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SunPower has launched a new program, SunPower 25X25, which is aimed at increasing clean, renewable energy access in historically marginalized communities. Notably, whether inspired by it or just coincidental (I’d guess the former), this lines up perfectly with a new initiative from the Biden administration — the Justice40 Initiative.

Aside from bringing cheap and clean electricity to communities that have typically been ignored and forgotten, and the jobs that come with this distributed energy solution, it’s worth noting that this also expands SunPower’s market, bringing in new buyers.

The company writes that “its new justice, diversity, equity and inclusion (JDE&I) commitments designed to ensure the resiliency and economic benefits of distributed solar and battery storage serve American families, job-seekers and businesses that have been historically marginalized. The commitments include ambitious targets with initiatives to achieve them by 2025 — spanning workforce diversity, solar access expansion and dealer diversity programs.”

So, getting past the fluffy, happy talk, what are those targets? This is what SunPower wants to achieve by 2025:

  • 40% of its workforce represented by women; 25% of its workforce represented by Black and Hispanic/Latinx people
    • Emphasis will be placed on workforce development programs for the company’s growing residential installation teams across the country.
  • 25% of its U.S. residential customers made up by people who live in historically marginalized communities
    • Includes the development of a new program to provide low-income customers with no interest loans.
  • 25% of the dealers and subcontractors it works with owned by women and people of color
    • Includes establishment of a new dealer diversity program and creation of new partnerships with minority-owned business organizations.

As noted above, this lines up with Biden’s Justice40 Initiative. The Justice40 Initiative came out of an executive order signed by Biden in January 2021. “The order creates a government-wide Justice40 Initiative with the goal of delivering 40 percent of the overall benefits of relevant federal investments to disadvantaged communities and tracks performance toward that goal through the establishment of an Environmental Justice Scorecard,” the White House wrote at the time.

“The order initiates the development of a Climate and Environmental Justice Screening Tool, building off EPA’s EJSCREEN, to identify disadvantaged communities, support the Justice40 Initiative, and inform equitable decision making across the federal government”

Later on, in July, the Biden administration’s Shalanda Young, Brenda Mallory, and Gina McCarthy wrote:

“Today, we are taking a key step toward achieving the President’s ambitious goal and issuing interim guidance that will help Federal agencies deliver on the Justice40 Initiative.

“The interim guidance issued today by the Office of Management and Budget, the Council on Environmental Quality, and the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy introduces measures to guide agencies on their path to implementing Justice40, launches the Justice40 Pilot Program, and includes accountability and transparency tools to ensure agencies are working to reach the Justice40 goal.

“The pilot identifies 21 priority programs to immediately begin enhancing benefits for disadvantaged communities. These priority programs will provide a blueprint for other agencies to help inform their work to implement the Justice40 Initiative across government.”

Note that part of that July announcement — one of the 21 priority programs — was the Rural Energy for America Program, “which provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements.” So, expect to see more solar in rural America when you’re there, in addition to growing clean energy access in marginalized urban communities.

SunPower notes that its new SunPower 25X25 program also helps the company to work toward its broader “diversity pledge.” SunPower “will report progress annually in its Environmental, Social and Governance report.”

“Black professionals working in solar services have roots, relationships and experience in all communities, particularly those disproportionately impacted by climate change. If the solar industry is going to provide renewable energy access and equitable job opportunities, actively engaging black owned businesses is vital,” said Walter McLeod, founding board member of Black Owners of Solar Services. “We commend SunPower for committing to creating an intentionally diverse dealer and subcontractor network and raising the bar for others in the industry to do the same.”

“Distributed solar and battery storage offer tremendous benefit to our environment, are vital in building a resilient energy infrastructure, can provide lower-cost electricity, and create good, well-paying jobs,” Peter Faricy, CEO of SunPower, added. “We must use this moment-in-time to ensure the rapid deployment of this critical technology benefits all Americans.”

If you’re used to seen Tom Werner make such statements and confused about where Peter Faricy came from, note that in March Werner stepped down from the CEO role after 18 years and passed on the duties to Faricy, who was formerly CEO of Global Direct-to-Consumer for Discovery, Inc., and spent 13 years at Amazon, including as VP of the Amazon Marketplace. “Under Faricy’s leadership, Amazon disrupted the digital sales channel, helping millions of small businesses sell their products directly to Amazon customers,” SunPower wrote in an announcement.

 

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Why repowering wind farms is wind power’s next big thing

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Why repowering wind farms is wind power's next big thing

Renewables developer Exus Renewables North America is giving a $200 million upgrade to Somerset County, Pennsylvania’s 139 megawatt (MW) Twin Ridges Wind Farm – here’s why repowering projects like this are the future of the wind industry.

Wind energy repowering is all about breathing new life into older turbines or entire wind farms. By swapping out aging parts like turbines, blades, and nacelles for the latest tech, wind farms can see significant boosts in efficiency, power capacity, and overall lifespan. Other infrastructure and control systems can also get a second life, too.

Adding new components to existing infrastructure and grid connections mean it’s less expensive to extend the life of the wind farm with fewer resources. New components make the turbines less prone to breakdowns which means less maintenance, so there are fewer operational costs. Plus, a wind farm’s debt is usually paid off at around 10 years, and it qualifies for new tax credits and new financing at around that time. Existing wind farms often have power purchase agreements in place, and data companies are increasingly chasing power sources as demand grows.

Repowering Twin Ridges meant keeping all 68 towers and foundations while swapping out the nacelles and blades. Vestas, which has identified the repower market as a huge opportunity and engineered a solution that’s compatible with most turbines, supplied US-made nacelles, hubs, blades, and tower adaptors for the project. (Twin Ridges’ original supplier, RES, is no longer in business.)

Jim Spencer, CEO of Exus Renewables North America, said of Twin Ridges, “This upgrade will increase the power generation by 30%, which is a lot more power going into the grid. Repowering will allow it to use more of its allotted grid capacity since wind farms don’t operate at maximum capacity 100% of the time.”

Unlike a new wind farm, which comes online all at once, a repowered wind farm sees refurbished turbines turned on one at a time since the infrastructure is already in place. Out of its 68 upgraded turbines, Twin Ridges has brought 40 repowered turbines online, and a 41st turbine will soon follow.

Industry estimates suggest that up to 50 GW of US onshore wind capacity will be assessed for repowering in the next few years.

Read more: Renewables now make up 30% of US utility-scale generating capacity


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New Honda battery electric lawn mowers will be made in the USA

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New Honda battery electric lawn mowers will be made in the USA

Honda is set to introduce a full line of battery electric walk-behind consumer and zero turn electric riding lawnmowers to its US power equipment dealers for 2025.

Gas-powered lawn equipment is horrible for public health — so much so that a single two-strike leaf blower can produce significantly more harmful carbon emissions than a conventional car. That’s why a growing number of cities and states have passed regulations restricting the use of gas-powered lawn equipment.

As our own Jamie Dow put it, “It’s important to mention how horrendous gas lawn equipment is all the time, and how it’s often possible to get electric stuff for cheap because air quality districts know this is some of the lowest hanging fruit. The issue is that ‘small off-road engines‘ (SOREs) usually don’t include any sort of pollution controls, and are often dirtier two-stroke engines that create more power in a small package, but emit orders of magnitude more pollution in the form of unburned particulates from the incomplete combustion process they undergo when compared to four-stroke engines.”

With that in mind, then, we have to consider the recent announcement that Honda will be offering its battery electric HRX, HRN, and HRC walk-behind consumer lawn mowers and a zero-turn-radius (ZTR) commercial electric riding lawn mower at select Honda Power Equipment dealers nationwide in 2025.

Honda electric lawn mower line

Screencap, via Honda Power Equipment.

That’s bigger news than you might think, too. That’s because Honda actually stopped producing new lawn mowers in 2023 amid tightening emissions regulations amid shifting customer preferences. The new battery-powered lineup will, therefor, re-establish Honda dealers as full-line outdoor power equipment (OPE) stores while, at the same time, supporting the company’s electrification vision.

“With the new line of Honda battery-powered lawn mowers, we will deliver the exceptional ownership experience that our customers have come to expect while providing lawn care options for a variety of users, conditions and applications,” says Mark Kohls, vice president of Honda Power Sports & Products at American Honda. “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is only part of the challenge, as battery-powered power products must meet Honda standards for rugged performance, ease of use and comfortable operation to meet the high expectations of our residential and commercial customers.”

Honda ZTR electric riding mower

On the commercial front, Honda’s new ZTR mowers are powered by 5 separate, 48V brushless electric motors — 3 motors under the machine’s 60″ cutting deck (12″ wider than the Kubota‘s) that each power a rotating set of twin blades, and 2 drive wheel motors to maneuver the mower with precise control. The company says it’s engineered to, “stand up to the rigors of commercial landscaping, with power to mow at maximum efficiency while maintaining pristine cut quality.”

Honda says the ZTR’s six 48-volt lithium-ion battery packs offer enough power to mow up to 15 acres of lawn on a single charge, and can be recharged in under 6 hours on a 220V outlet.

The new ZTR will be the first electrified power product produced at Honda North Carolina Manufacturing (NCM) facility in Swepsonville, and will be assembled using both “using “domestic and globally sourced parts.”

“Technology is aggressively shaping the future of the world, including the landscaping industry, and trends show that buyers are integrating battery-powered products into their fleets,” said Kohls. “Honda Sports & Products is providing the battery-powered Honda ZTR lawn mower to introduce flexibility into the fleet, help increase operating efficiency and comfort, address labor shortages and support the sustainability goals of commercial landscapers.”

No word, yet, on pricing.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Honda Power Equipment, via Power Progress.

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Black Friday sales take $4,000 off EcoFlow power stations and up to $1,350 off e-bikes from ENGWE, Xtracycle, more

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Black Friday sales take ,000 off EcoFlow power stations and up to ,350 off e-bikes from ENGWE, Xtracycle, more

We’ve got a ton more Black Friday sales for you in today’s Green Deals, with EcoFlow being the first of the major backup power brands to launch its savings event and offering up to $4,000 in savings on units like the new DELTA Pro 3 Portable Power Station that is at a new $2,789 low. There’s also ENGWE’s sale that has a bunch of savings options too, which has lowered the L20 2.0 e-bike to $699, among others. Xtracycle has taken up to $1,350 off its cargo e-bike bundles starting from $3,999, while Greenworks’ 80V Venture Commuter and Mountain e-bikes are at some of their lowest rates from $1,281. We even have a surprise last-minute entry that was too sweet to pass up as four Juiced e-bikes are getting up to $1,899 taken off their price tags in a massive clearance sale, dropping them to new low prices across the selection that start from $1,300. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s early Black Friday savings from Velotric, the limited Hiboy EX6 e-bike low, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

EcoFlow Black Friday sale drops 4,096Wh DELTA Pro 3 power station to new $2,789 low (Reg. $3,699)

EcoFlow has launched its early Black Friday sale through November 20 which is taking up to $4,000 off its lineup of power stations, bundle packages, and accessories. One of its newest releases, the DELTA Pro 3 Portable Power Station is now down at $2,789.07 shipped. Normally fetching $3,699, we’ve only seen a few varying discounts since releasing back in July, with it launching at $3,199, and subsequent discounts only bringing costs down to $3,399 at best. This sale though is giving folks the best rate to date as it falls $700 from its price tag and lands at a new all-time low price – but that’s not where the savings stop, as you’ll be getting an additional $210 (7%) off thanks to the bonus savings we discuss more below.

Now, as is often the case with EcoFlow’s big sales, there are some great additional savings that you can get right now. Aside from double points for members and a 30-day price-matching guarantee, you’ll also benefit from extra savings based on reaching certain order thresholds. For orders between $1,000 to $1,999 you’ll receive an additional 5% discount, while orders between $2,000 and $4,999 will receive 7% off discounts, and orders over $5,000 will receive a further 9% taken off the tag. Discounts will be automatically applied in your cart.

EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro 3 power station provides a 4,096Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity that you can expand further up to 48,000Wh, while also dishing output power up to 4,000W – surging to 6,000W and also expandable up to 12,000W when you have three power stations connected together. There’s a massive variety of recharging methods for this model, with seven solo-source options and 18 combination options. A standard wall outlet, for example, gets the battery back to 80% in just 50 minutes, with other options including solar (2,600W input max), EV, automotive cigarette outlets, dual PV charging, and so much more.

Through the EcoFlow app you’ll have full smart controls available via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, while the 14 output ports offer plenty of ways to power and recharge your devices/appliances. This is one of three models (alongside the DELTA 3 Plus and RIVER 3 stations) that boasts the brand’s X-Core 3.0 tech, an integrated architecture system that is designed to offer far superior host safety, performance, and intelligence improvement. This upgrade also boosts its surge power rating for your more demanding appliances too, as well as increasing charging speeds, letting it run quieter and cooler than previous models, improving the battery management system and its overall lifespan, and more.

EcoFlow early Black Friday DELTA 3 Pro bundle deals:

EcoFlow’s early Black Friday DELTA power station deals:

EcoFlow’s early Black Friday RIVER power station deals:

EcoFlow’s best early Black Friday DELTA series bundle deals:

EcoFlow’s best early Black Friday accessory deals:

You can view all the main featured deals from EcoFlow’s Black Friday sale on the landing page here, or if you instead want to browse the sale’s offerings in their entirety, check out everything discounted here.

EcoFlow Black Friday

ENGWE’s Class 3 entry-level L20 2.0 e-bike hits $699 in Black Friday sales + bonus savings

ENGWE’s Black Friday sale has kicked into gear through December 2, taking up to $600 off e-bikes and also offering discounted accessories, free gear, and multiple chances to get your order paid back in full (more info below). A notable price cut from previous sales is the entry-level L20 2.0 e-bike that is going for $699 shipped. It’s normally priced at $999 since it was released in March, with the lowest we saw it go being a fall to $659 at the end of summer. Since summer’s end, it’s kept at above $799, most recently during the previous Halloween sale, but that price is getting beaten out today with a total $300 markdown that lands it at the second-lowest price we have tracked – just $50 above the all-time low from summer. Learn more about the sale’s bonus savings and this e-bike below, or you can learn about it in our hands-on review.

For all the orders placed during this sale, ENGWE will have four different drawing periods (Nov 11, 18, 25, and Dec 2) with two winners in each – all of them receiving a full refund on their orders. Along with this, ENGWE is also giving away a free accessory mystery box with every order over $600 that gives you free gear worth up to $109.

One of the newer models coming out of ENGWE, the L20 2.0 e-bike makes for a solid entry-level commuter that will weigh far lighter on your wallet than many other brands. Its 750W geared hub motor provides a 28 MPH top speed when utilizing the pedal assistance, and 20 MPH speeds cruising on pure electric power. The 52V 676Wh battery delivers a range of up to 68 to 80 miles on a single charge (depending on conditions), while only using the throttle cuts that down to around 28 miles, which is still plenty to get you around.

It has a folding frame, making its off-riding storage and transport an easier task, plus is weighs just about 68 pounds making it easy to manage for most folks living in apartment buildings. And for the price, it also comes with some decent additional features, like the mechanical disc brakes on 180 mm rotors, a rear cargo rack, integrated head/tail/brake LED lights, front fork and post suspension, a SHIMANO 7-speed derailleur, puncture-resistant fat tires, and a color LED display.

Best ENGWE Black Friday e-bike deals:

  • Engwe EP-2 Pro e-bike: $949 (Reg. $1,498)
    • Up to 75-mile range
    • with extra battery (up to 150-mile range)
  • M20 Dual-Suspension e-bike: $899 (Reg. $1,199)
    • up to 75-mile range
    • dual-battery option $200 more
  • X20 Triple-Suspension Folding e-bike: $999 (Reg. $1,599)
    • Up to 93-mile range
    • Dual-battery options start for $100 more
  • M20 2.0 Full-Suspension Double-Range e-bike: $1,199 (Reg. $1,499)
    • with dual batteries for up to 150-mile range
    • single battery model $200 cheaper
  • LE20 Step-Thru Cargo e-bike: $1,249 (Reg. $1,499)
    • Up to 109-mile max range
  • And much more…
Xtracycle Stoker cargo e-bike

Save $1,350 on Xtracycle’s Stoker off-road cargo e-bike with free gear at $3,999 in Black Friday sales

Xtracycle has begun its early Black Friday sales through November 18, offering up to $1,350 in savings on three different e-bike bundles. Among the three discounted models here, the prices start lowest for the brand’s Stoker Off-Road Cargo e-bike which is down at $3,999 shipped. This higher-end model normally sits at its $4,499 price tag most of the time, not seeing as many discounts as some of its higher-priced counterparts, though we did see a similar bundle offer back during the brand’s Labor Day sales. This month’s sale is giving us a bigger bundle than previously seen, as the included Everyday Rider Bundle also gives you an everyday bike pack, a 40L cargo bag that attaches to the bike’s frame, a padded cushion for passengers, a Hooptie rail system, and a Snackbar rail system – plus, you’ll also be getting free shipping and local assembly fees waived, giving you a total of $1,350 in savings ($260 more value than Labor Day).

The Xtracycle Stoker e-bike is an all-terrain cargo-hauling model that can traverse streets, trails, and more with ease. A Shimano STEPS EP-8 motor and a 630Wh battery reside within its chromoly steel frame, providing a 20 MPH top speed with its pedal assistance system (without any throttle) for up to 60 miles on a full charge. The terrain isn’t much of a concern thanks to the 24-inch NICA’GNAR Cargo Tires which come with fenders over each, and it has 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes for reliable stopping power the moment it is needed. The entire bike is rated for a total 400-pound payload, coming with an integrated rear cargo rack that only has its capabilities bolstered by the free gear. Among its other features, there’s the Sram NX11 X-HORIZON derailleur, integrated LED headlights and taillights, and an E-series cycling computer that gives you easy handlebar access to controlling your settings as you ride.

More Xtracycle early Black Friday e-bike deals:

  • RFA Urban Scout e-bike: $4,499 (Reg. $4,999)
    • 20 to 28 MPH top speeds for up to 60 miles
    • comes with $600 in free gear + free shipping/local assembly ($200 value)
  • Swoop Family Cargo e-bike: $4,499 (Reg. $4,999)
    • 20 to 28 MPH top speeds for up to 60 miles
    • comes with $650 in free gear + free shipping/local assembly ($200 value)
JetCurrent Pro

Get up to $1,899 in massive savings on Juiced e-bikes at lowest prices ever in clearance sale starting from $1,300

Coming to us through Velowave Bikes, we’re seeing a large Black Friday Clearance sale taking up to $1,899 off a collection of Juiced e-bikes at some of the best rates we have tracked to date – including the brand’s newest JetCurrent Pro Foldable e-bike at $1,700 shipped, for example. It’s no secret that Juiced has been having financial troubles this year, with sales running dry over 2024 and folks seeing fewer and fewer differing offers coming from the brand while the stock has not been replenished after models sell out. Today though, thanks to Velowave’s warehouse, you can now score major savings on some of the popular models that bolstered Juiced’s reputation at the lowest prices we have ever seen, particularly its newest model. Head below for pricing.

Juiced e-bike clearance sale deals:

EcoFlow Black Friday

Greenworks’ 80V Venture 27.5-inch commuter e-bike hits new $1,520 low

Amazon is offering rare discounts on a pair of Greenworks’ Venture series e-bikes, with the Greenworks 80V Venture 27.5-inch Commuter e-bike for $1,519.99 shipped. Normally going for $1,900 since first releasing at the start of the year, we’ve only seen one previous discount on this model, which dropped costs to $1,615 back in February. It’s been keeping to its MSRP all this time since but is finally seeing its price come down thanks to the 20% markdown here that slashes $380 off the price tag and lands it at a new all-time low. It also beats out Greenworks’ direct site, where it’s still sitting at full price.

This 80V commuter e-bike is one of Greenworks’ new Venture series models, designed to expand the brand’s versatile battery ecosystem, which is standard across most of its tools. The 350W brushless rear hub motor (that peaks at 500W) is powered by the brand’s included 4.0Ah battery (and you’ll also get a rapid charger) that can also be switched out with other tools/batteries you may already own. Utilizing three different forms of pedal assistance as you ride, you’ll be able to cruise around at 20 MPH top speeds for up to 22 miles on a single 40-minute charge. It also features a front suspension fork, an adjustable suspension seat, a 7-speed Shimano shifter, 27.5-inch Kenda tires, an LED headlight, a rear cargo rack, as well as an LCD display paired with a simple control panel along the handlebars.

If you would prefer an electric mountain bike instead, Amazon is also offering the Greenworks 80V Venture 26-inch All-Terrain Fat Tire e-bike for $1,280.99 shipped, down from $2,100. This model sports a larger 500W brushless rear hub motor (peaking at 750W) to better support you through off-road travels, providing the same speed and mileage as the above model with its three pedal assist modes. You’re getting the same general features too, aside from the 26-inch by 4-inch all-terrain Kenda fat tires and minus the rear cargo rack.

Best Black Friday e-bike deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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