Clean Energy Archives

Answering Your Neighbor’s Questions: Solar is Safe, Quiet, and Low-Impact

By Lea Maamari|2025-06-20T16:41:34-04:00December 15th, 2020|Land Use, Virginia Solar|

Answering Your Questions (And your neighbors' too!) We in the solar industry receive many questions about a solar facility’s components, how Utility-Scale solar will impact the surrounding communities, and what effects solar equipment technology might have on the environment. Today, we’re bringing you answers from the latest research on solar technology, installation processes, operations, and more. Bottom line, solar is one of the safest, if not the safest, technologies producing electricity and as a land use results in an inconsequential impact. Solar was first deployed by the US over sixty years ago. Research on solar technology is second to none. Is solar equipment safe?

SHINE Continues to Prepare the Next Generation

By Lea Maamari|2025-06-20T16:39:17-04:00December 20th, 2019|Company Update, Construction, Industry, Virginia Solar, Workforce Development|

SHINE Continues to be Great Since 2018, The Solar Hands-on Instructional Network of Excellence (SHINE) has worked with Southside Virginia Community College and solar developers like SolUnesco to educate, train, and secure jobs for a new generation of solar workers. As Virginia commits legislatively to meeting ambitious renewable energy goals, and corporations like Microsoft are making major solar purchases in the state, SHINE remains committed to growing solar within the state and advocating for local hiring. Education and Training Through

Our State Legislature’s Role in a Clean Energy Future

By Lea Maamari|2025-06-20T13:02:12-04:00May 29th, 2019|Company Update, Industry, Land Use, Policy, Virginia Solar|

Tom Tom Summit and Festival This April, SolUnesco CEO, Francis Hodsoll, moderated and presented on a panel at the Tom Tom Summit and Festival in Charlottesville. This annual event brings together a diverse group of thought leaders to discuss a revitalized approach to civic life and community, and this year devoted an entire day to renewable energy. Hodsoll and three co-panelists, Chip Dicks, Will Reisinger, and Rachel Smucker, explored how Virginia legislators impact the adoption of clean energy technologies and

The Unified Future of Clean Energy

By Lea Maamari|2025-06-20T13:01:12-04:00March 28th, 2019|Company Update, Industry, Land Use, Policy, Virginia Solar|

Where We Can All Agree Decarbonizing energy through solar and wind technologies, as well as harnessing geothermal, hydropower, and biomass power, moves us toward meeting American’s growing desire for zero emission, zero carbon energy. The question of how and whether these discreet clean energy industries can join forces or align interests has stirred efforts and prompted discussion among industry experts and stakeholders, including at the recent Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) Conference this past October. In this article, we explore the possibilities of organized and unified efforts among clean energy providers, with some key insights from SolUnesco CEO Francis Hodsoll. Recognizing first that this has been an ongoing conversation among

A Trifecta of SolUnesco Announcements

Company Update, Industry, Virginia Solar

A Trifecta of SolUnesco Announcements

By Lea Maamari|2025-06-20T12:23:59-04:00October 10th, 2018|Company Update, Industry, Virginia Solar|

They say good things come in threes. The SolUnesco team has worked hard all summer and has achieved a hattrick of exciting news to report. SolUnesco Partners with Apex Clean Energy On Sept 4, 2018, SolUnesco inked an agreement with Apex Clean Energy that resulted in the sale of 390 MW of SolUnesco’s pipeline. This agreement affects four projects: Carvers Creek, Moody Creek, Red Brick, and Rivanna, each of which ranges from 11 to 150 MWac. SolUnesco will continue to

Challenges and Opportunities in Virginia’s Solar Energy

Company Update, Industry, Land Use, Virginia Solar

Challenges and Opportunities in Virginia’s Solar Energy

By Lea Maamari|2025-06-28T12:27:59-04:00October 2nd, 2018|Company Update, Industry, Land Use, Virginia Solar|

This past week, SolUnesco’s CEO, participated in a session entitled “The Rubin Group: Lessons from Virginia at Solar Power International. During the session, Hodsoll discussed how Virginia has rapidly become a clean energy state. In addition, Hodsoll discussed the challenges and opportunities that still exist for solar energy development in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia’s Painfully Slow Start Francis outlined three key interrelated challenges that the industry is facing: Inertia: Virginia is inhibited by an outdated regulatory system that was

HODSOLL: Solar Power Southeast: Does Passion + Wisdom = Resilience?

Company Update, Industry, Southeast, Virginia Solar

HODSOLL: Solar Power Southeast: Does Passion + Wisdom = Resilience?

By Francis Hodsoll|2025-06-18T14:48:13-04:00May 31st, 2017|Company Update, Industry, Southeast, Virginia Solar|

Despite scary challenges: strength and optimism While the Suniva trade case—potentially a devastating price increase especially for utility-scale loomed largely, attendees eagerly packed presentations. The audience’s questions provided an interesting barometer to the psyche in the room. Participants focused on where we are going and how to get there. Further, the evolving business models continue to pry open market segments. We are tenacious! Even in markets dominated by utilities such as Florida Power & Light, some competitors have created interesting

U.S. Solar Jobs Outnumber U.S. Coal Jobs…By A Lot!

Virginia Solar

U.S. Solar Jobs Outnumber U.S. Coal Jobs…By A Lot!

By Francis Hodsoll|2025-06-18T14:35:24-04:00January 18th, 2017|Virginia Solar|

This month, the Department of Energy released the “U.S. Energy and Employment Report”, an annual report that highlights employment data and trends for each of the energy sectors. While the report concedes that the solar industry employment data is difficult to measure, it suggests that the solar industry may have added 73,000 jobs in the past year, bringing total solar jobs to 373,000. To put this into perspective; the same DOE report puts U.S. coal jobs at roughly 86,000, total.

SolUnesco Talks Solar Policy and Growth in Virginia

By Francis Hodsoll|2025-06-18T14:24:44-04:00July 18th, 2016|Company Update, Policy, Virginia Solar|

On Wednesday. July 13th, 2016, we presented at the Virginia Association of Assessing Officers (VAAO) Property Assessment Conference (Click here to download presentation). The association and their conferences provide continuing education to the Virginia community of assessors. We believe that maintaining a healthy dialogue with the professionals who determine land values for the purpose of tax assessments serves the solar industry well. Francis Hodsoll, CEO, presented on policies driving national solar markets and their application to the Virginia framework. He

Power In Numbers With Community Solar

By Francis Hodsoll|2025-06-18T14:17:48-04:00July 7th, 2016|Industry|

Community Solar Advancing States in every corner of the United States are rapidly advancing the community solar market. GreenTech Media has projected that Community Solar will grow faster than any other solar market segment. The NC Clean Energy Technology Center reported in their 2016 50 States of Solar Quarterly Report that seven states adopted, amended, or reviewed rules governing community solar programs within the past year. For example, Minnesota and Maryland have implemented pilot projects that would demonstrate the benefits of community