ForeFront Power, a leading developer and asset manager of commercial and industrial-scale (C&I) solar energy and battery storage projects, and HASI, a leading investor in climate solutions, have entered into a follow-on equity investment for a portfolio of distributed solar and solar-plus-storage projects located across California. 

The transaction, which reached financial close on March 30, 2023, builds upon an initial co-sponsor equity investment for a separate U.S. distributed solar portfolio that HASI made with ForeFront Power in 

“A second chapter of equity investment by HASI enables ForeFront Power to continue its leadership position in developing behind-the-meter solar and energy storage projects for the benefit of our customers,” said Michael Smith, CEO of ForeFront Power. “Solar is a mature technology that provides long-term returns to investors, while reducing electricity costs for customers and eliminating carbon emissions from the power grid.”

“We are excited to expand our relationship with ForeFront Power with this latest investment in a diversified C&I solar portfolio,” said Susan Nickey, Chief Client Officer of HASI. “ForeFront Power’s exceptional team has demonstrated their ability to deliver and operate high-quality solar and storage projects that meet pro forma expectations, and we look forward to continuing to support their growth.”

The portfolio comprises 48.5 MW-DC of commercial and industrial ground-mounted, carport, and rooftop solar, including several projects paired with battery storage totaling 3.7 MW. Approximately 36 MW of the distributed assets are mechanically complete and were funded at financial close, while the remaining projects will be funded upon completion through year-end.

Added Smith: “ForeFront Power will continue to steward customer relationships across the entire portfolio and provide its customers and co-sponsor with ongoing energy asset management services.”

ForeFront Power Nets Financing for New Solar-Plus-Storage

, a climate tech investor for more than a decade, today announced that 

 is part of its 11th cohort of investments.

Modulous is the Seattle and London-based construction technology company helping developers and construction firms build modular housing without capital intensive factories. Elemental selected Modulous as one of 17 industry-leading technology companies that are enabling system-wide decarbonization, supporting communities to become more climate resilient, and redesigning the built environment. Cohort 11 brings Elemental’s portfolio – one of the most robust climate tech portfolios in industry – to a total of 151 startups.

“Modulous believes the climate crisis is a catalyst for a fundamentally different approach to home-building and a future where everyone has access to safe, healthy, and sustainable homes,” said Janet Stephenson, U.S. Managing Director, Modulous. “We are thrilled to join Elemental, who provide valuable capital and talent to reinforce our mission, which is to create a sustainable home-building ecosystem with equity at the core.”

Elemental has made a direct investment in Modulous and will be an extension of the Modulous U.S. team. The combined team’s key initiatives will include physical assembly testing, a community partnership workforce program, and module construction to complete the company's first show home in the U.S.

“Today we welcome 17 teams working to redraw the big picture around our largest-emitting sectors and meaningfully collaborate with communities tackling climate change,” Elemental Founder & CEO Dawn Lippert said. “Entering our second decade of climate investing, we are betting on entrepreneurs tackling major sources of emissions -- like shipping, air conditioning, transportation and construction -- and working with every company to deploy successfully in local communities.”

Elemental’s investment model is distinct from conventional investment in that it has centered impact and communities from its inception. It was built to ensure that massive incentives for innovation translate into commercialization and community impact that benefit communities and tech builders alike. With 26 exits to date and an exit rate of 17%, Elemental has a proven track record demonstrating the scalability of this approach. Including Cohort 11, Elemental has now awarded more than $57M to its portfolio, and those companies have gone on to raise $7B in follow-on funding. Every dollar Elemental has invested has catalyzed more than $100 in follow-on investment across the portfolio.

Modulous Raises $10M, Joins Elemental Excelerator

ForeFront Power, the developer of commercial and industrial-scale (C&I) solar energy, battery storage and vehicle fleet electrification projects, has completed a 

 for Rivian at its state-of-the-art EV manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois. 

The project’s completion was covered by clean energy trade press, including 

The solar canopy is equipped with Rivian EV chargers to make up the Rivian manufacturing plant’s outbound Solar Charging Yard.


“We’ve flipped the switch on the Solar Charging Yard in Normal. It uses our Rivian DC Fleet System to charge 72 vehicles at once. We’re also working to install a 2.8 megawatt wind turbine, which means soon, R1 vehicles will get their first charge entirely from on-site renewables.”


The project is expected to generate 1.04 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean, renewable electricity annually, and our estimates show it will avoid emitting approximately 800 tons of CO2 per year.


Rivian’s Solar Charging Yard came online in September 2022. Together with the forthcoming wind turbine on the east side of the manufacturing plant, the Solar Charging Yard will help power new R1 vehicles completely with clean energy for their first charge, before they are delivered to Rivian customers.


Rivian’s Solar Charging Yard project is a testament to the company’s climate and sustainability leadership, showing U.S. customers what a clean energy future looks like within the auto industry,” 

said Michael Smith, CEO of ForeFront Power

Rivian has signed the Climate Pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement.

Rivian EV Fleet Gets First Charge from Solar Energy

 for Rivian at its state-of-the-art EV manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois. 

Rivian EV Fleet Gets First Charge from Solar Energy 

Today the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey held a completion ceremony to celebrate the energization of a 1.34 megawatt (MW) solar array on the rooftop of LaGuardia Airport’s 3,000-car Terminal B Garage. As part of the broader plan to transform LaGuardia Airport, the Port Authority selected ForeFront Power, a leading North American developer of solar and energy storage solutions, to develop the solar project.

The Port Authority has committed to a goal of net-zero-emissions by 2050 and a 50% reduction of direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030, becoming the first U.S. transportation agency to adopt the Biden administration’s climate goals. The agency is implementing renewable energy at its airports to reduce carbon emissions, meet infrastructure needs, and ensure long-term climate preparedness and sustainability for the region.

The Port Authority did not have access to its own capital to invest in a solar project of this size. To move forward, it needed a private partner with the ability to capitalize on tax incentives as well as the expertise to construct, operate, and maintain the solar project. Through a competitive bid process, the Port Authority selected ForeFront Power to develop the project.

ForeFront Power developed and installed the solar project through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), which enabled the Port Authority to complete its project at no upfront cost and without bond funds. ForeFront Power also ensured the project capitalized on all available tax incentives, complied with FAA glare policy, and met key interconnection requirements for installation and energization.

Under PPA terms, ForeFront Power developed, owns, and maintains the solar project and charges the Airport a fixed, below-market rate for electricity, which is locked in for 20 years. The Airport achieves a low, fixed rate for electricity plus budget certainty by avoiding utility rate increases for decades. ForeFront Power will continue to operate and maintain the system at no cost to the Airport. Along with guaranteed solar project performance, the Airport will save an estimated $17 million on electricity over 20 years, with over $400,000 in savings in Year One alone.

The Terminal B solar array is the Port Authority’s largest completed solar project to date. Terminal B requires a great deal of energy – up to 16 MW of energy per day. The solar project comprises over 3,500 solar modules that will reduce the Airport’s energy consumption by 5%. It will generate more than 1.7 million kilowatt-hours of solar energy annually and offset nearly 1,328 tons of CO2 emissions per year, which is equivalent to the CO2 emissions from 1.3 million pounds of coal burned.

The benefits of the Terminal B solar project extended beyond electricity cost savings and emissions reductions. Port Authority staff learned what to expect when reviewing solar project drawings, interconnection requirements, and PPAs. Following the completion of the Terminal B array, the Port Authority is now exploring innovative ways to incorporate both on-site solar and EV charging elsewhere at LaGuardia.

Christine Weydig, who left the Port Authority in mid-2022 but formerly served as the Director of Sustainability during the development of the Terminal B solar project, offered advice for other airports and agencies considering renewables: “There really are a lot of unique opportunities that are available to airports today. To the extent that these airports often are operated by public entities, it really is about bringing that private partner in that can help monetize some of the tax incentives and make the project pencil. That’s something that I think our learnings can be really beneficial toward as we work with our partners at other airports.”

As one piece of the Port Authority’s sustainability initiatives, including specific benchmarks for energy efficiency, water conservation, site selection, material selection, and waste reduction, the solar project contributes to the energy-efficient design and construction of the Terminal B redevelopment project. In 2021, LaGuardia’s Terminal B became the first airport project in the world to achieve LEED V4 Gold certification, and in 2019 it was awarded the first-ever Envision Platinum award for its industry-leading approach to sustainability and resilience.

The Terminal B solar project highlights the value of investing in transportation infrastructure – modernizing airports to better serve communities, reduce fossil fuel dependence, lower air pollution, and mitigate GHG emissions that cause climate change.

LGA Airport Solar Array Advances NY Net Zero Goals

U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

, have released a report detailing actionable pathways to developing net zero energy (NZE) housing without increasing costs, yet still reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Decarbonization During Predevelopment of Modular Building Solutions

, independently evaluates Blokable’s near-term roadmap for the advanced manufacturing and development of all-electric, NZE, multi-family housing. In the study, NREL compared Blokable’s prototype designs with its scaled up, full production engineering model. The study found that by 2030, compared to conventional housing construction methods, Blokable’s model for the manufacturing and development of NZE housing can decrease total lifecycle GHG emissions by 60%, reduce construction material waste by 91%, and avoid the release of 2.4 million tons of CO2 equivalent. Moreover, when Blokable adopts this model, it can achieve these metrics without any added manufacturing or development costs.

The NREL technical report emerged from Blokable’s participation in the IN² technology incubator and platform, which is funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation and co-administered by NREL. As a program participant, Blokable received $250,000 in non-dilutive funding and hands-on technical assistance for additional technology development and validation. Blokable then installed a single Blok module on NREL's Golden, Colorado, campus for performance testing and experiments by NREL.

“Working with Blokable gave us a different perspective on how building system innovation can be applied in a new way by using a different business model,” said NREL Senior Research Engineer Shanti Pless. “Blokable was selected for the IN2 program because of its mission to address housing affordability and energy efficiency simultaneously. Our research quantifies how much the building sector could benefit from the learning effects of advanced manufacturing, which yields compounding energy and material efficiencies without increasing costs.”

“In the U.S., there are only 36 rental homes available per 100 extremely low-income households, and these households also bear the brunt of climate and energy risks,” said Blokable Co-CEO Nelson del Rio. “This is why Blokable has spent five years developing a business model and building system that would address both housing affordability and energy efficiency. NREL helped us evolve our building design to exceed engineering best practices and building code performance metrics. Their research showed us that by adopting our model, we can manufacture NZE housing without adding new costs – thus scaling up a dramatically more efficient form of housing for society.”

“Construction costs will continue to rise faster than incomes into the foreseeable future. Unless we invest and innovate right now, the housing crisis will continue to worsen, the cost to governments will continue to grow, and people and the planet will suffer,” said Blokable Co-CEO Aaron Holm. “The development sector and supporting building industry have lagged behind other industries in achieving efficiency gains through technological innovation and standardization. The NREL report demonstrates that it is possible to leverage the learning effects of manufacturing to dramatically reduce both the economic and climate costs of housing creation. It means that Blokable can rapidly develop NZE housing that is substantially more energy efficient, at lower costs than conventional approaches.”

The Blokable Building System is designed and engineered for manufacturing and to consistently produce high-quality, low-cost, connected housing. Each volumetric “Blok” is a standard component that can be stacked and assembled in multiple configurations. Manufacturing 95% of the building in the factory significantly reduces per-unit build times and costs.

Blokable’s pilot project, called Blokable at Phoenix Rising, is an all-electric, permanent low-income housing community near Seattle, Washington that Blokable developed for 50% less than the regional cost per door. At the same time, this state-of-the-art housing development costs 60% less to heat and cool, which lowers lifetime operating costs as well as annual utility expenses for tenants. Each unit is quiet, all-electric, efficient, and ventilated with fresh air, using energy recovery ventilation to mitigate bacteria, molds, and other unhealthy air particles. Blokable at Phoenix Rising was developed and manufactured by Blokable to be a comfortable, safe, and healthy living environment that saves tenants money and offers them housing stability for years to come.

How to Slash GHG Emissions from Housing Development by 60%

How to Slash GHG Emissions from Housing by 60%

During the 2021 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) virtual ceremony, Blokable at Phoenix Rising was named the Gold Award winner in the Environments category. Each year, IDEA recognizes products and services that encourage, inspire, and push industry forward by honoring great design that brings real benefit to users, clients, and society.

Blokable at Phoenix Rising is an all-electric permanent housing community in Auburn, Washington, and the world’s first Vertically Integrated Modular (VIM) housing development, embodying new standards in aesthetics and quality for multi-family housing, where long-term durability, low maintenance and operating costs, zero energy-readiness, and indoor airPLUS are standard in every building.

“​​We’re extremely proud of Blokable at Phoenix Rising. It is an all-electric low-income housing community in Auburn, Wash. and the world’s first Vertically Integrated Modular housing development,” said Blokable Co-CEO Aaron Holm. “Design is at the core of everything we do as we believe that everyone has the right to love the place they live. As we continue to innovate, we can bring beautiful design and housing to more and more people at all levels of income.”

2021 marks the 41st anniversary of the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), one of the longest-running and most prestigious design awards programs in existence. Originally founded to recognize exceptional achievement in industrial design, the program has since grown to highlight design in many connected disciplines including design strategy, branding, digital interaction and so much more. Each year, thousands of entries are submitted by design teams across the globe, making IDEA one of the largest and most widely anticipated annual awards programs in the world. The 2021 proceedings were hosted by IDEA 2021 Jury Chair, Mary Beth Privitera, FIDSA and IDSA Board Chair, Jason Belaire, IDSA.

Blokable Pilot Project Wins Prestigious IDEA Gold Award

 received two 2021 Top Project of the Year Awards from

 for its solar projects developed in partnership with the California 

The County of San Luis Obispo County Operations Center 1.2-megawatt (MW) ground-mounted solar system received a 

 for its benefits related to cleaner energy production, energy savings, greenhouse gas emissions reductions and cost savings. As the largest solar project in the County, the project represents a massive sustainability initiative that will provide the County of San Luis Obispo with over a million dollars of energy savings over the next 20 years. One judge stated, “This solar project in San Luis Obispo County is an important first step towards the implementation of more renewable energy projects in this and other counties.”

The City of Ames’ SunSmart Ames community solar project received a 

 for driving renewable energy adoption and demonstrating a commitment to sustainability within the Ames community. The community solar project allows any municipal electric customer to opt for locally-generated solar energy by purchasing shares of the facility’s production called “Power Packs.” One judge stated, “This is a very useful project and helps promote green projects by those who may not otherwise be able to support their own independent projects”

The Environment + Energy Leader Awards program

 works with unaffiliated judges who score entries based on rigorous criteria. Top products and projects were selected from across a variety of industries based on their success in providing significant sustainability and energy management results. The complete list of the winning products and projects were published in the 2021 Environment + Energy Leader Awards 

ForeFront Power Wins Two "Project of the Year" Awards

 received two 2021 Top Project of the Year Awards from 

, a Silicon Valley start-up recently acquired by but EV battery giant 

, was featured in CNBC. Cuberg co-founder and CEO Richard Wang described the company’s breakthrough lithium metal battery technology which could be twice as energy-dense as standard lithium-ion and would advance the electrification of the transportation sector.

“We’re going through a transformation of the industry as large as when oil came onto the marketplace for fueling vehicles in the first place. It’s as big as displacing the entire oil industry for transportation,” said Wang.

While Cuberg is not the only company in this space, what sets Cuberg apart from other lithium metal startups is that like lithium-ion batteries, it has a liquid electrolyte. Meanwhiles its competitors 

, use a solid-state, oftentimes ceramics-based electrolyte.
Although solid-state tech shows promise, Wang says Cuberg’s liquid electrolyte makes its batteries far more compatible with existing lithium-ion production methods. This will allow Cuberg to scale up and commercialize much quicker.

While QuantumScape and Solid Power are partnering with big name automakers, Cuberg’s first customers are in the aviation industry. So far, Cuberg has partnerships with 

New Battery Tech Will Bring Electric Planes And Cars To The Masses

Cuberg, a Silicon Valley start-up recently acquired by but EV battery giant Northvolt, was featured in CNBC. Cuberg co-founder and CEO Richard Wang described the company’s breakthrough lithium metal battery technology which could be twice as energy-dense as standard lithium-ion and would advance the electrification of the transportation sector.

Recognizing excellence in all areas of design enterprise, the 

 annually celebrates the richness of the design profession as well as the insight and perseverance of its practitioners. The Awards program remains dedicated to excellence and inclusivity, offering both students and professionals the opportunity to promote their best work on a global scale across 18 distinct design disciplines.

Blokable Named Core77 Design Awards Honoree in Social Impact

. This category recognizes projects designed to directly benefit social or humanitarian efforts such as community or environmental impact initiatives, products for underrepresented communities, distribution systems, and disaster relief. As the sole professional runner-up in the category, Blokable at Phoenix Rising was chosen by the Design for Social Impact Jury out of hundreds of finalists for its outstanding execution, insight, creativity, and intent.

, Doreen Lorenzo spoke to Natalie Nixon, president of 

, a global speaker, and a creativity strategist, and is the author of 

The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation, and Intuition at Work

2021 Fast Company World Changing Ideas Awards

Nixon grew up around women very gifted in the fiber arts, learning to sew herself at the age of 10. After attending Vassar and graduating with a double major in anthropology and Africana studies, she moved to New York City where she began sewing again. She started a small successful hat business once she realized she could sell her creations. Working at the intersection of business and fashion inspired her to enter a master’s program in global textile marketing studying in Israel and Germany. She later graduated from that program and was hired by a global sourcing division of the 

Tired of being on airplanes all the time for work, Nixon decided to return to academia and teach in the fashion management program at Thomas Jefferson University. Her mentors encouraged her to pursue a PhD to broaden her career options in academia, but it wasn’t until she discovered the field of design management that decided to enter a PhD program in design management, earning in four years while working full-time. Following the completion of her PhD, Nixon launched the Strategic Design MBA program, an executive MBA program that integrated design thinking into how people were learning strategy, leadership, financial operations, and branding.

Two years after launching that program, Nixon gave a 

 proclaiming that the future of work is jazz that catapulted her consultancy career as companies invited her to speak to their teams. This led to the formation of Figure 8 Thinking, a repository for her practice that grew from a side hustle to her main focus. As she was building up Figure 8 Thinking, Nixon wrote 

 to offer a simple and accessible way for people to think about creativity. Nixon explained, “The way I define creativity is that it’s about toggling between wonder and rigor to solve problems. Asking “what if” questions, being audacious, in awe, pausing and encouraging curiosity is all about wonder. Discipline, time on task, and focus is the rigor. Creativity is not doing whatever you feel like—it requires the wonder and the rigor.”

Nixon interviewed over 50 diverse people from a range of sectors and professions for 

Her findings informed her development of the 3i Creativity framework: inquiry, improvisation, and intuition. The most successful leaders unabashedly embrace and talk about the role of intuition in building strategy. Inquiry is about asking questions that lead to discovery, exploration, and experimentation. Lastly, improvisation is about being present and adaptive. When working with organizations, Nixon’s goal is to equip them with the ability to start looking at very different sources of inspiration and learning, creating shifts in mindsets that ultimately lead to culture change.

How To Channel Creativity Into A Rigorous Business Strategy

How to Channel Creativity Into a Rigorous Business Strategy

 of a 1.2 megawatts-DC (MWdc) solar energy project at the County Operations Center with a 

 at the project site. Developed, financed, owned, and operated by ForeFront Power, the project includes a total of 3,294 solar modules ground-mounted on 6 acres of land behind the County Honor Farm and parallel to Calif. State Highway 1. 

The County Operations Center solar project will yield significant electricity savings and cost stability for the eight departments benefitting from the project. The County expects that, over the next 20 years, the project will offset nearly 74 million pounds of carbon dioxide, and yield an estimated $6 million in net savings, which will reduce the County’s operating expenses and allow it to provide critical services to the community. The County Operations Center solar project aggregates electric meters from 12 County facilities, including the Main and Women’s Jail, Juvenile Services Center, Honor Farm, and other Sheriff, Public Works, Information Services, and Fleet facilities.

Beyond the planned energy cost savings, this project will also contribute to the County’s renewable energy procurement goals. “This project is a significant step forward to reaching our County goal of procuring 20 percent of our energy from renewable sources,” said Annie Secrest, Energy and Water Coordinator for the County of San Luis Obispo. “With this project energized, the County now derives over 12 percent of its energy from solar power. This helps us mitigate increasing electricity rates and better control our operating expenses.”

The County Operations Center solar project also generates enough electricity to avoid an additional 1,735 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. This is roughly equivalent to removing 375 gas-powered passenger vehicles from the road annually, or to the amount of carbon sequestered by 2,266 acres of nearby forest in one year.

The announcement was featured across local media including 

 as well as solar publications including 

SLO County Energizes Its Largest Solar Energy Project

, a U.S.-based battery technology startup delivering high-performance lithium metal cells produced on existing lithium-ion manufacturing lines for electromobility solutions. In addition to being covered in the Wall Street Journal, the Northvolt acquisition was reported by 

Cuberg spun out of Stanford University in 2015 with the goal of commercializing next-generation battery technology based on a groundbreaking liquid electrolyte combined with a lithium metal anode. Cuberg has already attracted customers including 

 with battery technology that is ideal for commercialized electric transportation. Their scalable manufacturing model is also a crucial asset for Northvolt as they prepare to meet the growing demand and shift towards electric transportation.

Northvolt supplies high-quality battery cells and systems, playing a vital role in reducing the carbon emissions of European countries while also minimizing their own carbon footprint from manufacturing lithium-ion battery technology. Recognizing the innovative solutions developed by Cuberg, Northvolt identified an opportunity to utilize Cuberg’s manufacturing capabilities to improve performance and safety of battery products while also reducing unit costs.

Northvolt acquired the company to lead its U.S. operations, aiming to bridge ongoing research efforts between Europe and North America. Northvolt is establishing an advanced technology center in Silicon Valley-based on the Cuberg acquisition and is actively hiring top battery industry talent to support these efforts. In addition to accelerating the lithium metal cell development and optimizing the technology for automotive applications, the new center will focus on materials research and development for best-in-class lithium-ion anode and electrolyte technologies.

Northvolt Acquires Cuberg To Accelerate Next-gen Batteries For Electric Mobility

Northvolt Acquires Cuberg To Accelerate Next-Gen Batteries

Northvolt Acquires Cuberg to Accelerate Next-Gen Batteries for Electric Mobility

 for her Designing Women series, Doreen Lorenzo spoke to co-founder and chief product officer of 

, Yemi Adewunmi. Civic Eagle’s platform is designed to increase the transparency and accessibility of policy information through technology applications.

Adewunmi began her studies with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with the intention to involve herself within the legal system. She eventually narrowed in on the importance of policy through work experiences as an analyst and researcher at the New York State Legislature as well as a Master’s degree in Public Administration. Adewunmi eventually recognized an opportunity to launch Civic Eagle as a software solution, combining her passion for public policy and aptitude for creative problem-solving.

A milestone accomplishment for Adewunmi and Civic Eagle was the creation of 

, a software platform designed for policy professionals. The established interface was designed to overcome the technological barrier of accessing important information, especially facilitating the process of viewing and sharing key details when working on initiatives involving team collaboration. By recognizing the importance of design thinking, Enview’s interface was developed to aid policy work by enhancing policy overview capabilities. In 2020, Adewunmi recognized a larger responsibility to assist people directly affected by advocacy work and policy changes. This led to Enview promoting complete open access to listed bills related to criminal justice reform and the pandemic. The app has become a pivotal tool used by advocacy groups like 

 for tracking countless pieces of legislation as they make their way through different government bodies. Enview by Civic Eagle helps them organize and strategize accordingly, so they can directly influence public policy in their favor.

Moving forward, Adewunmi sees government as the next major opportunity in adopting a greater emphasis on design-focused solutions, exploring its applications within public service touchpoints. Understanding the ability of a designer to provide intuitive interaction to directly maximize impact, Adewunmi believes designers should be heard when discussing policy solutions so that they can directly influence final decisions and outcomes.

Civic Eagle Makes Policy Work More Transparent And Accessible

Civic Eagle Empowers Advocacy Groups by Making Policy Work More Transparent and Accessible

Leading developer of distributed solar and energy storage projects, 

 completed seven solar projects in Illinois, adding 9.4 megawatts-DC (MWdc) / 5.5 megawatts-AC (MWac) of distributed power generation across the state.

 partnered with ForeFront Power to complete and flip the switch on the 

largest solar project in Kane County, Illinois

. ForeFront Power installed the 2.8 megawatt ground-mounted solar field with 7,384 panels across eight acres of the 1,000-acre Mooseheart campus located 38 miles west of Chicago.The solar field will deliver power to the Mooseheart Child City and School, a residential childcare facility dedicated to youth in need, and is expected to save the non-profit millions of dollars in energy costs over the next 25 years.

“With the money saved over the next 25 years of the solar project’s life, we’ll be able to reinvest those dollars into other programs in order to better serve our youth,” said executive director of Mooseheart, Gary Urwiler.

Prior to the Mooseheart project, ForeFront 

 the completion of three ground-mounted solar installations totaling 5.5 MWdc across three campuses in 

. Huntley has been one of the fastest-growing school districts in Illinois over the past decade, serving 8,900 PreK-12 students and employing more than 1,400 staff members. This portfolio of solar projects for Huntley became the largest solar-powered system at a school district in the State of Illinois.

“Huntley 158 is delighted to further our legacy of innovation by powering our operations with cost-effective, clean electricity from 15,100 solar panels,” said Dr. Scott Rowe, superintendent of Huntley 158. “We see the millions of dollars in utility bills saved thanks to these projects as an opportunity to reinvest taxpayer dollars directly into student education, allowing us to more effectively educate tomorrow’s leaders.”

Coupled with the Huntley portfolio, ForeFront developed three more solar projects in Marion, Illinois, with power sold to 

, a leading auto parts manufacturer and subsidiary of global Tier One auto supplier, AISIN Group. The clean electricity from the more than 2,900 solar panels will power manufacturing operations at Aisin MFG Illinois, Aisin Electronics Illinois, and Aisin Light Metals.

“We’re not just cutting emissions and costs with solar. We’re creating a more sustainable society and better serving the communities in which we operate,” said Jeff Copeland, general manager of environmental safety and energy at Aisin World Corp. of America. All of these projects received incentives through the state’s 

 to support the development of new photovoltaic distributed generation and community solar projects in Illinois.

ForeFront’s work in Illinois has been covered by multiple regional and local publications, including 

ForeFront Helps Illinois Leverage Incentives To Develop On-Site Solar

ForeFront Power Helps Illinois Communities Leverage State Incentives to Develop On-site Solar Power

 unveiled Blokable at Phoenix Rising, the world’s first vertically-integrated modular development, during a virtual ribbon cutting hosted by 

Blokable Co-CEOs Aaron Holm and Nelson del Rio

 of the project from concept to completion and an interactive discussion about the future of housing with an expert panel including Sen. David Frockt of the Washington State Senate; Mitch Kapor, Founder of 

; and Stacey Rothgeb, Senior Engineer from the Buildings Research Group at the U.S. 

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

, in Auburn, Wash., Blokable at Phoenix Rising is a community of five studio and seven 1-bedroom apartments reserved for individuals earning 30% of the Area Median Income. The project was funded through an innovative partnership between Blokable and the State of Washington at a cost to the State of $125,000 per door; less than half the average build cost of a new apartment in a region that faces a severe shortage of affordable housing.

 development is Blokable’s proprietary platform for developing high-quality, low-cost housing at scale. As the developer and builder, Blokable owns and streamlines the entire development process, eliminates unnecessary costs, and de-risks every project, offering both market rate and not-for-profit landowners a turnkey, design-build service for a set price and guaranteed delivery.

The building has a state-of-the-art, steel structural system, with all-electric energy and a 50 to 100-year useful life. Interior features include antimicrobial surfaces, a sound attenuated living space, dimmable cove lighting, independent ventilation for comfort, and energy recovery ventilation for efficiency and lower utility costs. The all-electric facility costs 60% less for heating and cooling, and 30% less for overall utilities, and meets strict energy and environmental metrics that are becoming the standard for new construction in many states and municipalities.

“We believe dignified housing is a human right,” added Nelson del Rio, Co-CEO of Blokable. “A roof over your head is the foundation for human health and wellbeing, education, and economic opportunity. Put simply, if you have housing instability, everything else in your life is so much more complicated. Blokable at Phoenix Rising is the culmination of four years of work streamlining our process and our cost structure so that we can create as much equity as possible in communities. In addition to developing turnkey affordable housing for a fee, our next step is to develop and own real estate using the next generation of our building system.”

Blokable Delivers Zero Energy Ready Housing at Half the Cost

Blokable Delivers State-of-the-Art, Zero Energy Ready Housing at Half the Local Cost Per Door

, a leading developer of renewable energy solutions in the U.S., 

 that it has hired energy market veteran Michael Smith as its new Chief Executive Officer. Smith has already stepped into his new role and oversees the company’s strategy and all business areas across the U.S. and Mexico. The announcement was covered in global financial and industry intelligence provider 

ForeFront Power specializes in helping business and public sector customers reduce their energy costs through development of on-site solar generation and energy storage projects. ForeFront Power is also one of the nation’s leading developers of community solar solutions, which allow commercial and residential customers of all income levels to benefit from solar generation, even if they are unable to host a solar project on-site. Under Smith’s leadership, the company will remain focused on these core areas, while continuing to expand its suite of energy solutions into adjacent products, services, and technologies.

“I’m thrilled to join ForeFront Power at this pivotal time in the development of customer-focused renewable energy solutions,” said Smith. “There is a transformation happening behind the meter as more customers choose to take control of their energy costs through on-site solar and other technologies. At the same time, more and more customers are pursuing community solar opportunities when they cannot host a system on-site. As a trusted brand in solar and storage, ForeFront Power is already on the leading edge of this shift. We have an incredibly experienced and talented team, and I look forward to working together as we position ourselves for continued growth.”

Before he joined ForeFront Power, Smith served as Senior Vice President, Distributed Energy, at 

., where he was responsible for Constellation’s solar, energy efficiency, and energy asset operations businesses across the U.S. Earlier he served as Vice President, Innovation and Strategy Development, for Exelon Generation, and led Constellation Technology Ventures, Exelon’s venture investing organization.

ForeFront Power Taps Energy Industry Veteran Michael Smith As CEO

ForeFront Power Taps Energy Industry Veteran Michael Smith as CEO

Doreen Lorenzo spoke with Fri Forjindam in a 

 series featuring brilliant women throughout the design industry. Fri Forjindam is the co-owner and chief development officer for global entertainment development company 

 that is responsible for creating award-winning destinations, from theme parks and live events to museums and immersive brand experiences worldwide.

After being raised in Cameroon, West Africa, Forjindam moved to the U.S. during high school where she discovered her love for theater. That love for theater took her to New York where theater thrived but then she then found herself moving to Los Angeles to work in the entertainment industry. In L.A. she got a job as an executive assistant to the owners of a theme park design company. There, she got to listen in and understand how the executives were problem-solving, strategizing, and designing in the industry. This helped her develop a multidisciplinary skill set, work her way up in the industry and eventually launch Mycotoo with her two business partners.

Forjindam recalled Mycotoo’s humble roots starting off in a home garage with a vision to help passionate organizations and individuals create immersive worlds. But in less than two years they landed a contract to design a theme park in Dubai and grew from three people to more than 160 designers, artists, show set architects, writers, and engineers. Mycotoo went on to design two full theme parks and later leveraged their talents beyond the theme park industry. Mycotoo discovered themed entertainment as a new vertical for the company when they teamed up with the agency 

 to create a San Diego Comic-Con activation for Warner Bros.’ Blade Runner 2049 and later brought 

 to life in Austin during SXSW 2018. While theme parks are gated, Forjindam explained how themed entertainment is instead porous and immersive.

Just as the notion of what a destination is changed for Mycotoo, that definition evolved even further once the pandemic hit. The living room would become the new destination in the age of social distancing. “If that immersive sensibility is now coming to me in the comforts of my living space, that means I, as a consumer, am actually inviting or accepting that experience into my home. If this is the new paradigm, it’s a much more intimate form of delivering and sharing experiences and will become more of a lifestyle addition,” explained Forjindam. The pandemic made Mycotoo proactive, socially aware and even more politically conscious.

Forjindam ended her interview by offering advice to young designers. “That thing that keeps you up at night, that you’re really excited about, follow through with it and see where it goes. Don’t treat that nudging as a side hustle. Treat it as a calling, as a little knock on destiny’s door.”

Mycotoo’s Fri Forjindam Unlocks The Gates To Immersive Spaces

Mycotoo’s Fri Forjindam Unlocks the Gates to Immersive Spaces

, the Seattle-based vertically integrated modular housing developer, launched its new 

 exploring the root causes of the U.S. housing crisis and how private and public sector collaboration can chart a different course for housing development.

The housing market isn’t broken, it’s working perfectly as designed

, was published by Blokable Co-CEO’s Aaron Holm and Nelson Del Rio. In the post they outlined how the housing market currently functions and why it is unable to meet the staggering affordable housing demand. Despite the billions of dollars governments have spent trying to provide housing stability, there are 

38 million people living in poverty as of 2018

 — a number that has since been exacerbated by the economic effects of Covid-19.

Holm and Del Rio posed the question “Can a free market ever provide all of the housing needed in our society?” They then pointed to the structure of the housing market and the housing development process itself as holding the answer to achieving efficiency in the industry.

They described how the many players such as architects, developers, financial institutions and contractors compete to maximize profit and minimize risk in housing creation leading to fragmented interests strangling the housing market. Holm and Del Rio revealed that affordable housing is actually more expensive to produce than market rate with the per-door build costs for affordable apartments now ranging from $500K to $1M due to developers needing to pay additional costs associated with obtaining public subsidies and managing legal and financial compliance. And while construction innovations such as modular and panelized building systems have been presented as possible solutions, these have their own high material and labor costs and the competition between these providers actually discourages housing innovation.

The Blokable Co-CEOs concluded their introduction post to their blog series writing, “If all the money in the world won’t fix housing, then perhaps we shouldn’t be trying to fix it at all. Perhaps we need to create a new housing paradigm that leverages innovation to drive down costs, reduces the need for subsidies, and creates new wealth.”

Blokable Launches New Blog Series Reimagining How Housing is Built

, Dori Tunstall spoke with Doreen Lorenzo for 

, a series of interviews with brilliant women in the design industry. Dori Tunstall is the dean of the faculty of design at Ontario College of Art and Design University, 

 in Toronto, Canada, and the first Black and Black female dean of a faculty of design anywhere in the world. 

Tunstall explained how she was only introduced to the world of design after completing her PhD in anthropology at Stanford University, where she focused on Ethiopian tourism and development. After graduating, she worked in high-tech consulting at 

 where she first met professional designers and discovered her true interest in “design anthropology,” the study of what people make over time and space.

Later Tunstall returned to academia, but this time to teach and train young people to become design anthropologists themselves. She created a master’s program in design anthropology at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia where she worked with local Indigenous communities and integrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing into the design curriculum. When OCAD U was looking for a dean who could help them with decolonization, diversity, and equity, she brought that work to Canada.

Since becoming a dean At OCAD U, Tunstall started the Black Youth Design Initiative with a group of Black alumni, students, and faculty to help Black youth build the confidence to solve problems through design. She has also hired a more diverse faculty of Black, Indigenous, and POC educators who represent the students they teach and are able to authentically tell stories of how harmful design has been. That sense of authenticity transfers over to the students as they embrace the uniqueness of their own identities through the projects they create. Tunstall has helped rewrite the curriculum at OCAD U by bringing in different cultures and embracing an ethos of “respectful design”.

To harness empathy in design, “design education has to be decolonizing” expressed Tunstall. In Canada, classes begin with a land acknowledgement of the Indigenous traditional owners who are custodians of the land on which they are gathered. This is critical to shifting perspectives. Meanwhile Indigenous sovereignty and the stealing of Indigenous land has not been addressed at all in the United States. Tunstall pointed out how design harkens back to when Europeans exploited the labor of Black people and the land of Indigenous people. “We can’t decouple colonialism from design or the way we understand and practice design. They’re deeply linked and implicated.”

Tunstall ended her interview with a message to incoming design students, “Learn to be respectful designers… It’s about the kind of person you are inside, your strength and confidence, and how that’s connected to everything else that will make you an ethical, creative, innovative, and caring designer. Those are the kind of designers we need in the world.”

OCAD’s Dori Tunstall on Decolonizing Design

, the Seattle-based surgical navigation company, 

 a $23M Series A financing round led by DCVC (Data Collective) with additional investment from Cota Capital and existing investors BOLD Capital Partners and Alan Frazier, founder of East Seattle Partners and Frazier Healthcare Partners. The Series A funding announcement was featured in 

Proprio is a computational imaging company providing enhanced visualization systems for precise surgical execution. The Proprio system integrates advancements in robotics, artificial intelligence, and computer vision to simplify surgical workflow, improve procedural accuracy, and reduce or eliminate exposure to radiation.

“Proprio’s mission is to improve the precision and efficiency of surgery,” said Gabriel Jones, CEO and Co-founder of Proprio. “This investment supports our world-class team to deliver a surgical navigation system that leverages the latest technological advancements in imaging and machine learning, making it easier to perform high-quality surgeries.”

With the Series A investment, Proprio added Armen Vidian, a DCVC partner with extensive operational experience in healthcare and medical devices, including early market development for first-in-class technologies, to its Board of Directors as well as Alan Cohen, a DCVC partner with broad expertise in product development and go-to-market strategy for multiple billion-dollar companies, who joined as a Board Observer.

 about the funding, Vidian and Cohen described why they chose to invest in the Proprio team and their technology: “When we first met Gabriel Jones, Jim Youngquist, Dr. Sam Browd, and Josh Smith, we saw a perfect fusion of clinical, technical, and entrepreneurial leadership skills at work. We saw how Proprio, with its advanced surgical navigation system is combining surgical expertise with computational advances to change surgical efficiency. Then we met the rest of the extended team in their offices in Seattle, we came away with one distinct impression: this was one of the best Series A teams we had ever seen.”

Proprio Raises $23M in Series a Funding Led by DCVC

 announced that its electric aviation battery technology 

 an exceptional combination of specific energy, specific power, and cycle life in an independent testing and verification process conducted by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy. The announcement of this achievement in the performance and maturity of battery technology was featured in key industry trade publications including 

Three key battery performance measures need to be optimized in balance for successful use in aviation: specific energy, which allows for longer flight times and ranges at a given weight; specific power output, which enables greater aircraft weights and payload capacity; and cycle life, which impacts cost of ownership. With testing that included an up to 80% increase in specific energy relative to Lithium-ion cells of comparable high-power output, Cuberg became the first company to successfully combine this level of energy with high power and competitive cycle life under realistic operating conditions. These results represent a major step forward in battery technology for the future of electric mobility.

“Cuberg’s mission is to deliver next-gen batteries to power the rise of electric mobility, and an essential part of our strategy is to achieve independent verification and transparency of our results,” said Richard Wang, co-founder and CEO of Cuberg. “We are gratified to receive this verification by INL of the industry-leading performance and reliability of our technology, and excited to be working with our customers to begin full-scale flight testing in their aircrafts in the next year.”

Cuberg’s Next-Gen Battery for Electric Flight Earns DOE Validation

Cuberg’s Next-Gen Battery for Electric Flight Earns U.S. Dept. of Energy Validation

 co-founder and CEO Gabriel Jones hosted a virtual session followed by a live Q&A during 

, which occurred May 26 – 29, 2020 entirely online. Highlighted by Forbes as “the most essential AR/VR conference and expo,” Augmented World Expo (AWE) covers augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, and all enabling emerging technologies such as AI haptics and 5G. In its 11th year, AWE Online took the annual conference global with its first all-digital version of the event.

More than a Simulation: How Mixed Reality will Give Surgeons Superpowers

,” took place on May 29, 2020 as part of the online conference’s Healthcare & Wellness track. During his virtual session Jones discussed how computer vision, robotics, machine learning, and immersive interfaces are converging to transform how surgeons perform in the operating room, and shared how Proprio’s interdisciplinary team of product designers, engineers, and surgeons are working together to solve hard problems in healthcare. His presentation was immediately followed by a live Q&A session where audience members had the opportunity to interact and connect with him from anywhere in the world.