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“The station combines the battery, controller, and inverter all in one.”
Photo Credit: iStock
Because they rent, a Texas Reddit user with “plenty of sun” and backyard room was looking for a small-scale way to try solar without putting anything on the roof or cluttering an indoor room with extra hardware.
People responding in the solar-focused discussion pushed them to pair solar panels with a self-contained portable power station instead of building separate indoor components.
On a Reddit thread in r/SolarDIY, the poster said they were “extremely interested in starting some small solar projects” and wanted to use backyard panels with “a battery/inverter set up” while renting.
They were trying to avoid a messy indoor setup. “Is there a way to set this sort of thing up without having multiple wires/batteries cluttering up the inside of a room I want to power something in?” the original poster asked.
One of the clearest responses was: “Get a power station and solar panels. The station combines the battery, controller, and inverter all in one. Much easier solution when renting.” That same reply also noted that many portable power stations can function as UPS devices and are a “much easier solution when renting.”
Adding solar to your home is one of the best ways to save money on energy bills. For homeowners who want to compare pricing and savings from vetted installers in their area, EasyHome‘s free explorer tool is an excellent place to start.
The question was not about a permanent rooftop system. The renter asked about a portable backyard setup that could be tested and used without making lasting changes to the home.
Another commenter focused on how that setup stays tidier indoors: “With a portable power station you have one box, one cable coming inside from the solar panels.” They also said a renter could “charge it outside then carry it inside to power stuff at night.”
With energy prices through the roof, there’s never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area.
EasyHome takes the guesswork and headaches out of energy upgrades by showing you estimated savings from a network of vetted local partners. To get started, just enter your ZIP and share a few details about your home — seeing your estimate is really that easy.
As a cheaper way in, that commenter mentioned a unit for $149. According to the comment, it can take 100 watts of solar input, store 288 watt-hours, charge in about “3-4 hours,” and run appliances up to 600 watts.
They also pointed to a bigger option for $999, saying it offers 2,400 watts of solar input, 3,072 watt-hours of storage, expandability to “near 20kWh,” and 3,600 watts of appliance output.
Another commenter said their solar setup began with “a Oupes Mega 1 and a 200 watt portable folding panel.”
Taken together, the replies favored an all-in-one power station over assembling separate batteries, controllers, and inverters. For a renter, that means a more portable project, fewer loose parts, and fewer wires crossing the living space.
Commenters also outlined a few ways to make everyday use more manageable. One joked, “Of course you can. Put the hodge-podge in a different room!” Another described a neater approach: leave the panels outside and bring in a single cable, or charge the station outdoors and carry it inside later.
For homeowners or renters who want to go beyond a starter project, EasyHome‘s free explorer tool adds value by letting them compare solar quotes and installer options in one place. It can also help you explore backup battery storage options, and pairing solar with a battery lets homeowners maximize savings and keep the power on when the grid goes down.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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Transfer-switch design and other wiring choices can influence both safety and total cost.
Photo Credit: Reddit
A Redditor posted to ask for help setting up a solar and battery system but found out there were more risks than they realized. 
The Reddit post came from Southern California, where wind-related outages have pushed one homeowner to compare backup options. According to the post, battery pricing was about $15,000 for 15 kilowatt-hours and about $22,000 for 30 kilowatt-hours.
A 26-kilowatt whole-house generator, roughly $6,500, looked much cheaper at first — until the homeowner realized the existing solar system could complicate the plan.
The search started after lengthy blackouts, including one lasting around 2.5 weeks and another about three days, the homeowner said. The home already has an Enphase microinverter solar system, but it does not include batteries.
Without battery storage, the solar setup shuts off during a grid outage. The concern was that once generator power brought the panel back online, the solar could resume producing electricity and potentially damage the generator.
Based on the quoted prices alone, the generator seemed to offer upfront savings of about $8,500 to $15,500 before adding any solar-related changes to the project.
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That is why users largely focused on ways to ensure the generator and solar system could not feed into each other.
For homes that already have solar, the decision is not just a simple battery-versus-generator comparison. Transfer-switch design and other wiring choices can influence both safety and total cost.
The homeowner also described a practical reason for wanting a different backup solution. The household currently relies on a converted Harbor Freight inverter generator, and the OP said the homeowner’s wife has trouble keeping it running alone.
In a later comment, the OP said, “Because I don’t have batteries, the system stops producing when power is out because there is no where to bleed the excess energy when its not connected to the grid, but when the generator powers up the panel solar will start producing and can damage the generator.”
So while repeated outages can make a standby generator look far cheaper than batteries on paper, an existing solar installation can still add integration issues that buyers need to price in.
A proposed fix in the comments was to relocate the solar interconnection to the utility side of the transfer switch, between the switch and the meter. In that layout, the generator would stay isolated from the solar during an outage.
The OP replied, “Great idea, I didn’t think about doing it this way.” 
Another user also backed the idea: “This is what I did,” suggesting the approach was already in use for at least one other solar owner.
Another user pointed to a different concern: inspection. That person said the original contactor plan might not pass, adding another real-world cost factor for anyone trying to maintain the generator’s lower price advantage.
In other words, the savings question was not just whether a $6,500 whole-house generator beat a $22,000 battery quote. It was whether the system could be rearranged in a way that protected the generator without wiping out those savings.
As one user said: “Move the solar to a line side connection before the transfer switch and after your utility meter. This will completely isolate it from the generator without any additional controls.”
For solar owners thinking through backup power, these stories dig into similar outage questions around cost, safety, and setup.
• Homeowners with rooftop solar say they don’t even notice outages after adding battery backup.
• Across the U.S., many homeowners are ditching their aging generators for solar batteries.
• Families upgrading home power say safer battery systems avoid gasoline risks during outages.
• Palmetto and SunPower customers can now use backup batteries without upfront costs.
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“Ability to island your house is greater than being grid-tied for net metering.”
Photo Credit: iStock
A Reddit thread asking solar owners what they wish they’d known before installing panels produced a strikingly consistent list of regrets: Don’t forget insurance, don’t ignore your roof, and don’t overlook backup power.
In a Reddit thread, the highest-rated reply focused on islanding rather than net-metering benefits, showing how batteries can provide security through backup power: “Ability to island your house is greater than being grid-tied for net metering.”
Cost worries showed up in several forms. One commenter warned that buyers should expect “Home insurance increase and roofing repair extra costs.” Others also brought up roofing, suggesting people consider replacing the roof before panels go up.
Even with the thread’s warnings about leases and roof costs, going solar is still one of the best ways to save money on home energy. Readers can use EasyHome‘s free explorer tool to see pricing and savings from vetted installers in their area.
Mounting choice and system sizing came up in the winter context. A commenter said, “I would go ground mount if you live in a rural place. Cleaning snow from them on the roof isn’t easy.” The same person also said that “over-paneling is a valid thing to do (panel output power exceeds inverter capacity).”
Roof age was a recurring concern. One commenter said their roof was already “15 years old,” so even though they had been researching solar for “3-4 years,” they waited until they replaced it.
Their reasoning was straightforward: “If you think you might need a new roof in 2-4 years I’d go ahead and do that first.” Otherwise, taking panels down and reinstalling them later will “add to the cost,” even though the panels may also “add some years to the life of the roof since they provide coverage.”
Taken together, the comments suggest starting solar planning before ordering equipment. If a roof may need replacement in a few years, doing that first can avoid later removal costs. Meanwhile, homeowners worried about outages may want home batteries for islanding capability.
With energy prices through the roof, there’s never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area.
EasyHome takes the guesswork and headaches out of energy upgrades by showing you estimated savings from a network of vetted local partners. To get started, just enter your ZIP and share a few details about your home — seeing your estimate is really that easy.
EasyHome‘s free explorer tool can also help homeowners compare solar options and explore backup battery storage. Pairing solar with a battery lets homeowners maximize savings and keep the lights on when the grid goes down. The tool can also help readers curate competitive bids from vetted local installers without sharing their contact information unless they choose to move forward.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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New data released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) indicates that deployments of solar and battery storage saved Texans approximately $3.55 billion and Californians approximately $2.5 billion in energy costs between June and August 2026, compared to the same period in 2021.
The report evaluated weighted average hourly wholesale day-ahead prices across ERCOT and CAISO using inflation-adjusted 2026 dollars. Despite substantial increases in total load, both regions saw steep declines in wholesale electricity prices driven by rapid capacity additions.
Solar generation scaled dramatically from 2021 to 2026, increasing 421% in Texas and 90% in California. Over the same timeframe, battery storage capacity expanded more than 26-fold in Texas to 33.1 GWh and nearly sevenfold in California to 62.0 GWh installed through the first half of 2026.
The impact across both grid operators highlights how clean assets displaced expensive peaker generation during peak demand hours. In the CAISO market, power consumption rose 2.5% from June through August 2021 levels, yet the average wholesale electricity price fell 51% from $77.54/MWh down to $38.32/MWh.
Peak hourly wholesale prices dropped from $141.75/MWh in 2021 to $59.69/MWh in 2026, with batteries now providing 6% to 7% of daily energy use. In the ERCOT market, total load increased 30.1% compared to the summer of 2021, while the average wholesale price dropped 42% from $54.97/MWh down to $31.77/MWh.
Peak hourly wholesale prices in Texas declined from $110.96/MWh to $57.30/MWh, with storage supplying over 1.3% of the state’s energy. Rooftop solar also expanded significantly, with generation climbing 172% in Texas to 1,533 GWh and 107% in California to 7,997 GWh.
SEIA’s findings show that the proliferation of solar and storage fundamentally alters grid dynamics by shifting the hours where high cost peaker plants set market-clearing prices. Rather than operating merely as supplemental resources, solar and battery fleets actively flatten the net load curve during late afternoon and early evening ramps. This operational shift demonstrates that high penetration renewables successfully mitigate price spikes during extreme summer heatwaves.
Grid operators observed that solar and battery assets significantly expanded the number of hours where they displaced expensive fossil peaker generation and directly set market-clearing prices. As these clean assets absorbed midday overgeneration and discharged during evening peaks, the duration of extreme price spikes contracted sharply.
However, SEIA cautions that wholesale generation savings do not translate uniformly to lowering residential electricity bills.
While wholesale generation costs dropped and residential generation portions of utility bills fell 10% in California and 4% in Texas, overall retail customer bills faced upward pressure from rising utility company transmission and distribution expenses.  In California, transmission costs rose 12%, distribution costs climbed 51%, and other costs like wildfire management overhead rose 90%, while Texas transmission and distribution costs increased 17% and 23%, respectively.
Industry leadership emphasized the broader economic and political significance of the cost-mitigating impact of renewables as power demand surges.
“As the midterm elections approach, delivering affordable, reliable power is a priority that transcends party lines and Texas and California are proof that the growth of solar and storage is driving down prices,” stated Tim Pawlenty, chief executive officer and president, SEIA.
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Nigeria’s Solar Boom Has Newlyweds Coveting Panels  Bloomberg.com
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UKIAH, CA., 10/23/26 — The new solar panels at Nelson Family Vineyards don’t take up any farmland. All 252 float on the irrigation pond.
“There’s nothing fancy about it. It’s just a bunch of solar panels, but they’re floating. And that makes it really, really cool,” owner Tyler Nelson said Friday. “It’s kind of fun to watch, and I love the electricity bill.”
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A DIY solar project sat on hold for 18 months, but when the work was supposed to resume, extra parts raised serious doubts.
For beginners, that kind of confusion can be enough to leave a setup unfinished.
On Reddit, the builder said their goal was to power a shed "for some lights and to maybe charge my tool batteries." What began as a two-panel Renogy kit eventually grew to include two more panels, plus fuses, a breaker, and a power shutoff.
Photo Credit: Reddit

Photo Credit: Reddit

The builder returned to the project with a four-panel, 100-watt-per-panel setup and used the Reddit thread to ask about two parts of the wiring plan: whether the extra 40-amp and 10-amp inline fuses between the controller and battery were needed, and whether a shutoff should also go on the battery-to-inverter connection.
"You absolutely want a fuse or an overcurrent protection breaker between the battery and inverter because batteries can put out a huge amount of current if something goes wrong," one comment said. "I wouldn't worry as much about inline fuses between the panels.
Aside from powering small-scale off-grid projects, going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy. Homeowners looking beyond a shed-sized system can use EasyHome to check pricing and estimated savings from vetted local installers.
The original poster's situation is common for first-time builders: a modest off-grid project grows from a basic kit into something more customized, and every added part brings another decision.
A family wedding delayed the build, and with an 18-month break between buying parts and doing the work, a system that once seemed easy to follow became tougher to sort through, especially as the safety components were added in stages.
On a small shed array meant for lights and charging tool batteries, unnecessary hardware can mean extra upfront spending, more wiring complexity, and more chances to second-guess the setup before the system is ever used.
To get organized before turning anything on, the builder created a visual diagram showing where each component would go. That layout raised questions about whether the inline fuses between the controller and battery had a clear purpose or were simply extra parts.
But that kind of planning is crucial when taking a DIY approach, helping to make the difference between a safe setup and one that could quickly become a hazard.
For anyone considering a larger home solar array, EasyHome's free explorer tool can help compare vetted installers, local pricing, and potential savings. EasyHome can also help readers explore backup battery storage, as pairing solar with a battery lets homeowners maximize savings and keep the lights on when the grid goes down.
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U.S. residential solar prices increased in the first half of 2026 as installers navigated the expiration of the 30% federal residential solar tax credit, rising labor costs, and continued trade pressures, according to the latest Home Electrification Marketplace Report from EnergySage.
The report, which analyzed solar and storage quotes submitted through the EnergySage marketplace between January and June 2026, found that the median quoted residential solar price reached $2.57 per watt, a 3.2% increase from $2.49/W in the second half of 2025.
For a system at the median size of approximately 12 kW, that translates to an upfront cost of $30,712 before incentives. The average estimated payback period increased from 10.1 years to 10.9 years, although EnergySage noted that a methodology change contributed to the increase.
Median quoted residential solar prices rose 3.2% in the first half of 2026 to $2.57/W, while solar-only pricing remained flat from the previous six-month period.
The pricing trends differed between solar-only and solar-plus-storage installations. Solar-only pricing remained flat at $2.62/W compared with the previous six-month period and decreased 1% year-over-year. Meanwhile, the solar portion of solar-plus-storage quotes increased nearly 5% to $2.55/W, excluding the battery cost.
EnergySage attributed the narrowing price gap between solar-only and solar-plus-storage systems partly to increasing labor costs, as combined installations typically require additional installation time and complexity.
Third-party ownership expands following tax credit expiration
One of the most significant developments in the report was the rapid expansion of third-party ownership (TPO) financing, as installers sought alternatives to traditional solar loans and cash purchases following the expiration of the Section 25D residential tax credit at the end of 2025.
The share of installers quoting third-party ownership products through EnergySage climbed from approximately 14% to 41% between January and June 2026.
The share of installers quoting TPO options on EnergySage increased from approximately 14% in January to 41% by the end of June. EnergySage noted that some of the increase reflects the introduction of TPO products to its marketplace in mid-2025.
Unlike directly purchased residential systems, qualifying third-party-owned projects can continue to access federal commercial tax incentives through 2027, providing an alternative financing pathway for homeowners.
Pre-paid power purchase agreements (PPAs) and leases emerged as particularly competitive options. EnergySage found that pre-paid PPAs offered a 57% lower effective cost per kilowatt-hour than cash purchases, while pre-paid leases were 39% lower.
Traditional PPAs also offered a lower cost per kilowatt-hour than solar loans, although cash purchases remained approximately 33% more cost-effective than conventional PPAs over the comparison period. EnergySage cautioned that the long-term savings associated with newer pre-paid TPO offerings have not yet been established.
Financing remains a challenge for the industry. Median quoted solar loan interest rates held steady at 7.5% for the third consecutive reporting period, while median loan terms shortened from 25 to 20 years.
Pre-paid PPAs and leases offered the lowest modeled cost per kilowatt-hour among financing products quoted on EnergySage in the first half of 2026.
In EnergySage’s contractor survey, 49% of respondents expected the share of customers selecting pre-paid leases and PPAs to increase in 2026, while 37% anticipated declining loan usage and 40% expected cash purchases to decline.
Labor costs squeeze installers as pricing becomes more competitive
Despite the overall increase in median solar prices, the gap between the highest and lowest quotes offered to EnergySage shoppers narrowed.
The average spread between the lowest and highest quotes declined from $0.72/W in the second half of 2025 to $0.56/W in the first half of 2026. The average highest quote decreased to $2.94/W, while the average lowest quote increased to $2.38/W.
The findings suggest that installer pricing is becoming more concentrated following the rush to complete installations before the 2025 tax credit deadline.
At the same time, contractors continue to face higher operating costs. Nearly 74% of contractors surveyed reported increases in hourly labor rates over the previous year. Labor represented an average of 22% of total installed system costs, second only to equipment at 36%.
Affordability remains a central concern for the industry. Approximately 70% of contractors identified electricity bill savings as the primary motivation for customers purchasing solar, while 63% cited cost or pricing as the leading driver of lost sales.
Regional pricing differences also remained substantial. Among the ten largest residential solar states examined, Illinois recorded the highest median quoted price at $3.07/W, compared with $2.00/W in Texas, a 53% difference.
Qcells and Hyundai overtake REC in module marketplace share
The report also identified substantial changes in solar equipment preferences as installers responded to supply chain constraints and evolving sourcing requirements.
Qcells and Hyundai each captured 18% of quoted module share on the EnergySage marketplace in the first half of 2026, surpassing REC, which declined to 17%.
After leading EnergySage’s module marketplace for two years, REC fell to third place with a 17% share of quoted panels, down from 43% a year earlier.
Qcells and Hyundai tied for the leading position, each accounting for 18% of quoted modules. Hyundai experienced particularly rapid growth, increasing its share from 4% in the second half of 2025.
SEG Solar also gained ground, reaching a 17% share, while JA Solar and Canadian Solar saw their shares decline.
EnergySage suggested that the increasingly fragmented module market reflects installers’ efforts to diversify suppliers, manage existing inventory, and navigate restrictions involving foreign entities of concern.
The inverter market, by contrast, remained highly concentrated. Enphase increased its share of quoted inverters to 63%, up 11 percentage points from the previous six-month period. Tesla followed with 29%, giving the two manufacturers a combined 92% share of inverter quotes.
Battery interest rises despite higher costs
EnergySage also reported growing homeowner interest in energy storage, although higher prices continued to limit adoption alongside solar.
Storage interest reached 76% among EnergySage solar shoppers, but attachment rates declined to 31%.
Median quoted battery storage prices increased 5% from the previous six-month period to $1,130/kWh, representing a 9% year-over-year increase.
Despite those costs, 76% of EnergySage solar shoppers expressed interest in battery storage, up from 73% in the previous period. However, the share of solar installations quoted with storage fell from 39% to 31%.
Among contractors surveyed, 64% identified price as the primary reason customers did not add storage to their solar systems.
Tesla remained the most frequently quoted battery manufacturer, with a 52% marketplace share, although Enphase increased its share from 20% to 35%.
Installers look beyond solar for growth
As the industry adjusts to changing solar economics, contractors are increasingly pursuing opportunities beyond traditional rooftop installations.
In EnergySage’s contractor survey, 58% of respondents identified expanding into adjacent products and services as a leading growth strategy for the next three years, including EV charging, HVAC services, and electrical upgrades.
The findings point to a residential solar industry increasingly focused on flexible financing, cost management, and broader home electrification services to maintain its competitiveness in a market without the longstanding federal consumer tax credit.
EnergySage’s findings are based on quotes submitted through its online marketplace and its contractor survey, rather than a comprehensive census of U.S. residential solar installations.
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NEVER LEASE IR PPA SOLAR!!! YOU’RE GOING TO REGRET IT IN THE LONG RUN… And you are only paying those overpriced installations because of greedy American Companies….
As an ASES lifetime member, I am really disappointed in the two solar organizations in America, ASES & SEIS, that did not help bring down the cost of installing solar panels!!! Why is it America is still paying three times the cost of any other country???
And what about all the bad installers??? What have you actually done to get rid of BAD or scam Installers??? Or even warn the American People of the potential bad solar company….
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Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
Missed pv magazine USA Week 2026?
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“They have you sign saying it will be $350 if it’s not their fault.”
Photo Credit: iStock
A Southern California homeowner turned to Reddit after noticing water stains on a ceiling near Tesla solar panels installed three to four years earlier and still under warranty. 
The responses highlighted a frustrating reality for solar customers: when something goes awry, there is a lot of uncertainty.
After finding “water stains in ceiling” near the array, the homeowner asked on Reddit whether an outside inspection should happen before opening a Tesla ticket.
Fees mentioned in the thread varied when Tesla decided the problem was unrelated to its installation. One person dealing with a cracked tile at a mounting point said, “They have you sign saying it will be $350 if it’s not their fault.” Another commenter shared Tesla had quoted them a $600 fee in their case.
One user who mentioned they had dealt with a similar issue described a different number. Tesla told them the inspection would cost $300 only if the company was not responsible, while “there’s no fee for the inspection and the repair would be done free of charge” if it was. That commenter said the repair was eventually completed, but the process was confusing, and communication was limited.
Going solar remains one of the best ways to save money on home energy when the installation is done well. Readers comparing options can use the free explorer tool from EasyHome to see pricing and savings from vetted installers in their area.
Finding the true source of a leak can be tricky, especially around a solar array. After checking the attic, the homeowner declared, “Tile roof and no evidence of water,” and one commenter cautioned that visible stains can be misleading.
They also said tile roofing changes what inspectors should look for. They advised checking for “cracked or blown out of place tiles on your roof,” since tile is meant to shed water but the underlayment and battens below it can still allow moisture in.
With energy prices through the roof, there’s never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area.
EasyHome takes the guesswork and headaches out of energy upgrades by showing you estimated savings from a network of vetted local partners. To get started, just enter your ZIP and share a few details about your home — seeing your estimate is really that easy.
They also advised caution with any third-party inspection. As one commenter put it, “If you chose to have a 3rd party inspector before the Tesla inspector make sure they don’t change anything having to do with the install.” Their concern was that altering the area too soon could make it harder to determine liability.
The thread also suggested that even routine service can drag out. One commenter noted appointments in their area were running about three weeks out and that a follow-up took longer because Tesla needed to source the roof tile. Another suggested that if Tesla doesn’t accept responsibility, the next step is likely hiring a roofer.
Before anyone touches the roof or the solar hardware, users gave the original poster urgent advice.
One wrote: “GET A 2ND OPINION! And get them out there before Tesla. Take TONS of pictures.”
This could help ensure the original poster doesn’t get overcharged or assume liability for something that wasn’t their fault.
EasyHome’s free explorer tool from EasyHome can help homeowners compare solar offers more clearly before signing any contract. It can also help readers explore backup battery storage; pairing solar with a battery lets homeowners maximize savings and keep the lights on when the grid goes down.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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SHERIDAN — One solar energy project in the town of Sheridan is in the process of moving forward, while another appears to be on hold.
The Town Board granted a one-year extension to the special use permit issued to RIC Energy for the Sheridan II Solar Project. Sheridan II Solar is a 3-megawatt solar energy system to be located at 2979 Middle Road. The project abides by the Town’s solar energy laws and setback guidelines.
Weston Hillegas from RIC Energy stated the process has taken more time than anticipated working with National Grid, but after the Town Board granted an extension, the permit renewal fee was paid and the project is moving forward.
The project’s amended Decommissioning Plan and Host Community Agreement were approved earlier this year. The Host Community Agreement will pay the Town $1,800 per megawatt in Year One, with an escalator of 2% each year for 25 years.
Code Enforcement Officer James Crowell said a project on Newell Road, however, has gone silent in recent months. After the Board approved Kingbird Solar NY, LLC, for a 20-megawatt solar energy system from Newell Road to Cook Road, the Town has yet to hear back from anyone associated with the project.
The Town Board stated it seemed strange that the project would not move forward after it was approved. Crowell told the Board that in many cases, solar energy projects submit plans to municipalities after the land is secured, but companies often wait to secure funding until after the project is approved by local government. In such cases, projects can end up being scrapped even after approval if appropriate funding is not secured. Crowell believes that might be the case with the Newell Road project.
The month of September was one of the busiest months that Crowell has had in recent years. He received 20 building permit applications in September, mostly stemming from renovations to residences in the town. Crowell also issued four certificates of occupancy and four notices of violation. He conducted 27 inspections on construction, one public safety inspection, and five investigations of a complaint, while preparing information for court proceedings four times. Crowell also attended training Sept. 16-18 at a cost of $350. A total of $1,127.50 was collected and turned over for distribution.
In August, Crowell received 10 building permit applications. Six certificates of occupancy and one certificate of compliance were issued in August, and there were 18 inspections on construction, one public safety inspection, two investigations of a complaint, and one property investigation. Crowell issued one notice of violation, one stop work order, and an address change. A total of $550 was collected in August for distribution.
In the month of September, the Town Justice Court received 153 Vehicle and Traffic Law cases with 141 disposed of; four Penal Law Cases with two disposed of; one Civil Law case received and one disposed of; and received one case each of Regulatory Law, Town Ordinance Law, and NY Code Law. A total of $15,753 was collected and turned over for distribution.
In August, the Town Court received 149 Vehicle and Traffic Law cases and disposed of 141, along with four Penal Law cases received and seven disposed of. A total of $15,949 was collected in August and turned over for distribution. In the month of August, the Town Clerk’s Office collected $276.50 in revenue, with $248.50 turned over to the General Fund and $28 sent to the State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
The next meeting of the Sheridan Town Board will be on Wednesday, Nov. 4, a week earlier than usual due to Veterans Day. It will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a pair of public hearings – regarding building codes and the 2027 budget – before the regular meeting commences.

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“We are very rural here so there are very limited options for service.”
Photo Credit: Reddit
For one western North Carolina homeowner, a years-long solar headache happily ended not with a five-figure repair, but with a DIY microinverter fix.
“I am posting this purely as a service to others who might be facing similar problems,” they shared on Reddit’s r/solar. 
In the thread, the homeowner said they installed a 12-kilowatt, 36-panel microinverter-based system in stages starting in 2018. 
Four years ago, breaker trips began intermittently affecting one, sometimes two, and even three circuits. That began a cycle of continued maintenance. First, their installer replaced and reset a breaker, but the trouble returned. The homeowner then turned to another solar company after, in their words, the original installer was “too busy and not interested in helping us out.”
That company also replaced a breaker, and the system then worked for a few months. By July, however, the same circuit tripped again and wouldn’t stay reset, leading to quotes of $10,000 for replacement Q cables and $13,000 for a full rewiring job.
Going solar is still one of the best ways to save money on home energy, but a major repair can dent those savings. If you’re seeking a vetted installer, EasyHome’s free explorer tool can help you compare pricing and projected savings from local providers.
Repair costs, installer availability, and changing utility compensation rules can affect a system’s value years after installation. In this case, agreeing to one of the quotes looked even harder to justify because the poster’s mountain home would lose its net-metering tariff in January. 
“We will be on month-to-month balance reset so we would never see a payback big enough to justify this kind of expense,” they explained.
With energy prices through the roof, there’s never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area.
EasyHome takes the guesswork and headaches out of energy upgrades by showing you estimated savings from a network of vetted local partners. To get started, just enter your ZIP and share a few details about your home — seeing your estimate is really that easy.
They added, “We are very rural here so there are very limited options for service.”
After installing six panels themselves and gaining some working knowledge of the system, the homeowner started replacing the Q cables on the inverters. Their equipment included T40 socket drive bits, a DeWalt battery impact driver, Q cables, PVC pipe, duct tape, heavy-duty spring clamps, and a 100-foot climbing rope and harness. 
They determined they needed to order a replacement inverter, and after they installed it, the system started “working perfectly.” A key step was also using the Enphase Installer Tool kit app to ensure solar-production numbers would sync properly.  
For people shopping for solar now, serviceability matters just as much as upfront price. EasyHome’s free explorer tool helps homeowners compare installer options and understand their choices before signing. The tool can also help homeowners explore backup battery storage to maximize savings and keep their home powered when the grid goes down.
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Voltalia Q3 results show strong growth, improvements in curtailment metrics  PV Tech
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Energies Media
A field of solar panels outside Badajoz carries more wiring than its own inverters can legally swallow at once.
On paper that sounds like a design flaw.
In practice it is the plant’s whole strategy.
Ninety two thousand panels feed twenty inverters that, combined, cannot accept all the power those panels can make.
The engineers who built it did that on purpose, chasing a deliberate capacity gap that pays for itself before the sun even climbs high.
What happens when a plant is built to waste some of its own electricity, and why does that waste pay for itself?
A solar inverter turns the direct current a panel makes into the alternating current a grid will accept, and every inverter has a hard ceiling on how much it can push out at once. The old approach matched that ceiling to the panels almost exactly, a one to one ratio, so nothing was ever wasted and nothing ever throttled.
That made sense when panels were expensive. A watt of silicon in the 2010s cost three to four dollars, so every panel added was a serious capital decision, and nobody wanted spare capacity sitting idle doing nothing for most of the day.
Then panel prices collapsed. As cells became cheap enough to overbuild, engineers realized the inverter, not the panel, was now the expensive, underused part of the plant, since a panel only hits full rated output for a sliver of the day.
So the fix flipped, and plants began installing more panel capacity than the inverters could ever fully carry, choosing a ceiling the array would exceed on sunny afternoons.
The Badajoz plant puts a number on that idea. Its ninety two thousand panels, rated at five hundred forty five watts apiece, add up to just over fifty thousand one hundred forty kilowatts of direct current capacity standing in rows across the plain.
Wired beneath them sit twenty inverter units, each rated at one point nine five megawatts of alternating current, for a combined ceiling of thirty nine thousand kilowatts. That gap gives a loading ratio of about one point two nine, meaning the array can theoretically produce nearly thirty percent more direct current than the inverters will ever send to the grid.
On a clear summer noon, that excess gets clipped, the industry’s word for power the panels generated but the inverter refused. The interesting part comes in the long morning and evening hours, when the sun sits low and the panels alone could never reach that ceiling, so the extra wiring finally earns its keep.
Modeling from solar engineering analysts at pv magazine, drawing on standard yield simulation software used across the European solar design industry, shows panels rarely operate at their rated maximum because real sunlight keeps them below the factory test standard most of the day. That gap between rated capacity and actual output is exactly what an oversized array is built to close.
Research from the University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems, examining the same tradeoff with minute level solar data, found that minimal clipping losses occur at an ILR of 1.25, while at an ILR of 2.0, 16% of potential annual generation is lost.
Badajoz, at 1.29, sits just past the safest end of that range, trading a small, measured slice of midday output for a much larger gain across the thinner hours of the day. A separate peer reviewed analysis found the pattern is predictable, since clipping losses follow solar insolation and peak around noon.
As one solar design engineer who works on European utility scale projects put it, “you are not sizing for the one hour of peak sun, you are sizing for the other nine.”
The ratio is not a free lunch, and the industry’s own data makes that plain. Push the mismatch further, toward a loading ratio of two to one, and sixteen percent of potential annual generation gets thrown away at the inverter’s doorstep instead of a tolerable sliver.
Climate matters too. A plant in a cloudier region with more diffuse light behaves differently than one on the sunbaked Extremadura plain, because the hours spent near the inverter ceiling shrink when the sky rarely delivers full, cloudless irradiance for long stretches.
There is also a mechanical limit nobody can model away. Every clipping event is a thermal event, current pushed to a ceiling and held there, and that heat cycling is the same stress that shows up decades later as a maintenance bill.
None of this requires new hardware, which is what makes the Badajoz approach worth watching. The panels, the inverters and the wiring are all catalog parts; only the ratio stamped on the design sheet changed before the first trench was dug.
That same logic now shapes decisions far beyond solar fields. Grid operators evaluating distributed battery fleets face a similar question of sizing capacity against what equipment can actually move at once, and pumped storage designers choosing turbine counts for projects like the proposed Nevada City station wrestle with the same tradeoff.
Even so, the lesson from Badajoz stays modest, since a ratio of 1.25 to 1.4 is backed by real operating data but no single number fits every site, every climate or every grid contract. The plant on the plain simply shows what happens when engineers stop treating the inverter’s ceiling as sacred and start treating it as one more variable to tune.
Hugo is an engineer with strong technical expertise. Multilingual from an early age, his writing combines technical clarity with a strong interest in science and energy.
Hugo is an engineer with strong technical expertise. Multilingual from an early age, his writing combines technical clarity with a strong interest in science and energy.
Hugo is an engineer with strong technical expertise. Multilingual from an early age, his writing combines technical clarity with a strong interest in science and energy.

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TCL Zhonghuan Powers India’s Energy Transition with PV Innovations at REI Expo 2026  ACROFAN USA
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Tesla’s proposed $10 billion “Project Crystal Sun” solar factory in Texas could get up to 35 years of local tax breaks on its equipment, according to the four agreements Fort Bend County commissioners approved on Thursday.
The vote was 4-0. And Tesla still hasn’t committed to building the plant in Texas.
As we first reported in August, Tesla applied for a 10-year school property tax limitation under the state’s JETI program, through Lamar CISD and the Texas Comptroller. The plan is a vertically integrated solar plant near Richmond, southwest of Houston, that would make everything from silicon ingots to finished modules, with commercial production targeted for Q1 2029.
Lamar CISD approved the school tax piece in September. The county was next.
On October 22, the commissioners court approved items 25A to 25D on its agenda: a Chapter 312 tax abatement, a Chapter 381 incentive agreement, a foreign trade zone agreement with a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT), and a “true up” PILOT agreement. Interim County Judge Daniel Wong abstained because his engineering firm has worked with Tesla.
Each agreement covers a different slice of Tesla’s tax bill, and together they run for decades.
The Chapter 312 agreement abates 100% of county property taxes on Tesla’s equipment and other tangible personal property at the plant for 10 tax years. The clock starts in tax year 2029 by default, but Tesla can move it to the first year after production starts, as late as 2031 without needing the county’s approval.
Tesla’s JETI application splits the $10.1 billion into $1.52 billion of real property and $8.6 billion of personal property, mostly production equipment.
Land and buildings aren’t part of the deal. Anything that isn’t eligible for the abatement, including the land and buildings, stays “fully taxable at all times,” according to the agreement.
Inventory goes through the foreign trade zone deal instead. Tesla’s site would be part of Port Freeport’s Foreign-Trade Zone No. 149, which exempts eligible inventory from local property tax. In exchange for the county not objecting, Tesla agreed to make PILOT payments, set at “zero dollars or 0%” of the forgone taxes for as long as the abatement is in effect.
When the abatement ends, the Chapter 381 agreement takes over. Tesla starts paying county taxes on its equipment, and the county pays 90% of them back as an annual grant for 20 years. The county keeps 10% for its general fund.
Inventory follows the same pattern. After the abatement, Tesla’s FTZ payment rises to 10% of the taxes that would otherwise apply.
There’s one more lever. If Tesla averages at least 12,000 employees for any two consecutive years during the first decade, the first five years of the rebate period become a 100% grant, and the rebate period stretches from 20 to 25 years.
That pushes the agreement out to Project Year 35. It’s also 2,288 jobs above the 9,712 Tesla says it will create.
To keep the tax breaks, Tesla has to start construction by June 30, 2027, begin “regular commercial production of solar cells” by December 31, 2030, and invest $10 billion by the later of December 31, 2031 or two years after production starts. Force majeure and “ERCOT Delay” provisions can extend those dates.
The jobs ramp is 2,500, 5,000, 7,500, then 9,712 employees by the fourth year of operations, with an average compensation of $55 per hour. Tesla gets the full abatement as long as it hits 90% of the headcount target, which is about 8,741 people.
The penalties are mild. Missing a jobs or wage target for one year only costs Tesla that year’s break, and two misses in a row lets the county terminate the agreement. Full recapture of abated taxes, plus a possible 15% penalty if they aren’t repaid within 60 days, is reserved for “Material Defaults” like missing the $10 billion investment, blowing the construction deadlines or abandoning the plant for 12 months.
Under the Chapter 381 deal, grants from earlier years can’t be clawed back for a headcount shortfall.
The county’s floor is small. The true-up agreement only guarantees that Fort Bend collects at least $2 million a year, and 25% of the taxes Tesla pays on its real property, the county’s 10% share and the FTZ payments all count toward that total.
For scale, Tesla’s own consultant, Kroll, estimated in the JETI filing that the project would pay $276.5 million in Fort Bend County general taxes over 38 years without incentives, peaking at $16.2 million in 2030. That estimate lumps land, buildings and equipment together. The equipment portion is the one the county just agreed to give back, for most of those years.
In its application, it says the economics of the Fort Bend site are “not competitive” with an unnamed site in another state without the JETI limitation and local abatements. The competing state is redacted in a confidential supplement.
None of the documents state a production capacity. The only big number is a quote from Elon Musk at Davos in January, cited in the application: “The SpaceX and Tesla team, both separately, are working to build to 100 GW a year of solar power in the U.S., of manufactured solar power.”
For comparison, Qcells is spending $2.5 billion on its ingot-to-module campus in Cartersville, Georgia, where a 3.5 GW cell line started production this year. Crystal Sun’s budget is four times that.
Tesla has been here before. New York spent $950 million on the Buffalo factory for Tesla’s solar business, and when the solar plans fell apart, Tesla turned to things other than solar to meet its employment requirements, including data labeling for Autopilot. Tesla did announce production of a new solar panel in Buffalo last year.
We want this factory to happen. A US plant making its own ingots, wafers, cells and modules would be rare, and it’s one of the few parts of Tesla’s business that still lines up with the mission it used to talk about before its “awesome abundance” pivot based on AI.
But corporate America loves its tax breaks. For 10 years, Tesla pays no county tax on the $8.6 billion of equipment that makes up most of the project. For the next 20, it gets 90% of it back. In return, the county’s guaranteed minimum is $2 million a year, on a $10 billion plant. And Tesla still hasn’t said it’s coming.
That’s how site selection works now. Companies file, collect offers from several states, and the county that bids the most wins. Fort Bend’s economic development director, Carlos Guzman, told ABC13 the county “would’ve been eliminated from consideration” without these agreements. Hard to argue with that, and it’s exactly why these deals keep getting richer.
That bonus for extra workers looks like an invitation to gaming (if things get that far). Paying people for make-work for a couple of years could yield tax breaks well exceeding their combined wages.
The protections are thin too. One bad year costs Tesla a year of breaks, and past rebates can’t be clawed back over a headcount shortfall, even though the county’s goal is obviously long-term employment.
Then there’s the equipment. Reuters reported in March that Tesla was in talks to buy $2.9 billion of Chinese solar equipment, and its supply chain is already caught in a patent fight between Chinese suppliers.
The state still has to sign off on the school-tax piece. After that, it’s on Tesla. Is it actually building in Texas, or is Fort Bend’s offer just leverage against the other state? From what I’m hearing, Tesla is set on the Houston-area location.
Tesla wants to start making solar panels in Texas by 2029, but you don’t have to wait that long to go solar at home. With electricity rates up almost 10% last year and expected to keep climbing, going solar is one of the best ways to protect yourself against rising costs. And with lease and PPA options, you can do it with zero upfront cost and start saving immediately. If you want to find the best deal, check out EnergySage. It’s a free service with hundreds of pre-vetted installers competing for your business, so you save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. No sales calls until you pick an installer. Get your free quotes here.
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GREATER NOIDA, India, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Renewable Energy India Expo (REI) opened on October 22 at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida. As one of South Asia’s major renewable energy industry events, this year’s exhibition has attracted companies and industry professionals from around the world. At Booth H16-A275, TCL Zhonghuan showcases a full lineup of high-performance solar products, including high-efficiency silicon wafers, TCL Solar PV modules, and BlueArk energy storage solutions.

India’s PV industry has continued to expand in recent years, with domestic solar cell and module manufacturing capacity growing steadily. Demand from utility-scale solar plants, C&I distributed generation, and residential rooftop installations is driving diverse requirements for upstream materials and end products. Meanwhile, high temperatures and dust in some regions, along with salt-laden coastal environments, place greater demands on the electrical performance, mechanical reliability, and environmental adaptability of PV products. In response to these varied market needs, TCL Zhonghuan is presenting its X-series high-efficiency silicon wafers, alongside TCL Solar PV modules and BlueArk energy storage products, showcasing solutions spanning upstream PV materials through power generation and energy storage.
X-Series Wafers: Supporting High-Efficiency Cell Manufacturing
The X-series wafers are among the key highlights of the portfolio. Through optimizations in crystal growth and related manufacturing processes, the series is designed to control impurity levels and improve material properties, supporting downstream high-efficiency solar cell manufacturing.
Wafer electrical properties and mechanical reliability directly affect cell manufacturing performance and finished-product yields, making them important considerations in material selection. With India’s market increasingly focused on power generation efficiency and project economics, X-series wafers are compatible with mainstream high-efficiency cell technologies, including TOPCon, HJT and xBC, offering cell manufacturers additional options for process optimization and performance improvement.
TCL Solar PV Modules: Designed for Diverse Applications
At the exhibition, TCL Solar is showcasing its T5 Pro and C2 series PV modules. The T5 Pro features high-density encapsulation technology and a three-section cell design, delivering 17% higher power generation than conventional half-cut modules under shading conditions, with a temperature coefficient of -0.26%/°C. The C2 adopts back-contact (BC) technology and a zero-gap design, combining a larger effective power-generating area with low-light performance, shading tolerance, and low degradation. Designed for diverse operating conditions, both series offer solutions for utility-scale, C&I distributed generation, and residential applications. TCL Solar continues to advance BC and TOPCon technologies to meet the evolving needs of the Indian market.
BlueArk Energy Storage: Solutions for Residential, Microgrid and C&I Applications
The BlueArk energy storage series is also on display, covering residential and small commercial use, off-grid and microgrid systems, and C&I applications. The BlueArk X1 features an integrated design for homes and small businesses, while the X5 supports coordinated operation with PV systems and diesel generators for remote areas and industrial parks. The W10 adopts liquid cooling and AI-powered early-warning capabilities to meet C&I energy management needs. Together, the series offers flexible storage solutions to improve energy utilization, optimize electricity costs, and support more reliable power supply across diverse applications.
Strengthening Industry Collaboration and Exploring India’s Solar and Storage Opportunities
As the global energy transition advances, India’s PV industry is seeing new opportunities in both manufacturing capacity development and market expansion. Innovation in upstream materials and stronger value-chain collaboration will also play an important role in supporting the industry’s long-term development.
TCL Zhonghuan will continue to advance silicon wafer technology and product innovation while deepening technical exchanges and business collaboration with partners across the PV value chain, contributing to the global energy transition and a more sustainable, low-carbon future.
TCL Zhonghuan ("TCL Zhonghuan Renewable Energy Technology Co., Ltd.") announced the launch of its next-generation BC (back-contact) high-efficiency…
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“Everything has been worse than predicted, it might be the same thing with this.”
Photo Credit: YouTube
Home solar shoppers could soon face a tougher math problem. A new Trump administration trade move targeting polysilicon, the material used in most solar panels and many semiconductors, will raise the floor on import prices on Dec. 4. 
Because polysilicon is a core ingredient in solar photovoltaic panels, the change could make rooftop solar more expensive for households looking to cut utility bills.
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Aug. 6 that sets a minimum import price for polysilicon and applies a 15% tariff to products made with it. The proclamation sparked a debate in a Reddit thread on r/SolarDIY.
“What do you guys think? Is there any way this doesn’t go through? How long will we still have inventory in America to buy before prices shoot up?” the original poster asked.
In the comments, users lamented the presidential proclamation’s potential repercussions. 
“That’s why I bought my panels a month ago. Everything has been worse than predicted, it might be the same thing with this,” said one user.
Another suggested, “Go buy now!! But if not then wait till the next administration in Jan 2029 or thereafter. Too bad this is a political issue.”
Higher import barriers could make it harder for households to access affordable solar at a time when many are looking for relief from rising utility bills. Going solar is still one of the best ways to save money on home energy, and readers can use EasyHome’s free explorer tool to see pricing and savings from vetted installers in their area.
With energy prices through the roof, there’s never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area.
EasyHome takes the guesswork and headaches out of energy upgrades by showing you estimated savings from a network of vetted local partners. To get started, just enter your ZIP and share a few details about your home — seeing your estimate is really that easy.
According to The New York Times, the administration cast the order as a national security measure, saying domestic polysilicon production matters because the material is used in semiconductors for electronics and defense systems, including radar, communication systems, and missile and drone control systems.
The Times preview also says solar consumes far more polysilicon than any other market. That could make the order especially challenging for the clean energy side of the economy, where cheaper materials can help more households install rooftop systems and rely less on expensive grid power.
The order also reflects a steep global imbalance. The United States was once a world leader in polysilicon production, but after China funded domestic manufacturers, it came to produce roughly 90% of the world’s supply, while the U.S. accounted for less than 2%. Some U.S. solar-component makers have sought protections against Chinese imports, but those protections can also raise prices for buyers.
The proclamation also directs Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to create an incentive program for companies that build or expand U.S. factories producing polysilicon or its derivatives. Over time, that could help grow a domestic supply chain instead of leaving the country so dependent on imports.
For homeowners, the more immediate step is to compare options carefully before prices shift. EasyHome’s free explorer tool helps readers compare quotes from vetted installers in their area and get a clearer sense of potential savings based on local pricing.
That tool can also help readers explore backup battery storage. Pairing solar with a battery lets homeowners maximize savings and keep the lights on when the grid goes down, making the investment more resilient as equipment and import costs change.
The tariffs are scheduled to begin on Dec. 4 as the U.S. tries to rebuild a polysilicon industry that now accounts for less than 2% of global supply.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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Energies Media
Drive the back roads northeast of Denver and the ground keeps changing jobs.
First it dug coal, then it drilled for gas, and now it tilts toward the sun.
On a stretch of reclaimed mine land outside Keenesburg, Colorado, rows of dark blue solar panels now sit where draglines once scraped coal from shallow seams.
Pumpjacks nod on the horizon in almost every direction.
The panels do not replace them.
They just moved in next door, and that raises the question the first section below has to answer.
The answer sits in the dirt itself. Once a coal seam is stripped and reclaimed, the land underneath carries a legal and physical history that makes it awkward to farm but ideal to lease. That combination of flat graded ground and low agricultural value is exactly what made the Keenesburg site attractive in the first place.
So the panels went up on acreage nobody was going to plant again anyway. The array spans roughly 47 acres of former mine ground, mounted on simple racking anchored into soil that engineers had already tested and stabilized during reclamation work. That earlier government mandated cleanup effectively did half the civil engineering for free.
Because the land was already flat and cleared, crews skipped the grading and tree removal that slow down greenfield solar elsewhere in the state. The site also sits near power lines built for the region’s older energy industry, which cut the cost of connecting to the grid.
Picture a quilt of nearly 16,000 solar panels laid over what used to be a coal pit, framed by pumpjacks, gas gathering lines and plugged wellheads on every side. The site sits in Colorado’s Denver Julesburg Basin, one of the country’s busiest onshore oil and gas patches, so the view from the array’s edge is industrial in every direction.
That setting is unusual even for a basin accustomed to mixed energy use. A local news outlet described the busy crossroads of Colorado’s energy history now points straight toward the future, from coal through oil and gas and now into solar power generation on the same patch of ground.
Developer ENGIE North America built and will operate the array, with beverage company Molson Coors as the anchor customer. Tying a flagship Colorado brewery’s electricity to a former coal mine gives the deal a symmetry that plain wind or solar contracts rarely carry.
The hardest number in this story is modest by utility scale standards but concrete. Once fully connected, the finished array is expected to offset 7% of the energy used at Molson Coors’ sprawling Golden brewing campus, one of the largest breweries in the country.
That percentage was calculated against the plant’s documented annual electricity draw, not a projected future load. The power itself does not travel directly to Golden.
Electricity generated at the Keenesburg site flows onto Xcel Energy’s grid, where Molson Coors and solar farm developer ENGIE North America will transfer the electricity from 47 acres of panels to Xcel Energy’s grid, and it is credited against the brewery’s usage under the commercial arrangement between the two companies. That is standard practice for large offsite renewable deals, but it means the physical electrons a Golden worker uses may never have passed anywhere near Keenesburg. Completion was targeted for the end of this year, following months of panel installation and interconnection work on the reclaimed mine ground, according to a Colorado Sun report on the project.
None of this turns Keenesburg into a clean energy showcase on its own. The array offsets a single digit share of one brewery’s power use, not the output of the oil and gas operations that still ring the site.
Production wells and gathering hubs remain active neighbors, a reminder that reclaimed coal ground does not mean a retired energy landscape. Molson Coors itself framed the project in terms of history rather than transformation, with officials saying in a release that the project completes a full cycle of energy development on the property.
Even so, the project is a useful data point for an industry looking for land that will not trigger a zoning fight. Former mine sites across rural utility territory increasingly double as solar ground precisely because their soil disturbance history already cleared the legal hurdles a cornfield or pasture would raise.
The Keenesburg array will not be the last solar project to borrow a coal mine’s old footprint. Developers elsewhere have used the same brownfield logic, including a Colorado community project built on disturbed ground that would otherwise sit idle for decades.
What makes this site distinct is the company it keeps. Most reclaimed mine solar projects sit on land left dormant for years, but Keenesburg’s panels generate power within sight of a still working oil and gas field.
That is a working argument that old and new energy infrastructure can share a fence line rather than a headline fight. The brewery’s power bill will not change dramatically because of one solar array, and the oil wells nearby are not going anywhere soon. But the reclaimed ground between them now does something it never did under either industry alone, which is turn sunlight into beer on dirt that spent a century underground.
Hugo is an engineer with strong technical expertise. Multilingual from an early age, his writing combines technical clarity with a strong interest in science and energy.
Hugo is an engineer with strong technical expertise. Multilingual from an early age, his writing combines technical clarity with a strong interest in science and energy.
Hugo is an engineer with strong technical expertise. Multilingual from an early age, his writing combines technical clarity with a strong interest in science and energy.

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AdobeStock
By Amy Alonzo | The Nevada Independent
Friday, October 23, 2026
A Colorado renewable energy developer is looking to build two massive utility-scale solar projects east of Reno.
Boulder-based Scout Clean Energy has submitted applications to build 2,000 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale solar across a mix of public and private land southeast of Pyramid Lake and east of Nixon.
According to the power and data center tracker Cleanview, the projects would dwarf the 690 MW Gemini Project that went into service in Clark County in 2024, making them the largest utility-scale solar producers in the state.
The Juniper Peak project is proposed for the Little Valley along the western flank of the Truckee Range, southeast of Pyramid Lake and north of Interstate 80. It would include 1,000 MW of solar and a matching battery storage system on a parcel of land spanning Washoe, Churchill and Lyon counties. The nearly 17,700-acre site is roughly 9,700 acres of private land and nearly 8,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land (BLM).
The solar fields and battery storage would be in Washoe County, while the overhead tie-in line would travel through Washoe, Churchill and Lyon counties.
The Amber Flats Solar Farm would also be a 1,000 MW project, with accompanying battery storage, on 17,100 acres — roughly 8,900 acres of private land and 8,200 acres of public land. The project would be sited in North Valley, again on the eastern side of the Truckee Range southeast of Pyramid Lake.
Amber Flat’s solar fields would be in Churchill County, but the tie-in line would run through Washoe, Churchill and Lyon counties.
Both projects are listed as having target operational dates of 2030.
“The Project[s] would not have any adverse effects on the health, safety, or welfare of Nevada res-idents, but would instead provide economic benefits, including jobs and revenue, to the State of Nevada and Nevada’s residents,” according to documents filed by the applicant with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada. “Because the Project[s] would be owned by the Applicant, which is not a public utility in Nevada and whose costs of the Project would not be passed down to Ne-vada’s ratepayers, this proceeding would have no effect on Nevada consumers.”
Kevin Emmerich, co-founder of conservation nonprofit Basin and Range Watch, criticized the project, saying it would affect native species such as the Greater sage grouse, consume excessive amounts of water and create a heat island effect. 
“The projects are so large, they would geoengineer the landscape and fundamentally change the natural processes that have shaped the area,” he said.
Scout’s website says the company has 1,600 MW of renewable projects in operation and under construction and that it has a “pipeline of over 19,000 MW of wind, solar and storage projects across 25 states,” including 188 MW of solar in Clark County under development. 
Scout representatives did not respond to an interview request by the time of publication.
Kris Cheney, Scout’s chief development officer, told The Nevada Independent via email that the company is “not planning to comment on these projects at this time.”
This story was published Oct. 9 by The Nevada Independent and is republished with permission.
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Haryana-based Electrent unveiled its latest range of lithium energy storage systems (ESS) and solar hybrid inverters at Renewable Energy India Expo (REI) 2026, held at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida. The new portfolio caters to residential, commercial and industrial applications, spanning everyday backup requirements to higher-capacity power management needs.
The launch features four product categories: universal lithium battery banks, in-built lithium energy storage systems, online lithium ESS and solar hybrid inverters. The expanded portfolio is designed to address varied power backup and solar integration requirements across homes, businesses and industrial facilities.
The universal lithium battery bank range uses lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) chemistry and includes 12.8V, 25.6V, 51.2V and 128V variants. The in-built ESS (lithium battery inverter combo) portfolio comprises the ESS 2350-60/25.6V and ESS 5500-100/51.2V models, while the online ESS range includes 5 kVA and 30 kVA systems for applications requiring higher-capacity power backup.
Electrent also introduced four solar hybrid inverters with different power ratings, phase configurations and ingress protection ratings. The range includes the 3 kW Solar Hybrid 4000/24V (IP21), the 6.2 kW Solar Hybrid 7500/48V (IP54), the single-phase Pure Solar Hybrid 6.6 kW/48V (IP66) and the three-phase Pure Solar Hybrid 12 kW/48V (IP66). These configurations offer options for different installation environments and residential and commercial power requirements.
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“The battery doesn’t have to cover the most extreme days.”
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Free solar installed through the U.K.’s ECO4 Scheme cut one homeowner’s costs almost right away, but their next decision — whether to choose a 5.2-kWh or 9.4-kWh battery — prompted a Reddit conversation focused less on present-day usage than on what the household could look like in a few years.
The poster said they live alone and keep electricity use low. Even so, exported power from May through October had already brought in about £250 ($335), which they said would cover electricity bills from January through October 2026.
Before solar, the homeowner calculated that 12 months of electricity had cost about £480 ($643) including standing charges, and they said around £180 ($241) of that was the standing charge itself. 
They explained on r/SolarUK that free east-west panels were fitted in March, the MCS paperwork was completed in May, and although local approval for batteries arrived only after the work was finished, the installation included a battery-ready Hanchu inverter for adding storage later.
Adding battery storage is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and gain more energy independence. Homeowners comparing sizes and installers can explore EnergySage for home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates. EnergySage has teamed up with electrification brand Qmerit to help homeowners get the best price on home batteries.
Much of the response leaned toward adding more capacity. One commenter wrote, “The bigger the battery, the more you can benefit from time of use tariffs, moving your usage to either be covered entirely by solar, or the cheap overnight rates,” before adding: “I’d go on the bigger side for the battery, go for the 9.4, then you’ve got headroom for the future.”
Future plans were a major part of the dilemma. The homeowner said they want to buy an EV “in a couple of years,” may rely on some electric heating during winter, and could later look at an air-source heat pump, making the decision about more than their current modest demand.
Others said the answer depends on what the battery is meant to do. One commenter broke it into two cases: “For most people a 5kWh battery is enough for the first scenario, and a 10kWh battery is required for the second,” meaning either carrying summer solar into the evening or using cheap overnight charging in winter. 
With energy prices through the roof, there’s never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area.
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Another warned that “beyond a certain amount you have [diminishing] returns,” saying storage should mainly cover “your core usage only” because extra capacity can lengthen payback.
For someone with relatively low consumption, that economics question was important. The original poster said their own math pointed to a payback period of roughly eight to 10 years if energy prices stay around current levels.
One recurring suggestion was to size the system using actual consumption patterns, especially in the colder months. 
One commenter asked, “How much power did you use on a typical December day?” while another recommended checking smart meter or inverter readings because winter loads and any future heating changes are more useful than annual spending figures.
The thread also clarified that storage does not automatically provide blackout protection. After one commenter asked, “But will a battery work during a power outage?” another replied, “No unless he gets a gateway of some type as well; then it will.” In other words, backup power has to be built into the setup from the outset.
For homeowners looking for a smaller-scale option, Pila offers strong battery backup systems. Pila’s plug-and-play batteries cost a fraction of a whole-home backup. 
In the Reddit thread, the most consistent advice was to work backward from the end goal: EV charging, a future heat pump, and whether cheap overnight tariffs will be part of the plan.
One commenter said, “The battery doesn’t have to cover the most extreme days, as that would mean buying capacity that you aren’t using most of the time.”
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The Solar Panel’s return is about more than Suns basketball. It’s about friendship, opportunity, and carrying on a legacy.
Oh boy, is it time for one of those Voita storytime stories? Yeah, it is.
This one is less about Phoenix Suns basketball and more about the relationships forged by its existence. It’s an introspective look at some of the experiences I’ve had along the way, and perhaps a way to make sense of those still to come.
Anxiety is a funny thing. You know it when you feel it, and sometimes it comes out of nowhere. That nervousness, those fits of uneasiness, can be downright paralyzing. I’m fortunate because one of the ways I’ve learned to navigate anxiety is by using it as fuel, taking that uncomfortable feeling and allowing it to unlock something internally that, in hindsight, has benefited me more times than I can count.
And anxiety was exactly what I felt as I pointed my truck toward the Chupacabra Taproom in Mesa, Arizona, on May 23, 2021.
On that day, as the Phoenix Suns prepared to play their first postseason game in over a decade, I had committed to participating in a live-streamed postgame podcast with members of the Solar Panel podcast. The anxiety churning in my stomach wasn’t solely because I was about to meet Dave King, Espo, and Saul Bookman for the first time. I was also going to have to settle in, watch a playoff game, and immediately transition into recording a show. And doing all of that from a remote location brings its own collection of technical responsibilities, logistical challenges, and plenty of additional reasons to feel anxious. But hey, we were living streaming with the Solar Panel guys!
The Solar Panel was one of the first Phoenix Suns podcasts available for fans to consume. And consume it we did, every Saturday morning at 9 AM starting in 2017. You could tune in and watch Dave King, Espo, and Tim Tompkins go back and forth on a variety of Suns topics. From the ‘Trial of Ryan McDonough’ to the hilariously executed Manscape ad reads, it was a fun community to be part of. You could watch the podcast live on YouTube, interact with the show through the chat, and engage with other fans who shared the same passion.
The show became the foundation for what the Suns JAM Session ultimately became. We wanted to create a live show similar to what they were doing, but we wanted to go live more frequently. During the 2020–21 Phoenix Suns season, we began broadcasting after every game. That frequency, combined with the relationship I’d developed with Dave through writing for Bright Side of the Sun and having our podcast appear on the Bright Side feed, put us in a position where we collectively decided to start doing live postgame podcasts during that memorable playoff run.
Walking into that tiny pub room in Mesa remains a fond memory of mine. To this day, I have no idea why we opted for Chupacabra, considering they only had a couple of televisions. But meeting Dave, Espo, and Saul was an honor. At the same time, we were there to do a job, so there wasn’t much opportunity to sit around in awe of guys I’d been watching for the past few years.
I distinctly remember handing out business cards promoting the Suns JAM Session podcast and seeing the look on Espo’s face. He was either thinking, “Hey man, this guy’s really into this thing,” or, “Hey man, this guy is a nut.” But one thing’s for sure. I think it effectively communicated that I gave a shit and was serious about doing this podcast.
You can go back and watch that episode, and it’s funny how archaic it feels now. We all had to make sure we were muted whenever we weren’t talking because the background noise, combined with sitting next to each other with multiple microphones, made for audio that wasn’t exactly what you’d consider quality.
And when it was all said and done, it wasn’t good audio. But it was fun. So much fun that we continued doing it throughout the entire playoff run, all the way to the final game of the NBA Finals.
That last game of the Finals marked a seminal moment for the Solar Panel podcast. Espo and Saul went on to form the powerhouse that is PHNX that summer, while Dave changed his podcast feed, joined the Basketball Podcast Network, and continued anchoring the program with a rotating cast of guest contributors. Brandon Dueñas became his primary cohost. Jake from the Suns Planet podcast was a regular, as was I. But Dave also brought on a variety of guests, including Kellan Olson, Gerald Bourguet, and Duane Rankin, Keith Smith, Mike Scotto, Eric Pincus, and other. Damn, Dave was a powerhouse in getting guests on.
From August 2021 through December 2022, it was Dave’s show. And on December 3, 2022, the final episode was released. I was honored and humbled that he chose to have me on that final episode.
One thing was clear. Dave wanted to spend more time with his family because, although he didn’t tell us at the time, he knew his time was limited. He’d rather spend his Saturday mornings with the people he loved than with a bunch of us idiots online calling him our Suns Daddy and picking apart the Phoenix Suns.
We lost Dave in January 2024, which is almost three years ago now.
Even thinking about that, and the void he left behind, brings back some of the anxiety I spoke about earlier. Because at the end of the day, what he established here at Bright Side of the Sun and what he created with the Solar Panel is a legacy of excellence, fun, and a genuine bright side to following the Phoenix Suns. It’s a tough one to live up to. He forged relationships that we all share, whether it’s in the comments of an article, during a game thread, or while watching a live podcast and interacting with others in the chat. There’s this little corner of the world that the Phoenix Suns fan base occupies, and it isn’t exactly heavily populated. The views we receive on our articles and YouTube shows, along with the listens our podcasts generate, aren’t setting any records. But behind every one of those numbers is an individual who cares about this team as much as we do and has made what we create a source of information for them.
You probably notice it around here at Bright Side. We promote a variety of ways to consume coverage of this team, and not every format is for everybody. Some people don’t enjoy watching YouTube videos. Others aren’t interested in listening to audio podcasts. The majority of you prefer to read, which is why you’re here reading this right now.
But it’s always been my personal mission to promote talented writers and content creators with different perspectives and unique voices through Bright Side because that’s exactly what Dave did. He gave people opportunities, whether through writing, video, or audio, and brought additional voices into the conversation. That’s why you see me promote the Suns JAM Session podcast, the Suns Planet podcast, the Fanning the Flames podcast, and Brandon’s new project, Locked On Suns Hit. They’re all part of a larger conversation that I want to ensure we continue to strengthen.
There’s something else I learned when I walked into Chupacabra on that warm May afternoon. As I shook hands with the guys from the Solar Panel podcast, I was reminded of something incredibly important about the Phoenix Suns podcasting community. We support each other. We don’t try to tear each other down. We make guest appearances on each other’s shows, promote each other’s projects, and recognize that we’re all contributing to the same conversation. At the end of the day, thanks to the standard Dave King established, we’re inclusive. We make room for different perspectives, different personalities, and different voices. We give everybody an opportunity to be part of the conversation.
With all of that being said, we’re once again going to carry on the legacy of Dave King, this time in a different way. After talking with Espo and Saul over at PHNX, we’ve decided to resurrect the Solar Panel podcast. It’ll be back, complete with a tribute to Dave through the return of the “Stat Me Dave” segment, for those of you who remember it. I’ll be joining the podcast as well, doing something I feel like I’ve done quite a bit since he left us: stepping in for Dave King and trying to live up to the standards he set.
So if you want to hear Espo, Saul, and me get together once a week to talk about the Phoenix Suns, feel free to like and subscribe to the PHNX Suns podcast feed, as the Solar Panel will be a weekly episode under that umbrella. I know that every time I step into the ring with those guys, I’ll feel a little bit of that same anxiety I experienced walking into Chupacabra back in May 2021. And I’m hoping that feeling continues to fuel me, pushing me to contribute meaningful conversations with those guys about the team we all love and care about.
I don’t know if you can ever truly replace somebody like Dave King. And perhaps that’s not the point. The point is to carry forward what he created, to keep opening doors, building relationships, and making this little corner of Suns fandom a place where people feel welcome. Five years ago, I walked into a bar in Mesa, wondering whether I belonged in that room. Now I get to help keep that room open for others. I think Dave would appreciate that.
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BluEnergy and partners have broken ground on a $21.7 million solar project at the Springs Fresh Produce Market in Ekurhuleni, South Africa, which will generate 40 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity annually.
October 23, 2026
BluEnergy and its development partner IBS Crafts this week broke ground on a R360 million (US$21.7 million) solar project at the Springs Fresh Produce Market, in partnership with the City of Ekurhuleni which is in the East Rand region of Gauteng, South Africa.
The 25.6 megawatt-peak (MWp) development aims to transform the market's roof and surrounding unused land into a power-generating asset and will supply renewable electricity to the city under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
BluEnergy, which is part of Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Blu Label Unlimited, said the project shows how public and private sector collaboration can unlock investment in municipal infrastructure, strengthen energy security and create local employment.
Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and City of Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Alderman Nkosindiphile Xhakaza led the sod-turning ceremony, which signals the start of construction under the Ekurhuleni Independent Power Producer Programme.
Related:Blu Label reports $306M loss, eyes future beyond Cell C
Once operational, the plant is expected to generate approximately 40 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity annually, equivalent to the annual consumption of around 6,000 average households, and avoid an estimated 36,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
It will connect to the Springs Bulk Substation, adding a local source of renewable generation to the municipal electricity network.
"This is a flagship project for BluEnergy and a blueprint for municipal energy partnerships in South Africa. Together with the City of Ekurhuleni and IBS Crafts, we are bringing private capital and delivery capability to an existing public asset to create a new source of clean electricity for the City," BluEnergy CEO Aaron Suckerman said in a statement.
"The strength of this model lies in the alignment of interests. The City secures a long-term electricity supply, the private sector invests in the infrastructure, and the community benefits from investment, jobs and a more diverse energy mix. Springs demonstrates how municipalities and independent power producers can work together to turn energy reform into infrastructure on the ground," Suckerman added.
Approximately $21.7 million in capital investment will be funded by the independent power producer, enabling the development without an upfront municipal capital contribution.
The city will purchase electricity generated by the plant over the term of the agreement.
BluEnergy said the construction phase is expected to create more than 100 job opportunities, with permanent operations and maintenance roles supporting the plant over its operating life.
Related:Blue Label Telecoms to rebrand to Blu Label Unlimited
Mark Levy, co-CEO of Blu Label Unlimited, said that through Cigicell, Blu Label's prepaid electricity vending and revenue assurance systems are embedded in more than 95 municipalities across all nine provinces of South Africa.
"We understand the importance of collecting revenue, protecting municipal cash flows and maintaining the financial foundations of essential services," he explained.
Levy said that now BluEnergy extends that capability into electricity supply.
"Bringing together generation, energy trading, payments and revenue assurance creates a stronger base for long-term municipal energy partnerships. Reliable revenue collection helps support investment in new supply, while that supply improves the municipality’s ability to serve its customers," he added.
"Springs puts this Group strategy into practice. It deepens our municipal partnerships, creates opportunities for sustainable growth and shows how our businesses can work together to deliver lasting value for communities and shareholders," Levy said.
The planned 25.6 megawatt-peak solar project at the Springs Fresh Produce Market. (Source: BluEnergy)
The project follows the granting of a multi-year energy trading license to BluEnergy Trading by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) earlier this year.
It also advances the group's previously stated focus on moving its energy platform from development into commercial execution through municipal and commercial projects.
The company said that for Ekurhuleni, the development will diversify electricity procurement, reduce dependence on a single source of supply and contribute to greater resilience against future supply constraints.
It forms part of the city's wider program to bring independent power producers into its energy mix.
Suckerman said there is still a substantial opportunity across South Africa for these kind of projects.
"Municipalities need additional electricity supply and investable delivery models, while private capital needs credible projects and dependable commercial structures. This partnership brings those requirements together, with benefits that will extend well beyond the construction phase," Suckerman concluded.
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Kolkata, 23rd October, 2026: Vikram Solar Limited, one of India’s leading solar PV manufacturers, today announced that its 9-GW N-type TOPCon solar cell manufacturing facility at SIPCOT Industrial Park, Gangaikondan, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, is on schedule to produce its first cells in December 2026. The full 9 GW will be commissioned in phases thereafter.
India has built world-class module capacity in record time, yet the cell inside most Indian modules is still imported. Cells are the largest component of a module’s bill of materials and the stage where efficiency, reliability and cost are decided. Gangaikondan addresses that dependence directly: at full capacity, it will supply high-efficiency TOPCon cells for the majority of Vikram Solar’s module production. It will enable modules made in India from cell to frame for the country’s utility-scale, rooftop, PM Surya Ghar and PM-KUSUM programs where domestic content requirements apply, as well as for global customers diversifying their supply chains. The company intends to seek ALMM List-II enlistment for cells produced at Gangaikondan in due course.
The cell plant is the second of three phases in Vikram Solar’s integration roadmap at Gangaikondan. The first, the 6 GW module plant, was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in August 2026; and the third being a 9 GW ingot and wafer facility, that is board-approved and targeted for FY29. Within the cell phase, capacity is planned to expand to 12 GW. 
On completion, Gangaikondan will be one of the few sites in India where ingots, wafers, cells and modules are made together. The campus will provide more than 2000 direct & indirect employment. The facility is being developed through the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, VSL Green Power Private Limited, on its nearly 200-acre integrated campus, where co-location shortens supply cycles, tightens quality control and lowers logistics cost.
Gyanesh Chaudhary, Chairman & Managing Director, Vikram Solar, said: “Indian module makers, including us, have built their businesses around imported cells. Gangaikondan ends that for Vikram Solar. Cells are where the value, the technology and the risk in a module sit, and in December we start making them here. It is the most important step in our integration journey, and not the last: our roadmap runs from wafer to module, on Indian soil.”
Gangaikondan at a glance
 
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Sineng Electric showcases grid-forming technology and solar-storage-hydrogen solutions at REI  Energy-Storage.News
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Solar Panels Against The Deep Blue Sky

Solar Panels Against The Deep Blue Sky
EPHRATA — Grant County commissioners have approved a development agreement for a massive solar energy project near Wanapum Dam, advancing plans for a 260-megawatt solar facility and battery storage system while establishing protections for one of Washington’s rarest snakes.
The unanimous approval Monday, Oct. 19, marks another significant milestone for the Royal Slope Solar Project, which has been under development for approximately five years. The agreement establishes construction standards, environmental safeguards and financial obligations for the developer, Royal Slope Solar LLC, a subsidiary of Clearway Energy Group.
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Traditional solar panels suffer from the disadvantages of being heavy, rigid and opaque. Furthermore, some rooftops are not strong enough to bear the weight of a heavy load of silicon modules. Perovskite-based solar can step in to unlock millions of square feet of rooftop space that is not suitable for traditional solar PV.
The commercialisation landscape for perovskite technology has now been meticulously mapped out in a new report by IDTechEx – “Perovskite Photovoltaics 2027-2037: Technologies, Markets & Trends”.
While perovskite-silicon tandem cells frequently make headlines for breaking world efficiency records in standard utility environments, the single-junction and flexible perovskite markets are quietly opening up entirely new application sectors. Because perovskite solar cells can be deposited onto lightweight plastics or glass, and their transparency can be tuned, they are transforming everyday surfaces into active energy generators.
A prime example of this trend is the revitalisation of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) and low-load commercial roofing. Large industrial warehouses and commercial facilities often have expansive roof spaces that cannot physically support the racking and weight of silicon panels. Lightweight perovskite PV can potentially solve this engineering challenge.
Furthermore, the technology is highly adaptable for emerging integrations like agrivoltaics, where tunable light transmission is required to protect crops, as well as vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV) and roadside noise barrier integration.
Even at the micro-scale, indoor perovskite PV is proving to be a highly efficient energy source for self-powered Internet of Things (IoT) devices, replacing disposable batteries in smart electronics.
The future of perovskite PV is highly segmented. It is no longer a one-size-fits-all technology competing purely on efficiency with silicon. Instead, success will be dictated by matching specific perovskite architectures with the right niche applications.
Understanding the specific applications that will drive the early adoption and long-term volume of next-generation solar is critical for technology developers and end-users alike. The IDTechEx report tracks everything from material innovations to pilot-line scaling, providing a holistic view of where the technology currently stands and where it is heading over the next decade.
Beyond just application analysis, the research covers critical technology development updates, manufacturing dynamics, detailed cost analysis, and an evaluation of the latest player activities and industry trends.
For additional information:
IDTechEx

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Henrico Public Works crews installed solar lighting on Azalea Avenue at Sandpiper Drive across from Henrico HS earlier this month as part of a countywide effort to promote safety for pedestrians and other travelers. The solar lighting installations began in 202  Instagram
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CREC secures P35B for five Batangas solar farms  Inquirer.net
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Renewable Energy Update 10.22.26  JD Supra
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Nye County commissioners approved a preliminary development plan and special use permit for the proposed Copper Rays Solar project despite continued objections from residents.
PAHRUMP — Preliminary development plans for a large-scale solar generation facility on the border of Nye County and Clark County won key early support from Nye County commissioners on Tuesday despite continued community opposition.
Copper Rays Solar has been proposed as a large-scale commercial solar generation facility on 4,414 acres of BLM land just southeast of Pahrump. The Bureau of Land Management issued its final environmental impact statement for the project in August, and the developer has started the process of obtaining local approvals.
Commissioners voted 4 to 1 on Tuesday to grant developer Duane Enger a special use permit and approve a preliminary development plan required under Nye County code. The vote followed an hour of public comment during which several residents expressed concerns over the project’s impact on water and the environment and skepticism about taking the developer at his word.
“Do we really want Pahrump to look like this? Do we really want this in our town?” Nanette Markham asked, while Joanie Hawley said, “If I had known then what I know now about all of the solar projects and everything going on in this county, we would not have moved here — and we could have moved anywhere in the United States.”
Other speakers emphasized the employment opportunities, particularly during construction, as well as the promised financial benefits.
“I think we can have good jobs, a stronger local economy and a responsible development at that same time,” Jake Macias remarked.
Enger said the project would generate up to $94 million in local property tax revenue over its 36-year operating life, or more than $2 million annually, and provide up to $1 million per year in federal lease revenue.
Additionally, a BLM report said the 54-month construction period for the project would generate up to 400 jobs. Once complete, the project would have five employees, and Enger said the company aims to give locals priority when filling those positions.
“Beyond these benefits, the legally binding development agreement proposes up to $10 million in community investments, supporting public safety, fire protection, water stewardship, scholarships and recreational facilities. These commitments reflect community feedback and create lasting benefits for Pahrump,” Enger said.
He said the solar farm has been designed to reduce water demand during construction, though he did not say by how much, and use only about 10 acre-feet of water during each year of operation. He said the company would only grade a small portion of the property and added that tortoises would be relocated and native plants such as yuccas and cacti would be salvaged.
Enger won praise from commissioners for his company’s promises to work with the community.
“My whole entire life I’ve been a developer and I have never dealt with people who were so open and so eager to work their butts off to be transparent and be available for questions,” commission chair Ron Boskovich agreed. “I appreciate the outreach from this group on this project.”
Commissioner John Koenig concurred, pointing out that the developers have even promised to preserve all off-highway vehicle trails that run through the property. “It was unbelievable dealing with them. I trust them, and I don’t trust many people,” he stated.
For more information on the Copper Rays Solar project, visit LREUS.com or EPlanning.BLM.gov
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com.
A federal appeals board is allowing the BLM to revisit its controversial approval of a Boulder City data center after judges found the agency likely violated environmental law.
As Colorado River cuts loom, Southern Nevada water experts say conservation, recycling and other costly investments could help secure the region’s water future.
The federal government’s plan to slash the Colorado River allocations of Nevada, California and Arizona still remains unpopular amid the historic drought.
Birders are descending on a home near Lake Las Vegas to spot a bright yellow bird that is stirring up commotion and awe across the nation.
The wreckage of a B-29 Superfortress that was once accessible only to advanced divers has moved closer to the surface due to changing water levels at Lake Mead.
A new poll shows that a majority of Nevadans are worried about growth’s connection to water resources as well as the proliferation of data centers.
A Las Vegas real estate firm’s proposed Yosemite land swap and private access road has drawn protests from environmental groups concerned about public lands.
The implementation of the 2021 state law could place monthly fines on customers ranging from $80 to $5,120.
Hurricane Hilary unleashed a massive flood in Death Valley. Within months, wind was already erasing its geological fingerprints in one dune area.
A developer behind a proposed Pahrump data center is asking a judge to overturn Nye County’s ban, arguing it unfairly undermines property rights amid growing concerns over water supply.
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Backup batteries are getting far more everyday use than their name suggests.
Photo Credit: Anker
Backup batteries are getting far more everyday use than their name suggests, with owners in a Reddit thread about Anker SOLIX power stations describing how they use them for everything from heating pads at a drive-in movie and a fan-and-projector camping setup to air conditioning, reef tanks, TVs, fridges, and freezers.
On r/AnkerSOLIXCommunity, a user first shared a few ways they used their C2000 Gen 2, then asked other owners how they put Anker SOLIX power stations to work on Reddit.
They said: “I had solar panels outside the tent and ran the solar power into the power station while it remained in the tent. Pretty awesome!”
A different user said their C2000 is tied to Wi-Fi for remote on-off control and, when paired with a 440-watt solar panel, can run an AC unit; in full summer sun, they added, it could cool their space “without being plugged into the grid.”
Another reply outlined a more built-out arrangement centered on an F3000, with three expansion batteries, a six-circuit transfer switch, and 2,400 watts of solar.
According to that user, the setup covers a converted-garage ADU with a 60-gallon reef tank, along with a garage fridge, a freezer, and another ADU, and it usually pulls about 500 to 1,000 watts per hour.
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Several replies suggested that, for many owners, these batteries are functioning less like emergency-only gear and more like always-on household infrastructure.
One user said an S2000 backs up a 55-inch TV, Sky Q box, Raspberry Pi 5, and a double LED matrix display showing a pixel-art fish tank.
They said that group of devices can stay powered for around 24 hours without dimming lights or switching to eco mode.
They also said a second S2000 was on the way to back up a freezer and a large fridge/freezer for what they estimated would be an entire day.
Other users focused on resilience for essentials.
Another owner said their unit keeps a security system and internet service running for roughly five days or more during an outage, while someone else said theirs is reserved just for a sump pump.
Instead of waiting for a blackout, owners in the thread described trimming some grid use with solar, avoiding the hassle of buying cooler ice every day, and getting steady value from equipment they had already bought.
The simplest approach is pairing it with solar panels for daytime recharging, whether that means keeping a camping setup running or using sunshine to offset an appliance at home.
Another tactic is dedicating a unit to one critical load.
The sump-pump-only setup and the security-system-and-internet backup both show that limiting connected devices can extend runtime and make outage planning more predictable.
For people with bigger energy needs, some users are integrating power stations into home circuits.
Describing that larger installation, one user said their system runs in TOU mode 24 hours a day and switches to bypass mode from midnight to 3 a.m. “to give the system a break from running the inverter all day.”
Separately, the OP said a compact power box similar to the C300 can keep outdoor lights running for roughly 10 straight hours.
For the user running AC from a solar-fed setup, the payoff came down to three words: “Free cooling baby.”
These articles look at the same trend: batteries that pull double duty in daily life and during outages. They cover portable and plug-and-play backup systems people use to keep homes, devices, and essentials running.
• A 1,000-watt portable battery showed what a solar-fed backup can keep running off-grid.
• At CES, companies rolled out plug-and-play backup power that skips the rewiring many homes dread.
• Anker’s F3800 Plus joined the home backup rivalry with Tesla Powerwall ahead of outages.
• BioLite unveiled a sleek battery backup that can protect essentials and qualify for incentives.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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A solar energy and battery storage facility on Riverhead Town’s closed and capped Youngs Avenue landfill is “days away from completion,” Council Member Bob Kern announced Thursday.
The project, developed by CVE North America, combines an estimated 7 megawatts of solar capacity with 13.68 megawatt-hours of battery storage, according to Kern’s Oct. 22 press release. It is expected to generate approximately 9,400 megawatt-hours of electricity annually.
The installation will generate lease revenue and payments in lieu of taxes while providing electric-bill savings for the town and participating residents and businesses, Kern said.
The town will receive credits associated with 40% of the project’s solar output, according to the release. More than 120 local households and small businesses have signed up for the remaining 60%, receiving credits on their utility bills without installing solar panels on their own properties.
Kern estimated the town will receive a one-time bonus of more than $70,000 when the facility begins operating, annual lease revenue exceeding $150,000 and an annual payment in lieu of taxes of approximately $38,000, with increases in subsequent years.
The lease attached to the Town Board’s July 2023 approval provides for a commercial-operations bonus of $10,500 per megawatt of direct-current solar capacity and initial annual operating rent of $22,000 per megawatt. It also provides for annual rent increases of 2% and an additional $20,000 increase in the 16th year of operation.
The board authorized a 25-year operating term, with two optional five-year extensions. The lease’s definition of the permitted solar energy system expressly includes battery storage.
The project follows several attempts to establish a solar facility at the former landfill, which closed in 1993 and was subsequently capped. Earlier efforts involving Borrego Solar and EmPower Solar did not advance.
CVE presented its proposal to the Town Board in April 2022, at Kern’s request. The town subsequently solicited proposals and selected CVE in November 2022, before authorizing the lease in July 2023.
CVE announced the start of construction in May 2025, identifying the Riverhead installation as its first solar and battery storage project in New York State. The company said the batteries would store excess solar energy for release during periods of higher demand.
Kern credited former Council Member George Gabrielsen with leading the town’s original effort to reuse the capped landfill for clean energy. He also acknowledged Town Engineer Ken Testa, town departments, the Riverhead Fire Department, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Council Member Ken Rothwell for their work on the project.
A ribbon-cutting date has not yet been announced.
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Italy’s second competitive bidding round for floating photovoltaic systems on inland waters under the FER2 incentive scheme has allocated its entire 30 MW quota. According to rankings published by Italian energy agency Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE), two projects were excluded despite offering a 2% discount on the reference tariff.
The result marks a turnaround from the first FER2 floating solar tender, which allocated capacity to just one 991 kW project out of a 50 MW quota. The Italian authorities subsequently reduced the quota to 30 MW for the second round.
Of the eight successful projects, seven have capacities exceeding 1 MW and offered discounts ranging from 2.010% to 3.25% on the reference tariff.
The largest project is a 5.5 MW floating PV installation proposed by Sunprime Agira in Landiona, in the province of Novara, Piedmont. The project secured capacity with a 2.010% discount on the reference tariff of €70.6 ($82.0)/MWh.
The smallest successful project is a 380 kW installation proposed by Gens Srl in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. It secured capacity with a 2% discount on the reference tariff of €84.7/MWh.
Rosa Rinnovabili secured allocations for five projects in Lombardy, located in the municipalities of Pioltello and Mediglia, in the province of Milan.
For the second round, reference tariffs for floating PV systems on inland waters were set at €87.3/MWh for installations between 1 kW and 300 kW, €84.7/MWh for systems between 300 kW and 1 MW, and €70.6/MWh for installations exceeding 1 MW.
In the previous round, reference tariffs stood at €90/MWh for installations between 1 kW and 1 MW and €75/MWh for systems exceeding 1 MW.
In an official notice, GSE said developers of successful projects must submit their incentive applications through the FER-E portal within 30 calendar days of the plants entering operation. The agency will notify unsuccessful applicants of the reasons for their exclusion.
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Aerospace and Defense Outlook 2026
China has taken a significant step toward expanding its technology export control regime. On October 16, 2026, the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (“MOFCOM”) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (“MOST”) jointly issued Announcement No. 48 (“Announcement No. 48”), which releases for public comment proposed revisions to the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export of China (the “Technology Catalogue”). The proposal would add targeted controls in three strategically important sectors: artificial intelligence (“AI”), life sciences and photovoltaics. If adopted, certain technologies could not be exported at all, and others could be exported only under a technology export license.
The proposed revisions are relevant to multinational companies (“MNCs”) with research and development (“R&D”), manufacturing, engineering, data, software or business development operations in China. They are equally relevant to companies without a physical presence in China that source, license, co-develop or acquire technology from Chinese parties. The controls extend beyond finished products to technical know-how, process platforms, source code, model weights, chip and equipment designs, manufacturing processes and related technical materials.
Notably, Announcement No. 48 also introduces an interim pre-export registration requirement that applies pending the revised Technology Catalogue taking effect. No comparable mechanism accompanied previous revisions of the Technology Catalogue. The public comment period ends on November 15, 2026, after which MOFCOM will conduct a comprehensive assessment before issuing the finalized Technology Catalogue.
China regulates technology exports through a regime separate from its dual-use items export control regime. Exports of dual-use items, including related technologies, are governed by the PRC Export Control Law and the Regulations on the Export Control of Dual-Use Items, and are administered by reference to the Dual-Use Items Export Control List. The technology export regime, by contrast, is grounded in the PRC Foreign Trade Law and the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the Administration of Technology Import and Export (the “Technology Regulations”), under which technologies are classified as prohibited, restricted or freely exportable.
The Technology Catalogue, jointly issued by MOFCOM and MOST, identifies prohibited and restricted technologies. Each entry sets out the industry sector, a technology code, the technology name and its control points. Codes ending in “J” denote prohibited technologies, which may not be exported; codes ending in “X” denote restricted technologies, which may be exported only under a license.
Under the Technology Regulations, an exporter of restricted technology must obtain a license letter of intent before entering into substantive negotiations, and must then obtain an export license once the contract is signed. The contract takes effect only upon issuance of the license. Technologies not listed in the Technology Catalogue may generally be exported freely, subject to contract registration.
MOFCOM described Announcement No. 48 as a routine adjustment under Article 20 of the PRC Foreign Trade Law. Since first issuing the Technology Catalogue in 2001, MOFCOM and MOST have revised it several times, adding and removing entries, most recently through a comprehensive revision in 2023 and an amendment in 2025. MOFCOM stated that the proposal is not directed at any particular country, region or entity, and noted that AI, life sciences and photovoltaic technologies are increasingly used in sensitive fields and that other major economies already regulate exports of these technologies to varying degrees.
Announcement No. 48 covers 40 key technologies across three sectors: AI, life sciences and photovoltaics. Of these, 14 technologies are proposed to be prohibited from export, including AI-driven malicious code generation and mutation technologies, cell and gene therapy technology and process platforms with independent intellectual property rights, and perovskite and tandem cell module production technologies. The remaining 26 technologies are proposed to be restricted, including AI-assisted vulnerability discovery technologies, proprietary technologies for the discovery and validation of wholly new cell and gene therapy targets, and certain polysilicon engineering technologies. Announcement No. 48 also identifies circumstances in which facilitation measures would apply. The key updates are summarized below:
Announcement No. 48 introduces an interim requirement that takes effect immediately. From its date of issuance until the revised Technology Catalogue formally takes effect, exporters must register on MOFCOM’s online technology trade management platform before exporting any technology listed in Announcement No. 48. The requirement also covers exports that have commenced but have not yet been completed. Exporters are responsible for determining whether their technology falls within the listed entries. This pre-export registration mechanism is new and did not feature in any previous revision of the Technology Catalogue.
Announcement No. 48 also identifies the forms of technology export covered by the registration requirement. In addition to transfers of technology from within China to outside China through trade, investment or economic and technical cooperation, it expressly covers a change of the owner or actual controller of PRC technology to a foreign entity. This point merits particular attention. Article 2 of the Technology Regulations defines technology export as the transfer of technology from within China to outside China through trade, investment or economic and technical cooperation, including the assignment of patent rights and patent application rights, patent licensing, the transfer of technical secrets, technical services and other forms of technology transfer. That definition does not expressly address a change in the ownership or control of the technology holder, and MOFCOM has not previously taken a clear position on the issue. As a result, foreign acquisitions of, or investments in, Chinese technology companies may now need to be assessed under the technology export regime.
Announcement No. 48 remains a draft for public comment. Based on the current text, the interim registration does not appear to involve substantive review or approval; rather, it appears to serve primarily as an information-gathering tool enabling MOFCOM to understand export demand and assess related risks. Interested parties may submit comments to MOFCOM through the channels specified in Announcement No. 48 on or before November 15, 2026.
The proposed revisions are not limited to shipments of physical goods. The Technology Catalogue governs transfers of technical know-how, source code, software, process documentation, equipment drawings, model weights, platform technologies and other technical materials from China to recipients outside China. MNCs with R&D, engineering, manufacturing, cloud, data or business development functions in China should map their cross-border technology flows against the proposed entries. Companies without a China presence should also review technology they source, license or acquire from Chinese parties, as well as any planned acquisition of, or investment in, a Chinese technology holder.
For AI businesses, the most immediate questions are likely to concern model development, data classification, overseas deployment and access to PRC-developed technology. Companies should be prepared to document training data sources, whether Core Data or Important Data is involved, parameter counts, training compute, access to model weights and source code, chip design elements, and the structure of overseas computing or deployment arrangements. Companies should also assess carefully whether the public domain carve-out or the facilitation measures apply in their particular circumstances. Given the rapid pace of AI development and the wide variety of collaboration, transaction and licensing structures in this sector, the analysis will need to be conducted on a case-by-case basis.
In addition, the proposed controls on AI technologies intersect with China’s broader data security and classification framework, particularly where model training or development involves Core Data or Important Data. Companies should coordinate technology export reviews with their existing data-mapping, classification and cross-border data transfer processes. Where an overseas deployment, R&D collaboration or other technology transfer involves overseas access to underlying training, testing or other datasets from China, applicable data export requirements may be triggered independently of the technology export regime. Companies should therefore integrate technology export screening with existing data inventories and mapping, data classification, identification of Important Data and Core Data, and cross-border data transfer assessments, and consider at an early stage precisely what technology and data will be made accessible outside China.
For life sciences companies, the proposed revisions draw an important distinction between transfers of proprietary platform-level technology and product-specific collaborations. A transfer of ownership of a proprietary cell and gene therapy or siRNA platform may therefore have a materially different regulatory outcome from an out-license or collaboration involving only a particular drug candidate. Companies entering into cross-border licensing, co-development, option, outsourced R&D or manufacturing, and other business development arrangements should identify precisely what intellectual property, know-how, process documentation and other technical information will be made available to the overseas counterparty.
The restricted entries concerning “wholly new targets” may be particularly relevant to early-stage biotech companies and discovery collaborations. Whether a target qualifies as “wholly new” turns on whether it has been publicly disclosed anywhere in the world, including through patents, academic literature, public databases, industry technical materials or academic conferences. Companies may therefore need to conduct and document a global prior-publication review before transferring target-discovery or validation technology abroad.
The interim registration requirement also warrants particular attention. Even where an out-licensing arrangement is not subject to an outright prohibition and may qualify for a facilitation measure, licensing PRC technology for use overseas is within the interim registration regime. In addition, the inclusion of changes in the owner or actual controller of PRC technology means that acquisitions of, or investments in, Chinese biotechnology companies holding potentially in-scope technology may also require technology-export analysis.
For photovoltaic businesses, the proposed controls may affect overseas manufacturing projects, equipment transfers, process packages, plant engineering, technical drawings and technical support for advanced cell and module production.
Companies should consider conducting a targeted impact assessment before the comment deadline and before entering into new cross-border technology arrangements. The assessment should identify technologies that may be in scope, determine whether a transaction constitutes a technology export from China, classify any in-scope technology as prohibited or restricted, evaluate whether a carve-out or facilitation measure is available, and build sufficient time into transaction documents and project timelines for registration and licensing. Where the proposed scope, technical thresholds, procedures or facilitation measures may materially affect their operations or planned transactions, companies may also wish to submit comments to MOFCOM by November 15, 2026.
 
 
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A few passing clouds. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..
A few passing clouds. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: October 23, 2026 @ 5:50 pm

SMYRNA, Del. – Community members are raising concerns about the potential loss of historic and archaeological resources as construction moves forward on a large-scale solar farm near Smyrna.
The Cedar Creek Solar project, developed by Freepoint Energy Solutions, is planned to span approximately 260 acres, with plans for about 230,000 solar panels. The project is located along Lighthouse Road and Woodland Beach Road, east of Smyrna.
Kevin Goldsborough, who lives across from the property and organized Citizens for Environmental Preservation, says he wants additional archaeological testing to determine whether the site contains Indigenous artifacts or burial grounds connected to people who were enslaved there.
Goldsborough says artifacts he has found nearby, along with the property’s history, raise questions about what could be buried beneath the land.
“Their equipment’s out there putting tons of this dirt over the site, which will alter the historical context and make any future archaeological digs more and more complex and just complicated,” Goldsborough said.
The property at 291 Lighthouse Road was once home to a house that preservation advocates believe dated to the 18th century. Kent County records show a demolition permit for the single-family home was issued in March 2026.
County records also show a permit for ground-mounted, large-scale solar panels for the Cedar Creek project was issued in October 2025.
Goldsborough and other preservation advocates say the property’s history, including its former use as a plantation, raises questions about whether burial sites or other archaeological resources could be present. However, the potential burial sites have not been confirmed.
Steve Cox, a Kent County historian who has followed the project, says the potential loss goes beyond the physical structures once standing on the property.
“Once a place like this is gone, our children and our grandchildren no longer have the prompt… to ask what happened here in the past,” Cox said.
Cox says he hopes archaeological testing can help document the site’s history.
The community’s concerns also include whether federal historic preservation requirements, including Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, apply to the project and whether additional archaeological review is warranted.
WBOC contacted Freepoint for a response to the concerns raised by community members but did not receive an immediate response.
Previous reporting has said the developer committed to planting more than 4,000 trees to screen the solar installation from public view and restoring the property for agricultural use after the solar panels’ planned 25-year lifespan.
Community advocates say they want the site’s history investigated and documented before further changes make potential archaeological discoveries more difficult.

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On October 17–18, 2026, Jinko’s Global Technology Day conference was held in Shanghai, attracting more than 400 customers from over 100 countries. The event featured systematic presentations on industry analysis, strategic focus, technology roadmaps, and ecosystem development, sparking widespread discussion across the technology and industrial sectors. Keynote speeches covered the release of roadmaps, an in-depth look at TAC technology, and the introduction of new products. The event presented a narrative of the new wave in the solar-storage and AI industries to global customers: 
First, the photovoltaic industry is reaching a “tipping point” in its transition from a cost-driven to a value-driven model. For a long time, technology, scale, and cost have been the primary battlegrounds for PV companies. However, as technology matures, efficiency limits are approached, and PV becomes widely adopted, the focus of competition has shifted from supply and demand to specific application scenarios. This shift in focus—from “universal solutions applicable everywhere” to “specialized solutions tailored to specific scenarios”—is not only an inevitable outcome of technological implementation but also marks the beginning of a new long-wave cycle of demand. A scenario-based tiered pricing system will gradually take shape. Traditional workshops will transform into “AI-enabled factories” capable of diversified manufacturing, evolving from traditional capital expenditure projects into production systems that directly generate revenue. 
Second, as the AI ecosystem drives a surge in computing power demand, tokens have become a critical factor of production. The concepts of the “Token Energy Economy” and “Interstellar Factories”: Faced with physical constraints such as electricity and land, future industries will directly convert solar power into computing power. Competition in the solar sector will no longer be limited to power generation per watt (kWh/kW), but rather to how many tokens are generated per watt (Token/kW). Competition in computing power will hinge on token production efficiency, the proportion of green electricity, and the cost advantages of green electricity. 
Third, the conference raised the profile of the “integrated PV-storage-AI” concept and promoted a full-stack product portfolio. The announcements at the conference went beyond mere product performance upgrades; instead, they unfolded as a coordinated strategy centered on battery technology architecture iteration and ecosystem optimization, aiming to provide a full-stack solution spanning from underlying battery and cell technology platforms to the top-level ecosystem—and from R&D to real-world implementation. 
Li Xiande, Chairman of JinkoSolar: As we enter the AI era, the energy industry is transitioning toward a new model—”from watts to tokens.” JinkoSolar will continue to push the boundaries of technology, leverage AI to enhance management and customer service, and expand into new growth areas such as the integration of solar and storage, as well as the synergy between computing and power. 
Cao Haiyun, CEO of JinkoSolar: Looking ahead, we will deepen collaboration with various intelligent entities to build JinkoSolar into a continuously learning and iterating intelligent enterprise. At the same time, we will continue to advance our strategy based on the three pillars of technological innovation, globalization, and AI transformation, fully supporting the realization of integrated photovoltaic-storage systems. 
Dr. Jin Hao, CTO of JinkoSolar: Currently, the efficiency of JinkoSolar’s TAC cells has surpassed 28%, and we continue to support mass production upgrades through technological innovation. He anticipates that in the next two to three years, stacked cells will enter mass production, with efficiency expected to exceed 33%. 
Dr. Zhang Xinyu, Vice President of R&D at JinkoSolar: The TAC (Tunneling Passivated Back Contact) technology is based on a technical architecture of “capture, generation, transmission, and output.” Through key innovations such as a broad-spectrum light-trapping structure, a high-purity homogeneous silicon substrate, and a global passivation process, it synergistically enhances solar energy utilization, carrier generation and transport, and power output efficiency, driving continuous breakthroughs in crystalline silicon cell efficiency. 
Zang Pengfei, General Manager of Technical Services at JinkoSolar: “The new-generation, high-end residential flagship Tiger Neo 5.0 module is built on the TAC technology platform. With a power output of up to 510W and an efficiency of 25.52%, it blends seamlessly into building rooftops thanks to over 95% cell coverage and a unified, all-black aesthetic.” 
Zhang Chi, Director of Product Management at Jinko Energy Storage: The SunTera G4 has become the world’s highest-energy-density standard 20-foot-sized large-scale energy storage product currently on the market. The SunGiga G2/G2 Plus serves commercial and industrial applications with five-level safety protection, while active grid-support technology further enhances the energy storage system’s ability to support the power grid. 
This year’s Technology Day also brought together global partners, research institutions, and guests from the industrial and financial sectors. Centered on three major themes—“Next-Generation Photovoltaic-Storage Solutions,” “Strategic Research and Cutting-Edge Innovation,” and “Computing-Power Synergy and Electricity Market Optimization”—participants exchanged insights on cutting-edge topics such as stacked cells, advanced materials, space photovoltaics, and AI, jointly exploring new opportunities for technological breakthroughs and industrial collaboration. 
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GREATER NOIDA, India, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Renewable Energy India Expo (REI) opened on October 22 at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida. As one of South Asia’s major renewable energy industry events, this year’s exhibition has attracted companies and industry professionals from around the world. At Booth H16-A275, TCL Zhonghuan showcases a full lineup of high-performance solar products, including high-efficiency silicon wafers, TCL Solar PV modules, and BlueArk energy storage solutions.

India’s PV industry has continued to expand in recent years, with domestic solar cell and module manufacturing capacity growing steadily. Demand from utility-scale solar plants, C&I distributed generation, and residential rooftop installations is driving diverse requirements for upstream materials and end products. Meanwhile, high temperatures and dust in some regions, along with salt-laden coastal environments, place greater demands on the electrical performance, mechanical reliability, and environmental adaptability of PV products. In response to these varied market needs, TCL Zhonghuan is presenting its X-series high-efficiency silicon wafers, alongside TCL Solar PV modules and BlueArk energy storage products, showcasing solutions spanning upstream PV materials through power generation and energy storage.
X-Series Wafers: Supporting High-Efficiency Cell Manufacturing
The X-series wafers are among the key highlights of the portfolio. Through optimizations in crystal growth and related manufacturing processes, the series is designed to control impurity levels and improve material properties, supporting downstream high-efficiency solar cell manufacturing.
Wafer electrical properties and mechanical reliability directly affect cell manufacturing performance and finished-product yields, making them important considerations in material selection. With India’s market increasingly focused on power generation efficiency and project economics, X-series wafers are compatible with mainstream high-efficiency cell technologies, including TOPCon, HJT and xBC, offering cell manufacturers additional options for process optimization and performance improvement.
TCL Solar PV Modules: Designed for Diverse Applications
At the exhibition, TCL Solar is showcasing its T5 Pro and C2 series PV modules. The T5 Pro features high-density encapsulation technology and a three-section cell design, delivering 17% higher power generation than conventional half-cut modules under shading conditions, with a temperature coefficient of -0.26%/°C. The C2 adopts back-contact (BC) technology and a zero-gap design, combining a larger effective power-generating area with low-light performance, shading tolerance, and low degradation. Designed for diverse operating conditions, both series offer solutions for utility-scale, C&I distributed generation, and residential applications. TCL Solar continues to advance BC and TOPCon technologies to meet the evolving needs of the Indian market.
BlueArk Energy Storage: Solutions for Residential, Microgrid and C&I Applications
The BlueArk energy storage series is also on display, covering residential and small commercial use, off-grid and microgrid systems, and C&I applications. The BlueArk X1 features an integrated design for homes and small businesses, while the X5 supports coordinated operation with PV systems and diesel generators for remote areas and industrial parks. The W10 adopts liquid cooling and AI-powered early-warning capabilities to meet C&I energy management needs. Together, the series offers flexible storage solutions to improve energy utilization, optimize electricity costs, and support more reliable power supply across diverse applications.
Strengthening Industry Collaboration and Exploring India’s Solar and Storage Opportunities
As the global energy transition advances, India’s PV industry is seeing new opportunities in both manufacturing capacity development and market expansion. Innovation in upstream materials and stronger value-chain collaboration will also play an important role in supporting the industry’s long-term development.
TCL Zhonghuan will continue to advance silicon wafer technology and product innovation while deepening technical exchanges and business collaboration with partners across the PV value chain, contributing to the global energy transition and a more sustainable, low-carbon future.
Le Renewable Energy India Expo (REI) a ouvert ses portes le 22 octobre à l’India Expo Centre de Greater Noida. Figurant parmi les événements majeurs…
La Renewable Energy India Expo (REI) se inauguró el 22 de octubre en el India Expo Centre, en Greater Noida. Al tratarse de uno de los principales…
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PV Hardware USA is growing its original Houston manufacturing facility by roughly 34,200 square feet, a move the company says will boost its overall Houston footprint capacity by 42% as it races to keep pace with booming demand for solar tracker components. The added space is expected to support a 35% increase in production of pre-assembled tracker parts, components the company builds in-house before shipping them to solar project sites.
The expansion marks the latest buildout for a company that has moved fast in Houston. As reported by Renewables Now, PV Hardware USA invested $30 million to launch its first Houston facility in May 2024, then added a second, 95,000-square-foot tracker factory in September 2025, according to pv magazine USA. That first facility, described at its opening as a 50,000-square-foot, $30 million operation per Solar Power World, employs more than 120 local workers, the outlet reported.
PVH USA CEO Alfonso Queipo framed the latest investment as a direct response to customer pressure rather than a speculative bet. “We are investing in additional domestic manufacturing capacity because our customers are asking us to do more,” Queipo said, according to the same pv magazine USA report.
The company’s pitch centers on moving complexity out of the field and into the factory. Per pv magazine USA’s reporting, PVH USA says its controlled manufacturing process can cut the number of loose components delivered to a project site by up to 70%, and that pre-assembled trackers can be installed up to 44% faster than traditional field-built systems. A separate company statement circulated via EIN Presswire noted that the firm’s controlled environment manages assembly of 188 loose parts per tracker row, illustrating just how much hardware gets consolidated before it ever reaches a jobsite.
That same statement said the expansion is meant to help customers tackle a cluster of persistent headaches: labor availability, project schedules, material handling and installation consistency, according to EIN Presswire. PVH USA has been refining this pre-assembly model since 2023, the pv magazine USA report notes, with the stated goal of streamlining utility-scale installations and offsetting shortages of field labor.
Solar trackers are heavy, steel-intensive equipment — the company says steel accounts for more than 98% of the total weight of a PVH tracker system, per pv magazine USA, which helps explain why manufacturing location and logistics matter so much to the business model. The second Houston facility, which came online in July, was designed to increase production and cut customer lead times, according to EnergyCapital HTX, which also reported that PVH USA’s original Houston plant manufactures solar structures and custom tracking systems for new solar-generation projects.
The expansion lands amid a broader surge in U.S. utility-scale solar construction. Utility-scale installations hit 9.6 GWdc in the second quarter of 2026, up 61% year over year and 56% from the prior quarter, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association‘s Q3 2026 market report. Overall U.S. solar installations reached 11.4 GWdc in the same quarter, a 45% jump from a year earlier, and solar plus battery storage accounted for 70% of all new electricity-generating capacity added nationwide in the first half of 2026, per the same report.
SEIA’s outlook points to continued, if uneven, growth ahead: the group projects roughly 44 GWdc of annual solar additions through 2031, with permitting bottlenecks and the transition away from federal tax credits expected to keep that growth largely flat rather than accelerating further. A safe-harbored project pipeline from July 2026, totaling up to 240 GWdc, is expected to support installations through 2030 even as those headwinds persist, the report states. Domestic module manufacturing capacity stood at roughly 66 GWdc as of the second quarter, according to SEIA’s figures — a backdrop that helps explain why component suppliers like PVH USA are racing to expand their own domestic footprint rather than lean on imports.
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BarcelonaRenewable energies consolidated their role in the Spanish economy during the 2025 financial year by reaching a total contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP, the indicator that measures an economy) of 17,501 million nominal euros, which represents 1.04% of the national economy, according to the data from the Study on the macroeconomic impact of renewable energies 2025, prepared by Deloitte. Read it all
According to the study, in real terms the contribution to the Spanish economy of these energies has grown by 7.2% since 2015. In 2025, the direct contribution of renewable energies to GDP was 9,958 million euros, 8.2% higher than in 2024, while the demand for goods and services from other activities generated an indirect contribution of 3,778 million euros more, with a growth of 4.6%.
At the same time, renewable energies have a positive impact both on household economies, with a saving on the electricity bill compared to what it would cost without this type of generation, and on companies, which gain in competitiveness.
An example of this are the calculations made by the Spanish solar photovoltaic association, Unef. According to their estimates, solar photovoltaic energy alone has allowed Spanish consumers to save 17.021 billion euros in 18 months, between January 2025 and June 2026, thanks to its capacity to reduce the price of electricity in the wholesale market.
Unef’s analysis shows that electricity would have been significantly more expensive if the contribution of photovoltaics had not been available. During the period studied, the average daily market price was 60.2 €/MWh, compared to the 112 €/MWh it would have reached without solar energy. This represents a 46% reduction in the price of electricity or, in other words, that without the contribution of photovoltaics it would have been 86% more expensive.
This effect benefits all consumers, both families and companies and industry, by reducing electricity costs in the wholesale market. According to this association, for every euro that Spanish society invests in photovoltaics, it obtains a saving of eight euros in the price of electricity, based on the relationship between investment and savings that comes with having this technology in the electricity mix.
One of the conclusions of the Unef study is that the economic benefit of photovoltaics does not come solely from ground-mounted solar plants. Self-consumption by homes and businesses also contributes to reducing the cost of electricity for all consumers. According to Unef, of the 17.021 billion euros in savings estimated over 18 months, 2.791 billion correspond to the contribution of self-consumption, while the remaining 14.230 billion are attributed to generation from ground-mounted photovoltaic plants.
Self-consumption not only benefits those who have it installed, but also all consumers, because when a home or business produces and consumes its own electricity, it reduces the amount it needs to purchase from the grid. This lower demand helps to contain the price of the electricity market and generates a benefit that goes beyond the individual savings of those who have a self-consumption installation.
According to the Deloitte study, renewables not only make a positive contribution to GDP, but also generate employment. The growth of green energy was accompanied in 2025 by a record in job creation, sustaining 140,621 jobs (90,797 direct and 49,824 indirect), 5.6% more than in 2024.
However, in a press conference, the general director of APPA Renovables –the sector’s business association–, José María González Moya, considered that in 2026 these conditions “are turning around” and these figures from last year give “an image that is not entirely real of what the sector is suffering today”.
Regarding installed renewable capacity, Spain closed the year with 104.5 gigawatts (GW) –excluding self-consumption– after incorporating 12.5 additional GW. Photovoltaics led the installations with 11.3 new GW –90% of the total added–, reaching 50.4 accumulated GW, while wind power added 1.2 GW, to stand at 33.3 GW. For its part, self-consumption added 1,214 MW and achieved an accumulated capacity of 9,590 MW.

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Stephen Gibbs of Ossila writes that a vital scientific paradox is often being overlooked – solar panels are less efficient as they get hotter.
October 23, 2026
In this contributed blog, Stephen Gibbs, scientific content writer at Ossila, a manufacturer with a focus on research into renewable energy, explains the physics behind heat’s negative effect on solar generation and calls for renewed focus on making the technology more climate resilient.
Following this year’s sweltering summer, government data shows nearly 172,000 solar installations have been fitted across the UK since the start of 2026. Record-breaking and back-to-back heatwaves have scorched much of Europe this year, with England recording its highest peak, 38.1°C since records began.
It is a common assumption that blazing hot, sunny days equal peak solar output; therefore, the conversation around solar energy usually revolves around expansion. However, a vital scientific paradox is often being overlooked – solar panels are less efficient as they get hotter.
As temperatures rise, grid demand spikes due to widespread air conditioning usage. Simultaneously, the net capacity of regional solar fleets drops significantly. Beyond this drop in efficiency, the long-term effects of elongated thermal cycles pose a physical threat to climate targets, permanent hardware damage, and degradation.
The primary driver of this long-term damage is the mechanical stress caused by daily temperature swings. Similar to a freeze thaw effect, the daily shift of temperature from blistering daytime heat to cooler night-time temperatures causes the different materials within a panel to expand and contact at unequal rates. Over time, this persistent thermal cycling disrupts the flow of electricity within the silicon wafers by creating microscopic fractures.
On top of this, extreme heat can lead to destabilisation in protective polymer layers. This leads to delamination, where the encapsulant layers peel away and expose the solar panels' internal components. Once exposed, ambient degradation caused by moisture causes corrosion of key internal components and leads to irreversible power failure.
The panels themselves are not the only pieces of vital grid infrastructure at risk. Higher daily temperatures also pose a threat to central and string inverters, which convert harvested energy into usable electricity. Higher ambient environments increase the operation strain on these inverters, to prevent their sensitive internal electronics from melting an automated protective mechanism is deployed. Thermal derating automatically throttles the power output to protect the internal electronics; however, this comes at cost of causing a clean energy distribution bottleneck right when the grid requires it the most.
To understand why extreme heat can negatively impact solar performance, one must look at the underlying physics of photovoltaic (PV) cells. Standard testing conditions (STC) evaluate solar panel performance at a strict cell temperature of 25°C.
Once ambient temperatures soar during a heatwave, internal cell temperature of a solar panel can be approximately 25°C to 35°C higher than the ambient air temperature and can easily exceed 65°C. For every Degree Celsius above that baseline, a solar panel loses efficiency due to its temperature coefficient:
Voltage Drop: As semiconductor temperatures rise, so does the internal energy of electrons. This reduces the cell’s open circuit voltage, causing power output to plummet.
Efficiency Loss: The typical crystalline silicon panels have a temperature coefficient of roughly -0.3°C to -0.5°C per °C. This means that during higher heats, like the 38.1°C English record peak, actual power generation can drop by 15-20% compared to the modules rated capacity.
Thanks in large part to its abundance, silicon is the most common semiconductor material used in solar cell production. However, the upper limit of efficiency for silicon has hovered at around 29%, an efficiency which worsens in elevated temperatures.
In comparison to silicon, perovskite solar cells show remarkable energy conversion efficiencies (PCEs), economical manufacturing methods, and adjustable optoelectronic characteristics. Perovskite is much better at absorbing light than traditional crystalline silicon, and it is 'tunable' to use a wider range of the solar spectrum that remains inaccessible to silicon photovoltaics. Despite the benefits, there are challenges that researchers must overcome.
For materials, such as perovskites, to be seen as viable for use in commercial solar panels, researchers must test their stability under several external stresses. Some examples of this are thermal cycling, damp heat, UV light, and light induced degradation. Silicon currently meets all the standards needed but falls short in terms of efficiency. On the flipside, perovskites show much higher potential in terms of efficiency, but by nature are susceptible to degradation caused by external factors such as temperature and humidity. On top of this, to enhance their performance and retain stability, perovskites need to be ultrathin, which further exacerbates stability issues when met with external stresses.
For any new solar materials, researchers must ensure they can withstand the same, or even tougher conditions as their silicon counterparts.
Researchers around the world have been experimenting with different ways of bringing perovskite solar cells to the commercial market:
Encapsulated Single Layer Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs) – These cells primarily have a single active layer, meaning they can be cheaper to produce due to simpler manufacturing processes. However, encapsulated perovskite solar cells typically fall short of the 30% energy conversion efficiency mark, meaning the long-term stability of perovskite materials remains a challenge. Improving encapsulation will be vital in improving the commercial viability of PSCs.
Tandem Perovskite-Silicon Solar Cells – By combining perovskite and silicon layers, researchers have been able to break the 30% energy efficiency barrier. The perovskite layer captures higher-energy light, while the silicon layer absorbs lower-energy light, thus creating tandem cells that absorb a broader spectrum of light while proving far more stable at elevated temperatures.
While new ground is regularly being made in terms of efficiency, these breakthroughs come from controlled laboratory environments. To develop the next generation of heat-resilient perovskite hardware and to bring tandem PVs to the mainstream, researchers require consistent, repeatable conditions that mimic in situ use. Outdoor conditions are far too unpredictable for accurate R&D; therefore, scientists must replicate outdoor conditions via several well-structured laboratory protocols.
Image: Ossila.
Researchers can then use continuous thermal logging to track real-time voltage drops as temperatures rise over time. This is key when testing cell efficiency in both encapsulated perovskites and in tandem solar cells.
To test long-term durability, researchers can also perform lifetime testing. By employing accelerated degradation techniques, researchers can use tunable LED systems to simulate varying intensities of sunlight and mimic years of intense heatwaves. This allows researchers in any lab in the world to perform repeatable, consistent, and controlled device and material testing regardless of the climate.
Standard reliability protocols such as light-induced degradation or damp heat testing require cells to be exposed to continuous illumination for potentially thousands of hours. Tying up a single calibrated solar simulator in a shared lab to test one batch of cells at a time is both financially and logistically impractical.
Finding the durability of different materials under extreme solar spectra is a key stage of device testing and utilising multiple budget friendly, LED-powered solar simulators running parallel allows labs to scale up their research. Thus, leading to quicker and more accurate prototyping ensuring future developments can survive an increasingly hot climate.
There is no doubt that as temperatures continue to rise, the demand for renewable energy solutions will also increase. By utilising low-cost, versatile tools to replicate the exact solar spectrum, material scientists can push the boundaries of energy efficiency and device stability, ultimately reframing the narrative for the future of solar power. Instead of “how much solar can we build?” researchers are asking (and beginning to answer), “how can we make solar more climate-resistant?”
Read more about:
Stephen Gibbs
scientific content writer, Ossila
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Akuo seeks green light for 50MW Uruguay solar project  BNamericas
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The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), launched 50 years ago, recently outlined the significant milestones in its Solar century: Landmark moments in the history of solar energy, beginning with the first silicon solar cells developed in 1954 in Bell Labs in New Jersey. Much research followed release of the prototype, and then in 1961, the United Nations held a “New Sources of Energy” conference to exchange ideas on the applications of solar, wind and other forms of alternative energy.
The 1970s were a time of unrest in the nation and new focus on the environment that launched the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Three years later the first solar home, Solar One, debuted at the University of Delaware.
SEIA was founded in 1974 with the idea that the trade association should support the “prompt, orderly, widespread and open growth of solar energy resources now.” One of its first milestones was to integrate solar energy into the policies of the Carter Administration and in 1978, Congress passed the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, which promoted renewable energy sources. In 1979, President Carter installed solar modules on the White House.
A few years later, in 1982, the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) completed the first utility-scale solar farm in the U.S. in Hesperia, Calif. At just 1.1 MW, ARCO soon followed with a 5.2 MW plant in Carrizo Plain that operated from 1983 to 1994.
In 1983, Minnesota became the first state to enact a net metering law, allowing solar consumers generating less than 40 kW to be compensated for the amount they sent to the grid. According to SEIA, the policy was among the first to incentivize and support the installation of distributed solar energy systems.
The first Solar Power International (SPI) conference (now RE+) took place in California in 2004, attracting 1,000 attendees. The following year the federal Energy Policy Act was passed, which created the first solar investment tax credit.
In 2006 the city of Ellensburg, Washington installed the first-in-the-nation community solar facility. Two years later, in 2008, U.S. solar capacity reached 1 GW.
To increase competition in the U.S. solar industry, the Department of Energy (DOE) launched the SunShot initiative in 2011. The initiative aimed to lower solar energy costs by 75% by the end of the decade, bringing large-scale solar costs on par with other forms of energy. Two years later President Obama installed solar on the White House. In 2013 he released a Climate Action Plan that called for an expansion of clean energy and set ambitious targets for solar power.
2015 was a milestone year: The solar industry surpassed 200,000 workers; Burlington, Vermont was the first city to reach 100% renewable power; and Hawaii was the first state to set a 100% renewable goal.
In 2016, the U.S. solar industry surpassed 1 million installations. The following year utility-scale solar costs fell below $1 per watt and the SunShot initiative goal was achieved three years ahead of schedule.
2022, a pivotal year for U.S. solar saw President Biden sign the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law. Considered the largest climate and energy bill in U.S. history, the IRA was the first standalone tax credit for energy storage. The bill also included new incentives for domestic solar manufacturing, resulting in U.S. solar module manufacturing growing from less than 7 GW capacity to 75 GW.
In 2023 solar accounted for over 50% of new electricity capacity added to the grid.
In the first quarter of 2026, the U.S. reached 6 million solar installations and surpassed coal generation for the first time. In the same year the industry saw the return of the entire solar manufacturing supply chain with every component now manufactured in the U.S. Manufacturers now have the capacity to build over 75 GW of solar modules annually, or enough to meet the needs of the entire U.S. market.
2026 was also a landmark year for energy storage. In the second quarter energy storage dispatched 4.5 TW/h hours of electricity, the most ever for a single quarter. A report from SEIA and Benchmark Intelligence found that the energy storage industry installed 20.2 GWh of new capacity in the first half of 2026.
In the past 70 years, solar has become an integral part of the technologies feeding the U.S. grid. In just the past decade, solar’s share of U.S. electricity generation has grown seven-fold, and SEIA expects that solar will continue making up the bulk of new energy additions through and beyond 2060.
For more on the history of solar in the U.S. from the 1960s on, read Upcoming documentary explores the roots of the U.S. solar industry. The documentary debuts at the Solar Roots Party to be held October 30 to November 1 in Grass Valley, Calif.
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Organic solar cells offer lightweight, flexible, carbon-based alternatives to silicon.
A new molecular locking strategy could help overcome the efficiency, stability, and scalability challenges in organic solar cells (OSCs). 
Organic solar cells offer lightweight, flexible, carbon-based alternatives to silicon and offer vast potential for commercial use. But the cells’ delicate layers typically degrade quickly under heat and continuous sunlight
A team from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) worked to solve this stability issue with a molecular-locking strategy that anchors the delicate solar layers together. 
In particular, it introduces a specialized intermediate layer that chemically anchors the solar materials to the electrodes. This structure creates strong molecular bonds for better energy efficiency and long-term durability across large-scale panels.
“We achieved 20.4% small-area efficiency and 18.8% active-area module efficiency,” the study paper stated. 
To understand the development, you first have to understand why flexible solar cells fail.
Organic solar cells (OSCs) harvest sunlight using ultrathin molecular films called self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) laid over transparent electrodes.
The connection between the electrode and the organic film is slippery. Under intense heat and continuous light, the chemical bonds slide apart. The layers desorb, and the cell dies.
This is a trilemma for solar cell experts: the ultimate balancing act between high efficiency, long-term stability, and commercial scalability. Up until now, optimizing for one usually meant sacrificing the others. 
To strengthen the troublesome solar cell interface, the NIMTE research team inserted an ultra-thin indium chloride intermediate layer that undergoes a localized reaction upon heating. This process drives out loose chlorine ions, forming a dense matrix of interconnected indium, oxygen, and phosphorus bonds. The resulting chemical network acts as a strong anchor, firmly locking the solar molecules in place rather than leaving them loosely attached.
Heating the material triggers a chemical reaction that removes loose chlorine ions and forms strong bonds between indium, oxygen, and phosphorus. This process builds a durable protective network across the surface. The newly formed layer holds the solar cell materials tightly in place, greatly improving overall stability.
“The interlayer triggers ligand exchange, forming a robust, multidentate In-O-P coordination network that densely and uniformly anchors SAMs,” the researchers noted in the press release. 
The strategy immediately improved performance across all key testing metrics. Small lab-scale cells reached an impressive 20.4 percent power conversion efficiency. On the other hand, larger modules with a 15.6 square centimeter area set a record efficiency of 18.8 percent. 
Interestingly, the devices demonstrated exceptional durability. And retained over 85% of their initial output after 2,000 hours of continuous operation under continuous illumination.
“We scaled the technique to large-area modules with an aperture area of 15.6 cm2, reaching a record active-area PCE of 18.8%,” said Prof. LIU Quan, corresponding author of the study.
This universal chemical-locking strategy offers a pathway for the commercial future of organic photovoltaics. Overcoming the efficiency, stability, and scalability trilemma might bring flexible solar technology much closer to mass manufacturing. One day, surfaces like skyscraper windows, car roofs, and smartwatch covers could silently generate clean electricity using these tiny chemical locks.
The findings were detailed in the journal Joule on October 21.

Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.
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TCL Zhonghuan powers India’s energy transition with PV innovations at REI  PV Tech
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Luis Reyes
Oct 23, at 12:30pm ET
Here’s something I didn’t know until I read it this week: the way a California irrigation district gets weeds out of a canal is by dragging a massive anchor chain down the channel. The chain rips the growth loose, the water carries it off, and the district moves on to the next stretch. Low-tech, and apparently it works.
Now picture putting a roof of solar panels over that same canal. The panels shade the water, less of it evaporates, the shade also starves the weeds, and the cool air coming off the water keeps the panels running a bit more efficiently than they would over hot dirt. Everybody wins, right up until somebody has to drag the chain through.
So what do you do with the roof?
The Turlock Irrigation District, which runs 250 miles of canals south of Modesto, has been testing three different answers on its own ditches, and the strangest of the three came in a box from Sydney.
The Australian company behind it, Green Energy Systems, calls the product Solar Waves. In Turlock it’s a single 60-kilowatt array that spans a 21-foot canal and runs about 131 feet along it, according to the company’s own page on the pilot. It was built and wired in a factory, shipped to California already assembled, set down on a rail support built for that one canal, unfolded across the water and plugged in. The company says a small team did the whole deployment on site, and there’s a short video of the array opening up like a paper fan over the channel.
What matters for the chain is what happens in reverse. When the district needs the water, the array gets unplugged, pulled back along its rails and packed together, which clears the canal underneath. Then it goes back out. That’s the entire pitch.
I’ll admit I find that pretty clever. Most solar-over-canal hardware I’ve looked at treats the canal like a roof deck, something you build over once and don’t touch again. This treats it like a garage door.
Solar Power World listed the system on May 1 as a prototype “currently undergoing design field trials,” so this is a test article, not a finished product. And KQED reporters who walked the site on September 4 described accordion-style retractable panels sitting low across the narrow canal, ready to roll up. So the thing is still out there and still being tested.
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That’s what Turlock did with the other two. The fixed canopies at the Project Nexus sites stand well clear of the water on steel, and Weimer told KQED that’s the whole reason they’re up there: the district cleans its canals on a regular basis with equipment, and the panels can’t be in the way. He also said, more or less, that tall isn’t the only way to do it, and pointed out that similar panels in India and Arizona sit low over the water, which leaves little room for the kind of cleaning Turlock does.
So you’ve basically got two choices. Build high and expensive and leave the channel open forever, or build low and cheap and lose access. The folding array is a bet that there’s a third option: build low and get out of the way when asked.
Is that a better bet? Frankly, I don’t know yet, and neither does anyone else. A rail that slides nicely on a demo day is one thing. A rail that’s spent a full Central Valley summer collecting dust, almond pollen and whatever the canal splashes up is another, and I can’t find any published account of the Turlock unit being folded back for an actual cleaning pass. The anchor chain explains why the feature exists. It doesn’t yet prove the feature works at the moment it’s needed.
The economics are the other open question. Green Energy Systems says the Turlock unit was supplied and deployed for less than a conventional ground-mounted solar farm would cost. The company hasn’t put a dollar figure next to that claim, so I’d treat it as marketing until someone with a receipt says otherwise.
Some context, because 60 kilowatts sounds like a lot until you look at the rest of the district. Project Nexus as a whole is a $20 million experiment paid for by the state of California through the Department of Water Resources, and the two fixed canopies together produce a little over 1.6 megawatts. One went up over a 20-foot canal near Ceres in March 2025, the other over a 110-foot canal near Hickman in August 2025, and the narrow site also got 75-kilowatt iron-flow batteries to store what the panels make. We covered the overall project when the state declared it finished back in June.
Weimer called it a “proof of concept” and pointed out that the same district gets 56 megawatts from a regular solar farm in the desert. I read that as a guy being honest about what a pilot is for.
Which means the 60-kilowatt folding array is about 4 percent of a project that’s about 3 percent of one solar farm. Nobody’s lighting a city with it. What the state is paying for is data: how much less water evaporates under the shade, how much less weed growth the district has to deal with, and whether the panels really do run cooler over moving water than over dirt. Roger Bales, the UC Merced professor running the science, told KQED his team has instruments on site measuring temperature, humidity, wind, radiation and evaporation directly. And Weimer said that when the district drained the canal at the end of last season, there was a physical line on the sunny side where the algae stopped at the edge of the shade.
If you’re wondering why cooler panels matter, it’s because photovoltaic cells lose output as they heat up. A canal is basically a long, free heat sink, so the same panel can make a little more power sitting over water than it would over asphalt a few hundred yards away.
A few things are missing from the company’s write-up, and I’d want them before taking the 60-kilowatt number as more than a nameplate. Green Energy Systems hasn’t published a production figure for the Turlock unit, so we don’t know what it actually delivered over a season. It gives a weight and panel count only for its standard 50-kilowatt product, which is a different configuration. And the district’s own project page leaves the retractable unit out entirely, so I can’t tell you exactly when it was installed, only that it’s been in field trials since at least the spring.
That’s not unusual for a prototype. It just means you should read “60 kilowatts” as a label, not a result.
Irrigation districts across the West are quietly working out the same problem from different directions. Arizona’s Gila River Indian Community went with fixed trusses that never touch the water. A Spanish olive oil bottler solved the same kind of conflict by raising its panels 13 feet so the harvester could drive under them. Turlock is the only one I’ve seen that decided the panels should move instead of the machine.
Whether the state builds more depends on a report that hasn’t landed yet. Andrew Schwarz, a spokesperson for the California Department of Water Resources, told KQED in a story updated September 28 that the agency is waiting on UC Merced’s final findings before deciding whether to fund another canal, and that report is due later this year.
Don’t bite your tongue. Speak up.
Luis Reyes · Oct 22, 2026
Olivia Richman · Oct 7, 2026
Olivia Richman · Sep 29, 2026
Luis Reyes · Oct 3, 2026
Chema Bonilla Díaz · Sep 30, 2026
Luis Reyes · Oct 4, 2026
Luis Reyes · Oct 23, 2026
Chema Bonilla Díaz · Oct 23, 2026
Olivia Richman · Oct 23, 2026
Luis Reyes · Oct 23, 2026
Olivia Richman · Oct 23, 2026
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Solar grazing is helping sheep farmers expand their businesses, opening opportunities for rural jobs, new investment, and stronger agricultural supply chains.
Sheep can feed on the vegetation growing around solar panels while farmers get paid to keep it under control. Too few sheep may leave farmers with grass they still need to mow, while heavier grazing can reduce honeybee numbers.
Two new Cornell University studies examine the ecological and financial choices behind this growing practice, known as solar grazing. One tested how the number of sheep on the land affects beneficial insects. The other developed a tool to help farmers plan flock size, purchases, and sales.
At two sheep per hectare, or roughly one per 1.2 acres, the combined abundance of wild bees, honey bees, and lady beetles was 38% higher than in a mowed control plot. Honey bee numbers were 83% higher, accounting for most of the overall increase.
Doubling the density to four sheep per hectare improved vegetation control, but beneficial insect abundance was similar to that in the mowed control. Eight sheep per hectare delivered the strongest vegetation control, and flock health remained high. At that density, however, honey bee abundance fell by 45%.
“We zeroed in on stocking rates because that’s a concrete number that sheep farmers understand and work with every day, and we want this research to be useful,” said Steve Grodsky, the study’s senior author and an assistant professor of natural resources in Cornell’s Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment. “With solar grazing, people, energy, agricultural animals, plants, and insects are all part of this ecosystem. We’re trying to understand the connections between those pieces so that when solar developers, municipalities looking at solar development, or farmers are faced with a decision, they can have scientific information about potential trade-offs and synergies.”
The researchers spent three years testing those stocking rates, the number of sheep grazing a given area, at the university-owned Cascadilla Community Solar Farm in Dryden, New York. Using Cornell’s teaching flock, the team brought together entomologists, ecologists, and animal and plant scientists from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). Their paper was published in Environmental Research Letters.
“Sheep grazing and beneficial insect habitat are two prominent conversation topics around solar development right now,” said Leana Zoller, the paper’s first author and a postdoctoral associate in natural resources in the Ashley School. “But what’s been missing is research that treats them as parts of the same system. When we talk about sustainable solar development, integrating these discussions into a single framework is really helpful to farmers and community decision makers.”
Grodsky also serves as assistant unit leader of the U.S. Geological Survey New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Sarah Carson, director of Cornell’s Campus Sustainability Office, helped coordinate the researchers’ access to the site with the solar company responsible for managing it.
The study’s other CALS co-authors included sheep farmer and solar grazing consultant Nikola Kochendoerfer, Ph.D. ’20, Antonio DiTommaso, a professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science, and John Losey, a professor of entomology. Also contributing were Scott McArt, Ph.D. ’12, an associate professor of entomology, Paige Muñiz, formerly a technician in McArt’s lab, and Todd Ugine, Ph.D. ’04, a research associate in Losey’s lab.
For farmers deciding how many sheep to buy or sell, the second study offers a way to weigh the financial and practical demands together. Researchers led from the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business developed a spreadsheet-based model that uses target flock size, costs, anticipated revenue, and expected vegetation at individual solar sites to help optimize those decisions. They presented the tool in a separate study published in Manufacturing & Service Operations Management.
Solar developers can also use the model to understand what farmers need from a grazing agreement and design contracts that are more profitable and sustainable for everyone involved over the long term. United Agrivoltaics has already made the tool part of its onboarding process.
The project grew out of a chance meeting between the paper’s first author, Vincent Slaugh, an assistant professor at the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, and Caleb Scott, an Ithaca-based sheep farmer who founded United Agrivoltaics. Afterward, Slaugh began working through the economics and logistics of grazing sheep at solar installations. He recruited Linwei Xin, an associate professor of operations research and information engineering, and Shane Henderson, the Charles W. Lake, Jr. Professor in Productivity, both in the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering.
Kochendoerfer’s solar grazing operation includes 700 ewes at installations in New York and Vermont.
“I work with a lot of farms that are now scaling up because of solar,” Kochendoerfer said. “There is a new wave of sheep farmers who are capitalizing on this access to good land. With solar grazing, you get paid to graze as opposed to having to pay to graze. That leads to sustainable, meaningful economic income that these farmers can use to expand, build a barn, buy equipment or hire someone. It’s enabling a lot of folks to build sound, viable agricultural businesses.”
Slaugh sees the steady income and animal feed available through solar contracts as an opportunity for American shepherds to increase production. U.S. sheep production falls well short of domestic demand for meat and wool. About half of the lamb and mutton consumed in the United States is imported, mainly from New Zealand and Australia.
“If we grow the sheep industry, will the American diet eventually include more lamb? Could that be a side effect of the solar energy revolution? I think the answer is very likely yes,” Slaugh said. “And then when that happens, we’d expect processors and supporting industries to come back, for banks to be willing to give more loans, and for supply chains to follow. All of that grows the economy, and rural economies in particular.”
References: “Low solar grazing densities support beneficial insects in agrivoltaic systems” by Leana Zoller, Nikola Kochendoerfer, Antonio DiTommaso, John Losey, Scott H McArt, Paige A Muñiz, Todd Ugine and Steven M Grodsky, 16 October 2026, Environmental Research Letters.
DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/aeb145
“Flock Management for Solar Grazing” by Vincent Slaugh, Linwei Xin and Shane Henderson, 28 September 2026, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management.
DOI: 10.1287/msom.2025.0305
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