Roofing panels from Canadian manufacturer: Canadian solar PV company Mitrex has launched its patented solar roofing technology—made in Canada's Greater Toronto region—with building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) for the residential segment that ensures 'every sun-touched' surface can generate electricity. It claims the monocrystalline silicon solar cells based solar roof panels can be easily installed on both new and existing homes, mimicking the appearance of traditional asphalt and slate shingles available in various colors and patterns. Mitrex said its frameless solar panels with 25-year output warranty, are treated with anti-soiling coating, making them 'virtually maintenance-free'.
Agilitas Energy's solar and storage project: Agilitas Energy is building a 10 MW community solar project in Massachusetts, US, to be accompanied by energy storage system of unidentified capacity. To come up in the Town of Warren, the project qualifies for Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program, just like its 2 under construction other projects with 16 MW solar and 18 MWh of energy storage capacity. It claims to be currently developing close to 300 MW of energy storage capacity in Massachusetts, New York and other markets in the Northeast. It said the US state of Massachusetts is aiming for 1,000 MWh of energy storage target to be achieved by the end of 2025.
SUV with solar roof design: Electric vehicle (EV) startup Humble, based out of California US, has introduced a new concept SUV with a solar roof design having over 80 sq. ft. of engineered PV cells. Called Humble One, the 198 inches long car with the help of these solar cells can generate enough power to increase the driving range by nearly 60 miles a day, according to the makers. It can fit 4 people and has been 'engineered to be as lightweight as possible'. Humble's Engineering Lead who previously worked for Ford company, Alex Bogicevic claimed the car has more than $20 million in reserved pre-orders. Humble Founder Dima Steesy said, "We think solar is the future of mobility and that solar-powered electric vehicles are the clear next step to tackling carbon neutrality in the transportation ecosystem."
Help for community solar enthusiasts: IBM and Raise Green have joined hands to develop a software solution to empower an entrepreneur to start their own community solar energy business. In a statement issued, the 2 partners said they will collaborate to develop Raise Green's software solution to be deployed using Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud. They have now rolled out the Beta version of the Originator Engine which they term as a 'groundbreaking digital tool' allowing customers, investors and ecosystem partners to leverage to create, finance, build and run new solar businesses.