The Solar Product Registry Set to Boost Solar Deployment

Ice has a proven track record when it comes to cooling drinks in the summer, so why not take it a step further? A big step, in fact, as thermal energy storage systems, often called “ice batteries,” are getting a boost from materials science research at Texas A&M University.

Dr. Patrick Shamberger, associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, focuses his research on materials used to store and release thermal energy. In a paper published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry, he and co-authors explore how to improve the performance of these materials.

How It Works

Ice battery systems work by freezing water or other materials at night, when electricity is cheaper and demand is lower. The stored cold is then used to cool buildings during the day, reducing peak energy use and lowering costs. While the concept isn’t new, Shamberger’s research addresses a key challenge: how to make the materials inside these systems more efficient, stable and long-lasting.

“The ice battery technology has been around for a while,” Shamberger said. “But there are problems on the material side that I’m interested in: what’s the right material at the right temperature? Can we make it reversible? Can we make it last for 30 years?”

Although the systems save energy by relying less on the power grid during the day, they still draw power at night to freeze the water; larger systems freeze around 500,000 pounds of ice every night.

The Right Mix

Shamberger’s team is developing salt hydrates (salt that contains water molecules as part of its crystal structure) and other compounds that can store and release thermal energy at the most optimal temperatures for the environment.

By tailoring the temperature range of these materials, the team aims to improve energy efficiency and make the systems more compatible with both cooling and heating applications, especially in buildings that use heat pumps.

“We’re putting it at a specific temperature so it’s compatible with a particular HVAC system integration approach,” Shamberger said.

One of the biggest technical challenges is “phase segregation.” In many salt hydrate systems, the material separates into different solid and liquid phases with varying compositions and densities, which can degrade performance over time.

The study investigates how to prevent this degradation by better understanding the thermodynamics of these materials. The goal is to identify compositions that are more stable and can cycle reliably over many years.

A Cooler Future

The broader goal of Shamberger’s research is to support a more flexible and resilient energy grid. As renewable energy sources like solar and wind become more common, the grid faces increasing variability in both supply and demand. Technologies that can shift energy use away from peak hours are becoming essential.

“We don't want to solve grid problems by building more power plants,” Shamberger said. “That’s a very costly solution and they’d have to charge higher rates overall.”

By storing cold when electricity is cheap and using it when demand is high, buildings can reduce their energy bills and help stabilize the grid. Shamberger said the ideal system would be one that integrates seamlessly into existing HVAC systems and operates automatically.

Ice battery systems are already in use, including at the 30-story Eleven Madison building in New York City. 

By Lesley Henton, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications

Texas A&M University | experts.tamu.edu

A review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data just released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reveals that solar provided almost 9% of total U.S. electrical generation in the first half of this year while wind + solar produced over one-fifth and the mix of all renewable energy sources generatednearly 28%.

Solar electrical generation set new records in June and the first half of 2025:

EIA’s latest monthly "Electric Power Monthly" report (with data through June 30, 2025), confirms that solar continued its streak as the fastest growing among the major sources of U.S. electricity.

In June alone, electrical generation by utility-scale solar (i.e., >1-megawatt (MW)) ballooned by a almost one-third (30.1%) compared to June 2024 while “estimated” small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar PV increased by 10.5%. Combined, they grew by 25.0% and provided 10.2% of the nation’s electrical output during the month. [1]

Moreover, utility-scale solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 37.6% while that from small-scale systems rose by 10.7% during the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The combination of utility-scale and small-scale solar increased by almost a third (29.7%) and was 8.7% (utility-scale: 6.5%; small-scale: 2.2%) of total U.S. electrical generation for January-June – up from 6.9% a year earlier.

As a consequence, solar-generated electricity easily surpassed - by almost 45% - the output of the nation’s hydropower plants (6.0%). In fact, solar is now producing more electricity than hydropower, biomass, and geothermal combined. [2]

Wind also continues as a renewable energy leader in 2025:

Wind turbines across the U.S. produced more than one-ninth (11.6%) of U.S. electricity in the first six months of 2025.

Their output was 2.4% greater than the year before and almost double that produced by the nation’s hydropower plants.

Wind + solar are over one-fifth of total U.S. electrical generation – a larger share than that provided by either coal or nuclear power:  

During the first six months of 2025, electrical generation by wind plus utility-scale and small-scale solar provided over a fifth (20.3%) of the U.S. total, up from 18.6% during the first six months of 2024.

Further, the combination of wind and solar provided 25.0% more electricity than did coal during the first six months of this year, and 15.6% more than the nation’s nuclear power plants.

Electrical output by the mix of all renewables was almost 30% in May:

The mix of all renewables (i.e., wind and solar plus hydropower, biomass and geothermal) produced 9.2% more electricity in January-June than they did a year ago and provided (27.7%) of total U.S. electricity production compared to 26.1% twelve months earlier.

Electrical generation by the combination of all renewables grew three times faster than that of total U.S. electrical generation (9.2% vs. 3.0%). Renewables’ share of electrical generation is now second to only that of natural gas whose electrical output actually dropped by 3.7% during the first half of 2025.  

"EIA’s latest data reflect the situation prior to enactment of the Trump/Republican megabill which may adversely future renewable energy growth," noted the SUN DAY Campaign's executive director Ken Bossong. "Nonetheless, EIA notes that U.S. developers expect half of new electric generating capacity to come from solar in 2025 and another 13% from wind." [3]

U.S. Energy Information Administration | https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly

[1] In its “Electric Power Monthly” report, EIA refers to small-scale or distributed solar as “Estimated Small Scale Solar Photovoltaic.” Unless otherwise indicated, all calculations presented in this release include electrical generation by small-scale solar which EIA estimates to have totaled 47,025-GWh in January-June 2025 and 9,526-GWh in June alone. Utility-scale solar totaled 142,616-GWh for the first six months and 31,611-GWH in just June.  

[2] In January-June 2025, wind produced 252,231-GWh (11.6%) of total U.S. electrical generation while utility-scale and small-scale solar combined produced 189,641-GWh (8.7%), hydropower produced 130,981-GWh (6.0%), biomass produced 22,554-GWh (1.0%), and geothermal produced 7,820-GWh (0.4%).

[3] See EIA’s August 20, 2025 news release: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65964

Noria Energy, a floating solar developer and technology provider, is beginning construction on Aurea Solar, a 50 kW floating solar pilot project in Golden, CO that will provide renewable energy for local water utility operations. Built with Noria’s newly developed floating solar tracker technology, AquaPhi, the project is located on Fairmount Reservoir, a water storage reservoir owned and operated by Consolidated Mutual Water Company (CMWC).

Floating solar offers a cost-effective, space-saving way to generate clean energy, especially for water utilities managing large reservoirs. As demand for energy and water grows nationwide, this technology turns existing water infrastructure into energy-producing assets and also conserves water by reducing evaporation.

The Golden, CO project is the first in the U.S. to demonstrate scalable, high-performance tracking on water — offering a new frontier for solar deployment in the country. Using Noria’s AquaPhi® technology, the pilot with CMWC will power onsite pumps used to regulate water supply in the reservoir.

Today’s conventional floating solar systems are static and do not track the sun. AquaPhi allows floating solar systems to track the sun across the sky, by rotating the solar islands, increasing the system’s energy output by 10-20%. It is easy for installers or asset managers to deploy, and it can be added to any floating solar project – including as a retrofit to existing projects to boost their performance as well.

CMWC sees the potential of floating solar as a solution for both energy and water conservation. “We are excited to embark on the prospects of floating solar as a means to not only produce and conserve energy, but also to improve our water supply by reducing how much is lost to evaporation,” said Jarod Roberts — CMWC’s Chief of Water Resources.

Noria is building the project in partnership with GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit leader in renewable energy access, workforce development, and community empowerment, as well as Hazelett Marine, a leader in mooring solutions for floating solar. These partners bring valuable engineering and installation expertise, local solar jobs and training, and reliable technology for ensuring system integrity and stability on the reservoir.

“We couldn’t be more excited to work with our partners CMWC, GRID Alternatives, and Hazelett to deploy our powerful technology that helps make clean energy more accessible to more customers,” said Noria CEO Ron Stimmel.

The 50 kW project is scheduled for commissioning in September 2025 and will support CMWC’s mission to deliver clean, safe, and reliable water to over 100,000 customers in the greater Denver area – while also demonstrating the potential of floating solar tracking systems nationwide.

Noria Energy | https://noriaenergy.com

Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH), a global energy technology company and the world's leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery systems, announced initial shipments of the IQ Battery 10C supplied from manufacturing facilities in the United States, delivering significant value in the growing third-party ownership (TPO) market. The IQ Battery 10C includes domestically sourced or manufactured components to help projects qualify for key federal tax credits.

The federal budget law signed in July 2025 enforces a 45% U.S.-sourced materials threshold for solar and battery products to be eligible for the domestic content bonus tax credit. This threshold will increase to 50% in 2026 and 55% in 2027. The IQ Battery 10C units with domestic content will meet these higher standards – not just for today’s 45% requirement, but also for currently anticipated future thresholds. The new battery has already been added to approved vendor lists for several major TPO providers and gives companies the ability to capture significant tax credit value.

Installers and developers can also safe harbor these domestically produced batteries, helping future projects preserve eligibility for both the base investment tax credit (ITC) and the domestic content bonus credit. For TPO providers, safe harboring today means locking in current tax credit qualifications and reducing risk from future policy changes.

“As the industry shifts toward more third-party owned financing, having a battery that is both reliable and qualifies for domestic content is especially important,” said Zain Jan, CEO of Better Earth, a leading installer of Enphase products. “The IQ Battery 10C helps our customers maximize existing tax credits while giving them a proven, high-quality solution they can depend on.”

“Having a domestically produced battery that meets federal requirements is a big win, and it’s even better when paired with the proven performance of Enphase technology,” said Bradley Vargas, co-founder and master electrician at Solarships Installation Services. “It’s the kind of solution our customers want – reliable, durable, and ready to meet their energy needs.”

Enphase recently launched its 4th-generation Enphase battery system, which features the IQ Battery 10C, IQ Meter Collar, and IQ Combiner 6C. The IQ Meter Collar makes it simple and quick to turn the IQ Battery 10C into a whole-home backup solution, using a compact device that combines microgrid interconnection device (MID) functionality and energy metering in one. The IQ Meter Collar is already approved by dozens of major utilities across 17 states, with more approvals expected soon. For a full list of approved utilities, visit the Enphase website.

“We’re excited to start offering the IQ Battery 10C with domestic content to our customers,” said Wes Calland, owner of Exo Energy. “It gives us a reliable battery that not only can qualify for key tax incentives but also meets the high-performance standards our customers expect.”

“The new IQ Battery 10C with domestic content is a perfect example of Enphase listening to the market – combining U.S.-produced domestic content with the same trusted, high-performance battery technology our customers count on,” said Danny Stifle, director of Mohave Solar. “It makes it easier for us to deliver both financial and technical value.”

“With the launch of the IQ Battery 10C with domestic content, we’re delivering on our commitment to build high-performance, incentive-eligible energy systems here in the United States,” said Ken Fong, senior vice president and general manager of the Americas and APAC at Enphase Energy. “This milestone strengthens our domestic supply chain while helping installers, developers, and TPO providers maximize tax credit opportunities and compete effectively in a market that is rapidly shifting toward leases and PPAs.”

The IQ Battery 10C was originally announced as part of the Enphase 4th-generation battery system launch last month. Domestic content batteries can be ordered through Enphase distribution partners by selecting each 5 kWh unit with SKU B05-C01-US00-1-3-DOM, and the cover kit with SKU B10C‑NC‑0708‑O-DOM. Project developers should consult their own legal and tax advisors to confirm eligibility for available tax credits.

Enphase Energy | https://enphase.com/

TWAICE, a leading provider of predictive analytics software for battery energy storage systems (BESS), announced a three-year partnership with Fullmark Energy (“Fullmark”) for its Battery Storage Analytics platform to support four energy storage installations operated by the independent power producer (IPP). The Southern California sites will have a total capacity of 290 MWh when complete. This new partnership adds to a growing portfolio of large-scale storage assets operated with TWAICE analytics across CAISO and other major U.S. markets.

Fullmark is currently using TWAICE Battery Storage Analytics at their 20 MW/80 MWh “Johanna” BESS facility in Santa Ana, CA. They will connect TWAICE to three additional sites—ranging from 40 MWh to 130 MWh—as they become commercially operational.

“We are excited to partner with Fullmark Energy in one of North America’s most critical energy markets,” said Lennart Hinrichs, Executive Vice President and General Manager Americas at TWAICE. “Fullmark’s Southern California projects will play a vital role in ensuring grid reliability for the state. Our analytics enables Fullmark to run at peak performance while staying fully compliant with CAISO standards. We look forward to expanding our collaboration across Fullmark sites as they continue to set the standard as a leading independent power producer.”

TWAICE Battery Storage Analytics turns raw data from Fullmark’s storage systems into actionable insights for engineers and asset managers. Instead of reconciling data from multiple systems and manually chasing down performance issues, teams get accurate state of charge (SoC) calculations, fleetwide monitoring, and clear recommendations, including pinpointing the causes of stranded energy to boost availability and revenue.

“Gathering and analyzing the data needed to truly understand our energy storage assets is a significant undertaking,” said Chris Swanson, Director of Performance Engineering at Fullmark Energy. “With TWAICE, one person can manage an entire BESS while meeting CAISO power delivery requirements with an accurate SoC.”

These intuitive insights make it possible for even lean teams to manage complex storage portfolios, streamline reporting, and ensure compliance with power delivery requirements.

“TWAICE helps me confidently report to our executive team and investors,” added Nicholas Peri, VP of Asset Management & Operations at Fullmark. “The platform translates complex battery data into actionable insights that drive better decisions and build trust.”

For more details on TWAICE Battery Storage Analytics, visit twaice.com or meet TWAICE experts at booth #F17807 during RE+ (Las Vegas, September 9-11).

TWAICE | www.twaice.com

Fullmark Energy | www.fullmarkenergy.com

Driivz, a Vontier (NYSE: VNT) company and leading global software supplier to EV charging operators and service providers, announced a partnership with ENAPI, a Berlin-based roaming connectivity platform, to deliver seamless, scalable EV charging across borders and networks, benefitting charge point operators (CPOs), e-mobility service providers (eMSPs), and EV drivers alike.

This partnership unites the Driivz Smart EV Charging and Energy Management platform with ENAPI’s Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI)-based roaming broker, dramatically expanding reach and streamlining transactions between networks. This collaboration will provide Driivz customers with instant access to ENAPI’s extensive roaming network, which includes over 350,000 charge points connected via eight of the top 10 eMSPs in Europe. Drivers will be able to use different charging networks across this extensive region with a single payment account.

“We believe that interoperability and flexibility are key to the future of e-mobility. Partnering with ENAPI helps us to deliver both - at scale,” said Driivz CEO Andy Bennett. “We share the same vision of bringing seamless charging experiences to drivers, no matter where they’re headed.”

Accelerating Roaming Network Expansion

This integration of Driivz’s platform and ENAPI’s roaming broker will advance the expanding EV charging ecosystem towards true global interoperability. It will provide significantly more charging options, broader geographic coverage, and improved driver convenience—making the EV charging experience smooth for drivers, regardless of their location and network. As they look to expand their reach and reduce time to market, CPOs and eMSPs will enjoy simplified network-to-network integration without the complexity of managing dozens of bilateral connections.

A Shared Vision for Driver-Centric Innovation

Driivz and ENAPI are united by a common goal: making EV charging simpler, more accessible, and more scalable. By minimizing friction produced by cross-network transactions and enabling real-time communication between platforms, EV drivers are receiving the seamless charging experience they’ve come to expect - no matter where the road takes them.

“Our mission is to make EV charging transactions seamless, efficient, and accessible,” said Jakob Kleihues, co-founder of ENAPI. “Partnering with Driivz allows us to accelerate progress on that mission, empowering both CPOs and eMSPs to deliver better service at greater scale.”

Following this European rollout, Driivz and ENAPI plan to extend this seamless roaming to North America and Asia-Pacific, aligning with emerging ISO 15118 Plug & Charge standards.

Enabling Seamless, Open Connectivity

As an early adopter in OCPI technology, Driivz has led the industry in enabling interoperability to reduce range anxiety and foster a transparent and user-friendly EV charging marketplace. With OCPI support first integrated into the Driivz EV Charging and Energy Management platform in 2015, it currently supports hundreds of OCPI 2.21 connections in production.

Today’s partnership further extends Driivz’s robust roaming ecosystem, which includes trusted partners like Hubject and GIREVE. It reflects a strong commitment to an open, hardware-agnostic, and neutral approach to EV charging infrastructure. Expanding roaming also provides utilities and grid stakeholders with smarter energy planning through improved data transparency and more consistent load behavior across charging networks.

Driivz | www.driivz.com

The U.S. Treasury released new guidance on August 15, 2025 that tightens rules around the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for solar projects, raising new hurdles for developers nationwide. However, for businesses, schools, and municipalities in the Northeast, there is a silver lining—the new rules extend by 10 months the timeframe to capture both federal and state incentives. This creates valuable opportunities for organizations that begin planning now.

The Treasury’s rules eliminate the Safe Harbor 5% Spend Test for projects larger than 1.5 MW AC and impose stricter equipment sourcing rules starting in 2026 tied to “Foreign Entities of Concern” (FEOC).

Importantly, small- and mid-sized projects (under 1.5 MW AC) can still rely on the Safe Harbor 5% Spend Test. This provision preserves a clear path to secure the ITC for most commercial, municipal, and campus-scale rooftop and canopy solar projects, provided development starts soon.

Key Opportunities:

• Bonus Depreciation is back: 100% first-year depreciation is available.
• State incentives remain strong: Programs include Massachusetts’ SMART 3.0, Rhode Island’s REG Program, and New York’s NY-Sun.

“The 10-month extension provides organizations with some additional runway, but it is not open-ended,” said Matt Shortsleeve, Senior Vice President of Policy & Marketing at Solect Energy. “Commercial rooftop projects can take months to design, permit, and install, so the time to act is now. At Solect, we’re helping organizations capture the ITC, pair it with state incentives, and benefit from bonus depreciation—making solar a compelling investment in the Northeast.”

With nearly 1,000 projects completed and a team of more than 100, Solect Energy is proactively purchasing compliant equipment and guiding organizations through policy and technical details to help them maximize value.

For more detail on what the Treasury guidance means and how to prepare, Solect has published an updated blog: Solar Proves Its Mettle

Solect Energy | www.solect.com