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US solar cell manufacturer ES Foundry has completed the expansion of a 2GW solar cell production line at its Greenwood, South Carolina facility.
The new production brings the company’s total annual nameplate capacity to 3GW, to produce bifacial PERC solar cells. Last year, its CEO, Alex Zhu spoke with PV Tech Premium about the strategic decision to go with the p-type technology over the market’s leading technology, TOPCon.
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Zhu also explained the reason why this new production line, which was expected to be completed by the end of 2025, was delayed and solar cells are only beginning to be produced now.
“PERC was chosen because of the political challenges around making TOPCon in the country right now. It will be interesting in the next few years to track which of HJT or TOPCon becomes the most attractive technology for cell and module buyers,” explained Joe Hennessy, analyst at PV Tech Market Research.
Hennessy added that ES Foundry’s expansion is an important milestone in US cell manufacturing as the industry tries to scale up its domestic manufacturing capacity to close the gap between annual nameplate capacity for solar cells and modules.
Data from PV Tech Market Research in April highlighted that cell manufacturing would be one of the drivers for the forecasted increase in global capital expenditure, with the US, as well as India, driving the ramp-up in domestic PV production. Spending on solar cell production is expected to increase from US$6.4 billion in 2025 to US$9.9 billion in 2026.
The company began producing solar cells for its first production line in February 2025.
“This milestone is about execution,” said Alex Zhu, CEO of ES Foundry. “The US solar market does not need more announcements — it needs operating capacity, proven production and domestic suppliers that can support customers now. With our 2GW expansion complete, our total capacity now at 3GW and the first cell off the new line, ES Foundry is helping close one of the most critical gaps in the US solar supply chain.”
Hennessy added that “As a pure-play cell manufacturer, these will all go onto the open market. This is different to a lot of the rest of the capacity under construction, which will mainly be used in-house.”
Scaling up the entire supply chain in the US will be one of the key topics of conversation at PV CellTech USA in San Francisco, on 13-14 October 2026. The conference brings together the innovators, policymakers and supply-chain leaders driving the country’s next wave of wafer, cell and module capacity. You can find out more and get hold of tickets here. PV Tech readers can save 20% with code PVT20.

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A new report from the International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS) argues that technical and economic decisions in solar projects are so tightly interwoven that treating them separately is a financial risk — and that quality gates introduced early in a project’s life cycle deliver the greatest return.
The report, Photovoltaic Project Decisions: Quality, Performance, and Economic Value (IEA-PVPS T13-36:2026), published by Task 13, brings together 19 authors from research institutions, independent testing bodies, O&M analytics firms, and project developers across Europe, the Americas, and Australia. It draws on six case studies ranging from post-shipment module testing to utility-scale financial modelling, and introduces a structured decision matrix that maps stakeholder responsibilities across the full PV project value chain.
One of the report’s central arguments is that the solar industry’s quality problem is not primarily a technical one. Multiple guidelines and standards already exist, but their implementation is “rarely mandated or systematically enforced across the PV value chain.” Organisational siloing, unclear stakeholder boundaries, and the rapid entry of new market participants all contribute to inconsistent outcomes.
To address this, the report introduces a decision matrix that plots stakeholder roles — investors, asset owners, project developers, EPCs, O&M operators, service providers, insurers, product manufacturers, and regulators — against value chain phases from development through decommissioning. The exercise revealed significant gaps: entire workflow sections lacked input from the stakeholders responsible for them, particularly in feedback loops between operational experience and design decisions.
The matrix also makes clear that “quality gates” placed during development and engineering phases, where the cost of intervention is lowest, are the most cost-effective when it comes to preventing downstream failures. Waiting until construction or operation to address quality issues is not just expensive, it is often structurally impossible due to existing budget frameworks.
Two case studies put these frameworks in concrete economic terms. The first examines post-shipment testing of PV modules using mobile laboratories. Across more than 4,000 modules from 20 projects and five module manufacturers, the mobile lab found that factory in-line power measurements overestimated actual output by up to 4%. Variation was significant not just between manufacturers but between batches from the same manufacturer.
The cost comparison is striking. Mobile lab testing including electroluminescence runs to roughly €2,000–3,000 ($2,286 to $3,430) per day, processing 100–150 modules. Equivalent stationary laboratory testing costs around €20,000 per day, and that’s even before transport costs are counted. The authors are careful to note that stationary facilities remain necessary for stress testing and climate chamber work, but the mobile model offers a compelling alternative for randomised batch acceptance testing.
The second rooftop case study, drawing on Chilean installations, quantifies what an incorrect shading analysis costs over a system’s lifetime. An error that reduces annual yield by 3–5% translates to hundreds of kilowatt-hours per year and compounding financial losses. Conversely, a 5% yield improvement through better roof selection, accurate shading analysis, and proper component matching generates approximately 400 additional kilowatt-hours annually for a standard 7.7 kW residential system, the equivalent of around $88 per year at Chilean electricity prices. The authors note that for projects lacking adequate planning, early failures typically emerge within the first two years of operation and require expensive specialist intervention that opex budgets were never designed to cover.
The report goes into detail about decisions that are frequently made “on autopilot” and at the wrong project stage. On soiling, the authors describe a common scenario in which performance engineers, pressed for time during development, apply a standard 2% annual soiling loss assumption with no seasonal variation. This figure may be reasonable for temperate climates but can lead to serious over- or underestimation in regions with drier climates. By the time the error becomes apparent during operation, cleaning budgets are locked and strategy changes require renegotiation with multiple stakeholders.
Best practices, the report argues, require that soiling risk is repeatedly profiled from early development and validated against long-term meteorological and particulate matter data for the specific location. Market dynamics also impact cleaning decisions: in markets with increasing curtailment hours or periods of negative electricity prices, the energy recovered through cleaning may simply not be injected into the grid, eliminating the economic justification for the action entirely.
When it comes to hail, the report presents forensic evidence from the March 2024 convective storm events in Texas, where three consecutive hailstorms crossed four large utility-scale solar farms. Two of the four projects sustained no direct hail damage, as trackers were positioned at high tilt angles before the storms arrived. At a third site, damage was confined to a section of the plant where a motor fault had prevented complete stow. The authors cite this as direct field validation of what deterministic hail loss models have long predicted — that proactive defensive strategies can prevent catastrophic losses even from extreme events.
The report’s financial modeling chapter addresses utility-scale investment decisions ahead of what it calls Final Investment Decision, with particular focus on grid-related losses and market dynamics. As more solar capacity connects to the same grid nodes, curtailment can shift Marginal Load Factors (MLF) dramatically — a point illustrated by the Australian market, where rapid capacity additions between 2015 and 2025 produced curtailment levels and MLF reductions well beyond initial project assumptions.
The report also highlights the growing complexity of captured price forecasting as merchant exposure increases and electricity markets develop toward more hours of negative pricing. Traditional financial models built around fixed tariffs or simple price forecasts increasingly fail to reflect the revenue streams that projects will actually experience over a decades-long lifetime.
The report’s recommendations are grouped by stakeholder clusters. For asset owners and investors, the core message is to make quality KPIs contractual from project inception rather than treating them as post-commissioning audit items. For developers and EPCs, it is to concentrate quality gates and risk assessments in the phases where intervention costs are lowest. For O&M providers, it is to invest in monitoring and analytics infrastructure as bankable capital expenditure rather than discretionary operational spending.
For policymakers, the authors, David Moser, Ulrike Jahn and Task 13 experts, identify the implementation gap as the single largest structural barrier to consistent quality outcomes across the industry.
An interactive tool on the project decisions was prepared and is available at: Solar PV Project Workflow.
Author: Ignacio Landivar
IEA-PVPS Task 13 engages in focusing the international collaboration in improving the reliability of photovoltaic systems and subsystems. It aims at supporting market players to improve the operation, the reliability, and the quality of PV components and systems.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those held by pv magazine.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
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As summer approaches, the need for cooling becomes all the more apparent, and the National Power Grid feels the strain. Data shows that every 1°C increase above the normal summer average results in an increase of 6 to 8 GW of additional load on the grid. As heatwaves extend from April to June, the grid becomes increasingly strained.
July 07, 2026. By News Bureau

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Hartek Power clinches 400 MW Rajasthan solar project  Manufacturing Today India
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On July 5, 2026, Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo formally launched the Techos Solares para el Bienestar program, signing cooperation agreements with the federal government to provide free rooftop solar installations for vulnerable households. Implemented alongside SENER, CFE, and FIPATERM, the initiative builds on existing rollouts in Baja California to use social energy policy as a weapon against electricity poverty in Mexico’s hottest regions. Aiming for an average annual utility bill reduction of up to 60% (and up to 85% during extreme summer peaks), the program targets a dual objective: delivering immediate financial relief to low-income families while systematically easing the strain on a northwestern electrical grid operating at its absolute limit.
Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo formally launched the Techos Solares para el Bienestar program on July 5, signing two collaboration agreements with the federal government to deploy free rooftop solar installations in vulnerable households across the state. The launch, formalized through agreements between SENER and both the Secretaría de Bienestar de Sonora and the Secretaría de Economía y Turismo del Estado, marks Sonora’s entry into a national photovoltaic distribution program that was already operational in Mexicali and San Felipe, Baja California, positioning the country’s two hottest states as the proving ground for a social energy policy designed to reduce electricity poverty in extreme-heat regions.
Durazo stated: “The Plan Sonora demonstrates that energy transition can also be a social justice policy. With Techos Solares para el Bienestar we will bring clean energy to the homes that need it most, so that families pay less for electricity and that saving translates into a better quality of life.”
What the Program Provides and Who Qualifies
The federal government is targeting families in the most vulnerable situations, with the program installing solar panels on the roofs of eligible homes, allowing them to save up to 70% on their electricity bills.
The savings profile varies by season: up to 85% savings on average during summer, up to 45% during winter, and up to 60% averaged annually. The program is entirely free for beneficiaries.
The program is implemented by SENER in coordination with CFE and the Fideicomiso para el Aislamiento Térmico (FIPATERM). Eligible households must be on a domestic CFE tariff with average consumption between 400kWh and 1,500kWh during July and August, present a light bill in the applicant’s name, demonstrate property ownership, and have between 6 and 9 square meters of available roof or patio space with the meter at the property boundary, visible and easily accessible. At least one member of a vulnerable group must reside in the household — including children, adults over 65, single mothers or female heads of household, persons with disabilities or chronic illness, or indigenous or Afro-descendant individuals.
The program proceeds through a structured pipeline: an online pre-registration, validation by SENER, a socioeconomic diagnostic survey conducted jointly by Bienestar and SENER, a technical diagnostic by FIPATERM to assess installation viability and determine whether panels will be roof-mounted or pole-mounted, and finally installation and CFE network interconnection supervised by FIPATERM.
For 2026, the program projects the generation of 44,160MWh of clean energy per year and a reduction of 19,486 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually, considering all installations in both Sonora and Baja California.
Those figures correspond to the current geographic scope , Mexicali, San Felipe, and Hermosillo,  rather than a national rollout. The program’s ambition is larger than the first-phase deployment, but SENER has not yet published a national scale-up timeline with specific community targets beyond the three cities currently active.
The Context: Extreme Heat, High Bills, and Grid Pressure
The program’s geographic focus is not arbitrary. Hermosillo and Mexicali are among the hottest cities in North America, with summer temperatures regularly exceeding 45°C. In Mexico, where high temperatures considerably increase the use of air conditioning and other electrical equipment, the search for renewable alternatives is becoming increasingly relevant.
That demand profile creates a double burden for vulnerable households: the families least able to afford high electricity bills are precisely those in the hottest cities with the least thermal insulation in their homes, generating the highest per-square-meter electricity consumption and the steepest summer billing. The Techos Solares program addresses that intersection directly — using solar generation at the household level to offset the peak consumption that drives the highest bills, while simultaneously reducing the load that during summer months strains a peninsular and northwestern grid already operating near its limits.
Sonora’s grid, like Chihuahua’s, has been under documented stress during the 2026 summer peak. The state government launched the program as part of the Plan Sonora de Energías Sostenibles, a state initiative aimed at the transition toward sustainable energy sources and positioned as one of the strategic development projects for the entity.
The timing also intersects with CFE’s parallel announcement of the 1,000MW Rafael Galván Maldonado photovoltaic plant in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora — a utility-scale project with first two phases now operational at 72MW of battery storage. The two programs represent the two ends of Mexico’s solar deployment spectrum: centralized utility-scale generation for the grid, and distributed residential generation for household bill relief. In Sonora, both are now advancing simultaneously.

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Jul 07, 2026 13:57
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New hybrid PV arrays will boost Ochmatdyt’s backup power, helping maintain critical operations during outages. The project aims to improve energy resilience for patients.
As reported by the online media Ukrinform.
In the modern medical-diagnostic building of the National Children’s Specialized Hospital “Okhmatdyt” in Kyiv, two hybrid photovoltaic stations have been installed.
According to the Ministry of Health’s website, this decision will ensure the integration of solar energy into the hospital’s operations. The total capacity of the photovoltaic modules is 75.565 kW, with inverters at 100 kW. The system is also equipped with batteries with a capacity of 92.16 kWh.
The equipment will allow the hospital to generate electricity from solar panels and store it in battery banks. This will create an additional power reserve to meet the hospital’s needs in case of power outages or situations when the capacity of its own generation is insufficient.
– Ministry of Health
According to the Ministry of Health, increasing Okhmatdyt’s autonomy enables uninterrupted care for children. Every day here about 650 patients of varying ages – from one year to adolescence – from different regions come for help, and over the past year the polyclinic recorded more than 216,000 visits.
Experts report that last year Okhmatdyt performed 11,500 surgical procedures, a third of which were highly complex, rare, and unique operations.
The works were carried out within the joint project of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Ministry of Energy, “Ray of Hope”.
Overall, under this project, by the end of the year it is planned to install solar stations at 60 healthcare facilities, and a further 200 facilities under the HEAL Ukraine program.
These steps are aimed at increasing the energy independence of medical facilities and ensuring a more stable electricity supply for patients and staff.
Don’t miss other news:

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National
ETV Bharat / bharat
By ETV Bharat English Team
Published : July 7, 2026 at 6:59 PM IST
New Delhi: India’s rooftop solar push under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana has crossed 36.47 lakh installations, covering 44.32 lakh households as of June 29.
However, as more families begin generating electricity from their rooftops, experts say a major challenge emerging after installation is maintenance.
As per the government data, monthly rooftop solar installations touched a record 3.16 lakh in May during the Month of Solar campaign, reflecting the rapid expansion of the scheme.
However, studies show that dust, bird droppings and other debris can reduce solar panel output by 5% to 30%, increasing electricity bills despite having rooftop systems.
Industry experts say that while installing rooftop solar has become easier, ensuring the systems continue to perform efficiently remains a weak link.
Vikash Baliyan, Managing Director of Vidhi Power Ventures Private Limited, told ETV Bharat that nearly all residential consumers stop tracking the performance of their rooftop plants after installation.
“The biggest challenge is not the installation of rooftop solar systems but their maintenance and performance monitoring. Nearly 99.99% of consumers stop monitoring their systems after installation because they have other priorities,” he said.
Baliyan said regular cleaning and preventive maintenance should be treated as essential, particularly in northwestern states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana, where dust storms, pollution and high temperatures lead to heavy dust accumulation on solar panels.
He pointed out that under the PM Surya Ghar scheme, empanelled vendors are required to provide free maintenance for five years as part of the subsidy conditions. However, many consumers are unaware of this provision and often approach vendors only after a system develops a fault, instead of ensuring periodic servicing.
“Preventive maintenance is frequently neglected because consumers do not follow up with vendors. In many cases, vendors respond only after a breakdown instead of carrying out scheduled maintenance,” he said.
Experts say that regular cleaning is one of the simplest ways for households to improve electricity generation without any additional investment. Dust, leaves, vehicle emissions and bird droppings block sunlight from reaching solar cells, lowering power generation and, over time, potentially damaging panels if left unattended.
They recommend cleaning rooftop panels at least once a month in dusty or industrial areas and after sandstorms or periods of heavy bird activity. Cleaning should preferably be done during early morning or late afternoon after switching off the system and allowing the panels to cool. Abrasive materials, pressure washers and harsh chemicals should be avoided as they can damage the protective coating and electrical components.
With rooftop solar installations expanding rapidly across the country, experts say consumer awareness about maintenance will be critical to ensuring households receive the expected savings on their electricity bills and maximise the benefits of the government’s subsidy programme.
Also Read
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Panelists cautioned against assuming a shortage of solar cell capacity
July 7, 2026
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India’s solar cell manufacturing industry is entering a decisive phase as the domestic market adjusts to the implementation of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II mandate.
Industry leaders said India’s success under ALMM List-II will depend on cost competitiveness, investment in research and development, skilled manpower, and deeper integration across the solar value chain.
At a panel discussion “Building a Globally Competitive Solar Cell Manufacturing Ecosystem” at the Mercom India Renewables Summit 2026, industry experts said India’s module manufacturing capacity has expanded well beyond the demand. The session was moderated by Sishir Garemella, Head of International Business Development at Kiwa PVEL.
As of March 2026, India had 30.8 GW of operational solar cell manufacturing capacity, with more than 270 GW in the pipeline, including announced and under-development projects. TOPCon technology accounts for 85% of the upcoming pipeline.
Suhas Donthi, President and CEO at Emmvee Group, said module manufacturing capacity exceeded domestic demand by more than three-and-a-half times in the financial year 2026. However, he said the situation is different for cells, as the market is still adjusting to ALMM List-II.
Addressing concerns about cell shortage, the panelists said that a large portion of utility-scale projects that were bid out before August 2025 remain exempt from ALMM List-II until completion. Such projects can take up to three years to execute due to land, connectivity, and infrastructure challenges.
The immediate additional demand from ALMM List-II is expected to come largely from the commercial and industrial segment.
Donthi cautioned against assuming that India is facing a domestic cell shortage, noting that the policy had been in force for only a month and the market was still settling.
No Overcapacity Concerns
According to Mercom India, about 32% of the 270 GW cell manufacturing pipeline is expected to be commissioned in 2027. However, panelists said India is unlikely to face immediate overcapacity despite the large number of capacity announcements.
Harsh Vardhan Govil, Chief Operating Officer of Solar Manufacturing at SAEL, said overcapacity is not expected in the cell manufacturing segment because executing solar cell facilities takes time.
Of the roughly 30 GW of current cell capacity, only around 10 GW is TOPCon. This leaves room for more advanced cell capacity and provides significant headroom for growth.
Prashant Mathur, Chief Executive Officer at Saatvik Green Energy, said India has enough room for cell manufacturing capacity to grow to 70-80 GW. He added that the overall solar market could reach 80-100 GW annually over the next few years.
He said the country still has a large pipeline of non-DCR and ALMM-exempt projects under implementation. This gives module manufacturers time to upgrade and enter cell manufacturing.
Panelists said the next stage of industry evolution will shift from cells to wafers and ingots. Manufacturers must begin planning for upstream integration now, as policy timelines for localization are already approaching.
Cell Quality Still Evolving
As India’s solar cell manufacturing sector rises to meet demand under ALMM List-II, concerns remain about the quality of domestic solar cells compared with imported ones.
Panelists said Indian cell quality is still evolving and is not yet on par with Chinese manufacturers’. However, they described the current quality as workable.
Mathur said the quality and efficiency of Indian cells will improve as the domestic ecosystem develops, workers are trained, and manufacturers gain operational experience.
He compared the current stage of Indian cell manufacturing to the earlier evolution of India’s module manufacturing industry, in which the quality and price gap with Chinese manufacturers narrowed over time.
Manpower Shortage
Panelists identified skilled manpower as one of the biggest challenges for India’s cell manufacturing ambitions.
Hardip Singh, COO at Grew Solar, said India does not yet have enough formal academic or technical training programs dedicated to solar cell manufacturing. Some institutions have started offering solar manufacturing courses, but these efforts remain limited and insufficient.
Singh said the industry must work with academia, technical institutes, and skill development centers to build a qualified workforce for cell manufacturing.
To address the skills gap, he said Grew Solar partnered with Chinese companies setting up solar cell facilities to train the local workforce.
Donthi said manufacturers cannot simply borrow talent from equipment suppliers. They must build internal capabilities to operate, improve, and optimize cell lines.
He identified talent creation, technology selection, and process mastery as the key drivers of successful cell manufacturing.
R&D Gap Must be Addressed
Panelists said India must invest more in research and development to become globally competitive.
Singh said India’s R&D gap with China is evident in solar patents. He said India has only a few hundred solar-related patents, while China has tens of thousands.
He said India is still focused on catching up with existing technologies, while China continues moving to the next generation.
Panelists said backward integration is becoming a natural and necessary outcome for India’s solar manufacturing industry.
Govil said only integrated manufacturers are likely to survive in the long run. He added that module manufacturers need to look beyond modules and cells and develop a broader manufacturing ecosystem.
He said that India is not paying enough attention to developing domestic materials, equipment, and ancillary manufacturing capabilities. Investors are announcing cell and module capacities, but India is not building the supporting ecosystem at the required scale.
Govil said India lacks strong basic research and innovation infrastructure for solar manufacturing. The country must develop equipment, processes, and people capable of handling more complex manufacturing technologies.
Without this, India will struggle to compete outside its protected domestic market, he said.
Cost Competitiveness
Panelists stressed that backward integration alone is not enough. Companies must also become cost competitive.
They said domestic suppliers must lower costs. Otherwise, manufacturers will continue to prefer imports wherever duties do not make them uneconomical.
Govil said cost competitiveness is the central issue for Indian solar manufacturing.
He said India is currently able to survive largely because the domestic market is protected by government policy. However, manufacturers cannot access global markets unless they compete with China on cost and quality.
According to him, export opportunities in the U.S. have emerged partly due to restrictions on Chinese products. However, long-term global competitiveness will require more than geopolitical advantages.
Singh said solar manufacturing must become cost-competitive but expecting India to reach global cost competitiveness within two or three years is unrealistic.
He said India may not be able to match China’s pricing immediately, but it can become a credible China+1 manufacturing base by delivering quality products at reasonable prices.
Global buyers are increasingly looking for alternatives to China, he added. India can capture this opportunity by improving quality, strengthening supply chains, and offering competitive pricing.
Donthi said scale and integration can provide advantages but may not fully offset pricing distortions in the global solar value chain.
He said several materials in the solar value chain are sold at negative margins globally. Many costs, including the cost of capital and returns required for rapidly changing technologies, are also not fully reflected in prices.
However, manufacturers in India are answerable to capital markets and investors, especially listed companies, while competitors in other markets may operate under different financial conditions.
Donthi said duties alone have not been sufficient globally to create a level playing field. India’s basic customs duty did not fully address the issue, while ALMM has been more effective in driving domestic manufacturing.
China-Dependent Supply Chain
Module manufacturers said India continues to depend on China for equipment, technology updates, and many materials. Domestic ancillary suppliers are emerging, but their products often remain more expensive than Chinese alternatives.
Mathur said most manufacturers continue to evaluate Chinese equipment because it is cost-effective and widely used. However, alternatives are available outside China, and companies are also considering them to reduce geopolitical and supply chain risks.
He added that unless China restricts technology exports, many manufacturers are likely to continue procuring equipment from Chinese suppliers.
Module manufacturers expect 2026 to be a year of realignment.
Mathur said the real momentum from utility-scale demand is likely to emerge from April or May 2027.
Govil said incremental cell capacity is expected to enter the market this year and it could double next year.
Melvin Mathew
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U.S. solar cell manufacturer ES Foundry has completed the 2 GW expansion of their Greenwood, South Carolina facility, bringing the total annual production capacity to 3 GW. The company has also announced the production of the first solar cell using the new production line.
The company opened the Greenwood facility in January, 2025, and reached full 1 GW operational capacity by the end of the year. In December, the company estimated its 2 GW expansion would be ready by July. It has now delivered on that estimate.
“This milestone is about execution,” said ES Foundry CEO Alex Zhu in a statement celebrating the expansion. “The U.S. solar market does not need more announcements — it needs operating capacity, proven production and domestic suppliers that can support customers now. With our 2 GW expansion complete, our total capacity now at 3 GW and the first cell off the new line, ES Foundry is helping close one of the most critical gaps in the U.S. solar supply chain.”
The Greenwood facility produces crystalline silicon bifacial cells using passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) technology. While not the latest or highest-efficiency technology, the company argues that PERC offers proven reliability, and isn’t subject to the kinds of intellectual property disputes currently affecting suppliers of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) cells.
The expansion comes at a time when domestic solar cell capacity is expanding rapidly. Earlier this year, Wood Mackenzie analysts estimated the U.S. had only 3 GW of operational solar cell manufacturing capacity, but expected that number to grow to 20.5 GW by the end of 2027.
Other crystalline silicon cell manufacturers operating in the United States include Suniva, which currently has a 1 GW factory in South Carolina and has announced plans to expand to 5.5 GW by mid-2027, and Qcells, which now manufactures cells in its Cartersville, Georgia plant.
Domestic solar module manufacturing capacity, on the other hand, now tops 45 GW according to Intertek CEA, with most cells still coming from overseas. The use of imported cells results in a lower percentage of domestic content included in the final cost of a solar module, making it somewhat more difficult for those modules to qualify for bonus tax credits.
In addition, imported cells are likely to soon be subject to high tariffs under a Section 232 trade investigation, which are likely to be implemented later in the year. Analysis by Intertek CEA estimates a base case of 10 cents per watt added to the cost of imported solar cells by the tariffs — an amount which would essentially bring the cost of imported cells level with the cost of domestic ones.
The higher demand for domestic content leaves a significant opportunity for companies like ES Foundry to address the market. The company has already inked several supply agreements with domestic companies, and the new expansion is set to spur further sales.
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The financing brings total capital raised to $457m for the solar facility, which is now under construction.
US-based Linea Energy has completed a tax equity financing with Crux for its Watertown solar project, a 172MW-direct current (MWdc) utility-scale facility in Sanilac County, Michigan.
The project, operated by Linea Energy, marks the latest stage of development for the site, which is now under construction.
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The financing package includes a single-investor tax equity commitment from Crux and completes the commercialisation phase of the Watertown project.
With this investment, the total capital raised for the project now stands at $457m.
Linea Energy previously secured $299m in project debt consisting of a construction-to-term loan, a letter of credit facility and a tax equity bridge loan.
Santander Corporate & Investment Banking led the debt arrangement, with further participation from Société Générale, Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale and Truist Bank.
The Watertown project is backed by a 25-year power purchase agreement with Michigan utility Consumers Energy.
Commercial operations at the facility are scheduled to begin in mid-2027.
Linea Energy CEO Cassidy DeLine said: “Watertown represents exactly the kind of project Linea was built to execute – a large-scale, long-term clean energy asset paired with creditworthy offtake and an efficient financing structure.
“Linea’s acquisition of the project in December 2024, and subsequent completion of development, commercialisation, financing and conversion to construction, reflects the strength and depth of the Linea platform.
“We are proud to be bringing meaningful economic benefits to Sanilac County and clean, reliable power to Michigan consumers.”
The project is expected to create around 150 construction jobs and supply enough renewable electricity annually for roughly 25,126 homes within the Midcontinent Independent System Operator grid.
Watertown is projected to deliver $16.4m in local property tax revenue to Sanilac County over its lifetime and is estimated to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 148,389t each year.
Legal counsel for Linea Energy was provided by Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, while Sidley Austin advised Crux.
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A scheme to fit 94 photovoltaic panels together with additional low-carbon heating technology has been finished at the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre (HARC). The panels at the site, overseen by the City of London Corporation, will produce renewable electricity on location. This energy will run low-carbon heating and hot water equipment, efficient lighting, and improved air circulation.
Several low-carbon heat pumps have also been put in place, taking over from older units and delivering steadier, more energy-efficient climate management throughout the specialised facility. The whole retrofit was carried out without any interruption to daily activities. The upgrade cuts the centre’s dependence on the National Grid, boosting its energy security and long-term operational dependability.
Combined, these measures will lower the site’s carbon output by nearly 56 tonnes each year—comparable to supplying electricity to about 21 typical homes—and generate over £44,500 in yearly energy savings.
HARC serves as the United Kingdom’s sole Live Animal Border Control Post authorised for every species. Running around the clock, the IATA CEIV Live Animals accredited centre handles millions of animals annually. The facility enforces British and global rules on animal imports and collaborates with carriers to uphold welfare requirements.
This green investment at HARC is part of the City of London Corporation’s Climate Action Strategy, which aims for the organisation to reach net zero in its own activities by 2027. Chris Hayward, policy chairman at the City of London Corporation, stated that the strategy is producing tangible outcomes across London, demonstrating that even highly challenging locations can reduce carbon while safeguarding essential national infrastructure. He added that ongoing funding for HARC prepares it for future demands and prospects at Heathrow, reinforcing the lasting resilience and safety of this crucial national resource.
Peter Dunphy, chair of the City of London Corporation’s Port Health and Environmental Services Committee, remarked that HARC is among the UK’s most vital border facilities, working on the front line of biosecurity. He noted that completing this upgrade without halting the 24/7 operation represents a significant accomplishment and highlights a dedication to both sustainability and resilience. He also said it backs the high care standards, helping preserve the stable environments animals need when they enter the country.
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The on grid solar PV market was estimated at USD 399.2 Billion in 2025. The market is expected to grow from USD 418.7 billion in 2026 to USD 842.4 Billion in 2035, at a CAGR of 8.1%, according to a recent study by Global Market Insights Inc.
Market Leader: Jinko Solar led with over 14% market share in 2025.
Leading Players: Top 5 players in this market include Jinko Solar, JA Solar, LONGi, Trina Solar, Canadian Solar, which collectively held a market share of 49% in 2025.

Growing preference for on‑grid solar installations allows users to integrate seamlessly with existing grid infrastructure and draw electricity as needed, driving business momentum. This shift has positioned grid‑connected solar as a practical solution for regions seeking cleaner energy.
High‑efficiency modules, smart inverters and advanced monitoring systems enable better performance and smooth grid interaction to manage consistent output driving the overall industry growth. Further, the market evolves to benefit from enhanced product reliability and improved system economics as manufacturers push for enhanced design and product optimization, thus propelling the business landscape.
Utility scale developers continue to expand, deploying large solar farms that need clean electricity directly into national grids. These projects benefit from land availability, strong investor confidence and stable regulatory frameworks, thereby positioning them as cornerstone contributors to grid modernization and clean‑energy expansion.
For instance, in 2026, China added a substantial amount of new solar PV capacity, indicating continued momentum in the country’s large‑scale renewable energy expansion. The country’s strong push to integrate clean energy into the power system along with ongoing investment in utility‑scale projects, will strengthen the nation’s position as a global leader in solar deployment.
Introduction of supportive policies and standards to ensure regulatory stability and government incentives will boost huge investments in solar energy systems, thereby driving the business scenario. Improved manufacturing processes and economies of scale have made grid solar systems affordable for customers. Additionally, rising electricity demand and consumer preferences for systems that reduce electricity bills are set to bolster the industry statistics.
Rising awareness of environmental responsibility and the rising requirement to shift from conventional energy sources will encourage the industry players to flourish their investments in grid‑connected solar solutions. Growing preference for high performance solar technologies that deliver stable output, higher efficiency and longer operating life will drive focus on advanced cell designs and next generation modules, which will positively shape the market statistics.
Growing adoption of digital monitoring and smart‑grid technologies transforming on grid solar systems operates with real‑time data analytics and the predictive maintenance tools to ensure seamless integration with local grids. Supportive government policy strengthens the renewable energy targets, updating grid‑connection regulations creating a stable environment for accelerating the transition toward grid‑connected solar solutions.
For instance, in June 2026, EU introduced the T‑MED scheme, to support the development of new renewable energy capacity across the Mediterranean region. This initiative aims at mobilizing large scale investment by providing financial backing that will help unlock both public and private funding for a wide range of clean‑energy projects. It further reflects the region’s broader commitment to strengthening energy security, diversifying supply sources, and supporting regional decarbonization efforts.
The residential sector is experiencing a steady rise in product adoption as homeowners vary for ways to lower electricity bills and gain more control over their energy usage. Growing interest in clean energy, has made rooftop solar systems more attainable to produce and export excess electricity back to the grid, thereby strengthening the appeal of on‑grid solar in the household segment.

Based on end use, the market is classified into residential, commercial & industrial and utility. Residential accounted for 20.5% share in 2025 and is projected to grow by more than USD 187.5 billion by 2035.

Based on technology, the on grid solar PV market is bifurcated into monocrystalline, polycrystalline and thin film. Monocrystalline dominated the market, accounting for 89.5% share in 2025 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% through 2035.

The U.S. On Grid Solar PV market is anticipated to grow more than USD 56 billion by 2035.
Prominent manufacturers operating in the on‑grid solar PV market and include the ongoing innovation to improve the module efficiency, performance and reliability to achieve cost optimization and scale. Companies strengthening their presence through vertical integration, strategic collaborations, and localized production to improve supply chain resilience and market reach. In addition, manufacturers are expanding their service offerings to include system design, installation support and operations and maintenance solutions and evolving regulatory requirements to meet the growing demand from commercial, industrial and utility scale customers.
Eminent players operating in the on grid solar PV industry are:
On Grid Solar PV market research report includes an in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of revenue and volume in “USD Billion and MW” from 2022 to 2035, for the following segments:
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The above information has been provided for the following regions and countries:
Chapter 1   Methodology & Scope
1.1    Research design
1.2    Quality commitment
1.2.1    GMI AI policy & data integrity commitment
1.2.1.1    Source consistency protocol
1.3    Research trail & confidence scoring
1.3.1    Research trail components
1.3.2    Scoring components
1.4    Data collection
1.4.1    Partial list of primary sources
1.5    Data mining sources
1.5.1    Paid sources
1.5.1.1    Sources, by region
1.6    Base estimates and calculations
1.6.1    Base year calculation for any one approach
1.7    Forecast model
1.8    Research transparency addendum
1.8.1    Source attribution framework
1.8.2    Quality assurance metrics
1.8.3    Our commitment to trust
1.9    Market definitions
Chapter 2   Executive Summary
2.1    Industry synopsis, 2022 – 2035
2.2    Business trends
2.3    Component trends
2.4    Technology trends
2.5    End use trends
2.6    Regional trends
Chapter 3   Industry Insights
3.1    Industry ecosystem
3.1.1    Raw material availability & sourcing analysis
3.1.2    Manufacturing capacity assessment
3.1.3    Supply chain resilience & risk factors
3.1.4    Distribution network analysis
3.2    Regulatory landscape
3.2.1    North America
3.2.2    Europe
3.2.3    Asia Pacific
3.2.4    Middle East
3.2.5    Africa
3.2.6    Latin America
3.3    Industry impact forces
3.3.1    Growth drivers
3.3.2    Industry pitfalls & challenges
3.4    Growth potential analysis
3.5    Porter’s analysis
3.5.1    Bargaining power of suppliers
3.5.2    Bargaining power of buyers
3.5.3    Threat of new entrants
3.5.4    Threat of substitutes
3.6    PESTEL analysis
3.6.1    Political factors
3.6.2    Economic factors
3.6.3    Social factors
3.6.4    Technological factors
3.6.5    Legal factors
3.6.6    Environmental factors
3.7    Technology and innovation landscape
3.8    Price trend analysis (Driven by Primary Research)
3.8.1    Historical price trend analysis
3.8.2    Pricing strategy by player type
3.9    Trade data analysis (Driven by Primary Research)
3.9.1    Import/export value trends
3.9.2    Key trade corridors & tariff impact
3.10    Solar production capacity & utilization (Driven by Primary Research)
3.10.1    Production capacity by region
3.10.2    Utilization rates and expansion pipeline
3.11    Impact of AI & generative AI on the market (Driven by Primary Research)
3.11.1    Predictive maintenance & fault detection
3.11.2    Grid optimization & load forecasting
3.11.3    Digital twin simulation & testing
3.11.4    Risks, limitations & regulatory considerations
3.12    Emerging opportunities & trends
3.13    Digitalization & IoT integration
3.14    Investment analysis and future outlook
Chapter 4   Competitive landscape, 2026
4.1    Introduction
4.2    Company market share analysis, by region, 2025
4.2.1    North America
4.2.2    Europe
4.2.3    Asia Pacific
4.2.4    Middle East
4.2.5    Africa
4.2.6    Latin America
4.3    Competitive analysis of major market players
4.4    Competitive positioning matrix
4.5    Key developments
4.5.1    Mergers & acquisitions
4.5.2    Partnerships & collaborations
4.5.3    New product launches
4.5.4    Expansion plans & funding
4.6    Company tier benchmarking
4.6.1    Tier classification criteria & qualifying thresholds
4.6.2    Tier positioning matrix by revenue, geography & innovation
Chapter 5   Market Size and Forecast, By Component, 2022 – 2035 (USD Billion & MW)
5.1    Key trends
5.2    Modules
5.3    Inverters
5.4    Trackers
5.5    BOS
Chapter 6   Market Size and Forecast, By Technology, 2022 – 2035 (USD Billion and MW)
6.1    Key trends
6.2    Monocrystalline
6.2.1    PERC
6.2.2    TopCon
6.2.3    HJT
6.2.4    IBC/TBC
6.3    Polycrystalline
6.4    Thin film
6.4.1    Cadmium Telluride
6.4.2    Amorphous Silicon
6.4.3    Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide
Chapter 7   Market Size and Forecast, By End Use, 2022 – 2035 (USD Billion and MW)
7.1    Key trends
7.2    Residential
7.3    Commercial & Industrial
7.4    Utility
Chapter 8   Market Size and Forecast, By Region, 2022 – 2035 (USD Billion & MW)
8.1    Key trends
8.2    North America
8.2.1    U.S.
8.2.2    Canada
8.2.3    Mexico
8.3    Europe
8.3.1    Austria
8.3.2    Norway
8.3.3    Denmark
8.3.4    Finland
8.3.5    France
8.3.6    Germany
8.4    Asia Pacific
8.4.1    China
8.4.2    Japan
8.4.3    South Korea
8.4.4    India
8.4.5    Australia
8.5    Middle East
8.5.1    Israel
8.5.2    Saudi Arabia
8.5.3    UAE
8.5.4    Jordan
8.5.5    Oman
8.6    Africa
8.6.1    South Africa
8.6.2    Egypt
8.7    Latin America
8.7.1    Brazil
8.7.2    Chile
Chapter 9   Company Profiles
9.1    AESOLAR
9.2    Canadian Solar
9.3    EDF Renewables
9.4    Enel Green Power
9.5    Enel X
9.6    First Solar
9.7    GCL-SI
9.8    GoodWe
9.9    Grew Energy
9.10    JA SOLAR Technology
9.11    JinkoSolar
9.12    Leapton Energy
9.13    LONGi
9.14    Metsolar
9.15    NextEra Energy
9.16    QCells
9.17    Recurrent energy
9.18    SMA Solar
9.19    Solar Cellz
9.20    Solis
9.21    Sunova Solar
9.22    SunPower Corporation
9.23    T1 Energy
9.24    Trina Solar
9.25    Vikram Solar
9.26    Yingli Solar
The companies listed in this report are a curated selection – not the full competitive universe.
Our market revenue calculations use a bottom-up methodology that accounts for all players across all regions – including manufacturers, distributors, and specialists not individually profiled. The profiles section spotlights strategically significant players; it does not define the scope of our market sizing.
Your competitive landscape may also include
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This report draws on a structured research process built around direct industry conversations, proprietary modelling, and rigorous cross-validation and not just desk research.
At GMI, our research methodology is built on a foundation of human expertise, rigorous validation, and complete transparency. Every insight, trend analysis, and forecast in our reports is developed by experienced analysts who understand the nuances of your market.
Our approach integrates extensive primary research through direct engagement with industry participants and experts, complemented by comprehensive secondary research from verified global sources. We apply quantified impact analysis to deliver dependable forecasts, while maintaining complete traceability from original data sources to final insights.
Primary research forms the backbone of our methodology, contributing nearly 80% to overall insights. It involves direct engagement with industry participants to ensure accuracy and depth in analysis. Our structured interview program covers regional and global markets, with inputs from C-suite executives, directors, and subject matter experts. These interactions provide strategic, operational, and technical perspectives, enabling well-rounded insights and reliable market forecasts.
Data mining is a key part of our research process, contributing nearly 20% to the overall methodology. It involves analysing market structure, identifying industry trends, and assessing macroeconomic factors through revenue share analysis of major players. Relevant data is collected from both paid and unpaid sources to build a reliable database. This information is then integrated to support primary research and market sizing, with validation from key stakeholders such as distributors, manufacturers, and associations.
Our market sizing is built on a bottom-up approach, starting with company revenue data gathered directly through primary interviews, alongside production volume figures from manufacturers and installation or deployment statistics. These inputs are then pieced together across regional markets to arrive at a global estimate that stays grounded in actual industry activity.
Every forecast includes explicit documentation of:
✓ Key growth drivers and their assumed impact
✓ Restraining factors and mitigation scenarios
✓ Regulatory assumptions and policy change risk
✓ Technology adoption curve parameter
✓ Macroeconomic assumptions (GDP growth, inflation, currency)
✓ Competitive dynamics and market entry/exit expectations
The final stages involve human validation, where domain experts manually review filtered data to identify nuances and contextual errors that automated systems might miss. This expert review adds a critical layer of quality assurance, ensuring data aligns with research objectives and domain-specific standards.
Our triple-layer validation process ensures maximum data reliability:
✓ Statistical Validation
✓ Expert Validation
✓ Market Reality Check
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Government procurement records and policy documents
University studies and specialist institution reports
Annual reports, investor presentations, and filings
C-suite, procurement leads, and technical specialists
13,000+ published studies across 30+ industry verticals
Import/export volumes, HS codes, and customs records
Every data point in this report is validated through primary interviews, true bottom-up modelling, and rigorous cross-checks. Read about our research process →
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Dean Moor Solar Farm Secures Development Consent for 150 MW Solar Project in Cumbria  SolarQuarter
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New Economics Foundation and Finance Innovation Lab suggest loan scheme backed by Bank of England could benefit up to 8m homes
Millions of UK households could save hundreds of pounds a year on their energy bills if the government were to approve low-cost loans for solar panel installation, research has found.
Solar panels with batteries are one of the cheapest ways to generate electricity and reduce energy bills, but with an upfront cost of about £6,000 they are still beyond the reach of most cash-strapped UK households while other countries forge ahead with installation.
But if the Bank of England were to back a system of low-interest borrowing, they could be installed on about 8m homes at no direct cost to the government. Households would save about £250 a year on average, according to the thinktanks New Economics Foundation and the Finance Innovation Lab.
The scheme would work by allowing the Bank of England to offer commercial banks access to its funds at low or no interest, on condition that they used the facilities to provide loans to households for solar installations. The loans would be available to households at about 2% interest, giving the high-street banks an incentive to take part and covering the costs of the scheme.
Cooperation with energy companies could allow the loans to be recouped through bills; otherwise, the repayments – likely to be about £45 a month on average, offset by bill savings of about £66 – could be collected by the banks. Even with the cost of the loan, households would save money on their energy bills for the 15 years of repayments, and more for the remaining life of the panels.
Adopting the proposals could also help the government out of a fiscal hole: the budget for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero includes about £15bn for the Warm Homes Plan, a scheme to equip low-income households with green energy and insulation. That money is now under threat as the prospective prime minister, Andy Burnham, seeks to expand defence spending.
Jesse Griffiths, chief executive of the Finance Innovation Lab, said that offering solar upgrades through the Bank of England would free up Warm Homes Plan cash. “You could then spend it on whatever you wanted,” he said.
“The government’s (warm homes) plan relies on government spending to subsidise cheap loans, but our research shows that, for rooftop solar, cheap loans can be delivered without direct costs to government. This makes the potential take-up of the scheme far larger than what limited public budgets could subsidise, meaning that anyone with a suitable rooftop could benefit – over 8 million households,” said Griffiths.
Previous government-backed schemes for green home upgrades, such as the scrapped “green deal” offered by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition, failed because they carried a cost to the government, Griffiths added. By using the Bank of England’s ability to offer preferential interest rates, this could be avoided. He pointed to the success of similar schemes in countries such as Japan and China.
Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, who has come under ferocious attack from the Tories and sections of the media since rumours swirled that he could be a candidate to serve as Burnham’s chancellor, has long championed rooftop solar as a bright solution to the cost of living crisis.
Heatwaves and the war in Iran, which has sent fuel prices soaring, have encouraged increasing numbers of people to seek out solar: in March, there were 25,000 small-scale solar installations registered with MCS, the standards body, which was the most in a single month for 11 years. So far this year there have been about 125,000 installations, with that number likely to at least double by year-end. Last year, 258,000 homes, small businesses or buildings were fitted with panels, bringing the total number of installations in the UK to more than 2m.
While the UK’s home solar market is booming again amid the oil crisis, the stop-start nature of previous government incentive schemes depressed uptake in the last decade. The high of more than 203,000 installations reached in 2011, when “feed-in tariffs” that rewarded households for sending energy to the grid were in place, was not surpassed until last year, and from 2016 to 2021 only about 50,000 a year were installed, according to MCS.
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Other countries have forged ahead: close to a third of households in Pakistan now use solar systems, mainly DIY installations; and rooftop solar in the Philippines has doubled. Modern panels can generate power even on overcast days in cloudy countries such as the UK, and Griffiths quoted estimates that about two-thirds of UK homes could benefit: at least half are “highly suitable” for panels, and a further 17% have east- or west-facing roofs where installations can still work well.
Chris Hewett, the chief executive of the Solar Energy UK trade association, said: “The UK’s rooftop solar market has never been healthier, and it’s no wonder, considering that the price of solar and battery installations is almost the lowest on record, while the cost of power from the grid remains stratospheric. But we must go further and faster.”
The government is also keen for people to buy plug-in solar panels, which will become available in kits for a few hundred pounds from supermarkets and other retailers, but such systems tend to be less efficient than rooftop arrays. “They’re more useful for balconies and places where rooftop solar is difficult,” said Griffiths.
Miliband said: “Amid another fossil fuel crisis, the British people are continuing to show record demand and break clean power records with a new rooftop solar panel installed every two minutes in 2025.
“We are going further and faster on our rooftop revolution, with the Warm Homes Plan set to bring in zero- and low-interest loans for solar panels – and quick, low-cost plug-in panels will be in shops within months.”
The Bank of England declined to comment.

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LONGi Tops Wood Mackenzie’s Global Solar PV Module Manufacturer Ranking, Earns “Grade A” Highest Rating  Yahoo Finance
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New Ohio Bill Could Hamstring Big Wind and Solar Farms Even More  Successful Farming
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Researchers at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) have reported a breakthrough in organic PV by achieving a power conversion efficiency of 20.5% in an organic solar cell. This milestone was enabled by a novel strategy that re-associates normally non-emissive triplet excitons into extractable free charge carriers, significantly reducing energy losses that have traditionally limited the performance of organic PV cells.
In these cells, triplet excitons are often regarded as loss channels because their long lifetimes and spin-forbidden transitions hinder efficient charge generation. The CityUHK team developed a mechanism that converts these otherwise trapped excitations into free electrons and holes that can be collected at the electrodes, thereby improving photocurrent generation without compromising the device voltage.
Organic solar cells have so far achieved certified efficiencies above 20%, with laboratory-scale devices exceeding 21% through advances in non-fullerene acceptors, morphology control, and reduced energy losses.
The organic solar cell developed by the researchers integrates a small-molecule non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) known as FTh-4F. It is commonly used as the electron-accepting material in organic solar cells and belongs to the family of fused-ring electron acceptors. It is designed to provide strong near-infrared absorption, efficient electron transport, and low energy loss.
“By introducing this acceptor as a ternary component into other host OPV systems, we manage to recover the triplet-mediated losses and improve OPV efficiencies by maximizing the number of extractable photocarriers,” they explained.
They also found that free charge carriers persist much longer than spin-triplet excitons, indicating that triplet excitons can be converted back into free charge carriers rather than being lost as heat. By increasing the triplet exciton population through sensitization, they experimentally confirmed this recycling pathway via interfacial triplet charge-transfer states. Additionally, optimizing the acceptor’s side-chain structure and exciton delocalization reduced the singlet–triplet energy gap (ΔEST), making triplet exciton dissociation more efficient.
The research team said subsequent laboratory experiments have further advanced cell performance, pushing power conversion efficiency beyond 21%, without providing further details.
The new cell technology was described in “Recycling of spin-triplet excitons in organic photovoltaics,” published in nature.
“This study refines the scientific framework regarding the evolution of excitons/charge carriers in organic optoelectronic devices and opens up broad application prospects for systems involving charge separation and charge recombination processes,” the academics stated. “This breakthrough is expected to significantly enhance energy utilisation efficiency and advance the transition towards a cleaner, more efficient and sustainable future.”

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The Stâlpu 2 hybrid solar park, in Buzău county, has come online. MORE – Motor Oil Renewable Energy said the photovoltaic plant of 63 MW with 10 MW / 21 MWh in battery storage is in trial operation, set to deliver 76 GWh to the grid each year.
It is the firm’s first renewables facility outside Greece and the first hybrid power plant overall. MORE is a subsidiary of refiner Motor Oil Hellas, which is also involved in green hydrogen projects and carbon capture and storage.
The company said its new hybrid power plant’s output would be equivalent to the electricity needs of 32,000 households. The facility would also prevent the release of more than 26,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per year, according to the update. It is an estimate of greenhouse gas emissions for the production of the same amount of electricity from fossil fuels.
The project firm behind Stâlpu 2, located northeast of Bucharest, is called Solar Energy Production. MORE owns 80%, and the rest is controlled by Alive Renewable Holding Limited, operating under Premier Energy Group.
MORE and Alive Renewable bought the Stâlpu 1 and 2 projects in 2024
Stâlpu 1, also in Buzău county, has entered trial production as well, Profit.ro reported a month ago. It consists of a 48 MW solar farm and a battery energy storage system (BESS) of 8 MW in operating power and 16 MWh in capacity. Alive Renewable has 90% in Development Power Solar Energy, the formal operator, while MORE has a 10% stake.
The Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) issued the so-called establishment authorizations for both hybrid power plants a year ago, enabling the start of construction.
Alive and MORE bought the two project firms – special purpose vehicles or SPVs – in 2024, for EUR 15.9 million. The combined investment was valued at RON 418.2 million, according to a report from May of last year, translating to almost EUR 83 million at the time.
The projects were eligible for up to RON 112.3 million in grants from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP or, in Romanian, PNRR). The mechanism is part of the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility.
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Shikun and Binui Energy Europe received the final regulatory goahead in Romania for a hybrid power plant with a 76 MW connection capacity
The Government of Serbia has issued a public call to companies from the USA to express interest in participating in the implementation of the Đerdap 3 project
Slovenia's electricity transmission system operator (TSO) ELES became a member of PICASSO, the European platform for cross-border exchange of balancing energy
Southeast Europe has some of the most compelling values for energy storage investments in the continent, according to a new report by ENTSO-E.
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Alpacas graze in the shade of solar panels in Hebron in northern Illinois. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The webinar Solar on Your Farm: Drainage and Soil Health Considerations for Landowners will be noon to 1:30 p.m. July 30.
Soil and water conservation are important to landowners, and solar farms can have both positive and negative impacts depending on how they are designed and managed.
Tile drainage supports crop production on about half of Indiana’s farmland, making it important to understand how solar development may affect drainage systems and what strategies can improve outcomes. Soil health may be temporarily stressed during solar farm construction but can improve under the continuous living cover provided by established vegetation.
This presentation will discuss the processes that influence soil and water resources and how they can be protected, and in some cases enhanced, within solar farm systems.
Register for this free webinar at https://tinyurl.com/5fus6x86.
URBANA, Ill. — Meet the Pollinators, a program for children ages 5 to 11, will be offered at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. July 11 at Idea Garden, 2000 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana.
Participants will learn about many different types of pollinators and how they help us grow flowers and food around the world. After the program, each participant will have an opportunity to participate in a craft that they get to take home — a cute bee made out of beads.
Register at https://tinyurl.com/4t3jdd9m.
HOOPESTON, Ill. — The program Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate will be 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. July 13 at Hoopeston Public Library, 110 N. 4th St., Hoopeston.
Most people have some valued personal belongings that they’d like to stay in the family or pass down to a future generation. In this program, participants will explore ways to talk to family members about the difficult subject of distributing family items with emotional and sentimental value while keeping relationships intact.
Register at https://tinyurl.com/nzy75bee.
LEWISTOWN, Ill. — The Mindfulness Hike will be 9 a.m. to noon July 15 at Emiquon Nature Preserve, 11304 N. Prairie Road, Lewistown.
A mindfulness hike is a walk in nature, focusing on gentle awareness of the present moment rather than the distance or speed of the hike. Being with nature in the present moment is the primary purpose.
Register at https://tinyurl.com/bbf6ec2z.
SIMPSON, Ill. — Grow, Harvest, Prepare, and Share, a youth gardening class, will be 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. July 16 at Dixon Springs Agricultural Center, 354 State Hwy 145 N, Simpson.
After learning more about where their food comes from and taking an active role in the growing process, youth participants will then head to the kitchen for Illinois Junior Chef cooking classes to learn knife skills, cooking techniques, and nutrition basics.
Register at https://tinyurl.com/3rv6fwn9.
CLINTON, Ill. — Cooking with Grandma will be 10 to 11:30 a.m. July 16 at DeWitt County Extension, 1160 IL 54, Suite B, Clinton.
Spend the morning with grandchildren sharing laughs and making memories. Children will practice basic kitchen skills and learn how to read a recipe. Children may attend without a grandparent. Substitute grandmas available upon request.
Register at https://tinyurl.com/5b7y86d9.
The program also will be offered 1 to 2:30 p.m. July 17 at Maroa Library, 305 E. Garfield, Maroa. Register at https://tinyurl.com/yc5tfjf6.
WESTCHESTER, Ill. — Fatal Opioid Overdose Prevention Program for college-age individuals will be 1 to 2 p.m. July 16 at Illinois Extension, 2205 Enterprise Drive, Westchester.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office stated that there were 1,169 opioid-related deaths in 2024, and the American Medical Association supports college students to carry naloxone.
Illinois Extension is offering a program that describes the statistics surrounding opioid use, emerging trends, how to respond to an opioid overdose, how to use life-saving nasal naloxone and fentanyl test strips.
Extension also has partnered with the Cook County Department of Public Health to provide free naloxone and fentanyl test strips to be given out at the end of each program to participants.
For questions, contact Shannon Towers at sptowers@illinois.edu. Register at https://tinyurl.com/yshwn9h9.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The program Staying Safe Online will be 5:30 to 7 p.m. July 16 at The Dream Center, 1615 E. Wallace St., Fort Wayne.
This hands-on workshop reviews important tips for keeping your personal information safe while enjoying the benefits of the internet. Learn how to recognize suspicious emails, tips for safe browsing and best practices for shopping online.
Register for this free class at https://tinyurl.com/3tu69huy.
LEWISTOWN,Ill. — The floral design workshop Flowers and Fruit will be 1 to 3 p.m. July 17 at Fulton County Extension, 15411 IL-100, Lewistown.
Christine Wright, Hy-Vee floral manager, will demonstrate the art of combining fresh flowers and fruit in floral arrangements. Participants will learn design guidelines, balance, and care techniques while creating a vibrant arrangement featuring citrus and daisies, perfect for adding a fresh, playful touch to home décor.
Cost is $20. Register at https://tinyurl.com/ybhu59ma.
RIVER GROVE, Ill. — Cook County July Nature Wellness Walk will be 10 a.m. to noon July 18 at Sunset Bridge Meadow, North Avenue, east of North 1st Avenue, River Grove.
Relaxing mindfulness and meditative practices will be led by certified guides during these slow and leisurely walks that can lead to improved mental and physical health. A beautiful tea ceremony will be conducted after the walk.
Register at https://tinyurl.com/4dezanzh.
WAUKEGAN, Ill. — Growing a Tea Garden will be 6 to 7 p.m. July 20 at Waukegan Public Library, 128 N. County St., Waukegan.
If you enjoy a nice cup of tea and have a flare for gardening, come learn what plants you can grow in our area to create or enhance your very own tea blends. Learn about the vast array of plants that can be used for making tea.
Register at https://tinyurl.com/bdhf395d.
GOREVILLE, Ill. — The Summer Twilight Series program Growing Ginger and Turmeric will be 6 to 8 p.m. July 20 at Pink Tiger Farm, 6925 State Route 37 N, Goreville.
Learn about ginger, turmeric, and other value-added products.
Pink Tiger Farm began five years ago when owners Brian Elias and Kyle McAdams left their busy Chicago careers to pursue a shared dream of farming. The pandemic pushed them to make the leap, trading city life for land in southern Illinois. Believing store‑bought produce often lacks true flavor, they now focus on heirloom peppers and herbs, growing distinctive varieties like Hawaiian red turmeric and Aleppo peppers chosen for their heritage, taste, and cultural significance.
In addition to their spices, Pink Tiger collaborates with other local farmers to produce value-added products such as hot honey and infused vinegars. They believe their success is intertwined with the success of their community and follow a philosophy of interdependence — growing their business while supporting others. In 2025, Pink Tiger Farm was one of 20 new locally owned businesses inducted into the Illinois Made program, highlighting businesses whose authentic products and unique experiences reflect the best of Illinois’ culture. Join the tour to learn more about their farm and locally-grown products.
Register by email at baly@illinois.edu or call 618-695-2441. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/3jr6vcu6.
NOBLESVILLE, Ill. — The 2026 Certified Arborist Preparation Course Seminar will be 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET July 22 at Forest Park Inn, 701 Cicero Road, Noblesville.
This seminar is for those seeking to become an International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist, and provides assistance with exam preparation
Lunch will be provided. An exam is scheduled to take place following the prep course.
For more information, contact Lindsey Purcell at 219-295-0048, or lindsey@indiana-arborist.org. Visit https://tinyurl.com/y47z2km9.
The Illinois AgriNews and Indiana AgriNews staff is in the field each week, covering topics that affect local farm families and their businesses. We give readers information they can’t get elsewhere to help them make better farming decisions.
Copyright © 2026 agrinews-pubs.com. All rights reserved. Published in La Salle, Illinois, USA, by Shaw Media.
Copyright © 2026 agrinews-pubs.com. All rights reserved. Published in La Salle, Illinois, USA, by Shaw Media.

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Scope includes design review, EPC tendering, and full construction supervision.
AFRY is contributing as owner’s engineer to a 70 MWac ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Northern Luzon, Philippines, developed by Linglingay Power Corporation.
Linglingay Power Corporation is a project company of Singapore-based HEXA Renewables.
The project will be built on a 76-hectare site in Barangay Linglingay and will connect to the Luzon Grid through the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ Gamu 69 kV switchyard via a 1.2-kilometer double-circuit transmission line.
The facility is expected to support the country’s renewable energy targets and improve grid reliability in Northern Luzon.
AFRY initially served as Technical Consultant during the project’s Technical Due Diligence for the asset acquisition. Following the acquisition, the company was appointed owner’s engineer for the pre-construction phase.
During pre-construction, AFRY’s responsibilities include reviewing design packages and site data, optimising the plant layout, preparing the Employer’s Requirements and Minimum Technical Requirements for EPC tendering, developing tender documents, and managing the EPC bidding process from bid issuance through evaluation and contract negotiations.
AFRY said it will continue as owner’s engineer during construction, providing design reviews, full-time site supervision, construction monitoring, and support for testing, commissioning, and project handover.
 
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CleanMax Enviro Energy Solutions, a renewable energy provider for the commercial & industrial (C&I) segment, has commissioned 529 MW of renewable energy capacity in the first quarter of FY2027, marking its highest quarterly commissioning to date.
The additions include 403 MW of renewable energy power sale projects, comprising 350 MWp of solar and 53 MW of wind capacity. These projects are owned or co-owned by CleanMax, including group captive projects with customer equity participation, benefitting from long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) and energy attribute purchase agreements.
The company also commissioned 126 MWp of solar capacity under its renewable energy services business, where it provides engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and operations and maintenance (O&M) services for assets owned by C&I customers.
Following the record commissioning during the quarter, CleanMax’s operational portfolio stands at 4.2 GW, comprising 3.5 GW under the RE power sales business and 0.7 GW under the RE services business.
The largest capacity additions during Q1 FY 2027 came from projects in Gujarat with 170 MW, Karnataka (160 MW), and Maharashtra (110 MW), complemented by added capacities across regions like Haryana and Chhattisgarh. Overall, the commissioning was delivered across eleven project sites in five states.
“Crossing 500 MW of commissioning in a single quarter reflects the scale of demand we are seeing from commercial and industrial customers. It also marks an important expansion of our operating portfolio and the long-term partnerships that underpin it,” said Kuldeep Jain, founder and managing director.
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Thursday, July 16, 2026
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The June issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
Thursday, September 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
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Premier Energies Ltd has secured solar cell and module orders worth INR 3,011 crore in the April-June quarter of FY2027.
The orders comprise supply of 1,846 MW of solar cells and modules with delivery scheduled across FY 2027 and FY 2028.
The company said these contracts were awarded by a mix of power producers, module manufacturers, EPC companies and other customers, reflecting strong confidence in its manufacturing capabilities, product quality and execution track record.
The strong order inflow supports Premier Energies growth strategy as the company is undertaking significant expansion of its manufacturing capacities. It recently enhanced its module manufacturing capacity from 5.5 to 11.1 GW, while solar cell manufacturing capacity is expected to grow from 3.6 GW to 10.6 GW by September 2026.
“Premier Energies is embarking on a high-growth strategy supported by booming solar demand and the Indian government’s policy commitment to Make-inIndia. Timely implementation of ALMM-2 policy, as recently announced, for domestic manufacturing of solar cells is a critical enabler of business growth,” said Chiranjeev Saluja, managing director, Premier Energies. “These new orders reflect the leadership position built by Premier Energies with investments in new technologies, scale and product quality.”
Premier Energies Ltd is a publicly listed integrated solar manufacturer. The company manufactures high-efficiency solar cells and modules and is expanding its integrated manufacturing capabilities across the solar value chain. It has received Great Place to Work certification for five consecutive years.
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Tuesday, July 14, 2026
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The June issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
Thursday, September 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
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German research laboratory, the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH), has included the calibration of large-area perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells at its Calibration and Test Center (CalTeC).
The expansion will provide calibration services for solar cells up to the G12 (210×210 mm) wafer format and addresses the growing demand for reliable efficiency measurements as tandem PV technologies move from laboratory research toward commercial applications.
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Presented last month during the tandemPV Workshop in Berlin, Germany, the expanded measurement addresses several critical aspects of tandem cell characteristics, said ISFH. These include:

“Tandem solar cells are much more complex than conventional silicon cells. Specialised calibration is needed to ensure that reported efficiencies are accurate, comparable, and trusted by researchers, manufacturers, and investors,” said Karsten Bothe, head of the ISFH CalTeC solar cell calibration laboratory.
“We provide the measurement confidence needed to move tandem photovoltaics from laboratory breakthroughs to commercial products.”
According to the German laboratory, a key challenge for the tandem silicon solar cells is the transition from laboratory-scale devices of approximately 1 cm² to wafer-scale devices with active areas of up to G12.
“Achieving this transition requires not only advances in device fabrication but also calibration methodologies that address the specific metrological requirements of tandem photovoltaics,” added ISFH CalTec.
Moreover, as perovskite tandem solar PV technology continues its transition from laboratory research to industrial manufacturing, robust and standardised calibration procedures will play an increasingly important role, according to ISFH CalTec. These provide a basis for comparable measurement results, confidence in reported performance data and support the commercialisation of high efficiency tandem solar cells globally.
Since 2016, the ISFH CalTec has been accredited for the calibration of wafer-based silicon solar cells and has since provided calibration services to over 70 companies from 20 countries.
The laboratory has also been authorised to independently verify PV conversion efficiencies since 2018 and has since verified 27 world-record silicon solar cell efficiencies, including from Trinasolar, LONGi and Jinkosolar among others.

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JUWI Surpasses 1 GW of Renewable Energy Under Construction as Global Solar PV Portfolio Exceeds 900 MW  SolarQuarter
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Solar Power World
By Billy Ludt | July 2, 2026
The Massachusetts Senate passed a bill yesterday that its authors are referring to as “an act to save people money, repair the climate and grow the economy.” One way legislators intend to do this is by reforming and streamlining residential solar permitting processes statewide.
The state’s energy omnibus bill was passed by the House in March (H5151), and has undergone rounds of amendments in the Senate (S3143). The “Commonwealth smart solar permitting platform” would handle solar project permitting digitally with the goal of reducing time-intensive manual re-reviews and the costs involved with the process. Documents submission, permitting checklists, related fees and project approval notices would be handled digitally. The state intends to host this solar permitting platform on a public website.
“Massachusetts families have been waiting too long and paying too much for relief from sky-high electricity bills,” said Nicole Gentile, advocacy director at Permit Power, a solar nonprofit group. “Today the Senate delivered real, meaningful relief. Smart permitting alone will save families thousands of dollars on home solar, money that goes right back into their pockets.”
This would be available to municipalities statewide at no cost. The legislation would require municipalities to adopt the smart solar permitting platform, or another similar means of electronic submission for solar project permitting. Implementing a permitting program of this kind could save Massachusetts homeowners intending to build solar $2,040 by 2030 and $5,540 by 2040, according to an analysis by Permit Power.
S3143 includes a provision to create a solar incentive program across market scales in Massachusetts. The program would be established after a period for public comments and market analysis to establish an incentive rate. There are also plans to create a program for decarbonization, energy efficiency, solar energy in public education and to establish a group for residential solar protections.
“The working group shall aim to facilitate affordable solar system adoption and improve system performance, customer satisfaction and consumer protection over the entire lifecycle of residential solar system products and contracts,” the legislation reads.
In its earlier iterations, this bill intended to reduce funding to Mass Save, a energy efficiency program for residential and commercial utility customers, by $1 billion, but the Senate has voted to maintain that funding. The bill now returns to the House before possibly being sent to Gov. Maura Healey to be signed into law.
“As electricity demand soars, Massachusetts needs policies that make it easier to build the energy infrastructure that the economy depends on,” said Ruthie DeWit, Northeast state affairs director for the Solar Energy Industries Association. “This legislation takes meaningful steps to accelerate project development, strengthen grid reliability, and keep electricity costs affordable while reinforcing the Commonwealth’s leadership on clean energy.”
Billy Ludt is managing editor of Solar Power World and currently covers topics on mounting, inverters, installation and operations.

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Côte d’Ivoire, also referred to as Ivory Coast, has commissioned the 52.4 MW Ferke Solar Plant in Ferkessedougou. Developed and financed by PFO Africa’s subsidiary PFO Energies under a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) model, the project is the first independent power producer (IPP) solar plant developed and financed by an Ivorian company, according to local media reports. It is equipped with 73,341 next-generation solar panels and was built for XOF 41 billion to generate around 90 GWh annually. 
The project is part of the government’s program to develop 600 MW of solar capacity nationwide, according to PFO Africa. The solar plant is expected to supply electricity to around 370,000 households, benefiting nearly 2 million people. It is backed by financial support from the Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund (EAAIF) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), with PFO Energies investing XOF 18.34 billion in the project. 
Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy Limited (SWREL), through a 50:50 joint venture (JV) with Hassan Allam Construction, has received a letter of award (LoA) for the West Minya Solar Power Project in Egypt. Valued at around $560 million, the project comprises a 1 GW AC solar PV plant integrated with a 600 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Minya Governorate. According to SWREL, the JV will undertake the full EPC works, including the solar plant, battery storage, grid interconnection, and transmission infrastructure. SWREL said this is its third GW-scale order secured in the past 9 months. 
Oman and EDF power solutions recently signed 3 strategic agreements to advance the former’s clean energy and digital infrastructure ambitions. A consortium led by EDF power solutions, alongside ONEIC and OQ Alternative Energy, signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the 500 MW Al Kamil Solar PV Independent Power Project with Oman Power and Water Procurement Company. The project will support the country’s renewable energy targets and strengthen its electricity supply. Separately, a framework agreement was signed for the development of the 2,000 MW Jabal Abyad Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) project, and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a 1 GW sustainable digital infrastructure platform for artificial intelligence, advanced computing and cloud services, supporting Oman Vision 2040 and economic diversification goals. 
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has joined the shareholder group of solar mini-grids company WeLight as part of a €27 million capital raise alongside AXIAN, Sagemcom, and Norfund. The investment will support WeLight’s expansion into Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while strengthening its operations in Madagascar and Mali. These markets, says WeLight, represent a substantial share of Mission 300 – the World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB) initiative to connect 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030.  
Currently, WeLight says it operates nearly 190 solar-powered mini-grids that provide electricity to more than 800,000 people in rural communities. WeLight said the new funding will help it scale its pan-African platform through which it targets to deploy over 1,000 mini-grids and provide electricity access to nearly 10 million people by 2030. 
Off-grid solar company d.light has announced that its PAYGo receivables securitization platform has reached $1 billion in cumulative purchasing capacity following the issuance of a $50 million Green Bond by African Frontier Capital. Listed on the London Stock Exchange’s International Securities Market and backed by a guarantee from the Green Guarantee Company, the bond is the first public bond for Africa’s off-grid solar sector based on PAYGo receivables. The financing is expected to expand access to clean energy for around 4.3 million people across sub-Saharan Africa, said d.light. The company says its securitization platform is projected to support more than 20 million new first-time energy connections across its markets by 2030, and create over 50,000 jobs by 2030. This will contribute to the World Bank’s Mission 300 initiative.  
The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) has issued a €13.05 million guarantee to support the construction of a 120 MW DC/100 MW AC grid-connected solar PV project in Mezzouna, Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. The guarantee covers AEOLUS SAS’s investment in Scatec Khobna PV Power SARL, which will build, own, and operate the Sidi Bouzid II project. AEOLUS SAS is a joint venture between Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation of Japan and CFAO SAS of France, both of which are owned by Japan’s Toyota Tsusho Corporation. The plant will also include 12 km of high-voltage transmission lines and supply electricity to state utility STEG under a 25-year PPA. Developed with Scatec and financed by the EBRD and EIB, the project supports Tunisia’s target of increasing the share of renewables in its electricity mix to 35% by 2030. It follows MIGA’s €18.45 million guarantee for the Sidi Bouzid I and Tozeur solar projects in 2024. Scatec announced it had reached financial close for the project in June 2026. 
Facility for Energy Inclusion (FEI), managed by Cygnum Capital, and Norfund have closed a $90 million long-term debt facility for Communication and Renewable Energy Infrastructure (CREI) to support the rollout of renewable energy assets across Africa. CREI is a telecom energy service company and asset manager. The financing refinances a $55 million bridge facility provided in 2024 and adds $35 million in new capital to expand CREI’s energy-as-a-service model for mobile network operators. The investment will support projects in Mali, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and other African markets.   
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TOWN OF HARTFORD, Wis. — Most residents near Highway 83 in the Town of Hartford are opposing a proposal to convert farmland into a solar panel project.
One Energy Renewables has proposed leasing farmland along Highway 83 to build the project. Community members gathered in the field adjacent to the highway to voice their concerns.
“It is absolutely ugly, awful and an eyesore,” Julie Champine said. “I was very distressed to think that they’re going to put it right there. It’s awful.”
“I’m not against solar whatsoever,” Gary Heinitz said. “I think it’s great, but it should be put on existing buildings or parking lots. Once all of our farmland is used up and gone, there isn’t going to be anymore.”
“We are totally against it,” Dawn Schauer said. “We are afraid it will devalue our land. It’s prime agricultural land. It’s beautiful out here. People entering Hartford will see that field of solar panels?”
Not everyone in the community is opposed.
“Losing the farmland? You might lose it anyway,” Clyde Lofy said. “It’s really a benefit. I mean, they could be selling it to another developer and having another subdivision going in with more noise, pollution and now you have cars driving in and out all of the time.”
Glenn and Kristine Huber own the land. They said they understand some disagree with the project, but they want to support clean energy. In an emailed statement, they said the following:
Despite the Hubers’ support, most residents want the plan commission and the town board to reject the proposal.
“I would hope that they listen, but politics are politics,” Al Sessler said. “My guess is this is already a done deal.”
The planning commission meeting is Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Town Hall in Hartford.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Spanish IPP Opdenergy has secured US$227 million to support its operating renewable energy portfolio in Chile.
The funding is linked to a portfolio of solar, battery energy storage system (BESS) and wind power projects across different regions of Chile. It includes the Sol de Los Andes Solar plant (104MWp) and Sol de los Andes BESS (90MW/513MWh) located in the Atacama region, the La Estrella Wind farm (50MW) in the O’Higgins region and a 17MW solar portfolio located in the Valparaiso region.
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 Lenders for the transaction included MBC, BNP Paribas and ICO.
“This transaction represents a major milestone for Opdenergy in Chile, as it consolidates a resilient and profitable financial structure aligned with the company’s strategy,” said Luis Cid, CEO of Opdenergy.
Carlos Ortiz, Opdenergy’s country manager for Chile, said the funding “strengthens our capacity to keep developing reliable, competitive clean energy across the country.”
The company began operating in Chile in 2014 and has 371MW of operational renewable energy projects backed up by 748MW of capacity which it said is ready to begin construction in the next year.
Chile’s renewable energy capacity has grown quickly in recent years, with rapid expansions in solar PV and wind deployments. This has led to significant output curtailment, which hit over 6TWh in 2025 according to the country’s renewable energy and energy storage association (ACERA).
This has driven demand for energy storage capacity to support the country’s grid and reduce curtailment, with some success, according to ACERA. The group said that without the expansion of energy storage, curtailment of solar and wind would have hit 8TWh last year, and the technology significantly lessened the year-on-year rise in curtailment compared with 2023 and 2024.

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After commissioning its first renewables project in Romania last August, the Satu Mare photovoltaic system, Shikun and Binui Energy is nearing the start of construction of a rare kind of a hybrid power plant. The Israel-based real estate developer obtained the establishment or setup authorization from the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) for the Deleni 1 wind farm and Deleni 2 solar park.
The site is in Iași county in the northeast, bordering Botoșani county. Transmission grid connection would be 76 MW. The final milestone before the start of construction is valid for three years.
Twelve Vestas wind turbines of 7.2 MW would make up the wind power plant on 26 hectares, according to earlier documentation. It translates to a nominal 86.4 MW, while the PV component would contribute 15 MW in peak capacity. The solar park is envisaged with 25,200 Risen modules and 55 Sungrow inverters.
An earlier plan shows a 35-kilometer underground power line both for Deleni 1 and 2 and the Scobinți wind power project
The project firm, registered in Constanța, is called Deleni Wind Energy. Above it is Shikun and Binui Energy Romania, part of Shikun and Binui Energy Europe.
Also per an earlier update, the investor would install a 35-kilometer underground power line to connect Deleni and its planned Scobinți wind farm to the Boureni transformer station.
A few months ago, the company received the establishment authorization for Scobinți, of 111.8 MW.
Public Power Corp. (PPC Group) has a separate Romanian wind power project called Deleni as well. It is on the territory of an eponymous commune in the neighboring Vaslui county, south of Iași.
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The Government of Serbia has issued a public call to companies from the USA to express interest in participating in the implementation of the Đerdap 3 project
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EVNGENCO1, the wholly-owned power generation subsidiary of Vietnam utility EVN, has proposed investing in 3 floating solar power projects on hydropower reservoirs. Proposed to be located in Lam Dong province, these will have a combined capacity of nearly 270 MW. It estimates a total investment of around VND 4,400 billion.  
The proposed projects include the 96 MW Dai Ninh Lake Floating Solar Plant (VND 1,600 billion), the 100 MW Ham Thuan Lake Floating Solar Plant (Phase 1) (VND 1,650 billion), and the 70 MW Da Mi Lake Floating Solar Plant (Phase 2) (VND 1,150 billion). The projects are planned on existing hydropower reservoirs to improve infrastructure utilization and add clean electricity to Vietnam’s national grid in line with the revised Power Development Plan VIII.
EVNGENCO1 said the projects would support green energy development while helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The company already operates several hydropower assets in Lam Dong with a combined capacity of about 1,615 MW, including the country’s first floating solar project – the 47.5 MW Da Mi floating solar plant commissioned in 2019.   
Norway-based Ocean Sun has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ACEN-Silverwolf to support the deployment of utility-scale floating solar projects across select Asian markets. ACEN-Silverwolf is a joint venture (JV) between ACEN Renewables International and Silverwolf Capital Limited.  
The partnership aims to accelerate floating solar installations in freshwater reservoirs and inland water bodies, subject to approvals and final agreements. Under the proposed collaboration, Ocean Sun will contribute its floating solar technology and maritime expertise, while ACEN-Silverwolf will provide renewable energy development experience in the region. The companies said the agreement supports the transition from pilot projects to large-scale deployments. 
Ocean Sun CEO Kristian Torvold said the MoU creates a pathway to scale the company’s floating solar technology through a capital-light licensing strategy. This follows the company’s collaboration with Candela and Canopy Power on floating solar-powered charging stations in remote Asia-Pacific islands, announced in March 2026 (see Clean Water Mobility: Floating Solar Charging Stations For Electric Vessels).  
Global renewable energy developer OX2 is set to begin construction of the 135 MW AC Muswellbrook Solar Farm and 100 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in New South Wales (NSW). The project is located on the site of a former coal mine near Muswellbrook in the Hunter Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone. It is expected to power more than 52,000 homes and create up to 200 construction jobs. 
The project marks OX2’s maiden owner-operator development in Australia and includes a community benefit-sharing program. It will contribute about AUD 115,000 annually to local initiatives through an agreement with Muswellbrook Shire Council. The solar and storage project was co-developed with Idemitsu Australia and is scheduled to begin operations in 2028. OX2 has appointed a JV between Bouygues Construction Australia and Equans Solar and Storage Australia as the EPC contractor. The project has also secured a long-term hybrid power purchase agreement (PPA) with an international offtaker. 
Edify Energy has reached financial close on the Smoky Creek and Guthrie’s Gap Solar Power Stations in Central Queensland, describing it as Australia’s largest solar and battery hybrid projects currently under construction. The 2 projects, located on the traditional lands of the Gaangalu Nation People, will combine 720 MW of solar generation with 600 MW/2,400 MWh of battery storage.  
The developments are backed by a syndicate of 14 domestic and international lenders, with support from the Australian Government’s Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS). Edify said the projects are the first to be financed under its new greenfield renewable energy debt financing platform, developed with support from its shareholder La Caisse and lending partners. 
Under long-term hybrid services agreements with Rio Tinto, the miner will purchase 90% of the projects’ power and battery storage capacity for 20 years to support its Gladstone aluminum operations with lower-carbon electricity. Edify said the projects will include advanced grid-forming inverter technology to provide dispatchable renewable power and improve grid reliability as older thermal generation retires. 
Australian electricity retailer Flow Power has completed construction and commissioning of 3 solar and BESS projects in Monarto, Naracoorte, and Coonawarra in South Australia. Each project combines a 6-7 MW solar farm with a 15 MWh BESS to support renewable energy supply and grid reliability.  
The projects feature anti-hail solar panels and Australian-made steel and are connected to existing 33 kV SA Power Networks infrastructure. With the additions, Flow Power’s renewable portfolio in South Australia now totals 85.3 MW of wind, solar, and hybrid assets. Flow Power said the integrated battery systems will help provide firmed renewable energy supply, improve local network stability, and reduce energy costs for customers.  
J&V Energy Technology will acquire a 187 MW portfolio of operational solar assets in Taiwan from a fund managed by BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). The transaction, expected to close in Q3 2026 and subject to regulatory approvals, includes 42 solar plants across central and southern Taiwan. The portfolio is expected to generate around 270 million kWh of electricity annually, enough to supply about 80,000 households. It has more than 15 years of remaining operating life.  
J&V Energy said the acquisition supports its strategy of expanding its renewable energy platform. It will strengthen the supply capabilities of its green electricity retail subsidiary, GREENET, to meet growing corporate demand for long-term renewable electricity supply in Taiwan, particularly from semiconductor, electronics, and ICT industries pursuing net-zero targets. 
Renewable energy developer Lightyears has started construction on the 13.5 MW Reefton Solar Farm on New Zealand’s West Coast. This is the company’s largest solar project so far. It is expected to support regional energy security, future electrification, and economic growth in the area, stated Lightyears. 
The solar farm will use nearly 21,000 modules supplied by JA Solar, while Meridian Energy will purchase the project’s output through a PPA. Mechanical installation work is currently underway, led by contractor New Energy. Lightyears said the project highlights the growing role of community-scale renewable energy infrastructure in supporting New Zealand’s transition to a lower-emissions electricity system. 
TaiyangNews 2024

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AGL Energy, an Australia-based energy solutions provider, will deliver a microgrid renewable system for Koompartu Farms in the Riverland region of South Australia. The project, spanning 15 hectares, will include a 9.2 MWh solar PV single-axis tracking array with more than 15,600 solar panels, a 10.2 MWh battery energy storage system made up of four 2.55 MWh units, 16 diesel backup generators, and 19 km of underground high voltage power lines. The microgrid is designed to improve local grid capacity and provide the reliability needed to keep critical irrigation systems operating, with diesel genset usage expected to fall by 88%. The project is being delivered under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement, with AGL building, owning, operating, and maintaining the assets and supplying power to RRG, allowing Koompartu Farms to stay focused on production.
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Global solar resource was redistributed through the first half of 2026 as early-year blocking patterns and polar vortex disruption in the Northern Hemisphere gave way to developing El Niño conditions from April, according to analysis using the Solcast API. Much of Europe, the United States, Southeast Asia, South America and Central Africa saw irradiance 5–10% above the long-term average, while most of Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Northern Africa, parts of Western Russia and Central Asia were 5–10% below average.
Most of Europe saw significantly more solar than normal across the first half of 2026. The pattern began in winter, when cold, dry air reduced cloud cover across parts of eastern and northern Europe, lifting irradiance even as storm systems reduced solar resource farther west. Spring reinforced the surplus. In April, persistent high pressure over the North Sea kept skies clearer across western and northern Europe, with France 13% above the 2007–2025 baseline, Germany 11% above average, and Finland 16% above normal. May continued the pattern as clearer skies extended from Spain to Ukraine, with the strongest anomalies centred around Austria, where irradiance reached as much as 25% above normal. For solar production, the practical impact was extended periods of stronger irradiance across several major European markets, despite local reductions around the edges of the weather systems.
Saharan dust is a recurring feature of Europe’s solar resource, with multiple events each year reducing irradiance and increasing soiling across impacted regions. Below an example from March shows one such dust transport event, with material carried from North Africa over Europe reducing solar resource.
Solar performance in North America was more varied. The United States saw repeated periods of above-average irradiance through winter and early spring, after late-January storm disruption gave way to clearer conditions across large parts of the central, eastern, southern and western U.S. The pattern changed in the second quarter. Western and interior markets remained near or above average, while Texas and the Gulf Coast moved negative as moisture, cloud and rainfall reduced irradiance. California’s Central Valley also recorded below-average irradiance, where persistent tule fog suppressed solar resource during extended periods as can be seen in the maps below. The seasonal shift in North American irradiance is clear when comparing the first and second quarters. Broader gains across much of the United States in winter and early spring gave way to a more regional pattern from April, with clearer contrasts between inland regions and reduced irradiance across the south, particularly impacting Texas and solar production in ERCOT.
South America showed in January how wildfire smoke can reduce solar resource even when broader conditions are otherwise clear. Northern regions saw irradiance reductions of up to 15% as rainfall and storm activity increased cloud cover. Farther south, hotter and drier conditions across northern Argentina and central Chile reduced cloud formation and lifted irradiance in some areas, but wildfire smoke reduced available sunlight during otherwise clearer periods. For solar sites, this meant clear-sky conditions did not always translate into the same gain in surface irradiance.
Asia’s first-half pattern did not follow a single regional split, instead shifting between northern and southern markets as cloud and rainfall patterns changed. Southern and
coastal China started strongly in January and February, as reduced cloud cover and lower aerosol levels lifted irradiance, with Hong Kong more than 25% above average in January and parts of southern China and Taiwan remaining above average in February.
By April, the strongest gains shifted south into mainland Southeast Asia, where clearer, drier conditions lifted irradiance and Bangkok recorded its sunniest April since 2007. At the same time, persistent cloud and rainfall reduced irradiance across eastern China, with the Yangtze Delta around 10% below average.
By May, the contrast had shifted again, with stronger irradiance returning to parts of coastal East Asia while cloud and rainfall reduced solar resource elsewhere across the
region.
The May snapshot highlights how neighbouring markets recorded very different irradiance outcomes under these cloud and rainfall patterns.
Australia followed a clear central–coastal contrast through the first half, with below-average irradiance across central Australia and stronger solar resource along parts of the east and west coasts. Repeated cyclone-driven cloud and rainfall suppressed irradiance inland, while coastal regions experienced more frequent clear periods.
January was mostly above average, but monsoonal cloud and Tropical Cyclone Koji reduced irradiance in the tropical north. Cyclone Mitchell contributed to Australia’s wettest February since 2011, driving 15–30% irradiance deficits across central and eastern regions, before Cyclone Narelle brought cloud, rainfall and dust impacts across
Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia in March. Cyclone Malia later limited April irradiance gains in Far North Queensland and the Northern Territory. For solar operators in affected inland and northern regions, the pattern meant more variable irradiance, higher soiling risk from dust, and more challenging site conditions during periods of heavy rain and cyclone activity, while coastal regions saw stronger resource in parts of the east and west.
Across the first half of 2026, Europe saw broad irradiance gains, while the United States remained above average overall despite more localised disruptions across Texas, the Gulf Coast and parts of California. Asia, South America and Australia showed more regional variability driven by cloud, rainfall, dust, smoke and tropical systems. From April,
developing El Niño conditions added another layer by reshaping rainfall and cloud cover across Asia and Australia.
Solcast produces these figures by tracking clouds and aerosols at 1-2km resolution globally, using satellite data and proprietary AI/ML algorithms. This data is used to drive irradiance models, enabling Solcast to calculate irradiance at high resolution, with typical bias of less than 2%, and also cloud-tracking forecasts. This data is used by more than 350 companies managing over 300 GW of solar assets globally.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those held by pv magazine.
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The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has revised the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) for solar PV modules, adding four new manufacturing facilities, approving multiple capacity expansions and including new module models across existing manufacturers. The latest revision marks the first-time enlistment of manufacturing facilities of Cosmic PV Power, Solarium Green Energy, Havells India and NRG SOL Power under the ALMM.
The update also reflects additional approved capacities and new module variants at several existing ALMM-listed facilities, with approvals largely focused on bifacial N-Type TOPCon technology.
Four manufacturers join ALMM
The latest revision includes four manufacturing facilities entering the ALMM for the first time.
Cosmic PV Power’s manufacturing facility at Surat, Gujarat has been enlisted with a capacity of 1,848 MW. Solarium Green Energy’s Ahmedabad, Gujarat manufacturing plant has been approved with a capacity of 1,230 MW, while Havells India’s Surat manufacturing facility has secured an enlisted capacity of 1,221 MW. NRG SOL Power’s manufacturing facility at Raipur, Chhattisgarh has been added with a capacity of 59 MW.
Among the new entrants, Cosmic PV Power recorded one of the largest capacity additions. Its Tadkeshwar unit in Surat received first-time ALMM approval for multiple families of bifacial N-Type TOPCon modules across 132-cell, 120-cell and 108-cell configurations. In March, Cosmic PV Power filed a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to raise Rs 6,400 million through an initial public offering (IPO).
Existing manufacturers expand capacity and models
Several existing ALMM-listed manufacturers also received approvals for capacity expansions and additional module models.
Premier Energies secured approval for additional bifacial N-Type TOPCon module models from its Maheshwaram, Telangana manufacturing facility, which has an enlisted capacity of 1,507 MW.
Mundra Solar PV Limited received approvals for additional G12R TOPCon module models along with a capacity increase to 2,449 MW. Separately, the Mundra (Adani) Solar Energy manufacturing facility at Adani’s Mundra Solar Technopark received approvals for additional bifacial N-Type TOPCon module variants and a revised enlisted capacity of 1,904 MW.
TP Solar Limited received a capacity addition to 5,072 MW at its Gangaikondan manufacturing facility. Solex Energy Limited’s approved capacity increased to 3,782 MW, while Redren Energy Pvt. Ltd. received a capacity increase to 1,684 MW along with multiple TOPCon module variants.
Reliance Industries Ltd. secured a capacity addition with HJT module models of up to 730 Wp.
Waaree Energies Limited, Vikram Solar Limited, Insolation Green Energy Pvt. Ltd., Swelect HHV Solar Photovoltaics and Luminous Power Technologies Pvt. Ltd. also received approvals for additional module models and capacity expansions. Vikram Solar’s approvals include Hypersol TOPCon modules at its Vallam facility, while Luminous added multiple N-Type TOPCon modules ranging from 540 Wp to 625 Wp.
Eastman Green Technologies, Ganesh Green Bharat, GreenBrilliance Renewable Energy and Solarmint Energies also received approvals covering additional module models and capacity revisions at their existing manufacturing facilities.
TOPCon dominates new approvals
The latest revision is largely centred on bifacial N-Type TOPCon technology, reflecting the industry’s shift from Mono PERC modules.
Most newly approved models fall under bifacial N-Type TOPCon module families across 132-half-cell, 144-half-cell, 120-half-cell and 108-half-cell configurations. Companies including Premier Energies, Mundra Solar, Cosmic PV Power, Havells India, Eastman Green Technologies and Ganesh Green Bharat expanded their approved TOPCon portfolios.
At the same time, Solarium Green Energy and GreenBrilliance Renewable Energy received approvals for additional Mono PERC module variants, indicating continued demand for both technologies across different market segments.
ALMM framework
The ALMM Order, 2019, requires solar PV modules used in government and government-assisted projects to be sourced from manufacturers and models enlisted under ALMM List-I.
Only modules complying with BIS standards and meeting the prescribed minimum efficiency requirements of 18% to 20%, depending on the category, are eligible for enlistment.
According to the latest revision, the ALMM now includes more than 100 enlisted manufacturers and models, covering manufacturing capacities ranging from small-scale facilities to plants exceeding 10,000 MW.
The featured photograph is for representation only.
Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) has commissioned a 126 MW Omkareshwar floating solar project in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.  The Rs 5.96 billion engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) project was awarded by NHDC Limited and will supply power to the Madhya Pradesh Power Transmission Company Limited (MPPTCL).  Completed within 26 months, this…
Read More Tata Power commissions 126 MW floating solar project in Madhya Pradesh
KP Green Engineering Limited has secured new orders worth Rs 972.7 million from multiple clients across five business segments. The company expects to complete all projects by March 31, 2026. The largest order, worth Rs 478.3 million, is for crash barriers used in railway track fencing and related works. Solar-related orders include Rs 375.6 million…
Read More KP Green bags orders across solar, transmission, railways
Energy infrastructure company LS Power has acquired Algonquin Power & Utilities’ renewable energy business, adding over 3GW of wind and solar assets across the US and Canada to its portfolio. This expands LS Power’s renewable energy capacity, which exceeds 23GW. The acquisition, agreed upon in August 2024, has led to the creation of Clearlight Energy,…
Read More LS Power acquires Algonquin’s renewable energy business
Energy Vault has announced plans for a 57MW/114MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), named Cross Trails BESS, to be built in Scurry County, Texas.  Construction is scheduled to begin in Q1 2025, with commercial operations expected by mid-2025.  Energy Vault will build, own, and operate the project using its X-Vault integration platform, UL9540-certified B-VAULT product,…
Read More Energy Vault to build 57MW battery storage project in Texas
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) has announced that 50 per cent of its operational energy requirement is now being met through renewable energy sources. The company reported this sustainability milestone in a disclosure to the stock exchanges. According to the intimation, the state-owned power transmission utility stated that it has achieved 50 per…
Read More POWERGRID meets 50% renewable energy usage milestone
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has granted a final transmission licence to “Bhadla-III Transmission Ltd,” a wholly-owned TBCB subsidiary of Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL).  The licence, issued on December 15, 2024, is valid for 25 years unless revoked earlier. Bhadla-III Transmission Ltd is developing an ISTS scheme titled “Additional transmission system…
Read More CERC grants final transmission licence to PGCIL’s Bhadla-III Transmission
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Spark Renewables’ AUD 1.35 billion ($940 million) Dinawan solar and battery energy storage project planned for southwest New South Wales has been approved under the Australian government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, moving the huge project closer to construction.
Sydney-based Spark Renewables, owned by Malaysian electricity giant Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), said the Dinawan project combines an 800 MW solar installation comprising about 1.5 million solar panels with a battery energy storage system with a capacity of up to 300 MW and provision for up to four hours of storage. It also includes a separate 707 MW wind component.
The facility is to be built across a 2,600-hectare site about 30 km north of Jerilderie, within the New South Wales government’s South West Renewable Energy Zone (REZ). Once operational, it will generate clean energy to power the equivalent of about 142,000 homes annually.
The developer said the hybrid project will deliver large-scale dispatchable renewable power to Australia’s grid, contributing to “improving grid stability and energy security, while reducing reliance on fossil fuel-based generation.”
The Dinawan project has been awarded approximately 1 GW of access rights in the South West REZ. This includes an allocation of 300 MW of solar generation and 1,200 MW of battery energy storage. The company said the initial 300 MW solar capacity is to be built as a stage one, with the remainder to follow when the grid allows.
Spark Renewables is targeting a final investment decision in 2027 with construction expected to start later that year. It is anticipated the project will support approximately 400 jobs during the construction phase. 
The EPBC decision comes after the solar and battery hybrid project received the tick of approval from the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (IPC) in April.
The federal approval outlines specific conditions for the solar and battery project’s construction, operation and eventual decommissioning phases, including annual compliance reporting and rapid reporting of any non-compliance of the environmental plans agreed with federal and state authorities.
In addition to securing EPBC approval, the Dinawan solar and battery development is among the first tranche of projects endorsed by the New South Wales government’s Investment Delivery Authority (IDA) in its opening round.
The IDA is designed to accelerate the delivery of major investment projects across the state. It aims to fast-track projects by identifying barriers and coordinating government efforts to resolve them.
“The Investment Delivery Authority supports better government coordination across all stages of complex and significant projects,” NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully said. “By bringing multiple arms of government together we’re supporting better outcomes for communities, jobs and the economy.”
The Dinawan project is also backed by a federal underwriting deal through the Australian government’s flagship Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS).
From pv magazine Australia
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LONGi Signs Strategic MoU with Saudi Water Authority to Accelerate Solar PV, Green Hydrogen and AI Integration in Water Sector  SolarQuarter
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e-Edition | Classifieds
Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 76F. Winds light and variable..
Considerable cloudiness. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: July 7, 2026 @ 5:12 am
Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 76F. Winds light and variable..
Considerable cloudiness. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: July 7, 2026 @ 5:12 am
Connecting the Valley to Print and Digital
Kaylee Rathbone, a Susquehanna University Class of 2027 student, conducts research under the university’s solar array.
From left, Matt Parsons and Andrew Pisano conduct research under Susquehanna University’s solar array.

Kaylee Rathbone, a Susquehanna University Class of 2027 student, conducts research under the university’s solar array.
From left, Matt Parsons and Andrew Pisano conduct research under Susquehanna University’s solar array.
SELINSGROVE — Susquehanna University’s solar array powers 30% of the campus’ operational needs. Now students are trying to determine how the 12,000 panels might be supporting the microhabitats that have grown beneath and around them — specifically for spiders.
So far, Matt Persons, Charles B. Degenstein professor of biology at Susquehanna University, and two of his students — Andrew Pisano, an ecology major from Malvern, and Kaylee Rathbone, a biomedical sciences major from Mannington Township, New Jersey — have collected more than 1,000 spiders from the array. They do so in a very uniform way, Pisano said, during the day and at night.
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Tuesday
July 07, 2026
Infrastructure Development Company Limited and East West University have entered into a strategic partnership to drive research and enhance monitoring of solar photovoltaic systems across Bangladesh.
The focus will include both utility-scale solar parks and rooftop installations, aiming to accelerate the nation’s renewable energy ambitions.
The agreement was signed on 28 June by Managing Director Alamgir Morshed of Infrastructure Development Company Limited and Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Shams Rahman of East West University, representing their respective organisations.
The partnership will leverage Infrastructure Development Company Limited’s technical monitoring equipment and laboratories alongside East West University’s academic research capabilities.
Under this collaboration, the two institutions will analyse data to assess the reliability and performance of solar energy systems nationwide.
The initiative will also prioritise capacity building, with joint workshops and training programmes planned for students, researchers and industry professionals.
The collaboration is expected to generate robust data to support investment and operational decisions in Bangladesh’s renewable energy sector.
By linking industry infrastructure with academic research, the organisations aim to strengthen the long-term performance and sustainability of solar energy projects in Bangladesh.
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Chinese PV manufacturer Sunpro Power showcased a range of new products at last week’s Intersolar exhibition in Munich, including several new high-efficiency back-contact modules. The company also actively discussed its first foray into the battery energy storage business, aiming to position itself as a turnkey supplier of energy storage system and to make a mark in this field. We interviewed Sunpro’s director, Sam Zhang, at the exhibition to hear more.
PV Tech: What are the main products and new technologies that Sunpro is showcasing at Intersolar this year?
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Sam Zhang: Compared with last year, we have brought a range of new products. In terms of modules, we are highlighting back-contact (BC) modules. This year, we offer a large-format module with a power output of around 660W, as well as high-efficiency small-format modules with a power output of around 500W.
In addition, we are showcasing flexible, lightweight modules, anti-glare modules, agri-PV modules designed specifically for applications such as greenhouses and carports. We are also introducing a new quarter-cell technology, which we plan to bring to market in Q4 of this year.
What led you to focus on back-contact modules, and why launch them now?
Compared with conventional modules, back-contact (BC) technology offers two main advantages: a more aesthetic appearance and higher efficiency. This makes BC modules particularly well suited for residential or balcony systems. Not only do they look better, but given the limited roof space in residential applications, we aim to provide customers with higher efficiency modules. In addition, another technology advantage of BC modules is their superior anti-shading performance, making them an ideal solution for residential rooftops, where shading from surrounding buildings can affect power generation.
Higher-power 660W BC modules are also widely favoured in utility-scale and commercial, and industrial (C&I) projects, because for a given area, they generate more power, thereby helping customers reduce balance-of-system costs and improve project economics.
You also mentioned lightweight and agri-PV modules. Where do those fit in?
The lightweight modules we are showcasing have a power output of around 430W and weigh less than 3kg per square meter. This makes them an ideal solution for rooftops with limited mechanical load capacity, for example, older industrial or commercial buildings, where standard framed glass modules might be too heavy.
The version currently on display is frameless, but a framed option is also available. The frame is plastic rather than aluminium, further reducing the weight.
We currently have obtained Class 1 fire safety certification for the Italian market, and we have already delivered a large volume of modules to Italy, where customer feedback has been very positive.
As for our agri-PV modules, they are mainly used in applications such as greenhouses and carports. These modules are designed to allow more sunlight to pass through to the ground or crops, striking a balance between power generation and the specific needs of agricultural operations.
What does Sunpro’s presence in Europe look like today, and why is the region so important to you?
Sunpro’s core business remains solar modules, and Europe is one of our most strategically important markets. We have an office in Frankfurt and a warehouse in the Netherlands, enabling us to provide localized service, faster delivery and timely feedback to our customers.
Last year, our total module shipments to Europe exceeded 1.2 GW. Germany alone accounted for around 50% of this volume, making it our largest market in Europe, with the remaining 50% delivered across many other countries.
From our perspective, this year’s situation at Intersolar is better than last year. Customers are increasingly focusing not only on PV, but also on ”PV + storage” solutions. Due to low or sometimes even negative electricity prices in certain markets and periods, more and more customers are considering battery storage to improve returns on investment.
You’ve started a battery energy storage (BESS) business as well. What exactly is Sunpro doing in BESS?
This year, we officially started our BESS business in Europe. At this stage, we are not doing distribution of batteries. Instead, we act as a general EPC, providing turnkey, one‑stop solutions that include engineering design, procurement, construction, commissioning and operation and maintenance.
So far, we havesigned three contracts, all of which are utility-scale projects, with a total capacity exceeding 30MWh. In these cases, there is already a PV plant in place; we are adding the BESS to complement the existing solar asset.
We have found that customers are not only looking for hardware, but also for complete technical solutions, maintenance services and professional operations teams with the expertise to manage integrated PV-plus-storage systems.
Chinese manufacturers are facing intense competition and challenges. How is Sunpro responding in terms of production and quality?
Several years ago, we anticipated the need for overseas manufacturing capacity. Today, we have production bases in Indonesia, Poland, the United States, and China. In the US, for example, we operate a 2GW module factory in Georgia – this is a fully operational production line, not just a show line. This allows us to offer customers multiple origin options: modules made in the EU, the US, or China.
In terms of competition, we believe quality is the bottom line; without a high-quality product, we cannot survive in the market. This year, our products passed a “thresher test” that is approximately three times more stringent than standard testing, demonstrating robustness in harsh environments.
On top of that, we provide product reliability warranties backed by Allianz, with  reinsurance support from Lloyd’s. For us, a warranty is not just a piece of paper.
Looking ahead over the next one to two years, what are your main strategic priorities in Europe?
Our strategy is straightforward: we aim to build win–win partnerships with our customers.

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Cote d’Ivoire unveils 52-MWp Ferke solar farm  Renewables Now
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Spain has allocated over €162 million to 40 clean technology manufacturing projects under the RENOVAL 2 program 
The funding supports solar PV, batteries, grid technologies, wind, hydrogen, heat pumps, and industrial decarbonization across 12 regions 
Hithium Spain Innovation received the largest grant of €81 million for a BESS and battery cell factory, expected to create 700 jobs 
Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has awarded more than €162 million to 40 projects under the country’s RENOVAL 2 program. Battery storage was the largest beneficiary of this round, while 3 solar PV manufacturing projects also made the cut. 
A total of 11 battery storage projects claimed the largest share of the funding, followed by 10 grid technology projects, 7 wind and marine renewable energy projects, and 5 renewable hydrogen projects, as well as heat pumps, energy efficiency, and industrial decarbonization initiatives. 
The largest grant, worth €81 million, was awarded to Hithium Spain Innovation to build a battery energy storage system (BESS) and battery cell manufacturing facility in Galar, Navarre. The €405 million project is expected to create 700 direct jobs and begin production next year. Hithium targets 2027 to commence commercial operations for its maiden factory in the European Union (see China’s Hithium To Invest €400 Million In Navarre Gigafactory). 
For the solar sector, the program includes 3 PV manufacturing projects, including the expansion of a solar PV component manufacturing plant in Llíria, Valencia, for which the Spanish solar inverter manufacturer Power Electronics has bagged €7.67 million in funding. Its subsidiary Power Metal Works has secured €1.45 million for another solar factory in Higueruelas, Valencia. 
Cambridge Energy Spain is the 3rd solar project on the list. It has secured €753 million for its facility in Alcantarilla, Murcia. The complete list of winning projects is available on the IDAE website. 
Spain can produce more than 60% of components within the solar value chain, and 100% for wind power, according to MITECO. “However, there are certain components or elements of this value chain where both Spain and Europe are highly dependent on third-party markets. Hence the importance of supporting not only the deployment of the energy transition, but also new industrial capabilities, which is the objective of this call for proposals,” stated the ministry. 
Alongside economic impact, project selection also considered factors such as job creation, supply chain resilience, and lower transport-related emissions. 
The selected projects are spread across 12 autonomous communities, with the Basque Country hosting 16 projects, followed by Andalusia and the Valencian Community with four each. 
Projects must be completed within 48 months and may also receive funding from other EU programs, provided there is no overlap in eligible costs. 
Administered by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE), RENOVAL 2 is the Spanish government’s subsidy program to fund domestic manufacturing projects for clean energy technologies. Under the RENOVAL 1 round, the government awarded €296 million to 33 projects, including 7 solar PV projects and 4 battery production facilities, including SUNWAFE’s silicon ingots and wafers project. 
The funding, provided through the EU’s NextGenerationEU Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), aims to boost Spain’s industrial competitiveness, energy security and decarbonization. 
Separately, MITECO recently awarded €20 million in NextGenEU funds to 11 projects under the RENOCOGEN 2 program. Managed by the IDAE, this program supports projects that replace fossil fuels with renewables in cogeneration plants. Of the total, 8 selected projects opted for solar PV as the replacement energy source for fossil fuels, while some picked biomass and the remaining a combination of PV and hydrothermal energy. 
TaiyangNews 2024

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(Tom Maddick / SWNS)
Locals in one of Britain’s oldest villages fear it will be turned “into a prison” if plans are approved for a giant 132,000-panel solar farm.
Homeowners in Brailsford, Derbys., say the new site will span the equivalent of 200 football pitches – ruining their countryside views.
Brailsford is one of the oldest villages in the country and was named in the Domesday Book in 1086 when it had a population of 24, including three smallholders, who worked the land using ploughs.
British Solar Renewables (BSR) have now submitted an application to install large panels on almost 300 acres (121 hectares) of farmland.
The land, which is owned by the aristocratic Chichester family, would be leased out to BSR for decades to come.
Brailsford Solar Park would provide enough energy to power more than 16,000 homes with an 87 megawatt capacity.
Plans show three properties would be completely surrounded by the solar farm which would be one of the largest in England.
The 9ft-high panels will be yards away from gardens and will be monitored 24/7 by a series of CCTV posts and security towers.
One of those affected by the solar farm is James Hodson, 60, who bought a converted farm house in 1999.
Ironically, before completing on the purchase, he had to sign an agreement to keep the area “quiet and countrified”.
The accountant fears being surrounded by solar panels on all sides, wrecking his countryside views and making his home unsellable.
The dad-of-three said: “It’s about 300 acres of land which completely surrounds us.
“The access lane will be shut off to us and we’ll have to access it through a gated system.
“All these solar fields are surrounded by these 8ft high fences with CCTV cameras we will have to drive through a half-a-mile to our home which will be like driving into a prison.
“When we moved we bought the house off the landowners and part of the contract was that we had to keep it quiet and countrified.
“They didn’t want us to store a caravan there, we had to keep it quiet.
“We weren’t allowed to make any noise. We thought they seemed to be reasonable people but then this has happened.
“The nearest panels will be 25m away, so you’ll have the fence and the motion sensor lights which can go off at any point.
“The developer said they will plant hedges but they will take years to fully grow in, that won’t benefit us.
“Our longer term plan was to downsize in the next ten years. We were going to use the proceeds of the house to fund that but that dream is gone now.
“I’ll have to work longer now and maybe we won’t be able to sell the house.”
More than 70 locals crammed into the village golf club last month to discuss their opposition to the solar farm.
James said: “There were so many of us at the meeting, it was almost standing room only. Everyone around here is deeply concerned.
“Brailsford is growing and the more people arrive the more they’ll use the footpaths and amenities.
“You won’t achieve your relaxing walk with the paths blocked off by a giant solar farm.
“We’re all for alternatives form of energy, but it’s got to be done in an organised manner.
“But it’s being done by funds, probably from overseas, and there’s a lot of these in the wrong places by the wrong sort of people.”
Worried residents have until the end of this month to lodge their opposition to the plans before Derbyshire Dales District Council make a ruling later this year.
Jennifer Smith, 58, and her husband Andrew moved into a barn conversion in April 2000.
The officer manager, who has two grandchildren, said: “There’s one further farm on the estate and they’re tenant farmers, and have been for 34 years – they stand to lose their farming career.
“He’s farmed it in a very ecological way. He doesn’t cut his hay until July so that the ground nesting birds can nest and have their chicks.
“If it goes through he will be kicked out and his livelihood ruined.
“The developer, British Solar Renewals, will become a tenant, and will be renting the land off the Chichester family.
“The land and what you can earn from it is like a big golden carrot that gets dangled with all of these things.
“We’ve never been able to buy the land, which is quite frustrating. We tried to buy a section when our daughter was little as she always wanted a horse.
“We thought the land was precious to them, protected even. So it came as a bit of a shock when we found out what the plan was.
“It’s going to be 132,000 panels and they will be ground mounted behind fences with 4.5m high posts for CCTV and speakers.
“It will have the feeling of living in a solar prison. It will wrap right round us.
“They’re supposed to be leaving buffer zones, they’re going to be approximately 100m from our boundary. It’s going to change the area, completely.
“It was such an idyllic view of the countryside, which is why we wanted to ultimately live here.
“We’ve been living, breathing and eating it for the last few months. It is pretty overwhelming.
“We’re also going to be living and walking about in a construction site, so safety is paramount. We don’t want to live in that, no chance.”
Residents were told that, if approved, the solar farm would start generating electricity in 2032.
Jennifer said the timescale meant she would struggle to sell her home before construction started.
She added: “It was never our intention to go anywhere, we are established.
“There’s going to be a consequence in value, who’s going to want to buy a property surrounded by a construction site. But we want to stay here.
“It’s been a beautiful environment to have and enjoy, which will ultimately be ruined.
“I like renewable energy, I think there’s a place for it on roof tops or car parks, but not on valuable green land.”
Carla Hardaker, development director at BSR, said the company was keen to work with the community.
She said: “We originate, develop, build and then operate and maintain all of our own projects, so we do recognise that we are going to be neighbours in the communities that we go into for typically 40 years.
“In order to manage these relationships we are out on site and we carry out very robust surveys as part of the application to ensure that we’re in an appropriate environment or we’ve selected an appropriate site.”

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The U.S. solar industry now supports over 280,000 workers, yet the industry struggles to find an adequate number of qualified personnel to keep up with accelerated project timelines, according to the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report (USEER) and the IREC National Solar Jobs Census. The study finds that the industry will require approximately 355,000 workers by late 2026 to support installation targets of 60 GW to 70 GW, leaving a projected near-term gap of 53,000 positions.
While the solar industry looks to fill this gap with skilled workers, other sectors are recruiting from the solar workers have the technical skills needed in other power sectors. According to the United States Energy & Employment Report (USEER), the electric power generator (EPG) sector employed 933,800 workers in 2024 with close to 40% of them in solar.
According to the USEER report, most solar EPG employees were found in the construction industry, which accounted for 181,700 workers (49.0%), followed by professional and business services, including engineering, financial and investment services, permitting and compliance, and consulting, with 58,500 workers (15.8%).
While nearly half the solar workers are in construction, the solar industry has matured to the point where now has highly trained high-voltage engineers, SCADA professionals, asset performance specialists, cybersecurity experts, supply chain analysts and more.
As the solar industry grows and trains its workforce, other sectors including battery storage, data centers, nuclear and AI are taking notice. Jack Roberts, an energy workforce and infrastructure hiring expert at Ecotal, a specialist recruitment firm focused on the energy sector, spoke with pv magazine USA about this shift.
People are drawn to renewable energy careers because they can find a mix of technically challenging positions in companies with purpose-driven mission, Roberts noted.  One commonality among renewable sectors is that the same types of workers are needed across them all. “SCADA systems is a skillset that’s easy to transfer from solar to battery systems, for example,” Roberts said. “Nuclear needs commissioning specialists and engineers, data centers and battery energy storage need land acquisition expertise.”
The other EPG sectors are drawing from the solar industry because, as young as it is, solar is now a robust and mature sector, Roberts noted. Roberts is seeing firsthand the rising demand for highly specialized roles including grid interconnection, transmission planning, substation engineering, cybersecurity, SCADA, and construction management professionals.
Roberts said he’s also seeing ingenuity in some of the ways workers are acquiring these skills, pointing to new veteran recruitment and apprenticeship programs. He said Cypress Creek Renewables is an example of a solar developer that’s leveraging a training partnership really well. The company provided $25,000 to Piedmont Community College, located in Roxboro, North Carolina, to help develop programs to train workers in the skills the company needs. The donation helped purchase state-of-the-art equipment to strengthen the school’s electrical training program and fund digital marketing campaigns for its electrical power production.
Several organizations have developed programs to help companies develop registered apprenticeship programs as well as to help job seekers prepare to enter the renewable energy workforce.  For example, The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) offers a free online course designed to prepare job seekers to enter clean energy jobs through Registered Apprenticeship pathways.
Another organization, The Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) has a Consulting Network designed to help energy companies strengthen workforce development strategies and expand talent pipelines. CEWD is a non-profit consortium of more than 140 energy companies, associations, unions, educational institutions, and government entities working together to unite energy stakeholders in attracting and developing a highly skilled workforce. 
These apprenticeship programs will benefit all power sectors as rising electricity demand continues to drive workforce demands.
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While installation has traditionally dominated the conversation around Australia’s solar sector, Solar Shine Australia said the industry must now focus on lifecycle management, preventative maintenance and the principles of a circular economy.
Andrew Barrington, founder and Managing Director of Solar Shine Australia, which specializes in panel cleaning, inspections, monitoring and preventative asset management for residential, commercial, and large-scale solar systems across New South Wales, said protecting the value, performance and lifespan of the solar systems already powering homes, businesses and communities is where the industry’s greatest opportunity lies.
“Australia has done an incredible job building one of the world’s largest rooftop solar fleets. The next challenge isn’t simply installing more solar, it’s looking after the systems we’ve already invested billions of dollars into,” he said.
“Every year we can safely extend the life of a solar system means more clean energy generated, a better financial return for its owner and less material entering the waste stream. That’s what solar stewardship means.”
Australia now has about 4.3 million PV system installed across the country and annual solar panel waste is expected to increase significantly over the next decade as the country’s solar fleet continues to grow and age. Government forecasts suggest up to 50 million solar panels may reach the end-of-life stage by 2035 but Solar Shine said many solar panels are being discarded prematurely.
The Sydney-based company said solar assets require more than passive ownership with regular inspections, cleaning and maintenance helping to maximize solar exposure, support energy production, protect long-term asset value, extend operational lifespan and delay replacement of solar assets. 
“Maintaining solar systems isn’t an optional extra after installation, it’s an essential part of protecting one of Australia’s fastest-growing renewable energy assets,” Barrington said, adding that preventative maintenance can reduce unnecessary waste and support Australia’s transition to a more circular solar economy.
“Extending the life of existing solar systems is one of the most practical ways we can improve the sustainability of our renewable energy future,” he said. “If we truly believe in a circular economy, then we have to think beyond manufacturing and installation. We need to become better custodians of the infrastructure we’ve already built.”
Barrington was speaking after Solar Shine was honoured at the 2026 Australian Trades Small Business Champion Awards, held in Sydney at the end of last month.
Solar Shine was named the Australian Trades Small Business Champion – Solar, a national award recognising excellence in the solar industry. Barrington hopes the recognition will encourage homeowners, businesses, governments and the wider renewable energy sector to view solar maintenance not as an occasional service, but as an essential component of responsible solar ownership.
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China has published three mandatory national standards on energy consumption and energy efficiency in the photovoltaic sector, establishing a new compliance framework covering polysilicon, silicon wafers, PV modules and inverters.
The standards were released on June 27, 2026, and will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. The standards are designated GB 29447-2026, “Norm of energy consumption per unit products of silicon polycrystalline and germanium”; GB 47835-2026, “Norm of energy consumption per unit products of monocrystalline silicon”; and GB 47834-2026, “Minimum allowable values of energy efficiency and energy efficiency grades for crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules and inverters.”
Unlike previously discussed recommended product grading standards, the GB standards are mandatory. They set binding limits for energy consumption and efficiency across key manufacturing and product categories and are expected to influence production, sales, imports, public procurement and project tendering once implemented.
GB 29447-2026 covers upstream polysilicon and germanium production. Industry interpretations indicate the revised standard tightens unit energy consumption limits for both trichlorosilane-based polysilicon and silane fluidized-bed processes. It is expected to pressure older, high-energy-consumption polysilicon lines and accelerate upgrades including heat recovery, hydrogen recycling and cold hydrogenation optimization.
GB 47835-2026 targets monocrystalline silicon production, covering energy consumption limits for ingot pulling and wafer manufacturing. It is expected to affect older crystal-pulling furnaces, smaller production lines and less efficient wafering processes, while encouraging continuous crystal pulling, thermal field optimization and thinner wafer technologies.
GB 47834-2026 applies to crystalline silicon PV modules and grid-connected inverters. For modules, public interpretations indicate three energy efficiency grades, with Grade 1 as the highest. Minimum Grade 3 efficiency thresholds are reported at about 23.2% for TOPCon and heterojunction (HJT) modules and 23.5% for back-contact (BC) modules. The standard also introduces requirements for coupled environmental stress degradation and bifaciality, with minimum bifaciality levels reported at 75% for TOPCon, 85% for HJT and 70% for BC modules.
For inverters, the standard classifies products by power rating and sets minimum requirements for weighted average efficiency and maximum conversion efficiency. This is expected to accelerate the replacement of lower-efficiency inverter products and strengthen the role of high-efficiency conversion equipment in large-scale PV projects.
The new standards follow nearly two years of severe overcapacity and low-price competition across China’s PV manufacturing chain. Industry analysts expect the strongest impact on legacy PERC module lines, early TOPCon capacity, high-energy polysilicon facilities and older wafer production assets. Leading manufacturers with advanced n-type capacity and lower energy intensity are expected to be better positioned.
The standards could also reshape procurement. State-owned utilities, government-backed renewable projects and centralized tenders are expected to adopt the new limits as entry requirements or scoring criteria. This may shift demand toward higher-efficiency, lower-energy-intensity products and reduce space for low-price, low-performance supply in domestic projects.
In the short term, the measures may increase retrofit spending and accelerate the retirement of conventional capacity. Over the longer term, they could support a shift in China’s PV industry from scale-driven expansion toward a model focused on efficiency, quality, lower energy consumption and lifecycle performance.
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India’s Solar Boom Has a Waste Problem  NewsClick
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Suntech has officially inaugurated its Frankfurt solar and storage service centre during the recent Intersolar Europe, marking a new step in the company’s expansion of localized operations and integrated PV-storage services in Europe.
The opening also underscores Suntech’s strategy to shift from product delivery to full lifecycle energy service capabilities in overseas markets, with Europe identified as a key growth region.
Senior executives attending the inauguration included HY Solar chairman Jianliang Yang, Suntech GM Hao Yang and Suntech colleagues, VP Vincent Cao, GM Europe Sales Kyle Xu, GM APAC and Latin America Sales Joey Zheng and Global Customer Support Director Lantao Chang.
Located in Frankfurt, the new centre is designed to serve as a regional node for Suntech’s European operations.
The facility integrates product demonstration, technical support, project coordination, training and partner collaboration, aiming to improve response efficiency and strengthen localized customer service across Europe.
Suntech’s “SunStorage” portfolio covers residential, C&I and utility-scale applications, combining energy storage systems with its high-efficiency N-type PV modules.

The company’s storage solutions include residential systems, C&I all-in-one cabinets, containerized storage units and hybrid inverter platforms, supported by an AI-enabled energy management system for dispatch optimization, peak shaving and backup power applications.
The new facility will support faster delivery, improved service responsiveness and closer collaboration with regional partners, particularly as European markets place increasing emphasis on lifecycle support, spare parts availability and operational efficiency.

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