A smarter way to manage Partner access in Shared Sites Shared Sites exists because distributed solar involves many stakeholders. Asset Owners, Operators, and Guests all need visibility into performance, but not always to the same degree. Until now, assigning a Partner Type gave structure, but it did not give you control over what information each Partner could actually see. This update changes that. You still assign Partner Types exactly as before, but now you have more flexibility to determine what information each Partner can view or edit inside your Popular Power workspace. It is a simple improvement with a real operational impact: clearer access, cleaner collaboration, and controls that match how distributed portfolios actually work. Why this matters Distributed solar teams work with multiple organizations across development, operations, maintenance, and investment. Each plays a different role, and each needs a different level of visibility. Previously, Partner access lived in a single field with limited options. With Configurable Partner Permissions, you can now define more precise access for every Partner, without changing your existing Partner Types. This gives you: Control over what each Partner can view or modify More consistent workflows across teams and customers Flexibility to assign any permission level to any existing Partner What’s new: Partner Permission Levels We’ve added a dedicated field called Partner Permissions , which lets you choose from four levels of access based on the relationship you have with that Partner. Full Access Can view and edit everything across the platform. Limited Edit Access Can view everything, but only edit alerts. A strong fit for O&M operators who use Popular Power primarily for alert management. Full View Can view everything, no editing abilities. Limited View Restricted visibility. Cannot see alerts or integrations. No editing. Best suited for investors or end customers who only need high-level insight. What changes in the interface The primary change in the interface is related to alerts and is most seen in the Limited View permission. Partners assigned to Limited View will no longer see alert information anywhere in the platform. This includes: Alert Center Alerts in the single-site view Alerts column in All Sites Home page alert widgets Alert tags in summaries These elements are automatically removed for the Partners who should not access them. How Partner Permissions works with Partner Type Partner Type stays exactly the same: Owner, Operator, and Guest. Think of Partner Type as the category, and Partner Permissions as the actual level of access inside the interface. Partner Type organizes your Partners. Partner Permissions determines what they can do. Owners Can be assigned any of the four permission levels. Operators Can be assigned any of the four permission levels, though Limited Edit Access is most aligned with their role. Guests Can be assigned two of the options: Full View or Limited View. A practical example Consider a fictional solar developer, Revolution Solar, which manages a 10 MWp PPA portfolio across 12 sites for a large industrial customer, Popular CPG Industries. Popular CPG values transparency. They want real-time insight into performance, savings, and carbon impact for their internal reporting. As the provider, Revolution Solar is happy to offer that visibility. What Popular CPG does not  need is day to day operational noise. They are not managing alerts, troubleshooting hardware, or making O&M decisions. They simply need trusted, high-level information. With Configurable Partner Permissions, Revolution Solar can set this up cleanly. They assign Popular CPG the Partner Type of Guest, which is typical for end customers, and select Limited View  so the organization sees the information that matters to them without exposure to alerts or operational details. It is a straightforward way to give stakeholders exactly what they need, and nothing they do not. A clearer model for distributed collaboration As distributed portfolios expand and workflows grow more interconnected, simple access controls become essential infrastructure. This update brings more precision to Shared Sites so you can share the right information with the right Partners, without compromising visibility or creating operational noise. If you want help reviewing or configuring your Partner Permissions, we’re here to support you. Tomorrow must be distributed today.

Popular Power provides you with site-level climate data so that you know, on a daily basis, what is going on, weather-wise, at your site. Solar yield depends on many factors, but one of the most important is the climate conditions. Your site planning takes into account what the climate has traditionally done in the area in order to create an accurate estimate of what the site’s production will be (traditionally via a TMY model that provides a P50 or P90). Your site’s production (and therefore performance) day in and day out is impacted by what the climate conditions are onsite. Climate data ensures you are not flying blind . It’s a critical factor in understanding your site’s production and performance at a point in time or as a trend. You can’t draw conclusions about production and performance trends without knowing what the climate conditions on site were. It supports portfolio managers and operators in identifying where to prioritize operational actions, but it still requires investigation and follow-up to achieve the expected outcomes. Think of climate data as a spectrum. You can treat it as a data point or you can treat it as a religion. The decision is up to you and the kind of operator you want to be. Climate-enhanced features in action One of the easiest ways to understand how your site is performing is through the Popular Widgets on each site page. The site looks healthy, but a 21% performance drop last month signals something worth checking. In this example, the site appears to be hitting its production targets — which would normally mean there’s nothing to worry about. But when we layer in climate data, the story changes. The site is leaving kilowatt-hours on the table. For anyone managing a PPA (or a shared-savings model), that means leaving money on the table, too. The Site Health rating shows that performance dropped by 21% last month, which points to an issue worth investigating. To dig deeper, you can open the site graphs and turn on the Climate Model view. Here’s what we see between September and October: Climate data confirms low-generation days match poor weather, but the overall downward trend shows there’s more to investigate. At first glance, the site seems to meet its daily targets , and you might assume the low-generation days are weather-related. But when we compare against the Climate Model, a different pattern emerges. The climate model helps isolate likely causes, like soiling, so you can take action and recover lost generation. The turquoise bars represent expected generation based on climate conditions — confirming that some “down days” were simply due to poor weather. But the yellow line, which shows actual generation, reveals a steady downward trend that can’t be explained by climate alone. The most likely cause? Soiling. Soiling can reduce generation by 5–25% per month for distributed systems, especially in industrial or arid areas like this one. With the Popular Climate Model, you can spot these trends early , identify potential soiling rates, and take targeted operational action across your portfolio. How to use it Popular Power shows you the daily and historical climate data for each of your sites. You can use this to understand whether your system’s production matches what would be expected given the weather conditions (irradiance, temperature, humidity, cloud opacity, rain, among others). For example, a dip in generation might make sense on a day with low irradiance or heavy cloud cover. The platform displays the “Climate Model” as a variable in the Graphs section for each site and calculates Performance vs. Climate  (an example of a climate-enhanced feature) over different time periods in the summaries and site tables.   Performance vs. Climate = Actual Generation / Climate Model “Climate Model” simply refers to what the potential generation could be, given the climate conditions on site.  You can configure your own expected loss factor  to reflect real-world conditions such as shading, dust or soiling, temperature losses, inverter efficiency, mismatches, and AC-side losses. The default value is 20%, and it can be easily adjusted from within the platform. This helps you answer a simple but essential question:  Is my system generating at its maximum capacity, given today’s weather? How it works At Popular Power, we’ve developed a specialized climate model designed to provide accurate, transparent, and useful information about your system’s solar generation potential. This model combines satellite-based meteorological data and advanced algorithms with key parameters from your system to estimate how much energy you should  be generating under current climate conditions. The model integrates data such as: Geolocation (latitude and longitude) Installed capacity Generation history Performance of similar sites Expected design losses Climate variables included: DNI, DHI, and GHI (irradiance) Cloud cover Temperature Relative humidity Precipitation Wind speed The result is a robust, localized estimate of expected performance. Pillars of the Climate Model Transparent: You know how much you should  be generating Localized: Climate data at 2–5 km resolution from your site Flexible: Adjust losses to match real conditions Proven: Based on global methodologies and established data providers Efficient: Requires no system drawings or complex engineering Always evolving: Soon to include factors such as tilt and orientation What it’s not The Climate Model doesn’t measure what your system is doing—it estimates what it should  be doing based on weather conditions. It’s not a diagnostic tool for equipment issues or a replacement for on-site data and inspections. It supports operators in identifying where to prioritize operational actions, but it still requires investigation and follow-up to achieve the expected outcomes. How to make use of this information Use The Climate Model to give context to your production data, not to replace it. It helps you answer questions like: Is today’s production consistent with the climate conditions? Are there patterns or anomalies driven by weather trends? When comparing sites or planning new capacity, am I considering climate differences? When you interpret your production data through the lens of climate, your analysis becomes clearer, your decisions more grounded, and your operations more effective. Popular Power offers an intelligence aide to streamline your solar portfolio management. Use tools like the climate-enhanced features and the Site Health Scores to reduce manual workload and quickly identify revenue-generating opportunities across your portfolio. Don’t treat it like just another monitoring platform. Remember: we’re already automating (therefore eliminating) the baseline monitoring work for you, so that your time is freed up to focus on higher-impact activities. And we’re not stopping there — our next update includes machine learning models that predict optimal cleaning patterns and help operators continue to push O&M efficiency even further. To learn more about Popular Power’s value for your company, book a time here .

I'm Juan David and I work on the product here at Popular Power. In tandem with sharing our V3 Release Notes, I wanted to share a bit my personal perspective on our recent V3 launch, because a lot of passion and discipline goes into the features we launch. We want our customers & community to hear from the actual people building our product. When I think about V3, one of the biggest challenges was figuring out how to create a Site Health rating that was actually meaningful. It wasn’t just about picking a number from 1 to 5. The real work was in analyzing how two different indicators should relate to each other: climate-adjusted performance and performance versus target. We spent weeks testing thresholds, debating what cutoffs would make sense, and making sure the end result would give customers a rating they could truly trust to guide decisions. I’ll never forget the first time I loaded a full customer portfolio and saw every site neatly classified by Site Health. For me, that was the moment it all clicked: months of data debates and analysis finally made sense. And then came the bigger “wow” moment, realizing that once you combine Site Health with global filters, you suddenly have a really useful dashboard. That wasn’t even the original intention but it turned into one of the most powerful aspects of V3. That’s why I’m so proud of this release. V3 transforms overwhelming energy data into something simple, collaborative, and actionable. It reflects the passion of our team and the real-world challenges of our customers. I can’t wait for you to explore it and see what you discover. With that, I leave you our V3 Release Notes! Key Highlights Site Health Get a clear, actionable view of your entire portfolio in seconds. Site Health turns complex data into immediate clarity so you can focus your efforts where they’ll have the biggest impact. Quickly see: Which sites are performing optimally Where there are opportunities to improve Which sites need urgent attention Contract Year-to-Date Performance (CTD) Track performance against contractual targets and monitor contract progress over time. Advanced Filters Group and organize your sites in new ways to explore performance faster. One-Click Export Instantly download the Sites table with your chosen filters and columns. New Performance Metrics V3 introduces a redesigned performance metrics system that gives you a more reliable, contextual, and actionable view of how your assets are performing. Three Key Metrics Contract Year Progress See what percentage of the contractual year has elapsed for each site based on its activation date. This helps you understand where each site stands in its contract cycle and how its performance compares to expectations at that stage. Performance vs. Target (CTD) Track how each site is performing against its contractual generation targets. Adjusts dynamically to each site’s contract year Starts on the site’s operational date and resets every 12 months for clean, consistent comparisons Performance vs. Weather (Last 60 Days) Evaluate how a site has performed over the past 60 days while factoring in actual weather conditions. This makes it easier to distinguish asset issues from external factors like irradiance or climate. Why they matter: More confidence in your data: less noise, more clarity Metrics that reflect real contractual and operational performance Better, faster decision-making with richer context Site Health Indicator V3 introduces Site Health, a single 1-to-5 rating that summarizes the overall status of each site. The rating combines performance and data quality signals to help you focus where it matters most. How it works: 1–5 rating: From Urgent Review (1) to Optimal (5) Clear messages: Each rating includes a main message and supporting note explaining the status and suggested action Automatic flags: Sites with missing key data (e.g., start date, capacity, incomplete records) are automatically flagged with Rating 1: Urgent Review Rating Label Meaning Suggested Action 5 Optimal The site meets its contractual target and also performs well in terms of climate. Maintain normal operations. 4 Optimizable The site meets its contractual target, but its climate performance could be improved. Review optimization opportunities. 3 Below Target The site is slightly below its contractual target, and also below its climate performance target. Review targets and plan recovery. 2 Underperforming The site is significantly below its contractual target. Investigate causes and fix issues. 1 Urgent The site is excessively below its contractual target or has data issues. Immediate review and action. Benefits Prioritized visibility: Instantly see which sites need attention Clarity: Distinguish between Optimal, Optimizable, and Underperforming sites at a glance Actionable guidance: Each rating includes a clear next step, such as “Monitor closely,” “Review targets,” or “Plan recovery” Enterprise Advantage For sites without weather data, ratings go up to 4/5. With Enterprise, you can unlock full 5/5 ratings through advanced weather analysis. Why it matters: A single, trusted signal for each site’s health Actionable context behind every rating Smarter prioritization of time and resources Global Filter The new Global Filter lets you apply filters across your entire portfolio, instantly updating the Sites table. You can explore your portfolio from different angles, create tailored views, and make comparisons faster. Available filters: Performance vs. Target (CTD) Installed Capacity Site Status Responsible User (visible in a new column) Inverter Brand Tags (custom or predefined) Pricing Model Benefits Flexible views: Combine filters to tailor how you explore your portfolio Faster exploration: Switch perspectives with just a few clicks Transparency: If no sites match, you’ll see a clear empty-state message Example Use Cases Focus on key customers: tag your most important customer and instantly see which of their sites are off track Get ahead of issues: sort by Contract Year Progress to spot sites that need action Report to investors: filter by investor to analyze portfolio performance over the last month Optimize daily ops: combine filters like status and inverter brand to identify performance patterns CSV Export You can now export the Sites table as a clean CSV, with the exact filters and columns you’ve selected. How it works: Apply filters and choose columns on the Sites page Click “Export Data” Download a CSV with up to 1,000 filtered sites Benefits: Run external analyses flexibly Export up to 1,000 sites in seconds Get clean, structured data ready for reports, presentations, or BI tools Time-Based Metrics V3 lets you view a comprehensive performance summary for the time range of your choice (yesterday, last 7 days, or last 30 days). Available metrics: Energy Generated Annualized Performance Performance vs. Target (CTD) Performance vs. Weather Customer Savings (BETA) Company Revenue (BETA) CO₂ Reductions RECs Issued (Coming Soon) Benefits More context: See technical, climatic, and financial metrics side by side Actionable data: Understand the economic and environmental impact of your portfolio in seconds Dynamic filtering: Metrics update automatically based on your active filters

Popular Power V3 is here! With V3, it’s easier than ever to spot risks and opportunities across your solar portfolio. Our team has put in a lot of care and effort to turn your complex data into clear, actionable information so that your teams can make decisions faster and with more confidence. Whether you work in Commercial or Asset Management, V3 gives you a shared language for site performance, smarter metrics to guide decisions, and dashboards that make it easy to keep everyone aligned. Read on below to check out what's new! 🩺 Site Health Score: a shared language for performance For years, “sites at risk” or “sites with opportunities” have meant different things to different teams. Our Site Health Score  changes that. It sets a clear, company-wide standard  to identify underperforming sites, sites with upside, and sites at risk — so everyone’s speaking the same language. The payoff: less friction, better alignment, and faster prioritization. How it works: A simple 1–5 rating for each site’s performance against its goals. Clear action messages, so you know where to focus today. Portfolio-wide triage in seconds, not hours. Plus, go even deeper with new performance metrics... Site Health Score gives you the high-level view. These new metrics let you “double-click” to understand a site's performance in context. 📅 Contract Year-to-Date (CTD):  See at a glance if you’re on track to hit your generation targets or if action is needed. It gives you a clear sense of the gap. ☀️ Performance vs. Weather (Last 60 Days):  Separate asset issues from external factors like short-term weather trends. No more false alarms, just focused interventions where they matter. 📈 Site Dashboard: faster decisions, less busywork Your operational view now lives in a single, flexible, real-time dashboard . What used to take countless clicks and spreadsheets is now available in seconds, ready to share across teams. Do more in less time: ⏱ Flexible time ranges:  Review performance, savings, and revenue for yesterday, the last 7 days, or 30 days, for any group of sites. 🎛 Advanced filters:  Slice your portfolio by capacity, key customer, account owner, inverter brand, tags, and more. 📥 One-click export:  Download up to 1,000 sites in a fully customized CSV. 📜 New Fields for Contract Information Contract details no longer have to live in scattered spreadsheets. With new fields in Popular Power, you can bring key contractual data into the same workspace where you track performance. What’s new: 📝 O&M Contract Status and Type:  Easily track sites by their maintenance agreements. 📈 Annual Escalator for PPAs:  Reflect price adjustments over time for sharper financial reporting and forecasts. Getting started V3 is live now! Current customers can log in and try a few quick use cases to get familiar: Sort sites by Contract Year-to-Date to see which ones need immediate attention. Tag your top client to see which of their sites are underperforming. Filter by investor to review how their portfolio performed over the past month. Want more tailored tips for your company? Reach out to your Account Manager. Curious to learn more? Book a meeting here.

Energy demand is reaching unprecedented levels, and the transition to clean power has never felt more urgent. Distributed generation solar remains one of the fastest, most effective, and most affordable ways to meet this moment — and the industry continues to move at breakneck speed. (Sure, we're facing headwinds, but we know the energy transition is happening. Let's keep talking about what we can do, not what we can't. ) ​ Innovation has always been solar’s edge. New tools, ideas, and approaches are constantly reshaping how projects are financed, built, and operated. This time is no different — and the opportunity in front of us has never been greater. We're excited to be exhibiting at the most important clean energy event in North America: RE+ Las Vegas. Check out the following ways your team can #GetPopular at RE+ between September 9-11, 2025. Find us on the Expo Floor Stop by booth V3226 (Venetian Level 1) to see how Popular Power helps developers and asset managers run distributed solar portfolios at their best. Join us for Wednesday Happy Hour at The Oak Room Connect with Popular Power, Plural, and Thresh over drinks, walking distance from the Expo Floor. Meet distributed generation peers, trade ideas, and discover the next generation of solar software. Register here. Meet Our Team This team has DG solar experience across 3 continents. Come hang — at our booth or at happy hour — and talk shop! Watch Us Pitch 📍RE+ Startup Pitch Competition @ The Innovation Stage Venetian Level 1 ( View on the RE+25 Floorplan )  Tuesday, Sept 9th @ 12:00p Schedule a Time The best companies will stand out by using cutting-edge tools. In a world where every watt matters, Popular Power helps you capture more revenue, cut costs, and stay ahead. Book time with our team to see how. -- The future of energy is Popular. The best solar companies are Popular Powered.

June was a tough month for solar operators in Mexico. Most C&I and residential systems missed their generation targets—and many operators are now looking for answers. "How is it possible that we’re not meeting our commitments, even when we use top-tier simulations? We didn’t even hit our P50." Take this example: a site that had consistently met its generation targets all year long showed a significant drop in June. Purple: Monthly Energy Generation. Pink Line: Monthly Generation Commitment Dig just a little deeper, and the answer becomes clear: June was the rainiest month in Mexico City since 1968 —clouds, low irradiance, unstable weather... all of it contributed to systems underperforming against projections. So no, commitments weren’t met—because the TMY (Typical Meteorological Year) models we use across the industry rely on predictive averages. These are great for planning, but they don’t guarantee monthly results. Some periods—like June—just fall outside the range of what’s expected. It’s part of the game. The explanation feels obvious: "We didn’t hit the target because of bad weather. Hopefully next month is better." That’s where most analysis stops. But there’s much more to the story. Looking Past the Obvious in Distributed Portfolios When we dig deeper, new patterns emerge. Some sites performed exceptionally well—relative to their actual  climatic conditions—even if they didn’t reach their original monthly goals. Others fell far short, even compared to neighboring systems with nearly identical weather. In an analysis of more than 1,200 distributed solar sites in the Mexico City area , we found: Only 12.8%  of sites hit their monthly energy targets But 56%   performed optimally , given  the weather conditions in June The chart below shows how most sites missed their targets , e ven though their performance was reasonable given the month’s climate . Dark green means sites performed well. Red means significant underperformance. So what does that tell us? Most sites underperformed relative to their contractual goals , even though many were doing just fine given the actual weather. And in many cases, the issue wasn’t (just) the weather. It was something else: Dirt buildup, seasonal shading, disconnected strings, unbalanced MPPTs… These are real, fixable problems —and they’ll continue to hurt your performance even during perfect weather. How to Go "Beyond" in Your Analysis If you’re only comparing production against a fixed monthly target, everything looks black and white: You either hit the mark or you didn’t. But when you compare against each site’s actual climate potential , you start to see the nuances. Performance data from 1,200+ distributed solar sites in Mexico City – June 2025 In those nuances lies the opportunity to operate better: Flag sites that look stable but are underperforming relative to real potential Identify actual technical issues and take action to increase site generation Defend lower-than-expected performance to customers—when it’s justified Prioritize O&M actions with data-backed arguments, avoiding complaints or surprise bills Popular Power Enables Smarter Decisions You might be wondering: Do I need to invest in expensive weather stations or simulations to get this level of insight? No.  With Popular Power, it’s simple. Our platform helps portfolios of any size measure performance against real climate data and site-level targets. It becomes a core part of your operational toolkit, classifying your sites by status and driving real action. We help you: Spot where your system is performing well (relative to climate) and where it’s not Detect anomalies and underperformance before they turn into complaints Communicate performance clearly—with data to back up how targets were met (or not) We do this by combining high-quality satellite climate data, generation history, and performance of nearby systems.Then we apply machine learning and feedback loops from your own maintenance logs  to build an advanced model that gives you actionable insights, fast. Because decision-making shouldn’t be black and white. At Popular Power, we give you the tools to optimize performance and contribute your full potential to the energy transition.

Popular Power exhibited at RE+ 2024 in Anaheim, an annual event that brings together over 40,000 professionals from the renewable energy industry Last week, we got to officially introduce Popular Power to the industry at RE+ 2024 in Anaheim. It's inspiring to work collectively, with purpose, on the greatest challenge of our time: the energy transition. This excitement and ambition were palpable at RE+ 2024. The event brought together over 40,000 professionals from the renewable energy industry, fostering collaboration and innovation. As we reflect on our experience, where Popular Power was recognized as a Top 10 Startup, we'd like to share some key insights that stood out. Here are our main takeaways from this year's conference. Takeaway # 1: Healthy environment for growth and M&A in the $40Bn solar PV software space Lots of opportunities for M&A and partnership opportunities in the $40Bn solar PV software space, whether for or with established companies or smaller startups. I predict there will be significant consolidation in the solar PV software industry in the next 5-10 years. It was also great to see the AI developments in the solar software space. I sensed potential customers (solar companies) were curious about AI solutions. I found it refreshing that AI solutions weren’t overhyped as they are in other industries. Solar companies are hyper-focused on deployment and growing their installed capacity (plus, it’s a competitive industry), so I predict they will be smart about choosing AI solutions that affect topline KPIs or significantly automate current manual processes. Takeaway # 2: Specialized software tools proved more effective at demonstrating their value Software solutions with a more narrow focus (at least in marketing & communications) stood out more because they could more clearly communicate their value to solar companies. In 2024, I'm not sure how relevant “one software to rule them all” is, especially in a world where software can be compared to tools in a toolbelt. Yes, some tools are more universal than others-- but you also need more specialized tools to get certain jobs done. Several solutions marketed as the CRM or ERP for solar cos (at all market segments: residential, C&I, and utility-scale) struggled to stand out in my opinion. Unfortunately, saying you can do "everything" is too ambiguous-- so, the potential customer is left thinking the offer is "nothing." Takeaway # 3: Post-sales is the next big thing in the solar industry The post-sales problem is about to be a way bigger problem, aka opportunity. What is the post-sales / O&M problem? Right now, as an industry, we are hyper-focused on everything that happens leading up to the sale: lead generation, design, proposal, quoting, installation plan, etc. This hyper focus on pre-sales / sales means that solar companies often (unintentionally) forget about the world of opportunities that exist to generate value once the solar asset is installed. Installed solar assets will generate a lifetime of value and data– plus, they need maintenance. Post-sales is everything that happens once an asset is installed– such as Operations & Maintenance (O&M), upselling, REC & other incentive generation, and end-user reporting. I saw confirmation of my thesis that post-sales (everything that happens once an asset is installed) is going to be a much bigger focus next in solar. To date, software solutions have focused on pre-sales because that’s where the money is (I sell solar = I get paid). Several factors are leading to the higher focus on post-sales and O&M: Sunpower going out of business and leaving 100k+ homes without a service provider in the USA Several solar sales scams uncovered in the past 3 years, meaning customers are wary of companies with post sales service and O&M plan We are coming up on the expiration date of service for many initial PPAs in the industry in the USA, which means PPA customers (C&I) are analyzing what to do now for O&M Due to the general growth of distributed solar in the USA (and worldwide), it’s natural that many companies popped up to sell, install, and make a quick buck— and are now out of business. These are just some examples of factors that have contributed to end users of solar being left with no service provider. It’s so common that we now have a word for it: solar orphans. Today, solar companies providing solar should be paying attention to post-sales in order to stay competitive and relevant. Especially because it’s something that end-users of solar will be looking for in a service provider. Takeaway # 4: The post-sales software space is growing and is a space to watch While there may be clear winners or dominating players in the “pre-sales” (lead gen, design, quoting, proposals, etc.) software space ( OpenSolar ,   Aurora Solar ,   SOLO LLC ), there are no clear winners in post-sales– especially due to takeaway #3 (this is a new problem / opportunity). This is a space to watch.

Did you know that your solar projects could be generating more value than you think? Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are creating new monetization opportunities for solar developers, and the time to take advantage of them is now. The urgency of the energy transition has never been clearer. Today, less than a third of Mexico’s electricity comes from clean sources,  and power generation accounts for a quarter of the country’s emissions. The Mexican grid faces three major challenges: (1) demand is growing faster than supply, (2) transmission infrastructure has critical deficiencies, and (3) there is an urgent need to increase the share of renewable energy. The situation across Latin America is similar. While many countries benefit from cleaner grids due to large hydroelectric plants, phenomena like El Niño can make them less reliable. This is why decarbonizing, decentralizing, and diversifying our energy sources has become one of the greatest challenges of our time. Redirecting financing—historically skewed towards fossil fuels—toward clean, decentralized, and reliable energy infrastructure is essential. But what mechanisms exist to incentivize solar developers to accelerate the energy transition? One key solution lies in Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Understanding RECs: Your new source of revenue When you generate 1 MWh of renewable electricity and inject it into the grid, it mixes with energy from other sources. Companies with environmental commitments cannot physically track how much of the electricity they consume comes from clean sources—unless they generate it themselves or purchase it through a power purchase agreement. RECs allow them to claim credit for using renewable energy, even if they haven’t generated it directly. Historically, certifying RECs has been tedious and expensive, so only large plants have typically undergone the process. At Popular Power, we want to change that by ensuring distributed solar developers can access this market easily and without complications. The REC market in Mexico is also expanding. As of last year, more than 400 companies worldwide were part of RE100, an initiative bringing together corporations committed to using 100% renewable energy. Many of these companies already operate—or are beginning to operate—in Mexico and other Latin American countries, driven by nearshoring. This has led to rising demand and prices for RECs. If you’re a solar developer, now is the time to enter the market and start monetizing the environmental attributes of your portfolio . With 10 MW of distributed solar capacity, a developer could generate around USD $20,000 per year in additional revenue from RECs. To put that into perspective: this could cover 20% of your operation and maintenance costs! Unlocking value with Popular Power Popular Power provides a comprehensive solution to optimize the management of your solar portfolio. With our platform, you can: Centralize monitoring of your portfolio in real time Automate client reports  Improve the performance of your solar plants In addition to these operational improvements, we help you easily access the REC market. We simplify the registration and certification process, allowing you to generate additional income in a simple and efficient way. This means you can increase revenue, reduce costs, and focus on what truly matters— growing your solar business. Every day that your solar projects do not generate RECs, you are leaving money on the table. Contact us today and discover how Popular Power can help you unlock the true potential of your solar portfolio. We will be present at the first ever I-REC Day México this February 21st 2025 , contact   stephanie@popularpower.io  if you want to meet up! -- Popular Power is a solar monitoring software solution designed for solar companies operating in the C&I segment. Our hardware-agnostic platform integrates site monitoring into a single interface, providing customers with actionable data and insights on their solar portfolios. Why #GetPopular? Our customers can ensure system uptime (increasing revenue), optimize O&M (cutting costs), and streamline reporting and monitoring (saving time on manual processes).

In the first entry of the Popular RECs series, we explored how Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) can become a new source of income for a solar portfolio. But once you identify this potential, a key question arises: what do you need to start issuing RECs? To turn potential of RECs into real income for your solar portfolio, you must consider these three key elements: Rights and ownership: Secure the rights to the environmental attribute, clearly defining in contracts who retains ownership of these certificates. Registration process: Registering solar sites for REC issuance requires detailed documentation, and it's important to centralize information and ensure it's correct. Efficient monitoring:  A centralized monitoring platform facilitates the collection of energy generation data, maximizing the potential for REC issuance. Rights to the Environmental Attribute: The Starting Point A Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) represents the environmental attribute associated with 1 MWh of energy generated from renewable sources. This enables better traceability of clean energy within the grid. To sell RECs, securing the commercialization rights to this environmental attribute is essential. While the owner of a solar asset typically retains these rights, financing contracts and power purchase agreements (PPAs) don’t always make this explicit. For turnkey solar system developers, REC rights usually transfer to the system owner unless a specific agreement allows the developer to retain them. If you want to benefit from this additional income stream, it’s strategic to structure agreements that allow you to share the value of RECs with clients. This can take the form of: Discounts on operation and maintenance services Incentives to expand installed capacity Partial coverage of spare parts or system improvements The purpose of commercializing RECs is to accelerate the energy transition. As a developer, reinvesting this income into system performance and operational improvements strengthens both your business and your impact. To ensure a smooth REC commercialization process: Define rights from the beginning.  Clearly establish who retains the RECs in your contracts with clients and financiers. Include clauses in PPAs.  If retaining REC rights is part of your business model, make sure provisions reflect this. Negotiate transfers in turnkey sales.  Explore strategies to share the value of RECs with clients to create win-win agreements. Clarifying REC ownership early on prevents roadblocks and allows you to strategically leverage their value. Simplifying the Registration of Your Sites Once you’ve secured the rights to commercialize RECs from your solar portfolio, the next step is registering your sites. While the registration and issuance process may seem complex due to varying standards and data requirements, understanding the basics can simplify the path forward. Internationally, the I-TRACK Standard Foundation is the most widely used standard, while in Colombia and some Central American countries, Ecogox also plays a role. Before a site can issue RECs, it must be registered and audited by a local issuer—Normex in Mexico and Fundación Ecsim or Ecogox in Colombia. This requires detailed documentation , including installed capacity and installation data, GPS location and site photographs, Meter evidence, serial numbers and inverter brand details, among others. Although most solar developers already have this data, it’s often scattered across different formats, making registration cumbersome and costly. To streamline certification: Keep technical documentation organized.  Ensure easy access to all required data. Centralize portfolio information.  Avoid scattered files across multiple locations. At Popular Power, we simplify this process by centralizing your documentation, identifying applicable standards, and managing audits—accelerating the registration of your sites so you can start generating RECs faster. Monitoring Energy Generation Once your sites are registered, continuous monitoring of energy generation is key. Periodic reporting is required for REC certification, but without a centralized platform, developers often struggle to collect data from multiple sources—especially if their portfolio includes different inverter brands. This can make issuing RECs slow and inefficient. Popular Power eliminates this challenge.  Our platform seamlessly integrates energy generation data in one place, regardless of the inverter brands you use. Plus, our advanced analytics help you, identify performance improvement opportunities, schedule strategic maintenance, and ensure each installation operates at peak efficiency. This translates to higher energy generation and more RECs available for commercialization. To optimize monitoring: Integrate your inverter data.  Avoid manual data collection from multiple platforms. Centralize real-time information.  Gain full visibility into your systems’ performance. Use predictive analysis.  Anticipate maintenance needs and enhance efficiency. With Popular Power, monitoring is no longer a bottleneck—it’s a competitive advantage that maximizes both your energy production and REC revenue. Success Case: Navajo Power Home One example of this in action is Navajo Power Home, a solar developer installing residential and commercial systems across the Navajo Nation. Individually, each site has a relatively small installed capacity, but collectively, their annual generation represents a substantial volume of RECs. Through Popular Power’s platform, Navajo Power Home has streamlined the registration and sale of these RECs, unlocking new revenue streams for their projects and communities. Stay tuned for more success stories in this series! Turning Potential into Reality Turning REC potential into real income requires three key steps: Securing the rights  to the environmental attribute Registering your sites correctly Efficiently monitoring energy generation While these steps can seem complex, the right tools make them both accessible and profitable. At Popular Power, we simplify each stage: clarifying rights management, centralizing all necessary documentation, integrating generation data from multiple inverters, and connecting you with buyers to maximize REC value. What was once a fragmented technical process is now a streamlined strategy to boost your solar portfolio’s profitability. Are you ready to unlock this new revenue stream? Popular Power is here to guide you every step of the way—turning challenges into opportunities and potential into tangible results.

In our Popular RECs series, we’ve explored how Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) can generate additional income and what it takes to register and sell them. In this third installment, we look at how to maximize their value and stand out in a growing market. While every REC certifies the generation of 1 MWh of renewable energy, not all REC transactions deliver the same impact. Here are three key factors that help ensure RECs contribute to a faster and more inclusive energy transition: Pricing that justifies registration and encourages new projects. RECs linked to projects with high social and environmental impact. Strong operational practices that differentiate developers. REC prices are rising in Mexico and that accelerates the energy transition In Mexico, REC prices have increased significantly, from USD $1.0–$1.50 a year ago to current offers of up to $3.7 per REC according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. At this level, developers have a real incentive to certify and sell their RECs. A market with fair, sustainable prices enables developers to: Install more renewable energy capacity. Improve operations and maintenance services. Strengthen the financial sustainability of their projects. For buyers, paying a price that benefits developers means they’re actively supporting the energy transition. Today, a 500 kWp distributed solar site that used to generate $700 annually in RECs can now generate around $2,590 (before costs). This can start moving the needle for developers who want to grow. You can sell your RECs at a premium if they have social and environmental impact Many companies purchase RECs not only to meet their Scope 2 goals, but also to support projects that positively impact the communities where they operate. There are buyers paying up to $30 for them, which in countries like Mexico is 10 times the price of a traditional REC. Examples of high-impact RECs include: RECs generated by projects in schools, hospitals, or nonprofit organizations , where clean energy improves quality of life and reduces operational costs. RECs from regions where the grid still relies heavily on fossil fuels , where new clean energy projects have a higher emissions reduction potential. RECs from underserved regions , areas with unreliable grids, or remote locations. These RECs tend to fetch better prices because they channel financing where it’s most needed . As a developer, this additional income may make the difference between installing a project in a high impact site versus holding off. Differentiate as a REC generator and sell your RECs at a better price Beyond project type and pricing, buyers are increasingly paying attention to who develops and operates solar sites. Not all developers are the same ; and those with strong practices have a real competitive edge. At Popular Power, we’ve developed an innovative framework to evaluate developers across seven key categories. A few examples include: Community engagement : Relationships with local communities and direct project benefits. Waste management : Reduction, recycling, and responsible material disposal strategies. Labor practices : Fair working conditions, equity, and worker safety. These practices not only improve project impact, but also help unlock premium pricing and attract top-tier buyers . It’s time to position yourself in a market that’s evolving The REC market is evolving. Beyond certifying clean energy, RECs are now a tool to channel financing toward projects that create economic value, social impact, and operational excellence. For developers, this is a real opportunity to generate sustainable income and boost competitiveness. At Popular Power, we work closely with our clients to assess their portfolios, help them capture better prices, highlight their impact, and prepare for a market that rewards those who do things right. Our goal: to drive a more equitable, inclusive, and financially viable energy transition. ¿Interested in exploring more? Contact us stephanie@popularpower.io

Do you have a solar portfolio and heard about I-RECs, CELs (Mexico-only), or carbon credits? You’re not alone. Many developers across Latin America are looking to monetize the environmental impact of their systems, but don’t know where to start. In this blog, we break down what each of these instruments is, how they differ, and which one might be the best fit for your portfolio. Factor Carbon Credits I-RECs CELs (Mexico only) What it represents 1 ton of CO₂ avoided or removed 1 MWh of renewable electricity 1 MWh of renewable electricity Price $3.00–5.00 $1.50–3.50 $10.00–12.00 Monetization speed Slow (12–18 months) Fast (2–3 months) Medium (6–9 months) Complexity High Low High (especially for distributed generation) Costs ~USD $3,000 per portfolio + annual validations and verifications USD $100/site (>250 kWp), $0 if <250 kWp + $0.025 per REC issued +USD $1,500 per site (special meter and admin fees) Market type Regulated or voluntary (depending on the standard) Voluntary Regulated Project eligibility Depends on the standard; most only allow sites <1 year old Sites up to 15 years old (the newer, the better) Until recently, only plants operational since August 11, 2014 (older sites faced restrictions)-this is changing to include all plants Mexico-only I-RECs: Fastest path to monetize renewable energy International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs) certify that a renewable energy system generated 1 MWh of electricity. They are part of a voluntary international market, widely used by companies with decarbonization targets (such as RE100 or SBTi) to reduce their Scope 2 emissions. Issuing I-RECs is relatively straightforward. Sites are registered through I-TRACK (valid for five years), and certificates are issued regularly based on energy generation. In markets like Mexico, I-RECs are growing rapidly thanks to nearshoring and the demand from global buyers seeking renewables in their supply chains. If your project is already operational, remotely monitored, and you’re looking for a simple and quick way to generate additional income, I-RECs may be your best option. CELs: Better prices, harder to access To date, very few distributed generation projects have successfully issued CELs (Clean Energy Certificates) in Mexico. CELs were created by the Mexican government to incentivize renewable energy generation within the regulated electricity market. Like I-RECs, each CEL represents 1 MWh of renewable electricity, but operates under rules defined by Mexico’s Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE). CELs are purchased by certain actors in the Mercado Eléctrico Mayorista (MEM), known as “participantes obligados,” who are legally required to cover at least 13.9% of their consumption with clean energy or CELs. In theory, distributed generation projects are eligible to issue CELs. In practice, access is very limited. Why? The process is complex, costly, and poorly documented. Sites must pay administrative fees and install special meters, which can cost over USD $1,000 per site, making it unviable for smaller systems. CELs can only be commercialized through the  ‘Suministrador’ that represents each clean energy site. On top of that, the market has stagnated: the 13.9% requirement hasn’t changed in years. That may soon change. Recent reforms to the Energy Transition Law could revise this target and reactivate both supply and demand. For now, CELs are not a viable option for distributed generators , but it’s worth keeping an eye on future regulatory changes. Carbon credits: A viable option only if your project is additional Unlike I-RECs and CELs, carbon credits don’t certify renewable generation. They represent the reduction or removal of 1 ton of CO₂ equivalent and are used by companies to offset residual emissions (Scope 1, 2, or 3). To issue carbon credits, a project must prove additionality, meaning it wouldn’t have happened without the revenue from carbon finance. For solar projects, this is typically only the case in specific scenarios, such as: Off-grid systems Installations serving underserved communities Projects must also be registered under a standard like Cercarbono, BioCarbon, or similar, and go through an extensive process of validation, verification, and monitoring. The timeline is long—typically 12 to 18 months before generating the first credit, and costs can be significant. If you’re working in remote or vulnerable contexts, carbon credits can be a powerful tool . But for already-installed, grid-connected systems, qualification is unlikely. So... Which one fits your project? Project type Recommended instrument Operational distributed solar I-RECs Remote or off-grid project Carbon credits Large-scale plant connected to MEM CELs or I-RECs At Popular Power, we help solar developers evaluate which incentive mechanism fits best with their technical, commercial, and regulatory reality. Our platform automates the generation of environmental attributes and connects you with high-impact buyers . Ready to start monetizing your project’s environmental value? Get in touch, we’re here to help.

It’s official– the best solar companies are Popular Powered! Last week, Popular customer  Navajo Power Home  received monumental recognition from leading private-sector and government entities across the United States, including  Qcells North America , The  U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) , and  Clean Energy for America .  Navajo Power Home uses the Popular Power platform to manage its portfolio of 270+ solar sites, including key activities such as: Register site installations, including photos, paperwork, and contracts Register routine and corrective maintenance visits, including checklists and photos Manage, assign, and view all technician’s O&M activities; plus analyze frequency and recurrence of corrective maintenance issues Track and monetize over $70k USD annually in Renewable Energy Credits Track and report KPIs to leverage >$10M USD in financing We are proud to be Navajo Power Home’s primary software tool and we look forward to continuing to be their partner in growth as they scale to reach 1,000 customers by 2026.  Read more below in the press release from Qcells.  FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Aug. 28, 2024 – Qcells, a premier provider of complete clean energy solutions and a leader in U.S. solar panel manufacturing, and Navajo Power Home (NPH), a next-generation solar service provider for off-grid homes on Navajo and Hopi lands, today announced a partnership to provide high-quality, reliable electricity to an estimated 300 homes on the Navajo Nation reservation.   Earlier this year, Qcells donated 1,000 solar panels to Navajo Power Home. Not only is this the first solar panel donation received by NPH, but this is also the first at-scale donation from a solar manufacturer to support the electrification of tribal lands.   In addition to Qcells’ donation, today the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it has awarded a $5 million Fixed Energy Improvements in Rural Areas Grant to Navajo Power Home to expand its services and provide permanent, high-quality clean energy access to more rural indigenous communities on the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation.  Between the Qcells donation and the grant from DOE, NPH will meet its goals to power 1,000 homes by the end of 2025 and grow its team of 13, who currently make 33% more, on average, than other jobs offered across the Navajo Nation.  The Navajo Nation spans across Arizona, New Mexico and Utah with an estimated 15,000 homes still lacking access to electricity. Many homes rely on diesel generators for power which are expensive, noisy and produce harmful emissions. With Qcells’ high-efficiency panels and NPH’s installation and electricity services, the organizations are delivering clean energy powered electricity to families living in the Navajo Nation for the first time.   “We are excited to be here today to celebrate the Navajo Nation homes that will now have solar electricity,” said David Turk, U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secretary. “It’s especially gratifying that these solar panels were made right here in America by Qcells, a company dedicated to building a full solar supply chain in the U.S. We are also thrilled to announce a $5 million grant to Navajo Power Home, which will bring electricity to an additional 350 homes, thanks to President Biden’s historic climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act.” “We are proud to be providing people living on the Navajo Nation with access to reliable, affordable power for the first time,” said Danny O’Brien, President of Corporate Affairs for Qcells. “From turning on the lights to refrigerating groceries, we are excited to work with Navajo Power Home to make this a reality in more than 300 homes in the Navajo Nation. This donation really speaks to our ongoing commitment to sustainably power communities around the world with our U.S. manufactured solar panels and our full suite of clean energy solutions.”   “Our partnership with Qcells has transformed life for off-grid residents on Navajo and Hopi Tribal lands,” said Chanse Foster, General Manager of Navajo Power Home.  “Qcells’ generous solar panel donation has expanded electricity access in our communities and showcases the positive impact of sustainable energy.”  The Qcells donation will allow NPH to finance the installation of service for 15-20 additional homes, allowing NPH’s current resources to go farther. So far, NPH has installed 600kWp of solar to support 250 homes, providing 900 people with electricity access for the first time. The monthly cost to NPH’s customers ranges from $80-$240 a month, depending on the energy needs of each house. This is more affordable than the diesel generators that only run five hours a day, five days a week at about $200-$400 a month. Overall, customers currently relying on diesel generators can save 40% – 60% when working with NPH. They use federal funding to offer qualified customers – elderly, disabled, or single parent households – significantly reduced rates of $20-$50 a month. Qcells and NPH’s announcement coincides with the launch of a new digital video series, sponsored by Clean Energy for America Education Fund (CE4AEF), which features some families benefiting from this partnership. The videos, released today, are available on CE4AEF’s website , YouTube  and all its social channels. NPH team members with Qcells VP of Corporate Affairs Danny O’Brien, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk