The Solar Product Registry Set to Boost Solar Deployment

LF Energy, the open source foundation accelerating the energy transition, welcomes five new members from leading technology and energy companies. New general members include EcoFlow, Hitachi, and Red Hat and associate members include INESC TEC and Energy IoT Open Source. The Foundation also experienced a wave of momentum; including a major security audit for PowSyBl, an updated report on the impact of open source on vertical industries including energy, and new feature releases across several open source LF Energy projects. Together, these developments reflect a deepening of LF Energy’s role in delivering secure, interoperable and globally recognized open source infrastructure for the energy sector. 

“The momentum we are seeing at LF Energy underscores the important role for open technical collaboration to play in the digital energy transition. With new members joining, critical security audits completed, and increasing contributions to open source projects, our community is proving that collaboration can deliver the secure, interoperable, and innovative digital infrastructure the energy sector urgently needs. Together, we are building the digital infrastructure to deliver affordable, safe, reliable and clean energy.” – Alex Thornton, Executive Director, LF Energy

Strengthening the Foundation: PowSyBl Security Audit
LF Energy published a comprehensive security audit for PowSyBl, conducted by Ada Logics and coordinated by OSTIF (Open Source Technology Improvement Fund), reinforcing the project's suitability for real-world deployment. Over a five-week period (March-April 2025), the audit included threat modeling, manual review of 13 repositories, and integration of over 50 API fuzz tests into Google’s OSS-Fuzz. Nine issues were identified and resolved, such as: three of moderate severity (including Polynomial ReDoS, XXE/SSRF, and insecure deserialization) and six low-severity validation and error-handling concerns – enhancing PowSyBl’s resilience. Ongoing security testing is now in place through OSS-Fuzz integration.

Updated Report Explores Impact of Open Source on Vertical Industries Including Energy
“Software-Defined Vertical Industries: Transformation Through Open Source”, sponsored by LF Energy and LF Networking, analyzes how vertical industries have become increasingly software-defined thanks to open source technologies. The report serves as a guide for how industries – including energy – that are still in the early stages of digital transformation can accelerate their progress and increase innovation by adopting and contributing to open source.

Project Updates and Feature Releases

• EVerest added important new capabilities that make the open source EV charging software stack more robust, accessible, and production-ready thanks to a large code contribution from LF Energy member Pionix. The code was previously part of Pionix’s EVerest-based proprietary solution, Basecamp, and includes pre-certified drivers to support a wider range of devices. It additionally adds ready-made development tools, Yocto layers, over-the-air update mechanisms, and advanced security features such as TPM 2.0 support and X.509-signed updates. These additions help developers reduce integration work, accelerate time-to-market, and maintain strong security assurances.
   
• OpenSynth is expanding beyond demand data, now including RTE7000. The first candidate of the detailed topology dataset covered the French transmission grid to enable a richer system modeling, synthetic data generation, and AI innovation across energy sectors. Future data drops are planned.
   
• Battery Data Alliance released the largest open source dataset to date formatted in the Battery Data Format. Generated from an autonomous robotic battery materials research platform, this landmark dataset delivers a new benchmark for high-quality, machine-readable battery data and global research collaboration.
   
• OperatorFabric v4.8.0 offers enhanced custom screen functionality, including selectable text, horizontal scrolling, improved error handling, date-range pickers, multiselect enhancements, and notification configuration improvements. The release also includes UI and backend dependency updates.
   
• FlexMeasures v0.27 introduces multi‑asset scheduling which allows simultaneous optimization of multiple flexible devices and two‑factor authentication (2FA), reinforcing both functionality and platform security. Additional updates include data uploads, user management via UI, and role-based editing.
   
• Power Grid Model v1.12.0 brings support for current sensors in state estimation, full observability checks for radial grids, bug fixes, performance boosts, enhanced documentation, along with a note that macOS versions earlier than 13.4 are no longer supported.
   
• PowSyBl Dependencies v2025.1.0 concludes the latest release train with improvements in load flow accuracy, sensitivity analysis, dynamic modeling, and security margins. The release also includes fixes resolving all vulnerabilities identified in the recent audit.

Upcoming LF Energy Events

LF Energy Summit North America takes place October 3 in Montreal, providing opportunities for collaboration and innovation. Additionally, LF Energy is partnering with the TODO Group to co-host OSPOlogy Live Lyon from November 5-6, advancing discussions on open source program office strategies across industries.

Supporting Quotes

“Joining LF Energy allows us to bring EcoFlow’s advanced energy solutions to the open-source community, sharing technologies that make energy independence achievable for every household,” said Edison Tuo, Director of AIoT at EcoFlow. “Through this collaboration, we aim to accelerate the development of scalable, decarbonized energy systems and continue our mission to power a new world.”

“We are excited to collaborate with LF Energy to advance secure AI capabilities and OSPO best practices in the energy sector while fostering synergies with other LF initiatives such as CNCF and the TODO Group,” said Yuichi Nakamura, Head of OSPO, Hitachi, Ltd.

"Red Hat is proud to join LF Energy to accelerate the modernization of the world's power grids through open source innovation,” said Kelly Switt, Head of Industrial Business Red Hat. “We believe the challenges of decarbonization and grid stability require a collaborative, open approach to technology, and we are committed to bringing our expertise to the forefront of this effort."

“Open source is core for INESC TEC’s mission to accelerate research and innovation in sustainable energy systems,” said Alexandre Lucas of INESC TEC. “We actively contribute software that enables researchers, operators, and industry to experiment, prototype, and deploy digital solutions with trust and transparency. At INESC TEC we believe that open source research shortens the time between development and practical application, creates adoption volume, reduce reliance on proprietary solutions, while at the same time we mature a collective vision with our partners. Joining LF Energy strengthens our commitment to building secure, interoperable, and community-driven tools that power the energy transition worldwide.”

"Energy IoT is excited to partner with LF Energy, as this collaboration directly accelerates our mission to deliver scalable, resilient, and equitable microgrid solutions,” said Arila Barnes, Founder & CEO of Energy IoT Open Source. “We bridge what LF Energy and others like enAccess offer in this space to bring hands-on experience and continuity to the local communities via LFX Mentorships and Open Source labs."

LF Energy | https://www.lfenergy.org

The Linux Foundation | linuxfoundation.org

RTS Wind Group, a leading global service provider in onshore and offshore wind energy, has appointed Phil Heathcock as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Based at the Group’s UK headquarters in Middlesbrough, Heathcock will oversee RTS Wind Group’s global financial organisation; supporting the company's continued international expansion. Heathcock brings more than 30 years of financial leadership experience across industries including engineering and infrastructure, alongside 15 years within the renewable energy sector. He has a proven track record of guiding organisations through periods of rapid expansion and transformation, successfully managing complex international operations and delivering strong financial performance.

Phil Heathcock commented: “I am thrilled to join RTS Wind Group at such an exciting time in its growth journey. The potential in both onshore and offshore wind is enormous, and I look forward to working with our brilliant teams around the world to drive sustainable expansion and deliver ever‑greater value for our clients and stakeholders.” 

RTS Wind Group provides full turnkey solutions for the onshore and offshore wind industry covering operations and maintenance, blade inspection and repair, installation, training and a suite of high voltage services. These services are supported through its 24/7 global control centres.

Operating in 44 countries across five continents, RTS Wind Group partners with leading renewable energy developers and OEMs to deliver safe, reliable and efficient solutions that accelerate the shift to clean energy worldwide.

RTS | www.rts-wind.com 

Norvento TECHnPower, the technology brand of Norvento, a Galician company with more than 40 years of experience across the entire renewable energy value chain, is presenting nXL, its new range of high-power bidirectional converters designed for large-scale applications.

The nXL family of equipment represents a cutting-edge technological leap forward, offering the highest power and the most compact range of converters worldwide in the renewable and industrial sectors, reaching 622 kVA/mÑ and providing up to 9MVA in 20 feet, including MV cell and power transformer.

These innovative converters, designed and manufactured by Norvento TECHnPower in Spain, can operate both in grid-connected (on-grid) systems and in isolated (off-grid) environments, and switch seamlessly between different operating modes: voltage and frequency support through gridforming and black start. Their compact design, high efficiency and adaptability make the nXL family of converters the ideal choice for large scale projects seeking to optimise the use of renewable energy and energy storage.

Multipurpose vocation

The nXL range has been designed as a multipurpose solution to facilitate the integration of different energy technologies. With the ability to be assembled on a 20-foot skid and it is compatible with solar photovoltaic plants, battery energy storage systems (BESS), green hydrogen electrolysers, port infrastructure applications (OPS) or railway catenaries, as well as systems requiring grid control via STATCOM or active filters.

Its technical features include ultra-low harmonic content (THDi <1%), a DC/AC ratio of up to 200% without modification and an innovative sealed cooling system designed entirely by Norvento TECHnPower and unique in the market, resistant to any adversity. This system combines liquid cooling for the main components of the converter with internal cold air recirculation, without air exchange with the outside, ensuring stable operation even in extreme climates. Thanks to this design, an IP65 protection rating is achieved throughout the converter system, protecting key components and keeping the interior isolated from adverse environmental conditions.

The nXL family also incorporates advanced control and predictive maintenance algorithms based on artificial intelligence. Furthermore, by eliminating all air filters, the new units require minimal maintenance and repair.

Ideal for data centres and extreme environments

One of the sectors where this technology is particularly relevant is data centres, where energy continuity and stability are critical. Norvento TECHnPower's nXL converters offer a secure and adaptable energy source, with direct integration with batteries to cover demand peaks or possible outages, ensuring a continuous energy supply.

Furthermore, thanks to its sealed cooling system, the nXL family of converters is suitable for desert areas, highly corrosive areas near the sea or with extreme temperatures, and even areas with conductive particles in the air, such as mines and volcanic regions.

New brand, new challenges

The launch of the nXL range marks the beginning of a new era, highlighted by the launch of Norvento TECHnPower, Norvento's new technology brand, which also represents a significant technological advancement in equipment designed for large-scale applications. Norvento TECHnPower brings together the most advanced solutions for energy generation, intelligent management
and storage. This brand was created with a clear vision: to accelerate decarbonisation providing an exclusive, certified, and flexible technology for a renewable energy model.

Norvento TECHnPower represents a natural evolution in Norvento's trajectory, consolidating its more than 40 years in the renewable energy sector and a team with more than 20 years of experience in power electronics, while adapting to the new needs of the market. With this initiative, Norvento is not only supporting the energy transition, but also driving it forward, offering cutting-edge solutions to move towards a cleaner, more efficient and autonomous system.

The nXL converter family will be manufactured at neFO, the pioneering selfsufficient, carbon-neutral factory that Norvento is building in Lugo. Once operational, this facility will produce all Norvento TECHnPower equipment and serve as a practical demonstration of Norvento's sustainability principles. It is estimated that this plant will prevent an annual emission of 187,000 tonnes of CO₂.

“At Norvento, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our new nXL converter family, an achievement that brings together all the knowledge and expertise of Norvento, which has over 40 years of experience in the industry and 15 years as a manufacturer. With the nXL range, we have developed a family of bidirectional converters that combine the highest power density on the market with multipurpose capability. These devices can operate in both networks and isolated environments, and switch seamlessly between different operating modes, allowing them to adapt to a wide variety of applications: from photovoltaic plants and BESS systems to hydrogen electrolysers, data centres and port infrastructure. All this with a compact, resistant design suitable for extreme environments, designed and manufactured entirely in Spain," said Álvar Mayor Miguel, Innovation Director at Norvento TECHnPower.

Norvento | https://www.norvento.com/en/power-converters-nxl/

Stardust Solar Energy Inc. (TSXV: SUN) (OTCQB: SUNXF) (FSE: 6330) announced that it secured approximately $1 million in new signed customer contracts during August 2025, increasing the Company's total signed contract backlog to approximately $3.5 million as of September 1, 2025.

The August additions reflect sustained demand for rooftop solar and battery energy storage solutions across Stardust Solar's North American footprint of 97 territories. The Company's training-driven operating model and standardized project execution continue to support efficient market expansion and customer adoption.

"Adding $1 million to our signed solar project backlog in a single month highlights the strong and sustained demand we are seeing from both homeowners and small businesses," said Mark Tadros, Founder & Chief Executive Officer. "The combination of residential, commercial, and storage projects secured in August reflects broad-based momentum. With installation calendars filling and crews scheduled, we believe we are well positioned for a strong finish to the third quarter and continued progress into the fourth."

The August additions comprise a diverse mix of signed customer contracts that are scheduled primarily for completion during the second half of 2025, with timing influenced by permitting and utility interconnection. The Company's centralized engineering resources, standardized plan sets, and project management support continue to deliver consistent quality and throughput for residential and commercial projects, while rising storage attachment rates are increasing both average project value and customer resilience.

For clarity, the Company defines solar project backlog as the aggregate value of signed customer contracts across company-owned and franchised operations that have not yet been recognized as revenue. This operational measure is intended to provide investors with visibility into near-term installation activity. It is not a measure of revenue or earnings, and conversion is dependent on factors such as municipal permitting, utility interconnection timelines, supply chain logistics, and customer scheduling.

Management expects to convert a meaningful portion of both August additions and previously signed work by quarter end, while maintaining disciplined pricing and scheduling practices to support customer experience and cash flow. The Company will continue to expand its market reach through franchise development, installer and sales training, and targeted local marketing across solar PV, battery storage, and EV charging solutions.

Stardust Solar | www.stardustsolar.com

Avangrid, Inc., a leading energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, announced that it trained approximately 150 students during the first year of operations at its National Training Center (NTC) in Oregon. The company welcomed its first class to the center one year ago and continues to provide state-of-the-art training to new and existing technicians at the facility located near many of Avangrid’s operating energy projects. The NTC is representative of Avangrid’s efforts to develop America’s energy workforce with an emphasis on safety, supporting its continued investment in U.S. energy production.

“One year ago, we welcomed the first group of students to our National Training Center with a vision to empower our technicians with world-class training and hands-on experience. Today, that vision is thriving. With over 150 current and existing employees trained so far, the NTC has become a cornerstone of our commitment to safety, operational excellence, and workforce development,” said Avangrid CEO Jose Antonio Miranda. “We look forward to expanding the NTC’s capabilities to ensure our teams are prepared to safely and expertly produce power for American homes and businesses.”

“I recently visited the NTC to see firsthand how we are preparing our technicians with the tools and training they need to thrive at Avangrid. I was impressed by the level of expertise, innovation, and dedication in our training program, which is ensuring our people have access to the highest levels of safety and technical training,” said Sy Oytan, CEO of Avangrid Power. “The NTC has become foundational to the success of our technicians who are helping Avangrid meeting surging energy demand across the country.”

The NTC helps newly hired technicians get up to speed quickly and efficiently, while empowering hundreds of existing technicians to become experts in their field. Because Avangrid operates and maintains its nationwide fleet of energy projects, it is critical that technicians are fully equipped with all the knowledge and tools to complete high-quality work.

“I was part of the first class to attend the NTC last year. Going through training there laid the groundwork for me as I started my career at Avangrid,” said Colin Pope, a technician at Avangrid’s La Joya energy project in New Mexico. “The hands-on training helped me become comfortable with my equipment, my harness, and our safety procedures, enabling me to focus on my job and to work safely each day. I welcome the opportunity to go back and expand my skillset in the future.”

“When we started operation of the NTC one year ago, we were imagining what it could be. I think we’ve come further than our imagination,” said Lora Chante, Vice President of Operations & Maintenance at Avangrid. “We have already enriched and enlarged the training center with new equipment and more tools. In a short period of time, the NTC has become a vital asset to Avangrid by equipping our technicians with everything they need.”

Students practice on Avangrid’s 30-foot-tall fall protection tower to learn how to handle emergencies while working at heights, empowering trainees to master proper safety protocols in a safe place before working on a turbine. They get hands-on training on a variety of components pertaining to a wind farm, solar plant, or high voltage installation, including access to a completely intact nacelle for practicing maintenance and troubleshooting in a real-world environment. Students also have access to fully immersive training using virtual and mixed reality, helping them become familiar with a variety of machines and experience working through challenges in a simulated environment.

Avangrid’s training program at the NTC is certified by the Global Wind Organisation, ensuring technicians meet global industry safety standards. The company expects to train at least 100 new and existing technicians at the facility each year.

Avangrid | http://www.avangrid.com

The residential energy management and storage leader FranklinWH has launched the aPower S home battery, Meter Adapter Controller (MAC), and aHub extension as part of its latest additions to the FranklinWH System. These offerings establish new benchmarks for home power quality, system performance, and operational resilience.

"Homeowners are looking for energy solutions that can address increasingly complex challenges," said Gary Lam, CEO of FranklinWH. "That's exactly what we are bringing with our latest innovations. Attendees at the show will witness how these innovations redefine home energy systems."

The FranklinWH System gives homeowners the ability to reduce their reliance on the traditional grid while simultaneously enhancing their power stability to achieve the highest possible return on their solar power and home energy storage system investments.

aPower S: The legendary aPower now with Solar integration

The aPower S represents FranklinWH's most advanced home battery to date, building on the heritage of the installer-trusted aPower product line, featuring a level of scalability in its design that enables homeowners to expand their power capacity. The aPower S includes the following features:

• Enables direct solar tie-in for significantly higher charging efficiency, while still offering the flexibility of AC-coupled architecture.
• Each unit provides 15 kWh of usable storage capacity, with seamless expandability for homes requiring higher power or longer-duration backup.
• Built to last, ensuring dependable performance and backed by the industry's leading 15-year or 60 MWh throughput warranty for ultimate peace of mind.
• Backward compatibility with future-ready expandability, delivering unmatched flexibility and peace of mind.

Meter Adapter Controller: Advanced Control and Ultimate Simplicity

In North America, combo-style electrical panels often make it challenging to add an energy storage system, requiring costly and time-consuming panel modifications. The MAC changes the game, enabling easy system interconnection by directly connecting to the meter socket adapter (MSA) and the electrical meter, avoiding panel overhauls and significantly reducing installation time and costs. 

The MAC serves as the central component of the FranklinWH System, a simplified version of the aGate, providing homeowners with:

• A simple and easy integration with an MSA for meter-panel combinations.
• Predictive load management to forecast upcoming energy requirements.
• Regulate voltage and frequency levels that protect sensitive appliances and electric vehicle charging equipment.
• Delivers seamless, instant power transfer during blackouts, keeping your home running without a single interruption or flicker.

aHub: Intelligent Energy Orchestration

The aHub is the perfect extension to the FranklinWH System, seamlessly integrating additional sources and loads into a single, unified intelligent solution. The aHub includes the following features:

• Versatile interfaces orchestrate various energy sources such as solar, generator, and vehicle-to-load (V2L).
• Accommodates up to three solar arrays with a maximum capacity of 24 kW.
• Each solar circuit is independently controlled and will be automatically cut off if solar overproduction occurs.
• Enables solar integration up to 165 ft away, overcoming the limitation of roof space.
• Connects up to four 240 V Smart Circuits, which can be split to eight 120 V circuits, for independent control of heavy-duty or non-critical appliances, prioritizing essential loads during extended outages.

FranklinWH Energy Storage | franklinwh.com

Nautilus Solar Energy LLC, one of the largest community solar businesses in the U.S. and a contributor to America’s energy independence transition, announced the closing of a $275 million, long-term debt facility, marking the company’s largest single debt transaction to date. The deal expands Nautilus’s lender base with three new financial partners -- MUFG, SMBC, and Apterra Infrastructure Capital -- underscoring strong market confidence in Nautilus and the long-term value of community solar. 

The new capital will support more than 25 community solar projects scheduled to become operational over the next year across Illinois, Maryland, Delaware, New York, and Rhode Island. Together, these projects will add more than 130MW of capacity to local energy grids and increase Nautilus’s total operating and managed portfolio to 700MW. The expansion will deliver clean, affordable energy to over 11,000 households and small businesses. 

“This is the largest single debt raising effort in Nautilus’s history, and the first time we’ve brought on a completely new group of lending partners all at one time,” said Camelia Miu, Chief Financial Officer of Nautilus Solar Energy. “Securing a $275 million commitment in today’s challenging debt market demonstrates the strength of our business and the confidence well-respected financial institutions have in our model. Most importantly, this capital accelerates our ability to deliver more community solar projects that expand access to the benefits of clean energy.” 

"MUFG is pleased to support Nautilus’ growth and serve as Administrative Agent on this important transaction that provides expanded debt capacity for operational projects," said Adam Broski, Vice President of Project Finance Investment Banking at MUFG. 

“Apterra is proud to have acted as Co-Lead Arranger for this milestone transaction for Nautilus, supporting the company’s growth and further build out of their community solar portfolio,” said Michael Pantelogianis and Ralph Cho, co-CEOs of Apterra. “These projects are set to provide affordable clean energy to a diverse customer base, and we believe this transaction highlights the tailored infrastructure financing solutions Apterra can offer to top-tier developers and operators." 

The deal highlights the important role community solar plays in expanding energy access, supporting local economic growth, and driving the transition to a more sustainable energy future. 

To complete this financing deal, Cadence Bank served as depository agent and BNY Mellon acted as collateral agent. Legal counsel for Nautilus was provided by Sheppard Mullin and Milbank LLP provided legal counsel for the lending parties.  

Nautilus | nautilussolar.com