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Chinese manufacturer Phono has launched a new bifacial solar panel in the Australian market featuring an output of 475 W and a power conversion efficiency of 23.27%. Image: Supply Partners Phono has unveiled the Quasar 475 W solar module, based on back-contact n-type technology. The China-based PV company said the dual-glass, bifacial solar module delivers 475 W, with a peak efficiency of 23.27%. The product, identified as PS475L7GFH-18/VBH | 475W | N – BC, measures 1,800 mm × 1,134mm × 30 mm, and weighs in at 23.5 kg. They are built with 2.0 mm heat-strengthened glass on the front paired with 1.6 mm back glass housed within an anodised aluminium alloy frame. The panels feature a junction box with an IP 68 rating and have a temperature coefficient of -0.26% per degree Celsius, an operational temperature ranging from -40 C to 85 C and the maximum system voltage is 1,500 V. Phono provides a 30-year product warranty and a 30-year linear performance warranty for residential installations. The degradation in the first year is purportedly 1% and 30-year end power output is guaranteed to be no less than 88.50% of the nominal output power. Phono said the module has been engineered to perform in Australia’s tough conditions, having undergone enhanced hail-impact and cyclone testing and carrying a high salt-mist corrosion rating, making it a strong option for coastal and regional installations. The manufacturer also noted that the back-contact cell technology improves module efficiency and helps maintain output under partial shading scenarios typical of urban rooftops while the bifacial design allows rear-side light harvesting, providing additional yield in reflective environments such as metal roofs and light-coloured ground surfaces. John Degotardi, co-founder of Queensland-headquartered wholesaler Supply Partners, said he rates the new Phono panel as one of the best on the market. “Back-contact plus dual-glass and bifaciality isn’t just for show. It’s about stronger energy yield in real homes, over decades, with fewer compromises in heat, wind or salt air,” he said. “With a 30-year product and performance warranty for residential systems and local support, Phono is seriously better than similar panels with plastic backsheets.” Supply Partners, which has offices in Brisbane, Townsville, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, said stock is expected to be available for installers from next month. 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: editors@pv-magazine.com. More articles from David Carroll Please be mindful of our community standards. Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked *
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| Source: CleanChoice EnergyCleanChoice Energy WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CleanChoice Energy (“CleanChoice”), the first U.S. company to bring ‘farm-to-table’ clean energy to consumers: both owning renewable energy facilities and delivering 100% clean electricity directly to homes and businesses, announced today it will extend its energy generation footprint into North Carolina with the acquisition of two solar projects located in Halifax and Bertie counties. The projects will generate a combined 222.2 MWdc of clean electricity, equivalent to the amount of electricity needed to power approximately 130,000 homes each year. Significance of These Projects This marks an important milestone in CleanChoice’s generation portfolio, as the company expands its clean energy generation business into the Southeast with its largest projects to-date. With the addition of the Sumac Project in Bertie County and the Sweetleaf Project in Halifax County, CleanChoice will triple its generation capacity to 331.99 MW. Currently, the company operates a solar project in Franklin County, Penn., that is interconnected to the PJM electric grid, and is constructing additional projects in Kylertown, Penn., Washington County, N.Y., and Rensselaer County, N.Y. “The Sumac and Sweetleaf projects represent a pivotal step in our evolution into a fully integrated clean energy company that builds, owns, and delivers renewable power directly to customers,” said Zoë Gamble, President of CleanChoice. “As electricity demand accelerates nationwide, we’re investing in high-capacity solar infrastructure that strengthens grid reliability, expands domestic energy supply, and gives more households access to locally sourced, pollution-free power.” Project Facts Construction on the Sumac and Sweetleaf projects is expected to begin in early 2027 with interconnection planned for 2028. Upon completion, the Sumac Project will generate 103.92 MWdc and the Sweetleaf Project will generate 118.3 MWdc. Both will connect to the PJM grid. Commitment to the Local Community CleanChoice is committed to constructing its solar projects with the local ecosystem and community always top-of-mind. The company will roll out initiatives that benefit the local communities surrounding the Sumac and Sweetleaf projects, investing $350,000 combined to support food banks, schools, scholarship opportunities, education and more. As is the standard across CleanChoice’s solar projects, the Sumac and Sweetleaf projects will embrace the practice of ecovoltaics by incorporating features that support the local ecosystem into its design and construction. These practices include wildlife-friendly fencing, no tree clearing or impacts to existing timber/forests, implementing sediment and erosion control measures to protect wetlands, streams or jurisdictional waters, and collaboration with third-party environmental consultants to avoid impacting land that is home to protected habitats or species. CleanChoice is acquiring the Sumac and Sweetleaf projects from Geenex, a leading developer of utility-scale energy projects. “These projects represent years of strategic development work designed to deliver reliable, high-capacity energy resources to the PJM grid,” said Emily Williams, CEO of Geenex. “As electricity demand continues to accelerate, it is essential that well-sited, community-supported projects move efficiently from development into construction. We are proud to have advanced Sumac and Sweetleaf to this stage and to work with CleanChoice to help meet the region’s growing energy needs.” Geenex began developing the Sumac and Sweetleaf projects in 2017. For more information, visit www.cleanchoiceenergy.com. ABOUT CLEANCHOICE ENERGY CleanChoice Energy is one of the leading 100% renewable energy suppliers in the U.S. providing ‘farm-to-table’ clean energy, connecting consumers with alternative ways to access clean energy. CleanChoice has redefined cleantech, making it easy for people to live cleaner lives with pollution-free, renewable energy for their homes and businesses. Founded in 2012, CleanChoice has become one of the fastest-growing businesses in America, as ranked on the Inc 5000 and Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™. CleanChoice Energy is majority-owned by funds managed by True Green Capital Management LLC. For more information or to become a clean energy customer, visit CleanChoiceEnergy.com. ABOUT GEENEX Geenex is a leading early-stage developer of utility-scale solar, battery storage and advanced nuclear energy projects. By focusing on strategic site selection, strong community partnerships, and environmentally responsible design, Geenex has filed more than 12GW of energy projects in PJM since 2012. Geenex works with landowners, communities, and industry partners to create projects that deliver reliable power supply resources and lasting economic benefits. With a development pipeline spanning multiple states, Geenex brings private investment, long-term tax revenue, and job creation to communities while supporting America’s growing demand for reliable, domestically produced energy. Learn more: www.geenexpower.com. Media Contact: Debbie Ehrman FINN Partners CleanChoiceEnergy@finnpartners.com Kate Colarulli Chief Strategy Officer Mobile: +1 202 380 8936 kate.colarulli@cleanchoice.com Tom Matzzie, founder and CEO of CleanChoice Energy, was recognized on the MO 100 Top Impact CEO Ranking for the third time.
Sponsored By ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT JAMESTOWN — The Stutsman County Commission on a 4-1 vote approved proposed amendments to the county zoning ordinance for solar energy conversion facilities that includes a setback distance of 1,320 feet, or a quarter mile, from occupied residences. Stutsman County Commissioners Mike Hansen, Levi Taylor, Ben Tompkins and Chad Wolsky approved the proposed amendments, while Commissioner Amanda Hastings was opposed at the meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17. ADVERTISEMENT The proposed solar energy conversion ordinance had a setback distance of a half mile, or 2,640 feet, from occupied residences. In related business, the Stutsman County Commission failed on a 1-4 vote to change the setback distance from occupied residences from a half mile to 500 feet. Hastings cast the lone vote to approve the 500-foot setback. On Feb. 3, the commission tabled the proposed amendments to the county zoning ordinance for solar energy conversion facilities. The commission was waiting for information that it requested from New Leaf Energy, including a sound study for solar farms during the winter months. New Leaf Energy is working with Fried Township to permit, develop and build a 247-megawatt solar project north of Jamestown. The estimated cost of the Buffalo solar project — a solar farm — is $370 million. The Buffalo solar project would be located on about 1,600 acres of land north of Jamestown in Fried Township. The 1,600 acres are owned by one landowner. Construction on the project could start in summer 2028 with completion in summer 2029. The ordinance requires solar farms to be 100 feet from all property lines. The ordinance requires solar farms to be 165 feet from the center line of any township road, 250 feet from any county, state or federal highway and 100 feet from the high water mark of any lake and streams. ADVERTISEMENT All setbacks will be measured from the exterior of the fencing and gates. Taylor said 500 feet was not enough distance for solar energy conversion facilities from occupied residences. “I’m not so much concerned about the noise component with what you guys are proposing to do as much as what it looks like,” he said, adding that North Dakota has a lot of flat ground. William Dean, lead project developer for New Leaf Energy, said a half-mile setback is “overly prescriptive” and a “denial” of the solar project. Taylor said a developer of a solar project would need to apply for a conditional use permit. He also said variances could be secured for residences within a setback distance. He said it will be easier to see the solar panels from a further distance if they are placed on rolling hills instead of flat areas. He said the solar panels in flat areas would be more difficult to see with vegetative screening such as trees, unless you were on higher elevation. Dean previously said larger trees that are more dense would be planted about 250 feet from North Dakota Highway 20 and potentially 29th Street Southeast to block the view of the solar panels. The solar farm would have grasses native to the area as well. ADVERTISEMENT A post-construction noise study of a solar farm located on 1,000 acres in Missouri showed the average sound level in the worst-case proximity was 44.2 decibels over 72 hours, said Ashley Ross, senior environmental planner at Ulteig Engineers representing New Leaf Energy. She said the worst-case proximity site was located about 125 feet from a substation and 35 feet from the nearest solar panel. She said the sound from the entire solar farm ranged from 32-48 decibels. “All measured levels were actually below commonly used solar noise standards, which I think is typically 65 decibels,” she said. The noise study on the solar farm in Missouri was the best comparison she could find to North Dakota, Ross said. Temperatures ranged from 14 to 34 degrees. Dean said the solar panels do not make any noise. He said the inverters positioned in the interior of the site run at 50-60 decibels during the day and drop to 40-45 decibels at night when no active electricity is being generated.
This is a Mint Premium article gifted to you. Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: India’s solar manufacturers are preparing to invest about ₹30,000 crore to build about 50 GW of solar cell capacity in fiscal year FY27, racing to comply with new local-sourcing rules that take effect in June. The expansion, led by companies including Waaree Energies, Adani Solar, Reliance Industries Ltd, ReNew Energy Global Plc, Avaada Group and Premier Energies, follows a government mandate requiring cells used in state-backed projects and power procured by distribution utilities to come from the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers. The policy is designed to curb import dependence and ensure certified technology feeds into the grid. Industry executives expect domestic cell capacity to reach 45 GW by the end of fiscal 2026 and potentially 95 GW by the following year, based on projects under development. “By the end of the next fiscal year, with the pipeline companies have, cumulative capacity may reach 95 GW,” a person aware of the matter said. The capital expenditure required for 1 GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity is about ₹600 crore. In the solar production chain dominated by China, silicon ingots are sliced into wafers, which are processed into cells and then assembled into modules. While India has built a successful solar module manufacturing industry, it still relies heavily on imported solar cells to make those modules. While module capacity has reached 160 GW, cell capacity stands at a far lower 30 GW. Among India’s leading solar cell makers are Waaree, which will have an estimated capacity of 15.4 GW by FY27, Adani Solar (estimated 10 GW), Premier Industries (10.6 GW), ReNew (6.4 GW) and Avaada (6 GW). With India aiming to add 50 GW of renewable-energy capacity annually to reach 500 GW by 2030, the new playbook is part of India’s decision to reduce reliance on Chinese supplies and develop an indigenous solar supply chain. There have also been instances of the US government investigating some solar module consignments from India citing their use of Chinese cells. Queries emailed to Waaree, Adani Solar, Reliance Industries, ReNew and Avaada remained unanswered at the time of publishing.
Expansion plans
The industry is “totally prepared” to meet ALMM norms and expects at add 50 GW of capacity, said Vinay Rustagi, chief business officer of Premier Energies. He noted, however, that several renewable energy projects auctioned before December 2024 were exempted from the ALMM rule to ensure smooth implementation. Rustagi said Premier Energies’ cell capacity will grow from 3.6 GW at present to 10.6 GW in the next 6-7 months. Prashant Mathur, chief executive officer of Saatvik Green Energy Ltd the company expects to commission about 2.4 GW of cell capacity at its new Odisha facility by the middle of FY27. “This will complement our module lines and firmly place us among India’s emerging, fully integrated solar manufacturers.” The ALMM rules will mark out the manufacturers from the assemblers, he said, adding Saatvik will scale capacity and deepen backward integration in the coming years. While Adani Solar has commissioned 4 GW of cell capacity, another 4 GW is ready for commissioning and another 2 GW is expected to be commissioned by March, taking its total cell manufacturing capacity to 10 GW by the end of this fiscal. Last year, Nasdaq-listed ReNew Energy Global Plc raised a $100 million investment from British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, to amp up its solar manufacturing business in India. It plans to use BII’s investment to grow the business and expand its manufacturing capacity by building a state-of-the-art 4 GW TOPCon cell facility in Dholera. Post-expansion, ReNew’s total manufacturing capacity will be about 6.4 GW of modules and 6.4 GW of cells. As of May 2025, ReNew Photovoltaics, its module manufacturing arm, had an operational 6.4 GW solar module facility in Jaipur and a 2.5 GW solar cell facility in Dholera, Gujarat. RIL is another major player in this space, with a cell manufacturing capacity of 10 GW. Last month, it said its heterojunction-based solar cell manufacturing facility in Jamnagar had been commissioned. Some power developers, however, have concerns over the ALMM timeline. At the end of December 2025, Tata Power Solar was producing 3.6 GW of solar cells and this number is expected to reach 4.5 GW by the end of March 2026. (edited) Power developers face constraints on technology readiness, said Sanjeev Aggarwal, founder and executive chairman, Hexa Climate, an independent power producer. “ We need high-efficiency options like TopCon to make modern FDRE projects viable, and domestic supply for these is still playing catch-up. Realistically, we are looking at a temporary supply squeeze and a 30-40 paise/unit tariff hike as the market absorbs the ‘green premium’ of domestic manufacturing.” “The bigger structural risk is for the C&I (Open Access) segment. Unlike utility bids that often get ‘grandfathered’ based on bid submission, C&I projects face a hard stop based on the commissioning date. This is operationally dangerous. In our business, right of way (RoW) issues or connectivity delays are routine. If a project scheduled for May 2026 slips into June because of a farmer agitation or a transmission delay, it instantly becomes non-compliant. That regulatory cliff – where a two-week operational slip can render a project unviable – is the real concern for private investment,” he added.
China factor and other hurdles
Over the past few years, the government has supported the local solar ecosystem through the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme and high basic customs duties—40% on modules and 25% on cells. However, growth under the ₹19,500-crore PLI scheme has faltered owing to Chinese supply constraints and a lack of visas for Chinese technicians, as previously reported by Mint. The government has already extended the scheme by another year – until 2027 – and a diplomatic thaw between India and China over the past year has somewhat eased the situation. An industry executive pointed to China’s dominance of the solar chain. “Backward integration is key, and that too will happen, but until then, supplies of wafers, ingots and polysilicon will remain dependent on China. However, the improvement in relations between the two countries bodes well for the sector. The industry will have to navigate such issues in the future, so backward integration at the earliest is key,” the executive said on the condition of anonymity. Sankalp Gurjar, assistant professor of geopolitics and geoeconomics at Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, agreed on the need for localization. “The recent ease in tensions comes in the backdrop of concerns in both countries since Trump became US president. Both India and China are trying to make it a functional relationship, but structural concerns remain, and the trade deficit remains. The central problems have not been solved.” In such a situation, India will have to lower its import dependence on China in critical sectors such as solar energy, he added. Prices of solar cells and modules surged recently as China tightened its quota for wafer exports in December 2025. India’s renewable-energy space also faces operational issues as about 43 GW of renewable power is yet to be contracted and a significant capacity of power is curtailed on a daily basis in Rajasthan and Gujarat, owing to lack of transmission capacity.
Supply glut warning
The rapid growth of module manufacturing, which largely involves assembling cells, has sparked concerns of a supply glut, with the Union ministry of new and renewable energy cautioning lenders against reckless lending. In December 2025, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said it had informed the department of financial services and lenders such as PFC, REC, and IREDA about current domestic solar manufacturing capacities. It said these financial institutions should use this data to take a well-informed approach to loan proposals. It also said lenders must expand their portfolios beyond just solar module facilities to include upstream stages—such as solar cells, ingots-wafers, and polysilicon—as well as ancillary components like solar glass and aluminium frames. In a November report, ratings agency ICRA warned of potential industry overcapacity, as annual solar module production (60–65 GW) is expected to outpace annual installations (45–50 GW direct current). According to ICRA, India’s cell manufacturing capacity may reach 100 GW by December 2027.
Wafers and ingots next
The Indian government has also proposed bringing wafers under the ambit of ALMM by June 2028 to encourage module makers to use locally made wafers and ingots. In September 2025, Mint reported that the government planned to spend unused funds of about ₹5,500 crore under the PLI scheme on a fresh scheme to support local manufacturing of wafers and ingots. The union ministry of new and renewable energy has also been working on a scheme to support the domestic manufacturing of these two sub-components. Currently, only Adani Solar manufactures wafers domestically, though several other companies plan to set up wafer and ingot capacity in the coming years. Tata Power’s chief executive and managing director Praveer Sinha said in November that the company planned to set up a wafer and ingot manufacturing facility with a 10 GW capacity. Tata Power Solar has a cell manufacturing capacity of 4 GW. Vineet Mittal, chairman of Brookfield-backed Avaada Group, told Mint in an interview in September 2025 that Avaada Electro, the company’s solar module manufacturing arm, planned to start manufacturing the entire chain of solar components and equipment locally from FY28. Currently, the company produces about 8.5 GW of solar modules annually. It is developing 6 GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity that is expected to be ready in 2026, and another 6 GW may come up by the end of 2027. Download the Mint app and read premium stories Log in to our website to save your bookmarks. It’ll just take a moment. You are just one step away from creating your watchlist! Oops! Looks like you have exceeded the limit to bookmark the image. Remove some to bookmark this image. Your session has expired, please login again. You are now subscribed to our newsletters. In case you can’t find any email from our side, please check the spam folder. This is a subscriber only feature Subscribe Now to get daily updates on WhatsApp
Plans for a solar farm near St Austell which were refused by Cornwall Council last year have been approved on appeal. Anesco Ltd, an energy infrastructure firm, applied to build the solar farm on 25.5 hectares (63 acres) of land at Menear Farm, between St Austell and Treverbyn parish in April. Planning inspector Shaun Harrington said the proposal "would not cause significant adverse impacts on the local environment". But Matt Luke, who was then the Cornwall councillor for the area, said the plans were "the wrong thing on the wrong site for numerous reasons" including the site being "the last green fields in the landscape".
Luke said: "The visual impact is far wider than any of you can imagine, this land can be seen from the whole of St Austell Bay. "These are the last green fields in the landscape – the rest has been built on. "It will be visible in the landscape. To say it won't is absolute nonsense." Planning inspector Harrington approved the solar farm following a hearing in January after Anesco appealed Cornwall Council's unanimous decision to refuse the application. He noted there would be some harm to the landscape but it was outweighed by the benefits, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. In his decision report, released on 13 February, he said due to "the nationwide critical need for renewable energy facilities, [the] benefits are substantial and attract significant weight in favour of the proposal". Councillor James Mustoe, a Conservative councillor whose division contains St Austell Bay, said: "I'm really sorry to see the Bristol-based planning inspector decide, on behalf of the Secretary of State, to overturn Cornwall Council's decision to refuse an industrial scale solar farm on green field land in Carlyon parish." Anesco said the new solar farm would operate for 40 years and generate enough electricity to power 3,880 homes. Tom Clements, project lead for Anesco, told the planning committee in policy terms there were no significant landscape effects and the site was naturally well screened. There would be native trees, hedgerows and other planting, he added. Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. Dead seabirds wash up on on the south west coast, Channel Islands and French beaches. The famous path suffered "significant damage" in winter storms, the charity which runs it reveals. Falmouth Coastguard says the 10-year-old was pulled out of the water by two members of the public. Conservationists estimate 14 birds could be struck during the 40-year lifetime of the Borders project. Rail services remain unavailable on the Liskeard to Looe and Crediton to Barnstaple lines. Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
With Trump blocking Venezuelan oil imports and old power plants breaking down, the island – with Chinese help – is turning to solar and wind to bolster its fragile energy system Intense heat hangs over the sugarcane fields near Cuba’s eastern coast. In the village of Herradura, a blond-maned horse rests under a palm tree after spending all Saturday in the fields with its owner, Roberto, who cultivates maize and beans. Roberto was among those worst affected by Hurricane Melissa, which hit eastern Cuba – the country’s poorest region – late last year. The storm affected 3.5 million people, damaging or destroying 90,000 homes and 100,000 hectares of crops. “Many of us lost everything,” he says. “Fortunately, we have received some help from the government to recover.” Without money to buy fuel or pay for transport, Roberto relies on his horse each morning to get to work. Petrol has become prohibitively expensive as Cuba’s oil supplies dwindle under tightening US sanctions – a problem that adds to chronic power shortages. But on his way to work, Roberto passes electricity lines recently built with Chinese investment to carry power from what is expected to become the island’s largest windfarm. The project is part of the government’s recent contribution to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), committing Cuba to increasing renewables to 26% of total energy supply by 2035. “I think the park is a good thing,” Roberto says. “It will help with electricity and directly benefit the people.” Amid a severe economic crisis that is pushing the country to the brink of humanitarian disaster, Cuba is trying to accelerate its energy transition in the hope of freeing itself from its dependence on fossil fuels. Since Venezuela halted oil shipments to Cuba under pressure from Donald Trump in January, the island has been hit by even more prolonged power cuts. By the end of the month, outages were lasting up to 24 hours, with eastern Cuba worst affected. The government argues that renewable energy projects will ease Cuba’s power shortages and help the country adapt to the impacts of the climate crisis. Cuba is among the countries most vulnerable to extreme weather events, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). While hurricanes have long been a feature of Caribbean life, the IPCC’s studies suggest the storms are becoming more frequent and intense, along with severe flooding and unusual low temperatures. Reinaldo Funes, a professor of environmental history at the University of Havana, says the effects of the climate crisis are aggravated by centuries of environmental degradation dating back to the colonial period. The sugar industry caused severe soil erosion, reducing the land’s resilience to floods and droughts – a vulnerability documented in the early 20th century. “Almost 90% of the country’s original forest cover was cleared, first to supply the Spanish naval industry and later to expand sugarcane production,” he says. In early February, the government announced emergency measures in response to a crisis likened to the 1990s “special period” after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, the deputy prime minister, said the government’s priority would be to press ahead with the construction of solar parks, largely with Chinese support. Cuba’s engagement with renewable energy is not new. The country began installing solar panels in rural health centres in the late 1980s and opened its first windfarm in 1999. Since 2006, renewables have been part of Cuba’s national “energy revolution”, aimed at improving efficiency and reducing dependence on imported fuel. With increasing numbers of blackouts due to breakdowns in old power plants and falling oil imports, the government published its National Energy Transition Strategy in September 2024. This aims to transform Cuba’s energy mix by increasing its own oil output (it produces up to 30,000 barrels a day of low-quality heavy crude)and its renewables, with the long-term goal of generating electricity entirely from national resources. China has emerged as a key partner in this green transition. In December 2024, Havana and Beijing signed an agreement to build seven solar parks with a combined capacity of 35MW. The Cuban government has also set a target of installing 92 solar parks with a total capacity of 2GW by 2028, with Chinese investment playing a central role. By October 2025, the island had 35 completed solar parks, with a maximum generating capacity of 750MW and estimated savings of 111,620 tonnes of fossil fuels, according to government data. The country already has four experimental windfarms with a combined capacity of 11.8MW. Its largest wind project in Herradura is expected to produce 33MW from 22 turbines, again built with Chinese backing. Cuba’s peak energy demand during the day is about 3,200MW, according to Cuba’s state electricity utility, of which renewables, mainly solar, now supply roughly 9%. Installed renewable generation capacity increased by 350% during 2025. One of the newest solar parks, completed in May 2025 near Vertientes in Camagüey province, produces 21.8MW of electricity, fed directly into the national grid. Raúl, a technical engineer at the Luaces solar park, says the challenge is the lack of battery-storage capacity. “Building a completely new energy system takes time,” he says, adding that renewables will significantly ease the country’s energy shortages. “With renewable energy, the wars over oil will one day come to an end.” Yet experts warn that Cuba’s prolonged economic crisis leaves it without the resources needed to transform its energy system at the required scale. “The energy transition outlined by the government would require investments of around $8bn to $10bn over the next decade,” says Ricardo Torres, an energy economist at the American University in Washington. “Cuba simply does not have that kind of money, and China will not pay for everything.” Torres argues that geopolitical considerations are driving Beijing’s support. “China does not want Cuba to collapse,” he says. “They are looking for a solution, and energy is the foundation of any country.” China is now overproducing solar panels, giving it the capacity to donate equipment to Cuba. In other cases, panels have reportedly been exchanged for nickel – some of the world’s largest reserves of the mineral can be found on the island. Jorge Piñon, an expert at the University of Texas’s Energy Institute, says the government’s transition strategy underestimates the investment required to modernise Cuba’s ageing power infrastructure. “Cuba’s transmission system looks like Italian spaghetti,” Piñon says. “About 16% of the electricity generated is lost along the way.” While praising the rapid expansion of solar parks, Piñon says generation alone is not enough. “You also have to think about how the energy is transmitted and stored.” While solar plants can only supply electricity during daylight hours, peak demand typically occurs between 7pm and 8pm but Cuba lacks battery-storage capacity, and this remains the most expensive component of any solar energy system. According to Piñon, Cuba’s ambitious energy transition is also constrained by a lack of technical expertise to manage renewable energy projects at the pace required. Torres and Piñon agree that while renewables are essential, they cannot be the sole solution. “Cuba also needs to upgrade its fossil fuel-based thermoelectric plants,” Torres says. “The shift to renewable energy will not happen overnight.” But despite infrastructure deficits, solar energy is becoming a viable alternative for Cubans who can afford it. In Vertientes, two farmers say some villagers have begun installing solar panels to cope with power cuts. “I don’t have that option,” says one, noting that a single solar panel costs about £100, while the average monthly salary was about £10 in Camagüey province last year. Those who can afford solar panels or lithium generators are often entrepreneurs, such as guesthouse owners, or people who receive remittances from relatives abroad. In the wealthy Havana suburb of Miramar, many villas are now topped with newly installed solar panels. Luis, a divorced father who lives on the neighbourhood’s outskirts, says renewable energy remains out of reach for most. “Here, the power situation is candela – it’s on fire,” he says. “But not everyone can buy solar panels. They’re not for the poor.” Such disparities may widen under recent government emergency measures, which allow individuals to sell electricity from renewable sources to third parties, including companies and public institutions. At a crossroads near the Herradura windfarm, José, a civil engineer working on the project, says the wind turbines will be installed in March and are expected to start producing electricity by June. Local people are hopeful the park will ease the energy crisis. At the village entrance, Roberto strokes his horse and says the windfarm will help, but farmers face more immediate challenges, including access to irrigation during droughts. “I’m happy living in the countryside,” he says. “But many things still need to change.” This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.
There is ‘no way around AI’ for solar companies or Europe’s solar industry as a whole, according to Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe. Hemetsberger chaired the opening panel of the Solar Quality Summit in Barcelona, which focused on the opportunities and risks of AI in European solar PV. The discussion saw representatives of IPPs, technical consultancies and other European PV firms broadly enthusiastic about the integration of AI into the solar industry. Get Premium Subscription In opening remarks, David Moser, managing partner at the Becquerel Institute, said his main message to the industry was: “Are you ready for AI?” Moser leads the Becquerel Institute’s AI programme from its Italian offices. There was broad support for AI models and integration in solar among the speakers and the audience at the conference, with particular focus and excitement reserved for the way that new technology could provide hitherto untold operational and financial efficiencies. A video package at the start of the discussion saw speakers expecting AI modules to allow them to streamline data collection from PV plants and handle the ever-increasing volume of information that flows from heavily digitised PV and BESS systems. The growth of analytics and granular data from PV systems is well-known by now, and speakers on the panel – including Moser, Hemetsberger, Gofran Chowdhury, head of innovation at 3E, Alessandra Ferrara, technical manager at WiseEnergy and Alvaro Garcia, head of asset management at Velto – accepted that bringing AI models into the collection, consolidation and analysis of data will soon – if not already – be an operational necessity for European PV firms to remain competitive. In fact, the event hosts ran a poll among the audience asking what they expected to use AI for most in their jobs – data analysis was the top answer. But this competitiveness comes down to the quality – and quantity – of the data fed into AI models. “Data quality is key,” said Ferrara, adding: “We need to trust AI outputs,” both in where and how their data and conclusions arise. This is because AI models rely entirely on already available historical data to produce conclusions or analysis. “If you do not have enough data sets, AI is not God,” added Chowdhury. It cannot create data sets or arrive at analyses independently. As Garcia had it: “Garbage in, garbage out.” But there are significant risks inherent in Europe’s adoption of AI in its solar industry, which range in severity. Moser said that the pace of change and AI adoption in Europe is slower than in other regions, which could become a problem for solar companies developing or deploying AI models; they may spend massive amounts of time and money on a model, only for it to be developed faster and cheaper by someone else in another part of the world. Chowdhury called for more “hungry entrepreneurs” in Europe, looking to develop innovations and scale AI. As well as slower progress, Moser said that there is a lack of ‘native’ AI development in Europe, which has left the continent’s AI infrastructure is currently in the hands of “Made in the US models and algorithms.” As geopolitics shifts and the US seems to turn away from Europe, as per its National Security Strategy, reliance on US tech companies and platforms – some of which are aligned or enmeshed with the US government to varying extents – could make things complicated for European companies. This reliance also raises the issue of liability in the case that a problem arises, Moser explained, whether that is a data error, system failure or something more severe. “One of the biggest risks is liability; if something happens, who is liable?” The final risk, which could be a major shift for the solar industry, is the impact of increasing AI and automation on jobs in the sector. Answering another poll, the audience at the Summit said they expected their operations to be between 40%-75% automated by 2030, which, on the surface, could mean cutting up to three quarters of the jobs in the sector. This is a “very difficult element to address”, Moser said. Speaking to PV Tech after the panel discussion, he said that if Europe’s solar market is stagnant, jobs will be lost, but that if it expands that loss could be mitigated. While overall solar capacity will grow, 2025 marked the first time in a decade that Europe’s solar market contracted year-on-year. SolarPower Europe expects that to continue for another two years, and 2025 installation levels are not expected to return until 2030. Over the same period, automation and AI integration will not slow down. Some companies are even trialling automated plant construction, which has traditionally been the most labour-intensive part of the solar industry. Moser suggested that the issue will ultimately fall at the feet of individual companies to decide their levels of automation and how to treat their employees – will ‘non-essential’ staff be reskilled, or let go?
Ashish Khanna, Director General, International Solar Alliance (ISA) has underscored the urgent need for digital infrastructure to support the rapid expansion of decentralized renewable energy, particularly solar power, in India and other developing nations at AI Impact Summit 2026.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Sept. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] unveiled a 3D‑printed solar array substrate approach that compresses composite build times by up to six months on a typical solar array wing program from print to final assembly. This represents a production improvement of up to 50% when compared to current cycle times. Flight‑representative hardware has completed engineering testing and is progressing through Boeing’s standard qualification path ahead of customer missions. “Power sets the pace of a mission. We reached across our enterprise to introduce efficiencies and novel technologies to set a more rapid pace,” said Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems. “By integrating Boeing’s additive manufacturing expertise with Spectrolab’s high‑efficiency solar tech and Millennium’s high‑rate production line, our Space Mission Systems team is turning production speed into a capability, helping customers field resilient constellations faster.” The first 3D-printed solar arrays will fly Spectrolab solar cells aboard small satellites built by Millennium Space Systems. Both non-integrated subsidiaries are part of Boeing’s Space Mission Systems organization. Beyond the arrays themselves, Boeing’s approach enables a parallel build of the complete array, pairing a printed, rigid substrate with flight-proven modular solar technologies. By printing features such as harness paths and attachment points directly into each panel, the design replaces dozens of separate parts, long‑lead tooling, and delicate bonding steps with one strong, precise piece that is faster to build and easier to integrate. It is built upon the foundation of Boeing’s qualified additive, flight-proven materials and processes. “As we scale additive manufacturing across Boeing, we’re not just taking time and cost out, we’re putting performance in,” said Melissa Orme, vice president, Materials & Structures, Boeing Technology Innovation. “By pairing qualified materials with a common digital thread and high‑rate production, we can lighten structures, craft novel designs, and repeat success across programs. That’s the point of enterprise additive, it delivers better parts today and the capacity to build many more of them tomorrow.” Across the Boeing portfolio, the company has incorporated more than 150,000 3D‑printed parts, yielding significant schedule, cost, and performance benefits. This includes more than 1,000 radio-frequency parts on each Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite currently in production and multiple small‑satellite product lines with fully 3D‑printed structures. The new array approach is designed to scale from small satellites to larger platforms, including Boeing 702‑class spacecraft, targeting market availability for 2026. By printing the panel’s structure and built‑in features, Boeing can assemble the array in parallel with cell production. Robot‑assisted assembly and automated inspection at Spectrolab further reduce handoffs, improving speed and consistency. A leading global aerospace company and top U.S. exporter, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. Our U.S. and global workforce and supplier base drive innovation, economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing is committed to fostering a culture based on our core values of safety, quality and integrity. Contact
Detail Detail The Australian electricity industry has transformed over the past two decades, driven by the rise of household solar and other renewable energy sources. Since 2010, supported by government incentives and improving technology, rooftop solar installations have surged. Australia now leads the world in per capita household solar, with more than 4 million homes – approximately one in three – equipped with solar panels[1]. This release includes household solar electricity generation in the Australian National Accounts (ANA) for the first time. Our new approach provides a more complete picture of the role of households in the electricity industry – as a producer, income earner, and a consumer. This article explains the conceptual treatment of household solar electricity generation in the ANA. It then provides insights into investment in solar panels and solar electricity production followed by a more detailed analysis of household electricity consumption. When households undertake productive activity, the ABS treats them as small businesses (unincorporated enterprises) for accounting purposes. This enables us to measure and count their economic contribution properly. This approach is applied in the ANA to measure housing services. When you own your home, the ABS calculates what you would pay if you rented it. That imputed rent is treated as if you are running a small business – you are producing a housing service (and consuming that service). The same logic now applies to solar electricity. Rooftop solar panels owned by households for electricity production will now be treated as a distinct asset class, separate to the dwelling they are attached to. These panels are classified as investment in machinery and equipment and are generally sourced from overseas (recorded as imports). This reclassification resulted in no change to total private investment. The dwelling (excluding the roof top solar panels) that produces housing services is separately classified as investment in dwellings. Solar electricity produced by these unincorporated enterprises contributes to the gross value added (GVA) for the Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services industry. This includes electricity consumed by the household and any surplus sold to the grid. Electricity consumed by the household is recorded as household final consumption expenditure (HFCE) of Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels. Income generated from household electricity production is captured as gross mixed income. Income includes the surplus exported to the grid and imputed income from the amount consumed. Rooftop solar panels owned by households for electricity production are classified as investment or gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) in machinery and equipment. Solar electricity produced by these unincorporated enterprises contributes to the gross value added (GVA) for the Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services industry. The household consumes some of its own electricity production and sells the excess to the grid. Income generated from household electricity production is captured as gross mixed income (GMI). Electricity consumed by the household is recorded as household final consumption expenditure (HFCE) of Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels, and is sourced from their own solar production and purchased from the retail electricity industry. Electricity sold by the retail electricity industry (to households and businesses) is recorded as GVA for the Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services industry. Household solar generated electricity is priced using the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) rate – the price households receive when selling excess solar to the grid. This represents both the market price for surplus electricity and the opportunity cost of consuming it directly (i.e., the household could choose to sell all the solar generated electricity it produces). Retail electricity prices are not appropriate as they include costs borne by the retailers, including distribution charges, taxes and retailer margins. To encourage households to install rooftop solar systems, the Australian Government introduced its first rebate program in 2000. Rebates continued over the years and by 2011, the Small-Scale Renewable Energy Scheme was introduced. This initiative reduced the average out-of-pocket costs of installation by 50%. In 2024-25, the scheme covered over 40% of total installation cost[2]. To further incentivise households to move towards renewable energy, state and territory governments introduced Feed-in-Tariffs (FiT), assisting households in recouping some of the remaining costs. Since 2010, the price of solar panels has declined rapidly due to technological advances and scale economies from the rapid expansion in Chinese production. From 2017-18, technological advances also improved panel generation capacity, enabling households to produce more electricity at lower investment cost. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as households spent more time at home and electricity consumption surged, rooftop solar panel installations reached a record high. In 2024-25 the installation cost per kilowatt was $1537.21 compared to its peak of $6203.36 per kilowatt in 2010-11. Including household solar generation expands the coverage of electricity production within the Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services industry, resulting in an increase in total industry GVA and GDP. Over the past 15 years, Australia’s electricity industry has been transitioning from reliance on large-scale, aging coal powered electricity generators to an increasing share of renewable energy sources including wind, solar and hydro. Household solar electricity generation has expanded markedly, while generation from traditional sources, driven mainly from coal powered generation has slowly declined. Over the past 15 years, household solar electricity generation has increased 20-times and now accounts for 7.6% of total economy-wide electricity generation. Households generally consume about half of their solar electricity production, with the rest sold to the grid. This consumption is recorded as HFCE solar electricity. The incorporation of household solar generation in the ANA has expanded the coverage of electricity within the Electricity, gas and other fuels consumption category, resulting in an increase in total HFCE and GDP (E). Household electricity consumption patterns are influenced by competing factors including changing weather patterns, energy efficiencies, solar generation, and electricity costs. Whilst household solar generation has continued to rise, households consume only about 50% of their electricity production. In the evenings and early morning, when electricity demand is high, and solar production is low, households remain reliant on energy retailers to meet electricity demand. The ANA does not currently capture batteries used to store solar generated electricity. This share of consumption of household solar production is likely to change as households invest in solar electricity batteries as they become more affordable (due to a decline in costs and government subsidy programs) and efficient. In 2023-24, the Commonwealth government, jointly with State and Territory governments, launched the national Energy Bill Relief Fund (EBRF). The EBRF reduced electricity bills for households and small businesses, and has extended and expanded into 2025-26, with additional State and Territory government specific funds. These rebates are classified in the ANA as social transfers in kind, measured as government consumption on behalf of the household. Therefore, electricity consumption via rebates does not contribute to HFCE. For analytical purposes, electricity consumption undertaken by government on behalf of households via rebates has been added to HFCE to represent households’ actual electricity usage. In 2024-25, the total value of electricity usage by households was $23.9b, electricity retailers provided $23.1b (of which households paid $17.8b and $5.4b was covered by government rebates) and $798.8m from household solar generation. On average, household electricity usage rose 3.3% per year over the last decade in nominal terms, reflecting consistent price rises. In contrast, average growth in real terms (1.4%) was lower, in line with average annual population growth (1.5%). Household electricity prices are influenced by multiple factors including the global spot price for thermal coal and gas, distribution costs and any supply disruptions to the market. As remaining coal powered plants have been subject to outages, there has been increased need for more expensive gas-powered generation to meet demand. a. Electricity rebates do not contribute to HFCE. Overall, higher distribution costs and supply constraints in the retail electricity market drove the rise in electricity prices. Retail electricity prices have doubled since 2009-10, with an estimated price of $0.29/kWh in 2024-25[3]. The average FiT rate has halved over the same period to be $0.06/kWh in 2024-25. From 2023-24 to 2024-25, the average retail electricity price rose 0.4% while the average price paid by households for electricity, which includes the implicit price of solar, fell 1.4%. The widening gap between the average cost of solar and of retail electricity provides increasing savings to households with rooftop solar. This part of the analysis estimates the size of these savings assuming no change to consumption behaviour. To model an implicit saving to households, household consumption of solar electricity was calculated using both retail prices and FiT rates. Solar consumption quantities (in kWh) were multiplied by retail prices and compared the same quantities valued at FiT rates. This comparison shows a rapid increase in annual saving over time, with a saving of $3.4b for the household sector or $125.74 per capita in 2024-25. a. Estimated using state and territory average FiT rates which have declined over time. Queensland and New South Wales account for half of the rooftop solar in Australia and consume the highest amount of solar electricity[4]. Despite having a lower population than New South Wales and Victoria, Queensland benefited from its first solar bonus scheme in 2008[5], coupled with a sunny climate. These favourable conditions have seen Queensland maintain its lead in solar electricity consumption. In response to oversupply of household solar electricity to the grid, most states and territories recorded falls in the FiT rates for 2024-25, led by NSW falling to $0.05/kWh. Household solar consumption is included in HFCE within the National Accounts. The average FiT rate is used to value solar electricity and is much lower than retail electricity prices. Therefore, the inclusion of solar consumption reduces total HFCE electricity IPD. Electricity rebates are treated in the National Accounts as government consumption, social transfers in kind on behalf of households. The HFCE electricity IPD fell 1.4% in 2024-25. In contrast to the National Accounts, the CPI does not include solar electricity generation consumed by households. Household solar electricity consumption will have an indirect impact on the CPI when households consume electricity from their solar panels rather than purchasing it from retailers. This will reduce the weight assigned to household expenditure on electricity purchased from electricity retailers in the CPI. The CPI includes electricity rebates as a reduction in out-of-pocket expenses to consumers. The CPI for electricity fell 14.7% in 2024-25 (year-on-year average). The annual price of HFCE electricity fell 1.4% in 2024-25, compared to the 0.9% fall in the CPI of electricity excluding rebates (year-on-year average). The difference captures the price effect attributable to household solar electricity in the National Accounts. Help us shape our website
Subscribe to The Connexion See prices & plans HELP GUIDES Income Tax in France Healthcare in France Inheritance Law and Wills in France Visas and residency cards for France Subscribe to The Connexion See prices & plans HELP GUIDES Income Tax in France Healthcare in France Inheritance Law and Wills in France Visas and residency cards for France
One of France’s main consumer rights organisations is warning people to be vigilant of unscrupulous sellers targeting homeowners who are keen to install solar panels. More than 800,000 homes in France now have solar panels, as interest grows in renewable energy resources. However, with their growing popularity comes an increasing number of associated scams. The Aude-Pyrénées Orientales branch of consumer organisation UFC-Que Choisir recently raised the alarm after receiving complaints concerning visits from door-to-door salespeople trying to sell and supply photovoltaic panels. It is currently helping some 50 victims of the scam. People signed contracts before discovering the prices charged were up to three times the market rate. The salespeople assured them financial aid would be available. Many offered credit via their financial partners without running any credit or age checks. UFC-Que Choisir said many of these contracts and credit offers potentially breach the French consumer code. One victim was Aurore (not her real name), who told France Bleu she was a victim of the scam two years ago, but legal proceedings were still ongoing. A salesman came to her house and promised her the project would very quickly pay for itself. The same day, the salesperson had her sign a “quote/order form” which committed her to €30,000. Another couple, Mr and Mrs Van Elsue, told France Info they thought they were filling out a quote request, only to discover it was a purchase order and loan agreement. It was only once the panels were installed that they discovered the total amount they owed was €56,000. When France Info tried to contact the company, there was no response and, as there was no physical address either, there was nowhere to visit. “This phenomenon is widespread across France,” Yveline Albaladejo, head of the UFC-Que Choisir Perpignan branch, told The Connexion. She said the Perpignan branch alone expected to file 50 cases in 2025. However, she adds that this shows more cases are reported due to growing media coverage of the scams. The consumer group also warns of companies posing as consumer protection organisations, which contact customers when their solar panel supplier goes bust and offer to help have their loan agreements cancelled. Her advice for anyone thinking of installing solar panels is: “Contact us if you have any doubts about the high price or promised assistance,” she said. It is not the first time The Connexion has raised the alarm about solar panel scams. Readers Linda and James Stewart-Brown were visited by a salesman after receiving a cold call about installing solar panels. Despite being aware of scams in the renewable energy sector, they ended up being overcharged, and promised grants and financing that did not materialise. The panels cut their electricity consumption by 30% instead of the 70% they were promised. While several possible aids do exist to help make solar panel installation affordable, energy firm TotalEnergies warns against anyone promising deals where the panels will be free or for a symbolic ‘one euro’, as well as any similar proposals that sound “too good to be true”. In particular, it says, watch out for anyone claiming to offer this in return for managing the sale of your surplus energy, as such contracts should be signed directly with EDF not via intermediaries. Solar panels help combat rising electricity costs – at a price Installation bonuses have also been cut as government looks to promote ‘self-consumption’ of power A new draft decree has caused concern among some in the renewable energy sector There is confusion over the plan, with many expecting a February start date There are some simple steps you can take to prepare for the switchoff
Assistant to far-left MP among suspects being questioned Post-Brexit rules mean UK degree holders have been limited in their ability to work in France Storm Pedro will bring gales of up to 140 km/h. Red flood alerts remain as death toll from recent weather conditions rises to three Two readers share their views on risk and danger on the slopes An expression to indicate that something has tipped you over the edge Slower pace lets holidaymakers enjoy the scenery Classification requires employers inform the inspection du travail of the event within the 12 hours of an incident Couple ordered to pay backdated taxes to France Unscrupulous sellers target homeowners who are keen to install solar panels, says consumer rights group
Checks at land borders will take place until at least September 15, 2026 Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne and Maine-et-Loire among worst-hit with red warnings in place Gaufres, bugnes, merveilles and more Some 28 deaths already recorded in the French Alps this season, many due to off-piste skiing or avalanches WICE is a vibrant English-speaking community offering classes, workshops, and social events to help expats integrate and thrive
Quentin D, 23, died after reportedly being ambushed by far-left activists near site of political conference Some specialists charge more than others for the same service Northern department becomes fourth to allow police to impose immediate bans for motorists caught using phones at wheel Garonne river is particularly affected. French weekly weather forecast February 16 – 20 Columnist Samantha David laments the lack of decent meals in the style of the subcontinent Reader Sue Alouche, 66, and her French husband set up ‘Knowing Nantes’, a network for the anglophone community in the city Premiums are forecast to rise by four to six percent in 2026 French skier also died in the disaster at Val d’Isère on Friday February 13
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Installed capacity and growth of PV of countries and regions in the world
view more Installed capacity and growth of PV of countries and regions in the world Credit: Yichen Zhou, Jia Wen, Yulin Zheng, Wei Yang, Yuru Zhang & Wenxing Cheng. China, the world's largest producer and consumer of solar energy, will confront a staggering 33 million tons of decommissioned photovoltaic (PV) modules by 2050, creating an urgent need for advanced recycling technologies that can recover high-purity silicon and other valuable materials, according to a new review by researchers at Hunan University. The study, published in ENGINEERING Energy (formerly Frontiers in Energy), examines the current state of crystalline silicon (c-Si) PV module recycling and identifies critical bottlenecks hindering the development of a sustainable circular economy for solar energy. c-Si cells dominate 85-90% of the global PV market, yet current recycling efforts primarily focus on recovering silver, aluminum, and copper while largely overlooking silicon—a material whose production is extremely energy-intensive. "Silicon recovery represents a massive untapped opportunity," said corresponding author Jia Wen from Hunan University's College of Environmental Science and Engineering. "Recycling silicon from waste PV modules can reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by over 60% compared to producing new metallurgical-grade silicon, while simultaneously preventing environmental contamination from heavy metals like lead and cadmium." The review systematically analyzes separation and recovery processes, including physical methods (crushing, high-voltage pulse fragmentation), thermal treatment (pyrolysis to remove EVA encapsulant), and chemical processes (acid/alkali etching for metal extraction). While these technologies can achieve high recovery rates—some methods yielding 99.999% pure silicon—the research team identified significant challenges in scaling these processes economically and environmentally. Key Findings and Bottlenecks The analysis reveals that China's PV recycling industry remains in its infancy, facing multiple systemic obstacles: The research highlights innovative applications for recycled silicon beyond new solar cells, including high-performance anodes for lithium-ion batteries (theoretical capacity of 4200 mAh/g compared to graphite's 372 mAh/g), thermoelectric components, and catalytic materials. Studies show that properly recycled silicon can achieve initial discharge capacities exceeding 2200 mAh/g in battery applications. Implications for Sustainable Development The findings underscore the strategic importance of establishing a complete PV recycling value chain in China before the first wave of mass decommissioning begins in 5-10 years. The authors recommend: "China's leadership in PV manufacturing means it must also lead in sustainable end-of-life management," noted co-author Yichen Zhou. "Building a robust recycling infrastructure now will secure critical material supplies, reduce environmental impacts, and maintain the industry's long-term competitiveness." The review provides a roadmap for transforming PV waste from a looming environmental liability into a valuable resource pool, supporting both China's carbon neutrality goals and the global transition to clean energy.
JOURNAL: ENGINEERING Energy (formerly Frontiers in Energy)
Article Link https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11708-024-0923-y Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system. Media Contact Bowen Li Shanghai Jiao Tong University Journal Center qkzx@sjtu.edu.cn Office: 021-62800059
Fraunhofer scientists have announced two efficiency records for III-V tandem modules. The team says its 34.2% efficiency III-V germanium PV module is the most efficient solar module in the world, while its 31.3% efficiency III-V silicon PV module is a record in its class. Project manager Dr. Laura Stevens holding one of the III-V germanium PV modules Image: Fraunhofer ISE / Jacob Forster
Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has developed two III-V tandem PV modules with world record power conversion efficiencies. The team’s modules each feature solar cells based on III-V semiconductor compounds, composed of elements from the third and fifth groups of the periodic table. The first, a III-V germanium PV module, achieved 34.2% efficiency, which the Fraunhofer team says makes it the most efficient solar module in the world. The 833 cm2 tandem module was built as part of Fraunhofer’s Vorfahrt project. It consists of triple III-V germanium cells developed by project coordinator Azur Space Solar Power, specialist in multi-junction solar cells for space photovoltaics. A statement from Fraunhofer explains that the manufacturer adapted its triple solar cell technology to the terrestrial solar spectrum, so it can be produced in comparable quantities and in the same wafer formats as its space solar cells. The module’s efficiency was further improved by nanotechnology specialists temicon GmbH, which transferred a stochastic surface structure onto the glass surface using nano-imprint, helping to minimize reflection losses at the interface of the module. Fraunhofer has also announced a record 31.3% efficiency for a III-V silicon PV module, which it says is a record for its class. The module, measuring 218 cm, builds on an efficiency record for III-V silicon solar cells set by Fraunhofer of 36.1%. Through the research project Mod30plus, the team has realized a small-scale production of the solar cells adapted for interconnection with shingle technologies to produce the module. Fraunhofer ISE scientist and Vorfahrt project lead, Laura Stevens, said the institute is conducting intensive research to replace single solar cells with multiple solar cells in modules as conventional silicon solar cells cannot exceed a physical limit of 29.4%. “The fact that we achieved a world record with the III-V germanium module shows the great potential in combining multiple semiconductors,” Stevens said. Andreas Bett, Fraunhofer ISE Director, added that both tandem PV technologies have the potential to fill application gaps between conventional, cost-effective ground-mounted and rooftop systems on one hand, and high-performance but more expensive space solar cells on the other. “III-V in tandem with silicon as a more affordable option, III-V on germanium as a slightly more efficient alternative, are both interesting technology routes for integrated PV applications, wherever space is limited,” Bett said. Last July, Fraunhofer achieved 40% efficiency for an indoor III-V solar cell based on an indium gallium phosphide absorber. 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: editors@pv-magazine.com. More articles from Patrick Jowett Please be mindful of our community standards. Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked *
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Renewables Now is a leading business news source for renewable energy professionals globally. Trust us for comprehensive coverage of major deals, projects and industry trends. We’ve done this since 2009. Stay on top of sector news with with Renewables Now. Get access to extra articles and insights with our subscription plans and set up your own focused newsletters and alerts.
Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. Advertisement Nature Communicationsvolume 17, Article number: 946 (2026) Cite this article 486 Accesses 92 Altmetric Metrics details The exceptional energy-harvesting efficiency of lead-halide perovskites arises from unusually long photocarrier diffusion lengths and recombination lifetimes that persist even in defect-rich, solution-grown samples. Paradoxically, perovskites are also known for having very short exciton decay times. Here, we resolve this apparent contradiction by showing that key optoelectronic properties of perovskites can be explained by localized flexoelectric polarization confined to interfaces between domains of spontaneous strain. Using birefringence imaging, electrochemical staining, and zero-bias photocurrent measurements, we visualize the domain structure and directly probe the associated internal fields in nominally cubic single crystals of methylammonium lead bromide. We demonstrate that localized flexoelectric fields spatially separate electrons and holes to opposite sides of domain walls, exponentially suppressing recombination. Domain walls thus act as efficient mesoscopic transport channels for long-lived photocarriers, microscopically linking structural heterogeneity to charge transport and offering mechanistically informed design principles for perovskite solar-energy technologies. Halide perovskites have come forward to the limelight as prospective future-generation photovoltaic materials, offering significant advantages over conventional technologies, such as low manufacturing costs and solution processability. The efficiency of the perovskite solar cells has improved tremendously over the last decade and has now reached 27%1,2 for single-junction cells. Lead-halide perovskites (LHPs) are particularly interesting for solar energy harvesting applications. The remarkable photovoltaic performance of these materials is a consequence of a combination of factors, such as high optical absorption coefficients3,4, high defect tolerance5,6,7, and long charge carrier lifetimes6,8 and diffusion lengths6,9. However, despite intensive research, the nature of the optoelectronic properties underlying such astounding performance is unclear. LHPs, such as MAPbI3 and MAPbBr3 (MA = CH3NH3+), have been thoroughly studied to understand the nature of their superior optoelectronic properties. It was realized early on that the diffusion coefficients in LHPs are not remarkable at all, and that the exceptionally long diffusion lengths critical for photovoltaic applications are mainly due to unusually long photocarrier recombination times (e.g., ref. 6). Several explanations have been proposed, including strong spin-orbit coupling leading to Rashba splitting10,11,12, a bulk photovoltaic effect resulting from ferroelectric ordering13,14,15,16, dynamical symmetry lowering through fluctuations17, or reduced scattering of charge carriers protected by the formation of large polarons18,19. Particular attention was paid to the possibility of ferroelectric ordering, which would explain the long lifetimes and diffusion lengths of the charge carriers. The idea of ferroelectric ordering is generally tempting, considering the oxide perovskites are well-known ferroelectrics. However, most structural studies of MAPbI3 and MAPbBr3 do not support this hypothesis. At room temperature, their space groups were identified20,21,22 as non-polar tetragonal (I4/{mcm}) and cubic ({Pm}bar{3}m), respectively, with ferroelectricity forbidden by inversion symmetry. At the same time, some studies identified the structure of tetragonal MAPbI3 as the polar group (I4{cm})23,24. Recent studies have presented compelling evidence of ferroelectric ordering in the tetragonal phases of MAPbI314,15 and MAPbBr316, making the puzzling nature of this phase a topic of extensive debate. Meanwhile, the cubic phase has received relatively less attention, despite the tetragonal-to-cubic phase transition having little effect on the performance of MAPbI3 in solar applications25, indicating that the mechanism underlying its unique properties remains unaffected. In this paper, we investigate the optoelectronic properties of the room-temperature polymorph of MAPbBr3, previously identified as cubic. Our key finding is the discovery of local flexoelectric polarization confined to the boundaries between microscopic domains of unequal strain, resulting in local electric fields that generate long-lived photocurrents under zero bias. The spatial separation of photocarriers at the flexoelectrically-polarized domain walls and the consequent exponential suppression of their recombination naturally explain many previously reported anomalies in the charge dynamics of LHPs. We confirm the complex domain structure of the nominally cubic phase by visualizing the domain walls using an original electrochemical staining technique. Our results provide mechanistic insight into the structural complexity of lead-halide perovskites and establish a framework for designing and optimizing their application in photovoltaic technology. Our investigation begins with the observation of an unexpected optical anisotropy in the room-temperature phase of MAPbBr3. Similar to other LHPs, the basic structure of MAPbBr3 is composed of corner-sharing BX6 (Fig. 1a) octahedra, forming transparent rectangular-shaped crystals with a nominally cubic symmetry above (T) ≈ 230 K26. However, a careful study of generic crystals demonstrates this is not the case in general. Fig. 1b shows a typical pristine MAPbBr3 crystal grown from solution by inverse temperature crystallization7. To examine its optical properties, the crystal was placed in a rotating crossed-polarizer setup (Fig. 1c) and illuminated by a 632.8 nm He-Ne laser beam normal to the (001) plane, while varying the angle of polarization relative to the [100] crystal axis (Methods). The rotation of the crossed polarizer was captured on video (Supplementary Movie 1). Fig. 1d shows transmitted light images of the MAPbBr3 crystal, illuminated with light polarized at 0° and 45°, respectively, revealing its complex birefringent structure. This is an unexpected observation, as MAPbBr3 is expected to be in a cubic phase at room temperature26, which is incompatible with the observed birefringence. This definitively indicates that the crystal symmetry of the MAPbBr3 sample is lower than the nominal ({Pm}bar{3}m) space group. While the birefringence of nominally cubic MAPbBr3 is commonly observed, this incongruity is not systematically addressed in the literature. It is typically attributed to the inferior quality of the solution-processed crystals27, but the exact nature of this symmetry lowering remains to be understood. a Crystal structure of cubic perovskite with the general chemical formula ABX3. b A typical MAPbBr3 crystal grown from solution using the inverse temperature crystallization technique. c Schematic of the crossed-polarizer setup used to visualize the birefringence in the high-temperature phase of MAPbBr3. d Polarized light images of the MAPbBr3 sample shown in Fig. 1b placed between crossed polarizers oriented at 0° and 45° relative to the [100] crystal axis. The scale bars are 500 µm. e Cumulative phase retardation (triangle varTheta) as a function of temperature across the cubic-to-tetragonal phase transition in MAPbBr3 single crystal. The solid black line represents the best fit to the data above the nominal critical temperature ({T}_{{{{rm{c}}}}}) = 231.2 °C of the form (Delta varTheta propto {left|{T}_{{{{rm{c}}}}}-Tright|}^{alpha }). The goodness-of-fit is ({R}^{2}) > 0.999. Inset images show the tilting pattern of PbBr6 octahedra associated with the phase transition. The cubic-to-tetragonal transition in MAPbBr3 is identified as a close-to-second-order first-order displacement-type phase transition driven by the rotation of BX6 octahedra21,28 (see inset to Fig. 1e). Reflecting the structural change, the electric susceptibility tensor is also modified at the phase transition, which is manifested in the corresponding change in the optical refractive index ellipsoid. Birefringence, therefore, provides information on the onset of phase transition and can be used as an indicator of the order parameter of the phase transition. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the order parameter of the cubic-to-tetragonal phase transition in MAPbBr3 is the rotation angle of the PbBr6 octahedra21. The idea that the same order parameter drives the formation of the distorted cubic phase at room temperature seemed plausible, which is why we proceeded with measuring the temperature dependence of birefringence across the phase transition. The critical behavior was evaluated by measuring the temperature dependence of the Stokes parameters of a polarized near-infrared beam passing through the MAPbBr3 crystal placed inside the cryostat (Methods, Supplementary Fig. 1, Supplementary Note 1), and fitting the cumulative phase retardation acquired by the beam to a power law (Delta varTheta propto {left|T-{T}_{{{{rm{c}}}}}right|}^{alpha }) (Fig. 1e). As can be seen in the figure, the temperature dependence of birefringence retains the sharp anomaly at ({T}_{{{{rm{c}}}}}), with high-temperature birefringence providing a simple offset to the critical birefringence associated with the phase transition. This indicates that the symmetry lowering of MAPbBr3 at room temperature has a nature distinct from the low-temperature rotation of PbBr6 octahedra in the tetragonal phase. A birefringent sample can appear dark when placed between two orthogonally crossed polarizers only if the polarization axis of one of the polarizers matches the optical axis of the sample. In contrast, an optically active sample will always appear bright, while an isotropic sample will always be dark. Our optical measurements showed that no part of the sample remains permanently bright or dark for all orientations of the mutually crossed polarizers relative to the crystal axes (Supplementary Movie 1). The data indicate that the sample is birefringent everywhere, with no optical activity, and with locally defined optical axes seemingly uncorrelated with crystal directions. Birefringence in a nominally cubic system indicates the presence of bulk strain. In a free-standing crystal, inhomogeneous strain implies the presence of defects, such as dislocations, or, in the case of spontaneous strain (ferroelasticity), domain boundaries29. To investigate the nature of nonuniform strain in bulk MAPbBr3, we electrophoretically inject silver ions into the sample, which in the course of diffusion preferentially cluster near defect sites (Methods, Supplementary Note 2). Thus, when ions are ultimately reduced to metallic silver, the defects become visible under a microscope (Fig. 2a). Unlike conventional surface-probe techniques, this method provides direct access to the intrinsic structural features of the bulk material, unaffected by surface-related effects. a Schematic of the experiment. The silver anode attached to the side of the sample serves as a source of silver ions. When an electric field is applied, the ions are electrophoretically injected into the crystal. The domain structure is revealed through the electrochemical reduction of silver ions to metallic silver (grey), making the domain walls (white) visible. The hatched areas represent domains with different orientations of strain. b, c Bright-field images of silver dendrites formed in MAPbBr3 monocrystal after an electric field of 24 V mm‑1 was applied for 4 h. The images show single optical slices taken at 270 µm (b) and 365 µm (c) beneath the sample surface. The scale bars are 100 µm. d Composite image with an extended depth of field, created by focus stacking 167 bright-field images. The dashed lines mark the locations where the corresponding single optical slices displayed in (b) and (c) were taken. The scale bar is 100 µm. Fig. 2b, c show the silver-stained defect patterns in a typical solution-grown MAPbBr3 monocrystal taken near a silver electrode attached to the (100) face of the crystal (Supplementary Fig. 2a). Dendritic structures clearly indicate domain wall patterns oriented at 45° and 90° relative to the crystal axes, suggesting the presence of 90° and 180° domain walls. Domains as small as 5×5 μm2 were identified (Supplementary Fig. 2b). Fig. 2d shows an image of the silver-stained sample generated by the focal plane merging of the bright-field Z-stack, revealing a complex domain structure of the distorted cubic phase. Supplementary Movies 2 and 3 show a complete scan along the Z-axis and the reconstructed 3D structure of silver dendrites, respectively. To evaluate the potential effects of an applied electric field (e.g., ion migration) on the intrinsic domain structure of MAPbBr3, we performed time-dependent electrochemical staining experiments (Supplementary Fig. 3, Supplementary Note 2). To that end, the electric field was applied in successive steps, and microscopic images of the sample were taken after each step. The results show that domain walls visualized at the onset of the staining process remain unchanged under repeated application of the electric field, confirming that staining reveals pre-existing domain wall patterns without altering them. We further observed that silver structures begin to disappear once the electric field is removed, which is why the microscopic images were acquired shortly after the staining process was completed. To investigate the dissolution process, we monitored the domain wall patterns in electrochemically treated samples over several days (Supplementary Fig. 4, Supplementary Note 2). During this period, the silver-stained domain walls became barely visible, indicating nearly complete dissolution of metallic silver. Interestingly, MAPbBr3 electrophoretically doped with silver also demonstrates a reversible photochromic effect (Supplementary Fig. 5, Supplementary Note 3). This phenomenon is likely analogous to that in silver halide-containing photochromic glasses, where photochemical reduction of silver ions leads to the formation of fine metallic silver particles that strongly absorb light30. Electrochemical staining indicates that non-cubicity in room-temperature MAPbBr3 comes in the form of microscopic ferroelastic domains each hosting different strain uniform across the domain. Importantly, in this picture strain gradients are confined to structural defects—domain walls—thus alleviating the necessity of associated stress gradients. The few-micron domain size in MAPbBr3 explains the illusion of smooth gradients of birefringence in the sample shown in Fig. 1d. The interpretation of the room-temperature phase in terms of ferroelasticity is reinforced by X-ray diffraction, which confirms the previously reported ({Pm}bar{3}m) space group and demonstrates the structural homogeneity of the sample (Supplementary Fig. 6, Supplementary Note 4). Strain gradients break inversion symmetry and generally result in electric polarization in a phenomenon known as flexoelectricity31. In light of recent reports of large voltages generated in response to externally induced mechanical deformations in MAPbBr332,33, one may wonder if spontaneous strain gradients in nominally cubic LHPs can also result in local electric polarization (Fig. 3a). a Schematic of the strain gradient confined to the domain wall and the resulting gradients of polarization ({{{bf{P}}}}) and potential (phi) induced by the flexoelectric effect. b Schematic of the photocurrent measurement setup. The sample can be moved relative to the beam to measure the current flowing in vertical or horizontal directions for each position of the excitation spot. c Schematic of the photoexcited carrier separation caused by internal electric fields. The dashed white line marks the part of the sample where the current measurements were performed. d Energy diagram of the two-photon absorption process. e Spatial distribution of the photocurrent measured in the vertical and horizontal directions. Each point represents the current measured when the sample is excited at the corresponding location. The scale bars are 500 µm. f Schematic of electrostatic potential distribution (phi (x)) in a sample with domain-wall flexoelectricity. The dashed lines represent domain walls. g Typical time-resolved photocurrent transient acquired in a horizontal direction. The top inset illustrates the temporal evolution of polarization ({{{bf{P}}}}) and current (I) following optical excitation. The bottom inset shows schematic microscopic pictures of the charge separation and recombination phases of the photocurrent generation. Here, we confirm the presence of local electric polarization in bulk MAPbBr3 by detecting zero-bias photocurrent in as-grown single-crystal samples following localized photocarrier injection. To this end, an ultrafast sub-bandgap laser pulse is focused inside the sample, generating electron-hole pairs deep inside the bulk through two-photon absorption34,35 (Fig. 3b–d, Supplementary Figs. 7–10, Supplementary Note 5). The photocurrent is picked up through two pairs (for vertical and horizontal currents) of non-metallic carbon leads attached to the sides of the sample by a lock-in amplifier in current detection mode (Methods). The measurements were performed on the same sample as in the birefringence measurements shown in Fig. 1d. Fig. 3e shows maps of the current frequency component corresponding to the laser pulse repetition rate (({f}_{{{{rm{rep}}}}}) = 1.5 kHz) ({I}_{{{{rm{rep}}}}}) obtained by scanning the beam across the sample. It is evident that the current ({I}_{{{{rm{rep}}}}}) strongly depends on the location of carrier injection. Notably, the sign of ({I}_{{{{rm{rep}}}}}) remains constant across large sections of the sample, which are not symmetrical with respect to the midplane of the sample, indicating that the photocurrent is likely not due to dynamic flexoelectricity36. Instead, it can be understood in terms of electrostatic potential distribution (phi (x)) in a sample with domain-wall flexoelectricity as shown schematically in Fig. 3f. Here, the plateaus represent regions of constant strain and (phi (x)) within domains that both change abruptly at domain walls; the sign of photocurrent ({I}_{{{{rm{rep}}}}}) is then determined by the average slope of electrostatic potential. This picture offers a natural explanation to the conflicting phenomenology of the apparent ferroelectricity in LHPs: on the one hand, flexoelectric polarization at domain walls related to the difference in structure between domains naturally explains the observed pyroelectric phenomena at structural phase transitions (e.g., ref. 16), and the pinning of domains walls can account for hysteretic polarization under external electric field14,15. On the other, flexoelectric polarization remains confined to the domain walls, keeping inversion symmetry intact in bulk, in full agreement with optical second-harmonic generation experiments37,38. The zero-bias two-photon photocurrent was also observed in bulk MAPbI3, upon optical excitation of a single-crystal sample (Supplementary Fig. 14, Supplementary Note 7). Although the exact nature of the inversion symmetry breaking evidenced by the observation of zero-bias photocurrent cannot be established without further investigation, there are indications that it may originate from flexoelectric domain walls. MAPbI3 is tetragonal at room temperature and shows behavior sometimes interpreted as evidence of ferroelectric ordering14,15. However, ferroelectricity is inconsistent with second-harmonic generation studies37,39,40, which confirm the presence of bulk inversion symmetry. Moreover, the photovoltaic efficiency of MAPbI3 reportedly remains unaffected by the tetragonal-to-cubic phase transition25. These observations can be naturally explained by localized flexoelectricity present in both phases, suggesting that flexoelectric domain walls are not exclusive to MAPbBr3 but may constitute a unifying origin of local inversion symmetry breaking in LHPs. Flexoelectric polarization at domain walls is responsible for photocurrent, but directly assigning it to simple charge diffusion along the average slopes of potential in Fig. 3f is problematic. Indeed, imagine electron-hole pairs injected, e.g., in the blue region in Fig. 3f. According to the naive picture, the holes will diffuse to the right electrode, while electrons will accumulate at the peak position of (phi (x)) (marked with a white stripe), which cannot be sustained indefinitely. More generally, in the absence of external bias, the current in a charge-neutral insulating sample is given by (Ileft(tright)propto -d{{{bf{P}}}}/{dt}), where ({{{bf{P}}}}) is electric polarization. Therefore, if (int Ileft(tright){dt}ne 0) for each pulse, the total electric polarization of the sample changes monotonically throughout the course of the experiment, contradicting the observation that photocurrent in LHP samples can be generated for hours without appreciable changes in magnitude. To interpret our observations, we first note that, based on the preceding arguments, it must be that (int Ileft(tright){dt}=0) or, equivalently ({{{{bf{P}}}}}_{{{{rm{initial}}}}}={{{{bf{P}}}}}_{{{{rm{final}}}}}) (see upper inset in Fig. 3g) which is in apparent contradiction with data in Fig. 3g, showing transient current response (I(t)) reconstructed as a function of time after the laser pulse (Methods, Supplementary Fig. 11, Supplementary Note 6). We attribute this to the bandwidth limitations of the digital lock-in amplifier used for our measurements ((flesssim) 153 kHz), which result in the loss of high-frequency features, such as the fast spike near (t=0) in Fig. 3g. To confirm the displacement nature of zero-bias photocurrent, we measured the average photocurrent using high-sensitivity analog electrometer with long integration time (Supplementary Fig. 15, Supplementary Note 8). Our results show that on average there is no net charge transfer, confirming the purely displacement nature of the observed current, in full agreement with the physical picture described in the manuscript. Next, we note that although the majority of photocarriers recombine rapidly, a small fraction persists to produce the long-lived photocurrent, whose mechanism can be understood by scrutinizing the time dependence of a typical current transient (I(t)) as in Fig. 3g. One can identify here two distinct regimes: I) quick accumulation of polarization (a few μs) manifested as a strong and narrow initial spike in (I(t)), on the limit of time resolution of lock-in; and II) slow relaxation of polarization (~100 μs) manifested by the slow tail in (I(t)) opposite in sign to the initial spike, providing the main contribution to the current picked up by lock-in. Microscopically, in regime I, photocarriers diffuse to the domain boundaries where local electric fields spatially separate positive and negative charges, trapping them on the opposite sides of the domain wall; in regime II, the polarization accumulated at the domain walls is gradually relaxing via tunneling through the flexoelectric potential barrier (see bottom inset in Fig. 3g). The tunneling-driven recombination mechanism naturally reconciles the apparent paradox between the nanosecond-scale exciton lifetimes in perovskites41 and the millisecond-scale relaxation of photocurrent, a key factor in the photovoltaic performance of LHPs42. Surprisingly, in regime II, the current (I(t)) is best described not by a simple or even bi-exponential decay (Supplementary Fig. 16, Supplementary Note 9), but rather by as shown in the insets of Fig. 4a. This time dependence is further supported by an unusual correlation between the current magnitude ({I}_{0}) (Fig. 4b) and its decay rate (1/tau) (Fig. 4c) when fitting (I(t)) in regime II with an exponential function (I(t),=,{I}_{0}cdot exp left(-t/tau right)) (Methods, Supplementary Fig. 12, Supplementary Note 6). Across extended regions of the sample, we find a strong correlation in the form ({I}_{0}cdot tau approx {{{rm{const}}}}) (Fig. 4d). While such behavior is highly unexpected for a generic exponential decay, it emerges naturally from the form of (I(t)) in Eq. 1. a Photocurrent transients measured in the horizontal direction at the respective locations indicated in (b). Different colors correspond to measurements performed on a sample isolated from stray light (blue) and under diffuse ambient illumination of 0.01 sun (pink), respectively. Insets show the corresponding data fitted to (1/I(t)propto left(t+{{{rm{const}}}}right)) (black lines). b, c Spatial distributions of ({I}_{0}) and (1/tau), respectively, obtained from exponential fitting of current decays in regime II at respective coordinates. The scale bars are 500 µm. d Correlation between ({I}_{0}) and (tau). Three identified data clusters are fitted with ({I}_{0}={Ccdot }1/tau), where (C) is constant within each cluster. The inset shows a photograph of the sample, with highlighted regions corresponding to the identified clusters. The dashed white line marks the part of the sample where current measurements were taken. e Schematic of bandgap reduction caused by the accumulation of charge carriers at domain walls. f Schematic of charged domain walls acting as separate, charge-specific conductive pathways for electrons and holes in a perovskite solar cell. Establishing the actual decay law of (I(t)propto -dot{{{{bf{P}}}}}) reveals a more nuanced picture of relaxation dynamics of charge carriers (n(t)propto {{{bf{P}}}}) trapped at the domain wall. The behavior in Eq. 1 suggests that (n(t)propto log left(t+{{{rm{const}}}}right)). To understand this unexpected behavior, we notice that it is a solution of a modified kinetic equation, with a density-dependent relaxation rate (gamma (n)): for (n(t)gtrsim bar{n}). The exponential sensitivity of the tunneling rate through the potential barrier on (n) is natural since the accumulation of electrons and holes on opposite sides of the domain walls leads to a decrease in the effective band gap and subsequent exponential growth of the tunneling rate (Fig. 4e). General consideration yield (bar{n}sim 0.1,{a}^{-2}), (a) standing for perovskite lattice constant (Supplementary Note 10, ref. 43). The exponential sensitivity of tunneling to domain wall charging also explains the otherwise puzzling extreme sensitivity of the relaxation rate and magnitude of photocurrent to ambient light, as shown in Fig. 4a and Supplementary Fig. 13 (pink vs. blue curves). Indeed, weak intrinsic recombination rates imply that even small amounts of stray light can significantly modify photocurrent transients. The spatial separation of electrons and holes at domain walls strongly suppresses recombination, exponentially enhancing the effective lifetimes and thereby allowing charge carriers to diffuse over large distances. In this sense, charged domain walls can serve as effective conductive pathways for electrons and holes (Fig. 4f), akin to the free electron gas at charged 90° domain walls in ferroelectric BaTiO344 or the ferroelectric highways proposed by Frost et al. 13. in their study on the potential ferroelectric ordering in LHPs. Flexoelectric domain walls can act as conductive channels for accumulated charges, enhancing charge transfer in the perovskite layer in a photovoltaic device. However, excessive charge accumulation could also increase tunneling rates and accelerate recombination of carriers trapped at domain walls, potentially limiting device efficiency under high illumination conditions. Understanding the extent of these competing effects and their impact on real-life device performance is therefore crucial for maximizing the efficiency of perovskite solar cells. This prompts a systematic investigation of flexoelectric domain walls in perovskite materials that will combine experimental characterization and theoretical modeling. In summary, we present evidence of local inversion symmetry breaking in the nominally cubic high-temperature phase of MAPbBr3, explicitly confirmed by a finite zero-bias two-photon bulk photovoltaic effect. We reconcile this finding with the previously established centrosymmetric structure of MAPbBr3 by showing that the observed short-circuit photocurrent arises from local flexoelectric polarization at the boundaries between domains of spontaneous strain, which is present in as-grown bulk MAPbBr3 even in the nominally cubic phase. We detect this strain through the resulting optical anisotropy and visualize the emerging domain structure using an original technique based on electrochemical staining of the domain walls. Our results further indicate that local electric fields induced by flexoelectricity lead to spatial separation of electrons and holes on the opposite sides of the domain boundaries. To recombine, the photocarriers must tunnel through the flexoelectric potential, which exponentially suppresses the recombination rate. As these long-lived charges can still move freely along the domain walls, the latter can serve as efficient mesoscale transport channels, enabling long-range diffusion essential for high photovoltaic efficiency. By revealing the microscopic origins of slow charge dynamics in bulk LHPs, we identify their mesoscopic structure as the origin of unique photoelectronic properties of these materials. Our findings unify seemingly contradictory observations into a coherent framework, providing a promising pathway for the design and optimization of hybrid perovskites in photovoltaic applications through mesoscopic structural engineering rather than compositional searches alone. CH3NH3Br (>99.99%) was purchased from GreatCell Solar Ltd. (formerly Dyesol) and used as received. PbBr2 (98%) and DMF (anhydrous, 99.8%) were purchased from Sigma Aldrich and used as received. A 1.5 M solution of CH3NH3Br/PbBr2 in DMF was prepared, filtered through a 0.45 µm-pore-size PTFE filter, and the vial containing 0.5-1 ml of the solution was placed on a hot plate at 30 °C. The solution was then gradually heated to 60 °C and maintained at this temperature until the formation of CH3NH3PbBr3 crystals. The crystals can be grown into larger sizes by elevating the temperature further. The crystals were collected and cleaned using a Kimwipe paper. For domain wall visualization, wires were attached to the single crystal samples using 8330D silver conductive epoxy (MG Chemicals). The epoxy was cured at room temperature for 24 h. For photocurrent measurements, the single crystal sample was mounted on a glass holder, and the wires were attached to it using flexible carbon conductive epoxy G6E-FRP (Graphene Laboratories, Inc.). After curing at room temperature for 24 h, the epoxy adhesive provided both mechanical fixation and reliable electrical contact. The edges of the sample were covered with non-conductive epoxy to ensure isolation between adjacent contacts. For the birefringence measurements, we used pristine, as-grown samples that had never been exposed to an electric field. To visualize the natural birefringence in MAPbBr3, the sample was put in a rotating crossed polarizer setup and illuminated with an expanded He-Ne laser beam (Thorlabs HNL050LB). The beam polarization was adjusted using a half-wave plate to match the orientation of the first polarizer (P1 in Fig. 1c). Transmission images of the sample were acquired at each position of the crossed polarizer using a CMOS camera (Allied Vision Alvium 1800 U-319m). To study the critical behavior of birefringence across the cubic-to-tetragonal phase transition, a near-infrared ((lambda) = 1028 nm) beam polarized at 45° relative to the [100] crystal axis was sent through the sample, placed inside an optical cryostat, normal to the (001) crystal face. At each temperature, a complete set of Stokes parameters was measured using the standard procedure45. Special care was taken to compensate for the thermal-expansion-driven displacement of the sample during the experiment (Supplementary Fig. 1, Supplementary Note 1). For domain wall visualization, we used samples from the same batch as the sample used in the birefringence measurements shown in Fig. 1d, the photocurrent measurements presented in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, and the X-ray diffraction measurements shown in Supplementary Fig. 6. Silver ions were generated in situ using silver epoxy electrodes attached to opposite sides of a crystal as the source of ions (Fig. 2a, Supplementary Fig. 2a). Oxidation of metallic silver at the electrode interface, ion transport into the bulk crystal, and subsequent electrochemical reduction back to metallic silver were all achieved in a single step by passing a small current through the sample. Experiments were performed in a light-tight box to suppress photocarrier generation, which would otherwise cause an undesirable increase in bulk conductivity. Applied voltages ranged from 5 to 100 V mm‑1 with corresponding currents in the nA range depending on the sample. After several hours, dark-colored metallic silver structures appeared within the bulk crystal. Bright-field and confocal microscopy were performed using a Zeiss LSM 880 Confocal Laser Scanning inverted microscope equipped with a Zeiss Plan-Apochromat 10×, 0.45 NA objective and PMT detectors for both confocal and transmitted light imaging. A He-Ne laser with (lambda) = 632.8 nm was used for illumination. The sample was placed in a Petri dish with a glass coverslip bottom. The refractive index matching liquid Immersol 518 F (Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH) was introduced between the sample and the coverslip to reduce reflection from the sample surface. Optical sectioning was performed with 5 µm resolution along the optical axis and lateral resolution of 1.66 µm per pixel. Illumination, focusing, optical sectioning, and primary image acquisition were controlled by Zeiss ZEN 2.3 SP1 Black software. Images were processed using Zeiss ZEN 2.3 SP1 Black, NIH ImageJ 1.54p, and Helicon Focus 8.3.0 software. Further information can be found in Supplementary Note 2. For the photocurrent measurements, we used pristine, as-grown samples that had never been exposed to an electric field. The laser pulse source used was the Light Conversion Pharos HP, with a pulse energy of 2 mJ per pulse at a repetition rate of 3 kHz, a central wavelength of (lambda) = 1028 nm, and a pulse duration of (tau) = 290 fs. Only a small part of the full laser power was used for the experiment to avoid sample damage. The actual average pump laser power was (W) = 0.25 mW at a 1.5 kHz pulse repetition rate after the built-in laser pulse picker. The laser was focused using a lens with a focal distance of (F) = 200 mm, and the beam waist diameter inside the sample was w = 40 µm. To produce the spatially resolved photocurrent maps, the pump laser spot was scanned over the sample surface (Fig. 3b, c), with two pairs of carbon-based epoxy contacts attached to the sample, allowing for the detection of photocurrent flowing in both vertical and horizontal directions. The corresponding pair of contacts was connected directly to the current input of the lock-in amplifier (Zurich Instruments MFLI), leaving the other pair of contacts open. The measurements were performed using a lock-in amplifier in current mode (no bias) referenced to the laser output. The scanned area was limited to the part of the crystal away from the electrodes, thereby eliminating electrode proximity effects and excluding the possibility of charge carriers reaching the contacts by diffusion. The detected photocurrent was independent of the scan direction and pump polarization. Time-resolved transients of photocurrent were reconstructed from the current frequency components acquired by lock-in at integer multiples of the laser repetition rate (up to (n) = 102 for high-resolution curves, such as in Fig. 3g and Fig. 4a, and (n) = 18 for area scans in Fig. 4b, c). The amplitude and phase of each harmonic of the photocurrent were measured separately, and then the time-domain representation of the signal was reconstructed by inverse Fourier transform of the frequency domain data where ({X}_{k}) and ({Y}_{k}) are the real and imaginary parts of the (k)-th harmonic ({f}_{k}) of the laser repetition rate, respectively. For the purpose of time-domain analysis of the current transients, the DC component appearing in the reconstructed signal is subtracted. Further information can be found in Supplementary Note 5 and 6 and the accompanying figures. 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Zhumekenov Present address: School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria Dmytro Rak, Dusan Lorenc, Daniel M. Balazs & Zhanybek Alpichshev Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia Dmytro Rak King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ayan A. Zhumekenov Center for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies (CREST), Division of Physical Science and Engineering (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Osman M. Bakr Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar D.R. and Z.A. conceptualized the project, designed the experiments, and analyzed the data. A.A. Z. and O.M. B. synthesized the samples. D.M.B. measured and analyzed the X-ray data, D.L. and Z.A. measured the temperature dependence of birefringence, and D.R. conducted the rest of the experiments. The manuscript was written by D.R. and Z.A., with feedback from all coauthors. Z.A. supervised the project. Correspondence to Zhanybek Alpichshev. The authors declare no competing interests. Nature Communications thanks the anonymous reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available. Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Reprints and permissions Rak, D., Lorenc, D., Balazs, D.M. et al. Flexoelectric domain walls enable charge separation and transport in cubic perovskites. Nat Commun17, 946 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68660-5 Download citation Received: Accepted: Published: Version of record: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68660-5 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.
Meralco PowerGen Corporation through its affiliate Terra Solar Philippines Inc has completed the initial grid synchronisation and energisation of the MTerra Solar project, confirming system readiness and safe connection to the Luzon grid. The milestone was marked during an event titled The First Spark held on 12 February in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, attended by representatives from the Department of Energy, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, and global infrastructure investor Actis. Dennis B Jordan, President and Chief Executive Officer of MGEN Renewables and MTerra Solar, said the achievement demonstrates the project’s ability to deliver both scale and operational reliability. He stated that the successful synchronisation confirms the company is on track not only in expanding capacity but also in ensuring safe and dependable operations. He added that the project will now move forward with confidence, continuing to scale up capacity, drive innovation and deliver clean energy to Filipino consumers. The initial grid synchronisation follows the successful energisation and cut in of the project’s 500 kilovolt substation along the Nagsaag San Jose 500 kilovolt Line 2, a critical transmission asset supporting grid integration. Phase 1 of MTerra Solar is progressing on schedule. As of end January 2026, the project has installed 1,288 MWdc of solar photovoltaic capacity, making it the largest solar installation in the Philippines. In parallel, 622 battery energy storage system units have been installed and are expected to form the country’s largest battery storage portfolio once fully operational. Following the latest milestone, MTerra Solar is targeting 250 MWac of solar capacity and 112.5 MWh of battery energy storage to be ready by the end of February 2026. During this phase, the facility is set to begin exporting 85 MW of constant power to the grid in close coordination with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, demonstrating the stability and reliability of the integrated renewable energy and storage system ahead of further capacity ramp up in the coming months. Notably, all major developments to date have been delivered in less than 15 months since groundbreaking, underscoring the accelerated execution strategy behind the project. Author: Bryan Groenendaal
Currency / Forex Commodities Cryptocurrencies Interest Rates Best financial portal More than 20 years at your side + 1,300,000 members Quick & easy cancellation Our Experts are here for you OUR EXPERTS ARE HERE FOR YOU Monday – Friday 9am-12pm / 2pm-6pm GMT + 1 Select your edition All financial news and data tailored to specific country editions NORTH AMERICA MIDDLE EAST EUROPE APAC
Contact us to request a correction (Alliance News) – Energy Time Spa announced on Wednesday that it has signed new Engineering, Procurement, and Construction contracts for the development of photovoltaic plants in Sicily and Molise with a total capacity of 40 MWp.
The total value of the contracts amounts to approximately EUR18 million, with completion of the project expected in the second half of 2026.
The counterparty to the agreement is Nadara, through dedicated Special Purpose Vehicles. Nadara is a leading renewable energy producer and one of the main Independent Power Producers, owning and operating more than 200 energy sites across Europe and the USA, with over 4 GW of installed capacity and an additional 18 GW under development.
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NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla., Feb. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zeo Energy Corp. (Nasdaq: ZEO) (“Zeo,” or the “Company”), a provider of residential solar and commercial long-duration energy-storage solutions, today announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) with Creekstone Energy LLC (“Creekstone”) to develop approximately 280 megawatt (MW) of baseload energy generation to support Creekstone’s data center under construction in Millard County, Utah (the “Gigasite”). The MOU is evidence of Zeo’s continuing steps to expand its business model by applying long-duration energy solutions to the large and growing market for energy to power cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and data centers. The Company’s strategic entrance into this market follows Zeo’s August 2025 acquisition of Heliogen, Inc. that provided Zeo with long-duration energy generation and storage expertise and capabilities. As part of this initiative, Zeo is working on several other commercial long-duration energy storage projects that are in the planning and evaluation phase. Creekstone Gigasite Creekstone plans to provide over 300MW of gas-powered energy to data center clients at the Gigasite in the first half of 2027. Creekstone broke ground on the Gigasite in December 2025. As part of the Gigasite’s early development, Creekstone has announced it will provide Blue Sky AI Inc., an AI infrastructure provider, with up to 50 megawatts of power. Creekstone plans to expand the Gigasite’s power production to multiple gigawatts, to include power from Zeo’s energy solutions designed to provide reliable, dispatchable electricity through solar power firmed with long-duration storage. Activities under the MOU Under the MOU, Zeo has begun a pre-feasibility study to determine the most energy-efficient and cost-efficient solar power and energy storage solutions for the Gigasite. Zeo’s experienced engineering team is applying its expertise in thermal and chemical storage to design a solution to create firm baseload power from the intermittent power product by solar panels.
The MOU also anticipates the possibility of Zeo obtaining project financing for the solar and storage solution aspect of the project, as well as Zeo providing engineering services for the project, including Front-End Loading (“FEL”) and Front-End Engineering Design (“FEED”) studies and project management. The MOU is non-binding and establishes a framework for collaboration and development without obligating either party to pursue a specific project until a definitive agreement is signed.
Nearby solar array in Millard County, Utah, similar to type contemplated for the Gigasite Management Commentary Tim Bridgewater, CEO of Zeo, said: “Since our acquisition of Heliogen, we have been actively seeking to apply our long-duration storage expertise to the unprecedented power demand in the data center space. Our MOU with Creekstone is a milestone in this effort, and we are in discussions with several other projects that we believe can benefit from our clean baseload power solutions. The Creekstone collaboration is an opportunity to validate the application of our expertise in renewable power generation and long-duration storage to increase power delivery for data center customers in a cost-effective, low-emissions manner. We expect our ability to access the public capital markets to provide project financing could give us a competitive edge in our business development efforts.”
Ray Conley, CEO of Creekstone Energy, added: “AI workloads are driving unprecedented demand for power. At Creekstone, we plan to deliver over 600MW of baseload power to our Gigasite customers in 2027 in Phase 1 of our project. Our collaboration with Zeo reflects the market urgency of using all available energy sources to rapidly provide baseload power. With solar power and Zeo’s long-duration energy storage solution, we plan to significantly expand the amount of clean power we offer our hyperscalers and artificial intelligence data center customers.” About Zeo Energy Corp. Zeo Energy Corp. (Nasdaq: ZEO) is a diversified clean energy company providing residential, commercial, industrial, and utility-scale solutions that cut costs and carbon emissions. Based in Florida, Zeo operates Sunergy, a residential solar, distributed energy, and efficiency solutions business, in high-growth markets with limited competitive saturation. It also operates Heliogen, Inc., a long-duration energy generation and storage business designed to deliver renewable power for high-demand applications such as AI, data centers, and other energy-intensive industries. With its vertically integrated approach, Zeo helps customers with a cost-effective transition to 24/7 clean energy. About Creekstone Energy Creekstone Energy is developing the Creekstone Gigasite, a next-generation, multi-source power and digital-infrastructure campus in Millard County, Utah. Designed to support the unprecedented energy and cooling demands of large-scale AI computing, the Gigasite will integrate utility-scale generation, long-duration storage, advanced transmission, and industrial-grade data infrastructure. Creekstone’s mission is to help secure America’s leadership in artificial intelligence, clean energy development, and strategic domestic infrastructure. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release and statements of Zeo’s and Creekstone’s management in connection with this press release contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to the Company, including regarding the Company’s potential involvement in the Creekstone project as described herein. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements that refer to projections, forecasts, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions. The words “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “seek,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “expect,” “explore,” “develop,” “development,” “deploy,” “deployment,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “will,” and similar references to future periods may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements may include, for example, statements about the development of the Gigasite project, future financial performance of the Company; the ability to produce expected results; changes in the Company’s strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, the ability to raise additional funds, and plans and objectives of management. These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release, and current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions, and involve a number of significant judgments, risks, and uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any subsequent date, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, the Company’s actual results or performance may be materially and adversely different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include: (i) the Creekstone Gigasite project may not be developed in the timelines anticipated, if at all; (ii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company or others; (iii) the Company’s success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, its officers, key employees, or directors; (iv) the Company’s ability to maintain the listing of its common stock and warrants on Nasdaq; (v) limited liquidity and trading of the Company’s securities; (vi) geopolitical risks and changes in applicable laws or regulations, including tariffs or trade restrictions; (vii) the possibility that the Company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (viii) operational risks, including risks associated with Zeo’s expanding business model; (ix) litigation and regulatory enforcement risks, including the diversion of management time and attention and the additional costs and demands on the Company’s resources; (x) the Company’s ability to effectively consolidate the assets of Heliogen and produce the expected results; and (xi) other risks and uncertainties, including those included under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the year ended December 31, 2024 and in its subsequent periodic reports and other filings with the SEC. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by the Company, its directors, officers or employees or any other person that the Company will achieve its objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. The forward-looking statements in this earnings release represent the views of the Company as of the date of this earnings release. Subsequent events and developments may cause that view to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, there is no current intention to do so, except to the extent required by applicable law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing the views of the Company as of any date subsequent to the date of this earnings release.
IPP Lydian Energy has secured US$689 million in financing for two solar projects and a battery energy storage system (BESS) project in New Mexico, Texas, and Utah, US. The full-stack financing is supported by Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) and MUFG Bank and includes a construction-to-term loan, a tax credit bridge loan, a co-investment bridge loan, and a letter of credit facility. Faraday BESS Phase 1 is a 150MW/733MWh BESS in Utah. The project is backed by a long-term power purchase agreement PPA with an investment-grade off-taker. AC Ranch 1 is a 75MWac solar PV project in New Mexico, with a derisked, busbar PPA. Lydian says it delivers steady quarterly cash flows on a fully contracted basis with an investment-grade off-taker. Get Premium Subscription Yellow Viking is a 170MWac solar PV project in Texas. Located within the utility Oncor’s territory in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market, the project features 100MW under a PPA with an investment-grade off-taker. Berkshire Hathaway Energy-owned utility PacifiCorp’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for Utah shows that the company has a PPA for the Faraday BESS project. PacifiCorp also has a PPA for the Faraday solar PV project. In 2023, renewable energy financier Excelsior Energy Capital closed US$1.3 billion in financing for the Faraday solar project. Lydian made its official launch in 2024, with backing from Excelsior, which remains its owner. It announced the AC Ranch 1 as part of its nine-project portfolio. At that time, both AC Rach 1 and AC Ranch 2 were in the pre-construction phase. In July 2025, Lydian closed a US$233 million project financing for three BESS projects in Texas. The projects included the 150MW/391MWh Headcamp BESS, the 200MW/521MWh Crane BESS and the 200MW/521MWh Pintail BESS. Speaking with Energy-Storage.news at the time, Emre Ersenkal, CEO of Lydian Energy, said that lithium-ion battery manufacturer CATL would supply the BESS for the projects. That said, in December 2024, parent company Excelsior signed a 7.5GWh supply deal with LG Energy Solution (LG ES) for domestic content-qualifying BESS, with LG ES having since started manufacturing LFP cells across 17GWh of US production lines. Currently, Lydian claims to have a portfolio of 18 solar and storage projects totalling 4.4 GW of capacity. The Energy Storage Summit USA will be held from 24-25 March 2026, in Dallas, TX. It features keynote speeches and panel discussions on topics like FEOC challenges, power demand forecasting, and managing the BESS supply chain. ESN Premium subscribers can get an exclusive discount on ticket prices. For complete information, visit the Energy Storage Summit USA website.
Colombia has exceeded 3 GW of installed solar capacity, marking a significant milestone in its transition towards a cleaner and more diversified power mix. According to the Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME), the government agency responsible for energy sector planning, the country now has 1,600 MW in commercial operation and 1,400 MW in the testing phase. This rapid growth highlights the increasing role of solar PV in Colombia’s power sector, traditionally dominated by hydropower and thermal generation. The expansion reflects stronger regulatory frameworks, declining technology costs and growing private investment in renewable energy. The current solar landscape is led by large-scale utility projects distributed across several regions, taking advantage of high solar irradiation levels, available land and improved grid integration capacity. The 370 MW Guayepo project in Atlántico currently ranks as the country’s largest operational solar plant. Meanwhile, the 300 MW Puerta de Oro project in Cundinamarca is undergoing testing and is expected to strengthen supply in the Andean region. In Tolima, the 160 MW Shangri La plant adds further capacity to Colombia’s central grid, while Latam Solar La Loma in Cesar contributes 150 MW in the north of the country. These projects illustrate the geographic diversification of large-scale renewable energy investments. Colombia’s solar surge is not coincidental. Several structural factors have converged: Falling levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) for solar PV Greater diversification of investment capital Clearer market rules for independent power producers (IPPs) Improved conditions for power purchase agreements (PPAs) Enhanced transmission planning and grid access frameworks Together, these elements have enabled larger projects to reach financial close and begin injecting renewable electricity into the national interconnected system. Growth in solar PV is also aligned with fresh regulatory signals designed to increase investor confidence. The Ministry of Mines and Energy recently published a draft resolution launching Colombia’s first long-term renewable energy auction for 2026. The mechanism will allow contracts of up to 15 years and is expected to be awarded before June 2026. The auction will operate under a “pay-as-contracted” scheme and include hourly energy products. Importantly, it will also enable participation from battery energy storage systems (BESS) and new projects with installed capacity of 5 MW or more. The objective is to facilitate further integration of clean energy into the system and help electricity retailers comply with renewable procurement obligations, which have progressed more slowly than expected in the Colombian market. Crossing the 3 GW threshold confirms that solar PV is no longer marginal in Colombia. Instead, it is becoming a structural pillar of the country’s energy transition strategy. If the 2026 auction proceeds as planned and grid expansion keeps pace, Colombia could consolidate its position as one of Latin America’s fastest-growing solar markets, reinforcing its attractiveness for international renewable energy investors and infrastructure funds. by info strategicenergycorp Keep reading The move follows a year-long investigation into alleged unfair trade practices and significantly increases duties on key lithium-ion battery inputs, reshaping the competitive landscape for U.S. manufacturers and Asian suppliers. by Strategic Energy Keep reading The Canadian pension fund will invest alongside I Squared Capital in Inkia Energy, which operates a 2.6 GW generation portfolio in Peru and is developing more than 4 GW in wind, solar, gas and battery storage projects. by Strategic Energy Keep reading Six lithium-ion battery projects secure 14-year contracts, exceeding targets and accelerating New South Wales’ long-duration storage roadmap towards 2030 and 2034. by info strategicenergycorp Keep reading The move follows a year-long investigation into alleged unfair trade practices and significantly increases duties on key lithium-ion battery inputs, reshaping the competitive landscape for U.S. manufacturers and Asian suppliers. by Strategic Energy Keep reading The Canadian pension fund will invest alongside I Squared Capital in Inkia Energy, which operates a 2.6 GW generation portfolio in Peru and is developing more than 4 GW in wind, solar, gas and battery storage projects. by Strategic Energy Keep reading Six lithium-ion battery projects secure 14-year contracts, exceeding targets and accelerating New South Wales’ long-duration storage roadmap towards 2030 and 2034. A leading media group in digital marketing, strategic communication, and consultancy specialized in renewable energy and zero-emission mobility, with a presence in Latin America and Europe. We focus on helping companies position their brand in key markets, connecting with the main decision-makers in the energy transition.
Plans for a new solar-powered car park with 205 spaces in Wolverhampton have been approved. As many as 1,400 solar panels would be installed on carports to power the car park next to the Wickes store off Stafford Road, with surplus energy stored to help power the surrounding community. There would also be 82 electric vehicle charging points with 1,200 plants also included in the plans, a report to the council said. The unmarked land was already used as an informal car park for worshippers at nearby Jamia Masjid Aqsa mosque as well as on matchdays for Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters, due to it being about half a mile from Molineux Stadium. The plans were submitted by Tomato Energy in July last year but the firm collapsed by November and entered administration. The firm, which was taken over by British Gas under an appointment by regulator Ofgem, was banned from taking on new customers over debts of more than £3m. The applicant was then changed to Kenny Virdi from Senapt Limited in November. The City of Wolverhampton Council previously approved plans in 2019 to use the land as a car park and the site was then cleared, with a number of trees cut down. Another planning application for a car park was backed in 2021 after a redesign. Details in the latest application stated the energy created through the panels would be managed on-site, either stored in batteries or used to supply local needs. "A portion of the energy generated will be allocated to a community battery, creating a resource for local residents and contributing to Wolverhampton's green energy infrastructure," a spokesperson said. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. West Midlands Combined Authority is reviewing the way its funds large projects. Other projects include gaming, sport and mentoring in Wolverhampton, staff say. The new council properties in Low Hill have electric car charging points and solar panels. The BBC speaks to two non-league clubs who have cancelled dozens of matches due to non-stop rain. Ex-chief executive Richard Howson acted "recklessly" and misled others, a watchdog says. Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
Read today’s Portuguese stories delivered to your email. The evaluation committee coordinated by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) identified “significant and very significant negative impacts” in the Sophia photovoltaic solar power plant project in the Castelo Branco district. By TPN/Lusa, in News · 18 Feb 2026, 14:03 · 0 Comments The APA confirmed to the Lusa news agency that, within the scope of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedure for the Sophia Photovoltaic Solar Power Plant project, “significant and very significant negative impacts were identified, particularly in terms of landscape, soil and land use, spatial planning and socio-economics”. It also states that the process considered the results of the public consultation. The Sophia photovoltaic solar power plant covers the municipalities of Fundão, Idanha-a-Nova and Penamacor, in the Castelo Branco district, and represents an investment of around €590 million, for an installed capacity of 867 MWp (Megawatt peak). This project comprises 390 hectares occupied by photovoltaic modules, 435 hectares including all infrastructure, and a total fenced area of 1,734 hectares. Changing the project In January, the developer of this photovoltaic solar plant publicly expressed his intention to reformulate the project. The APA also emphasised that, as the EIA authority, it heard from the proponent regarding the possibility of resorting to the project modification mechanism foreseen in the EIA legal regime to avoid or minimise the identified impacts. “The proponent expressed interest in proceeding with the modification of the project, which is why the EIA procedure was suspended for this purpose on 20 January 2026 [the deadline for the assessment procedure ended on 9 February], with the proponent having a maximum period of six months to present the respective modification proposal.” Unfavourable opinion
The Intermunicipal Community (CIM) of Beira Baixa issued an unfavourable opinion on the Sophia photovoltaic solar power plant project, within the scope of the public consultation, due to the enormous impacts on the community and the territory. Share this article:Share In News – 18 Feb 2026, 12:03 In News – 18 Feb 2026, 11:31 In News – 18 Feb 2026, 11:03 We are proud to provide our readers from around the world with independent, honest and unbiased news for free – both online and in print. Our dedicated team supports the local community, foreign residents and visitors of all nationalities through our newspaper, website, social media and our newsletter. We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for our services but if you are able to, we ask you to support The Portugal News by making a contribution – no matter how small. You can change how much you give or cancel your contributions at any time. Be the first to comment on this article In News – 18 Feb 2026, 12:03 In News – 18 Feb 2026, 11:31 In News – 18 Feb 2026, 11:03 In News – 11 Feb 2026, 09:03 In News – 10 Feb 2026, 18:32 In News – 31 Jan 2026, 13:03 In Environment, Portugal – 23 Aug 2025, 07:01 In Lifestyle – 01 Feb 2025, 15:01 In Portugal, Environment – 26 Nov 2024, 19:01 In – 13 Feb 2026, 17:32 In – 28 Jan 2026, 11:14 In – 27 Jan 2026, 10:06 In News, Property – 18 Feb 2026, 10:03 In News – 18 Feb 2026, 09:03 In News – 18 Feb 2026, 08:03 In News – 17 Feb 2026, 20:03 In News, Sport, Property, Business – 17 Feb 2026, 19:03 In News – 17 Feb 2026, 18:03 Send us your comments or opinion on this article. Reaching over 400,000 people a week with news about Portugal, written in English, Dutch, German, French, Swedish, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Turkish and Chinese. +351 282 341 100 (Chamada para a rede fixa nacional) info@theportugalnews.com
The government will develop a hybrid microgrid system in Barangay Cabungalunan in Quezon province, in partnership with the Quezon II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (QUEZELCO II), the Department of Energy said on Wednesday. A hybrid microgrid system is a localized, independent power network that combines two or more types of energy generation — typically integrating renewable sources (like solar or wind) with conventional dispatchable power (such as diesel or gas generators) and energy storage. Barangay Cabungalunan is a coastal village in the municipality of Burdeos on Polillo Island. The power system will have a budget of P52 million to be charged to the DOE’s Locally Funded Project-Total Electrification Program (LFP-TEP). It will have a combined 120-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system, a 100-kilowatt-hour battery energy storage system (BESS), and two diesel generator units with a minimum capacity of 50 kilowatts each, the DOE said. It will provide 24/7 power supply to at least 214 households, with built-in capacity to expand the services over 20 years. The contract, awarded to Trademaster Resources Corp. through a competitive procurement process, will be implemented within 18 months, to be completed by April 2027. “This project underscores the government’s commitment to operationalizing the Microgrid Systems Act through concrete infrastructure investments. By deploying hybrid microgrid systems, we will be able to deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to communities that have long remained underserved,“ Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said in a statement. “While most of the areas are to be offered to private sector, the government, in parallel, will support [locations] where there is least interest because of viability. These initiatives demonstrate how policy reforms are translated into tangible benefits for Filipino households,” Garin added.
THINK ALUMINIUM THINK AL CIRCLE CBAM is applicable to trade volumes starting from 50 metric tonnes. For trade volumes below 50 metric tonnes, CBAM does not apply. The system will automatically calculate the payable emissions and the total CBAM cost (€) based on the inputs provided. Also unlock other exclusive content Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a Fortune Global 500 company and a Maharatna PSU, marked a significant milestone in its energy transition journey with the inauguration of its solar power plant at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. For the global aluminium value-chain 2026 outlook, book our exclusive report “Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2026“ The project was virtually inaugurated by Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Hon’ble Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, during India Energy Week, underscoring BPCL’s growing focus on expanding its renewable energy footprint and supporting India’s clean energy ambitions. Also Read: China’s solar panel industry is shrinking: Impact of overcapacity, price collapse & socioeconomic volatility The solar power plant has an installed capacity of 71 MWp (DC) per 52 MW (AC) and is expected to generate approximately 103.61 million units of green electricity annually. The project is estimated to reduce carbon emissions by 75,150 metric tonnes each year, equivalent to the environmental benefit of planting nearly 1.25 crore trees. Spread across 210 acres, the facility has been developed using 1.29 lakh solar modules, supported by 1,324 metric tonnes of structural steel and approximately 294 kilometres of cabling infrastructure. The plant is connected to the power grid through a 132 kV transmission line, ensuring efficient and reliable transmission of renewable power. The green energy generated from the Prayagraj solar plant will be supplied to BPCL’s refineries located in Mumbai, Bina, and Kochi, contributing to cleaner operations and reinforcing the company’s commitment to sustainable and low-carbon energy solutions. This project reflects BPCL’s continued focus on integrating renewable energy into its core business operations while supporting India’s broader climate and energy transition goals. BPCL remains committed to advancing its sustainability roadmap through initiatives that promote cleaner energy, operational efficiency, and responsible growth. Don’t miss out- Buyers are looking for your products on our B2B platform Note: This article has been issued by PR Newswire and has been published by AL Circle with its original information without any modifications or edits to the core subject/data. Responses This website uses cookies We use cookies from our users to operate this website and to improve its usability. You can find details of what cookies are, why we use them and how you can manage them in our Cookies page. Please note that by using this site you are consenting to the use of cookies. Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies. Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in. Statistic cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers. Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user’s experience more efficient. The law states that we can store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of this site. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. This site uses different types of cookies. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages. Your consent applies to the following domains: google.com, youtube.com, doubleclick.net, zopim.com
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February 11, 2026
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