Ken Oatman ☀️

Donald Trump’s oil embargo reveals a solar boom in Cuba Chinese solar panels are flooding into the troubled island nation

Fill in the blank time!

The incoming flood of cheap solar panels is transforming the economy of ______ from the bottom up.

Today's answer: Cuba!

VDE Americas releases “Physical Work Test” playbook to clear OBBBA regulatory hurdles With the July 4 "start of construction" deadline looming, a new technical memorandum provides a roadmap for developers to navigate the end of the 5% safe harbor and secure tax credit eligibility.

VDE Americas releases “Physical Work Test” playbook to clear OBBBA regulatory hurdles #energysky -- via pv magazine usa:

Electricity rate hikes slash commercial solar payback periods by 33%, says Wood Mackenzie #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: pv-magazine-usa.com/...

Mapping Europe's rooftop photovoltaic potential with a building level database.

Dear Europe,

You are in a tough spot. Buy gas from Putin or buy gas from Trump.

There is a way out of this quandary.

... not worth it w/o the right equipment, but easy if prepared

New ultra-reflective color steel promises big efficiency gains for bifacial rooftop PV Dongkuk CM has introduced an ultra-high-reflectivity color steel sheet designed to boost the performance of bifacial rooftop PV systems, increasing solar reflectance to 80–85. The new material also offers enhanced corrosion resistance, long-term durability, and added cooling benefits thanks to its advanced plating and dual-layer design, according to the manufacturer.

New ultra-reflective color steel promises big efficiency gains for bifacial rooftop PV #energysky -- via pv magazine global:

Electricity Should Be Free at Noon And two other ideas for lowering electricity costs

Fantastic piece from @leahstokes.bsky.social, with several practical ideas about how to reduce electricity prices.

Farmers stunned after unexpected impacts of new solar farm project: 'It's exciting' One Puerto Rican farmer has developed an agrivoltaics system to both grow coffee and produce solar energy.

Farmers stunned after unexpected impacts of new solar farm project: 'It's exciting' share.google/KvF7IPU5Udbj...

I'm a big fan of agrivoltaics which is solar panels or solar infrastructure on farm land you get many benefits shade for your crops or animals less water loss, better soil quality etc

Intermittent solar and wind complement each other for a more stable grid A study finds combining wind and solar leverages their alternating peak periods, significantly boosting total generation capacity while providing a constant, predictable power curve critical for grid integration.

Intermittent solar and wind complement each other for a more stable grid #energysky -- via pv magazine usa:

Solar Is Becoming A Valued Global Solution To Fight Power Outages - CleanTechnica A solar+battery system can provide green energy during normal times and deliver needed backup power during power outages.

Solar Is Becoming A Valued Global Solution To Fight Power Outages

cleantechnica.com/2025/11/16/s...

Scientific frontiers of agrivoltaic cropping systems - Nature Reviews Clean Technology Agrivoltaic systems co-locate crop production and energy conversion alongside each other, helping to reduce land-use conflicts that can arise from conventional large-scale photovoltaic deployment on agricultural land. This Review explores how system layout and components, farming practices and policies can all influence visual impact and social acceptance, and agricultural, energy and environmental performance.

New Online! Scientific frontiers of agrivoltaic cropping systems

What 11.2 mg/w of silver at $50/oz costs as part of various sized solar panels:

Wattage MG/silver $/module
400 W - 4,480 $7.901
500 W - 5,600 $9.877
600 W - 6,720 $11.852
700 W - 7,840 $13.827
800 W - 8,960 $15.803

Roughly, $0.01975/W - 25% of a 8 cent solar panel's costs.

The Admin is canceling funding Congress has already appropriated, and they are cancelling these projects based on if they happen in places perceived to be political enemies, and even then they don't realize that often the projects happen in places aligned with them politically. Whole thing is bad.

If fossils are so cheap why do fossil powered grids keep going up in price?

Another day, another story about another African nation either deploying or preparing to deploy large amounts of #solar.

The boom is already starting.

IEA-PVPS warns soiling costs solar industry billions per year The International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS) says dust, pollution, and debris on solar panels reduce output by 4% to 7% worldwide, costing the industry billions of euros annually and making tailored mitigation increasingly urgent.

IEA-PVPS warns soiling costs solar industry billions per year #energysky -- via pv magazine usa:

Self-Generation Incentive Program The Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) helps qualified LADWP residential customers install solar and battery storage systems by providing financial incentives. This program supports clean energy...

This is amazing: @ladwp.com, the Los Angeles utility, has launched a program that will install solar+battery systems on qualifying low-to-moderate-income households, *for free*.

Yes: free.

If you know someone eligible, tell them to apply!

New hail test will find solar panel's 'breaking point' Solar testing organizations are getting more serious about testing solar panels' resilience against hail damage. VDE Americas and RETC, part of the VDE

New hail test will find solar panel’s ‘breaking point’ #energysky -- via Solar Power World:

Graphic which reads 'What? When? Why? How? Everything you need to know about how to join Sun day. September 21, 2025'

🌅 Here is everything you need to know about joining us for Sun Day this September 21 🧵 sunday.earth

‘Diversity and inclusion are not nice-to-haves, but essential ingredients for progress’ This week, Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Laura Riedl, Digital Marketing Manager at Solis. She says that the energy transition is inherently complex and multidimensional, which makes the divers...

" ... the energy transition is inherently complex and multidimensional, which makes the diversity of perspective invaluable" www.pv-magazine.com/2025/08/29/d...

Eight cooling towers disappear in “matter of seconds” in stunning coal plant demolition Watch as eight giant coal plant cooling towers are demolished “in a matter of seconds using half a tonne of explosives,” setting a Guinness World Record.

Watch as eight giant coal plant cooling towers are demolished “in a matter of seconds using half a tonne of explosives,” setting a Guinness World Record.

Sunrun Shatters California Grid Record: 360MW Battery Fleet Powers Equivalent of Half San Francisco Largest-ever residential battery dispatch delivers 360MW to California's grid, verified by Brattle Group. Sunrun leads multi-provider 535MW deployment. See impact analysis.

Sunrun, California's largest distributed power plant operator, achieved a record-breaking energy dispatch of 360 megawatts to the state's grid during a scheduled test event. 🔌💡 www.stocktitan.net/news/RUN/sun...

NCCETC and the Smart Electric Power Alliance have just launched the Database of Emerging Large-Load Tariffs (DELTa) - a public, user-friendly database of utility rates and contracts designed for large electric loads. 📊

Explore the database at sepapower.org/large-load-t... 👉

#energysky #utilities

Poster of a woman with a power driver (a modern day Rosie the Riveter), assembling a heat pump. The slogan reads: Send Putin away… Get a heat pump today! #pumpsforPeace Rewiring America

This is such an incredible poster.

Tesla Energy has quietly become the company’s most profitable division #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: pv-magazine-usa.com/...

What if distributed energy resources (DERs) were the missing piece of the energy puzzle? When utilities take the lead, DERs can be deployed with speed, scale, and precision—right where the grid needs them. 🔋⚡Learn more: hubs.la/Q03dFYqX0

1/ So why is @gavinnewsom.bsky.social working so hard to block rooftop solar, even on schools? @hencarnell.bsky.social dives in: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

(pairs with the @billmckibben.bsky.social piece on issue writ large below)

The problem for fossil fuel lovers is that you have to lie to demonize clean energy, since solar and wind are cheaper and cleaner than the competition.