The Solar Product Registry Set to Boost Solar Deployment

Aspen Power has acquired two community solar projects in New Jersey totaling just over one megawatt direct current (MWdc) solar capacity from Ecogy Energy. The projects, located in Millville (South Jersey) and Ocean Township (Monmouth County), were initially developed by Ecogy Energy and are approaching the start of construction.

Together, the projects are expected to produce over 1.1 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in their first year, enough to charge more than 64 million smartphones. The acquisition is part of a series of deals Aspen Power announced spanning four states. The projects are in Atlantic City Electric and Jersey Central power & Light utility territories and will provide subscribers a discount on prevailing utility rates.

“Collaboration is essential to accelerating the clean energy transition, and our partnership with Ecogy Energy demonstrates how working together can deliver results where they matter most,” said Dan Gulick, Executive Vice President, Community Solar, Aspen Power. “Solar is now the most affordable source of new power in America, and even with challenging political headwinds, we are successfully bringing projects online that lower costs for subscribers, generate reliable income for property owners, and support New Jersey’s ambitious clean energy goals. By building on Ecogy’s strong foundation, we are not only helping to decarbonize the grid, but also driving long-term economic and environmental benefits for local communities. At this critical moment for renewable energy, strong partnerships between developers and operators will be the key to sustained growth.”

“These projects are a great representation of Ecogy's continued focus on developing the mid-market commercial and industrial distributed energy resources space,” said Jack Bertuzzi, Principal, Ecogy Energy. “It’s great to have a partnership with Aspen Power, who see the value in these distributed generation projects, and the outsized value they bring to the grid and the surrounding communities.”

By pairing Ecogy Energy’s community-centered development with Aspen Power’s financing and operational expertise, the partners are helping more New Jersey residents access affordable renewable energy and contribute to a cleaner future.

Aspen Power | aspenpower.com

The U.S. Department of Interior will ask a federal court to remand the pending challenge to the New England Wind project so that the government can review the badly flawed process that allowed the project’s permits to be granted. The local, independent and non-partisan environmental group ACK for Whales said that the government also seeks to cancel the project’s approvals entirely.

Interior’s move comes in a federal case brought earlier this year by the independent and non-partisan environmental grassroots group ACK For Whales, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head / Aquinnah, Green Oceans, a coalition of charter fishing groups and seven individuals.

The suit alleged that the Departments of Interior and Commerce and their sub-agencies violated the law when they approved the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for the offshore wind New England 1 and 2 projects.

The plaintiffs argue that in approving the two projects, Interior and Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) violated multiple federal laws, including the Marine Mammal Protection, Endangered Species, Outer Continental Shelf Lands, National Historic Preservation and Administrative Procedures Acts.

The environmental groups and tribe are joined as plaintiffs by the Rhode Island Party and Charter Boat Association, Cape Cod Charter Boat Association, Connecticut Charter Boat Association, and Montauk Boatmen and Captain’s Association, as well as Capt. Buddy Vanderhoop, Nantucket lobsterman Danny Pronk, Nantucket pilot and fish-spotter Douglas Lindley, Nantucketers Steven and Sharyl Kohler, ACK for Whales President Vallorie Oliver and Board Members Amy DiSibio and Veronica Bonnet.

“The government was so desperate to rush these projects that it cut corners and violated the law and didn’t care if it trampled on the Wampanoag sacred beliefs and rites, hurt the charter boat, fishing and lobster industries or wiped out the Right Whales,” said Oliver. “The only thing that mattered was to get these environmentally destructive turbines built, costs to the rest of us be damned.”

Plaintiffs’ attorney Thomas Stavola Jr., Esq., said that the government’s “intent to seek remand and cancellation of the New England Wind approval signifies a critical inflection point: the federal agencies are now recognizing what Plaintiffs have long argued—that the project’s approvals are fatally flawed and violate numerous environmental statutes. The government’s decision to set aside these approvals is both an acknowledgment of those violations and a vindication of Plaintiffs’ rights, as they stood to suffer environmental, aesthetic, and economic harm from this project."

New England Wind 1 is a 791-megawatt project slated to begin construction later this year and deliver power to Massachusetts by 2029. New England Wind 2, a 1,000-megawatt project, does not yet have a state lined up to receive its power. The projects are two of the 11 wind farms that received all of their federal permits before President Trump took office.

The suit, filed in Washington, D.C. federal court on May 22, seeks declarative relief finding that the government violated these laws, and an injunction to stop these projects from moving forward.

In March, ACK for Whales asked the United States Environmental Protection Agency to revoke the New England 1 and 2 clean air permits because the approval process ignored air pollution caused by the projects.

ACK for Whales | https://ack4whales.org/

nVent Electric plc (NYSE:NVT) (“nVent”), a global leader in electrical connection and protection solutions, announced the lease of new manufacturing space in Blaine, MN. The new 117,000 square foot facility will expand nVent’s data center solutions manufacturing production to meet growing liquid cooling demand. This is the second time in two years nVent has expanded its data center solutions manufacturing footprint. The Blaine facility is expected to begin production in early 2026.

"We play a key role in building out AI infrastructure with our innovative liquid cooling solutions, and our investments in innovation and expanding production capacity with this new facility underscores that,” said Sara Zawoyski, President, nVent Systems Protection. “nVent’s focus on customers, along with our technical expertise, innovation and ability to manufacture at scale is why many of the world’s leading companies bring their most complex challenges to us.”

The Blaine facility will be used to build new products for data center customers, including liquid cooling solutions. Once it is fully up and running the Blaine facility will employ more than 175 people. This added space comes on the heels of nVent’s expansion of its data center solutions manufacturing capabilities at its production facility in Anoka, MN. Combined, the Anoka and Blaine expansions will add more than 325 jobs.

nVent is a leader and innovator in liquid cooling with a strong track record of solving the toughest cooling challenges for global cloud service providers and collaborating to support the growth of AI demand and high-density computing. nVent’s industry leading team of experts leverages its broad portfolio to help data center managers achieve their goals. The company has deployed more than 1GW of liquid cooling since 2020, and has collaborated with leading chip manufacturers to deliver liquid cooling solutions at scale.

nVent | www.nvent.com

FlexGen Power Systems, LLC. ("FlexGen"), a leading battery energy storage solution and energy management software provider, today announced a new Solar Power Plant Controller (PPC) that allows users to leverage PPC capabilities in the FlexGen HybridOS platform to control solar assets and their components, such as solar arrays, trackers, MET stations and capacitor banks. This expands FlexGen’s capabilities in the solar market with a streamlined interface that simplifies operations and leads to faster decision-making for users to optimize their assets and better support the grid while minimizing downtime.

With FlexGen HybridOS Solar PPC, operators can now manage solar and storage through a single, streamlined platform, cutting out the cost, complexity and delays of juggling multiple control systems. Instead of relying on separate PPCs or costly third-party SCADA integrations, operators can co-optimize assets in one interface, making it easier to adjust site strategies and maximize revenue. Additionally, the HybridOS Solar PPC helps minimize downtime with integrated alarms, fast fault detection and coordinated response, and it can streamline site start-up with pre-tested control logic and integrated EMS.  

“Bringing grid-scale solar controls into HybridOS is a natural progression,” said Hugh Scott, Chief Technology Officer at FlexGen. “This reflects how many of our customers already pair solar plants with energy storage systems.”

FlexGen’s HybridOS Solar PPC simplifies the control of solar plants today and provides a seamless path for integrating storage in the future. For solar-only operators, HybridOS maximizes generation and supports grid stability, even as efficiency naturally declines over time. When paired with storage, HybridOS enables operators to capture and shift curtailed solar energy into the evening hours, transforming lost production into critical grid support during peak demand. All while continuing to use the same interconnection point. In addition, HybridOS ensures solar plus storage sites deliver smooth, stable power by intelligently dispatching the battery to inject or absorb energy, compensating for the natural fluctuations in solar production and strengthening overall grid reliability.

Traditionally, solar and storage sites used multiple controllers, which created inefficiencies and lead to integration challenges as it meant changes had to be made across multiple systems. With FlexGen’s HybridOS Solar PPC feature, operators can now reduce integration risks and unify the operating experience, optimizing dispatch, voltage regulation and capacity forecasts, which sets us up for improved site performance, better realized market opportunities and increased grid reliability.

Looking forward, FlexGen will continue to build upon its control functionalities to position HybridOS as the central orchestration layer for managing diverse energy assets in this era of increasing energy demands and hyperscalers. By making HybridOS more intuitive, predictive and scalable, FlexGen is ensuring operators can stay ahead of shifting energy demands and maximize long-term value across their entire fleet of power assets.

FlexGen | https://www.flexgen.com

Arevon Energy, Inc., a leading renewable energy developer, owner, and operator, announced it has secured a $250 million tax equity commitment from Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. for Arevon's two-phase 430 megawatt (MWdc) Kelso Solar Project in Scott County, Missouri. The transaction brings Arevon's aggregate solar and energy storage project financings to $4.5 billion executed within the last two years.

The $500 million Kelso Solar Project — Arevon's first utility-scale renewable energy project in Missouri — is currently under construction, providing employment for upwards of 450 workers, while boosting spending at area stores, hotels, and restaurants. Throughout its lifetime, Kelso Solar is estimated to disburse more than $34 million to local governments, supporting schools, infrastructure, and first responders. Arevon will own and operate the project on a long-term basis, with the first phase anticipated to achieve commercial operations by the end of 2025, and the second phase estimated to start operations in the first quarter of 2026. When operational, Kelso will boost the state's installed solar capacity by nearly 50 percent.

For the tax equity transaction, Wells Fargo served as the Tax Equity Investor. Sponsor Counsel was provided by Amis, Patel & Brewer; Sponsor Tax Counsel by Stoel Rives; Tax Equity Counsel by Sheppard Mullin; Sponsor Local Counsel by Husch Blackwell; and Tax Equity Local Counsel by BCLP.

"This substantial tax equity raise — among the largest in Arevon's history — demonstrates Arevon's strong financial stewardship and our successful track record in executing transactions that fuel the company's continued growth," said Denise Tait, Chief Investment Officer at Arevon. "We are grateful to Wells Fargo as well as our other financial partners for their trust and unwavering support of Arevon's aim to power an American energy future and deliver lasting community benefits in its project areas."

"We are pleased to support Arevon with tax equity financing for the Kelso Solar Project and are proud to continue our long-standing relationship as they expand their renewable energy activity into Missouri," said Andrew Kho, Managing Director with Wells Fargo Renewable Energy & Environmental Finance.

Arevon previously shared news on Kelso's $509 million financing package and the execution of two long-term Environmental Attributes Purchase Agreements (EAPA) with Meta for the project. Moreover, Arevon has completed contributions to worthy initiatives and community programs which are core to the company's project development activities. Arevon's community collaboration in Scott County includes a $300,000 contribution to the Kenny Rogers Children's Center to support the construction of a new gymnasium at the center, a $145,000 donation to the Scott County R-IV School District for safety initiatives and STEM program support, and a commitment to the City of Blodgett to supply the funds needed to install a secondary water well — an essential investment in public health and long-term infrastructure resilience.

In addition to Kelso 1 & 2, Arevon is actively growing its portfolio in the Midwest region of the United States. The company is currently constructing two large-scale solar projects in Indiana, anticipates starting construction on its Big Muddy Solar Project in Illinois, and is actively advancing development on other proposed renewable energy facilities in the region. Arevon also recently advanced 480 megawatts of solar energy into operations, ensuring the projects were successfully integrated into each community.

Arevon | arevonenergy.com

The residential solar market in the United States experienced an uneven start to 2025, according to 21st EnergySage Intel: Solar & Storage Marketplace Report. This semiannual report analyzes millions of transaction-level data points from homeowners shopping on EnergySage.com from January through June 2025, for solar panels, inverters, batteries, and more, from solar companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Additionally, this year's report includes EnergySage's annual 2025 Electrification Contractor Survey, fielded in January to March 2025.

After a strong 2024 that drove residential solar and storage prices to all-time lows, the first six months of 2025 have brought both momentum and uncertainty to the solar industry. Homeowner interest remains strong, but shifting federal policies, tariffs, and tightening trade restrictions are creating headwinds that contractors and installers are already feeling. While the industry continues to grow, these changes point to a period of adjustment that could reshape how solar projects are financed, supplied, and built in the years ahead.

Below are three key insights from the latest report, which can be downloaded for free at energysage.com/data.

Residential solar prices remained at historic lows; storage costs rose modestly
Solar installations maintained their record-low median price of $2.48 per watt in H1 2025, unchanged from H2 2024, as installers absorbed financing cost pressures rather than raise prices ahead of anticipated policy changes. Meanwhile, storage prices increased by 4%, as tariffs on Chinese battery components took effect, marking the first increase after two years of declining prices.

"Although we expect changes to federal tariffs and trade policies to affect prices in the second half of 2025, the snapshot from the first half of the year shows us that, with the right public policy, solar is accessible to many homeowners now—and will continue to be in the future," said Emily Walker, director of insights at EnergySage.

Financing landscape shifts as third-party ownership gains strategic advantage
Median loan rates climbed to 7.5% in H1 2025, with 38% of contractors reporting decreased loan demand as customers sought alternatives to high-rate financing, while 94% of installers reported that cash buyers increased or remained stable. Because the OBBBA protects tax credits for third-party ownership (TPO) longer than for purchased systems, it is positioned for significant growth in 2026.

"Even as higher interest rates have made traditional loan financing less attractive, we're seeing that demand for solar hasn't gone away—it's simply shifting," Walker said. "We expect attractive new financing models to emerge next year, which will keep residential solar adoption moving forward."

Contractors expressed widespread concern about industry headwinds
92% of contractors expected the loss of the federal solar tax credit to harm their business, while 70% anticipated negative impacts from potential equipment tariffs. With 36% already reporting reduced profitability from higher interest rates, 84% citing higher labor rates in the past year, and 79% heavily dependent on solar-related revenue, many installers must adapt their business models to prepare for the post-tax credit environment.

"Solar contractors across the country have voiced deep concern about what lies ahead for the industry," Walker said. "With key incentives set to change, many are already rethinking their business models in order to adapt and remain competitive. The companies that find new ways to reach homeowners and offer value will be best positioned to weather this transition."

For a decade, the Solar & Storage Marketplace Report has provided an unparalleled look into the trends for pricing, equipment, and consumer preferences shaping today's U.S. residential solar, energy storage, and home electrification industry.

"The solar industry is approaching a watershed moment, with homeowners eager to install solar and contractors bracing for the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act," said Josh Levine, EnergySage chief marketing officer. "During this transition, EnergySage remains committed to serving as a trusted resource for both homeowners and installers, offering expert advice, research, and perspective to help the industry navigate what comes next."

This latest report furthers the company's mission to make clean energy and energy-saving solutions like rooftop solar, energy storage, community solar, and heat pumps more accessible and affordable through trusted resources, unbiased advice, and a simple shopping experience. 

EnergySage | https://www.energysage.com/

GameChange Solar, a leading global provider of solar tracker and fixed-tilt racking systems, announces the release of FlexRail, a mounting system specifically designed to enhance the flexibility of module selection. FlexRail addresses one of the industry's most pressing challenges: solar module supply volatility driven by tariffs, logistics delays, and global market fluctuations. Projects frequently face costly redesigns or field modifications when PV modules change after trackers have been manufactured or installed. GameChange Solar's FlexRail mounting system allows the same tracker design to accommodate multiple different modules with minimal disruption.

"Module supply is one of the most dynamic variables in utility-scale solar today," said Nat Healy, Genius Tracker Product Director. "By supplying trackers designed to support a wide range of module types, we help our customers maintain project schedules and protect their financial models, even when the customer changes modules late in the design or installation process."

The advantages of FlexRail and the other facets of the Genius Tracker single-axis tracking system are described in GameChange's latest white paper, Module Flexibility for Single-Axis Trackers: A study on FlexRails and other tools for addressing module changes during project design. The paper examines key design features that enhance module flexibility, including clamp-based rail systems, flexible purlins, unpunched torque tubes, and low-profile bearings. These elements enable utility-scale solar projects to adapt to shifting PV module availability while maintaining cost efficiency and construction schedules.

The Module Flexibility white paper provides practical insights for developers, EPCs, engineers, and investors navigating today's volatile module supply chain.

Download the white paper.

The FlexRail datasheet highlights the functionality of these flexible purlins, with a real-world case study on how trackers for a project were designed to support any module from an extensive list without field remediation.

Download the FlexRail datasheet.

GameChange Solar | www.gamechangesolar.com