Renewable Energy

Research Triangle Park, N.C. – September 16, 2026 -- RTI International has opened a $14 million expansion of its Pilot Xcelerator platform, doubling the independent research institute's commercialization infrastructure for energy and industrial technology startups.

Expansion doubles pilot-scale capacity in North Carolina

The 25,000-square-foot facility on RTI's Research Triangle Park campus gives innovators access to pilot infrastructure, engineering expertise and independent scientific validation to bridge the gap between lab research and commercial deployment. RTI describes the Pilot Xcelerator as the only privately owned industrial pilot laboratory in North Carolina.

Oslo – September 16, 2026 -- Nel ASA (OSE: NEL) has signed a framework agreement with Hydrasun to build a dedicated European assembly and integration facility for its modular MC Series PEM electrolyser platform, adding capacity beyond its existing US operations.

Hydrasun will integrate balance-of-plant systems while Nel retains stack production in Connecticut

Under the agreement, Hydrasun will procure, integrate, and manufacture the balance of plant systems surrounding Nel's electrolyser stacks, delivering a fully integrated, containerized offering. Stack production remains at Nel's Wallingford, Connecticut facility in the US, with Hydrasun handling final assembly for European markets.

Gothenburg – September 16, 2026 -- Volvo Group will develop an energy park near its planned Mariestad battery cell production site, initially providing approximately 70 MW/260 MWh of battery storage capacity, making it one of the largest energy parks in Sweden.

Volvo Group commits to 70 MW/260 MWh storage capacity as first development phase

The energy park will grow along two parallel tracks: a large-scale battery storage facility using Volvo Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) from Volvo Energy, and a future test bed for developing new energy solutions. The facility is expected to become operational during 2027.

Brussels – September 16, 2026 -- Committed investment in clean hydrogen has surpassed USD 130 billion globally, backing 6.9 Mtpa of capacity across more than 570 projects, according to the Hydrogen Council's Global Hydrogen Compass 2026 report co-authored with McKinsey & Company.

Ninety percent of tracked projects are already under construction or operational

Global operational capacity nearly doubled over the past year and is projected to double again in 2027 as projects under construction come online, the report states. The analysis draws on data from over 570 projects and perspectives from roughly 70 global CEOs.

Hyderabad – – September 16, 2026 -- Indian deeptech firm Hylenr Technologies has detected signatures of 32 elements, including strategic rare earths such as yttrium and actinides such as uranium, inside post-operational samples from a hydrogen-loaded nickel-palladium lattice confinement system, opening a potential alternative route to producing strategic materials without mining.

Albuquerque – September 15, 2026 -- The City of Albuquerque is deploying approximately 6 MW of solar energy generation across eight municipal facilities, closing the remaining gap toward its goal of 100% renewable energy for city operations. Sustainability Partners (SP), a Public Benefit Company, is financing and delivering the infrastructure alongside contractor Energy Systems Group (ESG) under a zero-upfront-cost model.

Construction begins at first two sites under phased rollout through 2027

A groundbreaking ceremony held last week marked the start of construction at the Eastside Animal Shelter and Highland Pool, the first two of eight planned locations. Additional installations are slated for the West Mesa Aquatic Center, Duke City BMX Park, Isotopes Park, the Ken Sanchez Transit Facility, the City's 911 Call Center, and the Albuquerque International Sunport, with the remaining sites phasing in through 2027.

Hannover – September 15, 2026 -- Proxima Fusion and the German state of Lower Saxony have signed a memorandum of understanding to build Europe's first large-scale industrial production site for high-temperature superconductor (HTS) tape used in fusion reactors, with investments of roughly €140 million planned for the first two project phases through the end of 2029.

State and private capital split the €140 million bill

Proxima aims for a 50-50 split between private and public financing. Lower Saxony intends to contribute €21 million, covering nearly 30% of the planned public funding share.

Norwalk, Connecticut – September 15, 2026 -- GameChange Energy's subsidiary, GameChange Solar Corp., has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Nextpower in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging unauthorized use of its high-tilt stow tracker technology.

Lawsuit targets Nextpower's tracker systems over U.S. Patent 12,449,161

The complaint states that GameChange Solar Corp. holds U.S. Patent 12,449,161, which covers the disputed high-tilt stow technology used in its single-axis solar tracker systems. GameChange contends that Nextpower's products infringe on one or more claims of this patent.

GameChange seeks injunction and monetary damages

GameChange Solar Corp. is seeking injunctive relief to halt further alleged infringement by Nextpower, along with monetary damages tied to the claim. No financial figures for damages sought were disclosed in the filing.

Greenwood, S.C. – September 14, 2026 -- ES Foundry has secured ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certifications for its Greenwood, South Carolina facility, passing an integrated audit with zero major and zero minor nonconformities. The certifications follow the company's recent 2 GW expansion, which pushed the plant's annual solar cell manufacturing capacity to 3 GW.

Auditors confirm quality, environmental and safety systems held during rapid capacity growth

The independent Integrated Management System (IMS) audit evaluated ES Foundry's quality, environmental and occupational health and safety frameworks as a single system across manufacturing operations, covering procurement, material handling, quality assurance and worker safety processes tied to monocrystalline photovoltaic cell production.

New York – September 14, 2026 -- Chestnut Carbon has agreed to supply Improved Forest Management (IFM) carbon credits to RBC, giving the global financial institution access to one of the largest forest-based carbon credit portfolios in the United States.

Chestnut's portfolio spans 200,000 acres across 37 states

The agreement draws on Chestnut's network of private forest landowners enrolled in IFM practices such as longer harvest rotations, retention of larger trees, strategic thinning, and prescribed burns. These practices are designed to improve forest resilience against wildfire and drought while sustaining long-term timber productivity.