Sri Lanka’s National System Operator (NSO) has instructed all PV system owners to disconnect their installations from the grid following a nationwide blackout caused by instability in the electricity system on Oct. 17. The NSO said PV systems had to remain disconnected until further notice to support grid restoration efforts. According to local media reports, the NSO attributed the outage to unspecified instability in the transmission network, which disrupted electricity supply at around 11:45 a.m. The NSO confirmed the restoration at around 7:50 p.m. local time, with electricity supplies returning to most areas. It is not clear, however, if PV systems could resume power injection. Sri Lanka experienced a similar nationwide blackout on Feb. 9, 2025, when the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) identified high solar PV penetration as a major contributing factor. According to a CEB investigation published in April 2025, the blackout was triggered at noon by a fault at the Panadura grid substation. At the time, solar PV accounted for more than 50% of electricity demand, leaving the grid with insufficient system inertia to withstand the disturbance. The resulting voltage drop and cascading disconnections led to a nationwide blackout. At the time, the authorities also instructed rooftop solar system owners to disconnect their installations from the grid during restoration efforts. Sri Lanka’s rooftop PV capacity reached 1.94 GW by the end of 2025, following rapid growth in installations and generation. Sri Lanka’s daily electricity demand stood at approximately 58 GWh to 60 GWh in March 2026, equivalent to an average continuous power requirement of around 2,400 MW to 2,500 MW. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. Comments Please login to comment Thursday, October 29, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, November 5, 2026 10:00 am – 11:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Friday, October 23, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Join pv magazine for an expert session exploring quality, technology and the challenges of scaling India’s solar industry. The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
Qair has started construction of the 46MW Brecks Solar Farm in Nottinghamshire, marking its first renewable energy project in the UK to enter the construction phase. The company said the project is expected to generate approximately 46.08GWh of renewable electricity annually once operational, enough to power the equivalent of 8,927 homes. Qair added that the development is anticipated to avoid approximately 14,866 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year. Brecks Solar Farm secured a government-backed Contract for Difference (CfD) in February 2026 and is scheduled to become operational in Q2 2027. The project will also deliver environmental enhancements, including biodiversity improvements and landscaping measures designed to integrate the development into the surrounding environment and support local wildlife. Construction marks a milestone in Qair’s continued UK expansion as it progresses renewable energy projects from development through to construction and operation. Qair has more than 1.7GW of capacity in operation globally, with 800 employees developing a 28GW project pipeline across 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. The company is active in solar, onshore and offshore wind, hydroelectric, tidal energy, energy from waste, renewable hydrogen production and energy storage. Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.
Rooftop solar power is shining brighter than ever across the United States, with small-scale solar photovoltaic systems—those under 1 megawatt—producing an astounding increase in energy generation over the past decade. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that overall generation from these systems has soared from roughly 18,812 gigawatthours (GWh) in 2016 to an impressive 92,979 GWh in 2026. For small business owners, this growth in solar energy represents both an opportunity and a consideration for future operations. Small businesses in states blessed with abundant sunlight, such as California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida, have seen significant advantages from adopting solar technology. These regions not only lead the country in solar generation, but they have implemented a variety of state-level incentives designed to encourage small business participation in solar energy initiatives. “California accounted for 37% (34,411 GWh) of total U.S. small-scale solar generation in 2025,” EIA noted, indicating the scale of potential savings for businesses investing in renewable energy. In 2025, California’s rooftop solar generational capacity rose to 20 gigawatts, driven by an 8% growth in installations. With the state’s previous Net Energy Metering (NEM) 2.0 program encouraging solar investment through better compensation, small business owners had compelling reasons to capitalize on solar opportunities before the transition to NEM 3.0 took effect in April 2023. In contrast, even states with lower solar resources are finding ways to capitalize on the solar boom. New York, for example, ranks fifth in the nation for rooftop solar generation, thanks to supportive technology improvements and state incentives. These attributes showcase the increasingly viable nature of rooftop solar, especially for small businesses looking to reduce energy costs and enhance sustainability. For Arizona businesses, the solar initiative is similarly beneficial, owing to a 25% state income-tax credit and various incentives that bolster investment in rooftop systems. With small-scale solar generation in Arizona at 5,795 GWh in 2025—over 6% of the national total—small business owners can leverage these incentives to offset initial installation costs and maximize their energy independence. Texas and Florida have also joined the solar race. Florida’s generation grew from 205 GWh in 2016 to about 5,198 GWh last year, while Texas saw an increase from 391 GWh to 5,408 GWh during the same period. Both states’ property tax exemptions further encourage investments in solar energy, demonstrating the localized benefits of renewable power for small businesses. Yet, the trend isn’t without its complexities. While the overall generation from small-scale solar systems continues to grow, the rate of that growth has begun to decelerate since 2022. Business owners should recognize that this could herald a peak period for incentives, making the timing of their investment crucial. Additionally, the future may bring changes to existing incentive structures—such as the transition from NEM 2.0 to NEM 3.0 in California—which could impact the financial advantages of going solar. The estimation of solar generation remains a challenge as electric utilities struggle to capture accurate data from distributed systems. As a result, small business owners interested in harnessing solar energy should pay close attention to these dynamics in their local markets and stay informed about the various programs and incentives available to them. Ultimately, for many small business owners, investing in rooftop solar systems represents a strategic step toward sustainability. Not only does it offer the potential for considerable energy savings, but it also contributes positively to a business’s public image as a green, responsible entity. With increasing competitive pressures in today’s market, having a reliable and sustainable energy source may very well give small business owners the edge they need. As interest in renewable energy solutions continues to rise, now could be the ideal time to consider the substantial benefits of small-scale solar generation. For more in-depth information from the EIA, explore the original article here. Image via Google Gemini
If you liked this story, share it with other people. Well past the summer peak, India’s power system remains under strain. The country met daytime demand of over 267 GW even in September, yet fell short by more than 7.7 GW after sunset, when solar generation tapers off. India may have withdrawn its bid to host COP33 in 2028, but COP31, which opens in Antalya on November 9, will be the first UN climate summit since India submitted its 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). It raises the bar for climate ambition, targeting 60% non-fossil installed capacity by 2035 and relying heavily on the power sector to drive the transition over the next decade. Climate impacts are rising in India and worldwide. The world will likely cross the 1.5°C threshold in the next few years, as per a recent UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report. The margin by which this threshold is breached before accelerated mitigation efforts bend the temperature curve again will determine how catastrophic climate impacts become. All countries must double down on mitigation now. Yet India’s 2035 NDC targets are being tested in real time, as rising demand, especially in non-solar hours, pushes for all available options, including fossil energy. At the same time, annual power demand could still be hit if India’s economic growth slows because of global conflict, trade disputes, supply chain concentrations, energy inflation, and the impact of artificial intelligence. The clean energy transition risks losing momentum just as it needs to accelerate. India’s current position reflects both progress and credibility. The country has already achieved its 2030 target of 50% non-fossil capacity, five years ahead of schedule, currently standing at 54%. It is making rapid strides in solving on-the-ground challenges to push a higher share of green electricity. The 60% target for 2035, therefore, is less about ambition alone and more about navigating uncertainty. Analysis by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) projects that India’s non-fossil capacity share could range between 60% and 68% in 2035. This eight-percentage-point spread captures how structural factors can alter the transition’s trajectory. Three key drivers negatively impact the share of non-fossil sources: two on the demand side and one on the supply side. First, a low GDP growth trajectory could significantly suppress annual power demand. In a high-growth scenario, with average annual GDP growth of 7.6% and a rising manufacturing share between 2025 and 2035, India’s power demand could reach 3025 billion units in 2035. A lower growth trajectory of 5.90% reduced projected power demand to 2567 billion units. This difference implies that India would not need 458 billion units on the generation side if GDP growth slumps, significantly limiting the potential for new investments in non-fossil capacity. Second, demand-side interventions could further moderate electricity consumption. India’s flagship Lifestyle of the Environment (LiFE) initiative promotes behavioural changes, such as running air conditioners at slightly higher temperatures. Adopting such behavioural practices can lower electricity consumption without compromising thermal comfort. If AC users adopt these measures widely, they would reduce electricity demand. While desirable from an efficiency standpoint, they also slow capacity expansion. This creates a policy tension: managing demand responsibly while ensuring that the energy system continues to scale in line with long-term climate goals. Third, supply-side constraints remain significant. If duties on imported solar panels and domestic manufacturers’ inability to supply panels at lower price points continue to shape renewable energy costs, grid additions could slow significantly. This would directly affect the pace at which the non-fossil share rises, regardless of demand conditions. For example, if the price of solar electricity rises from ₹2.5/kWh to ₹3/kWh due to higher import duties on solar panels, this reduces the technology’s attractiveness to investors and slows investment. Taken together, these factors point to a clear conclusion: India’s climate trajectory is highly sensitive to both economic and policy variables. If a combination of these scenarios pans out, even achieving the 60% target could be challenging. More optimistic outcomes are also possible. Rapid technological progress and cost reductions across low-carbon technologies — such as nuclear, carbon capture and storage, bioenergy, and rooftop solar — could accelerate deployment beyond a 62% share of non-fossil sources. In fact, with higher GDP growth, simultaneous rapid reduction in the cost of multiple low carbon technologies, and decline in power costs for commercial and industrial sectors, India could even achieve a 68% share by 2035. In this context, the 60% target reflects calibrated ambition rather than conservatism. It acknowledges uncertainties from both domestic dynamics and global disruptions that may affect growth, particularly the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Goldman Sachs has already revised India’s growth forecast for FY 2026-27 downward to 5.9%, from its earlier projection of 7%. As geopolitical shocks become more frequent, planning for uncertainty is no longer optional. At the same time, rising oil and gas prices present a strategic opportunity. Higher fossil fuel prices can accelerate electrification across transport, cooking, and industry. Expanding electricity use in these sectors would increase power demand while reducing reliance on imported fuels. This, in turn, could spur more investment in non-fossil capacity and better align energy security with climate goals. India’s updated NDC sets a clear direction, but its achievement will depend on how effectively the country manages this interplay between growth, demand, and technology. The power sector is critical to this strategy, as rising demand, capacity additions, and the integration of renewables must co-evolve. Beyond targets, India’s climate ambitions will depend on how effectively it navigates the uncertain implications of evolving geopolitics. One key target pushed by the COP31 Presidency relates to the share of electricity in final energy use worldwide. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s sixth assessment report highlights the importance of electrifying the economy to achieve deep decarbonisation. This sector is therefore critical for the upcoming COP. However, higher electrification of final energy use will matter only if power supply is decarbonised. As we argue, current and emerging geopolitical uncertainties would critically affect India’s grid decarbonisation plans. India needs to foresee these to position itself better during turbulent times.
Banner image: Workers install solar panels on the rooftop of a home in Uttar Pradesh. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, File) Vaibhav Chaturvedi is a Senior Fellow and Pallavi Das is Programme Lead at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has proposed stricter efficiency requirements for photovoltaic manufacturers, raising minimum average conversion efficiencies for solar cells and modules and introducing separate thresholds for TOPCon, heterojunction (HJT) and back-contact (BC) technologies. The draft 2026 Photovoltaic Manufacturing Industry Specifications, released for public consultation on Oct. 16 alongside proposed revisions to the system for listing compliant manufacturers, would replace the 2024 rules. The consultation period runs until Nov. 15. For new and expanded solar cell production lines, the proposed minimum average conversion efficiencies are 26.2% for n-type TOPCon, 26.0% for HJT and 26.6% for BC technologies. The 2024 rules set a uniform 26.0% threshold for new n-type cells. Existing production lines would need to achieve efficiencies of at least 25.3% for TOPCon and HJT and 25.6% for BC, compared with the previous 25.0% requirement for n-type cells. For new and expanded module production, the proposed minimum efficiencies are 24.2% for TOPCon, 24.0% for HJT and 24.4% for BC, up from a uniform 23.1% threshold for n-type modules under the 2024 rules. Existing module production would face minimum efficiency requirements of 23.4% for TOPCon and HJT and 23.7% for BC. All thresholds refer to average conversion efficiency, with bifacial modules assessed on front-side performance. The draft also removes separate performance categories for multicrystalline and p-type crystalline silicon products while introducing requirements for emerging photovoltaic technologies. New tandem solar modules would need to achieve at least 27% efficiency, compared with 25% for existing tandem modules. New perovskite modules would face a minimum efficiency threshold of 20%. The proposed revisions would also tighten requirements for upstream manufacturing. New polysilicon projects using the trichlorosilane process would face a comprehensive electricity consumption limit of less than 37 kWh/kg, compared with the previous general polysilicon benchmark of 53 kWh/kg. The draft separately proposes a 15 kWh/kg ceiling for new silane fluidized-bed projects and limits water consumption at new polysilicon facilities to 30 cubic meters per metric ton. Manufacturers would continue to be required to spend at least 3% of annual sales on research, development and process improvements, but the minimum absolute expenditure would double to CNY 20 million ($2.94 million), from CNY 10 million. The existing minimum equity-capital ratio of 30% for new and expanded projects would remain unchanged. The proposal also introduces a maximum degradation limit of 8.6% under combined environmental stress testing for crystalline silicon modules. It would strengthen oversight of manufacturers included on MIIT’s published compliance list through regular reviews and the removal of companies that no longer meet the requirements. Industry self-regulation would also be considered when evaluating applications. MIIT states that the specifications are guidance rather than mandatory conditions for administrative approval. Their impact on investment decisions and efforts to reduce excess manufacturing capacity would therefore depend partly on how local authorities, financial institutions and industry participants apply the compliance criteria. The proposed manufacturing standards were released on the same day that China’s Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology proposed adding 12 photovoltaic manufacturing technologies to a catalogue of restricted or prohibited technology exports. Under the separate proposal, exports of certain advanced perovskite and tandem manufacturing technologies would be prohibited. The proposed export-control revisions are also subject to public consultation, although a temporary pre-export registration requirement for the listed technologies has already taken effect. The measures target technology transfers and certain associated equipment rather than imposing a blanket ban on solar product exports. Together, the proposals signal increased government scrutiny of domestic photovoltaic manufacturing standards and the overseas transfer of advanced production technologies. Whether the revised efficiency requirements accelerate the phaseout of excess manufacturing capacity will depend on their final wording and implementation. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. Comments Please login to comment Thursday, October 29, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, November 5, 2026 10:00 am – 11:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand. pv magazine hosts its four-day virtual event on European solar and energy storage, exploring market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality, and cybersecurity in the years ahead. pv magazine Session returns to NetZero Milan as Knowledge Partner, organizing and moderating a two-hour conference on the evolving global solar supply chain. Get your ticket at a discounted rate with pv magazine. Join pv magazine for an expert session exploring quality, technology and the challenges of scaling India’s solar industry. Friday, October 23, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Monday, October 26, 2026 10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Qair has commenced construction of the 46MW Brecks Solar Farm in Nottinghamshire, marking the company’s first renewable energy project in the UK to enter the construction phase. The project forms part of Qair’s growing portfolio of renewable energy developments and represents an important step in the company’s continued growth, as it progresses projects across the UK from development through to construction and operation. Once operational, Brecks Solar Farm is anticipated to generate approximately 46.08GWh of renewable electricity each year, enough to power the equivalent of 8,927 homes annually. The project is also expected to avoid approximately 14,866 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year. In addition to renewable energy generation, Brecks Solar Farm will deliver environmental enhancements, including biodiversity improvements and landscaping measures designed to integrate the development into the surrounding environment while supporting local wildlife. Qair secured a government-backed Contract for Difference (CfD) for the project in February 2026. The project is set to become operational in Q2 2027.
A research team led by the University of Science and Technology of China has developed a framework to assess the fire performance of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) façades. The framework identifies key fire risk factors and prioritizes measures to prevent ignition and limit fire spread. “Although previous studies have investigated the fire behavior of PV materials and modules, systematic fire risk assessment and resilience optimization for BIPV façades remain limited,” corresponding author Yu Wang told pv magazine. “In this work, data-driven sensitivity analysis and expert-judgment-based weighting methods were used to identify the dominant fire risk factors among 16 indicators covering electrical conditions, environmental factors, module materials, and installation conditions.” Wang said the team also conducted a fire resilience optimization analysis based on the fire performance assessment to translate the most significant risk factors into practical mitigation measures. “These measures cover ignition prevention, fire-spread suppression, monitoring, maintenance, and emergency response, extending the analysis from risk identification to engineering application,” he said. The researchers began by establishing 16 fire risk indicators: temperature differences between shaded and unshaded areas; aging of PV modules and associated equipment; DC voltage and current levels; circuit contact resistance; wind load; dust accumulation; ambient temperature; natural disasters such as lightning; module glass thickness; glass type; encapsulation material fire performance; module light transmittance; installation spacing; installation configuration; installation angle; and shielding width. Drawing on previous and ongoing experiments and published studies, the researchers used normalized variance contribution (NVC) analysis to assess variations in the indicators’ normalized risk scores. Nine experts from Asia and Europe, including university researchers, fire service leaders, fire investigators, and senior engineers, also evaluated the indicators using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). A fuzzy version of AHP accounted for uncertainty in expert judgments, while data perturbation tests assessed the stability of the NVC rankings. The team linked the dominant risk factors to 15 safety measures: electroluminescence inspection; compliant equipment and wiring; rapid shutdown; encapsulant flammability ratings; module layout and spacing; module and surrounding fire loads; DC arc-fault detection; drone-based infrared inspection; machine learning-based detection; inspection and maintenance frequency; fault diagnosis and maintenance coverage; cleaning frequency; safe firefighting distances and electric shock prevention; extinguishing agent selection; and firefighting strategies and standards. The same experts ranked the measures using AHP. “The most surprising finding was that the data-driven NVC analysis and expert-based AHP and triangular fuzzy number (TFN)-AHP assessments consistently identified five dominant risk factors despite differences in their overall rankings,” Wang said. “DC voltage and current magnitude ranked first in both the data-driven analysis and the expert-based assessments. Equipment aging, circuit contact resistance, module glass type, and encapsulation fire performance also consistently emerged as important factors. This highlights the need to consider electrical ignition hazards alongside the materials that influence fire development.” Further uncertainty testing showed that the same six indicators – DC voltage and current magnitude, equipment aging, module glass type, circuit contact resistance, glass thickness, and encapsulation fire performance – remained the highest-ranked in the NVC analysis across all valid scenarios, with rank correlations exceeding 0.99. The experts assigned a combined weight of 60.83% to ignition prevention and fire-spread suppression measures, with rapid shutdown ranking first among individual measures at 19.62%. The researchers presented the framework in “Framework for fire risk assessment and resilience optimization of building-integrated photovoltaic façades,” published in Applied Thermal Engineering. The research team included scientists from the University of Science and Technology of China and Italy’s University of Trieste.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. Comments Please login to comment Thursday, October 29, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, November 5, 2026 10:00 am – 11:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand. pv magazine hosts its four-day virtual event on European solar and energy storage, exploring market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality, and cybersecurity in the years ahead. pv magazine Session returns to NetZero Milan as Knowledge Partner, organizing and moderating a two-hour conference on the evolving global solar supply chain. Get your ticket at a discounted rate with pv magazine. Join pv magazine for an expert session exploring quality, technology and the challenges of scaling India’s solar industry. Friday, October 23, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Monday, October 26, 2026 10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
NTPC REL has invited bids for 900 MW near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh and up to 600 MW near Dhule in Maharashtra Both projects require bifacial modules and cells listed under ALMM List-I and List-II, respectively A separate tender covers bifacial solar module supply for projects at Fatehgarh and Bikaner in Rajasthan NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NTPC REL) has issued separate calls for the deployment of a combined 1.5 GW of Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS)-connected ground-mounted solar PV capacity and the supply of solar modules for a 2.1 GW solar PV project. NTPC REL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited’s green energy arm, NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL), is seeking an EPC package with land for the development of 1.5 GW solar PV capacity across two separate tenders. One of the tenders includes 900 MW (NIT no. NRE-CS-5849-004(EPC)-9) to be installed near the Kurnool Solar Project in Andhra Pradesh, to be installed as a single block. Bids can be submitted till November 16, 2026. It will be installed in a single block. The other tender relates to an EPC package for the development of up to 600 MW PV capacity (NIT no. NRE-CS-5848-004(EPC)-9) near Dhule Solar Project in Maharashtra, to be deployed in two blocks of 300 MW each. The last date to submit bids for this tender is November 13, 2026. The bifacial solar modules to be used in both projects must be listed in the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-I, and the cells in List-II. NTPC REL will also require the winners to facilitate the transfer of land required for a battery energy storage system (BESS) to NTPC REL, along with commissioning the project and its O&M for three years post-commissioning. The call for the supply of solar PV modules for a 2.1 GW solar(NIT no. NRE-CS-5800-004(MOD-01)-9) is for projects in Fatehgarh and Bikaner in Rajasthan. The tender is divided into two clusters. Cluster A requires modules compliant with both the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s (MNRE) ALMM List-I for modules and List-II for solar cells. Cluster B requires compliance with ALMM List-I for modules only. Only Class-I local suppliers, as defined under the government’s Make in India procurement policy, are eligible to participate. The broad scope of work requires on-site delivery of crystalline solar PV bifacial modules. The last date for techno-commercial bid submission is November 5, 2026. Earlier this year, NTPC REL launched EPC tenders for a combined 1.1 GW solar PV capacity across Rajasthan (see NTPC REL Floats EPC Tenders For 1.1 GW Of Solar Projects). TaiyangNews 2024
The Autumn issue of 2026 is available now! The new issue begins with a regional report on Asia Pacific, looking at the region’s transition from building capacity to building systems. The issue also explores topics such as offshore wind foundations, solar maintenance, training the new workforce, inspection & maintenance, and more! With insights from experts such as Everllence, BW Ideol, EM&I, Watson Farley & Williams, and many more, make sure to check out this issue now. Published by Editor
SEOUL, Oct. 20 (UPI) — Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power said Tuesday it helped complete Tajikistan’s first megawatt-scale solar power facilities as part of efforts to tap into the Central Asian market.
The South Korean firm, known as KHNP, said the project involved the construction of two solar power plants with a capacity of 3 megawatts each, along with energy storage systems capable of storing 0.5 mw-hours of electricity apiece.
The plants are in Tajikistan’s Sughd and Gorno-Badakhshan regions, where residents have long struggled with unreliable access to electricity, according to KHNP.
The company said that the new facilities will help ease power shortages in the two regions and bolster the country’s overall power supply.
Funded by the South Korean government’s Official Development Assistance program, the initiative was administered by the state-backed Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology.
KHNP said that data gathered from the facilities would enable South Korean manufacturers to refine their technologies and enhance their competitiveness in global markets.
“This project is significant not only because it has helped improve the local power supplies but also because it has strengthened the foundation for energy cooperation between South Korea and Tajikistan,” KHNP said in a statement.
“Building on the experience and partnerships established through this initiative, we will pursue follow-up projects in areas such as solar and hydroelectric power while continuing to explore new business opportunities across Central Asia.”
SEOUL, Oct. 20 (UPI) — Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power said Tuesday it helped complete Tajikistan’s first megawatt-scale solar power facilities as part of efforts to tap into the Central Asian market. The South Korean firm, known as KHNP, said the project involved the construction of two solar power plants with a capacity of 3 megawatts each, along with energy storage systems capable of storing 0.5 mw-hours of electricity apiece.
The plants are in Tajikistan’s Sughd and Gorno-Badakhshan regions, where residents have long struggled with unreliable access to electricity, according to KHNP. The company said that the new facilities will help ease power shortages in the two regions and bolster the country’s overall power supply. Funded by the South Korean government’s Official Development Assistance program, the initiative was administered by the state-backed Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology.
KHNP said that data gathered from the facilities would enable South Korean manufacturers to refine their technologies and enhance their competitiveness in global markets. “This project is significant not only because it has helped improve the local power supplies but also because it has strengthened the foundation for energy cooperation between South Korea and Tajikistan,” KHNP said in a statement.
“Building on the experience and partnerships established through this initiative, we will pursue follow-up projects in areas such as solar and hydroelectric power while continuing to explore new business opportunities across Central Asia.”
A new study finds that existing U.S. power plants could support nearly 600 gigawatts of additional clean energy by 2030 using existing grid connections. Build a new power plant in the United States today and you’ll wait a median of five to six years to connect it to the grid. Then you’ll pay for the upgrades. The wires leading out of the plants that already exist, meanwhile, carry far less than they could. A gas peaker plant runs a few percent of the hours in a year. The average solar farm uses about a quarter of its connection. Put new solar panels, wind turbines and batteries on the land around those plants and feed them through the same connection. Done that way, the country’s fossil plants alone could host about 600 gigawatts of clean power by 2030 using existing grid connections. That is the estimate from a team at the University of California, Berkeley, who screened the land around 3,890 existing power plants from satellite images. The figure is a ceiling, not a forecast. It assumes a plant’s owner can share the connection, which federal rules allow but few grid operators have made routine. And it leaves out the contracts and operating limits that bind many plants. Umed Paliwal of Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy ran the analysis with Emilia Chojkiewicz and Duncan Callaway of the Energy and Resources Group and Amol Phadke. Their starting point is a mismatch. Peak electricity demand is projected to rise 15% to 25% by 2030, pushed by data centers for AI, returning factories and electrification. Meanwhile, a new gas turbine takes four to six years to arrive, and a large transformer two to four. The connection point of an existing plant is already built. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission lets new generators share any unused portion of it, a practice the industry calls surplus interconnection. The paper counts how much could fit without ever sending more power down the line than the original plant’s own capacity. Around each of 1,403 fossil plants and 2,487 wind and solar farms, the team drew a 12-by-12-mile (20-by-20-kilometer) square. Every 100-by-100-foot (30-by-30-meter) parcel inside it was checked against more than 50 rules developers use, from slope and land cover to protected status. Most sites passed easily. Nearly 90% of the fossil plants and 76% of the renewable ones had room for more than five times their connection capacity. Room isn’t the same as money. For each fossil unit, the team compared the cost of running it, mostly fuel, against the projected cost of new solar or wind built next to it. In 2024, solar was already cheaper at 60% of the country’s 4,643 fossil units, and wind at 53%. Limiting the additions to what each connection can carry, the economically viable total came to 412 gigawatts in 2024. The total rises to 507 by 2027 and 597 by 2030 as renewable costs fall. That would represent several times the generating capacity needed to match the country’s projected increase in peak electricity demand, although not all of that power would be available at once. More than 200 gigawatts of that sits in the PJM and MISO regions, which cover the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. The calculation uses no federal tax credits, which expire in 2026. With them, the total would reach 977 gigawatts. Fuel prices move the answer a lot. With expensive gas, the 2030 figure rises past 800 gigawatts. With low-cost gas, it falls to about 250. A solar-only version, reflecting the slump in new wind projects, yields 404 gigawatts. At a solar or wind farm, the question is different, because there’s no fuel to beat. Instead, a battery that can discharge for six hours lets the site deliver power on demand, the way a gas plant does. In the PJM region, grid planners credit a six-hour battery with 58% of its rating toward reliability, against 60% for a gas turbine. Add such a battery to every existing renewable plant, sized to the plant’s capacity, and the sites could absorb 324 gigawatts of new solar and 128 gigawatts of wind. Together they would deliver 260 gigawatts of firm capacity. Firm, in grid terms, means power that can be called on at the evening peak rather than only when the wind blows. That would take about 1,530 gigawatt-hours of batteries, 50 times what is paired with renewables today. The authors note that battery supply chains are one of the limits on that figure. Texas’s ERCOT grid could add more than 60 gigawatts this way and MISO nearly 44. In Texas, the Plains and the Midwest, the total exceeds the peak demand growth projected for each by 2030. The connection at a typical solar farm would go from 30% used to 71%. Skipping the queue avoids more than time. Connection costs for projects finished between 2019 and 2023 averaged $81 per kilowatt and reached $250 in some regions. The team puts the avoided cost at up to $51 billion at fossil sites and $109 billion at renewable sites. The catch is in the fine print. FERC’s Order 845 made connection sharing possible, but each grid operator handles it differently. A battery sharing a wind farm’s connection may be counted as energy only, with no credit for meeting peak demand. The authors call for standard rules, fixed study timelines and a way to pass connection rights along when the original plant retires. The 597-gigawatt figure ignores the capacity contracts and ramping limits that bind many fossil plants, so it overstates what any one site could do. Fuel costs, the key input in the whole comparison, are commercially confidential, so the comparison rests on estimates. The study also doesn’t model the transmission bottlenecks that could stop power from one plant’s connection reaching the customers who need it. Nor does it calculate the emissions avoided. The next step the authors describe is power-flow modeling on real grids, to find out how much of this spare capacity the wider grid can actually absorb. The full study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. —– Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com. —–
Get the latest local stories in your inbox. City of Girard officials cut the ribbon Monday on a new 10-acre solar farm at 108 N. Enterprise Dr. The idea wasn’t an easy sell at first. According to The Morning Sun, Girard Power Plant Supervisor Jess Murphy initially said no to the idea. Murphy later changed his mind about adopting solar, the paper reports. Photographer Aaron Pyle captured the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The timing wasn’t coincidental. Girard’s long-term wholesale power purchase agreement with the Grand River Dam Authority, arranged through the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency, was set to expire on April 30, 2026, per the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency. That wholesale deal had already been extended once, in 2005, after an initial 10-year contract signed in 2000, the agency notes. With the clock running out on that arrangement, city leaders had real incentive to lock in a local power source instead of renegotiating from scratch. City administration had folded solar development into its Comprehensive Plan 2020-2030 back in late 2022, intending to stabilize electric rates and tap into direct-pay federal grant provisions created under the Inflation Reduction Act, according to Hometown Girard. That law allowed municipal governments without tax liability to receive direct cash payments for clean energy construction, giving a small city like Girard a financial path it wouldn’t otherwise have had. The federal pathway is a tax-credit election, not an automatic upfront grant: the IRS says local governments can receive elective payments for qualifying clean-energy investments even when they owe no federal income tax, after required registration and filing. The current clean-electricity investment credit covers qualifying facilities placed in service after Dec. 31, 2024, but federal law enacted in 2025 generally ends the solar credit for facilities placed in service after Dec. 31, 2027, subject to transition rules. Girard’s eligibility turns on project-specific requirements. In July 2026, the Girard City Council approved an ordinance and a payment to Priority Power. The Girard solar project involved the City of Girard and Priority Power. Kansas law gives municipal energy agencies a formal role in public-power projects: it authorizes them to plan, finance, construct, own or otherwise participate in solar and wind facilities, and to enter contracts for power purchases, sales and transmission. The statute permits participation in projects inside or outside Kansas, placing KMEA’s role in Girard’s project within the agency’s legislatively defined powers. Girard isn’t the first in the area to go solar. The Girard-headquartered Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative built a 1-megawatt solar farm nearby in Greenbush back in May 2021 through developer Today’s Power Inc., as Fort Scott Biz has reported. That project came under a contract revision allowing electric co-ops to procure up to 15% of peak demand from renewables. Girard’s project follows an earlier municipal-utility precedent in Kansas City, Kansas. The Board of Public Utilities says its 1-megawatt community solar farm began operating in September 2017, becoming the state’s first municipal-utility solar farm. Customers may lease panels from the centralized array, with the generated energy credited to their monthly bills—an approach that lets residents access a shared solar project without installing rooftop panels. Crawford County itself has taken a more cautious stance on solar overall. During a May 2025 meeting, county commissioners confirmed that solar projects built within Girard city limits are exempt from the county’s commercial solar development moratorium, according to Crawford County Board of Commissioners meeting minutes. While the county restricted rural solar farms elsewhere, incorporated municipalities like Girard retained their own authority over land-use approvals, which is what allowed this project to move forward inside city limits. Solar alone can’t carry a grid through every emergency. The scale of Girard’s utility helps explain why both investments matter. Federal energy records from 2024 show the City of Girard’s municipal electric utility delivers more than 31,000 megawatt-hours of bundled retail power annually to 1,554 customer accounts, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. As a municipally owned utility, Girard independently sets its own local power rates and manages its own distribution network, giving city officials direct control over how new generation sources like the solar farm get folded into daily operations. Weather & Environment in … About 2 hours ago Broken Arrow Weighs Annexing 75 Acres Near Oneta Ridge for New Subdivision Oct 18, 2026 Ramona Volunteers Complete Landscaping at Mortgage-Free Home for Wounded Afghanistan Veteran Oct 16, 2026 Shawnee Teen, 18, Killed as Pickup Slams Stopped Semi on Tulsa's I-44 Oct 17, 2026 Broken Bow Man Indicted for Allegedly Shooting at Herbicide Helicopter Hoodline – In-depth reporting about your home area. Follow Us Connect But wait, there’s more… Cities Newsletter Signup Enter your email, choose one or more newsletters, and we will only send updates for the metros you select. * indicates required Select at least one newsletter.
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AI Meets Circuit Theory to Pinpoint Solar Panel Faults With Precision A hybrid deep-learning and circuit-analysis framework classified the topology of a simulated 3 × 5 photovoltaic array with 99.76% accuracy and localized module-level faults at reported accuracies of 100% for variable-resistance line-to-ground faults and 100% for zero-resistance line-to-line faults in solid intra-string bypass configurations. These findings are summarized in the abstract of an accepted Scientific Reports article that was published online on 12 October 2026 and remains subject to further edits. The proposed pipeline separates topological classification from physics-based localization. Its first stage uses a hybrid CNN-BiLSTM-Attention architecture to classify the array’s topology, addressing ambiguities in electrical profiles at boundaries between healthy operation and partial-shading conditions. The identified topology is then supplied to a deterministic circuit-analysis framework, whose non-iterative mathematical core maps terminal metrics—calibrated module voltages, module currents and end-of-string current—to a physical fault location. The study evaluated the approach under non-ideal operating conditions, including realistic cable and busbar resistances. Simulation results indicated that diagnostic performance remained high in the presence of measurement noise and parameter uncertainty. The localization method was also reported to be invariant to fluctuations in irradiance and temperature when those environmental parameters were uniform across the array. That condition limits the scope of the invariance result and does not establish performance under spatially varying environmental conditions. This is a simulation study rather than a field deployment or laboratory evaluation of an operating photovoltaic system, and the supplied evidence comes from the article abstract rather than the full study. The reported performance concerns a 3 × 5 array and specific fault configurations, including solid intra-string bypass arrangements. The abstract presents the framework as a promising diagnostic method, but it does not provide broader validation across array sizes, sites, fault types or real-world operating histories. Subject of Research: Deep-learning and circuit-based fault diagnosis and localization in simulated photovoltaic arrays Article Title: A hybrid deep learning and circuit-theoretic framework for module-level fault diagnosis and localization in pv arrays Article References: Abdullah, A. A., & Sadeh, J. (2026). A hybrid deep learning and circuit-theoretic framework for module-level fault diagnosis and localization in pv arrays. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-75608-8 Image Credits: AI Generated DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-75608-8 Keywords: photovoltaic arrays, module-level faults, fault localization, deep learning, CNN-BiLSTM-Attention, circuit analysis, partial shading, simulation study, line-to-ground faults, line-to-line faults, hybrid, deep News Source: Denise Maddox. (October 20, 2026). Simulated hybrid framework identifies and localizes module-level faults in 3 × 5 photovoltaic array. Scienmag. We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Panasonic Holdings announced on the 20th that it will begin full-scale mass production of next-generation “perovskite solar cells” in April 2029. Production will take place at a facility to be established in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. Thinner than conventional solar panels, the product is integrated with building material glass and is expected to be installed on building windows and walls. The product to be mass-produced measures 1.8 meters tall and 1.2 meters wide, and its product name is “ENEFACE.” It is manufactured by coating raw materials onto glass plates like ink, and its distinguishing feature is that the design can be changed according to customer requests. The company aims for adoption in commercial buildings and public facilities and is accelerating sales efforts with developers and local governments. Perovskite solar cells are lighter and thinner than silicon-based types, so there are fewer constraints on installation locations. The company has also indicated a target of around 2030 for mass production of a type sandwiched between glass. Waste disposal is an issue for widespread adoption. Panasonic Holdings plans to launch a recycling business for glass-integrated products in fiscal 2029, and by establishing a resource recovery system before mass production begins, it aims to curb waste problems and support market introduction. The news and data on this website are for reference only and do not constitute investment advice or an offer to buy or sell. Information is sourced from exchanges and public sources, and may be delayed, interrupted, or updated. While we strive for accuracy, we do not guarantee timeliness, correctness, or completeness. Content may include external links for which we are not responsible. By using this site, you agree that we and our partners are not liable for any losses. Investment carries full responsibility; please carefully assess risks and consult professionals. If there are errors in the content, please contact us for correction.
Luis Reyes Oct 20, at 8:00am ET Ask pretty much anyone who makes wine and they’ll tell you grapes want sun. Hot, dry, and a lot of it. Zinfandel built its whole reputation in California on that idea, and Zinfandel’s the same grape Italians call Primitivo. So a group of researchers in southern Italy sticking solar panels over a block of Primitivo and cutting the light underneath to about 5 percent sounds like a reasonably efficient way to wreck a vineyard. It turns out the vines in the dark did considerably better. The bunches under the heaviest shade weighed about two and a half times what the bunches in open sun did, a few rows over on the same farm. The study comes from the University of Bari, and it ran on a commercial agrivoltaic vineyard called the Vigna Agrivoltaica di Comunità near Laterza, in Puglia, down in the heel of Italy. The team published the results in Scientia Horticulturae over the summer, and pv magazine ran an interview with the lead professor, Giuseppe Ferrara, on October 2. We’ve written about this same farm before, when Ferrara measured the dirt under the panels running 36 degrees cooler than open ground a short walk away. This is the grape half of that story. The test block covers 8,812 square meters, which works out to about 2.2 acres, with 350 kilowatts of panels sitting on concrete pergola-style frames over the rows. A plot of Primitivo nearby in full sun served as the control. The researchers split the covered area into two zones: directly under the panels, where only about 5 percent of the sunlight gets through, and the gaps between panel rows, where about 95 percent does. Shoot length is where it got odd. Shoots on the full-sun vines averaged just shy of four feet by the end of the season (115.8 centimeters, if you want the paper’s number). Shoots under the panels, in both the light and the heavy shade, came in between 106 and 108 inches. That’s nearly nine feet of growth. The shaded vines also pushed out bigger leaves, thicker stems and more total biomass. Then there’s the fruit. Average bunch weight under heavy shade was 164.9 grams, about 5.8 ounces. In full sun it was 65.4 grams, or 2.3 ounces. Both shaded zones also produced more bunches per cane than the open-sun vines, so the gain wasn’t just a few fat clusters pulling up the average. You’d expect the price for all that growth to show up in the sugar, and it did. Berries in full sun hit 25.8 degrees Brix. Under heavy shade they stopped at 22.9. Acidity, according to the paper, barely budged. If you don’t spend your weekends thinking about grapevine physiology, Brix is basically the percentage of sugar in the juice by weight, and winemakers use it to guess how much alcohol they’ll end up with. The rough rule is a bit over half a point of alcohol per degree Brix, so 25.8 is heading toward a 14 or 15 percent wine and 22.9 lands closer to 13. For a southern Italian red that routinely gets accused of being a sugar bomb, I’d argue a few degrees less isn’t a tragedy. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in new window) As for the growth, Ferrara’s explanation is pretty simple. A vine in a Puglia summer spends a lot of the afternoon in survival mode. When leaf temperatures climb high enough, the tiny pores on the leaf (the stomata) shut to stop water loss, and the moment they shut, photosynthesis stops with them. The plant then burns water just trying to cool itself down. This particular vineyard’s dry-farmed apart from a bit of emergency irrigation, so there isn’t much water to burn. Under the panels, air temperature dropped by only 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit, and relative humidity went up somewhere between 2 and 14 percent. That doesn’t sound like much. But Ferrara told pv magazine Italia the vines under cover were simply less stressed, which let photosynthesis keep running through the hours when the sun-exposed vines had shut down. So the shaded vines get more hours of actual work in each day, and that shows up as growth. The extra water in the shaded berries also dilutes the sugar, which accounts for part of the Brix gap. One more thing turned up that the researchers hadn’t gone looking for. They surveyed the weeds growing between the vines, and the number of plant species under the panels came out at roughly double what it was in the open. Clover, sowthistle, plantain, tassel hyacinth, a few kinds of alfalfa. Ferrara’s take is that more ground cover means more pollinators and pest predators, less erosion and more organic matter in the soil. They haven’t tested the soil bacteria or insects yet, and he says that’s planned. Before anyone in Napa gets excited, Ferrara was unusually direct about the limits of his own result. He pointed to an earlier trial in Valpolicella, up in northern Italy, where the vines outside the panels out-produced the ones underneath. Cooler, wetter places don’t have the heat-stress problem, so the shade just takes light away from a plant that wanted it. His line was that agrivoltaics has to be assessed site by site, matching the panel setup to the crop and the local climate. There are a couple of other caveats you should know about. It’s one growing season on one farm, and the paper’s own conclusion calls for longer trials in more places. Ferrara also said the sugar and acid differences can swing a fair amount from year to year. And the paper doesn’t say how many individual panels sit over the 2.2-acre test block, so I can’t tell you that either. The farm’s full array, going by pv magazine’s earlier reporting, is about 970 kilowatts across several thousand thin-film modules. What I find pretty convincing about this one is that it’s a working winery, not a university test plot. Svolta Srl, the company that runs the vineyard, sells the Primitivo it grows under the panels, and it’s been talking up the lower-sugar, higher-acid style of the wine for a couple of vintages now. The research puts numbers on that instead of tasting notes. It’s also a different bet from the one a French cognac grower made when he hung 6,000 panels about 16 feet over his vines, mainly to stop hail, and lost his appellation for the trouble. Ferrara’s interview ran in pv magazine on October 2, 2026, and the paper, “Agrivoltaics in Mediterranean viticulture: Impacts on physiology, yield and biodiversity,” appeared in Scientia Horticulturae in August. Don’t bite your tongue. Speak up. Dave McQuilling · Oct 6, 2026 Luis Reyes · Oct 4, 2026 Luis Reyes · Oct 7, 2026 Olivia Richman · Oct 16, 2026 Chema Bonilla Díaz · Oct 11, 2026 Chema Bonilla Díaz · Oct 15, 2026 Luis Reyes · Oct 20, 2026 Luis Reyes · Oct 20, 2026 Olivia Richman · Oct 20, 2026 Chema Bonilla Díaz · Oct 20, 2026 Olivia Richman · Oct 19, 2026 Autonotion is the English-language automotive editorial by Autonocion.com — car news, reviews, and industry analysis for American readers. Other links Company Subscribe Get the latest car news in your inbox: By submitting your email you allow autonocion.com to send you news or promotions. More info
Solar stocks are staging a sharp reversal after a brutal selloff, with the sector's most battered name surging far ahead of its peers. Whether this bounce signals a true turning point or just a brief reprieve depends on answers the… Market Movers desk. Editor: David Moadel.
Power cables weave through palm trees high above Fiji’s Rukurukulevu Village, linking residents to the national grid and a select few to solar panels. The settlement of about 400 people finally electrified its last building this year — a kindergarten, just metres from the sea. But residents are struggling to keep the lights on as the Middle East war and other factors push up energy bills in this Pacific paradise. It is challenging Fiji’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and driving a push towards renewables in the resource-scarce island nation. “The prices of electricity here in Fiji (are) very high,” village spokesman Vereniki Nalio told AFP. “Some houses, they got FJ$100 (US$44) and over. The church, community halls and church minister’s house, they’ve got about FJ$200, nearly FJ$300, for a month.” Nalio said he paid about FJ$60 per month for electricity — “very, very high”. Opposite his home stands another small house with one big difference: past the clothes hanging on the washing line lies a small array of solar panels. Another home across the road boasts an even larger installation, showing how some in the village are seeking to move away from dependence on the grid. Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February, fuel shipments from the Gulf have slowed. Nalio said the subsequent global energy squeeze had led villagers to consider switching to renewables. A basic solar power system costs around FJ$3,000, a higher up-front cost but an increasingly reasonable price to pay for theoretically unlimited, free electricity. “They said we had no more fuel, no more petrol would come to Fiji. So at that time we think about solar,” Nalio said. He added that the village hoped to install solar panels on communal buildings to reduce the shared cost of powering them. Pointing to the sky, Nalio said Rukurukulevu should not have to import its energy. “Solar is already here.” Fiji hosted this month’s “pre-COP” United Nations climate summit, where Pacific Island nations pressed for faster access to climate financing for projects such as renewable energy. The event was a precursor to next month’s main COP event in Turkey, where organisers will push for member states to commit to electrification — replacing technologies that burn fossil fuels directly, like diesel cars and gas heating, with electric alternatives. Symbolising the challenges the Pacific faces, a major power outage on the second day of the event plunged the 4,000 attendees into darkness. Government minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau blamed Fiji’s rising energy prices on overreliance on fossil fuels and El Nino. The cyclical climate phenomenon is particularly strong this year and has brought weather patterns that are drying up Fiji’s hydroelectric dams. They “will face a critical situation” if rainfall does not increase by mid-November, Tuisawau, whose remit covers public works, weather services and transport, told AFP. “We would probably go into water rationing and power rationing in the next, maybe, four weeks if the situation doesn’t change,” he said. “The hotels can enjoy (it) now, but we will cut off their water to the pool.” Fiji spends as much as 12 percent of its GDP on importing fossil fuels — “a huge drain on our resources”, Tuisawau said. The country is aiming for 90 percent renewable energy generation by 2035 and plans to spend FJ$2 billion on solar and hydropower development in the next decade. That includes investing at least FJ$460 million in solar farms in the next four years, as well as FJ$650 million on two new dams and more than FJ$700 million to expand its main transmission lines. For now, though, many islanders are still facing the sharp end of Fiji’s energy crisis, Tuisawau acknowledged. “With the price, with geopolitical issues, and in addition El Nino right now, it’s a very difficult situation,” he said. Get in touch to discover how AFP’s content, services and global network can support your newsroom or organization. After a relatively disciplined start to Donald Trump's second term, the White House is grappling with signs of turmoil that have revived memories… 20 Oct 2026 — 1 hour ago Allrounder Arafat Minhas struck a maiden half-century and grabbed a career-best six wickets to anchor Pakistan's convincing 87-run win over England in the… 20 Oct 2026 — 1 hour ago The European Union on Tuesday unveiled a push to boost Arctic surveillance and expand icebreaker fleets as it jostles with Russia, the United States and… 20 Oct 2026 — 1 hour ago Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a global news agency that provides reliable, comprehensive, real-time coverage of the stories shaping our daily lives, drawing on a unique network of journalists based in 210 locations around the world. Useful links Press office Our subsidiaries Join us Follow us
The business of solar grazing, using animals to manage vegetation at solar sites, has taken off in along with the growth of solar in the U.S. According to Stacie Peterson, executive director of the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA), solar grazing became a business in 2018. This was one year before the U.S. achieved two million solar installations. The United States Solar Grazing 2024 Census was the first to attempt to capture the full scope and scale of U.S. solar grazing. Conducted by ASGA in conjunction with U.S. Department of Energy National Lab of the Rockies (NREL), the census found that over 113,000 sheep grazed through fields of solar panels on 129,000 acres of land. The 2025 census has not yet been released, but Peterson told pv magazine USA that she believes the numbers have greatly increased. The ASGA Solar Grazing Map is a resource for solar grazers and solar site operators and developers to connect with each other and build partnerships. Credit: American Solar Grazing Association What solar grazers bring to solar sites is expertise in agriculture, land stewardship, vegetation management, soil health knowledge and forage and weed knowledge, according to Peterson. Graziers provide additional benefits to solar developers or owners including their connections within the local community and their deep understanding of the land. Having a regular physical presence at the site is another plus, which Rebekah Pierce, solar grazer and owner of New York-based J&R Pierce Family Farms said has great value to O&M teams. “It’s hard to quantify on paper what being on site means to the O&M team, but we’re there every other day. If we see an issue that needs to be addressed like a loose wire or a hole in a fence, we let them know and that issue is addressed.” While most solar grazing is done with sheep, J&R Pierce Family Farm raises cows as well as sheep. Pierce proposed a cattle-grazing pilot to Nexamp, a solar developer that grazed livestock at 89 sites this past season across five states for a total of almost 2,000 acres, according to Keith Hevenor, communications manager. “We began our grazing program in 2019 with just one site and have been expanding significantly each year since,” Hevenor said. “We are looking forward to even more progress next year and love that our grazing partners are able to continue an agricultural application on these solar farms while providing a necessary service for us in a safer and more sustainable way.” The cow pilot began last summer on two of Nexamp’s solar sites in Fort Covington, New York. Five cattle, including one bull, grazed among the solar modules mounted on trackers, and it was a success with the cows showing “no unusual behavior,” according to Pierce. She said that sheep remain the most flexible option for solar sites, especially those that were not designed for grazing larger animals. Pierce noted, however, that grazing cattle is worth consideration, especially when looking at market potential and the fact that Americans consume far more beef than lamb. J&R Pierce Family Farm grazed cattle on two of Nexamp’s solar projects in New York state. Credit: J&R Pierce Family Farm The arrangement between the solar grazer and the developer are different depending on region and for different graziers, Peterson said. In addition to signing an agreement that works for both parties, Pierce stressed that communication is key, so it’s important to have a connection with the right person in the company, especially in light of the fact that solar projects are commonly acquired and new people take the helm. Many times, enhancing communication requires dispelling misconceptions. Pierce said that in most cases, livestock are less risky than mechanical mowers and other farm equipment. She said sheep don’t chew on wires and damage things, they don’t kick up rocks, they’re not creating fire risk. These misconceptions, she said, just aren’t true and the benefits are many. A main challenge for both parties is in educating one another about priorities and how they can work together successfully. “The more corporate world of solar companies can be quite the dichotomy from the one of farmers/ranchers, and vice versa,” said Matt Kovarik of Maine-based Black Earth Grazing. “Once we both do a little work of educating each other on our systems, the partnership can serve both interests and work out quite successfully.” ReVision Energy, a renewable energy contracting company based in New England, has partnered since 2024 with Black Earth Grazing on a dual-management solar grazing program. It’s been so successful that the farmers changed the name from Black Earth Forest Farm to Black Earth Grazing. They started with 40 ewes and now manage a flock of several hundred. They’re currently responsible for 11 of ReVision’s community solar sites, and the flock keeps growing as more solar sites become available. The many benefits of solar grazing for solar companies include vegetation management that requires fewer fossil fuels than mechanical methods, a human presence on site and a connection to local graziers who provide products to the community pay taxes, support local services and more. “We are there to provide vegetation management, but we are a bit more invested in the land and its productivity than a mowing crew would be, as we are deriving benefits from a healthy well-managed pasture that feeds our sheep,” said . For the grazier, the benefits include the pay they receive for performing land stewardship and vegetation management and access to a greater land area that enables them to expand the size of their operations. Solar grazing offers a cost-effective solution to land stewardship and vegetation management, with many other tangible benefits as a bonus. For solar developers interested in solar grazing, ASGA offers a one-day workshop for site operations and management teams, developers, asset managers and sustainability teams. Participants receive a Level 1 Solar Grazing Management Certification. Register for pv magazine USA week to learn more about solar grazing October 22 in a keynote fireside chat with Silicon Ranch, one of the leading solar grazing installers in the U.S.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. Comments Please login to comment Thursday, October 29, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, November 5, 2026 10:00 am – 11:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand. pv magazine hosts its four-day virtual event on European solar and energy storage, exploring market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality, and cybersecurity in the years ahead. pv magazine Session returns to NetZero Milan as Knowledge Partner, organizing and moderating a two-hour conference on the evolving global solar supply chain. Get your ticket at a discounted rate with pv magazine. Join pv magazine for an expert session exploring quality, technology and the challenges of scaling India’s solar industry. Friday, October 23, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Monday, October 26, 2026 10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Acesur, a Seville-based olive oil producer, has started construction of a 3.65 MW agrivoltaic project in Vilches, in the Spanish province of Jaén. The project will integrate solar power generation into an existing, fully productive olive grove adjacent to the company’s packaging plant. Granada-based renewable energy company Greening is developing the project, which will combine industrial self-consumption with agricultural production while preserving all existing olive trees and maintaining cultivation. According to the company, following several phases of system performance validation, the aim is now to scale up the technology for industrial use. All electricity generated by the installation will be used to power Acesur’s packaging plant. The technology was developed in several stages, beginning with theoretical bioclimatic simulations, followed by laboratory testing under controlled climatic and greenhouse conditions. A prototype was then installed in a traditional rain-fed olive grove. According to a company representative, results from two consecutive harvests have demonstrated that solar power generation and olive cultivation can coexist successfully. The installation reportedly improved local microclimatic conditions by reducing soil temperatures, retaining moisture and enhancing crop yields. The representative said the Vilches project will be the world’s first industrial-scale “olivovoltaic” installation. The 3.65 MW installation will feature more than 5,150 solar modules mounted on metal structures standing more than 4 meters above the ground, supported by steel pillars anchored in concrete foundations. The elevated configuration will allow agricultural machinery to operate beneath the panels, enabling conventional farming activities, including olive harvesting, to continue. The project will also include a 3 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) to optimize energy use and improve operational flexibility. Spain’s Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) has awarded the project a €2.8 million grant to support the integration of renewable energy technologies into industrial operations..
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. Comments Please login to comment Thursday, October 29, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, November 5, 2026 10:00 am – 11:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand. pv magazine hosts its four-day virtual event on European solar and energy storage, exploring market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality, and cybersecurity in the years ahead. pv magazine Session returns to NetZero Milan as Knowledge Partner, organizing and moderating a two-hour conference on the evolving global solar supply chain. Get your ticket at a discounted rate with pv magazine. Join pv magazine for an expert session exploring quality, technology and the challenges of scaling India’s solar industry. Friday, October 23, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Monday, October 26, 2026 10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
It uses a device called TerraNode, which combines cameras and multiple sensors. The aim is to monitor outdoor locations. Interestingly, it uses AI to analyse information collected at a site. The device can operate without an external power supply, which makes it suitable for remote locations. The reason is that installing conventional monitoring equipment can be difficult or expensive.
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The Climate Investment Fund, managed by Norway’s state-owned investment fund for developing countries Norfund, and Danish development finance institution Impact Fund Denmark are investing in a 49% equity stake in the 500 MW Ixus Bugallon solar power project in the Philippines. The project will be built in Bugallon within the coastal province of Pangasinan, northwestern Philippines, by Singapore-headquartered renewable energy company Vena Energy, which holds the remaining 51% stake. The Ixus Bugallon project reached financial close in July 2026 after securing around $310 million in senior loans from a consortium of eight international banks. The investment is the Climate Investment Fund’s first in the Philippines. Norway’s Minister of International Development, Åsmund Aukrust, said the investment is a “good example of mobilising private capital and preventing emissions through profitable investments in renewable energy.” He added that an increase to the Climate Investment Fund is being proposed in Norway’s 2027 state budget. The Ixus Bugallon project will be located next to Vena Energy’s existing 550 MW Bugallon solar power project. Together, the two plants are one of the Philippines’ largest solar clusters. The latest plant was awarded under the Philippines Department of Energy’s (DOE) second green energy auction. It is expected to generate enough electricity to power roughly 650,000 Philippine households annually once operational. Earlier this year, DOE unveiled plans to hold four editions of its flagship green energy auction programme over the next two years as part of wider plans to auction 25 GW of renewables by 2035. The Philippines installed 899 MW of solar in 2025, according to figures published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), taking cumulative solar capacity to 3,892 MW. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. Comments Please login to comment Thursday, October 29, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, November 5, 2026 10:00 am – 11:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand. pv magazine hosts its four-day virtual event on European solar and energy storage, exploring market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality, and cybersecurity in the years ahead. pv magazine Session returns to NetZero Milan as Knowledge Partner, organizing and moderating a two-hour conference on the evolving global solar supply chain. Get your ticket at a discounted rate with pv magazine. Join pv magazine for an expert session exploring quality, technology and the challenges of scaling India’s solar industry. Friday, October 23, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Monday, October 26, 2026 10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Plans to improve the energy efficiency of almost 10,000 council-owned homes in Sheffield and lower fuel bills by 2030 are to be considered. A combination of better insulation and solar panels would be installed in as many as 9,850 homes, if the proposals, which are expected to cost £29.6m, are approved by Sheffield City Council. The programme, which the authority said could see tenants' bills lowered by £250 a year, would also help cut emissions and improve health across the city, according to the council. Douglas Johnson, chair of the housing policy committee, said: "We want to deliver lasting improvements that make a real difference to tenants' household finances, health and quality of life." "Energy bills continue to be a significant concern for many households, and these proposals could put around £250 a year back into the pockets of each household benefiting from the programme," he added. "We want to make thousands of council homes warmer, healthier and more comfortable." As many as 5,250 homes could receive solar panels and batteries using third-party investment, with 4,000 homes set to see fabric improvements such as better insulation, a council spokesperson said. If successfully delivered, the programme was estimated to save tenants collectively between £2.4m and £3.5m on their fuel bills every year, they said. Those figures were "strategic estimates" based on national evidence and current assumptions about Sheffield's housing stock, according to the council. The plan would help the authority meet the government requirement that all social housing meets Energy Performance Certificate Band C by April 2030, the spokesperson said. Energy regulator Ofgem increased the price cap by 4% this month, raising energy prices for millions of households across the UK. The plans are due to be considered by Sheffield City Council's housing policy committee at a meeting on Thursday. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North Mark Chadwick hails the planned deal to bring Doncaster Sheffield Airport into public ownership. Faiser Hussain pleads guilty to the charge, which is linked to the shooting of a man in Sheffield. More money is made available through a resilience fund for hard-pressed households in Sheffield. Hospices run classes, activities and social outings for patients as well as offering care. Amini Ato kept the animals in squalid conditions at a Sheffield allotment, police say. Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
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Join Stefan Holt at The Morning Show! By: Marie Wilson, NCTV17 Published: October 20, 2026 at 8:55 AM CDT Indian Prairie School District 204 may pursue new solar panels atop two more of its buildings to create electricity and lower energy costs. The district is already installing solar panels at five schools, including Brooks, Gombert, Georgetown, McCarty and Steck elementaries, where permits are expected to be issued and work to begin soon, said Becky Thompson with Nania Energy Advisors, the district’s energy consultant, at Monday’s school board meeting. Now two more schools — the Birkett Center building near Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville and White Eagle Elementary in Aurora — are being considered. “Having long-term energy reduction on site will pay dividends for years to come,” Thompson said. The cost-benefit analysis for solar panels at Birkett and White Eagle varies because electricity for each school comes from different utilities — the Naperville Electric Utility for Birkett and ComEd for White Eagle. More energy-related charges for solar panels can be offset under ComEd’s policies than Naperville’s, Thompson said. The Birkett project is estimated to generate a return on investment in slightly less than seven years. It would cost roughly $1.5 million to install, and its energy production would offset 52% of the electricity used at the facility, eventually saving roughly $996,000 over 25 years, according to Thompson. Meanwhile, solar panels at White Eagle would cost roughly $544,000, would offset 86% of the school’s electric use and would pay for themselves in less than five years, her estimates show. Over the lifespan of the panels, the expected savings would be $705,000. Yet administrators said both projects are worth pursuing because of the upcoming expiration of a federal solar incentive program at the end of 2027. “That’s why there’s a little urgency to complete these projects,” Thompson said. Federal and state incentives currently can add up to between 30% and 50% of the total cost of a solar panel installation, Thompson said, with offerings that have “never been better.” Yet, when the federal program concludes, the future of solar funding “is widely unknown,” she said. So, while capital funding is available for general infrastructure and energy efficiency projects through the district’s Safer, Stronger 204 referendum, Thompson said she recommends the district pursue these two solar projects within roughly the next year. School board members asked why Birkett and White Eagle have been identified as the best sites for potential solar panels, and officials said it comes down factors including the age and condition of the roof. “We never want to put solar on a rooftop that needs to be replaced in 5 to 10 years because it becomes cost-prohibitive to take the solar panels down, store them and then put them back up,” Thompson said. Variability among roof heights also factors in and weighs against the feasibility of solar installation at some of the district’s largest facilities. “Some of our high school buildings are not the best fit for solar,” said Matt Shipley, chief school business official. Take, for example, he said, a building like Waubonsie Valley High School, which has two separate — and disconnected — third floors. “It’s actually our middle and elementary schools that are a better fit.” While incentive funding and future cost offsets are not as lucrative under the Naperville Electric Utility, Thompson said the district and its energy consultant have met with the city about the potential Birkett project, to positive results. “The city of Naperville is very motivated and very cooperative for this project,” Thompson said, even offering a $15,000 one-time incentive to encourage the installation. School board members asked how the costs could change as the city considers the future of its electric supply, and whether it will stay with current provider Illinois Municipal Electric Agency past the end of its contract in 2035. Thompson said any project pursued while federal funding is ensured through the end of 2027 would be unaffected by decisions about the future supply source for the Naperville Electric Utility. If the school board decides to move forward with solar panels at Birkett and White Eagle, the next steps would be drawing up design documents and contracting out the work. Stay in the know – sign up for our daily news update! Your trusted source of local news and information that connects our community. Connect on social media
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Chinese solar module manufacturer JinkoSolar has unveiled a 510 W all-black residential solar panel based on its newly introduced TOPCon-based Amorphous-Si Passivating Cell (TAC) technology, which combines TOPCon electron-selective contacts, amorphous silicon heterojunction passivation and a back-contact electrode architecture. The JKM485–510T series targets premium residential applications, including villas and homes with limited rooftop space, where power density, aesthetics and long-term reliability are key considerations. The company said the 48-cell Tiger Neo 5.0 module has a maximum power conversion efficiency of 25.52% and a monofacial, dual-glass design. It measures 1,762 mm × 1,134 mm × 30 mm, weighs 22 kg and offers a maximum power density of approximately 255 W/m². JinkoSolar said it has integrated several technologies to increase module power density and improve aesthetics. Its Gapless Cell Array (GCA) technology eliminates conventional gaps between cells, while concealed interconnections and busbars reduce inactive areas. According to the company, the design increases the effective light-receiving area by approximately 2%, resulting in an additional 10 W of module output. The module also features Uniform Matrix Interconnection (UMI) technology, which replaces conventional printed main busbars with distributed electrical connections. JinkoSolar said the architecture shortens current paths, reduces resistive losses and enables interconnection processes that place less mechanical stress on the cells. For improved aesthetics, the manufacturer has incorporated its All Consistent Color (ACC) technology, which combines precise control of coating thickness and refractive index with AI-assisted cell sorting. The process is designed to minimize visible color variations between cells, encapsulation materials and the frame, resulting in a more uniform black appearance. The panel also uses Full-Spectrum Light Trapping (FLT) technology, combining surface texturing, antireflective coatings and rear-side reflection to improve light utilization under oblique sunlight and low-irradiance conditions. The module features a power temperature coefficient of -0.24%/C, compared with approximately -0.26%/C for JinkoSolar’s previous TOPCon products. The manufacturer also claims the new panel delivers around 30 W more power than conventional back-contact modules of comparable dimensions. For reliability, JinkoSolar has integrated a Perimeter Moisture Barrier (PMB) featuring butyl-based edge sealing to reduce moisture ingress and the associated risk of corrosion. The module also incorporates an optimized current-shunting design intended to limit power losses and reduce hot-spot risks under partial shading. JinkoSolar offers a 40-year product warranty and a 40-year linear power output warranty for the module, according to its technical documentation. “Our vision for Tiger Neo 5.0 was to develop a panel tailored to premium residential rooftops,” said JinkoSolar CEO Charlie Cao. The new residential panel expands JinkoSolar’s Tiger Neo 5.0 portfolio, which includes larger-format TOPCon modules introduced in June 2026, with power outputs exceeding 700 W and efficiencies of up to 25.91%. JinkoSolar has identified Europe and Australia as target markets for residential applications. The company has not yet disclosed commercial availability, pricing or production volumes for the new TAC-based module. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. Comments Please login to comment Thursday, October 29, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, November 5, 2026 10:00 am – 11:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand. pv magazine hosts its four-day virtual event on European solar and energy storage, exploring market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality, and cybersecurity in the years ahead. pv magazine Session returns to NetZero Milan as Knowledge Partner, organizing and moderating a two-hour conference on the evolving global solar supply chain. Get your ticket at a discounted rate with pv magazine. Join pv magazine for an expert session exploring quality, technology and the challenges of scaling India’s solar industry. Friday, October 23, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Monday, October 26, 2026 10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
With the UK set to almost double its solar capacity by 2030, a new certification scheme is encouraging developers to create better habitats for wildlife alongside clean electricity generation With the UK set to almost double its solar capacity by 2030, a new certification scheme is encouraging developers to create better habitats for wildlife alongside clean electricity generation Hares darting between hedgerows. Grasses and wildflowers pushing up between rows of solar panels. Birds wheeling overhead. It’s a world away from the smoke-belching power stations of old, and increasingly, the sites generating our power are doing something else besides – they’re giving nature room to recover. Indeed, a growing body ofresearch suggests that well-designed and carefully managed solar farms can serve as refuges for wildlife. Now, a new certification scheme is aiming to encourage more solar farms to become just that. Launched by Wild Power, the scheme assesses how renewable energy developments protect and improve habitats, awarding certification to those that meet its biodiversity standards. So far, just two solar farms in the UK have earned its seal of approval. “I like to think of it as a fair trade stamp, but for clean energy,” says Wild Power director Joe Arafa. “Right now, we’re facing both climate and nature crises. A well-managed solar farm can contribute to solving both at the same time.” Wild Power launched in 2022 after co-founder James Atkins experienced a lightbulb moment while travelling in northern Spain. A hillside solar farm there, with animals grazing between the panels and insects buzzing among colourful patches of wildflower, set his mind racing. “It suddenly hit him that this was the kind of electricity he’d like to buy,” says Arafa. “It wasn’t just renewable; the land being used to generate it was also a haven for nature.” Wild Power initially planned to develop its own wildlife-friendly solar farms, but after consulting ecologists, the founders took a different route. They instead created a free-to-download scorecard that helps developers measure, improve and report their impact on biodiversity. The scorecard takes in everything from habitats and species to ecological connectivity, monitoring and site management. Measures such as creating habitat corridors, safeguarding protected species and tackling invasive plants can all add to a site’s score. Racking up at least 70 points means operators can apply for certification, which provides independent verification of the measures they have introduced to support wildlife. One of the first sites to achieve certification is Dunmow, a 10MW solar farm in Essex, which became only the second in the UK to receive the award in September. It’s co-owned by renewable energy investment firm Thrive Renewables and cashback company TopCashback through their joint venture, Fair Play Clean Energy. Under the Environment Act 2021, most new developments in England must deliver a biodiversity net gain of at least 10%, a requirement that will extend to nationally significant infrastructure projects, including large solar farms, from November 2026. But at Dunmow, measures introduced by Thrive are projected to deliver a substantially larger improvement: a 65% increase in habitat biodiversity units, alongside a 19% uplift in hedgerow units. Right now, we’re facing both climate and nature crises. A well-managed solar farm can contribute to solving both at the same time Ecologist Guy Parker of Wychwood Biodiversity advised Thrive and helped implement some of the changes. Under his stewardship, species-rich grassland and new wildflower areas were planted. Gaps were plugged in neglected hedgerows, bird and bat boxes installed in boundary trees, and invasive scrub cleared from a neighbouring area favoured by breeding skylarks. “It’s gone from a pretty bland arable field worked by tractors twice a year,” he says, “to a much more benign grassland with some really nice habitat features for wildlife. In the next few years, I’d expect a big uplift in invertebrates and pollinators among the wildflowers and grasses, and also more birds and mammals from outside using the site to forage.” It’s still early days for Dunmow. Thrive only acquired the site in May 2025, and some of the habitats will take years to mature. The projected biodiversity gains have yet to be fully realised, and ongoing monitoring will be needed to establish how wildlife responds. But Parker has already seen a glimpse of the future in the site’s spring growth. “I was walking through the skylark area in the early summer and it was full of agrimony, [which is] a yellow spike of a flower, like little fireworks,” he said. “There were butterflies moving in and out of them and warblers flitting between the scrub. It felt like a very productive, very special place.” Parker suggests developers should consider building ambitious wildlife measures into projects from the planning and construction stages, when the cost of implementing nature-friendly enhancements can be a tiny fraction of what are often multimillion-pound developments. In the next few years, I’d expect a big uplift in invertebrates and pollinators among the wildflowers and grasses, and also more birds and mammals from outside using the site to forage “Tack on a few tens of thousands of pounds and you could do some really spectacular things for wildlife,” he enthuses. “For sites that are already operating, step out of that routine mindset of spraying, cutting, fixing the fence and start thinking about what that individual site holds, and what its potential is.” According to thelatest government figures, the UK had around 23.2GW of installed solar capacity at the end of August 2026, while the government’s ambition is to reach 45–47GW across the UK by 2030. That includes rooftop installations, but with many more ground-mounted solar farms expected, there’s considerable potential to improve habitats alongside renewable energy generation. For solar operators, certification offers more than a boost to their environmental credentials. Asurvey by Wild Power found that 50% of renewable energy customers said they would be willing to pay a premium for electricity from a site with proven high biodiversity standards, suggesting there could be a commercial incentive for developers to invest in nature. But certification is only part of the picture. While it provides independent verification of the measures developers have introduced, the real test is whether those interventions lead to lasting improvements in biodiversity. At Dunmow, annual ecological surveys will help track changes in breeding birds, pollinators and grassland species, providing evidence of how the habitats develop over time. For Thrive, the ambition is about more than generating clean electricity. It’s about what happens to the land over the decades that follow, with future projects already being scrutinised through a biodiversity lens. “We’re delivering on our mission, making sure everyone benefits,” says Thrive’s head of external affairs, Louise Daniels. “That’s people, but it’s also nature. We have a long-term interest in these sites, and we want to see them flourish. We’re looking [to create] a legacy of contributing to our countryside.” Main image: Hertha Wood, RES Website: Atomic Smash In the new issue of Positive News magazine, we meet the people building for a future they may never see – from a seed vault in the Arctic that’s intended to outlast us all, to a library that won’t open for a century. Subscribe now to get your copy.
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Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has announced the establishment of a TBC Photovoltaic Technology Alliance, bringing together seven domestic solar companies to strengthen Taiwan’s photovoltaic supply chain and accelerate the commercialization of TOPCon solar cell technologies based on back-contact (BC) design. The initiative aims to establish a domestic supply chain for TOPCon back contact (TBC) solar technology, combining research and development capabilities with expertise in materials, manufacturing equipment and solar cell production, ITRI said in a statement. The TBC cells developed by the Taiwanese manufacturers have achieved a power conversion efficiency of around 25.5%, according to a report by local media outlet Formosa News. The report did not specify whether the efficiency figure was independently certified or measured under laboratory or production conditions. ITRI has also developed a laser-assisted silver-coated copper electrode technology designed to reduce the consumption of silver in solar cell manufacturing. The technology could reportedly lower cell production costs by 8% and generate approximately TWD 200 million ($6.3 million) in annual production value. The alliance brings together companies operating across different stages of Taiwan’s photovoltaic value chain, including solar materials suppliers, cell manufacturers and module producers. Participants identified by ITRI include TeraSolar, Giga Solar, Motech, Sustainable Sunrise, TSEC and United Renewable Energy (URE) Lin Fu-ming, a representative of ITRI’s green energy laboratories, said the collaboration will combine the institute’s research and development platform with the equipment, materials and technical expertise of participating companies to support the development of next-generation photovoltaic technologies. The initiative reflects Taiwan’s efforts to strengthen its domestic solar manufacturing capabilities and compete in higher-value photovoltaic market segments through improved conversion efficiency and advanced cell manufacturing processes. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. Comments Please login to comment Thursday, October 29, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, November 5, 2026 10:00 am – 11:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand. pv magazine hosts its four-day virtual event on European solar and energy storage, exploring market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality, and cybersecurity in the years ahead. pv magazine Session returns to NetZero Milan as Knowledge Partner, organizing and moderating a two-hour conference on the evolving global solar supply chain. Get your ticket at a discounted rate with pv magazine. Join pv magazine for an expert session exploring quality, technology and the challenges of scaling India’s solar industry. Friday, October 23, 2026 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Monday, October 26, 2026 10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
As part of a scientifically monitored Interreg project, a winery in Sissach, Basel-Landschaft, is testing solar power systems in its vineyards. Keystone In a vineyard near Sissach, Basel-Landschaft, the sun is now generating not only wine but also electricity. The EU-funded Interreg Upper Rhine program is financing a pilot project to test the benefits of photovoltaics (PV) in viticulture in this Basel-Landschaft municipality. Keystone-SDA The solar panels at the Zelglihof have been in operation since early summer 2026, as Viticulture Commissioner Urs Weingartner of the Ebenrain Agricultural Center said Tuesday during a media tour. The PV modules are designed to kill two birds with one stone: using agricultural land to generate renewable energy while also protecting the vines from hail, late frost, and heat. So-called agri-PV already exists in Switzerland in fruit and berry orchards. In viticulture, however—apart from a system of a different design installed in Walenstadt, St. Gallen, in 2013—it is still a novelty. Weingartner noted that the geographical conditions for viticulture, with their sun-exposed slopes, are ideally suited for PV. The Wiedmer family’s Zelglihof was chosen for the test because it already has a wiring system in place to feed the solar power it generates into the grid. In addition, the farm grows the hardy Muscaris grape variety, which requires little pesticide treatment, simplifying the operation of the system. The pilot plant comprises 250 square meters of vineyard area and 70 square meters of solar panels. In the four and a half months since the PV system went online, it has generated nearly 5.8 megawatt-hours to date. That is 1.5 times as much as a four-person household consumes in a year, as Weingartner calculated. Over the next two years, the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (Fibl) in Frick, Aargau, will evaluate the effects of small rooftop solar panels on plants as well as on grape and wine yields. To this end, sensors have been installed in the vineyard that continuously transmit data, according to research associate Linnéa Hauenstein. Among other things, the study examines the effects on soil moisture and shading—after all, even the heat-loving vines reached their limits during the scorching summer of 2026. In addition to Sissach (BL), the cross-border pilot project includes two other locations in Germany. According to the Ebenrain Center, the total cost of the Interreg-funded project is not yet known. Found an error?
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