The Solar Product Registry Set to Boost Solar Deployment

FlexGen Power Systems, LLC (“FlexGen”), a leading provider of battery energy storage solutions and energy management software, announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, the Court presiding over the Chapter 11 cases of Powin, LLC and Powin affiliates, has approved FlexGen’s acquisition of a substantial portion of Powin’s business, advancing FlexGen’s mission to future proof global grids and growing energy demand through battery energy storage.

Through the acquisition, FlexGen will own all of Powin’s IP, including hardware IP, software IP and information technology systems, along with a significant spare parts inventory. Upon closing of the acquisition, FlexGen will support over 25 GWh of battery energy storage systems and 200 projects across 10 countries in its portfolio. FlexGen’s Remote Operations Center (ROC) will gain system visibility to ensure continuity for Powin customers, while its FlexGen HybridOS® controls software, analytics modules and lifecycle services will be made available to provide additional insights and best-in-class system availability.

“This is a significant milestone, not just for FlexGen, but for the entire industry, as storage is no longer a nice-to-have, but rather, essential to meeting global energy demand and opportunities,” said FlexGen CEO, Kelcy Pegler. “With this acquisition, we will continue to deliver the reliability and intelligence the grid, data centers and communities need to thrive in a world of growing energy needs.”

Drawing on 15 years of integration experience with over 65 configurations from 22 global vendors, FlexGen is prepared to deliver immediate continuity and support for Powin customers. With its full suite of lifecycle services and hardware-agnostic FlexGen HybridOS® software products, FlexGen meets operators where they are today while driving an AI-centric roadmap for its analytics module and sophisticated controls software. The impact is futureproofing customer investments with maximum uptime and minimal disruption.

“Our top priority is customer success and delivering immediate operational stability, maximizing the value and performance of their systems. FlexGen’s proven financial strength means we’re a capital-light software and services partner that will remain in business to deliver on our customer promises,” added Gary Cristini, FlexGen’s CFO. “We thank Powin for their early-mover role in shaping the dynamic and important grid-scale battery market and honor our commitment to carry on that legacy and deliver exceptional uptime, reliability and customer success.”

FlexGen | https://www.flexgen.com/Powin

S-5!, the leading authority on attachment solutions for metal roofs, announces its new distribution partnership with Krannich Solar USA, a division of the global solar distributor, Krannich Solar. As an authorized distributor, Krannich Solar USA will offer the full line of S-5! solar mounting solutions across their four U.S. branch locations.

Headquartered in Germany, Krannich Solar operates in over 30 countries, serving residential, commercial and utility-scale solar installers and EPCs with a broad range of solar photovoltaic products, including modules, inverters, racking systems and balance-of-system components.

"We are excited to partner with S-5!, a company whose commitment to innovation and quality aligns seamlessly with our own values,” said Ean Kyler, CEO of Krannich Solar USA. “S-5!’s proven track record in delivering reliable, efficient roof attachment solutions makes them an ideal partner. We share a commitment to sustainability, engineering excellence and exceptional customer service, and we’re confident that this collaboration will drive forward the adoption of solar energy across key markets.”

Kyler also noted that S-5!’s high-volume, automated manufacturing processes at its ISO 9001:2015-certified facility ensure consistent product quality, affordability, and availability. “Their products are engineered to last the life of the roof—and that’s exactly the reliability our customers expect,” he added.

“Krannich has been a valued supporter of S-5! for many years,” said Rob Haddock, S-5! Founder and CEO. “This official distribution agreement is the culmination of a long-standing, collaborative relationship between our teams. We look forward to expanding our reach and making S-5! products more accessible than ever through Krannich’s nationwide presence.”

S-5! | www.s-5.com

Krannich Solar | https://krannich-solar.com/us-en/

Pexapark, the trusted provider of reference prices and market intelligence for renewable energy supported developer SAE as commercial lead on the development of Afon Wysg 1 (AW1), a 120MW / 240MWh standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) project. 

The AW 1 project is located at the Uskmouth Sustainable Energy Park in South Wales, which is one of the UK’s largest Battery Storage sites. The AW1 project is expected to reach commercial operations in Q1 2027 and plays an important role in SAE’s strategy to own and operate clean energy infrastructure. 

By leveraging its expertise in storage market dynamics, risk allocation, and offtake negotiation for batteries, Pexapark advised SAE on the procurement and the commercial structuring of the 12-year floored revenue optimisation agreement with EDF Energy Customers Limited (EDF) in close collaboration with financial and legal advisers. With market conditions constantly evolving, Pexapark’s involvement helped SAE evaluate trade-offs across contract terms, revenue certainty, and operational flexibility. This agreement, in addition to the Capacity Market revenues secured by SAE’s projects announced in March, will streamline and guarantee further revenues for the site. 

“Battery storage is a fast-moving and complex space, and each project requires some degree of tailoring to ensure bankability and long-term value,” said Rob Hudson, Lead Energy Storage Advisor at Pexapark. “As the offtake market evolves, transaction expertise and structure-specific insights are essential to strike the right balance between revenue certainty and merchant exposure. We’re proud to support SAE as they scale their storage ambitions and take a leading role in the UK energy transition.” 

“Reaching this milestone for Afon Wysg 1 is a huge achievement for our team” said David Taaffe, Chief Operating Officer at SAE. “The support from Pexapark has been critical in helping us run a robust offtaker selection process and ensuring the commercial structure met our financing needs. Their understanding of BESS contracts and market design gave us confidence in securing the best deal possible for this project.” 

Pexapark |  www.pexapark.com

Joule Capital Partners, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT), and Wheeler Machinery Co. announced an agreement to power Joule’s High Performance Compute Data Center Campus in Utah. Joule, a next-generation infrastructure company, aims to create the largest single campus in Utah and operate the most advanced data centers in the world.

Bringing multiple gigawatts of capacity to Utah

This initiative will provide four gigawatts of total energy to the center of the Intermountain West. The project will deliver groundbreaking prime power and integrated combined cooling heat and power (CCHP) solutions with a by-design liquid cooling architecture. Powered by a fleet of Caterpillar’s latest G3520K generator sets and support equipment, the distributed generation system produces electricity and captures waste heat to power and cool next-generation, high-density server systems. 

The solution includes 1.1 gigawatt hours of grid forming battery energy storage along with backup power generation served by diverse fuel sources. Thanks to Caterpillar’s expanding U.S.-based manufacturing footprint, the full generation package can be delivered ahead of most other generation technologies. This speed-to-power advantage is critical for meeting the explosive growth in demand for compute capacity.

Beyond the gensets, this fully integrated system includes the controls, switchgear, inverters, energy storage solutions, CCHP and more, providing a complete power solution for the Joule data center and a competitive advantage for Joule’s tenants. Caterpillar and Wheeler will also provide service and support for the products and solutions, ensuring uptime and availability targets are met.

“This project represents the core of Joule’s mission—to deliver artificial intelligence (AI) ready compute capacity by pairing world-class data center campuses with reliable, on-demand power,” said David Gray, President of Joule Capital Partners. “By combining Caterpillar’s advanced energy systems with Wheeler’s local expertise, we can bring gigawatt-scale capacity to market faster and more efficiently than ever before, ensuring our tenants have the power and reliability they need to thrive in the next generation of high-performance computing.”

“Caterpillar is uniquely positioned to tackle the growing energy needs for artificial intelligence and the evolving needs of modern infrastructure. This project is a perfect example of how we can deliver fast, reliable power generation to our customers through integrated energy solutions," said Melissa Busen, senior vice president of Electric Power at Caterpillar Inc. “We are proud to work with Joule and Wheeler to help bring this project to life.”

“This strategic alliance between Joule, Caterpillar, and Wheeler brings together world-class engineering, local expertise, and visionary energy design”, said Bryan Campbell, CEO of Wheeler Machinery Co, “We’re proud to help deliver a resilient solution ready to meet future compute demands and set a new standard for data center infrastructure.”

Joule Capital Partners | https://joulecapitalpartners.com/

Caterpillar I caterpillar.com 

Wheeler Machinery | wheelercat.com/power/

Arevon Energy, Inc., a leading American energy developer, owner, and operator, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the company’s Eland Solar-plus-Storage Project, which is now fully operational. Arevon’s two-phase Eland project, sited near Mojave in Kern County, is one of the nation’s largest solar-plus-storage facilities, with total capital costs of more than $2 billion. Combined, the Eland 1 & 2 projects will be able to power more than 266,000 homes annually, and overall, can provide 7% of the total electricity requirements for the city of Los Angeles.

Arevon developed and will own and operate the Eland Solar-plus-Storage Project, which has a total nameplate capacity of 758 megawatts (MWdc) of solar paired with 300 MW/1,200 megawatt hours of energy storage. Eland 1 reached commercial operation at the end of 2024, and Eland 2 recently commenced full operation — together, the two phases comprise 1.36 million solar panels and 172 lithium iron phosphate batteries (LFP).

Public officials, utility representatives, community leaders, and local stakeholders gathered to mark the project’s operations at an on-site ribbon-cutting ceremony. Sharing remarks at the event were Mayor Karen Bass, City of Los Angeles; Trelynd Bradley, Deputy Director for Innovation and Emerging Technologies at the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz); Janisse Quiñones, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer at Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP); Daniel E. Garcia, Executive Director at Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA); Scott Mellon, General Manager at Glendale Water and Power (GWP); Chris Hannan, President at the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California; Lorelei Oviatt, AICP, Director at Kern County Planning and Natural Resources, and Justin Johnson, Chief Operating Officer at Arevon. Kevin Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Arevon, served as the event’s master of ceremonies.

“We are building a greener Los Angeles. Arevon's Eland Solar-plus-Storage Project alone will generate enough power to serve more than 266,000 homes in Los Angeles and push the city’s clean energy share above 60 percent, a major milestone in L.A.’s transition to being powered by 100% clean energy by 2035,” Mayor Bass said. “This is L.A.’s clean energy future — I want to thank LADWP, Arevon, and all of the partners who made this occasion possible.”

“Bringing Eland Solar-plus-Storage online is a defining achievement for Arevon. Not only is Eland the largest project in our portfolio, but it also delivers reliable and affordable energy at scale and reflects our team’s leadership in advancing California’s renewables-forward future,” Kevin Smith, CEO of Arevon said. “Strong collaboration among the project’s landowners and community members as well as our power offtake and financing partners was essential in getting us to this moment. We are pleased to deliver homegrown, stable, and secure power to Los Angelenos and contribute to the state’s renewable energy goals — all the while supporting local communities and investing in long-term sustainability.”

The energy generated and stored by Arevon's Eland is under long-term agreements with SCPPA, who delivers it to its members, LADWP and GWP.

California is on track to achieve 100% clean energy by 2035, with 57% of the state’s electricity already coming from renewable resources. Arevon’s Eland project further advances California’s renewable energy goals, particularly as the state works to phase out other technologies. 

The batteries, which were manufactured locally in Lathrop, California, efficiently and quickly discharge power during times of peak demand, strengthening California’s energy security, especially in the face of extreme heat, brownouts, and blackouts. LFP battery technology also offers enhanced safety compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries. In commercial use since 2019, LFP batteries have had no reported fire incidents, making them the reliable and secure choice for utility-scale storage. Cumulatively, Eland 1 & 2 generated approximately 1,000 jobs to construct the facility, and the project is expected to disburse more than $36 million in local government payments throughout its lifetime, which can support schools, public services, and necessary infrastructure enhancements.

“This celebration marks a critical step toward LADWP’s accelerated goal of 100% clean energy by 2035,” Quiñones said. “The Eland project represents what we need to achieve this objective — scale, energy storage, reliability, and innovation — while demonstrating what is possible when public and private sectors partner to benefit our city and the environment.”

“Eland is a game-changer for Glendale. It’s not just about clean energy — it’s about building a smarter, more resilient power grid that meets the moment. With cutting-edge solar and storage in one of the biggest projects of its kind, we’re locking in affordable, 100% carbon-free energy for our community and setting the pace for what a modern utility should look like,” Mellon said.

“The Eland project exemplifies what’s possible when public power agencies and innovative private partners work together to deliver transformative energy solutions. This milestone is not just about megawatts, it’s about building a more sustainable, reliable future for the communities and members we serve,” Garcia said.

To date — and this is just the beginning — Arevon has contributed to several community-centered initiatives in the Eland Solar-plus-Storage project area. As the long-term owner and operator of the project, Arevon is committed to continuing its support for local programs throughout the life of the project. In partnership with the Safe Haven Kid’s League of California City, Arevon has helped provide food security, school supplies, infant care items, and workforce reentry programs. The company also supports the I Love California City Economic Development Group, funding infrastructure upgrades and clean-up events for Balsitis Park to promote outdoor activities and community well-being.

Arevon is a nationwide renewable energy developer and a leader in California with more than 3.7 gigawatts in operation, representing more than $5 billion in capital investments. The company recently issued other announcements celebrating achievements at several of its California projects, including the start of operations at its Peregrine Energy Storage Project, its Eland 1 Solar-plus-Storage Project, its Vikings Solar-plus-Storage Project, and its Condor Energy Storage Project. Arevon also announced construction proceedings at its Nighthawk Energy Storage Project and executed offtake agreements for its Cormorant Energy Storage Project and its Avocet Energy Storage Project. Condor Energy Storage in Grand Terrace received the North America Storage Deal of the Year Award, and Vikings Solar-plus-Storage in Imperial County was the recipient of IJGlobal’s Renewables Deal of the Year – Energy Storage Award.

Arevon | arevonenergy.com

GenH2 Corp., a Path2 Hydrogen Company, a leader in liquid hydrogen infrastructure solutions, announced that NASA nominated its Cryostat CS500 simulation test platform at the Kennedy Space Center for the agency’s prestigious Commercial Invention of the Year (IOY) Award.

The annual IOY Award honors NASA-developed technologies that have been successfully patented, licensed, and commercialized by private industry, demonstrating broad benefits to NASA, the U.S. economy, and potential for global impact. Nominations require at least one NASA inventor and proven commercialization by a private sector partner.

GenH2, a licensee of NASA’s cryostat technology, was the only nominee for the Commercial IOY Award with a technology patented by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Technology Transfer Office. When winners were announced, GenH2’s Cryostat CS500 and its co-inventor James Fesmire—GenH2 Chief Architect and Co-Founder—were honored with an Honorable Mention. Fesmire, a retired NASA engineer and recipient of the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, invented the CS500 technology during his tenure at the agency.

Originally developed to meet critical needs within the space program, the Cryostat CS500 and its class of cryostats have played a pivotal role at NASA—enabling advanced testing of new materials, providing the foundation for establishing global technical standards for cryogenic insulation systems, and supporting Return to Flight efforts by simulating real-world conditions and space vacuum environments.

“With GenH2’s licensing of the Cryostat simulation test platform (STP) technologies, adoption of this innovation is expanding both in the U.S. and internationally,” said Fesmire. “Next-generation versions, such as the CS500+ and CS900 STP, are poised to further advance materials testing, system evaluations, and clean energy applications, especially in the use of liquid hydrogen (LH₂) as the world’s primary high-density energy carrier for both energy and transportation sectors.” 

The CS500 also supports a range of global clean energy initiatives, both industrial and commercial, that rely on the use of liquid hydrogen. GenH2 collaborates with leading institutions and organizations—including the University of Melbourne (Australia), University of Western Australia (Australia), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (USA) , Airbus (France), Shell (The Netherlands), and ITP (France)—to drive innovation in hydrogen infrastructure and cryogenic technologies.

“In a highly competitive IOY field, we are incredibly proud of NASA’s recognition of our work commercializing their Cryostat technology with our CS500,” said Greg Gosnell, CEO of GenH2. “Congratulations to James Fesmire for his leadership in bringing the CS500 to market and for helping GenH2 earn this remarkable honor.”

GenH2 | www.genh2.com

Wind energy has a long-standing presence in Minnesota, with the state’s first project becoming operational in 1994. Since then the state has capitalized on its abundant wind resources to become a national leader in generation. In 2023, wind energy accounted for more than three-fourths of Minnesota’s renewable generation and 25% of the state’s total net generation, placing the state among the top 10 nationwide for in-state generation from wind.

The Center for Rural Affairs has released a fact sheet providing an analysis of Minnesota’s wind energy industry, reviewing existing policies and identifying opportunities to enhance future development.

“Minnesota has strong energy policies that continue to support wind development,” said Cora Hoffer, senior policy associate at the Center for Rural Affairs. “Beyond providing clean, homegrown, low-cost energy, wind also delivers local economic benefits by creating jobs and generating tax revenue for counties.”

Wind plays a role in meeting Minnesota’s carbon-free electricity goal, which requires all utilities to deliver 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. Continued growth in renewable energy will also depend on strategic investments in transmission infrastructure and reforms to streamline the permitting process.

“When transmission infrastructure lacks sufficient capacity and cannot support the amount of energy being generated, congestion occurs,” said Hoffer. “This limits how much wind energy can be delivered and costs Minnesotan communities.”

In Minnesota, wind farms pay host communities tax revenue based on the amount of energy produced. In 2021, wind production in the Buffalo Ridge area dropped more than 50% due to lack of transmission capacity, costing three rural counties over $1 million and 15 others another $700,000.

“In many rural counties with limited tax bases, revenue from wind projects is vital for funding infrastructure improvements and emergency services,” said Hoffer. 

Center for Rural Affairs | cfra.org/publications