Building codes and minimum building standards such as ASCE 7, Eurocode, and the National Building Code of Canada, are used to calculate the maximum forces a building may encounter. These forces result from wind, snow and seismic activity. For wind...
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that in 2024 alone, the United States experienced 27 weather- and climate-related billion-dollar disaster events, with losses totaling $182.7 billion. Severe convective storms —...
As the world transitions to clean energy, one of the biggest challenges facing the solar industry isn’t technology or financing — It’s labor. The demand for skilled workers to install and maintain solar infrastructure far exceeds supply,...
Extreme weather conditions understandably give pause to many people considering solar photovoltaic (PV) installations across areas and climates of all kinds. But there’s one place with more punishing conditions than you’ll find anywhere else:...
Difficult terrain presents significant obstacles to maintaining productivity on solar construction sites. Solar farms are rarely built on perfectly level ground; to control costs, many projects aim to minimize site preparation. This creates real...
Single axis trackers used for PV solar farms must be reliable in the wind. This becomes more of a challenge if the tracker must also be low cost, involving capex, EPC, and opex (O&M). Wind failures are costly, and thus the comprehensive solution...
Utility-scale solar sites promise clean energy, but their success can depend on tackling an often-overlooked challenge: soil erosion. For one 20 MW solar project in Michigan, the stakes were clear. Excessive rain washed away...
Designers of solar inverters and energy storage devices want to maximize efficiency and longevity. To improve efficiency, design innovations and material improvements are required. With solar inverters, this involves reducing energy loss during the...
Artificial intelligence is creating unprecedented demand for power. Hyperscalers, companies building large AI systems, are expected to need between 30-300 gigawatts (GW) of power by 2030; the equivalent to powering up to 225 million homes. This...
Renewable energy development continues to grow in the Midwest. In Minnesota, 54 percent of 2024 power was from zero-carbon sources; 84 percent of South Dakota’s energy is from
