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Centralines and Lodestone Energy have reached financial close on the Central Hawke's Bay Solar Farm, a 50:50 joint venture financed by ASB Bank. Construction of the New Zealand solar project is set to begin this spring.
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On 10 July 2026, the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) declared accredited installer Mr Shunqi Sun ineligible to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) for 12 months. As a result, Mr Sun is also not eligible to install batteries for battery-connected solar PV systems. Any solar PV systems or batteries installed by Mr Sun during this period will not be eligible to receive small-scale technology certificates (STCs).
The declaration follows an investigation into 10 solar PV systems installed by Mr Sun between September 2024 and July 2025. Specifically, we found that Mr Sun:
Under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations 2001, we may declare a person ineligible to participate in the SRES if, on 3 or more occasions, they have:
If a declaration is made, the person is not eligible to install solar PV systems or batteries under the SRES. Any installations they complete during the period of ineligibility are not eligible to receive STCs.
We remind scheme participants that information provided to the CER must be true and accurate, and installers must ensure that all local and state or territory government requirements are met for an installation to be eligible for STCs.
We maintain a zero-tolerance approach to deliberate non-compliance and will take enforcement action in accordance with our compliance, education and enforcement policy.
We publish all current and expired declarations on our website.
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Spark, managed by Camco, and Ariya Finergy are joining forces to finance and develop a 1.5 MWp solar plant with 2 MWh of battery storage in Tanzania, under a ten-year lease agreement for poultry group Irvine's.
Spark, a climate finance platform managed by Camco, is entering the Tanzanian market through a partnership with renewable energy developer Ariya Finergy. According to a press release published on July 9, the agreement covers the financing of a 1.5 megawatt-peak (MWp) solar plant, coupled with a 2 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery storage system and an electrical stabilization technology. The installation will power the new poultry feed manufacturing plant of the Irvine’s group in Tanzania, under a ten-year lease agreement. Solar project financing activity is gaining momentum internationally, as illustrated by Centralines and Lodestone Energy’s recent financial close on a solar farm in New Zealand.
Ariya Finergy will handle the design, construction and operation of the installation. Annual production is estimated at approximately 2 gigawatt-hours (GWh), with construction expected to take between six and nine months, according to information released. The amount of financing provided by Spark has not been disclosed. The project is part of a broader trend in distributed solar for industrial users, a segment in which TotalEnergies recently divested 170 MW of distributed solar assets to Amarenco and AMPYR in Europe.
The system includes an electrical stabilization technology designed to secure the plant’s power supply against local grid voltage fluctuations. Irvine’s, a poultry producer operating in Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, will reduce its dependence on diesel as a result. Camco states that the project will provide “clean, affordable and reliable” electricity while lowering the site’s energy costs.
According to Camco, this transaction marks the eighth market of activity for the Spark platform, confirming the fund’s expansion in the clean energy segment for industrial companies across Africa. The manager does not specify any timeline for further deployments on the continent. The chosen structure — a long-term lease — transfers the initial capital expenditure to the financier, allowing the industrial operator to access solar energy without tying up capital.
This deployment is taking place against a backdrop of structural electricity deficits in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the Tracking SDG7 2026 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), more than 560 million people still live without electricity in the region, which is home to 18 of the 20 largest access deficits in the world. These constraints directly affect economic activities, particularly in the agri-food industry.
Solar solutions combining power generation and storage for commercial and industrial companies are expanding across East Africa, driven by falling technology costs and growing demand for independence from fossil fuels. For agri-food processing plants, securing a stable electricity supply is a direct operational concern, particularly for high-consumption equipment such as hammer mills and industrial mixing lines.
The European Commission banned public funding for Chinese inverters — key components for solar, wind and storage systems — in May. Thirty-six industry players and investors warn of
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Zambia is becoming one of Africa’s most attractive renewable energy markets for investors with new procurement mechanisms and market liberialization driving investment in large-scale solar and storage.
Dominic Goncalves, Advisory Partner for Energy Strategy at Cresco Project Finance and Founder & Director of Naviara Energy, told pv magazine there is “an unprecedented level of PPA activity in Zambia at the moment” as developers move to secure opportunities in what he describes as one of the continent’s fastest-evolving energy markets.
“Zambia isn’t simply procuring more solar,” he added. “It’s creating a market for dispatchable renewables, trading, aggregation, storage and innovative financing.”
Goncalves explained that a severe drought in 2023 to 2024 exposed Zambia’s deep reliance on hydropower, which still supplies more than 80% of the country’s electricity today. The drought caused extended periods of load shedding and forced many businesses onto diesel generation for well over ten hours a day during the peak. 
At the same time, improving economic conditions following Zambia’s sovereign debt restructuring have helped restore investor confidence. The country defaulted on its debt in 2020 but had its sovereign credit rating upgraded to a stable-to-positive outlook by last year and completed its IMF Extended Credit Facility earlier this year. 
“What’s happening now in Zambia is that for the first time, they’re putting together mechanisms in place that are addressing key bankability issues such as sovereign risk, creditworthiness and single buyer risk,” Goncalves said. “This is enabling solar-plus-storage projects that would previously not be considered viable and would have struggled to reach financial close to become bankable and viable.”
Among the new approaches is the Carbon Finance Procurement Facility, backed by the Norwegian government. Under the scheme, Norway purchases the carbon benefits generated by renewable energy projects, creating an additional revenue stream that improves project bankability and reduces investor risk. It launched earlier this year with a 300 MW solar tender for projects connected to on-site storage.
Zambia’s Ministry of Energy published a competitive procurement framework in May, which targets competitive bidding windows, standardized procurement documentation and regular tender rounds for renewable energy projects akin to South Africa’s REIPPPP which is now in its seventh bidding window.
While the Zambian government has proposed a first bidding window to take place before the end of the year, Goncalves expects it to materialize around mid-2027. Nevertheless, he believes the framework demonstrates the government’s willingness to encourage private investment.
“Public and private stakeholders in Zambia are currently aligned in trying to finance and unlock ‘the fastest MWs available’, supporting first movers in terms of solar-plus-storage to enable dispatchable renewables for energy security, and are open-minded in terms of finding solutions and mechanisms to unlock challenges and enable bankability,” he explained.
While work on government procurements gets underway, Goncalves said he expects privately-negotiated projects to continue moving ahead.
“The introduction of open access provides a significantly more flexible framework for buying, selling and wheeling electricity between market participants,” he said. “It will be interesting to observe the innovative solutions and deal-making that will emerge in this space over the next one to three years.”
Alongside the competitive procurement framework, Zambia is developing the ZAMWatt programme. The initiative is a public-private partnership between state utility ZESCO, Stanbic Bank and Africa GreenCo that will utilize Zambia’s new open access regulations to allow industrial customers to buy power directly from independent producers.
The procurement and energy-trading program is geared towards addressing concerns over the creditworthiness of ZESCO, which has stood as a longstanding barrier to renewable energy investment in the country. 
“What the ZAMWatt program is trying to do is pool IPP generators and pool offtakers,” Goncalves told pv magazine. “This derisks the whole approach of single buyer and single generator risks, because if there is payment default or generation default, you can replace within the aggregation pool.”
The program is expected to benefit large mining customers in particular, in areas such as Zambia’s rapidly-expanding copper industry. 
Goncalves said Zambia produced around 890,000 tons of copper last year, an amount expected to increase to 3 million tons by 2031.
“The amount of power they will need is huge and as there’s no gas in Zambia, limited new coal options and no nuclear, the only options they really have are solar, batteries and wind,” Goncalves explained. “As a landlocked country with some of the world’s largest critical minerals mines, they’re turning to solar-plus-storage for energy security and unlocking innovative models to deploy dispatchable renewables at scale.”
Goncalves believes Zambia’s reforms could become a template for neighbouring markets with schemes similar to ZAMWatt anticipated in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Although implementation challenges remain, such as currency volatility and the need to expand transmission infrastructure, Goncalves said Zambia has established itself as a pioneer in the region.
“Zambia is definitely the first mover but the neighbouring markets are looking set to follow suit,” he said, mentioning Namibia and Botswana as examples of other Southern African countries on the way to liberalizing their energy markets.
Zambia’s installed solar capacity has grown significantly since the completion of its first 100 MW project in May 2025. Work began on a separate 100 MW array three months later, with both projects forming part of the government’s plan to deploy 1 GW of utility-scale solar. The country’s largest operational solar asset to date is the 136 MW Itimpi II solar plant, which was switched on in May.
Construction of Zambia’s largest solar-plus-storage project to date, a 250 MW solar site tied to 150 MW/600 MWh of storage, began in April.
The Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) has tracked 1.15 GW of operational solar in Zambia, according to figures available in its project database. It adds a further 1.64 GW are currently under construction.
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Solar energy increased by 50% – 4-month period/ Photovoltaics provided 6.7% of the energy produced in the country  Scan TV
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A unique agrivoltaic system has been inaugurated in Donnerskirchen, in Austria’s Burgenland region. The 6.6 MW agrivoltaic installation uses single-axis trackers and supplies the electricity it generates directly to the country’s 16.7 Hz railway power grid.
Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) receives solar power directly through its railway electricity network, while Esterhazy Betriebe AG continues organic farming operations on the site. Local energy company Burgenland Energie was also involved in developing the project.
According to ÖBB, the installation is Austria’s first tracking agrivoltaic system designed specifically to supply railway power. Built on a seven-hectare site alongside the railway line, the plant is expected to generate around 8.3 GWh of electricity annually. The output is fed directly into the railway grid and can cover the equivalent of approximately 32,500 train journeys per year between Vienna and Eisenstadt, a distance of around 60 kilometers.
“By feeding electricity directly into the railway grid, we increase supply security while simultaneously reducing energy losses,” said Silvia Angelo, board member of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG. “Such solutions are a key part of our strategy to make railway operations increasingly independent of fossil fuels over the long term and to further strengthen ÖBB’s role as one of Austria’s leading companies in climate protection.”
Matthias Grün, CEO of Esterhazy Betriebe, emphasized the dual-use potential of the project. “Agrivoltaics allow us to preserve agricultural land while simultaneously harnessing solar energy,” he said.
The project design incorporates existing landscape features, including ditches and hedges, to maintain open areas and support agricultural use. Esterhazy has been researching suitable crops and operating concepts for agrivoltaic sites for several years and sees advantages at the Donnerskirchen location. The crops benefit from protection provided by the solar structures, while the photovoltaic system benefits from natural cooling effects that can improve performance, according to the project developers.
The tracker-based system was designed to maintain the soil’s natural water permeability. Additional ecological measures, including extensive planting, are being implemented to preserve habitats for native species.
The project partners describe the installation as a triple-use concept, combining renewable electricity generation, organic agricultural production, and biodiversity enhancement on the same site.

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The new BESS manufacturing plant will strengthen Tamil Nadu’s renewable energy manufacturing ecosystem and boost domestic energy storage production. 
The Tamil Nadu government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Vikram Solar Limited to establish a Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) manufacturing facility at the SIPCOT Industrial Park in Gangaikondan, Tirunelveli district.
The project will involve an investment of ₹15,037 crore and is expected to generate employment for around 2,670 people, further strengthening the state’s position as a hub for renewable energy and advanced manufacturing.
The agreement was signed between the state’s Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department and Vikram Solar in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat in Chennai.
Vikram Solar already has a significant manufacturing presence in Tamil Nadu, operating solar photovoltaic (PV) module production facilities at Oragadam and Vallam. The company has also established an integrated manufacturing unit for solar PV cells and modules at Gangaikondan.
The proposed BESS facility marks an expansion of the company’s clean energy manufacturing portfolio and is expected to support the growing demand for energy storage solutions alongside renewable power deployment.
The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Industries Minister S. Keerthana, Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary S. Vijayakumar, Guidance Tamil Nadu Managing Director and CEO Deepak Jacob, Vikram Solar Chairman and Managing Director Gyanesh Chaudhary, Chief Executive Officer Arun Mittal, Director (Capital Investments) Ashwini Agarwal, Advisor to the Board J.S. Bajaj, along with senior government officials.
The investment reinforces Tamil Nadu’s efforts to attract large-scale clean energy manufacturing projects while expanding domestic battery energy storage production to support India’s energy transition.

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The World Bank’s board of executive directors has approved a US$890 million financing package to accelerate India’s national rooftop solar program, supporting the installation of solar systems for millions of households. 
The financing will support the Government of India’s PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSMGBY) initiative, which aims to expand rooftop solar access to 10 million rural and urban households while reducing electricity costs for consumers and strengthening domestic solar manufacturing capacity. 
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The package comprises an US$820 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), a US$60 million concessional loan from the Clean Technology Fund, and a US$10 million grant from the IBRD’s Livable Planet Fund. 
Alongside public financing, the World Bank said it will mobilise an additional US$4.2 billion in private sector financing through commercial loans to enable financial institutions to support rooftop solar installations for households. 
Additionally, the investment will create an estimated 1.7 million jobs across the renewable energy manufacturing, installation and services value chain. 
“The World Bank has been supporting India’s solar rooftop sector for over a decade, mobilising more than US$2 billion to catalyse market growth from 500MW to over 27GW of installed capacity,” said Paul Proccee, World Bank acting country director for India. “This new financing will help India scale up residential solar, while creating job opportunities across the supply chain and installation ecosystem.” 
India has set a target of achieving net zero emissions by 2070 and increasing the share of non-fossil-fuel-based energy resources to 60% of its electricity mix by 2035. While utility-scale solar deployment has expanded rapidly in recent years, residential rooftop solar adoption has remained comparatively limited. 
PMSMGBY program addresses barriers to residential solar adoption by providing incentives for rooftop installations, supporting local solar equipment manufacturing and expanding access to distributed clean energy. 
“The program will transform the residential solar market by removing financial barriers and building the capacity of distribution companies, banks, and vendors to deliver integrated service solutions,” said Moez Cherif, task team leader of the program. “Through collateral-free financing, households can install solar power and significantly reduce their monthly electricity bills.”  
The funding supports India’s renewable expansion, with rooftop solar central to scaling distributed generation and reducing household energy costs. While PMSGBY has boosted demand through subsidies and simplified processes, uneven state execution has constrained the conversion of applications into installations (subscription required).  
India has installed 9.56GW of rooftop solar capacity under the PMSGMBY by March 2026, according to government data earlier this year. More than 2.62 million systems have been deployed since the scheme’s launch in 2024, benefiting around 3.24 million households.

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Effingham County solar farm proposal pulled by company  WCIA.com
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Chinese-Canadian PV manufacturer Canadian Solar has presented two new versions of its EP Cube storage solution. The product range offers all-in-one residential energy storage solutions that integrate a hybrid bidirectional inverter with modular LFP battery technology.
“The EP Cube Single-Phase 2.0 system provides 10 kW AC and 15 kW DC output in a more compact form factor,” a company spokesperson told ESS News. “Unlike typical market solutions that offer only two MPPTs, this system integrates four independent MPPTs, enabling greater design flexibility for complex roof configurations and improving energy harvest under shaded conditions.”
The spokesperson said the EP Cube Three-Phase Pro increases AC output to 20 kW for larger residential and C&I applications. The system integrates the backup port into the inverter, eliminating the need for a separate smart gateway, and supports up to five units in parallel for a combined 100 kW of AC output, 120 kW of PV input and 200 kWh of storage capacity.
The EP Cube Single-Phase 2.0 system features a modular design to enable flexible capacity stacking. Individual battery modules have a nominal capacity of 5 kWh and weigh under 42 kg. It can scale up to 40 kWh using eight stacked battery units on a single base. For properties demanding higher capacities, installers can connect up to two full units in parallel, bringing total storage capacity up to 80 kWh.
The integrated hybrid inverter includes 4 maximum power point trackers (MPPTs). Each tracker allows an input current up to 18 A and a short-circuit current of 25 A, processing a maximum input voltage of 600 V DC. The system supports a maximum combined PV input power of up to 15 kW. The inverter achieves a maximum efficiency rating of 97.60% and a European efficiency of 97%. The system carries an outdoor-ready protection rating – IP65 for the inverter housing and IP67 when the battery modules are stacked together.
As for the Three-Phase Pro, system capacities begin at 10 kWh, using two modules, and can scale up to 40 kWh within a single stacked footprint utilizing eight modules. For higher-capacity demands, up to five units can be linked in parallel, unlocking an expansive total system storage capacity of up to 200 kWh.
To support larger commercial solar arrays, the Three-Phase Pro inverter accepts a maximum PV input power of 24 kW and features 4 MPPTs. Each tracker can accommodate high-power, modern PV modules with an operating current profile of up to 17 A and a short-circuit threshold of 24 A, operating across a wide DC voltage window up to 1,000 V.
On the grid side, the system provides a continuous three-phase output power of 20 kVA (at 400 V AC), delivering up to 28.9A of continuous current per phase. For outdoor placements, the system carries an IP65 protection rating for the main inverter assembly and an IP67 rating for the tightly locked LFP battery stack.
For both products, Canadian Solar provides a comprehensive product warranty package, offering a 10-year warranty on the inverter unit and up to 15 years or 6,000 cycles on the LFP battery modules.
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SolarPower Europe has urged the European Commission to urgently publish guidance clarifying the scope of its decision to exclude solar PV projects and battery storage systems using inverters and power conversion systems (PCS) from certain high-risk countries from receiving EU funding.
The appeal follows the Commission’s decision to introduce the measure without releasing detailed information on its implementation or conducting a prior consultation or impact assessment. According to the association, the lack of clarity is creating uncertainty for developers, investors and lenders, delaying investment decisions and slowing the deployment of new renewable energy projects.
The issue comes as a new Wood Mackenzie analysis estimates that the restrictions could affect more than 28 GWdc of solar PV inverter demand between 2026 and 2030, equivalent to around 14% of Europe’s forecast solar PV demand over the period. In the energy storage sector, approximately 12% of projected deployments could also be impacted, with utility-scale battery projects expected to face the greatest exposure.
SolarPower Europe argues that the absence of official guidance on the justification and scope of the decision is already delaying projects across Europe and could jeopardise the European Union’s 2030 renewable energy objectives.
The association also criticised the Commission for adopting the measure without prior consultation with the industry or an impact assessment, saying the approach is inconsistent with the Commission’s own principles of good governance.
According to SolarPower Europe, developers currently lack the certainty needed to make informed decisions on procurement, financing, investment strategies and project design.
To address the situation, SolarPower Europe is calling on the European Commission to:
The association stressed that industrial policy and cybersecurity are both strategic priorities but require distinct policy approaches. It noted that it has already put forward proposals to strengthen cybersecurity while supporting robust Made-in-Europe measures to expand domestic manufacturing, particularly for inverters and power conversion systems.
According to Wood Mackenzie, the impact will be greatest in Central and Eastern Europe, where EU funding plays a larger role in renewable energy investment and projects rely more heavily on equipment supplied by manufacturers from the affected countries.
The consultancy identifies Romania, Bulgaria, Czechia, the Baltic States and Greece among the markets with the highest exposure.
Wood Mackenzie also notes that the European Commission is encouraging Member States to apply the same restrictions to renewable energy projects financed through national public budgets. If governments follow this approach, the share of affected solar and storage capacity would increase well beyond current estimates.
Although European-made equipment carries a higher upfront cost, Wood Mackenzie estimates that the overall impact on project costs would range between 2% and 8%, depending on the market segment. However, it warns that procurement complexity, project redesigns and the need to separate integrated battery-inverter systems are likely to create additional challenges, particularly in cost-sensitive markets across Eastern Europe.
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A large fire breaks out in Ottana, threatening a photovoltaic farm: helicopter in flight  L’Unione Sarda.it
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There are a fears a “problematic” 2,200 acre solar and battery farm will be built on some of the county’s “best and versatile” land.
Suffolk County Council is set to discuss its response to EcoPower Suffolk’s scheme in Mid Suffolk.
The council is particularly concerned about the cumulative effect of multiple energy developments in the area, including National Grid’s Norwich to Tilbury pylon project.
The scheme includes solar panels, battery storage facilities and related infrastructure.
Tristan Gale, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for planning, devolution and the fire service, said: “Most notably, around 96% of this project is on Suffolk’s best and most versatile agricultural land, and road access to many parts of the project is, at best, problematic.
“The potential impact of the construction of this scheme in terms of traffic, disturbance, and the well-being of our communities, must be addressed by EcoPower.”
Objections centre on the loss of high-grade agricultural land, the impact of construction traffic on rural roads, and effects on countryside views.
Cllr Gale said: “Local communities and the council won improvements to this project in the last consultation and will need to try and do this again before the application is submitted to the Secretary of State.”
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Flood risks and the safety of the proposed battery storage facilities are also flagged as key issues.
The cabinet will consider a recommendation to oppose the application at its meeting on July 14.
If approved the response will be formally submitted to EcoPower Suffolk before the consultation deadline of August 16, 2026.
What we know about EcoPower Suffolk:
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Dinto Solar, a solar photovoltaic module manufacturer specializing in high-efficiency HJT technology, has signed a 20 MW HJT module distribution agreement in Egypt. The agreement covers the supply of the company’s 740 W G12-132 HJT modules for desert solar water pumping and distributed photovoltaic projects. The modules are designed for operation in high-temperature, sandy and high-irradiance environments. According to Dinto Solar, the modules feature a temperature coefficient of -0.24 %/°C, a rated output of 740 W and bifaciality exceeding 90 %. The deployment is intended to support solar applications operating under demanding desert conditions across Egypt.
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Shannen Ace
Published: July 10, 2026
More solar-powered trash and recycling cans have been installed in the outdoor queue of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom.
We reported on three solar-powered units added to the queue this past weekend. In addition to those three, there’s now a pair outside the restrooms next to the queue.
The trash cans have foot pedals for more hygienic operation, as well as large handles on the lids. The solar panels on top power built-in trash compacters.
Another solar trash can is further along the queue, closer to the gift shops.
The Tiana’s Bayou Adventure trash cans are the first solar-powered cans at Magic Kingdom. Several have been installed in World Showcase at EPCOT.
Disney confirmed the solar-powered trash cans would expand across Walt Disney World this year. Walt Disney Imagineering is involved in the theming and design of the units so they will resemble the old cans they are replacing.
The rollout will include Disney Springs, water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and other locations.
What do you think of the new solar-powered bins? Let us know on social media.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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The solar system will generate up to 1.64MW of green energy.
Well, this is cool. Want a break from transfer rumors? How about a story that intersects football with green energy? Tottenham Hotspur have contacted Haringey Council ahead of putting 3,800 solar panels on the roof of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, enough to generate 1.64 megawatts of renewable energy.
The energy generated would go to offset the power needed to run the stadium, from lighting, matches, concerts, hospitality, and other buildings nearby. Stadiums are huge buildings, and the power costs to run them are similarly huge. Offsetting that power with green energy just makes sense, even if it’s England and the sun doesn’t show its face for like six months out of the year (I kid).
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium roof is also pretty much ideal for installing solar on it, to the extent that I wonder if that was a planned potential expansion when the stadium was first designed and constructed. Or maybe it’s just a happy accident — either way, it’s a good thing.
Why now and why not when the stadium was first constructed? Well, it’s been a few years since the stadium was new, and since then the cost of green energy and of solar panels to generate that energy has plummeted to an all-time low.
The club is seeking clarification from the council as to whether they need to submit a new proposal before starting the build, or if previous rules will allow them to start soon. The club wants to start the installation of solar panels on the roof in September, and finish by December of this year.
Quite frankly, at this point there’s no reason why most large buildings shouldn’t have their roofs covered in solar panels everywhere. It’s a common-sense and relatively low cost enterprise that pays for itself in the medium term and reduces reliance on the electric grid. The article doesn’t say so, but I’d assume there’s also going to be plenty of battery storage so that night time events can pull on some of that power during evening matches and concerts.
Tottenham isn’t be the first stadium to put solar panels on the roof, and hopefully it won’t be the last. But I welcome this move.

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From ESS News
Chinese-Canadian PV manufacturer Canadian Solar has presented two new versions of its EP Cube storage solution. The product range offers all-in-one residential energy storage solutions that integrate a hybrid bidirectional inverter with modular lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery technology.
“The EP Cube Single-Phase 2.0 system provides 10 kW AC and 15 kW DC output in a more compact form factor,” a spokeperson from the company told ESS News. “Unlike typical market solutions that offer only two MPPTs, this system integrates four independent MPPTs, enabling greater design flexibility for complex roof configurations and improving energy harvest under shaded conditions.”
“As for the EP Cube Three-Phase Pro system, it increases AC output to 20 kW, making it suitable for larger residential applications as well as commercial and industrial (C&I) projects. Notably, the backup port is built directly into the inverter, removing the need for a separate smart gateway. The system also supports up to five units in parallel, reaching 100 kW AC output, 120 kW PV input, and 200 kWh of storage capacity, delivering scalable energy resilience for modern business needs.”
The EP Cube Single-Phase 2.0 system utilizes a modular design to enable flexible capacity stacking. Individual battery modules feature a nominal capacity of 5 kWh and weigh under 42 kg. It can scale up to 40 kWh using eight stacked battery units on a single base. For properties demanding higher capacities, installers can connect up to two full units in parallel, bringing total storage capacity up to 80 kWh.
The integrated hybrid inverter includes 4 maximum power point trackers (MPPTs). Each tracker allows an input current up to 18 A and a short-circuit current of 25 A, processing a maximum input voltage of 600 V DC. The system supports a maximum combined PV input power of up to 15 kW. The inverter achieves a maximum efficiency rating of 97.60% and a European efficiency of 97%. The system carries an outdoor-ready protection rating—IP65 for the inverter housing and IP67 when the battery modules are stacked together.
As for the Three-Phase Pro, system capacities begin at 10 kWh, using two modules, and can scale up to 40 kWh within a single stacked footprint utilizing eight modules. For higher-capacity demands, up to five units can be linked in parallel, unlocking an expansive total system storage capacity of up to 200 kWh.
To support larger commercial solar arrays, the Three-Phase Pro inverter accepts a maximum PV input power of 24 kW and features 4 MPPTs. Each tracker can accommodate high-power, modern PV modules with an operating current profile of up to 17 A and a short-circuit threshold of 24 A, operating across a wide DC voltage window up to 1,000 V.
On the grid side, the system provides a continuous three-phase output power of 20 kVA (at 400V AC), delivering up to 28.9A of continuous current per phase. For outdoor placements, the system carries an IP65 protection rating for the main inverter assembly and an IP67 rating for the tightly locked LFP battery stack.
For both products, Canadian Solar provides a comprehensive product warranty package, offering a 10-year warranty on the inverter unit and up to 15 years or 6,000 cycles on the LFP battery modules.
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EU Ban on Chinese Inverters Could Disrupt 28 GW Solar Demand and 12% Energy Storage Deployments: Wood Mackenzie  SolarQuarter
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Read The Diplomat, Know The Asia-Pacific
Tibet stands at the forefront of China’s wind, solar, and hydropower. But the Tibetan people have no say over how their resources are used.
A solar power station on the Tibetan plateau in Chcina.
Amid the global shift to renewable energy, China leads the world in manufacturing and processing capacity. It is building major green infrastructure in Tibet, including large solar projects and the planned Metok (Motuo) mega-dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo. Many batteries used in clean technologies also depend on materials produced in the region. Tibet therefore stands at the forefront of China’s green energy development across wind, solar, and hydropower.
Recently, a newly identified chromite deposit was discovered in the Dongqiao region near Amdo Town in Amdo County, Nagchu Prefecture, adding over 1.1 million tons of associated chromite ore resources. The Luobusha mining area in Chusum County, Lhokha Prefecture, holds another 738,300 metric tons of chromite resources. China has also identified a new source of high purity quartz in Tingkye County, Shigatse City, aiming to reduce reliance on imports of this critical material used in solar panels and semiconductors, according to the South China Morning Post on June 8. These developments reflect China’s accelerating exploration of strategic minerals in Tibet.
Critical minerals, which are increasingly becoming strategic resources, are abundant in Tibet. Tibet plays an important role in China’s copper supply chain and generates significant economic benefits. Some of the largest mines under Chinese state control are located there, including the Yulong Copper Mine, which contains copper, molybdenum, iron, and gold. In 2024, Yulong’s copper production was approximately 159,100 metric tons. From January to September 2025, it produced 125,000 metric tons of copper. Its industrial output value reached 11.6 billion yuan in 2025, making it the first enterprise in Chamdo and the second in the Tibet Autonomous Region to exceed 10 billion yuan in output value. 
The Julong copper mine in Tibet offers a similar example. Once its third phase is completed, it is projected to produce 350,000 tons annually, making it the largest standalone copper mine in China. Together, these developments show how rapidly the scale and pace of mining in Tibet have expanded in recent years.
China has also expanded mining in high-altitude areas that were previously difficult to access. One example is Zijin’s mining project, which has been made possible by technological advances at an elevation of around 5,000 meters above sea level. However, operating at such extreme elevation could cause serious environmental damage.
While Chinese companies clearly profit from mineral extraction, an important question remains: where do these profits go?
China presents itself as a green energy powerhouse, a portrayal that has received global appreciation. But some of its landmark renewable energy projects are damaging the environment and local livelihoods – especially in Tibet. 
The Khamtok Dege Dam, known in Chinese as Gangtuo, is located on the Drichu, the upper Yangtze River, and has already raised serious environmental and social concerns. Once completed, the dam is expected to submerge six monasteries and displace at least 4,287 residents. Among the monasteries at risk is the Wontoe Monastery, built in the eighth century and known for its 14th-century Buddhist murals. 
In addition to China’s hydropower expansion, the installation of solar panels across Tibet has accelerated sharply. According to a study by Dr. Nityananda, Tibet’s unique geography gives it strong potential for solar farms and other renewable energy projects. His mapping and analysis showed that solar panels are expanding rapidly across Tibet. This growth, however, appears to be driven not only by clean technology goals but also by a broader policy agenda.
The expansion of solar farms is presented as beneficial for Tibet’s ecology. However, Sangay Tashi’s research suggests that it is difficult to definitively assess whether such projects are truly helpful. Instead, deep uncertainty remains about how this widespread construction of solar farms may disrupt traditional cultural practices and ways of life in the future.
Despite these concerns, China has reacted by cracking down on those who raise concerns about Tibet’s ecological, cultural, and social landscape. According to Save Tibet, Chinese authorities arrested more than 1,000 Tibetans during protests against the Khamtok Dege Dam. Separately, Tsongon Tsering was reportedly suppressed for speaking out against illegal Chinese mining practices in Tibet. Soon after, mass arrests and a communication blackout occurred in Kham Zachuka following the discovery of gold deposits at Serkhok.
China has evidently failed to follow the principles outlined in Critical Energy Transition Minerals, a 2025 document prepared by the U.N. Secretary-General’s Working Group on Transforming the Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development. The guidance emphasizes seven key principles for responsible resource extraction, including human rights, environmental protection, equity, and justice. In Tibet, these core principles are not being upheld.
This year, China released a new mining regulation, scheduled to take effect on July 15. According to Xinhua, China’s state news agency, the law “aim[s] at strengthening the conservation of mineral resources and ecological environment, advancing the high-quality development of the mining sector, and safeguarding mineral resource security.” Yet China has a poor track record of upholding legislation relating to the rights of its citizens over its companies. The value of the law remains questionable if the government does not enforce it in practice.
As China builds some of the world’s largest solar, hydropower, and wind projects, Tibet is at the epicenter. Mineral exploration and extraction in Tibet are also intensifying, again to fuel the green energy industry. As China’s energy demand continues to rise, Tibet has the potential to play a significant role in China’s green energy supply chain. 
These developments pose serious environmental risks and carry significant social and geopolitical implications. Although China presents its green energy expansion as an environmental initiative, unsustainable mining and rapid hydropower development in Tibet are turning the region into a resource hub for China’s energy transition. 
If green energy is genuinely intended to support environmental protection, China should follow the guidelines issued by the United Nations. Tibetan communities should be meaningfully consulted on these projects, and their voices taken seriously.
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Amid the global shift to renewable energy, China leads the world in manufacturing and processing capacity. It is building major green infrastructure in Tibet, including large solar projects and the planned Metok (Motuo) mega-dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo. Many batteries used in clean technologies also depend on materials produced in the region. Tibet therefore stands at the forefront of China’s green energy development across wind, solar, and hydropower.
Recently, a newly identified chromite deposit was discovered in the Dongqiao region near Amdo Town in Amdo County, Nagchu Prefecture, adding over 1.1 million tons of associated chromite ore resources. The Luobusha mining area in Chusum County, Lhokha Prefecture, holds another 738,300 metric tons of chromite resources. China has also identified a new source of high purity quartz in Tingkye County, Shigatse City, aiming to reduce reliance on imports of this critical material used in solar panels and semiconductors, according to the South China Morning Post on June 8. These developments reflect China’s accelerating exploration of strategic minerals in Tibet.
Critical minerals, which are increasingly becoming strategic resources, are abundant in Tibet. Tibet plays an important role in China’s copper supply chain and generates significant economic benefits. Some of the largest mines under Chinese state control are located there, including the Yulong Copper Mine, which contains copper, molybdenum, iron, and gold. In 2024, Yulong’s copper production was approximately 159,100 metric tons. From January to September 2025, it produced 125,000 metric tons of copper. Its industrial output value reached 11.6 billion yuan in 2025, making it the first enterprise in Chamdo and the second in the Tibet Autonomous Region to exceed 10 billion yuan in output value. 
The Julong copper mine in Tibet offers a similar example. Once its third phase is completed, it is projected to produce 350,000 tons annually, making it the largest standalone copper mine in China. Together, these developments show how rapidly the scale and pace of mining in Tibet have expanded in recent years.
China has also expanded mining in high-altitude areas that were previously difficult to access. One example is Zijin’s mining project, which has been made possible by technological advances at an elevation of around 5,000 meters above sea level. However, operating at such extreme elevation could cause serious environmental damage.
While Chinese companies clearly profit from mineral extraction, an important question remains: where do these profits go?
China presents itself as a green energy powerhouse, a portrayal that has received global appreciation. But some of its landmark renewable energy projects are damaging the environment and local livelihoods – especially in Tibet. 
The Khamtok Dege Dam, known in Chinese as Gangtuo, is located on the Drichu, the upper Yangtze River, and has already raised serious environmental and social concerns. Once completed, the dam is expected to submerge six monasteries and displace at least 4,287 residents. Among the monasteries at risk is the Wontoe Monastery, built in the eighth century and known for its 14th-century Buddhist murals. 
In addition to China’s hydropower expansion, the installation of solar panels across Tibet has accelerated sharply. According to a study by Dr. Nityananda, Tibet’s unique geography gives it strong potential for solar farms and other renewable energy projects. His mapping and analysis showed that solar panels are expanding rapidly across Tibet. This growth, however, appears to be driven not only by clean technology goals but also by a broader policy agenda.
The expansion of solar farms is presented as beneficial for Tibet’s ecology. However, Sangay Tashi’s research suggests that it is difficult to definitively assess whether such projects are truly helpful. Instead, deep uncertainty remains about how this widespread construction of solar farms may disrupt traditional cultural practices and ways of life in the future.
Despite these concerns, China has reacted by cracking down on those who raise concerns about Tibet’s ecological, cultural, and social landscape. According to Save Tibet, Chinese authorities arrested more than 1,000 Tibetans during protests against the Khamtok Dege Dam. Separately, Tsongon Tsering was reportedly suppressed for speaking out against illegal Chinese mining practices in Tibet. Soon after, mass arrests and a communication blackout occurred in Kham Zachuka following the discovery of gold deposits at Serkhok.
China has evidently failed to follow the principles outlined in Critical Energy Transition Minerals, a 2025 document prepared by the U.N. Secretary-General’s Working Group on Transforming the Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development. The guidance emphasizes seven key principles for responsible resource extraction, including human rights, environmental protection, equity, and justice. In Tibet, these core principles are not being upheld.
This year, China released a new mining regulation, scheduled to take effect on July 15. According to Xinhua, China’s state news agency, the law “aim[s] at strengthening the conservation of mineral resources and ecological environment, advancing the high-quality development of the mining sector, and safeguarding mineral resource security.” Yet China has a poor track record of upholding legislation relating to the rights of its citizens over its companies. The value of the law remains questionable if the government does not enforce it in practice.
As China builds some of the world’s largest solar, hydropower, and wind projects, Tibet is at the epicenter. Mineral exploration and extraction in Tibet are also intensifying, again to fuel the green energy industry. As China’s energy demand continues to rise, Tibet has the potential to play a significant role in China’s green energy supply chain. 
These developments pose serious environmental risks and carry significant social and geopolitical implications. Although China presents its green energy expansion as an environmental initiative, unsustainable mining and rapid hydropower development in Tibet are turning the region into a resource hub for China’s energy transition. 
If green energy is genuinely intended to support environmental protection, China should follow the guidelines issued by the United Nations. Tibetan communities should be meaningfully consulted on these projects, and their voices taken seriously.
Dhondup Wangmo is a research fellow at the Tibet Policy Institute in Dharamshala, India. Her research focuses on mineral exploitation inside Tibet. This commentary reflects her personal views. 
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Insolation Green Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Insolation Energy, has secured an INR 558.29 crore contract from NTPC Renewable Energy for the supply of solar PV modules.
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Solar-powered gadgets can help lower your electricity bills while also being more eco-friendly. With solar energy, it’s important to understand that panel size correlates with how much power it can produce. Because of this, solar is generally used as a supplement rather than the main power source, especially for smaller gadgets. That means they can also use traditional charging like USB-C to ensure you can still use them when you don’t have access to bright sunlight.
Being able to power a device with sunlight adds flexibility, and not just to power banks and little devices like flashlights. There are gadgets you may not have known could be solar powered, like smartwatches and cooking equipment. These are especially great for those who spend a lot of time outdoors or frequently go camping, though there are pros and cons to camping with solar-powered gadgets.
As with any gadgets, user feedback is incredibly useful for sorting through various options and deciding which products are worthwhile. The five solar-powered devices listed here (all of which are available to purchase on Amazon) are ones users swear by for one reason or another, such as durability or overall convenience.
They may not be exciting, but a reliable flashlight is vital when you actually need one to find your way in the dark, especially during an emergency. Smartphone flashlights are great in a pinch, but constant use will drain the battery, which isn’t what you want during a power outage or while outside. Our flashlight pick is the VOETIR LED Solar Flashlight, which is available on Amazon for $12.95. Charging it is as easy as leaving it on a windowsill that gets good sunlight, though it comes with a USB cable as a backup.
The solar flashlight produces 1,500 lumens, making it nice and bright, and has four different modes: high, low, SOS/strobe, and side light. It also has an IP65 rating, meaning it’s dustproof and can withstand low-pressure water jets, which makes it great for outdoor use. Currently, VOETIR’s flashlight has 4.3 stars on Amazon, with users praising its brightness and light weight. If you’re looking for a flashlight to put in an emergency bag or leave in your car, this Amazon device is a great solar-powered option.
Solar power banks are great for more than just reducing your carbon footprint. Being able to charge your device with sunlight means not having to worry about your power bank running out of juice as often. There are bigger ones out there for camping and emergencies, but options like the BLAVOR Solar Power Bank are good for daily use. It’s around the size of a thick smartphone with a capacity of 10,000mAh and a list price of $39.99 (on sale for $29.99 as of this writing), making it comparable to traditional power banks.
BLAVOR’s device can charge in the usual way, but it also has a solar panel on one side to capture sunlight. That’s perfect if you plan to spend a lot of time outdoors, as you don’t need an outlet to recharge your phone. It even supports wireless charging to make things even more convenient and has USB-C and USB-A ports, meaning you can charge up to three devices at once. That said, don’t expect a quick charge from solar alone. Panel size correlates with how much power it can produce, and we’re not at the point where solar energy could make phone chargers obsolete.
Still, users are overall pleased with the BLAVOR Solar Power Bank. It has 4.3 stars on Amazon from over 46k ratings, plus reviews that call it high quality and durable. Some users even report their power banks have survived accidents like being run over by a truck or falling off a car going 50mph on a highway. Others have noted issues with the solar panels and their speed, but overall, the BLAVOR Solar Power Bank is a great option for the outdoorsy.
Many users say Garmin watches beat the Apple Watch for fitness thanks to their superior battery life, health and workout-centric features, and more weather-resistant builds. Some models even come with a solar panel in the face that allows you to charge your smartwatch while you’re outdoors. Of its solar-powered options, the Garmin Instinct 3 will be the best for most — just be aware that not all Instinct models are solar. The Tactix and Fenix are both over $1,000, while the Instinct 3 with solar costs $349.99–$499.99 based on size and features. You can also buy it on Amazon, where the 45 mm model is on sale for $299.99.
The Instinct 3’s battery life is a huge boon, with Garmin claiming it can last up to 28 days in smartwatch mode on one charge and requires just three hours of sunlight to keep it powered for a full day. One Reddit user who tested this found their watch made it to 12% on three hours of solar alone in imperfect conditions, which is impressive given the device’s overall battery capacity.
It can also track a lot of different workouts and health metrics, though some features are exclusive to a Garmin Connect+ subscription, which costs $6.99/month or $69.99/year. The smartwatch has 4.5 stars on Amazon, though that’s only based on 21 ratings, and positive reviews from hiking-focused websites and blogs. Katie Jackson of The Trek called the Instinct 3’s solar capabilities “impressive,” especially for those who like to go off-the-grid, recommending it for anyone “looking for a smartwatch that prioritizes durability, functionality, and longevity over flashy aesthetics.”
Solar gadgets are great to have around during emergencies, such as power outages, and multifunction ones are perfect for anyone who wants to be prepared for anything. The KAYINOW Emergency Radio is far more than just a radio. It’s also a Bluetooth speaker, 5000mAh power bank, flashlight, and SOS alarm that can be powered by a hand crank, USB-C, or solar panel. The flexibility and multifunctionality of the device make it great to have during an emergency or while camping, as does its IPX5 waterproof rating. Sweetening the deal is that it’s only $29.99 on Amazon.
KAYINOW’s radio is also good for daily use. Being able to connect to emergency radio alerts, keep your devices powered on, or try to find help in a pinch are all important. This multipurpose gadget can also be used as a Bluetooth speaker or portable charger. It has 4.3 stars on Amazon and reviews praising the radio for how many things it can do and how well it accomplishes its various jobs. Several specifically highlight the speaker for being good quality considering its size and price. However, customers have also said the directions are unclear, so other reviews may be more helpful than the included manual.
In choosing these products, we focused heavily on user ratings and reviews found on store pages and blogs, as well as social media posts with detailed and specific feedback. All of the products listed here are available on Amazon, though we’ve also included links to the manufacturer’s online stores where applicable. Amazon-only items needed at least 4.3 stars and a substantial number of reviews to be considered to weed out low-quality and untested products. Reviews with specific feedback or examples were weighted more heavily — positive or negative.
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Zestec Renewable Energy and energy advisor Inspired recently held a showcase event at Leggett & Platt’s Barnsley manufacturing site, unveiling a brand-new flagship 4MW rooftop solar PV system, one of the largest single-roof rooftop installations in the UK.
A number of businesses were invited to the site to see the system, which comprises over 7,700 solar panels and 25 inverters.
The project has been funded through Zestec Renewable Energy’s Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) model, giving Leggett & Platt access to lower-cost renewable electricity generated on-site, and greater energy independence from the national grid.
Inspired, a UK energy and sustainability consultancy, supported the project from initial design through to installation and delivery.
Guests at the event heard from George Orrell, head of finance at Leggett & Platt, on the sustainability strategy and decision-making behind the project. Sophie Breakell, BDM at Zestec, and Craig Needham, Inspired’s MD: optimisation, also discussed the commercial impact of the installation, including cost savings, risk reduction and wider supply-chain benefits. 
Attendees were then given a guided tour of the manufacturing facility and the rooftop solar PV system itself.
Craig Needham says: “Inspired is delighted to be working with its group company, Businesswise, in partnership with Zestec to support Leggett & Platt in the commissioning of a 4MW rooftop solar PV system at their Barnsley site. We’re proud to have supported the full delivery, from the initial design phase through to installation, enabling Leggett & Platt to generate their own green energy, significantly reduce energy costs, and minimise dependence on the national grid.”
Zestec’s Simon Booth comments: “This is one of the largest single-roof rooftop solar installations we’ve delivered, and it shows exactly what our PPA model is designed to do – give businesses like Leggett & Platt access to lower-cost renewable electricity generated on-site, and greater energy independence, without the upfront capital investment. Projects of this scale only come together through strong partnership, and working alongside Inspired and the team at Leggett & Platt has been a great example of that.”
Adam Ball, commercial manager at Leggett & Platt, concludes: “We were delighted to host key customers at our open day, giving them the opportunity to see our new solar installation and learn more about our commitment to reducing environmental impact. This project is a testament to the power of collaboration, and we thank Inspired and Zestec for their expertise and partnership throughout the journey.”
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The 1 GW Hami project uses molten salt thermal storage instead of lithium batteries to supply evening power.
China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) has begun commercial trial operations at what it claims is the world’s largest hybrid solar power plant in Xinjiang, northwest China. Announced on July 1, this 1-gigawatt (GW) facility uses both traditional solar panels and concentrated solar power (CSP) technology. This setup allows the plant to continue generating electricity for up to eight hours after sunset without using lithium batteries.
Located in the Gobi Desert near Hami, the project uses molten salt to store heat from the sun during the day. This stored heat is then converted into electricity, allowing the plant to continue producing power into the evening when demand remains high.
The Hami complex consists of 900 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and a 100 MW CSP unit. These are spread over about 4,490 acres (1,817 hectares) at the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains. The project cost 3.53 billion yuan, or about $480 million.
During the day, the PV array sends electricity straight to the grid. Meanwhile, the CSP section gathers solar energy with 260,000 tracking mirrors that cover about 8.6 million square feet (800,000 square meters) of reflective surface.
The mirrors focus sunlight to heat molten salt up to 1,022°F (550°C). This heat is stored and later used to make steam, which powers a turbine after sunset.
At night, only the 100 MW CSP unit generates electricity, not the full 1 GW plant. Rather than running the whole facility overnight, the thermal storage system supplies electricity during the evening when the solar panels stop producing power.
CTG said its linear Fresnel design boosts heat conversion efficiency by up to 10 percent compared to standard Fresnel systems. The 46-loop layout lets parts of the facility be maintained without stopping operations. A central control system manages both the PV and CSP sections, maintaining frequency regulation accuracy of about 0.02 hertz and responding in under a second.
While commercial trial operations started on July 1, the plant has actually been supplying electricity for several months. It was first connected to the grid on September 18, 2025, and has been running ever since.
According to CTG, the facility has already delivered 6.54 million kilowatt-hours of electricity to the regional grid. When running at full capacity, it is expected to generate 2.07 terawatt-hours of electricity each year, enough to power about 830,000 homes. The company also estimates the project could cut annual carbon dioxide emissions by around 1.63 million metric tons and raise renewable energy use in Xinjiang to over 95 percent.
The Hami project is now the world’s largest hybrid CSP and PV power plant, overtaking Dubai’s 950 MW Noor Energy 1.
CTG believes thermal energy storage serves a different purpose than lithium batteries, especially for providing electricity for longer periods after sunset.
“Lithium batteries are designed for short-duration peak shaving, while PV systems only produce power during daylight hours. CSP thermal storage stands apart with its large capacity, long discharge cycles, and zero operational emissions,” said Niu Jianle, project director of the CTG Hami project. He called the grid connection “a landmark leap, bringing the technology out of laboratory research and into large-scale commercial rollout.”
CSP projects have usually been more expensive per kilowatt-hour than solar farms with batteries, and lithium battery prices continue to fall. The long-term economics of Hami will depend on whether its thermal storage can deliver reliable evening electricity at a competitive price over time.
China is already planning further expansion. CTG intends to increase the Hami energy base to 3 GW in a second phase. At the same time, China Energy Engineering Corp has begun construction of another nearby hybrid project. This new facility will combine 1.3 GW of PV capacity with 150 MW of CSP, making a 1.5 GW plant that will be even larger than Hami when finished.
A versatile writer, Sujita has worked with Mashable Middle East and News Daily 24. When she isn't writing, you can find her glued to the latest web series and movies.
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Rayzon Solar Earns NABL Accreditation for Its R&D Laboratory, Strengthening Confidence in India’s Solar Manufacturing Ecosystem  ANI News
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A new drone-based inspection approach aims to address one of the growing challenges in utility-scale solar: how to collect accurate data from increasingly large PV sites within limited operating windows.
Israeli technology company vHive has developed a software platform that coordinates multiple drones during solar inspections, combining autonomous flight planning, thermal imaging, (Red, Green, and Blue) RGB mapping and digital twin capabilities. According to the company, the system is designed to allow solar operators to perform large-scale surveys without relying on highly specialized drone pilots.
The technology is based on commercially available drones rather than custom-built aircraft. Daniel Tomer, founder and CTO of vHive, explained that the company’s focus was not developing a new drone, but creating the software infrastructure required to operate fleets of drones efficiently.
“We started from the beginning looking at large-scale digitization,” he told pv magazine. “That, from a product perspective, led to product decisions like using off-the-shelf drones.”
The platform currently supports DJI Matrice 4 Thermal drones, which the company says provide a cost-effective solution for thermal inspections. According to Tomer, each unit costs around $7,500 and can be transported easily as part of a larger inspection setup.
The main technological challenge, according to vHive, is not the drone itself but the coordination of multiple aircraft during a single inspection mission. “A single drone is simple. You click a button and it flies,” Tomer said. “If you need to fly two drones simultaneously, if you do it yourself, then you need to do something like that, which is impossible.”
He explained that manually coordinating several drones requires continuous communication between operators, including information about location, altitude and flight paths. “If you want to use multiple drones, this again becomes impossible,” he said. “The coordination of the fleet and the orchestration of collecting everything in a comprehensive way is something that the system is doing.”
Rather than flying in formation, the drones are assigned separate areas of the PV site. The software divides the inspection area into sections using algorithms and assigns each drone its own region. “We employ sophisticated algorithms to segment the area into different regions, and each drone is covering its own region,” Tomer said.
The company said that the drones are intentionally separated to improve safety. When a drone’s battery is depleted, the operator replaces it and resumes the mission. “The operator becomes a battery manager instead of a flight operator,” Tomer explained. “They just need to replace batteries, and the drone keeps going up and down continuously.”
Large PV plants present particular challenges for conventional inspection methods, especially because thermal measurements require suitable weather and irradiance conditions.
Tomer said that operators often have only a limited daily window for thermal inspections. “You have a very small window of time where you can really do a thermal scan,” he stated. “Somewhere between four to five, six hours, that’s it.”
Missing that window because of changing weather conditions can result in significant delays, he added. The ability to operate several drones simultaneously is therefore intended to maximize the amount of data collected during suitable conditions.
According to Tomer, the number of drones required depends on the size and layout of the PV plant, as well as the installed capacity density. However, he said that parallel operations can significantly reduce inspection time. “If it takes you one hour with a single drone, then it’ll take you 30 minutes with two drones,” he said. “Then a third with three drones, and obviously a quarter with four drones.”
He added that there is a practical limit to increasing the number of drones operated by a single person. For very large sites, the company recommends using multiple teams operating multiple drones.
A key element of the platform is reducing the level of expertise required from field operators. Naomi Stol, marketing director at vHive, said that the economic advantage comes partly from avoiding the need for highly specialized drone pilots. “When we talk about the economics of using a single crew for all these drones, we’re talking about a crew that is not specialized, highly skilled specialized pilots,” she told pv magazine.
According to her, allowing existing field crews to conduct inspections can reduce operational costs and make large-scale drone surveys more practical. Tomer added the platform requires minimal interaction from the operator. Instead of manually controlling the aircraft, users select the area they want to inspect through the software interface.
“You just need to log in,” he said. “The system holds the information. Since we digitize your asset, we understand exactly where it is.”
The software already contains information about the site layout, including rows, structures and modules. Operators only need to select the relevant section, after which the system launches the drones automatically. “No sticks in the process,” Tomer said. “Sticks are for experts. We don’t do sticks. It’s autonomous.”
The inspection process combines thermal and RGB imaging. According to vHive, the drones collect both thermal data and conventional imagery during flights. “At the end of the inspection process, we are getting actually two orthophotos,” Tomer explained. “One that is thermal with precise thermal reading of temperature, and an RGB orthophoto.”
The RGB imagery provides visual information for identifying issues such as module cracks, while thermal imaging can help detect temperature anomalies.
Beyond inspection, the company positions its digital twin technology as a second component of the platform. Tomer described vHive as having “two hemispheres”: data acquisition in the field and digital understanding of the asset.
“The other hemisphere is the digital understanding of the field,” he said.
The company said that digital twins can provide detailed three-dimensional representations of solar assets, helping operators avoid unnecessary field visits.
“For solar, what we’re doing right now is providing advanced understanding of the site,” Tomer said, adding that the platform can support applications related to CAD and BIM models.
According to vHive, the increasing size of solar projects and rising electricity demand linked to artificial intelligence infrastructure are creating demand for more efficient inspection methods.
“The AI revolution is coming up, and the high demand for energy is driving scale for solar in particular in the renewable energy sector,” Tomer said, noting that manual inspections are becoming increasingly impractical as solar farms expand to hundreds of megawatts. “When you have those large-scale solar farms, a manual survey is just impossible at this point,” he said.
The company said its platform is already being used in real-world projects, although it did not provide customer numbers.

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Thursday, July 16, 2026
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Tuesday, July 14, 2026
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The June issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
Thursday, September 9, 2026
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pv magazine USA hosts its third multi-day virtual event on advancing U.S. solar and energy storage markets, covering financing, supply chains, and distributed energy’s role in grid resilience.
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
April 01 – August 31, 2026
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition—join the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 in Riyadh to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering its digital economy.
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Renewables Now is a leading business news source for renewable energy professionals globally. Trust us for comprehensive coverage of major deals, projects and industry trends. We’ve done this since 2009.
Stay on top of sector news with with Renewables Now. Get access to extra articles and insights with our subscription plans and set up your own focused newsletters and alerts.

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Energy In Motion Ltd (EIM), an electric mobility solutions provider for long-haul freight transportation, has signed an agreement with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd (CATL) for the supply of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells and battery pack kits for its electric heavy-duty commercial vehicles.
Under the agreement, CATL will supply 500 MWh (0.5 GWh) of LFP cells, including its upgraded CB7T0 cell model and L324D06 battery pack platform. According to EIM, the new cell and pack platform offers higher cycle life and volumetric energy density than the CB230 cells previously used by the company.
The packs will be configured into 400.6 kWh battery systems for integration into EIM’s e-tractor 4×2 Ashwa series. These will be fitted into swappable battery boxes by EIM which are customized for India’s high ambient temperature operating conditions.
EIM is building an electric heavy commercial vehicle ecosystem including megawatt-scale charging/swapping stations across the country. Its first electric heavy vehicle, the Ashwa 55-ton e-tractor, was launched on August 1, 2025. EIM has already commissioned six heavy-duty swap stations in Delhi-NCR region and at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) area with a swap capacity of 840 battery swaps/day. It is targeting 40 operational heavy commercial vehicle swap cum charging stations by the end of March, 2027.
CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, held a 39.2% share of global power battery market in 2025. The company has a market capitalisation of around $280 billion.
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Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
Thursday, September 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
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The more scarce land becomes, the more sense it makes to practice multi-purpose use. Take, for example, solar farms, which require massive stretches of land for the installations. Conventionally, that’s space dedicated solely to the solar farm, and a lot of it goes to waste. Agrivoltaics addresses this problem by turning it into dual-use property or co-located zones. The panels are installed normally, but crops, livestock, and pollinator habitats are located beneath the panels or between the rows of the installation. Solar panels over crops are being used by Arizona farmworkers to great effect. Even simpler practices like allowing livestock to graze on the vegetation beneath panels offer huge benefits.
In fact, one of the more mature forms of agrivoltaics involves grazing sheep, or rather a new term dubbed ‘solar shepherds.’ Researchers from the University of Western Ontario’s Ivey School of Business and a professional shepherd from The Lara Costa farm have published a new study assessing the financial benefits of solar shepherding. They found that some related businesses have garnered incomes as high as doctors, lawyers, and senior engineers, in places like Canada. It’s worth noting that this practice is also gaining popularity and momentum in the region, in no small part thanks to its benefits, but also due to organizations like Agrivoltaics Canada.
The study looked at two solar shepherding business models commonly used in the area: breeding ewes, or female sheep, and purchasing lambs from a yearly auction instead. Both instances resulted in massive profits for farmers. A return on investment was shown to be in the range of 16% to 31% for breeding, versus returns of 22% to 43% for auctions. In other words, solar shepherds stand to make a lot of money.
Looking at averages on Glassdoor, traditional shepherds make about $42,000 to $79,000 per year, with an average salary of $58,000. Yet the study found that ‘solar shepherds’ specifically could expect to earn two to three times as much. The sheep get a steady food supply at lower cost for the shepherds thanks to accelerated growth under the panel shade. Those shepherds also don’t have to lease land or pastures from farmers for their flock to graze. Meanwhile, they earn a premium for vegetation management from the solar farm owners.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, however. There are challenges to consider that can impact profitability. Predators are a huge concern that could easily reduce the number of sheep or harm flocks if protections aren’t in place. Parasites and disease are of a similar concern for grazing sheep. Perhaps more costly is that, to effectively utilize grazing and control vegetation maintenance at the same time, fence and border boundaries need to be adjusted to encourage the sheep to move about — this is called rotational grazing. Plus, sheep need water, as well, and installing water sources could introduce some complex challenges on top of everything else.
Looking at the basics and what the sheep are actually doing when they graze on land, it’s nothing more than a natural form of lawn care. This is a common practice in areas with large stretches of flat land, where goats and sheep are used to maintain the land. They eat grass and weeds, most of all, and remove the leaves from plants within reach. Using animals like sheep rather than machinery or lawn mowers can bring many benefits, too. It reduces fuel costs, lowers emissions, and saves time — farmers or workers don’t have to mow themselves. Meanwhile, the animal waste helps enrich the soil and rejuvenate the ground for planting.
On solar farms, the massive solar panel installations also provide some extra protection for those sheep. They’re shaded on hot days, and that shade also speeds up the growth of grass and greenery underneath, giving the sheep a steady food supply. Moreover, keeping the grass maintained provides cyclical benefits to the solar and electricity production, because keeping the solar panels clear of weeds removes potential debris that could be decreasing power generation and efficiency. Additionally, there’s always the chance that mowing or weed whacking the area will kick up dust, dirt, and other debris that could damage or dirty the panels. With sheep grazing regularly, there’s no need to subject the panels to those risks.
Beyond all that, green and clean energy production is good for all. Solar panel farms in Tibet practicing agrivoltaics are having an unexpected effect on local residents. Solar farms used in this way can even provide unexpected benefits for endangered species.

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Taiwanese solar module provider Winaico, a unit of technology company Win Win Precision Technology Co. Ltd, has launched a new back-contact (BC) solar module for rooftop applications.
“With a power density of 245 W/m², the new glass-glass module sets new standards in its performance class,” the manufacturer said in a statement. “This is made possible by the rear placement of the interconnects and slightly larger cells. As a result, the module is particularly well-suited to applications with limited roof space, where maximum energy yields and high aesthetic standards are required.”
The Back Contact Series module features 108 monocrystalline n-type bifacial half-cells and delivers a rated power output of 500 W, with a module efficiency of 24.5%. It measures 1,800 mm × 1,134 mm × 35 mm and weighs 25 kg.
The panel features an open-circuit voltage of 40.84 V, a short-circuit current of 15.18 A. Its temperature coefficient is -0.26%/C.
The module uses an ethylene-vinyl acetate / polyolefin elastomer / ethylene-vinyl acetate (EPE) encapsulation layer positioned between 2 mm highly transparent front glass and 2 mm partially black-printed rear glass, creating the series’ “Ultra Black” appearance. Winaico has also incorporated unspecified cell-level shading technology to reduce power losses caused by partial shading conditions.
As a bifacial module, the panel can generate additional electricity from rear-side irradiance, with the manufacturer stating that output can reach up to 600 W under optimal conditions with a 20% bifacial gain, depending on factors such as ground albedo and installation environment.
For mechanical durability, the module is equipped with a 35 mm black anodized aluminum frame designed to improve resistance against glass breakage. It has been tested for maximum mechanical loads of 5,400 Pa on the front side and 2,400 Pa on the rear side. The electrical design includes an IP68-rated junction box with three bypass diodes.
The module complies with IEC 61215:2021 and IEC 61730:2023 standards and has also passed anti-PID testing according to IEC TS 62804-1 as well as hail resistance tests. According to Winaico, the glass-glass construction and optimized cell layout help reduce the risk of long-term microcrack formation.
Winaico is offering the Back Contact Series with a 30-year product warranty and a 30-year linear performance warranty. The warranty conditions include a maximum first-year degradation of 1%, followed by annual degradation of no more than 0.35% from the second to the thirtieth year, guaranteeing at least 88.85% of the initial rated power after 30 years.
The manufacturer is also providing one year of comprehensive insurance coverage for the complete solar system as an additional measure to protect installers and system owners.
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Thursday, July 16, 2026
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Tuesday, July 14, 2026
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The June issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
Thursday, September 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
pv magazine USA hosts its third multi-day virtual event on advancing U.S. solar and energy storage markets, covering financing, supply chains, and distributed energy’s role in grid resilience.
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
April 01 – August 31, 2026
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition—join the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 in Riyadh to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering its digital economy.
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Fraunhofer ISE Achieves 31.3% Solar-To-Hydrogen Efficiency With Innovative Direct Photovoltaic-Electrolysis Technology  SolarQuarter
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Another under-the-radar story. The chart below from May shows African solar cell imports since 2023.
A NEW TWIST in Africa's soaring solar story:It's now manufacturing its own panels. The factories use imported Chinese cells, which are 40% of the value of panels, keeping much of the value domestically.9 GW of cells+wafers in Mar/Apr alone🧵
Imports of solar panels to Africa rose by 60% over 12 months to June 2024If installed, Sierra Leone imported enough solar to generate 60% of 2023 supplyPV imports to Algeria up 33x; to Zambia, Botswana & Sudan over 6-fold; tripled to DRC, Angola, Ethiopiawww.theenergymix.com/africa-could…
The 2026 climate event guide
Our ongoing list of this year’s global environmental conferences, summits and more
Far too many to list here, but these are of critical importance.
COP31 will build on the deal agreed at COP30 in 2025, which included a tripling of adaptation finance and a just transition mechanism, as well as “roadmaps” to transition away from fossil fuels and to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030.
When: 9–20 November 2026
Where: Antalya, Turkey
The largest climate event of 2026 will be hosted by Turkey in the resort city of Antalya, with Australia leading the negotiations as part of an agreement between the two countries. There will also be a ‘pre-COP’ held in a Pacific island country, though the dates and host country have yet to be confirmed.
When: 17–28 August 2026
Where: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
The UNCCD COP17 will bring together the 197 Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to accelerate action against desertification, land degradation and drought.
As one of the most affected countries by desertification, with nearly 77 percent of its land degraded, Mongolia will leverage COP17 to drive solutions for land restoration, sustainable land management and resilience-building across the world.
Stay tuned for our coverage of UNCCD COP17 here on ThinkLandscape.
When: 9–10 September 2026
Where: Rome, Italy
The European Center of Sustainable Development (ECSDEV), in collaboration with CIT University, is organizing ICSD 2026 under the theme “Creating a Unified Foundation for Sustainable Development: Research, Practice and Education”
The conference will address environmental, economic and socio-cultural sustainability, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and research-based solutions to global challenges and the efficient use of resources
insideevs.com/news/800682/…
insideevs.com/news/800927/…The idea behind Voltpost’s chargers is simple: they make use of an electrical infrastructure that’s already there, which lowers installation costs. What’s more,lighting poles are usually next to the road or in parking lots, so they make the perfect support for charger
🎶Oh, no, it’s up to my toe.
Oh, gee, it’s up to my knee.
Oh, pest…🎶
If you’re paying attention you’ll see the Chinese EV makers are, like a python, slowly surrounding and crushing the U.S. auto industry. The government and car manufacturers are in denial but it is slowly happening.insideevs.com/news/800900/…
insideevs.com/features/800…
It also has a low-temperature sodium-ion version that barely loses range even in -40 degrees Fahrenheit.
insideevs.com/news/800823/…
Iranian Kamikaze Drone Destroys Erbil Oil RefineryAn Iranian kamikaze drone struck and destroyed sections of an oil refinery in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, targeting critical e…https://theboard.world/articles/energy/iranian-kamikaze-drone-erbil-oil-refinery-kurdistan#energy #oil #OPEC #macro #Iran
Conspiracy Theories mushroom:
WSJ: Iran Allegedly Hatched New Plot to Kill Trump, Israel Warned US
It’s a very good time to buy an EV. Oil and gasoline prices have been bouncing around, but are about to shoot up again.
" … [Trump's] attacks on Iran instantly backfired as the Strategic Oil Reserves are about to be fully depleted."The MeidasTouch Podcast: Trump Shuts Down White House as War Escalation BackfiresEpisode webpage: http://www.meidastouch.com/podcastMedia file: http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect…
Oil: Jumps more than 4% after new attacks from both sides in the Middle EastBrent and US WTI extend gains, up more than 4% after Trump says 'truce with Iran is over' The rise in oil prices accelerated after US President Donald Trump said the de-escalation deal with Iran was "over" following US…
Something is wrong here. I can’t tell you what it is.
Iran vs US: Global crude oil prices dropGlobal crude oil prices dropped despite the airstrikes’ resurgence between the United States and Iran. Checks by DAILY POST showed that Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude declined by 2 percent to $76 and $71 per barrel, respectively, at the time of…
Researchers declare 'catastrophic mortality event' as 145 gray whales found dead on West Coast.Experts say at this pace, 2026 could wind up being one of the deadliest years on record for these marine mammals. #ClimateChange #GlobalWarmingwww.king5.com/article/life…
Prof. Eliot Jacobson‬‪@climatecasino.net‬Breaking News!Code: y-axis alert!As of July 5th, the Nino 3.4 sea-surface temperature anomaly has now crossed 1.80°C above the 1991-2020 mean.'The Nino 3.4 SST is now 3.46 standard deviations above the 1991-2020 […] [Original post on mstdn.social]
Typhoon Bavi. Guam was hit n Taiwan could be next. #globalwarming
At least 25 people die in US as record heatwave scorches swaths of country.More than 20 states reported temperatures above 100F as heat dome sits over eastern US during holiday weekend. #ClimateChange #GlobalWarmingwww.theguardian.com/us-news/2026…
‘Climate Change Is Here’: Wildfires Ignite Across Europe Following Deadly Heatwave.Blazes mobilized hundreds of firefighters over the weekend and scorched a total of 42,000 acres in Spain, France, and Portugal alone. #ClimateChange #GlobalWarmingwww.commondreams.org/news/wildfir…
Bali Is Still Choking on Plastic.In one of the planet’s most exotic locales, landfill restrictions have led to rampant illegal dumping, open trash burning and a “gigantic haze” over the island. #ClimateChange #GlobalWarminginsideclimatenews.org/news/0707202…
Temperatures above 30°C decrease leaf growth in #strawberry and contribute to lower yields under global warming.To rediscover one of our most read articles in JHSB 99:5, visit: doi.org/10.1080/1462…#ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #Temperature #Fruit #Fragaria
Officials in Wyoming said a contractor for Mark Zuckerberg’s tech company, Meta, flushed bacteria-contaminated water into public sewers during construction of a controversial new AI datacenter. #ClimateChange #GlobalWarmingwww.theguardian.com/us-news/2026…
Line out the door to trash data centers in nashville tonight…
BlackRock is seeking to buy Aligned Data Centers, a data center construction company.It’s also going to buy AES, one of the major power providers for Big Tech data centers.While these data centers drive up your electricity costs, wealthy financiers are going to make a killing.
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news… Excellent!
This is the University of Illinois Geological Survey Laboratory site, at 1116 Oak Street, Champaign IL. Construction is suppose to start in 2027.
UI to receive first-of-its-kind nuclear reactorThe University, in collaboration with NANO Nuclear Energy and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, finalized an early review stage in the development of an advanced microreactor technology on June 23. Environmental impact assessments and…
The Daily Illini: UI to receive first-of-its-kind nuclear reactor
The University, in collaboration with NANO Nuclear Energy and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, finalized an early review stage in the development of an advanced microreactor technology on June 23. Environmental impact assessments and safety reviews will continue into late 2027, with campus construction expected to also begin late next year.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, nuclear microreactors are manufactured entirely off-site and later shipped to the location where they will operate. The size factor allows the microreactor to be highly portable, which has lent NANO Nuclear license to deploy the self-adjusting reactors to West Africa and conceptualize space-fairing applications. 
NNE has Memoranda of Understanding with Canada, Togo, and Rwanda for claimed future SMRs, but there are no projects being built.
#ClimateDisasterIsReal #ClimateSOS #SaveOurPlanet #GlobalWarming #Polllution #ToxicPollution nuclear power & fossil fuels are destroying our planet time to consign these toxic, killer energies to history!
Strategic Shift: India and Australia Operationalise Civil Nuclear Pact, Ink 18 Key AgreementsCANBERRA: In a major geopolitical development, India and Australia have officially agreed to operationalise their long-pending civil nuclear cooperation agreement, effectively paving the way for…
Correct your priors: Private money is going after clean energy, governments are using public money to prop up fossil fuels"About 59% of all money spent on the fossil fuel system came from taxpayers in 2015. By 2025, that climbed to 68% and spiked at 78% in 2022." http://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti…
Indeed, Fossil Fuel industry isn't profitable, it's immensely expensive to keep killing the planet, it's the $16B in subsidies a day it makes $3B in profit off of, and then funnels that back into political lobbying, that makes it profitable.Love my solar powered EV.
Even With Tariffs and Tax Changes, Solar Power Is Soaring.Utility-scale solar is booming in the United States as electricity demand rises and projects remain relatively easy to develop. #ClimateChange #GlobalWarminginsideclimatenews.org/news/0907202…
Getting rid of the scientists does absolutely NOTHING to fight #GlobalWarming which is getting hotter every single day.Idiots!
The plan to make climate science harder to erase.As climate information disappears from federal websites, scientists are rebuilding it elsewhere. #ClimateChange #GlobalWarminggrist.org/solutions/sc…
In East Africa, controversial oil project nears production e360.yale.edu/features/eac… – #OilandGas #pollution #GlobalWarming
BYD's PHEV Shark pickup could do well in America. We still can't have it.
“Plan To Build Data Centers On *70* California Fairgrounds Triggers Backlash” 7/5/26 Seventy??
Plan To Build Data Centers On 70 CA Fairgrounds Triggers Backlash
A private proposal to turn fairgrounds up and down California into hubs for data centers, vertiports, emergency response, and multistory parking garages hit strong headwinds in a Northern California town whose entire population is smaller than the number of seats in U.C. Berkeley’s Hearst Greek Theatre.
Calistoga, a wine county town in Napa Valley whose population is 5,200, became one of the first testing grounds for Global Stack LLC.
The Santa Ana corporation wants to turn California fairgrounds into privately financed “revenue and resilience” hubs by adding data centers, parking garages, vertiports, and infrastructure on fairgrounds land across the state.
Nearly 100 people packed the meeting, where Global Stack president Nicholas Kovacevich presented renderings that mixed flying cars, evacuation zones, hot-air balloons, turbines, and a small-scale data center.
🎩 GoodNewsRoundup
Want to focus on the ENVIRONMENT:

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The price of PV modules in Europe has continued the upward trend in June 2026, except for the bifacial TOPCon segment.
According to the latest pv.index report from online solar marketplace sun.store, demand for premium solar products remained strong, with both back contact (BC) and full black modules reaching new highs last month.
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Both segments experienced a month-on-month price increase of 1% with full black modules reaching a new high of €0.129/Wp (US$0.147/Wp), while back contact modules’ average prices stood at €0.135/Wp in June 2026.
In the TOPCon segment, monofacial module prices have risen 4% from last month, while bifacial module prices have decreased 5% after a sharp 7% increase in May 2026.
“The pullback in bifacial pricing looks like a correction after May’s outsized move, rather than a broader reversal in TOPCon demand – monofacial pricing continued to edge higher over the same period,” said sun.store.
In terms of module brand rankings, based on power sold, only the first two spots have changed since last month with Chinese solar PV manufacturer and JA, previously known as JA Solar, taking the first spot over Trinasolar. The remaining three spots stayed the same as in May with LONGi, Jinko Solar and Canadian Solar.
Moreover, buyer’s confidence in June slightly dropped from 70 to 67 in the PV Purchasing Manager’s Index, with buyer sentiment staying solidly positive, added sun.store. Nearly half of all buyers (48%) are still planning to increase purchases.
Unlike module prices, PV inverters prices have slightly moved downwards across all models except for larger string inverters which increased by 2% since May 2026 to €28.33/kW.
Smaller string inverters decreased by 2% to €43.23/kW, while hybrid inverters also had a slight month-on-month drop. Prices for hybrid inverters between 1-15kW dropped by 2% in June to €93.14/kW, while hybrid inverters larger than 15kW dropped by 1% to €78.53/kW.
“Both hybrid segments eased slightly in June, continuing the gradual downward drift that has been visible in larger systems for several months,” explained sun.store.
According to sun.store the data points for June point to a market that is consolidating rather than reversing course.
“With buyers still willing to pay more for premium module categories and inverter prices remaining stable, the European photovoltaic market is entering the second half of the year on a solid footing,” concluded the online solar marketplace.

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In Greece JUWI is developing seven solar projects with a combined capacity exceeding 400 MW, led by the Trifylli site which forms part of the 156 MW Clover photovoltaic portfolio being built for investor Mirova. The four-project portfolio is expected to be fully commissioned by next year and planning has required adjustments to minimise delays amid frequent archaeological discoveries during site work. The company noted that such discoveries have required design changes.
In Senegal the developer is nearing completion of the Grande Côte Operation hybrid renewable project for mining company Eramet, which comprises a 20.3 MW solar PV plant integrated with an 11.12 MW battery energy storage system. Construction continues on four solar projects in South Africa with a combined capacity of around 350 MW. While international operations concentrate primarily on solar energy, wind remains the largest revenue contributor in Germany where JUWI is erecting 46 wind turbines totalling around 270 MW across 11 sites.
The company also highlighted recent completions in the United States and Italy, including the 186 MW Axial Basin Solar project in Colorado and the 141 MW Dolores Canyon Solar project. In Italy JUWI connected a 41.7 MW solar park in Sardinia to the grid after construction teams encountered archaeological finds believed to date back around 6,000 years, and it completed the Loreo solar park near Venice where engineers overcame marshland soil challenges. The firm continues to apply lessons from such projects to manage complex site conditions.
“Join industry leaders at RAHSTA Expo, India’s premier platform for roads, highways and traffic infrastructure. Register now to explore innovations, network with experts and shape the future of mobility.”
JUWI has surpassed one gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity under construction worldwide, with solar module installation starting at the Trifylli solar park in Greece. The milestone adds to a global pipeline of solar and wind projects and follows three decades during which the developer delivered three point five GW of wind and four GW of solar PV. The company said it expects to add around one GW of new capacity over the coming months. In Greece JUWI is developing seven solar projects with a combined capacity exceeding 400 MW, led by the Trifylli site which forms part of the 156 MW Clover photovoltaic portfolio being built for investor Mirova. The four-project portfolio is expected to be fully commissioned by next year and planning has required adjustments to minimise delays amid frequent archaeological discoveries during site work. The company noted that such discoveries have required design changes. In Senegal the developer is nearing completion of the Grande Côte Operation hybrid renewable project for mining company Eramet, which comprises a 20.3 MW solar PV plant integrated with an 11.12 MW battery energy storage system. Construction continues on four solar projects in South Africa with a combined capacity of around 350 MW. While international operations concentrate primarily on solar energy, wind remains the largest revenue contributor in Germany where JUWI is erecting 46 wind turbines totalling around 270 MW across 11 sites. The company also highlighted recent completions in the United States and Italy, including the 186 MW Axial Basin Solar project in Colorado and the 141 MW Dolores Canyon Solar project. In Italy JUWI connected a 41.7 MW solar park in Sardinia to the grid after construction teams encountered archaeological finds believed to date back around 6,000 years, and it completed the Loreo solar park near Venice where engineers overcame marshland soil challenges. The firm continues to apply lessons from such projects to manage complex site conditions.
Mumbai, 9 July 2026: Uttar Pradesh’s ambitious infrastructure-led growth strategy took centre stage on Day 2 of the 16th RAHSTA Expo, where senior government officials outlined how expressways, industrial corridors and technology-driven governance are transforming the state into one of India’s most attractive investment destinations.Delivering the keynote address, Srihari Pratap Shahi, IAS, Additional Chief Executive Officer, Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), highlighted the state’s long-term vision of integrating world-class expressways with industrial dev..
Nuvama and Cushman & Wakefield Management (NCW) has announced the final close of its flagship PRIME Offices Fund at approximately Rs 40 billion, exceeding its original target of Rs 30 billion following strong investor demand.The fund was launched to provide Indian investors with access to institutional-grade commercial office assets across key office markets in the country. According to NCW, the increase in the fund size was supported by strong investor participation and the availability of investment opportunities in India’s office sector.The fund has already committed around 45 per cent ..
Mayfair Housing has entered into a three-year strategic partnership with Autodesk to deploy Autodesk Forma, an AI-enabled cloud platform, as part of its digital transformation programme aimed at improving project planning and execution across its development and redevelopment portfolio.The platform will be integrated into the company’s Building Information Modelling (BIM) workflow to support architects, planners and project teams during the early stages of design and development. Autodesk Forma combines real-world data, environmental simulations and collaborative workflows to facilitate data-d..
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Nigeria is targeting that solar power will account for 50 per cent of the power generation mix by 2029, according to the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
According to REA’s managing director, Mr Abba Abubakar Aliyu, solar power generation has risen dramatically in the last few years to about 20 per cent of Nigeria’s electricity supply.
He said this could further reach 50 per cent by 2029 if current deployment and private-sector partnerships continue, speaking during the just-concluded 25th Nigerian Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week in Abuja on Thursday.
Mr Aliyu, during an energy panel titled Re-Engineering Africa’s Power Market – Driving Reliable Energy Systems, said solar’s share of national generation has risen rapidly, and that sustained momentum would push it toward half of the country’s power mix within the next three years.
Mr Aliyu said the growth was driven by increasing deployment and stronger collaboration with private investors.
“Solar currently constitutes 20 per cent of the nation’s total generation capacity, and with the pace of deployment we are seeing, it is closing in on 50 per cent,” he projected.
The REA chief told delegates that Nigeria was shifting from being primarily a consumer of clean-energy equipment to becoming a regional supplier of renewable technology.
He said manufacturers in the Lagos–Sagamu industrial corridor were building capacity to meet demand across West Africa.
Mr Aliyu said Lagos-made solar photovoltaic (PV) panels were already being exported to neighbouring countries.
He added that a pipeline of about 3.7 gigawatts of PV manufacturing capacity was under development to support further expansion.
“If you go to the Lagos–Sagamu axis, you will see manufacturing companies coming up,” he said.
He, however, noted that despite the rapid expansion in solar deployment and local manufacturing, he clarified that conventional gas-fired thermal plants would remain necessary to stabilise Nigeria’s electricity grid.
He joined other panellists to advocate for a dual-track investment strategy that would continue to expand solar generation and domestic manufacturing while also maintaining and upgrading gas-fired plants.
PenCom to Deploy $22bn Pension Fund for Roads, Energy, Healthcare
Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.
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The National Pension Commission (PenCom) is developing a new investment vehicle that would channel part of Nigeria’s $22 billion pension assets into critical infrastructure projects, providing long-term financing for roads, railways, energy and healthcare.
The proposal was disclosed by PenCom spokesman, Mr Ibrahim Buwai, who said the initiative is expected to be launched later this year as the commission explores ways to mobilise pension assets for national development while protecting contributors’ savings.
Mr Buwai said the regulator is promoting the creation of a special-purpose investment vehicle that would allow pension assets from different fund managers to be pooled for financing commercially viable infrastructure projects.
“We are encouraging the setting up of a vehicle, kind of special purpose vehicle, where resources can be pooled, so that viable infrastructure projects can be looked at,” he said, explaining that the proposed fund is designed to balance national development with the interests of pension contributors by targeting investments capable of delivering returns that outperform inflation.
He noted, however, that participation will remain at the discretion of individual Pension Fund Administrators, while the final size of the investment vehicle is yet to be determined.
The proposal also comes as pension investments in infrastructure continue to expand. Latest data published by PenCom show that investments through infrastructure funds climbed by 38 per cent year-on-year to N318 billion (about $230 million) as of May 2026, reflecting growing interest among pension managers in long-term infrastructure assets.
The proposed infrastructure vehicle aligns with PenCom’s broader strategy of increasing the role of pension assets in Nigeria’s capital market and unlocking what it describes as the industry’s largest pool of long-term passive investment capital.
The initiative follows a period of strong growth in the pension industry, with Nigeria’s total pension assets rising to a record N31.32 trillion in May 2026 despite challenging economic conditions.
PenCom has also intensified efforts to strengthen compliance within the pension system. Working with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the commission recently recovered more than N3 billion in outstanding pension contributions that employers had failed to remit on behalf of workers.
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The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) has asked to be integrated into the B’Odogwu platform of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
This call was made by the head of NAQS, Mr Vincent Isegbe, during a meeting with the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Mr Isegbe, who used the visit to congratulate Mr Adeniyi on the extension of his tenure as Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation Council, which he described as recognition of his dedication and leadership, praised what he called an excellent working relationship with Customs.
He outlined areas for closer partnership, including integrating NAQS into Customs’ B’Odogwu platform, joint enforcement operations, and coordinated efforts to detect fake certification and fraudulent documentation.
In his remarks, Mr Adeniyi commended his guest for the partnership, promising that NAQS will provide technical support for the new Customs laboratory.
According to him, this is one of the avenues to deepen collaboration between the two agencies on intelligence sharing, trade facilitation and national security.
He informed Mr Isegbe that his organisation was moving to harmonise inspection procedures across the country’s ports and border stations, a step he described as critical to promoting consistency, transparency and efficiency in cargo clearance nationwide.
He also stated that customs training facilities would be opened up to NAQS officers as part of a broader capacity-building push.
“We must expose our officers to the broader concept of national security. Border management goes beyond revenue collection,” Mr Adeniyi said, stressing that Customs sees itself as the anchor institution coordinating Nigeria’s multi-agency border protection efforts.
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Nigeria’s solid minerals sector recorded a boom of 337 per cent in two years, jumping from N16 billion in 2023 to over N70 billion in 2025, according to the chief executive of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), Mrs Fatima Umaru Shinkafi.
She disclosed that the sector also recorded a remarkable 33.5 per cent real growth in 2025, while reforms attracted fresh investment commitments worth about $2.6 billion, including a $1.3 billion alumina refinery described as the single biggest mining investment in Nigeria’s history.
Mrs Shinkafi gave out these figures at the maiden Annual Lecture of the Faculty of Physical and Earth Sciences, University of Lagos (UNILAG), where she declared that stronger collaboration among government, industry and academia is the master key to unlocking Nigeria’s vast mineral wealth.
Delivering the keynote lecture titled Building Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Future: The Power of Academia, Government and Industry in Partnership, she lamented that despite Nigeria’s deposits of more than 44 commercially viable minerals spread across over 500 locations, the industry still contributes less than one per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
She, however, said the story is changing under the Seven-Point Agenda of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake, with reforms already repositioning mining as a major driver of economic growth.
The SMDF boss also unveiled the Early-Stage Mineral Exploration and Research Grant Endowment (EMERGE), describing it as Nigeria’s first competitive research funding platform dedicated to geoscience studies in universities.
According to her, the initiative will fund mineral exploration, critical minerals research and postgraduate studies, while equipping successful applicants with technical training and access to investment opportunities.
She challenged UNILAG researchers to seize the opportunity by submitting quality proposals, insisting that research remains the foundation for building a globally competitive mining industry.
Mrs Shinkafi then urged young women to embrace careers in science and mining, stressing that Nigeria’s hidden mineral wealth can only be fully unlocked through the innovation, skills and determination of the next generation.
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EVANSVILLE — The Evansville Water and Sewer Utility has approved funding to place solar panels on 17 city-owned buildings using interest dollars from its debt reserve fund.
The Evansville Water and Sewer Utility Board approved all 17 locations and vendors during a public hearing on July 4. EWSU was closed for the holiday that day, but the board meeting and public hearing were still both held. No members of the public were there to speak on the proposal.
EWSU received five proposals for the project, and ultimately four of the contractors were selected totaling over $6 million. The majority of the locations will feature rooftop solar, but Mesker Park Zoo’s Amazonia will be powered by a solar array installed over on a structure that will loom above part of the parking lot, officials said.
The city will pay back the utility for its costs, and EWSU will also take advantage of the federal Clean Energy Investment Tax Credit that will reimburse 50-to-60% of the project cost.
According to a news release from the city, the solar project is expected to reduce the facilities’ $1.6 million collective annual electricity costs by upwards of 35% for the 25-year lifespan of the systems.  
City controller Robert Gunter said the hope is to pay the debt from the savings the city nets each month in electricity bills.
“Rather than paying CenterPoint, we’re paying the water and sewer utility back,” Gunter said.
The city has up to six years to pay the total amount back.
A project update is on the agenda for Evansville City Council at its Monday night meeting. The meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. in Room 301 of the Civic Center.
Lauren Lynch, director of the Evansville Climate Collaborative, will give the update. Lynch stated in the city’s news release Thursday that facility energy use contributes 78% of the community’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The solar project hits on areas of the city’s climate action plan, as well as a the city council’s 2019 resolution to transition Evansville’s operations to renewable energy by 2050.
“This project is an important step forward, but lasting progress depends on all of us,” Lynch stated. “By combining these investments with the actions of homeowners and businesses, we can make a meaningful difference and create cleaner communities for future generations.”   

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Vedanta, an India-based company, has invited Expressions of Interest (EOI) for renewable projects across three locations in Tamil Nadu, India. The invitation is open to renewable energy developers and contractors for solar power plants integrated with BESS. The proposed assets would be developed under Build-Own-Operate or Build-Own-Operate-Transfer models. Vedanta plans to use available land assets at the three sites for renewable energy generation and storage. The scope involves 100 MW of PV capacity at distributed locations, with an optional centralised BESS of 240 MWh. The EOI structure also includes the option to sell power.
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Lexington planning commission rejects solar farm permissions again  Lexington Herald Leader
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LONGi has commenced mass production of its ACM (Advanced Contact Matrix) solar cells at its production base. In a press release, LONGi explained that its team has secured multiple core results in the ACM solar cell materials, processes, and equipment.
Since the trial line delivered its first order in December 2025, ACM technology has smoothly transitioned from the lab to the factory floor, with close coordination between R&D and manufacturing enabling rapid equipment iterations and process validation.
The latest product also supports large-scale deployment of its solar cell technology. In terms of performance, the ACM cell has achieved a certified efficiency of 27.6% by the Hamelin Institute for Solar Energy (Germany), while the ACM module has attained a certified output of 672 watts, certified by TÜV Rheinland.
Production-introduction data show that ACM technology delivers a 0.2–0.3 percentage point improvement in mass-production conversion efficiency and a 3–5 watt increase in module power. Having completed gigawatt-scale pilot production and qualification, the technology has demonstrated industry-leading stability and reliability.
With multi-site coordinated operations, the new materials plant advanced from project initiation to mass production in just three months, while the production ramp-up cycle was shortened by 20 days compared with the standard schedule. The technology’s rapid deployability has laid a solid foundation for replication across multiple manufacturing sites.
He Jiangtao, Head of LONGi’s Cell Manufacturing Center, noted that the integration of BC 2.0 and ACM processes represents a breakthrough in the company’s cell efficiency upgrade and technology iteration roadmap.
With the ACM production line now operating stably, LONGi will remain focused on technological innovation, deepen R&D-manufacturing synergy, and deliver high-efficiency, reliable solar products to customers, contributing to the high-quality development of the industry.
Li Zhenguo, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of LONGi, stated that the company has built a comprehensive intellectual property portfolio covering core materials, process recipes, and equipment integration for ACM technology, establishing a solid technological moat. He added that LONGi will continue to strengthen supply-chain collaboration to further consolidate its technological edge.
Zhong Baoshen, Chairman of LONGi, commented that the ACM production line represents the industry’s highest manufacturing standards. Standing at the new starting point of volume production, LONGi aims to translate its rapid scale-up experience into standardized capabilities, steadily advancing ramp-up and capacity expansion across multiple sites while continuously driving next-generation technology upgrades without compromising quality.
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