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Farmers to Earn Power Revenue While Local Firms Meet RE100 Goals Public Sector to Lead Development, With Preliminary Zones Set by Year-End
Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City is moving to build a public-led agrivoltaic solar model that would generate income for farming households while meeting local companies' demand for renewable power under RE100 commitments.
The city said on the 8th that it is pursuing regulatory changes to develop public-led agrivoltaics as a strategic industry. Agrivoltaics involves installing solar panels at a set height above farmland while rice and field crops continue to be grown underneath. Jeonnam-Gwangju, one of the country's largest farming regions, has extensive land suitable for agrivoltaics and abundant sunshine, making it the biggest expected beneficiary once the system takes effect.
The appeal of agrivoltaics is that farmers can keep farming while earning steady power generation revenue. Local companies, in turn, can broaden their base for meeting RE100 targets by using renewable energy produced in the region. The city aims to use the model to revitalize the rural economy and strengthen the competitiveness of local industry at the same time.
The city is also reviewing the progress of renewable energy districts across its cities, counties and wards, along with cooperation plans with related agencies. Renewable energy districts are rural specialized zones designated under the Act on Rural Spatial Restructuring and Regeneration Support for areas where solar and other renewable energy facilities need to be clustered.
Designating such districts, however, requires a series of administrative procedures, leaving a considerable gap before projects can begin. The city plans to press the National Assembly and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to streamline the designation process, establish cross-department cooperation systems, identify best practices and expand training. It will also select priority project sites after surveying demand among its cities, counties and wards and reviewing locations, then sign agreements with the relevant local governments to designate preliminary zones by the end of the year to speed up the work.
"We will create a virtuous cycle in which farmers earn power generation revenue while they farm, and local electricity feeds the growth of local companies," said Bae Yong-seok, head of the city's energy industry bureau. "With a Jeonnam-Gwangju-style agrivoltaic model in which the public sector leads development and farmers and residents share the results, we will set a new standard for Korea's renewable energy industry."
Original reporting by Park Ji-hoon for Seoul Economic Daily.
AI-translated from Korean. Quotes from foreign sources are based on Korean-language reports and may not reflect exact original wording.
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Lance Tabor has pioneered an innovative sheep farming method by integrating his operation with solar panel installations in North Carolina. This dual-use approach not only enhances renewable energy production but also allows the sheep to effectively control vegetation, minimizing maintenance for the solar company. Ongoing research aims to optimize grazing methods within this unique intersection of agriculture and renewable energy, with rising interest in the promising field of agrivoltaics.
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Sheep graze near a solar farm in North Carolina, illustrating how livestock can help manage vegetation around solar installations. (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)

A solar array stands above a grazing field, illustrating the potential to combine renewable energy production with agricultural land use. (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)

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Maine environmental regulators have fined a Bristol solar development almost $94,000 to resolve violations of Maine’s erosion control and water pollution laws.
The Maine Board of Environmental Protection approved a consent agreement between the state and Overlook Solar Partners last week.
According to the settlement, erosion control measures at Overlook’s 5 megawatt solar site failed in 2022 and sediment-laden water runoff polluted nearby wetlands.
The company later corrected the violations and stabilized the site, according to the settlement.
Overlook is an affiliate of Luminace Holdings, a solar development company that is itself a subsidiary of energy giant Brookfield. A Luminace spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
The Overlook case is the latest in a string of penalties imposed on solar developers for almost identical violations according to a review of Maine Department of Environmental Protection records.
Since 2022, the state has finalized settlements with at least six solar developers, nearly all for erosion control and stormwater runoff violations. Another settlement, with Fryeburg Solar, was proposed in October.
Another Luminace subsidiary, Tower Solar Partners was  fined $236,000 by state regulators last year for violations in Emden that led to sediment pollution flowing into the Kennebec River.
To date, the state has recovered almost $660,000 in penalties, according to a review of the settlements.
The violations occurred in the last five years, during a boom in Maine solar construction as companies capitalized on generous  subsidized electric rates for community solar projects of 5 megawatts or less. Those incentives were  rolled back last year.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
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The rooftop solar arrangements being changed had helped households and businesses invest.
Photo Credit: iStock
Sri Lanka is changing the way rooftop solar customers pay for electricity, prompting a debate over how to protect consumers while encouraging investment in renewable energy.
Electricity costs and Sri Lanka’s renewable energy goals were at the center of a parliamentary exchange over a new rooftop solar policy. According to News 1st, the government is replacing net metering and net accounting with a “Net Plus” system for rooftop solar users.
Minister of Energy Anura Karunatilaka explained that drawing electricity at night means rooftop solar customers rely on costlier generation than the relatively inexpensive power their panels produce during daylight.
The minister said Net Plus would protect solar investors and other electricity customers from unfair charges. Under the previous arrangements, he argued, the additional costs effectively landed on consumers with no rooftop panels.
For homeowners considering rooftop solar to lower electricity bills, $0-upfront leases may save hundreds of dollars per month, depending on their circumstances and available offers. EasyHome has a free explorer tool to estimate potential savings and help find vetted local installers.
The rooftop solar arrangements being changed had helped households and businesses invest. News 1st reported that opposition lawmaker Rasamanickam Shanakkiyan challenged whether Sri Lanka’s renewable energy targets were still achievable after the change.
For Shanakkiyan, the prospect of discouraging future solar investors compounded the unfairness he saw for customers who had already spent substantial sums on installations.
Some solar supply and installation businesses were reportedly facing serious uncertainty after the earlier net metering arrangements ended, according to the lawmaker. He said many businesses in the sector had become disillusioned.
With energy prices through the roof, there’s never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area.
EasyHome takes the guesswork and headaches out of energy upgrades by showing you estimated savings from a network of vetted local partners. To get started, just enter your ZIP and share a few details about your home — seeing your estimate is really that easy.
Karunatilaka reaffirmed the government’s commitment to increasing renewable generation. Officials had thoroughly examined the problems with net metering and net accounting, he said.
Sri Lanka plans to connect 642 megawatts of solar and 50 megawatts of wind capacity to the grid in 2027, according to News 1st.
For 2028, the minister outlined another 300 megawatts of solar capacity and 160 megawatts of wind capacity, News 1st reported.
The debate over daytime generation and nighttime costs also makes storage relevant to household planning. EasyHome offers battery-storage comparisons for homeowners considering how to pair batteries with solar. That combination can help households manage electricity costs by saving solar power for later use while providing backup power during outages.
The minister’s timeline extends through 2029, when Sri Lanka expects to connect another 450 megawatts of solar and 160 megawatts of wind capacity to the national grid, according to News 1st.
People outside Sri Lanka are asking similar questions about rooftop solar payments and grid reliability.
• In Sri Lanka, rooftop solar slowed a grid restart, and one-hour power cuts now begin.
• In the Dominican Republic, early rooftop solar adopters face new exported-power fees.
• Colorado Springs solar owners say a utility’s $500-a-year credit shift makes their panels ‘worthless.’
• A Connecticut homeowner says solar credits vanished despite higher output, as buyback worries mount.
• A California solar owner considering expansion faces vague utility guidance on retaining NEM 2.
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Turkish defense and electronics giant Aselsan has announced that it has commissioned solar power plants (SPPs) it established to meet all the energy used in its production activities from renewable sources, according to a report on Sunday.
The company has launched two new SPPs to support its expanding production infrastructure with renewable energy sources, reduce energy costs and contribute to its environmental sustainability goals, according to the report by Anadolu Agency (AA).

The clean energy generated by the plants is expected to prevent approximately 121,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
This is equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere by approximately 4 million trees in one year.

Aselsan, which also uses technologies developed through its own engineering capabilities in its renewable energy investments, is deploying its domestically developed Pulsar inverters for the first time in its SPP projects.
Designed and developed with in-house software, the inverters convert electricity generated by solar panels into a form compatible with the power grid.
Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol, speaking to Anadolu Agency, suggested that the company has been among Europe's fastest-growing defense industry companies over the past three years, adding that investments to expand its production capacity and technological capabilities are continuing.
“We continue to grow by more than 25% on average every year,” he said.

“At the same time, we are engaged in an intensive investment drive. We are working to equip Aselsan with new capabilities in many areas, ranging from air defense systems and radars to critical missile systems and munitions. We have $3 billion in ongoing investments,” he added.
Expressing satisfaction over the commissioning of the solar plants, Akyol said the investments would contribute to the company's sustainability goals and growth.
“We have commissioned our solar power plants as of today, which will meet all of our company's energy needs,” he noted.
“With these systems, which we built while taking into account Aselsan's current and ongoing investments, we will both support a sustainable economy and generate all our energy ourselves. These systems will also deliver the carbon emissions reduction equivalent to planting 4 million trees,” Akyol said.
“While contributing to our company's sustainability goals and lowering energy costs, we have also taken a step that supports our company's growth,” he added.
Akyol emphasized that the company is supporting the expansion of its production capacity and technological infrastructure with sustainable energy investments. He also pointed out that they keep energy efficiency among priorities.
“With the SPPs we have commissioned, we will meet all our energy needs from renewable sources while reducing our energy costs and carbon footprint,” the executive said.
Noting that the Ankara-based company ranks at the top of the Sustainability Index, Akyol said they were continuing their investments in renewable energy and efforts to improve resource efficiency to maintain this position.

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Lovina recalls laundry days without a motor on her washing machine  South Bend Tribune
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TYAGARAH, Australia, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sungrow, the leading global PV inverter and energy storage system provider, partnered with ReSolve Global, a solar panel recycling facility in the Northern Rivers, supporting the next stage of Australia’s clean energy transition.

Closing the Loop: Sungrow Sponsors Solar and Storage System to Power Northern Rivers Solar Recycling Hub

As Australia’s rooftop solar uptake continues to grow, so does the number of panels reaching the end of their working lives. The NSW Government recently announced consultation on Australia’s first mandatory solar panel product stewardship scheme, aimed at ensuring end-of-life panels are recovered, reused and recycled. Local infrastructure that can handle this equipment will be essential as the scheme develops.
ReSolve Global has established a 2,000-square-metre holding and sorting facility where used solar panels are collected, recorded, assessed and sorted.  It keeps used solar panels and other renewable-energy equipment out of landfill and recovers valuable materials for reuse and recycling.
“Solar has delivered enormous benefits for Australian homes and businesses, but we also need to take responsibility for the equipment coming off rooftops. Our goal is to build a transparent and practical system that prioritises reuse wherever appropriate and ensures the remaining materials are responsibly recovered.” Said Ben Pietzsch, Director of ReSolve Global.
To support the operation, Sungrow has sponsored a 20kWh SBH battery and 10kW SH10RS inverter, allowing the facility to run on clean, self-generated energy. The Sungrow SBH system pairs a hybrid energy storage solution with intelligent energy management, allowing the facility to store surplus solar generation and use it when needed. Combined with a Sungrow single-phase inverter, the system converts solar energy into reliable power for the facility’s daily operations, including equipment, lighting, and administration. This reduces reliance on grid electricity, lowers operating costs, and cuts emissions associated with the recycling process.
For Sungrow, supporting ReSolve is about closing the loop on the clean energy transition. A facility dedicated to recovering solar equipment should itself run on solar, demonstrating the circular, low-carbon model the industry is working towards.
“Solar has transformed how Australian homes and businesses generate power, and it’s our responsibility as an industry to make sure that equipment is managed well at the end of its life. ReSolve is doing exactly that, and we’re proud to support them. By powering their Tyagarah facility with a Sungrow SBH system and inverter, we’re helping ReSolve practise what it preaches: a recycling operation running on clean energy. It’s a meaningful step towards a truly circular solar industry, and we hope it inspires other businesses to follow.” said Richard Chen, C&I Business Development Manager of Sungrow.
The sponsorship reflects a shared commitment to sustainability. Sungrow contributes proven technology and more than two decades of expertise in PV and energy storage, while ReSolve brings local knowledge, hands-on recovery capability and a clear vision for reuse. Together, this demonstrates how manufacturers and recovery specialists can work side by side to support the full life cycle of solar.
“The Northern Rivers has long been a place where people are prepared to think differently about sustainability and resource use. It is fantastic to see that innovation happening locally and creating the potential for new skills, jobs and circular-economy opportunities in our region.” Tamara Smith MP of Ballina.
Looking ahead, Sungrow will continue to support ReSolve as it grows and to work with the wider industry to advance sustainable end-of-life solutions.
 

PR Newswire
4th November 2026, 12:11 GMT+11
TYAGARAH, Australia, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sungrow, the leading global PV inverter and energy storage system provider, partnered with ReSolve Global, a solar panel recycling facility in the Northern Rivers, supporting the next stage of Australia’s clean energy transition.

Closing the Loop: Sungrow Sponsors Solar and Storage System to Power Northern Rivers Solar Recycling Hub

As Australia’s rooftop solar uptake continues to grow, so does the number of panels reaching the end of their working lives. The NSW Government recently announced consultation on Australia’s first mandatory solar panel product stewardship scheme, aimed at ensuring end-of-life panels are recovered, reused and recycled. Local infrastructure that can handle this equipment will be essential as the scheme develops.
ReSolve Global has established a 2,000-square-metre holding and sorting facility where used solar panels are collected, recorded, assessed and sorted.  It keeps used solar panels and other renewable-energy equipment out of landfill and recovers valuable materials for reuse and recycling.
“Solar has delivered enormous benefits for Australian homes and businesses, but we also need to take responsibility for the equipment coming off rooftops. Our goal is to build a transparent and practical system that prioritises reuse wherever appropriate and ensures the remaining materials are responsibly recovered.” Said Ben Pietzsch, Director of ReSolve Global.
To support the operation, Sungrow has sponsored a 20kWh SBH battery and 10kW SH10RS inverter, allowing the facility to run on clean, self-generated energy. The Sungrow SBH system pairs a hybrid energy storage solution with intelligent energy management, allowing the facility to store surplus solar generation and use it when needed. Combined with a Sungrow single-phase inverter, the system converts solar energy into reliable power for the facility’s daily operations, including equipment, lighting, and administration. This reduces reliance on grid electricity, lowers operating costs, and cuts emissions associated with the recycling process.
For Sungrow, supporting ReSolve is about closing the loop on the clean energy transition. A facility dedicated to recovering solar equipment should itself run on solar, demonstrating the circular, low-carbon model the industry is working towards.
“Solar has transformed how Australian homes and businesses generate power, and it’s our responsibility as an industry to make sure that equipment is managed well at the end of its life. ReSolve is doing exactly that, and we’re proud to support them. By powering their Tyagarah facility with a Sungrow SBH system and inverter, we’re helping ReSolve practise what it preaches: a recycling operation running on clean energy. It’s a meaningful step towards a truly circular solar industry, and we hope it inspires other businesses to follow.” said Richard Chen, C&I Business Development Manager of Sungrow.
The sponsorship reflects a shared commitment to sustainability. Sungrow contributes proven technology and more than two decades of expertise in PV and energy storage, while ReSolve brings local knowledge, hands-on recovery capability and a clear vision for reuse. Together, this demonstrates how manufacturers and recovery specialists can work side by side to support the full life cycle of solar.
“The Northern Rivers has long been a place where people are prepared to think differently about sustainability and resource use. It is fantastic to see that innovation happening locally and creating the potential for new skills, jobs and circular-economy opportunities in our region.” Tamara Smith MP of Ballina.
Looking ahead, Sungrow will continue to support ReSolve as it grows and to work with the wider industry to advance sustainable end-of-life solutions.
 

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A Tennessee homeowner is exploring an unusual approach to powering their new build, installing solar panels before even connecting to the electric grid.
The resident took to Reddit's r/SolarDIY forum to share their plans and ask for advice.
In the Reddit thread, the original poster explained that the expected construction time for the 1,600-square-foot, single-story home is 16 months.
The OP then wrote that, "Utility power is available, but I am weighing the cost-benefit of getting solar panels early and holding off on grid connection. There are high costs in the utility connections which I would like to defer until later."
Using solar during construction would not mean relying on it exclusively, as the OP explained; gas generators would still supply tools and equipment with heavy electrical demands as needed.
Still, they wondered if there was "a packaged system that I can buy that can be used in this scenario and then be adapted to a grid-tie setup for when construction is nearly completed?"
Commenters explained that the OP's plan was possible, though it might be more expensive than they might anticipate. One wrote, "Something like the Ecoflow Delta Pro Ultra can do this as a plug and play system. It's pricey. Budget-ier options would be all-in-one inverters plus batteries."
Another commenter explained, "You need to write down the loads so you get an inverter that can handle the peak loads and enough battery to supply the energy you need. We can't answer these things for you as we don't know the loads. Only you do. If you are building solar first, consider a plan to never connect to the grid."
Not every commenter was supportive, however. One user suggested that, "It'll probably be cheaper and more reliable to get a grid connection first."
For households that are exploring residential solar, $0-upfront leases may offer electricity savings of hundreds of dollars per month, depending on their circumstances. EasyHome's free explorer tool helps estimate possible savings and find vetted local installers.
A grid-connected system would be the eventual result of the ground-mounted solar installation the homeowner is considering. Its first job, however, would be supplying electricity during construction.
Battery storage is another option to consider when planning when and how to connect to the grid. Beyond simplifying solar installations, EasyHome offers battery-storage exploration options for homeowners considering how to pair batteries with solar.
For a system intended to serve both the construction site and the completed home, pairing solar with batteries could help manage electricity costs and also provide backup power during outages once the home is occupied.
Getting solar up and running before connecting to the grid means weighing installation costs, battery options, and utility requirements.
• A Minnesota cabin owner faces grid-connection hurdles for DIY solar, drawing little surprise from installers.
• A rural Southern homeowner considers off-grid solar for outages, but battery costs complicate the plan.
• A homeowner with $50,000 budgeted hears DIY off-grid solar could deliver 100 kWh for $30,000.
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Solar also reduces the building’s reliance on electricity generated from fossil fuels, helping it comply with Local Law 97.
Photo Credit: Brooklyn SolarWorks
Electricity is flowing from rooftop panels at a New York City co-op where a fresh assessment overturned an initially unpromising outlook for solar.
The reassessment raised its estimated annual electricity output from about 4,000 kilowatt-hours to 18,000 — more than quadrupling the original projection, according to Habitat Magazine.
Clifton House, a 125-unit landmarked cooperative on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, has installed around 40 low-profile solar panels on its south- and east-facing rooftop sections.
The 17-story building’s roof deck and central bulkhead initially appeared to leave little room for panels.
Because Clifton House exceeds 100 feet, it wasn’t subject to rules requiring six-foot perimeter clearances for firefighter access on shorter buildings. 
Solar panels could therefore occupy a larger share of the roof.
For residents exploring electricity savings, $0-upfront solar leases may save you hundreds of dollars per month, depending on your circumstances. EasyHome offers a free explorer tool to estimate your possible savings and find vetted local installers.
Installers could connect the panels at the roof rather than route wiring to the basement electrical panel. 
With energy prices through the roof, there’s never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area.
EasyHome takes the guesswork and headaches out of energy upgrades by showing you estimated savings from a network of vetted local partners. To get started, just enter your ZIP and share a few details about your home — seeing your estimate is really that easy.
That option was available because the co-op had already upgraded its electrical system.
“That avoided the expense and headache of a full 17-story conduit run,” explained Ryan O’Hara, business development manager at installer Brooklyn SolarWorks.
No crane was needed to get equipment upstairs; workers used the co-op’s service elevator instead. 
The installed system supplies 3% to 5% of the electricity the building uses.
Net metering at Clifton House will benefit apartment electricity costs, not just common-area costs. The arrangement works because a master meter combines all residents’ electricity costs in one bill.
Solar also reduces the building’s reliance on electricity generated from fossil fuels, helping it comply with Local Law 97. 
The building faces no emissions penalties under that law until at least 2035.
The board used the co-op’s reserves to pay for the $124,000 installation, and a New York City property tax abatement will offset 30% of the cost.
According to Habitat Magazine, shareholders may qualify for a New York state income tax credit covering up to 25% of the cost, subject to individual limits and eligibility requirements. 
The board estimates a payback period of five to about 10 years.
For households looking to control costs alongside outage preparedness, EasyHome also offers options to explore battery storage. Pairing solar with batteries can help manage electricity costs and provide backup power during outages.
For Clifton House board president Jonathan Montbach, the investment offers a way to stabilize a portion of the building’s long-term operating costs.
“It’s about what we can do that might defray a little bit of expense,” he observed.
At Clifton House, a closer look at roof space and installation options helped make solar work. These stories follow homeowners as they navigate solar suitability, roof age, and pricing.
• A New Jersey homeowner facing bills nearing $600 learned east-west roofs can support solar.
• A New York homeowner’s $18,900 solar quote faced complications from a 13-year-old roof.
• A New York homeowner receiving $64,000 solar quotes learned prepaid leases may inflate prices.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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“I would be more worried you got scammed than backing out.”
Photo Credit: iStock
One rooftop solar installer’s plan to work without scaffolding has left a UK homeowner reconsidering the project. 
And since the resident paid a 50% deposit, the installer has been “incredibly unresponsive,” leading them to ask Reddit’s r/SolarUK forum for advice.
In the Reddit thread, the original poster explained that a family friend’s recommendation led them to the installer for their 15-panel system facing east and west.
OP wrote, “When I asked about scaffolding, he said he didn’t need any. … I’m now worried that if he is cutting corners on safety, what else is he cutting corners on?” 
The poster then added, “Please can anyone put my mind at ease or let me know what I can do? I’m concerned it’s too late to back out now, as he has likely begun ordering hardware in preparation for the works.”
Commenters overwhelmingly urged the OP to back out. One wrote, “He can return hardware. I’d be backing out pronto. 50% deposit is hefty too. Most companies ask for 10%.” 
Another commenter with a similar point explained that “if it is an MCS accredited company, they are not allowed to charge more than a 25% deposit. Any installer fitting panels and not using scaffold either has little or no experience. This could end up costing you thousands in the long run if they cause leaks etc. with a bad install.”
One user added, “I would be more worried you got scammed than backing out. 100% back out of the install and get a real installer to do this work.”
With energy prices through the roof, there’s never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area.
EasyHome takes the guesswork and headaches out of energy upgrades by showing you estimated savings from a network of vetted local partners. To get started, just enter your ZIP and share a few details about your home — seeing your estimate is really that easy.
For households weighing electricity savings against installation costs, $0-upfront solar leases may save hundreds of dollars per month, depending on the home and agreement. EasyHome‘s free explorer tool lets users estimate potential savings and find vetted local installers, a relevant starting point when confidence in your contractor is a sticking point.
Several commenters urged the homeowner to seek a refund of the deposit and find another installer. Others recommended reviewing the contract and payment method before deciding how to proceed.
For homeowners comparing installers or solar panel systems, EasyHome can clarify your options. EasyHome also offers battery-storage exploration options, so you can consider storage needs alongside your installer decision. Pairing solar with an appropriately configured battery can help manage electricity costs and provide backup power during outages, giving buyers additional capabilities to discuss before committing.
Other homeowners have reported problems with solar installers’ communication, workmanship, and warranty coverage. 
• Another UK solar buyer chose a pricier installer for support, then struggled to get responses.
• One UK homeowner says a 13-panel installation left scratches and crooked rows, prompting talk of restarting.
• A UK homeowner’s installation stalled over battery WiFi problems, a scratched panel, and missing bird protection.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.
“Our people have demonstrated their ability to invest, organize and produce electricity.”
Photo Credit: iStock
Homeowners in Puerto Rico could earn 7 to 8 cents per kilowatt-hour for surplus solar electricity under a proposal to lower power costs across the island.
Casa Pueblo, a community environmental organization, aims to make better use of the island’s existing solar network by turning rooftop system owners into energy suppliers, according to the San Juan Daily Star.
Selling surplus electricity through regulated power purchase agreements would become an option for home and business solar users under Puerto Rico Pueblo Solar. 
To allow those users to produce beyond their own needs, the initiative would revise net metering rules.
According to Casa Pueblo, approximately 261,000 Puerto Rican households already use solar systems. Together, distributed solar systems provide approximately 1,456 megawatts of capacity, offering a foundation for the proposed marketplace.
“Our people have demonstrated their ability to invest, organize and produce electricity,” Casa Pueblo Executive Director Arturo Massol Deyá said in a written statement. 
“What is needed is a regulatory and economic framework that expands that participation and recognizes citizens as key players in Puerto Rico’s energy generation,” he added.
For households considering rooftop solar, $0-upfront leases can deliver electricity savings of hundreds of dollars per month, depending on individual circumstances. EasyHome offers a free explorer tool to estimate your potential savings and find vetted local installers.
With energy prices through the roof, there’s never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area.
EasyHome takes the guesswork and headaches out of energy upgrades by showing you estimated savings from a network of vetted local partners. To get started, just enter your ZIP and share a few details about your home — seeing your estimate is really that easy.
Citing U.S. Energy Information Administration data, Casa Pueblo compared that distributed solar capacity with 1,391 megawatts from methane gas generation, 454 megawatts from coal-fired facilities, and 3,671 megawatts from petroleum-based generation.
The organization argues that purchasing surplus electricity would not require additional public debt to lower power costs.
Casa Pueblo says the current fuel adjustment charge is roughly 2.5 times its proposed purchase price. By comparison, power from large-scale solar and wind projects typically costs between 16 and 21 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Rather than using agricultural land for utility-scale renewable projects, Casa Pueblo favors using “existing rooftops and urban spaces.”
For electricity sellers, the buyer would be LUMA Energy or its successor as the transmission and distribution operator. 
Casa Pueblo would require that operator to buy the power in an open, regulated market.
Supporting more distributed generation would also require grid changes. Massol Deyá has called for modernizing infrastructure, interconnection procedures, and control systems to accommodate that electricity.
The proposal includes a reduced daytime rate available to every electricity customer, even those without panels or batteries.
Casa Pueblo says shared solar installations, energy cooperatives, and revenue-sharing arrangements would also help households participate if they lack suitable rooftops or can’t afford to install their own systems.
For households weighing how rooftop generation could fit their needs, EasyHome also offers options to explore battery storage. Pairing solar with batteries can help households manage electricity costs and keep backup power available during outages.
“This is not only about producing cheaper electricity,” Massol Deyá noted. “It is about building a stronger, safer, more participatory and democratic energy system, and Puerto Rico has the capacity to do it.”
Puerto Rico’s proposal would change how homeowners are paid for surplus solar power. These stories explore the credits, payouts, and fees affecting solar owners in other communities.
• In Bastrop, Texas, solar customers will get grid credits alongside monthly fees starting Oct. 1.
• Solar owners say net metering and renewable energy credits can yield a $900 true-up check.
• A Connecticut homeowner says their solar credits vanished despite higher output, raising concerns about buyback terms.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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Blackouts stretch to 18 hours a day in Bangladesh, driving a rush for solar panels  Yahoo
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Oil, gas and Iran economic analyst
Iran's imports of Chinese solar panels fell by more than 80% in 2026, threatening efforts to expand renewable power generation as the country struggles with worsening electricity shortages.
A new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that Chinese solar panel exports to Iran during the January–September period fell to less than one-fifth of the level recorded in the same period last year.
Data from energy think tank Ember show that China exported just 138 megawatts of solar panels to Iran during those nine months, worth approximately $15 million.
The decline comes as Iran grapples with severe natural gas shortages, air pollution and drought, leaving the government with limited options to expand thermal and hydropower generation, even if sufficient funding were available.
According to assessments by Iran's Energy Ministry and parliament's research centre, the country needs to add more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity generation capacity annually to avoid power shortages.
Failure to meet generation expansion targets in recent years has left Iran facing substantial electricity deficits throughout the year. During peak summer demand, the shortfall can exceed 20% of peak consumption.
The recent war has compounded those pressures. Iranian officials say around 4,000 megawatts of the country's power generation capacity were damaged during the conflict.
In April, a major warehouse storing equipment for Iran's solar power projects was also targeted in an attack. Iran's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA) estimated damage to the renewable energy sector at approximately $1.5 billion.
In recent years, the government has increasingly focused on solar power development.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Iran's installed solar power capacity surged by 128% in 2025 from the previous year, reaching approximately 1,781 megawatts.
Data from Ember, cited by the IEA, also show that Iran's solar panel imports from China in 2024 and 2025 combined were more than ten times higher than in previous years, suggesting considerable room for further expansion of the country's solar power capacity.
The sharp decline in imports this year could therefore undermine efforts to sustain that expansion, although the figures do not establish how much equipment Iran may already have in stock.
Iran falls behind regional competitors
Despite its recent solar expansion, Iran has fallen significantly behind regional competitors.
In 2025, Turkey and Saudi Arabia each added around five times as much solar capacity as Iran. Their total installed solar power capacities were approximately 12 times and seven times Iran's, respectively.
Another major weakness in Iran's renewable energy sector is the lack of progress in wind power. The country's installed wind capacity has remained unchanged at 378 megawatts for several years.
By comparison, Turkey commissioned around 2,000 megawatts of new wind power capacity last year, bringing its total to nearly 15,000 megawatts.
Globally, 692 gigawatts of new renewable power capacity were installed last year. Renewable capacity growth in the Middle East was approximately 28%, with Saudi Arabia recording the region's strongest expansion.
Saudi Arabia doubled its renewable power capacity in 2025 to more than 12,000 megawatts.
Turkey has roughly twice as much installed solar and wind capacity as Saudi Arabia, while the United Arab Emirates and Israel each have nearly 8,000 megawatts of renewable capacity.
Iran, meanwhile, has shifted from being a net electricity exporter to a net importer.
A decade ago, the country recorded a net electricity export surplus of around eight terawatt-hours. Last year, its electricity trade balance turned negative.
In recent months, Tehran has held talks with Turkmenistan to increase electricity imports and with Turkey to begin importing power from its western neighbour.
China's regional solar exports rebound
The collapse in Iran's solar panel imports contrasts with a rebound in Chinese shipments to several other Middle Eastern markets.
Chinese solar panel exports to a number of Arab countries initially declined by nearly half during the first eight months of 2026, but shipments to the broader region subsequently recovered.
According to a report by the China Chamber of Commerce in the UAE, citing Shanghai Metals Market data, China's photovoltaic module exports reached 23.92 gigawatts in September, up 44.2% from August.
Combined exports to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey more than tripled in September to 3.97 gigawatts, with Saudi Arabia alone purchasing 2.9 gigawatts.
The figures suggest that Iran's sharp decline cannot be explained solely by a broader contraction in Chinese solar panel exports to the region, although the September rebound elsewhere does not establish the reasons for Iran's nine-month downturn.
With electricity shortages worsening and neighbouring countries accelerating renewable energy investment, Iran risks falling further behind at a time when expanding its power generation capacity has become increasingly urgent.
While Tehran celebrates Donald Trump's midterm defeat and the economic pain the Iran war has inflicted on Americans, soaring prices and stagnant wages are pushing ordinary Iranians deeper into a cost-of-living crisis at home.
Senior Iranian officials have come close to claiming credit for the Democrats' sweeping election victory, frequently pointing to US officials' acknowledgment that the war contributed to Republican losses.
Many Iranian newspapers have followed suit, dwelling on America's economic and political troubles while portraying Iran as a country growing stronger despite the war.
"Ever-Stronger Iran on the Road to Progress," one economic daily declared on its front page on Thursday. Another proclaimed "American Humiliation Continues," alongside a photograph of a seemingly dejected Trump.
The hardline daily Kayhan highlighted what it described as €127 billion in European losses resulting from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, presenting the economic damage as a measure of Tehran's success.
Largely absent from those triumphant headlines was the economic crisis that matters most to ordinary Iranians: the soaring cost of living.
The labour-focused news agency ILNA offered a starkly different picture, reporting that the estimated cost of basic household necessities had nearly doubled in seven months to 85 million tomans a month, almost six times the monthly earnings of an ordinary worker.
Labour expert Hamid Haji-Esmaeili told ILNA that inflation had become "normalised" in the thinking of Iranian officials, criticising the government's inadequate response and calling for wages to be revised midway through the year.
Pay levels set at the beginning of the Iranian calendar year no longer reflected economic realities, he argued, warning that the crisis was no longer confined to low-income workers but also affected civil servants and large sections of the middle class.
Economist Ali Ghanbari, also quoted by ILNA, described Iran as facing a "livelihood crisis", warning of a severe decline in the purchasing power of lower-income households.
Another ILNA report highlighted delayed wage payments for contract workers in Iran's southern oil-producing regions, adding to the uncertainty facing employees already struggling with inflation.
Growing calls to expand food-support programmes suggest that wages alone are no longer sufficient to protect many households from the rising cost of essential goods.
Years of inflation, currency depreciation, sanctions and inadequate investment had already eroded living standards. Two rounds of war in 2025 and 2026, and the subsequent US blockade of Iran's maritime trade, have compounded those pressures.
The government's response has come under increasing criticism, particularly over its failure to adjust wages and pensions to reflect the rapidly rising cost of living.
Pensioners have been among the most vocal groups demanding action. ILNA reported calls for authorities to restore their purchasing power immediately, as housing, healthcare and other essential expenses consumed an increasing share of their incomes.
In another report, a representative of military pensioners' organisations criticised repeated discussions about wage increases that had produced no concrete results.
He warned against creating "false hope" among pensioners frustrated by promises of financial relief that have yet to translate into higher payments.
Pensioners are among Iran's more organised social groups and have staged repeated demonstrations in recent years over inadequate incomes and rising prices.
Yet the emphasis in hardline political rhetoric remains on the costs Iran has imposed on its adversaries.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on international energy markets have been presented as evidence of Tehran's leverage over Western economies.
Such claims of success sit uneasily alongside accounts of hardship emerging from Iran's own media, where journalists operate under restrictions on reporting deemed damaging to the Islamic Republic's image.
For workers awaiting overdue wages and pensioners demanding relief, the economic pain inflicted on Iran's adversaries offers little consolation. Their immediate concern is whether they can pay next month's rent and put food on the table.
Iran, home to the world's second-largest natural gas reserves, is turning to Russia for supplies as war damage and years of underinvestment threaten to deepen an energy crisis ahead of winter.
After meeting President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on November 5, Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei said the two countries had discussed pipelines to ease Iran's gas shortages and supply neighbouring markets.
The proposal offers potential relief, but raises a larger question: whether Russian imports will help Iran repair its struggling energy system or merely postpone the reforms needed to make it work.
On November 1, National Iranian Gas Company chief Saeed Tavakoli said attacks on four processing facilities had removed 230 million cubic metres of daily capacity. Repairs had restored 100 million, leaving 130 million unavailable.
Tavakoli warned that Iran could face a peak winter shortfall of around 400 million cubic metres a day. The figure is an official estimate for periods of maximum demand, not a year-round deficit.
The consequences are already visible. Gas supplies to cement plants were cut from October 23, according to an industry representative, forcing factories to switch to fuel oil. Such rationing protects household heating but disrupts production, increases costs and worsens air pollution.
The US Energy Information Administration estimated that the country produced 9.4 trillion cubic feet of gas in 2023 while consuming 8.9 trillion, leaving a narrow margin that conceals much sharper winter shortages.
Heavily subsidised prices encourage consumption, while inadequate investment, limited storage and restricted access to technology constrain supply. The giant South Pars field also needs investment to counter declining reservoir pressure.
Sanctions have obstructed financing and equipment purchases, but Tehran's policies have compounded the problem. Expanding dependence on cheap gas without sufficient investment in efficiency and production has left the economy vulnerable whenever temperatures fall.
Russian imports could provide breathing space. They cannot correct those weaknesses by themselves.
Iran and Russia have discussed gas cooperation for more than two years, but announcements have repeatedly outpaced delivery. Gazprom and the National Iranian Gas Company signed a memorandum in June 2024.
In January 2025, Putin outlined initial supplies of 2 billion cubic metres annually, potentially rising to 55 billion. Iranian officials announced further progress in October 2026, but a firm delivery date and financing for a major pipeline remain unclear.
Two billion cubic metres annually averages just 5.5 million cubic metres a day, less than 2% of Iran's estimated peak winter shortfall. Even the ambitious target of 55 billion annually averages about 151 million cubic metres a day.
These comparisons illustrate scale rather than guaranteed winter deliveries, which would depend on contracts, pipeline capacity and seasonal demand. Initial imports could help particular regions or industries but would make only a modest difference nationally.
Existing infrastructure through Azerbaijan could carry limited initial supplies. Reaching the larger target would require substantial investment in pipelines and equipment, transit agreements and reliable delivery arrangements.
Commercial terms also remain uncertain. Pricing and payment arrangements were still unresolved earlier this year, and subsequent announcements have not disclosed the details. Selling imported gas into Iran's heavily subsidised domestic market could increase pressure on public finances.
US sanctions could complicate financing and payments, although certain natural gas transactions are exempt from specific restrictions. Other sanctions affecting banks, contractors and designated companies would still need to be navigated.
For Moscow, the attraction is clear. Having lost much of its European pipeline market, Russia needs alternative buyers. Iran offers substantial demand and potential access to neighbouring markets.
But the partnership could come with unequal leverage. Tehran urgently needs gas, infrastructure and financing, while Moscow has supplies to sell. Dependence on Russian equipment, funding and deliveries could leave Iran with fewer options when negotiating prices and future commitments.
The arrangement also fits Tehran's ambition to become a regional gas trading hub. Yet that ambition faces a basic credibility test: can Iran reliably supply neighbouring countries when it struggles to meet domestic demand during winter?
Russian gas could support regional trade, but Iran risks becoming primarily a route for Russian exports without gaining meaningful control over prices or supply.
Ultimately, imports could help keep factories operating and reduce emergency fuel switching. Lasting energy security, however, requires repairing damaged facilities, sustaining production at South Pars and improving efficiency, alongside gradual subsidy reform that protects poorer households.
For a country with the world's second-largest gas reserves, the need to import is itself a measure of striking energy system deterioration. Whether the arrangement helps reverse that decline or just deepens Tehran's dependence on Moscow matters far more than the volume of gas promised.
Unpaid insurance reimbursements and rising medicine and equipment prices are draining private hospitals' finances, threatening their ability to maintain services and increasing costs for patients, hospital executives said in accounts published on Thursday.
A journalist in Iran described the financial pressures facing non-government hospitals following a meeting of hospital directors, with some executives saying insurers had failed to settle bills dating back to the Iranian calendar year that ended in March 2025.
One director of a major hospital in a provincial capital said the facility had contracts with about 35 basic and supplementary insurers, welfare departments, banks and other institutions, none of which had settled their outstanding bills for that year.
The largest unpaid balances belonged to Dey and Dana Insurance, the director said.
The financial shortfalls come as hospitals face rapidly increasing costs for medicines and medical supplies, with treatment tariffs adjusted annually even as procurement prices change daily.
A director overseeing another hospital with more than 1,200 medical and administrative employees said inflation had made it increasingly difficult to replace medicines and supplies after use.
The price of Ringer's solution, a commonly used intravenous fluid, had increased by 600 percent over three years, the director said.
Insulin and widely used blood pressure medications have also risen in price by as much as 50 percent over the past month.
Some retirees said these medicines were unavailable at Social Security medical facilities, forcing them to seek supplies from other pharmacies.
Hospital costs rise faster than treatment tariffs
One private hospital with more than 300 beds and nearly 20 operating rooms has established a separate department to update medicine prices because they change daily, its director said.
The hospital is not profitable, with revenue covering only operating expenses and staff salaries, according to the director.
The mismatch between changing procurement costs and annually fixed treatment tariffs has added to the financial pressures on hospitals already waiting for overdue insurance payments.
The difficulties extend to Iran's public health insurance system.
Inflation and rising expenditure have created an imbalance between resources and spending at the Iran Health Insurance Organization since the second half of the Iranian calendar year beginning in March 2024, its chief executive Mohammad Mehdi Nasehi said on October 24.
The Health Ministry owed the organization 420 trillion rials (about $157 million), while shares worth 850 trillion rials (about $318 million) transferred to settle outstanding receivables had not been converted into cash, Nasehi said.
Those figures cover the organization's wider network of contracted providers rather than the outstanding debts owed to individual hospitals.
Iran's Social Security Organization announced on November 3 that it had paid 50 trillion rials (about $19 million) to private pharmacies, family physicians and university-affiliated and private medical facilities.
The announcement did not specify how much of the outstanding debt to hospitals remained unpaid.
Patients face higher costs and reduced coverage
Private hospital executives said rising foreign exchange rates and tighter sanctions could make obtaining medicines and medical equipment more difficult.
Patients are also facing higher treatment costs and restrictions on insurance coverage, adding to the financial pressures across Iran's healthcare system.
The removal of some injectable medicines from outpatient insurance coverage is among the changes that could increase patients' out-of-pocket expenses.
Some retirees have stopped visiting doctors or purchasing medicines because of treatment costs, retirement rights advocate Ali Akbar Eyvazi told the ILNA news agency on Thursday, November 5.
The removal of medicines from insurance coverage had extended to commonly used diabetes and blood pressure treatments, Eyvazi said.
Prices for some pharmaceutical products have increased by as much as 380 percent in recent months, while patients have described shortages and rising insulin prices.
For years, Iranians have turned to gold to protect their savings from the relentless depreciation of the rial. Now, as war and soaring living costs deepen the economic crisis, some are selling those holdings to pay for everyday necessities.
The World Gold Council (WGC) said demand for gold bars and coins in Iran fell by more than half to 5.6 tonnes in the third quarter of 2026 compared with a year earlier.
“The war continued to disrupt daily life, and prompted some selling of bars and coins to cover living and relocation costs,” the report said.
Overall, Iranian demand for gold bars and coins reached 19.1 tonnes in the first nine months of 2026, down from 36.2 tonnes in the same period last year, a decline of approximately 47%.
“Iranian demand declined 17% to 5.4 tonnes as the ongoing war strained consumer sentiment and disrupted daily life,” the WGC said, referring to gold jewellery.
Jewellery purchases totalled 15.8 tonnes in the first nine months of 2026, compared with 21 tonnes in the same period last year.
An economy under strain
The decline comes amid a sharp depreciation of Iran's national currency and soaring gold prices. The rial has lost approximately 60% of its value against the US dollar over the past year.
Meanwhile, the price of the Bahar Azadi gold coin has surged by 141% over the past 12 months, putting new purchases increasingly beyond the reach of many households.
Years of US sanctions have restricted Iran's oil exports, access to international banking and foreign investment, depriving the economy of revenue and putting sustained pressure on the rial.
Decades of economic mismanagement, widespread corruption and inefficient state-dominated industries have compounded the damage, fuelling inflation and undermining living standards.
Official data from Iran's Statistical Center show that food inflation surged to nearly 123% last month, while prices for water, electricity and fuel almost doubled compared with October 2025.
The deteriorating economic situation has also been accompanied by job losses and a slowdown in business activity.
Wages fall behind living costs
Seyed Malek Hosseini, deputy minister for entrepreneurship development and employment at the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare, recently said around 500,000 jobs had been lost last year.
He added that a further 1.2 million to 1.4 million jobs had been lost following the latest war, which began on February 28. Hosseini put the country's current employed population at 23.5 million.
The financial pressure on Iranian households is also evident in the widening gap between wages and the cost of living.
Reuters recently reported that official estimates put the minimum monthly cost of living for a three-person working-class family at around $336, more than three times the average monthly wage of approximately $92 at the free-market exchange rate.
“As wages fail to keep pace with inflation, many families have exhausted savings, cut consumption or borrowed money to cover daily expenses,” Reuters reported.
For some Iranian households, gold is no longer simply a safeguard against the rial's collapse. It has become a way to pay for everyday necessities.
Iran may be able to repair much of its war-damaged energy infrastructure without new Western technology. Whether it can rebuild a modern, reliable energy industry is another question.
Successive rounds of US and Israeli strikes have damaged oil storage facilities, gas-processing plants and petrochemical infrastructure.
Iranian engineers, supported by suppliers from China and Russia, may be able to restore substantial capacity.
But sanctions, limited investment, ageing equipment and the threat of further attacks complicate the prospects for lasting recovery.
Satellite analysis by the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS) following the June 14, 2025 attacks confirmed the destruction of four storage tanks at Tehran's Shahran depot.
The same analysis documented damage at South Pars Phase 14, where Iranian state media reported a temporary halt to 12 million cubic metres of daily gas production.
Further attacks in March 2026 damaged oil storage facilities at Shahran, Aqdasieh and Karaj, as well as the Tehran refinery site, according to CEOBS.
The International Energy Agency also identified damage to South Pars gas-processing facilities following strikes on Asaluyeh.
Petrochemical infrastructure suffered additional damage. Industry publication ICIS reported that April 4 strikes hit the Fajr 1 and Fajr 2 utility plants in Mahshahr, while the Bandar Imam complex sustained partial damage.
The Fajr facilities supply essential utilities to other industrial plants, meaning damage to them can disrupt production well beyond the immediate impact sites.
Challenges ahead
Some recovery has already been reported. On September 23, Reuters cited an Iranian official as saying that half the damaged South Pars capacity had been restored, although independent verification remained limited.
Iran has considerable domestic engineering expertise. Local contractors have continued developing oil and gas fields despite sanctions, while engineers at MAPNA have reported successful tests of upgraded heavy-duty turbines.
But repairing the physical damage caused by war is only one of the challenges facing an industry already struggling with years of underinvestment and restrictions on access to specialised technology.
As gas reservoirs mature, declining pressure can reduce production unless additional compression equipment is installed. Maintaining output therefore requires investment even at facilities that have escaped military attacks.
The problem is particularly acute at South Pars, the vast gas field shared with Qatar.
According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the withdrawal of foreign partners disrupted plans for offshore compression at South Pars Phase 11.
The gap is even more pronounced in liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Iran has long sought to develop LNG exports, but sanctions-related technology restrictions have helped stall those ambitions, according to the EIA.
Restoring damaged gas-processing equipment could help recover domestic supplies. It would not, however, create a competitive LNG export industry, which requires specialised liquefaction technology, financing, shipping arrangements and long-term customers.
Moscow and Beijing to the rescue?
China and Russia offer potential alternatives to Western suppliers, but neither can be assumed to finance or rebuild Iran's energy industry on the scale required.
China is a major buyer of Iranian oil and could provide equipment, engineering services and project financing. Yet purchasing discounted crude does not necessarily translate into a willingness to undertake expensive, long-term infrastructure projects.
The EIA has documented the withdrawal of China's CNPC from South Pars Phase 11 after US sanctions were reimposed. Chinese companies considering new projects must still assess payment security, access to equipment and the returns available from investments elsewhere.
Russian assistance faces similar constraints.
A $40 billion memorandum of understanding signed between Gazprom and the National Iranian Oil Company in 2022 raised expectations of extensive Russian involvement. But the Congressional Research Service has questioned Russia's financial resources and commercial interest in expanding Iranian gas exports.
Reconstruction depends not on the value of memoranda but on financing secured, equipment delivered and facilities brought back into operation.
Damage, repair, repeat
Sanctions and restrictions on international payments limit Iran's access to foreign capital and imported equipment, while disruptions to oil exports further constrain the revenues available for reconstruction.
Even where Iran has the money and technical capacity to rebuild, the possibility of renewed military attacks creates another obstacle.
Although President Donald Trump has expressed skepticism about renewed strikes, US and Israeli planners have reportedly considered further attacks on Iranian petrochemical facilities.
The possibility of renewed strikes complicates long-term reconstruction. Companies may be reluctant to finance projects, supply specialised equipment or deploy personnel to facilities that could be attacked again.
This makes reconstruction priorities particularly important. Restoring gas treatment facilities and shared industrial utilities may bring multiple downstream operations back online, while repairing an isolated export facility may offer limited benefits if its supply connections remain disrupted.
Recovery timelines will also vary considerably. Some damaged units could restart within weeks or months if equipment is available, while major replacements and technological upgrades may take years.
Iran's engineers and its Chinese and Russian partners may be able to restore much of the damaged infrastructure.
But without sustained investment, specialised technology and protection against further attacks, Tehran risks becoming trapped in a cycle of destruction and repair rather than achieving lasting recovery.

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A Tennessee homeowner is exploring an unusual approach to powering their new build, installing solar panels before even connecting to the electric grid.
The resident took to Reddit's r/SolarDIY forum to share their plans and ask for advice.
In the Reddit thread, the original poster explained that the expected construction time for the 1,600-square-foot, single-story home is 16 months.
The OP then wrote that, "Utility power is available, but I am weighing the cost-benefit of getting solar panels early and holding off on grid connection. There are high costs in the utility connections which I would like to defer until later."
Using solar during construction would not mean relying on it exclusively, as the OP explained; gas generators would still supply tools and equipment with heavy electrical demands as needed.
Still, they wondered if there was "a packaged system that I can buy that can be used in this scenario and then be adapted to a grid-tie setup for when construction is nearly completed?"
Commenters explained that the OP's plan was possible, though it might be more expensive than they might anticipate. One wrote, "Something like the Ecoflow Delta Pro Ultra can do this as a plug and play system. It's pricey. Budget-ier options would be all-in-one inverters plus batteries."
Another commenter explained, "You need to write down the loads so you get an inverter that can handle the peak loads and enough battery to supply the energy you need. We can't answer these things for you as we don't know the loads. Only you do. If you are building solar first, consider a plan to never connect to the grid."
Not every commenter was supportive, however. One user suggested that, "It'll probably be cheaper and more reliable to get a grid connection first."
For households that are exploring residential solar, $0-upfront leases may offer electricity savings of hundreds of dollars per month, depending on their circumstances. EasyHome's free explorer tool helps estimate possible savings and find vetted local installers.
A grid-connected system would be the eventual result of the ground-mounted solar installation the homeowner is considering. Its first job, however, would be supplying electricity during construction.
Battery storage is another option to consider when planning when and how to connect to the grid. Beyond simplifying solar installations, EasyHome offers battery-storage exploration options for homeowners considering how to pair batteries with solar.
For a system intended to serve both the construction site and the completed home, pairing solar with batteries could help manage electricity costs and also provide backup power during outages once the home is occupied.
Getting solar up and running before connecting to the grid means weighing installation costs, battery options, and utility requirements.
• A Minnesota cabin owner faces grid-connection hurdles for DIY solar, drawing little surprise from installers.
• A rural Southern homeowner considers off-grid solar for outages, but battery costs complicate the plan.
• A homeowner with $50,000 budgeted hears DIY off-grid solar could deliver 100 kWh for $30,000.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
Three more people found dead at home of suspect, who minister says held ‘ultra-nationalistic’ views
A yellow fog warning is in place across parts of England and Wales, with the Met Office warning that poor visibility could lead to travel delays on Remembrance Sunday.
Members will next week vote on proposals that would increase the basic annual allowance paid to all councillors
Original business rate relief guidance to councils in England initially failed to take into account inflation and therefore had to be adjusted.
President has opposing views on many issues, and once called Leo’s predecessor the ‘representative of the Evil One’
About 10,000 veterans are expected to participate in the Royal British Legion’s annual parade
Forecasters say visibility will vary, with some dense fog patches bringing it down to less than 100 metres
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning, with visibility poised to plummet below 50 metres across London
An exclusive Mayfair members' club has been allowed to reopen under strict new conditions
Four men and two women died in the attack in Krakow’s Main Square on Saturday afternoon, with another three bodies found elsewhere later.
David Lammy among those raising concerns after errors found in rejected applications for indefinite leave to remain
The Government is granting powers to energy companies to snoop on their customers’ incomes, tax records, and property valuations in a move described as “big brother overreach”.
This summer, a group of European children boarded a bus for the trip of a lifetime.
As AI exposes flaws in IT systems and geopolitics plays out on the cyber frontline, some experts say the events of recent weeks could soon be a common occurence
The airport’s chief says a decision must be made by December, business and unions back it, but will the PM defer to Londoners, whose mayor is against the expansion, asks Chris Blackhurst
FITNESS: Speaking with Mat Fraser and Tia-Clair Toomey at the Rogue Invitational fitness competition, both spoke to Harry Bullmore about how big life changes have impacted their fitness journey, and the simple things we can all do to help push us forward
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A San Diego Superior Court case is exposing one of the most damaging chapters in Tesla Energy’s history: a Solar Roof installation that took six years, cost a customer well over $100,000, never generated a single watt of electricity, and — according to internal communications — was being monitored by Elon Musk himself as an experiment. The court has since deemed Tesla liable for fraud.
Ambrose Conroy, a homeowner in Rancho Santa Fe, California, signed a Tesla Solar Roof contract in March 2020 for $82,210 — covering a 13.1 kW system. By February 2021, after two contract amendments, that figure had grown to approximately $110,000 for an 18.2 kW roof and six Powerwalls. What followed, according to court records, was years of incomplete construction, failed county inspections, and a roof that never passed the threshold required to go live.
The installed Solar Roof never produced electricity for the house. Conroy estimates the cost to remediate the damage at well over $2.5 million. Tesla’s counter-offer at one point: $5,000.
The most striking element of the case is what the internal communications reveal about Tesla’s awareness of the situation at the highest level. Text messages from January 13, 2021 — now identified as Exhibit 224 in the trial exhibit list — show Tesla’s director of model engineering, Bobby Yang, and other Tesla employees discussing the project in terms of “experimenting” on Conroy’s house. The messages indicate that daily progress reports were being sent to Elon Musk directly.
That framing — treating a paying customer’s home as a test subject — is likely to be central to the fraud liability ruling. Judge Cynthia Freeland of San Diego Superior Court reached that finding on September 11, 2026, after Tesla repeatedly failed to meet discovery deadlines. The court had already sanctioned Tesla twice that year before issuing the fraud determination.
This case doesn’t exist in isolation. Tesla quietly discontinued its Solar Roof product around August 20, 2026, notifying third-party installers that tiles were no longer available for order. The company internally concluded the product was “not financially viable.” Tesla’s dedicated Solar Roof webpage now redirects to its solar panels section, and the product has been removed from the Tesla Energy navigation menu entirely.
The scale of the program’s failure is stark when measured against its ambitions. Elon Musk set a target of 1,000 Solar Roof installations per week back in 2019. According to available estimates, only approximately 3,000 total Solar Roofs were installed over seven years — a fraction of that goal. Pricing told a similar story of disconnect: the product was initially pitched at roughly $22 per square foot in 2016; actual installed costs reportedly reached around $62 per square foot, with average system costs approaching $106,000 and some exceeding $200,000.
Tesla has stated it will continue to honor warranties and service obligations for existing Solar Roof customers — a commitment that will now be tested against a growing backlog of unresolved cases as the Conroy lawsuit moves toward trial.
The fraud liability ruling is significant because it goes beyond the typical breach-of-contract dispute. A court finding of fraud opens Tesla to a different category of damages — and the gap between Conroy’s estimated remediation cost ($2.5 million) and Tesla’s settlement offer ($5,000) suggests the company badly miscalculated its exposure here. With Tesla having already admitted liability for breach of contract, breach of warranty, and negligence, the remaining trial will focus on the scope of damages rather than the question of fault.
For the roughly 3,000 households that do have functioning Solar Roofs, the discontinuation of the product raises legitimate questions about long-term parts availability and service support — even with Tesla’s warranty commitments on record. The Conroy case is a reminder that those commitments are only as strong as the company’s willingness to honor them under pressure.
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Bangladesh cut import tariffs on solar equipment in September to make the technology more accessible.
Photo Credit: iStock
Blackouts lasting up to 18 hours a day are pushing households and businesses in parts of Bangladesh to turn to solar power, according to the Japan Times. 
Customers seeking an alternative to unreliable electricity are driving up demand for panels and batteries in Dhaka’s crowded Kaptan Bazar.
As deliveries from Qatar dwindle, the country has purchased replacement liquefied natural gas at roughly three times its contracted price, driving electricity bills higher. 
The Japan Times links the strain on Bangladesh’s electricity supply to disrupted energy shipments from the Persian Gulf.
Monju Hossain, a sales representative for Dongjin Group Bangladesh, said the retailer’s sales increased 50%.
An informal survey of more than 36 stalls in Kaptan Bazar found that all had seen increased demand, with falling equipment prices helping make solar more affordable for households.
For homeowners looking to cut utility costs, $0-upfront solar leases can save you hundreds of dollars per month, depending on your circumstances. EasyHome offers a free explorer tool to estimate your potential savings and find vetted local installers — a starting point for weighing whether residential solar could fit your budget.
At shops in Dhaka, a 750-watt panel costs about 15,000 taka, or $121. 
With energy prices through the roof, there’s never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area.
EasyHome takes the guesswork and headaches out of energy upgrades by showing you estimated savings from a network of vetted local partners. To get started, just enter your ZIP and share a few details about your home — seeing your estimate is really that easy.
By comparison, annual household electricity bills total about 38,000 taka, or $305.
Batteries and associated equipment can increase the initial expense, though Hossain said a typical family could recoup those costs within a decade.
Bangladesh’s imports of solar and battery equipment from China rose to roughly $140 million during the March-through-September period, up more than 100%.
Shop owners cited price and reliability as reasons Jinko Solar and Longi Green Energy Technology panels are popular choices.
For factories, moving away from gas presents additional challenges.
“Solar only produces electricity, not steam for industrial boilers,” explained Mosharaf Hossain, chairman of textile producer Mosharaf Group.
Garment production depends on steam to dye and finish fabrics.
Bangladesh cut import tariffs on solar equipment in September to make the technology more accessible. 
The government aims to increase renewables’ share of the power mix to 20% in 2030, with a 30% target for 2040, according to a local media report citing Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The initial investment remains a hurdle for lower-income households, according to Shafiqul Alam, lead Bangladesh analyst at IEEFA. He suggested considering support modeled on India’s capital subsidy for household solar installations.
For households evaluating outage protection alongside lower bills, EasyHome also offers options for exploring battery storage. Pairing solar with batteries can store electricity for outages and help manage energy costs, addressing both pressures driving Bangladesh’s solar rush.
Some business owners are looking beyond installing solar to supplying the equipment themselves. Abdul Hakim, managing director of Excellent Ceramics Industries, began adding rooftop solar at his Dhaka factory and is considering selling panels and batteries.
He emphasized the importance of storage to keep electricity available when needed.
“For the backup, they need a lithium battery,” Hakim said.
High electricity costs and outages are pushing people toward solar beyond Bangladesh. These stories cover solar adoption in Syria and Pakistan, and changing costs in emerging markets.
• Families in northeast Syria sell gold for solar as generator costs reach $250 monthly.
• In Pakistan, homes and cement plants turn to solar power amid electricity cost pressures.
• In emerging markets, solar beats fossil fuel costs upfront while financing becomes cheaper.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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Can solar deliver on its promise in Gilgit-Baltistan?
On the Karakoram Highway near Chilas town, two trucks loaded with solar panels have been parked for 24 hours. A landslide has blocked the road.
A few valleys away in Ghizer district, another landslide has crashed into a water channel feeding a hydel powerhouse, one of the sources supplying electricity to Gilgit-Baltistan's capital.
One landslide has stopped an alternative source of electricity from arriving; the other has interrupted the main source of electricity production. Both were triggered by intense rains that reportedly caused more than Rs20 billion in losses across seven districts in 2025. Local estimates, which include agricultural losses and damage to power infrastructure, put the figure closer to Rs30 billion.
For Muhammad Anwar, the crisis has hit closer to home. He is the driver of one of the stranded trucks and an intended beneficiary of the government's free solar scheme. “I should have been in Gilgit today. The road is closed, the panels are in the truck, and at home we still have no light at night,” he said.
Anwar's predicament reflects the energy problem confronting Gilgit-Baltistan. The region depends heavily on hydropower, but electricity demand continues to grow while floods, landslides and glacial lake outburst floods repeatedly damage the channels, intakes and other infrastructure needed to generate electricity.
Floods stalling power supply
Hydropower has long been central to electricity generation in Gilgit-Baltistan. The region's rivers and streams provide the water required to run small and medium-sized power stations, many of which supply local communities. But the same mountainous terrain that makes hydropower possible exposes its infrastructure to floods, landslides and glacier-related hazards.
In May 2022, floodwaters submerged two hydropower projects and damaged a bridge, agricultural land, homes and water channels. Another GLOF from Shishper in 2025 again damaged infrastructure and disrupted electricity supplies in Hassanabad.
While the region's hydropower infrastructure has expanded–the combined capacity of the 46 stations rose from 17.18 MW in 2009 to 65.319 MW in 2025–it has also expanded the infrastructure exposed to mountain hazards.
According to an Islamabad-based think-tank focusing on sustainable development, decentralised power is particularly critical for Gilgit-Baltistan, where frequent disasters disrupt the central grid. The challenge is ensuring that households can afford complete systems, including batteries, and that solar becomes a reliable source of electricity rather than a panel they cannot use.
In March 2026, the federal government allocated 58 MW of solar capacity for Gilgit-Baltistan, including 40 MW for domestic consumers and 18 MW for small businesses and IT-related use. A separate initiative has proposed 100 MW of solarisation, including household systems and solar plants near existing power infrastructure.
While the government intended to reach nearly 148,000 households with free solar panels, only 15,733 households were selected through balloting. Of these, 12,008 families collected their units, while 3,725 left the panels in warehouses.
Officials acknowledge that the additional costs have discouraged people from collecting or installing the equipment. A panel is only one component of a working solar system. Households must also arrange an inverter, battery, wiring, mounting structure, transport and installation. Depending on the system and location, these expenses can add Rs90,000 to more than Rs180,000 to the cost.
For families selected because they cannot afford alternative sources of electricity, that is a substantial amount.
“We went to buy the panel. They said it is free, but we have to buy the battery and inverter from the market. They asked for Rs150,000. We came back. How can we pay that?” said one beneficiary in Gilgit who has the solar plates dumped in the lawn.
The scheme has therefore left thousands of households facing a choice between paying a considerable sum to make the equipment usable and leaving it uncollected or unused.
The distinction between a panel and a complete system is particularly important in Gilgit-Baltistan. Electricity shortages are often most severe during winter, when hydropower generation falls and households need lighting after sunset. A panel without storage can produce electricity during the day, but it cannot meet evening demand on its own.
For a household already struggling to pay its bills, the cost of completing the system can defeat the purpose of the subsidy.
Beyond a household necessity
Shamim Ara described winter outages lasting up to 20 hours a day. Solar allowed her household to use electricity during daylight hours and reduce expenses. Another local, Muhammad Saleem, installed a 3.5-kilowatt system and reported having a more dependable supply of light at home. Irfan Karim said the system meant children could study without waiting for the electricity schedule.
Building on this success, AKRSP now targets 130 widow-headed households in Gilgit by focusing on lighting, cooking, and heating solutions through solar, and also extends support to 300 local enterprises and institutions, enabling broader economic and social benefits at the community level.
Solar is also being used beyond household lighting.
In mountain communities, glacier-fed irrigation channels are vulnerable to floods, landslides and changing water flows. Solar-powered lifting systems can help farmers move water where conventional channels are damaged or where water must be lifted to fields. Research on solar irrigation in Hunza has examined the potential of these systems in cold, arid mountain environments. UNDP and WWF-supported initiatives have also expanded solar pumping to additional sites.
Another such intervention is solar-powered lift irrigation, which enables farming communities to draw water from rivers located far below their fields without relying on expensive and polluting diesel pumps. AKRSP has installed more than 60 solar lift irrigation systems in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. Solar innovation has also reshaped how households cope with harsh climatic conditions. More than 500 passive solar greenhouses now allow families to grow vegetables year-round, even during extreme weather. By harnessing solar heat to maintain stable internal temperatures, these structures have improved nutrition, increased household incomes, and reduced vulnerability during prolonged cold spells.
A women-led fitness studio in Skardu operates on a 4-kilowatt solar system with battery storage installed with support from AKRSP. Before the installation, evening classes were often cancelled during power outages. “Most of my clients come after 5 pm. Without light I had to send them back. After the solar system with battery, we don't cancel.,” the owner said. The battery allows the business to use stored electricity after daylight hours. The system therefore addresses the specific period when the studio needs power most.
AKRSP says its solar installations are designed around the actual load of a household or business, with storage and maintenance included. Its work in the region has also covered community hydropower. Since 1982, the organisation has supported 169 micro and mini hydropower projects across Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, with a combined functional capacity of 18.6 MW. More recently, it has expanded solar interventions to households and community facilities where existing electricity supplies are inadequate.
“A panel without a battery is not a solution for GB, especially in winter evenings. We always provide a complete system based on the household or business need,” an AKRSP programme officer said.
Transportation delays
Even when funding and equipment packages are secured, the region’s geography presents another bottleneck. The stalled trucks near Chilas demonstrate this obstacle.
Gilgit-Baltistan's supply chain depends heavily on the Karakoram Highway. A landslide in Kohistan or Diamer can sever road access for days, delaying food, fuel, construction material and other supplies. Much of Solar equipment arrives through supply routes connected to Rawalpindi and then travels north along the highway. In winter, the closure of Babusar Top removes an alternative seasonal route.
Remote settlements face an additional expense once the equipment arrives in Gilgit or another regional centre. Moving a system to a village in Astore, upper Hunza or Ghanche can require more transport, and installation may depend on technicians travelling to the site. These costs add to the price of the battery, inverter and other components.
A scheme may cover the panel cost while leaving the recipient responsible for costs that are difficult to meet and potentially higher in remote areas.
That makes storage, transport, installation and maintenance central parts of an energy policy for Gilgit-Baltistan, rather than optional additions to a panel-distribution programme.
A wider outreach
A broader development effort is also addressing climate resilience. The €54.24 million Gilgit-Baltistan Rural Development and Climate Resilience Project, involving the regional government, the European Union, Agence Française de Développement and the Aga Khan Foundation, aims to improve access to clean water, renewable energy and climate-resilient infrastructure. It is expected to cover all districts, benefit around 43,200 households and ensure that women account for at least 40 per cent of beneficiaries.
However, the success of such initiatives will depend on execution–whether they reach every targeted household across all districts while offering subsidies to make essential components like batteries and inverters affordable for remote communities.
Solar cannot replace hydropower across Gilgit-Baltistan, nor can it prevent landslides or GLOFs. Hydropower will remain an important part of the region's electricity supply. But household and community solar systems with storage can provide a second source of power when local generation or distribution fails.

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Turkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Ministry has disclosed the outcome of the YEKA GES-2026 solar auction, granting 785 MW in total capacity spread over 11 projects. Nineteen companies submitted 44 applications for the round, and the selected bidders pledged roughly EUR37.9 million in contribution payments, VAT included.
Winning developers may sell power on the merchant market during the first 60 months of operation under the tender rules. After that period comes a 20-year power purchase arrangement at a fixed price of EUR0.0325 ($0.037) per kWh.
The auction is part of Turkiye’s Renewable Energy Resource Areas (YEKA) initiative, designed to speed up renewable buildout and draw private capital into the national power sector.
The award follows the July launch of the YEKA GES-2026 procurement round. The government had originally intended to distribute 900 MW over 14 solar projects, plus 1.5 GW of wind capacity. The solar schemes were spread across nine provinces, with capacities per project between 25 MW and 230 MW.
Under the YEKA GES-2024 tender in February 2025, Turkiye allocated 800 MW of solar capacity over six projects. That round drew 146 applications from 67 companies; winning projects ranged from 40 MW to 385 MW, with a final power price of $0.0325 per kWh.
A later solar auction in November 2025 drew 77 applications from 38 companies seeking 650 MW across eight projects. It featured the country’s first floating solar facility, a 35 MW plant planned at the Demirkopru hydropower reservoir in Manisa province.
Turkiye added about 4.7 GW of solar capacity in 2025, lifting cumulative installations to 24.8 GW by the end of the year, per transmission system operator TEIAS. The country aims for 120 GW of combined solar and wind capacity by 2035, backed by regular renewable tenders and ongoing investment in the power sector.
Interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report.
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World's largest solar cell producer
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Rapidly growing cell and module producer
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Researchers uncover hidden cause of aging in perovskite solar cells  Tech Xplore
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Free-On-Board (FOB) China prices for n-type M10 and 210R wafers remained stable week on week at $0.146/pc and $0.153/pc, respectively, according to the OPIS Global Solar Markets Report released on Nov. 3.
According to market participants, wafer price stability has been supported primarily by firm polysilicon prices. In addition, improving supply-demand dynamics in the solar cell segment, underpinned by overseas demand and domestic end-market installation activity, have provided further support for wafer prices.
Industry sources said that major wafer manufacturers have largely maintained the reduced operating rates implemented in October, with little change since the beginning of November. Leading wafer producers continue to operate at approximately 45%-50% capacity, while specialized manufacturers are maintaining operating rates above 60%.
However, these production adjustments have yet to translate into a meaningful improvement in overall market fundamentals, with oversupply and elevated inventory levels continuing to weigh on the wafer market. Market participants estimated that wafer inventories currently stand at the upper end of the 20-30 GW range. With these structural imbalances yet to ease, sources said the price outlook remains subdued, particularly if downstream demand weakens further.
Another industry source shared a similar assessment, describing the wafer market as fundamentally weak and noting that its pricing outlook remains highly dependent on supply-demand dynamics and price trends across both upstream and downstream segments. The source added that once polysilicon prices come under downward pressure, wafer prices are unlikely to remain insulated from the impact.
A major wafer manufacturer said that transaction volumes remain relatively modest, with customers continuing to adopt a cautious procurement approach. Buyers are closely monitoring potential downstream price declines in December, particularly amid expectations of a seasonal slowdown in demand. Nevertheless, the manufacturer said it currently has little incentive to lower prices, as further price reductions alone are unlikely to stimulate additional purchasing beyond customers’ immediate procurement needs.
Meanwhile, another trade participant noted that demand for large-format n-type G12 wafers is also expected to gradually soften as November progresses, after strong demand from China’s ground-mounted solar projects supported upward price momentum over the previous two months. The source said wafer prices may decline in stages across different sizes, with smaller-format wafers likely to come under downward pressure first, followed gradually by larger-format products.
Upstream, the China Mono Premium, the OPIS assessment for mono-grade polysilicon used in n-type ingot production, was unchanged week on week at CNY 38.786 ($5.81)/kg.
According to market sources, the underlying fundamentals of the Chinese polysilicon market remain weak. Inventory levels exceeding 500,000 metric tons, monthly production continuing to outpace demand, and sluggish downstream consumption continue to weigh on market sentiment.
Nevertheless, one encouraging development is the anticipated impact of production cuts initiated by polysilicon manufacturers in October, with the resulting reduction in supply likely to become more evident from November onwards.
Despite the anticipated improvement in supply-demand dynamics, some trade participants have observed signs of further price declines during ongoing negotiations between buyers and sellers, largely attributed to mounting financial pressure on suppliers and the approaching seasonal slowdown in end-user demand.
One trade participant said the apparent stability in polysilicon prices is somewhat misleading, as it is being maintained largely through an industry self-discipline agreement that currently carries no penalties for non-compliance. For companies facing financial difficulties, breaking ranks by resuming production or offering lower prices ahead of others may therefore appear to be the most viable way out, the participant added.
Taking a longer view, an upstream industry source said the agreement alone is insufficient to establish a sustainable price floor, cautioning that a meaningful recovery in the PV sector remains a long way off. Such a recovery will require time and progress across several fronts, including the gradual reduction of polysilicon inventories, sustained production rationalization, improved corporate profitability, technological upgrades and production-line optimization, and further consolidation through mergers and acquisitions, the source added.
OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides energy prices, news, data, and analysis on gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, LPG/NGL, coal, metals, and chemicals, as well as renewable fuels and environmental commodities. It acquired pricing data assets from Singapore Solar Exchange in 2022 and now publishes the OPIS APAC Solar Weekly Report.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those held by pv magazine.
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Day 4 | Cybersecurity and Procurement: What can European solar projects source in 2027 and beyond?
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A research team from Soochow University in China has developed a portable solar-powered device that produces drinking water from turbid, saline, oily and highly acidic water. The prototype produced 1.64 liters of clean water in eight hours using an evaporation surface measuring just 30.72 cm2.
The system uses an electrothermal evaporation process in which an electrically powered heating element heats a surface that absorbs contaminated water, causing the water to evaporate. The resulting vapor is collected and condensed into clean water, while salts and other contaminants remain in the source water.
The device’s main innovation is an interlayer electrothermal evaporator. Instead of heating the entire volume of the wet material, the researchers positioned the heating element within an internal layer of the structure.
This configuration reduces heat losses to the surrounding water and air. According to the study, the design reduced heat losses and energy consumption by nearly two-thirds compared with a conventional electrothermal evaporator based on volumetric heating.
The system also combines two sources of solar energy.
It features foldable solar cells that generate electricity to power the electrothermal evaporator, alongside a foldable Fresnel lens that concentrates sunlight directly onto the evaporation surface. The study does not specify the rated capacity or electrical characteristics of the PV system.
When accounting for concentrated solar energy, the device achieved an apparent energy efficiency of 93.31% and a water production rate of 69.46 liters per square meter per hour.
Outdoor tests showed that the prototype could produce 1.64 liters of drinking water in eight hours using an evaporation surface of 30.72 cm2, smaller than a standard bank card.
The researchers tested the system with different types of water, including sediment-laden water, oil-contaminated water, highly saline wastewater and strongly acidic water.
The tests also included real seawater, with the researchers analyzing water samples before and after treatment. Under concentrated sunlight, the system achieved evaporation rates exceeding 90 kg/m2 per hour.
The device integrates PV modules and an optical solar concentration system, allowing it to operate without a grid connection or external fuel supply. The researchers said the configuration could be used in areas where conventional water supply infrastructure is damaged or unavailable.
They also suggested that the technology could serve as a portable water treatment solution in emergencies, including floods, earthquakes and conflicts, where access to safe drinking water may be disrupted.
The researchers presented their findings in “Solar-operated interlayer electrothermal evaporator enabling instant high-flux freshwater production across multiple scenarios,” published in Nature Water. Outdoor tests were conducted using a small-scale prototype on selected days in January and February 2025.
The results demonstrate the feasibility of the concept, but larger systems and longer-term testing under real-world conditions are still needed to assess its potential for large-scale deployment.
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Day 1 | Europe’s Solar and Storage Markets 2027: What works where?
Day 2 | Solar + Storage Co-location: Three markets, three business cases
Day 3 | Solar Quality: Which technical risks still need better answers?
Day 4 | Cybersecurity and Procurement: What can European solar projects source in 2027 and beyond?
Friday, November 13, 2026
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Typically ranging from 400 watts to 1,200 watts of power output, plug-in balcony solar panels are small, portable systems that offer decentralized energy for renters, apartment dwellers and those who cannot afford rooftop arrays.
Once plugged into a standard wall outlet, panels convert sunlight into household electricity via micro-inverters, which transform direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC). They are already widespread in Europe, where Germany alone has over 1 million installed.
As of October, 10 states have enacted legislation to enable plug-in solar use: Utah, Maine, Virginia, Colorado, Maryland, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey and California. These laws permit plug-in systems without utility pre-approval, marking a wave of regulatory reconsideration and action now involving about half the states in the U.S.
As Bright Saver co-founder Cora Stryker explains, while plug-in solar isn’t explicitly illegal in many places, current laws “were intended for rooftop systems five to 20 times as large.” Consequently, residents in states without enabling legislation often face interconnection applications and fees, making the process of installation both onerous and financially challenging. This could soon change: in early October, Congress introduced the first federal balcony solar bill. If passed, it will require all state public utility commissions to consider rules of access and offer rebates for low-income households.
Plug-in solar is generally best understood as a supplement rather than a replacement for normal electricity services. A single 180W panel can generate up to around 270 kWh per year, helping offset baseline consumption by powering “always-on” appliances such as fridges, Wi-Fi routers and other standby devices. Jeff Meyer, energy expert and writer for The Independent, cautions that “(i)t will not deliver the same savings as a larger rooftop array,” adding that not every property will have the right outdoor space, sunlight or permissions. However, a standard balcony kit can provide between $13 and $50 per month in savings on the low end, or $40 to $50 per month in high-rate states like New York and Hawaii.
To support the push for plug-in solar legislation, individuals can sign petitions, contact state representatives, and join organizations like Solar United Neighbors in advocating for change. Other strategies include donating to support energy freedom and writing to local newspapers to raise awareness of what electrical engineer Josh Pearce describes as a democratization of clean power: “the appeal of being able to make your own electricity, and for less money than you can buy it from a utility.”
CONTACTS: Driving Plug-in Solar Legislation State by State, brightsaver.org/is-plug-in-solar-legal; Tell your state leaders to cosponsor a bill deregulating plug-in solar, climateactionnow.com/featured-action/?can_vv_campaign_id=131839&can_action_source_id=28422.
 
 
 

 
EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy Scheer & Doug Moss for the 501(c)3 nonprofit EarthTalk. See more at emagazine.com. To donate, visit earthtalk.org. Send questions to: [email protected].
The Democrats’ sweep of the House and Senate is more than a partisan victory. It is a verdict on the direction of the country.
Somebody close to Harmeet Dhillon had a PR firm email us a press release on Friday about the UVA Law alum slinking her way out of her job at the Justice Department and back into private practice.

It’s a brave new world. Let’s keep this momentum going. Your support is crucial to power our work.

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Iran's parliamentary security committee has approved removing a longstanding requirement that the country's intelligence minister be a qualified Islamic jurist, potentially allowing a non-cleric to lead the ministry for the first time.
Amir Hayat Moghadam, deputy chairman of parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said Saturday that the proposed change would allow qualified security professionals to become intelligence minister regardless of whether they were clerics. The amendment still requires approval by the full parliament and the powerful clerical Guardian Council before it can become law.
Since the Intelligence Ministry began operating in 1984, all its permanent ministers have been clerics, beginning with Mohammad Mohammadi Reyshahri. A 1983 law required the minister to possess the religious qualification of ijtihad, the authority to independently interpret Islamic law.
Hayat Moghadam said the requirement was established by ordinary legislation rather than Iran's constitution and had restricted the pool of qualified candidates. He expressed hope that lawmakers would approve the amendment to allow specialists without clerical backgrounds to lead the ministry.
The ministry has been headed by an acting minister whose identity has not been publicly disclosed since former minister Esmail Khatib was killed in March during the war.
Iran's imports of Chinese solar panels fell by more than 80% in 2026, threatening efforts to expand renewable power generation as the country struggles with worsening electricity shortages.
A new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that Chinese solar panel exports to Iran during the January–September period fell to less than one-fifth of the level recorded in the same period last year.
Data from energy think tank Ember show that China exported just 138 megawatts of solar panels to Iran during those nine months, worth approximately $15 million.
The decline comes as Iran grapples with severe natural gas shortages, air pollution and drought, leaving the government with limited options to expand thermal and hydropower generation, even if sufficient funding were available.
According to assessments by Iran's Energy Ministry and parliament's research centre, the country needs to add more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity generation capacity annually to avoid power shortages.
Failure to meet generation expansion targets in recent years has left Iran facing substantial electricity deficits throughout the year. During peak summer demand, the shortfall can exceed 20% of peak consumption.
The recent war has compounded those pressures. Iranian officials say around 4,000 megawatts of the country's power generation capacity were damaged during the conflict.
In April, a major warehouse storing equipment for Iran's solar power projects was also targeted in an attack. Iran's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA) estimated damage to the renewable energy sector at approximately $1.5 billion.
In recent years, the government has increasingly focused on solar power development.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Iran's installed solar power capacity surged by 128% in 2025 from the previous year, reaching approximately 1,781 megawatts.
Data from Ember, cited by the IEA, also show that Iran's solar panel imports from China in 2024 and 2025 combined were more than ten times higher than in previous years, suggesting considerable room for further expansion of the country's solar power capacity.
The sharp decline in imports this year could therefore undermine efforts to sustain that expansion, although the figures do not establish how much equipment Iran may already have in stock.
Iran falls behind regional competitors
Despite its recent solar expansion, Iran has fallen significantly behind regional competitors.
In 2025, Turkey and Saudi Arabia each added around five times as much solar capacity as Iran. Their total installed solar power capacities were approximately 12 times and seven times Iran's, respectively.
Another major weakness in Iran's renewable energy sector is the lack of progress in wind power. The country's installed wind capacity has remained unchanged at 378 megawatts for several years.
By comparison, Turkey commissioned around 2,000 megawatts of new wind power capacity last year, bringing its total to nearly 15,000 megawatts.
Globally, 692 gigawatts of new renewable power capacity were installed last year. Renewable capacity growth in the Middle East was approximately 28%, with Saudi Arabia recording the region's strongest expansion.
Saudi Arabia doubled its renewable power capacity in 2025 to more than 12,000 megawatts.
Turkey has roughly twice as much installed solar and wind capacity as Saudi Arabia, while the United Arab Emirates and Israel each have nearly 8,000 megawatts of renewable capacity.
Iran, meanwhile, has shifted from being a net electricity exporter to a net importer.
A decade ago, the country recorded a net electricity export surplus of around eight terawatt-hours. Last year, its electricity trade balance turned negative.
In recent months, Tehran has held talks with Turkmenistan to increase electricity imports and with Turkey to begin importing power from its western neighbour.
China's regional solar exports rebound
The collapse in Iran's solar panel imports contrasts with a rebound in Chinese shipments to several other Middle Eastern markets.
Chinese solar panel exports to a number of Arab countries initially declined by nearly half during the first eight months of 2026, but shipments to the broader region subsequently recovered.
According to a report by the China Chamber of Commerce in the UAE, citing Shanghai Metals Market data, China's photovoltaic module exports reached 23.92 gigawatts in September, up 44.2% from August.
Combined exports to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey more than tripled in September to 3.97 gigawatts, with Saudi Arabia alone purchasing 2.9 gigawatts.
The figures suggest that Iran's sharp decline cannot be explained solely by a broader contraction in Chinese solar panel exports to the region, although the September rebound elsewhere does not establish the reasons for Iran's nine-month downturn.
With electricity shortages worsening and neighbouring countries accelerating renewable energy investment, Iran risks falling further behind at a time when expanding its power generation capacity has become increasingly urgent.
Iranian exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi accepted Germany’s Freedom Prize for the Iranian people in Frankfurt on Saturday, its first award to a nation rather than a person, and said he would hold it until he could hand it to them in Tehran, as tens of thousands rallied in the city.
Iran’s exiled prince Reza Pahlavi accepted Germany’s Freedom Prize on behalf of the Iranian people in Frankfurt on Saturday, the first time the award has gone to a nation rather than a person, as tens of thousands of Iranians rallied in the city for the uprising at home.
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom presented the 2026 prize at St. Paul’s Church, the seat of Germany’s first elected national assembly in 1848. The foundation, which is affiliated with the liberal Free Democratic Party, has awarded the prize every two years since 2006 to individuals who advance civil society and liberal values. This year it chose a nation.
“Not to any group, any party or any person,” said the foundation’s chairman, Steffen Saebisch, “but to a people: the Iranian nation.”
Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah and the best-known figure in the opposition, holds the prize in trust until, in the foundation’s words, representatives freely elected by Iranians can receive it.
Pahlavi said he had agreed to take the prize only on condition that he hold it as a custodian, not an owner.
“A custodian safeguards something of great value that belongs to someone else,” he said. “When the time comes, he returns it intact and in its entirety.”
That time, he said, was nearer than Tehran would admit. “One day, and I believe that day is closer than the dying clerical regime would like to admit, I will place it in the hands of its rightful owners, the Iranian people. Not on foreign soil, but in our capital, Tehran.”
He described the country as a house whose owners had been shut out. “For 47 years, Iran has been like a house whose residents, its rightful owners, have been locked out of their own home or held captive inside it,” he said. “The keys were taken from the people in 1979. I see it as my duty to help reclaim those keys and return them to their only rightful owners, the Iranian people.”
He paid tribute to the families of those killed in the struggle for freedom.
‘A nation willing to die for the right to vote’
Pahlavi built his speech on the building. In 1848 Germany’s first elected parliament sat in St. Paul’s Church and wrote a catalogue of rights that never took effect. In 1906, he said, merchants and intellectuals in Tehran forced the creation of Iran’s first parliament and “believed exactly what the men in this church in 1848 believed: that the nation is not the property of potentates, but of the people.”
Germany’s road ran through Weimar into Nazism, he said; Iran’s constitution was buried under a theocracy. “But this building teaches a lesson that tyrants never learn. The ideas of 1848 were not defeated.”
The church was bombed to ruins in 1944 and rebuilt by 1948, among the first buildings in the city to rise again. “A people standing in ruins chose to rebuild their house of freedom first. You did not forget liberty,” he said. “Well, neither have we.”
He described himself as a bridge. “A bridge carries people from one shore to another. One does not build a home on a bridge. You cross it, and then it has done its most important job.”
A German lawmaker, he said, had asked him this year whether Iranians were really ready for democracy. “I will admit the question stung.” His answer: “They prove it every time they march unarmed toward men with machine guns. They prove it when they organize strikes in a country with no free unions, and spread the truth in a country with no free press. A people willing to die for the right to vote is ready to exercise the right to vote.”
He asked the families of those killed in January, who were in the hall, to stand, and the audience to rise for them. “Daughters shielded by their dying fathers. Sons killed holding their mothers’ hands. That is the Islamic Republic.”
Pahlavi defended his support for military pressure on Iran’s rulers, a position that has divided the opposition. For years, he said, he had argued against both appeasement and war, for “maximum pressure on the regime, and maximum support for the Iranian people.”
January changed that. “An unarmed people cannot be asked to defeat, with bare hands, a state prepared to kill without limit,” he said. “We needed this humanitarian intervention and we do not apologize for it.” He said the targets should be the Revolutionary Guards and “the apparatus that turns its guns on our people,” and civilians and civilian infrastructure spared. “Every innocent Iranian lost in this war is a grief I carry.”
Pressure from outside could weaken the Islamic Republic, he said, “but it cannot replace it, and it must not try to choose what comes next. That belongs to the Iranian people alone.”
He set out four principles he called four freedoms: Iran’s territorial integrity; equal rights for every citizen “whatever their language, their origin or their beliefs”; a secular state that belongs to Shia and Sunni, Baha’i, Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian and the non-religious “because it belongs to none of them, exclusively”; and the right of Iranians to choose their form of government at the ballot box.
“Please notice what is not on this list,” he said. “No name, no party, no system of government is on it, because all of those choices belong to the people. I will not take it from them. Nor will I allow others to.”
To Iranians who had written that he should not be the one to hold the prize, he said: “Thank you. You were able to make your objections freely, in German newspapers and on German streets, without fear of arrest or a bullet. That is exactly the freedom I am fighting for in Tehran.” And: “My hand is open. To monarchists and republicans. To the left and the right. We do not have to agree about the past to agree about the future.”
He asked Germany for three things. Justice: to prosecute the crimes of January as German courts in Koblenz had tried Syrian torturers, so that “every commander still deciding whether to fire on his own people” knows “the world is keeping a record.” Connection: help Iranians stay online, because “the regime’s most important weapon on January 8 was not a rifle. It was the off switch.” And no deal over Iranians’ heads: “Any arrangement that keeps this regime in power buys a short calm and pays for it with Iranian lives.”
He cited Tehran’s support for Russia in Ukraine, the foiled plot against RAF Fairford, the 1992 Mykonos restaurant killings in Berlin and the execution of the German citizen Jamshid Sharmahd, and asked Germany to protect Iranians living under its watch from the state’s agents.
He ended with the Berlin Wall, which fell 37 years ago this week. “No one in this hall in 1988 would have dared to predict it,” he said. “That is how dictatorships end: slowly, and then all at once. That day is coming to Iran.”
Saebisch paid tribute to Iranians killed, jailed or exiled for opposing the Islamic Republic, and to “the hundreds of thousands who, despite mortal danger, take to the streets,” the women defying the morality police, and those who risk their lives to send videos out of the country. “Freedom often comes late,” he said, “but it comes.”
The foundation’s decision was driven by the January massacre, when security forces killed thousands of protesters and shut down the internet.
“I think no people in the world paid a higher price for freedom in this year,” Ludwig Theodor Heuss, a member of the foundation’s board of trustees, told the Jerusalem Post before the ceremony. “The terrible thing is that these things go on. The killing goes on.”
Frankfurt’s mayor, Nils Kößler, said the prize was “dedicated to the people who protested and were killed in the most brutal manner,” and to “those who are in the regime’s prisons, enduring torture and facing execution at this very moment.” He ended his speech in Persian: “Be omid-e azadi,” in hope of freedom.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who chairs the European Parliament’s security and defense committee, said the world had stopped talking about Iranians.
“The world is negotiating over the nuclear issue and now also over the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” she said. “But hardly anyone is talking about the people in Iran anymore.”
She called for freezing the assets of the Revolutionary Guards and their officials and for sanctions on security personnel, judges and prison authorities.
“Anyone negotiating with Tehran must never, under any circumstances, leave human rights off the table.”
“The future of Iran will not be decided by us in this church, nor by Washington, Berlin or Brussels,” she said. “Only the Iranian people will decide, freely and democratically.”
The rally
The ceremony opened a day of demonstrations around the world that organizers said were in support of the national uprising in Iran.
The gatherings began in Australia and Japan, before dawn in Europe, and are expected to continue through the day in cities across Europe, the United States and Canada. The largest is in Frankfurt, where the city moved the main rally from the riverside to Ostpark because the original site was too small for the crowd expected.
Police planned for 24,000 marchers from the Römerberg square and 30,000 at the park, where a stage and loudspeaker towers had been built overnight.
Yasmine Pahlavi said Frankfurt police had told the couple that threats from the Islamic Republic meant her husband could not appear or speak at the rally. His office said later that he still intended to join the gathering after the ceremony.
The prize came in a week when the Islamic Republic hanged two protesters, Amirhossein Maleki, 20, and Amirhossein Ebrahimi, 19, over the Isfahan protests, and days after it executed a third man in Sistan and Baluchestan. The foundation’s Heuss said more than 70 people were executed in October alone.
Israel’s prime minister and his Mossad chief planned an operation against Iran on the eve of Israel's October 27 election, over the objections of other security chiefs, and dropped it after a mistake by an Israeli operative tipped off Washington, Channel 12 reported on Friday.
The report, which the channel said was unsourced and broadcast under military censorship, did not describe the operation. It said other senior figures in the security establishment opposed it because it could cause an escalation and force the election to be postponed, but that planning went ahead until the United States learned of it and moved to stop it.
The Prime Minister's Office denied the report: "The prime minister himself clarified in real time that an attack before the Israeli elections was not on the agenda."
The account follows a run of reports in the week of the vote. On October 25, two days before the election, Channel 12 reported an "unprecedented confrontation" between Benjamin Netanyahuand the military chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, over an instruction for unspecified action involving Iran, with Zamir demanding further deliberations and signed legal authorization.
Iran International carried that report at the time. The next day Channels 12 and 13 reported that Zamir was the only security chief to oppose the action, and the New York Times reported, citing three senior defense officials, that Netanyahu had "sought for weeks to orchestrate a new airstrike on Iran" and was blocked by Zamir.
CNN reported that Netanyahu had asked President Donald Trump to approve a joint strike before the election and that Trump refused.
Netanyahu called the October 25 report "nonsense," saying in the same interview that he had "instructed the IDF and Mossad to topple the regime" in Iran. Former prime minister Ehud Barak said on Thursday that Netanyahu had planned "a provocation" via the Mossad "behind the back of the IDF chief of staff."
Friday's report came as Qatari-mediated talks between Washington and Tehran continued. Channel 12 reported this week that Netanyahu had urged Trump to resume the war immediately after Tuesday's US midterm elections, and that Trump wanted to give the talks more time.
"We're talking to Iran," Trump told reporters on Friday. "We haven't lost a soldier in six or seven months."
While Tehran celebrates Donald Trump's midterm defeat and the economic pain the Iran war has inflicted on Americans, soaring prices and stagnant wages are pushing ordinary Iranians deeper into a cost-of-living crisis at home.
Senior Iranian officials have come close to claiming credit for the Democrats' sweeping election victory, frequently pointing to US officials' acknowledgment that the war contributed to Republican losses.
Many Iranian newspapers have followed suit, dwelling on America's economic and political troubles while portraying Iran as a country growing stronger despite the war.
"Ever-Stronger Iran on the Road to Progress," one economic daily declared on its front page on Thursday. Another proclaimed "American Humiliation Continues," alongside a photograph of a seemingly dejected Trump.
The hardline daily Kayhan highlighted what it described as €127 billion in European losses resulting from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, presenting the economic damage as a measure of Tehran's success.
Largely absent from those triumphant headlines was the economic crisis that matters most to ordinary Iranians: the soaring cost of living.
The labour-focused news agency ILNA offered a starkly different picture, reporting that the estimated cost of basic household necessities had nearly doubled in seven months to 85 million tomans a month, almost six times the monthly earnings of an ordinary worker.
Labour expert Hamid Haji-Esmaeili told ILNA that inflation had become "normalised" in the thinking of Iranian officials, criticising the government's inadequate response and calling for wages to be revised midway through the year.
Pay levels set at the beginning of the Iranian calendar year no longer reflected economic realities, he argued, warning that the crisis was no longer confined to low-income workers but also affected civil servants and large sections of the middle class.
Economist Ali Ghanbari, also quoted by ILNA, described Iran as facing a "livelihood crisis", warning of a severe decline in the purchasing power of lower-income households.
Another ILNA report highlighted delayed wage payments for contract workers in Iran's southern oil-producing regions, adding to the uncertainty facing employees already struggling with inflation.
Growing calls to expand food-support programmes suggest that wages alone are no longer sufficient to protect many households from the rising cost of essential goods.
Years of inflation, currency depreciation, sanctions and inadequate investment had already eroded living standards. Two rounds of war in 2025 and 2026, and the subsequent US blockade of Iran's maritime trade, have compounded those pressures.
The government's response has come under increasing criticism, particularly over its failure to adjust wages and pensions to reflect the rapidly rising cost of living.
Pensioners have been among the most vocal groups demanding action. ILNA reported calls for authorities to restore their purchasing power immediately, as housing, healthcare and other essential expenses consumed an increasing share of their incomes.
In another report, a representative of military pensioners' organisations criticised repeated discussions about wage increases that had produced no concrete results.
He warned against creating "false hope" among pensioners frustrated by promises of financial relief that have yet to translate into higher payments.
Pensioners are among Iran's more organised social groups and have staged repeated demonstrations in recent years over inadequate incomes and rising prices.
Yet the emphasis in hardline political rhetoric remains on the costs Iran has imposed on its adversaries.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on international energy markets have been presented as evidence of Tehran's leverage over Western economies.
Such claims of success sit uneasily alongside accounts of hardship emerging from Iran's own media, where journalists operate under restrictions on reporting deemed damaging to the Islamic Republic's image.
For workers awaiting overdue wages and pensioners demanding relief, the economic pain inflicted on Iran's adversaries offers little consolation. Their immediate concern is whether they can pay next month's rent and put food on the table.
New satellite imagery suggests Iran is undertaking major construction near missile bases and repairing military installations damaged by months of US and Israeli airstrikes, according to an investigation by BBC Verify.
The BBC's investigation, published Friday, drew on satellite imagery examined by analysts at MAIAR, a British intelligence analysis company. The analysts identified significant excavation and new construction at two major missile facilities, Garmdareh in Karaj near Tehran and Shahroud in northern Iran. At least 12 other military installations, including missile complexes and air bases, also showed signs of repairs.
BBC Verify identified new roofing on damaged structures at a missile base near Kermanshah in western Iran and extensive reconstruction at the Parchin military complex east of Tehran.
The findings add to growing evidence that Tehran is attempting to restore its military capabilities despite the continuing US-Israeli campaign, which began in February and targeted Iran's missile factories, launch facilities, air defenses and nuclear infrastructure.
Rebuilding a damaged military arsenal
President Donald Trump has repeatedly described Iran's military capabilities as largely destroyed. The Pentagon previously said US strikes had destroyed up to 90% of Iran's drone, ballistic missile and naval industrial base.
Other assessments, however, suggest Iran has retained significant capabilities.
In September, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US and Middle Eastern officials, that Iran had resumed assembling ballistic missiles in underground facilities using stockpiled components. Production reportedly remained below prewar levels.
Bloomberg reported in October that Western officials believed Iran had preserved enough missile and drone manufacturing capacity to replenish its arsenals. One official also said Russia was supplying missiles, although Moscow did not confirm the claim.
An October report by the US Congressional Research Service also cited an earlier Defense Intelligence Agency assessment that Iran retained thousands of missiles and attack drones despite wartime losses and was seeking Russian and Chinese equipment and materials to replace damaged capabilities.
A separate October assessment by the Foreign Policy Research Institute offered a more cautious picture. Its satellite analysis found continued underground activity at Parchin, Khojir and Shahroud, though it concluded that major aboveground missile-production facilities remained heavily damaged.
The institute said several solid-fuel production lines were still inoperable and that substantial reconstruction and equipment replacement would be necessary before large-scale manufacturing could resume.
The latest BBC findings point to further efforts to protect surviving infrastructure.
Former CIA analyst Jim Lamson told the BBC that excavation near Shahroud could be connected to missile production, with the Revolutionary Guards potentially seeking to move manufacturing operations underground to shield them from future attacks.
At Karaj, satellite imagery appeared to show a new entrance to an underground complex, according to Sam Lair of the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
Iranian state television has also broadcast footage it said showed dozens of missiles outside an underground facility in southern Iran, although the footage does not establish the size or operational readiness of the country's remaining arsenal.
Construction near nuclear facilities
The reconstruction effort also extends to sites near Iran's nuclear infrastructure and facilities associated with past nuclear research.
BBC Verify identified excavation and new construction outside tunnel entrances near the city of Qom, close to the Fordow underground uranium enrichment complex, which has repeatedly been targeted by US and Israeli strikes.
At Parchin, satellite imagery also showed substantial work at the Taleghan 2 facility, including concrete reinforcement around an underground structure damaged by airstrikes.
The Institute for Science and International Security reported in September that Iran was rapidly reconstructing Taleghan 2, a facility associated with past nuclear weapons-related research. Its analysis documented construction vehicles, repairs to bomb-damaged sections and additional measures intended to protect the structure from future attacks.
Separately, the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported increased construction activity at Pickaxe Mountain, an underground complex near the Natanz nuclear facility.
Satellite imagery showed reinforced entrances, road improvements and activity suggesting work inside the mountain. The researchers said the available evidence could not establish whether centrifuges had been transferred there or whether uranium enrichment was taking place.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has been unable to inspect Iran's bombed nuclear installations since June 2025, leaving major uncertainties about the condition of its enrichment infrastructure and nuclear material.
The combination of new underground construction, repairs to military installations and reported weapons assembly suggests a continuing effort to restore capabilities targeted throughout the war, although the extent of Iran's recovery remains uncertain.
Military rebuilding and economic pressures
Mark Cancian, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the BBC that the construction appeared intended to strengthen Iran's defenses against future attacks.
“It also indicates a priority on rebuilding military capability rather than rehabilitating the economy,” he said.
For a military campaign intended to cripple Iran's missile and nuclear capabilities, the continuing reconstruction raises questions about how lasting its results will be. Months of bombardment have inflicted extensive damage, yet Tehran continues to direct resources toward rebuilding military infrastructure, increasingly underground, while its economy deteriorates and ordinary Iranians struggle with rising costs and declining living standards.

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Luis Reyes
Nov 7, at 11:00am ET
A solar panel has one job, and that’s catching as much sunlight as it possibly can. Any light that slips past it to the ground is light it didn’t turn into electricity, so you’d think the perfect panel would be about as see-through as a brick wall.
But Charles Sturt University in New South Wales, Australia, has gone the other way. It’s put 120 solar panels over the pens where it feeds its sheep and lambs, and they’re built to let some of that light through on purpose.
So why would anyone want a leaky solar panel?
Because of the sheep, apparently. Graeme Sandral, the Charles Sturt researcher leading the work, told ABC News that the array powers the feedlot’s automatic feeders, and that the cells are spaced so a sheep lying under it on a cold winter day still catches some light and a little of the sun’s warmth. In summer, that same roof is there to keep the animals cool.
Shade when it’s hot, a bit of sun when it’s cold and electricity the whole time, all from one roof. That’s a pretty tall order for a sheet of glass.
At this site, not very. Matthew Muller, the sustainability director at the university’s AgriPark, wrote in a post shared by Charles Sturt Research that the 120 panels are designed with 10 percent transparency. They add up to 64.8 kWp, and the university’s partner on the install is an Australian agrivoltaics company called Sharp EIT Solutions.
That “p” on the end stands for peak. It’s what the panels can put out in ideal full sun, so you won’t get 64.8 kilowatts at dawn, on a cloudy afternoon or at any point overnight.
If you do the math, that’s 540 watts per panel, which is pretty much in line with the big panels you see on solar farms these days. I’d love to tell you how big they are, too. But neither the university nor the installer has published dimensions or weights for these panels, at least not anywhere I could find.
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Figures: Charles Sturt University researchers, ABC News.
Ten percent transparent means roughly a tenth of the light makes it past the panel. The panels pull that off by leaving gaps between the photovoltaic cells, so you basically get a checkerboard of dark cells with clear glass in between.
ABC reports panels like these can be made anywhere from 10 to 48 percent transparent, depending on what’s living or growing underneath and how much power the owner needs. Sharp EIT’s own website goes even wider, at 2 to 50 percent. Charles Sturt picked the low end for its sheep, which suggests, to me at least, that the electricity is the main event here and the winter light is a bonus.
Charles Sturt isn’t the first to put see-through panels over a farm, either. We covered 6,300 of them standing over an apple orchard in Germany, where the main job is keeping hail off the fruit. A sheep’s wish list is a bit simpler. It mostly wants somewhere comfortable to lie down.
A feedlot is basically where lambs get penned up and fed a measured ration instead of wandering a paddock looking for grass. The automatic feeders that dish that ration out need power, and according to ABC, this feedlot was getting it from diesel generators before the panels went up.
If you’ve ever run a generator at a campsite or during a power outage, you know the deal. It’s loud, someone has to keep hauling fuel to it, and you pay for every gallon it burns. Muller pointed ABC to what diesel has cost farmers this year as part of the reason the university’s trying this.
What I can’t tell you is how much diesel the panels will actually save, because Charles Sturt hasn’t published a figure for that yet.
The university also hasn’t said how many sheep the facility holds, or how much of the feeders’ load the solar covers on a typical day. Muller’s post talks about generating and storing solar electricity, but there’s no battery size in it, and I’m not going to guess one. The research team described the panels as being installed in its post about a month ago, and by ABC’s report on October 30 they were up and helping run the feeders. Neither source gives a date they were switched on.
Here’s the catch. ABC reports that transparent panels cost about double what regular ones do, and not everyone’s sold on paying that.
Peter Holding, an outreach officer with the advocacy group Farmers for Climate Action, told ABC that at twice the price, “I can’t see how a transparent panel would benefit anybody,” whether it’s on a roof or on spare ground.
Frankly, I think he’s got a point for most farms. If all you want is shade and electricity, a cheaper opaque panel up on a tall frame does both jobs and leaves you some change for a new water trough. The case for the pricier glass rests almost entirely on whether that winter light does anything useful for the animals underneath, and right now that’s still a hypothesis.
Europe’s been at this a while longer, though. Sharp EIT told ABC its panels are already on farms in France, Austria and Belgium. And plain old shade from solar panels has shown some pretty clear results with livestock. We wrote about a French dairy farm where cows under a raised canopy kept grazing until noon on hot days, while the herd out in the open was heading for the barn by 9:30 a.m. That’s a different company and a different farm, but it’s a pretty good sign the shade half of this idea works.
Sheep aren’t the only test, either. Sandral told ABC the team also wants to try the panels as a kind of greenhouse roof over grapevines that could be moved out of the way at pruning time, and might keep hail off the fruit while making power for a winery. Julian Marchant, the environmental, social and governance manager at Wine Australia, warned that every part of those panels would need testing for corrosion from farm chemicals. ABC didn’t say whether any panels have gone in over vines yet.
Nobody knows yet.
Keep in mind that November is late spring in Australia. Which means the first stretch of monitoring runs straight into summer, when shade is the whole point, and the winter-light question won’t really get tested until June, July and August next year. I’d want to see a full year of data, at minimum, before calling see-through panels a win for livestock.
ABC reports Charles Sturt’s monitoring at the feedlot starts this month, with the first results expected in late 2027.
What do you think?
Chema Bonilla Díaz · Nov 5, 2026
Luis Reyes · Oct 30, 2026
Luis Reyes · Nov 4, 2026
Luis Reyes · Oct 29, 2026
Olivia Richman · Nov 6, 2026
Luis Reyes · Oct 15, 2026
Olivia Richman · Nov 7, 2026
Luis Reyes · Nov 7, 2026
Luis Reyes · Nov 7, 2026
Luis Reyes · Nov 7, 2026
Luis Reyes · Nov 6, 2026
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A parish council has raised strong objections to a planned solar farm on agricultural land that could generate enough electricity to power more than 15,000 homes a year.
The development would cover about 260 acres of land on the Shuttleworth Estate near Sheerhatch Wood in Bedfordshire.
In an open letter, Jason Whaley, chairman of Cople Parish Council, said the proposal would "undermine food security".
The Shuttleworth Trust, which owns the land, said: "Matters relating to the planning application process will be considered through the appropriate statutory channels."
A public consultation on the plans has closed.
On the project's own website, Quintas Cleantech, the developer, said the location was chosen because it was a "great spot" for a solar farm, as the land was "relatively flat and doesn't cover any protected landscape areas". The company is working on more than 10 proposals across the UK.
The Bedfordshire solar farm would have a capacity of 49.9MW.
A 15MW battery would store excess energy generated by the solar panels during the day, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
However, Whaley said the proposal was not "appropriate" or "proportionate".
High-quality agricultural farmland would be lost, he said, and there would be an increase in traffic and noise.
He urged planners to give serious consideration to Historic England's conclusion that a solar farm would negatively impact a Romano-British settlement that is adjacent to the site.
It would also undermine the Shuttleworth Trust's farming objectives, he added.
The Shuttleworth Estate said its trustees were responsible for managing the estate in the "most effective and sustainable way".
"Any commercial arrangements relating to the estate are confidential between the parties involved and we are therefore unable to comment on their details."
The application is yet to be decided upon by Bedford Borough Council's planning committee. The council first received the application in May 2025.
The BBC has contacted Quintas Cleantech for comment.
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Margaret-Anne Tibbs, 89, spent 35 years improving non-medical dementia care, the charity says.
The company behind the solar farm said it would provide electricity for more than 140,000 homes.
It follows a fundraising appeal to pay for church repairs, which also include its tower and clock.
Critics say the plans will harm the environment, while others say it will help improve the grid.
The local authority says it will address the issues raised by government inspectors in their report.
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Photo source: Engadget
An experimental design reduced light emission from an organic solar cell and raised its efficiency by around 0.85%, suggesting a possible route beyond the current theoretical limit.
Researchers at the Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO) have developed a solar-cell design that targets energy lost when panels emit light, known as Boltzmann loss. Earlier research has focused on reducing energy lost as heat.
This is reported by Engadget.
In a paper published in Energy & Environmental Science, the researchers addressed “the mismatch between the narrow sunlight absorption and the wider emission cones” of solar panels. They used an organic solar cell, replacing its indium tin oxide front electrode with a thin silver one and turning the cell into an optical cavity. The design still let sunlight in but emitted less light at wide angles. It improved the cell’s efficiency by around 0.85%.
Dr. Francisco Bernal Texca, the study’s first author, said in an IFCO press release:
If the emission cone can be narrowed to more closely match the absorption cone of incoming sunlight, which is exactly what our work demonstrates experimentally, solar cells will, in principle, be able to approach efficiencies close to 43%.
– Dr. Francisco Bernal Texca
The current theoretical efficiency limit, known as the Shockley-Queisser limit, is 33.16%. ICFO says its method could make efficiencies of roughly 43% possible. Consumer solar panels typically operate at 20 to 23%, but the research does not mean more efficient panels will be available to buy immediately. The underlying principle should apply to different kinds of photovoltaic cells, not only materials used in laboratories.
In July 2026, Chinese firm LONGi unveiled a solar cell with 35.5% efficiency and claimed that the PV cell it uses is also theoretically capable of reaching 43%.
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Standalone Solar Microgrid Simulated for Rural Secondary School in Southeastern Nigeria
A computational modeling study evaluating off-grid power solutions for rural education has demonstrated that a standalone solar photovoltaic and battery storage system can reliably meet the complete electricity and water pumping requirements of an underserved secondary school in Akpugo, Enugu State, Nigeria. Conducted by Vincent Anayochukwu Ani of the National Centre for Energy Research and Development at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the research investigated the technical sizing and economic feasibility of replacing an unreliable national grid connection with a dedicated, decentralized renewable energy installation. Using the Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Renewables simulation platform, the study established that a carefully configured solar array paired with lithium iron phosphate storage could provide uninterrupted power across the entire school year while lowering the levelized cost of energy substantially below that of local diesel generation.
Rural public institutions across Nigeria face chronic disruptions caused by extensive electrical grid instability, frequent power outages that often extend over several consecutive days, and severe voltage fluctuations. At Akpugo Community Secondary School, located in the Nkanu-West Local Government Area, an inconsistent grid connection has historically compromised daily operations, academic delivery, and campus sanitation. The public institution serves approximately 420 active students and 25 teaching and non-teaching personnel across ten standard classrooms, an administrative section, a library, and a combined science laboratory and computer room. The school requires dependable power between its strict operating hours of 08:00 and 14:00 to run classroom lighting, desktop computers, information technology infrastructure, and administrative devices, while maintaining outdoor security lighting and domestic water access.
To capture the institution’s energy requirements without relying on idealized assumptions, the researcher conducted a field-based technical site evaluation and management consultations to compile an empirical load inventory. The school’s electricity consumption was divided into two distinct operational categories: an alternating current primary load and a direct current deferrable load. The alternating current primary demand encompassed classroom and office equipment, including 35 indoor light-emitting diode lamps rated at 7 watts each operating for six hours, 2 projectors at 250 watts for three hours, 2 printers at 50 watts for two hours, a 400-watt photocopier for one hour, 2 desktop computers rated at 120 watts running for eight hours, 25 laptops at 45 watts operating for six hours, 2 wireless routers running continuously for 24 hours, 18 mobile phone chargers running for five hours, 2 smart boards rated at 350 watts operating for three hours, 18 ceiling fans rated at 20 watts running for six hours, and 6 outdoor security lamps rated at 40 watts operating for twelve hours. This baseline equipment schedule established an alternating current consumption profile of 21.53 kilowatt-hours per day, with power demand reaching a peak of 3.61 kilowatts between 12:00 and 12:59 and a minimum baseline demand of 0.04 kilowatts.
Campus water management introduced an essential infrastructure load that was modeled dynamically rather than as a rigid scheduled requirement. The school consumes roughly 5 cubic meters of water per day, drawn from an onsite borehole with a total differential head of 15.7 meters and stored in an elevated plastic tank measuring 2.5 meters tall with a capacity of 10 cubic meters. Rather than routing water pumping through the central inverter as a conventional alternating current demand, the proposed engineering architecture connected a 0.294-kilowatt submersible pump directly to a centralized direct current bus. This direct current coupling eliminated conversion losses through the inverter and isolated sensitive power electronics from the high inductive starting currents characteristic of electric pump motors. Under an average local solar irradiance of 3.9 kilowatt-hours per square meter, the submersible unit achieved a flow rate of 2.6 cubic meters per hour, requiring 1.9 hours of pumping to deliver the baseline daily volume of 5 cubic meters and 3.9 hours to fill the storage tank completely.
Within the simulation framework, the borehole pump was parameterized as a deferrable load with an average daily demand of 0.559 kilowatt-hours, an energy storage ceiling of 1.147 kilowatt-hours, a peak power draw of 0.294 kilowatts, and a minimum load ratio of 85.71 percent based on an operational threshold of 8.4 amperes across a 30-volt bus. This dispatch logic allowed the 10-cubic-meter overhead tank to serve as a hydraulic storage battery. Under the automated dispatch priority hierarchy evaluated at 60-minute intervals, solar generation directly supplied the inflexible alternating current academic load through the converter first. Any surplus solar electricity was immediately routed to the deferrable pumping system. Pumping drew from the battery storage bank only if the overhead water reservoir dropped below a critical safety threshold during periods of low irradiance or night, deferring normal operations until subsequent peak sunlight periods to minimize unnecessary battery throughput.
Meteorological variables were incorporated into the HOMER Pro software using geographic coordinates of 6 degrees 22 minutes 40 seconds North and 7 degrees 35 minutes 18 seconds East, drawing upon a 42-year historical solar dataset compiled by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration from July 1983 to June 2025. Component libraries supplied physical specifications and local market cost estimates in Nigerian Naira. The modeled system utilized 335-watt SunPower X-Series monocrystalline solar modules with a maximum power point voltage of 57.3 volts, an open-circuit voltage of 67.9 volts, and a temperature coefficient of negative 0.29 percent per degree Celsius. Energy storage was modeled using 12-volt, 400-ampere-hour lithium iron phosphate batteries rated for more than 3,000 cycles at an 80 percent depth of discharge with a 96 percent roundtrip efficiency. Converter units were modeled with an initial capital expense of 19,450 Naira per kilowatt, while solar panels and single battery units were priced at 135,500 Naira and 400,000 Naira in initial capital costs, respectively.
Optimization simulations determined that the ideal microgrid configuration capable of fulfilling the school’s 21.53 kilowatt-hour daily requirement comprised a 7.64-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array, a 3.79-kilowatt power converter, and an energy storage system containing 20 battery units arranged in four series strings across five parallel branches to form a 48-volt direct current bus. This setup yielded a total usable storage capacity of 76.8 kilowatt-hours and an autonomy duration of 85.6 hours. Annually, the solar array produced 13,036 kilowatt-hours of electrical energy over 4,380 operating hours with a capacity factor of 19.5 percent. The primary alternating current load absorbed 7,647 kilowatt-hours per year, while the direct current deferrable pumping load consumed 204 kilowatt-hours per year, achieving an annual renewable energy fraction of 100 percent. The system generated 4,697 kilowatt-hours of excess electricity each year, representing 36.0 percent of total production, while battery bank roundtrip throughput totaled 2,128 kilowatt-hours annually against converter losses of 402 kilowatt-hours and battery losses of 86.8 kilowatt-hours.
Reliability analysis demonstrated that the standalone photovoltaic infrastructure provided continuous power security with exceptional operational stability. The annual unmet electrical load was limited to 6.89 kilowatt-hours per year, representing 0.0876 percent of total institutional demand, alongside a capacity shortage of 7.69 kilowatt-hours per year, or 0.0978 percent. This performance yielded a loss of power supply probability of 0.000876, reflecting an overall energy-based system reliability of 99.91 percent throughout the simulated year. Initial capital expenditure for the complete solar installation was calculated at 11,162,292.63 Naira, primarily driven by the battery storage bank at 8,000,000.00 Naira, the solar photovoltaic array at 3,088,648.46 Naira, and the converter at 73,644.17 Naira. Annual operating and maintenance costs were estimated at 242,306.60 Naira, leading to a levelized cost of energy of 140.84 Naira per kilowatt-hour over an assumed 25-year project lifespan.
Comparative financial assessments highlighted significant long-term economic advantages when contrasting the renewable microgrid against fossil-fueled generation and conventional utility tariffs. Although a traditional 3.70-kilowatt diesel generator combined with battery storage required a substantially lower initial capital outlay of 2,562,964.19 Naira, its ongoing operational expenditure reached 6,119,634.00 Naira annually, driven by continuous fuel consumption and maintenance. Over 25 years, the levelized cost of energy for diesel generation rose to 804.02 Naira per kilowatt-hour, approximately 5.7 times higher than the solar system’s 140.84 Naira per kilowatt-hour. The solar configuration yielded total lifecycle net present savings of 67,379,918.68 Naira compared to diesel power, achieving an internal rate of return of 116.5 percent and a simple payback period of 0.9 years. When evaluated against utility pricing frameworks from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the solar microgrid proved more affordable than the premium Band A grid tariff of 209.50 Naira per kilowatt-hour while eliminating exposure to the recurring blackouts that characterize lower, subsidized tariff bands ranging between 40.00 and 62.48 Naira per kilowatt-hour.
Multi-variable sensitivity evaluations confirmed the mechanical and financial robustness of the engineering design across fluctuating environmental and operational conditions. When baseline solar irradiance of 4.93 kilowatt-hours per square meter per day was adjusted across alternative values of 3.93 and 5.93, combined with simulated load growth increments of 5 percent and 10 percent, the microgrid maintained high service reliability, with annual unmet demand never exceeding 6.89 kilowatt-hours. Under an increased solar insolation of 5.93 kilowatt-hours per square meter per day, the required battery storage bank decreased by 20 percent to 16 units, lowering the levelized cost of energy to 122.50 Naira per kilowatt-hour and annual operating expenses to 198,007 Naira, while clipped surplus energy expanded to 8,691 kilowatt-hours. Conversely, a 20 percent drop in solar irradiance required the battery bank to expand to 28 units and the solar array to 9.00 kilowatts, increasing the levelized energy cost to 189.57 Naira per kilowatt-hour while eliminating capacity shortages entirely. Further financial sensitivity modeling revealed that shifting the discount rate from an 8 percent baseline to 12 percent increased the levelized cost of energy to 181.68 Naira per kilowatt-hour, whereas reducing battery service life from 15 years to 5 years increased operating expenses to roughly 1.28 million Naira annually and elevated the unit cost to 272.57 Naira per kilowatt-hour.
The author noted several methodological boundaries inherent in the study’s design. The simulation relied upon calculated load estimates rather than long-term empirical meter readings from the school, focused on a single geographic case study, and omitted physical field validation of the modeled hardware. Furthermore, the analysis did not incorporate complex mathematical representations of solar cell efficiency degradation caused by operational temperature spikes, component aging mechanisms, future demand shifts, or logistical site expenses associated with civil protection, cabling, security, and installation. Despite these operational limitations, the findings demonstrate that coupling a centralized direct current bus with deferrable water pumping provides a cost-effective, technically viable blueprint for eliminating power deficits and enhancing educational infrastructure across rural secondary schools.
Subject of Research: Techno-economic modeling of an off-grid solar photovoltaic and battery microgrid for a rural Nigerian secondary school
Article Title: Bridging the educational gap in underserved schools with sustainable energy solution
Article References: Ani, V. A. (2026). Bridging the educational gap in underserved schools with sustainable energy solution. Frontiers in Energy Research, 14, Article 1886492. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2026.1886492
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.3389/fenrg.2026.1886492
Keywords: solar energy, photovoltaics, microgrids, rural electrification, energy modeling, battery storage, HOMER Pro, Nigeria, Bridging, educational, underserved, schools
News Source: Faith Mcneil. (November 7, 2026). Standalone Solar Microgrid Simulated for Rural Secondary School in Southeastern Nigeria. Scienmag.
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Wiltshire Council approves solar panel expansion at MOD Lyneham  Rayo
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Researchers at the ICFO Institute of Photonic Sciences have developed an approach to solar cell design that makes it possible to reduce energy losses caused by the re-emission of light. As Engadget reports, the experimental organic solar cell design increased its efficiency by approximately 0.85%.
Solar panels usually contain a semiconductor material, most often crystalline silicon. Under the influence of sunlight, it releases electrons and generates an electric current. Part of the resulting energy is converted into heat or re-emitted as light.
Scientists have long studied ways to reduce heat losses, including by changing semiconductor materials. The ICFO team focused on another limitation: so-called Boltzmann losses associated with the light emitted by the solar cell itself.
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In an article published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science, the researchers described a way to reduce the mismatch between the narrow angle of sunlight absorption and the wider angle of emission. For the experiment, they used an organic solar cell rather than a silicon one.
They replaced its front indium tin oxide electrode with a thin silver electrode and turned the structure into an optical resonator. Such a cell transmitted sunlight but emitted less light at wide angles.
The theoretical efficiency limit, known as the Shockley—Queisser limit, is 33.16%. According to ICFO’s estimate, narrowing the emission angle to parameters closer to the angle of sunlight absorption could bring solar cell efficiency closer to 43%. Consumer solar panels currently typically have an efficiency of 20–23%.
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“It was pretty simple and made me regret not doing the whole thing DIY.”
Photo Credit: iStock
Just 10 months after installing solar panels, one homeowner is reconsidering their decision to pass up adding six more. 
With an electric vehicle purchase on the horizon, the household’s electricity needs could soon outgrow the system’s production, leading them to ask Reddit’s r/Solar community for advice.
In the Reddit thread, the original poster described their setup as 18 panels with Enphase microinverters.
After 10 months of running the array, the system appeared on track to cover about 100% of household electricity consumption, though below the roughly 115% projected before installation.
OP then asked the forum, “how much of a PITA would it be to add six more?”
Other commenters largely supported the potential move to expand the array. One of the top comments read, “I added 12 panels all by myself. It was pretty simple and made me regret not doing the whole thing DIY.”
Another user wrote, “Absolutely you should do it if you have the roof space. No one ever wished they had fewer panels.” A third commenter shared their own experience, writing, “I added 8 used panels. Cheap. Easy. Totally worth it.”
Not all commenters were on board, though. One user contextualized the hypothetical addition by saying, “It might change your 1:1 net metering deal. Not sure where you are, but in CA, we have limits on how much we can add without losing NEM 1 or NEM 2.”
With energy prices through the roof, there’s never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area.
EasyHome takes the guesswork and headaches out of energy upgrades by showing you estimated savings from a network of vetted local partners. To get started, just enter your ZIP and share a few details about your home — seeing your estimate is really that easy.
For households weighing their own installation, residential solar can lower electricity bills, and $0-upfront solar leases may save hundreds of dollars per month, depending on the home and agreement. EasyHome has a free explorer tool to estimate possible savings and find vetted installers in your area.
For homeowners comparing an initial installation with a larger configuration, EasyHome can help them curate competitive bids from local installers. That comparison can put prices alongside different proposed system sizes.
The owner’s inability to cash out surplus credits also makes it important to consider how the household uses the electricity it generates. EasyHome also offers battery-storage options for households considering how to manage their solar electricity. Combining panels with batteries can help manage electricity costs and provide backup power during outages, depending on the equipment and configuration.
Other homeowners have wrestled with how many solar panels they’ll need for an EV and future electricity use. 
• A New York homeowner’s $46,000 solar installation proved undersized for EV charging.
• A UK barn-conversion owner received a 12-panel quote despite having space for 35 panels.
• A homeowner who paid $41,000 learned that adding 13 more panels could require extra rework.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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MyChesCo
Chester County News and Community Website
GORDONVILLE, PA — Belmont Solar, a Lancaster County solar installation company, is marking 25 years in business in November 2026 as advances in equipment and system integration reshape how residential and commercial solar power systems are installed across Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region.
Founded in 2001 by electrician Ben Zook, the company has expanded from building customized off-grid power systems to installing solar technology that can integrate battery storage, electric vehicle charging and heat pumps.
The transition reflects changes in solar equipment manufacturing that have reduced the need for customized components and simplified installation, according to Zook, the company’s owner and a certified master electrician through the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners.
“The biggest changes we’ve seen in the industry are that the installations are quicker, there are fewer custom jobs, and we can build a system with less clutter in the mechanical room or power conversion area,” Zook stated.
When Zook entered the solar industry, installations frequently required individual engineering solutions, with equipment and configurations varying substantially between projects.
The development of standardized components has since allowed installers to assemble more integrated systems, reducing the complexity of equipment installation while expanding the range of technologies that can operate together.
Belmont Solar’s business has also expanded beyond installation services. The company acquired Tough Trac, a designer and manufacturer of solar panel mounting systems, and established partnerships with Solar for America, Sol-Ark and Tesla.
Those relationships broadened its involvement in solar equipment and related technologies as the industry developed beyond conventional photovoltaic installations.
Zook described the company’s early operations as a period of experimentation, when he and employees learned to work with emerging equipment and installation methods.
The business originated with an off-grid power supply that combined solar panels and batteries, an approach that preceded the more integrated energy systems available today.
Belmont Solar has continued operating through periods of industry expansion and uncertainty, with Zook emphasizing customer education and the long-term performance of solar investments.
The company recently participated in the 2026 American Solar Energy Society National Solar Tour, which gives members of the public opportunities to examine operating solar installations.
On Oct. 3, Zook opened his net-zero home in Lancaster County to visitors interested in seeing how solar generation and related technologies function in a residential setting.
The event attracted a few dozen participants in person and online, the largest turnout Zook reported for his participation in the tour.
“It means a lot when people see what solar can do, but there are still so many people who have no idea yet,” Zook stated.
The company has also published a retrospective examining changes in solar technology since 2001, including developments in installation practices and equipment integration.
The retrospective, titled “Solar Evolution: How Solar Technology Has Changed Since 2001,” is available at https://www.belmontsolar.com/blog/25-years-of-solar-technology-advancements.
Belmont Solar is based at 3376 Harvest Drive in Gordonville and serves customers across the Mid-Atlantic region. Additional company information is available at https://www.belmontsolar.com.
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Press release
07 July 2022
Ensuring a secure transition to net zero emissions will require increased efforts to expand and diversify global production of solar panels whose global supply chains are currently heavily concentrated in China, the IEA said in a new special report released today.
Chinese industrial and innovation policies focused on expanding solar panel production and markets have helped solar PV become the most affordable electricity generation technology in many parts of the world. However, this has also led to imbalances in solar PV supply chains, according to the IEA Special Report on Solar PV Global Supply Chains, the first study of its kind by the Agency.
Global manufacturing capacity for solar panels has increasingly moved out of Europe, Japan and the United States over the last decade and into China, which has taken the lead on investment and innovation. China’s share in all the key manufacturing stages of solar panels exceeds 80% today, according to the report, and for key elements including polysilicon and wafers, this is set to rise to more than 95% in the coming years, based on current manufacturing capacity under construction.
“China has been instrumental in bringing down costs worldwide for solar PV, with multiple benefits for clean energy transitions,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “At the same time, the level of geographical concentration in global supply chains also poses potential challenges that governments need to address. Accelerating clean energy transitions around the world will put further strain on these supply chains to meet growing demand, but this also offers opportunities for other countries and regions to help diversify production and make it more resilient.”
Meeting international energy and climate goals requires the global deployment of solar PV to grow on an unprecedented scale. This in turn demands a major additional expansion in manufacturing capacity, raising concerns about the world’s ability to rapidly develop resilient supply chains. For example, annual additions of solar PV capacity to electricity systems around the world need to more than quadruple by 2030 to be on track with the IEA’s pathway to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Global production capacity for the key building blocks of solar panels – polysilicon, ingots, wafers, cells and modules – would need to more than double by 2030 from today’s levels and existing production facilities would need to be modernised.
“As countries accelerate their efforts to reduce emissions, they need to ensure that their transition towards a sustainable energy system is built on secure foundations,” Dr Birol said. “Solar PV’s global supply chains will need to be scaled up in a way that ensures they are resilient, affordable and sustainable.”
Governments and other stakeholders around the world have begun to pay increasing attention to solar PV’s manufacturing supply chains as high commodity prices and supply chain bottlenecks have led to an increase of around 20% in solar panel prices over the last year. These challenges – particularly apparent in the market for polysilicon, a key material for making solar panels – have resulted in delays in solar PV deliveries across the globe and higher prices. The IEA special report argues that these challenges call for even greater attention and efforts by policy makers going forward. 
The report examines solar PV supply chains from raw materials all the way to the finished product, covering areas such as energy consumption, emissions, employment, production costs, investment, trade and financial performance. It finds, for example, that the electricity-intensive manufacturing of solar PV is mostly powered by fossil fuels today because of the prominent role of coal in the parts of China where production is concentrated – but that solar panels still only need to operate for four to eight months to offset their manufacturing emissions. This brief payback period compares with the average solar panel lifetime of around 25 to 30 years. Increasing decarbonisation of electricity supplies and greater diversification of solar PV supply chains should both help reduce this footprint in the future, the report notes.
Because diversification is one of the key strategies for reducing supply chain risks worldwide, the special report assesses the opportunities and challenges of developing solar PV supply chains in terms of job creation, investment requirements, manufacturing costs, emissions and recycling. It finds that new solar PV manufacturing facilities along the global supply chain could attract USD 120 billion of investment by 2030. And the solar PV sector has the potential to double the number of PV manufacturing jobs to 1 million by 2030, with the most job-intensive areas in the manufacturing of modules and cells.
The special report summarises policy approaches that governments have taken to support domestic solar PV manufacturing and highlights priority areas for action to improve security of supply and to address key challenges such as environmental and social sustainability, investment risks and cost competitiveness.
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Energies Media
Drive west on Petroleum Highway through Kern County and pumpjacks nod against dry hills for miles.
Then the horizon changes.
Rows of dark glass stretch where wellheads once stood alone.
This is not a solar farm feeding a city grid.
It exists for one customer, and that customer is an oil field.
So why build clean power just to pump more crude?
The mechanics are almost mundane once you see them. Pumping crude at Lost Hills takes constant electricity, running the beam pumps, the pipelines and the steam generators that help loosen heavy oil underground. That power has traditionally come from the regional grid, built largely on natural gas, and buying it that way is expensive and exposed to price swings.
So the math became simple. Daytime electricity demand at the field is steady and predictable, which makes it an unusually good match for solar generation that peaks at midday.
Put panels next to the wells, and the field draws straight from them. The operator, Chevron, uses the output to power pumps and pipelines directly, electrons made onsite and consumed onsite.
Just past the intersection of Paso Robles Highway and State Route 33, known locally as Petroleum Highway, thousands of oil wells dot the gold fields. The solar array sits among them, a flat geometric grid dropped into a landscape otherwise defined by vertical steel, its rows running in straight lines between the scattered pump stations and access roads.
The scale is substantial for a site built to serve a single customer. The array supplies a large share of the field’s own electricity needs, turning an imported input into something generated a few hundred yards from where it is used.
The panels cover roughly 80 percent of the field’s annual energy demand. A fossil fuel operation now runs mostly on sunlight, while producing exactly the same barrels it always did.
A company spokesperson laid out the scale of the commitment in plain terms. “We expect that the project will provide more than 1.4 billion kilowatt hours of solar energy over the potential 20 year term of the agreement,” a Chevron spokesperson said.
That is enough power, over two decades, to run tens of thousands of homes, except none of it goes to a home.
Lost Hills is not the first attempt at this pairing. A smaller precursor called Solarmine, installed decades earlier at the nearby Midway Sunset field, proved the concept on a tiny scale before the newer array scaled it up for a working field still producing crude every day. The setup also solves a practical problem, since remote wellheads in the San Joaquin Valley sit far from substations and new grid capacity is costly to build out there.
The complication is not technical, it is what the power is used for. Locals living near Lost Hills see the arrangement differently than an engineering diagram suggests.
“We see flares from the oil fields that light up the night sky with puffs of bright red and orange flames,” one resident, Gustavo Aguirre, said. Solar panels standing beside those same flares does not change what comes out of the ground.
Environmental advocates argue the project solves the wrong problem. “If the oil industry is serious about a role in the energy transition, it needs to transition away from fossil fuels,” one critic, Shaye Wolf, argued in comments reported alongside the project. The panels lower the carbon footprint of pumping, but they do not touch the far larger footprint of burning what gets pumped. Nor does a cleaner pump mean a cleaner community downwind of the wellheads.
Lost Hills is not isolated. Similar logic is spreading across oil country, from Gulf Coast platforms to remote prairie wellheads in Alberta.
Each site follows the same reasoning, daytime power that is cheaper and more reliable than running a diesel generator or stringing a line to the grid. Chevron has described the project as part of a broader push to pair solar with upstream operations where it makes economic sense.
A company in Alberta that installed one such system put the irony plainly: “We have discovered that sites such as this, which have historically been overlooked in regards to alternative or renewable energy, are in fact perfectly suited for it.”
None of that erases the tension. Solar power at an active oil field is still, in the end, solar power spent extracting oil. What makes Lost Hills worth watching is that the contradiction has become ordinary, a 20 year commitment, a steady supply of sunlight, and a pumpjack that keeps nodding exactly as it did before the panels arrived.
Hugo is an engineer with strong technical expertise. Multilingual from an early age, his writing combines technical clarity with a strong interest in science and energy.
Hugo is an engineer with strong technical expertise. Multilingual from an early age, his writing combines technical clarity with a strong interest in science and energy.
Hugo is an engineer with strong technical expertise. Multilingual from an early age, his writing combines technical clarity with a strong interest in science and energy.

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Energies Media
Missouri is turning an industrial brownfield into a clean solar energy hub that supports native biodiversity.
The United States is under pressure to rapidly deploy large-scale renewable power projects to meet rising energy demand more sustainably.
However, intense land-use conflicts have historically slowed this progress.
Fortunately, several former industrial lands lie idle across the nation, offering a feasible solution.
Will Missouri’s innovative mine strip transformation serve as a crucial framework?
American electricity consumption is expanding at an unprecedented rate.
Trend predictions indicate that this energy demand will hit record highs.
AI-oriented data center power use will be a primary driver, which is growing by over 15% annually.
Regional power networks are also facing heavy continuous loads due to widespread transport electrification and domestic manufacturing expansion.
To keep grids stable during peak demand periods, utilities frequently rely on fossil fuels.
These carbon-intensive sources still account for approximately 60% of total electricity generation.
However, this ongoing reliance risks increasing power sector emissions to 1.8 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
This directly conflicts with federal climate regulations targeting up to a 52% reduction in emissions below 2005 levels by 2030.
The most feasible solution to these challenges is deploying large-scale clean energy assets without compromising grid reliability.
Across many U.S. regions, utility-scale solar generation is key to this strategy.
Utility-scale solar generation offers distinct benefits.
This power source enables rapid, cost-effective scalability needed to decarbonize power grids across the country.
In Midwestern states like Missouri, expanding solar capacity is a direct, clean pathway to meeting rising electricity demand.
Unfortunately, securing thousands of contiguous acres for large-scale projects triggers intense land-use conflicts.
Local communities often oppose proposed projects targeting prime American farmland.
Developers also face pushback due to ecological concerns triggered by potential wildlife habitat disruption and the clearing of forested areas.
These siting disputes, along with complex permitting challenges, have historically slowed nationwide clean energy deployment.
To bypass these bottlenecks, developers are quietly planting solar roots in the least-expected places.
Degraded brownfields are being repurposed, enabling the development of multi-megawatt plants without competing for land.
Clearway Energy Group, a leading clean infrastructure developer, has identified this opportunity in northwestern Missouri.
As a result, a former strip mine in Bates County is being targeted for a major transformation.
Several states across the country are transforming old mines into solar energy hubs.
For Clearway, the 650-MW Swan Energy Center will be its first solar project in Missouri.
To support the $1.5 billion capital build-out, a major banking syndicate led by international partners has been assembled.
The company has officially closed financing and has commenced construction.
Commercial operations are targeted to begin in 2028.
The massive facility will produce enough clean electricity to power 200,000 homes annually.
Beyond large-scale electricity generation, the project also includes a broad ecological restoration design.
Native grasses and flowers will be planted beneath and around the solar panels to restore local topsoil.
This will help establish crucial habitats for pollinator species, especially the endangered monarch butterfly.
 
Furthermore, the project will provide significant long-term financial stability to the surrounding rural community.
A 30-year PILOT agreement will enable the project to generate over $80 million in local revenue. This will go to county services and public schools.
The Swan Energy Center’s construction also supports up to 500 jobs.
The project proves that solar capacity can expand without compromising fertile land or local biodiversity.
Ultimately, transforming idle old industrial sites into clean energy hubs is key to meeting rising power demand more sustainably.
Anke Maree is a writer with a clear and engaging editorial style. Her work focuses on making complex topics accessible, informative, and relevant for readers across different areas of interest.
Anke Maree is a writer with a clear and engaging editorial style. Her work focuses on making complex topics accessible, informative, and relevant for readers across different areas of interest.
Anke Maree is a writer with a clear and engaging editorial style. Her work focuses on making complex topics accessible, informative, and relevant for readers across different areas of interest.

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Alongside power banks, batteries, and solar panels, solar power generators are among the ways to get electricity at campsites, on beach trips, or even at home. On top of just a regular solar panel, a generator also stores energy for longer periods. This can come in handy if the sun isn’t always shining or when you need specific devices that need stable electricity, such as medical equipment, security systems, or expensive computers. These days, there are tons of solar power generator models from reputable manufacturers that can support the needs of all kinds of homes. Since different households have varying power needs, there are models with different capacities, whether you need to power small devices or larger, more power-hungry appliances. There are also models with features that can protect more sensitive gadgets and varying output plugs that range from your typical sockets and USB ports to wireless charging. Lastly, there are those that are more durable against the elements or feature LED lights.
To help you decide what to buy, we rounded up several solar power generators that have been rated at least four stars by more than a thousand Amazon users. We also looked at models that are best sellers and have been listed as Amazon’s Choice products. Lastly, we considered a wide range of budgets with prices that start at around $200, as well as those that come in bundles. So, if you’re ready to make your next home investment, here are some solar power generators you can get on Amazon.
Retailing for $219.99, MARBERO’s 296Wh Solar Generator with solar panels is the cheapest model on this list and the brand’s highest-capacity offer on Amazon. With its solar panel, MARBERO says it can be fully charged in seven to eight hours, as long as it is in strong sunlight. But when you’re not off-grid, it can also take up to seven hours to fully charge via a car charger or wall charger. Capable of powering up to seven devices simultaneously, it has a pair of AC outlets, a pair of DC outputs, a pair of USB-A plugs, and a single USB-C PD port. Since it is made to work outdoors, it has an IP65 rating, which means that it’s dust-tight and can handle low-pressure jets.
The solar generator itself weighs 5.73 lbs, or about as heavy as a bowling ball. It also measures 9.09 inches by 8.38 inches by 4.01 inches. On the other hand, its included solar panel measures 10.15 inches by 13.93 inches by 1.18 inches when closed and 40.7 inches on its longest side when fully opened. Collectively, the different MARBERO Portable Power Station models have been rated 4.3 stars from over 1,400 Amazon users. So, if you’re not sold on this particular kit or already own a solar panel, you have other options to choose from with prices that start at $81.99. Previously, we also highlighted how the MARBERO 30W Solar Panel is great for camping.
While we’ve mentioned before that it isn’t made for power-hungry appliances, the BLUETTI AC180 Solar Generator can be a good enough power station for emergencies, as long as you stick to smaller appliances. With a 1,152Wh capacity and a maximum output of 1,800W, it can power things like electric griddles, ice makers, and coffee machines with no problem. It also claims it can run your 80W refrigerator for up to half a day. With a total of 11 outlets, it has four AC outlets, a car outlet, four USB-A plugs, a USB-C plug, and even a wireless charging pad. It is as heavy as a cinder block at just above 35 lbs and measures 9.72 inches by 13.39 inches by 12.48 inches.
Priced at $899, this kit includes the 200W solar panel, which can take up to 11.6 hours to reach 100% under the right exposure. In the same time frame, you can also reach a full battery via its car charger. Alternatively, you can reach 80% in just 45 minutes with an AC input. On Amazon, BLUETTI lists several models for its solar generators, including lower-capacity options. Altogether, they have been rated 4.5 stars on average by 2,800 people. If you want to maximize its solar charging capabilities, you can get just the BLUETTI AC180 unit for $499 and the $849 500W solar panel model, which lets you fully charge it in as fast as 2.8 hours.
One key feature that differentiates the EF ECOFLOW Portable Power Station Delta 3 Classic is that it has a 30dB noise rating when under 600W. Practically as loud as a whisper, this makes it an ideal option for nighttime use. With a 1,800W AC Output and 3,600W Surge, ECOFLOW says it can keep a 10W camping light on for up to 58 hours. It has three AC plugs, two USB-C ports (30W and 100W), as well as a USB-A port with 18W Max. It also has a 10ms auto-switch, so you have more peace of mind if you’re going to be using it with sensitive electronics. It weighs just under 27 lbs and measures 15.7 inches by 7.9 inches by 11.1 inches.
In tandem with its 500W solar panel, you can get up to 80% battery capacity in less than two hours. Using an alternator charger, you can also enjoy its 2.8-hour charging time. On the other hand, it takes only 45 minutes to reach 80% charge when plugged into a wall or generator. For $559, you can get just the EF ECOFLOW Portable Power Station Delta 3 Classic unit. On Amazon, the EF ECOFLOW Portable Power Station Delta 3 Classic boasts a 4.7-star average rating from 1,300+ customers. If you want to check out solar panels, ECOFLOW lists several kits with solar panels ranging from a pair of 110W ($749) to 400W ($1,459).
The most compact option on this list, the ZeroKor 300W Portable Solar Generator, is just 6.7 inches by 4.1 inches by 8.5 inches. It’s also the lightest option at around 5 lbs. Made for small electronics, ZeroKor says that you can easily power smartphones, tablets, laptops, and cameras. But take note, you will need an adapter if any of your devices use the now-ubiquitous USB-C cable. It has two AC plugs, one DC plug, and four USB-A ports. One feature that other models don’t have is its LED light that has three different lighting modes: flashlight, reading, and SOS. For added protection, it also has intelligent cooling systems, short-circuit protection, and over-voltage protection.
Another affordable option, the ZeroKor 300W Portable Solar Generator is priced just under $150. Out of the box, this does include an AC power adapter, cigarette lighter, and 12V car charging cable. Alternatively, you can also get the combo with the 60W Solar Panel for $229.97. Altogether, they have been given a 4.2-star average rating by 2,100 Amazon users. That said, if you want something even smaller, ZeroKor has a $149.97 100W Portable Power Station bundled with a 40W Solar Panel. Weighing 3.3 lbs, it measures 7.6 inches by 3.7 inches by 6.1 inches. However, ZeroKor cautions against using appliances that require more than 100W, like hair dryers and coffee makers. It holds a 4.1-star average rating from over 690 people.
The most popular solar power generator on this list, the Jackery Explorer 300, has been rated 4.6 stars by over 11,300 Amazon reviewers. As of October 2026, it has also been listed as the number 1 Best Seller under Amazon’s Outdoor Generator category. With a 292Wh capacity and 300W dual AC output, it has six outlets: two AC outlets, two USB-A ports, a 100W USB-C PD port, and a 120W car port. It’s made with smaller, less power-hungry devices in mind, such as phones, cameras, and laptops. Jackery notes that it can charge an iPhone 17 Pro to 80% in 50 minutes.
Weighing 7.5 lbs, the Jackery Explorer 300 measures 7.8 inches by 6 inches by 9 inches, which means it strikes somewhere in the middle of this list in terms of weight. According to Jackery, it’s designed to reach 11 years of service life. While you can get just the unit for $289, there are also other options with solar panels included. For example, you can get the power station with a 40W solar panel for $379, which is an Amazon’s Choice product and has been rated 4.4 stars by more than 230 customers. For this model, you can expect to reach 80% capacity in 7.5 hours. Alternatively, the kit with the 100W model retails for $549, which can fully charge it in just 3.5 hours.

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Nomads to farmers: Pastoralists are ditching livestock for solar farming  Daily Nation
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LIC delivers strong Q2 performance, IDBI Bank disinvestment unlikely to hit bancass…
NSE to overhaul closing auction session, extend derivatives trading hours from Dec 7
Nifty, Sensex post strongest weekly gains in over a year amid strong foreign inflows
Foreign investors pump Rs 45,960 crore this week in Indian stock market
Domino’s India operator Jubilant FoodWorks’ Q2 profit slumps 42 pc to Rs 108 crore
Kirloskar Industries’ Q2 profit slips nearly 4 pc to Rs 51 crore
IT Q2 results beat low expectations, but demand recovery pushed to FY28
FIIs stood as net buyers in equities as per November 06 data: NSDL
3M India Q2 profit falls 17.2 pc to Rs 158 crore; shares tumble 10 pc
Havells India surges on securing LoC for fiscal incentives Uttar Pradesh GCC-2024 p…
Saatvik Green Energy is currently trading at Rs. 361.10, up by 1.05 points or 0.29% from its previous closing of Rs. 360.05 on the BSE.
The scrip opened at Rs. 355.25 and has touched a high and low of Rs. 362.85 and Rs. 355.25 respectively. So far 239 shares were traded on the counter.
The BSE group 'B' stock of face value Rs. 2 has touched a 52 week high of Rs. 551.80 on 06-Nov-2025 and a 52 week low of Rs. 329.70 on 09-Mar-2026.
Last one week high and low of the scrip stood at Rs. 370.50 and Rs. 339.55 respectively. The current market cap of the company is Rs. 4589.76 crore.
The promoters holding in the company stood at 75.99%, while Institutions and Non-Institutions held 11.25% and 12.75% respectively.
Saatvik Green Energy’s wholly owned and material subsidiary — Saatvik Solar Industries (SSIPL) has commenced commercial production of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules at its manufacturing facility located at National Highway-16, Chamakhandi, Gopalpur Industrial Park, Gopalpur, District Ganjam, Odisha (Gopalpur Facility) with effect from November 2, 2026.
The commercial production has commenced under Phase I of the project, with a production capacity of approximately 1.3 GW of solar PV modules. The remaining capacity is proposed to be commissioned in subsequent phases. The commencement of production at the Gopalpur Facility marks a significant milestone in the company’s manufacturing expansion plans and is expected to strengthen its production capabilities, enhance operational scale, and support the company's future growth as the remaining phases of the project are implemented. 

LIC delivers strong Q2 performance, IDBI Bank disinvestment unlikely to hit bancassurance: CEO
LIC delivers strong Q2 performance, IDBI Bank disinvestment unlikely to hit bancassurance: CEO
Foreign investors pump Rs 45,960 crore this week in Indian stock market

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Investors have shown significant interest in committing nearly $400 billion to India’s green energy initiatives. Renewable energy minister Pralhad Joshi stated that this investment comes from both domestic and international companies. India needs approximately $220 billion by 2030 to fulfill its renewable energy targets. Discussions included challenges regarding solar cell availability and the ongoing development of energy storage systems.
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India requires investments of around $220 billion by 2030 to meet its renewable energy targets.

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© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.
“I didn’t want to drill into the roof and cause a leak.”
Photo Credit: Reddit
Pooling rainwater became a concern for one homeowner whose rooftop solar setup was intended to keep animals from getting underneath the panels.
The homeowner took to Reddit’s r/SolarDIY forum to ask fellow solar enthusiasts whether a slight tilt would help the panels, which the owner had laid flat on a garage roof.
In the Reddit thread, the original poster asked, “Is it fine for water to just sit and pool on a flat panel, or is it worth propping them up slightly (even a few degrees) to help it drain?”
The OP added, “I kept them flat deliberately, mainly to avoid animals getting underneath and wind catching an angled edge and ripping them off.”
Commenters largely urged the OP to angle the panels while securing them. One of the top comments read, “Definitely angled. What’s the problem with animals getting underneath? And why can’t you attach them to a bracket?”
OP responded, explaining that, “I didn’t want to drill into the roof and cause a leak. Perhaps just a bit of 2×4 would be enough?” After this, a third user joined the discussion, writing, “They absolutely need to be anchored down or the first good storm or gust of wind is going to have them sailing off into the neighbor’s property and you’re going to be liable for any damage they do. … With modern anchoring systems there’s very little danger of leaks if you follow the instructions correctly.”
Another commenter added, “Terrible idea. They still need to be attached or weighted to the roof, and water and bird droppings will pool on them, and they will get very dirty very quickly. As a rule of thumb, in my experience, you want an angle of at least 7 degrees for water to self-clean, but ideally 15 degrees or so.”
For homeowners considering solar to lower electricity bills, $0-upfront solar leases may save hundreds of dollars per month, depending on the household and arrangement. EasyHome offers a free explorer to estimate potential savings and find vetted installers in your area.
With energy prices through the roof, there’s never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area.
EasyHome takes the guesswork and headaches out of energy upgrades by showing you estimated savings from a network of vetted local partners. To get started, just enter your ZIP and share a few details about your home — seeing your estimate is really that easy.
Beyond the garage-roof mounting question, homeowners can also explore battery-storage options through EasyHome. Pairing solar with suitable battery storage can help manage electricity costs by saving generated power for later use, while a backup-configured system can supply power during outages.
Panel angle is one of several practical details to consider when installing rooftop solar. 
• In Spain, a homeowner’s near-flat solar panels lost output, prompting warnings about tap-water cleaning.
• An installer tackling a steep metal roof received straightforward advice: use the rails.
• A UK homeowner worried that 15 solar panels sat too close to the roof’s edge.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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India’s renewable energy capacity to reach 530 GW by 2030, solar to drive over 80% of growth: IEA  ANI News
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Ignitis Renewables, a Lithuania-based renewable energy developer, has brought the 174 MW Tume solar farm in Tukums municipality in Latvia into commercial operation. The farm, which has been built across 302 hectares, carries more than 282,000 solar panels. Those panels have been mounted on trackers that follow the sun during the day, and Tume is the first project of the company in which such trackers have been used. It is also the first of its projects that is to be maintained mainly by its own specialists. According to the company, the farm will be able to meet the annual electricity demand of about 85,000 households. Its output is to be optimised by a 107 MW/215 MWh BESS, which is now under construction at the same site and is to be integrated with the farm.
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AXIAN, a Madagascar-based pan-African infrastructure and energy group, has signed financing agreements of €30 million (~ $33.5 million) for the IPP50 solar project in Benin. The financing is being provided jointly by IFC and Proparco, while IFC is mobilising additional funds from the Clean Technology Fund. Four solar PV plants of 62 MW combined are to be built with it at Natitingou, Djougou, Parakou and Bohicon. Once they are in operation, the plants are expected to generate about 110 GWh a year. According to the release, that output would raise the domestic power generation of Benin by about 17% over the 2028-2035 period. IPP50, which has a total cost of €45 million (~ $50.2 million), is the first solar project of an independent power producer in the country. Its electricity is to be sold to SBPE under long-term power purchase agreements, and commercial operation is to begin in the first quarter of 2028.
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It’s cranberry season in southeastern Massachusetts. At bogs throughout the region, growers are collecting the ruby-red berries destined for holiday cakes, juice bottles, and cans of jellied sauce. At two farms, however, the harvesting process looks a little different: Pickers are navigating equipment around metal poles in the shade of solar panels. 
The two bogs are the first in the country — perhaps the world — to grow cranberries beneath an operating solar installation. This fall marks the second season cranberries have been harvested from beneath the panels.

“We are literally proving it can be done,” said Prateek Tare, co-founder and executive vice president of Distributed Energy Infrastructure. His company constructed the two projects — a 4.4-megawatt array paired with a 13.5-megawatt-hour battery in the town of Kingston, and a 1-MW solar array in neighboring Plymouth. 
Solar development is a major part of Massachusetts’ plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The state has offered solar incentives since 2001, evolving and expanding them over the decades to drive even more development. 
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However, the question of where to site solar projects has become a major point of contention in the densely populated and heavily wooded state. Building on rooftops and parking lots in developed areas can increase costs and limit generation capacity. But proposals for arrays on previously undeveloped land often spark protests from locals worried about the character of their community and environmental groups opposed to disrupting ecosystems. Using pre-cleared farmland has potential, but raises concerns about taking agricultural acres out of production. Many of these same dynamics are at play in communities across the U.S.
One of the solutions Massachusetts has been encouraging is agrivoltaics, or dual-use solar, which involves building solar panels above active agricultural operations. This strategy, which is gaining traction nationwide, allows farmland to be used for energy generation even as livestock graze or crops flourish beneath the elevated arrays. 
In 2018, Massachusetts became the first state to offer a financial boost to dual-use solar projects like these. The state’s solar incentive program pays participants a set rate for every kilowatt-hour of electricity they generate; an array with a capacity between 1 MW and 5 MW currently gets a base rate of 23.17 cents. Agrivoltaic projects get an extra 9 cents per kilowatt-hour. 
That can be enough money to attract developers interested in leasing land for solar arrays or, less commonly, buying property outright with an agreement to keep it in agricultural use. Farmers who agree to lease are also generally paid for their services maintaining the landscape around the panels and poles. 
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In Kingston and Plymouth, clean energy developer Greenbacker Renewables bought the land, which had been home to cranberry-growing operations for decades, from farmers who were ready to get out of the business. Greenbacker then worked with Distributed Energy Infrastructure to build the arrays, and hired Iain Ward, a solar consultant and longtime cranberry farmer in the area, to manage the growing operations. Both projects use a community solar model, selling power to customers interested in the lower prices and environmental benefits offered by renewable energy.
Solar can be particularly advantageous for cranberry farmers in Massachusetts, which grows more of the fruit than any state other than Wisconsin. While sheep farms and cornfields can often be sold to housing or commercial developers, cranberry bogs are protected wetlands: Even if they go out of production, they cannot be built on. Not all bogs are well placed to connect to the grid, but for those that are, solar panels can be a financial lifeline. 
“This is a farm viability opportunity,” Ward said. 
Figuring out how to build a solar array over a cranberry bog was a unique puzzle, Tare said. The first challenge was the foundations. For most solar arrays, the foundation goes 8 to 10 feet into the ground, he said. But in a cranberry bog, you have to go well past that to find ground solid and stable enough to hold the pilings. It took some trial and error to find the right machine to sink piles that deep. Wiring couldn’t be buried in the boggy ground, so it had to be hung overhead. 
“You’re trying to figure it out from a farmer’s perspective,” said Tare, who worked closely with Ward on the design of the two projects. 
The resulting installations have photovoltaic panels mounted 10 feet off the ground on an axis that allows them to tilt throughout the day to follow the sun. Pilings are spread farther from each other than standard so that harvesting equipment can be moved freely through the bog. 
These successes in Kingston and Plymouth have led to more agrivoltaic opportunities for Tare’s company, including arrays in apple orchards, a cattle pasture, and a Christmas tree farm. Preliminary work is also underway at another bog. 
Meanwhile, a stalled cranberry solar project in the nearby town of Carver could be resuscitated. Five years ago, a different pair of bogs there were set to become the nation’s first cranberry agrivoltaic operations. The arrays were built, and crops are growing beneath them, but the company behind the developments went bankrupt before they could get up and running. Today, the new bog owner has ​“every intention to finish them,” Ward said. 
“They’re not a failure,” Ward said. ​“There is an opportunity for them to be finished.”
Tare expects future cranberry projects to get easier each time, as the company carries forward the lessons it learns. Though momentum has been slow so far, Ward expects development to accelerate soon. 
“It is picking up steam, and the lessons learned have been significant, he said. ​“When you change a paradigm, it takes a little time.”

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A research team from Canada’s Memorial University of Newfoundland has designed a solar-powered pleasure boat. The researchers developed and sized the system using a two-stage evaluation method combining energy yield estimates from HOMER Pro with multi-domain dynamic modeling in MATLAB/Simulink.
“The real-world applicability of this solar-electric drive system underscores significant environmental and operational benefits for the marine sector,” the researchers said. “By eliminating onboard fossil-fuel consumption, the proposed architecture avoids localized greenhouse gas emissions, reduces acoustic pollution, and prevents potential fuel-spill contamination in fragile marine ecosystems.”
The researchers designed the solar-electric propulsion system for an 11.8-meter-long, 5.8-meter-wide boat capable of accommodating five to six adults, taking into account solar conditions in Larnaca, Cyprus. Based on a full-load displacement of approximately 2,250 kg and a target speed of 5.4 knots, they selected two 2.5 kW brushless DC motors, with an estimated energy requirement of 30 kWh for six hours of daily operation.
Using HOMER Pro and local solar resource data showing average daily irradiation of 5.43 kWh/m2, the researchers assessed power generation, energy balance and life-cycle economics. The proposed system features 32 solar modules rated at 330 W each, providing a combined capacity of 10.56 kW across approximately 62.4 m2. The modules are divided into four independently controlled subarrays. Eight lead-acid batteries form a 48 V, 410 Ah battery bank with a nominal storage capacity of 19.68 kWh, providing two hours of backup power.
The team modeled the system in MATLAB/Simulink, connecting each subarray to a common 48 V DC bus through a boost converter equipped with incremental-conductance maximum power point tracking (MPPT). A central energy management system limits battery charging current to approximately 50 A and curtails surplus generation. Hall-effect sensors and closed-loop proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control regulate motor speed at 2,000 rpm. The simulations covered solar-only, combined PV-battery and battery-only operating modes, assessing power tracking, voltage stability and motor response.
“Dynamic simulation results under localized clear-sky irradiance peaks confirm that the decentralized PV system achieves a maximum output of nearly 10.98 kW,” the researchers said. “Evaluated against the logical profiles of Larnaca, Cyprus, the array fully satisfies the baseline propulsion demand while delivering a robust 39.8% excess energy margin.”
The results also showed that the four incremental-conductance MPPT controllers effectively minimized power-tracking oscillations, while the energy management system maintained DC-bus voltage fluctuations within ±3% of the nominal 48 V rating.
“While this simulation-based work establishes a rigorous computational foundation for system control and dynamic sizing, several avenues remain for future development,” the researchers concluded. “Furthermore, experimental validation through physical full-scale sea trials could be conducted to verify real-world hydrodynamic drag effects, alongside detailed techno-economic sensitivity analyses evaluating levelized cost of energy (LCOE), net present cost (NPC), capital paybacks, and cycle degradation under fluctuating market interest rates and fuel prices.”
The researchers presented their findings in “Integrated modeling and performance assessment of a stand-alone PV-battery system for a solar-powered pleasure boat,” published in Next Research.

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Tuesday, November 10, 2026
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm CET, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
Day 1 | Europe’s Solar and Storage Markets 2027: What works where?
Day 2 | Solar + Storage Co-location: Three markets, three business cases
Day 3 | Solar Quality: Which technical risks still need better answers?
Day 4 | Cybersecurity and Procurement: What can European solar projects source in 2027 and beyond?
Friday, November 13, 2026
10:00 am – 11:00 am CET, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
As a media partner of Genera 2026, pv magazine will organize and moderate a session in Spanish in Madrid, during International Electrification and Decarbonization Week.
Monday, November 23, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid

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Save the Date: Microgrid Knowledge Conference, May 5–7 in AZ
The City of Issaquah, Washington, is advancing plans for a solar-plus-storage microgrid at Pickering Barn, a historic community facility designated as a resilience hub to support residents during power outages and natural disasters.
The project includes a planned 60-kWh battery energy storage system (BESS) that will be integrated with an existing 64.9-kW DC solar photovoltaic array. Emerald Battery Labs, a Seattle-based sodium-ion battery manufacturer, will work with the city on the battery system’s development and deployment.
The project is supported in part by a $671,000 grant from TransAlta Centralia Generation LLC.
Pickering Barn is part of Issaquah’s Resilience Hub Initiative, which identifies public facilities that can provide essential services and community support during emergencies. The facility is intended to serve as a warming and cooling center and provide other emergency resources when the electric grid is unavailable.
The city’s Solar + Storage Microgrid Feasibility Study identified Pickering Barn as a priority location for a community resilience microgrid. Installation of the solar array, completed earlier this year, represented the first phase of the project. Battery storage is the next step, allowing the facility to disconnect, or island, from the grid and use stored solar energy to support critical loads during outages.
The planned system will use sodium-ion battery chemistry, an alternative to the lithium-ion technology commonly used in stationary energy storage applications. Emerald will focus on battery integration, energy management, battery management system communications and system-level safety validation.
The company also plans to pursue UL 9540, UL 9540A and UL 1973 certifications for the battery energy storage system and support the city through permitting and procurement.
The Pickering Barn project is part of a broader effort by Issaquah to improve the facility’s energy performance while preserving its role as a community gathering place. More than 110 years old, the barn hosts a weekly farmers market from May through October and welcomed more than 37,000 visitors in 2025, including attendees at 264 events.
The city installed heat pumps at the facility in 2025 and added the solar array in 2026. Together with the planned battery system, these improvements are intended to reduce energy costs, increase the use of renewable energy and provide a practical example of how public buildings can support community resilience.
Issaquah received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2023, becoming the first city in Washington state to achieve the designation.
The Pickering Barn project illustrates how municipalities can build on existing solar installations with battery storage to extend the role of public facilities beyond their everyday functions and provide greater continuity of services during grid disruptions.

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