Higher Power PV Modules Drive Up BOS Costs

FirstLight, a leading clean power producer, developer, and energy storage company, and Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation, announced the award of their 57.2 MW Fort Frances Solar Project in the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) Long-Term 2 Request for Proposals (LT2). The Fort Frances Solar Project was one of 14 projects awarded contracts by the IESO, together representing more than 1,300 MW of new clean electricity supply for the province as it works to support forecasted increased electricity demand, while maintaining affordability and advancing carbon reduction goals.

Upon completion, the Project will generate enough clean electricity to power approximately 8,000 Ontario households and will create local employment during construction and throughout its 20‑year contract term, delivering meaningful economic and community benefits to the Town of Fort Frances. As a 50% partner, Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation will be involved in the Project’s development. The Project will also support the First Nation’s growth, vision, and prosperity.

The Fort Frances Solar Project builds on FirstLight and its predecessors’ more than 100-year legacy in the community through its 13.1MW hydroelectric project, Fort Frances Generating Station, which was built in 1909 and is located on the Rainy River.

“FirstLight is thrilled to have been awarded a contract in the IESO’s LT2 Energy Supply Procurement to bring new solar generation online for communities across Ontario in collaboration with our valued partner, Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation,” said Justin Trudell, President and CEO of FirstLight. “We are proud to support Ontario’s growing electricity demand and efforts to maintain affordability without compromising on carbon reduction targets.”

“Securing this contract represents a meaningful step forward in building long-term, sustainable economic capacity for our Nation while contributing to Ontario’s future energy needs,” said Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation Chief Whitecloud. “The Fort Frances Solar Project reflects how Indigenous Nations can participate as true partners in major infrastructure – shaping projects from the outset, ensuring responsible stewardship of our traditional lands, and creating enduring value for our members. We are proud to work alongside FirstLight to advance a project that aligns economic opportunity with environmental responsibility and intergenerational benefit.”

“Congratulations to FirstLight on the award by the IESO of their 57.2 MW solar farm that will be developed within the Town of Fort Frances. Fort Frances welcomes the development of Green Energy Sources within its boundaries,” said Fort Frances Mayor Andrew Hallikas. “This Solar Farm will contribute to the economic future of Fort Frances, the Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation and the Province of Ontario and will provide much needed clean, reliable, renewable electricity that will power industry and our daily lives. We are proud to see a long-standing partner like FirstLight continuing to invest in our community, and we look forward to an enduring, mutually beneficial relationship with FirstLight and Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation.”

FirstLight | www.firstlight.energy 

American automotive and technology company Rivian (NASDAQ: RIVN) and critical materials and energy technology company Redwood Materials announced a partnership to deploy pioneering battery energy storage at Rivian’s Normal, Illinois manufacturing facility. Using more than 100 second-life Rivian battery packs, Redwood and Rivian’s solution will initially provide 10 megawatt-hours (MWh) of dispatchable energy to reduce cost and grid load during peak demand periods—saving on cost and supporting grid security and reliability.

Rivian will provide EV battery packs to Redwood, who will integrate them into a Redwood Energy system, supported by the company’s Redwood Pack Manager technology, allowing their stored energy to be used on-site by Rivian’s plant in Normal. This system is rapidly scalable and offers significant cost benefits by using safe and proven EV batteries. This approach enables faster, more flexible deployment of energy capacity directly at high-demand sites like manufacturing facilities.

To capture and balance the growth in peak electricity demand expected, the U.S. must deploy massive amounts of energy storage. By 2030, estimates are that over 600GWh of storage is needed to meet growing demand, stabilize peaks, and power the technology innovation of the 21st century. This represents a virtual reservoir equivalent to the total energy output of the Hoover Dam running for two months straight.

“EVs represent a massive, distributed and highly competitive energy resource," said Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe. “As energy needs grow, our grid needs to be flexible, secure, and affordable. Our partnership with Redwood enables us to utilize our vehicle’s batteries beyond the life of a vehicle and contribute to grid health and American competitiveness."

"Electricity demand is accelerating faster than the grid can expand, posing a constraint on industrial growth," said JB Straubel, Redwood Materials Founder and CEO. "At the same time, the massive amount of domestic battery assets already in the U.S. market represents a strategic energy resource. Our partnership with Rivian shows how EV battery packs can be turned into dispatchable energy resources, bringing new capacity online quickly, supporting critical manufacturing, and reducing strain on the grid without waiting years for new infrastructure. This is a scalable model for how we add meaningful energy capacity in the near term."

EV batteries are often the longest-lived part of the vehicle itself, designed to last many hundreds of thousands of miles and, in many cases, to remain healthy even when the vehicle is retired, they are extremely valuable as stationary energy storage devices.

Stationary energy storage technologies play a key role in reducing cost and increasing stability both for the customer and the grid at large. For example, during periods of peak demand like heat waves, Rivian can instantly deploy energy stored in its second-life batteries to offset increased strain on the grid, avoiding having to purchase more expensive electricity while also avoiding additional load on the power system.

Redwood's deep expertise in battery systems and power integration positions the company to capture a massive domestic supply of energy storage that is already accumulating. By transitioning these packs into stationary assets before recycling them, we can extend their useful life, decrease reliance on imported energy storage, and defer billions of dollars in costly infrastructure upgrades.

Rivian | www.rivian.com

Redwood Materials | www.redwoodmaterials.com

A solar-plus-battery storage project developed and financed by Sunrock Distributed Generation is now in operation at the County Jail in Salinas, Monterey County. The system locks in long-term energy and financial savings while strengthening local grid reliability. Funded through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), it is expected to save the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the jail, more than $12 million over its lifetime—with zero upfront cost. 

The installation includes a 1.243 MW carport solar array paired with a 1.043 MW / 2.087 MWh Tesla battery system and is expected to generate more than 2,000 MWh of clean electricity annually. This will offset approximately 55% of the County Jail’s annual energy use and reduce carbon emissions by around 1,000 metric tons per year.  

The system at the County Jail was designed using LFP battery technology, which is widely recognized for its lower risk of thermal runaway compared to other battery types.

The project is the result of a long-term partnership between the County of Monterey and Mynt Systems, Inc., a Santa Cruz–based renewable energy development, engineering, and construction company. Mynt Systems partnered with Sunrock Distributed Generation to co-develop the system and provide financing through a PPA. 

“The completion of this renewable energy project is a major achievement for the County of Monterey to lead the transition to a more sustainable future. Thanks to the Power Purchase Agreement, the Sheriff’s Office is expected to save over $12 million without spending funds on capital costs,” says Cora Panturad, Sustainability Program Manager for the County of Monterey. 

The installation received Permission to Operate in December 2025 following a multi-year development process that navigated major shifts in federal energy policy, including changes to investment tax credit eligibility, domestic content requirements, and foreign entity of concern rules, as well as rapidly evolving building codes and safety standards for battery energy storage systems. 

In January 2025, a fire involving nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries at the nearby Moss Landing energy storage facility heightened industry and public scrutiny of battery safety. In response, the system at the County Jail was designed using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery technology, which is widely recognized for its lower risk of thermal runaway compared to other battery types. Project partners worked closely with the County of Monterey’s Health and Safety Division and Emergency Preparedness teams to ensure a conservative, safety-first approach appropriate for a correctional facility. 

The solar carport is projected to offset 55% of the County Jail’s energy use, reducing annual carbon emissions by 1000 metric tons

“Bringing this project online shows what’s possible when strong public partners work with experienced developers and long-term capital,” says Rob Hymes, Chief Development Officer at Mynt Systems. “This system was designed with safety at its core and is projected to deliver millions of dollars in savings that can be reinvested into sustainability and community resilience.” 

“The successful completion of this project demonstrates how disciplined project finance can deliver sustainable infrastructure certainty even amid major policy change,” says Wilson Chang, CEO and Co-Founder of Sunrock Distributed Generation. “We are proud to have worked with the Mynt team and our partners to co-develop and build a bankable solar-plus-storage asset that provides the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office with energy savings, predictable costs, enhanced resilience, and a safety-first storage solution.”  

Mynt Systems I www.myntsystems.com

Sunrock Distributed Generation | www.sunrockdg.com 

Wind and solar power have grown faster than almost anyone predicted but projecting their future expansion remains surprisingly difficult. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed what they call a computational “time machine” – a model that outperforms existing projection methods by using AI techniques to analyse historical growth patterns across countries. Their central projection shows that onshore wind is likely to supply around 25 per cent of global electricity by 2050, with solar reaching about 20 per cent. This is consistent with the 2°C target, but falls short of what is required for 1.5°C.

Predicting the future is particularly challenging for technologies like wind and solar, where rapid cost declines are offset by growing barriers such as public opposition, infrastructure constraints and policy shifts. 

“Existing models are very good at identifying what needs to happen to reach climate targets, but they can’t tell us which developments are most likely. That’s the gap we wanted to fill”, says Jessica Jewell, Professor at Chalmers University of Technology. 

Across more than 200 countries, the researchers identified a recurring pattern in how wind and solar power grow: long periods of relatively steady expansion punctuated by sudden growth spurts often triggered by policy shifts.

“Most models assume a smooth S-shaped growth curve, but that’s not how it actually looks in the real world. Growth often comes in bursts, and if you ignore that, you can misjudge how fast technologies will expand,” says Avi Jakhmola, PhD Student at Chalmers University of Technology and first author of the paper published in Nature Energy.

13,000 virtual worlds for the future

So, with the goal of improving the predictions, Jakhmola created a model built on 13,000 virtual worlds. In each of these worlds, solar and wind power develop in different ways – from the fastest possible expansion to the slowest – and everything in between. A machine learning algorithm was then trained on all these worlds to learn to predict global outcomes from early national trends.

“When we apply the model to real-world data, it can tell us what is the most probable outcome for the future – given what we have seen so far and given all the virtual worlds it has seen”, says Jakhmola.

By 2050, the model projects onshore wind reaching around 26 per cent of global electricity (central range: 20-34 per cent), and solar around 21 per cent (15-29 per cent). This broadly aligns with 2°C-compatible pathways but falls short of what’s needed for 1.5°C.

The projections also put the COP28 pledge to triple renewables capacity by 2030 in perspective. The pledge falls near the 95^th percentile meaning that it would require growth rates rarely observed. 

“The tripling of renewables pledge is not impossible, but it would require everything to go extremely well in all countries”, says Jewell.

The researchers also tested what would actually be required if we are to reach the 1.5°C goal. 

“If we start now, the required growth rates are demanding but not unprecedented, comparable to what the EU targets for wind with REPowerEU and what India has planned for solar power,” says Jakhmola. “But if we delay until 2030, the acceleration needed becomes much steeper and much more abrupt. The window for ramping up closes quickly.” 

Going back in time to ensure the model’s reliability 

The researchers also used the model to test the reliability of its projections – by going back in time. 

“We wanted to know if our projections will hold up ten or twenty years from now. When we fed the model only data from 2015, we found that it correctly predicts what has happened since then. This is what we mean by a ‘computational time machine’ and it gives us real confidence in the projections going forward”, says Jakhmola. 

The study points toward a broader ambition to develop scientifically-rigorous methods for projecting the most likely growth paths for other low-carbon technologies, not just wind and solar.

Jessica Jewell says: “It’s long been a joke how bad technology forecasts are. But if you’re a decision maker, trying to figure out how hard to push for change, you need a realistic baseline. Our study is the first step towards developing such a realistic view of the future.”

More about the research:

The paper 'Probabilistic projections of global wind and solar power growth based on historical national experience',  has been published in Nature Energy. The researchers have also made an online visualisation tool of the results, available at the Energy Technology and Policy website. The authors are Avi Jakhmola,  Jessica Jewell, Vadim Vinichenko and Aleh Cherp. The researchers are active at Chalmers University of Technology and Lund University in Sweden, University of Bergen in Norway, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and Central European University in Austria. 

More about the targets and the Paris Climate Agreement:

The Paris Climate Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”

Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden | https://www.chalmers.se/

DLMS User Association (DLMS UA), a leading voice in interoperable and secure data exchange and the OpenADR Alliance, an open standards body, announced a global liaison agreement to promote interoperable, standards-based energy data exchange at the grid edge. This agreement will support seamless data exchange between the widely trusted and adopted DLMS/COSEM standard for secure smart meter data exchange, and OpenADR's secure, two-way signaling for demand response and distributed energy resources (DER), and flexibility services.

As utilities modernize their grid operations and scale DER and energy flexibility programs, clearly defined interfaces between regulated utility infrastructure and dynamic home and building energy management environments are becoming essential. By connecting a standardized data model with standardized flexibility signaling, this liaison provides a foundation for scalable, interoperable implementations while preserving architectural flexibility and market choice.

With the new agreement, DLMS UA and OpenADR can exchange technical information, review and comment on draft work, set-up ad-hoc technical task forces, and co-ordinate technical activities that advance practical, interoperable, standards-based solutions for flexibility services and consumer energy insights. Both organizations will remain independently governed, preserving their respective programs and certification schemes.

"This marks an important step toward strengthening interoperability at the grid edge," comments Sergio Lazzarotto, President of the DLMS User Association. "DLMS/COSEM provides a robust, internationally recognized data model for smart metering. By establishing a clear and standardized mapping with OpenADR, we are defining a practical interface between revenue grade metering and flexibility markets. This will enable scalable, future-ready solutions while maintaining the rigor required for regulated and metrologically relevant applications."

Rolf Bienert, Managing and Technical Director of the OpenADR Alliance, adds: "For the first time this liaison will create a clear bridging option between smart metering systems and customer-owned flexibility resources. OpenADR strives to keep the customer in charge of the equipment they own and have paid for. We do however recognize the need to incorporate systems with larger consumption into a tighter control mechanism. Bridging DLMS and OpenADR strikes an excellent middle way to achieve both objectives."

Under the agreement, DLMS UA and the OpenADR Alliance will focus on targeted work areas, including technical mapping, international standardization pathways, certification co-ordination, and practical solutions for industry adoption.

Key areas will include:

• Developing a structured mapping between the COSEM and OpenADR data models to ensure consistent interpretation of relevant information across the utility-to-edge interface.

• Working towards the creation of one or several working group(s) within international standards development organization (SDO) to publish and maintain the standardized mapping.

• Assessing the potential benefits of transporting DLMS/COSEM over OpenADR, including use cases involving data with metrological relevance.

• Co-ordinating certification processes, where appropriate, while ensuring that each organization continues to manage its own certification programs independently.

OpenADR Alliance | https://www.openadr.org/

DLMS User Association | https://www.dlms.com/#section_ee76f255

A landmark 300 MW / 1,200 MWh standalone energy storage project powered by Sineng Electric is in commercial operation in northwest China. The project marks a significant advancement in facilitating high levels of renewable energy integration while strengthening grid stability, underscoring the strategic role of large-scale energy storage in modern power systems.

Located in Zhangye City, China, an area rich in wind and solar resources, the project directly addresses structural challenges associated with high renewable penetration, including intermittency, grid congestion, and limited transmission capacity. Persistent imbalances between daytime photovoltaic generation surplus and evening peak demand have historically led to renewable energy curtailment. The deployment of utility-scale energy storage provides a critical pathway to mitigate these constraints by enabling temporal energy shifting and enhancing grid flexibility.

The project is equipped with Sineng Electric’s 1,250 kW central PCS, designed to deliver high-efficiency energy conversion and superior system adaptability. With a peak efficiency of 99%, the PCS ensures optimized performance across a wide operating voltage range while minimizing conversion losses. It reduces the number of parallel battery clusters by 50%, effectively increasing system charge and discharge capacity by 0.75% and improving overall lifecycle energy utilization.

Engineered for deployment in harsh environments, the PCS is equipped with an IP65 protection rating to withstand sand and dust conditions in the Gobi Desert. In addition, the solution offers millisecond-level dynamic response capability, enabling rapid and precise support for grid ancillary services, including frequency regulation and power balancing.

As a four-hour long-duration energy storage system, the project can store up to 1.2 million kWh of renewable electricity per charge-discharge cycle. On an annual basis, it is expected to reduce curtailed wind and solar generation by more than 79 million kWh, thereby significantly enhancing renewable energy utilization and grid absorption capacity in Gansu Province.

Following commissioning, the project will play a critical role in peak shaving, load shifting, frequency regulation, and renewable output smoothing, contributing to improved grid reliability and operational efficiency. This project demonstrates Sineng Electric’s continued commitment to advancing high-performance energy storage technologies and supporting the global transition toward a low-carbon energy system. As the power sector evolves toward greater decarbonization, grid-scale energy storage will remain a cornerstone in enabling a flexible, resilient, and sustainable energy future.

Sineng Electric | https://en.si-neng.com/

Solar Landscape, the nation’s leading commercial and industrial rooftop solar and storage independent power producer, has announced the closing of a $117 million preferred tax equity investment with Nuveen Energy Infrastructure Credit (Nuveen EIC), marking the second major transaction between the two firms in less than twelve months.

Under the terms of the transaction, Nuveen EIC has committed $117 million to Solar Landscape at close. That commitment will be augmented with an expected $120 million of tax credit transfer proceeds that together with Nuveen’s preferred tax equity investment will support the construction and operation of a 145MW portfolio of community solar assets sited on commercial and industrial rooftops across Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey and Minnesota, reflecting Solar Landscape's continued momentum and market leadership in the distributed generation space.

The investment will span two years of capital deployment for a strategically important subset of Solar Landscape’s project execution and is structured to simplify the monetization of distributed generation tax credits, eliminating the need for traditional tax equity financing and enabling Solar Landscape to deploy capital more efficiently across its growing portfolio of operating assets.

"We’re happy to announce the closing of this important investment to support the continued expansion of new energy generation solutions with our commercial real estate partners in several of our core markets," said Clayton Avent, Chief Financial Officer of Solar Landscape. “We are proud to deepen our relationship with Nuveen, a best-in-class institutional investor, as we scale the deployment of distributed power to deliver new capacity fast to meet rising energy demand across the U.S.”

"We're excited to partner with Solar Landscape for the second time in the past year to provide a preferred tax equity solution that helps maximize value in community solar assets," said Don Dimitrievich, Head of Nuveen Energy Infrastructure Credit. "Our ability to scale capital alongside their growth is helping Solar Landscape continue to deploy community solar assets with market-leading operational excellence. For Nuveen EIC, preferred tax equity is a strategic priority, and this investment reflects the firm's disciplined approach of supporting high-quality distributed generation assets managed by best-in-class operators. We look forward to continuing our long-term relationship with the team."

Solar Landscape | solarlandscape.com