Author

Ben-Zientara_USA-Freelancer-scaled

Ben-Zientara_USA-Freelancer-scaled

Ben Zientara

Ben Zientara is a journalist, writer, and policy analyst in the solar industry, where he has worked since 2014. Currently the Associate Editor of pv magazine USA, his written work has informed a broad variety of audiences, teaching homeowners about the state policy and incentives that enable their dreams of going solar and keeping industry professionals up to date on the latest news about solar technology, finance, legislation, and regulatory policy.

In addition to his written work, Ben has hosted informational videos for the SolarReviews online platform and addressed audiences of industry professionals at multiple NABCEP CE conferences. His solar policy analysis work has been covered by both clean energy trade publications and national media outlets like Fast Company, NPR, Politifact, and the New York Times, and is currently included in the annual Community Power Scorecard from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

[email protected]

Articles written by Ben Zientara

Markets & Policy

Assessing Elon Musk’s massive 100 GW solar ambitions Elon Musk said SpaceX and Tesla teams are working separately to build 100 GW a year of solar manufacturing capacity in the United States, a process that he expects will take about three years. pv magazine USA’s Ben Zientara assesses the likelihood of these plans coming to fruition.

Ben Zientara

May 27, 2026

Applications & Installations

Inlyte Energy targets US data centers with iron-sodium batteries California-based Inlyte Energy plans pilot projects in Switzerland and the United States this year to demonstrate its iron-sodium battery technology for data centers and utility-scale energy storage applications.

Ben Zientara

May 25, 2026

Markets & Policy

California Senate passes plug-in solar bill The Plug and Play Solar Act, which passed on a 35-1 vote, would allow portable solar generation devices with up to 1,200 W of output to connect to a building through a standard outlet. The bill now moves to the state Assembly, which has until August 31 to pass it during the current session.

Ben Zientara

May 22, 2026

The best laid plans Elon Musk made the latest in a series of ambitious claims about his business plans on a stage in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, in January. He said SpaceX and Tesla teams are working separately to build 100 GW a year of solar manufacturing capacity in the United States, a process that he expects will take about three years. pv magazine USA’s Ben Zientara assesses the likelihood of these plans coming to fruition.

Ben Zientara

May 11, 2026

Applications & Installations

Enphase unveils distributed solid-state transformer for AI data centers The announcement of the company’s latest module power electronics project came alongside Q1 2026 earnings that showed a 20.6% decrease in year-over-year revenue numbers amid a steep decline in domestic demand.

Ben Zientara

Apr 30, 2026

Solx and Caelux CEOs sit for Aurora announcement

Research & Development

U.S. startups announce partnership to offer domestic perovskite-silicon tandem solar modules Solx and Caelux said they will supply 3 GW of Solx Aurora modules, which combine domestic silicon cells from Suniva and a top layer of Caelux “Active Glass” to reach 28% efficiency, with commercial volumes available in the U.S. market by 2027.

Ben Zientara

Apr 22, 2026

Applications & Installations

U.S. startup aims to make signing up for solar as easy as signing up for cell phone service Florida-based Terra Energy offers solar subscriptions to homeowners on an initial 36-month agreement and seeks to retain those customers for the long-term by proving it can offer something better than the alternative.

Ben Zientara

Apr 17, 2026

Applications & Installations

Span and Nvidia to develop AI data centers in your backyard, lowering electric bills The two companies will develop XFRA, a distributed network of compute nodes connected to homes with smart panels, batteries and optional solar generation, in partnership with Nvidia and homebuilders like PulteGroup,

Ben Zientara

Apr 15, 2026

Applications & Installations

Solar leads global additions in 2025 as wind growth accelerates A new report from global energy think tank Ember shows 814 GWdc in new solar and wind capacity was installed in 2025, but the pace of wind deployment rose 47% year-over-year compared to just 11% for solar.

Ben Zientara

Apr 13, 2026

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