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
Not trying to brag, but…
December 25, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Not trying to brag, but…
I got some solar panels if you’re looking
December 25, 2025 at 1:36 PM
I got some solar panels if you’re looking
Reposted by Commercial Solar Guy
Terrifying headline if you don’t realize they are sports teams.
December 19, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Terrifying headline if you don’t realize they are sports teams.
Nice read on CATL.
*Gift link while it lasts.
*Gift link while it lasts.
China’s EV Battery Giant Is Trying to Find a New Road
CATL flooded the domestic market with inexpensive, efficient batteries. It wants to do the same overseas, but European politicians—and Donald Trump—stand in its way.
www.bloomberg.com
December 24, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Nice read on CATL.
*Gift link while it lasts.
*Gift link while it lasts.
Why the fuck do you get to write off gambling losses and I can’t write off rent?
get everyone gambling on their phone and then charge them for losing is actually pretty funny
December 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Why the fuck do you get to write off gambling losses and I can’t write off rent?
Reposted by Commercial Solar Guy
lifetime energy production of all Chinese solar panels that have been manufactured represents far more energy than all the oil majors oil reserves:
December 24, 2025 at 12:44 AM
lifetime energy production of all Chinese solar panels that have been manufactured represents far more energy than all the oil majors oil reserves:
The guy who wrote that article covering BNEF suggesting a slow down next year, also wrote this article - and yeah, glass half full, optimism:
December 23, 2025 at 10:52 AM
The guy who wrote that article covering BNEF suggesting a slow down next year, also wrote this article - and yeah, glass half full, optimism:
That’s a cool ass purchase.
December 22, 2025 at 7:52 PM
That’s a cool ass purchase.
As a solar person, this is cool - more batteries the better. Unfortunately they’re going for a data center. Also unfortunate is that transportation is our greatest source of emissions in the US these days, and Ford F-150s are our highest selling vehicle - so it’d have been nice sell more.
1/3 Big news from Ford via @electrek.co & @michelledlewis.bsky.social "Batteries produced at the Glendale plant were for the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning."
The Lightning was best-selling US electric truck in Q3, before the federal tax credit expired, up 39.7%. 💡🔌
electrek.co/2025/12/15/f...
The Lightning was best-selling US electric truck in Q3, before the federal tax credit expired, up 39.7%. 💡🔌
electrek.co/2025/12/15/f...
Ford to convert EV battery plants to make battery storage for data centers
Ford will repurpose EV battery plants to build grid-scale energy storage, betting on data centers as EV incentives fade.
electrek.co
December 22, 2025 at 7:12 PM
As a solar person, this is cool - more batteries the better. Unfortunately they’re going for a data center. Also unfortunate is that transportation is our greatest source of emissions in the US these days, and Ford F-150s are our highest selling vehicle - so it’d have been nice sell more.
‘driver was able to connect with emergency dispatchers: he "was reporting he was trapped inside of the vehicle after a crash and the vehicle was now on fire."’
4/By the time first responders arrived, the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. The driver's remains were found in the back seat.
December 22, 2025 at 4:39 PM
‘driver was able to connect with emergency dispatchers: he "was reporting he was trapped inside of the vehicle after a crash and the vehicle was now on fire."’
Reposted by Commercial Solar Guy
This is bunk. These sites are chosen to not interfere with radar systems, according to the process listed on...the Department of Energy's website: windexchange.energy.gov/projects/rad...
December 22, 2025 at 2:01 PM
This is bunk. These sites are chosen to not interfere with radar systems, according to the process listed on...the Department of Energy's website: windexchange.energy.gov/projects/rad...
That so many of us supported this type of government, knowing what was coming, is truly repugnant. We deserve our suffering.
Burgum: "Today we're sending notifications to the 5 large offshore wind projects that are under construction that their leases will be suspended due to national security concerns ... the Dept of War has come back conclusively that these large offshore wind programs create radar interference"
December 22, 2025 at 2:11 PM
That so many of us supported this type of government, knowing what was coming, is truly repugnant. We deserve our suffering.
Interesting that in certain markets distributed is exploding - but in Europe, after the stress fell off of hard rising prices due to the invasion of Ukraine - distributed pulls back.
In the US we will see a big distributed push this year for residential, then commercial the next two years.
In the US we will see a big distributed push this year for residential, then commercial the next two years.
Solar market slowdown partly driven by home solar slump
While home solar accounted for 28% of new solar PV installed in 2023, it covers just 14% in 2025
Utility-scale solar farms made up over 50% of 2025 solar installations
Read more👉 www.solarpowereurope.org/insights/out...
#EUSolarOutlook25
While home solar accounted for 28% of new solar PV installed in 2023, it covers just 14% in 2025
Utility-scale solar farms made up over 50% of 2025 solar installations
Read more👉 www.solarpowereurope.org/insights/out...
#EUSolarOutlook25
December 22, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Interesting that in certain markets distributed is exploding - but in Europe, after the stress fell off of hard rising prices due to the invasion of Ukraine - distributed pulls back.
In the US we will see a big distributed push this year for residential, then commercial the next two years.
In the US we will see a big distributed push this year for residential, then commercial the next two years.
Reposted by Commercial Solar Guy
The science breakthrough of 2025 is Solar Energy, not because it is new but because of how successful its deployment has been. This year renewable energy surpassed coal as a source of electricity worldwide. Hopeful sign for what’s to come.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
December 21, 2025 at 6:59 PM
The science breakthrough of 2025 is Solar Energy, not because it is new but because of how successful its deployment has been. This year renewable energy surpassed coal as a source of electricity worldwide. Hopeful sign for what’s to come.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Commercial Solar Guy
Sociology established 50+yrs ago that generalists outperform specialists in fast-changing economies. That goes for ppl as well as firms.
Rapid change means you have no way to know which skills will be most useful a few years hence: best to acquire a generalist skillset, as the liberal arts offers.
Rapid change means you have no way to know which skills will be most useful a few years hence: best to acquire a generalist skillset, as the liberal arts offers.
Really interesting research showing that while ultra-specialization in a single discipline might lead to better results early in one’s career, multi-discipline training and practice pays off big time in the long run. This applies to a range of professions from scientists to athletes and more
Recent discoveries on the acquisition of the highest levels of human performance
Scientists have long debated the origins of exceptional human achievements. This literature review summarizes recent evidence from multiple domains on the acquisition of world-class performance. We re...
www.science.org
December 21, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Sociology established 50+yrs ago that generalists outperform specialists in fast-changing economies. That goes for ppl as well as firms.
Rapid change means you have no way to know which skills will be most useful a few years hence: best to acquire a generalist skillset, as the liberal arts offers.
Rapid change means you have no way to know which skills will be most useful a few years hence: best to acquire a generalist skillset, as the liberal arts offers.
Reposted by Commercial Solar Guy
Happy Solstice!❄️❄️❄️
December 21, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Happy Solstice!❄️❄️❄️
‘wind farm gave rise to benthic ecosystem—dominated by seafloor organisms - colonies of oysters and barnacles—that was nonexistent…researchers think rough turbine surfaces provided optimal habitat…predatory fish followed the food…developed stable ecosystem’
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
December 21, 2025 at 1:42 PM
‘wind farm gave rise to benthic ecosystem—dominated by seafloor organisms - colonies of oysters and barnacles—that was nonexistent…researchers think rough turbine surfaces provided optimal habitat…predatory fish followed the food…developed stable ecosystem’
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Commercial Solar Guy
So we found out today in San Francisco that autonomous cars don't work in a blackout (Waymos shut down, wherever they were, all over city)
Participating in live experiments is fun! I still wish I'd been asked beforehand. But it is pretty wild and kind of cool to see them discover their edge cases.
Participating in live experiments is fun! I still wish I'd been asked beforehand. But it is pretty wild and kind of cool to see them discover their edge cases.
December 21, 2025 at 3:06 AM
So we found out today in San Francisco that autonomous cars don't work in a blackout (Waymos shut down, wherever they were, all over city)
Participating in live experiments is fun! I still wish I'd been asked beforehand. But it is pretty wild and kind of cool to see them discover their edge cases.
Participating in live experiments is fun! I still wish I'd been asked beforehand. But it is pretty wild and kind of cool to see them discover their edge cases.
Retail modules for 15¢/W - just paid 40¢ for domestic content modules because…direct from the manufacturer 6 truckloads worth.
Still paying almost 3X Home Depot bros in the EU.
Still paying almost 3X Home Depot bros in the EU.
Die Preise für Solarkomponenten bei #Bauhaus gehen echt.
Klar man bekommt es online billiger, aber spart sich so die Lieferung.
Panel in den Kombi und auf geht’s.
Klar man bekommt es online billiger, aber spart sich so die Lieferung.
Panel in den Kombi und auf geht’s.
December 21, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Retail modules for 15¢/W - just paid 40¢ for domestic content modules because…direct from the manufacturer 6 truckloads worth.
Still paying almost 3X Home Depot bros in the EU.
Still paying almost 3X Home Depot bros in the EU.
$256/W 1956, inflation adjusted to 2025 ~$3,000/W.
Today’s cost - 10¢/W.
Price decrease of 99.9967%.
Under 3¢/W and we add another ‘9’.
Today’s cost - 10¢/W.
Price decrease of 99.9967%.
Under 3¢/W and we add another ‘9’.
Solar cells costs $256/W in 1956, falling by greater than 60% to reach $100/W in 1971. Then fell an additional 80% through the 1970s, reaching $20/W by 1976.
The innovations of Yerkes, and others saw the price per watt further fall to $11/W by 1980,and $7/W by 1985.
A 97.5% decrease over 30 years.
The innovations of Yerkes, and others saw the price per watt further fall to $11/W by 1980,and $7/W by 1985.
A 97.5% decrease over 30 years.
December 21, 2025 at 2:17 AM
$256/W 1956, inflation adjusted to 2025 ~$3,000/W.
Today’s cost - 10¢/W.
Price decrease of 99.9967%.
Under 3¢/W and we add another ‘9’.
Today’s cost - 10¢/W.
Price decrease of 99.9967%.
Under 3¢/W and we add another ‘9’.
Reposted by Commercial Solar Guy
THREAD.
My parents' cat Bridget vanished. As the weeks dragged on they became ever more worried, so to distract himself my dad began to paint Bridget's adventures, imagining her travelling through time and popping up at some of art & music's most important moments.
I've collected his work here...
My parents' cat Bridget vanished. As the weeks dragged on they became ever more worried, so to distract himself my dad began to paint Bridget's adventures, imagining her travelling through time and popping up at some of art & music's most important moments.
I've collected his work here...
December 20, 2025 at 9:21 AM
THREAD.
My parents' cat Bridget vanished. As the weeks dragged on they became ever more worried, so to distract himself my dad began to paint Bridget's adventures, imagining her travelling through time and popping up at some of art & music's most important moments.
I've collected his work here...
My parents' cat Bridget vanished. As the weeks dragged on they became ever more worried, so to distract himself my dad began to paint Bridget's adventures, imagining her travelling through time and popping up at some of art & music's most important moments.
I've collected his work here...
Reposted by Commercial Solar Guy
Funny piece of EV history: the 12V is mainly used for closing the contactor to energize the high voltage pack. The AC Propulsion eBox had a backup 9V battery you could quickly use to close the contactor and "jump" the car. Why modern companies haven't replicated something similar is beyond me
November 29, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Funny piece of EV history: the 12V is mainly used for closing the contactor to energize the high voltage pack. The AC Propulsion eBox had a backup 9V battery you could quickly use to close the contactor and "jump" the car. Why modern companies haven't replicated something similar is beyond me
Doing some batteries at a residential site. Three Enphase units backing up an Enphase solar system, managed by their Envoy - with an integrated generator.
December 19, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Doing some batteries at a residential site. Three Enphase units backing up an Enphase solar system, managed by their Envoy - with an integrated generator.
Reposted by Commercial Solar Guy
In the US there might be a war on wind but globally the industry is winning it
A record 160 GW will be installed this year
The winds of change, they’re still blowing 💨
A record 160 GW will be installed this year
The winds of change, they’re still blowing 💨
December 19, 2025 at 4:18 PM
In the US there might be a war on wind but globally the industry is winning it
A record 160 GW will be installed this year
The winds of change, they’re still blowing 💨
A record 160 GW will be installed this year
The winds of change, they’re still blowing 💨
noice
The PJM power capacity auction wasn’t reassuring last night.
@bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
@bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
December 19, 2025 at 12:03 AM
noice