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Solis Marks India Milestone with First EverCore 1.04 MWh Energy Storage Deployment in Chennai  SolarQuarter
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Michigan homeowner discovers the previous owner leased the solar panels, still owes half the balance, and is now asking him to take over the payments  sg.style.yahoo.com
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Emergency crews remain at the Summerside Sunbank active fire scene as of 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8, as the response continues.
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The City of Summerside’s latest update on the situation is that little has changed since the previous early morning update and the previous evacuation and shelter-in-place notices remain in place.
“At this stage, response efforts are essentially a waiting game while conditions continue to be closely monitored,” said the city’s latest statement. 
The city also said that water and air testing around the site is ongoing. Emergency responders are also working with the battery’s manufacturer to find the best way to fight the fire and contain it. Efforts are also underway to try and keep the fire from spreading to neighbouring batteries.
As a result of the ongoing situation, all Three Oaks family of schools were closed Sept. 8.
Credit Union Place will remain closed until further notice.
The shelter-in-place notice remains in effect. Residents in the immediate area, including Bayview Drive, Seaweed Road and South Drive, as well as anyone in other areas experiencing a noticeable change in air quality, are asked to continue following the previously issued guidance — remain indoors where possible, keep windows and doors closed, turn off ventilation systems that draw outside air into the home and avoid unnecessary travel through areas where smoke is present.
Emergency officials continue to monitor conditions and assess the situation.
While the emergency crews battled the fire, the city established a reception centre at the St. Eleanor’s Community Centre on West Drive. That facility often functions as an emergency shelter, particularly in the winter during weather warnings or blackouts, so it is kept ready to go when need be.

“It’s set up for a shelter, there are mats and blankets here and everything if needed,” said Heather Thomas with the City of Summerside, who was volunteering at the centre during the voluntary evacuation. “Right now, it’s just open if people want information, or want a coffee or a place to sit and charge up their phones or whatever.”

On Sept. 7, the first day of the Sunbank fire, volunteers opened the centre at around 1 p.m. and remained open until 9 p.m. During that time, Thomas said around five people had come in. The morning of Sept. 8, meanwhile, had been quiet. 

As the evacuation was a voluntary one, the centre was not set up to accommodate overnight stays or provide meals.

“(You can) decompress for a minute and figure out if you’ve gotta make long-term or longer arrangements, or more temporary,” said Kevin Bolton, another centre volunteer with the city.

That said, the centre was able to provide what information was available at the time for those who were in need of a place to stay until the fire was extinguished and the evacuation and shelter in place advisories lift.

When the Journal Pioneer stopped by the shelter, the fire was under control but not out, and Thomas said she expected the shelter could remain open Wednesday, Sept. 9, as well.

“When I drove here, I drove up South Drive, and I could see the smoke,” said Thomas. “It’s still actively burning.” 
In a news release from the evening of Sept. 7, Summerside Deputy Mayor Cory Snow provided a timeline of events:
Shortly before 7 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 7, while initial assessments were made, a shelter-in-place was issued for the St. Eleanor’s and South Drive area due to potential hazardous smoke from the fire. Residents in that area were asked to remain indoors, keep windows and doors closed, and turn off ventilation systems that bring outside air into their homes.
At around 1:30 p.m., as conditions continued to be assessed and out of an abundance of caution regarding the potential for hazardous smoke, the city issued a voluntary evacuation notice urging residents within approximately 500 metres of the Solar Farm to evacuate the area.
Summerside Police Services completed door to door notices to all residents and businesses affected by the evacuation radius.
A reception centre was established at the St. Eleanors Community Centre, located at 1 West Dr., for residents who require assistance or a place to go.
“We want to be clear: The voluntary evacuation was and continues to be a precaution related to smoke conditions. The fire itself remains contained. Weather conditions appear favourable for the next 12-24 hours,” said Snow.
Summerside Fire Department, Summerside Police Services and the Provincial Emergency Measures Organization are all involved in the response and continue to monitor the situation closely.
Residents are asked to follow the direction of emergency personnel, avoid the immediate area where possible and continue watching the city’s official channels for updates.
“Thank you to our emergency responders, corresponding staff and to our residents for your patience and co-operation as we continue to manage this situation,” said Snow.
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Africa’s solar panel manufacturing capacity is set to increase to quadruple this year, according to a new report from thinktank Ember.
Ember’s latest report, developed in collaboration with Africa Tech Futures Lab, says solar panel manufacturing output will quadruple as 2 GW of manufacturing plants in Egypt and around 500 MW in Tanzania come online. Panel manufacturing capacity across a further six countries – Morocco, South Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria and Kenya – is expected to reach around 1 GW.
The report points out that data for assessing solar panel manufacturing capacity in Africa is extremely limited, with little publicly-available documentation.
Dave Jones, Ember chief analyst and co-author of the report, told pv magazine that Africa’s large-scale solar manufacturing factories in Egypt, Ethiopia and Tanzania are likely trying to keep a low profile to avoid unwanted attention from the US authorities, who are aiming to reduce solar imports into the country. 
“However, many smaller solar manufacturing plants across Africa are increasing capacity, and although companies are keen to make press announcements, these announcements offer very little detail on manufacturing line capacity and even less on actual manufacturing volume,” he added.
The report adds that the new panel manufacturing capacity in Egypt and Tanzania is predominantly geared toward export to the US, where prices are much higher for Chinese panels due to US tariffs on Chinese goods.
While the other six mentioned countries are geared more towards supporting domestic growth, the report adds that up to 94% of the panels installed in Africa today are still imported from China.
According to data from Ember’s China’s Solar PV Export Explorer, China imported 19 GW of PV cells and 9 GW of PV wafers into Africa in the the 2.5 years to June 2026. Over the same time period, Africa manufactured just 2.7 GW of PV panels.
“We think that, in a small part, this reflects the step-up in African solar manufacturing that will continue into late 2026 and beyond. But we think the majority would not actually be imported into the country, but rather re-shipped most likely to the US,” the report says. “Customs in most African countries do not report imports of cells and wafers, so there is no data there that helps to clarify.”
Upcoming changes to US tariffs, which are set to make imports of PV cells and panels more expensive from December this year, could reduce the ability of African nations to sell cells and panels into the US. The tariff changes follows China’s removal of its 9% export VAT earlier this year.
“This could mean solar panels end up being used domestically,” the report continues. “This would replace Chinese imports and ultimately mean Africa becomes more directly self-sufficient.”
Jones also told pv magazine that Chinese solar panels remain the biggest barrier to building solar supply chains in Africa. 
“[Chinese panels] are extremely high quality and, at $80 or so a panel, fall into the ‘ridiculously cheap’ category,” he explained. “Africa imported just $2.4 billion of solar panels in the last 12 months, so the import bill is not big, and the value-add that countries can achieve will be small, so when countries consider solar, they need to do it in a cheap and long-term way.”
Jones added the complimenting clean technologies justify more urgency in terms of supply chains. The report highlights that Africa is already importing more dollars of batteries than solar panels from China, while Jones said that EVs, grid tech and wind turbines are also rising.
“African countries should be developing an overall cleantech industrial supply chain that seeks to leapfrog the old energy world of ‘import oil and gas, import cars, import power plants’,” Jones said.
Additional headline figures from the report indicate that a record 17 GW of solar will be installed in Africa this year, equivalent to around 100,000 solar panels a day, with a total 36 of Africa’s 54 countries on track to install a record amount of solar in 2026.
The report adds that three quarters of Africa’s solar growth is distributed solar, made up of small-scale customer-side PV systems installed mostly on rooftops. Of the estimated 26 GW of solar added in Africa between 2023 and 2025, the report says distributed solar accounted for 20 GW.
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One of the most common arguments against a new wind or solar farm is that it will drag down nearby home values. A new Indiana study found no evidence that it does.
Researchers at Ball State University analyzed Indiana home sales from 2004 through 2024, comparing prices before and after large wind and solar projects came online. They also compared homes close to the projects with those farther away.
The researchers found no statistically significant negative effect on residential sale prices near either commercial wind turbines or utility-scale solar farms.
That doesn’t mean every home was unaffected. It means there was no widespread, measurable decline across the properties studied – an important distinction the researchers make in the report.
“This research provides Indiana-specific data on an issue that often arises when communities are considering renewable-energy projects,” said Dagney Faulk, director of research at Ball State’s Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER). “Property values are understandably an important consideration for homeowners and local officials. Our analysis allows those discussions to be informed by what we have observed in housing markets around existing wind and solar developments across the state.”
For wind, researchers examined home sales near turbines in three Indiana regions: Northwest, North Central, and East Central. The analysis covered homes within five miles of turbines and found no statistically discernible negative effect on nearby sale prices.
Some models produced positive results, while others produced negative estimates. For example, one East Central model suggested that homes within one mile of a turbine sold for 11.5% less than comparable homes three to five miles away. But the finding wasn’t statistically significant, meaning the researchers couldn’t confidently distinguish it from normal variation in the housing market.
The solar study compared homes within four miles of utility-scale projects. Prices for homes within half a mile were estimated to be between 0.9% and 1.4% lower in one set of models, but once again, those results weren’t statistically significant.
Researchers also looked at project size, rural versus urban locations, proximity to brownfields, and the type of company supplying the power. None of those analyses showed a consistent negative effect on Indiana home prices.
There was one result worth noting: An initial model found that homes near larger solar farms sold for 6.2% less than comparable homes farther away. However, that result didn’t hold up when the researchers ran additional statistical tests, so the report describes it as inconclusive.
Homes within half a mile of solar projects owned by investor-owned utilities actually experienced a 7.9% increase in sale prices after the projects came online. The researchers said that could reflect better project design and maintenance, or the value of additional property tax revenue to the surrounding area, but they didn’t establish a cause.
The study’s longer-term analysis also found no sustained drop in prices after wind turbines or solar farms came online.
“The advantage of looking at many years of actual home-sale data is that we can examine what happened in communities before and after these projects were developed,” said Paul Niekamp, assistant professor of economics at Ball State. “Across the different approaches we used, the overall results do not indicate widespread negative effects on residential property values near solar projects in Indiana.”
The findings don’t prove that an individual property can never lose value because of a nearby renewable energy project. They show that across 20 years of Indiana sales data, any negative effects weren’t widespread enough to be statistically detectable.
The researchers also point out that Indiana’s permitting and siting rules, including setbacks and other measures intended to protect neighboring properties, may help explain the results. In other words, where and how a wind or solar farm is built still matters.
That’s especially relevant in Indiana, where local resistance has increasingly shaped clean energy development. As of September 2025, 40 of the state’s 92 counties had bans or other impediments affecting new wind development, while 24 had restrictions affecting solar, according to research cited in the Ball State brief.
I’d like to see that same study for noisy, water and electric gobbling server / AI farms. I don’t think that would fair quite so well.
The number one issue I could see from solar farms is glare if they are at the wrong angle to you.
For wind, how noisy are those? How far away do you need to be before you don’t hear any mechanical noises. I’m guessing they can also cause a whoosh whoosh type noise from the blades but that would likely be way less intrusive than mechanical whining from the generators. Wind turbines are probably usually sited much further away from homes than solar farms.
The new findings don’t settle every local siting debate. But they do undercut the blanket claim that living near an Indiana wind or solar project automatically makes a home worth less.
Read more: Indiana brought a 150 MW solar farm online, and it’s just the beginning
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September 09, 2026 08:00 ET  | Source: Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc.
THORNTON, Colo., Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (“Ascent” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: ASTI), the leading U.S. innovator in the design and manufacturing of featherweight, flexible thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions, today announced the additions of Tom Bawol as the Company’s new Director of Strategic Sales & Market Development, and LTG. Steve Smith to the Company’s Strategic Advisory Board in the role of Strategic Advisor.
Together, these appointments add decades of military leadership, strategic planning, operational management and business development experience to Ascent as it continues expanding the commercial reach of its thin-film PV technology within the space, defense, unmanned systems and other burgeoning markets.
Bawol joins Ascent after completing over 20 years of service as a leader in the U.S. Army Special Forces. During that time, he developed extensive experience leading complex operations, building partnerships and government, defense and commercial stakeholders. Recently, he expanded his experience in the private sector with roles in energy infrastructure and federal technology sales. His work has given him hands-on experience in identifying government customer requirements and developing strategies to translate emerging market needs into commercial growth opportunities.
In his new role, Bawol will help identify and develop new commercial opportunities for the Company’s thin-film PV technology. He will cultivate strategic relationships with prospective customers and partners to support Ascent’s continued expansion into markets in need of power generation capabilities that thrive in punishing conditions and environments.
LTG. Smith joins Ascent’s Strategic Advisory Board following a distinguished career in the U.S. Army that included senior leadership positions that oversaw large-scale military operations, logistics, technology integration and multinational partnerships. More recently, LTG. Smith served as the Deputy Commanding General of Western Hemisphere Command, where he oversaw approximately 700,000 personnel with a $4.8 billion budget.
At Ascent, his role on the Strategic Advisory Board will involve leveraging his vast experience with military operations, technology adoption and government partnerships to advise Company leadership on strategic opportunities and potential applications for the Company’s thin-film PV technology within its core markets.
“Tom Bawol and LTG. Steve Smith are both proven leaders that bring exceptional experience in relationship development and identifying actionable business development opportunities where our thin-film solar technology can actively address real-world challenges,” said Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies. “Their expertise will play a crucial role in our continued efforts to expand the commercial reach of our thin-film products in space, defense, unmanned systems, marine and other core markets.”
About Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc.
Backed by 40 years of R&D, 15 years of manufacturing experience, numerous awards, and a comprehensive IP and patent portfolio, Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of innovative, high-performance, flexible thin-film solar panels, optimized for use in space, military and defense, and other applications where mass, performance, reliability, and resilience are paramount.
Ascent’s photovoltaic (PV) modules have been deployed on space missions, multiple airborne vehicles, agrivoltaic installations, in industrial/commercial construction as well as an extensive range of consumer goods, revolutionizing the use cases and environments for solar power. Ascent Solar’s research and development center and 5-MW nameplate production facility is in Thornton, Colorado.
To learn more, visit https://www.ascentsolar.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute “forward-looking statements” including statements about the financing transaction, our business strategy, and the potential uses of the proceeds from the transaction. Such statements also include, but are not limited to, statements related to the intended use of proceeds from the offering and the potential exercise of the series warrants. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the company’s actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current assumptions, expectations, and projections about future events. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as “will,” “believes,” “belief,” “expects,” “expect,” “intends,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “plan,” to be uncertain and forward-looking. No information in this press release should be construed as any indication whatsoever of our future revenues, stock price, or results of operations. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recently filed reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q.
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Ascent@FischTankPR.com
THORNTON, Colo., Aug. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. ("Ascent" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: ASTI), the leading U.S. innovator in the design and manufacturing of…
THORNTON, Colo., Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (“Ascent” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: ASTI), the leading U.S. innovator in the design and manufacturing of…

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ICC Sydney is set to become home to what the NSW Government says will be the largest solar farm in a central business district in the Southern Hemisphere, under plans to expand rooftop solar generation across its convention, exhibition and entertainment facilities.
In a news release, the NSW Government said that ICC Sydney would expand its rooftop solar network across the Convention Centre, Exhibition Centre and Entertainment Centre, creating an urban solar farm covering more than 18,400 square metres.
Once installed, the expanded network is expected to generate 2.6 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, which the government said would be enough to power around 300 to 400 average Australian homes for a year.
The additional generation is expected to support ICC Sydney in using 100 per cent renewable electricity through a combination of on-site rooftop solar and renewable energy procurement.
NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said the project demonstrated how existing buildings could be used to increase renewable energy generation in urban areas.
“This is a great example of how we can unlock greater renewable energy generation and use in urban areas and power a vibrant city by taking advantage of building rooftops,” Scully said.
The government said the expanded solar network would reduce ICC Sydney’s emissions by approximately 1,800 to 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. Based on annual solar generation, it said ICC Sydney would become the fourth-largest solar-powered convention centre globally and the largest outside the United States.
Scully said the project could also support the venue’s ability to attract major international events.
“Hosting the largest solar farm of any CBD in the Southern Hemisphere will help the ICC to reduce emissions and energy costs while also strengthening Sydney’s competitiveness in attracting major international conventions and events,” he said.
ICC Sydney chief executive officer Adam Mather-Brown said the investment represented another step in the venue’s sustainability efforts.
“This investment represents another important milestone in ICC Sydney’s sustainability journey and reflects our commitment to leading environmental performance across the global convention and exhibition sector,” Mather-Brown said.
He said the expanded solar network would allow the venue to generate more renewable energy on-site while supporting sustainability objectives for events held at the centre.
The NSW Government said the project would complement its work on Australia’s first urban renewable energy zone in the Illawarra and could provide a business advantage as international event organisers increasingly consider sustainability when selecting venues.
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Air, water testing ongoing as Summerside solar farm fire continues to burn  CBC
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India’s state-run Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has initiated a solicitation for 700MW of solar photovoltaic capacity linked to the interstate transmission system (ISTS), with output designated for an industrial buyer in Odisha.
Through the request for selection (RfS), SECI invites developers to propose solar PV installations under a build-own-operate (BOO) framework. Winners will enter into 25-year power supply contracts with SECI. The generated electricity is earmarked for an export-oriented unit (EOU) operated by a commercial and industrial (C&I) purchaser in Odisha. SECI will function as an intermediary, buying power from the chosen developers and reselling it to the end-user on a matching basis. The tender documentation notes that the names of the purchasing parties will be revealed subsequently.
Projects must be sited within special economic zones (SEZs) or EOU-designated areas across India, with power delivery to the buyer’s EOU facility in Odisha. This structure is designed to allow the ventures to claim an exemption from the country’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), a policy that prioritizes domestically produced solar equipment.
Developers are tasked with arranging land, building the facilities, and securing grid access, in addition to laying the transmission infrastructure from the project site to the point of interconnection or handover. SECI will pick winners via an electronic bidding phase followed by a reverse auction. Each bidder may propose a contracted capacity ranging from a floor of 50MW to a ceiling of 700MW. The tender permits a single project to be split across several locations with distinct delivery points.
Online submissions close on 5 October, while offline offers are due by 7 October 2026. This 700MW tender bolsters India’s push to streamline renewable energy procurement for C&I users, and the SEZ/EOU clause offers a pathway for projects to operate under the existing ALMM waiver rules.
In the preceding month, SECI allocated the entire 1GW capacity from its Round-the-Clock Thermal Mimic (RTC-TM) solicitation to seven parties, with pricing between INR 5.25/kWh and INR 5.26/kWh (US$0.055/kWh). That tender, released in March 2026, aimed for firm and dispatchable renewable energy (FDRE) that mirrors the dependability of conventional thermal power. Five bidders received allocations at INR 5.25/kWh, and two at INR 5.26/kWh.
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Energies Media
A hybrid model combines floating solar power with aquatic food production, accelerating the recovery of the initial investment cost.
Globally, nations are rushing to boost green energy capacity, but certain bottlenecks slow progress.
Onshore, land scarcity is intensifying, encouraging the transition toward ocean-based deployment.
But even the open sea faces competition over space, leading to dual-use infrastructure exploration.
Will combining renewable energy infrastructure with fish farming help maximize resource efficiency?
Historically, the world has competed over a variety of valuable resources.
In some cases, this competition has led to significant conflict, and this is still experienced today.
Precious metals, crude oil, and fresh water remain among highly sought-after resources.
However, fertile land has become fiercely contested, especially as populations expand and climate targets grow more crucial.
Worldwide, agriculture already uses nearly 11.9 billion acres, which is over one-third of Earth’s total land area.
Over recent decades, urbanization has also expanded significantly, leaving few remaining natural habitats.
This limited space onshore complicates the global shift toward renewable energy sources.
Green infrastructure needed to achieve decarbonization goals requires vast tracts of land for development.
International Energy Agency projections indicate that up to 231,661 square miles of land will be needed to triple green capacity.
Consequently, this triggers immense competition and community resistance.
To avoid this, offshore deployment must be prioritized.
Offshore capacity is growing rapidly, as it accelerates global decarbonization and bypasses land constraints.
The open ocean offers vast spaces and powerful, consistent forces like wind and tidal currents.
However, to maximize marine space, a diverse mix of green technologies should be deployed.
While turbines may be standard ocean infrastructure, floating solar panels are emerging as key innovations.
The ocean’s water-cooling effects naturally lower panel temperatures, which increases solar efficiency.
It can also be added to existing wind farms, lowering connection costs and balancing power production.
Unfortunately, the technology faces high initial capital investment costs, slowing global deployment.
It requires marine-grade materials, specialized anchoring, and complex moorings, which leads to immense upfront expenses.
To address this financial barrier, researchers are exploring marine aquavoltaic systems.
A hybrid system was modeled for the coast of Iran’s Caspian Sea to test its economic viability.
The study indicates that this combined concept can pay for itself at a significant rate.
The combination of floating solar power generation and food production can offer distinct benefits.
A simulation study evaluated a 1,300-panel floating solar island with salmon cages.
This dual infrastructure would simultaneously produce clean electricity and food.
The system consists of thin-film solar modules mounted on floating structures directly next to the fish cages.
The salmon benefit from the shade of the structures.
Meanwhile, over 300 megawatt-hours of electricity annually are fed directly into the grid.
The Gomishan region of the Caspian Sea was selected due to ideal conditions for raising Atlantic salmon.
Water temperatures remain below lethal limits, keeping fish stress-free.
Low salinity and chlorophyll levels reduce disease risks.
Furthermore, capital recovery is accelerated by generating dual income from electricity sales and commercial fish yields.
The hybrid model achieved a 42% annual profit margin.
The initial investment cost was recovered in four years.
The study’s findings indicate that combining aquaculture with floating solar power will open new financial doors.
High upfront capital barriers can now become opportunities for profitable dual revenue.
This approach not only addresses land scarcity and food security issues but also makes boosting offshore green capacity more economical.
The next step will be scaling array sizes and improving structural durability for rough marine conditions.
Ultimately, deploying hybrid offshore platforms on the open ocean is key to a sustainable future.
The simulation can be reviewed using Momeni, A., Gorjian, S., Mokhtarzadeh, H., & Ghobadian, B. (2026). Theoretical Modeling and Performance Evaluation of a Marine Aquavoltaic System in the Northern Part of Iran. Results in Engineering, 110075.
Anke Maree is a writer with a clear and engaging editorial style. Her work focuses on making complex topics accessible, informative, and relevant for readers across different areas of interest.
Anke Maree is a writer with a clear and engaging editorial style. Her work focuses on making complex topics accessible, informative, and relevant for readers across different areas of interest.
Anke Maree is a writer with a clear and engaging editorial style. Her work focuses on making complex topics accessible, informative, and relevant for readers across different areas of interest.

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Solarworld Energy, a PV module manufacturer and EPC firm, has formed a joint venture with Rays Power Infra, an EPC company and solar developer, to build a 2.4GW solar PV cell manufacturing facility in Madhya Pradesh, India, as reported by PV Tech. The venture, named Rays Green Energy Manufacturing, will be equally owned by both partners and involves an expected investment of INR5.2 billion (US$55 million). The facility will be located on a 41.3-acre site in Mohasa, Babai, Narmadapuram district, and will focus on producing and selling solar PV cells along with related activities. Rays Green is currently developing the 2.4GW TOPCon cell project at this site, with commercial production targeted for June 2027.
Solarworld Energy had earlier considered investing in its subsidiary Kartik Solarworld to part-finance a 1.2GW TOPCon facility at Pandhurana, Madhya Pradesh, but chose instead to invest in Rays Green for the larger 2.4GW project, subject to compliance with India’s Companies Act, 2013, and SEBI regulations. Rays Green, incorporated in 2022, is involved in manufacturing, design, development, trading, import, export, assembly, and maintenance of renewable energy products, and reported a turnover of INR4.36 billion (US$46 million) in FY2025-26.
Solarworld Energy, headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, has completed over 500MW of solar capacity and has an active pipeline exceeding 900MW, targeting 5GW of operational capacity by 2028. The company also operates a solar module manufacturing facility in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, with an annual production capacity of 1.8GW.
Interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report.
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China Best Solar Street Light Manufacturer: A Deep Dive into ROHS, CB, and IEC62031 Compliance  EIN News
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The New South Wales government has revealed plans to expand the rooftop solar network across Sydney’s International Convention Centre (ICC) at Darling Harbour with more than 4,500 PV panels to be installed on its rooftop.
A 550 kW solar array was installed atop ICC Sydney when it opened almost 10 years ago but the older panels were too heavy to be deployed on certain sections of the rooftop. With lighter panels now available, the centre is working to increase the size of its solar footprint.
Once completed, the 2 MW solar array will encompass more than 18,400 square metres across the Convention Centre, Exhibition Centre and Entertainment Centre rooftops, making ICC Sydney home to what the state government said will be the largest solar farm in any city centre in the Southern Hemisphere.
NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully said based on annual solar generation, ICC Sydney will become the fourth-largest solar-powered convention centre in the world and the largest outside the United States.
“This is a great example of how we can unlock greater renewable energy generation and use in urban areas and power a vibrant city by taking advantage of building rooftops,” he said.
The expanded system is expected to generate about 2.6 GWh of clean energy annually. The extra capacity will enable ICC Sydney to be powered by 100% renewable electricity obtained through a combination of the rooftop solar and renewable energy procurement.
ICC Sydney CEO Adam Mather-Brown said the project marks another important milestone in the centre’s sustainability journey and reinforces its commitment to leading environmental performance across the global business events sector.
“The expanded solar network will allow us to generate significant renewable energy on-site while supporting our clients’ sustainability goals and helping reduce the carbon footprint of events hosted at ICC Sydney,” he said.
Work on the project has already commenced with solar decommissioning, recycling, and repurposing specialist Second Life Solar on site this week to remove the old PV panels.
The company said every panel and major component removed from the site will be individually assessed to determine its highest-value next use. Panels suitable for continued service will be professionally tested and electrically certified for reuse, while panels and materials that have reached the end of their useful life will be directed through accredited recycling partners to recover valuable resources including aluminium, glass and copper.
About 150 of the decommissioned solar panels have already been donated to the Kindly Animal Sanctuary near Armidale, where they are expected to remain functional for an additional 10 to 15 years. 
Second Life Solar founder James McGregor said historically, the panels would have ended up in landfill but projects like ICC Sydney show how Australia’s growing number of ageing solar systems can be responsibly managed through circular economy principles.
“Australia has done an incredible job deploying solar over the past two decades,” he said. “The next challenge is making sure we manage these valuable assets responsibly when they’re upgraded.”
“If a panel is suitable for reuse, let’s find it a second life. If it has reached the end of its
useful life, let’s recover the valuable materials through responsible recycling. That’s
what a circular economy looks like.”
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Projects will not be waved through automatically, either.
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European Union countries may soon have more room to spend public money on clean energy without immediately breaching the bloc’s fiscal rules, a shift that could help speed investments in batteries, building upgrades, and cleaner heating systems through 2028.
According to PV Magazine, the European Commission’s new guidance would let member states apply the defense national escape clause to certain energy security measures from 2026 through 2028.
Under Communication C/2026/4514, governments can use part of the national escape clause’s existing fiscal flexibility for new energy security spending, including efforts meant to cut dependence on fossil fuels.
Only measures approved after Feb. 28, 2026, are eligible. The Commission said it first flagged the policy in the June 3, 2026, European Semester Spring Package and tied the step to “the ongoing conflict in the Middle East,” per PV Magazine.
The new flexibility is still constrained. A country’s allowed deviation from its recommended net spending path stays capped at 1.5% of gross domestic product, while energy security measures within that envelope are limited to 0.3% of GDP in any one year and 0.6% overall.
The range of potentially eligible measures is broad. The Official Journal groups relevant spending under households, businesses, the public sector, transport infrastructure, and the energy sector, with examples including renewables, batteries and other storage, nuclear plants, heat-pump support, EV charging, and building retrofit work.
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The EU is signaling that some clean energy investments can also be treated as strategic safeguards against future shocks.
Use of the policy is not unlimited, the Commission stressed; countries must show that the spending is additional, effective, and fiscally sustainable.
Projects will not be waved through automatically, either. Spending that goes past the stated limits would still be assessed under the EU’s standard fiscal checks.
Member states seeking the added flexibility must provide an initial rundown of the energy security measures they plan to support, along with estimated budget costs. The Commission will then review those requests under Article 26 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1263.
According to PV Magazine, the Commission said, “After assessing a request in accordance with the requirements of Article 26 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1263, the Commission may recommend that the Council approve it.” 
The document also said, “The notice includes an illustrative and non-exhaustive list of potentially eligible measures. The Commission will therefore assess the eligibility of measures on a case-by-case basis.”
This policy change is unfolding alongside broader EU arguments over renewable targets and the real-world economics of the technologies in the Commission’s guidance, especially heat pumps and solar. Faster clean energy investment can affect household budgets, power prices, and even land use well beyond Europe.
• EU governments pushed back crucial plans for a new renewable target over disagreements regarding nuclear power.
• Across most EU countries, heat pumps are cheaper than gas boilers, saving up to €800.
• In northwest Europe, solar sent power prices below zero as a heat dome hit.
• Morocco’s giant solar complex is freeing Europe from some Russian oil and gas dependence.
That helps explain why the EU is framing clean energy spending as both an economic and security issue. The same technologies highlighted in the guidance are already changing utility bills, power markets, and political debates across regions.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually laid the foundation stone for a 110 MW AC (142 MW DC) floating solar project at the Kadana Dam reservoir in Gujarat’s Mahisagar district.
The project will be executed by KPI Green Energy Ltd, part of the Gujarat-based KP Group, for Gujarat State Electricity Corp. Ltd. (GSECL). KPI Green Energy’s scope includes engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the project.
Separately, KP Group company K.P. Energy Ltd has received a Letter of Intent from Emmvee Energy to develop a 42 MW wind-solar hybrid project in Karnataka under the group captive model. The project will comprise 21 MW of wind capacity and 21 MWp of solar capacity and will supply power to Emmvee Energy’s manufacturing facilities in the state.
The Karnataka project marks K.P. Energy’s first order in the state and expands the company’s geographical footprint beyond its traditional markets.
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KPI Green Energy Ltd., part of Gujarat-based KP Group, will develop a 142 MW DC/110 MW AC floating solar project at Kadana Dam in Gujarat’s Mahisagar district. The project will supply clean energy to Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Ltd. (GSECL). Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stone for the project during a program in Vadodara, Gujarat. KPI Green Energy will handle the engineering, procurement, and construction of the project. 
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed an agreement with the Madhya Pradesh government to help develop three renewable energy projects in the state. The projects, to be developed through public-private partnerships, include a solar power and battery energy storage facility in Shajapur. ADB expects the initiative to attract up to $1 billion in private investment and support the state’s clean energy and energy storage goals. 
Indian solar PV manufacturer Alpex Solar will inaugurate its 2.2 GW G12R TOPCon solar cell manufacturing facility in Uttar Pradesh, on September 16, 2026. Located at Kosi Kotwan in Mathura, Alpex describes the facility as the first TOPCon GIGA integrated manufacturing line in Uttar Pradesh. The company’s next planned facility is a 2.5 GW solar wafer and ingot plant, targeted for June 2028, according to the invitation attached to its National Stock Exchange (NSE) filing. Its current module production capacity stands at 2.4 GW, to be expanded to 3.6 GW by 2027. By FY2030, the company plans to have 5 GW of solar glass and 5 GW of wafers and ingots manufacturing capacity. 
The Delhi Cabinet has approved changes to the Delhi Solar Energy Policy 2023 that will allow households using up to 400 units of electricity a month to get rooftop solar systems of up to 3 kW without an upfront payment, according to local news reports. Eligible homes will receive the rooftop solar systems for free, subject to technical feasibility. Such homes will continue to benefit from existing electricity subsidies. The government plans to cover 2.3 lakh households and add 500 MW of rooftop solar capacity by March 2027. 
Tata Power Solaroof has crossed 5 lakh rooftop solar installations across India, completing 519,673 installations as of July 31, 2026, according to the company. It claims to account for 14% market share and aims to achieve 30 lakh installations by 2029. The company says this business segment has facilitated more than INR 8,500 crore in solar financing through a network of over 25 financing partners. 
TaiyangNews 2024

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US manufacturer Inox Solar Americas has signed an 800MW module supply agreement with what it describes as a “leading US renewable energy developer”.
Inox said that it would supply its Vega Series of bifacial passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) modules to two utility-scale solar PV projects, with a respective capacity of 300MW and 500MW, in Colorado and Georgia. These modules are to be built with Galaxion cells and have a conversion efficiency of 21.32%. Inox expects to begin module deliveries next year.
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Both the Vega modules and Galaxion cells were initially developed by Boviet Solar, which is headquartered in Vietnam. Inox Solar, the Indian parent company of Inox Solar Americas, acquired Boviet’s US-based manufacturing facilities in April, and Inox leadership expressed optimism that the new module supply deal means US developers have been able to source modules from a US company [subscription required].
“As the industry places greater emphasis on domestic manufacturing, supply-chain transparency, regulatory compliance, product reliability and long-term bankability, we are well positioned to deliver high-performance PV modules that meet the evolving technical and commercial requirements of large-scale solar projects across the United States,” said Inox Solar Americas president and CEO Ashok Nair.
Nair added that the deal demonstrates the company’s “long-term commitment to the American solar market,” which has seen significant investments made across the manufacturing space in recent years to strengthen the domestic supply chain. Last week, PV Tech Research experts wrote a series of five guest blogs for PV Tech in which they outlined some of the challenges facing the US manufacturing space and how the sector could change to the end of the decade.
Chief among these challenges is the disparity between operational cell and module manufacturing capacity in the US, which, according to head of research Moustafa Ramadan, stands at 77.3GW for modules and just 26.5GW for cells. Inox will look to narrow this gap in the next year, having already announced plans to add a 3GW cell manufacturing facility to the 3GW module manufacturing plant acquired from Boviet Solar earlier this year.
Inox’s module supply deal this week follows a similar deal signed last week, in which Inox agreed to supply 767MW to a US independent power producer (IPP). This deal also included the Vega Series of modules and Galaxion cells, although Inox has not specified if the same companies are involved in both deals.
Ramadan will speak at our annual PV CellTech USA conference in San Francisco on 13-14 October. The event covers the full US solar supply chain, from polysilicon to modules, and will tackle topics including the current policy landscape and the opportunities for US cell manufacturers. For full details and booking, click here.

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Texas cracks down on deceptive solar panel sales. What homeowners should know  Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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As solar penetration rises, project developers are facing tighter grid availability, curtailment, and pressure on project economics, making flexibility and smarter plant design increasingly important. The TaiyangNews Virtual Conference on Solar & Storage Power Plant Developments, taking place on Thursday, September 17, 2026, will bring together developers, EPCs, procurement managers, and technology suppliers to discuss how battery storage, advanced trackers, high-power modules, hybrid generation, and other plant-level technologies are shaping the next generation of utility-scale solar projects.
Alessandro La Ganga, Sales and Application Engineer Team Leader, Utility, at Jinko ESS, will discuss case studies of AC-coupled BESS in utility-scale solar to help build smarter, more flexible solar power plants.
The conference is scheduled from 09:30 to 13:00 CEST. Register for free here.
PV module manufacturer Astronergy served as a core module supplier for China Datang’s 300 MW Yiqing solar-grazing PV project in Basu County, Tibet, supplying 157 MW of its ASTRO N8 n-type TOPCon modules. Located in Chamdo at an elevation of more than 4,400 meters, the project has achieved full-capacity grid-connected operation and is expected to generate an average of 520 million kWh annually.
According to Astronergy, the modules are designed for high-altitude, cold-weather, and grazing applications and can withstand temperatures from -40°C to +85°C. The project uses a customized mounting configuration with a 2 m leading-edge height and a 4 m trailing-edge height, designed to maintain power generation performance while providing sufficient grazing space beneath the PV arrays.
Power equipment manufacturer TBEA has completed production of its independently developed SFFZ-300000/400 large-capacity double-split winding main transformer. Rated at 300 MVA, the 3-phase, oil-immersed, forced-air-cooled transformer features two independent 150 MVA branches on the low-voltage side, allowing simultaneous connection to two 35 kV renewable energy collection systems. This enables separate power supply zones and limits short-circuit currents.
The transformer has an on-load tap-changing range of 400±15×1.25%, covering an operating range of 325 kV to 475 kV. It can continuously regulate voltage under load to respond to large voltage fluctuations associated with renewable power generation and improve grid integration stability.
TBEA said the transformer will serve Masdar’s round-the-clock solar-storage development in Abu Dhabi, described as the world’s first gigascale round-the-clock solar-plus-storage project and the largest combined solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) project announced to date.
Energy China’s Anhui Electric Power Design Institute has won the bid for a 200 MW/1,200 MWh grid-forming standalone energy storage project in Shache County, Kashgar, Xinjiang. The project has been described as southern Xinjiang’s first grid-forming new-type energy storage demonstration project, with 6 hours of continuous discharge capability. It will deploy a 200 MW/1,200 MWh lithium iron phosphate BESS and a 220 kV step-up substation.
The project will use full-capacity grid-forming and long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies, enabling voltage-source operation, black-start capability, rotational inertia, and voltage and frequency regulation. Designed to address the 6-9 hours of surplus solar generation that can occur during the daytime in southern Xinjiang, the system is expected to accommodate an additional 110 million kWh of otherwise-curtailed solar generation annually. It will connect to the Kashgar grid and support high renewable penetration at the region’s clean energy base.
Energy China recently issued a RMB 2.5 billion green, technology-innovation, and climate-themed perpetual corporate bond on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
PV module manufacturers GPSOLAR and Ronma Solar have won the third and fourth packages of the second-phase module procurement for a 1 GW solar-plus-grassland PV project in Manas, Xinjiang. The two packages total 637.36 MW and require monocrystalline bifacial dual-glass n-type modules rated at 720 Wp or above.
Each package covers 318.68 MW. GPSOLAR secured the third package at RMB 0.716/W, while Ronma Solar won the fourth at RMB 0.718/W. The modules will be used for the 1 GW Manas PV project, which has a planned DC-side capacity of 1,069.36 MWp.
PV conductive paste manufacturer Fusion Materials reported revenue of RMB 10.60 billion for the first half of 2026, up 64.75% year-on-year. The company reported a net loss attributable to shareholders of RMB 86.49 million, compared to a profit of RMB 181 million a year earlier, while net profit excluding non-recurring items fell 38.37% to RMB 96.31 million.
Fusion said the sharp revenue increase was mainly driven by higher average silver prices. At the same time, significant volatility in silver prices led to higher inventory write-down provisions and unrealized losses on derivatives positions, while the cancellation of export tax rebates also weighed on profitability.
The company sold 636 metric tons of PV conductive paste during the period, generating RMB 10.398 billion in revenue, equivalent to about 98% of total revenue. Its PV silver paste portfolio covers TOPCon, HJT, and xBC cell technologies. Fusion is also continuing to develop silver-nickel, silver-coated copper, and pure copper pastes as part of its efforts to reduce or eliminate silver use.
For FY2025, Fusion Materials reported revenue of RMB 14.593 billion (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
TaiyangNews 2024

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The White Cliffs Solar Power Station, the first commercially operated solar thermal power station in New South Wales (NSW) and one of the earliest of its kind in the world, has been listed on the State Heritage Register.
Built in 1981, the White Cliffs power station was the first full-scale demonstration of solar thermal technology put to commercial use in NSW. 
Developed through a collaboration between the NSW government and the Australian National University, the system used 14 sun-tracking parabolic dishes to produce power for the remote opal mining town, about 250 kilometres northeast of Broken Hill in the state’s west.
The five-metre dishes were used to concentrate sunlight, heat water and produce steam to drive a single phase 37 KVA alternator. The generator produced up to 25 kW of electricity to power the off-grid community, with some energy stored in batteries for use at night. Electricity from the station supplied the local hospital, school, post office and 12 homes in the remote town. A back-up diesel generator ensured supply during extended cloudy periods. 
The facility was adapted to PV technology in 1997 with the dishes resurfaced with new mirror panels and the thermal absorbers replaced by a cluster of 16 PV cells that were more than 22% efficient in converting solar radiation directly into electricity. The facility continued operating until 2005.
NSW Environement and Heritage said the White Cliff power station had played an important role in proving the effectiveness and practicality of solar energy production beyond the laboratory.
The department said the facility helped prove solar power could reliably supply electricity for everyday use long before renewable energy became an established part of the state’s energy grid, adding that the “lessons learnt from this ambitious engineering innovation have, and continue, to play a key role in the development of renewable energy technologies.”
Heritage NSW Executive Director Sam Kidman said the heritage listing honours what is one of the world’s few intact examples of early solar technology.
“White Cliffs Solar Power Station tells an important story about the ingenuity that helped prove renewable energy could power homes and essential services in remote NSW,” he said.
“This remarkable engineering achievement put solar technology into practical use decades before renewable energy became part of everyday life.”
The White Cliffs Solar Power Station now operates as a tourism attraction and is also used periodically for scientific research.
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The Australian arm of European Energy has announced that all 200,172 solar panels are now in place at the Winton North solar farm and battery energy storage project being built in northeast Victoria.
The facility, being built across a 256-hectare site near the town of Wangaratta, includes a 100 MW solar farm with a 100 MW / 220 MWh battery energy storage system to follow.
European Energy said almost 12,000 panels have been installed at the site each week since mid-April with the project on track to begin operations next year.
“There’s still a little work to do and testing to be completed, but this 131 MW (dc) project is progressing quickly and it won’t be long before it’ll be pumping renewable energy into Victoria’s grid,” the developer said on LinkedIn.
Once operational, the facility is expected to generate 227 GWh of clean energy annually. The project is underpinned by a power purchase agreement (PPA) with United States-headquartered tech company Amazon, which first signed up for the solar output but has since inked an additional PPA for the battery.
The Winton North project forms part of European Energy’s growing Australian portfolio, where the company is developing renewable energy assets that can attract both project debt financing and institutional investment.
“Australia is a strategically important market for European Energy and a core part of our long-term growth ambitions,” European Energy Deputy CEO Jens Peter Zink said.
European Energy currently has a renewable energy pipeline of approximately 10 GW in Australia, with projects at various stages from early investigation through to fully operational.
These include the 58 MW Mokoan Solar Farm that commenced operations in Victoria last year, and a 40 MW / 80 MWh battery energy storage system now being built at the site.
The portfolio also includes the operational 108 MW Lancaster Solar Farm in Victoria and the Bullyard and Kayuga solar and battery projects being developed in Queensland and New South Wales respectively.
Other projects in European Energy’s pipeline include the 1.1 GW Upper Calliope, the 1 GW Sawpit, and the 500 MW Leichardt solar farms in Queensland.
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The Tunisian Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy has approved 309 solar photovoltaic projects, representing a total capacity of 455 MW, under the sixth round of the authorisation scheme (Tunisian Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, 04/09/2026). The selected PV projects comprise 187 plants each rated 1 MW, 119 plants rated 2 MW, and three plants rated 10 MW.
The scheme was introduced to promote electricity generation from renewable energy sources and to enable private investors and industrial operators to develop photovoltaic power plants with capacities ranging from 1 MW to 10 MW. Under this framework, project developers are permitted to sell their entire electricity output to the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG).
Tunisia’s solar capacity increased nearly tenfold between 2020 and 2025, rising from 95 MW to 913 MW and accounting for 13% of total installed capacity, according to Enerdata’s Global Energy & CO₂ data database. The share of solar generation in the electricity mix reached 4% in 2025, compared with less than 1% in 2020.
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Pile uplift resistance can be a significant geotechnical and design constraint for utility-scale solar PV, particularly for driven steel piles supporting fixed-tilt or tracker systems. PV structures have a large exposed area but relatively little dead weight, meaning wind acting on the modules can generate substantial uplift and overturning forces. These loads must be transferred through the mounting structure to relatively small pile foundations. In weak, loose, saturated, disturbed, or highly variable soils, piles may not develop sufficient shaft resistance to meet uplift capacity requirements.
Pile load testing can therefore be particularly valuable for utility-scale PV projects. Static axial tension and pullout tests can establish actual load-displacement behavior, allowing geotechnical and structural engineers to optimize pile lengths rather than relying solely on conservative correlations.
With this in mind, a group of researchers in Iran has developed an interpretable feedforward artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the uplift capacity of solar PV piles.
“The rapid expansion of ground-mounted solar PV installations demands cost-effective, reliable pile foundations that resist wind-induced uplift,” the researchers said. “However, the uplift capacity of driven steel PV piles is difficult to predict, as conventional static formulas poorly capture the coupled effects of installation dynamics and site-specific soil conditions, often yielding over-conservative or unsafe designs.”
The researchers trained and tested the ANN using data from 130 experimental field load tests conducted at a solar plant in Rafsanjan, central Iran. They installed and tested 130 ST52 steel piles, comprising 79 IPE 140, 31 IPE 160, and 20 IPE 180 profiles.
The scientists also drilled 30 nearby boreholes to characterize the soil and used direct shear tests to determine its internal friction angle.
The piles were driven using a hydraulic rig operating at nine to 10 blows per second. The researchers calculated penetration rates from video recordings, reference marks on the piles, and installation times. During uplift testing, they increased the pulling force in 500 kgf increments and measured the resulting pile displacement. They defined uplift capacity as the force recorded at 20 mm of displacement, or the maximum force reached if the pile failed before reaching that threshold.
The researchers then used the results as inputs for the ANN, which was designed to predict pile uplift capacity. The model used four input parameters: pile penetration rate during installation, embedment length (L), soil friction angle, and pile lateral surface area (A).
They trained and evaluated the model using 10-fold cross-validation, while applying dropout and early stopping to prevent overfitting. The ANN achieved a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.778, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.787 tonnes, and a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 7.63%.
“Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) interpretability identified penetration rate (49.8%) and friction angle (47.1%) as the dominant predictors, while geometric parameters (L, A) contributed marginally,” the team said. “Further studies using larger, multi-site datasets and additional soil and installation parameters are required to confirm the generality of these relative contributions.”
The researchers said the trained ANN model, its normalization parameters, and the test dataset will be made available upon request to qualified geotechnical engineers. They also stressed that the model was developed using data from a single location and should therefore be applied cautiously elsewhere.
“Because all experimental data originate from a single sandy site in Rafsanjan, Iran, the model inherently reflects the local soil conditions; consequently, its predictions may not readily generalize to markedly different geological settings, such as clayey, silty, gravelly, or highly layered soils,” they said.
The study, “An interpretable neural network approach for predicting uplift capacity of solar PV piles from installation data,” was published in Results in Engineering. Scientists from Iran’s Islamic Azad University, University of Tehran, and Zaminrun Geotechnical Company participated in the research.
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Martedì, 22 Settembre 2026
11:00 – 12:00 CEST, Roma
Monday, October 26, 2026
10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, September 10, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
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pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand.

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As Summerside works to contain fire at solar farm, this expert says such fires are rare  CBC
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The New South Wales government has revealed plans to expand the rooftop solar network across Sydney’s International Convention Centre (ICC) at Darling Harbour with more than 4,500 PV panels to be installed on its rooftop.
A 550 kW solar array was installed atop ICC Sydney when it opened almost 10 years ago but the older panels were too heavy to be deployed on certain sections of the rooftop. With lighter panels now available, the centre is working to increase the size of its solar footprint.
Once completed, the 2 MW solar array will encompass more than 18,400 square metres across the Convention Centre, Exhibition Centre and Entertainment Centre rooftops, making ICC Sydney home to what the state government said will be the largest solar farm in any city centre in the Southern Hemisphere.
NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully said based on annual solar generation, ICC Sydney will become the fourth-largest solar-powered convention centre in the world and the largest outside the United States.
“This is a great example of how we can unlock greater renewable energy generation and use in urban areas and power a vibrant city by taking advantage of building rooftops,” he said.
The expanded system is expected to generate about 2.6 GWh of clean energy annually. The extra capacity will enable ICC Sydney to be powered by 100% renewable electricity obtained through a combination of the rooftop solar and renewable energy procurement.
ICC Sydney CEO Adam Mather-Brown said the project marks another important milestone in the centre’s sustainability journey and reinforces its commitment to leading environmental performance across the global business events sector.
“The expanded solar network will allow us to generate significant renewable energy on-site while supporting our clients’ sustainability goals and helping reduce the carbon footprint of events hosted at ICC Sydney,” he said.
Work on the project has already commenced with solar decommissioning, recycling, and repurposing specialist Second Life Solar on site this week to remove the old PV panels.
The company said every panel and major component removed from the site will be individually assessed to determine its highest-value next use. Panels suitable for continued service will be professionally tested and electrically certified for reuse, while panels and materials that have reached the end of their useful life will be directed through accredited recycling partners to recover valuable resources including aluminium, glass and copper.
About 150 of the decommissioned solar panels have already been donated to the Kindly Animal Sanctuary near Armidale, where they are expected to remain functional for an additional 10 to 15 years. 
Second Life Solar founder James McGregor said historically, the panels would have ended up in landfill but projects like ICC Sydney show how Australia’s growing number of ageing solar systems can be responsibly managed through circular economy principles.
“Australia has done an incredible job deploying solar over the past two decades,” he said. “The next challenge is making sure we manage these valuable assets responsibly when they’re upgraded.”
“If a panel is suitable for reuse, let’s find it a second life. If it has reached the end of its
useful life, let’s recover the valuable materials through responsible recycling. That’s
what a circular economy looks like.”
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This week on a post-Labor Day Projects Weekly, Encore Renewable Energy and the town of Derry, New Hampshire have breathed new life into a closed and capped city landfill. In Appalachia, MN8 Energy has partnered with Eos and Google for a solar and storage project in West Virginia. The State University of New York’s Oneonta campus is also getting a new solar installation, courtesy of Canadian developer PowerBank Corp., and in Texas, OCI Energy and Arava Power have broken ground on a new project near Houston. Finally in California, the small town of Pescadero is set to construct one of the state’s largest microgrid projects. Keep reading for all the details!

Small California town set to build one of the state’s biggest microgrids

WestLight Energy has completed funding for a community microgrid in the rural town of Pescadero, California, which will total 1.5 MW of solar and an 8 MWh battery system.
WestLight officials say Pescadero has been facing recurring power outages for years, which can be especially disruptive for more rural towns and communities. Construction on Pescadero’s microgrid system will likely begin in mid-2029 and wrap up by mid-2031.
Bright spot: A town of just 595 people as of the 2020 U.S. census, Pescadero is set to receive one of the first community-specific microgrids in the United States. Officials say the northern California ranching town will use the microgrid’s resources to provide energy resilience for nearly the entire town.
“When a community faces a challenge that doesn’t have an obvious solution, local public agencies like WestLight Energy have an opportunity to bring partners together,” says Shawn Marshall, CEO of WestLight Energy. “That’s exactly what happened here. This project shows what’s possible when community organizations, local government, utilities and clean energy partners work toward a common goal.”
Irma Rodriguez Mitton, executive director of Arriba South Coast, will serve as the project’s community liaison once construction is complete. Mitton helped secure a Microgrid Incentive Program grant for $3.5 million for the projecct. She has been in consistent partnership with the town’s residents for a solution to the outages.
“Frequent outages affect every part of daily life for families, businesses, and community services,” said Mitton. “Things like disrupting school learning days and store operations, spoiled food, and closure of community health and social services offices place a huge burden on our residents. We knew we could solve the problem, but we needed really strong, community-minded technical partners to help us.”

Encore completes landfill solar project in New Hampshire

Encore Renewable Energy and the town of Derry, New Hampshire, have cut the ribbon on a 2.25 MW solar project, built on the town’s closed and capped municipal landfill.
Encore representatives expect the project to save Derry’s taxpayers about $4 million in electricity costs over the next 25 years. The project, one of the largest solar installations in the Granite State, will generate enough electricity to offset the power consumption of 500 New Hampshirite houses.
“Landfills like this one are often untapped resources in the clean energy transition,” says Chad Farrell, founder and president of Encore Renewable Energy. “The reality is that landfills such as this one in Derry offer cleared, unshaded land that can’t be used for much else. This site checks every box: sufficient acreage, good sun exposure, and proximity to the electrical infrastructure needed to get that power where it’s needed.”
Bright spot: The project traces all the way back to the Derry NetZero Task Force, which the city says is entirely comprised of local volunteers. The committee selected Encore from a field of seven developers with a bidding process stretching back to 2021.
“Under the leadership of Josh Bourdon, the Derry Town Council set forth an aggressive goal of being net zero by 2025 but with a caveat of saving money for the residents of Derry,” says Jeff Moulton, chair of the Derry NetZero Task Force. “I am pleased to have led a dedicated group of volunteers who were able to put together a design and project that will provide 100% of the town’s electricity needs for the next 25 years, while saving the town $5-10 million over the life of the project.”

MN8 Energy, Google, and Eos install utility-scale project in West Virginia

Solar developer MN8 Energy, battery manufacturer Eos, and AI and tech titan Google have partnered for a utility-scale solar plus storage project in West Virginia.
MN8 will own and operate the 86 MW utility-scale project, with Eos providing 10 MW / 100 MWh of battery support with its zinc-based Z3 models. The company will also provide another 70 MW / 280 MWh through more traditional lithium-ion battery storage. The collaborative effort will dispatch capacity to the grid while serving Google’s data centers in the northern Appalachian region, including the planned project in West Virginia.
“At Google, we’re committed to backing solutions that both serve our data center capacity needs and accelerate progress toward cleaner, more affordable energy systems,” says Lucia Tian, director of advanced energy technologies at Google. “This collaboration with MN8 and Eos aims to deploy a smart portfolio of round-the-clock technology solutions to help power our digital infrastructure, while creating meaningful economic benefits for West Virginia.”
Bright spot: The project will also assist in Google’s efforts to accelerate the commercialization of long-duration energy storage technology, the company says. The digital giant aims to “rapidly bring its potential to communities everywhere” and generate reliable and affordable electricity to support the straining U.S. energy grid.
“This project reflects what MN8 does best: understanding a customer’s unique energy profile and building a solution around it,” said Jon Yoder, President and CEO of MN8 Energy. “Because Google was willing to pair next-generation storage with utility-scale solar, we could engineer proven and emerging technologies into one dispatchable resource – and deliver clean, around-the-clock power where the grid needs it most.”

OCI Energy and Arava Power partners break ground on SunRoper Solar in Houston

OCI Energy, Arava Power, and a group of project development partners have begun construction on SunRoper Solar, a 347 MWdc solar project in southern Texas’s Wharton County.
The team expects the project to begin operations before the end of 2027, officials say, with the site providing electricity to a Fortune 100 company under a long-term power purchase agreement. Once operational, the project will contribute “significant” power generation capacity to the Lone Star State’s ERCOT grid.
“SunRoper demonstrates how strategic partnerships can help meet Texas’ growing demand for electricity through investments in critical energy infrastructure,” says OCI president Sabah Bayatli, President. “Today’s groundbreaking also marks the beginning of an important new chapter for the partnership between OCI Energy and Arava Power and reflects the strength of collaboration across development, financing, construction and energy procurement.”
Bright spot: The project aims to aid the Greater Houston metropolitan area, one of the largest in the country, with its significant power needs. OCI representatives say the area is one of the largest electricity demand centers in the U.S., and that SunRoper will be a major boon to the region’s needs as they continue to spike.
“SunRoper represents another important step in Arava Power’s evolution from a pioneer of Israel’s solar market into a growing international renewable energy platform. Our collaboration with OCI Energy has been instrumental in advancing this project and reflects the kind of strong local partnership that supports our long-term growth in the U.S. market,” says Ilan Zidkony, CEO of Arava Power.

PowerBank receives New York Power Authority contract for SUNY Oneonta project

Canadian solar powerhouse PowerBank Corp. has received a contract by the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta, for the development and subsequent construction of a 1.63 MWdc ground-mounted solar project.
“The construction of this 1.6 MW solar array is an important step forward in SUNY Oneonta’s commitment to decarbonizing our campus and advancing New York State’s ambitious clean-energy goals,” says Lachlan Squair, AVP of facilities management at SUNY Oneonta. “By expanding our on-site renewable energy generation, we are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the sustainability and resilience of our campus, and helping build a cleaner energy future for New York.”
Bright spot: Administered through the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the project will be the first megawatt-scale, on-site solar array at SUNY Oneonta. Once online, PowerBank expects that the site will deliver enough electricity to power about 205 homes annually.
“Winning a competitive solicitation of this kind comes down to execution history,” says PowerBank president and COO Andrew van Doorn. “Our engineers and construction professionals have spent decades building and commissioning complex energy infrastructure across New York State, and we are proud to be delivering the first MW-scale on-site solar array for a campus that has made a central commitment to use of more clean energy generation resources.”

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Cheboygan County is holding a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 9 to discuss a proposed 810-acre solar farm in Grant Township.
The meeting will be held at the Chateau at Black Mountain, Heritage Event Center, located at 10621 Twin Lakes Road, Cheboygan, Michigan.
EDP Renewables is applying to the Michigan Public Service Commission for approval of Northern Waters Solar Park, its proposed 810-acre solar farm, through Public Act 223. The proposed 110-megawatt solar facility would generate enough energy to power more than 30,000 homes and pay over $24 million in local taxes over its 35-year lifetime.
Not all residents are on board.
The international renewable energy company had an approved special use permit from Cheboygan County, but after a lawsuit by a group of nearby landowners, a judge vacated the permit due to unaddressed sections of the county’s ordinance. Some expect to see that pushback continue as the process moves to the state.
“Those of us who are going to have to live with it out here are not happy,” said Deb Buehner, who was part of the lawsuit to overturn the county’s special use permit.
She said she expects a high turnout at the Sept. 9 meeting, citing how the public meetings for the previous process had to be rescheduled three times due to insufficient space for residents who attended.
PA 233 grants the MPSC authority to approve large renewable energy projects, including solar projects that are 50-megawatts or larger, if the local zoning authority does not have a qualifying compatible renewable energy ordinance. That authority, challenged by a group of 79 municipalities, was largely upheld by the Michigan Court of Appeals this summer, but is currently being appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court.
EDP Renewables will use the meeting to present an overview of the project and the process, followed by an opportunity for questions or comments.
“Northern Waters Solar has strong support from participating landowners and continues to move through the permitting process alongside ongoing stakeholder outreach,” said Amy Varghese, EDP Renewables’ head of communications. “As part of EDPR NA’s ongoing commitment to responsible development, we continually evaluate the layout of each project while balancing environmental, engineering, and landowner considerations and this project will ultimately comply with all appropriate standards and regulations of the MPSC.”
Varghese said the project would include planting vegetation appropriate for the local ecology that “can help improve soil health, support pollinators and other wildlife, reduce erosion, and enhance water quality while maintaining the site throughout the life of the project.”
In a fact sheet on its website, EDP Renewables lists the potential benefits of the project, including the creation of hundreds of construction jobs and multiple permanent jobs. It breaks down the estimated tax payments to different local entities. In the first year, Cheboygan Area Schools would receive an estimated $457,009, which would be a two percent increase to the current school year’s budgeted revenues. Cheboygan County would receive an estimated $672,394 to its operating fund in the first year, which would be a five percent increase to the 2026 budget’s revenue.
Buehner said she does not think the tax incentives are worth the project. She is advocating on behalf of her parents, Robert and Betty Johnson, whose property is surrounded on all sides by the proposed project.
“They are 85 and trying to live the rest of their lives peacefully on their property that they chose,” said Buehner.
Buehner said that she is not against solar energy, but believes that this is a land use issue and that industrial projects belong in industrial areas.
That sentiment came up in the county’s recent master plan community survey. Approximately a third of respondents supported the development of wind energy facilities or solar energy facilities, while more than half of the respondents did not support the development of either.
According to a press release from Cheboygan County, the county plans to have representatives at the Sept. 9 meeting “to ensure that local interests and concerns are appropriately represented throughout the state siting and permitting process.” Additionally, the county intends to apply for intervenor funding available under PA 233 to support the county’s participation in the review of the proposed project.
If the Northern Waters Solar Park is approved, construction is targeted to begin in 2028 and commercial operation in 2029.

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A fire at a solar power farm in Summerside has been burning for more than 24 hours  CBC
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The European Union’s solar market continued to grow in the first half of 2026, with at least 33.8 GW of new capacity installed between January and June. The figure represents a 1.9% increase from the 33.2 GW deployed during the same period in 2025, according to SolarPower Europe’s EU Solar Market Update 2026: Mid-Year Analysis.
The result exceeded forecasts published in late 2025 that had pointed to a market contraction, but does not yet indicate a clear acceleration in growth. Demand remained resilient despite worsening market conditions, supported in part by renewed concerns over fossil fuel supplies stemming from the conflict in the Middle East. Higher energy prices and energy security concerns have strengthened the economic case for solar across several EU member states.
Germany and Spain, the EU’s two largest markets, maintained high installation levels, while France, Italy, Poland, Romania, and Greece recorded slight year-on-year growth. Some smaller markets, such as Finland and Latvia, experienced rapid expansion driven by the commissioning of large-scale photovoltaic projects.
Conversely, the Netherlands, Czechia, Belgium, and Hungary fell short of the levels recorded in 2025. The structure of the European market is not expected to change significantly during 2026: utility-scale projects will account for approximately 56% of new capacity, compared to 44% for rooftop installations. Within the latter segment, residential demand weakened in several markets, whereas the commercial and industrial segment demonstrated greater resilience.
Beyond the growth in installed capacity, solar generation is playing an increasingly strategic role in European energy security. In the six months following the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East — starting March 1 — EU solar generation is estimated to have avoided around €30 billion in gas import costs for electricity generation, equivalent to more than €1 billion per week.
Photovoltaics met over 20% of the EU’s electricity demand in May, June, and July, reaching a record 25% in June, when it became the Union’s primary source of electricity generation.
High solar output also helped meet the increased demand for cooling during summer heatwaves. During these months, high river temperatures and low water levels limited the availability of nuclear and hydroelectric power generation.
The association notes that these factors are reshaping the role of photovoltaics within the European electricity system. “In addition to being a key technology for decarbonization, solar power is establishing itself as an energy security asset capable of reducing Europe’s exposure to fossil fuel imports,” explains SolarPower Europe.
However, the growth of photovoltaics is highlighting the limitations of Europe’s electricity infrastructure. Rising renewable energy curtailment, falling solar capture prices, episodes of negative pricing, and increased price spikes during evening hours indicate that grids, storage, and other flexibility mechanisms are not keeping pace with the expansion of solar generation.
“Without a faster rollout of these technologies, Europe risks wasting an increasing share of low-cost solar electricity during the middle of the day and subsequently remaining dependent on expensive fossil-fuel generation when solar output drops,” the report states.
The outlook for 2026 has improved substantially. SolarPower Europe’s central scenario now projects 68.1 GW of new solar capacity in the EU this year, 6.6 GW above its December 2025 forecast and just 2.1% below the revised 2025 record of 69.6 GW.
Uncertainty remains high, however. The association’s low scenario puts new installations at 62 GW, while its high scenario projects 74.1 GW. The final figure will depend on market developments in the second half of the year and potential revisions to preliminary installation data.
Meanwhile, reduced policy support in several member states, growing regulatory uncertainty and grid constraints continue to pose structural risks to market growth.
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Advent Upgrade Solar Inc., Proterial Philippines sign 20-year PPA for first solar PV system in LIMA Estate  BusinessMirror
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Togo Launches Pre-Qualification For Major Solar PV Plant In Agoè-Nyivé  SolarQuarter
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ILOS Energy has issued a response to local concerns about its solar farm proposals near Holsworthy, emphasizing the environmental benefits and scale relative to other projects.
AN ENERGY company which is proposing to install solar panels near Holsworthy has responded to concerns raised locally after a letter was sent to local stakeholders.
ILOS Energy is in the process of developing proposals to put solar panels on 38 hectares of land at Ratherton Farm, near Holsworthy.
It says that if the plans progress and are approved, it would save 5,025 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere and generate enough electricity to power 7,500 average homes.
However, its plans have been met with concern by campaigners trying to stop a different solar project at Holsworthy Beacon.
That proposal by Galileo Empower would see 1,100 hectares of solar panels and battery storage – with this plan from ILOS energy being 3.4 per cent of the size of those proposals.
In the letter to stakeholders, shared with Stop Beacon Solar, ILOS Energy said that the proposed development would consist of rows of photovoltaic solar panels which would have a south facing orientation, typically reaching a height of three metres and starting 0.8 metres above the ground.
They added that they would be supported by mental stanchions piled or screwed to the ground with grass, wildflowers and/or grazing in between. The site would be secured by a deer fence.
A spokesperson for ILOS Energy told the Post its proposals for Ratherton Farm solar were in the early stages of development.
They said: “Ratherton Farm Solar Farm is at a very early stage of development. ILOS New Energy UK Ltd is currently undertaking the technical, environmental and grid studies needed to understand the site’s potential for the site.
“The project remains pre-planning and has not yet passed the Gate 2 grid process, so there is still a considerable amount of work and consultation to be completed before any final proposals are brought forward.”
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Pile uplift resistance can be a significant geotechnical and design constraint for utility-scale solar PV, particularly for driven steel piles supporting fixed-tilt or tracker systems. PV structures have a large exposed area but relatively little dead weight, meaning wind acting on the modules can generate substantial uplift and overturning forces. These loads must be transferred through the mounting structure to relatively small pile foundations. In weak, loose, saturated, disturbed, or highly variable soils, piles may not develop sufficient shaft resistance to meet uplift capacity requirements.
Pile load testing can therefore be particularly valuable for utility-scale PV projects. Static axial tension and pullout tests can establish actual load-displacement behavior, allowing geotechnical and structural engineers to optimize pile lengths rather than relying solely on conservative correlations.
With this in mind, a group of researchers in Iran has developed an interpretable feedforward artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the uplift capacity of solar PV piles.
“The rapid expansion of ground-mounted solar PV installations demands cost-effective, reliable pile foundations that resist wind-induced uplift,” the researchers said. “However, the uplift capacity of driven steel PV piles is difficult to predict, as conventional static formulas poorly capture the coupled effects of installation dynamics and site-specific soil conditions, often yielding over-conservative or unsafe designs.”
The researchers trained and tested the ANN using data from 130 experimental field load tests conducted at a solar plant in Rafsanjan, central Iran. They installed and tested 130 ST52 steel piles, comprising 79 IPE 140, 31 IPE 160, and 20 IPE 180 profiles.
The scientists also drilled 30 nearby boreholes to characterize the soil and used direct shear tests to determine its internal friction angle.
The piles were driven using a hydraulic rig operating at nine to 10 blows per second. The researchers calculated penetration rates from video recordings, reference marks on the piles, and installation times. During uplift testing, they increased the pulling force in 500 kgf increments and measured the resulting pile displacement. They defined uplift capacity as the force recorded at 20 mm of displacement, or the maximum force reached if the pile failed before reaching that threshold.
The researchers then used the results as inputs for the ANN, which was designed to predict pile uplift capacity. The model used four input parameters: pile penetration rate during installation, embedment length (L), soil friction angle, and pile lateral surface area (A).
They trained and evaluated the model using 10-fold cross-validation, while applying dropout and early stopping to prevent overfitting. The ANN achieved a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.778, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.787 tonnes, and a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 7.63%.
“Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) interpretability identified penetration rate (49.8%) and friction angle (47.1%) as the dominant predictors, while geometric parameters (L, A) contributed marginally,” the team said. “Further studies using larger, multi-site datasets and additional soil and installation parameters are required to confirm the generality of these relative contributions.”
The researchers said the trained ANN model, its normalization parameters, and the test dataset will be made available upon request to qualified geotechnical engineers. They also stressed that the model was developed using data from a single location and should therefore be applied cautiously elsewhere.
“Because all experimental data originate from a single sandy site in Rafsanjan, Iran, the model inherently reflects the local soil conditions; consequently, its predictions may not readily generalize to markedly different geological settings, such as clayey, silty, gravelly, or highly layered soils,” they said.
The study, “An interpretable neural network approach for predicting uplift capacity of solar PV piles from installation data,” was published in Results in Engineering. Scientists from Iran’s Islamic Azad University, University of Tehran, and Zaminrun Geotechnical Company participated in the research.
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The Australian arm of European Energy has announced that all 200,172 solar panels are now in place at the Winton North solar farm and battery energy storage project being built in northeast Victoria.
The facility, being built across a 256-hectare site near the town of Wangaratta, includes a 100 MW solar farm with a 100 MW / 220 MWh battery energy storage system to follow.
European Energy said almost 12,000 panels have been installed at the site each week since mid-April with the project on track to begin operations next year.
“There’s still a little work to do and testing to be completed, but this 131 MW (dc) project is progressing quickly and it won’t be long before it’ll be pumping renewable energy into Victoria’s grid,” the developer said on LinkedIn.
Once operational, the facility is expected to generate 227 GWh of clean energy annually. The project is underpinned by a power purchase agreement (PPA) with United States-headquartered tech company Amazon, which first signed up for the solar output but has since inked an additional PPA for the battery.
The Winton North project forms part of European Energy’s growing Australian portfolio, where the company is developing renewable energy assets that can attract both project debt financing and institutional investment.
“Australia is a strategically important market for European Energy and a core part of our long-term growth ambitions,” European Energy Deputy CEO Jens Peter Zink said.
European Energy currently has a renewable energy pipeline of approximately 10 GW in Australia, with projects at various stages from early investigation through to fully operational.
These include the 58 MW Mokoan Solar Farm that commenced operations in Victoria last year, and a 40 MW / 80 MWh battery energy storage system now being built at the site.
The portfolio also includes the operational 108 MW Lancaster Solar Farm in Victoria and the Bullyard and Kayuga solar and battery projects being developed in Queensland and New South Wales respectively.
Other projects in European Energy’s pipeline include the 1.1 GW Upper Calliope, the 1 GW Sawpit, and the 500 MW Leichardt solar farms in Queensland.
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Wednesday
September 09, 2026
Amid the ongoing energy crisis and a strong government push for renewables, industrial conglomerates Walton and PRAN-RFL are establishing local manufacturing units for solar inverters and lithium-ion batteries. Walton is also planning a dedicated solar panel manufacturing facility.
The initiatives aim to reduce import dependency and build an end-to-end domestic solar power supply chain, officials from both business groups told The Business Standard.
Simultaneously, the two groups plan to invest in small, medium, and large-scale solar power projects nationwide under a capex model – supplying equipment while providing operation and maintenance services to public and private sector clients.
According to officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and both conglomerates, the projects gathered momentum following a 1 August meeting with private-sector entrepreneurs, where Prime Minister Tarique Rahman urged businesses to invest heavily in renewable energy.
PRAN-RFL’s manufacturing and generation expansion
Kamal Kamruzzaman, marketing director at PRAN-RFL Group, stated that work has commenced on a $1 million solar inverter manufacturing plant at Palash in Narsingdi.
“The plant is expected to begin production within three to four months, with a capacity to manufacture up to 1,000 inverters monthly in the 1kW-5kW range alongside storage batteries,” Kamruzzaman said. He added that PRAN-RFL plans to establish a second inverter facility in Habiganj with an investment of approximately $4 million.
PRAN-RFL has invested around Tk100 crore in solar energy to date, generating 40MW. It aims to scale generation capacity to 100MW by the end of this year.
“We have aligned our investments to meet 100% of PRAN-RFL Group’s electricity demand from solar power by FY28,” Kamruzzaman noted. By then, the group’s total demand is projected to reach 250MW, with solar generation capacity planned to match or exceed that requirement.
Once local production begins, PRAN-RFL intends to expand its installation and maintenance services for third-party commercial and residential clients, as well as compete for government projects through public tenders.
Walton steps up production capabilities
Walton has commenced setup of a solar inverter manufacturing plant at Chandra, Gazipur. It has also completed a lithium-ion battery plant, which is slated to begin commercial production within a month, according to Md Nazmul Islam, executive director and head of Electrical and Renewable Energy at Walton Group.
Walton currently imports ARC inverters from China as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), branding them locally.
In a written response, Walton confirmed that setting up local lithium-ion battery, solar inverter, and solar panel production facilities is designed to build domestic resilience, lower carbon emissions, and generate industrial employment.
$15m inverter imports annually
In a solar power system, photovoltaic cells in solar panels convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. An inverter converts the DC electricity into alternating current (AC), which can power household appliances and feed surplus electricity into the national grid.
Bangladesh currently has no local solar inverter production. Most inverters are imported from China, Japan and India, with annual imports worth around $15 million. According to the NBR, Bangladesh imported 429.4 tonnes of solar inverters between December and May.
Lithium-ion batteries store electricity generated by solar panels for use when sunlight is unavailable. Systems ranging from household rooftop installations to large solar plants can store daytime generation for use at night or during peak demand.
To encourage local manufacturing, the government has reduced duties on imported raw materials for inverters, batteries and solar panels to 1%. By contrast, commercial imports face duties of around 28% on inverters, 63% on solar panels, and 29% on batteries.
The government has also set a target of generating 4,000MW of solar power by the end of this year and 10,000MW by 2030. It has recently announced a net-metering system under which solar power producers will be able to sell surplus electricity to the national grid at Tk10.50 per unit, including an additional profit incentive.
End-to-end support
Industry stakeholders expect demand for solar panels, inverters and lithium-ion batteries to rise amid power shortage, government incentives, and duty concessions. Although households have installed solar panels for years, limited maintenance and after-sales services have discouraged wider investment.
Walton and PRAN-RFL now plan to offer end-to-end support to individuals and businesses interested in installing solar power systems. Under the model, customers will finance the investment while the companies will install the plants and provide maintenance if contracted. Customers can also maintain the systems themselves.
The groups are also seeking opportunities to build solar power plants for government agencies. They will have to compete through public tenders to secure such projects.
Solar / renewables / PRAN-RFL / Walton / energy crisis
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HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trinasolar, a global leader in smart PV and energy storage solutions, has been selected to supply its Vertex N 730–735W n-type i-TOPCon modules for the 450MWac and 562MWdc Dầu Tiếng 5 Floating Solar and Storage Project in Tây Ninh Province, Vietnam.
Developed by DT5.1 Energy JSC, a member of Xuan Cau Holdings, Dầu Tiếng 5 broke ground on 4 August 2026 and is scheduled to begin commercial operation in December 2027. The project is expected to generate approximately 808GWh of clean electricity annually for Vietnam’s national power system.

Dầu Tiếng 5 also builds on Trinasolar’s experience in floating solar in Vietnam. In 2020, Trinasolar supplied 210 Vertex bifacial modules for the 50.6MW Dầm Trà Ổ floating solar project in Bình Định Province. The latest Dầu Tiếng 5 project extends that experience to a significantly larger utility-scale development using Trinasolar’s n-type i-TOPCon Vertex N technology.
Located in a semi-submerged area of Dầu Tiếng Lake, Dầu Tiếng 5 combines a 562MWdc floating solar array with a humid, water-based operating environment. For this application, Trinasolar’s Vertex N (NEG21C.20) modules provide high power output of 730–735W and a low-voltage design that supports higher string power, helping reduce module count and optimise balance-of-system requirements across the floating solar array. Its bifacial dual-glass design, with bifaciality of 80±5%, enables additional rear-side generation where irradiance reaches the back of the module, supporting higher energy yield from the available project area. The dual-glass construction and independently verified resistance to potential-induced degradation further support long-term reliability under the project’s operating conditions.
“This is one of the first projects to implement the Direct Power Purchase Agreement (DPPA) mechanism. This project brings to life a long-awaited regulatory framework. The mechanism fosters sustainable growth for both power generators and large-scale electricity consumers, while contributing significantly to the development of a competitive electricity market” said the owner representative of DT5.1 Energy JSC.
“Dầu Tiếng 5 reflects the growing scale and ambition of Vietnam’s solar market,” said Elva Wang, Group Director of South, Southeast and Central Asia, Trinasolar Asia Pacific. “Trinasolar has supported floating solar in Vietnam since the Dầm Trà Ổ project in 2020 and has since built further experience across major floating solar projects in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Dầu Tiếng 5 brings that experience to a much larger utility-scale development and reflects the level of supply and project support we can bring to Vietnam as the market continues to grow.”
Dầu Tiếng 5 also highlights the potential for floating solar to support Vietnam’s renewable energy expansion by making use of suitable water and semi-submerged areas for large-scale clean energy generation. Through projects such as Dầu Tiếng 5, Trinasolar is bringing its utility-scale floating solar experience to support the development of this emerging application in Vietnam.
SOURCE Trina Solar Energy Development Pte. Ltd.
Trinasolar, a global leader in smart photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage solutions, has supplied 184,328 Vertex N 695W modules to the 126 MW Sarimay …
Trinasolar, a global leader in smart PV and energy storage solutions, has supplied 200 Trinasolar Vertex S+ 500W (NEG18R.28) solar modules for a new…
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Damage can mar land, fencing, livestock areas, and structures.
Photo Credit: Hill County Emergency Management
Emergency crews in Central Texas contained a 33-acre grass fire after it broke out inside a solar farm complex in Hill County near Hillsboro.
According to Fox 44, county emergency officials said the fire burned 33 acres, prompting a response from multiple agencies.
Additional brush units were requested from Mertens and Peoria, as six nearby fire departments, the Hill County Sheriff’s Office, and county emergency management staff worked the scene.
The fire was fully contained, and officials did not identify a cause.
A fire near energy infrastructure can disrupt power generation, strain local emergency resources, and threaten nearby ranchland and homes.
In Texas and beyond, wildfire conditions intensify when vegetation dries out and wind picks up. Even when a blaze is contained before it reaches buildings, smoke can make it hard to breathe, reduce visibility on roads, and raise safety concerns, especially if flames move toward homes, workplaces, or highways.
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Damage can mar land, fencing, livestock areas, and structures as well as interrupt business operations and create unexpected repair costs.
The response involved firefighters from several jurisdictions, and support vehicles helped crews contain the blaze.
Site maintenance and fire preparedness around large energy facilities includes managing vegetation, maintaining access for emergency vehicles, monitoring equipment, and coordinating response plans with county agencies and local fire departments.
As Fox 44 said, the Hill County Office of Emergency Management first reported that the fire was 75% contained and forward progress had been stopped before saying it was 100% contained and that crews were mopping up.
In Texas and elsewhere, dry grass, extreme heat, and shifting weather can make fires hard to control. These stories show how drought and other patterns are raising wildfire risks.
• In Colorado, experts worried that storms could fan an 86,000-acre wildfire while raising flash flooding concerns.
• In Texas, extreme heat is testing the grid and worsening fire conditions.
• For farmers nationwide, flash droughts pose unprecedented risk as fields dry out with alarming speed.
Heat and dry conditions affect power systems, farms, and communities, raising the stakes for responders.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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When electricity bills nearly tripled, millions of Pakistanis ditched the grid for rooftops—setting off a solar rush that has left the country's power establishment scrambling.
By Science Blog Editorial Team · Edited by Mal James
Published September 8, 2026 · How we edit
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Solar power under Pakistan’s net-metering rules jumped from 190 megawatts in 2020 to roughly 6,978 megawatts by June 2026. An almost 37-fold rise in six years.
On a chart it looks like the dream curve every energy ministry wants to claim but it is worth being clear, early, about what actually caused it.
We are not energy economists or policy advisers, and nothing here is investment or planning advice. This is a piece of reading and reflection on one country’s experience, drawn from official presentations and published analysis. The patterns described are national, not a forecast about any individual household, grid, or market.
A line like that begs for a tidy explanation, and that explanation is usually policy. Somebody designed a clever incentive, the theory goes, and rooftops followed. It is a comfortable read, because it puts a government in charge and turns a messy outcome into a repeatable playbook.
Pakistan introduced national net-metering rules through NEPRA in 2015. Under the original system, electricity a household exported was netted against the electricity it drew from the grid, effectively valuing those units at the consumer’s normal per-unit electricity rate. Any excess could be carried forward or paid out at the applicable off-peak rate. That mattered. But treating it as the engine of the boom gets the cause backwards, and the people closest to the data are the ones saying so.
At a webinar run by the SAARC Energy Centre, Pakistan’s Energy Adviser to the Power Division, Syed Faizan Ali, ran through the causes. His framing was direct: the growth came mostly from the wider economy, not a subsidy. Between 2021 and 2025, the rupee lost about 75 percent of its value while electricity tariffs rose nearly 140 percent. Over the same years, the price of imported solar panels fell by roughly 60 percent.
Those three lines together contain the whole mechanism. Grid power got much more expensive. The hardware to make your own power got much cheaper. No feed-in tariff, no national rooftop scheme, no marketing campaign was needed to close that gap. The numbers closed it.
Jan Rosenow, who leads the energy program at the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute, makes the same point more sharply. He writes that no dedicated subsidy did the work: “No subsidy programme drove it. There was no national rooftop scheme. No feed-in tariff. People just did it.”
Two things get lost when you lead with “190 to nearly 7,000.”
The first is that these are net-metered distributed-solar figures, not a measure of all the solar installed in Pakistan. Large amounts of behind-the-meter and off-grid capacity never appear in the net-metering totals.That makes the escape story stronger, not weaker.
The second, harder point is who gets left holding the bill. When a high-paying customer installs panels and stops buying much grid power, the fixed costs do not vanish. The wires, the transformers, the payments for idle power plants all still have to be paid, and they get spread across everyone still connected. Pakistani distribution companies already lose around 20 percent of power in transmission before any of this. The World Resources Institute describes high-paying customers leaving as collapsing utility revenues while dozens of gigawatts of fossil-fuel plants sit underused.
The people most exposed tend to be the ones who could never afford panels in the first place. The households escaping are, broadly, the ones with money and a roof they own. The households absorbing the shifted cost are, broadly, poorer and stuck on the grid. A story that reads as a green triumph at the national level is also, underneath, a transfer from those who can’t leave to those who can.
In February 2026, NEPRA replaced net metering with net billing for new customers, charging them the applicable retail tariff for electricity drawn from the grid while crediting exports at the lower national average energy purchase price.
Perhaps the wider lesson here is not really about solar. It is about what happens when leaving a shared system becomes cheaper than staying in it.
Pakistan didn’t design its rooftop boom. Its grid became expensive and unreliable enough that leaving was the rational move for anyone who could manage it, and many ran the numbers on their own and reached the same answer. When that gap opens, exit becomes the real policy, whatever the official rules say.
The wires are still there, still need paying for, and the people best able to keep funding them are the ones with the strongest reason to walk away.
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As solar makers squeeze costs, a radical alternative to silver solder could rewire the entire industry.
The photovoltaic industry consumed 186.6 million ounces of silver in 2025 — a 6% decline from 197.5 Moz the year before — according to the World Silver Survey 2026, compiled by Metals Focus for the Silver Institute and reported by PV Magazine. In the same period, researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich were presenting a rather different response to the same cost pressure: a solderless nickel anisotropic conductive tape, roughly 10 µm thick, used to interconnect solar cells at room temperature. In their test modules, the assembly came through 200 thermal cycles down to −40 °C with less than 1% power loss, according to work shown at the Metallization and Interconnection Workshop in Berlin on October 20–21, 2025.
Those two numbers sit at opposite ends of the same problem. One is a market-level accounting of how much silver the module industry still buys every year. The other is a laboratory attempt to change the physics of how a cell gets wired at all — and, by extension, how much metal and how much heat that step demands.
The World Silver Survey’s headline for PV is a contraction, not a collapse. Silver demand from the solar sector fell to 186.6 Moz in 2025 from 197.5 Moz in 2024, and Metals Focus expects a considerably steeper drop ahead: the survey forecasts a further decline of around 19% in 2026, to roughly 151 Moz, per PV Magazine’s reporting of the figures.
The pressure behind that trajectory is not subtle. Silver averaged just over $40 an ounce across 2025 — up around 42% year over year, according to the same survey — while total industrial offtake slipped 3% to 657.4 Moz and the market logged its fifth consecutive annual deficit, at 40.3 Moz. When a critical metallization input reprices that hard, cell makers respond the way they have responded for a decade: thrifting. Finer fingers, narrower busbars, thinner screen-printed pastes, and, increasingly, substitution work aimed at copper or at contact schemes that use less silver per watt in the first place.
The survey frames thrifting and alternative metallization as the industry’s cost-pressure response rather than as a solved problem, and that distinction matters. A 6% decline in ounces does not tell you whether the industry has structurally weaned itself off silver or whether it has simply shipped modules with less paste on them while volumes grew. It does tell you that the material is now a line item that R&D groups across Europe are designing around — including at the interconnection step, which has historically been treated as a solder-and-ribbon commodity operation rather than a materials question.
Conventional stringing joins cells with soldered copper ribbon. That works because crystalline silicon tolerates the localized thermal excursion. It works considerably less well for the cell architectures that the industry is now pushing toward efficiency records.
Silicon heterojunction cells carry thin passivating layers and transparent conductive oxides that degrade under soldering temperatures. Perovskite-silicon tandems are worse: the perovskite absorber itself is thermally sensitive, and the thermal budget of any downstream process step becomes a design constraint on the entire module. That is the motivation stated in the Jülich contribution to MIW 2025, presented by Benedikt Fischer and Yanxin Liu under the title “Room-Temperature Interconnection of Thermally Sensitive Solar Cells Using Electrically Conductive Tape.” If the cell cannot be heated, the interconnect has to be made cold.
An anisotropic conductive tape is a way of doing that. The adhesive conducts in one direction — through its thickness, cell to ribbon — while remaining insulating in the plane, so that particles bridging the joint do not short adjacent contacts. In the Jülich work, the conductive pathway is nickel rather than silver-coated filler, in a film on the order of 10 µm thick, applied and cured without a solder reflow step. The cell is never taken up to soldering temperature.
The materials logic runs in two directions at once. It removes the thermal insult that keeps heterojunction and tandem architectures from being interconnected with standard equipment, and it puts a base metal where the industry has conventionally used silver-bearing or solder-based joining chemistry.
Here the caveats need to be as precise as the numbers. The result reported at MIW 2025 is a test module in a laboratory research line — single-cell scale, not a certified commercial panel, and not a product with a name, a datasheet, or a supply agreement. Less than 1% power loss after 200 thermal cycles to −40 °C is a meaningful early durability signal for a room-temperature joint, because thermal cycling is precisely where a cold-formed adhesive interconnect would be expected to fail: differential expansion between cell, adhesive, and ribbon working the contact loose over repeated excursions. The joint held.
What it does not establish is field lifetime. Standard module qualification runs cycling in combination with damp heat, humidity-freeze, mechanical load, and UV exposure, on full-format laminates, over durations that a workshop presentation does not cover. Nor does the Jülich work claim otherwise.
There is also a mechanical trade-off flagged in the research line itself: the thin nickel tape shows weaker peel and adhesion performance than the thicker alternatives tested alongside it. That is a soft caveat, not a disqualifier — but it is the sort of finding that determines whether a 10 µm film survives lamination, handling, and two decades on a roof, or whether the recipe needs more thickness and therefore more material.
And nothing in the tape work substitutes for the industry-wide thrifting the World Silver Survey is measuring. The 186.6 Moz consumed in 2025, and the roughly 151 Moz Metals Focus projects for 2026, are being driven down by front-side metallization changes at cell level, not by interconnection adhesives in a German research institute. What Jülich has is an early, lab-scale demonstration that a base-metal, room-temperature joint can survive 200 cycles to −40 °C with less than 1% loss — one line of attack on a materials bill the survey shows is still very much unresolved.
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Australia and India have formalised a broadened energy partnership that spans renewable energy deployment, supply chain resilience, critical minerals, rooftop solar training and uranium exports.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed the agreement in Melbourne on 9 July 2026, framing the bilateral relationship around two parallel tracks.
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This includes securing the near-term supply of conventional fuels and accelerating the energy transition through renewables and electrification.
The joint statement acknowledges the prolonged disruption to global energy supply chains stemming from instability in the Middle East. It reaffirms both countries’ commitment to open markets and rules-based trade.
Against that backdrop, it commits Australia and India to strengthening cooperation to maintain a stable supply of coal, diesel, other liquid fuels, and natural gas. India is currently Australia’s fourth-largest source of refined petroleum, while Australia is a longstanding supplier of coal and liquefied natural gas to India.
At the same time, the statement recognises that “increasing electrification of respective energy systems will be a valuable source of energy security into the future,” and welcomes progress under the India–Australia Renewable Energy Partnership, including the opening of a Rooftop Solar Training Academy in Gujarat.
The academy draws on Australian technical expertise to support India’s growing solar installer workforce, a practical expression of a collaboration first formalised in a 2022 letter of intent that committed both countries to reducing the cost of solar PV, battery energy storage and other clean technologies through scaled manufacturing and deployment.
The statement comes at a moment when both countries are implementing renewable energy programmes at scale but are wrestling with the infrastructure and policy conditions needed to sustain deployment.
India added approximately 26GW of solar capacity in the first half of 2026 alone, a 43% increase on the same period in 2025, according to JMK Research, taking cumulative renewable energy installed capacity to around 288GW.
Utility-scale projects accounted for 19GW of those additions. At the same time, the rooftop segment recorded approximately 6.4GW, more than double the figure for H1 2025, driven largely by the government’s PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGY) rooftop solar initiative.
JMK projects India will add around 47GW of solar and wind combined across the full year 2026, keeping it on track toward its target of 500GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
Rooftop solar momentum in India is building, but execution remains uneven, according to analysis from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
More than 3.3 million systems have been installed under PMSGY, adding over 12GW of capacity. Still, by mid-2025, only around 22.7% of the scheme’s 5.8 million applications had been completed, a gap that varies sharply by state.
The Rooftop Solar Training Academy, which opened in Gujarat, India’s leading state for solar capacity additions in H1 2026, sits at the heart of that execution challenge.
In Australia, the scale of the renewable energy task is no less formidable. AEMO’s 2026 Integrated System Plan (ISP) calls for nearly 120GW of utility-scale wind and solar by 2050, roughly five times the current level of around 23GW, and explicitly states that delivery, rather than planning, is now the binding constraint.
Australia needs to build at a sustained pace that has not been achieved in any consecutive five-year period, and the ISP identifies 35GW of short and medium-duration battery storage alongside 5GW of long-duration storage as essential firming infrastructure to make the renewable energy build-out dispatchable.
Meanwhile, investor confidence in Australia’s clean energy sector has deteriorated sharply, according to the Clean Energy Investor Group’s 2026 survey.
Just 8% of respondents believe Australia is on track to meet its 82% renewable energy target by 2030, with 65% saying it will not be met. Transmission buildout delays have become the single largest challenge for investment, surpassing planning approvals.
Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen framed the partnership in terms of mutual commercial interest as much as geopolitics.
“Both our nations understand the importance of practical action on climate, and the significant economic opportunity the energy transition presents,” Bowen said, citing the Rooftop Solar Academy as an example of Australia’s technical expertise meeting India’s installer workforce needs.
The statement also acknowledges the energy security vulnerabilities of Pacific Island Countries and the importance of maintaining energy resource supply to their resilience, a signal that the bilateral energy framework is intended to extend its reach across the region, not solely between the two signatories.

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Global Leading All In One Solar Street Light Manufacturer
Core Advantages of LECUSO s Integrated Technology
Yangzhou, Jiangsu Sep 9, 2026 (Issuewire.com)  – With urban development increasingly favoring sustainable practices, solar lighting has emerged as an integral component of the global energy transition. As municipalities and private sectors seek efficient, cost-effective, and eco-friendly solutions, the demand for high-quality integrated lighting systems has skyrocketed. LECUSO has quickly established itself as the global leader in all-in-one solar street lights, meeting modern outdoor illumination challenges with technological innovation and stringent manufacturing standards. By incorporating advanced photovoltaic modules, high-efficiency LEDs, and intelligent energy management technology into a single unit, the company has revolutionized renewable lighting infrastructure reliability and performance.
Global energy trends are rapidly shifting toward decentralization and carbon neutrality, replacing traditional street lighting, which relies heavily on grid infrastructure and fossil fuels, with autonomous solar solutions. By 2030, solar street lighting market growth is projected to accelerate significantly due to demand for clean energy integration into smart city environments; as such, specialization among manufacturers becomes ever more essential in meeting this challenge.
Yangzhou Lecuso New Energy Co., Ltd. has made an indelible mark in this sector since 2005. Since then, they have focused their research and production of solar-powered lighting systems from within their state-of-the-art 50,000-square-meter facility located in Yangzhou, China –a hub for lighting technology–providing consistent supply to over 200 countries and regions through global distribution channels.
Understanding the All In One Solar Street Light
At the core of the company’s product lineup lies its All In One Solar Street Light. Unlike traditional split-type solar lights, which require separate mounting for panels, batteries, and lamps – which require separate installation – “All In One” solar lights integrate all components in one sleek housing. This integration includes monocrystalline solar cells; LiFePO4 batteries; LED light sources; as well as an intelligent MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) controller – into a single housing.
One of the key offerings in this category is the All-in-One Solar Street Light With Pole, a comprehensive solution that streamlines procurement and installation for project managers. By offering both components synchronized as one system, manufacturers ensure structural integrity and aesthetic consistency of installations. Incorporating high-grade materials like die-cast aluminum with anti-corrosion treatments makes these systems suitable for harsh environmental conditions, from coastal humidity to desert heat.
Core Advantages of LECUSO’s Integrated Technology
LECUSO stands out as a global leader not simply due to volume sales; their technological prowess in every product makes the difference – for instance, their All In One Solar Street Light solution has led to several key breakthroughs that address industry pain points.
Strategic Manufacturing and Quality Assurance
As a global leading all-in-one solar street light manufacturer, the company adheres to stringent quality control standards. Their production processes are certified ISO9001, while products bear CE, ROHS, TÜV, IEC, and SGS certifications – this ensures compliance with international standards that are essential in large municipal projects where safety and longevity must not be compromised.
Manufacturing facilities equipped with automated production lines for solar cells and high-precision CNC machines for light pole fabrication allow brands to keep tight control over all aspects of the product, from raw silicon solar cell production to galvanization of light poles. In addition, OEM and ODM services offer customization according to individual project requirements such as wind resistance ratings or decorative pole designs.
Future Outlook and Industry Leadership
The future of outdoor lighting lies at the intersection of renewable energy and the Internet of Things (IoT). LECUSO is already taking strides toward this vision by designing intelligent solar street lighting systems that can be remotely managed via a central management platform – these provide real-time data on energy consumption, battery health, and lamp status that enable proactive maintenance for further energy savings.
LECUSO(https://www.lecusostreetlight.com/) serves as an invaluable resource for engineers and urban planners seeking reliable information on solar performance and product specifications. As our global community places more importance on green infrastructure initiatives, experienced manufacturers will become even more important.
The development of the All In One Solar Street Light represents an impressive milestone in sustainable technology. Through commitments to quality and integrated design, as well as proactive approaches to research and development, LECUSO has become a trusted partner in the global energy transition – whether providing standalone All In One LED Solar Street Light With Pole or implementing smart lighting networks at large scale in cities worldwide.
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The Pinal County Board of Supervisors present a proclamation to the Casa Grande Rotary Club Wednesday in celebration of the club’s 100th anniversary.
Pinal County Recorder Dana Lewis, from left, and Supervisors Jeff Serdy, Jeffrey McClure, Steve Miller and Rich Vitiello are pictured with stainless steel replicas of some of America’s founding documents, which were donated to the county.

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors present a proclamation to the Casa Grande Rotary Club Wednesday in celebration of the club’s 100th anniversary.
The Pinal County Board of Supervisors present a proclamation to the Casa Grande Rotary Club Wednesday in celebration of the club’s 100th anniversary.
Pinal County Recorder Dana Lewis, from left, and Supervisors Jeff Serdy, Jeffrey McClure, Steve Miller and Rich Vitiello are pictured with stainless steel replicas of some of America’s founding documents, which were donated to the county.
FLORENCE — Eloy Valley Energy Center III, a 1,263-acre solar energy complex south of Eloy, was approved on Sept. 2 by the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.
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ELOY — An event bringing the hearts and minds of people together to recognize and celebrate Hispanic heritage has become a decades-long tradition in Eloy. Read moreFiestas Patrias celebrates 75 years of honoring Hispanic culture
SAN TAN VALLEY — The San Tan Valley Town Council held a regular meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 2, the first meeting since Aug. 5. With such a long time between meetings, there was plenty for the … Read moreSTV Town Manager offers insight on Flock cameras within town limits
FLORENCE — Eloy Valley Energy Center III, a 1,263-acre solar energy complex south of Eloy, was approved on Sept. 2 by the Pinal County Board of Supervisors. Read moreSolar energy complex OK’d south of Eloy
FLORENCE — Vice Mayor Nicole Buccellato was named Outstanding Elected Official of the Year by the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association. Read moreVice mayor wins statewide award for parks, Hunt Highway widening in the works
FLORENCE — The town has a new ordinance pertaining to the use of electric bicycles, or e-bikes, and stand-up scooters, following the Town Council’s approval on Sept. 1. Read moreNew ordinance governs e-bikes, scooters
CASA GRANDE — The colorful character depictions, bold lettering and dramatic artwork panels of illustrator and designer Alex Jay will be on display at the Casa Grande Art Museum beginning Oct. 9. Read moreComic book artist to be featured at Casa Grande Art Museum
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Texas crews contain 33-acre grass fire after it ignites inside Hill County solar farm  Yahoo
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Rocket Lab Introduces New Solar Cell — Can RKLB Tackle Supply Chain Constraints In The Space Power Industry?  Yahoo Finance
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