discussion by describing the conversation he has been having with O’Brien County Attorney Katie Morgan.  One primary discussion has centered on how to determine when a wind turbine or an entire wind farm has become inoperable and stops generating electricity for an extended period of time.  

Morgan had recently proposed one questionable change to the original text that she felt could be made.  The proposed change that Morgan offered was that the wind farm owner could file a report regarding “the amount of electricity production on a per turbine bases.  We are discussing that internally and it would be really challenging for us,” Greenwald reported.  “That’s one item we are trying to finalize with Katie.”

Being the wind farm’s owner/operator, Greenwald then noted how the owner is required to report the total amount of electricity generated across the entire wind farm to the Energy Information Agency (EIA).  

Greenwald suggested that this matter might be the one issue holding up progress on getting beyond a decommissioning agreement approval. The per turbine energy output reporting is what’s so questionable. Unlike an entire wind farm energy production report, it’s the feasibility of arriving at a per turbine energy production figure that’s most in question.

A repowering team member went on to describe in a hypothetical sense what it might look like if a turbine site or two were not operational for a period of 180 days or whatever, then they would be obligated to report that situation to the County. The turbine manufacturer and the local wind farm operations and maintenance personnel would rather take the time and spend the money to repair the turbine than to decommission a problematic turbine site, suggested associate project director Caden Easter.

Easter also suggested that having a 180 day or a 12-month requirement for reporting a problematic turbine site being inoperable and then undergoing a decommissioning wasn’t really that feasible.  Easter suggested it would always be better to get that turbine repaired and back to where it is operational.

County Supervisor Barb Rohwer asked how many turbines in the wind farm currently aren’t functioning.  “To my understanding, there have been only two of the 104 turbines in the O’Brien Wind Farm over the last 2 years.  One has been fully repaired and the other is in the process od being repaired,” reported Behnke.  “I can’t speak for the Highland Wind Farm.  We are obligated to tell the County what efforts we are being taking to repair a problematic turbine.

“We will never leave a County high and dry.  We are an investment grade, rate regulated public utility.  Hopefully, we are a company that never goes away and will never leave an operational wind farm.  That scenario just will not happen.  I don’t see a scenario where we will decommission one or two turbines.  I do take your concern into account,” Easter stated.

“I do know they try as hard as possible to repair a downed turbine.  Our job is energy production,” replied Easter.

When an observer asked the Repowering Team members if they were aware of an entire wind farm in Iowa, or any other state, that had undergone a decommissioning procedure, “To my knowledge, I am not. I am personally not aware of that ever happening in our company’s history,” replied a team member.

Another team member reported, I am aware that the first ever NW Iowa wind farm built in the late 1990’s and located in Buena Vista and northeast Cherokee County will be going through what’s called a full scrape repowering process.  Their old lattice towers will be completely removed and the newer style 3 section, 260’ tall tube-shaped towers will be put back in place.

“With our first wind farm built back in 2004, I think we are realistically still a decade or so from decommissioning our first entire wind farm,” a team member speculated.

In a follow up email, Easter reported, “The turbines are expected to have a 30-year operational life after the current repowering.  So, 2057 would be the estimated end of their operational life after these current repowering projects.”

Stantec Consulting Services was contracted to prepare a report regarding a hypothetical situation where the turbines in the 250 MW O’Brien Wind Project were decommissioned after a completed repowering project. A summary of their estimated costs and revenues associated with a decommissioning project was prepared and also included.  Stantec’s estimated cost for decommissioning the 250 MW wind farm came to $15,213,980.

The decision on the new Highland Wind Farm Decommissioning Agreement is still up for further discussion and consequently still pending.

— Loren G. Flaugh

[email protected]