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First Solar: Tax Credits To Provide Short-Term Boost In Margins (Rating Downgrade)  Seeking Alpha
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Engineering Projects (India) Ltd. (EPI) has invited expressions of interest for an upcoming solar EPC package in Rajasthan. The project covers development of AC grid-connected solar PV power projects with a cumulative capacity of up to 250 MW. The proposed site is located near the 220 kV Bikaner-IV substation in Bikaner district. The scope includes land acquisition, engineering, procurement, construction and three years of operation and maintenance services. The EOI was published on June 5, 2026, with bid submissions closing on June 15, 2026. The project carries a work period of 510 days and a bid validity of 180 days. Engineering Projects (India) Ltd. is headquartered in New Delhi, India.

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Published 8:30 am Thursday, June 4, 2026
By Nate Pentecost
The Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors received comments at its May meeting on a conditional use permit for Kenbridge Solar Farm to develop a 4.99 megawatt solar facility.
It was one of two public hearings the supervisors held during its regular May 15 meeting.
Representatives of CEP Solar reviewed plans for the development of 128 acres (42 acres within the fence) in the Hound’s Creek District off Fletcher Road, about 2.5 miles northeast of Kenbridge. The project would consist of 11,800 solar panels, two inverters and two transformers, along with the associated piling and electrical wiring, according to material provided to the county planning commission.
“We’ve listened very carefully to citizen comments and suggestions made by county planning staff, neighbors, and community stakeholders,” Don Giecek of CEP Solar said. 
Project manager Harry Kingery then followed with a presentation. 
The CEP Solar representative reviewed the project details and discussed that the project will address community concerns regarding land use, economy and employment, and natural resources. 
Kingery said these include:
Promoting a balance of land uses that meet economic and demographic needs of Lunenburg County, the Town of Kenbridge and the Town of Victoria. 
Promoting the expansion of a diversified economy.
Protecting nature and preserving the natural resources of the community. 
After the presentation, during the citizen comment period, two residents spoke in favor of the project. The comments included discussion of the economic benefits the project will have for the area now and in the future. 
Additionally, it was announced at the meeting that a siting agreement between CEP Solar and the board has been reached. The matter will go to a public hearing before the board makes a motion for or against the siting plan.
ROAD PLAN
The board also held a public hearing on the proposed Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Secondary Roads Six Year Improvement Plan. 
During the brief public hearing, VDOT representatives reviewed the plan for hard surface construction.
No citizens chose to comment during the hearing and afterward, the Board made a motion to approve the plan. 
SACT PRESENTATION
While no one signed up for the citizen comment period, there was a community presentation at the board meeting led by Meagan Dayton, Vice President of the Southside Area Community Theater (SACT). 
SACT is a non-profit theater established in 2008 and operating out of Kenbridge. The organization, entirely volunteer-run and community-funded, runs workshops throughout the Southside community, including an introductory theater workshop for children. During the presentation Dayton promoted the mission of SACT and asked that the board attend an upcoming event June 9 in Farmville. 
“We would love to have a (board member) in attendance,” Dayton relayed. “We’ve found it’s a great community that’s really supportive of each other and the arts”
The Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors will hold its June monthly meeting on Thursday, June 18. 

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World Cup stadiums earn prestigious certifications as green buildings before matches begin  The Washington Post
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Wild plan for solar panels on graves  News.com.au
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Solar desalination panels – devices that use sunlight to turn seawater into drinking water – have shown promise for years.
Yet nearly all of them have run on a substitute: plain water mixed with table salt. Real ocean water tends to clog and ruin their surfaces.
A panel built in a New York lab now runs on the real thing. It stays clean on its own, leaves no toxic waste, and turns the leftover salt into a product worth collecting.
Modern desalination leans on two methods. Reverse osmosis forces ocean water through fine filters, while distillation boils it off. Both burn enormous amounts of energy.
Each method leaves a byproduct called brine – salt and chemicals far saltier than the sea. Most gets dumped back into the ocean, where it sinks, strips oxygen, and harms marine life.
Researchers have chased a cleaner option for years. One team believes it can skip the brine entirely. It works in the lab of Chunlei Guo, an optics professor at the University of Rochester.
Guo’s panel looks almost ordinary. It is a thin sheet of aluminum, blackened and scored with microscopic grooves by a fast-pulsing laser. The surface soaks up nearly all incoming sunlight.
The grooves pull a thin film of seawater uphill against gravity. As it spreads and warms, the film evaporates into vapor that is cooled into drinking water. The salt stays behind.
What sets the panel apart is where the salt ends up. The treated center absorbs light and moves water, while the bare edges collect what is left and push it outward. Nothing crusts over.
Earlier solar designs shone in the lab, but most took a shortcut. They used simulated seawater, which forms porous grains that water can seep through. Real ocean water is a nastier mix.
Scoop water from the actual ocean and magnesium and calcium come along. These minerals harden into a crust water cannot cross. On older panels, it clogged the surface and choked the process.
Guo’s team carved the grooves deeper and wider, so the salty water flows strongly enough to dissolve the crystals and sweep them outward. The fix sounds small. The effect was not.
The self-cleaning trick comes from a stain people know well. When a drop of coffee dries, liquid flows to the rim, dragging particles into a dark ring at the edge. Guo described it simply.
“If you drop coffee on a surface, eventually the water evaporates and there’s a ring left at the outer edge that is the concentrated coffee particles,” Guo said.
This edge-seeking flow is thought to carry salt away from the working surface. A second effect, known as salt creeping, then takes over.
Crystals at the edge draw up saltwater, dissolving and re-forming a little farther out each time. Under a microscope, the team watched that boundary crawl outward, leaving the center clean.
Because the salt comes off as dry crystals, not liquid brine, it stops being waste and becomes a product. The panel recovers nearly all of it and scrapes it off the edges by hand.
That powder is a blend of elements. Sodium made up the bulk in testing, alongside traces of magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Tiny amounts of gold, cesium, and uranium turned up as well.
With a tweak, the same panels pulled lithium – the metal in rechargeable batteries – from salty water. From Utah’s Great Salt Lake, they recovered about half the lithium present.
Lab demos are one thing. To prove the panel in the real world, the team ran it nonstop for a week on actual ocean water. The output held steady while the surface stayed clear.
They did not stop at one source. Water from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans behaved the same. Every batch was clean enough to drink, well under the limits health authorities set.
A rooftop run sealed it. A patch about the size of a postage stamp left in the sun for nine hours produced roughly a third of an ounce (10 milliliters) of fresh water and a pinch of salt.
Until now, solar desalination panels carried a credibility gap. They worked on lab-made saltwater but jammed on the real thing. This one closes the gap – real ocean water in, no brine out.
The payoff is concrete. Coastal towns short on water could run cheap panels with no chemicals and no toxic runoff. The salt scraped from the edges becomes a resource, lithium included.
So far the panels are small and handmade, but Guo said the design should scale easily. If it does, one technology could ease two pressures – thirst for clean water and the hunt for sustainable minerals.
The study is published in the journal Light: Science & Applications.
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Areas of patchy fog early. Plenty of sunshine. High near 85F. Winds light and variable..
Clear skies. Low 59F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: June 6, 2026 @ 8:59 am
Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reporting—but good journalism isn’t free. Please support us by subscribing or making a contribution.
Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative teamed up with OneEnergy Renewables to bring PBEC’s first solar array to Burnett County. It’s no ordinary array, either, as it uses the latest efficient technology and hardware.  
Over 5,000 solar panels use a computer program to “track” the sun from east to west for maximium efficiency, using a sort of “screwdrive” to rotate the panels.

Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative teamed up with OneEnergy Renewables to bring PBEC’s first solar array to Burnett County. It’s no ordinary array, either, as it uses the latest efficient technology and hardware.  
Over 5,000 solar panels use a computer program to “track” the sun from east to west for maximium efficiency, using a sort of “screwdrive” to rotate the panels.
At any time of the day, there are 5,200 solar panels pointed directly at the sun in the Town of Sand Lake, producing over 2.5 megawatts of power, on average, for enough power to meet the needs of over 600 homes.
Located at 5510 State Road 70, across from Viola Lake, between Siren and Hertel, the Viola Solar Project is a joint venture between the Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative and OneEnergy Renewables, creating the first such solar array for the cooperative in Burnett County.
Just as the ribbon was to be cut on a sunny Thursday May 28th for the project dedication, PBEC General manager Steve Stroshane noted that the array was fully powering the Hertel area, including all the businesses, casino, homes and more.
The Viola Solar array went online in December, but the dedication was delayed until the weather was nicer. Stroshane praised the people involved who helped make the project happen, including OneEnergy Renewables, the PBEC Board of Directors, co-op customers, and the Erickson family that hosts the array and leases the land to PBEC for the next 30 years – with an option for ten more years, if it proves worthwhile for all parties involved.
Altogether, the array is not only the first for PBEC in Burnett County – they have three arrays in Polk County – it is also one of the most advanced in the region: It uses bi-directional panels that create energy on the front and back of the panels, allowing for more power production in the winter, when snow reflection is a big factor, even with shorter sunlit hours.
The Viola array will produce approximately 5 million kWh of electricity annually, with a modern “tracking system” that has each row of panels using a screw drive to “follow” the sun, regardless of whether it’s sunny or cloudy.
The tracking system uses an algorithm that “knows” where the sun is at any time of the day, aiming all 5,200 panels right at the sun for maximum efficiency.
The project was aided by combining some resources between cooperatives, using their collective buying power to get better pricing on the volumes of equipment needed. The project is also one that uses fully recyclable panels, created in Indonesia and using metal frames made in the USA, which are expected to last at least 25 years with 85% efficiency, and possibly more.
“The Viola Solar project improves reliability and holds down the costs for our members,” Stroshane noted, while also pointing out that the system is part of a broad array of ways they are trying to meet electrical demands for the region.
The 13-acre parcel the array calls home was formerly used for hay to supplement the Erickson’s former dairy herd, but the family no longer has dairy cows, and thinks the long-term commitment is a good deal all around.
“This field typically produced about 26 round bales of hay each year,” James Erickson said, noting his parents Dave and Sherry first bought the three parcels used for the array back in the 1990s, but it was no longer in production. “It’s not a real big loss.”
The land beneath the solar panels was restored to pasture with perennials and pollinators before installation, eventually allowing PBEC to contract with a grazing operation beneath the array. They are still working to find a local grazer.
As for the change in the land use, James Erickson was happy the project went ahead and works so well, and he doesn’t miss the past uses.
“I sure don’t miss picking up all those rocks!” Erickson said.
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From pv magazine India
Premier Energies Ltd has launched the NeoBlack Series, an all-black G12R bifacial glass-glass solar module designed for residential and premium commercial rooftop applications.
The module integrates tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) cell technology with a uniform black aesthetic aimed at enhancing visual appeal while reducing glare in rooftop installations.
The DCR-compliant module is offered in output classes ranging from 600 W to 630 W, with efficiencies between 22.21% and 23.32%, respectively. It features a temperature coefficient of -0.29%/C and is built with 132 half-cut n-type cells based on the G12R rectangular wafer format with size of 210 mm × 182.3 mm.
The module measures 2,382 mm × 1,134 mm × 35 mm and weighs 33.5 kg. It reportedly delivers bifaciality of up to 85%.
According to the company, the product uses in-house cell architecture and an optimized module design to improve light absorption, anti-PID performance, and durability, ensuring stable operation under low and diffuse light conditions.
The NeoBlack Series is backed by a 12-year product warranty and a 30-year performance warranty.
“With India’s first all-black DCR module, we are addressing a key consumer need—combining design and efficiency through innovation without compromise,” said Srini Adapa, Chief Growth Officer at Premier Energies.
“Our integrated cell and module manufacturing setup ensures consistency, durability, and high efficiency, making the NeoBlack Series a strong addition to our portfolio,” added the company’s Chief Production Officer, Chandra Mauli Kumar.
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Nature Photonics volume 20, pages 644–652 (2026) Cite this article
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Antimony selenide (Sb₂Se₃) has emerged as a promising thin-film photovoltaic absorber due to its ideal bandgap (1.1–1.3 eV), high absorption coefficient (>10⁵ cm⁻¹) and environmentally benign composition. However, Sb₂Se₃ solar cells (SSCs) often suffer from large open-circuit voltage losses owing to the weak built-in fields and severe non-radiative recombination at the interfaces and within the absorber layer. Here we demonstrate a composition-driven strategy for controlling carrier polarity that we used to form an n-type/p-type homojunction within the Sb₂Se₃ absorber layer. By precisely tuning the chemical potentials of Se and Sb, we are able to manipulate the conductivity type and achieve carrier densities exceeding 10¹⁴ cm⁻³ for the n- and p-type states. With this materials design, we demonstrate that incorporating the p–n homojunction into a planar SSC simultaneously enhances the built-in electric field and passivates deep-level defects. These synergistic effects promote carrier separation, reduce non-radiative recombination and accelerate carrier extraction. As a result, the internal-homojunction-enhanced SSC delivers a power conversion efficiency of 10.15% for thermally evaporated Sb₂Se₃ devices and an ultralow open-circuit voltage deficit of 0.459 V. This study proposes a proof-of-concept device structure for SSCs that opens a new pathway for improving device efficiency.
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This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 22275180, 52572274, T.C.), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. WK2490000002, T.C.), Major Science and Technology Projects of Anhui Province (Grant No. AHZDCYCX-LSDT2023-10, T.C.) and the University Synergy Innovation Program of Anhui Province (Grant No. GXXT-2023-031, R.T.). We thank BL10B (https://cstr.cn/31131.02.HLS.PES) at the National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory.
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, P. R. China
Junjie Yang, Jianyu Li, Shuwei Sheng, Zhiyuan Cai, Zichen Ruan, Bo Che, Rongfeng Tang & Tao Chen
Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, P. R. China
Ke Li
School of Microelectronics, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, P. R. China
Rongfeng Tang
Institute of Deep Space Sciences, Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, Hefei, P. R. China
Tao Chen
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T.C. supervised the research. J.Y., J.L. and S.S. contributed equally to this work. J.Y. and T.C. conceived the original concept and designed the experiments. J.Y., J.L. and S.S. fabricated the devices and conducted the PV and optical characterization and analysis. J.L. did the TA spectroscopy measurements and performed the SEM and TEM analyses. K.L., Z.R. and B.C. were involved in materials characterization and device simulation. Z.C. conducted the DFT calculations. J.Y., R.T. and T.C. co-wrote the paper. T.C., R.T., S.S. and J.Y. revised the paper, and all authors commented on the paper.
Correspondence to Rongfeng Tang or Tao Chen.
The authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Photonics thanks Yaohua Mai, Ding-Jiang Xue and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
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Yang, J., Li, J., Sheng, S. et al. Internal homojunction Sb₂Se₃ solar cell. Nat. Photon. 20, 644–652 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-026-01888-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-026-01888-1
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A 400kW floating photovoltaic (FPV) array has been installed at Bathgate Silica Sand’s Cheshire quarry to supply the industrial sand producer with renewable electricity.  
Made up of 650 floating solar panels on North Arclid Lake, the array was installed over a six-month period by Scottish marine energy firm Nova.
Developed in partnership with environmental engineering firm RSK Group, work on the project began in December 2025, with first power delivered in May 2026. Quarry operations were able to continue as normal during the entire project installation.
The array, which is the size of two Olympic swimming pools, will help Bathgate Silica Sand to decarbonise its century-old quarry operations and reduce its energy bills.
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While conventional solar farms sometimes attract controversy because of the amount of land they use, floating solar farms do not take up any space on land and are cooled naturally by the water underneath them, boosting their efficiency.  
Floating solar panel usage is expanding rapidly as they gain popularity, though they are still considered a niche part of the overall solar market. A recent report by CBI Economics championed floating solar as a major opportunity to lower bills, boost UK power generation, strengthen energy security and support the UK’s transition to a low carbon power system.
The government’s solar roadmap has also committed to increase national solar capacity to 70GW by 2035, with floating solar identified as a technology that can contribute at pace and scale across lakes, reservoirs, ports and harbours.
Simon Forrest, CEO at Nova, said: “Achieving first power at the Cheshire quarry is a significant milestone and a testament to our team, who delivered this project in just six months. The array is already reducing our client’s energy bills. It clearly demonstrates what floating solar can offer to businesses with access to water bodies. We are excited about what this project signals, both for our pipeline and for the role floating solar will play in the UK reaching its 2035 target.”
David Robinson, managing director at Bathgate Silica Sand, said: “This is a significant moment for our business and shows that quarries are playing a key role in creating a more sustainable future.” 
While FPVs have become a feature in the secluded waters of lakes and reservoirs, French clean-tech company HelioRec is developing near-shore floating solar systems for use in coastal waters.  
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WAGO is a global leader in electrical interconnection and open automation, supporting industrial and building engineers worldwide. With 75 years of innovation and 9,000 specialists, WAGO delivers safe, maintenance-free connectivity and scalable automation solutions built on open standards. From high-performance terminal blocks that speed panel build to automation, energy management and smart buildings, WAGO enables resilient, efficient and future-ready systems.
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At India’s GREENS 2026 Summit in Gandhinagar, PV industry experts warned that solar panel waste could approach 11 million metric tonnes (MT) by 2047. The warning comes alongside rapid renewable-energy expansion and growing pressure for a dedicated Extended Producer Responsibility framework. Speakers also emphasized the need for policy backing and a recycling ecosystem to process discarded solar panels. Ajinkya Kale of CEEW said India currently produces around 1 lakh MT of solar panel waste every year. Jaideep Malaviya said solar panel waste must be handled as industrial waste because the present e-waste framework may fall short. Satyanarayan Nayak of Waaree Energies said that a 1 million discarded panels could generate nearly 35,000 MT of waste and require over 1,400 containers. Arun KA of Deloitte India said logistics would remain a major challenge, making intermediary stakeholders and government support mechanisms necessary.

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Inox Clean Energy announces a definitive agreement to acquire Vena Energy India, a 5.4 GW solar-wind and 2.5 GWh battery storage platform, marking the group's tenth strategic acquisition in ten months.
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The Holguin Territorial Division (DTHO) of the Cuban Telecommunications Company (Etecsa). It has completed the installation of seven photovoltaic panel modules. As part of the country’s energy matrix shift and in response to the electricity crisis that directly impacts telephone service.
Emilio Guerrero Lengarán, head of the Investment Department, emphasized to the Cuban News Agency (CNA) the commitment of the personnel involved. Also the importance of each action in maintaining the quality of service for the population in the beneficiary areas.
Although he acknowledged that the modules will not be enough to support all the sites in need in the province. He assured that the use of renewable energy in telecommunications will continue to increase gradually. Given the fuel shortage for electricity generation.
The Investment and Network Operations departments participated in the execution of these projects. In addition, the DTHO (Technical Directorate of Hydroelectric Power) has been allocated another 31 solar panels of 3.6 and 7.2 kW for radio base stations, whose installation will be phased in.
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Power subsidies are slowing household solar adoption. A solution: More subsidies  The Indian Express
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Haryana government, an India-based state authority, has directed officers to prepare a statewide plan for installing solar panels. The plan will cover government buildings, warehouses, Market Committee sheds and residential houses across the state. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that no building should remain without solar panels by 2028. The direction was issued during a Haryana Vision-2047 review of the Public Works Department’s five-year roadmap. Through this rollout, Haryana aims to reduce its dependence on purchasing electricity from outside sources. Implementation will use central and state government schemes, private sector participation and separate state subsidies. Officers were also directed to prepare a solar panel scheme for industrial units and amend building regulations wherever required. Newly constructed government buildings should include EV charging provisions, with central financial assistance available for such facilities. Haryana also plans one EV charging station within every 50-kilometre radius across the state.

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On June 2, Wood Mackenzie, one of the world’s most authoritative energy consultancies, officially released its 2026 Global Solar PV Module Manufacturer Ranking (based on 2025 operational data) and Supplier Qualification Program results. Driven by its leading technological innovation and deep global market recognition, LONGi claimed the No. 1 position among 48 manufacturers from 10 countries, while simultaneously achieving the highest “Grade A” rating in the Supplier Qualification Program.
Behind this achievement lies Wood Mackenzie’s exceptionally rigorous evaluation framework. The assessment spans ten core dimensions, including capacity utilization, technology maturity, financial health, supply chain resilience, ESG, reliability standards, and R&D investment – regarded by major global investors and financial institutions as a credit-grade benchmark for procurement and financing decisions.
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Yana Hryshko, Head of Solar Supply Chain Research at Wood Mackenzie, noted: “Chinese manufacturers continue to lead globally on manufacturing scale, technology advancement and operational efficiency.” Among the top ten manufacturers, nine are headquartered in China, further consolidating the country’s continued dominance across the global solar supply chain. As a frontrunner among them, LONGi’s No. 1 ranking once again proves that sustained technological innovation is the decisive force shaping the competitive landscape – and the source of that force lies in LONGi’s dual leadership in both R&D and mass production.
LONGi’s independently developed HIBC solar cell, certified by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH), achieved a record-breaking 28.13% conversion efficiency for single-crystalline silicon cells. Meanwhile, in the April 2026 edition of TaiyangNews’ commercial module efficiency rankings, LONGi’s EcoLife series – built on HIBC technology – claimed the top spot with a mass production efficiency of 25%. With record-breaking advances in the lab and reliable value delivery at scale, LONGi’s BC technology is reshaping the technology benchmark of the module market through a powerful dual engine.
Technological heights ultimately translate into product breadth. Centered on safety, reliability, ultimate efficiency, and pure black aesthetics, LONGi’s BC technology has formed a comprehensive, all-scenario BC product portfolio. The company has taken the lead in developing and launching functional products such as anti-dust, anti-glare, lightweight, and specialized fire-resistant modules, as well as scenario-specific modules designed for extreme environments including sandy and barren land, offshore applications, and hail‑prone regions. LONGi’s differentiated product matrix built around BC technology is enabling users across different scenarios and with diverse needs to benefit from this leading technology.
Customer-value-driven technological innovation is translating into the market competitiveness to navigate industry cycles. Being ranked No. 1 in Wood Mackenzie’s global ranking and earning the Grade A Supplier Qualification reaffirms a simple yet profound truth: in an era of growing uncertainty, commitment to technological innovation is the most reliable strategic anchor – and the very foundation for earning the enduring trust of global customers.
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As temperatures rise, air conditioners kick into high gear — and that can tax the power grid. But this year, grid operators are better prepared for high summer energy demand because solar power across the central US has nearly doubled since last year.
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, acts as a sort of air traffic controller for utilities across 15 states, including northern Missouri and the city of Columbia.
MISO spokesperson McKenzie Barbknecht said the region has more energy capacity this year thanks to solar power plants coming online across the region, with the largest contributions coming from Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Michigan.
“A big focus of MISO and our member utilities and our states have been to add more generation to the system to meet increased demand that we expect to see over the next decade or more,” she said.
Barbknecht said the grid operator is still learning how to best manage solar resources by using that power during peak hours and switching to other resources when the sun sets.
Energy demand in each season is connected to weather. Severe weather can affect what certain power plants are able to produce, and it can tax transmission infrastructure. In summer, higher temperatures result in more power needed for cooling homes and workplaces.
Weather across the nation can vary significantly. The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) manages energy supply and demand among utilities across 17 states including parts of central and western Missouri.
“We are anticipating a little bit higher than normal temperatures and lower than normal precipitation,” said CJ Brown, the Southwest Power Pool’s Vice President of Operations.
“Those are the two things that we’re watching very closely. They do have large impacts,” Brown said. “Obviously, higher than normal temperatures affects load. Lower than normal precipitation affects our hydro (power plants) and other aspects of the grid.”
SPP’s record for highest summer energy demand happened in 2023.
“In 2023 we had the infamous heat dome in late August,” said Jeff Baskin, a meteorologist with SPP.
Barbknecht said MISO meteorologists are anticipating normal to slightly below normal temperatures for Missouri and the central part of its territory this summer.
However, Baskin said there’s an 80% chance North America will experience El Nino this summer — weather patterns resulting from warmer ocean water temperatures.
“We certainly do have the potential to have significant heat waves as we go into an El Nino summer following a La Nina winter,” he said.

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Arctech has signed an agreement with the East China Electric Power Design Institute of PowerChina for the ADQ solar project in the United Arab Emirates, covering 2,091 MW of capacity. The deal was signed at SNEC 2026 in Shanghai on June 3. Arctech also signed a memorandum of understanding with Anhui Zhonghong New Energy for a 1 GW energy storage project aimed at deploying an integrated solar-plus-storage system.
China Energy Engineering Corp. (Energy China) has released its 2026 centralized procurement tender for PV inverters. The tender comprises eight lots with a combined estimated procurement volume of 20 GW. One lot covers central inverters rated at 3.125 MW and above, while the remaining seven lots cover string inverters ranging from 5 kW to more than 3.125 MW.
The China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNMIA) said polysilicon prices declined slightly this week. N-type re-feeding polysilicon traded at CNY 34,000 ($5,019) to CNY 35,000 per metric ton (MT), averaging CNY 34,700/MT, down 1.70% week on week. N-type granular silicon traded at CNY 33,000/MT to CNY 35,000/MT, averaging CNY 34,000/MT, down 0.87%. CNMIA attributed the decline to persistent inventory pressure and shifting supply expectations. Despite a record-low 34.7% operating rate, inventories have risen for 10 consecutive months. The association said planned June production restarts and capacity expansions by several leading manufacturers have increased expectations of looser supply conditions.
The CNMIA also said wafer prices remained stable, with average transaction prices holding at CNY 0.93 per piece for n-type G10L wafers, CNY 1.00 for n-type G12R wafers, and CNY 1.17 for n-type G12 wafers. Downstream cell and module prices were also unchanged, at CNY 0.31-0.33/W and CNY 0.71-0.75/W, respectively. The association added that industry utilization rates edged higher, with leading wafer manufacturers operating at 48% and 50%, integrated producers at 52%-60%, and other manufacturers at 52% to 70%.
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Hormuz Jolts S. Korea to Grow Wind&Solar 3X by 2030 to 100 GW  Informed Comment
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With so much sunlight, Iraq is very well-positioned to use solar power to help fix its annual summer electricity crisis. So why is it that Iraq’s government has only recently started to take solar power seriously?
Iraq has long suffered through scorching summers that the country’s national grid hasn’t been able to keep up with. But it was only recently that Hiba al-Amiri’s family started to seriously consider getting solar panels installed at home to compensate for the annual summer blackouts.
“In the war, Iranian gas was cut and for four days, we had no electricity,” the Baghdad-based teacher told DW. Iran supplies up to 40% of the gas that Iraq needs to keep its power stations running, In March, Iran completely cut gas to Iraq after Israel attacked its gas fields.
“We were only using the generator,” al-Amiri continued. “After that, a lot of our neighbors were also talking about this [solar]. Everybody is really starting to think about it seriously.” 
Installing solar panels in a private household costs somewhere between 5 and 10 million Iraqi dinars (around $3,800-$7,600/€3,200-€6,500), experts told DW. Al-Amiri said she and her brother are now saving money toward that goal, and hope to get a unit by next year.
“The thinking is that we will pay for this project [solar panels] in one year but then after that we won’t need to pay for the generator power again,” she explained.
Even on its best days, the Iraqi national grid only supplies private households between eight and 12 hours of electricity a day. Ordinary Iraqis compensate for the missing power by paying a subscription to local generator operators. Households in a city like Baghdad might pay between $100 (€86) and $300 a month to keep the lights on.
It’s not that Iraqis didn’t know about solar power, explained Harry Istepanian, an energy expert and founder of the Washington-based think tank, the Iraq Climate Change Center. “But the generator system was familiar, flexible and required no large upfront investment,” he said. “Solar, by contrast, requires capital, reliable equipment, batteries, technical installation and after-sales support.”
Additionally, as the International Renewable Energy Agency wrote in a 2025 report, energy tariffs in Iraq are heavily subsidized, which also discourages the private sector from investing in renewables.
But now, generator fees are rising and there’s no longer enough state-subsidized diesel for generators. “As a result, solar is gaining appeal. Not because Iraqis have suddenly discovered it but because the cost of relying on the old system has become higher,” said Istepanian.
Iraq gets some of the world’s highest levels of solar radiation which makes it a perfect candidate for solar energy, Amani Ibraheem Altmimi, an environmental consultant and professor of renewable energy sciences working in Iraq, pointedout. And Iraq actually opened its first solar energy research center in the 1980s.
“But wars and sanctions slowed work in the solar energy sector down,” said Altmimi. “Still, as researchers, we’ve been trying for years to educate the general public about renewable energy in all forms, including solar.”
Altmimi noted that in early 2025, Iraq‘s central bank set up a scheme for citizens and small businesses to apply for loans, with favorable terms, to set up solar power systems.
Earlier this year, the Iraqi government also reduced import duties on components needed for solar power from 33% to 5% in an effort to reduce the costs.
“But I wouldn’t call it a complete nationwide shift yet,” said Umud Shokri, an energy strategist and senior visiting fellow at George Mason University in the US. “But the change in attitude is becoming more visible.”
For years, there were few realistic alternatives but now, Shokri said, “repeated shortages, rising generator costs, fuel pressures and uncertainty over Iranian gas and electricity imports have made solar look more practical. Falling solar prices, more local installers and positive examples from early users have also helped.”
Statistics indicate that the trend toward solar in Iraq started in 2024 and is likely accelerating. According to the Arabic-language, specialist media outlet, Attaqa, Iraq’s imports of Chinese solar panels more than quadrupled between 2024 and 2025. They rose from 0.43 gigawatts to 1.89 gigawatts, and made Iraq the fifth-largest importer among Arab countries. 
The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Algeria import more Chinese solar panels than Iraq, but no other country’s imports grew as much as Iraq’s in that period. 
It’s not just private Iraqi households either. Over the past few years, the government has outlined ambitious plans for renewable energies.
So far this year, the country’s national grid has produced around 29 gigawatts of electricity. Regular demand in Iraq requires around 40 gigawatts. In summer, the gap between supply and demand gets even bigger. Observers predict this summer’s demand at somewhere between 54 and 62 gigawatts.
The Iran war is making the situation even worse as Iranian gas supplies still haven’t returned to normal and other solutions the government had planned are running behind — such as a project to import power from the Gulf states — or not yet operational.
Additionally, because Iraq has not been able to export as much oil thanks to the Strait of Hormuz being blocked, government budgets are also suffering.
Over the past year, Iraq opened two industrial solar power plants. One in Karbala started operating last September and should eventually add 300 megawatts to the national grid. Another in Basra began operating part of its system in March and should be able to deliver 1 gigawatt when fully operational in 2028.
The government has said it also plans to install solar panels on government buildings, including schools, universities, banks and hospitals, and wants to be producing 12 gigawatts by the end of this decade.
Istepanian said Iraq needs a combination of both state-provided solar power and more private and business users to take pressure off the national grid at peak times. “Industrial solar parks such as Karbala are important,” he explained, “but Iraq also needs rooftop solar standards, certified installers, consumer protection, concessional loans and clear rules for connecting solar systems to the grid. Solar cannot be left entirely to the market, but it also cannot wait for the government alone.”
And all the experts DW spoke with agreed: Solar power alone won’t save Iraq from summer blackouts.
“Iraq’s electricity crisis is structural,” said Shokri. “Solar should be treated as one part of the solution, not a magic fix. Iraq still needs grid reform, better gas use, transmission upgrades, stronger institutions and serious investment in power generation.”
Edited by: Martin Kuebler

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05 June 2026
Bouygues Construction Equans, through their subsidiaries in Australia, have started construction works on the Muswellbrook Solar Farm, utility-scale solar photovoltaic plant combined with a battery energy storage system project, located in Muswellbrook, New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Bouygues Construction Australia and Equans Solar & Storage Australia are working on the project which combines a 135MW solar farm with a 100MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
Built on the site of a rehabilitated former coal mine near the town of Muswellbrook, the facility is expected to generate approximately 347 GWh of renewable electricity annually – enough to supply tens of thousands of Australian households.
The project is developed by OX2, an international renewable energy company, the project
The solar farm will cover 482 hectares and include approximately 300,000 photovoltaic panels. Commissioning is scheduled for 2028, with an expected operational life of 40 years.
At peak construction, the project will employ up to 200 people and contribute to local economic development.
Bouygues Construction Australia and Equans Solar and Storage Australia are delivering the project under an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract, a turnkey agreement under which OX2 entrusts them with full responsibility for the project through to the delivery of a fully operational facility.
“The launch of the Muswellbrook Solar Farm reflects Bouygues Construction’s commitment to developing low-carbon infrastructure and supporting the global energy transition. Delivered for OX2, this landmark project will contribute to expanding renewable energy capacity within the Australian power network,” said Seved Robin, CEO of Bouygues Construction Australia.
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Roanoke County Public Schools Director of Community Relations Chuck Lionberger hosts a hard-hat tour in February of the division’s new Career and Technology Center, expected to open in early 2027.
The Roanoke County School Board will vote on a proposal to install solar panels on the roof of the new Career and Technology Center during its meeting June 11.
Roanoke County Public Schools’ Career and Technology Center is seen under construction in a video posted in February. The building is expected to open in early 2027.
Alexia Partouche 
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Roanoke County Public Schools Director of Community Relations Chuck Lionberger hosts a hard-hat tour in February of the division’s new Career …
Roanoke city and county now join Montgomery County, Salem and dozens of other locations in Virginia in being part of Dolly Parton’s program.
Roanoke County’s supervisors adopted a budget of a little over $693 million during their Tuesday meeting.
Roanoke County Public Schools’ Career and Technology Center is seen under construction in a video posted in February. The building is expected to open in early 2027.
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Cloudy early followed by heavy thunderstorms this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 78F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..
Thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 64F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Updated: June 6, 2026 @ 5:11 am
Supervisor Steve Siko, Chair Jim Prohaska and Vice Chair Don Kepple meet Wednesday.

Supervisor Steve Siko, Chair Jim Prohaska and Vice Chair Don Kepple meet Wednesday.
The Derry Township Board of Supervisors approved a 3-megawatt solar farm slated for Livermore Road during a Wednesday meeting.
The farm will be at 670 Livermore Road on land owned by Gregory and Lori Retallick, according to Pivot Energy’s proposal. Construction will begin once a developer’s agreement is finalized, according to the meeting agenda.
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Annabelle Chipps can be reached at achipps@latrobebulletinnews.com.
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EDF Middle East, an arm of EDF Power Solutions, has announced that PV module installation is ongoing at the 400 MW Al Henakiyah 2 Solar PV project in Saudi Arabia. The construction activities are advancing across the site, and the company expects the delivery of all remaining PV modules within this month (June 2026). The project was awarded under the Saudi Power Procurement Company’s (SPPC) Round 5 program and is being developed in partnership with SPIC Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. and SAPC (Saudi Aramco Power Company). Once operational, the facility is expected to supply electricity to approximately 50,000 households annually and avoid 755,399 tons of CO₂ emissions during its initial years of operation.

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A detail of a rendering of the proposed NYU Langone Health hospital, which would have approximately 500 beds on 45 acres in Melville. Credit: NYU Langone/Ennead Architects
Kudos to Suffolk County’s leadership and NYU Langone Health on their plans to develop the Melville quadrangle with a major hospital [“NYU Langone Health plans to build new LI hospital,” News, June 3]. It takes strategic, forward thinking and creative minds to get to a development plan that is practical and can realistically serve the needs of the community and solve problems.
Nassau County can learn from this. For decades, it has shamefully failed at addressing the ailing Nassau University Medical Center and Nassau Coliseum and all the space around it that is wasting away.
Years ago, Charles Wang proposed a Lighthouse Project, which brought creativity and forward thinking to the area, but the politicians raised obstacles to the idea until it died.
To this day, there is nothing but slow and spotty add-ons to the area and nothing of substance serving the community and enhancing its future. Nassau County’s leadership in recent decades seems to prioritize holding onto power rather than focusing on the community and its future.
Having resided in Nassau County for more than 50 years, I hope the Melville plan will spark Nassau County leadership to bring creative thinkers and cooperative partners on board.
A roundup of highlights from Newsday's Opinion Department.

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— Stuart Schneider, East Meadow
I am so pleased that NYU Langone Health has made a transformative decision to create a major state-of-the-art medical center in the heart of Long Island.
As a retired physician, I ran my own private practice for many years, and I have also worked as an employee of the major healthcare systems in the New York metropolitan area. The aging demographics of the Island, with approximately 520,000 of its residents at least 65 years of age, needs more healthcare options to meet their needs.
Furthermore, the strategic location of this hospital allows easy access from most parts of Suffolk and Nassau counties.
I hope the competition for patients that no doubt will ensue among Northwell, Catholic Health, Stony Brook Medicine and Mount Sinai will benefit and optimize patient care. I also hope that the regulators pave the way for this bold initiative without delay.
— Dr. Joel Reiter, Woodbury
Isn’t it a cardinal rule that you don’t carry a loaded gun in your bag onto an airplane?
Gaetano “Guy” Savia, a volunteer Nassau County sheriff’s deputy, exhibited poor judgment or a serious lapse of awareness [“Nassau exec defends citizen deputy arrested at JFK,” News, May 30].
How does Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, though, let him continue to carry a gun in the name of Nassau County?
What’s next, Savia leaving his gun in his bag at the gym or on a bus?
Blakeman needs to show better judgment about who gets chosen as county volunteer deputies.
— Jim Baumert, West Islip
I support the state allocating $200 million to incentivize rooftop and community solar energy [“State lawmakers OK ‘balcony solar’ panels measure,” News, June 2].
I live in a condo community that does not allow solar panels. However, the state’s community solar plan allows me to subscribe to a solar farm that connects to a utility grid. Energy generated by the solar farm in my name is reported to the utility, which then applies credits to my utility account.
All my electrical power continues to be provided by the utility, but with my credits, my utility bill is reduced. I pay the solar farm separately for those credits at a lower rate.
My current total power expenses — utility and the solar farm — are lower than my pre-solar expenses. No other charges are associated with this plan.
— Bill Domjan, Melville
I have read both this year’s and last year’s reports on the examinations that Dr. Sean Barbabella performed on President Donald Trump [“Trump doc: President is in ‘excellent health,’ ” News, May 31].
Many media have reported on Trump’s bruises and ankle swelling, which may be seen as exaggerations and can be explained by common conditions seen in the elderly. But one issue stands out as false — the president’s reported weight of 238 pounds.
I have practiced adult medicine and geriatrics for 50 years and weighed patients of all shapes and sizes. I have never seen a 6-foot-3 male with broad shoulders and a heavy midsection and frame — as seen in some of Trump’s golf and tennis photos — tip the scales at less than 260 pounds, and likely much more.
It would be nice for these exams to be reported accurately. Perhaps a solution could be a weigh-in just before the Ultimate Fighting Championship extravaganza at the White House, which is scheduled for June 14.
— Dr. William Bennett, Huntington
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN OUR DAILY CONVERSATION. Just go to newsday.com/submitaletter and follow the prompts. Or email your opinion to letters@newsday.com. Submissions should be no more than 200 words. Please provide your full name, hometown, phone number and any relevant expertise or affiliation. Include the headline and date of the article you are responding to. Letters become the property of Newsday and are edited for all media. Due to volume, readers are limited to one letter in print every 45 days. Published letters reflect the ratio received on each topic.
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A study by the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) shows that solar panel ownership in the Netherlands is unevenly spread across households. Higher-income and wealthier households are significantly more likely to install and benefit from solar energy systems.
The number of homes with solar panels has increased significantly between 2020 and 2024, according to the government’s key advisory body. By 2024, roughly one in three Dutch households had installed solar panels. Higher-income households remain disproportionately represented among owners, and this imbalance has stayed broadly stable over the past few years.
The CPB notes that housing associations play an important role in enabling lower-income households to benefit from solar energy. Alongside homeowners, social housing providers also invest relatively frequently in solar panels, supported by government policy incentives. Private tenants, however, are the least likely group to have access to solar installations.
The CPB also finds that solar panels are more common in non-urban areas. This pattern remains visible even when only single-family homes are compared, excluding apartments. The difference is largely explained by income levels, the CPB notes, adding that cities tend to have a higher concentration of lower-income households.
On average, households with solar panels use more electricity. According to the CPB, this is partly because solar energy systems are often combined with other electric technologies, such as heat pumps or electric vehicles.
The CPB study is based on data up to 2024, meaning it does not yet reflect the impact of the late-December 2024 announcement that the net metering scheme will be phased out from 1 January next year. The scheme was originally introduced to encourage households to invest in solar panels.
Reporting by ANP
© 2012-2026, NL Times, All rights reserved.

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Home – Energy – A small balcony power plant became a courtroom fight, showing why apartment energy is harder than installing panels
A small balcony solar kit in Gdańsk, Poland, has turned into a much larger fight over clean energy, shared buildings, and who gets the final say when an apartment resident wants to cut the electric bill.
Krzysztof, a resident in a building managed by the Młyniec housing cooperative, installed photovoltaic panels on his balcony and reportedly saw his power costs fall by about a third.
The savings, however, did not settle the matter. A district court sided with the cooperative and ordered the panels removed, not because the technology failed, but because the approval process became legally shaky. Can clean energy really be that simple in a shared building? This case suggests the answer is still no.
Krzysztof’s setup was not a giant rooftop project. In 2023, he reportedly mounted two 400-watt photovoltaic panels on the railing of a glazed balcony, then added a third panel later, bringing the system to 1.2 kilowatts.
That is a modest amount of power, but it can still help with everyday use. Think refrigerators, lights, routers, small appliances, and all the quiet electricity drains that show up on the bill at the end of the month.
According to local reporting, Krzysztof had first been told he needed support from more than half of eligible neighbors. He gathered about 60% of the votes and also had a positive technical opinion from a building expert.
The cooperative later challenged the signatures, arguing that it could not clearly verify whether all signers were actual cooperative members with voting rights. The Gdańsk-Północ District Court accepted that argument, and the ruling is not final. Krzysztof has said he plans to appeal.
Krzysztof’s own explanation was simple. “I did not want to cause problems. I only wanted to lower the electric bill,” he said, according to reports cited in the case. It is a very ordinary sentence, and that is exactly why the story has traveled beyond Poland.
One detail makes the case especially interesting. The energy side of the installation appears to have moved forward without the same drama.
Once the system exceeded 800 watts, Krzysztof notified Energa-Operator, the regional distribution operator. Local reporting says a technician replaced his meter with a bidirectional one, allowing him to operate as a prosumer.
Energa-Operator’s own rules say the company has 30 days after receiving a complete notification to check the microinstallation and, if the result is positive, replace the meter with a bidirectional one.
The company also says that this meter measures both electricity taken from the grid and electricity produced by the microinstallation that is not used in the home and is sent back to the grid.
For a single-family homeowner, rooftop solar is easier to imagine. One owner usually controls the roof, the wiring, the look of the building, and the main approval process.
Apartment residents live in a different world. Balconies, facades, railings, insurance rules, fire safety concerns, and shared ownership all get involved. So do neighbors who may dislike how panels look from the courtyard or the street.
That is where a small clean-energy idea can get stuck. Millions of people live in apartments, and they also feel the pressure of high electricity prices. If solar only works smoothly for people with private roofs, the energy transition leaves a lot of households standing outside.
The European Commission says buildings are the single largest energy consumer in Europe. It estimates that buildings use around 40% of energy consumed in the European Union and account for around 50% of the bloc’s gas consumption.
The revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive entered into force on May 28, 2024, and EU countries must transpose it into national law by May 29, 2026. The Commission says the law is meant to speed up solar use on residential and nonresidential buildings and increase self-consumption and energy sharing.
The Commission also says solar installations can be placed on roofs, facades, balconies, terraces, or nearby structures, depending on national rules and whether the building is technically and structurally suitable. Effectively, Brussels may point toward more solar, but local law and building governance still decide many of the messy details.
The lesson is not that balcony solar is impossible. The lesson is that paperwork can matter as much as the panel itself.
A safe installation, a technical opinion, and a working meter may still not be enough if the building approval process is unclear. That sounds frustrating, but anyone who has lived in an apartment building knows how quickly a small change can become a bigger argument.
Residents considering a similar system should check building bylaws, shared property rules, fire safety requirements, insurance conditions, and grid notification procedures before buying equipment. It may feel like too much work for a balcony kit, but one missed step can turn a money-saving project into a legal fight.
Krzysztof’s case shows the awkward gap between climate ambition and apartment reality. On paper, Europe wants cleaner homes, lower bills, and more renewable power. In daily life, the path can run into signatures, shared walls, building facades, and the question of who really gets to decide.
That does not mean cooperatives should approve every installation automatically. Safety matters, and so does the structure of the building, but clearer rules would help residents, building managers, and courts avoid turning small clean-energy upgrades into drawn-out disputes.
At the end of the day, this is about more than one balcony in Gdańsk. It is about whether apartment dwellers can take part in the same energy savings that homeowners with roofs are already chasing.
The official connection procedure was published on Energa-Operator.

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2026-06-05 21:13:37

An aerial drone photo taken on June 2, 2026 shows a photovoltaic power project side by side with salt fields in Rongcheng City, east China’s Shandong Province. Shandong Province has seen the development in its photovoltaic power sector with complementary modes in light of local conditions over recent years. These innovative modes blaze a path for “three wins” for clean energy exploration, ecological environment protection, and economic benefits. (Photo by Li Xinjun/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 3, 2026 shows a farming-photovoltaic power complementary project in Huimin County, Binzhou City, east China’s Shandong Province. Shandong Province has seen the development in its photovoltaic power sector with complementary modes in light of local conditions over recent years. These innovative modes blaze a path for “three wins” for clean energy exploration, ecological environment protection, and economic benefits. (Photo by Wang Jun/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 1, 2026 shows farming-photovoltaic power complementary projects in Mengyin County, Linyi City, east China’s Shandong Province. Shandong Province has seen the development in its photovoltaic power sector with complementary modes in light of local conditions over recent years. These innovative modes blaze a path for “three wins” for clean energy exploration, ecological environment protection, and economic benefits. (Photo by Gong Maodong/Xinhua)

Staff members conduct routine patrol at a microalgae breeding workshop running on photovoltaic power supply in Rongcheng City, east China’s Shandong Province, June 2, 2026. Shandong Province has seen the development in its photovoltaic power sector with complementary modes in light of local conditions over recent years. These innovative modes blaze a path for “three wins” for clean energy exploration, ecological environment protection, and economic benefits. (Photo by Li Xinjun/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 2, 2026 shows staff members conducting routine patrol at a photovoltaic-aquaculture farm in Gaoqing County, Zibo City, east China’s Shandong Province. Shandong Province has seen the development in its photovoltaic power sector with complementary modes in light of local conditions over recent years. These innovative modes blaze a path for “three wins” for clean energy exploration, ecological environment protection, and economic benefits. (Photo by Zhang Weitang/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 2, 2026 shows a photovoltaic-aquaculture farm at a mining subsidence area in Binhu Town, Tengzhou City, east China’s Shandong Province. Shandong Province has seen the development in its photovoltaic power sector with complementary modes in light of local conditions over recent years. These innovative modes blaze a path for “three wins” for clean energy exploration, ecological environment protection, and economic benefits. (Photo by Song Haicun/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 2, 2026 shows a photovoltaic-aquaculture farm at a mining subsidence area in Binhu Town, Tengzhou City, east China’s Shandong Province. Shandong Province has seen the development in its photovoltaic power sector with complementary modes in light of local conditions over recent years. These innovative modes blaze a path for “three wins” for clean energy exploration, ecological environment protection, and economic benefits. (Photo by Song Haicun/Xinhua)

This photo taken on June 1, 2026 shows a photovoltaic-aquaculture farm in Chiping District, Liaocheng City, east China’s Shandong Province. Shandong Province has seen the development in its photovoltaic power sector with complementary modes in light of local conditions over recent years. These innovative modes blaze a path for “three wins” for clean energy exploration, ecological environment protection, and economic benefits. (Photo by Ma Hongkun/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 2, 2026 shows a photovoltaic project in a salt field in Dong Ying City, east China’s Shandong Province. Shandong Province has seen the development in its photovoltaic power sector with complementary modes in light of local conditions over recent years. These innovative modes blaze a path for “three wins” for clean energy exploration, ecological environment protection, and economic benefits. (Photo by Liu Yunjie/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 1, 2026 shows a farming-photovoltaic power complementary project in Yinan County, Linyi City, east China’s Shandong Province. Shandong Province has seen the development in its photovoltaic power sector with complementary modes in light of local conditions over recent years. These innovative modes blaze a path for “three wins” for clean energy exploration, ecological environment protection, and economic benefits. (Photo by Wang Yanbing/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on June 2, 2026 shows photovoltaic-aquaculture farms in Yicheng District, Zaozhuang City, east China’s Shandong Province. Shandong Province has seen the development in its photovoltaic power sector with complementary modes in light of local conditions over recent years. These innovative modes blaze a path for “three wins” for clean energy exploration, ecological environment protection, and economic benefits. (Photo by Sun Hui/Xinhua)

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Leyte’s PRO-8 launches solar power system, eyes P150K monthly savings  Inquirer.net
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Topp Home – Take Control of Your Energy Cost with Solar Power  ABC27
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Australians are world leaders in rooftop solar and home batteries – but greater energy efficiency could make them a triple threat
Change by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprint
Got a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.com
For David and Ruth Hudspeth, the process of turning their 1950s brick veneer house in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs into a cosy, efficient and fully electric home took several years.
They started with insulation in the ceiling and replacing an old and “pretty dangerous” gas heater. They swapped their leaky hot water system for a heat pump, and built a roof over the outdoor deck for shade and extra solar panels, later adding an electric car and a home battery into the mix.
“We’re retiring and it made good economic sense to make the house as efficient as possible and reduce our energy costs. Plus, I have a strong commitment to doing something about the climate – energy efficiency is a part of that,” David says.
“We’re definitely making savings. Around summer, the home battery fills up by midday to 100%, and then we just plug the car in if we need to after that. And as retirees at home, that’s perfect.”
“You make a big upfront investment, but your savings are ongoing,” he says, “and there’s an environmental dividend.”
Through small steps, it’s not difficult to electrify Australian houses, increasing energy efficiency and yielding large cost savings.
Australians are world leaders in rooftop solar and home batteries. But residential buildings still make up about 10% of emissions and a quarter of electricity use. About half of all homes remain connected to fossil gas for their heating, cooking or hot water.
Millions of homes predate the introduction of minimum energy performance standards in the early 2000s. They can be drafty, cold and uncomfortable as well as being expensive to heat and cool, according to Jeremy Sung, head of policy at the Energy Efficiency Council.
In Europe and the United Kingdom, homes available to rent or buy come with a home energy performance rating – from A (best performing) to G (worst) – similar to the star ratings used on home appliances, he says.
Australia lacks any mandatory disclosure of home energy efficiency, although some states like New South Wales are introducing voluntary disclosure schemes.
“This is the biggest purchase that anyone makes in their lifetime,” Sung says. “And in Australia, we don’t have labelling that tells the consumer how well their house performs.”
In most homes, it’s best to start with simple measures that reduce energy use. They include simple upgrades like draught-proofing, insulation, curtains, exterior shading and double glazing on windows, although the latter can be expensive.
Next come the appliances, he says, focusing on the big energy users like space heating and cooling and water heating first.
For those in Victoria, the state government has recently launched Easy Electric SEC, which offers a one-stop shop for households to identify energy upgrades, access incentives and find local installers.
“Switching key appliances like heating, hot water and cooking from gas to efficient electric alternatives can save Victorians up to $1,900 each year on their home energy bills – or up to $2,230 a year with rooftop solar,” according to the program.
Even relatively minor upgrades could produce large cost savings that could bring even bigger improvements to health and quality of life, Sung says. One study found that relatively simple upgrades like insulation, draught proofing and curtains reduced exposure to low temperatures inside (below 18C), saving $10 in avoided healthcare costs for every $1 saved on energy.
Lloyd Heathfield is the project lead for solar and electrification at the Yarra Energy Foundation, an organisation that supports Melbourne residents to get electrified, install solar and make other efficiency improvements.
The process can take anywhere from weeks to years; it’s “a marathon, not a sprint”, he says. Most families he works with save about $1,400 a year, but the savings can be even higher – up to $4,000 – for those with solar, a fully electric home and vehicle.
“Solar is the key,” Heathfield says. More than 40% of Australian homes have solar, providing a “great stepping stone” towards electrification and efficiency improvements.
For many households, the easiest swaps are hot water systems and cooktops, he says. Replacing a gas or electric hot water system with a heat pump requires no change in behaviour and there are plenty of rebates available. Swapping out the gas stovetop for an induction system is similarly straightforward.
The other big-ticket item is heating. Gas heating in winter “costs an arm and a leg every month to turn on. And it’s only going to get more and more expensive”, he says.
Moving from gas-ducted heating to a split system can take some getting used to – instead of pressing a button to heat your whole home, the focus is on heating the room you’re in.
Many homes with reverse-cycle air conditioners could start saving money immediately by using their split systems for heating instead of gas.
Sung says more needs to be done to help renters, who have lower uptake of efficiency measures, solar and batteries, than homeowners.
Mandatory disclosure of a home’s energy performance – for renters and buyers – would be a positive step, Sung says, along with minimum energy performance standards for rental properties to deal with the “split incentive” problem that results in landlord inaction.
“Apart from the comfort and greenhouse gas emission savings that come from electrifying and improving the energy efficiency of your home, there are huge benefits in cost savings for the individual household. And also huge benefits for energy security,” he says.

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Nature Communications volume 17, Article number: 711 (2026) Cite this article
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Monolithic perovskite/Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) tandem solar cells offer unique advantages among tandem configurations, including optimal bandgap pairing, all-thin-film architecture, superior radiation hardness, and exceptional stability. Despite their potential, challenges remain in optimizing efficiency and stability, particularly in the intermediate recombination layer (IRL) that connects subcells. This study addresses these challenges by developing a high-performance IRL using a composite structure comprising Al:ZnO/Au/NiO_x/[4-(7H-dibenzo[c,g]carbazol-7-yl)butyl] phosphonic acid (4PADCB). The hybrid NiO_x/4PADCB hole transport layer enhances interface trap passivation, optimizes band alignment, and improves minority carrier extraction, while the ultrathin Au layer significantly boosts the majority carrier recombination rate. With well-engineered subcells, our champion perovskite/CIGS tandem device achieved a record PCE of 28.04% at 0.51 cm² area and 30.71% at 0.15 cm² area (30.1% cross-verified by an external organization), with an exceptional fill factor of 80.9%, alongside outstanding photo- and thermal-stability. This work establishes monolithic perovskite/CIGS tandems as competitive with leading perovskite/Si (34.9%) and perovskite/perovskite (30.1%) technologies, providing a scalable, versatile framework for next-generation photovoltaics.
Perovskite-based tandem solar cells are emerging as a leading photovoltaic technology due to their potential for achieving high power conversion efficiency (PCE) at low production costs. Among the various options for narrow-bandgap bottom subcells, including silicon^1,2,3,4,5, CIGS^{6,7,8,9,10,11}, and low-bandgap perovskite^12,13,14,15, the perovskite/Si tandem is the most extensively studied and has achieved a record PCE of 34.9%^16,17. In contrast, the perovskite/CIGS tandems present unique advantages over their counterparts. With tunable CIGS band gaps as low as 1.00 eV, they can provide a bandgap pairing closest to the theoretical requirement: 1.62 eV for the top cell and 0.96 eV for the bottom cell to obtain the maximum theoretical efficiency¹⁸. As an all-thin-film technology, they possess a device architecture compatible with flexible and lightweight photovoltaic applications⁶. Moreover, the radiation hardness of both subcells makes them particularly well-suited for space applications^19,20.
A number of studies have focused on enhancing the performance of two-terminal monolithic perovskite/CIGS tandems, particularly addressing the intermediate recombination layer (IRL) that connects the two subcells^6,9,11,21. Early work employed a chemical-mechanical polished indium tin oxide (ITO) layer to mitigate the rough surface of the CIGS subcell, achieving a certified PCE of 22.4%⁶. To avoid surface damages introduced by polishing, subsequent work applied conformal thin NiO_x layers or self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), such as [2-(3,6-dimethoxy-9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid (MeO-2PACz) and [4-(3,6-dimethyl-9H-carbazol-9-yl)butyl]phosphonic acid (Me-4PACz), directly on the as-grown transparent conducting oxide surface of CIGS subcells. These approaches achieved certified PCEs of 21.6%⁹, 23.3%¹⁰, and 24.2%¹¹ on rigid substrates. In the meantime, notable progress has also been made on flexible perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cells, reaching efficiencies of 23.64% and 23.28%^22,23. The most recent advance used a NiO_x/[2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid (2PACz) double layer on a relatively smooth CIS subcell, yielding a record PCE of 24.9% (certified 23.5%)²¹ on rigid substrates, and a NiO_x/4PADCB configuration enabled a flexible perovskite/CIGS tandem to reach 22.8%²⁴, nearly concurrent with this work. Despite these achievements, the progress of monolithic perovskite/CIGS tandems remained far behind perovskite/Si tandems (34.9%) and perovskite/perovskite tandems (30.1%)^16,17. Notably, over the course of nearly 8 years, the efficiency of monolithic perovskite/CIGS tandems improved slightly from 22.4%⁶ (2018), 24.2%¹¹ (2022), to 26.3%¹⁶ (2025), reflecting the tremendous challenges that remain in pushing this technology forward. These challenges primarily stem from non-optimized subcell efficiencies, mismatched band gaps, and, critically, the lack of efficient IRLs (Supplementary Table 1).
To address these limitations, we developed a composite IRL consisting of Al:ZnO(AZO)/Au/NiO_x/4PADCB for monolithic perovskite/CIGS tandems. The multi-layer HTL was designed to leverage the suitable work function and optoelectronic properties of NiO_x²⁵, which conform well to the rough surface of the CIGS bottom subcell to suppress microscale shunt paths. The addition of 4PADCB not only passivates NiO_x surface defects, reduces interfacial recombination, and enhances hole extraction through favorable energy level alignment, but also facilitates high-quality perovskite film formation owing to its excellent solubility, wetting behavior, and large dipole moment compared to other SAMs.^15,26,27 An ultrathin Au layer is further introduced between the subcells to promote efficient majority carrier recombination. Notably, this composite IRL can be directly applied to CIGS subcells without requiring surface polishing. As a result, we achieved perovskite/CIGS tandems with high open-circuit voltage (V_OC, 1.74 V), substantial short-circuit current density (J_SC, 21.76 mA/cm²), and an exceptional fill factor (FF, 80.90%). The champion device, with an active area of 0.15 cm² and featuring a 1.01 eV bandgap bottom subcell and a 1.67 eV bandgap top subcell, achieved a PCE of 30.71% (30.10% cross-verified by an external organization). This represents a remarkable absolute increase of nearly 4% improvement over the previous certified record of 26.3%¹⁶, making it another 2-terminal tandem with efficiency exceeding 30%. Our achievement places perovskite/CIGS tandems alongside leading technologies like perovskite/Si (34.9%) and perovskite/perovskite (30.1%), as shown in the NREL chart¹⁶. Furthermore, the composite IRL suppresses photo-induced segregation in the perovskite layer and enhances the stability of unencapsulated tandem devices. Overall, this design not only significantly improves efficiency and stability but also offers a versatile framework that can be adapted to other tandem systems, broadening its potential impact on high-efficiency photovoltaic technologies.
The advantages of using a NiO_x/4PADCB double layer as a hybrid HTL for the perovskite top subcell were clearly demonstrated in Fig. 1. Through careful optimization of the CIGS fabrication process (Supplementary Figs. 1–8, Table 2), we successfully deposited the HTL directly onto the AZO transparent electrode surface of the as-grown CIGS subcell. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results also confirmed that all three hole transport materials could be effectively deposited onto the sputtered NiO_x surface (Supplementary Fig. 9). When 4PADCB was deposited alone onto the AZO surface (4PADCB), the devices exhibited a very low FF (~35%) and a corresponding low PCE (~ 12%). Using sputtered NiO_x alone (Sput) significantly improved the FF to ~68%, as it effectively covered the surface of the CIGS subcell and eliminated microscale shunt paths. However, defects on the NiO_x surface limited the V_OC to a low level of ~1.57 V. By combining sputtered NiO_x with 4PADCB (Sput/4PADCB), surface defects were passivated, improving the FF to ~71% and boosting the V_OC to ~1.71 V. Replacing the sputtered NiO_x with spin-coated NiO_x (Spin/4PADCB) reduced both FF (~ 56%) and V_OC (~ 1.59 V), highlighting the superior ability of sputtered NiO_x to eliminate the leakage between the top and bottom subcells. As discussed in the introduction and detailed in Supplementary Table 1, the various IRLs used in prior perovskite/CIGS tandem studies have consistently suffered from either significant V_OC losses or low FF, or both^6,9,11,21. These limitations often stemmed from incomplete interfacial defect passivation and inadequate shunt path removal. In contrast, our hybrid HTL with 4PADCB SAM on sputtered NiO_x successfully addressed these issues.
a Schematic of the tandem solar cell structure incorporating different HTLs. b–e Comparison of key performance parameters: (b) V_OC, (c) FF, (d) J_SC, and (e) PCE for tandem cells with various HTLs indicated on the horizontal axis. Each data point corresponds to a statistical set (n ≥ 18). The open circle, top and bottom whiskers, and box indicate the mean, minimum and maximum values, and the 25%–75% interquartile range, respectively.
To maximize the benefits of the hybrid HTL, we carefully controlled the thickness and conductance of the sputtered NiO_x layer. As shown in Supplementary Fig. 10, the optimal thickness was determined to be ~20 nm. A thinner NiO_x layer failed to adequately cover the rough surface of CIGS subcells, leading to incomplete shunt path elimination and reduced FF and V_OC. Conversely, a thicker NiO_x layer introduced increased internal resistance and carrier recombination, which also negatively impacted V_OC. Conductivity of the NiO_x layer also played a critical role. As demonstrated in Supplementary Fig. 11, Table 3, incorporating oxygen into the sputtering atmosphere increased the Ni³⁺ density and the conductivity²⁸, resulting in improved FF and V_OC. However, excessive interstitial oxygen and Ni³⁺ ions would reduce the film quality and decrease FF. The optimal O₂/(Ar+O₂) pressure ratio was therefore established at 1%. As shown in Supplementary Fig. 12, both Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GI-XRD) and Raman analyzes indicate the formation of pure-phase nickel oxide phase without metallic nickel, with structural and conductivity changes correlating to oxygen content.
To evaluate the performance of 4PADCB against other organic hole transport materials, we combined sputtered NiO_x with two commonly used materials in single-junction perovskite solar cells: 2PACz and poly(N, N’-bis-4butylphenyl-N, N’-bisphenyl)benzidine (TPD)^29,30,31 (Supplementary Fig. 13). As illustrated in Fig. 1, the devices exhibited a V_OC of ~1.69 V and an FF of ~67% for Sput/2PACz and ~1.66 V and ~63% for Sput/TPD. With comparable J_SC across all devices, the average PCEs incorporating TPD, 2PACz, and 4PADCB yielded 22.0%, 23.5%, and 25.5%, respectively, affirming 4PADCB as the superior choice for the hybrid HTLs. To understand these performance differences, both film thickness and molecular properties of the HTLs were considered. TPD usually forms a relatively thicker layer, potentially increasing internal resistance and reducing FF. In contrast, 4PADCB and 2PACz, as self-assembled monolayers, are much thinner and thus exert minimal influence on resistance. Beyond thickness, the advantages of 4PADCB are also linked to its distinct molecular structure, stronger interfacial dipole, and denser monolayer packing^15,32,33.
Furthermore, we found that employing a thicker perovskite layer than is typically used in single-junction devices appreciably improved the performance of perovskite/CIGS tandems. In contrast to the double-pass light absorption that occurred in single-junction perovskite solar cells enabled by metallic electrode reflection, top subcells in tandems relied solely on single-pass absorption. As shown in Supplementary Figs. 14, 15, increasing the concentration of perovskite precursor solution would increase the average layer thickness, raising J_SC from ~20.6 mA/cm² at 1.0 mmol/mL to ~21.6 mA/cm² at 2.5 mmol/mL due to enhanced light absorption. Moreover, the thicker perovskite layer buried AZO protrusions more effectively, further mitigating microscale shunt paths and improving both V_OC and FF. Nevertheless, excessively increasing the perovskite thickness introduced tremendous non-uniformity, increasing internal resistance, carrier transport path, and recombination rate while limiting the isolation of AZO protrusions. These effects adversely affected J_SC, V_OC, and FF. Balancing these factors, an optimal perovskite thickness of ~900 nm was determined (Supplementary Fig. 14), which aligns well with findings for perovskite/Si tandems.
To uncover the mechanisms behind the superior performance of the Sput/4PADCB hybrid HTL, we investigated the interface quality and energy level alignment using advanced characterization techniques. Confocal fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) was employed to analyze the spatial distribution of photoluminescence (PL) lifetimes for perovskite films deposited on different HTLs. To eliminate interference from the rough CIGS surface, we used a smooth ITO substrate to form an ITO/HTL/perovskite stack. As shown in Fig. 2a, c, d, samples with 4PADCB, Spin/4PADCB, and Sput/TPD all showed relatively short PL lifetimes and considerable inhomogeneity. In contrast, samples Sput, Sput/2PACz, and Sput/4PADCB demonstrated enhanced PL lifetimes and notably improved uniformity (Fig. 2 b, e, f), with Sput/4PADCB performing the best. These results were further corroborated by surface potential measurements using Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) (Supplementary Figs. 16, 17, Table 4) on different HTLs deposited on CIGS bottom cells under both ambient air and nitrogen environments. Large-area time-resolved PL (TRPL) measurements further quantified the improvement, with average carrier lifetimes of 15, 31, 74, 107, 161, and 217 ns, respectively, for Spin/4PADCB, 4PADCB, Sput/TPD, Sput, Sput/2PACz, and Sput/4PADCB (Supplementary Fig. 18, Table 5). Consistent trends were observed in TRPL measurements with excitation from both sides of the samples, as shown in Supplementary Fig. 19. The trend in steady-state PL intensity aligned with these findings, where higher PL intensities corresponded to longer carrier lifetimes. The Sput/4PADCB hybrid HTL demonstrated the most uniform interface, the longest radiative lifetime, and the highest PL intensity, confirming its superior ability to suppress non-radiative recombination at the perovskite/HTL interface.
a–f Photoluminescence lifetime images for perovskite films deposited on various HTLs: (a) 4PADCB, (b) Sput, (c) Spin/4PADCB, (d) Sput/TPD, (e) Sput/2PACz, and (f) Sput/4PADCB. g Energy level diagram illustrating the alignment between various HTLs and a wide-bandgap perovskite film. h Transient surface photovoltage for half-stack configurations of ITO/HTL/Perovskite/Au-Electrode with various HTLs.
To assess the hole extraction efficiency, we used ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) to examine energy level alignment and transient surface photovoltage (tr-SPV) measurement to study the hole transport dynamics. As depicted in Supplementary Fig. 20, UPS data revealed the work functions and energy positions of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) or valence band maximum (VBM) for the various HTLs and perovskite layers. All HTLs displayed VBMs/HOMOs between 680 and 750 meV below the Fermi level, which were higher than that of the perovskite, enabling energetically possible hole extraction. As further demonstrated in Fig. 2g, in addition to a large valence band offset (~600, ~630, ~790 meV, respectively) for spin-coated NiO_x, sputtered NiO_x, and TPD-coated NiO_x, the work function differences introduced an interface electric field between HTL and perovskite, resulting in a high energy barrier of ~300–520 meV. The large band offsets and energy barriers hindered hole transport from the perovskite layers to the HTLs, limiting extraction efficiency. In contrast, when 2PACz and 4PADCB were deposited on sputtered NiO_x, their strong molecular dipole moment increased the work functions of the hybrid HTLs and reversed the interface electric field direction. The resulting small valence band offsets (~250 meV for 2PACz and ~190 meV for 4PADCB) and favorable electric fields facilitated efficient hole extraction.
The effectiveness of hole extraction for these interfaces was further validated by tr-SPV measurements. As shown in Fig. 2h, the tr-SPV signal from the ITO/HTL/perovskite/Au-Electrode half-stacks demonstrated about three-fold increase in amplitude, from −1.7 mV to −5.3 mV, accompanied by a reduction in extraction time from 53.3 ns to 36.0 ns in the sequence of Sput, Sput/TPD, Sput/2PACz, Sput/4PADCB (Supplementary Fig. 21a, Table 6). Similar trends were observed under nitrogen environments, with extraction times reducing from 67.3 ns to 23.3 ns (Supplementary Fig. 21b, Table 7). These results and the observed steep voltage rise for Sput/4PADCB indicated that the perovskite/4PADCB/NiO_x junction enabled the fastest and most efficient transport of photo-generated holes among all configurations tested. Collectively, the data indicated that 4PADCB provides multiple benefits when combined with sputtered NiO_x: it passivates interfacial defects, minimizing carrier trapping and extending PL lifetimes, and it significantly improves energy level alignment, reducing transport barriers and enhancing hole extraction rates. These improvements translate directly to higher V_OC and FF for the tandem devices with sputtered NiO_x/4PADCB hybrid HTL.
The proper IRL in a monolithic p-i-n (bottom)/p-i-n (top) tandem must consist of an electron transport layer (ETL) and an HTL that not only efficiently extracts electrons and holes from their respective light absorbers, but also recombines these carriers effectively and timely at the ETL/HTL junction³⁴. For the optimized AZO/NiO_x/4PADCB IRL, we introduced an ultrathin Au particle layer (Supplementary Fig. 22) at the AZO/NiO_x interface to further improve device performance. As shown in Fig. 3a–d, when the average Au thickness increased from 0 to 0.6 nm, the J_SC exhibited only a slight fluctuation, remaining around ~21.3 to ~21.2 mA/cm², possibly due to minor light absorption by the Au particles. More importantly, the FF improved significantly from ~71% to ~76%. With the simultaneously increased V_OC from ~1.71 V to ~1.73 V, the average PCE boosted from 25.6% to 27.6%. When the average Au thickness exceeded 1 nm, FF saturated, and the overall device performance declined. These results highlight the critical role of the ultrathin Au particle layer in the AZO/Au/NiO_x/4PADCB structure for enhancing FF and overall device performance.
a–d Comparison of V_OC (a), FF (b), J_SC (c), and PCE (d) for tandem devices with varying average Au layer thickness. e Schematic of the energy level diagram of the AZO/Au/NiO_x/4PADCB recombination junction. f J–V curves for the champion tandem device. g External quantum efficiency (EQE) of the tandem device, where the slightly lower integrated J_SC may result from insufficient light intensity to saturate metastable defects. h Historical progress of record efficiencies for monolithic perovskite/CIGS tandem devices. Each data point corresponds to a statistical set (n ≥ 22). The open circle, top and bottom whiskers, and box indicate the mean, minimum and maximum values, and the 25%–75% interquartile range, respectively.
To understand the role played by the thin Au particle layer, we plotted the energy level diagram of the AZO/Au/NiO_x/4PADCB/perovskite stack in Fig. 3e. As shown in Supplementary Fig. 20, the VBM of sputtered NiO_x is close to the HOMO of 4PADCB and approximately 700 meV below the conduction band minimum (CBM) of the heavily doped AZO. Thus, the contribution from direct band-to-band tunneling to the carrier recombination between electrons from AZO and holes from NiO_x is negligible. This conclusion is supported by the resistive-like current-voltage (J–V) characteristics observed in the AZO/NiO_x/4PADCB and AZO/Au/NiO_x/4PADCB junctions (Supplementary Fig. 23). Without the Au particle layer, the carrier recombination was primarily mediated by interfacial trap states. Introducing the ultrathin Au particle layer opened up an additional recombination channel through Au particle states, and the insertion of an ultrathin Au layer could induce band bending at the Au/NiO_x interface due to the relatively high work function of Au, thereby facilitating hole extraction and increasing the recombination rate for majority carriers by ~12%, as evidenced by the increased current density of ~12% (Supplementary Fig. 23). This timely recombination of electrons and holes in IRL eliminated the accumulation of un-recombined charge carriers at the junction, reducing the reverse built-in electric field. The reduced charge carrier accumulation within the IRL due to the incorporation of the Au layer led to more efficient extraction of holes from the perovskite/4PADCB/NiO_x interface, thus reducing the residence time of holes and consequently the number of minority carrier recombination. A similar argument applies to electrons at the CIGS/CdS interface. In the end, a higher FF and V_OC for the tandem devices could be achieved, as evidenced by the improved J–V and dark J–V characteristics in Supplementary Fig. 24.
In addition to the Au particle layer, the AZO ETL layer was optimized to complete the ideal IRL. As shown in Supplementary Fig. 25, the optimal AZO thickness was determined to be ~200 nm. Thinner AZO significantly reduced both FF and V_OC, likely due to ineffective electron collection, while thicker layers decreased J_SC, likely due to parasitic absorption.
For the present tandem structure, incident light had to pass the C₆₀ layer before reaching the perovskite layer. The absorptive nature of C₆₀ in the ultraviolet (UV) region of the solar spectrum could also affect the performance of the top subcell. As demonstrated in Supplementary Figs. 26, 27 for single semi-transparent perovskite solar cells, a normal thickness of C₆₀ at 20 nm indeed reduced the J_SC by incidence light from the top TCO side, and a reduced thickness at ~12 nm could reach a better overall performance. As further illustrated in Supplementary Fig. 28, an optimal thickness of ~12 nm, in contrast to ~20 nm normally used for stand-alone opaque perovskite solar cells, could effectively avoid strong UV parasitic light absorption and maintain reasonable V_OC and FF for the tandem devices.
Using the optimized composite IRL of AZO/Au/NiO_x/4PADCB, along with previously optimized bottom and top subcells (Supplementary Fig. 29)³⁵, we fabricated a champion cell with a 0.15 cm² active area. The device achieved a PCE of 30.71%, with a V_OC of ~1.745 V, an FF of ~80.9%, and a J_SC of ~21.76 mA/cm² (Fig. 3f, corresponding EQE spectra shown in Fig. 3g). The PCE cross-verified by an external organization was 30.1%, with a V_OC ~ 1.731 V, an FF ~ 80.2%, and a J_SC ~ 21.67 mA/cm² (Supplementary Note 1). Additionally, a larger area of 0.51 cm² tandem device was fabricated, achieving an efficiency of 28.04% (Supplementary Fig. 30). As shown in Fig. 3h, this work marks a significant milestone in the development of monolithic perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cells. Our device not only sets a notably high efficiency for monolithic perovskite/CIGS tandems but also surpasses the performance of four-terminal architectures (Supplementary Table 8). Furthermore, it also exceeds the record efficiencies of both constituent single-junction solar cells in their optimized configurations (perovskite: 27.0%, CIGS: 23.6%, NREL chart, 2025)¹⁶. Compared to the previous champion perovskite/CIGS tandem devices (Supplementary Table 1), the significantly improved PCE can be attributed primarily to the remarkable enhancement in both FF and J_SC. The moderate V_OC resulted from deliberate bandgap optimization, with the CIGS bottom subcell set at 1.01 eV and the perovskite top subcell at 1.67 eV, enabling efficient current matching. The exceptional FF value exceeding 80%, one of the highest reported for perovskite/CIGS tandems²², surpassed that of standalone CIGS subcells, demonstrating the effectiveness of the optimized IRL. The high J_SC was achieved through the use of a narrow-bandgap CIGS bottom subcell, a thicker perovskite absorber, optimized bandgap matching, and an anti-reflection coating.
While 4-terminal (4 T) perovskite/CIGS tandems have shown high efficiency^7,23 and favorable energy yield under real-world conditions, detailed modeling has demonstrated that 4 T configurations deliver only a modest increase in annual energy yield compared to their 2-terminal (2 T) counterparts, typically about 1–3%, depending on deployment location and tracking strategy³⁶. In earlier studies, the monolithic 2 T devices have so far exhibited lower performance, their limitations primarily stem from non-optimized interfacial recombination layers rather than intrinsic material or structural constraints. Here, we demonstrate a monolithic perovskite/CIGS tandem with the PCE exceeding 30% through the introduction of a multifunctional AZO/Au/NiO_x/4PADCB interlayer, highlighting its potential for scalable, high-yield photovoltaic applications.
We evaluated the photostability of perovskite films with various hole transport layers in ambient conditions under continuous-wave laser illumination at different light intensities. Time-dependent and excitation light intensity-dependent PL measurements were conducted at 405 nm wavelength. As shown in Fig. 4a, at 1-sun-equivalent intensity, all five perovskite films exhibited minimal changes in their PL spectra, indicating good photostability under standard operating conditions. To accelerate or amplify the light-induced phase segregation process, the illumination intensity was further increased to 10- and 30-sun equivalents, aiming to elucidate how different interfacial structures affect device stability. Notably, only the Spin/4PADCB and Sput/4PADCB samples maintained nearly unchanged PL spectra even under such high-intensity illumination. Supplementary Fig. 31 presents the PL spectra normalized to the maximum value within each data set (i.e., from 0 to 20 min), which facilitates the observation of intensity changes over time. Considering both PL intensity and spectral shifts, 4PADCB appears to exhibit relatively better stability compared to 2PACz and TPD. Light-induced halide segregation in wide-bandgap perovskites with high Br/I ratios is often linked to PL instability due to the formation of iodide-rich clusters. While charge accumulation has been proposed to accelerate this process by promoting ion migration^32,37,38, the segregation mechanism is likely multifactorial and still requires further clarification.
a Normalized evolution of PL spectra for perovskite films on different HTLs (4PADCB, Spin/4PADCB, Sput/TPD, Sput/2PACz, and Sput/4PADCB) under equivalent 1-sun, 10-sun, and 30-sun illumination over 20 min. b Long-term storage stability of monolithic perovskite/CIGS tandem devices at room temperature (25 °C) in an N₂ atmosphere. c Thermal stability of tandem devices at 65 °C in an N₂ atmosphere. d Continuous MPPT test for unencapsulated tandem devices. Note that absolute efficiency data for Figures (b–d) are provided in Supplementary Fig. 33, and these measurements were all performed under standard 1-sun illumination conditions.
Due to their ultrathin nature, SAMs can rapidly transport photo-generated holes, effectively suppressing light-induced phase segregation^10,32,38. Although 4PADCB and 2PACz share identical anchoring groups and exhibit similar defect passivation on sputtered NiO_x surfaces, they differ in their functional groups: 4PADCB possesses a 7H-dibenzo[c,g]carbazole, while 2PACz contains a carbazole. The functional group in 4PADCB features expanded π-orbitals arranged in a non-coplanar helical configuration. This structure enables denser and more ordered molecular packing via steric repulsion, resulting in better spatial overlap between the expanded π-orbitals and the perovskite wavefunction¹⁵. As demonstrated in Fig. 2h, this characteristic facilitates more efficient hole extraction, reducing charge accumulation and thereby suppressing light-induced phase segregation. In contrast, 2PACz, with its carbazole functional group, exhibited inferior photo-stability due to its relatively less effective molecular packing and hole extraction properties. As a conventional hole transport material, TPD offers reasonable energy level alignment and hydrophobicity³⁹ but often forms non-uniform films on rough surfaces like CIGS⁴⁰. In contrast, SAMs spontaneously form conformal, ultrathin layers, ensuring better surface coverage on textured substrates and thereby improving interfacial contact and reducing trap states. As a result, SAM-based devices exhibit enhanced performance. Supplementary Figs. 13, 32 present the molecular structures^15,32,33, Quasi-Fermi Level Splitting (QFLS) analysis and pseudo J–V of the three HTLs obtained from the intensity-dependent V_OC, confirming that 4PADCB significantly mitigates V_OC loss and boosts device efficiency, supporting the use of NiO_x/4PADCB as an effective hybrid hole transport layer.
We further assessed the thermal stability of unencapsulated tandem devices stored in a nitrogen environment at different temperatures. After 6600 h of storage at 25 °C (Fig. 4b), the 4PADCB device retained 88.6% of its initial efficiency. In contrast, the Sput/4PADCB device demonstrated significantly improved stability, maintaining 98.7% of its initial efficiency. At 65 °C, after 678 h (Fig. 4c), the Sput/4PADCB device retained about 86% of its initial efficiency, slightly below the Sput/TPD device but significantly outperforming both 4PADCB and Sput/2PACz devices.
Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) measurements further reinforced these findings. The Sput/4PADCB device exhibited the highest stability, while the 4PADCB device showed the greatest degradation (Fig. 4d). The enhanced stability of NiO_x-containing devices is likely attributed to the abundant surface hydroxyl (OH) groups on NiO_x, which facilitate stronger molecular anchoring of SAM layers⁴¹. The superior stability of 4PADCB SAM over 2PACz SAM results from its ability to form denser and more uniform molecular packing.
In conclusion, the optimized AZO/Au/NiO_x/4PADCB IRL delivered exceptional PCE for perovskite/CIGS tandems. The combination of sputtered NiO_x and 4PADCB effectively eliminated the microscale shunt paths and efficiently passivated the interfacial traps. The ultrathin Au particle layer substantially boosted the recombination rate of the majority carriers from subcells. The efficient charge transport, coupled with strong molecular anchoring on NiO_x, enabled the perovskite/CIGS tandem devices to maintain robust long-term performance under elevated temperatures and prolonged light exposure. The principles behind this composite IRL design can be extended to other tandem architectures, offering a pathway toward the development of high-efficiency, stable, and durable multi-junction solar cells.
Formamidinium iodide (FAI), Cesium iodide (CsI), Lead iodide (PbI₂), Lead bromide (PbBr₂), Lead chloride (PbCl₂), Piperazinium Diiodide (PDI), Piperazine hydrobromide (PBr) and C₆₀ were obtained from Xi’an Polymer Light Technology in China. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF), ethanol, and isopropanol (IPA) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. Diethyl ether (DE) was purchased from Jiangsu Yonghua in China. Poly(N, N’-bis(4-butylphenyl)-N, N-bis(phenyl)benzidine) (poly-TPD) was purchased from 1-Materials in Canada. 2PACz ([2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid) was purchased from TCI. 4PADCB was synthesized by our team. Tetrakis(dimethylamino)tin(IV) (99.9999%) for atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) SnO₂ was bought from Suzhou Xinjiayuan Chemical Technology Co., Ltd. Indium tin oxide (ITO) and NiO_x targets were purchased from Shenzhen Zhongchengda Applied Materials Co., Ltd. Au(99.999%) was purchased from Hebei Fengming New Material Technology Co., Ltd. NiO_x nanoparticle powder (particle size around 10 nm) was purchased from Advanced Election Technology Company in China. ITO/glass substrates were purchased from Yiyang Huanan Xiangcheng Technology Co., Ltd, with a sheet resistance of 15 Ω/sq. Cu, In, Ga, and Se pellets were supplied by Kurt J. Lesker Company. Mo, intrinsic ZnO, and Al-doped ZnO targets were supplied by Huizhou Tianyi Rare Materials Co., Ltd.
The perovskite solar cell was fabricated in a p-i-n structure with ITO/4PADCB/perovskite/C60/BCP/Ag. First, a 4PADCB solution (0.5 mg/ml in ethanol) was spin-coated directly onto an ITO substrate at 3000 rpm for 30 s, followed by annealing at 100 °C for 10 min. Then, the 4PADCB-coated ITO sample was pre-washed by spin-coating a PBr solution (1.0 mg/ml) at a speed of 5000 rpm (with a ramping rate of 3000 rpm/s) for 30 s. Wide-bandgap perovskite solutions were prepared by dissolving FAI, CsI, PbI₂, PbBr₂, PbCl₂, with molar ratios adjusted to form (FA_0.8Cs_0.2)Pb(I_0.82Br_0.15Cl_0.03)₃ in a DMF and DMSO mixed solvent system (DMF: DMSO = 3:1 volume ratio). This solution was spin-coated onto the PBr film at 3000 rpm for 60 se. During this process, 500 μl of DE was quickly dripped onto the center of the perovskite film 30 s before the end of the spin-coating process, followed by annealing at 100 °C for 20 min. The surface passivation of the perovskite film was achieved by spin-coating a PDI solution (0.5 mg/ml). For the opaque devices, C₆₀ (20 nm), BCP (6 nm), and Ag (100 nm) layers were sequentially deposited onto the perovskite films by thermal evaporation.
The detailed CIGS and CdS preparation procedures are provided in Supplementary Figs. 1–4. Briefly, CIGS fabrication began with sputtering a ~1 μm molybdenum layer onto soda-lime glass as the back electrode. Then, Cu, In, Ga, and Se were co-evaporated via the multi-stage process to form a CIGS light absorber layer (~2.7 μm). The RbF post-deposition treatment was performed to improve the junction quality at the CIGS surface. The CIGS devices were completed with a ~50 nm CdS buffer layer via chemical bath deposition, a ∼50 nm i-ZnO layer, and a ~ 200 nm (for tandem devices) Al-doped ZnO window layer via RF sputtering. In the stand-alone configuration, Al grids and MgF₂ antireflection layers were additionally deposited by thermal evaporation.
For the fabrication of two-terminal tandem devices, the CIGS cells were terminated at the AZO layer. In the optimized scheme, a thin layer of 0.6 nm Au was deposited by thermal evaporation under high vacuum conditions (5 × 10⁻⁴ Pa). In other schemes, this step was skipped. Immediately afterward, 20 nm of NiO_x was sputtered in an O₂ (1%)/Ar (99%) mixed atmosphere at a process pressure of 0.5 Pa and a sputtering power of 60 W. An organic hole transport layer of either TPD, 2PACz, or 4PADCB was further spin-coated on the NiO_x layer. The light absorber layer of wide-bandgap perovskite was deposited in the same way as described above for the single-junction perovskite solar cells. It is worth noting that the concentration of the perovskite solution was now 1.80 mmol/mL, rather than the 1.35 mmol/mL concentration used for single-junction perovskite solar cells. To decrease parasitic absorption, a thinner C₆₀ layer (12 nm) was deposited by thermal evaporation, and a 20 nm thick SnO_x layer, instead of BCP, was deposited by reactive atomic layer deposition (ALD) (Picosun R200). The pulse and purge times were 0.3 s and 12 s, respectively, for TDMASn and 4 s and 15 s, for H₂O. The front transparent electrode of 100 nm thick ITO (In/Sn ratio 90/10) was sputtered in a pure argon atmosphere, and the frame electrode of 300 nm thick Ag was deposited by thermal evaporation. Finally, the MgF₂ antireflection layer (~100 nm) was deposited using electron beam evaporation.
J–V curves were measured using an AM 1.5 G solar simulator (Enli-tech AAA solar simulator, China) under ambient conditions with a scan speed of 0.1 V s⁻¹ (voltage steps of 20 mV and a delay time of 30 ms). The voltage range was from −0.1 V to 1.25 V for single-junction devices and −0.1 V to 2.0 V for tandem devices. The intensity of the solar simulator was calibrated to 1 sun (100 mW cm⁻²) using a reference Si solar cell. The boxes in the PV parameter plots indicate the 25/75 percentiles, and the whiskers mark the 10/90 percentiles. The line in the plots marks the respective average value.
The EQE curves were measured using a QE/incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) system (Enli Technology Co. Ltd., China). The system was calibrated using a Si reference cell for the range from 300 to 1100 nm and a Ge reference cell for the range from 1100 to 1400 nm. For the tandem devices, LED bars were used as bias light sources, illuminating at a wavelength of 850 nm to measure the top cell and at a wavelength of 550 nm to measure the bottom cell.
The morphology and microstructure of the various samples were characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM, TESCAN MIRA3). Except for the Au particle on the conductive AZO sample, the remaining samples were coated with a thin gold layer (~5 nm, deposited for 30 s at 30 mA) to mitigate charging effects. SEM imaging was conducted under high vacuum, utilizing a beam energy of 15 kV.
GI-XRD analysis was carried out using a Rigaku SmartLab 3 kW diffractometer (Rigaku Co., Japan) with Cu Kα radiation, operated at a scanning speed of 5° min⁻¹.
The Raman spectrums were collected by a CCD detector (PIXIS256) through a spectrometer (Princeton Instrument, SpectraPro HRS-300) with a 1200 grooves/mm grating for a resolution of less than 1 cm⁻¹. The slit was fixed to 100 μm for 1 mi integration. A 532 nm laser was used to excite the samples through a 100(times) objective lens.
UPS measurements were performed on a Thermo Fisher ESCALAB Xi⁺ instrument, and the samples were placed in an ultrahigh vacuum. The measurements were conducted with an ultraviolet light source of He I (21.2 eV) with a pass energy of 0.5 eV, dwell time of 50 ms, bias voltage of −6 V, and a step size of 20 meV. The systematic energy error of UPS was ~50 meV. The relative accuracy of the work function and valence band maximum position was slightly better than 50 meV. UPS is very sensitive to the cleanliness of the film surface. To avoid contamination errors, we kept the freshly prepared samples in a nitrogen-filled box until they entered the UPS chambers. XPS measurements were performed on a Thermo Fisher ESCALAB Xi⁺ instrument with a monochromatic Al Kα (1486.6 eV) X-ray, and the samples were measured under an ultrahigh vacuum. The binding energies were calibrated using the C(1 s) carbon peak (284.8 eV). All the high-resolution spectra were obtained under constant analyzer energy mode with a pass energy of 30 eV and a step size of 0.1 eV.
AFM height images and KPFM surface potential distribution images were obtained under ambient conditions using a Bruker Dimension Icon AFM. These measurements employed amplitude modulation mode, using SCM-PIT-V2 probes from Bruker, which have a resonance frequency of 70 kHz and a force constant of 3 N/m. A consistent lift height of 20 nm was maintained throughout the measurements. Regarding the measurement under nitrogen atmosphere, we maintain the same testing conditions and use a custom-built acrylic box with continuous nitrogen purging to prevent ambient degradation for KPFM measurements.
KPFM measurements directly provided the spatially resolved contact potential difference (CPD), which was defined as
where Φ_tip and Φ_sample were the work functions of the tip and sample, respectively, and e was the elementary charge. When a standard reference, such as highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) with a known work function, was used, the absolute work function of samples could be determined by
The PL spectra of the perovskite films were recorded using a DeltaFlex fluorescence spectrometer (HORIBA, Japan), excited with a semiconductor laser at a center wavelength of 488 nm. TRPL was carried out with a time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) module as the detector. Carrier lifetime is measured using TRPL decay curves. The fitting parameters, obtained from a bi-exponential decay equation, are listed below:
where ({tau }_{{{rm{ave}}}}) is the average carrier lifetime, ({A}_{1}) and ({A}_{2}) represent the decay amplitudes of fast and slow decay processes, respectively, and ({tau }_{1}) and ({tau }_{2}) stand for the fast and slow decay time constants, respectively.
The FLIM measurement was performed with the confocal configuration of a PicoQuant MicroTime 200 instrument. The excitation pulsed laser at 488 nm was operated at a repetition rate of 5 MHz and was focused onto the sample through an objective lens (Olympus MPLFLN100x, NA 0.9). The fluorescence emission of the sample was passed through a 650 nm long-pass filter (Jcoptix, OFE1LP-650) and detected by a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD). The electrical signal was then processed by time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) electronics (Time Harp 260, PicoQuant). The FLIM images were analyzed by PicoQuant SynphoTime 64.
The Hall measurements were characterized by the Hall effect tester (HMS-5500, Ecopia). Place the sample in the testing module at room temperature and atmospheric conditions to obtain information on the sheet resistance, resistivity, and carrier concentration of the thin film.
Photostability measurements were performed using a home-built setup. The perovskite films were excited by a 405 nm continuous-wave laser, and the illumination intensity was adjusted to 1-, 10-, and 30-sun-equivalent intensity using a variable neutral density filter (LBTEK, NDFR-50S-3M). Each measurement lasted a total of 20 min, with the fluorescence spectrum collected every minute to characterize the sample’s stability under illumination. The PLQY measurements were characterized by the luminescence test system (Enli Technology Co. Ltd, China, LQ-100), with an excitation wavelength of 365 nm.
Measurements were conducted at 10 Hz in an ambient environment using a 405 nm nanosecond pulsed diode laser (Thorlabs, NPL41C) with a pulse duration of 6 ns and an intensity of approximately 0.75 μJ/cm², triggered by an arbitrary function generator (Tektronix, AFG31000). The tr-SPV signal was measured using an oscilloscope (Tektronix, MDO34, 2.5 GS/s). The measurement frequency was 10 Hz, and 128 averages were taken per routine. Meanwhile, to avoid atmospheric impact, we conducted SPV measurements under nitrogen atmosphere using a custom-built acrylic box with continuous nitrogen purging to prevent ambient degradation, while ensuring that other testing conditions were the same. The sample was excited from the ITO side, and the SPV signals were collected using two copper wires, which connected the Au electrode on the front side and the ITO electrode on the back side of the half device. These open-circuit signals were then transferred to the oscilloscope through a BNC adapter. Carrier extraction time is measured using tr-SPV curves. It is defined as the time required to reach the maximum SPV. The decay time is determined by fitting the data to a bi-exponential decay equation, as described below:
where ({V}_{10}) and ({V}_{20}) represent the decay amplitudes of fast and slow decay processes, respectively, and ({tau }_{1}) and ({tau }_{2}) stand for the fast and slow decay time constants, respectively.
Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article.
The main data supporting the findings of this study are available within the published article and its Supplementary Information and source data files. Additional data are available from the corresponding author on request. Source data are provided with this paper.
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This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2024YFB4205300 to J.L. and X.X.), the Special Fund for the “Dual Carbon” Science and Technology Innovation of Jiangsu province (Industrial Prospect and Key Technology Research Program, BE2022021 to X.X.), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61904128 to J.G. and No. 12374357 to S.W.), and the Knowledge Innovation Program of Wuhan-Shuguang Project (Grant No. 2023010201020269 to J.L. and 2023020201020253 to J.G.). The authors gratefully acknowledge the support provided by Wuhan University’s start-up fund, as well as the facilities and assistance offered by the Core Facility of Wuhan University. Special thanks are extended to Prof. Guojia Fang, Mr. Hongyi Fang, and Mr. Guoyi Chen (Wuhan University) for their assistance with PL and PLQY measurements, and to Prof. Chao Chen and Mr. Zhihan Ding (Huazhong University of Science and Technology) for their support with Hall measurements.
These authors contributed equally: Wang Li, Junjun Zhang, and Li Zeng.
School of Physics and Technology, Key Lab of Artificial Micro- and Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
Wang Li, Junjun Zhang, Li Zeng, Zhou Fang, Xinxing Liu, Zengyang Ma, Yitian Zhang, Hui Yan, Chen Shen, Zhuo Xue, Jingyi Zhu, Qiren Luo, Chang Liu, Jianmin Li, Sheng Wang, Junbo Gong & Xudong Xiao
Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE Future Technologies), College of Materials, Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
Wanhai Wang & Weihua Tang
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, PR China
Ruixuan Jiang & Tongle Bu
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X.X. supervised the project, provided the primary funding, and offered critical guidance on experimental design and manuscript preparation. X.X., J.G., S.W., and J.L. conceived the overall idea, discussed the entire experimental process, and wrote and polished the manuscript. All authors contributed to the review of the manuscript. During the revision process, J.L., W.L., and X.X. made significant contributions to refining the manuscript structure, strengthening data interpretation, enhancing the clarity and scientific rigor of the presentation, and formulating detailed and thoughtful responses to the reviewers’ comments. W.L., J.J.Z., and L.Z. contributed equally to this work. They designed and conducted the primary experiments, fabricated the tandem devices, and performed most of the characterization. J.G. consulted and coordinated the acquisition of 4PADCB. W.W. and W.T. synthesized and provided the 4PADCB material. Z.F. assisted in the fabrication of perovskite solar cells. X.L. contributed to the optimization of wide-bandgap perovskite cells. Z.M. and Y.Z. supported the maintenance of CIGS fabrication equipment and optimized the AZO layer thickness. H.Y. and J.L. improved the surface roughness of the CIGS bottom cells. C.S., Z.X., and S.W. performed FLIM, AFM, TRPL, KPFM, and PL stability measurements. J.Y.Z. and S.W. carried out Tr-SPV measurements. Q.L. and C.L. provided resources for ALD and assisted in the preparation of SnO₂ functional layers. R.J. and T.B. conducted PL measurements and contributed to the device stability test.
Correspondence to Jianmin Li, Sheng Wang, Junbo Gong or Xudong Xiao.
The authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Communications thanks the anonymous reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.
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Li, W., Zhang, J., Zeng, L. et al. Efficient perovskite/Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ tandem solar cells with a composite intermediate recombination layer. Nat Commun 17, 711 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67350-y
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One of Georgia’s biggest solar farms is dividing one of its smallest counties  AJC.com
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The Republic of Liberia
The dedication ceremony comes less than two years after President Boakai broke ground for the project on October 11, 2024, demonstrating steady progress in the Government’s efforts to strengthen the country’s energy infrastructure.
The project includes the newly constructed 20-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility and supports plans for the expansion of the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant by 42 megawatts.
Speaking at the dedication ceremony, President Boakai described the solar facility as a major addition to Liberia’s energy infrastructure and a significant step toward increasing access to reliable and affordable electricity across the country.
The President noted that the project supports his Administration’s efforts to expand infrastructure, stimulate economic activity, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for Liberians.
He explained that inadequate and expensive electricity has long hindered economic growth, discouraged investment, and limited the delivery of essential services. He emphasized that reliable electricity is vital for hospitals, schools, businesses, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and other productive sectors of the economy.
President Boakai also announced that his Administration secured an additional US$57 million in World Bank financing in March 2026 to further strengthen Liberia’s energy sector. The funding will support the expansion of solar generation capacity from 20 to 30 megawatts, the installation of a 12-megawatt battery energy storage system, and additional upgrades at the Mount Coffee facility.
The President disclosed that 22 megawatts of lost generation capacity at Mount Coffee have already been restored and revealed plans to further expand the hydropower facility by an additional 42 megawatts.
Highlighting the broader impact of expanded electricity access, President Boakai said the solar farm represents an investment in economic growth, job creation, improved public safety, and a more resilient future. He added that efforts are underway to strengthen transmission and distribution systems so that more communities across Liberia can benefit from reliable electricity services.
President Boakai further noted that, under the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, the Government is investing in energy, roads, ports, digital connectivity, and water systems. He stressed that increased electricity generation is essential for industrialization, value addition, private-sector growth, and the development of a vibrant 24-hour economy capable of creating opportunities for young Liberians.
The project is part of the Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention (RESPITE), an initiative launched in April 2022 by the World Bank and the Governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone to address electricity shortages and accelerate renewable energy development across West Africa.
Executive Mansion
P.O. Box 9001
Capitol Hill, Monrovia
Republic of Liberia
 

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The popularity of rooftop solar in Australia has been nothing short of remarkable. (ABC News: Jess Davis)
Amid the growing warmth and increasingly volatile weather of an approaching summer, Australia passed a remarkable milestone this week.
The number of homes and businesses with a solar installation clicked past 4 million — barely 20 years since there was practically none anywhere in the country.
It is a love affair that shows few signs of stopping.
And it's a technology that is having ever greater effects, not just on the bills of its household users but on the very energy system itself.
At no time of the year is that effect more obvious than spring, when solar output soars as the days grow longer and sunnier but demand remains subdued as mild temperatures mean people leave their air conditioners switched off.
Such has been the extraordinary production of solar in Australia this spring, the entire state of South Australia has — at various times — met all of its electricity needs from the technology.
What South Australia could not use itself, it exported to other states.
And everywhere, it seems, demand for power from the grid — that is, demand for power not being met by rooftop solar — has fallen to record lows.
But all of this solar is prompting some hard questions, and gnashing of teeth, for one, simple reason — there is, at times, too much solar power in Australia's electricity systems to handle.
To deal with this abundance, experts say Australia needs to come to terms what appears a counter-intuitive argument.
It needs to accept that much of this solar will have to be wasted — or spilled — sometimes.
Jess Hunt, an electricity market designer based in Adelaide, likens Australia's abundance of sun-powered electricity to another natural resource — water.
Ms Hunt says it is simply unviable and unnecessary to capture every drop of water that falls to the ground.
We don't try to catch every drop of rain that falls. There are calls to treat solar the same way. (AAP: Dan Himbrechts)
Similarly, she says it makes no sense to store every ray of sunshine that hits a solar panel.
"Spilling solar shouldn't be seen as a cause for hand-wringing," Ms Hunt wrote on social media.
At the heart of the concerns about Australia's occasional over-abundance of solar is a technical phenomenon known as minimum demand.
The term refers to the demand for power from the grid.
Necessarily, it excludes the demand that is met by rooftop solar panels — so-called behind-the-meter sources of supply that are provided by customers themselves.
When the amount of rooftop solar in Australia was immaterial, it wasn't a problem.
Coal plants not only provide electricity — they also help keep the grid strong. (Supplied: AGL)
The proportion of demand for power being met by solar was tiny, and conventional generators such as coal- and gas-fired power plants carried on almost totally unaffected.
But as the amount of small-scale solar has grown to truly monumental levels, the dent it has put in demand for power from the grid has become equally large.
Rooftop solar is now such a dominant force in the system, at times, it is pushing the minimum level of demand for power from the grid to critically low levels.
Alex Wonhas, the chief executive of battery developer AMPYR and a former executive at the Australian Energy Market Operator, said the problem was a physical one.
Dr Wonhas said traditional sources of generation such as coal- and gas-fired plants, as well as electricity, provide the services that make the grid resilient and help it ride through shocks.
These include inertia, the physical property that makes balancing a moving bicycle easier than a stationary one, and "system strength", which helps maintain the heartbeat of the grid.
Like solar panels, wind turbines typically don't provide so-called system strength services. (Reuters: David Gray/File)
By contrast, Dr Wonhas said wind turbines, solar panels and batteries did not typically provide such services.
The result, he said, was a grid that could be left dangerously short of resilience when minimum demand fell too low.
In other words, when too many conventional generators were squeezed out of the system.
"The minimum demand problem typically happens in the middle of the day on weekend days when you have a lot of solar output but maybe not a lot of demand," Dr Wonhas said.
"At that time, the electricity grid effectively becomes a little bit unstable.
"It's a little like cycling on your bicycle when it's moving very slowly — the inertial forces of the bicycle become less and really very difficult to keep it straight.
"That's the same challenge of operating an energy system during those periods of time.
"You have to either increase the load (demand) during that time to make it more stable or you have to basically reduce the solar output or other output."
For all these challenges, Dr Wonhas noted times were changing.
There are high hopes batteries can help Australia soak up much of its excess solar. (ABC News: Glyn Jones)
Importantly, he said improved technology for inverters — which enable assets such as solar panels to connect to the grid — was allowing green energy to provide the system with strength and security services.
Equally, he said batteries would significantly help deal with the problem "in a number of different ways".
It was for this reason, he said, that investors were flooding into the space, stumping up billions of dollars to build batteries that would add dozens of gigawatts of storage to the system.
"To put it simply, batteries are the solution to the minimum demand challenge.
"Batteries can actually start to provide those services and can help to stabilise the grid.
"And we are seeing increasing applications of batteries to help to manage the minimum demand challenge.
"They can firstly absorb a lot of the energy in the middle of the day and then obviously release it at a later time.
"As a result of that happening, we see an absolute wave of battery projects now coming into the electricity market to fulfil that role.
"But batteries can also go even further — with the latest technology they can actually provide inertia so they can basically pretend to be a coal or a gas plant."
Solar farms are among the hardest hit when rooftop systems squeeze other sources offline. (ABC News: Michael Franchi)
Despite his bullishness of the potential for batteries, Dr Wonhas acknowledged that it would be impractical and too costly to store every unit of electricity generated by solar in Australia.
He said there would inevitably be a "trade-off" between cost and efficiency once enough storage was built to handle most of the excess solar.
"Buying batteries at the moment has become cheaper but it's still relatively expensive, say, compared with the cost of solar energy," he said.
"So, there's simply an economic trade-off decision whether you want to build a battery for every single kilowatt hour that comes out of a solar panel or maybe at some point say, 'We already have enough … but that's okay because it's still the lowest cost outcome for consumers.'"
According to Ms Hunt, building more batteries to cope with the surge in solar was only part of the solution to the minimum demand problem.
She said another, arguably better option, was to increase demand for electricity during the middle of the day when solar output was highest.
This, Ms Hunt argued, was ultimately likely to be the cheapest and most efficient way of using Australia's solar riches.
And to that end, she said encouraging consumers from householders to industrial customers to shift their consumption as much as possible was the key.
About one in every three Australian homes now has a rooftop solar installation. (ABC News: Glyn Jones)
"While I agree that we need to replace coal with flexible storage and gas, I don't see this as a solution for managing minimum demand," Ms Hunt wrote.
"It will only buy us a handful of years before the rooftop PV juggernaut rolls on and we have a grid stability problem again.
"We need to get better at demand flexibility so that we can use solar as productively as we can, and we to change our mindset."
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Township rejects solar farm, animal shelter opens mall location: Jackson headlines May 29 – June 4  MLive.com
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I am Zhang Li from China Three Gorges New Energy. We are a central state-owned enterprise specializing in the investment, construction, and operation of photovoltaic and wind power projects. We belong to China Three Gorges Corporation—the country’s largest hydropower development and operating enterprise and a leading group in clean energy and ecological environmental protection. Today, I would like to share with you the story of a beam of light.
In 1954, in a laboratory, scientists used a beam of sunlight to power a small telegraph machine. That is how the first commercially viable solar cell was born. At the time, its conversion efficiency was only 6%, meaning that out of 100 units of sunlight, only 6 units could be converted into electricity. Back then, no one imagined that decades later, China would become a global “leader” in the photovoltaic industry.
We were not the earliest to start, but along the way we moved from “learning and following,” to “working alongside,” and then to “leading the way,” forging our own path through sheer effort. As both witnesses and participants, China Three Gorges New Energy has been fortunate to see and take part in this great process. Today, let us use our story to talk about the real, tangible progress China’s photovoltaic industry has made over the years.
Let me begin with the first set of key words: from “follower” to “leader.”
Ten-odd years ago, people’s perception of solar power was often that it was “weather-dependent” and “expensive.” Today, however, in most regions, the cost of solar electricity has already fallen below that of coal power—we have achieved “grid parity.” How did this happen? It is the result of successive generations of photovoltaic professionals working tirelessly to steadily improve technology and efficiency.
To give one example, in April 2018, we won the bid for a 500,000-kilowatt “leader” project in Golmud, Qinghai. The on-grid tariff was 0.316 RMB per kilowatt-hour, the first time it fell below the benchmark price of coal-fired power.
On the plateau, where winds are strong, temperature differences are extreme, and ultraviolet radiation is intense, our team calibrated equipment under blazing sun during the day and conducted data analysis and optimization in the camp at night. We optimized component selection while exploring lean operation and maintenance models, gradually overcoming one technical bottleneck after another. In December of that year, the project was connected to the grid and began power generation. To this day, it continues to operate safely and stably, consistently meeting high-quality generation targets and achieving profitability. It has generated over 5 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity in total—enough to meet the annual electricity consumption of about 2.5 million households.

The project was named “Leader” because from the very beginning it carried a clear mission: to enable photovoltaics to generate electricity that is both high-quality and low-cost. Practice has proven that with a combination of technological innovation, quality control, cost management, and lean operations and maintenance, photovoltaic projects can not only bring affordable clean energy into thousands of households, but also drive the sustainable development of the entire industry.
We have many similar “firsts” in other regions as well. For example, in Quyang, Hebei, we built what was at the time the largest mountainous photovoltaic project in China. Together with domestic equipment manufacturers, we carried out joint innovation and, for the first time on a large scale, adopted string inverters, which improved power generation efficiency and enhanced system reliability. At the same time, we integrated photovoltaic development with rural revitalization, bringing tangible benefits to the local community. Locals vividly refer to it as “planting the sun on the Taihang Mountains”—a description that is both lively and fitting.
In the field of solar thermal power, we have also continued to explore.
You may ask: what is solar thermal power? Simply put, photovoltaics directly convert solar energy into electricity, while solar thermal power first converts solar energy into heat and then generates electricity. Its advantage is that it can store energy and provide stable, uninterrupted 24-hour power supply, solving the problem of photovoltaics producing electricity only during the day.
In Guazhou, Gansu, we built China’s first “two-tower one-turbine” solar thermal energy storage project. We worked to overcome challenges such as 565°C high-temperature molten salt energy storage and complex overlapping heliostat field intelligent control systems. Its core technologies were included in the National Energy Administration’s “first-of-its-kind (first set)” list.
Since the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, China’s new energy sector has developed rapidly, with photovoltaic conversion efficiency continuously improving and power generation costs steadily decreasing. As mentioned earlier, the first solar cell had a conversion efficiency of 6%, while today it has generally exceeded 20%. In this process, a new material—perovskite—has emerged.
Compared with crystalline silicon, perovskite performs better under low-light conditions and can also be made into flexible and semi-transparent materials, allowing it to be integrated into buildings, windows, and other surfaces, greatly expanding its application scenarios.
Perovskite materials have many advantages, but success in the laboratory does not automatically translate into commercial viability. There are still major hurdles in technology, manufacturing processes, and reliability. We have invested through industrial funds in leading domestic perovskite companies and carried out field testing in four regions—Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Shandong, and Hainan—across different climates and terrains, continuously improving conversion efficiency.
In November last year, together with research institutions and upstream and downstream industry partners, we successfully achieved grid connection of China’s first commercial megawatt-scale perovskite ground-mounted photovoltaic project, bringing this cutting-edge technology from the laboratory into real commercial application. It was also included in the National Energy Administration’s “first-of-its-kind (first set)” list.

From grid parity in Golmud to breakthroughs in perovskite technology, we have been steadily improving efficiency, reducing costs, and ensuring safety in a concrete, hands-on way, continuously advancing the application and refinement of new models, new materials, and new technologies. Step by step, we have witnessed the maturation and progress of photovoltaics, and we have also deeply realized that only through continuous innovation can photovoltaics truly achieve high-quality development and provide a solid foundation for the energy transition.
Next, let me share the second set of key words: from “building power stations” to “benefiting people’s livelihoods.”
We have always believed that the value of clean energy is not limited to electricity generation; its deeper significance lies in integrating into daily life and improving people’s livelihoods. Over the years, we have consistently worked to combine photovoltaics with ecological restoration, agriculture and animal husbandry, and rural revitalization—bringing solar power into deserts, Gobi regions, subsidence zones, fish ponds, and rooftops, so that people can see it, touch it, use it, and benefit from it.
Kubuqi is China’s seventh-largest desert, once known as the “Sea of Death.” In this very desert, we are building the country’s first batch of large-scale “desert–Gobi–wasteland” renewable energy base at the ten-million-kilowatt level. The project has a total installed capacity of 16 million kilowatts. Once completed, it will transmit about 40 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to eastern regions—equivalent to reducing coal consumption by 12 million tons and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 32 million tons.
But the greater transformation is happening on the ground. It is spring now; if you walk into our power station, you would hardly think you are in a desert. Along the access roads, golden elm, white elm, Korean pine, wild peach, and wild apricot have been planted. Beneath the photovoltaic panels, willows and Caragana shrubs are sprouting new buds. Places that were once barren are now full of life. Over these years, builders from China Three Gorges New Energy have battled wind, sand, and scorching heat in vast deserts, gradually transforming barren land into green energy bases.
After the desert, let us turn to coal mining subsidence areas.
In areas such as Fuyang and Huainan in Anhui Province, years of coal mining have caused ground subsidence. On the water surfaces formed by these collapsed areas, we use floating structures to raise photovoltaic panels above the water. Fish are raised beneath the panels, which also help improve water quality. After years of restoration, neat rows of deep-blue solar panels now stretch across the water surface. Schools of fish can be seen swimming below, vegetation flourishes along the banks, and waterbirds rest in the distance. This once heavily exploited land has not only generated economic value, but also regained its ecological value.
In addition to ecological restoration, we have also integrated photovoltaics with agriculture and aquaculture, developing multiple “PV+” models such as agro-photovoltaics, fishery-photovoltaics, animal husbandry-photovoltaics, and tea-photovoltaics. In Shuangliao, Jilin, cattle and sheep are raised beneath solar panels. In Wenzhou, Zhejiang, fish and shrimp are farmed under floating PV systems. In Tongchuan, Shaanxi, we have created a model combining agro-PV, ecological restoration, and rural tourism. In Huidong, Guangdong, photovoltaic panels are installed on the roofs of vegetable greenhouses—vegetables grow inside while electricity is generated above, enabling highly efficient land use. In addition to these, we also have rooftop photovoltaic projects across many regions, from industrial parks to residential buildings, bringing green electricity into everyday life.
The cases I have shared today represent only a small part of China Three Gorges New Energy’s photovoltaic practice, and they are also a reflection of the broader development of China’s photovoltaic industry. We have deeply realized that the progress of the photovoltaic industry has never happened overnight. It depends on more than a decade of steady, down-to-earth, continuous exploration by China’s photovoltaic practitioners, as well as the strong support of scientifically guided national policies and strategic planning.
Looking ahead, we will continue to deepen our work in the photovoltaic sector, push for continuous technological iteration and upgrading, and strive to lead in more cutting-edge fields. We will also continue to expand application scenarios for photovoltaics, bringing the “PV+” model to more places and benefiting more people, so that every beam of sunlight can be transformed into even greater energy. Thank you.
Editor: Zhiyu Wang
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/7nIt8ZaEPNS1zsJO5C48JQ
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Texas-based solar manufacturer Sol-Ark has introduced its new Limitless 12K-2P-LL Hybrid Inverter, a Texas-made transformerless DC system. 
The new product features a 3 MPPT architecture supporting two strings per MPPT, allowing it to maximize power production on complex, real-world roofs. The inverter handles a maximum allowed/usable PV input power of 19,200 W, supporting large solar arrays and offering compatibility with modern, high-wattage modules. 
Sol-Ark said the unit delivers a continuous AC output power of 12 kW when connected to the grid or load, alongside an off-grid peak surge capacity of 24 kW for up to 10 seconds. For standalone battery applications, the system maintains a maximum continuous AC output power of 10 kW. 
The system integrates a 100 A continuous AC passthrough feature, which the company said allows installers to connect the unit directly to larger backup load panels without requiring external contactors. Additionally, the inverter features a dedicated “GEN” port that supports up to 14 kW of external AC power. This port can accommodate input from standby generators, microinverters, or alternative AC-coupled sources without requiring an external transfer switch. 
Operating as a 48 V low-voltage system, the inverter’s battery input architecture supports both lead-acid and lithium-ion technologies. It features a battery capacity range of 50 Ah to 9,900 Ah and a maximum charge/discharge current of 220 A. Sol-Ark noted that the system achieves a grid-to-battery charging efficiency of 96% and an overall maximum efficiency of 97.6%. For expanding storage or power requirements, up to 12 of the units can be stacked in parallel. 
The 12K-2P-LL is housed in an IP65/NEMA 3R-rated enclosure measuring 654 mm x 452 mm x 254 mm (25.7 in x 17.8 in x 10.0 in) and weighing 29.5 kg (65 lbs). It includes intelligent air cooling and operates in ambient temperatures ranging from -40°C to 60°C, with derating applied above 45°C. 
On the safety front, the system features integrated PV DC disconnects, ground fault detection, rapid shutdown control, and arc fault detection (AFCI). It also includes both AC and DC Type II surge protection. 
The inverter complies with major North American standards, including UL1741 3rd SB, UL1741 CRD-PCS, IEEE1547-2018, and Hawaiian Electric SRD V2.0, enabling interoperability via IEEE2030.5. Sol-Ark backs the Texas-made hybrid inverter with a standard 10-year warranty.
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AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL SCIENCE AGENCY
Our research is unlocking new possibilities for solar energy, redefining how Australia generates and uses power.
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By  Amanda Dunne ,  Ruth Dawkins ,  Scott Walker 29 November 2024 5 min read
As early solar research was taking off in the 1950s, our researcher Roger Morse and his team of 40 developed and commercialised some of Australia’s first solar technologies, including the first solar hot water system.
Since then, solar energy has transformed how the world sources, generates and uses power across our economies and societies.
The IEA’s Renewables 2024 report projects solar photovoltaic (PV) will be the world’s largest renewable energy source by 2030.
Today, solar technologies operate from the subsurface and the ocean surface to outer space, powering everything from kitchen cooktops to factory furnaces and transport. They work day and night, using alternative materials and flexible new forms to improve efficiency and affordability.
For our Solar Technologies group leader Noel Duffy, creating impactful new technologies and research has never been more important.
“Beyond the technologies themselves, our strength lies in our ability to engage broadly, productively and profoundly,” Noel said.
“Building trusted partnerships where ideas are created, contested and pursued builds innovation that leads to difference,” he said.
Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) technologies enable solar energy to be used day and night. CST systems use mirrors to focus sunlight onto a target, generating high temperatures. Heat is captured and stored in a material – either a fluid or a solid – for use on demand.

What sets our CST technology apart is our innovative receiver, heat exchanger, and ceramic particles that efficiently collect, capture and transfer solar energy. This technology can reach temperatures above 1000 degrees Celsius and stores heat for up to 16 hours. This is a game-changer for energy-intensive heavy industries, offering a cleaner alternative to coal or gas.
To commercialise our research, we’ve partnered with utility leader Osaka Gas and advisory firm RFC Ambrian to launch FPR Energy. The new company is focused on reducing industrial emissions, which make up 20 per cent of Australia’s carbon footprint.
We’ve also partnered with Mars Petfood as their renewable heat partner to help their Wodonga factory achieve 100 per cent renewable energy by 2026.
“We always try to find the right partnerships to drive uptake and adoption,” Noel said. 
“Industrial partnerships are crucial for turning years of research into real-world solutions to support emission reduction goals,” he said.
[Music plays and text appears: Supercritical solar steam: the new frontier for power generation]
[Image changes to show an array of mirrors reflecting sunlight onto a solar tower and then moves to show moving solar panels]
[Image changes to show Mike Collins, Research Projects Officer, CSIRO Energy Technology]
Mike Collins: Solar thermal energy works by concentrating sunlight using mirrors. The light is then shone up on top of the tower where there’s a solar receiver and in that receiver there’s a panel of tubes which steam is flowing inside. That steam is heated to high temperatures and then it flows back down the tower to a turbine at the bottom of the tower, a steam turbine. The steam flowing through that turbine spins the generator to generate electricity.
[Image changes to show Robbie McNaughton, Research Projects Officer, CSIRO Energy Technology]
Robbie McNaughton: The temperatures that we’ve obtained are over 550 degrees and at pressures above 24 mega Pascals. This is called supercritical steam generation and it’s a state where steam actually transforms without boiling.
[Camera moves back to the solar panels and solar boiler]
The steam conditions that we’ve achieved are comparable to what is running at the moment in fossil fuel power stations. So we’re able to actually either displace the steam that goes into these, reducing the fossil fuel reliance, or in some cases maybe even replace fossil fuel completely.
[Image has changed back to Robbie]
It’s really exciting to work on these types of projects. Doing a world first is always exciting but in this case what we’ve actually been able to do is potentially make a step change in the way solar thermal power is generated.
[Music plays and CSIRO logo appears with text: Big ideas start here www.csiro.au]
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Australia leads the world in rooftop solar, but unlocking its full potential means transforming large-scale systems.
Our Ultra Low Cost Solar (ULCS) initiative aims to reduce costs and boost efficiency of PV from production to installation and maintenance, making solar competitive for heavier industries.
We’re exploring modular components, automated deployment, and how economies of scale can lower costs as solar systems expand to tens of gigawatts.
“We have multiple ULCS projects taking place which look at all those things that are beyond the cell,” explains Noel.
“That includes assessing Australia’s unique climate and physical attributes to optimise solar installations, exploring material sustainability, and working with industry start-ups to accelerate manufacturing growth.”
“While some of that research will certainly lead to enhanced rooftop solar efficiency, our main focus is reducing the costs for the installation and maintenance of large-scale solar farms,” he said.
Imagine a solar panel so light and flexible you can roll it out like a newspaper. Our printable solar cells make that vision a reality.
Developed over a decade, these lightweight, flexible panels are printed on thin plastic films. Complementing rigid panels, they can transform industries, powering innovations in construction, wearable tech, disaster relief and even space exploration.
To scale up this technology, we opened a $6.8 million facility in Victoria in November 2024.

Our Renewable Energy Systems group leader Dr Anthony Chesman said the new invention will help enable the industries of tomorrow.
“This printed solar technology unlocks entirely new applications for affordable, versatile and sustainable energy generation,” Anthony said.
“We’re looking for partners to join us on the research and development journey and ultimately take this technology to market.”
“Our industry partners will gain access to both our cutting-edge equipment and our deep expertise in solar technology,” he said.
Earlier this year, we set a new efficiency record for our flexible solar technology.
Traditional solar cells made from silicon can’t convert 100 per cent of the sun’s energy into electricity.
Our tandem solar cells combine silicon with perovskite, capturing a broader solar spectrum to produce more power. Our patented NexGen Solar® technology integrates advanced materials, increasing efficiency and reducing costs.
“By integrating these advanced materials with silicon, we are pushing power conversion efficiency beyond current limits and offering a cost-effective solution for a growing solar market,” Noel said.
“Our innovations are setting the standard for solar research globally and supporting both national and international ambitions for emissions reduction,” he said.
At our Photovoltaic Research Laboratory (PVRL) in Newcastle, we lead research across the entire PV technology chain, from materials discovery, device fabrication and optimisation, materials characterisation and cell performance determination, energy yield and device durability.
The PVRL hosts a diverse team of scientists and engineers working on projects to support Australia’s long-term solar energy goals. It’s internationally recognised for precision in measuring PV efficiency.
An outdoor PV research facility at the laboratory contains 60 testbeds for current voltage testing of commercial-scale modules, while a ‘flash tester’ or sun simulator has been in operation since 2013.
A new state-of-the art LED solar simulator commissioned in 2024 enables the assessment of next-generation tandem modules. Verifying the quality and performance of solar technology is an important part of de-risking investment for large-scale solar installations.
The possibilities for solar energy are limitless.

Emerging technologies like perovskite and thin-film solar could replace traditional panels, integrating solar into windows, roofs, and even clothing.
With ongoing innovation and adoption, solar could become the world’s dominant energy source. By 2100, solar could exceed our global energy needs, powering homes, industries, transportation and space exploration, while unlocking industries we can only imagine today.
“At CSIRO, we are committed to bridging the gap between solar laboratory research and real-world applications,” Noel said.
“By maintaining and advancing research and testing facilities, we’re equipping Australian industries with cutting-edge capabilities and the highest quality innovations to remain at the forefront of the world’s solar evolution,” he said.
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The truth doesn’t take a summer break.
We’ve been at it for 50 years: exposing the coverups, corporate crimes, and corruption that the powerful would rather keep buried. That fight for the truth continues, but it takes readers like you to make it possible. We need to raise $200,000 by June 30 to fuel the kind of fearless investigative journalism that can make a difference right now. Chip in today to keep our newsroom going strong and fighting for you.
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This story was originally published by Canary Media and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
Is Frito-Lay categorically refusing to buy potatoes grown on farmland that has hosted solar installations? No, the company says. 
That hasn’t stopped lawmakers in Michigan and Pennsylvania from spreading the false claim about one of the biggest purchasers of potatoes in the country.
In January, Michigan Republican state Rep. Cam Cavitt posted a 51-second clip to Facebook labeled ​“Solar Farm SECRET.” In the segment, he claimed that farmers in his district couldn’t grow potatoes on land where solar developments were sited.
“Frito [Frito-Lay] did the same with the potato growers up by us,” fellow Michigan Republican Rep. Dave Prestin told Cavitt in the clip. ​“Any field that had solar panels installed on it will never be allowed to grow potatoes for human consumption due to the leaching.”
More than 1 million people viewed that video. Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Cris Dush shared it and said he wanted ​“cash bond guaranteeing restoration” of the soil after a solar development was removed. ​“When Frito Lay refuses to accept potatoes from farms that had solar arrays we should all sit up and take notice!” he wrote.
“Raising these claims about solar could prevent farmers from diversifying their income stream and adding a really stable source of income.”
PepsiCo, which owns Frito-Lay, told Canary Media that the company ​“has not issued blanket guidance to growers that fields with solar installations will not be accepted.”
Nor is there any published evidence that solar farms have a negative impact on potato farming, according to experts consulted for this story. On the contrary, there is agrivoltaics research showing that potatoes—and many other crops—can benefit from growing alongside shade-making solar panels.
Nevertheless, this false claim about solar is gaining some traction. Like other forms of misinformation about renewables, it helps fuel local pushback to proposed energy installations.
The claim comes amid a broader wave of opposition to building solar arrays on farmland.
As energy developers look to build more solar installations to meet climate goals and fast-rising electricity demand in the U.S., more and more projects are being proposed on flat and sunny land that could otherwise grow crops. The impact these projects may have on the land is often exaggerated by opponents—including Trump administration officials and Republican lawmakers—who claim solar will destroy prime farmland.
American Farmland Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving agricultural land, found that by 2040, 7 million acres of agricultural land could be used for solar installations. That’s less than 1 percent of the farmland across the Lower 48 states.
Such misinformation could threaten not only solar developments but also farmers’ livelihoods. Farmers can earn tens of thousands of dollars by leasing land to solar developers, providing a financial lifeline in a precarious agricultural market. Potato farmers in particular could have a hard time leasing under ​“this sort of speculated risk,” according to Scott Laeser, senior working lands adviser for the Rural Climate Partnership, a nonprofit connecting rural and renewable development.
“Raising these claims about solar could prevent farmers from diversifying their income stream and adding a really stable source of income to their operation, which I suspect most farmers would be pretty happy to add in the volatile moment that we’re in,” he said.
The speculation about solar’s impact on potatoes began a year ago with a statement from the agricultural trade group Potato Growers of Michigan. While the organization recognized the role of renewable energy in Michigan’s future, it didn’t want solar on farmland and cited concerns about food safety.
“When solar panels and systems are eventually removed, small fragments of plastic and metal may remain in the soil,” the statement read. ​“For crops like potatoes, which grow underground, this poses a unique and serious risk. Tuber vegetables can readily engulf foreign objects, creating contamination hazards that impact not just growers, but also processors and consumers.”
But there’s no evidence to suggest that this actually happens, experts say.
Steven Loheide, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, is located in one of the three biggest potato-growing states and researches the interaction of solar projects and farmland. Loheide had not heard of the concern from Michigan potato growers.
Nor had Alan Knapp, a plant ecologist at Colorado State University, who added that he did not know of any scientific study finding that solar panels installed aboveground could impact potato crops grown belowground. Knapp noted that there’s a list of worries about what happens underneath solar panels—like toxins leaching into the soil or metal and silica shards impacting crops—and most are unfounded.
“I’ve never heard of any sort of toxicity issues or any concerns about the quality of the crop being consumed by humans being impacted by the installation of solar panels above,” Knapp said.
Rumors have spread anyway.
In August 2025, a public comment from a farmer opposing a project in Kentucky called Wood Duck Solar quoted the Potato Growers of Michigan statement. Potential contamination from the 100-megawatt solar field threatened food safety, the farmer wrote. That project was ultimately approved.
In March 2026, Dennis Iott, the chair of the Potato Growers of Michigan, along with Kelly Turner, executive director of the Michigan Potato Growers Commission, another trade group, repeated the claims at a Michigan House Agriculture Committee hearing.
“There’s a huge opportunity to get both agricultural benefits and energy production off a single plot of land.”
Solar threatens potato growers because the vegetables require a lot of land that farmers often lease in rotational years, but solar groups are buying up that land, Turner said.
“You cannot blame them for signing the solar contracts,” Turner said of the farmers. ​“The problem is, though, that it takes that land out of production, and now it starts to hurt economies of scale because there’s no more land near the grower to be able to create enough land to have those rotations.”
Potatoes are also ground crops, and could form around foreign objects in the ground, Turner purported, including whatever might be left behind after a solar system is dismantled.
But Iott, speaking after Turner at the hearing, admitted, ​“The food safety issue hasn’t been seen yet, because we haven’t taken those solar fields out. But it will be a problem for anything that grows in the soil.”
Iott and Turner did not respond to multiple requests for comment. 
At some point, the general speculation raised by industry lobbyists morphed into specific falsehoods about Frito-Lay, and caught the ear of the lawmakers from Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Neither Cavitt nor Prestin responded to multiple requests for comment.
Lynsey Mukomel, communications director for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said she and her colleagues were not aware of any statements made by Frito-Lay or any other company asking Michigan farmers not to grow potatoes on land with solar installations.
And, of course, PepsiCo itself said it had issued no such directives.
The furthest PepsiCo says it has gone is to provide growers with its carefully worded perspective on endorsing solar outside of ​“prime agricultural lands,” but only when growers have asked them directly, a company spokesperson said.
While the firm says it values solar energy as part of its corporate decarbonization goals, it endorses solar and other renewable installations outside of prime agricultural lands ​“in order to avoid potential impacts to crop yields, quality and the creation of other unintended consequences,” a spokesperson for PepsiCo said in an email.
Although there is no evidence that solar panels damage potato farmland, there is mounting proof that siting solar and crops on the same land can be beneficial.
A four-year study in Italy published earlier this year showed that agrivoltaic systems, which combine farming with photovoltaic electricity generation, could potentially support potato crops.
Solar panels can help retain groundwater as rain runs off the sloped panels which then provide shade that blocks the sunlight and helps retain moisture, Loheide said. He has also studied solar’s impact on native pollinator habitats.
“There’s a huge opportunity to get both agricultural benefits and energy production off a single plot of land,” said Loheide, who was not part of the Italian study.
Despite the evidence, speculation that strikes a nerve has a way of circulating anyway. After all, concerns that offshore wind hurts whales, a claim that lacks any evidence, have turned out to be one of the biggest vectors of attack on the beleaguered energy source.
Speculation about potatoes and solar may never rise to quite that level. But it doesn’t seem likely to fade away, either. Late last month, a post on X from a prominent anti-solar account repeated the falsehood that customers won’t buy potatoes grown on land that once hosted solar. It racked up nearly 10,000 shares and 20,000 likes.
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With so much sunlight, Iraq is very well-positioned to use solar power to help fix its annual summer electricity crisis. So why is it that Iraq’s government has only recently started to take solar power seriously?
Iraq has long suffered through scorching summers that the country’s national grid hasn’t been able to keep up with. But it was only recently that Hiba al-Amiri’s family started to seriously consider getting solar panels installed at home to compensate for the annual summer blackouts.
“In the war, Iranian gas was cut and for four days, we had no electricity,” the Baghdad-based teacher told DW. Iran supplies up to 40% of the gas that Iraq needs to keep its power stations running, In March, Iran completely cut gas to Iraq after Israel attacked its gas fields.
“We were only using the generator,” al-Amiri continued. “After that, a lot of our neighbors were also talking about this [solar]. Everybody is really starting to think about it seriously.” 
Installing solar panels in a private household costs somewhere between 5 and 10 million Iraqi dinars (around $3,800-$7,600/€3,200-€6,500), experts told DW. Al-Amiri said she and her brother are now saving money toward that goal, and hope to get a unit by next year.
“The thinking is that we will pay for this project [solar panels] in one year but then after that we won’t need to pay for the generator power again,” she explained.
Even on its best days, the Iraqi national grid only supplies private households between eight and 12 hours of electricity a day. Ordinary Iraqis compensate for the missing power by paying a subscription to local generator operators. Households in a city like Baghdad might pay between $100 (€86) and $300 a month to keep the lights on.
It’s not that Iraqis didn’t know about solar power, explained Harry Istepanian, an energy expert and founder of the Washington-based think tank, the Iraq Climate Change Center. “But the generator system was familiar, flexible and required no large upfront investment,” he said. “Solar, by contrast, requires capital, reliable equipment, batteries, technical installation and after-sales support.”
Additionally, as the International Renewable Energy Agency wrote in a 2025 report, energy tariffs in Iraq are heavily subsidized, which also discourages the private sector from investing in renewables.
But now, generator fees are rising and there’s no longer enough state-subsidized diesel for generators. “As a result, solar is gaining appeal. Not because Iraqis have suddenly discovered it but because the cost of relying on the old system has become higher,” said Istepanian.
Iraq gets some of the world’s highest levels of solar radiation which makes it a perfect candidate for solar energy, Amani Ibraheem Altmimi, an environmental consultant and professor of renewable energy sciences working in Iraq, pointedout. And Iraq actually opened its first solar energy research center in the 1980s.
“But wars and sanctions slowed work in the solar energy sector down,” said Altmimi. “Still, as researchers, we’ve been trying for years to educate the general public about renewable energy in all forms, including solar.”
Altmimi noted that in early 2025, Iraq‘s central bank set up a scheme for citizens and small businesses to apply for loans, with favorable terms, to set up solar power systems.
Earlier this year, the Iraqi government also reduced import duties on components needed for solar power from 33% to 5% in an effort to reduce the costs.
“But I wouldn’t call it a complete nationwide shift yet,” said Umud Shokri, an energy strategist and senior visiting fellow at George Mason University in the US. “But the change in attitude is becoming more visible.”
For years, there were few realistic alternatives but now, Shokri said, “repeated shortages, rising generator costs, fuel pressures and uncertainty over Iranian gas and electricity imports have made solar look more practical. Falling solar prices, more local installers and positive examples from early users have also helped.”
Statistics indicate that the trend toward solar in Iraq started in 2024 and is likely accelerating. According to the Arabic-language, specialist media outlet, Attaqa, Iraq’s imports of Chinese solar panels more than quadrupled between 2024 and 2025. They rose from 0.43 gigawatts to 1.89 gigawatts, and made Iraq the fifth-largest importer among Arab countries. 
The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Algeria import more Chinese solar panels than Iraq, but no other country’s imports grew as much as Iraq’s in that period. 
It’s not just private Iraqi households either. Over the past few years, the government has outlined ambitious plans for renewable energies.
So far this year, the country’s national grid has produced around 29 gigawatts of electricity. Regular demand in Iraq requires around 40 gigawatts. In summer, the gap between supply and demand gets even bigger. Observers predict this summer’s demand at somewhere between 54 and 62 gigawatts.
The Iran war is making the situation even worse as Iranian gas supplies still haven’t returned to normal and other solutions the government had planned are running behind — such as a project to import power from the Gulf states — or not yet operational.
Additionally, because Iraq has not been able to export as much oil thanks to the Strait of Hormuz being blocked, government budgets are also suffering.
Over the past year, Iraq opened two industrial solar power plants. One in Karbala started operating last September and should eventually add 300 megawatts to the national grid. Another in Basra began operating part of its system in March and should be able to deliver 1 gigawatt when fully operational in 2028.
The government has said it also plans to install solar panels on government buildings, including schools, universities, banks and hospitals, and wants to be producing 12 gigawatts by the end of this decade.
Istepanian said Iraq needs a combination of both state-provided solar power and more private and business users to take pressure off the national grid at peak times. “Industrial solar parks such as Karbala are important,” he explained, “but Iraq also needs rooftop solar standards, certified installers, consumer protection, concessional loans and clear rules for connecting solar systems to the grid. Solar cannot be left entirely to the market, but it also cannot wait for the government alone.”
And all the experts DW spoke with agreed: Solar power alone won’t save Iraq from summer blackouts.
“Iraq’s electricity crisis is structural,” said Shokri. “Solar should be treated as one part of the solution, not a magic fix. Iraq still needs grid reform, better gas use, transmission upgrades, stronger institutions and serious investment in power generation.”
Edited by: Martin Kuebler

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A regulatory overhaul of India’s grid has sparked fears in the solar power industry that they may suffer a negative impact on profitability. The overhaul includes a stipulation regarding penalties for solar generators if they fail to deliver the electricity that they have committed to supply to the grid, Reuters reported.
India’s electricity grid is expanding at a slower pace than the boom in solar energy installations, leading to an increased share of solar curtailments and threatening to slow the solar and wind boom in the world’s most populous country. In the first quarter of this year, curtailments due to grid and transmission line constraints reached 300 GWh, climate think tank Ember reported last month, adding this represented two-thirds of total curtailments in the three-month period.
However, the government in New Delhi has seen fit to make provisions for the security of electricity supply amid the surge in solar capacity, which affects grid reliability, as demonstrated in other countries with substantial solar generation, where curtailment has become the only way to avoid grid overload, essentially wasting electricity—and money.
According to India’s solar industry, the new regulations could reduce operators’ revenues by 11%, with the percentage much higher for wind operators, estimated at 48%. This would affect investor appetite for one of the world’s fastest-growing wind and solar markets, lobby groups warned. India has committed to having 500 GW of wind and solar generation capacity installed by 2030.
India expects to nearly quadruple its solar power capacity and triple wind power-generating assets within ten years, according to the new Generation Adequacy Plan published by the country’s Central Electricity Authority earlier this year. In 2025, the country boasted achieving five years ahead of schedule its target to have 50% of its installed electricity capacity coming from non-fossil fuel sources. With the new regulation, this pace of growth may well change considerably.
Source: Reuters
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Congress continues funding Energy Star efficiency program  Environment America
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