Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. Advertisement Silicon photovoltaics Nature Energy (2026)Cite this article As silicon solar cells approach their theoretical efficiency limit, further performance gains become increasingly difficult. Two studies now demonstrate advances in mainstream tunnel oxide passivating contact technology: one improves the boron emitter and polysilicon in the standard design, while the other proposes an alternative cell architecture that overcomes limitations of the mainstream approach. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription $32.99 / 30 days cancel any time Subscribe to this journal Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles $119.00 per year only $9.92 per issue Rent or buy this article Prices vary by article type from$1.95 to$39.95 Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout China photovoltaic industry development roadmap (2024–2025). China Photovoltaic Industry Associationhttps://www.chinapv.org.cn/Industry/resource_1405.html (2025). International technology roadmap for photovoltaics (ITRPV). VDMAhttps://www.vdma.org/international-technology-roadmap-photovoltaic (2025). Wang, Q. et al. Energy Environ. Sci.18, 9217–9229 (2025). Article Google Scholar Niewelt, T. et al. Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells235, 111467 (2022). Article Google Scholar Gao, K. et al. Nat. Energyhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-026-02007-8 (2026). Article Google Scholar Yang, Z. et al. Nat. Energyhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-026-01982-2 (2026). Article Google Scholar Lin, H. et al. Nat. Energy8, 789–799 (2023). Article Google Scholar Krassowski, E. Laser Enhanced Contact Optimization – on the evolution and potentials of a disruptive technology for contact formation of industrial solar cells. In Proc. 2025 IEEE 53rd Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) 248–250 (IEEE, 2025). Richter, A. et al. Nat. Energy6, 429–438 (2021). Article Google Scholar Tong, H. et al. Nat. Commun.16, 5920 (2025). Article Google Scholar Wang, G. et al. Nature647, 369–374 (2025). Article Google Scholar Er-raji, O. et al. Sol. RRL7, 2300659 (2023). Article Google Scholar Green, M. A. et al. Prog. Photovolt.34, 482–496 (2026). Article Google Scholar Yang, G. et al. Nat. Photon.19, 913–924 (2025). Article Google Scholar Hanser, M. et al. Sol. RRL9, e202500835 (2025). Article Google Scholar Download references Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), Freiburg, Germany Armin Richter, Jan Benick & Andreas Wolf Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Correspondence to Armin Richter. The authors declare no competing interests. Reprints and permissions Richter, A., Benick, J. & Wolf, A. Pushing tunnel oxide passivating contact technology. Nat Energy (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-026-02051-4 Download citation Published: Version of record: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-026-02051-4 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.
SNAPSHOT: NLR works in Airbus-led Clean Aviation project to demonstrate hydrogen tank integration, double-hinged rudder designs, induction welding and faster NDI. RACES is part of the startup’s extensive research to support its S-1 eVTOL, advancing practical pathways for integrating rCF into aircraft structures. One of REGENT Defense’s portfolio of hydrofoiling seaglider marine craft designed for military use, Squire flies below radar targeting 70-knot speeds, 50-pound payload and range of 100 nautical miles. The multi-department project developed airframe structure and safe battery integration, combining an optimized, crash-safe structural design with low-waste, lightweight composite production processes. Focused on low-speed operations so far, the test program is expanding its envelope with propulsion, efficiency and noise performance with promising early results. Seven 700-bar Type 4 tanks connected in parallel store 7 kilograms of H2 extend range up to 750 kilometers and fit into same space as battery-electric option for multi-powertrain vehicle architecture. SNAPSHOT: The collaboration supports the move from traditional 3D tooling limitations to integrated, high-efficiency processes. Low-temp curing tooling prepreg distribution is the latest addition to VAC’s expanding range of composite processing materials and solutions. SNAPSHOT: Latest version of widely used software provides new capabilities and workflow enhancements. Spain-based research addresses limitations of current models for simulating fluid flow in composite manufacturing processes. Collaborations target integrating new heating, cooling, process monitoring and more, allowing customers to adopt new technologies with reduced risk and effort. With support from AnalySwift’s software tools, Penn State aims to reduce design cycle time, improve manufacturability and validate composite blade performance against analytical predictions. California-based Hybron aims to scale up technology for high-rate, low-cost carbon fiber composite components including jet engine compressor blades. TC1810 is one of Toray’s highest-temperature thermoset systems with prepreg, featuring a 260-1000°C operating range to address crucial industry segments. Carbon fiber rotor blades have been verified to maximize aerodynamic efficiency and extend operational flight performance for applications like this heavy-lift rotorcraft competition. Denmark’s 1.1-GW offshore wind farm will be equipped with 36 turbines that use Siemens Gamesas’ GreenTowers and 40 that feature 120 recyclable rotor blades. The Vision incorporates ampliTex flax fibers from interior surfaces to exterior body parts, an explorative exercise meant to challenge Kia’s design limits and potentially inform future models. SNAPSHOT: NLR works in Airbus-led Clean Aviation project to demonstrate hydrogen tank integration, double-hinged rudder designs, induction welding and faster NDI. SNAPSHOT: The collaboration supports the move from traditional 3D tooling limitations to integrated, high-efficiency processes. The F-15 electric ferry cut energy use by up to 88%, eliminated direct emissions and improved transport efficiency in Fredrikstad’s public transport pilot. SNAPSHOT: Planned Alpha rocket upgrades for improved mission payload capacity, reliability and manufacturing are in the integration and testing phase. The French fiber placement systems company aims to locally reinforces its U.S. customer service and support capabilities. Having achieved its first few commercial series successes, Kautex Textron explains the design process for its Pentatonic battery enclosure platform, which comprise glass fiber/PP or PA6 and injection overmolding a compression molded laminate. SNAPSHOT: Maximum stiffness, long-term structural reliability was achieved using six-cavity infusion mold for omegas, large-scale 3D printing and pinpoint machining for highest quality with low lead times. Market outlook highlights commercial, defense and bizjet upturn, shift to Asia/rise of India while supply chain struggles to meet rate, AAM begins pivot toward commercial routes plus trends in civil UAS, electric aircraft and the latest in composites developments. A discussion of how temperature, mandrel material and thickness, plus other factors affect the outcome of repeatable filament-wound composite shell manufacturing. Composites solve performance, weight, durability challenges and more in a variety of industrial applications. Recent notable examples include fire truck pumps, biogas reactor tanks and shipping pallets. Establish a proper thermal cycle during TPC rapid forming and achieve reproducible, successful parts through key material selection and process method understanding. H2 economy is set back by Trump policies, tariffs and funding pivot to defense and AI, but composite tanks remain a key segment with sales in CNG/RNG, growth in New Space and potential for H2-electric aviation. New players proliferate, increasing CMC materials and manufacturing capacity, novel processes and automation to meet demand for higher part volumes and performance. Despite the versatility of fluoropolymers in demanding, high-performance applications under harsh environments, many of them have been classified as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and are facing increasing regulatory scrutiny. However, polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) is outside all current regulatory definitions of PFAS due to the lack of full fluorination and the presence of hydrogen on each carbon in the backbone of the polymer. This positions PVF as a sustainable alternative to traditional fluoropolymers while retaining outstanding weatherability, durability and chemical resistance. In this talk, DuPont will review composite applications currently commonly utilizing PFAS materials and the status of PVF as a non-PFAS fluoropolymer within the regulatory landscape. DuPont will highlight PVF's exceptional surface protection and barrier properties, its compatibility with multiple composite manufacturing processes and its multifunctional use as a release film. Agenda Review of current PFAS regulations and in-scope materials Use cases for PFAS materials (films and coatings) in composite applications Non-PFAS options: range from non-fluorinated lower-performance materials to non-PFAS polyvinyl fluoride Overview: what PVF is, why it is non-PFAS and what its attributes are Real-world case studies As the composite industry shifts toward a circular economy, manufacturers face a dual challenge: integrating nontraditional feedstocks while maintaining high-performance output. This session explores the technical pathways for processing recycled carbon fibers, natural fibers and waste-derived materials using advanced scattering and double-belt press technology. Rather than viewing sustainability as a cost burden, this webinar will examine the "define and refine" methodology—a systematic approach to optimizing material composition and recipe accuracy. Attendees will learn how continuous production cycles reduce energy demand and processing steps compared to traditional batch methods, supported by data-driven insights into carbon dioxide reduction and process repeatability. Agenda Brief introduction to IPCO and overview of 2025/2026 market trends and their significance Innovations and next-generation products: using recycled materials for interior and exterior applications Energy efficiency and process optimization: reducing energy demand and processing steps Versatility and material selection: handling virgin and waste stream feedstock materials Scalability and production reliability: repeatability, recipe accuracy, and energy savings The composites industry is under increasing pressure to deliver high-performance materials while improving sustainability, manufacturing efficiency and design freedom. Manufacturers are being asked to reduce waste, integrate recycled content and support complex part geometries — all without compromising quality, scalability or process compatibility. These demands are driving the need for new material formats that move beyond conventional tradeoffs.In this webinar, Mandy Clement will introduce UNIMAT, a scalable aligned nonwoven solution from James Cropper. Achieving more than 95 percent fiber alignment, UNIMAT delivers exceptional mechanical performance while offering the flexibility required for modern composite manufacturing. Clement will explore how UNIMAT enables the use of recycled and post-industrial waste (PIW) carbon fiber, supports complex geometries through improved conformability and integrates with multiple resin systems and processing routes.Dale Brosius will then place this innovation in a broader industry context, examining how aligned nonwovens can help address key challenges across composite markets. From aerospace and automotive to sporting goods and advanced air mobility, the session will highlight how this material approach supports circular manufacturing, reduces cost and material waste, and unlocks new design possibilities — enabling manufacturers to align composite performance with sustainability goals.Agenda:Attendees will gain insights into technical breakthroughs and how UNIMAT can provide new pathways for the composites market to achieve sustainability goals. Key points include:Why sustainability and processability are critical pain points in composites today.Innovative Alignment Technology: How UNIMAT delivers directional performance with the added benefit of design flexibility and handling.Circular Economy Impact: The role of recycled and post-industrial fibers in meeting sustainability targets.Hybridization: Fiber agnostic processing technology gives manufacturers and partners freedom to design bespoke solutions, including the incorporation of thermoplastic fibers, low-melt resins, recycled blends and more.Integration with multiple processes and resin systems for scalable manufacturing. The next generation of aircraft will implement various new propulsion technologies from hybrid engines and hydrogen propulsion to fully electric aircraft. These systems rely on the development of a new class of electric motor that needs to be lightweight and power dense to accommodate the added weight from the new technologies. Trelleborg and GE Aerospace R&D are collaborating in an ARPA-E funded program to develop an innovative, light weight and ultra-efficient electric motor. The use of in-situ fiber placed thermoplastic composites enables a transformational increase in power density. This webinar will highlight the development of a suite of key technologies that will enable future electric aircraft propulsion. Agenda: Introduction to next-generation aircraft propulsion Overview of the ARPA-E ASCEND program and the GE Aerospace eFLITES program Use of thermoplastic fiber placement to enable next-generation electric propulsion Trelleborg capabilities to support composite development The performance of the final product depends heavily on the degree of cure – making it critical to ensure that the reaction goes to completion for the highest quality and reliability. Achieving this requires both a deep understanding of the resin’s curing behavior and precise control of process parameters. Tools such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dielectric analysis (DEA) and oscillatory rheometry provide powerful ways to characterize thermal transitions, cure progression and flow behavior. Each method delivers distinct insights. In this presentation, NETZSCH will discuss when to use DSC, DEA or oscillatory rheometry. These techniques also serve as the basis for kinetics analysis using Kinetics Neo software. Kinetics modeling allows simulation of resin behavior under any time or temperature conditions. This not only enables process optimization and consistent product performance but also helps reduce manufacturing variability and thus scrap rates by predicting and preventing potential processing issues. Agenda: Comparative use of DSC, DEA and oscillatory rheometry in thermoset cure characterization Kinetic modeling approaches for curing processes The role of vitrification as a critical parameter in cure analysis This technical webinar will provide an in-depth overview of Syensqo’s advanced Bismaleimide (BMI) portfolio, including prepregs and adhesives for high-performance aerospace applications. Attendees will learn about the unique properties and processing characteristics of Syensqo's BMI materials, which deliver outstanding thermal performance and mechanical strength. The session will highlight their global manufacturing footprint, non-ITAR product options and ongoing innovation pipeline. This webinar is ideal for engineers, material scientists and technical decision-makers seeking to optimize composite performance in aerospace systems. Agenda: The breadth of Syensqo’s BMI product range, highlighting solutions tailored for diverse aerospace requirements Syensqo's global manufacturing and supply footprint, ensuring consistent quality and availability Non-ITAR BMI products that facilitate international program participation and compliance An overview of our innovation pipeline, including recent developments and next-generation BMI technologies Across three days, this international technical event on vertical flight technology includes 250+ technical papers on every discipline from acoustics to test and evaluation, as well as invited presentations and discussions by leaders in the military, government agencies and industry. The Ceramics Expo reunites the full technical ceramics supply chain in the center of North America’s manufacturing corridor. Explore breakthrough materials, cutting-edge processes and the technologies shaping high-performance industries and the future of technical ceramics. The SPE Thermoset Division is dedicated to promoting scientific and engineering knowledge relating to thermosetting materials and processing techniques. The Joint Coordination for the Composite Materials Handbook (CMH-17) brings together industry experts on polymer matrix composites (PMC), ceramic matrix composites (CMC) and nonmetallic additive manufacturing from across the globe. This technical event includes working group meetings, learning opportunities and the opportunity to build engineering knowledge of industry best practices. This is a collaborative event that draws experts from top companies, government and academia to create Handbook content. ACMA’s Thermoplastic Composites Conference (TCC) is an insightful and collaborative event that focuses on high-performance thermoplastic composites innovations, applications, and technology. Attendees can expect to benefit from the return of ACMA’s highly regarded composites education program, featuring more than 20 dynamic sessions led by industry experts. The SAMPE UK & Ireland Chapter invites engineers, scientists, and innovators to join the 2026 Annual Conference, “Advanced Materials & Manufacturing: From Microstructures to Megastructures.”This one-day technical conference will bring together leading minds from academia, research and industry to explore the latest advances in materials science, manufacturing technologies and optimization methods. The event will focus on how innovation at the microstructural level can translate into large-scale engineering applications, accelerating progress from research to real-world implementation. Thousands of people visit our Supplier Guide every day to source equipment and materials. Get in front of them with a free company profile. Jetcam’s latest white paper explores the critical aspects of nesting in composites manufacturing, and strategies to balance material efficiency and kitting speed. Arris presents mechanical testing results of an Arris-designed natural fiber thermoplastic composite in comparison to similarly produced glass and carbon fiber-based materials. Cevotec, a tank manufacturer, Roth Composite Machinery and Cikoni, have undertaken a comprehensive project to explore and demonstrate the impact of dome reinforcements using FPP technology for composite tanks. Initial demonstration in furniture shows properties two to nine times higher than plywood, OOA molding for uniquely shaped components. The composite tubes white paper explores some of the considerations for specifying composite tubes, such as mechanical properties, maintenance requirements and more. Foundational research discusses the current carbon fiber recycling landscape in Utah, and evaluates potential strategies and policies that could enhance this sustainable practice in the region. Supercharging manufacturing jobs, closing skill gaps and turning chaos into innovation. Japan-based watchmaker explains R&D results of using carbon fiber composites to replace metal in structural movement parts to increase stiffness while not sacrificing mobility or stability. Having achieved its first few commercial series successes, Kautex Textron explains the design process for its Pentatonic battery enclosure platform, which comprise glass fiber/PP or PA6 and injection overmolding a compression molded laminate. CW executive editor Ginger Gardiner discusses some of this year’s notable exhibits and new developments in composites. Herone GmbH’s automated technology, combining tape braiding and press molding, produces lightweight, unitized TPC cryogenic fuel lines for applications like liquid hydrogen aircraft propulsion systems and space launchers. The AVK’s latest report shows a decline in European composites production, hampered by overall economic weakness plus a specific crisis in automotive and a shift toward Asia, yet global demand for composites continues to increase and opportunities for growth exist, requiring new strategies. RACES is part of the startup’s extensive research to support its S-1 eVTOL, advancing practical pathways for integrating rCF into aircraft structures. The French recyclng startup Nova Carbon realigns carbon fiber scraps and transforms them into usable textiles. Selected companies Gurit, Mobyfly and nlcomp will be supported with life cycle assessment tools, expertise and networking access. As project coordinator, Aitiip will lead the consortium to increasingly focus on validation and demonstration of more sustainable composites for the wind energy sector. In collaboration with Lineat Composites, Parcours’ Strade GT wheels are manufactured in part with VibraCORE, a vibration-damping material integrating aligned reclaimed carbon fibers. Researchers are using magnesium and calcium carbonate powders to convert CFRP into graphene-grafted carbon fibers and powders, with the goal of higher-value composites upcycling. In this resource, CGTech offers vital information about the benefits, processes, and vendors behind automated composite manufacturing. CW’s editors are tracking the latest trends and developments in tooling, from the basics to new developments. This collection, presented by Composites One, features four recent CW stories that detail a range of tooling technologies, processes and materials.
The materials, manufacturing processes, market and energy trends driving use of carbon fiber composites in global hydrogen storage applications for fuel cell-powered trucks, buses, trains and passenger vehicles.
The composites industry is increasingly recognizing the imperative of sustainability in its operations. As demand for lightweight and durable materials rises across various sectors, such as automotive, aerospace, and construction, there is a growing awareness of the environmental impact associated with traditional composite manufacturing processes.
As defense and space missions push the boundaries of performance, the demand for advanced materials that can endure extreme environments and conditions continues to grow. CompositesWorld’s CW Tech Days: Infrastructure event offers a series of expert presentations on composite materials, processes and applications that should and will be considered for use in the infrastructure and construction markets. Explore the cutting-edge composites industry, as experts delve into the materials, tooling, and manufacturing hurdles of meeting the demands of the promising advanced air mobility (AAM) market. Join us at CW Tech Days to unlock the future of efficient composites fabrication operations. Thermoplastics for Large Structures, experts explored the materials and processing technologies that are enabling the transition to large-part manufacturing. Explore the technologies, materials, and strategies that can help composites manufacturers become more sustainable. CompositesWorld’s Tech Days: Design, Simulation and Testing Technologies for Next-Gen Composite Structures is designed to provide a multi-perspective view of the state of the art in design, simulation, failure analysis, digital twins, virtual testing and virtual inspection. Explore the technologies, materials and strategies used by composites manufacturers working in the evolving space market. Explore the latest technologies and strategies involving bonding and welding, essential processes in the assembly and manufacturing of composite materials, providing reliable methods for joining components. During this CW Tech Days event, sponsored by Composites One, experts will offer presentations to review and evaluate the composite materials, processes and applications that should and will be considered for use in the infrastructure and construction markets. In these sessions, experts will discuss the emerging hydrogen economy and the opportunities for composites in this lucrative space. A report on the demand for hydrogen as an energy source and the role composites might play in the transport and storage of hydrogen. This collection features detail the current state of the industry and recent success stories across aerospace, automotive and rail applications. This collection details the basics, challenges, and future of thermoplastic composites technology, with particular emphasis on their use for commercial aerospace primary structures. This collection features recent CW stories that detail a range of tooling technologies, processes and materials. Drawing parallels between Blood Dragon trees and marine carbon fiber steering wheels, the self-contained Dubai-based installation is the culmination of functionally efficient technologies, building systems and design solutions acting in unison. Source (All Images) | Premier Composite Technologies, Dubai Terra, the Sustainability Pavilion from Expo 2020 Dubai, illuminates the intelligent strategies available to society and its steps toward climate action. Now a permanent fixture in the UAE, the Pavilion’s landscape is complemented by an installation of 19 Energy Trees — photovoltaic (PV) structures inspired by the waxy-leaved Blood Dragon trees — designed by Grimshaw (Dubai) and engineered and manufactured by Premier Composite Technologies, Dubai (PCT). Each structure, spanning 17.5 and 16.3 meters in diameter with 15-18-meter canopies, is made of steel and advanced composites. The use of CFRP for the production of the “tree crowns” enabled the required slender and organic design while providing a high level of stiffness to avoid any unwanted deflections. The lightweight construction keeps the load manageable for the mechanical rotation system that allows the E-trees to track the sun as the days progress to ensure that the PV panels are always ideally positioned to maximize their efficiency. The Energy Trees generate 28% of the pavilion’s energy, work as a way to direct cool air down to the courtyard below and even serve as a large collection area for stormwater and dew that replenishes the building’s water system. Learn more about the project here. Every issue of CompositesWorld concludes with Post Cure, a section highlighting the behind-the-scenes of composites manufacturing. The CW team wants to feature your composite part, manufacturing process or facility in an upcoming issue. Send an image and caption to CW senior managing editor Grace Stubbins at gstubbins@gardner.media. The use of composite materials in high-performance sporting goods continues to grow, with new advancements including thermoplastic and sustainability-focused materials and automated processes. HP Composites’ AirPower technology enables high-rate CFRP roof production with 50% energy savings for the Maserati MC20. Thermoplastic composites are always said to be “recyclable.” Netherlands-based recycler Spiral RTC discusses the process, challenges, applications and opportunities to building a real recycling ecosystem. The page you’re on features premium CW editorial content. To continue enjoying the articles, videos and podcasts from the CW editorial team, we ask all new website users to provide some information about themselves before they are provided free access to the content. Why does the gate appear repeatedly for me? 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South Tahoe Now SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A ceremonial “switch-on” moment to officially launch the new solar array at South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) was held on Wednesday, bringing together members of the public and partners of the project. The new solar array is expected to generate approximately 2M kilowatt-hours annually, enough to cover about one-third of STPUD’s needs at the wastewater treatment plant. STPUD is Liberty’s largest energy customer in the Lake Tahoe Basin. They have 80 facilities, so STPUD’s overall usage won’t go down 33 percent, just that at the treatment plant on Meadow Crest Drive in South Lake Tahoe. The new solar energy is expected to save STPUD $190,000 this year, and a savings of $5.5M over the next 30 years. Since Lake Tahoe water companies must export all recycled effluent out of the basin, the power bill just at the Luther Pass pump station is $1 million per year. Electricity costs continue to rise for homes, businesses, and agencies, with the situation beyond users’ control, so solar was one way to help with expenses. “This sets the pathway to where we are going in the future,” said STPUD Boardmember Nick Exline to the gathered group. The new array’s footprint is about eight acres and sits on 1.5 acres and contains 2,112 panels, every one 8 feet by 3.7 feet in size. The 18 rows of panels are designed for Tahoe’s conditions. STPUD staff reached out to other mountain communities that use solar, like Mammoth and Truckee, to get advice on what worked best in those areas. The panels are elevated and slanted so the snow will slide off. They are also what is known as bifacial, capturing the sunlight from above and reflected heat from the ground. The racking system the panels sit on used no cement, and is like big screws that went into the ground – no grading necessary. The idea for the solar array began in 2019, and the STPUD team, under the guidance of Julie Ryan and Trevor Coolidge, transformed the idea into reality with collaboration from the partners at the City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Lahontan Regional Water Quality Board, Liberty Utilities and project developer Staten. The solar array required no start-up costs provided by STPUD, and the panels are owned and operated by a third party. The actual solar project was energized on New Year’s Eve 2025 in order to get clean energy tax credits that were expiring that day.
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Researchers in Canada designed an air-source heat pump integrated with an air-based solar collector and radiant floor heating for cold climates, showing that the proposed system configuratuon could improve the coefficient of performance from 2–4 to 2–6 and reduce significantly annual energy consumption. Schematic of the system Image: pv magazine/AI generated Researchers from the University of Calgary in Canada have investigated the thermodynamic performance of an air-source heat pump (ASHP) integrated with an air-based solar collector (SAC) for radiant floor heating in cold climates. The system was simulated in the transient system simulation tool (TRNSYS) under the environmental conditions in Calgary. “Heat pumps integrated with solar energy and radiant floor heating have the potential for high efficiencies,” the academics have said. “However, the performance of the combined system in cold climates is still not widely studied. Moreover, the influence of air recirculation and the associated control logic on the performance of SACs coupled with ASHPs has not been widely investigated.” The main heating component was an ASHP with a rated heating capacity of 10.52 kW, operating between -25 C and 35 C and supplying water at 45 C for radiant floor heating. The heated water was stored in a 300 L thermal energy storage (TES) tank, which maintained stable supply temperatures and included an auxiliary heater for backup during very cold periods. To improve ASHP performance in winter, an unglazed SAC with a black-painted aluminum absorber plate was used to preheat outdoor air before it entered the heat pump evaporator. It had an air mass flow rate of 1 kg/s and an area ranging from 16 to 40 m². The team explained that the heat pump delivers heat to a thermal energy storage tank, where energy is stored when demand is low and released when needed. The stored water then circulates through the building’s radiant floor system, providing space heating through radiant heat transfer. They also noted that, unlike previous studies, the system incorporates air recirculation from the heat pump’s evaporator. Specifically, when the outlet air temperature exceeds the ambient air temperature, the air is redirected back to the SAC; otherwise, ambient air is supplied directly to the SAC. The building modeled in the study was a single-story detached bungalow-style house with a floor area of 79.15 m and designed for three occupants. It included three rooms, a kitchen, a living area, and a washroom, and was represented as a single thermal. The heating thermostat was set to 22 C and the cooling thermostat to 24 C, with radiant floor heating as the primary heat delivery system. The weather conditions were based on a typical meteorological year (TMY) weather file for Calgary with 333 sunny days and temperatures ranging from -25 C to 33 C. “Coupling ASHP with SAC improved the coefficient of preference (COP), ranging from 2 to 4 to 2-6, particularly during the winter and daylight hours when solar radiation is available,” the academics emphasized. “The integration of a 40 m2 SAC enhanced the ASHP’s annual average COP by 7%, while reducing energy consumption by 256 kWh annually when the system operated with a -25 C evaporator air temperature lower threshold.” The researchers further highlighted that coupling larger SAC sizes further improves the ASHP’s COP and reduces electricity consumption. They explained that increasing the threshold for the entering evaporator air temperature limits the ASHP’s operation at higher temperatures, which are generally considered favorable conditions, thereby enhancing its overall performance. However, this adjustment also reduces the heat pump fraction (HPF) and increases the system’s reliance on the auxiliary heater, although the HPF remains below 20%. They further noted that integrating the SAC substantially improves system efficiency, enabling effective operation under severe weather conditions as low as −25 C, comparable to the performance of an ASHP without SAC operating under milder conditions around −15 °C. “The system demonstrates the capability to maintain indoor temperatures within the desired range for over 97% of the year,” the scientists states. It was presented in “Thermodynamic performance of an air source heat pump integrated with an air-based solar collector for radiant floor-based space heating in cold climates,” published in the Journal of Building Engineering. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com. More articles from Lior Kahana Please be mindful of our community standards. Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked *
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Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. Advertisement Scientific Reportsvolume 16, Article number: 14020 (2026) Cite this article This study presents an integrated low-cost IoT-based evaluation framework assessment of photovoltaic (PV) modules enhanced using low-cost planar reflectors, supported by a custom IoT-based data logging system for real-time performance monitoring. Four identical 50 W mono-crystalline modules were deployed under outdoor conditions in Cairo, Egypt: one reference module and three modules equipped with aluminum foil, galvanized steel, and mirror reflectors. A dedicated ESP32-based monitoring unit was developed to continuously record voltage, current, electrical power, and module temperature with high temporal resolution. The results demonstrate that all reflector materials improved energy generation, with performance strongly dependent on reflector inclination. A 30° reflector angle yielded the highest overall enhancement, where the mirror reflector achieved a maximum increase of 21.2% in daily energy yield relative to the reference module. This improvement, however, was accompanied by an approximate 7 °C rise in module temperature, indicating a clear trade-off between optical gain and thermal loading. Galvanized steel reflectors offered moderate energy enhancement with reduced heating, while aluminum foil reflectors produced smaller gains but remain attractive due to their minimal cost and high availability. Overall, the findings confirm the suitability of simple reflector surfaces for boosting PV output in regions with high solar irradiance, and they validate the accuracy and robustness of the developed IoT-based monitoring system for continuous field evaluation. The global demand for clean and sustainable energy has accelerated the adoption of photovoltaic (PV) technology as a reliable renewable energy source1. Photovoltaic modules, however, remain limited by two major challenges: their output is restricted by the incident of solar irradiance, and their efficiency decreases as surface temperature rises2,3. These challenges are particularly pronounced in hot climate zones such as the Middle East and North Africa, where solar potential is abundant, but module overheating reduces conversion efficiency4,5. Photovoltaic modules are primarily characterized by their current, voltage (I–V) and power, voltage (P–V) relationships, which are strongly influenced by solar irradiance and module temperature2. Under Standard Test Conditions (STC), the short-circuit current (Isc) scales almost linearly with irradiance, while the open-circuit voltage (Voc) decreases with temperature at a rate of approximately − 0.3 to − 0.4% /°C. Several stdies6,7 have emphasized the importance of accurate measurement of both irradiance and temperature to evaluate real-world PV performance. These parameters form the foundation for analyzing the effects of enhancement techniques and monitoring systems. To enhance solar capture, researchers have proposed optical reflectors as a low cost means of redirecting additional irradiance onto PV surfaces8. Flat reflectors, V-trough concentrators, and parabolic designs have all shown potential for boosting energy yield9,10. Yet, this optical gain is often counterbalanced by increased thermal stress on the modules, leading to higher operating temperatures and efficiency losses11,12. The dual effect of reflectors enhancing irradiance while aggravating thermal conditions requires systematic performance evaluation under real outdoor conditions. Optical reflectors have been widely studied as a cost-effective method to increase the incident irradiance on PV modules. Flat mirrors, aluminum sheets, and V-trough concentrators are among the most common designs. For instance13, demonstrated that V-trough reflectors can increase the incident irradiance, leading to a proportional increase in current output. Similarly14, evaluated planar side reflectors and reported gains of 20–30% in power output under clear-sky conditions. However, multiple studies have also documented the thermal penalty associated with reflector systems. Increased irradiance leads to elevated surface temperatures, which in turn reduce module efficiency15. reported efficiency losses of up to 0.5% per °C rise in temperature, highlighting the trade-off between optical gain and thermal degradation. Research on cooling techniques (water spraying, passive heat sinks) has been suggested as a mitigation strategy but remains underexplored in conjunction with reflectors. Overall, reflector-assisted PV systems demonstrate clear potential for energy yield enhancement, but their real-world viability is contingent on managing thermal effects and continuously monitoring performance. In parallel, accurate monitoring of PV performance has become essential for both research and deployment. Conventional data acquisition systems offer high precision but are cost prohibitive, limiting their use in small scale or experimental setups. The emergence of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies provides an alternative pathway: low-cost microcontroller-based data loggers equipped with voltage, current, and temperature sensors can collect, store, and transmit data in real time to cloud platforms16,17,18. Such systems enable high-resolution monitoring and democratize access to performance data, particularly in resource-constrained settings. The development of low-cost data acquisition systems has gained considerable attention in recent years, particularly for monitoring photovoltaic (PV) systems. Several studies have focused on integrating IoT and microcontroller-based solutions to improve real time monitoring and data accessibility19. For instance, an ESP32 based system was introduced to capture voltage, current, and temperature while simultaneously transmitting the data to a Thing Speak server and displaying it on an LCD module, thus combining both local and remote monitoring features20. Similarly, a study presented a cost effective IoT enabled DAQ system, designed to offer real time measurements suitable for small to medium scale PV applications, highlighting affordability as a major advantage21. Energy efficiency has also been addressed by other researchers. An ultra-low power data logger employing ESP32-S2 with deep sleep mode was proposed, capable of logging data onto an SD card while hosting a lightweight web server for real-time visualization22. Additionally, a proof-of-concept open-source data logger demonstrated the potential of Wi-Fi-based monitoring solutions in broader engineering applications, validating the flexibility of low-cost microcontroller platforms for telemetry systems23. On the smaller scale, a micro-PV monitoring system showcased the use of IoT based approaches to record real time voltage in small scale solar energy generation, further reinforcing the adaptability of such systems in resource limited contexts24. While these systems demonstrate significant progress in PV monitoring technologies, several limitations remain. Most existing designs either prioritize low cost or power efficiency but lack integrated multi parameter monitoring, particularly the inclusion of panel-surface temperature sensors and onboard filtering of electrical signals25. Moreover, very few solutions provide a combination of local visualization, online data transmission, and advanced analytical support. These gaps highlight the need for a more versatile, robust, and scalable data logger, which is the focus of the present work. Despite extensive work on reflector-assisted PV modules and on IoT-based monitoring systems, the two domains have rarely been integrated. Previous reflector studies often relied on limited manual measurements, overlooking transient fluctuations and thermal dynamics. Conversely, existing IoT monitoring systems typically evaluate standalone PV modules without performance enhancement techniques. This lack of integration leaves a knowledge gap in understanding the combined effects of optical enhancement and real time digital monitoring. This study addresses this gap by designing and experimentally validating a low cost IoT based data logger for evaluating the performance of reflector assisted PV modules. The main contributions are: (1) Development of a reliable ESP32 based logging system that measures electrical (voltage, current, power) and thermal (module and ambient temperature) parameters with cloud integration. (2) Experimental investigation of a 50 W mono-crystalline PV module under reflector and non-reflector conditions, quantifying the balance between irradiance gain and temperature-induced losses. (3) Provision of a comparative dataset that highlights the benefits and limitations of reflector-assisted PV modules when monitored with affordable IoT tools. By bridging optical enhancement with digital monitoring, the proposed approach advances both PV performance evaluation and the accessibility of monitoring technologies, offering practical insights for deployment in developing regions. The experimental setup employed four identical mono-crystalline PV modules, each rated at 50 W (CY50-36P). The electrical and thermal characteristics of the 50 W mono-crystalline PV module used in this work are presented in Table 1. These modules were selected as representative units for small-scale PV systems typically used in research and field applications in Egypt. These experiments were carried out in Cairo, Egypt, considering the local climate. Egypt is known for its desert climate. The weather is hot and dry most of the time. The coordinates of Egypt’s capital, Cairo, are 30.04167° N, 31.23528° E. Cairo receives 4.7 kWh/m2/day of solar energy, and the average annual temperature is 22.1 °C. On average, the yearly wind speed is 4.02 m/s, and the humidity is 55%. Details of the outside circumstances in August 2025, the day of the testing, are displayed in Fig. 1. August is a bright month with high temperatures, moderate breezes, and low humidity on most days. The modules had a 30° inclination and were oriented southward at Cairo latitude. To investigate the effect of different reflector materials on PV performance, three types of planar reflectors were tested. Each reflector had the same dimensions as the PV module (730 × 540 mm) to ensure full redirection of incident sunlight. The reflector materials were: (1) Galvanized sheet metal, (2) Glass mirrors, (3) Aluminum foil. Three identical PV modules were employed in this experiment, each equipped with a front-mounted reflector installed at a fixed tilt angle of 20°, 30°, and 40° relative to the module plane. During the experimental setup, careful attention was given to spatial separation and geometric alignment between modules to minimize potential cross-illumination effects. The modules were installed with sufficient lateral spacing to reduce the likelihood of reflected radiation from one configuration reaching the reference module. Additionally, all reflectors were oriented toward their corresponding module surfaces, with inclination angles designed to direct reflected radiation toward the active area of the enhanced module rather than laterally toward neighboring units. This setup was designed to investigate the influence of different reflector tilt angles on the electrical performance and energy yield of the PV modules. The fourth PV module, without any reflector (control), served as the reference module. (a) Experimental Validation, (b) Setup Design. A customized data acquisition system was developed to continuously monitor the electrical and thermal behavior of the photovoltaic modules throughout the experiment. The system was designed to record key parameters voltage, current, power, and temperature in real time, ensuring precise performance tracking under varying irradiance and environmental conditions. Small variations consistent with typical ± 5% manufacturing tolerance were observed. To ensure fair comparison during outdoor testing, a normalization factor was introduced in the data acquisition system. Each module’s measured electrical output was corrected using its respective baseline calibration coefficient derived from the pre-characterization stage. This correction minimized bias due to intrinsic module variation and ensured that performance differences observed during the experiment were primarily attributable to reflector effects rather than manufacturing tolerances. It provided both local data storage and remote accessibility, enabling high resolution monitoring and post analysis of PV behavior without manual intervention. The developed data acquisition unit was designed to monitor the electrical and thermal performance of photovoltaic modules in real time. Current measurements were performed using the ACS712 current sensor (5 A range), providing high sensitivity and electrical isolation26. The sensor was calibrated against a laboratory-grade multimeter over the 0–5 A range, achieving an average measurement error of ± 2% and incorporating a ± 0.2 A dead-band for noise rejection. Panel voltage was monitored through a precision voltage divider circuit, ensuring safe interfacing with the microcontroller’s analog-to-digital converter. All measurements were performed under real operating conditions using a fixed resistive load of 6.8 Ω (50 W), selected to approximate the nominal operating region of the 50 W mono-crystalline modules under standard test conditions. A precision shunt resistor was used for current measurement, while voltage was measured across the load terminals. Electrical power was calculated as (:P:=:V:times::I). Thermal measurements were obtained using four DS18B20 digital temperature sensors mounted on the rear side (backsheet) of each module for accurate temperature tracking27. The sensors were individually calibrated with a reference thermometer, resulting in a ± 0.5 °C accuracy at a sampling frequency of 1 Hz. Each sensor was connected via a 1-Wire communication bus with a 4.7 kΩ pull-up resistor for reliable data transfer. The core of the system was an ESP32 microcontroller, selected for its dual-core processing capability and built-in Wi-Fi, enabling real-time wireless data transmission28. To accommodate multiple analog inputs, an ADC multiplexer module was integrated29, while a step-down DC–DC converter ensured stable voltage regulation and noise suppression30. User interaction was facilitated through an LCD2004 I2C display, which provided real-time readouts of voltage, current, power, and temperature parameters31. The enclosure also included a side ON/OFF power switch and a female DC charging port for convenient system maintenance. Power was supplied by a 12 V, 5000 mAh lithium-ion battery pack, allowing extended autonomous operation under field conditions. Block diagram of the system. Circuit design of the Solar Data Logger System. The software component of the monitoring system was developed using Visual Studio Code with the ESP32 programming environment. The program architecture was structured into four functional layers to ensure efficient data handling and system reliability. The data acquisition layer continuously collects voltage, current, and temperature readings from the connected sensors at fixed intervals of five minutes, performing real-time calibration and noise filtering to enhance signal accuracy. The data processing layer computes the instantaneous electrical power from the measured parameters, integrates the power values over time to estimate the total energy yield, and applies temperature correction factors to account for variations in module efficiency. The data visualization layer provides immediate feedback through an LCD2004 I2C display, presenting live values of voltage, current, power, and temperature. Additionally, the processed data are transmitted through the ESP32 integrated Wi-Fi module to a web-based dashboard, enabling real-time remote monitoring and data analysis. On 15 August 2025, a field experiment was conducted in Cairo, Egypt under clear-sky summer conditions to evaluate the performance of low-cost bilateral flat reflectors applied to fixed-tilt monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules. Four identical 50 W modules were mounted side by side on a south facing structure at a typical Cairo tilt angle of ~ 30°. Three of the modules were equipped with bilateral reflectors made of commercial mirror (ρ ≈ 92–94%), galvanized steel sheet (ρ ≈ 70–75%), and ordinary aluminum foil (ρ ≈ 65–70% under field conditions), each pair inclined at 20°, 30°, and 40° from horizontal respectively, while the fourth module served as an reference Module. Back-surface module temperature, maximum-power-point voltage (Vmp), and instantaneous power output (Pmp) were continuously logged every 5-minute intervals from before sunrise (~ 05:50) until after sunset (~ 18:50) our data logger. Ambient temperature ranged from 28 °C in the early morning to a peak of 38 °C around 14:00, providing ideal conditions to quantify both the optical enhancement and the associated thermal penalty introduced by the reflector systems in a hot, high-insolation urban desert environment. To assess the electrical behavior of the photovoltaic modules under reflector-assisted operation, the diurnal voltage–time profiles were examined across all reflector materials and inclination angles. Voltage is particularly sensitive to temperature rise and serves as an effective indicator of how optical enhancement interacts with thermal effects throughout the day. The following voltage curves therefore provide a comparative representation of the reference module and the three reflector-assisted modules at 20°, 30°, and 40°, enabling a clear evaluation of the net impact of reflector type and geometry on the module’s electrical response. Voltage profiles of PV modules with different reflectors (mirror, galvanized sheet metal, aluminum foil) at 20°, 30°, and 40° on 15 August 2025. The mirror at 30° shows the largest voltage drop due to increased heating. The voltage – time profiles for reflector inclinations of 20°, 30°, and 40° exhibit the characteristic midday voltage suppression associated with increased cell temperature and enhanced irradiance. Across all configurations, reflector-assisted modules consistently recorded lower voltages than the reference module, with the mirror reflector producing the most pronounced reduction due to its superior reflectivity and corresponding thermal loading. At 20°, the reflected irradiance was only partially aligned with the module surface, resulting in modest voltage deviations. In contrast, the 30° configuration generated the strongest voltage drop near solar noon, indicating optimal geometric alignment between incident and reflected rays and therefore the highest thermal impact. When the angle increased to 40°, the voltage depression remained evident but slightly diminished, reflecting partial misalignment and reduced optical concentration. The relative behavior of the reflector materials was consistent across all angles mirror > galvanized sheet metal > aluminum foil in terms of thermal effect demonstrating that higher reflectivity leads to greater temperature-induced voltage reduction. Overall, the voltage patterns affirm the inverse relationship between irradiance-driven heating and PV voltage, and they highlight 30° as the most effective inclination for maximizing the optical enhancement of flat planar reflectors under outdoor conditions. Current profiles of PV modules under different reflectors at 20°, 30°, and 40° on 15 August 2025. The mirror at 30° achieves the highest current. The experimental results, illustrated in Fig. (5), demonstrate the diurnal variation in short-circuit current (Isc) of a photovoltaic panel under three reflector configurations aluminum foil, galvanized sheet metal, and mirror tested at tilt angles of 20°, 30°, and 40°, alongside a reference panel without any reflector. The mirror consistently achieved the highest peak currents, with a maximum of 3.01 A at 30°, representing a 22.9% enhancement over the reference (2.45 A). This superior performance is attributable to the mirror’s high specular reflectivity, which efficiently redirects diffuse and direct sunlight onto the PV surface. In contrast, aluminum foil and galvanized sheet metal, with lower reflectivity (approximately 85–90% and 60–70%, respectively, based on literature values for similar materials), yielded moderate improvements, peaking at 2.71 A and 2.81 A at 30°. Notably, the 30° angle produced the highest peaks across all reflectors, suggesting an optimal balance between reflector tilt and solar incidence angle for maximizing reflected flux without excessive shading or optical losses. At 20°, the shallower angle may have resulted in suboptimal reflection geometry, leading to reduced enhancements. At 40°, increased scattering or edge losses could explain the slightly lower peaks compared to 30°. Module operating temperature is a critical parameter in photovoltaic systems, as every 1 °C rise above 25 °C typically reduces crystalline silicon power output by 0.40–0.45%. The addition of flat reflectors increases incident irradiance but also elevates cell temperature due to higher absorbed energy and slightly reduced convective cooling. Temperature profiles of PV modules under different reflectors at 20°, 30°, and 40° on 15 August 2025. Reflectors increase temperature by ~ 6–7 °C, with the mirror showing the highest rise. Measured temperature profiles (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) show that reflectors induce a modest but systematic increase in module temperature. The highest value recorded was 62.3 °C, reached with the mirror reflector at both 30° and 40° inclinations around solar noon, corresponding to a rise of only 6.4 °C above the reference module peak of 55.9 °C. At 20° inclination the mirror peaked at 61.7 °C (+ 5.8 °C), while galvanized sheet and aluminum foil produced progressively smaller elevations owing to their lower reflectivity. Transitioning from 20° to 30° markedly increased midday heating, whereas the further increase to 40° yielded no additional temperature rise for mirror and galvanized reflectors, indicating that most of the geometrically available reflected radiation was already being captured at 30° under high summer solar altitude. The observed temperature increases remained well below the typical NOCT (85 °C) and maximum operating limits of commercial modules, confirming that simple bilateral reflector systems introduce only minor thermal penalties in hot climates when high-reflectivity materials are used. Power output of PV modules with different reflectors at 20°, 30°, and 40° on 15 August 2025. The mirror at 30° provides the highest gain. To evaluate the net performance impact of reflector integration, the diurnal power–time profiles of the photovoltaic modules were analyzed for all reflector materials and inclination angles. Power output captures the combined effects of increased incident irradiance and the accompanying temperature-induced efficiency losses, making it a direct indicator of the system’s operational energy gain. The following power curves provide a comparative assessment of the reference module and the reflector-assisted modules at 20°, 30°, and 40°, illustrating how reflector type and tilt influence real-time power generation throughout the day. Power measurements (Figs. 4, 5 and 6) demonstrate substantial electrical gains that significantly outweigh the modest thermal penalty. The highest instantaneous power achieved was 45.68 W with the mirror reflector at 30° inclination (+ 29.3% over the reference), closely followed by 45.60 W at 40° (+ 28.8%). Galvanized sheet configurations delivered 21–22% improvement, while aluminum foil provided 13–22% depending on angle. Raising reflector tilt from 20° to 30° produced the largest incremental gain in peak power, with diminishing returns beyond 30° for high-reflectivity materials, indicating optical collection approaches saturation under high summer sun elevation. Accounting for the simultaneous temperature rise of ~ 6.4 °C (causing ≈ 2.7% power loss at PTC ≈ − 0.42%/°C), the mirror reflector at 30–40° still yields a net instantaneous gain exceeding 25% relative to the reference module. These results confirm that properly designed bilateral mirror reflector systems can deliver energy increases of 20–29% even under hot summer conditions, making them a highly cost-effective enhancement for fixed-tilt PV installations in sunny climates. To clearly illustrate reflector performance, the relative energy improvement compared to the reference panel is presented in Table 2. The results demonstrate that reflector angle plays a significant role. A 30° reflector inclination yielded the best overall results, aligning with the optimal tilt of the PV panel itself. The mirror consistently provided the highest performance gains across all tested angles, achieving improvements of + 11.53% at 20°, + 21.21% at 30°, and + 15.17% at 40°. This clearly demonstrates the mirror’s superior specular reflectivity, which maximizes the redirection of both direct and diffuse irradiance onto the PV panel surface with minimal losses. The 30° tilt angle emerged as the optimal configuration overall, delivering the largest relative enhancements for every reflector material: +21.21% (mirror), + 14.15% (galvanized sheet metal), and + 9.94% (aluminum foil). This intermediate angle appears to strike the best balance between capturing low-angle sunlight in the morning and afternoon while avoiding excessive optical losses, scattering, or self-shading during peak solar hours. In comparison, the steeper 40° tilt yielded more moderate gains (+ 15.17% for mirror, + 8.44% for galvanized sheet metal, and + 4.44% for aluminum foil), likely due to reduced effective reflected flux at midday as light is directed beyond the panel edges. At the shallowest 20° angle, benefits were noticeably smaller (+ 11.53% for mirror) and quite limited for the lower-reflectivity materials (+ 5.02% for galvanized sheet metal and only + 1.14% for aluminum foil), suggesting that very low tilts may redirect insufficient light toward the panel or introduce minor shading effects that offset gains. The experimental setup consisted of four independent PV frames, each supporting a 50 W mono-crystalline PV module. Three frames were fitted with planar reflectors fabricated from mirror glass, galvanized steel, and aluminum foil, respectively, while the fourth frame served as a reference without any reflector. Each frame allowed precise angle adjustment and independent electrical interfacing with the data logger Table 3. The use of four independent frames slightly increased the total cost but enabled improved experimental accuracy and flexibility. Among the reflector options, mirror glass provided the highest optical gain at a modest cost, while galvanized steel offered the most balanced performance-to-cost ratio. The IoT-based data logger was designed to acquire simultaneous electrical and thermal measurements from all four PV modules. The system incorporated an ESP32 microcontroller, ACS712 Hall-effect current sensors, precision voltage dividers, DS18B20 temperature sensors, and regulated power electronics. Table 4 provides the full cost breakdown in USD. The total cost of the IoT-based monitoring system was approximately 46 USD, representing an 87% reduction compared with commercial PV data loggers that typically exceed 370 USD. Despite its low cost, the system demonstrated high measurement accuracy, stability, and suitability for field deployment. To evaluate the practical scalability of the proposed reflector-enhanced configuration, a commercial utility-scale photovoltaic module was considered. A typical 550 W mono-PERC module (area ≈ 2.6 m², efficiency ≈ 21%) was selected as a representative case for modern grid-connected installations. To maintain geometric consistency with the experimental setup, the reflector area was proportionally scaled to preserve an approximately 1:1 reflector-to-module area ratio. Based on the experimental cost analysis, the mirror reflector material corresponds to approximately 10.75 USD per square meter. Therefore, for a 2.6 m² commercial module, the estimated reflector material cost is approximately 28 USD per module. The average cost of photovoltaic installations in Egypt typically ranges between 0.3 and 0.5 USD/Wp for small- to medium-scale systems, depending on system size, component quality, and installation conditions. For a 10-kW system composed of approximately 18 modules (10,000 W ÷ 550 W ≈ 18), the total reflector material cost is estimated at approximately 504 USD. Including additional structural adaptation, mounting reinforcement, and installation overhead (estimated conservatively at 15%), the total reflector integration cost becomes approximately 580 USD for the entire 10 kW system. Under Cairo climatic conditions, the average annual energy yield is approximately 1,700 kWh/ kWp32,33. Thus, a 10-kW system is expected to generate approximately 17,000 kWh annually. Based on the experimental results and adopting a conservative net performance enhancement of 15% (to account for scale-related thermal and optical losses), the additional annual energy yield would be approximately: 17,000 × 0.15 ≈ 2,550 kWh/year. Assuming an electricity value of 0.10 USD/kWh, this corresponds to approximately 255 USD of additional annual revenue. Consequently, the simple payback period of the reflector integration would be approximately: 580 ÷ 255 ≈ 2.3 years. The effectiveness of reflector-assisted PV systems strongly depends on the installation conditions and environmental factors. Reflectors are particularly beneficial in applications with limited installation area, where increasing the number of PV modules is not feasible. In such cases, they provide a practical solution to enhance energy yield without expanding the system footprint. While reflector-assisted PV systems are generally more effective in regions with high solar irradiance, their added value under such conditions should be carefully evaluated. In many high-irradiance regions, such as Egypt, PV systems already operate under near-optimal solar input, which may reduce the relative need for additional optical enhancement. Moreover, the use of reflectors in hot climates introduces an additional thermal load on the PV modules. Since PV efficiency decreases with increasing temperature, the temperature rise induced by reflectors may partially offset the gains in irradiance. This effect becomes more significant during peak summer conditions, where module temperatures are already elevated. Therefore, the practical benefit of reflectors depends on achieving a balance between optical gain and thermal losses. In some cases, especially where land availability is not a constraint, increasing the number of PV modules may be a more straightforward solution than using reflectors. However, reflector-assisted systems remain advantageous in space-constrained applications or where structural or economic limitations restrict system expansion. The findings of this study are consistent with previous research, which has shown that reflectors can significantly increase the irradiance incident on PV panels, thereby improving power output. For instance34, reported that the use of flat mirror reflectors enhanced the overall power generation of the PV array improved by up to 57%, depending on the tilt angle and season. In the current study, similar trend improvements were observed, particularly when using mirror reflectors at 30°, which yielded the highest daily energy gains. Other studies, such as35, highlighted the trade-off between improved irradiance and increased panel temperature. This trend was also evident in the present results, as higher reflector gains were accompanied by increased module temperatures, especially with mirror reflectors (+ 7 °C). The results further demonstrate that the choice of reflector material has a direct impact on system performance. Mirrors, due to their high reflectivity, provided the highest energy enhancement but also induced greater heating effects. Galvanized sheet metal offered moderate reflectivity and heating, while aluminum foil showed the least improvement but is the most cost-effective. These findings suggest that material selection should balance energy yield with thermal management considerations, especially in hot climates such as Egypt. The reflector inclination angle was found to be another critical parameter. At 30°, the reflectors achieved the best overall performance, confirming earlier reports36 that the optimal angle closely matches the PV panel tilt. At 20° and 40°, performance gains were smaller, likely due to performance reduction likely associated with suboptimal reflector–sun geometric interaction under the tested fixed configuration between the reflected rays and the panel surface. From a practical perspective, the results indicate that integrating simple, low-cost reflectors can provide a viable means of boosting PV energy generation in developing countries where resources are limited. However, the thermal penalty introduced by concentrated irradiance must be carefully managed, possibly by combining reflectors with cooling strategies such as passive heat sinks or active water cooling. Despite the promising results, some limitations must be noted. The analysis was conducted during August under clear-sky conditions; seasonal variations and cloudy conditions were not considered. Furthermore, the experiments were limited to three reflector materials, while other surfaces (e.g., white-painted boards, polymers) could provide alternative solutions. A significant contribution of this research lies in the development and application of the IoT-based data logger. Unlike previous studies that relied on commercial measurement systems, the proposed device enabled continuous, real-time monitoring of voltage, current, temperature, and irradiance. This approach not only reduced costs but also enhanced the flexibility of data acquisition for future PV research and applications. This study presented the design and development of a low-cost IoT-based data logger for photovoltaic and environmental monitoring, alongside an experimental investigation of reflector-assisted PV systems. The developed data logger successfully measured and stored real-time parameters including voltage, current, power, irradiance, and panel/ambient temperature, providing reliable datasets for performance evaluation. The experimental results demonstrated that using reflectors significantly improves PV performance. Among the tested reflector materials, mirror reflectors achieved the highest energy enhancement (up to ~ 21% at 30° inclination) but also led to the greatest increase in panel temperature. Galvanized sheet metal reflectors provided a balanced improvement, while aluminum foil reflectors offered a cost-effective but lower gain. The 30° inclination angle was identified as the optimal reflector configuration, yielding the best trade-off between irradiance gain and thermal penalty. These findings confirm that low-cost reflectors can enhance solar energy generation, and that locally available materials provide an affordable pathway to improve PV system efficiency in resource-constrained environments such as Egypt. Building upon the outcomes of this study, several directions are recommended to further advance the understanding and practical deployment of reflector-assisted photovoltaic systems. Future investigations should include seasonal performance assessments to evaluate reflector behavior under different solar paths and irradiance levels, ensuring comprehensive performance characterization throughout the year. Additionally, the long–term durability and reflectivity stability of materials such as mirrors, aluminum foils, and galvanized sheet metal should be examined under real outdoor conditions involving dust accumulation, humidity, and weathering effects. To address the thermal penalties observed during operation, future designs may integrate passive or active cooling mechanisms to mitigate temperature-induced efficiency losses. Further research could also explore advanced reflector geometries, including curved or compound surfaces, to optimize light redirection while minimizing thermal stress. On a broader scale, techno-economic assessments and life-cycle analyses are essential to evaluate the scalability and cost-effectiveness of such systems for commercial and rural applications. Finally, coupling the developed IoT-based data logger with machine learning algorithms offers a promising avenue for predictive modeling, real-time fault detection, and adaptive optimization of PV performance. Collectively, these efforts will contribute to the development of more efficient, low-cost, and sustainable solar energy technologies tailored to the needs of developing regions. 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Energy Storage. 54https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2022.105342 (2022). Download references The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Al Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. Open access funding provided by The Science, Technology & Innovation Funding Authority (STDF) in cooperation with The Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB). Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. College of Agricultural Engineering, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt Ahmed Mohamed Abosrea Abdelaziz, Taha Abdelfattah Mohammed Abdelwahab & Ibrahim Seif Ahmed El-Soaly Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar AMA Abdelaziz: Writing original draft, Investigation. TAM Abdelwahab: Investigation, Data curation, Writing original draft, Review & editing. ISA El-Soaly: Review & editing. Correspondence to Taha Abdelfattah Mohammed Abdelwahab. All the authors approve this manuscript for publication. All the authors abide by the ethics rules of the journal. 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Reprints and permissions Abdelaziz, A.M.A., Abdelwahab, T.A.M. & El-Soaly, I.S.A. “IoT-based evaluation of photovoltaic modules enhanced by different reflector materials”. Sci Rep16, 14020 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-49258-9 Download citation Received: Accepted: Published: Version of record: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-49258-9 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.
Lawmakers in Concord reached a deal Thursday to lay the groundwork for next-generation nuclear power in New Hampshire. If small, modular reactors are an energy source of the future, New Hampshire lawmakers said they don’t want state laws or government officials to have to play catch-up. “When the rest of the world is ready, when someone wants to build one of these things, New Hampshire will be ready, and I think that’s important,” said state Rep. Michael Vose, R-Epping. House and Senate negotiators hammered out their differences over House Bill 221 Thursday morning, laying the groundwork for advanced nuclear resources. >> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go<< One sticking point was a Senate priority to include an expansion of solar power net metering, the money people and businesses with solar panels get back when they generate more power than they use. “The governor wants nuclear. We want nuclear. Everybody wants nuclear,” said state Sen. Kevin Avard, R-Nashua. “But we also have a need now. We have a need for gas, nuclear. We have a need for businesses to come in. The Associated Grocers use solar left and right.” “When you start talking about net metering for solar, you’re talking about unreliable energy, energy that’s there sometimes,” said state Rep. J.D. Bernardy, R-South Hampton. “You never know when it’s going to be there. It’s not there today.” Lawmakers ultimately agreed to increase net metering for solar to a peak generating capacity of 250 kilowatts. “They can build as much as they want up to 5 MW,” said state Rep. Douglas Thomas, R-Londonderry. “What we’re talking about here is the amount of money they get back from having solar.” The deal still has to be approved in votes of the full House and Senate before heading to Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s desk. “I would hope the governor could see this,” said state Sen. David Watters, D-Dover. “If she wants nuclear this year, she gives a minor amount on net metering, and we get to move forward, but it sounds as if that’s her choice.” Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
Some sun in the morning with increasing clouds during the afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 61F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Partly cloudy skies. Low 36F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Updated: May 1, 2026 @ 2:02 am A cow, back right, scratches on a support beam of a solar panel Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. Solar panels operate on a farm with cattle Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Christiana, Tenn. Anna Clare Monlezun, left, a rangeland scientist, chats with Loran Shallenberger, right, vice president of regenerative energy and agrivoltaics at Silicon Ranch, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Christiana, Tenn. Cattle rest under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. A cow grazes near solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. Crimson Clover grows in a field under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. A calf stands under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Christiana, Tenn. Loran Shallenberger, vice president of regenerative energy and agrivoltaics at Silicon Ranch, clears weeds out from under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. Cattle graze under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. Anna Clare Monlezun, a rangeland scientist, connects a hose while working near solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a solar farm in Christiana, Tenn. Cattle graze under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. Cattle graze under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn.
A cow, back right, scratches on a support beam of a solar panel Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. Solar panels operate on a farm with cattle Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Christiana, Tenn. Anna Clare Monlezun, left, a rangeland scientist, chats with Loran Shallenberger, right, vice president of regenerative energy and agrivoltaics at Silicon Ranch, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Christiana, Tenn. Cattle rest under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. A cow grazes near solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. Crimson Clover grows in a field under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. A calf stands under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Christiana, Tenn. Loran Shallenberger, vice president of regenerative energy and agrivoltaics at Silicon Ranch, clears weeds out from under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. Cattle graze under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. Anna Clare Monlezun, a rangeland scientist, connects a hose while working near solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a solar farm in Christiana, Tenn. Cattle graze under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. Cattle graze under solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. CHRISTIANA, Tenn. (AP) — From a distance, the small solar farm in central Tennessee looks like others that now dot rural America, with row upon row of black panels absorbing the sun’s rays to generate electricity. But beneath these panels is lush pasture instead of gravel, enjoyed by a small herd of cattle that spends its days munching grass and resting in the shade. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks. We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
Mozambique’s energy regulator has reopened pre-qualification for a 30 MW solar project in Sofala province, after a previous award to Total Eren under the same program in 2022. Image: Cotrim, Pixabay Mozambique’s Energy Regulatory Authority (ARENE) has issued a pre-qualification notice for an independent power producer (IPP) to develop, finance, build, operate, and maintain a 30 MW solar plant in Dondo district, Sofala province. The invitation to submit full proposals is expected in the second half of this year, with pre-qualification expressions of interest due by June 22. The tender is a relaunch. The Dondo site was first tendered in 2020 under Mozambique’s Renewable Energy Auctions Promotion Programme (PROLER) and awarded to Total Eren in April 2022. ARENE relaunched the tender without providing a reason for reopening the process. PROLER was launched in September 2020 by the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy with support from the European Union and France’s Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The program targets approximately 120 MW of solar and wind capacity across four projects through competitive IPP tenders. No PROLER project has reached financial close or construction as of April 2026. The Dondo plant is located near Beira on Mozambique’s central grid and was designed for integration via an Electricidade de Moçambique substation under a 25-year power purchase agreement. The pre-qualification process requires a non-refundable fee of MZN 20,000 and is administered by ARENE in Maputo. PROLER originally targeted four projects totaling 160 MW when it launched in 2020 – three 40 MW solar plants at Dondo, Manje, and Lichinga, and a 40 MW wind project in Inhambane. The Dondo project has since been rescoped to 30 MW. ARENE relaunched tenders for the Manje and Chimbunila sites in November 2022, with bids due January 2023. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com. More articles from Brian Publicover Please be mindful of our community standards. Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked *
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Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 49F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.. A mostly clear sky. Low 31F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Updated: April 30, 2026 @ 11:59 pm
Solar panels operate Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. On Friday, the U.S. Justice Department announced it is reimplementing firing squads and lethal injections to the federal death penalty. Do you think these forms of executions should be allowed? Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks. We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
Qatari researchers found that bifacial 2P horizontal single-axis tracking PV systems in desert conditions produced up to 13.5% more electricity than fixed-tilt systems over long-term field testing in Qatar. The study also showed strong seasonal and technology-dependent performance, with tracker advantages varying with irradiance and weather conditions. The experimental setup Image: Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Renewable Energy, CC BY 4.0 Researchers at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) in Qatar compared the performance of bifacial, two-in-portrait (2P) horizontal PV systems with horizontal single-axis trackers (HSAT) against fixed-tilt systems under desert conditions in the Middle East and found that the bifacial arrays can generate up to 13.5% more electricity than their counterparts. “This study assessed the impact of module technology, ground coverage ratio (GCR), string configuration, and environmental conditions on the energy yield,” corresponding author Maulid M. Kivambe told pv magazine.”With seven tracker rows, variable pitches, 34 strings, 13 commercial PV module variants, multiple placements relative to the torque‑tube and fixed-tilt string references, the testbed is among the largest HSAT research facilities globally.” The 20-month field testing was conducted at HBKU’s Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), where the horizontal single-axis tracking PV system is operated since 2020. The site features very high solar irradiation and is classified as a desert climate under the Köppen-Geiger-Photovoltaic system. The installation includes seven rows of SOLTEC-SF7 trackers with varying ground coverage ratios and multiple PV string configurations using 13 different module technologies. It employs astronomical single-axis tracking with asymmetric backtracking to reduce shading and optimize energy yield. Module rear-side temperatures were monitored using embedded sensors, while multiple irradiance components such as plane-of-array irradiance (POA), global horizontal irradiance (GHI), diffuse horizontal irradiance (DHI), and rear-side irradiance were measured using calibrated pyranometers and reference cells. A fixed-tilt system served as a benchmark, installed at a 22° south-facing tilt with similar string configurations and row spacing as the tracking system. Both systems operated on a natural gravel surface representative of desert conditions. The tests showed that tracker-based system achieved annual average gains of 15.5% in plane-of-array irradiation and 13.5% in specific energy yield relative to the fixed-tilt configuration, with peak performance occurring in early July 2024, when daily energy yield gains reached approximately 36%. However, the testing also demonstrated that tracker advantages were strongly seasonal, with benefits mainly from February to September under high direct irradiance conditions. From October to January, the fixed-tilt system was found to outperform the tracker-based array by up to 7.2% due to lower sun angles and reduced tracker effectiveness. DC power analysis confirmed that the tracker-based system better captures early morning and evening irradiance in summer, while fixed tilt performs better around midday in winter. Under overcast conditions, performance differences diminished because diffuse irradiance dominates and is captured similarly by both systems. Overall, the analysis showed that the tracker-based systems provide higher annual yields, but their advantage is highly dependent on solar geometry and weather conditions, with performance varying with irradiance composition. “Among the evaluated technologies, silicon heterojunction (HJT) modules generated the highest overall energy yield, particularly under conditions of high irradiance and elevated ambient temperatures as expected, owing to their superior temperature coefficients and high bifaciality factors,” the scientists explained. “N-type PERT and high-efficiency bifacial PERC modules also demonstrated strong performance, indicating that high bifacial response can partially compensate for less favourable temperature coefficients.” They also found that string layout relative to the torque tube exhibited minimal impact on energy yield, suggesting a high degree of layout flexibility for tracker-based systems in desert installations. Their findings are available in the study “The Impact of Module Technology, Ground Coverage Ratio, and String Configuration on the Performance of Bifacial PV Systems on Horizontal Single-Axis Trackers in Desert Environments,” published in Renewable Energy. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com. More articles from Emiliano Bellini Please be mindful of our community standards. Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked *
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. by William Herchel, CT Mirror May 1, 2026 Connecticut doesn’t need to search for new answers to rising electricity costs, we already have one. It’s called community solar, and in Connecticut it exists through the Shared Clean Energy Facility (SCEF) program. While it has operated largely outside the spotlight, SCEF has delivered something increasingly rare in energy policy: real, measurable savings for residents, especially those who need it most, without increasing costs to the system. The question now is not whether this proven model works; it’s whether Connecticut will choose to expand it or allow a successful affordability tool to stall while energy prices continue to climb. SCEF addresses a basic but widespread problem: many residents cannot install solar panels on their own homes. Renters, families in multifamily housing, and homeowners with shaded or unsuitable roofs have long been excluded from the financial benefits of solar. Community solar changes that by allowing customers to subscribe to a shared project and receive credits directly on their electric bills, at no cost whatsoever. For participating households, the impact is substantial. Subscribers receive bill credits of roughly 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour over 20 years, resulting in substantial savings. According to Eversource, SCEF projects awarded through Year Six of the SCEF program are projected to save subscribers over $200 million over the projects 20-year term. SCEF projects awarded to our company alone are estimated to generate more than $50 million in bill savings for residents, whose participation spans over 100 towns. Notably, about 90% of SCEF subscribers qualify as low-income customers, those most disproportionately affected by rising energy costs. But a critical argument for community solar isn’t just who it helps. It’s how the underlying economics work. Operational community solar projects in Connecticut are delivering electricity at approximately $0.088 to $0.099 per kilowatt-hour, well below current standard utility supply rates of about $0.126 to $0.137. When you isolate the energy component, excluding renewable energy credits and capacity value, the cost of energy generated by these SCEF projects is closer to $0.06 per kilowatt-hour. That difference is significant. It means utilities can procure electricity from these SCEF projects at dramatically lower prices than they would otherwise pay, by margins that can approach a savings of seven cents per kilowatt-hour. Community solar doesn’t add cost to the system; it delivers lower-cost energy directly into it. And yet, despite these clear advantages, opposition to community solar often centers on concerns about “cost” impacts. When utilities warn that community solar will cost more, they ignore the benefit of the energy supplied by these projects and the benefits that the projects are providing to the grid. Obscuring the fact that existing projects are already delivering electricity directly to the distribution network well below their own supply costs. Any discussion on the potential costs of community solar must address important questions that remain unanswered: These questions go to the heart of the issue. Is the system being designed to maximize affordability for Connecticut families or to maintain the status quo? Despite its success, SCEF remains limited in scale and is set to expire in 2027. Demand for the program already exceeds available capacity, leaving many eligible residents without access. Connecticut’s leaders now face a clear choice. They can build on what is already working by expanding SCEF into a broader, more durable community solar program that reaches more residents and maximizes cost savings. Or they can allow uncertainty to slow progress, leaving more and more families grappling with ever-increasing electric bills. At a time when affordability dominates kitchen-table conversations and business planning alike, Connecticut should lean into policies that produce real cost relief and increase energy supply. Strengthening community solar through a new SCEF program means more affordable energy not just for those who can afford to participate, but for everyone who pays an electric bill. William Herchel is CEO of Verogy, West Hartford.
Gov. Dan McKee is backing off a plan to restrict payments to some of the state’s largest solar farms that he put forward to cut consumers’ energy bills. McKee has dropped a proposal for an across-the-board cut to the rate at which so-called virtual net metering projects are paid and is instead putting forward a voluntary fixed-price program that they can choose to opt into. Also as part of a budget amendment introduced in the General Assembly April 29, the governor would lower the current cap on virtual net metering projects from 275 megawatts to 125, and move new projects to another state program that pays lower rates. The changes would still mean that McKee’s energy relief package would meet its goal of saving ratepayers $1 billion over five years, according to the governor’s office. “This proposal protects the projects that are already up and running, aligns our solar program with the region, and gets us one step closer to delivering $1 billion in real relief to the families and businesses who need it most,” McKee said in a statement. Net metering is a common program across the country that allows customers to offset their electric bills through credits from renewable energy production. It started out with solar panels or wind turbines installed “behind the meter” at the location where a customer was using power. A home rooftop solar system is an example of a typical project that qualifies for net metering. The program was expanded to allow for virtual net metering, with projects at remote locations, so that electric users who didn’t have room on their properties to install solar panels or a wind turbine could switch to renewable energy and qualify for the bill credits. Brown University, the Narragansett Bay Commission, the City of Providence and other big institutional customers have signed on as off-takers of credits for virtual projects. But complaints have arisen because net metering pays an inflated rate as an incentive for development. The rate doesn’t just cover the cost of energy. It also repays customers for most distribution costs. While that may make sense for behind-the-meter projects that aren’t as dependent on the distribution system, it’s a stretch for virtual projects, which must still send all of their power out using poles and wires. If the projects don’t ease usage of the power grid and their customers aren’t paying their full share of distribution costs, then it means all other ratepayers must pick up the tab. Legislators placed restrictions on the virtual program in three years ago, but overall net metering costs have continued to increase, going from $30 million in 2020 to $111 million in 2024, according to the governor’s office. More than 80 % of those costs come from virtual projects. As part of his budget plan released in January, McKee proposed forcing virtual off-takers to accept a rate that would be frozen as of July 1. Because energy rates generally go up over time, it would mean that off-takers would see credits go down relative to their bills. Solar developers said the move would destroy the industry by compromising existing contracts and undermining confidence in Rhode Island as a place for renewable energy investments. The Rhode Island AFL-CIO also came out in opposition to the governor’s proposal, saying that it “would dismantle an industry that is supplying good union jobs.” “…many currently operating solar projects would be pushed into structural monthly losses and could be forced to shut down or be decommissioned. This raises the real possibility of dismantling Rhode Island’s existing solar infrastructure and destroying the jobs created through its development,” Erica Hammond, legislative director for the Rhode Island AFL-CIO wrote in testimony when the budget proposal came before the Senate. The governor’s new proposal would allow virtual projects to switch to a rate of 19 cents per kilowatt hour that would increase by 2.75% annually for 25 years. The starting rate is about equal to the commercial rate virtual net metering projects are currently being paid. The governor’s office estimates that doing and lowering the aggregate cap on projects could save ratepayers $25 million a year when compared to projections of increasing costs. The total $1 billion in savings would be felt in a similar way. Costs wouldn’t necessarily go down from where they are now, but they wouldn’t go up as much as projected. The typical ratepayer would be better off by $180 a year, according to administration officials. The new budget amendment preserves the other major change to state renewable energy laws proposed by McKee in January: a watering down of the state Renewable Energy Standard, the law that requires annual increases in purchases of renewable energy to offset usage. As it’s currently written, the law requires the state to reach 100% renewable purchases by 2033. McKee proposes pushing back that date to 2050, and allowing 25% of purchases to come from nuclear energy and large-scale hydropower. Environmental advocates have called the weakening of the law short-sighted, saying that the administration is only looking at one side of the ledger and hasn’t factored in the benefits of renewables, not only to the climate and public health but also to customer bills by reducing the region’s overdependence on natural gas.
The launch was attended by nearly 150 industry leaders and market experts. The solution integrates solar, storage, EV charging, heating and smart energy management into one unified system, helping homeowners access clean energy more easily while reducing energy costs. It includes Photovoltaic Building Materials (PVBM), inverter and storage system such as the ESA series, EV chargers, heat pumps, and smart management, addressing the key needs of the UK residential solar market. The system allows for a 70 percent self-consumption rate, substantially reducing energy bills as well as emissions. The UK Government announced the £15 billion Warm Homes Plan in January 2026, targeting upgrades to up to five million homes by 2030. Approximately £5 billion is allocated to fully funded upgrade packages for low-income households, while a combination of subsidised zero- and low-interest loans and investment mechanisms will support broader household adoption of solar PV, batteries and heat pumps. “The UK Warm Homes Plan sets a clear direction: to transform households into active energy units” said Daniel Huang, Founder & CEO of GoodWe, in his keynote speech. “This means homes are no longer just consuming energy but also producing and managing it. This is what we call Energy Prosumers.” During the event, GoodWe also strengthened its ecosystem through partnerships with leading energy platforms such as Kraken. A signing ceremony was held with the aim of delivering more competitive and future-ready solutions. EUPD Research, which co-organised the launch event together with GoodWe, provided an analysis of the UK market. “Demand for residential solar in the UK is growing” added said Markus A.W. Hoehner, Founder & CEO of the EUPD Group. “The market is structurally aligned for accelerated uptake of solar PV and battery storage. We see this trend being reinforced by installer behaviour, with nearly all providers offering bundled PV and storage solutions as a standard residential package in the UK.” To adapt to different local housing conditions, GoodWe also offers a compact micro-storage solution for social housing and homes with limited space, enabling them to access clean energy with minimal effort. During the event, GoodWe, in collaboration with TÜV Rheinland, released a white paper on PV and ESS acoustic performance, which provides technical insights into noise optimisation in residential adoption and beyond. As the industry’s first white paper dedicated to noise reduction in PV and energy storage systems, it aims to advance low-noise standards across the sector and improve user experience. “Clearer industry standards around noise are needed for residential energy storage systems” said Aditya Lyer, Key Account Manager at TÜV Rheinland. “This would help define acceptable noise thresholds and ensure that systems are designed to minimise disturbances in densely populated areas.” For additional information: GoodWe
Solar Power World By Billy Ludt | Silicon Ranch officially launched its CattleTracker energy and cattle grazing technology today on the Christiana Solar Ranch in Christiana, Tennessee. The facility represents the first-ever commercial deployment of Silicon Ranch’s patented cattle-compatible agrivoltaics platform, designed to cultivate solar energy and regenerative grazing. Credit: Silicon Ranch “CattleTracker was born at the intersection of American energy, American manufacturing and American farming — all areas that are under tremendous pressure to evolve and grow in this country,” said Reagan Farr, CEO and co-founder of Silicon Ranch. “We have long believed that doing what’s right for our country, our grid and our economy can also benefit our land, our animals and our farmers. The innovation we celebrate today represents the tangible application of that belief and our commitment to make it possible, and I am confident it will yield many benefits for the surrounding community and wider region for a long time to come.” Silicon Ranch funded, built and will own, operate and maintain the facility in Christiana, which is in the service territory of Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE). MTE is partnering with Silicon Ranch to purchase the power and environmental attributes generated by the facility — realizing savings on day one of operation — to benefit the more than 750,000 Tennesseans that the cooperative serves across 11 counties. MTE is the largest electric cooperative in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) region and the second largest in the United States. The Christiana Solar Ranch will be the first project of its size in the world to co-locate a legitimate cattle ranching operation with a commercially viable solar energy infrastructure facility. The years of research involved in this project resulted in two patents being awarded to the company. Silicon Ranch Chief Technology Officer Nick de Vries served as Principal Investigator for the research and led the development of a solar tracking system that is designed and engineered to move into “grazing” mode to allow cattle to safely graze and move beneath the panels. “As a researcher, what’s most exciting about CattleTracker is that it brings rigor and real‑world validation to agrivoltaics at a commercial scale,” said Dr. Anna Clare Monlezun, founder of Graze, La Dolce Vita Ranch, and a member of the CattleTracker research team. “At the Christiana Solar Farm, we’re demonstrating that thoughtfully designed solar infrastructure can support normal, healthy beef cattle behavior, align with animal welfare standards and enhance land stewardship while also delivering reliable energy. This project provides an important foundation for continued transdisciplinary research into how regenerative grazing and energy production can successfully coexist.” Silicon Ranch hopes Christiana will be proof of concept that solar development and cattle grazing can have similar success as the sheep industry has seen with agrivoltaics. The CattleTracker project uses domestic materials and technology. Technologies were purchased regionally, including partnerships with First Solar, which recently opened a solar panel manufacturing plant in northern Alabama, and Nextpower, which manufactures the low-carbon steel components for the trackers used on the CattleTracker site at its Memphis manufacturing facility. As the long-term owner of both the energy infrastructure and the underlying property, Silicon Ranch is handling maintaining of the land through its own Regenerative Energy land stewardship program. In addition to rotational sheep grazing and now cattle, Regenerative Energy practices aim to improve the quality of land and nurture the soil by promoting multi-species grasses and pollinator habitat under and around the solar array. The CattleTracker research team has been performing field work since 2023 and has published its findings in academic journals. Led by Silicon Ranch, the research team includes representatives from Graze, Quanterra Systems, Colorado State University and White Oak Pastures. Additional support was provided by an advisory committee that includes representatives from the National Laboratory of the Rockies, DNV, University of Georgia, Michigan State University, Standard Soil & Blue Nest Beef and the Solar Energy Industry Association. News item from Silicon Ranch Billy Ludt is managing editor of Solar Power World and currently covers topics on mounting, inverters, installation and operations.
A cow, back right, scratches on a support beam of a solar panel on Tuesday at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
A cow, back right, scratches on a support beam of a solar panel on Tuesday at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) CHRISTIANA, Tenn. (AP) — From a distance, the small solar farm in central Tennessee looks like others that now dot rural America, with row upon row of black panels absorbing the sun’s rays to generate electricity. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Your comment has been submitted.
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Tata Power Renewable Energy will invest up to ₹6,500 crore to build 10 GW of capacity for making solar panel parts, like ingots and wafers. This aims to secure its supply chain, boost profits, and support India's solar manufacturing goals. However, the large investment enters a crowded market and poses challenges for execution and its competitive standing. Used by 10,000+ active investors Select the stocks you want to track in real time. Receive instant updates directly to WhatsApp. Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) is moving into the early stages of solar manufacturing, producing critical components like photovoltaic ingots and wafers. This ₹6,500 crore investment aims to secure essential materials for TPREL's own solar cell and module production. The goal is to improve profit margins and gain an advantage in a domestic market that has limited capacity. TPREL's board has approved a plan to build up to 10 GW of ingot and wafer manufacturing capacity, with production starting at 5 GW and expanding later. This move to make its own components is expected to pay for itself in about five years. It supports India's goal to become self-reliant in renewable energy manufacturing. The timing is key, as new rules coming in June 2026 will require solar cells to use domestically made parts, creating a solid demand for these components. However, TPREL faces stiff competition. Adani Solar, a key rival, already has integrated manufacturing for ingots and wafers, starting production in May 2024. Adani Green Energy, a related company, has a much higher stock valuation, trading at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of about 110-130. This suggests investors expect significant growth and integration. In comparison, Tata Power's P/E ratio is much lower, around 35-120, while ReNew Power trades between 13 and 18, showing different investor sentiment. This major investment by TPREL, which is part of Tata Power, occurs as the parent company plans to spend about ₹25,000 crore annually on new projects until FY30, with most of it going to clean energy. TPREL itself has good credit ratings from major agencies, showing its importance and the financial backing from Tata Power. India's overall economic conditions strongly support domestic manufacturing, with government policies encouraging local production and aiming to lessen dependence on imported goods, especially from China. The ₹6,500 crore investment is a large financial commitment. TPREL's existing debt levels are already high due to rapid expansion, with its total debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) standing at 7.3 times in March 2025. This new project adds more financial pressure, potentially impacting the overall financial health of Tata Power, which is already planning significant annual spending. Building a 10 GW manufacturing facility is a complex task, and there's a risk of exceeding budget and facing delays. Adani Solar's early entry into integrated manufacturing gives it a significant advantage. Having started producing wafers and ingots sooner means Adani likely has better cost control and more established supply chains that TPREL will find difficult to match. Even with domestic policies supporting local production, the global market for solar components can fluctuate in price. Falling global prices could reduce profits for TPREL's new factory, potentially affecting its financial forecasts. Investor sentiment towards Tata Power has been mixed recently, with its stock price falling partly due to worries about whether its large spending on renewable energy projects is sustainable and how it will affect future profits. This shows investors are carefully watching the speed and financial health of the company's rapid growth. Moving into the costly, early stages of solar manufacturing, even though it aligns with national aims, could worsen these investor concerns if the project isn't handled perfectly. Management remains confident in meeting its renewable energy capacity goals, targeting 30 GW by FY30. TPREL is expected to play a major role in the group's overall earnings. How well the company executes this large manufacturing plan, both efficiently and profitably, will be crucial for its long-term success and its standing across the entire renewable energy sector. Quarterly results, bulk deals, concall updates and major announcements delivered in real time. Used by 10,000+ active investors Select the stocks you want to track in real time. Receive instant updates directly to WhatsApp.
Stef Tonkin moved to Jacumba about two years ago and connected to neighbors through the local community center. But nowadays, she spends her time indoors. She first spoke with KPBS in January when she raised concerns about dust produced by construction of a nearby solar project affecting her health. Tonkin has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). “The amount of dust — it was noticeable prior to them ever breaking ground, but it was dealable,” she said in January. “I have been hospitalized several times recently because of having flare-ups with my COPD.” Three months later, she says her health hasn’t gotten better. “We’re having to keep our doors closed and our windows closed because the construction going on next door in the field is so bad,” Tonkin said. On April 20, the leaders of the Jacumba Community Sponsor Group emailed a formal complaint to San Diego County citing health concerns raised by Tonkin and other residents. “Since grading began on Nov. 5, 2025, Jacumba residents have experienced sustained, severe dust intrusion — coating homes inside and out, contributing to new respiratory diagnoses, and, in the case of one resident with COPD living approximately 1,000 feet from the site, multiple hospitalizations,” the group wrote. “(Developer) BayWa r.e.’s own Fugitive Dust Control Plan identifies our community as “sensitive receptors” requiring heightened protection. That standard is not being met.” The sponsor group is asking the San Diego County to conduct a compliance audit and independent, unannounced inspections of the construction site. The solar project has been controversial from the start. Residents say it will damage the character of Jacumba. The demand for more accountability and monitoring of the construction site, follows allegations from the community that the developer, BayWa r.e. Americas, has not followed a dust mitigation requirement listed in the Environmental Impact Report to pause construction on days when wind gusts exceed 25 mph. In January, residents and community leaders spoke with county staff and representatives for the developer about the dust concerns at a public Jacumba Community Sponsor Group meeting. Jeff Osborne, who is the sponsor group chair and co-owns the Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel, asked what steps are taken to reduce dust during high winds. “It says that you are supposed to prohibit construction grading on days when the wind gusts exceed 25 miles per hour,” Osborne said. “Have you guys stopped project grading because of the wind thus far?” “Not that I’ve seen,” said a representative from the developer. Osborne replied back: “I have a weather station right here in town and since Nov. 1, there’s been 16 days with gusts over 25 miles an hour.” In the sponsor group’s emailed complaint, Osborne lists 28 days where a publicly available weather station in Jacumba documented wind gusts that exceeded 25 mph. In the months since the January meeting, the county confirmed the contractor stopped work on several days when the wind exceeded 25 mph and “they continuously water the site when they are working as a preventive measure for dust control.” County spokesperson Donna Durckel told KPBS they already conduct unannounced inspections on a regular basis to ensure the construction crews are following the dust mitigation requirements. She declined an interview about the sponsor group’s complaint. Cody Ledwig, director of construction at BayWa r.e. Americas, told KPBS in an email that the company takes dust concerns seriously. “This is a large project in a dry, exposed location and dust is a real challenge. We run up to five water trucks on-site at once, follow an approved dust control plan, and pause grading when wind conditions are too high. We have an on-site anemometer so staff can monitor conditions in real time. Our most recent feedback is that residents are seeing the effort we’re putting in and complaints have come down significantly,” said Ledwig. But Katrina Olsen, a board member of the Jacumba Community Sponsor Group, said the community is still being impacted. “We’re just getting inundated by dust on a constant basis,” Olsen said. “And, people are getting sick.” Tonkin said she has asked a housing advocate to help her find temporary living accommodations to escape the dust. “I don’t want to give up my place here, because I can’t afford to live anywhere else,” Tonkin said. “She’s trying to find me somewhere, even if it’s just for a few weeks, to be away from here … I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s trying to find something.” A sign next to the construction site directs residents to call (562) 442-0729 if they see excess dust coming from the project. KPBS keeps you informed with local stories you need to know about — with no paywall. Our news is free for everyone because people like you help fund it. Without federal funding, community support is our lifeline. Make a gift to protect the future of KPBS.
Plans for a solar farm have been paused so they can be reviewed and refined, developers have said. Leoda Solar Farm would cover about 2,400 acres (9.7 sq km) of farmland between the Lincolnshire villages of Leadenham, Brant Broughton and Welbourn. Hugh Gilmour, the project's head of development, said environmental and technical surveys would continue. "The project team remains fully committed to Leoda Solar Farm and intends to restart the process once this work has been completed and the proposals have been further refined," he added. Gilmour said the project had been withdrawn from the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) process "at this point". If a solar farm is classed as "nationally significant", it means the applicant must apply for consent from the planning inspectorate, rather than a local council. Developer Telis Energy UK said the solar farm would produce between 500MW and 600MW, with the project's website indicating it could power the equivalent of up to 143,000 homes. The application would also include a battery system to store energy generated. Objections to the plans, including criticism that the design was too big and too vague, were made by residents in February last year. Among them was Tim Willbond, who lives in Leadenham. At the time he said he agreed with the need to move to sustainable energy but was concerned by the scale of the scheme. "These plans seems completely out of proportion and would have a massive impact on the countryside. If they were scaled down, they might be acceptable," he added. Gilmour said: "We firmly believe that developing renewable energy in the UK is essential to supporting energy security and the transition to a low‑carbon energy system as part of UK government policy." Listen to highlights fromLincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch thelatest episode of Look North. Download the BBC News app from the App Storefor iPhone and iPad orGoogle Play for Android devices Brant Broughton, Billinghay and Metheringham stations were targeted last week, say police. Hundreds of animals suffered "psychological distress and fear" at site near Lincoln, the RSPCA says. Schools in Lincolnshire are due to benefit from the work which is expected to last into next year. Telis Energy wants to build the solar farm on land between Leadenham, Brant Broughton and Welbourn. Two people died in a collision between a lorry and a van near Leadenham on Friday. Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
(se1982 / Shutterstock.com) The sun is a star that has long powered life on Earth. It provides energy to the plants that feed Earth’s living creatures, helping ecosystems thrive. Now, innovators are finding new ways to harness this constant and natural source of renewable energy. Thanks to a Tunisian startup, the sun is also helping power cars, according to ElectricCarsReport. These vehicles, which come in car and cargo van models, are making use of one resource Africa has plenty of: sunshine. Though they also use lithium batteries and traditional charging, the company says solar panels can supply over 50 percent of a vehicle’s daily energy needs. Solar Panels on the Roof Bako Motors offers two types of vehicles: the B-Van, a cargo vehicle, and the Bee, a tiny two-seater car. The B-Van is built for last-mile delivery and other logistics needs. It has a range of 62 to 186 miles and gets a boost of energy from the solar panels installed on its roof. The Bee is designed for short trips and urban commuters. It has a range of 44 to 75 miles and can reach speeds of up to 27 miles per hour. The solar panels on its roof also give it more energy. Bako Motors is also currently developing the X-Van, a third model with both passenger seating and a larger cargo capacity, which could make it useful for a wider range of city-based businesses. Extending the Range The idea of Bako Motors’ vehicles is not to replace battery power with solar power, but rather to use the sun in order to expand the range of electric vehicles, CNN reports. “Among the biggest inhibitors of EV adoption has been range anxiety. If you can tell a person that while the battery itself will give you 250 kilometers (155 miles) of full charge, solar can extend that by another 50 (31 miles), it gives them the confidence to choose EV,” Bob Wesonga, operations and research associate for Africa E-Mobility Alliance, a think tank, tells CNN. Though the company has plans to expand to other parts of Africa, the Middle East, and even Europe, it continues to focus on local production in Tunisia. More than 40 percent of the parts of every vehicle they create are locally sourced, including the steel and lithium batteries. This helps create jobs and supports the local economy. In addition, electric vehicle trends within Africa itself tend to be very localized. Customers in some countries, such as Kenya, prefer motorbikes, while other countries, such as South Africa, prefer four-wheel vehicles. Right now, Bako Motors is creating vehicles suited for Tunisia’s needs. Soon, it will start to build solar-powered vehicles suited to the diversity of needs throughout the African continent and beyond. Companies like Bako Motors show the power of electric vehicles when it comes to clean transportation. Through creativity, ingenuity, and a better understanding of natural resources, the future is bright. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Solar Shines Brighter in the EU Japan Invents Super Solar Panels Israeli Startup is Using Cutting-Edge Technology to Harness the Power of Waves Literally. Thank you for signing up. Expect to hear from us very soon.
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California is now home to its first-ever solar-covered canal, an initiative started by researchers at UC Merced that aims to generate clean energy and conserve water. The big picture: The project, known as Project Nexus, was inspired by a 2021 UC Merced study that found covering all 4,000 miles of California’s exposed canals with solar panels could generate about 13 gigawatts of electricity annually—enough to supply roughly 2 million homes.
Emmvee Photovoltaic turned its aggressive capacity scale-up into a sharp profit leap in the March quarter. Emmvee Photovoltaic Power Ltd released its earnings for the fourth quarter of financial year 2025-26 on April 29. The Bengaluru-based solar module maker, now operating above 10 GW of capacity, rode sustained demand across markets to deliver the standout quarter, sending its stock up close to 9% in afternoon trade. The company’s consolidated revenue climbed 62% year-on-year to ₹17.4 billion, compared with ₹10.7 billion in the same period last year. Its consolidated net profit for Q4 rose 89% to ₹3.9 billion from ₹2.1 billion a year ago. EBITDA came in at ₹5.7 billion, a 58% jump over last year’s ₹3.6 billion. The EBITDA margin did soften by just under 90 basis points to 32.8% from 33.7%, a marginal compression as the revenue mix evolves and expansion-linked costs weigh in. The consolidated numbers include six subsidiaries, capturing the full picture of the group’s performance. The stock surged 8.8% to ₹296.20 in early afternoon trade on April 29, adding ₹23.92 on the day. In his remarks, Chairman and Managing Director DV Manjunatha Donthi called FY26 a ‘step-change’ year. He pointed to the doubling of module capacity from 6 GW to over 10 GW as the engine that let the company respond to strong, sustained demand. The focus, he added, remains on strengthening technology and integration capabilities to lock in long-term competitiveness, with Emmvee well placed to benefit as the global push for reliable, cost-efficient clean energy gathers pace.
A cow, back right, scratches itself on a support beam of a solar panel on Tuesday at a farm in Christiana, Tenn.
A cow, back right, scratches itself on a support beam of a solar panel on Tuesday at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. CHRISTIANA, Tenn. — From a distance, the small solar farm in central Tennessee looks like others that now dot rural America, with row upon row of black panels absorbing the sun’s rays to generate electricity. But beneath these panels is lush pasture instead of gravel, enjoyed by a small herd of cattle that spends its days munching grass and resting in the shade. Silicon Ranch, which owns the 40-acre farm in Christiana, outside of Nashville, believes cattle-grazing is the next frontier in so-called agrivoltaics, which mostly has involved growing crops or grazing sheep beneath the panels. The solar company debuted the project this week and will spend the next year working to demonstrate to farmers that much larger cattle also can thrive at solar sites. If successful, advocates say, that could jump-start new projects to meet the soaring electricity demand driven by rapidly expanding data centers — without contributing climate-warming carbon emissions — and help cattle producers hold onto their land and livelihoods. “Solar is one of the most powerful tools we have for cutting emissions and … is cost-competitive with fossil fuels,” said Taylor Bacon, a doctoral student at Colorado State University who has studied ecological outcomes at solar grazing sites. “I think we’re starting to see enough research that, when you do it well, the land use can be more of an opportunity than a downside.” Though there are far more cattle than sheep in the U.S., their size poses challenges at solar sites, where both expensive equipment and the animals, which can weigh more than half a ton, must be protected. Solar panels often pivot to near-vertical angles to capture the sun’s rays, leaving little room underneath for cattle; simply raising the panels is cost-prohibitive because of the amount of steel required. So Silicon Ranch raised the panels a little but also developed software that workers activate to turn the panels close to horizontal when cattle are grazing, giving them room to wander, said Nick de Vries, the company’s chief technology officer. Workers rotate the cattle — currently 10 cows and their calves — between paddocks every few days so panels on the ungrazed portion of the site operate normally, generating a supply of roughly 5 megawatts of electricity for Middle Tennessee Electric, a rural electric co-op. The hope is that the technology eventually will be adopted more broadly, company officials said. “We know it works,” said de Vries. “But you need to prove it to other people.” For solar companies, agricultural land is generally easier to develop than other types of sites. But many farmers — and communities — will need to be convinced that solar grazing will benefit them because of past practices that destroyed topsoil and took land out of production permanently. “For many agricultural stakeholders, it is offensive to see high-quality farmland getting graded and piled when that’s a farm family’s legacy,” said Ethan Winter, national smart solar director at American Farmland Trust. But he sees potential for solar grazing partnerships to help farmers keep their land in production and earn extra income at a time when it’s increasingly difficult to earn money farming and ranching alone. “Agriculture is in a really tough spot right now” including because of trade wars, climate extremes, increased costs and pressure to sell, Winter said. “So maybe this is our moment where we can be helping states meet their energy needs and do that in a way that’s providing new opportunities for farmers.” Silicon Ranch this year will have almost 15,000 acres of pasture being grazed — mostly by sheep — since launching five years ago, and is working with ranchers, farmers, university researchers and others to adopt best-practices for keeping soils and animals healthy. What they’re finding is that pasture beneath solar panels retains more moisture, making it more drought tolerant, said Anna Clare Monlezun, a rancher and rangeland ecosystem scientist who’s working on the Tennessee project. Grazing in the shade leaves animals less prone to heat stress, enabling them to gain more weight and drink less water. “There are more win-wins than trade-offs,” she said. Sheep already have proven to be a good fit for solar sites, with more than 130,000 acres grazed as of 2024, a number that certainly has grown, said Kevin Richardson, senior director of the American Solar Grazing Association. But for cattle, the industry still has to overcome site-design challenges and be able to scale up operations while also developing appropriate economic incentives for ranchers, Richardson said. “Once we have that, I think we’ll see more solar sites using cattle or multi-species grazing with sheep and cattle,” he said. Farmers often earn about $1,000 an acre by leasing their land for solar, easily 10 times more than what they historically earned through traditional agriculture, said Winter, from the Farmland Trust. That can help them to diversify operations, pay down debt and buy more land. “I think you’ll start to hear more interest from farmers who are up against a serious financial wall right now and looking for income diversification opportunities that keep land in production,” Winter said. “We need and want to grow America’s energy capacity but not at the expense of our best farmland or at the expense of agricultural livelihoods.” The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 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Principles & Commitments ESG Management ESG Report ESG Practice About LONGi Continuing to focuse on mono-crystalline technology Collaborative Employee-Focused Workplace We want to hear from you! Recently, LONGi announced two major technological breakthroughs. First, its independently developed Hybrid Interdigitated-Back-Contact (HIBC) solar cell has been certified by the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH) in Germany, achieving a photoelectric conversion efficiency of 28.13%. This marks yet another step forward toward the efficiency limit of crystalline silicon solar cells, following LONGi’s previous efficiency record of 28.04% set in January 2026. Second, Modules featuring HIBC solar cells have achieved certification from the U.S. National Renewable Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), with efficiency breaking through to 26.4%. This has set a record surpassing LONGi’s previous record which pushed the crystalline silicon module efficiency to 26%. As the ultimate solution for single-junction crystalline silicon cell technology, the HIBC cell developed by LONGi’s Central R&D Institute represents a culmination of the strengths of various cell technologies. The R&D team has introduced core innovative technologies such as in-situ Patterned Edge Passivation (iPET) and Laser-Induced Crystallization modification (LIC). By optimizing structural design, materials, and manufacturing processes, the team improved optical performance, interface passivation, and charge transport, helping establish a clear path toward commercializing ultra-high-efficiency crystalline silicon cells. These hardcore breakthroughs in technological strength have already translated into a leading edge in mass production. This achievement marks the official completion of a complete closed loop spanning from laboratory R&D to large-scale commercial application for HIBC cells, delivering yet another premium clean energy solution to global customers, one that offers “high efficiency, high energy yield, aesthetic versatility, and certified safety and reliability”. Moving forward, LONGi will continue to focus on technological innovation, accelerating the translation of laboratory efficiency breakthroughs into large-scale manufacturing, and serving the global energy transition with more competitive clean energy products to help build a zero-carbon and sustainable green energy ecosystem. About LONGi Founded in 2000, LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (LONGi) is committed to being the most valuable solar technology company in the world. We work under the mission of making the best of solar energy to build a green world. Our brand is positioned to being the most trusted, reliable solar company that continues to blaze the trail for green technology. LONGi is developing solutions for large-scale power plants, different industries and households with its innovative-focused development. In the future, we will also supply Green Power and Green Hydrogen solutions for global zero-carbon development.
Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. Advertisement Nature Materials (2026)Cite this article 409 Accesses Metrics details Narrow-bandgap acceptors are the basis for achieving high short-circuit current density in organic solar cells; however, the lack of effective strategies to reduce energy loss under narrow-bandgap systems makes it challenging to solve the trade-off of open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density. Here an acceptor Qx-Se-NF, featuring quinoxaline (Qx) central moiety, naphthyl-based terminal group (NF), and selenium (Se)-substituted central core, is synthesized, reaching a narrow bandgap of 1.31 eV. Theoretical calculations show that Qx-Se-NF exhibits low energetic disorder, which is beneficial for reducing energy loss. Furthermore, its strong aggregation properties tend to form a unique vertically segregated alloy structure in ternary systems, which is beneficial for increasing the short-circuit current density without sacrificing the open-circuit voltage. As a result, the ternary system achieved a certified power conversion efficiency of 21.01% with a low energy loss of 0.486 eV, providing a deep insight into the design of narrow-bandgap acceptors and their ternary systems. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription $32.99 / 30 days cancel any time Subscribe to this journal Receive 12 print issues and online access $259.00 per year only $21.58 per issue Buy this article USD 39.95 Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Source data are provided with this paper. The data and relevant information are available within the article and its Supplementary Information. Additional data are available from the corresponding authors on request. The X-ray crystallographic coordinates for structures reported in this study have been deposited at the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC) under deposition numbers 2501605, 2501606 and 2479214. These data can be obtained free of charge from The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre via www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk/data_request/cif. Zhu, L. et al. 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K.L. acknowledges financial support from the CAS Project for Young Scientists in Basic Research (grant number YSBR-102), the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (grant number Z230018) and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant number XDB0520102). L.Z. acknowledges financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 22473036). We thank the Advanced In-situ Characterization Facility of Molecular Condensed and Electronic Structures (AIC-MCES) for the TOF-SIMS measurements; R. Wang and G. Lu from Xi’an Jiaotong University for their help with the FLAS measurements; X. Dai and Y. Zou from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for their help with the ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and LEIPS measurements; G. Zhao and H. Zhou from the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology for their help with the transient photocurrent and transient photovoltage measurements; W. Wang from Peking University for the help with the atomic force microscopy measurements; and J. Zhang from the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology for the help with the grazing-incidence X-ray scattering measurements. These authors contributed equally: Jing Tao, Chi Zhang, Qiming Zhao, Chenyang Tian. CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Jing Tao, Chi Zhang, Qiming Zhao, Chenyang Tian, Ailing Tang, Dingding Qiu, Hao Zhang, Huijuan Bi, Wenjun Zou, Kun Lu, Lingyun Zhu & Zhixiang Wei University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Jing Tao, Chi Zhang, Qiming Zhao, Chenyang Tian, Ailing Tang, Yao Zhao, Dingding Qiu, Hao Zhang, Wenjun Zou, Kun Lu, Lingyun Zhu & Zhixiang Wei HyperPV Co. Ltd, Jiaxing, People’s Republic of China Jin Fang Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Huairou Research Center, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Yao Zhao Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar J.T. and K.L. designed and synthesized the Qx-based acceptors, performed material characterizations and prepared the first draft of the paper. C.Z. fabricated and characterized the devices and conducted the certification. C.T. fabricated the large-area flexible devices and modules. Q.Z. and L.Z. provided the theoretical calculations, analysed the data and wrote the corresponding part. J.F. and W.Z. helped to optimize the device and conduct the certification. Y.Z. helped to conduct the TOF-SIMS test. D.Q. and H.B. helped to synthesize the molecules. H.Z. helped to perform the in situ ultraviolet–visible absorption measurements and analyse the data. A.T. contributed to the data analysis and paper revision. K.L. and Z.W. conceived the idea, supervised and directed this project, and revised this paper. All authors contributed to discussing the results and commented on the paper. Correspondence to Kun Lu, Lingyun Zhu or Zhixiang Wei. The authors declare no competing interests. Nature Materials thanks Kwanghee Lee, Ergang Wang and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Supplementary Figs. 1–55, Tables 1–34, Notes 1–7, Methods and References. Source data. Source data. Source data. Source data. Source data. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law. Reprints and permissions Tao, J., Zhang, C., Zhao, Q. et al. Narrow-bandgap acceptors with low energetic disorder achieve over 21% efficiency in organic solar cells. Nat. Mater. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-026-02589-4 Download citation Received: Accepted: Published: Version of record: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-026-02589-4 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.
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Safer and more environmentally friendly indoor solar panels could soon help power electronics in homes and offices, thanks to University of Queensland researchers. A team of chemical engineers led by UQ’s Dr Miaoqiang Lyu and Professor Lianzhou Wang have developed a new fabrication method that eliminates the need for toxic lead and other hazardous solvents in perovskite indoor solar panels. “Indoor solar cells themselves are not new, but the power conversion efficiency of the commercial silicon-based technology is only around 10%,” Dr Lyu said. “Halide perovskites are an emerging technology that could replace silicon, offering much higher efficiencies and commercial potential. Related article:“Giant leap”: UQ researchers set new solar cell world record “However, most still rely on lead-based hazardous materials. “The technology we developed eliminates those materials while still delivering high efficiency.” UQ PhD student Zitong Wang, who is under the supervision of Dr Lyu and Professor Wang, developed a safe and scalable vapour-based manufacturing process for fabricating high-quality lead-free perovskite material with fewer performance-limiting defects. Indoor perovskite solar cells operate under low-intensity artificial light, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and fluorescent lamps. Using the new method, the panels achieved an efficiency of 16.36%—the highest reported for this type of lead-free perovskite indoor solar cell made using an industry-compatible evaporation method. “This material has very attractive properties that can absorb indoor light and convert very weak indoor light efficiently into electricity,” Dr Lyu said. “By removing those solvents entirely, the process is much better suited to scalable manufacturing.” Lead-free perovskite indoor solar cells are also increasingly viewed as an alternative to coin-cell and button batteries for low-power electronics like environmental sensors, wearables, medical and health monitoring devices, and small consumer electronics. Supermarkets trialling battery-powered electronic shelf labels, which replace thousands of paper price tickets and reduce manual labour, are among the potential early applications of the technology. “With suitable voltage management, these devices can replace coin‑cell batteries, reducing the number of small batteries that end up as waste or in children’s toys,” Dr Lyu said. Panels fabricated using the UQ process are thin, scalable and can be made on flexible plastic and in different shapes, making them easy to integrate into a wide range of products. The next step is sealing the panels before further testing. Related article:Aussie-first research hub dedicated to solar panel recycling “I think the key here is encapsulation, to protect the material from oxygen and moisture,” Dr Lyu said. “People will probably see perovskite indoor panels and integrated consumer electronics in the market in the next few years.” The research paper is published in ACS Energy Letters. Click Here to Subscribe Sign up to receive the latest Energy News emailed directly to your Inbox Click Here to Subscribe Indoor solar panels could soon help power electronics in homes and offices, thanks to Australian researchers. #solar #solarpanels #indoorsolar #renewables #energytransition #technology This week marks the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster in northern Ukraine. #chernobyl #nuclearpower #nucleardisaster #ukraine #nuclear #energytransition #renewables
Searching for your content… In-Language News Contact Us 888-776-0942 from 8 AM – 10 PM ET Apr 29, 2026, 00:39 ET Share this article XI’AN, China, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Recently, LONGi announced two major technological breakthroughs. First, its independently developed Hybrid Interdigitated-Back-Contact (HIBC) solar cell has been certified by the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH) in Germany, achieving a photoelectric conversion efficiency of 28.13%. This marks yet another step forward toward the theoretical efficiency limit of crystalline silicon solar cells, following LONGi’s previous efficiency record of 28.04% set in January 2026. Second, modules fabricated based on HIBC solar cells have been certified by the U.S. National Laboratory of the Rockies(NLR), with efficiency breaking through to 26.4% — setting a new record after LONGi had earlier pushed the crystalline silicon module efficiency to 26%.
As the ultimate solution for single-junction crystalline silicon cell technology, the HIBC cell developed by LONGi’s Central R&D Institute represents a culmination of the strengths of various cell technologies. The R&D team has innovatively introduced core technologies such as in-situ Patterned Edge Passivation (iPET) and Laser-Induced Crystallization modification (LIC). Through systematic optimization of structural design, material selection, and fabrication processes, the team has achieved multiple breakthroughs in optical performance, interface passivation quality, and charge transport efficiency, paving a mature pathway for the commercial deployment of ultra-high-efficiency crystalline silicon cells. These hardcore breakthroughs in technological strength have already translated into a leading edge in mass production. In April 2026, the authoritative global PV media outlet TaiyangNews released its ranking of commercialized mass-produced module efficiencies, and LONGi’s EcoLife series modules, powered by HIBC technology, secured the top spot with a mass-production efficiency of 25%. This achievement marks the official completion of a complete closed loop spanning from laboratory R&D to large-scale commercial application for HIBC cells, delivering yet another premium clean energy solution to global customers — one that offers “high efficiency, high energy yield, aesthetic versatility, and certified safety and reliability“. Having been deeply engaged in the clean energy field for many years, LONGi has established a comprehensive “Green Power + Green Hydrogen + Energy Storage” full-chain clean energy solution, consistently driving technological iteration through independent innovation to deliver high-quality products across all application scenarios to global customers. Moving forward, LONGi will continue to focus on technological innovation, accelerating the translation of laboratory efficiency breakthroughs into large-scale manufacturing, and serving the global energy transition with more competitive clean energy products to help build a zero-carbon and sustainable green energy ecosystem. SOURCE LONGi Taiyang News, a globally authoritative photovoltaic media outlet, officially released its April 2026 edition of the "TOP SOLAR MODULES LISTING"…. LONGi has officially unveiled its LONGi ONE integrated solar-plus-storage strategy, marking a transition from traditional multi-vendor architectures… Environmental Products & Services Utilities Green Technology Oil & Energy Do not sell or share my personal information:
A combined investment of $34.95 million from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative will bolster solar research at Arizona State University, renewing support for a long-standing effort to advance photovoltaic technology. The funding will support the work of Christiana Honsberg and her team at QESST, an Engineering Research Center launched in 2011, focused on overcoming barriers to sustainable solar electricity generation. QESST is designed to set the solar industry on a path to terawatt levels of installed PV generation in 15 to 20 years, a goal that requires improvements in material science, energy conversion, and manufacturing approaches. This renewed commitment signals confidence in QESST’s decade of progress and its potential to significantly expand the role of photovoltaic technology in U.S. electricity production. Launched in 2011, QESST, an Engineering Research Center, is now positioned to build upon over a decade of progress, focusing on silicon cells, tandem PV cell architectures, and improving performance through manufacturable, sustainable solar technologies. Researchers are aiming for more than incremental gains, envisioning a future where photovoltaic systems dominate new U.S. electricity production, a goal supported by collaborative efforts involving faculty, researchers, and scientists from both established companies and emerging start-ups. The scope of QESST extends beyond materials science; the team is actively working to improve energy conversion processes and refine advanced manufacturing techniques for photovoltaic technologies. This research is not confined to the laboratory, as QESST also prioritizes the development of educational programs spanning K-12 students, university undergraduates and graduates, and public outreach initiatives, all designed to foster a skilled workforce and broader public understanding of solar energy. Beyond technological advancements, QESST is focused on addressing the challenges of integrating large quantities of PV power onto the electricity grid, emphasizing sustainability and reliability. The center’s work encompasses advancements in surface science, photonics, nanofabrication, and the creation of new multifunctional energy conversion devices, all intended to support the scaling up of new solar technologies into large-scale manufacturing. By simultaneously advancing both the science and the educational pipeline, QESST intends to positively impact solar growth nationwide and ensure the continued expansion of the PV industry. Launched in 2011, QESST’s sustained investment reflects a proven record of progress in photovoltaic research, extending beyond incremental improvements to explore innovative cell designs that layer thin-film or III-V absorbers onto traditional silicon substrates. This approach aims to capture a broader spectrum of sunlight, exceeding the limitations of single-junction silicon cells and driving towards higher energy conversion rates. Researchers are not solely focused on laboratory performance; a core objective is demonstrating the manufacturability and long-term viability of these technologies through dedicated test beds. These facilities assess how new solar technologies integrate into existing electrical grids, addressing critical barriers to widespread adoption and ensuring sustainable performance at scale. The team is concentrating on material science improvements related to surfaces, interfaces, and defects, alongside advancements in photonics and nanofabrication techniques, all geared towards enhancing energy conversion processes. Program documentation states that “QESST is implementing new approaches to enhance performance, reduce cost, and enable new functionality,” signaling a commitment to holistic innovation. This target necessitates not only technological breakthroughs but also a robust educational pipeline, with programs designed to train the next generation of solar scientists and engineers at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. QESST actively engages K-12 students and the general public, fostering broader understanding and support for solar energy, a strategy intended to positively impact the industry and facilitate continued growth across the country. Source:https://www.energy.gov/cmei/systems/quantum-energy-and-sustainable-solar-technologies-qesst We’ve seen the rise of AI over the last few short years with the rise of the LLM and companies such as Open AI with its ChatGPT service. Ivy has been working with Neural Networks, Machine Learning and AI since the mid nineties and talk about the latest exciting developments in the field. Disclaimer: All material, including information from or attributed to Quantum Zeitgeist or individual authors of content on this website, has been obtained from sources believed to be accurate as of the date of publication. However, Quantum Zeitgeist makes no warranty of the accuracy or completeness of the information and Quantum Zeitgeist does not assume any responsibility for its accuracy, efficacy, or use. Any information on the website obtained by Quantum Zeitgeist from third parties has not been reviewed for accuracy. 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Indian scientists developed a cadmium-free CIS thin-film solar cell using indium oxide as an electron transport layer, achieving a simulated efficiency of 29.79% with SCAPS-1D modeling. Through sensitivity analysis, they showed that low defect density, optimized absorber thickness, and effective thermal management are critical for minimizing recombination losses and enabling high-performance, scalable devices. Schematic of the solar cell Image: Nirma University Researchers at India’s Nirma University and Samastipur College, Samastipur have designed a cadmium-free thin-film solar cell featuring a copper indium selenide (CIS) absorber and an indium oxide (In₂O₃) electron transport layer (ETL). They noted that, although CIS thin films are promising solar absorbers due to their direct bandgap of around 1.5 eV and high absorption coefficient, device performance is often limited by trap-assisted recombination and inefficient interfacial carrier collection. “Historically, materials such as cadmium sulfide (CdS), titanium dioxide (TiO₂), zinc oxide (ZnO) and tin oxide (SnO₂) have been widely used as electron transport layers in thin-film solar cells,” corresponding author Shibu G. Pillai told pv magazine. “However, they present significant challenges for sustainable scaling. CdS raises serious environmental and toxicity concerns, while Cd-free alternatives also have drawbacks: TiO₂ suffers from UV-induced photocatalytic degradation and low electron mobility, ZnO shows chemical instability, and SnO₂ often requires high-temperature processing that can introduce interfacial trap states.” “We selected In₂O₃ because it offers a unique combination of properties,” co-author Keyur Sangani added. “It provides high electron mobility, low resistivity, excellent optical transparency in the visible range, and strong chemical stability. These features enable efficient electron extraction from the CuInS₂ absorber while reducing interfacial recombination. In₂O₃ also avoids photocatalytic degradation and supports lower-temperature processing, making it suitable for flexible substrates and lower energy consumption.” The proposed device structure consists of an aluminium (Al) front contact, a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate, an In₂O₃ ETL, a CuInS₂ absorber, an amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) hole transport layer, and a nickel back contact. To evaluate practical feasibility and device robustness, the researchers conducted a comprehensive parametric sensitivity analysis. By systematically varying absorber thickness, doping concentration, and defect densities, they assessed tolerance under non-ideal conditions and identified an оптимal absorber thickness of around 1 μm. They also found that increased doping enhances open-circuit voltage and fill factor, while excessive defect density promotes Shockley–Read–Hall recombination and degrades performance. Maintaining low bulk and interface defect densities is therefore critical to preserving photovoltage and minimizing recombination losses. Temperature-dependent simulations further showed that thermal effects significantly impact efficiency, underlining the need for effective thermal management to mitigate carrier lifetime degradation at elevated temperatures. In addition, Voc decreases with increasing absorber thickness due to higher bulk recombination and increased saturation current density, while FF remains relatively stable, indicating limited resistive losses. The optimized device achieved a peak power conversion efficiency of 29.79% in SCAPS-1D simulations. However, this value is based on idealized defect assumptions and represents a theoretical upper limit. A detailed sensitivity analysis was therefore used to assess real-world applicability and device stability. “Overall, combining CIS absorbers with In₂O₃ ETLs offers a clear, cost-effective and fully eco-friendly pathway for high-performance flexible thin-film photovoltaics,” co-author Ritesh Kumar Chourasia concluded. The new cell concept was introduced in “Indium oxide as a high-performance ETL for CuInS₂ thin-film solar cells,” published in Next Materials.
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ZEELAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — On Wednesday night, the Zeeland Township Board unanimously approved a motion pre-authorizing the township manager to spend up to $100,000 on contested case proceedings related to the Silver Maple Solar project, a proposed solar farm spanning both Zeeland and Jamestown Townships. The board also approved two resolutions. The first officially opposes developer RWE’s application with the state. The second authorizes a cooperation and confidentiality agreement with Jamestown Township regarding the solar farm project. WATCH: Zeeland Township board passes resolution opposing RWE solar farm application at special meeting The township has already received $75,000 in local intervenor funds from the developer, RWE, which is required by the state. Both townships have also filed petitions seeking intervenor status in the project. If approved, they would be able to formally intervene in the contested case as affected local units. The Michigan Public Service Commission is currently reviewing RWE’s application. A pre-hearing is set for June 4. PRIOR COVERAGE: Neighbors, Zeeland Township take steps to oppose proposed solar farm in Ottawa County This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. Follow FOX 17:Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – YouTube Homepage Showcase
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