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GreenYellow has commissioned a 700 kWp photovoltaic plant for Dupol Next in Zanica, Italy, under a 20-year self-consumption contract fully financed by the company.
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Valenciaport is moving forward with the installation of vertical solar panels on the breakwater of the northern expansion of the Port of Valencia, an initiative that is part of the European project RENEWPORT – Harnessing RENEWable energy potential for the clean energy transition of MED PORTS. This initiative aims to promote the clean energy transition of Mediterranean ports.
The contract has been awarded to Pavener Servicios Energéticos S.L. for a total of 169,314.55 euros, and the installation is expected to be completed and operational by September 2026. The work includes the installation of solar panels and the placement of the project’s official signage, in accordance with the communication requirements established for projects co-financed by the European Union.
This project began in January 2024 and is 80% co-financed by the European Unionthrough the INTERREG EURO-MED program, under the Greener MED initiative. Its aim is to reduce the carbon footprint of Mediterranean ports by identifying, demonstrating, and validating innovative solutions based on renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy.
Renewable Energy in a Real-World Port Environment
The installation of this vertical solar plant marks a new step in Valenciaport’s strategy to move toward a more sustainable, efficient, and carbon-free port model. Through projects such as RENEWPORT, the Port Authority of Valencia (APV) is strengthening its role as a demonstration site for clean technologies, capable of generating useful knowledge and replicable solutions for other ports in the Mediterranean and across Europe.
The project aims not only to implement new sources of renewable energy but also to assess their technical, economic, and environmental viability in real-world port infrastructure. In this way, RENEWPORT helps transform ports into more sustainable and resilient energy hubs, in line with European goals for the energy transition, the fight against climate change, and the circular economy.
Collaboration to accelerate decarbonization
In addition to installing renewable energy solutions, RENEWPORT promotes knowledge transfer and collaboration among port authorities, operators, energy companies, research centres, and other stakeholders in the port ecosystem. This cooperation is key to accelerating the decarbonization of the maritime-port sector and ensuring that the solutions developed can be adapted and implemented in other locations. With milestones such as the installation of these vertical solar panels, Valenciaport continues to make progress in identifying innovative solutions and demonstrating clean technologies in a real-world operational setting. This initiative reinforces the APV’s commitment to sustainability, energy efficiency, and the gradual reduction of its facilities’ carbon footprint.
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What often gets overlooked are the innovations underway where the power grid ends. It costs power utilities a lot to keep these towns connected to the grid. But the plunging costs of renewables and storage mean it’s increasingly possible to do things differently. It makes sense for towns, remote communities and mine sites to produce more of their own power – and eventually, cut the link to the grid entirely.
Western Australia – a state larger than western Europe – is at the forefront of these changes. Because it’s not connected to the national power grid, it has long gone its own way on power. Now, utilities are rethinking whether the state’s huge grid is necessary. Over 15,000 kilometres of overhead line have been decommissioned in recent years.
Life at the end of the grid isn’t easy
For the residents of small towns in outback Western Australia, remote First Nations communities in the Northern Territory or a mine site in the middle of the WA Goldfields, power isn’t something to take for granted.
For decades, these places have had to make do with an often unreliable trickle of electricity transmitted along very long, ageing wires. These can be battered by storms, coated in salt and sand, and regularly knocked out .
For instance, the small outback Queensland town of Thargomindah had 20 unplanned blackouts in the three months to February 2024 – more than one a week.
This is a common problem for communities at the edge of the grid. Electricity is often less reliable and more expensive . Transmitting power thousands of kilometres from where it is produced means up to 35% is lost along the way.
Many remote communities rely on diesel generators, either as a backup or permanently. Because these rely on expensive fuel trucked in, residents can end up paying much more for electricity than people in cities.
Three ways to power the end of the grid
For a long time, there was no real alternative to generators and unreliable power. Now there are several.
The three most advanced options are standalone power systems, renewable microgrids and community batteries. All represent a shift away from grid dependence, though they differ in the degree. Standalone systems operate without the grid, microgrids can work with or without it and community batteries remain connected to the network.
Why is Western Australia leading the way?
WA has two electricity grids – one in the southwest, where most people live, and another in the northwest mining hub. It also has 38 microgrids . Authorities want to have 1,000 standalone power systems dotting the state by 2030 .
Here are some examples of what’s being tested at the edge of the grid.
The town of Kalbarri sits at the end of a notoriously unreliable 130km power line from Geraldton, regularly lashed by storms. This is why it was chosen to host the state’s standout example of what’s possible – a 5 MW microgrid .
It combines local wind, rooftop solar and batteries and detects faults in milliseconds, switching to island mode so smoothly that residents may not even notice. It’s expected to eliminate 80 per cent of the town’s previous outages.
In towns such as Esperance, Exmouth and Carnarvon, 10 community batteries are being installed , while the gold mining hub of Kalgoorlie will soon host a large 50 MW battery.
Mining companies are looking to these methods to lower operating costs and cut emissions. The Agnew Gold Mine now gets 50-60% of its electricity from wind, solar and batteries with 99.99% reliability, which is essential for a mining operation.
Remote First Nations communities such as Blackstone are also looking to microgrids combining solar, batteries and a diesel backup. Reliable electricity is vital for family homes and healthcare.
From the edge of the grid to cutting edge
The innovation at the edge of the grid isn’t just vital for remote residents.
These real world trials of microgrids, batteries, smart software and standalone power systems will feed into how we manage bigger energy grids and make the best use of renewables and storage.
Authors: Asma Aziz, Senior Lecturer in Power Engineering, Edith Cowan University; Yasir Arafat, Senior Research Engineer in Electric Vehicle Batteries and Battery Storage, Edith Cowan University
This article was initially published in The Conversation and is republished here under a Creative Commons Licence.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those held by pv magazine.
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With less of the panel’s active area blocked, more of the module can be used to produce electricity.
Photo Credit: Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems has reached a new efficiency milestone. Its III-V germanium solar module achieved 34.4%, a step forward for a technology that could eventually squeeze more electricity and value from each panel.
According to CleanTechnica, this comes only a few months after Fraunhofer ISE set its previous mark of 34.2% earlier in 2026.
In announcing the result, Fraunhofer ISE credited partner companies involved in the module.
“The solar cells were developed by AZUR SPACE, while the anti-reflective coatings on the front glass were provided by temicon,” the company said in a news release.
The record was set with a III-V germanium solar PV module.
Unlike the 833-square-centimeter module that set the team’s earlier 2026 record, the new version uses shingled-matrix technology. That approach relies on narrow, overlapping solar-cell strips bonded with conductive adhesive instead of the usual soldered copper ribbons.
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With less of the panel’s active area blocked, more of the module can be used to produce electricity.
Fraunhofer ISE explained: “This architecture enables direct cell-to-cell contact, thereby eliminating the need for traditional solder-coated copper ribbons. The key advantage: By eliminating cell interconnects, no active cell area is shaded. The resulting exceptionally high area utilization was a key factor in achieving the record efficiency.”
Higher-efficiency solar modules can produce more electricity from the same amount of roof, land, or building space. That could be especially valuable in cities, on commercial rooftops, and in other space-limited settings where every square foot matters.
Advancements like this can help lower the cost of clean energy, cut pollution from dirty power sources, and improve air quality.
If you want to make the switch to solar, EnergySage can help save you up to $10,000 on your install and connect you with trusted local installers. If buying panels isn’t in your budget, Palmetto’s LightReach leasing program can lower your utility rate by up to 20% and has deals starting at $0 down. 
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Can large-scale photovoltaic plants offer attractive long-term electricity deals to industrial consumers whose load profiles fluctuate by tens of megawatts within minutes? The Applied Systems Engineering division of the Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation (Fraunhofer IOSB-AST) examined this question in an analysis for German steel manufacturer Stahlwerke Thüringen GmbH (SWT). The study aimed to identify the threshold price at which sourcing solar power via a long-term “pay-as-produced” power purchase agreement (PPA) becomes economically viable for an energy-intensive operator.
IOSB-AST points to volatile spot market prices, geopolitical uncertainty, and regulatory shifts as key factors complicating long-term cost planning for energy-intensive industries. In this context, long-term PPAs with renewable generators are seen as a “promising approach,” enabling predictable procurement costs over terms of 15 years or more and partially insulating industrial consumers from short-term price fluctuations.
However, aligning such contracts with the operational reality of a steelworks remains challenging. SWT’s load profile can vary by up to 60 MW within minutes, meaning a single 15-minute settlement interval may include both electricity consumption and feed-in. At the same time, long-term market uncertainty adds further complexity. According to Steffi Naumann, group leader at Fraunhofer IOSB-AST, this requires “a high-resolution, scenario-based methodology” to determine a reliable threshold price.
To capture short-term variability, photovoltaic generation was simulated at one-minute resolution. Standard global solar radiation datasets, typically available only at coarser intervals, were insufficient. While some large-scale projects rely on on-site irradiance measurements over extended periods, IOSB-AST instead used data from a remote solar radiation observatory. The institute derived minute-level stochastic patterns from 10-minute measurements and applied them to local weather conditions, enabling “realistic interpolation and robust simulation of actual feed-in profiles,” it said.
A sensitivity analysis was then carried out jointly with SWT across multiple scenarios, weighted by probability of occurrence. Depending on the assumptions, the marginal cost threshold for project viability ranged from €20 ($23.2)/MWh to €70/MWh (€0.02–0.07/kWh). IOSB-AST did not disclose the final threshold price determined for SWT.
The analysis identified negative electricity prices as the key economic risk for the steel producer. This could be mitigated through contractual provisions allowing photovoltaic curtailment without compensation during negative price periods.
For SWT, battery storage is considered a potentially viable option—assuming continued spot market volatility—though primarily for arbitrage rather than increasing solar self-consumption. From this perspective, storage operates independently of the PPA structure.
Stahlwerk Thüringen produces structural steel using an electric arc furnace route followed by hot rolling. The company aims to achieve climate-neutral steel production by 2040 and to increase the share of renewable energy in its operations.

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Gonvarri Solar Steel, a global company specialized in the design and supply of solar trackers and fixed structures for photovoltaic projects, introduces the new evolution of its TracSmarT+1P solar tracker, a solution developed to directly address the key needs identified in collaboration with major industry stakeholders, including EPC contractors, developers, and on-site construction teams.
This new version introduces a significant transformation in the tracker’s structural design, highlighted by the adoption of an octagonal torque tube geometry. This evolution represents an intermediate step between the circular and square configurations historically used by the company, leveraging Gonvarri’s expertise in steel transformation to enhance both structural behavior and manufacturing and assembly processes.
The system redesign incorporates a high percentage of pre-assembled components within the bill of materials, significantly optimizing installation times—with reductions of more than a 35%—and improving on-site logistics management, including material handling, storage, and spare parts availability. In addition, tube-to-tube connections are eliminated through the introduction of a torque tube swaging solution, reducing the total number of components and simplifying system assembly.
From a mechanical design perspective, the new TracSmarT+1P enables a relevant optimization of plant layout configuration. The system significantly reduces the number of piles, while expanding the operational range of row length and strings in multiple configurations. This evolution contributes to a direct reduction in mechanical costs both during the investment phase (CAPEX) and throughout long-term operations and maintenance.
The system maintains a high degree of terrain adaptability through the integration of SmarTSlope by Solar Steel technology, enabling the management of slopes greater than 1º between piles. This capability significantly reduces the need for earthworks and, in certain cases, can eliminate them within the layout design, improving the technical and economic feasibility of projects in complex terrains.
In terms of energy performance, the tracker can be integrated with Solar Steel’s TracBoost ecosystem, which includes certified proprietary backtracking technologies capable of improving annual plant production by up to 8%. It also incorporates the SmarTHail feature, designed to minimize component damage under adverse weather conditions such as hail.
The TracSmarT+1P is also designed to meet the growing demands of agrivoltaic applications, offering elevated configurations with up to 2.1 meters of ground clearance. This feature, combined with its proprietary tracking control system, enables the optimization of both agricultural and photovoltaic operations through advanced adjustments such as inter-tracker angle limitations and improved maintenance operations.
Designed for global deployment, the system offers strong applicability across regions such as EMEA, LATAM, and India, adapting to the specific requirements of each market. Its configuration flexibility enables deployment across diverse environments, from irregular terrains in Europe to agrivoltaic projects in countries such as Italy, France, and Germany, as well as installations in demanding conditions such as desert areas or corrosive coastal environments, where Gonvarri Solar Steel’s expertise in steel treatment plays a critical role.
The new TracSmarT+1P evolution will be officially presented at Intersolar Europe, where Gonvarri Solar Steel will showcase a scale model of the system at booth A6.370, offering a detailed view of its innovations and previewing additional developments currently in progress.
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Principality Stadium switches on UK’s largest sports venue solar installation  Energy Live News
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The French renewable energy company Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR) manages a number of large solar plants in the Rhône Valley region of France. CNR also played host to a 2023 research project by Barré et al. of the University of Luxembourg, during which it was found that the solar panel plants were having an unexpected effect on bat behavior.
Some conservationists use GPS tech to save the environment by tracking tagged wildlife, but Kévin Barré and his team observed the bats in this study via acoustic monitoring with a microphone array. They recorded 15,273 three-dimensional bat positions, which enabled them to determine that the majority of bats flew up to 44% faster and 33% straighter in response to the solar arrays. This increase in expeditious flying translated directly into a decrease of up to 39% in feeding behavior for bats in the Rhône Valley testing area.
According to a research article by P. A. Flemings of Australia’s Murdoch University (via Science Direct), solar panels act as “acoustic mirrors” for echolocation-reliant animals in the same way that bodies of water do. Assuming that bats are confusing solar plants for large lakes, it would explain why they treat them as places to fly over quickly rather than stop and feed. Moreover, the BBC reports that solar farms have contributed to a decrease in the U.K.’s population of bats, birds, and insects. It’s a vicious cycle: fewer insects mean less food for insectivorous bats, which in turn harms the bat population even further.
The Global Solar Council asserts that solar energy provides significant benefits for the power grid and reduces the overall cost of electricity. There are also documented instances of solar panels directly helping the environment; China’s largest solar farm is creating fertile soil in the desert, to name one example. But are these benefits enough to outweigh the potential harm to animals living in those environments? Is there something that can be done to mitigate damage to local wildlife?
The answer likely lies in being prudent about how and where governments allow companies to place their solar farms. The CNR solar plants in France may have caused unexpected effects on bat behavior, but a 2025 study at an ecovoltaic solar energy development in the Midwestern United States showed that weekly bat activity near the ecovoltaic sites increased by approximately 50% during the monitoring period.
The aforementioned study suggests that solar developments can be planned with certain siting and management configurations that are actually beneficial to at-risk animal populations. This supports the idea that solar farms on degraded land can have a positive effect on local wildlife. When solar developments move forward without being thoughtful toward nature, though, it’s up to communities to take a stand. One Senedd petition to “Halt Significant Developments on the Gwent Levels SSSI” received over 6,000 signatures from people all across Wales, serving as an inspiring example of community action.

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Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), a leading developer of sustainable energy solutions, and part of Jameel Energy, is expanding its portfolio of battery energy storage systems, photovoltaic plants and hybrid projects in Germany.  The company has secured 2.3 GW of grid capacity for projects across the country, creating a clear development path towards Ready-to-Build milestones between 2026 and 2029.

The announcement of 2.3 GW secured grid capacity comes at a time when grid access has become a decisive factor for large-scale renewable energy and storage projects in Germany.  Spread across several regions, these projects are key to the country’s renewable build-out, grid development and industrial electricity demand.  The German portfolio is part of FRV’s broader international development pipeline including photovoltaic, battery energy storage, hybrid, green hydrogen projects and data centers.  Globally, the Spain-headquartered group operates more than 2.9 GW of assets, with a further 1.0 GW currently under construction and an international project pipeline of 29 GW.
“Germany needs more renewable generation, but more importantly renewable energy must be integrated more efficiently into the power system and at fair price,” said Amós Guillén, Managing Director of FRV Germany. “With 2.3 GW of secured transmission grid capacity, we are building a portfolio which combines storage, PV and hybrid solutions with a clear route to Ready-to-Build status. Our focus is on projects that add flexibility, make better use of grid infrastructure and support the next phase of Germany’s energy transition.”
The battery storage projects are designed for a two- or four-hour discharge duration, allowing them to store electricity during periods of high renewable generation and feed it back into the system when demand is higher and clean energy is lacking in the system.  This flexibility helps to make better use of existing grid infrastructure and supports the integration of additional renewable energy, the core business of FRV.
In Brandenburg, the company is developing four projects including three battery storage facilities and one hybrid project.  The portfolio includes one battery energy storage project, with 750 MW, which is currently close to building approval. Ready-to-Build status for the Brandenburg portfolio is expected between 2026 and 2028.
In Lower Saxony, FRV is developing five projects with a total planned capacity of almost 700 MW, including one battery energy storage system, one photovoltaic plant and three hybrid projects.  Key projects include a battery energy storage system, with 600 MW, which is facing already the B-Plan phase, and a  photovoltaic project, with 13.8 MW.  The projects are expected to reach Ready-to-Build status between Q4 2026 and Q1 2028.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, FRV is developing three additional projects with an estimated total capacity of over 900 MW, subject to final construction permits.  The portfolio includes two hybrid projects and one battery energy storage facility.  One of the key projects is a battery energy storage system, with 900 MW and 3,600 MWh, Ready-to-Build status for the North Rhine-Westphalia portfolio is expected between late 2027 and Q1 2029.
Beyond the 2.3 GW portfolio with secured transmission grid capacity, FRV is developing a further pipeline in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein.  The company will now advance the projects through permitting, technical design and preparation for construction.  FRV’s German activities are supported by the company’s international project development and delivery experience, including more than 50 plants across four continents and eight countries.
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FRV strengthens German PV and battery storage pipeline with 2.3 GW of grid capacity secured
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A new low-cost handheld device that tests the quality and safety of milk is being developed by the Abdul Latif Jameel World Water and Food Security Lab (J-WAFS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
MIT mechanical engineering PhD candidate visited milk collection centers in Maharashtra, India, and discussed collection practices with dairy farmers and center operators during a 2017 research trip.  J-WAFS-funded technology being developed by Jain in mechanical engineering professor Sanjay Sarma’s MIT lab will allow users at village-level milk collection centers like the one pictured to easily test milk for quality and nutritional consistency on site. 
Image courtesy of Pranay Jain

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, has been awarded a 55 MWac solar project in Armenia that will power more than 21,400 homes in Armenia with clean energy.
Tristan Higuero, COO East, meets Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan.
FRV continues to strengthen its portfolio in Italy with the development of more than 2,900 MW (11,000 MWh) of battery energy storage systems (BESS), which are expected to reach “Ready to Build” st …
Aguas Esperanza, the joint venture between Almar Water Solutions, part of Jameel Environmental Services,  and Transelec, has successfully commenced operations of the SIAM II pipeline confirming the s …
FRV, a leading developer of sustainable energy solutions, and part of Jameel Energy, continues to strengthen its portfolio in Spain with the development of more than 1,200 megawatts (5,000 MWh) of bat …
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The European Investment Bank (EIB) has completed its financing for the Kelme wind farm in Lithuania – the largest operating wind site in the Baltic region – with an additional loan of €150 million to Ignitis Group.
The new financing brings the EIB’s total support for the project to €250 million, representing almost half of a €550 million flagship investment that is reshaping Lithuania’s energy landscape. The EIB last year provided an initial loan of €100 million for the Kelme wind farm.
“Our support highlights how strategic investments in renewable energy can deliver both energy security and economic resilience for Lithuania,” said EIB Vice President, Karl Nehammer. “Projects like this help ensure stable, affordable and domestically produced electricity for the future.”
With an installed capacity of 314 MW, the Kelme wind farm, developed by Ignitis Renewables, reached full commercial operation in June 2025. It generates enough electricity to power 250 000 Lithuanian households and has significantly increased the country’s domestic renewable electricity generation, strengthening energy security and reducing reliance on energy imports.
“The additional EIB financing reflects continued confidence in Ignitis Group’s strategy and our long-term partnership with the European Investment Bank. Access to capital at this scale is essential to expand domestic green generation and strengthen the regional energy system,” added Ignitis Group Chief Financial Officer, Jonas Rimavicius. “It also highlights the role of long-term partnerships with international financial institutions as a key enabler in delivering a secure and green energy ecosystem across the Baltic region.”
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50,000 photovoltaic panels installed in Portugal city  The Portugal News
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Corporate funding, public market financing, and debt investments in the global solar sector experienced 131% year-over-year growth to open the first quarter of 2026, said Mercom Capital Group.
The $11.1 billion raised across 53 deals represents a substantial volume growth from the $4.8 billion secured across 39 deals in the first quarter of 2025.
Global venture capital funding for the solar sector reached $1.1 billion across 17 deals in Q1 2026, down 21% compared to the $1.4 billion raised over 14 deals in the year-ago period. However, VC funding increased 74% quarter-over-quarter compared to the $606 million raised across 20 deals in Q4 2025.
Solar downstream companies accounted for $543 million across 10 deals this quarter, down from $1.3 billion in 12 deals in Q1 2025. The largest VC deals over the period were $343 million raised by Inox Clean Energy, $165 million raised by Clean Max Enviro Energy Solutions, and $150 million raised by Amarenco. Grew Solar and Radiance Renewables also secured significant rounds of $118 million and $100 million, respectively.
Public market financing in the solar sector totaled $1.1 billion in eight deals in Q1 2026, marking an increase from the $20 million raised in two deals in Q1 2025. Quarter-over-quarter, public market investments rose 24% from the $900 million raised in eight deals during Q4 2025.
Announced solar debt financing totaled $8.9 billion across 28 deals in the first quarter of 2026, a 154% increase compared to the $3.5 billion raised over 23 deals in Q1 2025. Debt financing also rose 162% sequentially compared to the $3.4 billion secured in 20 deals during the final quarter of 2025.
Corporate mergers and acquisitions activity expanded year-over-year, with 28 solar M&A transactions in Q1 2026 compared to 19 deals in Q1 2025 and 21 transactions in Q4 2025.
Large-scale solar project acquisition activity also trended upward, tracking 75 transactions in Q1 2026 compared to 63 transactions in the year-ago period. In terms of capacity, a total of 18.4 GW of solar projects changed hands in Q1 2026, up from 13.6 GW in Q1 2025. Project developers and independent power producers were the most active buyers, acquiring nearly 11.9 GW, while investment firms and infrastructure funds secured 3.8 GW. Other buyers, including industrial conglomerates and energy companies, took 1.8 GW. On the utility and manufacturing side, a utility company acquired an 830 MW project, an oil and gas firm took a 40 MW project, and a manufacturing company acquired a 20 MW project. 
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Navitas Solar plans to establish a pilot wafer and ingot manufacturing line by 2027
Navitas Solar to invest around INR 1,500 crore ($181.1 million) in a 3.6 GW solar cell manufacturing facility and a pilot wafer-and-ingot production line in Gujarat. The company has planned to complete this project in different phases. The first phase will commence in 2027. Further capacity additions are planned thereafter, subject to market conditions and project readiness.
Civil construction activities spanning over 92,200 square metres are currently in progress for the project. Navitas Solar stated that it has already secured a technology partnership for the proposed manufacturing line and appointed experienced senior leaders to drive the new business vertical. The company is also enhancing its capabilities across project execution, manufacturing, technology, and quality management to support the expansion.
According to the company, the upcoming cell manufacturing facility is being developed as a highly automated and future-ready production platform designed to support next-generation solar cell technologies. The manufacturing line will feature flexible and upgradeable infrastructure, enabling it to adapt to emerging cell architectures as technologies mature and market demand evolves.
As part of its long-term backward integration strategy, Navitas Solar plans to establish a pilot wafer and ingot manufacturing line by 2027. The initiative aims to strengthen the company’s in-house expertise, deepen its technological capabilities, and support future localisation efforts across the solar value chain.
The proposed 3.6 GW solar cell manufacturing facility is aligned with the Government of India’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II framework for solar PV cells, which is expected to drive significant demand for domestically produced solar cells.
Navitas Solar expects the project to create nearly 1,000 direct employment opportunities across manufacturing, engineering, operations, project execution, quality assurance, and research and development functions. In addition, the facility is likely to generate substantial indirect employment in logistics, ancillary industries, and support services.
The company currently operates 3 GW of annual solar module manufacturing capacity and offers a broad portfolio of Mono PERC and high-efficiency TOPCon modules ranging from 40 W to 720 W. Through its subsidiary, Navitas Alpha Renewables, Navitas Solar has also established upstream integration capabilities with the production of solar encapsulants.
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This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on June 8, 2026 – June 14, 2026
Malaysian homeowners are increasingly investing in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Fuelled by the growing popularity of smart homes and the steady uptake of electric vehicles (EVs), rooftop solar is being positioned as the centrepiece of integrated, low-carbon households, promising lower electricity bills and greater self-sufficiency.
Under the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), Malaysia is targeting a renewable energy capacity of 70% by 2050, with rooftop solar playing a major role. The government’s push is also evident in a continuous rollout of solar schemes: the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) introduced in 2011, the Net Energy Metering (NEM) programme in 2016 and Solar ATAP (Accelerated Transition Action Programme), which was introduced in January this year as a replacement for NEM.
However, for homeowners, several practical considerations tend to emerge only after installation, by which point the commitment to a 25- to 30-year asset on the roof has already been made. City & Country speaks to industry experts on what homeowners should focus on first when buying a solar PV system.
The previous NEM scheme worked as an energy credit system. Every excess kWh sent to the grid offset imported electricity on a 1:1 basis, which made return-on-investment (ROI) calculations relatively straightforward and often included a side income on top of electricity bill savings.
Now, Solar ATAP operates differently in three key ways.
First, the financial benefit now comes primarily from using one’s own daytime generation, rather than from selling excess electricity back to the grid. Excess energy can be carried forward but at a system marginal price (SMP), meaning, credits will be dynamic and market-based.
Second, the removal of the fixed quota across different user categories that characterised NEM means more Malaysians can now apply for Solar ATAP without the “first come, first served” pressure of the previous scheme.
Third, the allowance for larger systems enables homeowners to install set-ups that can cover up to 100% of their household electricity demand, designed to maximise self-consumption during daytime hours.
This means the biggest savings are from using free electricity immediately during the day to avoid paying Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) tariff rates. This encourages heavy electricity usage in the daytime rather than at night. To use “gained” daytime energy at night, battery storage systems (BESS) are necessary.
If users generate more than they use, the excess flows back to the grid, for which they will receive credits. Accumulated credits will offset monthly electricity bills. For users whose consumption exceeds their generation, they will need to pay TNB the net difference. 
Ultimately, Solar ATAP encourages self consumption and appropriately sized systems.
“Solar energy is now positioned not as a side income opportunity, but as part of a broader household energy management strategy and a long-term sustainability investment,” says DP Architects director and Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) honorary treasurer Ellina Rahman.
One practical effect of the redesign is that homeowners no longer need to invest in oversized battery storage to capture excess daytime generation for export, says GSPARX Sdn Bhd managing director Sansubari Che Mud. This helps lower the upfront cost of going solar and increase its accessibility, he adds.
In short, ROI assumptions based on the old NEM economics no longer apply. Homeowners evaluating solar quotations in 2026 should understand whether their household’s actual daytime consumption pattern aligns with the new economics.
What trips up many homeowners after installation is not the technology, but their own behaviour. A common “solar rebound effect” occurs when households end up consuming more electricity due to an increased comfort with consumption. As a result, their electricity bills climb.
PAB Architecture Sdn Bhd director and PAM honorary secretary David Teoh installed a 9kWp PV system on his roof three years ago as he was eager to jump on the bandwagon. His electricity bill dropped significantly at first, but it began to climb back up after several months.
“I always offer a word of caution against the ‘false economy’ of having solar panels. Because the energy felt ‘free’, I inadvertently started consuming more,” he says.
The corrective measure for Teoh was a self-audit of major household appliances. He replaced a 1.5HP non-inverter air conditioner rated at 3,720kWh per year with an inverter model consuming only 961kWh per year and upgraded to a more energy-efficient refrigerator. His household subsequently recorded several months of net energy generation.
A later EV purchase pushed consumption back up, but the overall household bill remains well below what it would have cost by using petrol. “The most realistic savings — and the best return on investment — come when you conserve energy first and match your mindful consumption with what your roof can actually generate,” says Teoh
According to Ellina, those who are likely to benefit the most from daylight consumption are households with work-from-home arrangements, EV charging needs, larger families or heavy air conditioning use. They tend to achieve “very compelling savings under Solar ATAP” because they are consuming while the roof is generating electricity.
On the other hand, homeowners with lower daytime consumption may face longer payback periods.
The physical realities of installation matter as much as the financial calculations.
Teoh says that for optimal generation, a roof should ideally face north or south while following the sun’s path so as not to suffer the heat intensity of the east-west orientation. A slight pitch is also preferable, so the rain can wash away any debris, he adds.
“Flat concrete roofs are the most ideal and safest condition for installation, although pitched roofs can also accommodate solar panels effectively,” says Ellina.
Landed properties — bungalows, as well as semi-detached and terraced houses — are generally well-suited for solar PV systems. Stratified apartments are typically not, as building exteriors are usually common property.
The same legal complication applies to strata-titled townhouses, says Teoh. “For strata-titled properties, the roof is legally classified as ‘common property’. You cannot simply install solar panels without the consent of the other owners or management corporation.”
Older homes carry an additional consideration: the roof structure must be assessed by a professional to confirm it can safely bear the dead weight of a solar PV system for at least 25 years, particularly when timber trusses are involved.
Safety considerations have prompted formal guidance that most homeowners have not seen. Ellina notes that Bomba Malaysia’s rooftop solar guidelines require a one-metre passageway on the rooftop for firefighter access, sufficient distance between panels and any ventilation point to allow for smoke discharge, and an adequate gap between panels and the party wall separating linked houses to prevent fire spread between properties.
Beyond fire risk, roof leaks are the most common installation problem. Sealants applied around mounting penetrations on pitched tiled roofs deteriorate over time, which can lead to mould growth, water seepage and, in serious cases, deterioration of the roof structure itself.
Physical damage is a quieter but real risk. Teoh had to replace several of his solar panels after they were damaged by falling debris from neighbouring construction. “A physically damaged panel isn’t just an efficiency issue as cracked glass allows moisture to enter, which can lead to electrical arcing — a very real fire hazard,” he says.
Safety risks also extend beyond installation. End-of-life solar panels and their components — including battery storage units common in hybrid set-ups — require proper disposal and recycling. Dismantling work itself carries safety risks, particularly falls from height, with general awareness of building maintenance still low in Malaysia, says Ellina.
Teoh advises buyers to look beyond standard certifications when selecting a service provider, and at how the solar panels will be physically attached to the roof, what mounting system the vendor is proposing and whether the installer will accept responsibility in the event of a leak. Companies with their own installation and operations and maintenance (O&M) teams are recommended.
“Look for a company with a strong in-house installation team and dedicated O&M team. A 25-year warranty is effectively meaningless if the vendor’s business model suggests it won’t be around in five years,” he says.
Warranties themselves come in two distinct forms: a product warranty typically covers manufacturing defects for 10 to 15 years, while a performance warranty guarantees a specified percentage of power output over the panels’ 25-year lifespan.
“What homeowners often miss are the exclusions,” says Teoh. “Standard warranties do not cover ‘Acts of God’ such as lightning strikes, severe storms or winds carrying debris that cause damage to the roof and panels. They also don’t cover pest damage, like monkeys or rats chewing through your cables.
“If you are adopting rooftop solar, you should contact your insurer to add your new PV system to your homeowner’s insurance policy to protect against these everyday realities.”
Maintenance is non-negotiable, he adds. Dust, pollution and bird droppings can reduce output by 10% to 15%, requiring periodic cleaning with water and a soft brush. Inverters typically require replacement at the 10- to 15-year mark, well before the panels themselves degrade — a recurring cost that rarely appears prominently in the original quotation. “While solar is generally ‘fit and forget’, it does require some maintenance,” says Teoh.
He explains that annual inspections and system maintenance are typically carried out by the vendors, and due diligence makes a difference. “As the owner, you can track panel performance through [a designated] app. This will give you information on how efficient the system is. Any year-on-year drop in performance can be detected, so you can take remedial action by contacting your vendor.”
Disposal of the solar PV system enters the picture when the panels reach their “end of life” phase, when they need to be decommissioned and recycled. 
Homeowners are advised to engage certified contractors who can handle the removal and recycling of components at a dedicated recycling facility. It should be noted that not every solar provider offers dismantling and recycling services.
With operational lifecycles of 25 to 30 years and nationwide domestic adoption having begun in 2006, Malaysia is approaching what can be considered its first major decommissioning cycle. “We are looking at the first cycle of main bulk panel disposal in 2030 to 2035,” says Ellina.
In this country, solar panels are classified as e-waste under the Department of Environment’s Environmental Quality (Scheduled Waste) Regulations 2005. However, the legislation does not yet include specific guidelines on solar panel handling, storage or recycling — a gap that the broader circular economy framework for renewable energy will need to address.
Panel components — glass, silicon, metal — are individually recyclable, but solar panels are engineered as durable composites built to withstand 25 years of weather and heat, which makes separating those materials for recycling more complex, says Ellina.
“Malaysia needs to be ready in terms of specific methods for processing e-waste, recycling and appropriate disposal sites, given the rising consumer uptake of EVs, energy storage systems and industrial-grade e-waste components, in addition to solar panels,” she adds.
For GSPARX’s Sansubari, the framing of an imminent “decommissioning wave” may be premature. He points out that many of the earliest FiT-era installations from 2011 onwards remain technically healthy beyond the contractual period.
In such cases, the practical pathway is often repurposing — continuing to use the panels for self-consumption, paired with battery storage to capture excess daytime energy for evening peak use. Existing assets may also find roles in emerging energy-as-a-service or community energy models, he adds.
Repurposing second-life panels comes with its own considerations. Such panels may already contain micro-cracks, or develop invisible ones if not handled or transported properly, which can reduce output and create localised hotspots — a fire risk on timber roof trusses, says Teoh.
“Second-life panels carry no warranties and cannot be legally tied to the grid under current utility schemes. They may be more suitable for small, off-grid garden sheds and are probably safer used that way. It is always better to consult an electrical engineer familiar with solar panels if you want more accurate advice,” he adds.
For homeowners signing a 25-year contract in 2026, the takeaway is that rooftop solar’s sustainability does not end at generation. Lithium-ion batteries, specifically lithium iron phosphate (LFP) variants commonly used in residential energy storage, also require careful end-of-life handling.
While Solar ATAP’s self-consumption economics still encourages homeowners to pair their systems with battery storage energy systems (BESS), the disposal question not only extends beyond solar panels, but also to the entire solar energy setup.
Sansubari sees the next phase of policy development as one that should be focused on strengthening the circular economy for solar assets. “Key areas to be further enhanced are clearer national guidelines on solar panel recycling, standardised decommissioning practices and incentives to encourage investment in local recycling,” he says.
He also points to extended producer responsibility mechanisms where manufacturers and industry players share responsibility for end-of-life management, alongside greater use of recyclable materials, improved supply-chain traceability and research into second-life applications.
Until these frameworks are fully developed, the deployment of solar PV systems will continue to outpace the infrastructure needed to support them.
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In another example of how much US solar manufacturing has gone from small potatoes to a giant industry since Joe Biden took office in 2021, here’s a whopper of a stat: solar manufacturing capex in the USA has exploded from $150 million in 2020 to an estimated $2.5 billion in 2026.
Much of that is thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2020, which stimulated the biggest new investment in US manufacturing ever, and much of it focused on cleantech industries like the solar industry. Additionally, tariffs have put more pressure on the industry to build out more of a supply chain in the United States.”The constant threat of anti-dumping and countervailing duties has altered procurement strategies for domestic module assemblers. Relying on imported components from traditional Southeast Asian hubs is increasingly viewed as a high-risk long-term strategy, pushing capital toward domestic cell capacity,” pv magazine summarizes.
“Despite the downstream momentum, upstream structural bottlenecks persist. Polysilicon remains a constraint for the domestic value chain, given that establishing new polysilicon refinement capacity involves significantly higher capital intensity and longer construction timelines than expanding module assembly lines.”
Well, you can’t do everything at once. But increasing localization and domestic production is the clear trend.
We’ll see where things go, but I don’t expect the trend will turn around anytime soon. As noted above, there’s too much risk in relying on open trade policies, and there are still a ton of incentives in the US to manufacture products here.
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PHOENIX, AZ — Thousands of Arizona Public Service customers who have solar panels pay an extra monthly fee on their bills.
Now there’s a court ruling that could work in their favor.
The Arizona Court of Appeals on Tuesday sided with solar advocates, ruling the Arizona Corporation Commission violated due process when it imposed a solar fee on APS customers. The court found a subsequent rehearing failed to fix the problem.
“This charge has been silly from the beginning,” said Autumn Johnson, executive director of the Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association, a non-profit group that advocates for solar and was part of the legal challenge.
The commission must now either hold another rehearing on the solar fee or throw out the charge completely.
No word yet on what direction the commission will go. In a statement on Tuesday, Commission Chairman Nick Myers said the commission will wait for guidance from legal counsel before taking action.
ABC15 has reported extensively on the solar fee.
The fee, officially known as “Grid Access Charge,” was approved by the commission in February 2024. The charge applies to more than 165,000 residences with solar panels. It was part of a package of increases approved for APS customers.
Many solar customers see the fee listed as a “Grid Access Charge” on their monthly bills. For solar customers on “legacy” plans, the fee is included in the base rate and doesn’t appear as a separate line item on bills.
The fee isn’t huge – about two to three dollars a month on average. But that was on top of an 11% hike in APS rates that all residential customers faced that year, not just solar customers.
Larry Sunshine — yes, that’s really his name — was one of several customers who spoke to ABC15 back in 2024 about the solar fee. The Scottsdale resident has 43 panels on his home and is among many solar customers upset over having to pay an extra fee simply because they installed solar panels.
“It’s just another amount of money out of your pocket that could be used by something that maybe has more value to you,” Sunshine said.
In a statement in response to the recent court ruling, APS issued this statement:
“Arizona Public Service (APS) is reviewing the Court of Appeals’ decision regarding the procedural aspects relating to the solar charge implemented in the 2022 rate case and is assessing its implications. APS remains committed to providing safe, reliable service while supporting rates that are fair for all customers.”
APS is in the midst of another request for a rate increase before the corporation commission with hearings now underway. In that rate case, APS is proposing to increase the solar fee. A decision on that rate case is not expected until later this year.
ABC15 will continue to monitor and report on what happens with the solar fee.
Have a story idea in Scottsdale? Email ABC15’s Scottsdale reporter Anne Ryman at anne.ryman@abc15.com, call her at 602-685-6345, or connect on X.
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European Energy connects first battery storage facility in the Baltic region  EnergyWatch
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New solar module squeezes more power from every square foot, setting world record  Yahoo Tech
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European Energy inaugurates Latvia solar park  reNEWS.BIZ
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India added 4.6 GWh of battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 939% quarter-on-quarter increase from the 442.7 MWh added in Q4 2025, according to Mercom India Research’s Q1 2026 India Energy Storage Landscape Report.
The nation’s cumulative installed battery energy storage capacity reached 5.9 GWh as of March 2026.
Standalone energy storage accounted for 73% of India’s cumulative BESS capacity, followed by 15% from solar-plus-wind with storage (round-the-clock RE power) projects, and 11% from solar-plus-energy storage projects. The remaining share was split among emerging configurations, including solar-plus-wind with storage and floating solar with storage, each contributing less than 1%.
The pumped storage project (PSP) pipeline remained strong, with 57.2 GW of projects in various stages of development. Out of 7.2 GW installed, 5.7 GW of PSPs were operational as of March 2026.
“The strong growth in Q1 2026, coupled with a rapidly expanding project pipeline, reflects how quickly energy storage is becoming a core part of India’s power infrastructure. Policy support, including the expansion of the viability gap funding (VGF) program and mandatory storage requirements for new solar projects, has accelerated market development and strengthened the sector’s long-term outlook,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group.
“The next challenge is ensuring sustainable growth through realistic bidding, regulatory certainty, and policies that recognize storage as a strategic grid asset,” Prabhu added. “As renewable energy penetration increases, storage will play a critical role in maintaining grid reliability and supporting the integration of large volumes of solar and wind.”
According to the report, in Q1 2026, India’s energy storage development pipeline reached 69 GWh, comprising 41 GWh of standalone storage, 11 GWh of solar-plus-wind with storage, 9 GWh of solar-plus-energy storage, and 1 GWh of solar-plus-wind with storage projects (RTC capabilities). Additionally, there were 6 GWh of renewable energy-plus-storage projects, with unspecified configurations for both renewable and storage.
Gujarat had the largest pipeline of standalone battery storage capacity at 10 GWh.
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PUBLISHED ON June 16, 2026
ONLINE — Penn State Extension is offering a free, one-hour webinar to help communities better understand the growing presence of large-scale solar development across Pennsylvania. The session, will take place on June 18, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. (ET).
As energy demand continues to rise, utility-scale solar projects are gaining momentum in rural areas of the state. Penn State Extension educators will provide an overview of these trends and explain what they could mean for local communities, landowners, and decision-makers.
The webinar will explore:
Large-scale solar development is part of a broader shift in the energy landscape, with communities increasingly evaluating how these projects intersect with agriculture, infrastructure, and long-term planning.
The program is designed for a wide audience, including landowners, farmers, municipal officials, policymakers, and community members who want to better understand the opportunities and challenges associated with solar energy development.
Participation is free, but registration is required to receive the webinar access link. A recording will be made available to registrants after the event. Please register at:  www.bit.ly/solar618.
Penn State Extension has received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Integrated Energy Systems Office for this project.
About the Integrated Energy Systems Office
The U.S. Department of Energy Integrated Energy Systems Office drives research and development of energy solutions that enhance grid reliability and resilience, foster U.S. technological leadership, and reduce the cost of energy for 4 U.S. Department of Energy | Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation Americans. Learn more at energy.gov/cmei/systems/integrated-energy-systems-office.
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ONLINE — Join Stefan Streckfus, CTO of Renewell Energy, for a free, one-hour webinar exploring the untapped potential of inactive wells. The concept, known as gravity energy storage, has the potential to transform abandoned wells into valuable assets for renewable energy integration. The webinar hosted by Penn State Extension explores how decommissioned oil and gas […]
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Extension is pleased to announce an upcoming webinar titled “Harvesting Innovation: Geospatial Intelligence and Precision Ag,” scheduled for 1pm EST on April 22, 2025. This virtual event will explore the transformative role of geospatial technologies in modern agriculture.​ Geospatial intelligence, encompassing tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote […]
PORTLAND, Tenn. — The American Society of Agricultural Consultants (ASAC) will host a “Shop Talk” on April 30th at 11:00 AM Central Time to discuss the increasing role of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agricultural consulting. It’s open to members and prospective members interested in the topic who are willing to share what they’ve found beneficial with others. […]
NEW PRAGUE, Minn. — NMC: The Global Milk Quality Organization’s Oct. 30 webinar, led by and Doug Reinnemann, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Ian Ohnstad, The Dairy Group, features “The new DeLaval standard way of milking in VMS (voluntary milking system).” This free, one-hour educational offering starts at 10 a.m. Central time (Chicago time). DeLaval has […]
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PARIS, June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — When was the last time you used your portable power station? For many owners, these powerful batteries spend most of the year tucked away in a closet after camping trips, road adventures, or outdoor events. As balcony solar systems continue to grow in popularity across Europe, BLUETTI has introduced an innovative solution that gives these devices a valuable second life.

Recently unveiled at a brand launch event in Paris, the BLUETTI Balco Transfer Hub is the world’s first grid-tied controller designed specifically for portable power stations. Combining plug-and-play simplicity with cross-brand compatibility, it enables users to transform a portable battery into a grid-connected balcony solar energy system without the complexity and cost of traditional installations.
The concept is simple. During the week, your portable power station can serve as part of your home energy setup. Solar panels charge the battery throughout the day, storing clean energy for later use. In the evening, when electricity demand and utility rates are typically at their highest, the Transfer Hub can feed up to 800W of stored solar power into the home grid. This helps power everyday household appliances such as refrigerators, Wi-Fi routers, lighting, and televisions while reducing reliance on expensive grid electricity.
To maximize savings, the system features intelligent energy management. By analyzing real-time electricity pricing and solar generation forecasts, it can automatically optimize charging and discharging schedules. Users can also charge batteries during low-cost off-peak hours and prioritize energy-intensive appliances when solar production is strongest.
Installation is remarkably straightforward. Users simply connect the Transfer Hub to a wall outlet, link it to a compatible portable power station, and connect solar panels. No drilling, complicated wiring, or professional installation is required, making it an ideal solution for renters and homeowners alike.
The Balco Transfer Hub also offers impressive flexibility. It supports selected BLUETTI products, including the Elite 300, while remaining compatible with many third-party portable power stations. Additional smart features, including app-based energy monitoring, wireless system expansion, and integration with popular smart home platforms, help users build a more connected and efficient energy ecosystem.
Available now in Germany and France for €349, the BLUETTI Balco Transfer Hub provides an affordable way to lower energy costs, maximize the value of existing portable power stations, and take a practical step toward a more sustainable future.
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It points to the possibility of “horizontal” recycling.
Photo Credit: iStock
As solar installations age, discarded panels are becoming a bigger waste problem worldwide. But a new recycling method suggests that even one of the toughest solar-panel materials to reclaim may be reused instead of sent to a landfill.
According to the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, glass manufacturer NSG Group said a trial in Japan successfully converted glass recovered from retired photovoltaic panels into float glass, a common base material for glass products.
NSG Group said it produced float glass in a trial at its plant in Ichihara City, Japan, using glass recovered from retired solar modules. 
Solar-panel cover glass has historically been difficult to recycle. The material is built to withstand years of outdoor exposure, and strong adhesives help keep the modules together, the report noted.
However, those same adhesives also make it hard to separate the glass cleanly enough for high-value reuse.
The new recycling method addressed that challenge with a low-temperature thermal decomposition that breaks apart the resin holding the module components together. This allows the glass, solar cells, and interconnectors to be sorted more precisely.
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NSG said the trial suggests the recovered material may, under certain conditions, work in float-glass production. That points to the possibility of “horizontal” recycling, meaning old solar-panel glass could be remade into a similar high-quality glass product rather than downcycled into something less useful.
Solar power helps cut electricity-related pollution, reduce household energy costs, and curb reliance on dirty fuels. But as more panels reach the end of their useful lives, the industry will need better ways to deal with the resulting waste.
NSG said the method may reduce the need for inputs such as silica sand and soda ash, increase the use of cullet, or recycled glass, and cut carbon dioxide pollution from glass production.
Less mining and lower industrial pollution can mean cleaner air and a healthier environment for nearby communities.
Using materials that are already in circulation can also make supply chains more resilient and lower manufacturing costs over time.
Because float glass is used in everyday products such as windows and other building materials, better recycling could eventually contribute to more affordable, lower-impact goods while keeping bulky solar waste out of landfills.
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California Solar Power Overtakes Natural Gas As Grid Transformation Accelerates In 2026  SolarQuarter
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Navitas Solar, an India-based PV module manufacturer, has announced plans to invest around INR 1,500 crore ($181.1 million)in a 3.6 GW solar cell manufacturing facility and a pilot wafer and ingot production line in Gujarat, as part of its backward integration strategy.
The project will be implemented in phases, with the first phase scheduled for commissioning in 2027. Further capacity additions are planned thereafter, subject to market conditions and project readiness.
Civil works covering more than 92,200 m2 are currently underway. The company said it has secured a technology tie-up for the planned manufacturing line and appointed senior leadership to oversee the new business vertical. It is also strengthening its project execution, manufacturing, technology and quality functions to support the expansion.
According to Navitas Solar, the cell manufacturing facility is being designed as a highly automated, future-ready production platform capable of supporting next-generation solar technologies. The line will be built with upgradeability and flexibility to accommodate evolving cell architectures, subject to technology and market readiness.
The company also plans to establish a pilot wafer and ingot manufacturing line in 2027 as part of its long-term backward integration roadmap. The initiative is expected to strengthen in-house capabilities, improve technology understanding and support future localisation requirements across the solar value chain.
Navitas Solar’s proposed 3.6 GW cell facility aligns with the Indian government’s implementation of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II framework for solar PV cells, which is expected to significantly increase demand for domestically manufactured cells.
The company estimates the project will generate around 1,000 direct jobs across manufacturing, engineering, operations, project execution, quality assurance and R&D, along with additional indirect employment in logistics, ancillary industries and support services.
Navitas Solar currently has 3 GW of annual solar module manufacturing capacity and offers a portfolio of mono PERC and high-efficiency TOPCon modules ranging from 40 W to 720 W. It also has upstream integration through its subsidiary Navitas Alpha Renewables, which manufactures solar encapsulants.
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Interest-free loans of up to $15,000 (USD 10,600) are being offered by the New South Wales (NSW) government to encourage the uptake of renewable energy measures like solar panels and household batteries and boost the clean energy rollout.
NSW households with a combined taxable income of $210,000 or less can now apply for a 10-year loan of up to $15,000 at zero interest to install energy-saving and cost-cutting upgrades.
The $480 million commitment, that is expected to benefit at least 32,000 households, is part of a $557 million package to be included in next week’s NSW state budget.
In addition to loans, the program will later this year provide discounts of up to $4,000 to households with a combined annual income of up to $80,000, or eligible concession card holders, looking to upgrade with energy-saving measures. This is a $77 million commitment.
Renters will be able to access the payments provided that their landlord approves the upgrade.
In addition, eligible households will be able to use the state program on top of the federal government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program, that offers about a 30% discount on the upfront cost of installing typical small-scale battery systems alongside new or existing rooftop solar.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the state program is a practical way to make energy efficiency upgrades significantly more affordable.
“For many households, the upfront cost of these upgrades has simply been too high,” he said. “We’re stepping in to help where we can, so more families can access technology … while making sure NSW has a more reliable and secure energy system for the future.”
Eligible home improvements include rooftop solar, battery energy storage systems, electric vehicle chargers, switchboard upgrades and solar water heaters. The program also covers induction cooktops, DC ceiling fans, reverse cycle air conditioning, ceiling insulation, draught-proofing and double glazing.
Smart Energy Council Chief Executive Officer David McElrea labelled the program “a massive win for households.”
“Helping lower-income earners and renters to overcome the cost barrier to modernising their homes with smart solar, batteries, efficient cooling and heating is the fastest way to permanently drive down household expenses while building a more resilient grid,” he said.
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From pv magazine India
Vikram Solar is advancing the first phase of its planned 12 GW solar cell manufacturing facility and expects to commission 9 GW of cell production capacity by the end of December 2026.
The expansion comes as India’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II took effect on June 1, 2026. Under the new requirement, solar PV modules deployed in projects covered by the ALMM framework, including government-supported schemes, net-metering installations, and open-access renewable energy projects, must use solar cells sourced from manufacturers listed under ALMM List-II.
“While certain under-construction projects have received transitional relief, the broader policy direction remains unchanged. With domestic cell capacity still trailing module capacity, access to ALMM-compliant cells and backward integration will increasingly differentiate manufacturers. As ALMM List-III for wafers and ingots remains under consultation for its proposed June 2028 implementation, the policy framework is expected to increasingly favour scaled, integrated players, accelerating industry consolidation over the medium term,” says Equirus Securities in its recent research note.
According to the research note, Vikram Solar is simultaneously expanding its module manufacturing capacity from 9.5 GW to 15.5 GW, with the additional capacity expected to be commissioned by the first quarter of fiscal year 2027.
The report notes that domestic cell capacity continues to lag module manufacturing capacity, making access to ALMM-compliant cells an increasingly important competitive factor for solar manufacturers.
Module-cell integration is expected to play an important role in Vikram Solar’s next phase of development. The report notes that the company has secured interim domestic cell availability through a 2 GW ALMM-compliant sourcing arrangement with Jupiter International, ensuring domestic cell availability ahead of its planned backward integration. However, Equirus Securities said this agreement is unlikely to materially alter Vikram Solar’s earnings, as DCR-linked pricing premiums are likely to remain with cell suppliers rather than flow through to module manufacturers.

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The change could make cheaper, cleaner power available to far more households.
Photo Credit: iStock
A proposal advancing in the California state legislature would let residents connect plug-in solar panels to the grid in apartments, on balconies, and in homes without facing permit delays or hiring an installer.
In a state known for high electricity prices and a large renter population, the change could make cheaper, cleaner power available to far more households.
State lawmakers moved SB 868 forward this week, with the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy voting 18-0 in favor of the measure that would make plug-in, or “balcony,” solar legal across California, according to CleanTechnica.
The technology is relatively simple. Residents can set up small solar panels and plug them into a standard outlet, helping offset household electricity use while avoiding much of the time, cost, and paperwork that often come with traditional rooftop systems.
Before it can become law, the proposal still has two more stops: the Assembly Committee on Appropriations and then the full Assembly.
After the committee vote, Sen. Scott Wiener, who introduced the bill, said, “SB 868 clears away the needless red tape that currently makes it infeasible for people to use this technology.”
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Electricity costs in California remain high, while many people who could benefit most from solar, especially renters, are often unable to install full rooftop systems.
Plug-in solar could offer a more affordable, practical entry point. Rather than taking on a major home project, residents may be able to buy a smaller setup, place it on a balcony, patio, or other sunny area, and begin lowering their utility bills more quickly.
The measure could also help restore momentum in a state that has long been a national leader in solar energy but has seen the industry struggle after cuts to net metering policies. Those changes badly hurt the market and even contributed to major job losses.
Expanding small-scale clean energy can also reduce reliance on polluting power sources, helping cut planet-warming emissions and the dirty air associated with fossil fuel use.
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Plug-in solar rules are already in place elsewhere. Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, and Virginia already allow the technology, while other states are considering similar policies.
If SB 868 becomes law, California could become one of the largest markets yet for the technology, given its abundant sunshine, massive population, high energy prices, and large share of renters.
There are still procedural hurdles ahead. The CPUC’s estimate of $200,000 to $500,000 in annual costs means the bill is expected to go to the Appropriations Committee’s suspense file before an August hearing.
If the measure clears its remaining hurdles, Californians could soon have a simpler path to lower power bills through clean energy. As Wiener put it, “SB 868 clears away the needless red tape that currently makes it infeasible for people to use this technology.”
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Developers of battery storage projects across Southeast Asia must heed lessons learned elsewhere and engage with key stakeholders as early as possible, Energy-Storage.news has heard.
With the Energy Storage Summit Asia 2026 conference coming up soon in Bangkok, Thailand (1-3 July), guest speaker Mahdi Behrengrad, head of energy storage at developer Pacifico Energy, spoke with the site for an exclusive interview.
Behrengrad, based in Japan, has led the development of battery energy storage systems (BESS) that could be considered pioneering in the emerging and rapidly growing Japanese market.
These include the first two projects to enter the wholesale electricity market as trading units back in 2023, and a fully self-funded merchant project that stacks revenues from participating in multiple market opportunities, which Behrengrad spoke to ESN Premium about in late 2025.
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Last year, ahead of the third edition of Energy Storage Summit Asia in 2025, the developer gave an interview on a similar theme of lessons learned in Japan that could be broadly applied in earlier-stage markets across Southeast Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.    
At that time, in Q3 2025, Mahdi Behrengrad said that making money from energy storage in Japan could often be a difficult and “brutal” business, noting that high past revenues from opportunities like ancillary services were no indication of continued good fortune.
Speaking last week, the Pacifico Energy energy storage lead said the message is even clearer today.
“Japan has very interesting opportunities regarding the size [of the market], the inherent need for energy storage, the security stability it brings, while showing clear pitfalls that Southeast Asian nations should carefully watch,” Behrengrad said.
After an initial boom in development and a wave of excitement, “everything has become more strict, rather than more accommodating” in the space of about three or four years, beginning with the regulatory perception of storage.
“From the grid connection aspect, from the market participation aspect, from the environmental aspect, from the permitting aspect; everything got more strict in a matter of a few years,” he said.   
“That’s the pattern to be watched, and a lesson for Southeast Asia, that engaging this conversation with the regulators early on should be in the list, but it’s something that was not done in Japan, and Japan’s regulators and utilities got caught off guard by the immense amount of interest in energy storage, and instead of welcoming it, it backfired.”
One example is how the rules of the Long Term Decarbonisation Power Sources Auction (LTDA), Japan’s relatively new low-carbon capacity market mechanism open to batteries and pumped hydro energy storage (PHES), have already changed.
In the two previous years’ auctions, bids were open to energy storage projects in two duration categories, one for 3-hour to 6-hour assets, the other for 6-hour duration systems. In the most recent running, only 6-hour duration or more was eligible.
Along with regulators, utilities, inundated with grid connection requests and BESS project proposals, are also making adjustments to their processes that can create challenges for developers.
“[For example], utilities are seeing more and more proposals, so that when you start planning for a project, or even when you think you’ve secured the project, the utilities are using far more and more tiny clauses, written here and there, to come back with far more costs, far longer grid work or severe technical requests,” he said.
“I have seen projects where, around a year before grid connection work, they’re asking if the battery should not participate in the frequency regulation market because it’s going to destabilise the voltage. How should a project planner look into that?”
“It’s a very difficult thing to forecast in advance, because there are very tiny clauses in the grid connection that can be imposed, if they think that the operation is going to have an adverse effect on the utility.”
Securing a grid connections is getting harder and even grid connections that are secured in Japan have “far less value” than before because both charging and discharging are non-firm.
At the same time, Japan is heading in the same general direction of the world toward protectionism, or an approach to infrastructure assets that is more grounded in security-based concerns.
“While I’m not arguing it’s the right thing or the wrong thing, we all know that when you start having a security-based look at anything, the business gets denser and more difficult.”
In Japan, changes to cybersecurity standards can impact many aspects of a project, and the introduction of standards and the project development cycle are not synchronised, so to speak.    
Undoubtedly, there is a lot of activity in the market beyond the LTDA, with dozens of projects sized at around 2MW/8MWh announced or brought into operation across Japan’s 10 regional grid service areas, along with a smaller number of larger projects.
However, there is a mismatch between “hype and interest” and “actual hardcore cash or actual deals on the market,” Behrengrad said. Some of the 2MW projects could also be considered “speculative and opportunistic” assets designed to make money, rather than infrastructure that truly benefits the grid.
With many of the larger projects developed through the LTDA, in which developers win long-term contracts to underwrite revenue from OCCTA, Japan’s association of transmission operators, but have to give back 90% of the revenue they earn through merchant operation, Behrengrad said there is no real motive to optimise market operation.
“You just install it, you operate it, no matter how optimally you do so, you’re going to get almost the same amount of money. The difference between a terrible operation and super smart optimal operation is just 10% of revenue that you keep after deduction.”
It isn’t just regulators or utilities that developers must engage with. Communities that will host these BESS assets are arguably just as important, or even more so.
Between battery storage and data centre developments, there is a boom in real estate acquisitions, which again, Mahdi Behrengrad argues, is a speculative effort, a “land grab,” which is taking place even as communities become more “skittish” and reluctant to host projects.
Even the concept of gaining approval from a local community is largely an as-yet-undefined term.
“It pits companies against local communities that might not have a techno-economic look at these things. It’s going to start a source of friction. This is the story we’re seeing, but I’m not naïve enough to think this is just Japan [it applies to].”
Many Southeast Asian countries, much like Japan, have governments that have been openly supportive of the roles energy storage can play: in decarbonisation and integrating higher shares of renewable energy, in enhancing energy security and stability of the grid.
“It’s hard to argue against energy storage in the big scheme of things, if you are an energy specialist or even regulator, because it’s hard to find any asset like energy storage that is as fast to deploy, and the supply chain is very well shaped,” he said.
“It’s very hard to find any asset that is this versatile in energy infrastructure. So, it’s very hard to argue against it, but the devil is in the details. When you want to implement the projects, there are so many stakeholders with conflicting values, with different objective functions.”
Engagement with the full spectrum of stakeholders is essential, Behrengrad said, even before rapid deployment growth inevitably encounters deepening regulatory complexity, the concerns of local communities, and bottlenecks from a lack of a skilled workforce.    
“Developers, before jumping into business in developing countries, should see if they have that reach, lobbying power, or orchestration mechanism to prepare these diverse stakeholders: of utilities, of regulators, of local communities, to create a more supportive environment. It’s a team effort.”
Energy-Storage.news publisher Solar Media (part of the Informa Group) will host the Energy Storage Summit Asia 2026 on 1-3 July at QSNCC, Bangkok, Thailand. The conference takes place during ASIA Sustainable Energy Week 2026 (ASEW), the region’s most influential platform for driving clean energy. For more information, visit the official website.

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India’s Solar Capacity Reaches 157 GW as Renewable Energy Share Climbs to 42.55% of Total Power Capacity  SolarQuarter
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Naturgy, through its international generation subsidiary Global Power Generation (GPG), has finalised the commissioning of the 260 MW Glenellen and the 96 MW Bundaberg solar farms in New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, respectively.
The 200 MW Glenellen Solar Farm is Naturgy’s largest PV plant to date in Australia and features about 375,000 modules installed across a 300-hectare site near Albury in southern NSW. The project also integrates sheep grazing to preserve agricultural land use.
The Bundaberg Solar Farm, near the town of the same name on the central Queensland coast, has an installed capacity of 96 MW and includes more than 162,000 solar modules.
The Bundaberg power plant is expected to generate about 200 GWh of renewable energy per year while the Glenellen Solar Farm is forecast to supply 450 GWh of energy annually.
Long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) have already been locked in for the output from both projects with Australian telecommunications giant Telstra having committed to purchasing 100% of the capacity from the Bundaberg plant and 50% of the electricity generated by the Glenellen facility.
Nuturgy said the PPAs “reinforce revenue visibility and business stability” while both projects strengthen its presence in the Australian energy market, one it rates as attractive market for the development of renewables at an international level thanks to its “regulatory stability, its high growth potential and its commitment to the energy transition.” 
The commissioning of the Glenellen and Bundaberg solar farms increases Naturgy’s combined capacity in operation in Australia to 1.3 GW, including the country’s first large-scale solar-hybrid power plant at Cunderdin in Western Australia.
The company also has a further 500 MW under construction and a 2 GW pipeline of projects in development across the country, including a 290 MW solar farm and 180 MW / 360 MWh battery energy storage project planned for Queensland’s Fraser Coast region.
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GEON, the future technologies division of Kabra Extrusiontechnik Ltd, has integrated and commissioned a 2.88 GWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at Khavda within five months. The project, among the largest utility-scale BESS deployments in India, is now fully operational.
The installation is part of the growing renewable energy infrastructure at Khavda, which is emerging as one of India’s key clean energy hubs. Geon’s scope covered system integration, execution, testing, and commissioning — including the integration of power conditioning systems (PCS), transformers, and advanced energy management systems (EMS).
Anand Kabra, Chairman and Managing Director at Geon – Green Energy ON, said, “Battery storage is no longer a supporting technology — it is fast becoming central to how we manage and deliver clean power at grid scale. We are proud to have delivered this project on time and look forward to building on this momentum.”
Saurabh Jain, CEO – Energy Storage, Geon, added, “GEON successfully delivered the 2.88 GWh BESS Khavda project as nodal agency, completing the entire scope within an impressive timeline of just five months. The achievement reflects strong planning, efficient execution, and seamless coordination between the engineering and on-site project teams. This milestone highlights GEON’s capability in executing large-scale energy storage projects with speed, precision, and high standards of quality.”
Geon’s long-term strategy includes manufacturing BESS domestically, with plans underway for a gigafactory to support future demand and strengthen India’s energy storage ecosystem.
Founded in 2018, GEON (Green Energy ON) works across e-mobility, energy storage, and electronics, offering lithium-ion battery packs for two-, three-, and four-wheelers as well as off-road vehicles. Its product portfolio also includes storage solutions like BESS, inverter batteries, telecom backup, and commercial and industrial solutions.
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California moves a step closer to legalizing plug-in solar, with no permit required  Yahoo
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China Reclaims Solar Crown With Record-Breaking Perovskite Panel  Yahoo Tech
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Heschen Solar DC1500V PV Fuse, Photovoltaic Fuses, GPV Type Fuse Link, HSPV- 32L, 10 * 85mm  aviglianonews.it
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Furniture manufacturer invests in solar panels  Big Furniture Group
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Solar Power World
By Billy Ludt | June 16, 2026
Renewable energy infrastructure supplier Create Energy is acquiring solar racking manufacturer SOL Components from Kloeckner Metals. Create will offer SOL Components through its ONTRACK platform, a project design and management portal through which customers can also purchase packaged solar products.
Credit: Create Energy
“I am incredibly proud of this acquisition and excited to bring another powerful product and company into the Create Energy ‘Un-Evil Empire’ and our ONTRACK suite of solutions,” said Dean Solon, CEO of Create Energy. “We are building a unified power plant platform that simplifies and elevates how energy projects are designed, procured and deployed.”
SOL Components produces single-axis solar trackers, with models for one- and two-in-portrait applications, and a rail-based fixed-tilt ground mount racking. In 2023, SOL was acquired by Kloeckner Metals, a steel company headquartered in Roswell, Georgia.
“Create Energy promised to be a dominant force in the M&A market this year, and we are delivering,” said Joseph Fahrney, chief of staff at Create Energy. “In a consolidating industry, customers choose us because they trust Dean Solon and our ability to provide speed, certainty, unmatched performance and one of the best warranties in the industry. This acquisition amplifies our momentum and solidifies Create Energy as the premier long-term solutions provider for the energy sector.”
According to a press release, Create intends to continue acquiring solar product manufacturers.
 
Billy Ludt is managing editor of Solar Power World and currently covers topics on mounting, inverters, installation and operations.

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Natural Resources Council of Maine
Protecting the Nature of Maine
Posted on June 16, 2026 by Jack Shapiro, Climate & Clean Energy Director
Building more Maine-made clean energy can make electricity costs more affordable, create new good-paying jobs, and reduce our dependence on expensive out-of-state fossil fuels.
Photo courtesy ReVision Energy
But opponents of clean energy, backed by national funders and fossil fuel interests, frequently spread misinformation to confuse people and set us back, so they can continue to rake in huge profits at the expense of the health of people, communities, and the environment. Instead of cleaner air and more reliable electricity they want to keep us paying for oil, coal, and gas that are fueling destructive storms, making air quality worse, and threatening our heritage industries like farming and fishing.
One of the most common ways that these fossil fuel-backed interests try to block progress is by raising concerns about the energy use and materials needed to build clean energy technologies, like wind turbines or solar panels, or the impacts from disposal.
At the Natural Resources Council of Maine, we always welcome questions about emissions, energy use, and waste, because genuine questions represent a deep and shared value of making sure the Maine we know and love is passed on to future generations in better shape than we found it.
If you’ve got questions prompted by social media posts you’ve seen or stories you’ve read, here’s what you need to know about the real impacts of clean energy.
The first thing to acknowledge is that every energy system—whether its oil, gas, solar or wind—has impacts. This means we need to approach the development of any new sources of energy thoughtfully. We can do this by listening to the needs of local communities and acting based on science.
The best way to evaluate these issues is by asking: Which resources are the most damaging relative to the alternatives? The clear, unequivocable answer is that our reliance on fossil fuels is causing enormous damage. These impacts are wide ranging—from polluting our air and water, to harming vulnerable communities during extraction and production, and fueling climate change. Homegrown clean energy sources like solar and wind of course have some impacts, but they pale in comparison to those from coal, oil, and gas.

One question we often get is this: How much greenhouse gas emissions are associated with manufacturing and building clean energy? Is it even worth it? The way analysts think about this is by measuring what are called “lifecycle emissions,” or all of the emissions associated with a given technology, from resource extraction, construction or manufacturing, operation, and disposal.
When we look at lifecycle emissions—renewable energy has a clear leg up by an order of magnitudes:
(Source: https://docs.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/80580.pdf).
Another question we get is about the use of materials. For example: “Doesn’t renewable energy use a lot of lithium for EV batteries, concrete and steel for wind turbines, or ‘rare earth’ materials that go into electric motors and generators?” These are all great questions. While it’s true that building clean energy resources will need materials, clean energy has a big advantage here, too, compared to the system we have today.
Fossil fuels are single-use fuels. These older technologies are hungry for resources every single day, and once those resources are produced, they’re burned and gone forever, constantly leaving pollution behind. Clean energy technologies, on the other hand, use materials in construction or manufacturing once, but then produce energy, transportation, or heating for years and years without new major inputs. Plus, many of these materials are recyclable.

The last big set of questions we often hear about clean energy has to do with what happens at the end of a solar panel or wind turbine’s life? Are they recyclable? Do we need to worry about waste?
The answer is yes, always, but when we consider all of the ways we create waste, clean energy is a pretty small contributor. One recent study in the journal Nature evaluated the relative scales of several waste streams worldwide. They found that, worldwide, solar waste generated between 2016 and 2050 would result in between 54 and 160 million metric tons of waste. Wind turbine waste is in the same ballpark, estimated at around 42 million tons. While these are significant and important to try to reduce, they are far smaller than other waste streams including coal ash, plastic waste, and municipal waste.

If we’re truly concerned about addressing the waste crisis facing our cities and towns, we should focus on proven solutions like composting, reuse, and recycling, and ensuring waste and packaging producers are taking responsibility for the trash they create.
Photo courtesy of ReVision Energy
Fossil fuels also leave a toxic legacy that clean energy products don’t. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, coal ash contains a number of substances harmful to human health, including arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. Fluid waste from hydraulic fracturing or fracking—which is the source of much of the natural gas Maine uses for electricity generation—can be radioactive, and is not currently regulated, leading to dangerous uses, like dust suppression or deicing roads.
With any waste stream, we need to do our best to recycle instead of sending materials to the landfill. By mass, the largest portions of wind turbines are iron and steel, both highly recyclable, and in practice, highly recycled. Solar panels are also made of highly recyclable materials, mostly glass, but also including other valuable materials. Here in Maine, our laws already require recycling of materials, to the maximum extent practicable, when a development is decommissioned. This means, when these projects reach end of life, the finite materials used to construct a solar array are recycled and used again for future projects.
Not every part of these energy technologies are currently being recycled. Wind turbine blades for example are composite materials that are difficult to recycle. Because most solar panels that have ever been installed are still operating and have not yet reached the end of their useful life, large-scale solar recycling operations are just starting to scale up around the country. More work in these areas is important to further reduce the waste impacts of clean energy technologies. But compared to the waste and pollution created by the fossil fuel industry, clean energy still comes out ahead.
Common Loon and baby, by Nathaniel Child
NRCM’s climate team is focused on advancing a clean, affordable energy future. This work is rooted in our decades-old mission to protect, conserve, and restore Maine’s woods, waters, and wildlife. It’s clearer all the time that climate change is the biggest threat to the wild places, plants and animals, and waterbodies that make Maine so special. This is why we work hard to move toward a healthier, more equitable energy system, and away from polluting fossil fuels. 
For those of us who care deeply about the future of Maine’s clean air and water, wildlife and healthy communities, we can confidently choose the pathway of American-made clean energy as the best path forward to not only address climate change, but significantly reduce the overall environmental burdens we create when we use energy.
—Jack Shapiro, NRCM Climate & Clean Energy Director
Filed Under: Clean Energy, Climate, Nature of Maine Blog Tagged With: Offshore Wind, renewable energy, solar, sustainability
Jack brings 15 years of advocacy, policy, and organizing experience to the NRCM climate and clean energy team. Prior to joining NRCM, Jack worked at Greenpeace USA and at Organizing for Action, pushing for ambitious federal climate policies. He served as an appointee in the Obama Administration working on issues ranging from clean energy and green buildings to community resilience and biodefense. Jack has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor’s degree in Ethics, History, and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.
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NRCM recognizes and honors the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Penobscot Nation, and the Passamaquoddy Tribe, collectively the Wabanaki Nations. Wabanaki translates as “People of the Dawn.” The Wabanaki Nations have stewarded Maine for generations, stretching back to before colonial settlers forcibly occupied the area. NRCM’s office in Augusta is on the unceded territory of the Penobscot Nation, and all of us in Maine are on unceded lands once overseen by Wabanaki people. Let us remember this history and move forward with a commitment to justice and alignment with Wabanaki Nations in Maine. (Read full land acknowledgement.)

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Kansas county approves permit for 1,200-acre solar farm  KSN-TV
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A new study titled ‘Photovoltaic panel surface temperature retrieval from MODIS through accounting for directional effects,’ has demonstrated a more accurate way to monitor the surface temperature of photovoltaic panels from space, addressing a long-standing gap in managing performance and thermal risk at utility scale solar plants.
As global solar capacity continues its rapid rise toward a projected 8,519 GW by 2050, operators are under increasing pressure to optimise output and manage heat related losses. Panel surface temperatures can reach 45–65 °C in summer, significantly reducing conversion efficiency and increasing the risk of equipment stress. Yet reliable, large scale temperature monitoring has remained difficult, with most existing methods limited to on-site sensors or intermittent aerial surveys.
Researchers have now developed a method using MODIS thermal infrared satellite data that more accurately captures panel temperatures across entire solar farms. The approach accounts for the complex physical structure of PV arrays, including the mix of hot panels and cooler shaded ground, as well as the way panels emit heat differently depending on viewing angle.
Traditional satellite land surface temperature products tend to underestimate panel temperatures because they treat solar farms like natural terrain. This leads to systematic cold bias and unreliable inputs for performance modelling. The new method corrects this by separating the different components within each satellite pixel and applying PV specific emissivity values.
Validation at two test sites with contrasting climates showed strong improvements. Temperature error was reduced from 10.8–18.9 °C to 3.7–8.6 °C during key daytime observation periods. The method also reduced systematic bias from as much as −17 °C to around −2 to −3 °C.
These gains translate directly into better operational insights. More accurate temperature data can reduce errors in power output simulations by around 3–5%, supporting improved forecasting, maintenance planning, and risk management during peak heat conditions.
The study highlights that the relatively low emissivity of solar panels, about 0.87 compared to more than 0.94 for natural surfaces, is the main factor influencing accuracy. Viewing geometry and array structure provide additional refinements.
While performance is strong during warmer months, the method is less reliable in winter due to extended shadows and possible snow cover, which introduce larger uncertainties. The researchers note that improving how shaded ground between panel rows is modelled will be key to extending the approach year-round.
The findings point to a practical pathway for continuous, large scale thermal monitoring of solar assets using existing satellite systems, a capability that could become increasingly valuable as solar deployment accelerates across high temperature regions including parts of Africa.
Link to the full paper HERE
Author: Bryan Groenendaal






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Hours before PVModuleTech USA opens its doors, we spoke with Todd Heffner, a partner at law firm Smith Gambrell Russell, who specialises in construction litigation.
We talk about the most common issues he’s seen in the solar industry and how solar and energy storage can differentiate in litigation. We also discuss how the two technologies complement each other.
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Through his work, one of the recurring issues Heffner has witnessed on large-scale projects concerns site grading, and more particularly, how projects can often overlook their ability to withstand heavy rains and flooding.
“There’s a lot of grading and earthwork that is the first step of the process. Unfortunately, that’s an area where I see a lot of corners being cut. And they don’t grade the site right. They don’t take into account how differently the earth will react before they disturb it. Oftentimes, it’s farmland or forest or something like that,” explains Heffner, adding that when a flood happens after a heavy rain incident, a big part of the solar array will end up underwater and everyone will be pointing the finger at each other.
“I’ve dealt with that dispute multiple times, because everyone is trying to engineer it cheaper, get the cost down, get it installed quicker. If your job is just to develop a solar array and then sell it, it’s not in your best interest to hire the best engineers, the ones who are going to do it right. You’re going to hire the cheapest engineer.”
Heffner says that the drive to keep aiming to lower costs is a big problem for the industry, especially when compared to what owner, operator developers who will carry out the project from beginning to end, will have a bigger incentive to make things right.
“Because they’re going to own and operate it for years. They have better, better incentives on that front,” adds Heffner.
“There are a lot of developers and builders who build and develop to sell. They don’t build and develop to own and operate for the long term. And that creates bad incentives for doing things ‘the right way’.”
Heffner adds that this adds up to the fact that many solar and energy storage projects there is an “unfortunate race to the bottom to get the cost of the energy as installed as low as possible.”
This is why he emphasises the importance of identifying good subject matter experts. He gave the example of hiring the same expert again based on what he did on a previous stormwater runoff project. And this was due to the fact that the expert would do the “right thing even if it’s to his detriment.”
Heffner adds that: “I know when he tells me, this was designed right, this was designed wrong. Here’s your list of issues. I know he doesn’t have an ulterior motive or to just tell me what I want to hear.
“If you are going to buy solar farms that are already built by someone else, you would need to develop a team of people, like the expert I’m describing here, across all disciplines.”
Finding the right experts or team to go through this thorough vetting process might be hard, but it is a necessary step.
This ties to the fact that a project’s owner and developers need to ensure they find a good contractor who will be in it for the long-term. Heffner explains that the best contractor will never give the lowest price.
“It’s just not possible for them to give you the lowest price, because they’re going to do it right. And they’re not going to miss things in their cost estimate that a less good contractor then tries to ask for extra money later when they realise that they missed this component or whatever is necessary to get it right.”
Heffner’s view on that matter is that one would be better off going with a big contractor that has a solar division, rather than someone who specialises in solar. He adds that there will always be exceptions to the rule, but as a general rule, it is important to know that the contractor understands construction and is well-financed, too.
“Because oftentimes, if one thing we always have to deal with is the fact that if you might have someone who really messed up a project, and then you need to sue them, but if they’re going to go bankrupt in the process, it’s not worth suing them, because there’s not going to be any money to collect at the end of the day.”
The larger construction companies will more often than not own up to the problems that they’ll make and fix these issues and not end up bankrupt in the process. Heffner compares this to the classic customer-service issue, where a company will overpay to fix the issues, which would end leaving a positive impression of that company and making a customer for life.
“Even though you had an issue, you’re almost left with a better impression of that company. Because I think construction is very much the same way that the smart companies are in it, playing that long game, as opposed to, ‘how do I make a quick buck?’
“Everyone’s too enamoured with low price to the detriment of what they’re going to get for that.”
On top of the issue regarding solar sites not handling heavy rains properly, Heffner also highlights another common issue that he’s seen in his line of work: tracker systems and inverters.
He gave an example of how a client’s negative experience with inverters led them to decide to have enough spare parts to build an entirely new inverter if needed.
“Their solution to the fact that their inverters would go down so frequently was to maintain at a minimum an inverter’s worth of spare parts so they could go out there and fix anything they needed to.
“The newer players to the industry might be surprised by how much money they will inevitably spend on their O&M budget dealing with inverters.”
Moreover, another aspect that can be linked with inverters is the use of AI, for which Heffner says that its best use in the solar industry relates to its capabilities during the operations & maintenance (O&M) phase of a solar asset.
“The concept that if you’re measuring enough data, it will more quickly spot trends that might need to lead to proactive maintenance, then you would otherwise. I think inverters are a great example. And it gets easier the bigger your company, and the more solar farms you’re operating, and the more you can use your own data to help you.”
By collecting as much data as possible on the solar sites it owns, a company can improve its ability to spot hidden trends in the data through the use of AI that could be missed by humans or be too complicated to notice because you’re operating many sites at the same time.
Finally, Heffner will be speaking this week at PV ModuleTech USA on a panel about co-locating solar PV with battery energy storage systems (BESS). He explains that one of the differences between the two technologies is that storage issues are resolved “reasonably easily”. He explains that this is in part due to the fact that it is a younger industry compared to solar PV and that manufacturers are more willing to fix the problem rather than put the blame on the installation.
“In the cases I’ve been exposed to, the battery manufacturers are more willing to own it because they need a good reputation. They’re willing to exercise more goodwill.”
Heffner says it makes increasing sense to co-locate solar with battery storage.
“From my view, the more battery storage we have, the better; if we can afford it, get it installed and have it work.”
On a construction standpoint, and without trying to oversimplify the work that goes into it, Heffner says it is easy to build the battery storage part if the solar farm is already there, as it doesn’t take the same amount of land.
“It’s a very simple add-on, so to speak, from a construction standpoint. A big cost with any of this is connecting it to the grid. To me, it only makes sense that if you can afford it, then get financing for it, that you would do both all the time moving forward, just because you’ll save on some of those fixed costs and that they can share the resources.”

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As the global transition to renewable energy accelerates, solar installers and EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) companies are constantly seeking safer, faster, and more reliable solar PV solutions.
Slocable，as a leading innovator in solar solutions, we proudly introduce our independently developed KUIQ X Crimp-Free Solar Connector (Snap in PV Connector). This product perfectly aligns with the industry’s “plug-and-play” trend, setting a new benchmark for modern solar installations.
Innovative Design: Zero Tools, Zero Crimping
Our tool-less connector features a one-piece, pre-tightened design with no loose parts. It requires zero tools and zero manual crimping during operation. The installation is incredibly simple:
Push: Insert the stripped cable into the connector until it stops.
Lock: The internal spring clip instantly secures the wire in place.
Tighten: Fasten the cap to complete the installation.
This streamlined process maximizes installation efficiency and completely eliminates the risk of system failures or hot spots caused by improper manual crimping.

Global Debut & Overwhelming Market Success
Slocable officially unveiled this crimpless connector at Solartech Indonesia 2026. The launch immediately captured industry-wide attention, sparking intense interest and technical discussions among peers and solar experts.
At the subsequent Highlights of Solar &Storage Live Philippines 2026 and Shanghai SNEC Shanghai 2026, the tool-less connector took center stage, translating into commercial success. We have already secured massive pre-orders from global partners who clearly recognize the potential of this plug-and-play technology.
Ready to Upgrade Your Solar Projects?
Say goodbye to tedious manual crimping. Contact Slocable today to get the latest quotes and efficient installation solutions for your next PV project!
Media Contact
Company Name: Dongguan Slocable Photovoltaic Technology Co.,LTD.
Email: Send Email
Phone: +86-769-22010201
Country: China
Website: https://www.slocable.com.cn/

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ProPublica: Unfounded Health Concerns in Michigan and Elsewhere Are Powering a Solar Backlash  Deadline Detroit
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European Energy Completes Sale Of Trinity Hall Solar Farm To Alpha Real Capital-Backed Elm Solar Holdings  SolarQuarter
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| India’s green manufacturing push: Solar farms to net zero  Fibre2Fashion
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Learn how we are working to transform how we use and produce energy.
Solar Best Practices for Policymakers and Two-Part Design Guidebook to Fuel Resilient Photovoltaic Systems for Small Island Developing States
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Following hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Dorian, RMI and Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) sent teams to the Caribbean to evaluate the root failures of solar PV systems and key success factors of systems that survived. The teams then developed a list of recommendations to increase system resilience. The research and analysis led to the publication of three reports.
Solar Under Storm Part I: Designing Hurricane Resilient PV Systems discusses the root causes of ground-mounted PV system failures from hurricanes and describes recommendations for building more resilient solar PV power plants.
Solar Under Storm Part II: Select Best Practices for Resilient Roof-Mount PV Systems with Hurricane Exposure, developed and written with the Clinton Climate Initiative and FCX Solar, does the same with roof-mounted PV systems. It proves that rooftop solar PV can be made resilient at little additional cost.
Solar Under Storm for Policymakers is a follow-up to the two technical reports and is specifically tailored for policymakers in Small Island Developing States. The report lays out guidelines for governments, regulators, and developers interested in improving solar PV system survivability to intense wind-loading events.
View Solar Under Storm: Designing Hurricane-Resilient PV Systems Parts I and II: Best Practices for Solar PV Installations Facing Hurricane-Force Winds along with Solar Under Storm for Policymakers by filling in the download form below.
Read our articles on storm survivability for rooftop solar and ground-mounted solar and on recommendations for policymakers.
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US Home Solar Takes Hit After Losing Key Tax Credit  Bloomberg.com
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