Why Farmers Are Pairing Crops with Solar Panels – Tempo.co English

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DW (Deutsche Welle)
September 26, 2026 | 04:31 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Traditionally, solar panel farms are quiet — save for the faint hum of the inverter. But on about one in 10 American solar farms, there’s a new sound reverberating through fields: baaaa. 
Letting sheep roam under solar panels is just one of many forms of a burgeoning strategy called agrivoltaics, where crops grow or livestock graze in tandem with renewable energy infrastructure. 
It’s not only of potential benefit for the animals, which get additional shade. The panels can also protect crops from the elements as well as divert water to them, creating cooler, damper conditions that even boost yields. 
And even the solar panels themselves tend to respond well to this co-existence — as the cooler they are, the more electricity they produce per watt of sunlight. 
“Having concrete or something underneath the solar panels — you’re going to have lower efficiency than having something like plants that are transpiring and cooling off on the land surface,” Carl Bernacchi, professor of plant biology and crop sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, told DW. 
While the potential is enormous, especially as climate change puts more and more heat stress on agriculture, the practice is still in its infancy. In Europe, if agrivoltaics were implemented on just 1 percent of available agricultural land, the continent could exceed its solar energy targets for 2030.   
But uptake has been slow: agrivoltaics represents just 18.4 gigawatts of energy worldwide as of mid-2025, less than 1 percent of the world’s solar capacity.  
The idea for agrivoltaics dates back to 1981, when two German scientists published an article titled “Kartoffeln unter dem Kollektor” (or “Potatoes beneath the collector”). But the first pilot project didn’t begin until 2004 in Japan, a land-constrained country, where there’s particular concern over balancing solar deployment with the protection of farmland. 
There are three main types of agrivoltaics: horizontal, where panels look directly up at the sky, vertical, where they’re placed in large rows, perpendicular to the ground, and integrated, often installed atop greenhouses. 
Research suggests shade-tolerant crops stand to benefit. That includes berries, grapes and tomatoes — where the panels’ steel framing often doubles as trellises — as well as peaches and peppers. 
The panels can also prevent water from fully evaporating, creating a more humid microclimate that benefits the soil — though humidity is a double-edged sword, sometimes introducing plant disease. 
Sheep have also proven to be a particularly good match. Compared to cattle or goats, they’re generally easier to manage around solar infrastructure, less likely to damage equipment, and small enough to fit comfortably beneath panels. The practice has other sustainability upsides too: sheep manure fertilizes the soil, and sites require less herbicide. 
“If we look at the sheep industry, this has been a real paradigm shift for them, where instead of having to pay to lease land to graze their animals — now they’re actually getting paid to graze,” said Austin Kinzer, an agrivoltaics specialist at the American Farmland Trust conservation movement . “So it completely puts the economics on its head and is a huge opportunity for the sheep industry, which is really struggling in the U.S. pretty much since World War II.” 
Agrivoltaics sit at a rare intersection of climate mitigation (cutting emissions) and adaptation (adjusting to a warming planet). 
“It is both, which is pretty unique as far as climate solutions go,” Kinzer said.  
The practice offers one answer to where solar panels could go, helping to produce cheaper and more efficient energy, while also benefiting crops that might struggle due to rising temperatures or volatile weather. 
And research suggests that climate change will only make regions grow drier, “broadening areas where agrivoltaics can mitigate crop yield penalties (even boosting yield) and improve overall profitability,” write researchers in a journal article for Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).  
A dual-income stream can also offer farmers some insurance should temperature or weather knock out a season’s plantings. 
“Being able to have that alternate form of income, it’s massive for folks who are depending on weather to make their living that is becoming increasingly more extreme and varied,” Kinzer said. 
So why has adoption been so slow? 
“In theory, it’s a win-win scenario,” Bernacchi said. “But of course, with any technologies, there are always caveats and issues.” 
One reason is that agrivoltaics don’t work everywhere. In America’s arid West, where heat stress and less available water can threaten crops, yields stayed the same or even rose under panels. In the humid Midwest, on the other hand, panel shading limited photosynthesis and led to reduced yields in maize and soybeans.  
For cash crops, where there’s a very small margin for profit, even a minor reduction in yield is a no-go for many farmers.  
Then there’s the expense. For solar producers, every added inch to mount panels higher means more labor and steel costs. And farmers might need to find new equipment or change methods to adapt to a new system. 
“Farmers want to learn from other farmers,” said Kinzer, who works with farmers across the US to see how agrivoltaics are being adopted. “They want to hear from folks who are doing it. And so there’s a little bit of a chicken-and-the-egg problem for farmers: In most cases, they can’t just go across the street or into the next county over and see a project like this and talk to the farmers doing it.” 
Solar power’s land footprint has made it controversial in certain communities — some farming associations have protested converting farmland into acres of solar panels, arguing their members cease to be farmers and become energy producers instead.  
It’s a tension agrivoltaics helps to address. 
One survey found that more than 80 percent of Americans would be more likely to support solar development in their community if it allowed for the co-production of energy and agriculture — about 10 percent more than those that support solar development in general. 
“There’s this cultural conflict between the farmers who want to farm and the solar companies that want to produce electricity,” Bernacchi said. “And agrivoltaics really does bill itself as sort of a middle ground. You can still farm and still get the electricity from the same land.”  
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Sembcorp operates a 60 MW floating solar farm in Singapore – Solarbytes

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Sembcorp Floating Solar Singapore, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Industries, developed the Sembcorp Tengeh Floating Solar Farm at Tengeh Reservoir in Singapore. The Sembcorp Tengeh Floating Solar Farm covers about 45 hectares of Tengeh Reservoir and contains more than 122,000 solar panels across 10 floating islands. The installation has a generation capacity of 60 MWp and supplies electricity sufficient to power Singapore’s five local water-treatment plants. The solar farm covers about one-third of the reservoir, while two-thirds remains open. Gaps between the floating panels allow sunlight and airflow to reach the water, while aerators help maintain dissolved oxygen levels. The installation was preceded by extensive engineering and environmental studies examining its compatibility with Singapore’s water infrastructure and surrounding ecosystem. The project is estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 32,000 tons annually. Continuous monitoring of water quality is also part of the installation’s operation. 
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13-panel solar system among latest planning applications in Barry – barryanddistrictnews.co.uk

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Here are the latest planning applications submitted to Vale of Glamorgan Council for Barry.
Solar panels
A planning application has been submitted for the installation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system at a residential property on Baruc Way.
The proposal includes 13 all-black solar panels, each rated at 465 watts, with a total capacity of 6.04 kW.
The panels will be mounted on the rear roof of the detached house to minimise visual impact.
They will not exceed the roof ridgeline and will project no more than 200mm from the roof surface.
The installation also includes an external battery system and gateway, which will be housed in a covered enclosure and connected via a discreet trunking system along the side of the property.
No structural alterations, extensions, or changes to access are proposed.
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Italian Solidarity Caravan Raises Money to Install Solar Panels in Cuba – teleSUR English

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Italian delegation departs for Cuba. X/@CGCuba_Milan.

September 25, 2026 Hour: 12:15 pm
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On Thursday, an Italian solidarity caravan in Cuba reported raising US$426,700 for the installation of solar panels at health, cultural, and food production centers in Havana and several eastern provinces.
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Italian Organizations Sign Unity Pact in Defense of Cuba
The initiative was spearheaded by organizations such as the Italian Cultural and Recreational Association (ARCI), the Italian National Confederation of Labor, and the Italy-Cuba National Friendship Association, along with social and labor groups.
The funds will bring photovoltaic energy to institutions in Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Granma, and Havana, amid the country’s ongoing energy crisis. According to the organizers, the projects will directly and indirectly benefit some 800,000 people, especially in sectors related to health.
Solar panels have become a key alternative for numerous Cuban institutions due to fuel shortages. The delegation will remain in Cuba until September 30 and also plans to deliver medicines, school supplies, and other resources to community organizations.
Meanwhile, representatives of the “Energy for Life. Let’s Light Up Cuba” movement were received at the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), where they met with local authorities and organizations.

Anti-fascist youth in Italy are showing solidarity with Cuba. pic.twitter.com/cl6j6ltwOn

ARCI President Walter Massa affirmed that the campaign will continue and noted that participants will share their experiences regarding the economic and energy situation facing the island with Italy.
During a meeting with the delegation, President Miguel Diaz-Canel highlighted the historic ties of friendship between Cuba and Italy and expressed his gratitude for the support provided by Italian civil society organizations.
The president noted that the benefits of the campaign can already be seen in health centers, cultural facilities, and production entities. The visit includes members of the European Parliament, national parliamentarians, and representatives of Italian associations.
The delegation advocated for continued solidarity and cooperation between the two nations and expressed its intention to promote new support initiatives related to energy, health, and community development.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | The Union Cuba-Petroleo oilfields completed extracting 2.5 million barrels of oil equivalent, despite the country's difficulties in securing its energy supply. pic.twitter.com/jrek25SDo4
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PV system costs increase by 7% in Brazil in H1 – pv magazine Global

The average price of photovoltaic systems in Brazil rose by 7% between January and June 2026 for projects up to 300 kW, according to Greener’s “Distributed Energy Solutions” strategic study. Final system prices ranged from BRL 2.02 ($0.38)/W for 30 kW and 50 kW installations to BRL 3.62/W for 2 kW systems.
The survey considers the final price of a PV system, including the equipment kit and integration services. Kit costs are based on price mapping and inquiries with distributors, while final system prices are collected from integrators across Brazil. The difference between the two represents the integration cost, which includes the integrator’s technical and operational margin.
For 2 kW systems, the average price reached BRL 3.62/W in June, up from BRL 3.44/W in January. Based on total installed capacity, this corresponds to a system price of approximately BRL 7,200.
Meanwhile, 30 kW and 50 kW systems recorded the lowest per-watt prices among the system sizes surveyed, at BRL 2.02/W. This corresponds to total system prices of approximately BRL 60,600 and BRL 101,000, respectively.
Larger projects have a lower price per watt but require a higher overall investment. A 300 kW system, for example, had an average price of BRL 2.40/W, equivalent to around BRL 720,000. For a ground-mounted system of the same capacity, the average price reached approximately BRL 834,000.
The increase in final system prices came amid a sharper rise in equipment costs. The average price of PV kits for 4 kW systems rose by 18.3% between January and June 2026, from BRL 1.42/W to BRL 1.68/W.
The increase varied by system size. For 300 kW systems, the average kit price rose from BRL 1.02/W in January to BRL 1.04/W in June, an increase of 2.0%. For 50 kW systems, it climbed from BRL 1.14/W to BRL 1.24/W, up 8.8%.
Greener’s historical data shows that current prices remain well below levels recorded during the earlier stages of Brazil’s distributed solar market. The average price of a 4 kW residential system fell from BRL 7.74/W in January 2017 to BRL 2.91/W in June 2026. For a 50 kW commercial system, the average price declined from BRL 6.06/W to BRL 2.02/W over the same period.
The price trends come as Brazil’s distributed generation market lost momentum in the first half of 2026. New connections fell by 16% compared with the same period in 2025, from 488,000 to 411,000, while the number of new consumer units receiving credits dropped by 43%, from 951,000 to 541,000.
At the same time, residential systems accounted for a growing share of new installations. The residential segment represented 65% of added capacity in the first half of 2026, up from 39% in 2019, while the commercial segment’s share fell to 19%.
The concentration of sales in smaller systems underscores the importance of pricing for residential consumers. In a survey of system integrators, 80% identified residential systems of up to 12 kW as their best-selling category. Commercial systems ranging from 12 kW to 75 kW accounted for 16%, while systems above 75 kW represented 4%.
Financing may also influence purchasing decisions. Only 33% of integrators’ sales involved financing in the first half of 2026, down eight percentage points from 2025 and the lowest share recorded during the period analyzed.
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Whitefish solar project powers homes, offsets peak demand – Coeur d'Alene Press

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the community solar project on Monegan Road last Wednesday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish CIty Manager Dana Meeker and Stacey Schnebel, president of the board of trustees of Flathead Electric Cooperative cut the ribbon at the new community solar project on Monegan Road. (Julie Engle/Whitefish PIlot)
The sun understood the assignment and shone brightly over Monegan Road on Sept. 16 as Flathead Electric Cooperative, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the city of Whitefish and several citizens celebrated the completion of a new solar project.
“This is an exciting day for us because it reflects the kind of community-driven project that this board wants to support — one shaped by local ideas, strong partnerships and meaningful benefits for our members,” said Stacey Schnebel, Flathead Electric Cooperative board president. 
The solar array, built on city land near the wastewater treatment plant, consists of 448 solar panels, each generating about 700 kWh per year. The project is expected to generate enough power for 21 average homes. An on-site battery system stores energy for peak demand. 
People may purchase a panel’s power generation for $700 per panel, which will reduce their power bill by about $43 per year per panel. 
The solar array in Whitefish is the third community solar project Flathead Electric Co-op has built. The first was built in 2015 off Whitefish Stage Road and the second, in 2018, in Kalispell. 
“This project came online earlier this year and also marks an important first for the cooperative,” Schnebel said. “This is our first community solar project that is paired with a utility-scale battery [that] allows us to store electricity and release it when it can provide better value to our electrical system, including during those periods of higher demand.”  
The energy generated by approximately 80 of the panels will offset the bills of low-income families in the area, thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation and a $5,000 donation from YeTI Photovoltaic, Inc. 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture provided a $463,307 Rural Energy for America Program grant, known as a REAP grant.   
“Partnerships are really how we get things done in Whitefish,” Whitefish Public Works Director Craig Workman said. 
Whitefish worked with Climate Smart Glacier Country in 2018 to develop the Climate Action Plan, which has central themes like using energy more efficiently, conserving water, and producing more of the things we need locally,” he said, adding that creating a community solar project was an objective of the plan. 
“We wanted to help create a facility that could produce energy that is shared among many households and allow property owners to obtain solar power without having to bear the expense and the land burden to install the equipment on their own property,” Workman said. “This expands access to solar power for residents, business owners, commercial property and institutional property owners.”
• • •
Reporter Julie Engler can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected].
    Whitefish City Manager Dana Meeker and Stacey Schnebel, president of the board of trustees of Flathead Electric Cooperative, cut the ribbon at the new community solar project on Monegan Road. (Julie Engle/Whitefish Pilot)
 
 

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Some households are discarding solar panels after just 2 years: PV expert says retirement fee could fix this – Renew Economy

Saturday, September 26, 2026
One of Australia’s leading solar experts has called for at least some of the cost of a mandatory national panel recycling scheme to be paid by end-users, including rooftop solar households, in a bid to prevent PV modules from being discarded well before their use-by date.
Dr Rong Deng, a senior lecturer at the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW was one of the first experts to appear before a federal Parliamentary Inquiry that launched this week to nut out how best to design a national solar stewardship scheme.
The establishment of mandatory scheme governing the reuse and recycling of solar in Australia is well overdue, despite the best efforts of industry groups like the Smart Energy Council (SEC) and despite a growing level of urgency to manage a growing pile of potentially highly valuable waste.
The inquiry was supposed to run alongside a $25.7 million pilot that the federal government had intended to start in July, but that, too, has been delayed – much to the SEC’s and industry’s dismay – after a legal complaint was made about the process to appoint a scheme administrator. 
This leaves the inquiry and a newly announced state-based push from New South Wales as the best hopes for establishing a mandatory solar stewardship scheme anytime soon.
But as Deng told the Inquiry on Thursday, the preferred national approach that the NSW government is currently consulting on – to charge retailers and project developers with a mandatory recycling fee at the point of panel installation – might not be the best way to go.
“I have a different view from what the NSW government is proposing,” Deng told the standing committee members, which includes “teal” independent MPs Zali Steggall and Nicolette Boele.
“My view is that a small, transparent end-of-life charge should sit at the point where the retirement decision is made. 
“We are seeing perfectly functional residential panels coming off the roof and, from my personal experience, we’ve seen panels as young as only two years old. 
“Those panels are designed to last 25, 30 years, and because currently there is no charge to recycle and get rid of them, that really encourage lots of early retirement.
“So a small price signal … may discourage unnecessary early retirement and keep working panels on roofs for longer,” Deng said. 
What to do with discarded solar panels that still have plenty of useful life left in them is just one of the puzzles within the puzzle that is solar stewardship. An SEC-led pilot conducted in Queensland put the average age of decommissioned panels at just 8 years, with most able to operate for another 10–15 years.
Reuse is the obvious solution, but this is not easy. It requires discarded panels to be handled with the utmost care during decommissioning and transportation, so that they are not damaged, and then it requires electrical testing and sing-off, so that consumers can be confident they are safe to use.
As the SEC’s executive general manager of sustainability, Darren Johannesen has told Renew Economy, these sort of early life panels appear so prominently in the waste stream because people are choosing to upgrade their rooftop systems as technology costs fall and as households electrify.
And the SEC has warned that this practice is likely to balloon under the federal home battery rebate, as households replace old rooftop modules with newer much bigger systems to go with their discounted and plus-sized storage systems.
“The good news is we’re going to get lots of batteries and expanded systems, the bad news is it’s going to create decommissioning … somewhere between an additional 7.5 million to 15-20 million [modules a year],” Johannesen told Solar Insiders last year. 
“So it’s a lot of modules that will be de-installed and this is why, getting back to pilots, why pilots are important. And critically, it’s why we need action on a national scheme.”
But while the SEC favours a set-up where the mandatory stewardship fee is charged to installers and developers, and then passed on to consumers through slightly higher system costs, Rong Deng argues that it is “reasonable” to put a modest cost at the other end of the panel life-cycle.
“When a system generally reaches …[the] end of its useful life after delivering value for 20, 30 years, the household has already received value from that asset. They’ve recovered all the value and they’ve received additional value from that asset, and [so] a modest cost to responsibly manage that at the end of life, to me, is reasonable,” she told the inquiry. 
“There is also a cost question: if a recycling cost is imposed upstream on brand owners or manufacturers, that cost, or some of that cost, will eventually pass on to the customer, and it is not just that one cost … all the overheads associated with managing the cost flow will eventually be passed on to the customer,” Deng says. 
“So if it’s eventually passed on the customer, if it’s eventually the customer who pays, then a small direct, transparent charge at the point where the retirement decision is made is probably the lowest-cost option to fund the scheme, and the lowest cost option to these customers,” she said. “That’s my opinion.”
Deng says she will also put this argument in a submission to the NSW consultation on a scheme.
“We’ve seen too many… panels retire way too early, and they’re perfectly fine,” she told the inquiry. “And you will probably hear from other people how difficult [it is] to reuse – even if [the panels are] perfectly fine.
“It’s so hard to find a reuse market. So the best option is just to keep those panels on the roof and let them keep generating electricity.
“If there is a small charge … when the retirement decision is made, people may want to keep the panels there for longer, and we eliminate the waste problem from the beginning. I mean, we don’t eliminate all the waste problem, but we eliminate some waste problem, which shouldn’t really exist, at the beginning.
“And the second point is on the cost,” she says.
“When the customer pays …for end of life after the asset retires, they’ve recovered their value from this asset. But now we’re asking them to pay for even more upfront.
“If the customer has to fund the scheme, then why don’t we let the customer fund it with a least cost … lowest cost option,” Deng says.
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Sophie is editor of Renew Economy and editor of its sister site, One Step Off The Grid . She is the co-host of the Solar Insiders Podcast. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.
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Free software calculates how many solar modules fit on a rooftop from a photo – pv magazine Global

German company Tegrona has introduced Tegrona Lite, free software for planning the layout of photovoltaic systems directly on a photograph of a roof. The tool is aimed at installers and project planners who need to estimate during an initial site visit how many modules can be installed on a roof without using CAD tools or taking on-site measurements.
The software accepts drone photographs, images taken from the ground, and roof plans. Using the image, the user outlines the roof surface with three or four points and defines exclusion zones for obstacles such as chimneys, dormers, skylights and ventilation ducts.
One of Tegrona Lite’s technical features is perspective correction for photographs taken from the ground. In such images, eaves and ridgelines may appear distorted, while rows of roof tiles converge toward vanishing points.
The software uses the tiles themselves as a geometric reference. Because rows and columns of tiles are parallel on the roof, their lines can be used to identify vanishing points and calculate the transformation required to rectify the image.
The procedure also allows users to work with trapezoidal or triangular roof surfaces, for which a correction based solely on four corners would not accurately reproduce the surface geometry. Once the image has been rectified, the eave appears horizontal and the module rows can be aligned with it.
Tegrona Lite uses the known dimensions of the roofing material to convert the image into a scaled representation. The user selects the type of roof tile, and the software identifies and counts the tiles visible in the image to calculate the relationship between pixels and actual dimensions.
The application includes tile profiles such as Frankfurter Pfanne and Hohlfalzziegel and allows users to enter other tile types based on their coverage dimensions. A single known measurement, such as the dimensions of a roof window, can also be used to establish the scale.
Once the geometry and scale have been defined, the algorithm distributes modules across the roof surface according to the specified module dimensions and power rating. Modules can be placed in portrait or landscape orientation, or the two orientations can be combined when this makes better use of the available space.
On roof surfaces that narrow toward the ridge, rows can be shifted laterally and modules rotated to make use of remaining spaces. Users can also specify minimum distances from roof edges and create exclusion zones around obstacles.
With each modification, the program updates the module count, total installed capacity, occupied area, and the number of mid and end clamps required.
The resulting layout can be exported as a technical sheet in PDF or PNG format, showing the module arrangement overlaid on the original photograph.
All calculations are performed locally on the user’s device. In the web version, processing takes place within the browser, and photographs are not uploaded to a server. According to Tegrona, this approach also avoids transferring geolocation metadata that may be embedded in photographs taken by drones.
Tegrona Lite does not include energy yield simulations, shading analysis, string design or structural checks. These functions are outside the scope of the tool and require dedicated PV design software.
The tool does not require registration or an internet connection for processing. Desktop applications are available for macOS 14 and later and Windows 10 and later, while the web version runs on a range of operating systems and devices. The web version is available in 11 languages, including Spanish.
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Anza expects at least a 40% spike in U.S. solar module prices after Section 232 – pv magazine Global

Enforced by the U.S. Department of Commerce, a 15% Section 232 tariff on imports of polysilicon products takes effect on December 4, leaving developers with a narrowing window to secure lower-cost supply. Anza, a solar and energy storage data and analytics company, recommends that developers prioritize inventory already in the U.S. and evaluate which additional shipments can clear customs before the December 4 deadline.
Developers should also lock in domestic-content supply, including considering whether blending domestic and imported products could reduce overall CapEx. At the same time, they should review how contracts allocate exposure to retroactive tariffs and stockpiling risks and, where possible, seek written commitments from suppliers to absorb those risks.
The 15% tariff that goes into effect in about ten weeks will raise prices on polysilicon as well as on solar ingots, wafers, cells and modules. Anza reports that the median price for imported modules was $0.27/W before the August 7 proclamation and is now $0.38/W for delivery after December 4, among suppliers that have repriced, an increase of more than 40%.
The tariff is the result of the Secretary of Commerce finding in a Section 232 investigation that the quantities and circumstances of polysilicon imports threaten harm to U.S. national security.
[Read Trump signs Section 232 tariffs, placing minimum import price on polysilicon imports]
The challenge for developers is to move quickly to secure lower costs before the minimum pricing takes effect, Anza says, adding that the options are to secure modules already in the U.S., accelerate imports or shift procurement strategies to preserve project economics.
Anza reports that as of September 9, 55% of active suppliers on its platform had Section 232-inclusive pricing, covering 65% of modules on the platform. While Anza has access to lower-cost pre-deadline supply, although “the window is shrinking.”  On quotes where Anza can compare the same SKU and contract terms, pricing has increased by about 15%.
Fortunately, the future holds promise for U.S. manufacturing across the U.S. supply chain. The Solar Energy Industries Association reports that the U.S. currently has 75.3 GW of module manufacturing capacity, which it says is enough to supply current market demand. Moving further up the supply chain shows less current capacity, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) forecasts a jump in ingot and cell manufacturing in the next year and for polysilicon and wafer by 2028.
Developers who are in the procurement process now are entering the “most critical procurement window,” Aaron Hall, president of Anza said in a statement, adding that developers can’t wait until December 4 to make a procurement decision as modules need time to ship and clear U.S. Customers before the deadline.
“Developers need to understand what is available now, at what price and on what terms, and move quickly on the strategy that makes the most sense for their project,” said Hall.
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Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition—join the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 in Riyadh to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering its digital economy.
pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand.
Monday, October 26, 2026
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China Cell, Wafer, Polysilicon Prices Fall: What It Means for India – energetica-india.net

Chinese solar cell prices have declined for a third consecutive week since peaking in late August, with lower wafer and polysilicon prices also easing upstream costs, a trend that could influence India’s module pricing and its ongoing shift towards domestic ingot-wafer-cell manufacturing.
September 25, 2026. By Mrinmoy Dey

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Floating solar array installed on Ohio village reservoir – pv-magazine-usa.com

Floating solar developer D3Energy has energized a 6 MW floating photovoltaic (FPV) array in the Village of Monroeville, Ohio. The system stands as the largest floating solar installation in the state and one of the largest operating FPV projects in the Midwest.
Sited directly on the Huron County village’s drinking water reservoir, the project utilizes Ciel & Terre Hydrelio floating structures to mount the PV modules over water. By floating the array, the municipal system preserves more than 30 acres of surrounding land that traditional ground-mounted solar would have required, while helping reduce reservoir evaporation and control seasonal algae growth.
Under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), the Village of Monroeville will buy electricity from project owner Gardner Capital to feed directly into the village’s local distribution grid. Generating over 7,500 MWh annually, enough to power roughly 700 homes, the project more than doubles Monroeville’s clean power capacity. Ohio-based contractor Appalachian Renewable Power (ARP Solar) handled on-the-ground engineering and construction.
The Monroeville installation marks D3Energy’s third completed FPV project in Ohio, joining the 1.5 MW Del-Co Water array in Delaware and a 2 MW system deployed on the City of Lima’s Twin Lakes Reservoir. Combined, the three installations bring Ohio’s total operational floating solar capacity to nearly 10 MW, making it a regional leader in utilizing municipal water infrastructure for dual-use clean energy generation.
“None of this happens without Monroeville’s forward-thinking leadership,” said Stetson Tchividjian, Managing Director of D3Energy. “Monroeville has long been a leader in the energy space, and with this project, they’ll be utilizing more green energy than many larger counties and cities across the country. They’re setting a bold example of how a rural community can make a meaningful impact in advancing clean energy.” 
The deployment fits into a broader national surge in floating photovoltaics as developers seek creative siting options to overcome land acquisition challenges. Research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows that U.S. reservoirs have ample capacity for FPV generation, with federally controlled bodies of water alone capable of hosting between 861 GW and 1,042 GW of potential floating solar capacity. According to NREL, tapping this technical potential could deliver roughly half the solar generation required to fully decarbonize the U.S. power grid by 2050.
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First Solar (FSLR) Keeps Hitting New Lows While Wall Street Says Buy. Who’s Right? – Yahoo Finance

First Solar (FSLR) Keeps Hitting New Lows While Wall Street Says Buy. Who’s Right?  Yahoo Finance
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Cooler roofs will prevail: colours and coatings to help beat the heat – The Guardian

Even before adding solar panels, your roof can help you keep cool and lower your energy bills
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
With an historic El Niño under way in the Pacific, Australia could face record temperatures this summer. For those in hot homes, reflective roof coatings can be a cost-effective way to beat the heat.
The upstairs bedrooms and office in Nic Jacobson’s two storey home in inner-suburban Adelaide used to get unbearably hot, even when his large air-conditioning system was running flat out.
“The insulation was not great, so I did some work upgrading that,” says Jacobson, an engineer who has worked in renewable energy for two decades. But after his changes, Jacobson could still feel intense heat radiating through the flat metal roof and blue board and plaster stud walls.
“The western wall in particular copped a lot of sun; because it was the second storey there was no shading from trees or adjacent buildings,” he says.
After Jacobson painted the roof and wall with a heat-reflective coating, the change was immediate.
“It definitely lowered the heat penetrating the house upstairs,” he says. Although he can’t quantify the savings, he reckons he cut his air conditioning bill significantly. “I’m very happy with the decision I made,” he says. “I think it’s a good product and look for opportunities to recommend it.”
Most Australian house roofs are either metal or tiled, though many apartments have concrete roofs. The majority are medium to dark in colour, according to CSIRO’s Australian Housing Data, even though lighter shades generally reflect more heat.
Shane Strudwick says Australia has a massive blind spot when it comes to the role roof surfaces and dark colours play in heating homes. Strudwick distributes Super Therm, the coating Jacobson applied to his home, which is more commonly used on commercial and industrial properties.
A water-based ceramic paint developed by Nasa for the space shuttle, Super Therm repels infrared radiation, preventing roofs from heating up and transferring heat inside the house.
In a basic trial on a 22C day in Adelaide, Strudwick coated some concrete roof tiles and left others untreated. By 1pm, he says, the surface temperature of the original tiles had hit 60C, while those with a single coat of Super Therm were just 26C.
He says the cost of coating a roof will generally pay for itself in lower energy bills in three to five years, though he cautions that payback times vary depending on the original surface and previous household energy use.
A cost-benefit analysis by researchers at the University of New South Wales concluded that the cost of coating an otherwise functional roof is recovered not just through energy savings, but also by prolonging the life of the roof itself (which also reduces waste going to landfill).
Leading cool roof researcher Prof Sebastian Pfautsch says people who’ve unwittingly bought homes with dark roofs find themselves “in a real schemozzle” when summer hits, especially if their roof is covered in cement tiles rather than metal.
“Cement has a much greater thermal mass, so it takes much longer to cool down,” explains Pfautsch, who is based at Western Sydney University.
Pfautsch says retrofitting a roof with a reflective coating should be a first step, ahead of other options such as installing solar panels or better insulation.
Solar panels can help cool a roof by converting radiant energy into electricity. Yet photovoltaic systems become less efficient if they get too hot, so installing panels on a dark, heat-absorbent roof is a false economy.
“The first and most cost-effective thing to do is coat it,” says Pfautsch. “After that, put solar on. Once you have a light-coloured roof your solar panels work more effectively.”
Combining panels with plants can create the triple win of a “bio-solar” roof – saving energy through insulation, boosting solar power output and increasing biodiversity.
But planting a garden on top of your home can be challenging and expensive. In most cases, recoating a roof is cheaper and simpler.
“There are many ways to retrofit a house to keep it cool and save energy but applying a coat of paint on the roof is one of the most efficient and low cost”, says Prof Chiara Neto, a physical chemist at the University of Sydney.
“It could save up to 40% of your energy bill, especially if you have an older building with poor insulation and a dark roof.”
Neto developed a film that reflects 96% of heat from the sun and also collects water.
In 2022, Neto and her former PhD student founded a startup called Dewpoint to commercialise their invention. It hopes to retail the coating in Australia at a price competitive with existing premium paints. The product is undergoing trials in the Middle East, Asia and Australia. “People want to see it in action in a real building and measure energy efficiency over time,” Neto says.
“The paint is designed to let go of droplets so they roll off the roof readily and can be easily collected before they evaporate,” she explains. And because the roof stays cooler for longer, it’s more efficient at condensing moisture from the atmosphere. Plus, it’s self-cleaning, which maintains its reflective properties.
Pfautsch says Super Therm is one product already on the market that is worth considering.
“I have no shares and I’m not a sales agent for them,” he stresses. But some products don’t deliver what they promise, he warns, noting that Dulux paid a $400,000 penalty in 2016 for making unfounded claims about the temperature-reducing properties of two paints.
A heat-reflecting roof will generally be light-coloured but doesn’t have to be white, Pfautsch says, so it’s possible to avoid an excessively bright roof that reflects glare into nearby buildings. Neto notes that heat-reflective roof coatings mostly have a positive impact on nearby residents.
“If all roofs were treated, that could reduce the air temperature in a suburb by two or three degrees,” she says. “By preventing surfaces from getting hot, removing heat and passively cooling the surface, neighbouring buildings will benefit.”
If you’re suffering under a hot roof, Pfautsch encourages you to do yourself, your neighbours and the planet a favour.
“It’s an ethical question of how you want to live in your community and make your contribution,” he says.
This article was amended on 26 September 2026. An earlier version incorrectly spelt Nic Jacobson’s surname.

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Florida Army veteran was promised 'zero' electric bills. Instead, she says solar doubled costs – The Cool Down

© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.
“They’re selling not just the panels; they’re selling a financial product.”
Photo Credit: iStock
A disabled Florida Army veteran says a solar purchase marketed as a way to cut her utility costs ended up adding another monthly payment — and made it difficult to sell her home.
Her story is also fueling concern about a separate solar-financing problem: borrowers may still owe money even after the lender behind the deal goes bankrupt, according to WKMG.
Kia Love, a disabled Army veteran and Florida homeowner, agreed to install solar panels in 2016 after a door-to-door salesperson told her the system could reduce her electric bill to zero.
Love said the promise never materialized.
“After I got the panels on the roof, there was no drop in the bill,” Love explained. “The bill was exactly the same … I went from a high electricity bill to paying a high electricity bill plus the $175 for the solar panels.”
She recalled that the sales pitch depended on a federal tax benefit that she later learned she could not use because her income as a disabled veteran did not qualify.
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“The salesman said, first two years it will be $80 a month, and that would give me two years to apply the government kickback. But in actuality, that was false; I found out I was ineligible because my disabled veteran income didn’t qualify,” she told WKMG.
Love said it took paying to have the panels cleaned before a technician found the system had been installed improperly and wasn’t working correctly. 
Her loan jumped to more than $24,000 from about $16,000 after the first two years, and her monthly payment climbed to $175.
Attorney Joshua Horton said the problem often involves more than the solar equipment itself.
“They’re selling not just the panels; they’re selling a financial product. It’s two different agreements, but it’s all the same iPad [and] nobody reads the disclaimers,” Horton observed.
Love’s debt was transferred from Mosaic Solar to Solar Servicing, which Horton said commonly happens when lenders bundle and sell debt portfolios before filing for bankruptcy.
“The debt is then sold to third-party investors who will continue to collect on the debt, despite getting none of the benefits that they were promised,” he noted.
Horton cited another concern involving the UCC-1 filing attached to some solar loans.
While it is not a traditional lien, he said: “It operates as a lien. They can prevent you from refinancing, from selling your home; it clouds the title.”
Love believes that filing may be one reason her house has remained on the market.
Love felt that the best first step was to slow down. 
WKMG’s consumer checklist advised readers not to sign anything the same day, to ask for system-sizing details in writing, to compare multiple companies, and to have a qualified tax professional verify whether you can truly claim any advertised federal credit.
The checklist also recommended looking into whether the agreement is a loan, a lease, or another type of contract — and whether a UCC-1 filing will be placed on the property. 
Homeowners should also get warranty and service terms in writing, including what happens if the installer goes out of business.
Horton said consumers can file complaints with the Florida Attorney General’s Office Consumer Division.
He also pointed out that veterans like Love may have help available through a military consumer protection organization at the Department of Agriculture, and that some homeowners may need to dispute the debt or pursue legal action.
Love’s advice was direct.
“Definitely don’t believe everything that the salesperson is telling you. Read up on regulations, tax credits, figure out if you’re eligible, read all of the fine print and don’t let them rush you.”
For more on solar sales pitches, contract terms, and bill surprises like the ones in Love’s case, start with these articles. They look at zero-cost lease claims, financing misinformation, and net-metering shortfalls.
• A homeowner considering a zero-cost solar lease was warned it looked too good to be true.
• A solar expert challenged misinformation about leasing panels as homeowners sorted through savings claims.
• An Ohio homeowner learned net metering may leave much of the electric bill behind.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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West Oxfordshire Energy Park: 500 MW Solar Project Announcement – SolarQuarter

West Oxfordshire Energy Park: 500 MW Solar Project Announcement  SolarQuarter
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Deniliquin East BESS granted development application – pv magazine Australia

A development application has been granted to developer Bess Arctic c/o Spain-headquartered Gransolar Development Australia (GDA) by the New South Wales (NSW) government for the $118 million (USD 82.7 million) Deniliquin East battery energy storage system (BESS).
The BESS will utilise approximately 80 containerised lithium-ion battery modules with 100 MW / 200 MWh nominal battery capacity and 120 MW / 240 MWh of total cell capacity.
The project was found to provide a range of energy, economic and employment benefits to the local community, which include 52 construction and two operational jobs, and $600,000 in community benefits for the approximately 9,000 permanent residents in the Edward River Council.
Located about seven kilometres southeast of Deniliquin, 712 kilometres southwest of Sydney, the project received 71 public submissions objecting, including from nine interest groups, one in support and one comment.
Community concerns centred on fire risks and hazards, the merits of renewable energy and land use compatibility, which the developer addressed through further project refinements, such as readiness to comply with Fire Rescue NSW recommendations.
Six public submissions raised concerns that adequate consultation was not conducted, however Gransolar referred to the Undertaking Engagement Guidelines for State Significant Projects, outlining community consultation was conducted with government stakeholders, relevant agencies such as Transgrid, Aboriginal stakeholders including the Deniliquin Local Aboriginal Land Council, and adjacent neighbours and surrounding community, via a newsletter, community survey, local newspaper notices, pop-up community information sessions, the project website and freely available contact information.
Assessors found the project would result in a negligible loss of agricultural land, noting the BESS footprint of 3.53 hectares accounts for less than 0.0004% of agricultural land in the Edward River local government area (LGA).
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 and the project operational until 2060.
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On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverter Market To 2035: Grid Stability Mandates Drive Growth – News and Statistics – IndexBox

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According to the latest IndexBox report on the global On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverter market, the market enters 2026 with broader demand fundamentals, more disciplined procurement behavior, and a more regionally diversified supply architecture.
The global market for On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverter is entering a phase of structural expansion, driven by the accelerating deployment of utility-scale and commercial solar installations and the growing need for grid-stabilizing power electronics. As solar penetration rises, grid operators increasingly require inverters that provide reactive power support, voltage regulation, and fault ride-through capabilities, transforming the inverter from a simple DC-AC converter into a critical grid asset. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the market from 2026 to 2035, covering historical data from 2012 to 2025 and forward-looking scenarios.
The market is bifurcating into cost-optimized platforms for predictable installations and premium, feature-rich systems for grid-critical applications. Demand is increasingly shaped by regulatory mandates, cybersecurity requirements, and the integration of energy storage. The supply chain is shifting toward wide bandgap semiconductors, particularly silicon carbide, to achieve higher efficiency and power density. Competitive dynamics are influenced by control over critical components, qualification cycles, and lifecycle service offerings.
This study segments the market by end-use sectors, including utility-scale, commercial and industrial, residential, microgrid, and utility-owned assets, and provides regional outlooks for Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Key companies profiled include Sungrow, Huawei, SMA Solar Technology, SolarEdge, Fronius, ABB, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Enphase Energy, Delta Electronics, and KACO New Energy. The report is designed for component manufacturers, system suppliers, OEMs, distributors, investors, and strategic entrants seeking a grounded view of demand architecture, qualification logic, pricing, and competitive positioning.
The baseline scenario for the On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverter market anticipates a compound annual growth rate of 7.2% from 2026 to 2035, with the market index reaching 200 by 2035 (2025=100). This outlook is supported by the global push for renewable energy targets, declining solar levelized cost of electricity, and the increasing necessity for grid-supportive inverters. Utility-scale solar projects remain the primary volume driver, particularly in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, where large tenders often mandate advanced grid features.
In North America and Europe, repowering and grid modernization efforts are expected to sustain demand for high-performance inverters with cybersecurity and grid-forming capabilities. The commercial and industrial segment is poised for accelerated adoption as businesses seek energy independence and resilience, often pairing inverters with battery storage. Residential three-phase demand is growing in regions with three-phase power distribution, such as Europe and parts of Asia, but remains a smaller share.
Supply-side factors include the transition to silicon carbide semiconductors, which improves efficiency and reduces cooling requirements, and the modularization of inverter designs to simplify maintenance and scalability. Pricing pressure persists in commoditized segments, while premium features command higher margins. The market is also witnessing a shift toward integrated lifecycle services, including monitoring and predictive maintenance, which enhances customer stickiness. Key risks include policy uncertainty, supply chain disruptions for semiconductors, and the emergence of alternative technologies such as string inverters with higher power ratings.
Overall, the baseline scenario assumes steady policy support, continued cost reductions, and gradual grid code harmonization, leading to robust but not explosive growth.
Utility-scale solar remains the dominant end-use sector for On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverters, accounting for the majority of global demand. This segment is characterized by large-scale projects, often exceeding 100 MW, where inverters must meet stringent grid code requirements including voltage regulation, frequency response, and reactive power support. The shift toward bifacial modules and trackers increases energy yield, but also demands inverters with higher power ratings and advanced monitoring. As solar penetration rises, grid operators increasingly require grid-forming capabilities, which allow inverters to stabilize the grid without synchronous generation.
This is particularly critical in regions with weak grids or high renewable penetration. The procurement process is dominated by EPC firms and IPPs, who prioritize proven reliability, comprehensive service contracts, and seamless grid interconnection. Through 2035, the segment will be driven by auctions and tenders in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America, where solar is often the cheapest source of new power. Demand-side indicators include auction volumes, PPA prices, and grid interconnection queues. The trend toward larger project sizes and higher DC/AC ratios will favor inverters with higher power density and modular designs. Major companies in this sector include Sungrow, Huawei, SMA, and TMEIC. Current trend: Growing.
Major trends: Increasing adoption of grid-forming inverters for weak grid support, Shift toward higher power ratings (1500V and above) to reduce balance-of-system costs, Integration of energy storage with utility-scale PV to provide dispatchability, Growing use of silicon carbide semiconductors for higher efficiency, and Rise of digital monitoring and predictive maintenance services.
Representative participants: Sungrow Power Supply, Huawei Technologies, SMA Solar Technology, TMEIC, and ABB.
The Commercial and Industrial (C&I) sector is a rapidly growing end-use market for On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverters, driven by businesses seeking to reduce energy costs, meet sustainability goals, and enhance energy resilience. C&I installations typically range from 100 kW to several MW and often involve rooftop, carport, or ground-mounted systems. Three-phase inverters are essential for these applications due to their compatibility with commercial electrical systems and their ability to handle higher loads. A key trend is the integration of battery storage, enabling peak shaving, demand charge management, and backup power.
This hybrid approach requires inverters with advanced energy management capabilities and seamless switching between grid-tied and off-grid modes. The C&I segment is also seeing increased adoption of microgrids, particularly in regions with unreliable grid infrastructure. Demand-side indicators include commercial electricity prices, corporate sustainability commitments, and government incentives for self-consumption. Through 2035, the segment will benefit from falling battery costs and the growing popularity of power purchase agreements (PPAs) for C&I solar. However, financing and technical complexity remain barriers. Major companies active in this sector include SolarEdge, Fronius, Schneider Electric, and Delta Electronics.
Current trend: Accelerating.
Major trends: Rising adoption of hybrid inverters with battery storage for peak shaving and backup, Growth of solar-plus-storage microgrids for resilience, Increasing use of three-phase inverters in commercial rooftops and carports, Digitalization of energy management with IoT and AI, and Emergence of energy-as-a-service business models.
Representative participants: SolarEdge Technologies, Fronius International, Schneider Electric, Delta Electronics, and SMA Solar Technology.
The residential three-phase segment represents a smaller but stable share of the On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverter market, primarily concentrated in regions where three-phase power is common in homes, such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Asia. These inverters are used in larger residential systems, often exceeding 10 kW, and are increasingly paired with battery storage. Homeowners are motivated by rising electricity prices, feed-in tariffs, and the desire for energy independence. The segment is characterized by a higher degree of consumer choice, with aesthetics, noise levels, and ease of installation being important factors.
Technological trends include the integration of smart home energy management systems, allowing homeowners to optimize self-consumption and participate in demand response programs. The shift toward electric vehicles (EVs) is also creating new demand for three-phase inverters that can manage EV charging. Through 2035, the segment will grow modestly, driven by retrofits and new build installations in Europe and Japan. However, the trend toward single-phase inverters in some markets and the availability of cheaper string inverters may limit growth. Major companies include Enphase Energy, SolarEdge, Fronius, and SMA. Current trend: Steady.
Major trends: Integration with home energy management systems and smart home platforms, Growing adoption of three-phase inverters for EV charging integration, Increasing use of battery storage for self-consumption optimization, Modular and compact designs for easier installation, and Rise of virtual power plants (VPPs) aggregating residential systems.
Representative participants: Enphase Energy, SolarEdge Technologies, Fronius International, SMA Solar Technology, and Huawei Technologies.
Microgrids and off-grid applications represent a niche but growing end-use sector for On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverters, particularly in remote areas, islands, and regions with unreliable grid infrastructure. These systems often combine solar PV with battery storage and diesel generators, requiring inverters that can operate in grid-tied and off-grid modes, and seamlessly transition between them. Three-phase inverters are essential for powering commercial and industrial loads in microgrids, such as in mining, agriculture, and telecommunications. The demand is driven by the need for energy access, resilience, and cost savings compared to diesel generation.
Technological trends include the use of grid-forming inverters to establish and maintain grid voltage and frequency, and the integration of advanced control systems for optimal dispatch. Through 2035, the segment will benefit from declining battery costs and the increasing adoption of renewable microgrids for rural electrification and critical infrastructure. However, challenges include high upfront costs, complex permitting, and lack of standardized designs. Major companies active in this sector include SMA, Schneider Electric, ABB, and KACO New Energy. Current trend: Growing.
Major trends: Rising deployment of grid-forming inverters for microgrid stability, Integration of solar-plus-storage with diesel generators for hybrid systems, Growth of remote microgrids for mining, islands, and rural electrification, Standardization of microgrid controllers and communication protocols, and Increasing use of three-phase inverters in mobile and temporary power applications.
Representative participants: SMA Solar Technology, Schneider Electric, ABB, KACO New Energy, and Siemens.
Utility-owned assets, including utility-scale solar farms owned and operated by utilities, represent a distinct end-use sector for On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverters. These projects are often developed to meet renewable portfolio standards (RPS) and to gain experience with solar technology. Utilities prioritize reliability, long-term service agreements, and grid support capabilities. Inverters used in these assets must comply with stringent utility interconnection requirements, including advanced grid functions like volt-VAR control and frequency-watt control. The segment is characterized by a conservative approach to technology adoption, with a preference for proven, bankable products.
However, utilities are increasingly exploring grid-forming inverters to support grid stability as they retire synchronous generation. Through 2035, utility-owned assets will grow in regions with supportive policies, such as the United States and Europe, but may face competition from third-party owned projects. Demand-side indicators include utility capital expenditure plans, integrated resource plans, and regulatory mandates. Major companies supplying this sector include SMA, Sungrow, Huawei, and TMEIC. Current trend: Steady.
Major trends: Adoption of grid-forming inverters for synchronous inertia support, Increasing focus on cybersecurity and compliance with NERC CIP standards, Integration of storage with utility-owned solar for dispatchability, Use of digital twins and advanced analytics for asset management, and Growing preference for modular inverters for easier maintenance.
Representative participants: SMA Solar Technology, Sungrow Power Supply, Huawei Technologies, TMEIC, and ABB.
Interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report.
Asia-Pacific dominates the On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverter market, driven by massive utility-scale solar deployments in China, India, and Australia. China alone accounts for a significant share of global demand, supported by aggressive renewable energy targets and domestic manufacturing. India’s solar auctions and Australia’s rooftop solar boom further propel growth. The region is also a major supply hub, with companies like Sungrow and Huawei leading globally. Through 2035, demand will be sustained by declining costs, policy support, and grid modernization. Direction: Leading.
North America is a key market for three-phase PV inverters, driven by utility-scale projects in the United States and Canada, as well as commercial and industrial installations. The Inflation Reduction Act and state-level renewable portfolio standards provide strong policy support. The region is also witnessing a shift toward grid-forming inverters and cybersecurity compliance. However, supply chain constraints and trade policies may impact growth. Through 2035, demand will be bolstered by repowering of older projects and the integration of storage. Direction: Growing.
Europe represents a mature but stable market for On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverters, with strong demand from utility-scale and commercial installations in Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands. The region is at the forefront of grid code evolution, requiring advanced grid-support functions and cybersecurity. The REPowerEU plan and national targets drive deployment. Through 2035, growth will be moderate, with opportunities in repowering, hybrid systems, and microgrids. Local manufacturing initiatives may reduce import dependence. Direction: Steady.
Latin America is an emerging market for three-phase PV inverters, with Brazil, Chile, and Mexico leading deployments. Auctions and PPAs drive utility-scale projects, while commercial and industrial segments grow due to high electricity costs. The region benefits from abundant solar resources and declining technology costs. However, economic volatility and financing challenges may hinder growth. Through 2035, demand will be supported by grid modernization and renewable targets, with increasing adoption of hybrid systems. Direction: Accelerating.
The Middle East & Africa region is a growing market for On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverters, driven by large-scale solar tenders in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. The region’s high solar irradiance and declining costs make solar competitive with fossil fuels. Off-grid and microgrid applications are also expanding, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Through 2035, demand will be fueled by energy diversification goals and rural electrification, though political and economic instability may pose risks. Direction: Growing.
In the baseline scenario, IndexBox estimates a 7.2% compound annual growth rate for the global on grid three phase pv inverter market over 2026-2035, bringing the market index to roughly 200 by 2035 (2025=100).
Note: indexed curves are used to compare medium-term scenario trajectories when full absolute volumes are not publicly disclosed.
For full methodological details and benchmark tables, see the latest IndexBox On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverter market report.
This report is an independent strategic market study that provides a structured, commercially grounded analysis of the global market for On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverter. It is designed for component manufacturers, system suppliers, OEM and ODM teams, distributors, investors, and strategic entrants that need a clear view of end-use demand, design-in dynamics, manufacturing exposure, qualification burden, pricing architecture, and competitive positioning.
The analytical framework is designed to work both for a single specialized component class and for a broader power electronics / energy conversion system, where market structure is shaped by product architecture, performance requirements, standards compliance, design-in cycles, component dependencies, lead times, and channel control rather than by one narrow customs heading alone. It defines On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverter as A power electronics device that converts direct current (DC) from photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays into three-phase alternating current (AC) synchronized with the utility grid, enabling large-scale solar energy injection into commercial, industrial, and utility power networks and examines the market through end-use demand, BOM and subsystem logic, fabrication and assembly stages, qualification and reliability requirements, procurement pathways, pricing layers, and country capability differences. Historical analysis typically covers 2012 to 2025, with forward-looking scenarios through 2035.
This report is designed to answer the questions that matter most to decision-makers evaluating an electronics, electrical, component, interconnect, or power-system market.
At its core, this report explains how the market for On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverter actually functions. It identifies where demand originates, how supply is organized, which technological and regulatory barriers influence adoption, and how value is distributed across the value chain. Rather than describing the market only in broad terms, the study breaks it into analytically meaningful layers: product scope, segmentation, end uses, customer types, production economics, outsourcing structure, country roles, and company archetypes.
The report is particularly useful in markets where buyers are highly specialized, suppliers differ significantly in technical depth and regulatory readiness, and the commercial landscape cannot be understood only through top-line market size figures. In this context, the study is designed not only to estimate the size of the market, but to explain why the market has that size, what drives its growth, which subsegments are the most attractive, and what it takes to compete successfully within it.
The report is based on an independent analytical methodology that combines deep secondary research, structured evidence review, market reconstruction, and multi-level triangulation. The methodology is designed to support products for which there is no single clean official dataset capturing the full market in a directly usable form.
The study typically uses the following evidence hierarchy:
The analytical framework is built around several linked layers.
First, a scope model defines what is included in the market and what is excluded, ensuring that adjacent products, downstream finished goods, unrelated instruments, or broader chemical categories do not distort the market boundary.
Second, a demand model reconstructs the market from the perspective of consuming sectors, workflow stages, and applications. Depending on the product, this may include Large-scale solar power plants, Factory/warehouse rooftop solar, Solar carports and canopies, Solar for water treatment/pumping, and Grid stability and ancillary services across Energy & Utilities, Industrial Manufacturing, Commercial Real Estate, Agriculture, and Public Sector / Municipalities and System design & yield simulation, Grid compliance & interconnection approval, Installation & commissioning, Grid integration testing, and O&M monitoring & firmware updates. Demand is then allocated across end users, development stages, and geographic markets.
Third, a supply model evaluates how the market is served. This includes IGBT / MOSFET power modules, DC-link capacitors, Gate driver boards, Digital signal processors (DSPs) / MCUs, Cooling systems (fans, heat sinks), Magnetics (transformers, chokes), and Enclosures & connectors, manufacturing technologies such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) / Gallium Nitride (GaN) power semiconductors, Advanced MPPT algorithms for partial shading, Grid-forming inverter capabilities, Cybersecurity for grid communication, and Predictive maintenance via AI/ML, quality control requirements, outsourcing and contract-manufacturing participation, distribution structure, and supply-chain concentration risks.
Fourth, a country capability model maps where the market is consumed, where production is materially feasible, where manufacturing capability is limited or emerging, and which countries function primarily as innovation hubs, supply nodes, demand centers, or import-reliant markets.
Fifth, a pricing and economics layer evaluates price corridors, cost drivers, complexity premiums, outsourcing logic, margin structure, and switching barriers. This is especially relevant in markets where product grade, purity, customization, regulatory burden, or service model materially influence economics.
Finally, a competitive intelligence layer profiles the leading company types active in the market and explains how strategic roles differ across upstream material and component suppliers, OEM and ODM partners, contract manufacturers, integrated platform players, distributors, and engineering-support providers.
This report covers the market for On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverter in its commercially relevant and technologically meaningful form. The scope typically includes the product itself, its major product configurations or variants, the critical technologies used to produce or deliver it, the core input categories required for manufacturing, and the services directly associated with its commercial supply, quality control, or integration into end-user workflows.
Included within scope are the product forms, use cases, inputs, and services that are necessary to understand the actual addressable market around On Grid Three Phase Pv Inverter. This usually includes:
Excluded from scope are categories that may be technologically adjacent but do not belong to the core economic market being measured. These usually include:
The exact inclusion and exclusion logic is always a critical part of the study, because the quality of the market estimate depends directly on disciplined scope boundaries.
The report provides global coverage. It evaluates the world market as a whole and then breaks it down by region and country, with particular focus on the geographies that matter most for design-in demand, electronics manufacturing capability, component sourcing, standards compliance, and distribution reach.
The geographic analysis is designed not simply to rank countries by nominal market size, but to classify them by role in the market. Depending on the product, countries may function as:
This study is designed for strategic, commercial, operations, and investment users, including:
In many high-technology, electronics, electrical, industrial, and component-driven markets, official trade and production statistics are not sufficient on their own to describe the true market. Product boundaries may cut across multiple tariff codes, several product categories may be bundled into the same official classification, and a meaningful share of activity may take place through customized services, captive supply, platform relationships, or technically specialized channels that are not directly visible in standard statistical datasets.
For this reason, the report is designed as a modeled strategic market study. It uses official and public evidence wherever it is reliable and scope-compatible, but it does not force the market into a purely statistical framework when doing so would reduce analytical quality. Instead, it reconstructs the market through the logic of demand, supply, technology, country roles, and company behavior.
This makes the report particularly well suited to products that are innovation-intensive, technically differentiated, capacity-constrained, platform-dependent, or commercially structured around specialized buyer-supplier relationships rather than standardized commodity trade.
The report typically includes:
The result is a structured, publication-grade market intelligence document that combines quantitative modeling with commercial, technical, and strategic interpretation.
Electronics-Market Structure and Company Archetypes
The Key National Markets and Their Strategic Roles
Dominant in string inverter segment
Largest shipment volume globally
One of top global string inverter suppliers
Leading Western inverter brand
Strong in distributed generation segment
Strong in Americas & Europe markets
Strong brand in Europe for commercial
Diversified electronics manufacturer
Strong in commercial segment with optimizer tech
Specialist in power conversion technology
Part of large Chint Group conglomerate
Part of TBEA, strong in China utility market
Significant global shipments
Strong in distributed commercial segment
US-based utility-scale specialist
Part of broad energy management portfolio
OEM/ODM and own brand operations
Acquired ABB's solar inverter business
Strong focus on large-scale projects
Key supplier for Indian utility solar market
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EFL eyes farming under solar panels – FBC News

[File Photo]

The use of land for solar farms is coming under scrutiny, with calls for it to serve more than one purpose.
Energy Fiji Limited is exploring options that could allow crops or livestock to be kept beneath raised solar panels.
EFL CEO Fatiaki Gibson said the company was already exploring agro-PV technology in Ovalau. The solar panels are raised higher from the ground, allowing farming or livestock activities to continue underneath.
“The designs we intend to put into the solar farms basically it’ll be in the panel area because it covers such a vast area.”
The issue was raised by Committee Member Premila Kumar, who says EFL needs to consider multiple uses for land rather than using it only for energy generation.
Gibson explained that agro-PV is more expensive because of the raised foundations and structure. He says the added cost could eventually be reflected in the feed-in tariff paid to EFL.
Most independent power producers, according to Gibson are currently proposing conventional ground-mounted solar farms. He says EFL will consider agro-PV as another option.
The discussion also covered the risk of cyclones damaging solar farms and battery storage facilities.
Gibson states that solar farm designs will be built to withstand Category Five cyclones. He says battery systems will be housed in container-type structures, while the panels will be designed to withstand harsh weather conditions.
He adds that EFL is also requiring Tier One manufacturers and international standards for equipment used in its solar developments.
The team appeared before the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs to present its 2025 Annual Report.

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How solar panels helped one Chinese farmer escape extreme poverty – Modern Ghana

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Comstock Targets 25% Utilization at Industrial-Scale Solar Recycling Plant – Yahoo Finance

Comstock Targets 25% Utilization at Industrial-Scale Solar Recycling Plant  Yahoo Finance
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13-panel solar system among latest planning applications in Barry – Barry and District News

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Here are the latest planning applications submitted to Vale of Glamorgan Council for Barry.
Solar panels
A planning application has been submitted for the installation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system at a residential property on Baruc Way.
The proposal includes 13 all-black solar panels, each rated at 465 watts, with a total capacity of 6.04 kW.
The panels will be mounted on the rear roof of the detached house to minimise visual impact.
They will not exceed the roof ridgeline and will project no more than 200mm from the roof surface.
The installation also includes an external battery system and gateway, which will be housed in a covered enclosure and connected via a discreet trunking system along the side of the property.
No structural alterations, extensions, or changes to access are proposed.
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Some solar panels are only 2 years old when they’re discarded. PV expert says retirement fee could fi… – Renew Economy

Saturday, September 26, 2026
One of Australia’s leading solar experts has called for at least some of the cost of a mandatory national panel recycling scheme to be paid by end-users, including rooftop solar households, in a bid to prevent PV modules from being discarded well before their use-by date.
Dr Rong Deng, a senior lecturer at the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW was one of the first experts to appear before a federal Parliamentary Inquiry that launched this week to nut out how best to design a national solar stewardship scheme.
The establishment of mandatory scheme governing the reuse and recycling of solar in Australia is well overdue, despite the best efforts of industry groups like the Smart Energy Council (SEC) and despite a growing level of urgency to manage a growing pile of potentially highly valuable waste.
The inquiry was supposed to run alongside a $25.7 million pilot that the federal government had intended to start in July, but that, too, has been delayed – much to the SEC’s and industry’s dismay – after a legal complaint was made about the process to appoint a scheme administrator. 
This leaves the inquiry and a newly announced state-based push from New South Wales as the best hopes for establishing a mandatory solar stewardship scheme anytime soon.
But as Deng told the Inquiry on Thursday, the preferred national approach that the NSW government is currently consulting on – to charge retailers and project developers with a mandatory recycling fee at the point of panel installation – might not be the best way to go.
“I have a different view from what the NSW government is proposing,” Deng told the standing committee members, which includes “teal” independent MPs Zali Steggall and Nicolette Boele.
“My view is that a small, transparent end-of-life charge should sit at the point where the retirement decision is made. 
“We are seeing perfectly functional residential panels coming off the roof and, from my personal experience, we’ve seen panels as young as only two years old. 
“Those panels are designed to last 25, 30 years, and because currently there is no charge to recycle and get rid of them, that really encourage lots of early retirement.
“So a small price signal … may discourage unnecessary early retirement and keep working panels on roofs for longer,” Deng said. 
What to do with discarded solar panels that still have plenty of useful life left in them is just one of the puzzles within the puzzle that is solar stewardship. An SEC-led pilot conducted in Queensland put the average age of decommissioned panels at just 8 years, with most able to operate for another 10–15 years.
Reuse is the obvious solution, but this is not easy. It requires discarded panels to be handled with the utmost care during decommissioning and transportation, so that they are not damaged, and then it requires electrical testing and sing-off, so that consumers can be confident they are safe to use.
As the SEC’s executive general manager of sustainability, Darren Johannesen has told Renew Economy, these sort of early life panels appear so prominently in the waste stream because people are choosing to upgrade their rooftop systems as technology costs fall and as households electrify.
And the SEC has warned that this practice is likely to balloon under the federal home battery rebate, as households replace old rooftop modules with newer much bigger systems to go with their discounted and plus-sized storage systems.
“The good news is we’re going to get lots of batteries and expanded systems, the bad news is it’s going to create decommissioning … somewhere between an additional 7.5 million to 15-20 million [modules a year],” Johannesen told Solar Insiders last year. 
“So it’s a lot of modules that will be de-installed and this is why, getting back to pilots, why pilots are important. And critically, it’s why we need action on a national scheme.”
But while the SEC favours a set-up where the mandatory stewardship fee is charged to installers and developers, and then passed on to consumers through slightly higher system costs, Rong Deng argues that it is “reasonable” to put a modest cost at the other end of the panel life-cycle.
“When a system generally reaches …[the] end of its useful life after delivering value for 20, 30 years, the household has already received value from that asset. They’ve recovered all the value and they’ve received additional value from that asset, and [so] a modest cost to responsibly manage that at the end of life, to me, is reasonable,” she told the inquiry. 
“There is also a cost question: if a recycling cost is imposed upstream on brand owners or manufacturers, that cost, or some of that cost, will eventually pass on to the customer, and it is not just that one cost … all the overheads associated with managing the cost flow will eventually be passed on to the customer,” Deng says. 
“So if it’s eventually passed on the customer, if it’s eventually the customer who pays, then a small direct, transparent charge at the point where the retirement decision is made is probably the lowest-cost option to fund the scheme, and the lowest cost option to these customers,” she said. “That’s my opinion.”
Deng says she will also put this argument in a submission to the NSW consultation on a scheme.
“We’ve seen too many… panels retire way too early, and they’re perfectly fine,” she told the inquiry. “And you will probably hear from other people how difficult [it is] to reuse – even if [the panels are] perfectly fine.
“It’s so hard to find a reuse market. So the best option is just to keep those panels on the roof and let them keep generating electricity.
“If there is a small charge … when the retirement decision is made, people may want to keep the panels there for longer, and we eliminate the waste problem from the beginning. I mean, we don’t eliminate all the waste problem, but we eliminate some waste problem, which shouldn’t really exist, at the beginning.
“And the second point is on the cost,” she says.
“When the customer pays …for end of life after the asset retires, they’ve recovered their value from this asset. But now we’re asking them to pay for even more upfront.
“If the customer has to fund the scheme, then why don’t we let the customer fund it with a least cost … lowest cost option,” Deng says.
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Sophie is editor of Renew Economy and editor of its sister site, One Step Off The Grid . She is the co-host of the Solar Insiders Podcast. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.
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ribbed lime-green gateway and blue solar canopy reform municipal sports center in spain – Designboom

 
The transformation of EL POLI by meii estudio gives La Unión’s municipal sports center in Murcia, Spain, a new architectural and energetic identity. The intervention at La Unión’s municipal sports center, locally known as EL POLI, is structured around two complementary elements that redefine a beloved local landmark, with a primary focus on both energy production and consumption. 
 
A vivid lime-green entrance creates a clear and welcoming gateway to the complex, while a folded photovoltaic canopy rises above the stands, its geometry shaped by the sun. Together, these two interventions generate renewable energy, improve comfort, and establish a bold new presence within La Unión’s distinctive mining landscape.
 
Serving as a welcoming gateway between the city and the sports complex, the renovated entrance building unifies essential programs, like changing rooms, offices, and the cafeteria, under a strong horizontal identity. Clad in a ventilated ceramic facade of vivid lime-green ribbed tiles, it contrasts with the local mining landscape. A fully foldable metal facade at its entrance dissolves the boundary between the town and the facilities, creating a versatile public threshold. The design team at meii estudio refers to these two elements as EL POLI Y LA PERGOLA.
ribbed lime-green gateway and blue solar canopy reform municipal sports center in spain - 1
all images ©meii estudio
 
 
 
The centrepiece of the project transforms a pure energy infrastructure into a striking architectural element. Designed by Murcia-based architectural practice meii estudio, to maximise solar energy production, its form is driven entirely by function: the optimal south-facing orientation and inclination of the photovoltaic panels, calculated precisely to the latitude of La Unión, generate a sequence of folded planes with a distinctive sawtooth profile.
 
Constructed using a robust three-dimensional steel structure and clad in blue metal sheeting, LA PÉRGOLA constantly shifts in appearance as natural light evolves. This creates a vibrant visual dialogue with the green ceramic entrance building while providing essential shade for the existing football stands.
 
Together, the lime-green entrance and the dynamic blue solar canopy succeed on multiple levels: they supply clean, renewable energy to the complex, improve user comfort, and forge a powerful new architectural identity for La Unión.

ribbed lime-green gateway and blue solar canopy reform municipal sports center in spain - 2
EL POLI is La Unión’s municipal sports center in Murcia, Spain
ribbed lime-green gateway and blue solar canopy reform municipal sports center in spain - 3
lime-green ribbed ceramic tiles clad the entrance building’s ventilated facade
the green ceramic facade contrasts with La Unión’s mining landscape

ribbed lime-green gateway and blue solar canopy reform municipal sports center in spain - 4
LA PÉRGOLA rises above the existing football stands as a photovoltaic canopy
ribbed lime-green gateway and blue solar canopy reform municipal sports center in spain - 5
the canopy’s folded geometry is shaped by the optimal orientation of its solar panels
ribbed lime-green gateway and blue solar canopy reform municipal sports center in spain - 6
blue metal sheeting gives LA PÉRGOLA its changing visual character
a sequence of folded planes creates LA PÉRGOLA’s distinctive sawtooth profile

ribbed lime-green gateway and blue solar canopy reform municipal sports center in spain - 7
a three-dimensional steel structure supports the photovoltaic canopy
ribbed lime-green gateway and blue solar canopy reform municipal sports center in spain - 8
LA PÉRGOLA provides shade for the existing football stands
ribbed lime-green gateway and blue solar canopy reform municipal sports center in spain - 9
the project combines energy production with improvements to user comfort
 
project info:
 
name: EL POLI Y LA PERGOLA
architect: meii estudio | @meii_estudio
location: Murcia, Spain
 
 
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. See more project submissions from our readers here.
 
edited by: Christina Vergopoulou | designboom

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China to scrap export tax rebates for photovoltaic and battery products – reuters.com

China to scrap export tax rebates for photovoltaic and battery products  reuters.com
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Understanding Pressure-Induced Photovoltaic Performance of Lead-Free Ca – Wiley Online Library

Understanding Pressure-Induced Photovoltaic Performance of Lead-Free Ca  Wiley Online Library
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New irradiance forecasting method could improve stand-alone photovoltaic system operation – EurekAlert! Science News Releases

Beijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd
image: 

Feature selection-based irradiance forecast for efficient operation of a stand-alone PV system

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Feature selection-based irradiance forecast for efficient operation of a stand-alone PV system
Credit: Green Energy and Intelligent Transportation
Researchers have developed a feature selection-based solar irradiance forecasting method to improve the operation of stand-alone photovoltaic systems. The approach uses a bidirectional long short-term memory hybrid network to forecast solar irradiance and then applies the forecasted data to estimate the optimum tilt angle of photovoltaic panels, helping increase PV output power.
Solar irradiance forecasting is important because photovoltaic power output depends directly on the amount of solar energy reaching a panel. In stand-alone PV systems, accurate forecasts can help operators understand the likely availability of solar energy and make better decisions about system configuration and operation. When forecasting is poor, PV systems may operate less efficiently, especially in settings where grid support is limited or unavailable.
The tilt angle of a PV module is another key factor in energy production. A panel that is not oriented effectively may receive less solar irradiance than it could under a better angle, reducing power output even when the solar resource is available. Determining the optimum tilt angle, or OTA, can therefore be an important step for improving PV system performance.
The new study connects these two tasks by using forecasted solar irradiance data to determine the optimum tilt angle. According to the article, the researchers first use a bidirectional long short-term memory, or Bi-LSTM, hybrid network to forecast solar irradiance. Bi-LSTM models are useful for time-series forecasting because they can learn sequential patterns in both forward and backward directions, helping capture relationships in meteorological and irradiance data.
A feature selection step is used to identify input parameters that improve the accuracy of solar irradiance forecasting. This is important because not all available input variables contribute equally to prediction quality. Selecting more informative features can reduce unnecessary complexity and help the forecasting model focus on the factors most relevant to solar irradiance behavior.
After forecasting solar irradiance, the study estimates the optimum tilt angle of the PV module by applying the forecasted data to the ASHRAE solar irradiance model. ASHRAE refers to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. By combining a machine-learning forecast with a physical irradiance model, the method aims to connect data-driven prediction with practical PV panel orientation decisions.
The researchers compared the performance of the Bi-LSTM hybrid network with observed solar irradiance data and with existing forecasting models reported in the literature. They also evaluated the impact of optimum tilt angle by comparing solar irradiance received on tilted and horizontal surfaces. This comparison helps show whether improved forecasting and tilt-angle selection translate into better physical energy capture, rather than only better numerical prediction.
The work was experimentally implemented using a PV module setup at Thiagarajar College of Engineering in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. According to the article, the optimum tilt angle obtained by the proposed method produced higher PV output power than other tilt-angle approaches reported in the literature. The study also states that the proposed methodology achieved higher PV output power in both simulation and experimentation.
Further validation will still be needed across different climates, seasons, PV module types, mounting constraints, and stand-alone system architectures. Even so, the study offers a strong indication that feature-selected irradiance forecasting can support more efficient PV operation when paired with optimum tilt-angle estimation. For stand-alone photovoltaic systems, such methods could help improve power output and make solar energy use more reliable in off-grid and distributed energy applications.
Green Energy and Intelligent Transportation
10.1016/j.geits.2025.100308
Experimental study
Not applicable
Feature selection-based irradiance forecast for efficient operation of a stand-alone PV system
12-Jan-2026
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.
Media Contact
Ning Xu
Beijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd
xuning1907@foxmail.com

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Copyright © 2026 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Copyright © 2026 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

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Space Based Solar Power Market To 2035: Energy Security Demand Drives Scale-Up – News and Statistics – IndexBox

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According to the latest IndexBox report on the global Space Based Solar Power market, the market enters 2026 with broader demand fundamentals, more disciplined procurement behavior, and a more regionally diversified supply architecture.
The global Space Based Solar Power market is shifting from a concept-stage research domain into a pre-commercial ecosystem, with the forecast period 2026-2035 marking the critical transition from technology validation to bankable project structures. The central commercial thesis is not near-term grid parity but the construction of a foundational technology stack for ultra-long-duration, baseload-capable renewable energy delivered from orbit. Demand is architecturally bifurcated: near-to-mid-term anchor demand comes from sovereign strategic imperatives around energy security and technological leadership, funding demonstrator missions and bilateral government consortia.
Longer-term scalable demand depends on proving economic viability for high-value applications such as direct power supply to remote industrial operations, disaster recovery infrastructure, and supplemental grid capacity in regions with high renewable penetration and grid stability challenges. The supply chain remains nascent and vertically concentrated within aerospace and defense primes, lacking the specialized high-volume manufacturing pathways of terrestrial renewables. Critical bottlenecks persist in mass production of lightweight high-efficiency space photovoltaic cells, ultra-lightweight structural components, and reliable high-power wireless power transmission systems.
System integration is the paramount challenge, requiring convergence of six complex technology stacks: ultra-large orbital structure deployment, space-grade PV, in-orbit power management, high-power microwave or laser transmission, ground rectenna farms, and grid interconnection. Project economics are not yet bankable by traditional infrastructure finance, with capital expenditure dominated by launch costs and in-orbit assembly. The business case hinges on radical launch cost reductions, spacecraft assembly efficiency gains, and demonstrated multi-decade operational longevity.
The baseline scenario for the Space Based Solar Power market through 2035 assumes a gradual but accelerating transition from government-funded feasibility studies to first-of-a-kind commercial demonstrators, followed by early anchor deployments. Under this baseline, market value remains modest in absolute terms through the late 2020s, as spending is concentrated in concept design, subsystem qualification, and orbital test campaigns rather than revenue-generating power delivery.
The inflection point arrives in the early 2030s, when several sovereign-backed demonstrators are expected to validate end-to-end wireless power transmission at meaningful scale, unlocking follow-on procurement and attracting private infrastructure capital. Growth is expected to compound at a strong double-digit rate from a very small base, with the market index reaching roughly 640 by 2035 against a 2025 baseline of 100. The baseline assumes no single catastrophic launch or regulatory failure, continued gradual reduction in launch costs per kilogram, and incremental progress in spectrum allocation under International Telecommunication Union frameworks.
Demand remains heavily concentrated in national and regional utilities, sovereign space and energy agencies, and defense-adjacent remote power applications. Pricing architecture stays project-based and cost-plus in the near term, with fixed-price turnkey contracts emerging only after the first successful orbital power delivery demonstrations. The principal uncertainty in the baseline is the pace at which rectenna ground infrastructure and grid-interface standards mature, since these terrestrial bottlenecks could delay commercial operation even if space segment technology advances on schedule.
National and regional utilities currently engage with Space Based Solar Power primarily through government-backed feasibility studies and grid-impact assessments rather than direct power purchases. The mechanism is straightforward: utilities face rising renewable penetration on their networks, which creates duck-curve volatility and evening supply gaps that terrestrial storage cannot always bridge economically. Space-based power offers a location-independent, baseload-capable supplement that could be dispatched into high-demand corridors. Through 2035, utility demand shifts from study participation to pilot power purchase agreements, contingent on demonstrated orbital power delivery and grid-interface standardization.
Demand-side indicators to watch include the share of variable renewables in utility generation mixes, capacity payment mechanisms for firm clean power, and regulatory approval of wireless power reception as a grid-connected source. Utilities in island grids and regions with land constraints are likely early adopters because terrestrial alternatives are costlier. The pace of adoption depends heavily on whether rectenna siting and spectrum licensing advance in parallel with space segment milestones. Current trend: Growing from feasibility studies to early supplemental grid capacity procurement.
Major trends: Rising renewable penetration creating demand for firm, dispatchable clean capacity, Pilot power purchase agreements emerging after successful orbital demonstrations, Grid-interface standards development for wireless power reception, Island and land-constrained grids evaluating SBSP as a complement to terrestrial renewables, and Utility participation shifting from study funding to co-investment in demonstrator projects.
Representative participants: NextEra Energy, Duke Energy, Iberdrola, Tokyo Electric Power Company, and Enel.
Sovereign space and energy agencies are the anchor customers of the Space Based Solar Power market today, funding concept design, subsystem qualification, and orbital test campaigns. The mechanism is strategic rather than commercial: agencies pursue energy security, technological leadership, and industrial capability development, which justifies spending that private capital would not yet underwrite. Through 2035, agency demand evolves from single-nation feasibility programs toward bilateral and multilateral consortia that share launch costs, spectrum coordination, and ground infrastructure.
Demand-side indicators include public R&D budget lines dedicated to space solar power, the number of signed government-to-government cooperation agreements, and the cadence of orbital demonstration missions. Agencies also shape demand indirectly by setting qualification standards and safety tiers that determine which suppliers can participate. The transition from agency-led to commercially anchored demand is the single most important structural shift in the forecast period, and its timing depends on whether the first large-scale demonstrators meet power delivery and longevity targets. Current trend: Sustained budget growth for demonstrator missions and technology validation.
Major trends: Budget increases for SBSP demonstrator missions in major economies, Shift from national programs to bilateral and multilateral consortia, Agency standards shaping supplier qualification and safety tiers, Orbital demonstration cadence accelerating through the early 2030s, and Public-private partnership models blending agency and private capital.
Representative participants: NASA, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), China National Space Administration, and UK Space Agency.
Remote industrial and defense operations represent the most commercially plausible early niche for Space Based Solar Power because they already pay very high costs for reliable power. The mechanism is value-based rather than cost-per-kilowatt-hour based: mining sites, offshore platforms, forward military bases, and disaster recovery zones often rely on diesel generation or expensive battery logistics, making a wireless power link economically attractive even at premium prices. Through 2035, this segment moves from concept studies to limited field trials, with defense agencies likely leading because they can absorb technology risk and value energy independence.
Demand-side indicators include diesel fuel logistics costs at remote sites, the frequency of grid outages in operational areas, and defense budget lines for contested-logistics energy solutions. Adoption is gated by the availability of transportable rectenna systems and by spectrum permissions for power beaming in operational theaters. This segment is expected to remain a small share of total market value but a critical proving ground for commercial viability. Current trend: Early niche adoption for high-value, off-grid power needs.
Major trends: Defense agencies funding contested-logistics energy solutions, Mining and offshore operators evaluating SBSP against diesel generation costs, Transportable rectenna development for field deployment, Disaster recovery agencies testing wireless power for emergency response, and High-value niche economics supporting early premium pricing.
Representative participants: Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, BHP Group, Rio Tinto, and Shell.
Large commercial and industrial power users, particularly data center operators, semiconductor fabs, and energy-intensive manufacturers, are beginning to evaluate Space Based Solar Power as a long-term clean baseload option. The mechanism is corporate procurement driven by 24/7 carbon-free energy targets that cannot be met with intermittent terrestrial renewables alone. Through 2035, this segment remains largely in the evaluation and power purchase agreement structuring phase, with actual deliveries unlikely before the early 2030s.
Demand-side indicators include the growth of 24/7 clean energy commitments, the premium corporates pay for firm clean power, and the willingness of large buyers to sign long-duration offtake agreements for pre-commercial technologies. Data center operators with latency-tolerant power needs and remote campus locations are the most likely early adopters. The segment’s share grows only if SBSP demonstrates reliability and if corporate sustainability frameworks recognize space-based power as eligible clean energy, which remains an open policy question. Current trend: Emerging interest from large energy-intensive corporates with clean power mandates.
Major trends: 24/7 carbon-free energy commitments driving demand for firm clean power, Data center operators evaluating SBSP for remote campus power, Long-duration offtake agreements being structured for pre-commercial supply, Corporate sustainability frameworks debating eligibility of space-based power, and Semiconductor and energy-intensive manufacturers monitoring demonstration outcomes.
Representative participants: Microsoft Corporation, Google LLC, Amazon.com Inc, Apple Inc, and TSMC.
Space infrastructure and orbital services represent an adjacent but growing demand segment for Space Based Solar Power technology, particularly for in-orbit power generation and transfer between spacecraft. The mechanism is operational: satellites, orbital platforms, and future space stations require reliable power, and wireless power transmission can reduce mass and complexity by centralizing generation. Through 2035, this segment expands as orbital servicing vehicles, space tugs, and commercial space stations proliferate, creating demand for power beaming between assets.
Demand-side indicators include the number of active satellites requiring power, the growth of in-orbit servicing missions, and the development of commercial space stations. This segment is technically distinct from Earth-directed power beaming but shares critical technology stacks in photovoltaic generation, power management, and wireless transmission. It provides an early revenue pathway for SBSP component suppliers while Earth-directed applications mature, and it helps validate reliability and longevity in the space environment. Current trend: Growing demand for in-orbit power for satellites and orbital platforms.
Major trends: Proliferation of satellites and orbital platforms requiring reliable power, Growth of in-orbit servicing and space tug missions, Commercial space station development creating power demand, Wireless power transfer between spacecraft reducing mass and complexity, and Shared technology stacks with Earth-directed SBSP accelerating component maturity.
Representative participants: SpaceX, Maxar Technologies, Sierra Space, Redwire Corporation, and Astroscale.
Interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report.
Asia-Pacific leads the Space Based Solar Power market, driven by sustained government programs in Japan, China, and South Korea. Japan’s long-standing SBSP roadmap and China’s rapid space station and launch cadence provide strong demonstrator pipelines. The region benefits from integrated aerospace supply chains and state-backed financing that de-risks early projects. Direction: Leading.
North America remains a major player, anchored by U.S. defense and space agency budgets, private aerospace primes, and emerging commercial entrants. The region’s strength lies in launch capability, satellite manufacturing, and defense demand for contested-logistics power. Commercial adoption depends on whether private capital follows government demonstrator success. Direction: Growing.
Europe is expanding its position through European Space Agency studies, national programs in the UK and Germany, and strong aerospace primes. The region emphasizes spectrum coordination and regulatory frameworks, which could accelerate commercial licensing. However, fragmented national budgets and reliance on non-European launch providers remain constraints. Direction: Expanding.
The Middle East and Africa represent an emerging segment, with Gulf states investing in space technology diversification and remote industrial operations seeking reliable power. High solar irradiance and land availability for rectenna farms are advantages, but limited domestic aerospace manufacturing and reliance on foreign partners slow development. Direction: Emerging.
Latin America remains nascent in Space Based Solar Power, with limited government programs and no major demonstrator missions. The region’s relevance lies in remote mining and industrial operations that could adopt SBSP for off-grid power, but adoption depends on external financing and technology transfer from leading regions. Direction: Nascent.
In the baseline scenario, IndexBox estimates a 12.0% compound annual growth rate for the global space based solar power market over 2026-2035, bringing the market index to roughly 420 by 2035 (2025=100).
Note: indexed curves are used to compare medium-term scenario trajectories when full absolute volumes are not publicly disclosed.
For full methodological details and benchmark tables, see the latest IndexBox Space Based Solar Power market report.
This report is an independent strategic market study that provides a structured, commercially grounded analysis of the global market for Space Based Solar Power. It is designed for battery and storage manufacturers, power-electronics suppliers, system integrators, EPC partners, developers, utilities, investors, and strategic entrants that need a clear view of deployment demand, technology positioning, manufacturing exposure, safety and qualification burden, project economics, and competitive structure.
The analytical framework is designed to work both for a single specialized storage or conversion component and for a broader energy-storage product category, where market structure is shaped by chemistry, duration, project economics, system integration, safety requirements, route-to-market, and grid-interface logic rather than by one narrow customs heading alone. It defines Space Based Solar Power as Systems that collect solar energy in space via satellites and transmit it wirelessly to Earth for conversion and grid integration and examines the market through deployment use cases, buyer environments, upstream input dependencies, conversion and integration stages, qualification and safety requirements, pricing architecture, commercial channels, and country capability differences. Historical analysis typically covers 2012 to 2025, with forward-looking scenarios through 2035.
This report is designed to answer the questions that matter most to decision-makers evaluating an energy-storage, battery, renewable-integration, or power-conversion market.
At its core, this report explains how the market for Space Based Solar Power actually functions. It identifies where demand originates, how supply is organized, which technological and regulatory barriers influence adoption, and how value is distributed across the value chain. Rather than describing the market only in broad terms, the study breaks it into analytically meaningful layers: product scope, segmentation, end uses, customer types, production economics, outsourcing structure, country roles, and company archetypes.
The report is particularly useful in markets where buyers are highly specialized, suppliers differ significantly in technical depth and regulatory readiness, and the commercial landscape cannot be understood only through top-line market size figures. In this context, the study is designed not only to estimate the size of the market, but to explain why the market has that size, what drives its growth, which subsegments are the most attractive, and what it takes to compete successfully within it.
The report is based on an independent analytical methodology that combines deep secondary research, structured evidence review, market reconstruction, and multi-level triangulation. The methodology is designed to support products for which there is no single clean official dataset capturing the full market in a directly usable form.
The study typically uses the following evidence hierarchy:
The analytical framework is built around several linked layers.
First, a scope model defines what is included in the market and what is excluded, ensuring that adjacent products, downstream finished goods, unrelated instruments, or broader chemical categories do not distort the market boundary.
Second, a demand model reconstructs the market from the perspective of consuming sectors, workflow stages, and applications. Depending on the product, this may include Continuous renewable baseload power, Decarbonizing hard-to-abate grids, Rapidly deployable power for remote sites, and Strategic energy security asset across National & Regional Utilities, Defense & Government Agencies, Remote Industrial & Mining Operations, and Island Nations & Off-Grid Communities and Concept Design & Feasibility, Technology Demonstration (in-space & ground), Pilot Satellite Deployment, and Constellation Scaling & Commercial Operation. Demand is then allocated across end users, development stages, and geographic markets.
Third, a supply model evaluates how the market is served. This includes Specialized photovoltaic cells (radiation-hardened, lightweight), Advanced composite structures, High-frequency power conversion electronics, Precision attitude determination and control systems (ADCS), and Launch vehicle capacity (mass-to-orbit), manufacturing technologies such as Ultra-lightweight solar arrays, High-efficiency microwave/Laser power beaming, Phased-array antennas, In-space robotic assembly, Large-scale rectenna arrays, and High-voltage space power management, quality control requirements, outsourcing, contract manufacturing, integration, and project-delivery participation, distribution structure, and supply-chain concentration risks.
Fourth, a country capability model maps where the market is consumed, where production is materially feasible, where manufacturing capability is limited or emerging, and which countries function primarily as innovation hubs, supply nodes, demand centers, or import-reliant markets.
Fifth, a pricing and economics layer evaluates price corridors, cost drivers, complexity premiums, outsourcing logic, margin structure, and switching barriers. This is especially relevant in markets where product grade, purity, customization, regulatory burden, or service model materially influence economics.
Finally, a competitive intelligence layer profiles the leading company types active in the market and explains how strategic roles differ across upstream material suppliers, component and controls providers, OEMs, storage-system integrators, EPC partners, project developers, and distribution or service channels.
This report covers the market for Space Based Solar Power in its commercially relevant and technologically meaningful form. The scope typically includes the product itself, its major product configurations or variants, the critical technologies used to produce or deliver it, the core input categories required for manufacturing, and the services directly associated with its commercial supply, quality control, or integration into end-user workflows.
Included within scope are the product forms, use cases, inputs, and services that are necessary to understand the actual addressable market around Space Based Solar Power. This usually includes:
Excluded from scope are categories that may be technologically adjacent but do not belong to the core economic market being measured. These usually include:
The exact inclusion and exclusion logic is always a critical part of the study, because the quality of the market estimate depends directly on disciplined scope boundaries.
The report provides global coverage. It evaluates the world market as a whole and then breaks it down by region and country, with particular focus on the geographies that matter most for deployment demand, battery-material processing, cell and component manufacturing, power-conversion capability, renewable integration, and project delivery.
The geographic analysis is designed not simply to rank countries by nominal market size, but to classify them by role in the market. Depending on the product, countries may function as:
This study is designed for strategic, commercial, operations, project-delivery, and investment users, including:
In many energy-transition, storage, power-conversion, and project-driven markets, official trade and production statistics are not sufficient on their own to describe the true market. Product boundaries may cut across multiple tariff codes, several product categories may be bundled into the same official classification, and a meaningful share of activity may take place through customized services, captive supply, platform relationships, or technically specialized channels that are not directly visible in standard statistical datasets.
For this reason, the report is designed as a modeled strategic market study. It uses official and public evidence wherever it is reliable and scope-compatible, but it does not force the market into a purely statistical framework when doing so would reduce analytical quality. Instead, it reconstructs the market through the logic of demand, supply, technology, country roles, and company behavior.
This makes the report particularly well suited to products that are innovation-intensive, technically differentiated, capacity-constrained, platform-dependent, or commercially structured around specialized buyer-supplier relationships rather than standardized commodity trade.
The report typically includes:
The result is a structured, publication-grade market intelligence document that combines quantitative modeling with commercial, technical, and strategic interpretation.
Energy-Storage Market Structure and Company Archetypes
The Key National Markets and Their Strategic Roles
Key US DOD contractor for SBSP tech
Active in European SBSP studies and prototypes
Critical for affordable heavy-lift launch capacity
Early pioneer with a US utility contract
Leading Japanese SBSP research efforts
Long-term R&D leader in microwave power beaming
Developing a high-efficiency satellite design
Spin-off from Michigan Tech, focused on scalability
Coordinating European SBSP research and roadmap
Has patented SBSP concepts and structures
MAPLE experiment proved wireless power transfer in space
Ambitious roadmap including a 2030s megawatt test
Involved in DOD-related power beaming studies
Ground-based WPT tech relevant to SBSP beaming
Expertise in phased arrays and power conversion
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City Council hears proposal for Belvoir Ranch solar energy project, battery storage facility – WyomingNews.com

City Council hears proposal for Belvoir Ranch solar energy project, battery storage facility  WyomingNews.com
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Cuba Receives a New Shipment of Solar Panels from China – havanatimes.org


Díaz-Canel announced this Wednesday the intention to “make Havana’s water pumping independent” with solar energy.
By: EFE/14ymedio
HAVANA TIMES – A new shipment of 5,000 solar photovoltaic panels donated by the Chinese Government arrived in Cuba, destined for a project to electrify public facilities and homes in remote regions of the Island.
China’s ambassador to Cuba, Hua Xin, announced on social media the arrival of the donation, which came from his country and was transported in 200 containers.
“China is supporting Cuba’s energy transition and supporting its efforts to improve the living conditions of the people with concrete actions,” the Chinese diplomat said in a video accompanying the announcement.
Havana and Beijing maintain close political and economic relations in which the Asian country stands out as one of the Island’s main allies, although the statements have gone no further than mere verbal support and occasional donations such as the current one.
In a message on social media, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez thanked “the Communist Party, Government and people of China for their solidarity and sincere material assistance, at a time when the U.S. Government is intensifying its blockade against Cuba and maintaining an energy siege that causes considerable harm to the population.”
This is the third donation of 5,000 photovoltaic panels sent by China in recent months, following the one received in November 2025 for homes that were left isolated in the easternmost part of the Island after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
Last August, a similar shipment arrived and was assigned to health services and emergency medical institutions, daycare centers, funeral homes, state facilities for children without family protection, and bank branches, among other facilities, according to information provided at the time by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines reported in March on a plan to install solar systems at vital facilities in all of the country’s municipalities, as well as in isolated homes, including those that have never had access to electricity.
This Wednesday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in his new radio program, Criterio Compartido [Shared Views], that, to date, 1,418 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic capacity have been installed in the country, distributed among 144 solar parks, and he cited a target of more than 1,500 MW by the end of the year.
Regarding renewable sources, he said that they currently account for 21.4% of the country’s electricity generation. He also detailed that these have been installed in 99% of polyclinics, 47% of hospitals, 89% of nursing homes and grandparents’ homes, 99% of maternity homes, 98% of funeral homes, and 16% of state homes for children without family protection.
He also indicated that 72% of banks, 97% of radio stations, and 25% of radio base stations have photovoltaic systems.
The intention is also to achieve, in the first months of next year, “the independence of Havana’s water pumping from the National Electric System.”
The biggest problems are still the lack of batteries to store the energy generated, as well as the impossibility of using the total amount to help compensate for the shortage of thermal generation. Most of the thermoelectric power plants, responsible for 40% of generation, were built in the 1960s and 1970s, and every day around half of the 16 generating units installed are not operational because of breakdowns or lack of maintenance.
Under these circumstances, the country’s energy situation is “critical” and “extremely tense,” and has reached record levels in recent months with eight total disconnections of the National Electric System so far in 2026.
The Cuban Government’s main strategy for emerging from this crisis has been solar energy, mainly with Chinese support, and it has launched a program to build 92 solar parks with companies from that country to reach a total installed capacity of about 2,000 megawatts (MW).
But the scale of the crisis is such that the deficit continues to increase despite the expansion of solar energy. For this Thursday, an impact of 2,133 MW is forecast during the peak hour, after reaching 2,170 MW yesterday.
Electricity production from the photovoltaic solar parks this Wednesday was 3,343 MWh, with 520 MW as the maximum power delivered, which moderated the deficit during the morning hours, when it was 1,660 MW.
The lack of fuel for distributed generation and breakdowns at the thermoelectric plants, which reduce this contribution by 467 MW, are at the root of the precarious situation. Unit 8 of Mariel, Antonio Guiteras, Unit 6 of Nuevitas, Unit 2 of Felton, and Unit 6 of Rente are out of service. Due to maintenance, Units 3 of Santa Cruz del Norte, 5 of Nuevitas, and 5 of Rente are also not contributing.
Translated by Regina Anavy for Translating Cuba.
Read more from Cuba here on Havana Times.

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First Solar (FSLR) Keeps Hitting New Lows While Wall Street Says Buy. Who’s Right? – finance.yahoo.com

First Solar (FSLR) Keeps Hitting New Lows While Wall Street Says Buy. Who’s Right?  finance.yahoo.com
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Energiequelle sells French subsidiary, including 500MW solar PV, wind pipeline – pv-tech.org

German renewables developer Energiequelle has sold its French subsidiary to French independent power producer H2air.
The sale includes both the employees of the French subsidiary as well as the existing project pipeline, which comprises nearly 500MW of solar PV and wind projects. It also includes 60MW of operational projects and projects already in the pre-construction phase that will be taken over by H2air.

The French subsidiary has been part of Energiequelle since 2010 and during that time developed and commissioned over 27 solar PV and wind parks with a combined capacity of 266MW.
According to Energiequelle, the sale of its French subsidiary is part of a strategic realignment amid challenging market conditions in the renewables sector. The most notable recent example of this is German solar developer Enerparc filing for insolvency earlier this month.
Analysts who spoke with PV Tech Premium recently highlighted that the Enerparc insolvency signalled the beginning of a broader consolidation phase in European solar (subscription required) with an increase in mergers and acquisitions.
“This acquisition fully supports H2air’s strategy to further strengthen its position in renewable energy, particularly in the wind energy sector, in France,” said Roy Mahfouz, Founder and President of H2air.

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First Solar (FSLR) Keeps Hitting New Lows While Wall Street Says Buy. Who’s Right? – currently.att.yahoo.com

First Solar (FSLR) Keeps Hitting New Lows While Wall Street Says Buy. Who’s Right?  currently.att.yahoo.com
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Photovoltaic Power Generation Fault Diagnosis Model Based on Multi-Source Data Fusion Using Neural Network Algorithms – onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Photovoltaic Power Generation Fault Diagnosis Model Based on Multi-Source Data Fusion Using Neural Network Algorithms  onlinelibrary.wiley.com
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India homeowner's 5 kW solar makes 575 kWh a month, but power bill still passes $50 USD – The Cool Down

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“If you have no battery then your consumption at night is not covered by your solar.”
Photo Credit: iStock
A homeowner in India installed a new 5-kilowatt solar system and expected it to make a serious dent in the household electric bill, but their monthly energy bills are still coming in high.
That frustrating gap sparked discussion about why strong solar output does not always translate into the lower bills homeowners expect.
In a Reddit post, the user said net metering was already active, but the numbers still didn’t seem to make sense. In the post, the homeowner said the home usually consumes around 750 to 800 kilowatt-hours each month, while the 5 kW hybrid setup, which does not yet have a battery, produces about 550 to 600 kWh. August generation came in at roughly 579 kWh. 
The original poster wrote: “So I should only need around 200 kWh from the grid. But my bill is still ₹4,000 to ₹5,000 a month (about $45 to $60), which feels too high.”
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers in your area.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
People in the comments said the issue could come down to when the household is using electricity, not just how much the panels make overall, especially since a 5 kW system is often not large enough to offset a full family’s usage.
One commenter wrote: “If you have no battery then your consumption at night is not covered by your solar at all. So if you run AC’s, lights and water heaters(geysers) it will all be charged from the grid. Then there’s cloudy weather to consider. 5kw is what you get at peak sunlight hours. Not the whole day, and not when it’s cloudy.” 
In many areas, net metering is used to credit a solar owner for production from their panels that goes beyond their usage so they can then “draw from” that overage at night, even without a battery, but each area’s rules and plans may differ. 
Several other replies said bills do not always fall in lockstep with solar production because utilities may still apply fixed fees and monthly surcharges.
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Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers that can help you save as much as $10k on installation.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best local options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
One Reddit user added that “most electric bills involve both fixed and variable costs,” while others suggested confirming that the meter correctly records imported and exported electricity as separate figures.
Going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy, but the payoff depends on system design, pricing, and how your household uses electricity. Homeowners considering panels can try EnergySage to get free solar installation estimates and compare quotes.
The 5 kW label refers to maximum output under strong sun, not a steady production level throughout the day. Cloud cover can reduce real-world generation.
Solar production and household demand also may not happen at the same time. A home can send power to the grid around midday and still need to buy a lot back later when larger appliances are running. Net metering can reduce that impact, but the savings still depend on local tariffs and billing rules.
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
Breaking the numbers down into total generation, self-consumption, exports, and imports can help homeowners spot billing issues, shift appliance use to better hours, and decide whether a battery would be worth the upfront cost.
One useful step is to match the inverter readout with the utility bill for the same dates and compare total generation, exported electricity, and imported electricity.
It may also help to see whether major loads such as water heaters, washing machines, or air conditioning units can be moved into sunny hours.
For people shopping for panels, EnergySage’s solar map shows the average cost of a home solar panel system state by state, as well as details on solar panel incentives. Together, these resources can help homeowners get the best price for rooftop solar panels and access available incentives.
That comparison shopping can make a major difference. With EnergySage’s help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on solar purchases and installations. For anyone still deciding whether solar pencils out, that kind of price transparency can make the economics much clearer.
Adding battery storage to a solar setup is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and go off-grid. It can also help households use more of their own solar power after sunset instead of buying it back from the grid. Homeowners can explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
The homeowner opened the discussion by asking for advice: “I would really love any advice on how I can reduce my electricity bill.”
One person commented: “Use as much of the solar power you can when the sun shines.”
These articles take a closer look at rooftop solar costs, household savings, and real-world system performance. They cover India’s solar boom, why homeowners in other countries are racing to install panels, and what solar users are learning about bills, payback, and grid benefits.
• Across India, rooftop solar installations jumped 125% as PM Surya Ghar spurred household demand.
• In the Philippines, homeowners rushed to buy rooftop solar panels as soaring power bills changed the math.
• Homeowners on Reddit found that solar math gets complicated when production, payback, and bills diverge.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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ML System Gets Patent For Photovoltaic Structural Element In Poland – TradingView

ML System Gets Patent For Photovoltaic Structural Element In Poland  TradingView
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Chile energy storage and curtailment: State of play and outlook – BNamericas.com

Chile energy storage and curtailment: State of play and outlook  BNamericas.com
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Silver Holders Can Lose the Solar Growth Story and Keep the Shortfall – Investorideas.com

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A record solar-installation quarter looks bullish for silver, but thinner silver loading per panel means the growth story is fading even as the multi-year supply deficit holds.
Key takeaways
Investorideas.com (www.investorideas.com), a go-to platform for big investing ideas including mining and silver stocks, features a silver supply and solar-demand analysis article from The Silver Engineer at Golden Meadow(R).
America installed 45% more solar this spring than a year earlier, every one of those panels locks its silver away for decades, and even the deepest cut to solar demand I have seen leaves the silver market short for a sixth year.
The two things a long-term silver holder needs from solar both survive this year. The market stays short: even on J.P. Morgan’s estimate, the deepest cut I have seen, the shortfall that Metals Focus and the Silver Institute forecast for 2026 roughly halves and does not disappear. And silver that has gone into a panel stays there for decades, so every installation adds to a stock that never returns to the market. What does not survive is the growth story. The solar case sold to silver buyers over the past three years was about volume: more panels, more silver. The volume half is holding. The silver half is not, because each panel carries less silver than the one before, and that is bad for this year’s balance. The reading is settled in November, when Metals Focus publishes its interim update.
Silver closed at $65.06 an ounce on September 23 against gold at $4,304.11, a gold-silver ratio of 66.2. Silver fell about 3% on the day and gold 1.2%. The trigger was two regional Fed presidents saying the case for further tightening remained after last week’s quarter-point rise. Early trading on September 24 took silver lower still, near $64. Silver is about 9% below where it started 2026. It is roughly 46% below its January peak of $121.58. The Federal Reserve raised its policy rate on September 16 to 3.75% to 4.00% and projected one more increase this year. The market now prices that further increase before the year ends. The Golden Meadow(R) research this article draws on has followed the solar demand line closely for two years. This year’s numbers changed what it shows.
Solar installation in the United States had a very large quarter this spring, and the reason is a deadline. On September 10 the Q3 2026 US Solar Market Insight from SEIA and Wood Mackenzie reported 11.4 gigawatts installed in the second quarter, up 45% on a year earlier. Utility-scale projects, the large solar farms that supply the grid, made up 9.6 gigawatts of that and grew 61%. Developers are putting projects into service before two federal tax credits expire. Projects that locked in the credits ahead of the deadline are being finished now. The smaller segments show what happens when a credit has already gone: residential installations fell 12% and community solar fell 14%. The report raised its outlook for the next five years by only 1.2%, which its authors describe as essentially flat.
Sources: SEIA and Wood Mackenzie, Q3 2026 US Solar Market Insight
Segment figures are as reported and rounded; they sum to slightly more than the stated total.
China supplies the other half of the picture. Its National Energy Administration reported that installed solar capacity reached 1,286 gigawatts at the end of July, passing coal-fired capacity for the first time. That is a milestone for the fleet already built. New additions tell a different story: the previous issue recorded that China’s January-to-July additions were 61.4% below the same period of 2025.
Installation volume, then, is holding up. The silver in it is not. Solar cells use silver paste for the fine lines that carry current off the cell. At this year’s prices manufacturers have cut the amount in every cell. Metals Focus and the Silver Institute forecast photovoltaic silver demand, the silver used in solar cells, at about 151.0 Moz for 2026, down from 186.6 Moz in 2025. On August 13, J.P. Morgan’s research page carried a lower estimate from Gregory Shearer, the bank’s head of base and precious metals strategy. Solar silver demand, he said, could fall by around 30% this year, a reduction of roughly 60 million ounces. Two cautions travel with that figure. It is a verbal estimate on a research page rather than an entry in a published forecast table. And the Silver Institute has not adopted it. It is also the lowest estimate this newsletter has worked with, which is exactly why it is the right one to test the deficit against.
Sources: World Silver Survey 2026, Metals Focus and the Silver Institute | J.P. Morgan Global Research, silver, August 13, 2026 | SEIA and Wood Mackenzie, Q3 2026 US Solar Market Insight
The 126.6 Moz in the table is my subtraction of 60 from 186.6, and it should be read as such. If Shearer is right and every other line in the survey’s balance holds, the 2026 deficit narrows from 46.3 Moz to roughly 21.9 Moz. The survey’s other lines will not all hold, so that figure is a sensitivity rather than a forecast. It is still a deficit. BloombergNEF now expects solar silver demand to fall for a second straight year. Its own earlier figure for 2026 was near 194 Moz, on a higher starting point. The cutting is driven by cost. Metals Focus and the Silver Institute put silver at 8% to 10% of the cost of a solar cell at the start of 2025, and at over 20% by the end of it. The credible range for this year now runs from roughly 127 Moz to roughly 194 Moz. The survey’s forecast sits between them. The three are not built on the same 2025 starting point, so the gaps between them overstate the disagreement.
Two conversions put the installation numbers in silver terms, with the assumptions stated. The first is the American quarter. Its 11.4 gigawatts embed roughly 2.5 Moz of silver at this year’s silver content per gigawatt. That content, about 6.7 tonnes per gigawatt, is a working figure rather than a published one. It is the survey’s 151 Moz forecast divided by an assumed 700 gigawatts of cell production this year. The survey itself expects mainstream cells to fall below 5 milligrams per watt by 2027, which is the same as 5 tonnes per gigawatt. Silver Rising used a range that started at 12 tonnes per gigawatt. At that rate the quarter embeds about 4.4 Moz. Either way, that metal was consumed when the cells were made, mostly in Asia and mostly in earlier quarters. A strong installation quarter confirms demand that has already happened rather than adding new demand. The second is China’s fleet of 1,286 gigawatts. It was built when panels carried far more silver than today, at 10 to 15 tonnes per gigawatt. At those rates the fleet embeds roughly 410 to 620 Moz. That silver is a stock, sealed into panels for twenty-five years or more. It is the physical basis of the one solar claim that survives this year unchanged: silver already installed does not come back.
For this year’s balance, the numbers are worse than the growth story promised, and it is better to say so plainly. The volume argument that opened the solar chapter of Silver Rising is two years stale. Panels are going up at close to last year’s pace worldwide. BloombergNEF’s global estimate for 2026 is 649 gigawatts, barely below 2025’s 655. Each of those panels carries less silver than the one before. On the survey’s own forecast, solar silver demand falls 19% this year. On the lowest published estimate it falls by around 30%. A deficit that halves is a different market from a deficit that widens. The assumption that solar demand grows every year no longer holds.
Two things survive, and they are the two a long-term holder needs. The first is that the market stays short even on the lowest published estimate. The shortfall shrinks to roughly 21.9 Moz from 46.3 Moz. It is still a shortfall, and it runs into the sixth consecutive year of deficit on the figures from Metals Focus and the Silver Institute. The longer-term case for silver rests on that shortfall persisting, not on any single demand line growing. The second is the stock argument. Every gigawatt installed this year locks its silver away for a quarter of a century. The fleet already built holds hundreds of millions of ounces, and none of it returns to the market within any holder’s investment horizon. Thrifting, the cutting of silver per cell, slows the rate at which new silver is locked away. It does not release any of the silver already locked. The survey notes that recycling from old panels remains small in volume.
The cutting has further to run, and the survey says so. Metals Focus and the Silver Institute expect silver per cell to fall by a further 15% to 20% this year. The full replacement of silver with copper is a different matter. Copper electroplating, which lays copper onto the cell in place of silver paste, is in pilot production. The survey says yield and reliability problems mean mass production of pure copper pastes is unlikely this year. Its own view is that silver will remain essential to the industry, with a defensible place in high-reliability cells. So the substitution story has a direction and no date. The checkpoint that does have a date is the Metals Focus interim update in November. It will show whether the survey’s 151 Moz or J.P. Morgan’s lower figure was closer, and the answer will be graded in print either way.
Solar demand is one dimension of the 100-catalyst framework I analyze in Silver Rising, alongside the five other Deep Dives in this issue of the Silver Catalyst newsletter. If you’ve at least considered investing in silver, I strongly encourage you to sign up, because it takes just $1 to get both. Get full Silver Catalyst Newsletter and Silver Rising book for $1 today.
Thank you.
The Silver Engineer
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Georgia plumber finds grandma's duct insulation 'soaking wet,' gets carbon monoxide warning – The Cool Down

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“Could be as simple as a plugged condensate drain, could be lots more.”
Photo Credit: Reddit
A plumber in Georgia ran into an alarming HVAC issue while helping at his grandmother’s older house. It had duct insulation that was “soaking wet” and dripping near a furnace that appears to be decades old.
In a Reddit thread on r/hvacadvice, the plumber explained that he had been working at his widowed grandmother’s home in Marietta, Georgia — a house built in the 1940s or 1950s — when he discovered moisture saturating the duct insulation.
In the plumber’s words, “ALL of the insulation on her duct work was soaking wet,” and it was “steadily dripping off the duct work right off the back of the furnace.”
The responses did not point to just one possible cause, but many commenters focused first on drainage and airflow.
“Could be as simple as a plugged condensate drain, could be lots more. But start there,” one commenter wrote.
Another reply suggested the system may date to 1985, highlighting just how old the equipment could be. That fit with other concerns raised in the thread, including one commenter’s assessment that “the equipment is definitely well beyond its expected service life.”
Another commenter warned: “Tell your grandma to call a HVAC contractor and have a carbon monoxide test done first off. That is a very, very old Furnace and probably has a cracked heat exchanger and by the looks of that A coil it is probably filled with dust and dirt and restricting your airflow which in return will make the ductwork sweat. Also check your furnace filter and see if the outside condenser needs hosed off. I suppose it’s possible on R-22 also.”
For homeowners facing a similar surprise, Palmetto’s Comfort Plan network can help explain HVAC options and slash energy bills with new, efficient HVACs and heat pumps, while also connecting households with vetted installers and efficient heating and cooling solutions.
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Solar panels can save you more than $50k over their 25-year lifespan, and EnergySage can help you save as much as $10k on installation. Which begs the question — isn’t that worth an email or two?
In this case, a technician should inspect the condensate drain, A-coil, furnace filter, and outdoor condenser, since those were among the first problem areas commenters flagged. Because the furnace may be especially old, a carbon monoxide test is also a sensible way to check for a more serious hazard.
If replacement does turn out to be the better long-term option, Palmetto’s Comfort Plans include $0-down options that can lower heating and cooling costs by up to 50%. Each plan also includes 12 years of free maintenance, which can make a major upgrade feel less intimidating for homeowners who are not ready to pay everything upfront.
Homeowners can also pair solar panels with electric appliances, including efficient HVACs, to push utility costs even lower. EnergySage makes it easy to find the best solar system and installer for your home and budget, saving you up to $10,000 on installations.
Other home-heating stories show how wet ductwork, aging equipment, and combustion risks can collide.
• One homeowner smelled gas near a new furnace and learns that 180 parts per million is too high for indoor safety.
• After a contractor’s improper installation, carbon monoxide filled his home and shattered the owner’s confidence.
• In a basement, a hidden duct gap led pros to warn that the material was “1,000% asbestos.”
• After basic air conditioning maintenance, one homeowner faced a suspicious $20,000 quote that raised red flags.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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'You can't put the genie back in the bottle': Woodbine neighbors push for solar panel pause – WMAR 2 News Baltimore

Hello! I cover Howard County and investigative stories that matter all across the Baltimore area for WMAR-2 News. If you have a story idea to share, please email me at blair.sabol@wmar.com.
WOODBINE, Md. — Some neighbors who live next to a solar panel project in the works along Woodbine Road feel the county council needs to pass a temporary pause, and take a step back.
They learned in January that the project would be built within 100 feet of their fence lines, and stand at about 11.5 feet tall.
The expected changes in stark contrast to why they chose to live in their homes.
“They told us this would never be industrialized because Howard County had preservation programs which gave tax incentives for the farmers and we were all in favor of that,” neighbor Gale Mackison said.
“I am not against solar, in fact, I believe in alternative energy, but I think you have to be mindful in how you do it,” neighbor Barbara Baker said.
It’s not just the view they’re concerned about.
“What do you think that’s gonna do to the value of my home? If I can even ever sell my home. Would you buy it? I wouldn’t have,” Baker said.”
The pair say they’ve spoken to the developer and the landowner in attempts to move the panels further away from their properties, to no avail.
It’s one of 15 solar collection projects currently in the works in Howard County.
Last summer, the Maryland state legislature passed new guidance for solar panel project approvals.
District 5 Councilman David Yungmann introduced Bill 59- 2026 so the county could reevaluate and clear up confusion created by the new state rules.
“I understand why they’re upset. But at the same time, I’m investing in my family’s future and I need to take care of my family. And I’m not doing this to hurt them,” George Boarman, the farm owner, told WMAR-2 News’ Blair Sabol over the phone when asked about neighbors’ concerns.
He says solar is a way to keep farms sustainable, giving them a consistent source of income when the winds don’t blow their way. Any pause on the project which is expected to be complete sometime in next year, would seriously hurt his efforts.
At a public hearing Wednesday night, some environmentalists expressed concerns that any pause would put the county behind on meeting its climate forward goals by 2030.
But impacted neighbors say they desperately need to take a step back and make sure it’s done right.
“You can’t put the genie back in the bottle,” Baker said.
“If this continues to go at the pace that it’s going, and this pause does not give us some time to get the system right and the process right then we’re gonna have to pursue things ourselves,” Mackison said.
They’re also working with State Senator Katie Fry Hester to fix any unintended consequences of the state’s bill.
A county council legislative work session concerning the bill is scheduled on Monday, September 28th at 10 a.m. A vote could come as soon as the first week in October.

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Pennsylvania report finds fewer outages in 2025, but 2.9 million still lost power – The Cool Down

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The biggest disruptions hit more people despite fewer incidents.
Photo Credit: iStock
Pennsylvania saw fewer reportable electric outages in 2025 than in 2024, but nearly the same number of customers were affected.
A new Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission report released Sept. 21 said reportable outages in 2025 impacted nearly 2.9 million customers, roughly matching the prior year, according to PA Environment Digest.
Customer impact was essentially flat year over year: 2,884,067 customers were affected in 2025 versus 2,882,795 in 2024, even though the number of reportable outages dropped from a record 71 to 55.
The biggest disruptions hit more people despite fewer incidents. The report said 20 “Major Events,” abnormal or extreme occurrences that stress the electric distribution system, affected about 1.7 million customers in 2025, up sharply from around 696,000 in 2024. Weather remained the dominant cause, with 52 of the 55 reportable outages tied to weather effects on electric distribution systems.
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers in your area.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
Four utilities — Citizens, Pike Electric, UGI Electric, and Wellsboro — had no reportable outages. Among the rest, PPL Electric recorded the most with 15, followed by Met-Ed with 11, West Penn Power with 10, Penelec with 9, PECO with 7, Duquesne Light with 2, and Penn Power with 1.
Going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy, and it can also help households reduce their dependence on a grid that is increasingly strained by severe weather. Homeowners who want to explore the option can use EnergySage to get free solar installation estimates and compare quotes.
Compared with 2024, nine of Pennsylvania’s 11 electric distribution companies improved outage frequency, while eight improved average restoration time and eight improved overall outage duration.
Still, year-over-year improvement is not the same as meeting commission benchmarks. Only four utilities met the benchmark for average restoration time, four met the outage-frequency benchmark, and five met the benchmark for overall outage duration.
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Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers that can help you save as much as $10k on installation.
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The Pennsylvania PUC said it continues to assess how utilities maintain and upgrade their systems, manage vegetation near power lines, and respond when storms hit. It also wants utilities to closely monitor crew staffing and how fast they can mobilize when outages occur.
Its Bureau of Technical Utility Services also took part in a Resiliency Deep Dive Project in 2025 that examined how extreme weather and changing climate conditions affect Pennsylvania’s electric distribution systems, including wind-speed thresholds linked to surging outage rates.
For homeowners, solar can support that resilience strategy while also lowering long-term energy bills. With EnergySage’s help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on solar purchases and installations. Tools such as EnergySage’s solar map show the average cost of a home solar panel system state by state, along with details on solar panel incentives. Together, those resources can help homeowners get the best price for rooftop solar panels and access available incentives.
Adding battery storage to a solar setup is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and go off-grid. It can keep critical appliances running when the power goes down and make a home’s energy system more flexible year-round. Homeowners can explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
“The numbers show improvement, but they also remind us how much work remains,” Pennsylvania PUC Chairman Steve DeFrank said. “Reliability is ultimately measured by what customers experience — how often the lights go out, how widespread those outages are, and how quickly service is safely restored. With severe weather continuing to test our electric systems, we need to keep strengthening the grid, improving storm preparation and response, and focusing investments where they can make the greatest difference for consumers.”
For more on grid reliability, outage risk, and home backup options, these stories add context as Pennsylvania utilities face mounting weather pressure. They cover electricity losses in Pennsylvania, summer outage risks across the U.S., regional grid upgrades in New Jersey, and solar-plus-battery systems that can keep homes powered.
• Pennsylvania is pressing utilities to show they’re fixing grid losses as electricity disappears in transit.
• The North American Electric Reliability Corporation assessment warns summer outage risk is rising in several U.S. regions.
• New Jersey approved a nearly billion-dollar grid update to strengthen service during extreme weather.
• Across the U.S., backup power is increasingly critical as blackouts grow more common.
• Homeowners are turning to next-gen battery alternatives as Tesla loses backup-power dominance.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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India homeowner's 5 kW solar makes 575 kWh a month, but power bill still passes $50 USD – Yahoo Tech

India homeowner’s 5 kW solar makes 575 kWh a month, but power bill still passes $50 USD  Yahoo Tech
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Whysol secures €118 million green project financing for wind and photovoltaic portfolio – Leaders League

Posted on Sep 25, 2026
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Windrose Holding S.r.l., part of Gruppo Whysol, has completed a Hold-Co project financing transaction, with a total value of approximately €118 million, aimed at refinancing and optimising the operational and financial structure of a portfolio of wind and photovoltaic plants with a combined installed capacity of approximately 157 MW.
The transaction was structured as a Green Loan, with a pool of lending institutions comprising Intesa Sanpaolo (IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division), Banco BPM, BPER Corporate & Investment Banking and ING Bank Milan Branch. Intesa Sanpaolo also acted as bank agent, while all lending institutions also acted as Green Loan Coordinators and will act as Hedging Counterparts in relation to interest rate swap contracts to be entered into by Windrose Holding S.r.l., aimed at providing partial hedging against interest rate risk associated with the financing. The financing is distinguished by certain features uncommon in the renewable energy landscape, including a merchant risk component following the expiry of incentives and the integration of wind and photovoltaic assets into a single portfolio.
The pool of banks was assisted on the preparation and negotiation of the financial documentation by FIVERS Studio Legale e Tributario, with a team led by partner Maria Teresa Solaro and comprising associates Marco Balzano and Andrea Oddo and junior associate Maria Rita Di Mauro. Legal due diligence was carried out by PedersoliGattai, with a team comprising partners Valeria Viti, Nicola Gaglione and Nicola Martegani, supported by associates Angelo Fabris, Francesco Pasetto, Lorenzo Massaro, Elena Martignoni and Cesare Gatti.
Whysol was assisted on the negotiation of the financial documentation by L&B Partners Avvocati Associati, with a team led by partner Pietro Paolo D’Ippolito, Co-Head of the Banking & Finance Department, and comprising associate Bianca Tomassetti and junior associate Beatrice Mascardi. Arcus Financial Advisors acted as Whysol’s exclusive financial advisor, with a team led by Stefano Cassella and comprising Federico Mander and Stefania Gatti. Vector Renewables acted as technical advisor to the banks, with a team led by Luca Radaelli. Notarial matters relating to the execution of the financial documentation were handled by Studio ZNR Notai.
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The Smart Energy Council calls for urgent action on stalled solar panel recycling pilot – pv-magazine-australia.com

Chief Executive Officer David McElrea and Executive General Manager for Sustainability Darren Johannesen appeared today before the House Standing Committee inquiry into solar panel reuse and recycling in Australia.
In his opening statement, Mr McElrea reaffirmed the Council’s support for a mandatory national solar panel recycling scheme. He said the $24.7 million (USD 17.3 million) pilot, announced in January, was intended to help inform a permanent scheme by testing the collection of approximately 250,000 panels through up to 100 sites.
See the full opening remarks below:
The pilot’s procurement process was suspended in May while a complaint was investigated. The Smart Energy Council was among the organisations that tendered for the work.
Mr McElrea said any complaint must be properly investigated and made no comment on its merits. However, he urged the department to decide whether the existing procurement could proceed or a new tender was required.

“Not making a decision is itself a decision,” Mr McElrea told the committee.
He said businesses had invested in staff, equipment and recycling capacity on the expectation that the pilot would proceed.

“That capacity is now sitting idle, while panels continue to reach the end of their working life across households, commercial sites and large-scale projects, many ending up in landfill,” Mr McElrea said.
Committee members questioned how a national scheme would pay to recycle panels already installed. Mr Johannesen outlined the Council’s proposal for a mandatory product stewardship scheme, funded when panels are imported or manufactured, with the cost of older panels included from the outset.
Mr McElrea cautioned that charging only when panels are discarded could encourage illegal dumping. He said a national scheme would also be simpler to implement consistently than separate disposal arrangements across states and local governments.
The hearing examined the cost of transporting heavy panels across Australia. Mr McElrea said the pilot could help determine where collection and logistics hubs should be located, with the potential to support recycling and manufacturing jobs in regional areas, including the Illawarra and Hunter.
Looking ahead, Mr Johannesen highlighted the need to trace panels from installation through removal, collection and recycling. Knowing the origin of recovered materials could help Australian manufacturers demonstrate their use of recycled content and strengthen the market for those materials.
Mr McElrea said a thriving domestic recycling industry could create good jobs and give Australia the opportunity to share its recycling knowledge and skills internationally. But businesses need certainty to make that investment.
The Smart Energy Council will continue working with its members, industry and governments to get the pilot moving and deliver a national scheme that recovers valuable materials, supports regional jobs and gives businesses the confidence to grow.

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Energiequelle sells French subsidiary, including 500MW solar PV, wind pipeline – PV Tech

German renewables developer Energiequelle has sold its French subsidiary to French independent power producer H2air.
The sale includes both the employees of the French subsidiary as well as the existing project pipeline, which comprises nearly 500MW of solar PV and wind projects. It also includes 60MW of operational projects and projects already in the pre-construction phase that will be taken over by H2air.

The French subsidiary has been part of Energiequelle since 2010 and during that time developed and commissioned over 27 solar PV and wind parks with a combined capacity of 266MW.
According to Energiequelle, the sale of its French subsidiary is part of a strategic realignment amid challenging market conditions in the renewables sector. The most notable recent example of this is German solar developer Enerparc filing for insolvency earlier this month.
Analysts who spoke with PV Tech Premium recently highlighted that the Enerparc insolvency signalled the beginning of a broader consolidation phase in European solar (subscription required) with an increase in mergers and acquisitions.
“This acquisition fully supports H2air’s strategy to further strengthen its position in renewable energy, particularly in the wind energy sector, in France,” said Roy Mahfouz, Founder and President of H2air.

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Sunqix Energy INC Builds a Global Renewable Energy Partnership Ecosystem – StreetInsider

Sunqix Energy INC Builds a Global Renewable Energy Partnership Ecosystem  StreetInsider
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Ribbon Cutting on New Solar Facility in Crisfield – WMDT

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Crisifield, Md. — Clean energy company ECA Solar and Madison Energy Infrastructure held a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday to commemorate the completion of the Crisfield Energy Initiative, a 2.2-megawatt facility that will supply energy to Delmarva Power and Light customers.
Jack Rowland, director of development at ECA Solar, said the facility is mechanically complete, but it won’t have the switch flipped to begin power generation until October.
He added that the project was built on previously unusable land in Crisfield and was completed with removing any trees or impacting farmland.
“This property, it was land that was not used for as long as most people in the city can remember. It was essentially used as a dump site. It’s full of invasive plants, trash, debris, garbage, and really just land that couldn’t be used for anything else. And now it’s a local energy source,” Rowland said.
Rowland said the facility will be a consistent source of tax revenue for the city over the next 35 years. He added that residents using Delmarva Power are able to sign up for a community solar program and get a guaranteed discount on their electrical bills.
“If they’re (Delmarva Power customers) interested in signing up for community solar, I am aware that the City of Crisfield has a program, I believe, with, Solar Simplified, where you can sign up for a community solar project, receive guaranteed, savings on your bill,” Rowland said. “I would reach out if you’re resident of Crisfield, reach out to the city directly for that referral link soon.” 
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Fund Managers Unlock More Investments Toward Clean Energy – BloombergNEF

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ARTICLE

Fund Managers Unlock More Investments Toward Clean Energy

Wind and solar farm

ARTICLE

Fund Managers Unlock More Investments Toward Clean Energy

ARTICLE

September 25, 2026

Fund managers are unlocking more money for renewable energy from the companies they invest, closing in on the lead fossil-fuel projects have in raking in cash.

Among the companies held by public market funds, for every $1 of capital expenditures for oil, natural gas and coal projects, 80 cents went to low-carbon energy supply like solar and wind power at the end of 2025, according to analysis by BloombergNEF. That ratio has been rising for the past few years, but it’s still short of the level that would deliver net-zero emissions.

BNEF’s Energy Supply Fund Ratio (ESFR) 2026 report highlights that asset managers are unlocking an increasing amount of capital for clean energy build out. Fixed income and private markets funds typically have higher ratios, but they support less energy spending than listed equity funds.

The ESFR measures the volume of capital expenditures (capex) enabled by funds in low-carbon assets against the proportion going to fossil fuels. The report includes data for more than 85,000 exchange-traded, mutual and private market funds. It is part of BNEF’s suite of Energy Supply Ratios, which track the climate progress of financial institutions.

 

Company spending tilts toward clean energy

The latest ESFR analysis shows the ratio of clean energy to fossil-fuel enabled capex rose to 0.8 last year from 0.73 at the beginning of 2024. The raising ratio for public-market pooled investment vehicles shows an increasing tilt toward clean energy.

The main driver was a rise in low-carbon capex for portfolio companies, compared to that of fossil-fuels. Spending on power grids accelerated, translating into $36 billion of fund-enabled capex.

Vanguard and BlackRock dominate enabled energy capex in public market funds. The world’s two largest asset managers enabled more than the remaining top 10 largest managers combined. Their ratios both stayed relatively flat over 2025. European and Asian asset managers have higher ratios than their American peers, but they enable considerably less capex.

Tracker funds give managers less influence over where to put money

Most fund capital supporting energy investments sits in large, diversified funds that track broad stock indexes. Funds tracking the S&P 500 represent half of the 10 largest funds by enabled capex. The ratio of S&P 500 fell in 2025 due to changes in companies included in the index. Companies like natural gas producer Expand Energy joined, while renewable energy equipment manufacturer Enphase Energy exited after its market capitalization fell. Managers offering S&P 500 trackers had to reflect those changes. This illustrates the limited influence managers have on ESFRs for passive funds.

Investors have access to funds with high ratios, but they are typically thematic strategies and account for considerably less capital. For portfolio companies, these funds represent a relatively small pool of capital, although fund inflows have picked up since 2025.

 

Credit and private market funds biased toward low-carbon investment

Fixed income funds were more strongly biased toward clean energy investments than equity funds. Credit funds enable $1.2 low-carbon capex for every $1 that went into fossil fuels. Lower-carbon companies typically take on more debt than fossil-fuel companies to pay upfront for assets like wind and solar farms. Equity funds have a lower overall ratio of 0.7.

Private markets remain the area where investors can find the cleanest portfolios. They represent the asset class with the highest ESFRs at just over 1.2. Institutional ESFRs vary widely among large private managers, giving investors a broader variety of options than the leading players in public markets. Newer funds tilt more towards clean energy and have more dry powder available to be invested. This should continue to support higher private market ESFRs relative to other asset classes.

BloombergNEF clients can access the full report here, which includes institution and fund-level analysis. An abridged version of the report is available at this link.

Fund managers are unlocking more money for renewable energy from the companies they invest, closing in on the lead fossil-fuel projects have in raking in cash.

Among the companies held by public market funds, for every $1 of capital expenditures for oil, natural gas and coal projects, 80 cents went to low-carbon energy supply like solar and wind power at the end of 2025, according to analysis by BloombergNEF. That ratio has been rising for the past few years, but it’s still short of the level that would deliver net-zero emissions.

BNEF’s Energy Supply Fund Ratio (ESFR) 2026 report highlights that asset managers are unlocking an increasing amount of capital for clean energy build out. Fixed income and private markets funds typically have higher ratios, but they support less energy spending than listed equity funds.

The ESFR measures the volume of capital expenditures (capex) enabled by funds in low-carbon assets against the proportion going to fossil fuels. The report includes data for more than 85,000 exchange-traded, mutual and private market funds. It is part of BNEF’s suite of Energy Supply Ratios, which track the climate progress of financial institutions.

 

Company spending tilts toward clean energy

The latest ESFR analysis shows the ratio of clean energy to fossil-fuel enabled capex rose to 0.8 last year from 0.73 at the beginning of 2024. The raising ratio for public-market pooled investment vehicles shows an increasing tilt toward clean energy.

The main driver was a rise in low-carbon capex for portfolio companies, compared to that of fossil-fuels. Spending on power grids accelerated, translating into $36 billion of fund-enabled capex.

Vanguard and BlackRock dominate enabled energy capex in public market funds. The world’s two largest asset managers enabled more than the remaining top 10 largest managers combined. Their ratios both stayed relatively flat over 2025. European and Asian asset managers have higher ratios than their American peers, but they enable considerably less capex.

Tracker funds give managers less influence over where to put money

Most fund capital supporting energy investments sits in large, diversified funds that track broad stock indexes. Funds tracking the S&P 500 represent half of the 10 largest funds by enabled capex. The ratio of S&P 500 fell in 2025 due to changes in companies included in the index. Companies like natural gas producer Expand Energy joined, while renewable energy equipment manufacturer Enphase Energy exited after its market capitalization fell. Managers offering S&P 500 trackers had to reflect those changes. This illustrates the limited influence managers have on ESFRs for passive funds.

Investors have access to funds with high ratios, but they are typically thematic strategies and account for considerably less capital. For portfolio companies, these funds represent a relatively small pool of capital, although fund inflows have picked up since 2025.

 

Credit and private market funds biased toward low-carbon investment

Fixed income funds were more strongly biased toward clean energy investments than equity funds. Credit funds enable $1.2 low-carbon capex for every $1 that went into fossil fuels. Lower-carbon companies typically take on more debt than fossil-fuel companies to pay upfront for assets like wind and solar farms. Equity funds have a lower overall ratio of 0.7.

Private markets remain the area where investors can find the cleanest portfolios. They represent the asset class with the highest ESFRs at just over 1.2. Institutional ESFRs vary widely among large private managers, giving investors a broader variety of options than the leading players in public markets. Newer funds tilt more towards clean energy and have more dry powder available to be invested. This should continue to support higher private market ESFRs relative to other asset classes.

BloombergNEF clients can access the full report here, which includes institution and fund-level analysis. An abridged version of the report is available at this link.

Fund managers are unlocking more money for renewable energy from the companies they invest, closing in on the lead fossil-fuel projects have in raking in cash.
Among the companies held by public market funds, for every $1 of capital expenditures for oil, natural gas and coal projects, 80 cents went to low-carbon energy supply like solar and wind power at the end of 2025, according to analysis by BloombergNEF. That ratio has been rising for the past few years, but it’s still short of the level that would deliver net-zero emissions.
BNEF’s Energy Supply Fund Ratio (ESFR) 2026 report highlights that asset managers are unlocking an increasing amount of capital for clean energy build out. Fixed income and private markets funds typically have higher ratios, but they support less energy spending than listed equity funds.
The ESFR measures the volume of capital expenditures (capex) enabled by funds in low-carbon assets against the proportion going to fossil fuels. The report includes data for more than 85,000 exchange-traded, mutual and private market funds. It is part of BNEF’s suite of Energy Supply Ratios, which track the climate progress of financial institutions.
 
The latest ESFR analysis shows the ratio of clean energy to fossil-fuel enabled capex rose to 0.8 last year from 0.73 at the beginning of 2024. The raising ratio for public-market pooled investment vehicles shows an increasing tilt toward clean energy.
The main driver was a rise in low-carbon capex for portfolio companies, compared to that of fossil-fuels. Spending on power grids accelerated, translating into $36 billion of fund-enabled capex.
Vanguard and BlackRock dominate enabled energy capex in public market funds. The world’s two largest asset managers enabled more than the remaining top 10 largest managers combined. Their ratios both stayed relatively flat over 2025. European and Asian asset managers have higher ratios than their American peers, but they enable considerably less capex.
Most fund capital supporting energy investments sits in large, diversified funds that track broad stock indexes. Funds tracking the S&P 500 represent half of the 10 largest funds by enabled capex. The ratio of S&P 500 fell in 2025 due to changes in companies included in the index. Companies like natural gas producer Expand Energy joined, while renewable energy equipment manufacturer Enphase Energy exited after its market capitalization fell. Managers offering S&P 500 trackers had to reflect those changes. This illustrates the limited influence managers have on ESFRs for passive funds.
Investors have access to funds with high ratios, but they are typically thematic strategies and account for considerably less capital. For portfolio companies, these funds represent a relatively small pool of capital, although fund inflows have picked up since 2025.
 
Fixed income funds were more strongly biased toward clean energy investments than equity funds. Credit funds enable $1.2 low-carbon capex for every $1 that went into fossil fuels. Lower-carbon companies typically take on more debt than fossil-fuel companies to pay upfront for assets like wind and solar farms. Equity funds have a lower overall ratio of 0.7.
Private markets remain the area where investors can find the cleanest portfolios. They represent the asset class with the highest ESFRs at just over 1.2. Institutional ESFRs vary widely among large private managers, giving investors a broader variety of options than the leading players in public markets. Newer funds tilt more towards clean energy and have more dry powder available to be invested. This should continue to support higher private market ESFRs relative to other asset classes.
BloombergNEF clients can access the full report here, which includes institution and fund-level analysis. An abridged version of the report is available at this link.

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A 10-foot-high field of 8,060 solar panels tracks the sun over two Massachusetts cranberry bogs with its rows 23 feet apart, and the growers flooded part of the bogs underneath to bring in the first crop, 325 barrels against the 400 they had counted on – Autonocion.com

Luis Reyes
Sep 25, at 12:30pm ET
The cranberry business owns one of the best visuals in American farming, and you’ve seen it: a flooded bog, a couple of growers standing in it up to their waists, and a few million berries floating around them like a red ball pit. Ocean Spray has built decades of commercials on that picture. Last fall in Plympton, Massachusetts, part of that flood happened somewhere the commercials haven’t caught up with yet, under 8,060 solar panels tracking the sun 10 feet overhead.
And because the farm behind it files paperwork with the state, we now have the thing that’s been missing from pretty much every agrivoltaic project we’ve covered this year: a real harvest number. The annual report filed with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources logs the first crop under the panels at 325 barrels, against the 400 barrels the same bogs were expected to produce without them.
A barrel, if you don’t speak cranberry, is the industry’s unit for 100 pounds of fruit. That’s 32,571 pounds of berries. They came off the vines between late October and early November, and it’s about a fifth short of the open-field benchmark.
Hard harvest numbers are the scarce commodity on this beat. A sweet corn field in Hadley gave us one of the few others, at about 80 percent of its open rows, and most projects never publish one at all. This one comes with a winter attached, and it turns out the glass wasn’t the biggest problem.
The project is called Ring Road Solar: a 2-megawatt array spread over 45 acres of farmland, with 30.4 acres of working cranberry bog in production underneath. Distributed Energy Infrastructure built it, Greenbacker Renewable Energy owns it, and the vines belong to Soland, LLC, the farm run by grower Iain Ward.
The build itself is my favorite section of the filing. You can’t just drive heavy machinery onto a cranberry bog, because a bog’s basically soft, wet ground, and compacting it stresses the vines for years afterward. So crews pre-drilled every pile hole 4 feet down so lighter pile drivers could finish the job, laid plastic matting under anything that had to cross the vines, and installed the torque tubes and all 8,060 panels by hand, off ladders. Machinery tends to drive the design in this niche, the way a straddle harvester set the panel height over a Spanish olive grove. Here the machines had to tiptoe instead.
The panels are 550-watt units on single-axis trackers, split 5,746 and 2,314 between the two bogs, and the rows sit 23 feet apart. Two sections got experimental spacings of 19, 22 and 25 feet instead, because the UMass Cranberry Station put sensors in these bogs and tracked vine health under each gap through 2024 and 2025. Row spacing’s arguably the live question over any crop, and a Bavarian hop farm already learned the expensive version of that lesson.
I can’t tell you which cranberry variety is under all that steel, because the filing doesn’t name it. UMass’s own shading pilot ran on ‘Stevens’, a common commercial variety, but that experiment used plywood sheets standing in for panels.
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The February before that harvest dropped to 2°F, and a UMass Cranberry Station alert that spring described winterkill showing up on bogs across southeastern Massachusetts, with some growers estimating their crops down by as much as 30 percent. Stressed vines take cold the worst, the report notes, and these vines had just been through a construction season.
The damage split the site in two. The southerly bogs produced no harvestable fruit, only about 40 percent of the northerly bogs could be picked, and every one of the 325 barrels came off that 40 percent.
Construction didn’t help either. The original application anticipated no cranberry crop at all in year one if the build ran into the growing season, and it did, all the way through. These bogs had also sat uncultivated until work started in 2023, according to a February announcement from the builder. Read against all of that, 325 barrels off a freeze-burned site in its first season looks pretty respectable to me.
The fruit graded out decently too, from the looks of things: about 25 percent of the harvest sold as premium fresh fruit, and the other 75 percent went to processing.
So why flood a bog at all?
Cranberries have small air pockets inside, and that’s why they float. Knock them off the vine in a flooded bog and you can herd the whole crop across the water with a boom instead of gathering it off the ground. More than 90 percent of the crop gets harvested that way, according to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association, and wet berries go to juice, sauce and dried fruit. Only dry-picked berries get sold fresh.
Ring Road’s first harvest used both methods, and the filing doesn’t break down how the 325 barrels split between them, in case you’re wondering. This year’s harvest goes entirely dry, with the same equipment. Given that only dry-picked fruit sells fresh, you can see where they’re aiming. The crews also pruned the vine canopy during last fall’s dry pass, which the filing expects to raise fruit quality this season.
Two more changes are already in. About 10 acres, roughly a third of the bog, gets mowed this year instead of harvested, to push the vines into denser regrowth, and the farm automated its two irrigation pumps so the water goes on in the early morning, when less of it evaporates before the plants get to it.
The filing also puts a number on what the panels alone are expected to cost in a normal year: a projected 750 barrels with the array against 1,000 without it. Both figures are estimates on a form, not measurements, and the 10 mowed acres won’t add a berry to either one.
The Massachusetts picking window runs from mid-September into early November, so the second harvest under these panels is getting started right about now. Ring Road goes into it picking dry and chasing 750 barrels.
Did we nail it or blow it?
Chema Bonilla Díaz · Sep 19, 2026
Luis Reyes · Sep 13, 2026
Luis Reyes · Sep 7, 2026
Chema Bonilla Díaz · Aug 27, 2026
Dave McQuilling · Sep 3, 2026
Chema Bonilla Díaz · Sep 16, 2026
Chema Bonilla Díaz · Sep 25, 2026
Luis Reyes · Sep 25, 2026
Luis Reyes · Sep 25, 2026
Luis Reyes · Sep 25, 2026
Olivia Richman · Sep 24, 2026
Autonotion is the English-language automotive editorial by Autonocion.com — car news, reviews, and industry analysis for American readers.
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RECPDCL to Solarise 76 ICAR Institutes with 11.1 MW Rooftop PV – Energetica India Magazine

REC Power Development and Consultancy has partnered with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to implement 11.1 MW of rooftop solar across 76 institutes in 24 States and Union Territories, with annual generation estimated at 1.73 crore units.
September 25, 2026. By Mrinmoy Dey

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Renewable Procurement Must Become More Flexible, Scalable, Says Dhananjay Kumar, ENGIE

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In 2014, a small group in Goulburn began pursuing a community-owned solar farm; 12 years later, 300 mostl – timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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