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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza

@torsolarfred.bsky.social

1.3K followers 476 following 23K posts

Tor Valenza, aka "@SolarFred" on X, is the founder of solar PR agency UnThink Solar and chief storyteller of Probably True Solar Stories, a very odd solar fiction podcast. Listen: www.probablytruesolar.com/ Get solar PR: www.unthinksolar.com

Posts Replies Media

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 1h

Availability: Why this BESS performance metric matters so much, and how to calculate it #energysky -- via Energy Storage News:

energy-storage.news

Availability: Why this BESS performance metric matters so much, and how to calculate it

Liam Critchley with an ESN Premium deep dive into availability, one of the most-discussed metrics in battery storage performance.

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 3h

Why the Senate Permitting Bill Isn’t a ‘Grand Bargain’ #energysky -- via Heatmap News heatmap.news/plus/th...

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 4h

Kerala: Indian state proposes five-year electricity tariff framework with new provisions for BESS #energysky -- via Energy Storage News:

energy-storage.news

Kerala: Indian state proposes five-year electricity tariff framework with new provisions for BESS

Kerala has proposed a five-year tariff framework with rules for BESS, PSP, including efficiency, availability and grid-forming requirements.

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 13h

California is 10th state to legalize balcony solar #energysky -- via Solar Power World:

solarpowerworldonline.com

California is 10th state to legalize balcony solar

It was a busy day yesterday for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, as he signed into law a handful of bills that are positive for the solar industry. He also

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 13h

Drivers will pay the price for Trump’s fuel economy rollbacks #energysky -- via Canary Media:

canarymedia.com

Drivers will pay the price for Trump’s fuel economy rollbacks

Americans will pay more at the pump as the president eases up expectations on automakers. It’s one of several ways the White House is raising the cost of…

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 14h

Amazon Joins Other Hyperscalers in Saving Existing Nuclear #energysky -- via Heatmap News heatmap.news/am/amaz...

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 14h

Spain is making batteries a licensing condition for data centres, and nobody noticed #energysky -- via Energy Storage News:

energy-storage.news

Spain is making batteries a licensing condition for data centres, and nobody noticed

Spain's recent proposal for data centres to match hourly demand with renewables could be the trigger the country's storage market has been waiting for.

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 15h

Still in the dark: Snowy Hydro’s awkward anniversary marked without promised review of Snowy 2 costings #energysky -- via Renew Economy: reneweconomy.com.au/...

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 15h

Northern Colorado’s largest solar project comes online #energysky -- via Solar Power World:

solarpowerworldonline.com

Northern Colorado's largest solar project comes online

The second phase of the Black Hollow Sun solar project near Severance, Colorado, is now complete. ContourGlobal developed the full 324-MW project for the

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 16h

September was Australia’s second hottest on record, and second driest in the east, BoM data shows #energysky -- via Renew Economy: reneweconomy.com.au/...

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 17h

Gotion to supply 6GWh of battery storage for Saudi Arabia’s first utility-scale BESS tender #energysky -- via Energy Storage News:

energy-storage.news

Gotion to supply 6GWh of battery storage for Saudi Arabia's first utility-scale BESS tender

Gotion High-Tech has been named as the BESS supplier for three projects totalling 6GWh awarded to an ACWA Power consortium in Saudi Arabia.

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 17h

Best of the Week: US policy drives manufacturing, why PV DC connector failures are a challenge and Linton sues Jingsheng #energysky -- via pv-tech:

Best of the Week: US policy drives manufacturing, why PV DC connector failures are a challenge and Linton sues Jingsheng

Welcome to the PV Tech Best of the Week roundup, covering the week’s biggest stories from the global solar PV industry.

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 18h

Governor Mikie Sherrill on Electricity Prices, Nuclear Power, and Building in New Jersey #energysky -- via Heatmap News heatmap.news/podcast...

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 19h

Navigating the quality challenges of US module procurement #energysky -- via pv-tech:

Navigating the quality challenges of US module procurement

The US solar industry is contending with variable module quality as new suppliers jostle to serve this lucrative market.

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 19h

FRV Australia completes first standalone BESS with 100MW/200MWh Terang project in Victoria #energysky -- via Energy Storage News:

energy-storage.news

FRV Australia completes first standalone BESS with 100MW/200MWh Terang project in Victoria

FRV Australia has commissioned the 100MW/200MWh Terang battery storage system in Victoria, the company's first standalone storage project.

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 20h

Transcript: Governor Mikie Sherrill on Electricity Prices, Nuclear Power, and Building in New Jersey #energysky -- via Heatmap News heatmap.news/podcast...

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 20h

Chart of the day: Ten years of diesel rebates almost pays for a new truck #energysky -- via Renew Economy: reneweconomy.com.au/...

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 20h

Australian company behind home battery that Bowen bought enters administration, hit by flood of “cheaper” imports #energysky -- via Renew Economy: reneweconomy.com.au/...

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 21h

REAP grant update makes solar projects on farmland ineligible #energysky -- via Solar Power World:

solarpowerworldonline.com

REAP grant update makes solar projects on farmland ineligible

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) is being updated with new and longer stipulations for renewable energy projects to qualify for these grants.

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 21h

ContourGlobal completes construction at 324MW solar PV complex in Colorado #energysky -- via pv-tech:

ContourGlobal completes construction at 324MW solar PV complex in Colorado

ContourGlobal and utility Platte River Power Authority have completed construction of a 324MW solar PV complex in the US state of Colorado.

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 22h

Environmental approvals process kicks off for giant transmission line Coalition has vowed to scrap #energysky -- via Renew Economy: reneweconomy.com.au/...

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 22h

100-MW Michigan solar project supports Ford automotive #energysky -- via Solar Power World:

solarpowerworldonline.com

100-MW Michigan solar project supports Ford automotive

DTE Energy has completed construction on the 100-MW Cold Creek Solar Park near Coldwater, Michigan, which is supporting Ford Motor Company’s

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 23h

Australia: Energy Vault secures NSW approval for 1GWh BESS, TagEnergy submits 4GWh Victoria project #energysky -- via Energy Storage News:

energy-storage.news

Australia: Energy Vault secures NSW approval for 1GWh BESS, TagEnergy submits 4GWh Victoria project

Two Australian BESS sites have advanced, both moving large-scale projects closer to construction through separate approval pathways.

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 23h

Best of September 2026 #energysky -- via Volts/David Roberts: www.volts.wtf/p/best...

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Cannon-Brookes’ Atlassian signs deal with groundbreaking community solar farm to power its new green HQ #energysky -- via Renew Economy: reneweconomy.com.au/...

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Germany sitting on 600,000 tonnes of solar PV waste by 2030 #energysky -- via pv-tech:

Germany sitting on 600,000 tonnes of solar PV waste by 2030

Germany is on course to produce over 600,000 tonnes of solar PV waste material by 2030, potentially worth billions in aluminium and silver.

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Renalfa IPP, Eurowind inaugurate 242MW solar-plus-storage project in Bulgaria #energysky -- via pv-tech:

Renalfa IPP, Eurowind inaugurate 242MW solar-plus-storage project in Bulgaria

Renalfa IPP and Danish renewables developer Eurowind Energy have began commercial operations at a 242MWp solar-plus-storage park in Bulgaria.

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

California governor signs bills approving virtual power plants #energysky -- via Solar Power World:

solarpowerworldonline.com

California governor signs bills approving virtual power plants

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed SB 913 and SB 905, two bills that allow for virtual power plants (VPPs) throughout the state. Together they are

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Diesel prices are rising worldwide. So are electric truck sales. #energysky -- via Canary Media:

canarymedia.com

Diesel prices are rising worldwide. So are electric truck sales.

Sales of medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks hit a high in the first half of 2026, mostly thanks to China. Diesel prices are set to keep the momentum…

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The Senate Permitting Deal Contains a Data Center Double Tap #energysky -- via Heatmap News heatmap.news/daily/d...

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The Climate Tech Winners and Losers of the Senate’s Permitting Bill #energysky -- via Heatmap News heatmap.news/climate...

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

First Solar files TOPCon patent infringement lawsuit against JA and Corning subsidiary #energysky -- via pv-tech:

First Solar files TOPCon patent infringement lawsuit against JA and Corning subsidiary

First Solar has filed a patent lawsuit against JA and its subsidiaries, as well as American Panel Solutions, a wholly-owned Corning subsidiary

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

SMA battery inverter first to win grid-forming certification for German inertia market #energysky -- via Energy Storage News:

energy-storage.news

SMA battery inverter first to win grid-forming certification for German inertia market

Inverter manufacturer SMA Solar Technology has become the first to be certified as capable of providing inertia to the German grid.

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Alight acquires 2GW Swedish solar PV, energy storage pipeline from Soltech #energysky -- via pv-tech:

Alight acquires 2GW Swedish solar PV, energy storage pipeline from Soltech

Alight has acquired a portfolio of 40 utility-scale solar projects in southern Sweden from Soltech Energy Solutions.

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

ACI Materials wants to bring silver solar paste back to the US with its ‘secret sauce’ #energysky -- via pv-tech:

ACI Materials wants to bring silver solar paste back to the US with its 'secret sauce'

PV Talk: PV Tech spoke with Dana Hankey about restarting ACI Materials' silver paste production for US solar manufacturing.

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

“Deeply disappointing:” State blocks gas connection rule made to protect consumers from death spiral #energysky -- via Renew Economy: reneweconomy.com.au/...

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

AGL sees powerful opportunity to host data centres at coal and gas hubs #energysky -- via Renew Economy: reneweconomy.com.au/...

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

TurningPoint Energy energises third community solar project in 30MW Delaware portfolio #energysky -- via pv-tech:

TurningPoint Energy energises third community solar project in 30MW Delaware portfolio

TurningPoint Energy has energised a 2.1MWac community solar project in Georgetown, Delaware, third of six in 30MWdc portfolio.

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

PJM capacity reforms require urgent state action to protect ratepayers, says NRDC #energysky -- via Energy Storage News:

energy-storage.news

PJM capacity reforms require urgent state action to protect ratepayers, says NRDC

Energy-Storage.news Premium speaks with Claire Lang-Ree, clean energy advocate at the (NRDC, about PJM's proposed capacity market reforms.

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

PV Chart of the Week: European inverter manufacturing forecast to increase in 2027 as utilisation rate drops #energysky -- via pv-tech:

PV Chart of the Week: European inverter manufacturing forecast to increase in 2027 as utilisation rate drops

This week's PV Chart of the Week looks at the breakdown in European inverter manufacturing production, capacity and supply until 2027.

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

“It’s made us more wasteful:” Solar and battery homes plug in to a new age of abundant energy #energysky -- via Renew Economy: reneweconomy.com.au/...

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The Permitting Reform Bill Just Dropped #energysky -- via Heatmap News heatmap.news/am/perm...

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

EU ROUNDUP: Hybrid and standalone BESS news in Italy, Germany and the Nordics, with Metlen, PNE and Mirova #energysky -- via Energy Storage News:

energy-storage.news

EU ROUNDUP: Hybrid and standalone BESS news in Italy, Germany and the Nordics, with Metlen, PNE and Mirova

Metlen's 75MWh BESS in Italy, PNE and Enercon's wind and storage project, and Mirova's €65 million in Nordic BESS from Ingrid Capacity.

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Another state launches Solar Sharer offer, amid fresh warnings of drawbacks to three hours of free power #energysky -- via Renew Economy: reneweconomy.com.au/...

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Microinverter manufacturers anticipate a growing balcony solar market #energysky -- via Solar Power World:

solarpowerworldonline.com

Microinverter manufacturers anticipate a growing balcony solar market

An inverter’s role in a plug-in solar project is functionally the same as in an interconnected solar project: it converts DC to AC power. Where it differs

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Sisters of Mercy solar installation opens NC city to more approved ground-mounts #energysky -- via Solar Power World:

solarpowerworldonline.com

Sisters of Mercy solar installation opens NC city to more approved ground-mounts

Pisgah Energy has completed a 680-kW solar system for the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas in Belmont, North Carolina. During project development, Pisgah

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The USDA just made it way harder for farmers to get grants for solar #energysky -- via Canary Media:

canarymedia.com

The USDA just made it way harder for farmers to get grants for solar

Even farmers who were already promised funds from the REAP program may never get them under the Trump admin’s new restrictions. Some are suing.

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Nuclear power’s quarter-century of stagnation has no end in sight, and has been overtaken by solar PV #energysky -- via Renew Economy: reneweconomy.com.au/...

Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

X-Elio starts commercial operations at 368MW Spanish solar PV project #energysky -- via pv-tech:

X-Elio starts commercial operations at 368MW Spanish solar PV project

X-Elio has started commercial operations at the 368MW Lorca Solar project in Spain, its largest in the country.

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Tor "SolarFred" Valenza @torsolarfred.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

‘Huge pipeline of opportunities’ as Middle East energy storage financing seeks bankability, revenue certainty #energysky -- via Energy Storage News:

energy-storage.news

'Huge pipeline of opportunities' as Middle East energy storage financing seeks bankability, revenue certainty

There is no shortage of capital, but energy storage developers in the Middle East face familiar questions as the market takes shape.

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