Flexibility is the future of solar and storage

The solar industry has never stood still, and today it’s evolving faster than ever. Once seen as a straightforward generation asset, solar is now at the center of increasingly complex systems that pair generation with storage and other distributed resources. As markets shift, regulations tighten and new technologies emerge, one truth is becoming clear: the systems we build today must be designed for tomorrow.

That’s where flexibility comes in.

From solar farms to hybrid portfolios

The rise of solar projects with storage is creating new opportunities and new challenges. Projects are now expected to do more than generate clean power. They must optimize against time-of-use rates, provide ancillary services, comply with evolving interconnection standards and adapt to changing needs of the grid through new storage durations.

In this landscape, rigid single-purpose control systems simply can’t keep up. What’s needed is a more holistic approach: a platform that unifies solar, storage and hybrid technologies into a single, adaptable system.

Breaking down silos

Too often, solar and storage are still managed through siloed systems. This limits operators’ ability to maximize performance, respond quickly to market signals and adapt as assets age or regulations change. Modular, vendor-agnostic platforms offer a different approach, allowing operators to integrate various technologies without being locked into a single vendor. This results in longer system lifespans and simplified operations.

This is the thinking behind RESolve, RES’ supplier-neutral control platform that enables BESS capability to be adaptable, flexible and symbiotic with solar, and hybrid projects worldwide. With real-time performance optimization, built-in grid compliance and support for 21 distinct value streams across 12 markets, RESolve demonstrates how flexibility unlocks both reliability and revenue.

Lessons from the field

We’ve already seen how flexible control systems can deliver results:

• San Antonio, TX – A 10MW/10MWh solar-plus-storage project helps a municipal utility reduce peak demand while providing fast frequency response to ERCOT.
• San Diego, CA – A 30MW/120MWh solar plus storage system enhances grid reliability near a military base, managing over 19,000 battery modules through a unified platform.
• Fresno, CA – A 16MW/16MWh standalone BESS integrates components from multiple suppliers, proving the value of a supplier-agnostic approach in practice.

In each case, flexible architecture wasn’t just a design preference; it was the key to performance, compliance and long-term value.

A future-proof approach for solar developers

For solar asset owners and developers, the message is clear: energy management can no longer be an afterthought; it’s a long-term priority infrastructure. By adopting modular, standards-based platforms, developers can:

• Maximize asset performance and revenues across changing markets
• Ensure grid compliance in diverse regulatory environments
• Integrate new technologies without costly redesigns
• Future-proof portfolios for decades to come
• De-risk U.S. projects from recent foreign entity of concern (FEOC) policy requirements

Looking ahead

In an energy world where the only constant is change, flexibility is not optional; it’s essential. Whether you’re managing a single solar farm or a multi-market portfolio of hybrid assets, your control system should be as forward-thinking as the rest of your project.

With RESolve, RES has leveraged over 40 years of renewable energy expertise to transform it into a platform designed for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. For solar developers and operators, that means one thing: the future of energy management is flexible, integrated and ready to scale.