Commercial Solar Guy
@commercialsolarguy.com
Solar (tech/finance/project) news.
Consult/Develop/Construct: https://commercialsolarguy.com/
Editor: https://pv-magazine-usa.com/author/johnweaver/
Professional: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfitzgeraldweaver
Born 336.74
Cambridge, MA, USA, Earth
Consult/Develop/Construct: https://commercialsolarguy.com/
Editor: https://pv-magazine-usa.com/author/johnweaver/
Professional: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfitzgeraldweaver
Born 336.74
Cambridge, MA, USA, Earth
Pinned
Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated last night, was the Speaker of the Minnesota House in the 2023-2024 session, when Democrats ran the state government.
That means she had a leading role in shepherding the many landmark reforms that Dems adopted in that period—an important legacy. Brief 🧵.
That means she had a leading role in shepherding the many landmark reforms that Dems adopted in that period—an important legacy. Brief 🧵.
Thank you Representative Hortman
‘total installed electricity capacity of the planet—every coal, gas, hydro, nuclear plant and renewables—was about 10 terawatts. The Chinese solar supply chain can now pump out 1 terawatt of panels every year’
Solar at 0.655 TW plus wind at 0.150 TW in 2025 represents 8% of the world’s capacity.
Solar at 0.655 TW plus wind at 0.150 TW in 2025 represents 8% of the world’s capacity.
January 23, 2026 at 12:35 AM
‘total installed electricity capacity of the planet—every coal, gas, hydro, nuclear plant and renewables—was about 10 terawatts. The Chinese solar supply chain can now pump out 1 terawatt of panels every year’
Solar at 0.655 TW plus wind at 0.150 TW in 2025 represents 8% of the world’s capacity.
Solar at 0.655 TW plus wind at 0.150 TW in 2025 represents 8% of the world’s capacity.
Reposted by Commercial Solar Guy
I always said, once you start to see electric semi trucks thats when you will know we've reached peak oil demand.
oil demand is driven by transportation -- principally from diesel / mogas sales to semi trucks. If that goes electric and builds momentum then real pain is coming to texas oil and gas
oil demand is driven by transportation -- principally from diesel / mogas sales to semi trucks. If that goes electric and builds momentum then real pain is coming to texas oil and gas
'deploying forty battery-electric semi trucks...Class 8 HDEV...116″ BBC Freightliner eCascadia day cab trucks...battery packs <438 kWh of capacity...fully-loaded range of ~220 miles...truck fleet expected to travel <7 million miles annually...strategically-placed DC fast chargers from Greenlane'
Texas-sized 10-4, good buddy: 40 electric semi trucks set to hit Texas' highway
Nevoya is doing its part to reduce air pollution on Texas' highways by deploying 40 battery-electric semi trucks.
electrek.co
January 22, 2026 at 11:30 PM
I always said, once you start to see electric semi trucks thats when you will know we've reached peak oil demand.
oil demand is driven by transportation -- principally from diesel / mogas sales to semi trucks. If that goes electric and builds momentum then real pain is coming to texas oil and gas
oil demand is driven by transportation -- principally from diesel / mogas sales to semi trucks. If that goes electric and builds momentum then real pain is coming to texas oil and gas
Would anyone like a subscription to Solarpunk Magazine?
Subscriptions – Solarpunk Magazine
Subscribe to Solarpunk Magazine and get six issues per year of solarpunk fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art.
solarpunkmagazine.com
January 22, 2026 at 11:16 PM
Would anyone like a subscription to Solarpunk Magazine?
'South Australia posted record for “negative demand”...minus 263 MW...rooftop solar supplied record 117% of demand at time...issued directions to Blyth battery – biggest in state – to remain synchronised, maintain a pre-agreed minimum state of charge, and follow dispatch targets'
Biggest battery on standby as rooftop PV sets stunning new records, meeting 117 pct of state demand
Rooftop solar reaches remarkable 117 pct of state demand in Australia's most advanced renewable state, requiring the biggest battery to be put on standby.
reneweconomy.com.au
January 22, 2026 at 11:12 PM
'South Australia posted record for “negative demand”...minus 263 MW...rooftop solar supplied record 117% of demand at time...issued directions to Blyth battery – biggest in state – to remain synchronised, maintain a pre-agreed minimum state of charge, and follow dispatch targets'
'deploying forty battery-electric semi trucks...Class 8 HDEV...116″ BBC Freightliner eCascadia day cab trucks...battery packs <438 kWh of capacity...fully-loaded range of ~220 miles...truck fleet expected to travel <7 million miles annually...strategically-placed DC fast chargers from Greenlane'
Texas-sized 10-4, good buddy: 40 electric semi trucks set to hit Texas' highway
Nevoya is doing its part to reduce air pollution on Texas' highways by deploying 40 battery-electric semi trucks.
electrek.co
January 22, 2026 at 11:08 PM
'deploying forty battery-electric semi trucks...Class 8 HDEV...116″ BBC Freightliner eCascadia day cab trucks...battery packs <438 kWh of capacity...fully-loaded range of ~220 miles...truck fleet expected to travel <7 million miles annually...strategically-placed DC fast chargers from Greenlane'
Good article to browse simply to see the action taking place in expanding battery manufacturing - of many types - capacity around the world:
Global Lithium Battery Boom: CALB, LG, Wanrun, Shangtai Lead Capacity Expansion - EnergyTrend
Recently, the global lithium battery industry chain has entered a new round of investment and construction boom, with domestic and overseas layouts ac...
www.energytrend.com
January 22, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Good article to browse simply to see the action taking place in expanding battery manufacturing - of many types - capacity around the world:
'produced its first 50 µm ultra-thin wafer...significantly reduced silicon material loss by synergizing upgrades in in-house slicing equipment and diamond wires...Gaoce produced over 4.2 billion wafers in 2024...has 63 GW of operational wafer cutting capacity and aims to scale up to 102 GW'
China Solar PV News Snippets: Gaoce Rolls Out 50 µm Ultra-Thin Wafers & More
Gaoce rolls out 50 µm ultra-thin wafersWafer manufacturer Gaoce Technology has announced that it has produced its first 50 µm ultra-thin wafer at its manufactur
taiyangnews.info
January 22, 2026 at 10:02 PM
'produced its first 50 µm ultra-thin wafer...significantly reduced silicon material loss by synergizing upgrades in in-house slicing equipment and diamond wires...Gaoce produced over 4.2 billion wafers in 2024...has 63 GW of operational wafer cutting capacity and aims to scale up to 102 GW'
Batteries deploying faster than solar did:
'In December 2025, 71 GWh of BESS deployed worldwide...total for the year 315 GWh, cumulative global capacity 690 GWh...43% in global BESS installations to >450 GWh projected in 2026...total to reach >1,140 GWh'
reneweconomy.com.au/graph-of-the...
'In December 2025, 71 GWh of BESS deployed worldwide...total for the year 315 GWh, cumulative global capacity 690 GWh...43% in global BESS installations to >450 GWh projected in 2026...total to reach >1,140 GWh'
reneweconomy.com.au/graph-of-the...
January 22, 2026 at 9:47 PM
Batteries deploying faster than solar did:
'In December 2025, 71 GWh of BESS deployed worldwide...total for the year 315 GWh, cumulative global capacity 690 GWh...43% in global BESS installations to >450 GWh projected in 2026...total to reach >1,140 GWh'
reneweconomy.com.au/graph-of-the...
'In December 2025, 71 GWh of BESS deployed worldwide...total for the year 315 GWh, cumulative global capacity 690 GWh...43% in global BESS installations to >450 GWh projected in 2026...total to reach >1,140 GWh'
reneweconomy.com.au/graph-of-the...
In case you happen to hear a senile pedophile say something about China and wind power...
January 22, 2026 at 9:40 PM
In case you happen to hear a senile pedophile say something about China and wind power...
International module pricing is up 20-30% from 8¢/W to 10-11¢
European PV market faces potential 2026 price shock from China export tax #energysky -- via pv magazine global: www.pv-magazine.com/...
January 22, 2026 at 7:02 PM
International module pricing is up 20-30% from 8¢/W to 10-11¢
66 GW of capacity with an average three hours storage is 198 GWh of storage.
January 22, 2026 at 6:16 PM
66 GW of capacity with an average three hours storage is 198 GWh of storage.
Reposted by Commercial Solar Guy
Flettner himself had the idea, and in 1923 a consortium of German companies built this prototype
January 22, 2026 at 12:38 PM
Flettner himself had the idea, and in 1923 a consortium of German companies built this prototype
Current solar construction conditions in New Hampshire:
January 22, 2026 at 2:25 PM
Current solar construction conditions in New Hampshire:
“It is clear to me that the marijuana industry financed the start of the solar industry”
Upcoming documentary explores the roots of the U.S. solar industry #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: pv-magazine-usa.com/...
January 22, 2026 at 1:28 PM
“It is clear to me that the marijuana industry financed the start of the solar industry”
At $10-20/kWh deployed with higher cycles/optimized repowering means energy storage filled with solar dominates base-load whenever the sun doesn’t shine.
‘By 2050, sodium-ion batteries with fast learning rates could deliver storage at 11–14 €/MWh – cheaper than lithium-ion at 16–22 €/MWh…stationary battery demand reported to date – ranging from 67.9 to 106.5 TWh by 2050…feature higher energy-to-power ratios (6–7 h)’
Sodium-ion battery cells already near lithium-ion cost parity, set to get cheaper - Energy Storage
By 2050, sodium-ion batteries with fast learning rates could deliver storage at 11–14 €/MWh - cheaper than lithium-ion at 16–22 €/MWh - while also offering higher energy-to-power ratios and high cycle...
www.ess-news.com
January 22, 2026 at 3:34 AM
At $10-20/kWh deployed with higher cycles/optimized repowering means energy storage filled with solar dominates base-load whenever the sun doesn’t shine.
Sounds just like humans arguing about who the bigger asshole is…maybe we’ll be saved by everyone (meat and robots) being fools.
:)
:)
Waymo founder trashes Tesla safety as Waymos illegally pass school buses
Waymo founder trashes Tesla safety as Waymos illegally pass school buses
Waymo founder John Krafcik made headlines this week with claims that Tesla’s cameras-only approach to Full Self Driving was “myopic,” but the self-driving taxis from the company he helped found keep illegally passing school buses – and putting kids at risk.
more…
electrek.co
January 22, 2026 at 3:16 AM
Sounds just like humans arguing about who the bigger asshole is…maybe we’ll be saved by everyone (meat and robots) being fools.
:)
:)
Needed images of a roof we’re working on…looks like a field this morning.
January 21, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Needed images of a roof we’re working on…looks like a field this morning.
'101 consecutive hours 100% instantaneous renewables in Q4 2025 at a gold mine...87.2% renewable December 2025...average load 12 MW...27MW solar capacity, 24MW wind, 15MW/30MWh battery...complementary generation 9MW diesel, 15MW of gas...528 of 5B’s 90 module prefabricated ‘Maverick’ solar arrays'
5B’s ‘Maverick’ helps Australian off-grid gold mine set 101-hour renewable energy record
Gold miner Bellevue Gold has claimed to have set a new benchmark for off-grid renewable energy performance in Western Australia.
www.pv-tech.org
January 21, 2026 at 1:39 PM
'101 consecutive hours 100% instantaneous renewables in Q4 2025 at a gold mine...87.2% renewable December 2025...average load 12 MW...27MW solar capacity, 24MW wind, 15MW/30MWh battery...complementary generation 9MW diesel, 15MW of gas...528 of 5B’s 90 module prefabricated ‘Maverick’ solar arrays'
There is no shame…
January 21, 2026 at 1:33 PM
There is no shame…
If ~30 GW offshore wind in the North Sea, plus 42GW off the coast of China - with China’s capacity being ~50% of global capacity, then these two regions combined represent 85% of the world’s offshore wind.
January 21, 2026 at 11:33 AM
If ~30 GW offshore wind in the North Sea, plus 42GW off the coast of China - with China’s capacity being ~50% of global capacity, then these two regions combined represent 85% of the world’s offshore wind.
‘By 2050, sodium-ion batteries with fast learning rates could deliver storage at 11–14 €/MWh – cheaper than lithium-ion at 16–22 €/MWh…stationary battery demand reported to date – ranging from 67.9 to 106.5 TWh by 2050…feature higher energy-to-power ratios (6–7 h)’
Sodium-ion battery cells already near lithium-ion cost parity, set to get cheaper - Energy Storage
By 2050, sodium-ion batteries with fast learning rates could deliver storage at 11–14 €/MWh - cheaper than lithium-ion at 16–22 €/MWh - while also offering higher energy-to-power ratios and high cycle...
www.ess-news.com
January 21, 2026 at 12:25 AM
‘By 2050, sodium-ion batteries with fast learning rates could deliver storage at 11–14 €/MWh – cheaper than lithium-ion at 16–22 €/MWh…stationary battery demand reported to date – ranging from 67.9 to 106.5 TWh by 2050…feature higher energy-to-power ratios (6–7 h)’
Are lithium ion batteries not fast enough?
‘475 MW/1,000 MWh of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries with a 25 MW supercapacitor system capable of 60-second discharge’
‘475 MW/1,000 MWh of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries with a 25 MW supercapacitor system capable of 60-second discharge’
China’s connects the world's first GWh-scale supercapacitor-energy storage project - Energy Storage
The 500 MW/1 GWh Jiayuguan NingSheng project combines lithium batteries and supercapacitors to support grid stability and renewables integration.
www.ess-news.com
January 21, 2026 at 12:17 AM
Are lithium ion batteries not fast enough?
‘475 MW/1,000 MWh of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries with a 25 MW supercapacitor system capable of 60-second discharge’
‘475 MW/1,000 MWh of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries with a 25 MW supercapacitor system capable of 60-second discharge’
If 4¢/W for models in enough to stop 5-15% of international projects out of viability - then the Chinese price increases for modules (silver, getting rid of tax benefits, polysilicon consolidation) will stop us from reaching 1 TW for a bit. Maybe a while.
‘International Risk on Rising Mod prices increasing from 7-8c/W to 11-12c/W, one of our contacts sees risk for 5-15% of international projects getting pushed/canceled…international push-out/cancellation risk may be a new risk factor for our tracker universe that has international exposure’ - Roth
January 20, 2026 at 11:59 PM
If 4¢/W for models in enough to stop 5-15% of international projects out of viability - then the Chinese price increases for modules (silver, getting rid of tax benefits, polysilicon consolidation) will stop us from reaching 1 TW for a bit. Maybe a while.
‘~$1.5 billion project…compressed air storage…500 MW for up to eight hours (4 GWh at $375/kWh)…88.6-acre parcel…Central Coast Community Energy has contracted for 200 megawatts…negotiating for 50-100 MW, leaving ~200 MW to go…”very likely” breaks ground this year…4-5 year construction window’
A novel long-duration storage project is coming to the California…
Hydrostor’s 4-gigawatt-hour project received state approval last month. Construction could start this year — so long as the startup can nail down more…
www.canarymedia.com
January 20, 2026 at 11:32 PM
‘~$1.5 billion project…compressed air storage…500 MW for up to eight hours (4 GWh at $375/kWh)…88.6-acre parcel…Central Coast Community Energy has contracted for 200 megawatts…negotiating for 50-100 MW, leaving ~200 MW to go…”very likely” breaks ground this year…4-5 year construction window’
This company is no longer real to
Me. They’ve been talking about launching since 2020.
Me. They’ve been talking about launching since 2020.
Oxford PV targets 20-year lifetime for perovskite-silicon tandem modules by 2028 #energysky -- via pv magazine global:
Oxford PV targets 20-year lifetime for perovskite-silicon tandem modules by 2028
Oxford PV CEO David Ward spoke with <b>pv magazine</b> about the prospects of its company and the perovksite-silicon tandem PV technology at the WFES event in Abu Dhabi. He said Oxford PV is expanding manufacturing beyond Germany while focusing on global licensing partnerships.
www.pv-magazine.com
January 20, 2026 at 10:38 PM
This company is no longer real to
Me. They’ve been talking about launching since 2020.
Me. They’ve been talking about launching since 2020.