The United States solar + storage industry is experiencing growth and innovation in some segments but stagnation in others as it enters a new year.
Both small- and large-scale energy storage continues to break records, with California leading the way in both markets. New rules making it easier to develop solar power on public lands offer great promise for utility-scale solar sites in remote locations. Robots equipped with AI can help with or completely take over the most strenuous parts of those projects to install panels faster with fewer workers.
While storage saw an uptick from California’s NEM 3.0, the standalone solar market went the opposite direction. Some of the largest inverter manufacturers blamed the residential downturn in both the United States and Europe for financial struggles that led to closing down some operations and making massive job cuts.
In the stories below, SPW editors look into these trending topics and more to help illuminate this year in solar power.
Solar canopies adapt to residential customer needs
The size and aesthetic of solar carports and canopies are changing thanks to demand for these products in the residential market. An influx of new manufacturers producing solar canopies have scaled these structures to fit within the confines of residential properties and designed them to look closer to a pergola than the towering carports covering parking lots and garages.
Solar panel patent battles could alter domestic manufacturing landscape
It’s difficult to stand apart in the crowded TOPCon market, so it’s only natural for patent infringement cries to be heard. While patent claims are common in every industry, these TOPCon patent battles shouldn’t be ignored as everyday business dealings.
US storage market continues upward trend into 2025
The United States closed 2024 with record-breaking storage installation numbers, and each coming year is predicted to be more charged than the last. Whether installed solo on utility-scale sites or attached with solar in the residential market, battery energy storage has found its stride.
New robotic tools handle toughest tasks on utility solar sites
Installing huge utility-scale solar projects usually requires large field crews performing tedious tasks hundreds of times across many acres of land. New AI and robotics inventions are simplifying some of these job duties, sometimes replacing human workers altogether.
Millions of federal acres to soon open to solar construction out west
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has expanded the scope of potential solar development on federal lands, opening several more western states to gigawatts of PV deployment.
Major residential inverter manufacturers weather industry headwinds
The recent residential solar industry downturn in the United States and Europe has required some inverter manufacturers to close down operations and cut jobs.
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