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People can now buy plug-in solar panels in shops and online as rules allowing their sale in the UK come into force.
Retailers will begin selling the technology from Thursday, enabling solar power to run into the home network using an ordinary plug.
Already common in places such as Germany, where people hang them on balconies or fences, the panels can help cut bills by reducing the amount of electricity a household draws from the grid.
Each kit produces up to 800W of power, which is enough to provide up to 20% of an average home’s electricity use when the sun is shining, according to officials.
As they go on sale, ministers say prices could start off higher but they expect them to settle at around £400 to £600 – depending on the size and model – amid growing competition as more models come on to the market.
Households should then be able to recoup this cost over a few years, with savings of up to £110 annually on their bills, Desnz said.
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said: “Plug-in solar is a simple, affordable way for households to take control of their energy bills and start saving straight away.
“From this summer, we’re giving more families the ability to power their homes with clean homegrown energy.”
Argos has confirmed it will begin selling the kits from Thursday, with Amazon expected to follow in the coming weeks.
Currys, B&Q, Screwfix and Wickes are also among retailers that have committed to stocking plug-in panels.
The sale of the technology was previously restricted in the UK because of safety and wiring standards.
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But ministers say the legal change follows rigorous, independent safety testing, covering all key electrical elements, which shows compliant panels are safe and compatible with UK wiring, officials said.
The Government first announced plans to remove the legal barriers earlier this year, announcing it was working with retailers and manufacturers to bring the plug-in solar kits to market.
Energy minister Martin McCluskey said the technology “enables people who might otherwise not be able to get a rooftop solar array to take advantage of solar power”.
This includes renters, leaseholders and homes where installing rooftop solar remains untenable.
However, many will still require consent from landlords, building owners, councils, freeholders or even planning permission or listed building consent.
Before purchasing or installing plug-in solar devices, officials have urged people to check whether any permissions are required for the property.
Mr McCluskey said the Government has written to the National Landlords Association to communicate the panels’ benefits to tenants and encourage them to consider each case on its individual merits.
As the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to drive volatile global energy prices, he said the hope is to give British people “a little bit of breathing room” on their household costs, coming alongside the Government’s previously announced plans to cut VAT on electricity bills.
On whether there will be any support or discounts to help households purchase the kits, Mr McCluskey said the Government is not proposing to deliver them through a Desnz scheme, but local authorities, charities and others will have their own funds they could choose to use for plug-in solar subsidies.
Elsewhere, people will also be asked to register their kits after purchase to provide a “proper line of sight” for grid operators, who have faced multiple challenges balancing supply and demand this summer amid extreme weather, network bottlenecks and shifting energy sources.
“We’re not anticipating any issues with this additional capacity of solar, but it’s obviously something we’ll monitor as the rollout progresses,” he said.
Addressing concerns that some households will need to pay for advice from electricians on installations, Mr McCluskey said the independent safety testing “has given us the assurance that plug-in solar panels are safe and that they’re compatible with UK domestic electrical systems”.
He added consumer advice on installations will be published through the Energy Saving Trust.
Joanna O’Loan, knowledge manager at the Energy Saving Trust, said: “As these products become more widely available, access to clear and reliable information is essential to help people make informed choices that are right for their home and budget.”
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Hawke’s Bay Airport has opened an Expression of Interest (EOI) process seeking delivery and co-investment partners for a proposed 12-17MW solar PV power plant on airport land in New Zealand.
The project would be built on a 24-hectare site northwest of the runways at Hawke’s Bay Airport, serving the Napier and Hastings region on the country’s North Island.
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Airport chief executive Nick Flack said the development would establish an infrastructure foundation for an aviation sector expected to rely far more heavily on renewable energy electricity by 2050, potentially up to 20 times current levels.
The EOI stage follows an earlier, larger proposal. Hawke’s Bay Airport had previously explored a 45MW solar development with Manawa Energy, since acquired by Contact Energy, before the two parties mutually agreed to scale the project back to a size better aligned with the airport’s long-term requirements.
No final investment decision has been made on the smaller project, with feasibility work continuing alongside consenting, engineering, and cultural and community engagement over the next 12 months.
Flack said the current phase is intended to gauge market appetite for construction delivery, operations and maintenance, and potential co-investment structures ahead of a decision on ownership.
Airports pursuing dedicated on-site renewable energy generation and storage have become more common across the Australia-New Zealand region.
In Australia, CleanPeak Energy signed a 15-year agreement to supply Western Sydney International Airport with 100% renewable energy, combining a 9MWp rooftop solar system with 30MW/120MWh of battery storage ahead of the airport’s opening in late 2026.
Unlike Hawke’s Bay’s ground-mounted proposal, that arrangement sees CleanPeak retain ownership of the assets while supplying output to the airport under a long-term energy services agreement, a structure that avoids upfront capital costs for the airport operator.
Hawke’s Bay’s project sits within a broader pattern of solar development activity across New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay region specifically. Lodestone Energy and Centralines began construction on the 31.5MWp Central Hawke’s Bay solar plant in July 2026, a 50:50 joint venture with the local lines company expected to reach commercial operation by autumn 2027.
Further north in the Bay of Plenty, Aquila Clean Energy energised its 38MW solar PV plant, adding to a national utility-scale solar pipeline that has expanded quickly following the country’s 2024 energy crisis, when low hydro storage and declining gas supply exposed the risks of New Zealand’s historic reliance on hydropower.
That expansion has coincided with government efforts to address regulatory friction slowing smaller-scale solar deployment.
New Zealand’s Ministry for Regulation recently published a review finding the country’s residential and small-to-medium-scale solar installation process more complicated than it needs to be, citing inconsistent council requirements, distributor approval times ranging from minutes to four months, and only 3-4% of New Zealand households currently having solar installed compared with more than 30% in Australia.
While that review targeted small-scale residential systems rather than utility-scale developments like Hawke’s Bay’s proposed solar PV power plant, it points to broader momentum behind solar deployment across the country, spanning both distributed and utility-scale segments, as New Zealand works to diversify a generation mix historically dominated by hydropower.
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An Illinois solar farm recorded a chorus frog calling for 32 of 34 spring days near a pond while rare butterflies fed between panels.
Recent field studies are challenging long-held assumptions about industrial green energy developments. Researchers are discovering that carefully managed clean energy sites can actively support and protect native wildlife populations.
Utility-scale energy facilities face intense local resistance over how they alter rural landscapes and disrupt agriculture.
Beneath the rows of photovoltaic infrastructure at some of these locations, new models of land management are emerging.
These approaches move beyond standard industrial clearance to maintain complex native ecosystems.
There is a good example of this model operating near Meredosia in Morgan County, IL. This site was developed by Pivot Energy and is being operated by Summit Ridge Energy.
Spanning approximately 29 acres near the Illinois River, the 4 MW Morgan Solar 1 and Morgan Solar 1B projects utilize single-axis tracking photovoltaic panels installed on sandy soils.
The mechanical tracker pivots throughout daylight hours to mirror the movement of the sun as it moves across the sky.
Electricity generated at the site will be delivered into residential and commercial customers’ homes via the Ameren electric grid as part of the Illinois Adjustable Block Program.
The main purpose of the property will always be power production.
However, the land underneath the tracker units operates with a very different environmental blueprint than a typical power plant. This is due to a comprehensive restoration strategy implemented on behalf of state regulatory agencies.
Restoration efforts were also successful in providing homes for local amphibians.
In spring 2024, a Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter was deployed next to a small wetland pond north of the solar arrays to detect wildlife sounds. The unit was set up to record and store ambient sounds in real-time as part of an ongoing study during the peak breeding season of amphibians in early spring.
During the 34-day study from March 9 to April 6, acoustic monitors captured Illinois Chorus Frog (Pseudacris illinoensis) calls on 32 separate days. Data confirmed active breeding-season calling behavior around the periphery and surrounding drainage ditches throughout the monitoring period.
Field reports from Summit Ridge Energy outline how these wildlife studies were carried out on-site.
Case studies shared by AGPROfessionals also look at how solar installations can sustain local species.
Much of the credit for this coexistence goes to a conservation plan implemented by regulators. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources approved an Incidental Take Authorization and Conservation Plan.
Under this plan, traditional gravel or sterile turfgrass groundcover was replaced with 29 acres of native short-grass prairie seed mix.
All annual tilling operations and chemical herbicide applications were eliminated.
This unique combination of flora created a densely vegetated area which provided a suitable environment for adult regal fritillaries to feed on milkweed that grew between the panel tracks. Regal fritillaries are highly unusual because their life cycle is dependent on certain species of native violets upon which their larvae develop.
Isolated areas of natural grasslands continue to disappear rapidly.
Therefore, remaining native grasslands located within industrial settings have become essential to maintaining viable local populations of this butterfly.
Ultimately, demonstrating that state-threatened amphibians can survive, and rare insects can find food within a commercial energy facility represents a major body of work.
Moving forward, it demonstrates how targeted habitat-management measures at this type of utility-scale site can successfully support local wildlife use.
County planners and state agency permitting personnel frequently review proposals for using new land with renewable energy as well.
For them, adopting native prairie management represents an ideal design strategy to balance clean energy with regional biodiversity.
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Canadian Solar sinks after swinging to Q2 loss on lower solar module sales (CSIQ:NASDAQ) Seeking Alpha
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Japan’s Green Investment Promotion Organization has released the final results of its latest auction for utility-scale solar energy projects.
The state-run agency said that 38.2 MW of PV projects were selected in the procurement exercise. It was Japan’s 29th auction for utility-scale solar, running with an auction volume of 115 MW and ceiling price of JPY 9.60 ($0.060)/kWh.
The auction received twelve applications requesting a total 87.3 MW. Authorities approved eight projects, with a weighted average successful bid price of JPY 8.89/kWh.
The largest-approved project, belonging to AC12 LLC, has a planned capacity of 29.9 MW. It has the highest supply price of approved projects, at JPY 9.48/kWh.
The remaining seven approved projects vary between 400 kW and 1.99 MW in size, with supply prices between JPY 5.30/kWh and JPY 7.80/kWh.
This is the second completed PV auction during Japan’s 2026 financial year, following the 28th auction which allocated 89.2 MW of PV capacity across 29 projects at an average final price at JPY 6.74/kWh. In this auction, the lowest awarded price was JPY 0.00/kWh.
The 27th auction allocated 79 MW of PV projects at a final average price of JPY 4.61/kWh, while the 26th auction assigned 75.3 MW across 37 projects. The lowest bid was JPY 4.97/kWh and the highest JPY 8.75/kWh.
The 25th auction allocated 223.3 MW at an average price of JPY 6.58/kWh, while the 24th auction allocated 79 MW at an average final price of JPY 4.06/kWh. In both these procurement exercises, the lowest bid was also JPY 0.00/kWh.
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Our special edition for Intersolar South America 2026 is here!
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Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL) has commissioned a 72.5 MW solar project in Rajasthan for captive consumption by Tata Steel Ltd. The project, located in Kalasar, Bikaner, will supply green power to support Tata Steel’s decarbonisation efforts.
The project is expected to generate 166 million units of green energy annually and offset 1,18,856 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. The project deploys 1,71,360 PV modules, manufactured by TP Solar Ltd.
TPREL said this project underscores its strong engineering expertise and execution excellence, highlighting its capability to deliver complex, technology-driven renewable energy assets within demanding timelines.
With the addition of this project, TPREL’s total utility-scale renewable energy capacity has reached 12.3 GW. Out of this, around 7 GW capacity (5.7 GW solar and 1.3 GW wind) is operational. Around 5.3 GW is under various stages of implementation, which includes 2.2 GW solar and 3.1 GW wind and is expected to be commissioned in phases over the next 6-24 months.
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The cheapest plug-in solar you can buy is £599 – here’s what to know
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You can now legally buy and install plug-in solar panels in British homes as part of the government’s plans to help reduce electricity costs.
Unlike roof arrays, which are expensive and require professional installation, these new compliant kits are plug-and-play systems that come complete and are designed to be easily fitted. Simply unpack the kit, mount the solar panel (up to 2,000W) on a ground-mounting system or suitable fixing, position the small microinverter box near an AC wall socket, and plug it in.
They promise to make it simple to turn sunlight into electricity and feed it straight into your home through a standard wall socket – with no additional wiring required.
The government has also been working closely with retailers including Currys, B&Q, Screwfix, Wickes and Amazon, who have committed to stocking these systems. But it’s Argos that has become the first UK retailer to stock plug-in solar systems. Here’s everything you need to know.
Read more: Where to buy plug-in solar in the UK
The UKSOL plug-in solar pro compact 460W is a single solar panel system. “ It offers a 460W single solar panel system that can be secured with a ground stand and ballast, essentially something to weigh it down,” explained tech writer Alastair Jennings in his first look at plug-in solar panels.
Once it’s set up, you can refer to the app to see how much electricity the panels are generating. The small microinverter is IP67-rated, so you can leave it outside and run the supplied 4m cable into the house or apartment to plug in.
Read more: How do plug-in solar panels work?
If you’re after a larger solar solution, this one offers two 445W panels. Much like the above system, you can monitor your energy generation live with the smartphone app. “Ballast is not included, and the two 25.5kg panels require careful handling,” explained expert Alastair Jennings. He also recommends “plugging it into a professionally installed exterior plug”.
Read more: Plug-in vs installed solar panels
The cheapest in Argos’s lineup of UKSOL plug-in solar panels is this kit, which has an estimated delivery of late October. It offers a 515W single solar panel system with adjustable mounting options.
The panel then plugs into the 800W microinverter, which can connect via wifi or Bluetooth to the monitoring app on a mobile device. The small microinverter is IP67-rated, so you can leave it outside and run the supplied 4m cable into the house or apartment to plug in.
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Where can you buy plug-in solar? Argos beats Amazon and Currys to first on-sale kits — as British Gas opens free competition to win £500 solar setups TechRadar
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A new era of home solar power begins today, as plug-in solar panels become legal in the UK for the first time.
From 27 August, households will be able to buy specially designed solar systems that generate electricity and feed it directly into a home through a standard three-pin socket – potentially giving renters, flat-dwellers and homeowners without suitable roofs a cheaper route into solar panels.
The government has described the change as a way to give households the chance to “significantly cut energy bills”, while Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said the technology could make solar “more accessible to households across the country”.
The legal change sets out the requirements products must meet – and this specification matters. The new rules do not mean consumers can simply buy any solar panel online and plug it into the wall. The government says the specification sets the minimum technical standards needed for a system to be “lawfully connected to the grid” and covers its electric design, British plug, mounting system and fire protection.
“The big advantage of plug-in solar is that it will fit almost any property and you can install it yourself without needing a professional fitter or electrician”, technology journalist Alastair Jennings explains. “Just buy the kit, plug it in, and you’ll start to generate instantly usable electricity, cutting your reliance on the grid and ultimately saving you money.”
The principle is surprisingly straightforward. Solar cells generate electricity from sunlight. A microinverter converts that electricity into the type of alternating current used in homes, and the system feeds it into the household electrical circuit through a standard socket. The plug-in solar panels can be placed in the garden, or on walls and balconies if rules permit.
The solar electricity is then available for appliances to use, reducing the amount of electricity taken from the grid. This means households could save up to £110 a year, according to the government.
However, this depends on the size and position of panels, sunlight, shading and how much electricity is used during daylight hours. Unlike conventional solar installation, the initial plug-in systems do not include a plug-in battery, so excess electricity cannot simply be stored for use that evening.
The government has suggested that plug-in solar could cost around £400-£600, although the first approved products arriving on the market are considerably more. UKSOL’s systems cost up to £1,199, but insiders suggest budget supermarket Lidl will sell them for around £400 – we’ll just have to wait a little longer for its systems to launch.
As market competition increases, prices are expected to fall.
Argos is the first major retailer to launch plug-in solar today, with Amazon, Currys, B&Q and Screwfix set to follow. At Argos, you can buy UKSOL’s plug-in solar panels. UKSOL is the first manufacturer to sell plug-in solar panels in the UK, after becoming certified and compliant ahead of the government’s new ruling.
The cheapest 515W kit costs £599 (Argos.co.uk), while the most premium 1260W kit sets you back £989 (Argos.co.uk). There’s also a 460w plug-in solar pro ground mount bundle for £849 (Argos.co.uk), a duo 890w pro plug in solar kit with hybrid mount bundle for £849 (Argos.co.uk), and a 1030w pro plus plug in solar panel kit with hybrid mount bundle for £899 (Argos.co.uk).
Each UKSOL kit from Argos comes with a mount bundle – which includes the hardware needed to attach the solar panel to a roof, wall, balcony, railing, or another fixed structure – or a ground mount bundle, which includes a freestanding frame that lets you install the panel on the ground, rather than attaching it to your house.
Direct from UKSOL, the compact 460W kit costs £849, while the duo 890W kit costs £1,199, but the systems are slighty cheaper through retailer City Plumbing (£670.80, Cityplumbing.com, £951, Cityplumbing.com).
Lidl was among the first big names to announce it was manufacturing plug-in solar panels, but it’s not yet confirmed when they’ll be available. The supermarket is working with the government to produce compliant, tested, lightweight DIY kits featuring two solar panels and a micro-inverter, designed for balconies, patios, or gardens that plug straight into a standard wall socket.
Anker solix has launched its solarbank 4 E5000 Pro in the UK (from £1,699, Ankersolix.com). The product is a solar battery, but you can add on up to 4kW of solar panels at an extra cost. The 5kWh battery stores electricity, but it also includes an inverter and control hardware to supply power to the home through a plug-in connection. Anker’s “plug-in-ready solar battery” is available to pre-order for delivery from 8 September.
Electrical Safety First urges shoppers to only buy from reputable high street retailers to ensure the device is safe and meets the new interim product specification.
“We advise households to avoid buying these devices from third-party sellers on online marketplaces, no matter how appealing this may be, as these platforms are currently not legally responsible for the safety of goods sold via their sites, exposing people to substandard versions that may put you and your home at risk,” the charity advises.
The government has emphasised the technology’s benefits to those who can’t install conventional rooftop solar panels. The plug-in panels are particularly useful for renters and those in flats with balconies. However, renters must have permission from the landlord, and planning or building restrictions can apply depending on where the panels are installed.
There are other things to be aware of, as Luke Osborne, Technical Director at Electrical Safety First, explains. “Plug-in solar panels send electricity in the opposite direction in your property’s wiring. Whilst many modern homes may be able to enjoy this technology safely, we still have concerns plug-in solar panels may damage older devices in people’s homes which protect people from electric shock, known as RCDs.
“Because of this, it is our view that not every home will currently be suitable for plug-in solar. We urge households to ensure they have an RCD suitable for this technology and to consult a competent electrician if they are unsure if they have the right protections in place in their home.”
The charity adds that you should never plug in solar panels through extension leads, travel adapters and multi-way adapters, and to have your electrics checked before you buy.
Read more: Plug-in solar panels go on sale in shops and online after legal barriers removed
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Esi SpA Awarded Three Contracts For Revamping Of Photovoltaic Systems, Total Value Of About €0.65 Million TradingView
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US- and Canada-based PV module producer Heliene is among the companies trialling a new American-made solar glass currently being tested for sale in the US market.
Heliene’s chief executive Martin Pochtaruk has told PV Tech that his company is testing solar glass made by Stewart Glass that entered production earlier this year.
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PV Tech spoke to Pochtaruk for an article published today exploring the opportunities and challenges for US-made solar glass.
The US currently has limited production of locally produced glass for solar modules, but US PV manufacturers such as Heliene are looking to domesticate as much of their supply chains as possible. Heliene has 1.3GW of crystalline silicon module capacity in the US and has recently formed a partnership with Corning and Suniva to secure locally sourced wafers and cells, but US-made glass has so far been a key missing element.
Pochtaruk explained that domestic solar glass production had not kept up with the recent boom in US module manufacturing. “As US module manufacturing has been growing, there has been no supply of non-iron content glass,” he said.
“Being able to use [locally made] glass versus importing glass is also part of de-risking the geopolitics of imports from Asia, and that’s why it’s so important.”
Stewart Glass began production of a 3.2mm front-pane solar glass product in the spring of 2026 at its plant in Logan, Ohio, becoming the first fully operational solar glass plant in the US. Its second line is due to begin production next year, adding a further 250 tons of output to the 150 tons from the first line.
However, potential demand is unlikely to be met solely by Stewart Glass, and, as our article explores further, factors such as power demands and the substantial up-front investment required to set up a glass furnace create a high barrier to entry for other potential suppliers.
Read the full article here (subscription required).
Learn more about how the domestic solar supply chain is developing in the United States at our PV CellTech USA conference in San Francisco on 13-14 October. For full details and booking, click here.
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Arriving at a Vermont farmhouse, a traveler finds solar panels, an EV charger, and an honest answer about how far rural electrification has actually come.
The rolling hills of Vermont in August deliver an iconic postcard landscape: unhurried country roads, lush pastures, and garden aromas from long rows of vegetables bordering weathered old barns. Yet, stepping onto this 10-acre Green Mountain State farmhouse property, the most striking element isn’t what is present, but rather a surprising absence: the smell of burning fossil fuels.
It simply isn’t there. Tucked into the north country landscape, the homestead looks at first glance like any other working New England farm. But a closer look reveals a much quieter transformation—a decade-long solar and clean energy conversion built long before green power became a widespread talking point.
The barn roof provides the primary clue. Sixteen solar panels, installed back in 2014, sit atop the roofline in neat rows—a deliberate financial commitment made when rooftop solar technology cost significantly more than it does today. Inside the barn, a handwritten logbook tracks every single kilowatt-hour generated since activation. Over its first decade of operation, the solar array harvested roughly 50,000 kWh of clean electricity.
To put that figure into perspective, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) indicates that the average American household consumed 10,791 kWh of electricity in 2022. Generating roughly 5,000 kWh annually, the farm’s solar array covers approximately half of its total annual power needs—a substantial contribution to local resilience, though not the full power picture.
Adjacent sit solar thermal water collectors, a less photogenic but equally deliberate choice. Operating through fluid thermodynamics, natural water flow, and gravity, these collectors heat domestic water without drawing a single watt from the electrical grid. Working alongside photovoltaic panels, these complementary systems represent ten years of methodical, stacked investments.
Pulling up to a remote Vermont farmhouse after a long road trip and finding a dedicated EV charger waiting brings a distinct kind of relief. Plugging in a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV right at your destination—rather than searching for public fast-chargers along unfamiliar rural back roads—completely alters long-distance driving.
While U.S. public charging networks have expanded considerably, long-distance electric transit off main highway corridors still demands careful planning. Destination charging eliminates that friction entirely, silently topping off the vehicle’s battery overnight. For electric vehicle owners exploring rural America, this property provides a compelling real-world proof point: local destination charging works, and it fills a vital infrastructure gap.
Ask whether a 10-acre working farm can operate 100 percent electric today, and the honest answer is no—not quite yet.
The property’s vast fields require regular mowing, a demanding task handled by a heavy diesel brush hog. Commercial zero-emission replacements capable of handling rugged working-farm conditions remain scarce on the market. Indoors, propane still feeds auxiliary baseboard heaters, while twin wood stoves supply carbon-neutral warmth during harsh winter spells when grid outages strike.
Vermont’s Department of Environmental Conservation has directed nearly $6 million in grant funding toward replacing diesel-powered medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and off-road equipment with electric alternatives. While that funding signals where state energy policy is heading, it underlines where industrial agricultural technology stands right now.
Economics play a central role in these decisions. As Home Depot CFO Richard McPhail noted, rising fuel costs create heavy financial pressure on average consumers. Rural households, which depend heavily on fuel for heating, personal transport, and heavy farm equipment, feel those price swings with particular severity.
Finances tell only part of the story. Senator Bernie Sanders, writing in Common Dreams, framed the broader climate stakes plainly: consecutive record-hot years, flooding, and wildfires make transitioning away from fossil fuels a practical necessity rather than pure idealism.
What makes this Vermont homestead truly remarkable is the final reveal: this entire clean energy transformation wasn’t driven by state mandates, corporate funding, or grand public announcements. The true hook of this rural energy experiment is that its owners quietly built a functional, semi-autonomous microgrid entirely on their own terms, according to Clean Technica. Stacking self-directed choices over a decade without waiting for federal policy, they prove that rural electrification isn’t an overnight revolution—it is a steady, self-reliant evolution that is already being walked.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
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Published on 08/27/2026 at 11:28 am EDT
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(Alliance News) – ESI Spa said on Thursday that it has signed three “turnkey” contract awards for revamping work and technological upgrades on an equal number of photovoltaic plants located in Brindisi, Puglia, with total capacity of about 2.4 MWp.
As the company explained in a statement, the orders have a total value of about €650,000 and relate to the SOL080 plant, of about 0.51 MWp, and 069GEO and 082GEO, both of about 0.93 MWp. The work is aimed at restoring the plants’ full generating capacity and improving efficiency.
Completion of the work is expected by December 31, 2026.
The company also said that, taking into account production delivered as of December 31, 2025, and new projects secured up to the date of the release, total backlog stands at about €33m.
ESI is down 3.4% at €1.58 per share.
By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter
Comments and questions to redazione@alliancenews.com
Copyright 2026 Alliance News IS Italian Service Ltd. All rights reserved.
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What's the deal? Otovo, a small-scale solar services company, is acquiring Hawaii-based PV Hawaii LLC alongside Norway's Mr. Elektro for a combined $4.6 million. The move gives Otovo its first presence in Hawaii.
Who are they? PV Hawaii, founded in 2016 and based in Oahu, offers solar repair, warranty, inspection, and panel-cleaning services for residential and commercial customers, and is certified across 10 major equipment brands.
What's the endgame? Otovo plans to bring its Endurance AI platform to PV Hawaii's local field crews and customer relationships. The platform uses AI to diagnose system issues and dispatch technicians in real time, with smart routing to maximise first-visit resolution rates.
Where else? The Mr. Elektro deal deepens Otovo's reach across Norway and Sweden. Both acquisitions extend the same operations-and-maintenance model that Otovo brought to the United States less than a year ago.
Why now? Chief executive officer William (John) Berger framed the deals as part of a repeatable strategy. "We are continuing our successful plug-and-play acquisition strategy that has helped us create the world's leading provider of behind-the-meter energy services for homes and businesses," he said.
The signal: Buying licensed local teams and layering software on top lets Otovo scale service coverage without building crews from scratch — a bolt-on playbook that points to further consolidation in solar operations and maintenance.
Read more: solarpowerworldonline.com
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ForeFront Power has reached commercial operation of a new solar system for the Northeast Surface Water Treatment Plant in Fresno, California, that uses the Erthos solar system. Erthos’ Earth Mount Solar system places modules directly on the earth, which allows solar project developers to eliminate all the costs required to procure and install structural steel.
ForeFront Power approached Erthos in 2023 when a combination of inflation and supply shocks caused the price of labor and materials to increase, making the project payback period unattractive for the city of Fresno.
“After conducting our due diligence and vetting Erthos technology, we discovered that the Northeast Surface Water Treatment Plant was an optimal site for an Erthos application,” said Erinne Davis, senior project manager at ForeFront Power. “Erthos helped us avoid significant, expensive civil upgrades, as well as the cost of steel for racking and the labor to install that racking. Realizing these savings on the installation is what enabled the project at this site to move forward.”
The Erthos Earth Mount Solar system is one portion of a solar and battery storage portfolio that ForeFront Power developed for Fresno’s Dept. of Public Utilities (DPU) at three sites: the Northeast Surface Water Treatment Facility, the Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facility, and the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility. At a combined 27 MW-DC in size, the DPU projects are expected to save over $122 million in ratepayer dollars by 2045.
Since the Erthos system entered commercial operation in late March 2026, the system has outperformed expectations, operating at an average of 101% of expected energy production and has already delivered 862 MWh of energy to the city. ForeFront Power and Erthos continue to work closely together to optimize system performance.
In addition to avoiding material and labor costs from structural steel, ForeFront Power was able to achieve a higher generating capacity per acre thanks to the unique architecture of Erthos systems. With no row spacing, Erthos offers the highest energy density of any solar architecture in the industry. Another unique feature of Erthos Earth Mount Solar system is that, although the solar modules are mounted flat on the earth, they can follow contours up to 15% slope, meaning they were adaptable to the natural topography of the Fresno site.
ForeFront Power and Erthos have entered into an energy services agreement in which Erthos will maintain the solar energy system, including regular cleanings of the solar array by the proprietary ErthBot PV array cleaner, a dry nylon brush autonomous cleaning robot.
News item from ForeFront
Kelly Pickerel has more than 15 years of experience reporting on the U.S. solar industry and is currently editor in chief of Solar Power World. Email Kelly.
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A solar energy company is proposing to build a 6-megawatt solar farm on about 28 acres of land in Mukwonago, and residents will have a chance to weigh in at a public hearing next month.
The project, called the Spring Lake Solar, would place roughly 13,000 solar panels on land off Section Road and County Highway I. The land is owned by a local family that is leasing it to One Energy Renewables, the company behind the proposal.
Peter Murphy, a director at One Energy Renewables, said the project is designed to generate power for local homes and businesses.
“This is local power being produced and consumed locally,” Murphy said.
Murphy said 6 megawatts is enough to power about 1,600 average Wisconsin homes per year. He also addressed concerns about cost to taxpayers.
“Taxpayers are not paying for this. So the reason solar projects like this are happening is because they are economically viable,” Murphy said. “They’re quiet neighbors. They don’t emit anything.”
If approved, the panels would remain on the property for 30 to 50 years.
Learn more about the proposal in the video player below
Mukwonago resident Gail Yerke attended an informational meeting Monday to learn more about the proposal. She said she reached out to TMJ4 because she believes the community deserves to know about it.
“I think it’s an important issue that people need to know about,” Yerke said.
Yerke said she was in favor of one detail from the meeting.
“The one thing, piece of information I got that I thought was positive was that they don’t plan on having any lithium battery units,” Yerke said.
Still, Yerke has lingering concerns about noise and property values near the site.
“It just doesn’t seem an appropriate use of the land. There’s a lot of subdivisions nearby and homes,” Yerke said.
Despite her reservations, Yerke said she believes the public process is important.
“People will have an opportunity to voice their opinion. I think that’s very important, whether they’re for it or against it, that the community gets to do that,” Yerke said.
A Plan Committee hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7, at Mukwonago Town Hall.
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A study by British energy think tank Ember suggests that the prospect of round-the-clock solar photovoltaic (PV) availability is drawing closer. Solar PV generated just over 10% of global electricity in the first half of 2026, up from 8.9% in the same period of 2025. Its share has nearly doubled from the 5.6% recorded in the first half of 2023.
Over the past three years, solar PV generation has grown seven times faster than total electricity generation. While global electricity generation rose by 12% between the first half of 2023 and the first half of 2026, solar generation more than doubled, from 769 TWh to 1,564 TWh.
However, this growth remains heavily concentrated around midday. On an average day in the first half of 2026, solar met more than 25% of global electricity demand between 11:00 and 14:00, before falling to near-zero levels between 20:00 and 05:00.
In markets with higher levels of solar PV penetration, this concentration is even more pronounced. In Chile, where solar met 26% of electricity demand in the first half of 2026, its contribution reached 71% at midday but had virtually disappeared by 21:00. In the Netherlands, solar met 58% of demand at 13:00, while in Germany it covered 55% at midday. In both markets, however, solar’s contribution fell to zero a few hours later.
The expansion of solar PV is displacing fossil-fuel generation during the day, but hours without sunlight remain a key domain for conventional generation. Between the first half of 2023 and the first half of 2026, average fossil-fuel generation between 11:00 and 14:00 fell from 86 GW to 69 GW. During the evening peak, between 19:00 and 21:00, however, the decline was much smaller, from 106 GW to 101 GW.
New battery storage installations in 2026 are projected to reach 459 GWh, up 50% from the 307 GWh added in 2025. According to Ember data, this capacity could theoretically shift 34% of new daily solar generation to non-solar hours.
This proportion is nearly double the 18% estimated for batteries installed in 2025 and compares with just 4% five years earlier, in 2021.
Falling battery installation costs have been a key driver of this progress. Average global costs fell by 95% between 2010 and 2025, from $2,634/kWh to $140/kWh.
While batteries installed globally in 2025 could shift the equivalent of 18% of new daily solar generation, some countries achieved significantly higher shares.
Bulgaria installed enough storage to shift 77% of its new daily solar generation, followed by Chile at 76% and Australia at 60%.
Bulgaria’s growth has been particularly rapid. The country went from virtually no battery storage capacity in 2023 to adding around 3 GWh in 2025. By May 2026, installed capacity had surpassed 8.6 GWh.
Chile followed a similar trajectory, adding 4 GWh of battery storage in 2025 and bringing its installed capacity to 7.6 GWh. Most of the new storage was installed alongside solar plants, helping to reduce curtailment and shift solar generation into the evening hours.
The United States added 58 GWh of storage in 2025, enough to shift approximately one-quarter of its new daily solar generation.
The European Union, meanwhile, added 27 GWh of battery storage in 2025, equivalent to shifting 16% of new daily solar generation and below the global average.
In California, the combination of solar and battery storage met more than a quarter of electricity demand during the evening peak, between 19:00 and 21:00, on an average day in the first half of 2026. In the first half of 2023, the figure stood at 6.8%.
In the first half of 2026, batteries enabled solar energy to meet more than 10% of evening electricity demand in Chile. In Bulgaria, solar and storage together covered nearly a quarter (24%) of electricity demand between 19:00 and 21:00 and supplied an average of 10% of demand between 19:00 and 07:00.
However, developing solar generation capable of supplying electricity beyond daylight hours will require more than additional battery capacity. Electricity markets must also enable batteries to participate effectively and operate where they provide the greatest value to the power system.
Ember concludes that batteries do not eliminate the need for a diversified electricity mix. Wind, hydropower, nuclear power, and long-duration energy storage will continue to play significant roles, particularly during extended periods of low solar or wind generation.
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Our special edition for Intersolar South America 2026 is here!
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The balcony solar system market is projected to grow from USD 762.65 billion in 2026 to USD 2734.44 billion by 2035, with a CAGR of 13.62% during the forecast period.
The balcony solar system market has experienced significant growth, driven by urbanization, rising energy costs, and decentralized energy needs. As of 2024, over 1.1 million balcony solar systems were installed globally, with more than 700,000 units in one leading European country alone. In the first half of 2024, approximately 220,000 new systems were deployed in that country, contributing nearly 200 megawatts of decentralized capacity. These systems are primarily designed for apartment dwellers and urban residents who lack access to traditional rooftop installations.
Balcony solar systems are compact photovoltaic kits that typically range between 300 and 800 watts in capacity. Their plug-and-play nature allows users to install them without professional assistance, connecting directly into household power outlets. System costs have steadily declined, with prices falling by 15% between 2022 and 2024, making them more accessible for middle-income consumers. Asian countries dominate manufacturing, contributing to 96% of global solar panel production. Government policies are increasingly favorable, with regulatory reforms in various countries permitting plug-in systems of up to 2,000 watts without landlord approval. These shifts have transformed balcony solar from a niche offering to a mainstream urban energy solution.
Get Comprehensive Insights into the Market’s Size and Growth Trends
Top Driver reason: Soaring urban electricity costs and the rise of DIY plug-and-play kits rated at 300 to 800 watts are enabling self-sufficient energy generation.
Top Country/Region: A leading European country has surpassed 700,000 units, accounting for nearly 65% of the global total balcony solar installations.
Top Segment: The most dominant segment is DIY solar kits, which form the bulk of all newly sold balcony solar systems due to ease of use and affordability.
Several key trends are shaping the balcony solar system market. The rise in compact urban living has increased the demand for decentralized solar power. Households using balcony systems have reported reductions in monthly electricity bills by up to 30%, particularly for homes using high-efficiency kits rated between 600 and 800 watts. In one prominent European nation, more than 565,000 units were installed by mid-2024, showing strong year-on-year growth.
Flexible panel technology is another notable trend. New generation modules are lighter, thinner, and easier to mount on railings, balconies, and facades. These developments allow consumers to install solar systems even in buildings with structural limitations. Inverters have also become smarter, with real-time data capabilities and mobile connectivity. Users can now track energy production, consumption, and grid feed-in through smartphone applications, optimizing usage and reducing waste. Battery storage integration is also becoming common. By early 2024, residential photovoltaic battery installations exceeded 1.2 million units in one European country, with expectations to reach 2 million by year-end. Many balcony solar kits now include compact 1 to 2 kilowatt-hour batteries for energy storage, enhancing energy autonomy during peak hours or outages.
Legal reforms have created a more favorable landscape. In mid-2024, a European government allowed installations up to 2,000 watts per apartment unit without landlord permission, significantly broadening access. DIY kits have become widely available online and in retail chains, with more than 500,000 mounting kits sold to date. Additionally, urban governments have begun incorporating balcony solar units into building energy policies, including sustainability certifications and municipal tax credits. Finally, environmental awareness continues to grow. Balcony solar systems are increasingly viewed as tools for reducing carbon emissions. In response, municipalities and energy agencies are launching awareness campaigns, promoting balcony solar as part of broader climate goals.
“Rising demand for urban energy independence”
The main driver of the balcony solar system market is the growing need for energy self-sufficiency among urban residents. Over 1.1 million systems have been installed globally, with year-on-year growth fueled by increasing electricity prices and grid instability. DIY plug-and-play kits rated between 300 and 800 watts offer immediate savings and require minimal setup. In major European cities, renters and apartment dwellers are adopting these systems in large numbers. One country reported over 220,000 new installations in just the first six months of 2024, contributing nearly 200 megawatts of clean energy. Regulatory policies enabling installations without landlord approval have accelerated this trend.
“Limited physical space and inconsistent regulations”
A primary restraint on market growth is the limited physical space on balconies. Most units can only accommodate one or two solar panels, restricting energy output to 300–800 watts per household. Additionally, inconsistent grid standards and varying safety codes across countries and regions make standardization difficult. Some jurisdictions require permits or prohibit plug-in systems, while others impose wattage caps. Shading from adjacent buildings, balcony orientation, and seasonal sunlight availability further reduce performance. These challenges create uncertainty for both consumers and manufacturers, slowing market expansion in some regions despite strong interest.
“Integration of battery storage and smart systems”
The integration of battery storage presents a major opportunity. In 2024, over 1.2 million residential battery units were installed in one European country alone, expected to rise to 2 million by year-end. Many balcony systems now include 1–2 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion batteries, allowing users to store daytime generation for evening use. Additionally, smart inverters and IoT-enabled applications provide real-time monitoring, remote control, and predictive maintenance. These features make balcony systems more reliable, user-friendly, and efficient. Manufacturers are also exploring peer-to-peer energy trading and shared community grids, which could multiply value and application scope.
“Price pressures and oversupply in the solar module market”
One of the biggest challenges in 2024 has been the oversupply of solar panels, leading to price collapses and financial strain on manufacturers. Several European companies exited the market due to falling margins and rising interest rates that made financing less attractive. Cheap imports from Asia dominate the supply chain, accounting for 96% of global panel production. This cost disparity limits the competitiveness of domestic producers, making it difficult to sustain local manufacturing ecosystems. Additionally, as prices drop, consumers delay purchases in hopes of further discounts, reducing immediate demand and destabilizing cash flow for sellers.
The balcony solar system market is segmented by type and application. In terms of type, the market includes Solar Panels, Inverters, Batteries, Solar Chargers, and Mounting Systems. By application, it includes Residential Buildings, Green Energy Solutions, Apartments, Eco-friendly Developments, and Commercial Buildings.
Get Comprehensive Insights on the Market Segmentation in this Report
Global performance is concentrated in Europe, followed by North America and Asia-Pacific, with initial traction in the Middle East and Africa.
Get Comprehensive Insights into the Market’s Size and Growth Trends
North America holds substantial untapped potential. Urban areas with high energy rates, such as New York and California, are seeing increased adoption. Plug-and-play systems retail between USD 500 and 1,200, and regulatory support is growing. However, unit adoption remains under 5% of total residential solar installations, constrained by varying state policies.
Europe is the dominant region, with one country alone accounting for over 700,000 units by late 2024. Another major market reported an additional 500,000 systems in apartments and eco-projects. Legal reforms now allow plug-in systems up to 2,000 watts, accelerating demand. Total installations across Europe surpassed 1.1 million by mid-2024.
Asia-Pacific is driven by dense urban populations. In China and Japan, high-rise living conditions have triggered interest in balcony systems. However, adoption remains under 100,000 units per country due to regulatory barriers. Manufacturing in Asia remains dominant, accounting for nearly all solar panels and 95% of wafers.
The Middle East and Africa are in the early stages of adoption. Countries with rising electricity costs and grid instability are beginning pilot programs. In South Africa, photovoltaic capacity grew from 6.3 to 8.1 gigawatts between 2022 and 2024. However, balcony solar accounts for fewer than 10,000 units in the region.
The balcony solar system market presents strong investment opportunities across manufacturing, distribution, and integration of smart energy solutions. As of 2024, over 1.1 million units have been installed globally, with unit growth expected to continue amid falling hardware costs and increasing electricity prices. The average cost of a balcony kit fell by 15% between 2022 and 2024, making it viable for middle-income households in major urban areas. Investments in module production, particularly in ultra-light and flexible panels, are gaining momentum. Manufacturing in Asia dominates, but there is rising interest in local production within Europe and North America. Investors have shown increasing interest in vertical integration—combining module, inverter, battery, and software into complete kits. Companies offering bundled packages that simplify installation and usage have experienced double-digit growth in unit sales.
Battery storage remains a critical area of focus. Compact 1–2 kilowatt-hour units tailored for balcony systems are gaining popularity. By the end of 2024, one European country is expected to have 2 million battery installations, up from 1.2 million at the start of the year. Investment into energy storage technology for small spaces can yield high returns as battery adoption continues to rise. Distribution channels also offer robust returns. Direct-to-consumer models via online platforms, as well as retail partnerships with home improvement stores, are expanding rapidly. In Europe, over 500,000 mounting kits were sold by late 2024. Offering financing plans and government rebate integration further enhances accessibility. There is also a strong market for ancillary products—mounting hardware, monitoring sensors, and installation support—which generate high-margin sales.
Smart energy software platforms linked to balcony systems provide opportunities for service-based recurring revenue. These platforms enable users to monitor energy production and optimize usage patterns. In some cities, shared energy networks using balcony systems have created microgrid business models, allowing for energy trading within residential buildings. Risks include market saturation, policy reversals, and increased competition from larger rooftop systems. However, the shift toward self-sufficiency, regulatory support, and growing urbanization continue to make balcony solar a promising and scalable market segment for targeted investments.
Innovation in balcony solar technology is accelerating across multiple fronts. Product development is focused on enhancing usability, increasing efficiency, and integrating intelligent features. Recent advancements include ultra-light panels, modular battery units, compact inverters, and fully integrated plug-and-play kits. Ultra-light solar panels now weigh 15–20 kilograms for a 600-watt output, making them easier to mount on balcony railings. Flexible designs enable installation on curved or irregular surfaces, expanding their applicability. These panels retain over 95% efficiency even in ambient heat, and their performance degradation over time has been reduced significantly with improved materials.
Compact inverters have become smarter and smaller. New models feature automatic voltage regulation, real-time diagnostics, and wireless connectivity. They synchronize seamlessly with home circuits and meet evolving safety standards. Inverters with remote shut-off and energy throttling functions are being introduced to optimize performance during grid fluctuations. Battery innovation is another major development area. Many manufacturers now offer balcony kits with 1–2 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion batteries. These units store excess daytime energy for nighttime use, increasing system self-sufficiency. Recent battery designs offer faster charging cycles, improved thermal management, and longer life cycles.
Product bundles now often include mobile apps that display real-time energy data. Users can view generation statistics, consumption patterns, and environmental impact. Predictive maintenance alerts and seasonal optimization suggestions are also becoming common features. These intelligent systems enhance user engagement and improve long-term reliability. Quick-install mounting kits are also being redesigned for speed and stability. New rail brackets include pre-drilled templates, vibration isolation features, and telescoping clamps that reduce installation time to under 30 minutes. These kits are compatible with most balcony types and require minimal tools, encouraging DIY installations.
Developers are also experimenting with building-integrated balcony panels. Instead of mounting external units, some new constructions now feature solar-active parapets and façade sections. These integrated units contribute to a building’s total energy output while maintaining architectural aesthetics. Pilot projects in European urban developments have shown monthly outputs of 100–200 kilowatt-hours per unit. Overall, new product development is focused on making balcony solar systems more accessible, efficient, and aesthetically compatible with modern urban living. These advancements are widening the market appeal and enabling broader adoption across income levels and building types.
This report covers the global balcony solar system market in detail, including installations, technology trends, regional performance, segmentation, competitive landscape, and future outlook. The scope includes micro-solar systems designed for installation on balconies, terraces, and facades, primarily in urban residential settings. The report provides in-depth analysis by type, including solar panels, inverters, batteries, chargers, and mounting systems. Each segment is evaluated based on unit sales, technological advancements, market share, and adoption patterns. Application areas such as residential buildings, eco-friendly developments, and commercial offices are also examined with supporting data.
Geographically, the report includes detailed coverage of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. Europe emerges as the leading market, with over 1.1 million units deployed and regulatory support for up to 2,000-watt installations. North America shows emerging adoption in select urban centers, while Asia-Pacific continues to dominate manufacturing with 96% of panel production. The report tracks recent developments such as legal reforms, battery storage integration, and smart inverter deployment. It also highlights challenges like limited installation space, regulatory inconsistencies, and market volatility due to oversupply. The competitive landscape features established manufacturers and innovative startups offering integrated solutions.
Investment opportunities are analyzed across manufacturing, distribution, energy storage, and software platforms. New product innovations are detailed, including lightweight panels, modular batteries, IoT-enabled inverters, and building-integrated systems. Market dynamics such as urban energy demand, policy incentives, and consumer behavior are also covered extensively. Overall, the report provides stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of the balcony solar system market, helping them identify growth areas, mitigate risks, and plan strategic investments.
Market Size Value In
US$ 762.65 Billion In 2026
Market Size Value By
US$ 2734.44 Billion By 2035
Growth Rate
CAGR of 13.62% from 2026-2035
Forecast Period
2026-2035
Base Year
2025
Historical Data Available
Yes
Regional Scope
Global
Segments Covered
By Type
By Application
To Understand the Detailed Market Report Scope & Segmentation
What value is the Balcony Solar System Market expected to touch by 2035
The global Balcony Solar System Market is expected to reach USD 2734.44 Million by 2035.
What is CAGR of the Balcony Solar System Market expected to exhibit by 2035?
The Balcony Solar System Market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 13.62% by 2035.
Which are the top companies operating in the Balcony Solar System market?
Anker Innovations (China), Y Solar (Germany), Priwatt (Germany), WeDoSolar (Lithuania), Plugin Energy (Germany), DABBELT (Germany), Easy Solar (Germany), Revolt (Germany), Solarkraftwerke Dresden (Germany), Sonnenkraft Basilikum (Germany)
What was the value of the Balcony Solar System Market in 2025?
In 2025, the Balcony Solar System Market value stood at USD 671.22 Million.
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Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, August 27, 2026
As California farmers face worsening drought, extreme heat and rising costs, the state is racing to expand solar energy infrastructure. But both agricultural production and solar harvesting depend on one increasingly scarce resource: land.
Researchers at UC Davis are looking at whether combining farming and solar energy could help farmers adapt.
The approach, called agrivoltaics, combines farming below or alongside solar panels. Scientists are studying whether strategically placing panels could provide enough shade to help crops withstand some of the stresses of climate change — while also giving farmers another potential source of income.
At UC Davis, a proof-of-concept site is in its first year of operation and gives researchers a larger setting to test whether agrivoltaics can be applied to typical farms.
The Timber Fire has burned 17,817 acres and is 23% contained, as of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to Cal Fire.
It’s moving deeper into the Ventana Wilderness.
Carol Olson is executive director of the Ventana Wilderness Alliance, which maintains backcountry trails. She says most of them are now closed.
“These closures could be expanded. They could last a very long time,” Olson said. “We’ve had some trails closed for years after a fire.”
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office added more evacuation orders on Monday.
Visits to the emergency room spike when it gets really hot, according to public health data. But for many years one of the populations most affected by extreme heat — the unhoused — have been left out of that data.
Now, we know this: Californians experiencing homelessness are 38% more likely to visit the emergency room because of extreme heat, despite accounting for less than half a percentage point of the total population.
For nearly a week, firefighters battling the Timber Fire have headed back to their Marina base camp and found support from therapy dogs.
“ There’s just something about having that animal that has unconditional love,” said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Josh Silveira. He says the endorphin release that comes from interacting with these dogs has been a huge benefit.
“And you’re watching pretty gruff firefighters that have been up all night fighting fire, have every interaction from coming to their knees and just loving on the dog [to] crying.”
The nonprofit First Responder Therapy Dogs provides the animals. Silveira says many of the handlers are retired first responders.
Aptera Motors’ solar electric vehicle has cleared an important validation milestone, with independent testing by TÜV Rheinland showing the vehicle can generate more than 4 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of usable solar energy in a single day.
Testing took place over three consecutive days in July at Aptera’s final assembly facility in Carlsbad, California. On each day, TÜV Rheinland measured more than 4 kWh of solar energy delivered directly into the vehicle’s battery pack, exceeding Aptera’s long-standing target for daily solar charging.
Aptera has designed its three-wheeled electric vehicle around extreme efficiency and integrated solar charging. The company has previously targeted up to approximately 40 miles of additional range per day from sunlight, based on vehicle efficiency of 100 watt-hours per mile.
TÜV Rheinland used 4.0 kWh of usable energy delivered to the battery as the benchmark. Unlike measurements taken directly from solar panels, the test measured energy after conversion losses, providing a more meaningful indication of how much solar energy actually reached the battery.
The results exceeded that benchmark on all three test days.
The vehicle generated 4.23 kWh when parked in a fixed position and left untouched throughout the day, equivalent to roughly 42 miles of estimated range at Aptera’s targeted efficiency.
When the vehicle was repositioned once around solar noon, energy generation increased to 4.40 kWh, or approximately 44 miles of estimated range.
The highest result came under a more optimized setup, with the rear hatch raised and angled toward the sun throughout the day. That test produced 4.75 kWh of usable energy, equivalent to roughly 47 miles of estimated range.
Notably, the 4.75 kWh result occurred on the day with the least available sunlight among the three tests.
The test results demonstrate the potential of Aptera’s solar technology, but they do not mean drivers will consistently gain 40-plus miles of solar range every day.
Solar energy production depends heavily on weather, geographic location, season, parking orientation and the amount of unobstructed sunlight available. Southern California’s clear July conditions represent favorable circumstances for solar generation.
Still, the fact that the vehicle exceeded 4 kWh of usable solar energy even while simply parked and left untouched is notable.
For an EV designed around ultra-low energy consumption, relatively small amounts of solar generation can translate into meaningful driving range.
Aptera says its validation program will continue, with additional independent testing planned across a range of vehicle performance metrics as the company moves toward production.
The solar charging results provide an important data point for Aptera’s broader strategy: reducing dependence on conventional charging infrastructure by allowing the vehicle to replenish some of its battery energy simply by sitting in the sun.
The company has made solar generation a central part of the vehicle’s design rather than treating it as a supplemental feature. TÜV Rheinland’s measurements now provide independent verification that the system can exceed Aptera’s 4 kWh daily solar energy target under favorable conditions.
For EV drivers in sunny regions, that could make solar charging a practical source of everyday driving energy rather than simply a technology demonstration.
Blagojce Krivevski is physicist and green technology lover. Keep in touch with Blagojce through his email, web site, Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and Google+.
ALPENA — Gustin Township in Alcona County denied a special use permit on Aug. 6 which would have allowed the construction of a utility-scale solar operation. This denial is one part of a three part plan that would give Consumers Energy the green light to install a solar panel operation which would span nearly 4,000 acres of farmland across Gustin and Harrisville townships.
Though the special use permit in Gustin Township was denied, Harrisville Township will vote on the permit request in October. The question remains if the state will override the township’s ruling and push for the project to move forward.
In total, the utility-scale solar operation is proposed to span 3,985.6 acres, and 2,684.2 acres is proposed to be used for solar facilities. Within the proposal, 35.1 acres of tree clearing will take place; 138.4 acres will be developed; 1,266.9 acres will be within fence lines; 1,371 acres will be within the limits of disturbance.
Per the proposal, “disturbance” is defined as “earth-disturbing activity, such as earthwork and installation of roads and staging areas.”
Property owners in Gustin Township have already signed on for leases for thirty year terms.
For the project to move forward, both Harrisville Township and Gustin Township have to approve special use permits. Gustin approved a special use permit in 2024 for the project when it was called Sapling Solar, proposed by Ranger Power. Consumers Energy announced the acquisition and further development of the project in September 2025.
The challenge for Consumers Energy is to get approval from planning commissions in those townships for the project’s expansion.
According to a Consumers Energy press release from September 2025, construction was anticipated to start in mid-2026 with a goal to start operations by July 2029.
The release stated that the Gustin Solar project is anticipated to generate 335 megawatts of energy, enough to power about 60,000 homes.
Adam Brege, Gustin Township zoning administrator, said that township leadership could not comment on the permit denial until they consult with their legal team. He said the next steps for Gustin Township is dependent on how Consumers Energy responds to the permit denial.
“We are waiting to hear the response from Consumers to decide how to move forward,” he said via text message.
State Representative Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan, expressed his concerns regarding the project and the potential impacts on the agriculture economy in Alcona County.
“I have serious concerns about the size of this proposal and the lasting impact it could have on Gustin Township and Alcona County,” he said in an email. “Productive agricultural land is one of our region’s most valuable resources, supporting local farmers, contributing to our economy, and preserving the rural character that defines Northeast Michigan. Once farmland is taken out of production for a project of this scale, it may remain unavailable for agriculture for decades, fundamentally changing the landscape and way of life for future generations.”
Not only is Cavitt concerned about the agriculture value of the region, but also how a utility-scale solar operation could affect property values.
“As a licensed Realtor, I am also concerned about the potential impact on surrounding property values,” he added. “Additionally, many residents rely on private wells, and a project of this scale raises legitimate concerns about protecting groundwater and other natural resources.”
Cavitt explained that Public Act 233 “stripped local governments of much of their authority over large-scale energy projects, which is why I voted against it.”
“Local zoning ordinances exist to reflect the priorities of the communities they serve,” he added. “The people of Gustin Township deserve to decide what is best for their own community.”
The next meeting for Harrisville Township’s planning commission will take place on Oct. 7 at the Harrisville Township Hall.
WHY SOLAR POWER
In 2023, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 271, sponsored by Senator Erika Geiss (D-Taylor), which established a 100% clean energy standard for Michigan, according to a 2023 press release from Whitmer’s office.
By 2040, Michigan has to produce all its energy from clean sources. By 2030, Michigan has to produce 50% of its energy from renewable sources and 60% from renewables by 2035.
“The new clean energy standard will protect Michigan’s air, land, and water for future generations,” the release stated. “It will drive down costs for consumers while reducing the state’s reliance on foreign fuel and create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs along the way.”
Whitmer also signed a number of other clean energy legislation that same year.
House Bill 5120, sponsored by Representative Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck), and House Bill 5121, sponsored by Representative Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton), authorized the Michigan Public Service Commission to streamline permitting of utility-scale clean energy.
Senate Bill 502, sponsored by Senator Sue Shink (D-Northfield Township), authorized the MPSC to consider “climate and equity in their regulatory decisions.”
Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.
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Shuhama, Aug 26: Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Ganderbal, SKUAST-K, organized a one-day Capacity Building Workshop on Agrivoltaics in collaboration with the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Bengaluru, to create awareness and strengthen the technical capacity of farmers and other stakeholders on the emerging integration of agriculture with solar photovoltaic technology.
The workshop focused on the potential of agrivoltaic systems to enable simultaneous crop production and renewable energy generation from the same land, thereby promoting efficient resource utilization, diversification of farm income and climate-resilient agriculture.
The session commenced with an introduction and welcome address by Dr. Faiqa Syeed, Scientist, KVK Ganderbal. Dr. Ajaz Ahmad Malik, Senior Scientist and Head, KVK Ganderbal, emphasized the potential of agrivoltaics as a promising approach for sustainable agriculture, renewable energy generation, and additional income opportunities for farmers, particularly amid rising energy demands, climate variability, and increasing pressure on agricultural land.
During the technical session, Sheikh Madiha Syed, Senior Analyst, CSTEP, sensitized participants about solar panel configurations, crop selection, microclimate management, irrigation considerations, energy generation, land-use efficiency and economic opportunities associated with agrivoltaic systems.
Dr. Suja Nabi Qureshi, Scientist at KVK Ganderbal, highlighted the potential of agrivoltaics as a futuristic approach to high-density apple cultivation by improving resource management and enhancing crop resilience. Dr. Faiqa Syeed also presented on the synergistic potential of deploying solar arrays over open-water aquaculture sites.
An interactive session was subsequently held, during which participants engaged with the experts and discussed the technical and practical aspects of agrivoltaic systems.
The workshop concluded with a formal vote of thanks by Dr. Farooq Ahanger, Scientist, KVK Ganderbal.
Shuhama, Aug 26: Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Ganderbal, SKUAST-K, organized a one-day Capacity Building Workshop on Agrivoltaics in collaboration with the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Bengaluru, to create awareness and strengthen the technical capacity of farmers and other stakeholders on the emerging integration of agriculture with solar photovoltaic technology.
The workshop focused on the potential of agrivoltaic systems to enable simultaneous crop production and renewable energy generation from the same land, thereby promoting efficient resource utilization, diversification of farm income and climate-resilient agriculture.
The session commenced with an introduction and welcome address by Dr. Faiqa Syeed, Scientist, KVK Ganderbal. Dr. Ajaz Ahmad Malik, Senior Scientist and Head, KVK Ganderbal, emphasized the potential of agrivoltaics as a promising approach for sustainable agriculture, renewable energy generation, and additional income opportunities for farmers, particularly amid rising energy demands, climate variability, and increasing pressure on agricultural land.
During the technical session, Sheikh Madiha Syed, Senior Analyst, CSTEP, sensitized participants about solar panel configurations, crop selection, microclimate management, irrigation considerations, energy generation, land-use efficiency and economic opportunities associated with agrivoltaic systems.
Dr. Suja Nabi Qureshi, Scientist at KVK Ganderbal, highlighted the potential of agrivoltaics as a futuristic approach to high-density apple cultivation by improving resource management and enhancing crop resilience. Dr. Faiqa Syeed also presented on the synergistic potential of deploying solar arrays over open-water aquaculture sites.
An interactive session was subsequently held, during which participants engaged with the experts and discussed the technical and practical aspects of agrivoltaic systems.
The workshop concluded with a formal vote of thanks by Dr. Farooq Ahanger, Scientist, KVK Ganderbal.
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Solar Sharer program was designed for homes without rooftop solar, but observers say supply and peak use charges are ‘much higher’
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A government energy deal that promised three free hours of power to houses without solar panels carries higher charges that make it an expensive option for many households, observers say.
Solar Sharer was switched on in July, with customers in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia able to opt in to the plan, which includes three free hours of electricity in the middle of day.
Announcing the scheme last year the energy minister, Chris Bowen, said the regulated energy deal would unlock the benefits of cheap and plentiful renewable energy for more households, including those without solar panels or a battery. It was a regulated offer, he said, overseen by the Australian Energy Regulator to “ensure there’s no price gouging going on, it’s in the best interests of the consumers”.
However, Gavin Gilchrist, a project manager at Inner West Community Energy, said in his part of Sydney, the supply and peak use charges on Solar Sharer were “much, much higher”, and in some cases nearly double the rate of other market offers.
Gilchrist spent weeks comparing Solar Sharer with multiple energy offers from major retailers – AGL, Energy Australia, Origin and Red Energy – using the government’s Energy Made Easy website, publishing the results in RenewEconomy.
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For example, households with one retailer would pay $1.76 in daily supply charges on Solar Sharer on the Ausgrid network, but $0.95 on another plan with the same company. Outside the free power period, the peak rate on Solar Sharer was “almost twice” the rate of the other plan: $0.64 versus $0.33 per kilowatt hour.
Given those rates, he said, most people – especially renters and apartment dwellers, at whom the scheme was aimed – would struggle to get enough value during the free period to come out on top.
“I’m not saying no one can benefit, but you’d have to work very hard to get a benefit from Solar Sharer given the price of electricity outside the three free hours is so much higher, and the daily supply charge is so much higher,” Gilchrist said.
“What was a really good idea to encourage people to use electricity in the middle of the day, when we have a glut of electricity on the market, has turned into a fiasco that means virtually no one will benefit.”
Energy Consumers Australia said the design of the scheme forced consumers to make a “complex trade off between free energy in the day and higher prices in all other periods” and some could be worse off if they switch.
Solar Sharer is a regulated plan with parameters set by the Australian Energy Regulator, but a spokesperson for Bowen said it was “up to retailers to explain why they don’t want to pass on the benefits of free electricity to the consumers who can take it up”.
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“The government and energy regulator continues to encourage households to check if they’re on the best energy offer, and see if solar sharer is right for them,” the spokesperson said.
Tristan Edis, a director with the consultancy Green Energy Markets, said default or regulated offers like Solar Sharer were “bad offers, almost always”.
People interested in an energy plan with a free power period, and with the capacity to shift their electricity use, should consider competitive retail market offers, he said, adding that the government could help people weigh up those options by updating Energy Made Easy to help people to find and compare “zero-cost, middle-of-the-day offers”.
Heidi Lee Douglas, the chief executive of Solar Citizens, said Solar Sharer was meant to be about sharing the benefits of abundant solar power more broadly.
“So many people we thought would benefit from the Solar Sharer offer are not,” she said. “We’re calling on the regulator to investigate whether the policy is actually delivering what Australians were promised.”
News & Insights
News & Insights
Home Improvement
By Anna Baluch
In a recent Reddit post, a Washington homeowner revealed a 20% drop in solar panel output during periods of wildfire smoke, even when it appeared sunny outside.
The reason behind this? The smoke’s fine particles likely scattered and weakened the sunlight before it hit the solar panels, reducing their electricity output.
“A 20% reduction from a supposedly sunny sky is not unusual. It happens all the time. People look up, see blue, check their app, and assume their inverter has fried. The sky is tricking them,” explains Greg Field, owner of PGT Home Energy Solutions in Tempe, AZ.
This story shows how wildfire smoke can affect solar systems, even without the presence of clouds, winter shadows, tree limbs, or debris buildup.
It also highlights the importance of monitoring solar production and cleaning your system properly when necessary.
Solar panels convert the light that actually reaches them.
“Wildfire smoke puts a layer of microscopic particles between the sun and the roof, and that layer scatters and absorbs sunlight before the panels ever see it,” says Nicole Tomasin, chief commercial officer at Energy Access Innovations in Dallas.
According to Tomasin, the 20% dip in solar panel output the Washington homeowner saw was likely the result of smoke in the air and particles on the panel.
Smoke suspends millions of particles overhead that block and scatter sunlight before it reaches the roof.
“The sky can look bright, even hazy-sunny, while the panels are receiving significantly less usable light. Brightness is not the same as intensity,” Tomasin explains.
Smoke isn’t the only culprit. Ash and soot can settle on the panels and create a physical barrier.
“Air quality often clears days or weeks before the panels do, so production can stay low well after the smoke is gone, until rain or a cleaning takes care of it,” adds Tomasin.
Tomasin also points out that the production estimate on a solar contract is built with a small allowance for normal dirt, dust, and pollen. There is no line item for two weeks of wildfire smoke.
Wildfire smoke is just one of the many environmental factors that could affect solar output over time.
“Dust in the Southwest, pollen in the Southeast, salt air on the coast, and heavier storms nearly everywhere all move real production away from the brochure over a system’s 25-year life,” Tomasin adds.
Tomasin believes that none of that changes whether solar is worth installing. However, it does change what you should expect solar alone to do for you on the worst days of the year.
Fortunately, you don’t have to make wild guesses about the state of your solar panels. As long as your system was installed in the past decade, it likely came with a monitoring app that can help you determine what’s going on.
“Open it on a clear day and look at what a good week produces. That is your baseline.
“When smoke rolls in, put your production numbers next to your local air quality index (AQI),” says Tomasin.
If output falls as AQI climbs and recovers as it drops, you have your answer, and have saved yourself a service call. If production stays flat while the air clears, that is when you call your installer, because something else is going on.
If ash has settled on your panels, cleaning can restore lost production.
When doing so, use water and a soft brush, follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and skip pressure washers and abrasives. Do it early in the morning or evening. And remember that cold water on hot glass can crack it.
“If your roof pitch is steep or higher than one story, skip the DIY route and hire an insured professional solar-cleaning service instead. Doing it incorrectly can damage anti-reflective glass coatings or you could get hurt,” explains Sequoya Cross, vice president of energy storage for Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions in Wauwatosa, WI.
Michael Stadler, a former energy research scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and co-founder of energy modeling platform Xendee in San Diego, also recommends adding adding a battery, and possibly even a backup generator.
“If maintaining power during these periods is a major concern, consider a backup generator powered by diesel or natural gas. It may only need to run a few days a year, but it can provide another layer of protection when solar production and battery reserves aren’t enough,” Stadler says.
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Why it matters: The devices can be tented in a backyard, hung off a balcony or placed on a roof. Models range from as low as $300 to $2200, depending on size. The bill would open the solar market to people who were previously left out: renters, people with unsuitable roofs, and those lacking the capital to build out a rooftop system, which can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars. If signed into law, the legislation would exempt plug-in solar devices from what critics say is a cumbersome and expensive interconnection application process, and replace registration with a free and straightforward online form.
What’s next: The bill is now headed to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Fiscal analysis of the bill estimates implementation will cost the state between $200,000 and $500,000 annually to fund program administrator positions. If Newsom signs, staff in bill author and state Sen. Scott Wiener’s office estimated that people would be able to buy compatible plug-in solar kits in the spring of 2027.
In as little as a year, lowering your electricity bill could be as simple as buying a kit with a few solar panels and accessories, completing a quick online registration form, and plugging it into a standard outlet.
California lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday night to formally legalize plug-in, or balcony, solar: small, portable and relatively inexpensive systems that do not require rewiring or the costly installation fees that often come with rooftop solar.
The legislation, SB 868, sailed through the state assembly and senate with bipartisan support. The bill now moves to the governor’s desk for signature.
The devices can be tented in a backyard, hung off a balcony or placed on a roof. Models range from as low as $300 to $2200, depending on size. The bill would open the solar market to people who were previously left out: renters, people with unsuitable roofs, and those lacking the capital to build out a rooftop system, which can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.
“There’s no question SB 868 is the most exciting clean energy and energy affordability bill right now up for consideration in California,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice president at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that co-sponsored the bill. “You never get to pass a big controversial bill in one year. We’re poised to do that. It is a huge win.”
A wave of state legislation over the past 18 months is making balcony solar — a nascent technology in the U.S. — within reach of everyday Americans. Utah pioneered a law passed in March 2025, and others quickly followed.
Eight states now have bills on the books that allow a relatively straightforward process for purchasing and setting up balcony solar systems, including Colorado, Virginia and Maine. Bills in New York and New Jersey are awaiting the governors’ signatures, like California.
Advocates believe California’s market has massive potential. They’re motivated by Germany, where millions of solar panels dot balconies across the country.
Some of the state’s largest investor-owned utilities, however, opposed the legislation, citing safety and a concern that the systems would shift energy costs to people without solar power.
PG&E initially said it supported the bill if it were amended, but opposed the final version. Spokesperson Paul Doherty said the utility is concerned that certain safety and certification requirements on some systems would not be enforced until 2030.
But he said that the company “supports plug-in solar and the opportunities it could create for customers, particularly renters and others who have not had easy access to traditional rooftop solar.”
San Diego Gas & Electric also opposed the legislation, citing concerns that even if balcony solar is designed to prevent feeding power back to the grid, systems may malfunction and endanger workers or customers.
Southern California Edison originally opposed the bill but later took a neutral stance after bill authors updated safety standards and how people notify their utility of their systems, spokesperson David Eisenhauer said.
Notably, labor unions representing firefighters and PG&E employees dropped their opposition and took a neutral stance on the bill after lawmakers amended it to explicitly comply with state and national electrical codes.
If signed into law by Newsom, the legislation would exempt plug-in solar devices from what critics say is a cumbersome and expensive interconnection application process, and replace registration with a free and straightforward online form.
Some Californians have already installed plug-in solar panels, but utilities ask them to complete an interconnection agreement, citing state rules. If done through PG&E, for example, representatives from the utility said that process would cost roughly $100 to $800 and take about an hour. Typically, the approval comes through in three days, PG&E staff said.
But plug-in solar advocates argued that the interconnection process defeats the plug-and-play nature of the technology, and could double or triple its cost.
Their goal is to make the panels as ubiquitous and easy to install as any off-the-shelf appliance dotting the racks of a Home Depot or Costco.
The newly passed bill outlines several device requirements. The balcony solar systems must be capped at generating 1,200 watts per home, plug into a standard outlet, offset a customer’s onsite electricity use and meet state and national electrical codes. They also must be certified by an outside safety organization like Underwriters Laboratories and have a feature that would prevent electricity from feeding back into the grid if there’s a power outage.
Current plug-in solar models do not yet meet the outlined requirements, and customers therefore must still register their systems as though they are rooftop solar. Del Chiaro said there are already a few companies developing devices that will meet the standards in the new California legislation.
The bill is meant to help reduce the cost of power for Californians and “eliminates red tape, so that people in California can actually use plug-in solar right now,” bill author and state Sen. Scott Wiener said during an Assembly hearing in June.
Del Chiaro estimated that just one 400-watt solar panel would cover about 14% of a typical renter’s apartment’s annual electricity bill and translate to energy-bill savings of roughly $250 a year. That system would provide enough juice to run a refrigerator, modem and Wi-Fi. A larger, 1,200-watt system would generate enough energy to power a window air conditioning unit, “enabling families, especially in our hotter regions, to afford to cool their home on increasingly hot days,” Del Chiaro said.
Dozens of environmental and community groups and a few cities supported the bill.
Plug-in solar advocacy group and nonprofit Bright Saver tentatively celebrated the action.
“It’s a clear statement that the biggest state in the union wants this,” said Cora Stryker, the group’s co-founder, although she said she was not happy with an amendment sunsetting the legislation in 2030 and other provisions that could slow down the market for balcony solar.
“The devil in the details makes it not a home run. It makes it a fight that continues,” she said.
Fiscal analysis of the bill estimates implementation will cost the state between $200,000 and $500,000 annually to fund program administrator positions.
If Newsom signs, staff in Wiener’s office estimated that people would be able to buy compatible plug-in solar kits in the spring of 2027.
From KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.
Topline:
Why it matters: Fire survivors are facing huge gaps to rebuild and are running out of temporary housing insurance. Experts say such federal funds are key to addressing those issues.
Keep reading… for more on what’s become a record long wait for support.
It’s been nearly 600 days since the L.A. fires became one of the most destructive in U.S. history, yet the federal government has still not appropriated more than $15 billion in long-term recovery funds to help survivors get back home. That’s longer than the previous record of 500 days survivors of the Maui fires had to wait, according to After the Fire USA.
“ It’s really like nothing we’ve ever seen before,” said Jennifer Gray Thompson, the nonprofit’s founder and CEO.
Deep partisan divides and repeated government shutdowns under the Trump administration have been major causes for the delays, officials say.
“Disaster relief should not be a political bargaining chip — but that’s exactly how the Trump administration has made it out to be,” Sen. Alex Padilla said in a statement.
The state has also lagged, with $2.5 billion in recovery funds only just starting to be released, according to reporting by NBC4.
Meanwhile, L.A fire survivors are facing massive financial gaps to rebuild, on average between $200,000 and $500,000, even with insurance. And as temporary housing insurance dissipates, many are now being forced to decide whether they can afford to rebuild at all.
“ The community is struggling and is fighting to come back — and determined to come back — but we are really lacking the state and federal support that is necessary to help get us there,” said Sam James, a sixth-generation Altadenan whose family lost multiple generational homes in the Eaton Fire.
James founded the Altadena Recovery Team to support fellow survivors in lieu of reliable government and insurance-funded safety nets. Multiple local creative financing efforts are also cropping up more quickly feed that gap.
“The delay is just really hard to rationalize given how much need there truly is on the ground,” she said.
In recent months, delegations of local officials as well as Eaton and Palisades fire survivors have traveled to D.C. to speak with lawmakers about the much-needed federal funds, which experts say can often be used to fill such gaps in finances.
In June, the White House requested more than $85 billion in supplemental funds, primarily to support the war on Iran. The next month, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger sent letters to the Senate Committee on Appropriations urging disaster needs be included in such requests.
“It’s on D.C. to begin to move the narrative from an ask to a make it happen,” Barger told LAist.
Four U.S. senators from states affected by recent disasters — including two Republicans from Utah and North Carolina, as well as California senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla — also sent a letter in July expressing their concern that no disaster funds were included in the White House’s supplemental appropriations request.
The senators called the omission an effort by the Trump administration to punish Los Angeles and the state of California.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has requested more than $10 billion for what’s called “Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery,” which can help survivors finance their rebuilds, as well as help local governments rebuild infrastructure, such as water systems, community centers, roads and more.
“It’s the largest bucket of money any community receives in order to recover after a disaster,” Thompson said. “It can really help fill the gaps that people need to get home.”
Thompson said, on average, from appropriation to allocation, the wait for such funds is two years. Yet it’s been nearly two years since the L.A. fires and the funds have yet to be appropriated at all.
“It’s clearly political, and politics have no place in disaster,” she said.
Topline:
Why it matters: The bill would direct the state to seek to partner with a drug manufacturer to increase competition and lower prices for GLP-1s under its CalRx program, a state program created to distribute popular, expensive drugs at a fraction of the cost.
The backstory: It is unclear how long that could take, but it’d likely be a yearslong endeavor. It took the state three years to bring its $55 insulin into the market under CalRx. Today the state program also distributes albuterol inhalers and naloxone.
Read on… for more on the proposal.
Laura Richardson pays $450 a month out of pocket for a drug that could keep her off insulin for the rest of her life. She’s a California state senator — and even she can’t get her own insurance to cover it.
Richardson started using a GLP-1 a year ago after learning she was pre-diabetic. Her state health plan does not cover it.
“If something is available to help you to be more healthy, to avoid comorbidities … why would we want to wait till a person became diabetic to help them?” she told lawmakers in a June hearing.
Her experience is not unusual. For many Californians, popular weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy continue to be elusive despite their clinical promise. While prices are dropping, these drugs continue to be unaffordable for many; most insurers don’t cover them; and state programs, wary of costs, have rolled back access.
Senate Bill 1089, which would expand access to the class of drugs known as GLP-1s, is clearing its final hurdles this legislative session. The bill would direct the state to seek to partner with a drug manufacturer to increase competition and lower prices for GLP-1s under its CalRx program, a state program created to distribute popular, expensive drugs at a fraction of the cost.
It is unclear how long that could take, but it’d likely be a yearslong endeavor. It took the state three years to bring its $55 insulin into the market under CalRx. Today the state program also distributes albuterol inhalers and naloxone.
Richardson, an Inglewood Democrat, authored the bill, which is a watered-down version of its original, more ambitious form. Previously, the bill also sought to require that CalPERS, the health plan that insures 1.3 million public employees and retirees, cover GLP-1 drugs.
CalPERS opposed the bill and argued that the drug’s high cost would increase premiums by $28 per member per month.
Richardson added that she had discussed including GLP-1s in the CalRx program with the governor, and “he was very positively open to that.” State health officials have said that GLP-1s are among the drugs they are considering for the program.
The bill follows California’s recent elimination of GLP-1 coverage for the treatment of obesity in its Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal. The state cited growing pharmacy costs and budget pressures for cutting the benefit. The state still pays for certain GLP-1s when prescribed specifically for diabetes treatment.
GLP-1s have helped many people to better manage their obesity and chronic healthcare conditions. Obesity is a well-known contributor to conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
State data show that the number of GLP-1 prescriptions solely for weight loss jumped from 20,000 to 700,000 between 2018 and 2023 across both Medi-Cal and commercial plans. In 2023, California spent $416.8 million on GLP-1 prescriptions for weight loss in the Medi-Cal program and commercial payers spent $405.2 million, according to state data.
An analysis by the Legislative Analyst’s Office found that during this time, California’s pharmacy spending nearly doubled, and tied that growth to drugs that treat diabetes, obesity, and inflammatory diseases.
California is not the only state feeling the burden of these drugs’ popularity and cost: New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and South Carolina also recently eliminated Medicaid coverage for GLP-1s when used solely for weight loss.
Today 12 states cover GLP-1s for obesity treatment under their Medicaid programs, although Rhode Island will cease coverage in October.
Similarly, coverage of GLP-1s under private insurance varies widely; there’s no clear standard. Health plans have also pointed to costs , noting they are currently a key contributor to premium increases.
Alison Sexton Ward, an economist and research scientist at the University of Southern California, said that data show huge benefits for peoples’ health. Modeling projects long-term savings in healthcare spending as well as a narrowing of health disparities, but she noted it’s a tricky investment for insurers to make. There are significant upfront costs before plans may start to see savings because of the reduction of obesity-related health problems, and insurers may not capture those savings when people tend to switch health plans every few years, she explained.
“The thing about treating obesity is just because you lose weight today doesn’t mean that your healthcare costs go down tomorrow,” Ward said. “There’s been this unique pressure on these drugs that they pay for themselves.”
One pilot that researchers and providers are looking at is the new federal Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program, a temporary project that seeks to bring down the cost of Zepbound, Wegovy and Foundayo to about $50 a month.
Dr. Wayne Ho, an obesity specialist and researcher in Los Angeles, sees the consequences of patchwork access to the drugs in his patients. Patients who can pay cash or whose insurance covers the drugs tend to be able to better manage their health conditions. Those without access try other, less effective therapies.
“It’s really disheartening to see because we have these wonderful innovative treatments that really are life altering,” he said.
The cost is also driving some of his patients to seek cheaper, compounded versions of the drug, which some doctors warn against because they lack FDA approval.
Compounding typically involves custom-making a drug for a specific need — removing an allergen, for example. Increasingly, compound pharmacies and telehealth platforms are offering versions of GLP-1s that swap out an ingredient or two. Ho says these compounded drugs carry higher risk because they bypass the FDA’s rigorous vetting and approval process.
Nationally, calls to poison centers related to weight loss drugs increased by 1,500% between 2019 and 2025, according to data from America’s Poison Centers. Studies and reports have shown that compounded GLP-1s are more likely to cause adverse effects and have a higher risk of preparation errors. A Binghamton University study found that the odds of hospitalization were higher for compounded products. The FDA also warns of the prevalence of counterfeit products.
Ho calls GLP-1s one of the best tools he has as a provider. He remains hopeful that affordable access to the FDA-approved weight loss drugs is on the horizon. Continued efforts by state lawmakers to expand access are a critical step, he said.
“I think there’s more and more pressure to cover these medications as more and more scientific data come out to show how it affects the body in a very positive manner,” he said.
Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit http://www.chcf.org to learn more.
This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
Topline:
About the new major: It fuses technological tools for statistical analysis, coding, 3D mapping and data visualization with traditional humanities subjects like history, literature and global cultures. It’s a multidisciplinary approach to education that capitalizes on employers’ growing desire for recent graduates to think critically while also being able to harness new technology. Students will learn how new technologies shape culture and the human biases that enter into the use of these new tools. Top of mind is the rise of generative artificial intelligence and training students to use it ethically while also understanding how easily it can produce misleading content.
Why now: Campus professors have taught courses in digital humanities for more than two decades. It’s the second most popular minor at UCLA, which was one reason the school decided to transform it into a major, said Alexandra Minna Stern, dean of the UCLA College Division of Humanities where digital humanities is based. Last academic year 750 UCLA undergraduate students took a course in digital humanities. Stern expects 50 to 100 students to eventually declare the major, and would be thrilled if 40 signed up this year.
UCLA is launching the nation’s first digital humanities department and bachelor’s degree this fall. The new discipline combines classical humanities with technical know-how to examine a digitized and increasingly AI-enhanced world.
The major fuses technological tools for statistical analysis, coding, 3D mapping and data visualization with traditional humanities subjects like history, literature and global cultures. It’s a multidisciplinary approach to education that capitalizes on employers’ growing desire for recent graduates to think critically while also being able to harness new technology. And the major requires a great deal of teamwork among students, another skill hiring managers seek.
Students will learn how new technologies shape culture and the human biases that enter into the use of these new tools. Top of mind is the rise of generative artificial intelligence and training students to use it ethically while also understanding how easily it can produce misleading content.
Todd Presner is a UCLA professor of European languages and transcultural studies, and co-led the effort to create the digital humanities department. He said contemporary culture has witnessed a rift between computational subjects and the traditional humanities, and both are enhanced by merging the two.
“It’s actually at our own peril when scientists are not speaking to folks in the humanities with historical knowledge, ethical knowledge, cultural knowledge, right?” he said. “And at the same time, I’d say when the humanities are not understanding the technologies in the world today, they also could be seen as irrelevant.”
Presner has taught a course showing students how to get under the hood of large language models, which store the reading material generative AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT use to spit out answers. “Students can essentially upload their own training data to some of these smaller models and see how easily they can be manipulated,” he said.
UCLA students will be able to declare digital humanities as a major this year, but campus professors have taught courses in the discipline for more than two decades. It’s the second most popular minor at UCLA, which was one reason the school decided to transform it into a major, said Alexandra Minna Stern, dean of the UCLA College Division of Humanities where digital humanities is based. Last academic year 750 UCLA undergraduate students took a course in digital humanities. Stern expects 50 to 100 students to eventually declare the major, and would be thrilled if 40 signed up this year.
The department will launch with 23 faculty, including lecturers, plus four staff members. Stern eventually wants a few more faculty, but UCLA’s currently under a hiring freeze. No academic unit at the university was cut to make way for the new digital humanities. Faculty hail from multiple humanities fields as well as information studies and data science, so classes will occur across several campus buildings.
She said at least one museum will provide internship opportunities. Based in the Los Angeles area, the Wende Museum specializes in collecting artifacts and oral histories of refugees as well as other dissident groups and digitizing them — a key aspect of digital humanities training. She aims to secure similar arrangements with other museums so students can further apply what they learn in professional settings.
The major’s introductory courses are clustered around data networks, such as statistical reasoning, and courses on culture, such as the symbolic history of Jerusalem or film depictions of antiquity. Upper division courses can center on how contemporary technology is shaped by political, cultural, and social forces or a class on social media data analysis.
Kedaar Sridhar, 26, graduated from UCLA in 2022 with a computer science major and a minor in digital humanities.
The social media data analysis course was his favorite in the minor. For a class project, he and a team of students analyzed the hashtag “facemask” on social media while much of the world was still in the throes of COVID-19. He relied on the coding language Python as well as sentiment analysis tools to classify how different countries felt about face masks in public based on the social media posts featuring that hashtag.
If he could do college all over, he’d major in the new digital humanities program because it combines the application of contemporary data software with the probing analytical questions that the humanities embody.
“I think computer science is the what, digital humanities is the how and the why, and how do you actually apply it, and why is it important to be applied,” he said.
Sridhar credits the minor with landing him an internship at Microsoft. All the applicants knew computer science, but digital humanities distinguished him, he said. An interviewer asked what the minor entailed, and he said “it’s human-centered data storytelling, working with groups, working in projects, getting a tangible outcome.”
The interviewer said that’s what they’re looking for.
In the past year he co-founded his own company, Grantlytics, an AI-based platform focused on helping nonprofits fundraise by writing proposals, finding funding opportunities and identifying promising donors.
As an employer, he’s looking for much of what the digital humanities major offers. Without it, Sridhar would prefer a candidate with a humanities and coding or math background. But digital humanities “automatically is that interdisciplinary nature because it combines those two worlds together.”
Sridhar’s preference for someone who is well-rounded appears to be backed by recent survey data.
Hiring managers who recruit recent college graduates indicated this year that these workers are mostly employable, but with caveats. The annual survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows that the skills recent graduates are most proficient in aren’t what employers prioritize most.
For example, 99% of hiring managers say oral and written communication and persuasion skills are important. But the same hiring managers indicated that just 55% of recent college graduates score well in communication skills. The same goes for critical thinking: Around 94% of hiring managers rate this competency highly but they report that just half of recent graduates are able to gather data from diverse sources and draw conclusions or work well in a fast-paced setting.
Where recent graduates do better is in technology, but hiring managers care slightly less about those. About 75% of employers place high importance on adapting to new technology or using tech to achieve company goals; they say that about 65% of recent grads are competent in that skillset.
Stern, the dean, is careful not to overstate the promise of digital humanities to halt the freefall of the broader humanities as a major students want. The share of U.S. college students majoring in fields such as literature, history, philosophy and foreign languages is at a historic nadir — just 8% of degrees conferred were in the humanities, down from nearly 15% nearly two decades ago. The trend at UCLA is similar.
She knows things are tough for humanities departments, but “an art history grad is more likely to get a job these days than a computer science grad,” she said, citing data tracked by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. “There are ebbs and flows across time” with which degrees lead to jobs and that students gravitate toward.
This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
Topline:
Why now: The Supreme Court weighed in and fresh court documents were filed as preparations for the November general election are well underway.
Why it matters: One Southern California county tells LAist nothing has happened that changes how it runs elections since last time around in the June primary. And an election law expert says as of now, people should plan to vote as you normally would.
Go deeper: … for more on what Southern California voters need to know.
It’s been a busy week with the Trump administration’s legal battle over mail in ballots.
The Supreme Court weighed in and fresh court documents were filed as preparations for the November general election are well underway.
Confused about where things stand? You’re not alone.
One Southern California county tells LAist nothing has happened that changes how it runs elections since last time around in the June primary. And an election law expert says that as of now, people should plan to vote as you normally would.
“If there is some interference with mail in ballots, there are lots of voting centers and other ways that people can cast ballots,” said Rick Hasen, a UCLA professor of law and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project. “But I don’t think it’s going to come to that.”
As the Nov. 3 general election approaches, local officials are encouraging voters to turn in their ballots early.
Here’s what we know.
As the legal battle plays out, local election officials are already gearing up for the November general election.
Bob Page, Orange County Registrar of Voters, told LAist his office starts working on an election up to nine months ahead of time, with the first November ballots being printed for overseas and military voters at the end of next week.
County election officials in California will start mailing ballots to all voters by Oct. 5. Page said O.C. will start printing ballots for the 1.9 million local voters the week of Labor Day.
“Those deadlines are set. You can’t mess with them,” Page said in a briefing from the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions Wednesday.
Hasen told LAist elections take a really long time to put in place, and something as mundane as envelopes are bought by the millions in counties such as L.A. and Orange. The design of mail in ballot envelopes are part of the new government requirements being challenged in court.
“In California, we now mail ballots to every single voter, so it would be incredibly expensive and difficult to try to change what that mailing would look like,” Hasen said.
In Orange County, for example, ballot envelopes are already in the works. Page noted the U.S. Postal Service approved of the design last month.
O.C. will be handling the November election like it did with the June primary, following existing state and federal law, Page said.
“We have to keep track of what’s going on in the different courts … But for right now, there’s nothing that’s happened that changes how we would conduct this election,” he said in an interview.
He also noted that he will make sure O.C. voters get a ballot, “however that gets to them.”
Hasen shared a similar message for voters.
“As of now, nothing has changed,” he said. “And let’s wait and see where things are in a week.”
Local election officials, including Page, are encouraging voters to turn in their ballots before Election Day. Ballots can start being processed as soon as they’re returned, so the more people vote early, the more ballots can be included in the first round of results released on election night.
“If there’s concerns about the speed at which ballots get counted or processed, the best way to address that for voters … is to vote early,” Page said.
Hasen agreed, adding that it’s much better for election administration and voter confidence if more ballots are returned and processed earlier.
O.C. voters will be able return their ballots by mail, to 128 drop boxes and to more than 190 vote centers, according to Page. L.A. County has started to send outreach postcards with early election reminders to most of its more than 5.8 million registered voters as of last week.
In March, President Donald Trump issued another executive order on voting that he said was to reduce “the risk of fraud.” Trump has claimed for years that there’s widespread voter fraud, despite the lack of evidence.
The order, among other things, instructs federal officials to create lists of eligible U.S. citizen voters in each state, directs USPS to only send mail in ballots to people on those lists and have USPS review the design of ballot envelopes.
Parts of the order were blocked in June by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston. The Supreme Court paused that ruling earlier this week, giving what’s been described as an interim win to Trump. The administration saw another win on Wednesday when Talwani lifted her nationwide ruling that blocked USPS from moving forward with the executive order.
“The court cases are coming fast and furious right now after the Supreme Court’s ruling,” said Aaron Blacksberg, lead legal analyst on federal policy for the Institute for Responsive Government, during a virtual briefing earlier this week.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and nearly two dozen other attorneys general filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging a USPS final rule stemming from the executive order that was released last week.
Bonta argued its “President Trump’s latest unlawful attempt to take control of mail voting.” Bonta vowed in a news conference to “fight this every step of the way,” adding that he expected to see other lawsuits from Democratic party leadership and the League of Women Voters.
USPS did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.
LAist is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that is also home to L.A.’s largest NPR station broadcasting at 89.3 FM. We center our coverage around people and communities, not institutions or policies. We hold power to account. We are unapologetically L.A.
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<em>Life, Automated</em> explores how AI and automation are reshaping everyday life through conversations with researchers, practitioners, artists, and other unexpected experts.
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California is transitioning to clean energy. KQED is reporting on what that means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.
In as little as a year, lowering your electricity bill could be as simple as buying a kit with a few solar panels and accessories, completing a quick online registration form, and plugging it into a standard outlet.
California lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday night to formally legalize plug-in, or balcony, solar: small, portable and relatively inexpensive systems that do not require rewiring or the costly installation fees that often come with rooftop solar.
The legislation, SB 868, sailed through the state assembly and senate with bipartisan support. The bill now moves to the governor’s desk for signature.
The devices can be tented in a backyard, hung off a balcony or placed on a roof. Models range from as low as $300 to $2200, depending on size. The bill would open the solar market to people who were previously left out: renters, people with unsuitable roofs, and those lacking the capital to build out a rooftop system, which can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.
“There’s no question SB 868 is the most exciting clean energy and energy affordability bill right now up for consideration in California,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice president at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that co-sponsored the bill. “You never get to pass a big controversial bill in one year. We’re poised to do that. It is a huge win.”
A wave of state legislation over the past 18 months is making balcony solar — a nascent technology in the U.S. — within reach of everyday Americans. Utah pioneered a law passed in March 2025, and others quickly followed.
Eight states now have bills on the books that allow a relatively straightforward process for purchasing and setting up balcony solar systems, including Colorado, Virginia and Maine. Bills in New York and New Jersey are awaiting the governors’ signatures, like California.
Advocates believe California’s market has massive potential. They’re motivated by Germany, where millions of solar panels dot balconies across the country.
Some of the state’s largest investor-owned utilities, however, opposed the legislation, citing safety and a concern that the systems would shift energy costs to people without solar power.
PG&E initially said it supported the bill if it were amended, but opposed the final version. Spokesperson Paul Doherty said the utility is concerned that certain safety and certification requirements on some systems would not be enforced until 2030.
But he said that the company “supports plug-in solar and the opportunities it could create for customers, particularly renters and others who have not had easy access to traditional rooftop solar.”
San Diego Gas & Electric also opposed the legislation, citing concerns that even if balcony solar is designed to prevent feeding power back to the grid, systems may malfunction and endanger workers or customers.
Southern California Edison originally opposed the bill but later took a neutral stance after bill authors updated safety standards and how people notify their utility of their systems, spokesperson David Eisenhauer said.
Notably, labor unions representing firefighters and PG&E employees dropped their opposition and took a neutral stance on the bill after lawmakers amended it to explicitly comply with state and national electrical codes.
If signed into law by Newsom, the legislation would exempt plug-in solar devices from what critics say is a cumbersome and expensive interconnection application process, and replace registration with a free and straightforward online form.
Some Californians have already installed plug-in solar panels, but utilities ask them to complete an interconnection agreement, citing state rules. If done through PG&E, for example, representatives from the utility said that process would cost roughly $100 to $800 and take about an hour. Typically, the approval comes through in three days, PG&E staff said.
But plug-in solar advocates argued that the interconnection process defeats the plug-and-play nature of the technology, and could double or triple its cost.
Their goal is to make the panels as ubiquitous and easy to install as any off-the-shelf appliance dotting the racks of a Home Depot or Costco.
The newly passed bill outlines several device requirements. The balcony solar systems must be capped at generating 1,200 watts per home, plug into a standard outlet, offset a customer’s onsite electricity use and meet state and national electrical codes. They also must be certified by an outside safety organization like Underwriters Laboratories and have a feature that would prevent electricity from feeding back into the grid if there’s a power outage.
Current plug-in solar models do not yet meet the outlined requirements, and customers therefore must still register their systems as though they are rooftop solar. Del Chiaro said there are already a few companies developing devices that will meet the standards in the new California legislation.
The bill is meant to help reduce the cost of power for Californians and “eliminates red tape, so that people in California can actually use plug-in solar right now,” bill author and state Sen. Scott Wiener said during an Assembly hearing in June.
Del Chiaro estimated that just one 400-watt solar panel would cover about 14% of a typical renter’s apartment’s annual electricity bill and translate to energy-bill savings of roughly $250 a year. That system would provide enough juice to run a refrigerator, modem and Wi-Fi. A larger, 1,200-watt system would generate enough energy to power a window air conditioning unit, “enabling families, especially in our hotter regions, to afford to cool their home on increasingly hot days,” Del Chiaro said.
Dozens of environmental and community groups and a few cities supported the bill.
Plug-in solar advocacy group and nonprofit Bright Saver tentatively celebrated the action.
“It’s a clear statement that the biggest state in the union wants this,” said Cora Stryker, the group’s co-founder, although she said she was not happy with an amendment sunsetting the legislation in 2030 and other provisions that could slow down the market for balcony solar.
“The devil in the details makes it not a home run. It makes it a fight that continues,” she said.
Fiscal analysis of the bill estimates implementation will cost the state between $200,000 and $500,000 annually to fund program administrator positions.
If Newsom signs, staff in Wiener’s office estimated that people would be able to buy compatible plug-in solar kits in the spring of 2027.
From KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.
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“Not using a penny of mains grid electricity, and gas has dropped to a couple of £ per month.”
Photo Credit: Reddit
A U.K. homeowner aiming to go fully off-grid says their growing rooftop solar-and-battery system now covers all of their home’s grid electricity needs and has pushed gas spending down to only a few pounds a month.
The update offers a look at what larger home energy systems can do once solar generation, battery storage, and export limits begin interacting in everyday use.
According to the homeowner’s update, posted in Reddit’s r/OffGrid community, the array includes 24 500-watt panels on the main roof and eight 585-watt panels on the garage roof. With “phase two” finished, the system is “running at 16.5kwp at (the) moment,” referring to the array’s peak power output.
The homeowner described the result, saying, “Not using a penny of mains grid electricity, and gas has dropped to a couple of £ per month.”
During sunny midday hours, the post noted, the batteries can fill up before the panels reach their maximum output. At that point, a 4-kilowatt export cap leaves solar production clipped to roughly 5 to 6 kilowatts.
That suggests the home is generating more solar power than it can always use or export during peak sunlight hours, which is exactly where battery storage becomes especially valuable.
Many homeowners trying to save money on energy focus on solar capacity alone, but battery storage is often what turns daytime generation into round-the-clock savings.
Adding battery storage is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save on energy costs, and go off-grid. Batteries can store excess daytime solar power for use after sunset, helping households rely less on the grid and get more value from the electricity their panels already generate.
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That added storage can also make homes more resilient during blackouts or severe weather, especially when batteries are configured to keep essential appliances and systems running.
Even when a household is not trying to fully disconnect from utility service, a battery can still cut bills, smooth out peak energy use, and help keep power available when the grid is under strain.
Homeowners curious about a similar setup can explore EnergySage and its free tools for information about home battery storage options. Another option is Pila, a company that offers smaller-scale battery backups to help protect individual appliances when the grid goes down.
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GREENVILLE, N.C., Aug. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Inox Solar Americas LLC, a U.S.-based solar technology and manufacturing company specializing in advanced monocrystalline Galaxion N-Type™ PV cells and premium Gamma Series™ Monofacial and Vega Series™ Bifacial PV modules, today announced that Boviet Solar USA, an Inox Solar Americas brand, continues to rank on the BloombergNEF (BNEF) Tier 1 PV Module Manufacturer list for Q3 2026.
Boviet Solar USA, an Inox Solar Americas company, first achieved BNEF Tier 1 status in 2017 and has maintained this recognition across every quarter of 2025 and through Q1, Q2, and Q3 of 2026. The Q3 2026 recognition is associated with qualifying solar projects supplied with Boviet Solar-branded PV modules, preserving the Boviet Solar name within BNEF’s qualification framework.
Inox Solar Americas is building on this established manufacturing and project track record through its growing U.S. solar manufacturing platform in Greenville, North Carolina. The company’s Greenville facility now provides 3.0 GW of annual PV module manufacturing capacity, while a 3.0 GW annual PV cell manufacturing facility is scheduled for completion in 2027. Together, these investments strengthen Inox Solar Americas’ ability to support the growing U.S. solar market with domestically manufactured PV modules and PV cells.
BloombergNEF is a globally recognized provider of research and analysis focused on the transition to a low-carbon economy. Its Tier 1 classification is widely used by investors, developers, EPCs, asset owners, and financial institutions as an important benchmark when evaluating PV module manufacturers and project bankability. BNEF’s Tier 1 classification evaluates PV module manufacturers against specified criteria based on project and asset-finance data tracked in BNEF’s proprietary databases. The methodology is published and updated by BNEF on a quarterly basis.
Importantly, the projects supporting the Q3 2026 BNEF Tier 1 recognition were supplied with Boviet Solar-branded PV modules. Accordingly, the BNEF Tier 1 recognition remains associated with the Boviet Solar name within BNEF’s qualification framework. Inox Solar Americas is building on this established project and manufacturing track record through its current U.S. manufacturing platform and continued investment in domestic PV module and PV cell production.
“This recognition provides an important bridge between the established bankability and project track record associated with Boviet Solar and the growing U.S. manufacturing platform of Inox Solar Americas,” said Ashok Nair, President & CEO, USA PV Module Manufacturing, Inox Solar Americas. “Our Greenville operations provide a strong foundation to support the U.S. solar market with domestically manufactured PV modules, while our expanding PV cell manufacturing capabilities will further strengthen our vertically integrated U.S. manufacturing platform. We are proud to build on an established record of quality, reliability, and bankability as we continue to grow under the Inox Solar Americas platform.”
Beyond its BNEF Tier 1 status, Boviet Solar has received recognition for its financial stability and product reliability from Wood Mackenzie, Sinovoltaics, and Kiwa PVEL. These historical recognitions reinforce the established bankability, product reliability, and manufacturing track record on which Inox Solar Americas continues to build.
To access BloombergNEF’s research and learn more about its Tier 1 methodology, please visit about.bnef.com.
About Inox Solar Americas
Inox Solar Americas is a U.S.-based solar technology and manufacturing company focused on advancing domestic photovoltaic manufacturing and delivering high-performance solar solutions for the U.S. market. Its portfolio includes Galaxion N-Type™ monocrystalline PV cells, Gamma Series™ Monofacial modules, and Vega Series™ Bifacial modules for residential, commercial, industrial, community solar, and utility-scale applications.
The company operates its U.S. PV manufacturing platform in Greenville, North Carolina, with 3.0 GW of annual PV module manufacturing capacity and expanding PV cell production. Through localized manufacturing, resilient supply chains, and efficient logistics, Inox Solar Americas is helping strengthen the U.S. solar supply chain and support growing domestic demand.
Inox Solar Americas is part of the renewable energy platform of Inox Clean Energy and INOXGFL Group, combining advanced solar technology, U.S. manufacturing capabilities, and industrial strength to support reliable and sustainable solar deployment across the United States. For more information, visit inoxclean.com and inoxgfl.com.
About Boviet Solar USA
Boviet Solar is an established PV module brand within the Inox Solar Americas U.S. manufacturing platform. Founded in 2013, the brand has built a strong track record in photovoltaic manufacturing, product reliability, and project deployment.
Boviet Solar’s portfolio includes Galaxion N-Type™ PV cells, Gamma Series™ Monofacial modules, and Vega Series™ Bifacial modules. The brand has earned recognition from leading industry organizations, including BloombergNEF Tier 1 PV Module Manufacturer recognition since 2017, Wood Mackenzie’s A-Class Bankable Global PV Module Manufacturers, Sinovoltaics’ Top 10 Most Financially Stable PV Module Manufacturers, and Kiwa PVEL Top Performer recognition since 2019.
Today, Boviet Solar operates within the broader renewable energy platform of Inox Clean Energy and INOXGFL Group through Inox Solar Americas. Its established manufacturing and project track record, combined with expanded U.S. production capabilities, provides a strong foundation for reliable technology and long-term domestic solar supply. For more information, visit bovietsolar.com, inoxclean.com and inoxgfl.com.
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Inox Solar Americas | Boviet Solar USA
songul.atacan@inoxsolar.us
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A proposed £1bn solar farm in Norfolk could generate enough electricity to power around 115,000 homes.
The East Pye project near Long Stratton would cover around 2,700 acres (1,090 hectares) of countryside.
Currently the scheme is facing opposition from residents and campaign groups who are concerned about the loss of agricultural land and its impact on the surrounding landscape.
The project’s estimated cost includes land acquisition, construction and installation. If approved, the final decision will be made by Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh due to the size of the development.
The developer says the project would help cut carbon emissions and support the UK’s net zero targets.
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Developer interest has been requested for a large solar PV-battery energy storage system plant, with the feasibility of a significant hydroelectric plant also being assessed by the government, as Eswatini looks to reduce its high level of dependence upon imported power
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Issue 546 – 29 July 2026
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Power, Commercial & industrial, Renewable energy
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British energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has said that the rollout of plug-in solar panels in the UK represents a “simple, affordable way for households to take control of their energy bills and start saving straight away”.
Fahnbulleh was commenting as the UK government gave the go ahead for the sale and use of the panels, which have the potential to save households up to £110 per year on their electricity bills.
“From this summer, we’re giving more families the ability to power their homes with clean homegrown energy,”she added.
Each plug-in solar kit can generate up to 800W of power, potentially supplying up to 20% of an average home’s electricity use, and capable of powering appliances such as fridges, televisions, Wi-Fi routers, laptops and phone chargers among others.
Retailers such as Amazon, Argos, B&Q, Currys, Screwfix and Wickes have committed to making plug-in solar products available online and in stores.
“The government’s announcement on plug-in solar panels is a practical step that gives households a simple way to generate their own power, reduce bills, and contribute to the UK’s net zero goals. We’re looking forward to helping customers benefit from this technology,” added John Boumphrey, UK & Ireland country manager, Amazon.
The British government said the UK safety specifications with regard to plug-in solar panels is more stringent than Germany’s, where around 500,000 new devices were plugged in during 2025.
It added that those in rental properties may need approval from their landlord before introducing the panels, while those in flats and other properties may require permission from a building owner or freeholder.
“This is a great example of industry and government coming together and delivering quickly for Britain,” added Chris Hewitt, CEO of Solar Energy UK.
“Solar and batteries are already the most effective way for homes and businesses to slash their energy bills by more than half, and making plug-in solar lawful will bring cheap, clean power to households that have not been able to access these benefits before.” Read more here.
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“The cows get really hot,” said Michael Gallagher, co-owner of Square Roots Farm. “They don’t like it anything above really like 75.” Gallagher hopes that solar panels will provide shade to his animals.
This is one of two fields at Square Roots Farm that is slated for a solar array. The chickens are in portable coops as part of the farm’s rotational grazing.
Michael Gallagher, who co-owns Square Roots Farm with his wife, Ashley Amsden, hopes plans for a solar array on his property will be approved by the Lanesborough Planning Board.
Chickens will still be able to forage in this field at Square Roots Farm once a solar array is on it.
Community Voices Editor
“The cows get really hot,” said Michael Gallagher, co-owner of Square Roots Farm. “They don’t like it anything above really like 75.” Gallagher hopes that solar panels will provide shade to his animals.
LANESBOROUGH — How will 6,020 solar panels at Square Roots Farm look from Old Cheshire Road?
That was one of the pointed questions Planning Board member Audra Ladd posed to Boston developer BlueWave at a Planning Board pre-application meeting last week.
On a map, the tiles — 7.5 feet long and 4.25 feet wide — appear as a dense pattern of bright red dashes spread across portions of two fields on the 33-acre property.
But the map doesn’t show what the array will actually look like from the road. The panels will lie flat at night, then begin rotating with the sunrise, tracking the sun from east to west throughout the day.
A landscape architect at Weston & Sampson will draw a rendering to answer that question.
This is one of two fields at Square Roots Farm that is slated for a solar array. The chickens are in portable coops as part of the farm’s rotational grazing.
The 3,973-kilowatt direct-current array is expected to generate enough electricity to offset the annual consumption of an estimated 650 to 750 homes, according to BlueWave. All the power will go to the grid through a new, three-phase connection that will run a mile from Summer Street via infrastructure owned by Eversource.
BlueWave expects to start construction in spring 2027 and finish in four to six months.
There were other questions from the Planning Board, but the one about visual impact prompted The Eagle to request a tour of the site with farmer Michael Gallagher, who attended the meeting with his wife, Ashley Amsden, and their two children, Maggie and Everett.
Michael Gallagher, who co-owns Square Roots Farm with his wife, Ashley Amsden, hopes plans for a solar array on his property will be approved by the Lanesborough Planning Board.
During that tour of the grassy hillside, which took place on a Kawasaki Mule side-by-side, Gallagher noted that the eastern field is cradled by a line of maple trees, which largely blocks the field from view.
“The only sort of vantage point into this field is through the gate we come in through,” he said. “That’s the only way people are really going to see this field.”
The more heavily sloped western field will contain tiles as well as an equipment pad with battery storage.
Gallagher acknowledged that the western field will be more visible from Old Cheshire Road because of its steeper slope.
Looking down and south from that field onto Lakeview Orchard and across the hills, Gallagher made some observations.
“Something you can really see from up here is that we’re already farming in a landscape that’s really impacted by energy infrastructure,” he said. “The orchard across the street, they’ve got trees and berries under the high tension lines. … We’ve got a gas line across the street running through our property.”
Gallagher said he took a walk with his son last week and they saw a doe and fawn munching on new growth under the high tension lines. That new growth came as a result of a trimming project that Eversource recently did.
Energy infrastructure is already a visible part of the local landscape, he said.
“Here’s a big power line cut in the mountain across the road,” Gallagher said. “It’s here. We’re used to all these things.”
At the Planning Board meeting, Gallagher spoke of his interest in creating shade for his cows, chickens and forage. The array — with 20 feet between the edges of panels — will allow him to rotationally graze his animals, noting that because the panels are 10 feet off the ground animals can seek shade under them.
Because the panels will be mounted on I-beams, Gallagher said, he isn’t worried about the cows damaging them.
“Clearly, it’s going to hold up to anything the cows are going to do to it,” he said. “So if the cows want to rub and scratch on them, they can do that all day long.”
Chickens will still be able to forage in this field at Square Roots Farm once a solar array is on it.
The arrays will be bounded by fences of woven wire. A separate fence will surround the equipment pad. Gates will be threaded through the site, said Andrew Hamel at Weston & Sampson.
“We work with Mike to make sure those are in the right spot so he can get where he needs to with his equipment and turn everything around and not have an issue,” he said.
Next steps for the town and the developer will be to consult with their lawyers to clarify certain points prior to BlueWave filing its formal application to the Planning Board.
Back at Square Roots Farm, Amsden was weeding the kitchen garden next to the house, which stands between the two fields in question.
She offered her perspective on the view of the solar array.
“So much of how we interpret the beauty of things has to do with the story that we’re telling ourselves about it,” she said. “And this is a story about clean energy production, which we desperately need, coexisting with sustainable farming on the same land, and that’s a beautiful powerful story.”
Amsden will be looking at this array on a daily basis.
“This is our back yard,” she said. “Looking at it is going to make me feel really good because I know these two things we desperately need are happening together.”
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Jane Kaufman is a News Reporter at The Berkshire Eagle. She can be reached at jkaufman@berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6125.
Community Voices Editor
The 3,973-kilowatt direct-current array is expected to generate enough electricity to offset the annual consumption of an estimated 650 to 750 homes, according to BlueWave.
Following months of speculation and debate, the Dalton Select Board approved a sewer bill rate hike for residents — a single family home will see its annual sewer bill climb from $564 to $1,216. “It’s crazy to have people pay that.”
Former Pittsfield police officer William Straub lost his law enforcement certification after pleading guilty to assault and battery charges, barring him from working as a law enforcement officer in Massachusetts.
When Lenox Memorial Middle and High School students return Thursday, they’ll be greeted by a new principal — and, starting Monday, a new personal technology policy.
The Literacy Network, also referred to as LitNet, trains volunteer tutors to help English language learners improve their speaking and writing skills.
The drivers of two cars were taken to the hospital after colliding at the Columbus Avenue and Center Street intersection Tuesday afternoon.
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Beyond the gold standard: An ultrathin chromium layer makes durable perovskite solar cells more affordable Tech Xplore
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By: Luis Reyes
Published: Aug 27, at 12:00pm ET
The glass on the front of a solar panel is the one component that does nothing. It stops hail, keeps water off the cells and lets light through, and that is the entire job description. The black rectangles underneath are where the electricity actually comes from.
A company in Baldwin Park, California has spent a decade arguing that this is a waste of a perfectly good sheet of glass.
Caelux coats that cover glass with a thin perovskite film, so the sheet itself becomes the first layer that generates and the silicon cells below become the second. The product is called Active Glass. The panel it produces is what the company calls a hybrid tandem.
Since April, Caelux has signed 13 gigawatts of that glass across three module manufacturers on two continents. And in an interview published this week, CEO Scott Graybeal told PV Tech that “every module in the world in the 2030s will have perovskite.”
That is a very large claim built on a material whose longest stretch of outdoor evidence, offered by Graybeal in the same interview, runs to six weeks.
Almost everyone else chasing perovskite builds it into the cell. Oxford PV, Qcells and LONGi all lay perovskite films directly on top of a silicon base cell and seal the sandwich inside glass. It is a genuine tandem cell, and it requires a genuinely new production line.
Caelux does not touch the cell at all. The silicon underneath stays exactly what it was, and the perovskite rides on the piece of glass that was going on top anyway.
Graybeal’s stated reason is return on invested capital. Building out module manufacturing to go with the glass would have pushed revenue further into the future and raised the cost of getting there, to the point where the returns stopped looking like returns. Selling one component into lines that already exist gets paid sooner.
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He is also open about what the approach costs on the physics side. In a conventional tandem cell, light passes through the perovskite and reaches the silicon directly. In Caelux’s version, it has to travel through an extra transparent conductive layer on the way down, and traditional architectures can therefore reach higher total efficiencies.
The compensation, by his argument, is failure mode. Separate the perovskite from the cell and a degrading top layer does not take the silicon with it. You lose the bonus, not the panel.
The US buyer for all of this is Solx, a module manufacturer building inside a former Hewlett-Packard plant in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, on a site the company first announced in 2024 with construction starting in April 2025.
On April 21 the two companies announced a five-year, 3-gigawatt partnership. Caelux’s glass goes on top of Solx’s Aurora module, which the companies say produces 28 percent conversion efficiency and up to 30 percent more power density than a silicon-only panel of the same size.
“U.S.-made hybrid tandem is no longer a theoretical, it’s now in commercialized production,” said James Holmes, co-founder and CEO of Solx, in the announcement. Broader commercial availability is targeted for 2027.
The rest of the panel is domestic too, which is the entire commercial point. The silicon cells come from Suniva, headquartered in metro Atlanta, and the steel frames from Origami Solar.
Suniva is worth a moment on its own. The company announced in April that it is putting over $350 million into a 620,000-square-foot cell plant in Laurens, South Carolina, opening in the second quarter of 2027 with 4.5 gigawatts of capacity and 564 jobs. Added to its existing Georgia line, that takes it past 5.5 gigawatts a year.
American module assembly has never been the bottleneck. Cells have. Panels stamped as domestic have leaned on imported internals for years, and a merchant cell supplier at that scale is what lets a mid-sized assembler clear federal domestic content thresholds. Caelux is selling into exactly that gap: a perovskite layer that arrives as a piece of American glass rather than as a redesign of somebody’s factory.
Perovskite has always had the same problem. It converts light beautifully and it falls apart when exposed to light, air, moisture and heat, which are the four things a solar panel spends 25 years sitting in.
Graybeal says Caelux has worked the chemistry hard, through additives, structural changes and process adjustments, and that its current technology can support 25-year lifetimes. He also says the company is in the middle of qualification and certification.
The supporting anecdote he gave PV Tech was that Caelux has had its perovskite material outdoors and has seen no degradation over six weeks.
Six weeks is real data. It is not 25 years, and nobody in the industry has produced 25 years for perovskite yet.
That is why the certification paperwork matters more than any efficiency number right now. Qcells spent this summer collecting exactly that kind of document, and put a tandem panel through 42 days of damp heat and 200 thermal cycles to get it. No world record attached, just the file that makes a bank willing to finance a field.
The lab-to-field gap is the recurring story here. We covered it again this month with a see-through perovskite cell whose headline efficiency came from a smaller device under a lamp than the pane that went outside.
On July 14, LONGi announced a crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem cell at 35.5 percent, certified by the European Solar Test Installation in Italy. It is a world record, and it beats every commercial module on the planet by a wide margin.
It is also a laboratory device. LONGi did not disclose the active area, and as pv magazine noted, the company said in June that it has no active mass-production plan for the technology. Its certified tandem modules, the ones built at something like commercial size, sit at 31.4 and 29.4 percent.
So the record holder has a 35.5 percent cell and no factory schedule. Caelux has a 28 percent module and 13 gigawatts of five-year commitments. Those are two completely different bets, and only one of them has to survive a warranty claim.
Caelux’s first manufacturing site stays in the United States, with India as the likely second. The two Indian deals, with Rayzon Solar and Navitas Solar, are each 5 gigawatts over five years and are aimed at production starting around 2028 to 2029, which is the runway Graybeal says the company needs to build or convert a plant there.
Between now and then, the number that decides everything is not efficiency. It is whether TÜV Rheinland or an equivalent body signs off on the full reliability and safety standards, and whether an insurer will stand behind the resulting panel for the life of a project.
There is a smaller consequence worth noting for anyone who operates solar hardware. Once the front sheet is the first power layer, the glass stops being the disposable part of the panel. It is already the surface that costs you output when it gets dirty, which is why desert farms now run robots across it every night. Coating it with an active semiconductor raises the stakes on every hailstone, every dust storm and every cleaning contract.
The engineering logic here is hard to argue with. A manufacturer can drop Caelux’s glass into an existing line without redesigning a single cell, which is precisely why three of them signed inside four months. Whether that logic holds in a field is a different question, and answering it takes roughly 200 times longer than the longest run anybody has watched so far.
Agree or laugh out loud?
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A bill in the California Legislature, colloquially known as the Plug And Play Solar Act, that would pave the way for consumers to hook up portable installations on places like patios and balconies is heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
Senate Bill 868, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, sailed through the Assembly in Sacramento earlier this week after previously passing through the Senate.
“Plug-in solar allows renters (who usually don’t benefit from rooftop solar) and homeowners (who may not be able to afford rooftop solar up-front costs) to plug in a low cost solar panel and quickly lower their electric bills,” Wiener said on X, calling it a “big win for affordability.”
The bill would allow consumers to buy small-scale, portable solar panels from retail stores such as Home Depot or Costco and plug them into a wall socket in their homes without having to fill out paperwork for an interconnection agreement with their local utility.
By making “balcony solar” as simple as plugging in household appliances, SB 868 aims to help consumers reduce their electricity costs. The bill applies to solar generation devices as large as 1,200 watts.
Will Newsom sign it into law? As of Thursday afternoon, the governor’s press office had not responded to an email from the Union-Tribune asking about Newsom’s intentions.
If signed, SB 868 would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
Kits for plug-in solar range in cost from $300 to more than $2,500, depending on size. Each panel connects to a small microinverter, which converts the direct current (DC) electricity from the panels into the alternating current (AC) that homes use.
According to EnergySage, a company that offers comparison pricing for clean energy products, portable solar can save customers money. In states such as California with high electricity prices, EnergySage estimates that customers using 600 kilowatt-hours can reduce $40 to $50 on their monthly bills, depending on the system they buy.
To meet safety standards, the solar systems under SB 868 must be certified by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent national testing lab. To prevent electrical hazards and protect utility workers, the systems must automatically shut off within seconds if the electric grid goes down.
“With this bill, California is poised to fling its doors wide open to a real, tangible affordability solution for everyday consumers,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice president for the Environmental Working Group, which lobbied to pass the legislation.
While going through Sacramento’s often torturous legislative process, an amendment was added to SB 868 that sunsets the interconnection exemption on Jan. 1, 2030. It’s believed that it was added at the behest of power companies, but the Environmental Working Group said in a news release that the bill still gives “the market four years to take off and the Legislature has the opportunity to remove the sunset in the future.”
According to the bill’s fiscal analysis, the proposal would cost the California Public Utilities Commission between $200,000 to $500,000 each year to fund.
San Diego Gas & Electric and Pacific Gas & Electric came out against SB 868. The state’s other large investor-owned utility, Southern California Edison, did not take a stance in the most recent iteration of the bill.
A pair of groups representing publicly funded power companies — including Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District — also criticized the plug-in solar legislation.
Opponents highlighted safety concerns.
“Without appropriate oversight, devices that feed electricity into a building’s electrical system may inadvertently backfeed into the distribution grid,” the California Municipal Utilities Association said. “This creates potential hazards for line workers performing maintenance or responding to outages, who rely on established interconnection standards to ensure circuits are properly isolated and safe to work on.”
Responding to an email Thursday from the Union-Tribune, SDG&E spokesperson Roland Franklin said, “Our priority is ensuring that any technology operating on or near the electric system meets strong safety standards that protect customers, line workers and the public.”
Balcony solar has become very popular in Germany, with more than 4 million small-scale systems installed.
Utah became the first state in the U.S. to make way for plug-in systems when it passed a law in March 2025, and others have quickly followed. Eight states now have laws on the books. Like California, New York and New Jersey have bills awaiting governors’ signatures.
Copyright 2026 San Diego Union-Tribune. All rights reserved. The use of any content on this website for the purpose of training artificial intelligence systems, algorithms, machine learning models, text and data mining, or similar use is strictly prohibited without explicit written consent.
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Adding battery storage is one of the most effective ways to prepare for outages.
Photo Credit: Getty images
For homeowners putting together an outage plan, one of the toughest questions is whether it makes more sense to buy extra battery capacity or spend more on a second fully functional backup unit.
That’s exactly the dilemma a Jackery 5000 Plus owner raised on Reddit while trying to decide whether paying about $600 more for another full system was a better move than buying an expansion battery.
On Reddit, the OP said they already had “one 5000 Plus and the smart switch” and wanted to expand “to be ready for a longer than expected grid failure.”
Because the price difference was only around $600, the core decision was whether added storage alone was enough or whether another complete power station offered more useful flexibility.
Commenters largely favored redundancy.
One user said, “Redundancy is more important than larger capacity, imo.”
That matched what the OP said: “My thinking is that I get another 5000 Plus then if I need more storage I can add expansion to one or both of the 5000 Plus.”
Adding battery storage is one of the most effective ways to prepare for outages. It can also help lower energy costs and give households a more practical path toward going off-grid by storing electricity for later use.
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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?
If you’re weighing your own options, it may be worth exploring EnergySage to get information about home battery storage solutions.
Buyers are often deciding between capacity and resilience, not simply picking the biggest battery available.
The expansion pack’s main appeal is its lower cost, but it still needs the primary unit in order to work. A second full power station, meanwhile, adds a separate portable system that can run on its own.
If one unit runs into a problem, a second complete system can still keep essential devices powered. It also gives households more flexibility to split loads between rooms, appliances, or even separate locations.
That setup has a downside, though. As some users noted in the thread, operating two inverters can raise standby power use, so the more redundant option is not always the most efficient one.
For many shoppers, backup planning is about avoiding a single point of failure. That can be especially important for anyone depending on stored power for refrigeration, medical equipment, communications, or well pumps.
Outage planning comes down to what absolutely has to stay on, for how long, and whether portability matters. For some homes, a modular add-on may be enough. For others, a second standalone unit may be a better fit.
It is also worth comparing plug-and-play systems with whole-home options before making a purchase, including Pila.
For larger setups, gathering multiple quotes can help clarify whether added storage, a second inverter, or a more integrated home battery system will offer the best value. That kind of comparison can be especially useful when the price gap is only a few hundred dollars, but the practical benefits may be much greater.
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Plug-in solar panels can be sold from today: I live in a flat but won’t be buying them says HELEN CRANE This is Money
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The irrigation system, whose construction is about to begin, will use rainwater, but also surface water from the Sinkevitsa River, the municipality announced on its website.
Rainwater will be collected from the roof of the local theater building. It will pass through a filtration system and then be directed to storage tanks. The system will be supplemented by a facility collecting water from the Sinkevitsa River during periods of high water levels, ensuring enough irrigation even with insufficient rainfall, the municipality explained.
The facilities will be powered by a photovoltaic plant, reducing the system’s carbon footprint to almost zero, it added.
In an interview with BNR Radio Sofia, Gabrovo Mayor Tanya Hristova said the municipality continues to work towards achieving climate neutrality by 2030, combining investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transportation, the circular economy, and waste management, according to the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria.
Gabrovo established Bulgaria’s first citizen-led energy community in 2024, bringing together 73 founding members, including citizens, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and organizations.
The crowdfunding effort raised over BGN 160,000 (around EUR 82,000) to develop a shared photovoltaic installation on a landfill, with a peak capacity of 100 kW. The project has also been selected to receive a EUR 45,000 grant from the European Energy Communities Facility, according to the municipality’s website.
The shared solar plant, with a peak capacity of 100 kW, was built on a landfill
Following the success of the first initiative, Gabrovo has created a second energy community, envisaging a 150 kW rooftop photovoltaic system to power public transportation with clean energy.
Gabrovo is also the first municipality in the country to use an electric bus in public transportation, on the Sofia-Gabrovo intercity line, according to the National Association of Municipalities.
Gabrovo’s second energy community plans a 150 kW rooftop solar plant for public transportation
The Gabrovo municipality, located in central Bulgaria, has a population of about 76,000.
In 2024, the Bulgarian seaside city of Burgas announced plans to set up a citizen energy community with a PV plant on a sports venue roof. It was put into operation in July 2025, featuring 576 solar panels, and was later expanded to 960.
In September 2025, Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, decided to establish its own energy community. It called on individuals and firms to invest in a rooftop solar power plant with 74.8 kW in peak capacity.
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Greece got the green light for its EUR 4.8 billion Social Climate Plan to support vulnerable households, individuals and transportation users in the clean transition, together with micro-enterprises
Thousands of tons of various waste have been illegally buried for years in Gospić. People from all over Croatia are coming to a protest in Zagreb to demand accountability.
Greenland and the EU could deepen cooperation on renewable energy, critical raw materials and digital infrastructure while prioritising local development.
The global average sea surface temperature set a new daily record of 21.1 degrees Celsius on August 22
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Australian renewable energy developer Potentia Energy has completed its 98MW Quorn Park Solar Hybrid project in New South Wales, Australia, combining solar PV with a 20MW/40MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).
The project, located around 10km northwest of Parkes, represents an investment of AU$ 190 million (US$ 136.5 million), according to the firm.
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The company said that Quorn Park is the first hybrid project in Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) to receive approval for a single hybrid generator performance standard (GPS). The facility is expected to generate around 250,000MWh of electricity annually.
Permitted in 2020, construction began in late 2024. Potentia delivered the project alongside engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor Beon Energy Solutions, with inverter manufacturer SMA Australia, module manufacturer LONGi, BYD and solar PV equipment provider Nextpower also involved.
Australian electricity retailer Zen Energy has signed a 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) covering most of the project’s generation. In March 2026, Potentia completed the installation of nearly 161,000 solar modules at the project following six months of construction.
Potentia Energy, a joint venture between Italian clean energy developer Enel Green Power and Japan-headquartered Inpex Corporation, operates over 800MW of renewable energy assets across Australia.
Earlier this year, the developer secured AU$830 million (US$557 million) in portfolio financing from seven banks to support its renewable energy operations and project development in Australia.
The financing covered more than 600MW across six wind, solar and hybrid BESS assets. The syndicate comprised financial institutions Bank of China, BNP Paribas, HSBC, Mizuho Bank, Société Générale, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Westpac Banking Corporation.
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