The Solar Product Registry Set to Boost Solar Deployment

WAGO is introducing three functional safety I/O modules to be used with WAGO’s PFC controllers.  These new 750 Series modules have four safe inputs along with either two safe outputs at 10 A/24 VDC, or four safe outputs at 2 A/24 VDC each.  The power outputs operate in both bipolar (high-side/low-side switching) and unipolar (common potential on one side of the load) modes. The module monitors short circuits, cross circuits, and 24 V power supply from separate sources.

The modules contain internal logic that can be programmed with WAGO’s I/O-CHECK and Safety Editor software.  Using these modules, safety-related applications up to SIL3/PLe can be implemented without the need for a safety PLC.  These modules have been evaluated by UL in compliance with the UL/CSA 61010-1, UL/CSA 61010-2-201 and UL 121201, and CSA-C22.2 No. 213 standards.

WAGO | www.wago.us

Boeing [NYSE: BA] unveiled a 3D‑printed solar array substrate approach that compresses composite build times by up to six months on a typical solar array wing program from print to final assembly. This represents a production improvement of up to 50% when compared to current cycle times.

Flight‑representative hardware has completed engineering testing and is progressing through Boeing's standard qualification path ahead of customer missions.

"Power sets the pace of a mission. We reached across our enterprise to introduce efficiencies and novel technologies to set a more rapid pace," said Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems. "By integrating Boeing's additive manufacturing expertise with Spectrolab's high‑efficiency solar tech and Millennium's high‑rate production line, our Space Mission Systems team is turning production speed into a capability, helping customers field resilient constellations faster."

The first 3D-printed solar arrays will fly Spectrolab solar cells aboard small satellites built by Millennium Space Systems. Both non-integrated subsidiaries are part of Boeing's Space Mission Systems organization.

Beyond the arrays themselves, Boeing's approach enables a parallel build of the complete array, pairing a printed, rigid substrate with flight-proven modular solar technologies.

By printing features such as harness paths and attachment points directly into each panel, the design replaces dozens of separate parts, long‑lead tooling, and delicate bonding steps with one strong, precise piece that is faster to build and easier to integrate. It is built upon the foundation of Boeing's qualified additive, flight-proven materials and processes.

"As we scale additive manufacturing across Boeing, we're not just taking time and cost out, we're putting performance in," said Melissa Orme, vice president, Materials & Structures, Boeing Technology Innovation. "By pairing qualified materials with a common digital thread and high‑rate production, we can lighten structures, craft novel designs, and repeat success across programs. That's the point of enterprise additive, it delivers better parts today and the capacity to build many more of them tomorrow."

Across the Boeing portfolio, the company has incorporated more than 150,000 3D‑printed parts, yielding significant schedule, cost, and performance benefits. This includes more than 1,000 radio-frequency parts on each Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite currently in production and multiple small‑satellite product lines with fully 3D‑printed structures.

The new array approach is designed to scale from small satellites to larger platforms, including Boeing 702‑class spacecraft, targeting market availability for 2026. 

By printing the panel's structure and built‑in features, Boeing can assemble the array in parallel with cell production. Robot‑assisted assembly and automated inspection at Spectrolab further reduce handoffs, improving speed and consistency.

Boeing | https://www.boeing.com/

Sol Systems, an independent power producer (IPP) committed to building, owning, and operating domestic clean energy infrastructure that benefits local communities, announced that Great Bay Renewables (GBR) has made an initial commitment of approximately $80 million in interconnection letters of credit (LCs) supporting Sol's MISO portfolio. The revolving facility will be used to post refundable milestone deposits to MISO and, subsequently, to support readiness deposits in PJM.

"Interconnection is a bottleneck for U.S. clean energy deployment," said Richard Romero, Chief Financial Officer, Sol Systems. "This facility lets us scale more efficiently by posting deposits with letters of credit rather than cash, so we can advance a broader, de-risked portfolio for our customers and capital partners. Great Bay Renewables understands today's queue realities and structured a solution that meets the moment."

Frank Getman, CEO of Great Bay Renewables, said, "The capital required for grid interconnection security is one of the largest impediments to energy project development. At Great Bay, we specialize in creating innovative financial solutions to solve these complex problems. Our interconnection financing frees up our partners' balance sheets, enabling companies like Sol Systems to deploy their resources efficiently to build the projects that accelerate the growth of American industry."

Non-cash-collateralized LC capacity has historically been reserved for large, credit-rated platforms. By partnering with GBR, Sol gains balance-sheet efficiency comparable to the industry's largest players while continuing to invest in rigorous upfront engineering and site selectivity. This non-cash-collateralized LC capacity enables Sol to advance a greater number of high-quality interconnection positions without tying up cash, supporting a larger, more diversified pipeline and accelerating deployment as projects mature. 

Sol Systems | https://www.solsystems.com/

Great Bay Renewables | https://www.greatbayrenewables.com/ 

Stony Brook University is the recipient of over $4.9 million grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). These funds have been designated to develop a clean hydrogen research demonstration project for a low-pressure, ambient-temperature hydrogen-storage system to be used at a Northwell Health Hospital site in order to improve resiliency and reliability of a healthcare system’s energy operations.

This storage system looks to address how high volumetric density energy storage under mild conditions of both temperature and pressure can be developed, especially in densely populated areas with high-energy demand and no single system available. This system uses a hybrid approach, utilizing  the outcome of multi-year technology development and analysis coming from Stony Brook’s Institute of Gas Innovation and Technology (I-GIT), located in the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center, the New York State’s Center of Excellence in Energy. The large-scale storage system combines hydrogen production and will store it in a solid adsorbent system for facile storage and release of hydrogen on-demand under mild conditions.

This demonstration project is a step forward to store hydrogen in solid adsorbents at scale to establish the process feasibility of such systems for safe deployment. The selection of modular units in the system at the hospital site will attempt to ensure that the system capacity can expand or contract to meet varying customer demands. Once  successfully demonstrated, the system can be replicated across several industry sectors including hospitals and data centers to not only store and deliver reliable energy but provide energy security.

“As a recognized leader in energy storage, Stony Brook University is shaping the future of clean energy through  innovation and research, including in this pioneering hydrogen storage project,” said Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith. “The investment by NYSERDA to support this project will enable significant advances in flexible energy storage that can meet dynamic industrial and consumer demand. Demonstrating this novel technology in a hospital system will ensure that patients and healthcare workers are not subject to power outages or shortages in their critical care systems. This project reflects a collaboration between Stony Brook and seven industrial partners representing the entire hydrogen value chain, further strengthening New York’s leadership role in clean energy innovation.”  

“There is a global race to develop highly efficient systems for large-scale energy storage that can operate under ambient temperature and moderate pressures in an off-grid mode, said Devinder Mahajan, PhD, Professor of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and Director of the Institute of Gas Innovation and Technology (I-GIT), who is also principal investigator of the project. I-GIT has adopted the Power-to-Products (P2X) concept with the aim to produce and store fuels in modular systems with a minimum Carbon Intensity (CI) score, a measure of reduced emissions. 

This project will demonstrate a large-scale hydrogen storage system that will integrate an electrolyzer, hydrogen storage system, and a fuel cell stack to deliver power on-demand for multiple applications, such as back-up power and EV chargers. While the I-GIT team that also includes Professors T. Venkatesh and Clive Clayton will provide technical expertise, a consortium of partner companies, Northwell Health, ConEdison, Plug, H2B2, Hydrexia, BrainDrip, are providing over $6 million in cost-share and a host site, bringing the total project cost to over $11 million, and will ensure that the system is replicated for commercial deployment. This project is part of a larger hybrid concept that is developed and patented by the Research Foundation to link renewables with storable energy molecules.  This recognition and funding by NYSERDA for this promising hydrogen storage project will help create future systems to produce safe and cleaner energy for industrial and residential use. [Quote from Dean Singer]?? 

“This advancement is a great example of the power of partnerships and the long and successful history of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center supported by the state of New York,” said Dr. Kevin Gardner, Vice President for Research and Innovation. “A productive energy innovation ecosystem yields major advancements and gets them to the demonstration phase as is being done here.”

“I-GIT was formed in 2018 in partnership with National Grid, to provide an industry-university collaborative platform and develop advanced technologies for the benefit of New York State customers,” said Robert B. Catell, Chairman of the Board of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC). “The strategic vision of the institute is now paying off as it makes inroads into technology demonstration, in this case with funding for hydrogen storage from NYSERDA. The expanded industry I-GIT membership that now includes ConEdison and VJ Technologies will ensure a pipeline of technology demonstration projects will follow.”

Stony Brook University | https://www.facebook.com/stonybrooku/ 

Omnes Capital (“Omnes”) and Infranity today announced a strategic equity partnership with Power Capital Renewable Energy (“Power Capital”), the leading solar independent power producer in Ireland also focused on battery energy storage systems (BESS).

The partnership is designed to accelerate Power Capital’s next phase of growth while advancing Ireland’s energy transition. 

With a 230MW operational fleet of solar PV, 330MW under construction and an over 5GW pipeline of solar PV and BESS, Power Capital is the largest solar IPP in Ireland.

The company operates across the entire life cycle of its power plants, developing, constructing and operating the assets and has delivered close to 1GW of ready-to-build solar PV projects with secured offtake through power purchase agreements and government-backed subsidies.

Omnes, Infranity and Power Capital’s management team will support execution of the company’s business plan, focusing on disciplined deployment, including in BESS, and enhanced offtake optionality, while maintaining best in class asset operations and HSE standards.

The transaction was signed at the end of July and is subject to customary approvals. Closing is expected by the end of September 2025 once the required approvals, including regulatory ones, are obtained. Akereos Capital acted as financial adviser to Power Capital, which was also advised by Dentons, Arthur Cox and Philip Lee (legal). Infranity was advised by Rubicon Capital Advisors (financial) and A&L Goodbody (legal).

 Jean-Baptiste Delattre, Director at Omnes, stated: “Over the past four years, we have worked closely with the Power Capital management team to support the company’s evolution into Ireland’s leading solar IPP. Their execution, vision, and commitment to operational excellence have been instrumental in reaching this milestone. We’re delighted to welcome Infranity as a strategic partner in the next phase of growth. The investment will further strengthen the company’s leadership position and enhance the company’s ability to deliver on its ambitious pipeline. ”

Jaime Héctor, Co-Head of Infranity’s Equity strategy, stated: “We are pleased to partner with Omnes as a key shareholder of Power Capital. We have been impressed by what the management team, supported by Omnes, has achieved and by their plans to address the country’s energy transition. We look forward to contributing actively to the continued growth of Power Capital, including into BESS, helping to build a balanced portfolio across technologies. This strategic investment perfectly matches our funds’ mandates and represents another milestone for our latest equity fund.

Justin Brown, CEO of Power Capital, stated: “This landmark capital raise marks a pivotal moment for Power Capital as we accelerate the delivery of over 5GW of solar PV and BESS projects across Ireland. The backing from new shareholder Infranity alongside the continued support of Omnes, reflects strong confidence in our vertically integrated model and our mission to lead Ireland’s energy transition. With this funding, we are well-positioned to scale our operations, create long-term value, and contribute meaningfully to a more sustainable energy future.”

Omnes | www.omnescapital.com

Infranity | www.infranity.com

Power Capital | www.powercapital.ie

We’re proud to announce that the Guardian Seraph Harness has been recognized with the Occupational Health & Safety Magazine 2025 New Product of the Year Award in the Fall Protection: Harness/Lanyard category. The OH&S annual awards celebrate innovations in protective equipment, safety technology, and solutions that address the toughest challenges in today’s workplaces.

“We’re honored that the Guardian Seraph Harness has received this award,” said Sean Wirth, Senior Product Manager at Guardian. “The Seraph was reintroduced by popular demand with innovative upgrades like auto-resetting lanyard keepers and an integrated SRL Adapter slot. It delivers the perfect balance of performance and value — and having that work recognized is a real privilege for our team.”

Guardian | www.guardianfall.com