Solar Now

Solar Power Is So Big in Europe That Electricity Is Being Wasted  Bloomberg.com
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Heatwaves, rooftop solar and data centres force rethink of India’s power sector planning  Down To Earth
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PLANS for 416 solar panels at a new community-led energy scheme at a farm near Tisbury have been given the green light by Wiltshire Council.
Permission has been granted for the installation of 416 ground-mounted solar panels and an electrical enclosure at Pythouse Farm on Pythouse Lane in Tisbury.
The development, submitted by Nadder Community Energy Group, will see the panels installed on land to the north of the existing farm buildings, within a field currently used as a foraging area for free-range chickens on the Pythouse Estate. The new array will sit alongside an existing solar installation already operating at the site.
According to planning documents, the scheme will comprise a 262kWp solar photovoltaic system, arranged in 13 banks of panels across seven staggered rows. Electricity generated will be fed into the local grid via an underground cable connected to a small grey electrical enclosure located near the farm’s chicken sheds.
Proposed location of 416 new solar panels (Image: Singleton Design)
The site lies within the Cranborne Chase National Landscape (formerly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), meaning the proposal was subject to careful scrutiny over its potential landscape and visual effects.
However, planning officers concluded that the development would have limited and localised impacts. In their report, officers said the solar array would be well screened by existing woodland, hedgerows and farm buildings, and would not undermine the wider landscape character of the nationally protected area.
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Wiltshire Council’s landscape officer also supported the application, noting that while there are limited views from a nearby lane, additional hedgerow planting along the northern and western boundaries would help enhance local landscape character and improve biodiversity.
The planning permission includes a condition requiring boundary treatment details to be approved before the panels become operational.
The development will also be required to deliver at least a 10 per cent Biodiversity Net Gain, in line with national legislation, with enhancements such as bat and bird boxes to be provided.
Location plan (Image: Singleton Design)
Highways officers raised no objection after revised construction traffic arrangements were submitted, confirming that access could be safely managed during installation and that maintenance visits would be limited to around once a year.
West Tisbury Parish Council also voiced its support for the scheme.
Only one objection was received during consultation, with a resident suggesting solar panels should be installed on roofs rather than green fields. However, planning officers said national policy supports renewable energy developments where impacts can be made acceptable, and highlighted that the panels could be removed in the future with the land restored.
Granting permission, Wiltshire Council said the scheme would make a meaningful contribution to renewable energy generation and climate change goals, while allowing the land to continue in agricultural use.
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India based Coal India Limited (CIL) has disclosed the striking off and dissolution of its wholly owned subsidiary, CIL Solar PV Limited. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs issued Notice No. STK-7/001155/2026 dated 11.05.2026 regarding the corporate action. Coal India Limited received the MCA notice on 12.05.2026 and informed stock exchanges under SEBI LODR Regulations, 2015. According to Coal India Limited, the subsidiary was struck off under sub-section (5) of Section 248 of the Companies Act, 2013. The company stated that CIL Solar PV Limited has been removed from the Register of Companies and stands dissolved. The disclosure was signed by B. P. Dubey, Executive Director and Compliance Officer of Coal India Limited.

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German cabinet agrees to replace green-friendly heating law  Reuters
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Plano City Hall says Savion Energy will present its plans for a 1,500-acre solar farm at the Plano Plan Commission meeting on Monday, June 1.
The meeting will run from 6 to 9 p.m. and will be held at the Plano High School auditorium. There will also be an online stream of the proceedings.
Plano Director of Planning, Building and Zoning Jeff Sobotka says there will be multiple meetings planned to accommodate public comment.
“Savion will be presenting their proposed solar project. We are currently working with Plano High School to have it in their auditorium in order to provide as much space as necessary. This will be considered one meeting held over multiple dates in order to provide multiple opportunities for public comment to provide maximum transparency.”
While the project has been in the works for several years, this will be the first presentation since the company submitted its application to Plano City Hall earlier this year.
Residents have expressed concerns about views, water, land use and flooding. Little Rock Township residents went so far as to pass a resolution banning solar developments within its borders.
Trade union representatives have attended Plano City Hall meetings to express support for the project.
Ultimately, the Plan Commission will make a recommendation, but the City Council will decide whether to approve the project.
A data center that was part of one proposed version of the project has been removed.
The meeting was announced by city officials at Monday’s Plano City Council meeting.
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The 8th annual Solar Risk Assessment from kWh Analytics identifies equipment-driven fires, regulator fines, and battery inaccuracies as the latest threats to renewable asset returns.
Image: Pixabay
As the U.S. renewable fleet enters a period of unprecedented demand, the industry is hitting a critical inflection point where operational nuance is as vital as hardware procurement. Data center electricity use is on track to quintuple by 2040, and global cooling demand is projected to triple by 2060, placing a massive burden on a grid that now counts on solar, wind, and storage. Meeting the demand ahead requires collaboration between asset owners, operators, financiers, insurers, brokers, and manufacturers to ensure infrastructure remains durable and reliable. 
The 2026 Solar Risk Assessment consists of 19 articles written by global industry partners to provide an objective analysis of resilience and reliability. Data from the report reveals that while extreme weather remains a major driver of financial loss, the next frontier of risk is domestic, originating from within the plant itself. 
Equipment-driven brushfires
Historically, the industry has focused on wildfire defensibility, but data from kWh Analytics shows that only 4% of photovoltaic fire loss events occur in high wildfire risk areas. In contrast, 84% of fire events are equipment-driven brushfires, meaning the source of ignition is the solar equipment.
Nextpower highlights a critical detection gap in current maintenance practices where 79% of identified high-risk photovoltaic connector and fuse issues exhibit no detectable thermal signature at the time of inspection.
While thermal drones are a standard tool for identifying module-level defects, they often fail to catch balance of system issues where no measurable heat is present before a failure. Because most high-risk connector failures begin without measurable heat, Nextpower argues that high-resolution visual inspection must complement thermography to reduce fire frequency.
Hardware risk also extends to manufacturing quality. Testing data from Kiwa PVEL and Kiwa PI Berlin shows that 30% of manufacturers exhibit junction box failures in reliability testing. These failures raise fire risk across entire portfolios and suggest that stakeholders should prioritize production oversight and pre-shipment inspections to verify manufacturing quality.
Tropical storms
As solar power plants are increasingly installed in hurricane-prone locations, the structural integrity of single-axis trackers is under scrutiny. GameChange Solar reports that current IEC 62782 standards for tracker design underrepresent the cyclical loading experienced during a real-world hurricane by 8x.
Fatigue failure occurs when cracks form in a material due to repeated wind forces that are applied and then removed. Modeling by CPP Wind Engineering Consultants for GameChange Solar found that a site during Hurricane Ian likely experienced over 8,000 cycles with pressures up to 1,400 Pa. The standard only requires 1,000 cycles at 1,000 Pa. Testing conducted by GameChange Solar showed that while common rail designs passed the standard test, they developed visible cracks when subjected to more realistic cyclical loading.
Beyond wind, lightning is becoming a more frequent threat to onshore renewables. Vaisala Xweather reports that 32% more U.S. wind turbines were hit by four or more lightning strokes in 2025 compared to the previous year. This increase in lightning frequency necessitates more robust grounding and protection protocols for renewable assets. 
Hail mitigation
Hail remains the most expensive type of insured loss for the solar industry. Research from kWh Analytics and GroundWork Renewables indicates that standard 2mm glass modules are no longer sufficient for 52% of the contiguous U.S. to keep risk below an acceptable loss threshold.
In the highest-risk regions, which cover 13% of the U.S., both hail-hardened modules and robust stow protocols are required. Robust stow is defined as the execution of a 70-degree or greater tilt position during a storm. However, software-based stow can fail if operational policies are inadequate. 
GroundWork Renewables testing data confirms that hail-hardened constructions, typically using 2.5mm or 3.2mm glass, offer significantly lower failure probabilities and provide a stronger baseline of protection for utility-scale developments.
Reliability
Operational intelligence provider Above Surveying analyzed data from over 3,000 assets and found that thermal anomalies do not follow a linear degradation path.
Instead, the data shows that defect rates, which include cell cracks and busbar peeling, accelerate significantly after year 7. This trend introduces meaningful long-term financial risk for projects that assume a constant rate of degradation over a 30-year life.
Additional reliability challenges include:
Battery storage
As lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries dominate new storage deployments, the industry is struggling with state-of-charge inaccuracies.
ACCURE Battery Intelligence finds that these estimation errors can cost battery energy storage systems operators more than $1 million per GWh annually in dynamic markets like ERCOT. Because LFP batteries have a flat voltage curve, it is difficult for standard management systems to provide a reliable view of available energy, leading operators to maintain conservative buffers that leave tradable energy unused.
Furthermore, PowerUp reports that 75% of utility-scale battery sites show early signals of HVAC-related thermal anomalies. These cooling failures can lead to thermal runaway if unmanaged, making early anomaly detection essential for both safety and asset availability.
Regulation and the $1 million daily penalty
The regulatory landscape is shifting rapidly, introducing new classes of risk. Crux reports that new prohibited foreign entity rules take effect in 2026, yet only 38% of developers feel fully prepared to meet these requirements.
The financial consequences for falling behind on compliance are severe. Vaisala notes that non-compliance with heightened FERC cybersecurity and regulatory standards can trigger penalties of $1 million per day for renewable energy developers. Additionally, CAC highlights that tax insurance underwriters are tightening terms, with 75% of underwriters refusing to cover valuation step-ups above 25%, creating a constraint for project financing.
As the industry grows, the risks are becoming more localized, more technical, and more expensive. Success in the next phase of the energy transition will require moving beyond broad assumptions and toward a strategy rooted in granular, field-verified data.
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Plano City Hall says Savion Energy will present its plans for a 1,500-acre solar farm at the…
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Solar panels on house roof. Photovoltaic, alternative electricity source. Sustainable resources. Energy crisis. 3D rendering
Solar panels, or alternative renewable energy technology, will now be a mandatory requirement on all new Guernsey housing and commercial developments following a decision made by the Development & Planning Authority (DPA).
In 2023, the States agreed Guernsey’s Electricity Strategy and directed the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure, in consultation with the DPA, to explore ways to further facilitate the installation of solar panel arrays to increase on-island electricity generation.
Policy GP9 within Guernsey’s current Island Development Plan already encourages installing ways of harnessing renewable energy, and from now, roof-mounted solar panels, or appropriate alternatives, will be required to meet this policy.
Measures such as non-roof mounted solar products, air source heat pumps and battery storage can be considered as alternatives to, or in addition to, roof-mounted solar panels. Sites will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure suitable provision can be made.
Deputy Neil Inder, President of the DPA, said: “Making solar panels mandatory on new developments is good for our environment and is good for our energy security, all in line with the States-approved Electricity Strategy.
“It’s good that some developers already do this as standard, but making it mandatory means that we’re making the most of the opportunities that new developments pose. It’s also cheaper to install these during the build rather than fitting them somewhere down the line.”
Deputy Adrian Gabriel, President of the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure, said: “In 2023, through the Electricity Strategy, the States made a clear long-term, strategic decision for Guernsey to pursue additional interconnection while also increasing the amount of energy generated locally through renewable sources. I welcome the DPA’s supportive decision to make solar panels or alternative renewables mandatory on new developments. Making this the norm will undoubtedly help Guernsey in achieving its renewable energy targets.”

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Crews have installed more than 1,700 solar panels on a reservoir in Central Point. The first-of-its-kind project in Oregon will generate revenue for the Medford Irrigation District while conserving water during hot summer months.
The panels float on a re-regulating reservoir that the district fills with surplus flows and releases during drier periods.
The Medford Irrigation District expects to generate around $75,000 per year from selling solar-generated power, with 10% of that electricity going to low-income households through the Oregon Community Solar Program.
The district will use the money for a slate of modernization projects, including converting canals to enclosed piping.
“The irrigation communities are looking for more tools in their toolkit to make their water supply [last] longer, but also have financial resources to be able to modernize their systems that are often 100 and or 125 years old,” said Julie O’Shea of the non-profit Farmers Conservation Alliance, a partner in the project.
She said floating solar panels can also prevent evaporation and lower the reservoir’s water temperature.
Medford Irrigation District manager Jack Friend said the panels could help combat aquatic moss, which grows in warmer water and chokes up reservoirs during the summer.
“This kind of helps us be a little bit more resilient and flexible,” Friend said. “We’re seeing some pretty significant droughts back-to-back right now that are kind of historical for our system.”
While this is the first project in the state, other irrigation districts are considering installing similar systems.
“Everyone is kind of looking at it to see where they can fit it in and where it works,” Friend said.
O’Shea said the project will provide valuable information for other districts.
Oregon State University researchers found that adding floating solar panels to every federally owned reservoir could power 100 million homes in the U.S. Although they note there could be ecological costs depending on the location.

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SMA Solar Technology, a key player in photovoltaic inverters, supports the US clean energy transition with efficient grid solutions amid rising solar demand.
SMA Solar Technology continues to play a pivotal role in the global solar energy sector, providing advanced inverter systems essential for photovoltaic installations. The company reported steady demand for its products in recent quarters, with a focus on large-scale projects that align with US renewable energy goals. According to its investor relations page as of 05/13/2026, SMA maintains a strong position in grid integration technology.
As of: 13.05.2026
By the editorial team – specialized in equity coverage.
Official source
For first-hand information on SMA Solar Technology, visit the company’s official website.
SMA Solar Technology AG develops, produces, and sells PV inverters, which convert direct current from solar panels into alternating current for grid use. The company’s portfolio includes solutions for residential, commercial, and utility-scale applications. SMA’s technology emphasizes efficiency, grid stability, and integration with battery storage, addressing key challenges in renewable energy deployment. This model positions SMA as a critical enabler in the solar value chain worldwide, including significant exposure to the US market through partnerships and installations.
Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Niestetal, Germany, SMA has grown into one of the world’s leading inverter manufacturers. Its business is divided into Home Solutions, Commercial & Industrial, and Large Scale & Storage segments. Revenue is primarily generated from hardware sales, with growing contributions from software and services for energy management. For US investors, SMA’s products support the Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives for solar and storage projects.
The core of SMA’s revenue comes from its Sunny Tripower and Sunny Highpower inverters for large-scale solar farms, which saw strong uptake in 2025 according to annual reports published on its IR site. Energy storage systems like the Sunny Island series drive growth in off-grid and hybrid applications. In the US, SMA’s solutions are deployed in utility projects, benefiting from federal tax credits and state-level mandates for renewables.
Service and monitoring software, including Sunny Portal, provide recurring revenue through long-term contracts. The company’s R&D investment, around 10% of sales in recent years, fuels innovations like hydrogen-ready inverters. These drivers underscore SMA’s relevance for US portfolios seeking exposure to the solar boom projected to add 50 GW annually through 2030.
The solar inverter market is expanding rapidly, with global capacity expected to double by 2030 per industry forecasts. SMA competes with Enphase Energy, SolarEdge, and Huawei, holding a strong foothold in Europe and a growing US presence via localized manufacturing plans. Its focus on grid-forming inverters addresses stability issues in high-renewable grids, a priority for US utilities transitioning from fossil fuels.
SMA’s competitive edge lies in reliability and software integration, with over 100 GW of installed capacity worldwide. For US investors, this translates to indirect plays on domestic solar growth, where inverters are indispensable for projects qualifying for IRA subsidies.
SMA Solar Technology offers US investors exposure to the renewable sector without direct reliance on volatile US policy shifts. Listed on Xetra, its shares are accessible via ADRs or international brokers. The company’s US revenue, though around 15-20% of total, benefits from mega-projects in California and Texas solar hubs. As the US aims for 40% clean electricity by 2030, SMA’s grid tech supports this shift.
Key products include modular inverters for utility-scale plants, which comprised over 50% of 2024 sales per the annual report released March 2025. Battery inverters pair with Tesla and LG systems, tapping into the US storage market growing at 30% CAGR. Digital services like ennexOS platform enhance yields, creating sticky customer relationships.
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Additional news and developments on the stock can be explored via the linked overview pages.
More news on this stockInvestor relations
SMA Solar Technology remains a cornerstone in the solar inverter space, with robust product lines supporting global renewable expansion including key US markets. Its focus on innovation and grid reliability positions it well amid energy transition trends. Investors tracking clean energy should monitor quarterly updates for sustained demand signals.
Disclaimer: This article does not constitute investment advice. Stocks are volatile financial instruments.

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Business World of Renewable Energy

© Red Zeppelin / UnsplashPotenza/Dresden (renewablepress) – VSB Italy has obtained the Regional Single Authorisation Measure (PAUR) for the development of a new photovoltaic plant in Sicily, strengthening its commitment to the energy transition and to the development of sustainable energy infrastructure.

The project, located in the Passaneto area, in the municipality of Francofonte, covers a total area of approximately 64 hectares, of which around 46.5 hectares are occupied by the photovoltaic plant. The initiative foresees an installed capacity of 36?MW, dedicated to the generation of electricity from solar energy, in line with national and European decarbonization objectives.

The project has been developed in coherence with the characteristics of the local territorial context, adopting design solutions and environmental measures aimed at ensuring a balanced approach between energy production and land protection.

The plant layout is designed to promote spontaneous naturalization of the surfaces, by maintaining open areas beneath the modules. In addition, specific mitigation measures are planned, including solutions to facilitate wildlife passage and vegetative screening interventions using native plant species, supporting the environmental and landscape integration of the project.

According to the current schedule, construction is expected to start in 2027, while the plant to enter into operation by the end of 2028. Once operational, the photovoltaic plant is expected to generate enough clean electricity to meet the annual needs of around 13,000 households.

From a socio economic perspective, the project is anticipated to generate positive employment impacts, both direct and indirect, during the construction and operational phases, while contributing positively to the local economy in a balanced and sustainable manner.

Dr. Miroslav Ilijevski, Managing Director of VSB Italy, commented: „This authorisation marks an important milestone for VSB Italy and represents a further contribution to the country’s decarbonization objectives, while reaffirming our strong commitment to supporting Italy’s energy transition. We are proud to contribute to this path with a project designed to combine clean electricity generation, respect for the local context, and long-term value for the territory and its communities.”

Dr. Felix Grolman, CEO of VSB Group, added: „Projects like this underline our commitment to accelerating Europe’s energy transition with high-quality, sustainable solutions. At the same time, it reflects the outstanding work of our team in Italy, whose dedication and expertise are key to creating long-term value for both people and regions.”

With this new photovoltaic development, VSB Italy confirms its commitment to the development of high quality renewable energy plants, capable of combining clean energy generation, attention to the territorial context and long term value creation.

About VSB Group

VSB, headquartered in Dresden, is one of Europe’s leading vertically integrated developers in the renewable energy sector. The company has been part of TotalEnergies since 2025. Its core business is the project development of onshore wind and photovoltaic parks, battery storage systems, their operational management, as well as the operation of its own assets as a growing independent power producer. VSB operates in six European countries and has a project pipeline of more than 20 GW. Since 1996, more than 750 wind energy and photovoltaic installations have been realised. VSB also provides services for a portfolio of over 3 GW and develops integrated energy solutions for industrial and commercial customers. Across the Group and its affiliated companies, more than 500 people are employed. Further information: http://www.vsb.energy

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Caption: VSB Italy Brings 36 MW of Solar Energy to Sicily (symbolic image)
© Red Zeppelin / Unsplash

Potenza/Dresden, 13 May 2026

Publication and Reprint free of charge; please send a voucher copy to VSB Holding GmbH.

Attention editorial offices – For further questions please contact:

Media contact:

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E-Mail: kathrin.jacob-puchalski@vsb.energy

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Internet: https://www.vsb.energy
 

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Potential buyer asks the city for permission to use a cinderblock building for storage, after a TV tower was removed from the property
QUINCY – A resident who lives about 1,000 feet away from the site of the old WGEM tower and TV transmitter petitioned the city for a special permit to turn the cinderblock building that remains on the property into his personal storage.
The tower and transmitter were removed back in 2025.
The city council approved the permit through a consent agenda on Monday night.
Krayton Higdon has already submitted a letter of intent to purchase the lot, which is east of Willer Drive just off Columbus Road.
In the immediate future, Higdon will use it as a garage and storage, which requires a special use permit because the area is zoned for single-family housing.
The location is just outside of the City of Quincy’s Ward 3, but within the 1.5-mile jurisdictional purview of the city council.
The application includes a request to subdivide the subject lot from one parcel to two to allow for a 1,042 sq. foot lot on the southwest corner of the property to be sold to the adjacent property owner at 5229 Willer Drive South.
The city staff recommended approval with the conditions that there will be no outdoor storage at the site and that only the owner will be using it for storage.
The site is in the same vicinity, but not related to a proposed housing development at Columbus and Arthur Court.
The city has already approved the development of a subdivision with 10 to 20 single-family residential lots.
Developer Jason Wollbrink said the lots will range from 13,000 to 37,000 square feet and start in the $300,000 range.
The plan is subject to review and compliance with city codes. The city also plans to annex the property due to its contiguity to the Abbey Ridge neighborhood.
The plan commission recommended approval, as reported by Muddy River News, back in November. But there are no updates on a timeline for construction just yet.
No zoning changes are required since the area is already approved for residential or agricultural use.
Solar energy facility
Also under the consent agenda, the council approved a Special Permit for Planned Development of a solar energy facility at 2011 North 24th Street. The petitioner requested the installation of solar panels along the route of the proposed eastern expansion of Seminary Road.
Gem City Renewables LLC, of Hingham, Mass., seeks to construct a 2.99 MWac solar farm (approx. 18 acres) on three adjacent properties to generate enough energy to power roughly 600 homes. The plans include leasing the land owned by Michelman Steel Construction Company.
There is split-zoning for this property:
The proposal does not include any solar panels within the limited residential area. City staff said this use of the facility and two contiguous properties to the south is appropriate per City Code review.
Gaming terminals
As part of the regular agenda, there was the first reading of an ordinance amending Chapter 112 (Amusements) of the municipal code regarding the number of video gaming terminals allowed.
Currently, the state of Illinois has a limit of six terminals at gaming parlors. Under the Video Gaming Act, terminal operators are allowed to offer in-location bonus jackpots with a maximum cumulative limit of $10,000.
As the state increases or decreases the limit, the city will follow state law.
This was a first reading. Two other readings are scheduled, with a vote on the third reading.
Special Events
Quincy’s Fire Department is holding a blessing of the helmets ceremony on Tuesday, May 12, at the Central Fire Station, 906 Vermont, starting at 11:30 a.m.
National Police Week, May 10-16. The Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony hosted by the Quincy Police Department, 530 Broadway, is this Friday, starting at 9 a.m. The chief said be sure to look at the department’s Facebook page, in case it’s postponed due to weather.
National Salvation Army Week is May 11-17. Monday will serve as the official kick-off.
Captains Rich and Linnea Forney received a special proclamation at the start of the council meeting on Monday night.
“The Salvation Army is committed to be the safety net of the community. Every person has dignity and value,” Rich Forney said.

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Solar Panels Make a Splash In Central Point Reservoir  Hoodline
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A small herd of lowing cattle lumbered out of the shade and into the light.
They kicked up tiny white butterflies as they moved, seeking out a thick patch of grass and clover. Behind them were rows and rows of mounted solar panels facing skyward.
The group, about ten cows and their calves, is the resident herd at a solar farm in Christiana, Tennessee. The cattle are early adopters; the 40-acre farm is the world’s only commercial scale solar energy plant co-located with cattle production.
It’s owned by Silicon Ranch, a 15-year-old company based in Nashville. The group has big plans to foster the integration of cattle and solar energy production thanks to a patented technology they are case testing in Tennessee.
The company, and its team of interdisciplinary researchers who built the technology, believes the co-location of the two land uses is a win-win for the agriculture and energy sectors, which have both been navigating unpredictable and sometimes volatile market conditions over the past few years. The software, called CattleTracker, offers a simple yet scalable solution, they say.
“I really do think this is the beginning of being able to scale this to all of our ranches, many of which are thousands of acres, and it opens up a tremendous amount of opportunity,” Silicon Ranch CEO Reagan Farr said at a launch event in Christiana on Thursday, April 30.
The official launch of CattleTracker underscores Tennessee’s growing place in the U.S. solar energy industry, from manufacturing to research, development and “agrovoltaics.” With support from the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, multiple companies manufacturing equipment for solar energy production are basing their facilities in the state.
“Tennessee is in the center of a lot of American manufacturing for solar,” Silicon Ranch Chief Technology Officer Nick de Vries said. “It means we know our customer. We know our suppliers.”
The idea to raise cattle on a solar farm began with a question. And a problem.
In 2018, Silicon Ranch announced a 600-acre solar farm project in Bluffton, Georgia, a tiny rural community in the southwest part of the state near the Alabama border. Will Harris, a fourth generation cattle farmer and owner of White Oak Pastures, reached out to the company with concerns.
Harris wanted to understand how the solar farm would impact his family’s farming operation, which moved away from using industrial farming methods in 1995 and built a business model based on regenerative farming practices. That means, in part, the farm used to use pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics, feeding animals a high carbohydrate diet of corn and soy. Now, Harris has been recognized globally for humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability.
The meeting between Harris and Silicon Ranch executives led to a question: Why does solar energy and grass-fed meat production need to be separate?
In 2018, Silicon Ranch launched its Regenerative Energy platform, introducing sheep grazing to its solar farms first in Tennessee and then in other locations. Now, the company owns the largest flock of sheep in Georgia. But sheep, small and docile, are able to easily coexist with solar modules. Cattle are a different story.
Cattle are large, heavy animals that don’t fit under standard solar modules. They also tend to bump into things, which is dangerous for them and could be damaging to expensive solar energy equipment.
But there are advantages to consider, Silicon Ranch executives said. If you can somehow make the cattle and modules play nicely together, the animals benefit from plentiful shade and grass to freely graze. Farmers can lease their land to solar power companies to diversify income while still raising cattle, and the power companies have an easier time maintaining their solar farm.
All that considered, de Vries put together a team of ranchers, animal behavioral scientists, soil scientists and renewable energy engineers.
Solar modules work by rotating, tilting the panels to follow the sun’s movements throughout the day. At times, the modules can be almost vertical. That wouldn’t work if there were cattle around. And the modules can’t just be raised out of reach, because the materials to do that would be prohibitively expensive.
The team figured out what height the modules should be placed at to make them tall enough for cattle to pass under but not so tall that it would compromise energy prices. Then, they created a software system that would prevent modules from tracking the sun if cattle were nearby. Thus, CattleTracker was born.
“We needed a design that would be good for agriculture, good for solar, good for the ecology, good for the community,” de Vries said. “And that’s what drove me here.”
The Christiana solar plant plans to continue to use and improve upon the CattleTracker technology to show how it could be used in communities across the U.S.
At the Christiana solar plant, a fingerpost sign displays where all of the solar equipment came from to build the facility. The solar modules were made in Ohio by American company First Solar, while other parts were made in Alabama, Wisconsin and Virginia. The Nextpower tracker parts were made in Memphis, and the Shoals combiner boxes were made in Portland, Tennessee.
That focus on U.S. and Tennessee manufacturing is important to Farr, who said the thesis of Silicon Ranch was to build a company based in Tennessee that views power generation as an economic development opportunity for rural parts of the U.S.
“From the beginning, we’ve always asked how can we make solar do more?” Farr said.
Doing more, for Farr, means providing jobs in manufacturing and clean energy, especially in rural parts of the South that haven’t seen enough investment over the years.
Silicon Ranch was founded in Tennessee by former Gov. Phil Bredesen, Matt Kisber and Reagan Farr, and has grown into one of the largest independent power producers in the U.S., with more than 180 facilities in 15 states.
And while the Nashville-headquartered company has grown, Tennessee’s place in solar parts and energy storage manufacturing has grown alongside it.
One example is Shoals Technologies Group, based in Portland, which builds electrical balance of systems solutions for solar, energy storage and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and has recently completed a major facility expansion. Create Energy, another Tennessee-based energy parts manufacturing company, recently announced an economic development deal with the state.
“We’re going to continue to work with companies that are forward thinking, such as Create Energy, and looking forward to what the future brings with AI and advanced manufacturing in general, how that just enhances our overall presence as a state,” TNECD commissioner Stuart McWhorter said in an April interview with The Tennessean.
Molly Davis covers growth and development in Nashville. You can email her with comments, questions and tips at mmdavis@tennessean.com.

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NYC firm to develop solar farm in Cambria and Pendleton
New York City firm wants to develop 100mw solar farm in Niagara County.
PENDLETON, N.Y. (WBEN)…..For the second time in recent months, out-of-town interests are proposing to develop a large scale solar farm.
In this case, Bear Ridge Solar LLC from Manhattan wants to develop a 100mw solar farm that would sit on 516 acres of former farm and green land along Comstock Road in both the Town of Cambria and Town of Pendleton.
Bear Ridge Solar will invest $220,624,371 in rhe project – making it the second largest solar farm investment, dwarfed only by AES Corp.'s $276 million project that was approved earlier this year in the Niagara County Town of Somerset.
Like the Somerset project, the Bear Ridge solar farm ties into the state's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act that is pushing for more green energy initiatives.
The 100 mw solar farm, could, potentially supply power to more than 60,000 homes and businesses.
The line would connect to National Grid's 115kv Lockport -Mountain (Road) transmission line.
Bear Ridge Solar is seeking a 20-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes package from the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency, whose directors will begin their review during the agency's May 13 board of directors meeting.
Bear Ridge Solar is proposing an $11.3 million PILOT package to both Cambria and Pendleton.
NYC firm to develop solar farm in Cambria and Pendleton

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New process pushes lead-free indoor solar panels past 16% efficiency  Yahoo Tech
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Smart Güne? Enerjisi Teknolojileri, a leading Turkish solar technology firm listed in Istanbul, focuses on advanced photovoltaic solutions amid global renewable energy demand. US investors eye its growth in emerging markets.
Smart Güne? Enerjisi Teknolojileri continues to advance in the competitive solar energy sector, developing innovative photovoltaic modules and energy storage systems tailored for utility-scale and commercial applications. The company, traded on Borsa Istanbul, reported steady operational progress in its latest updates, highlighting expansions in production capacity.
As of: 13.05.2026
By the editorial team – specialized in equity coverage.
Smart Güne? Enerjisi Teknolojileri specializes in the design, manufacturing, and deployment of solar energy technologies, with a focus on high-efficiency monocrystalline and polycrystalline photovoltaic (PV) panels. The company integrates advanced cell technologies to optimize energy yield in diverse climatic conditions, positioning it as a key player in Turkey’s burgeoning renewable sector. Its business model emphasizes vertical integration, from silicon wafer processing to module assembly, enabling cost efficiencies that appeal to international project developers.
Founded to capitalize on Turkey’s solar potential and government incentives, the firm has scaled production at its facilities near Istanbul, targeting exports to Europe where EU Green Deal policies drive demand. For US investors, exposure comes via the stock’s liquidity on Borsa Istanbul, offering diversification into high-growth emerging market renewables without direct ADR listing.
Revenue primarily stems from sales of PV modules, which account for over 70% of topline, supplemented by energy storage systems and EPC services for solar farms. The company’s bifacial panel line, featuring up to 22% efficiency, has gained traction in utility projects across the Mediterranean region. Recent capacity expansions aim to double output to 2 GW annually by 2027, supporting revenue growth amid global solar installations projected to hit 655 GW in 2026 per industry forecasts.
Key products include smart inverters and battery-integrated solutions, addressing intermittency challenges in solar power. These drivers align with Turkey’s 10 GW solar target by 2025, bolstered by YEKA auctions, providing US portfolios with indirect play on energy transition trends influencing commodity prices and supply chains.
Read more
Additional news and developments on the stock can be explored via the linked overview pages.
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For first-hand information on Smart Güne? Enerjisi Teknolojileri, visit the company’s official website.
The solar industry faces headwinds from Chinese oversupply but benefits from US Inflation Reduction Act subsidies spilling over to global supply chains. Smart Güne? Enerjisi Teknolojileri differentiates via localized manufacturing, evading tariffs and qualifying for European content rules. Its competitive edge lies in cost-competitive modules priced 10-15% below Asian imports, per sector analysis.
With solar comprising 15% of new US capacity additions, Turkish firms like Smart Güne? offer geographic diversification and exposure to non-China supply chains critical amid geopolitical tensions. The stock’s correlation to TRY-USD fluctuations provides currency play, relevant for portfolios hedging eurozone energy shifts.
Smart Güne? Enerjisi Teknolojileri stands as a focused solar technology provider in a high-growth sector, with production ramps and export focus underscoring its trajectory. While Turkey’s regulatory environment and currency risks warrant monitoring, the firm’s technological advancements position it well within global renewables. Investors track capacity utilization and order backlogs for ongoing insights.
Disclaimer: This article does not constitute investment advice. Stocks are volatile financial instruments.

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Credence Solar has secured Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) approval for additional crystalline silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) module models, including high-wattage variants rated up to 744 Wp. The certification marks a significant step in the company’s expansion strategy as it prepares for inclusion in the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) and plans to enter integrated solar cell manufacturing. According to the BIS inclusion document dated May 8, 2026, the approval was granted under the company’s existing BIS licence for “Crystalline Silicon Terrestrial Photovoltaic (PV) Modules (Si wafer based)” in compliance with IS 14286 and related IEC standards.
High-Efficiency Module Portfolio Expands
The latest BIS approval covers multiple module variants across Credence Solar’s CS-HBT, CS-QBT, and CS-QU product series. While the certification now includes modules with capacities reaching 744 Wp, the company stated that commercially available products currently range between 725 Wp and 730 Wp. Additionally, nearly 150 MW of manufacturing capacity for these higher-wattage modules is already operational, reflecting the company’s focus on advanced and high-efficiency solar technologies. The expansion aligns with growing demand from utility-scale solar developers seeking improved project economics, lower balance-of-system costs, and higher energy output.
ALMM Inclusion Expected Soon
Credence Solar informed industry sources that the newly certified modules are expected to be included in the ALMM framework in the near future. Inclusion in the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers is considered critical for participation in government-backed solar projects and public sector tenders in India. The anticipated ALMM approval could further strengthen the company’s presence in India’s rapidly expanding utility-scale solar market.
Manufacturing Expansion Underway in Gujarat
Credence Solar currently operates approximately 2.2 GW of solar module manufacturing capacity at its Rajkot facility in Gujarat. As part of its long-term growth strategy, the company is also planning to expand upstream into solar cell manufacturing. It has proposed setting up a 2 GW solar cell production line at the same location, with commissioning targeted for the first quarter of 2027. The BIS-approved manufacturing facility is located at Padadhari in Rajkot district along the
Rajkot–Jamnagar Highway.
Indian Solar Manufacturers Move Toward High-Wattage Technologies
The latest certification reflects a broader trend within India’s solar manufacturing ecosystem, where companies are increasingly shifting toward higher-efficiency and larger-format solar modules to remain globally competitive. At the same time, Indian manufacturers are benefiting from global supply chain diversification as international markets seek alternatives to China-centric solar sourcing. Apart from serving the domestic market, Credence Solar is also reportedly exporting solar modules to the United States, highlighting the growing international ambitions of Indian renewable energy manufacturers.
BIS Certification Critical for Indian Solar Market
BIS certification remains mandatory for supplying solar modules in India and plays a key role in securing ALMM approvals and participating in government-supported renewable energy projects. As reported by Solar Now, the latest approval underscores ongoing investments in technology upgrades, manufacturing capacity expansion, and localization efforts within India’s solar industry as the country accelerates its clean energy transition.

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All new housing and commercial buildings must feature solar panels or another form of renewable energy technology, Guernsey's planning authority has said.
Previously, planning policy had "encouraged" installing ways to harness renewable energy, it said.
However it is now "mandatory" that roof-mounted solar panels or "appropriate alternatives", including non-roof solar panels or air source heat pumps, are installed.
Deputy Neil Inder, president of the Development and Planning Authority (DPA), said: "Making solar panels mandatory on new developments is good for our environment and is good for our energy security."
Inder said the fact some developers already installed the technology "as standard" was "good", but said making it mandatory meant they were "making the most of the opportunities" provided by new developments.
He said it was cheaper to fit them during the build rather than later "down the line".
The process began in 2023 when the States agreed Guernsey's Electricity Strategy and directed the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure, in consultation with the DPA, to explore ways solar panel arrays could increase on-island electricity generation.
Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
 

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Clean energy groups challenge NC Utilities Commission chair’s order to pause solar projects  NC Newsline
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(Reuters) – A group of U.S. solar panel makers on Tuesday asked federal trade officials to investigate solar shipments from Ethiopia, alleging that companies are finishing their products there to avoid import duties on Chinese-made goods.
The filing with the U.S. Department of Commerce is the latest in a decade-long string of attempts by owners of domestic solar panel factories to seek tariffs on cheap imports made primarily by Chinese companies.
It alleges that Japan’s Toyo and Origin Solar Manufacturing are using Chinese-made wafers to make solar cells in Ethiopia, then assembling those cells into panels in Ethiopia or Vietnam for export to the U.S.
It is illegal to circumvent U.S. tariffs by re-routing goods through other countries with minor processing modifications.
The petitioning group includes Arizona-based First Solar Inc FSLR.O, Qcells, the solar manufacturing unit of South Korea’s Hanwha 000880.KS, and six smaller producers. Both First Solar and Qcells have invested billions of dollars in major U.S. solar panel factories.
Ethiopia is a rising solar manufacturer. The U.S. did not receive any solar energy imports from the African nation until the middle of 2025, and such imports had reached $300 million by the end of the year, quickly making Ethiopia the No. 7 U.S. solar importer last year.
“What we’re seeing in Ethiopia follows a familiar playbook,” Tim Brightbill, a partner with Wiley Rein and the lead attorney for the group, said in a statement. “American solar manufacturing is at an inflection point: With billions invested, thousands of jobs created, real capacity coming online, we are not going to let serial tariff evasion undercut that progress.”
The U.S. has had anti-dumping and countervailing duties in place for a decade on Chinese-made solar products after a Commerce probe found companies there were receiving unfair government subsidies that kept prices artificially low. It has also imposed duties on products from Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam after many Chinese firms set up factories in those nations.
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Scientific Reports volume 16, Article number: 14389 (2026) Cite this article
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This study evaluates an integrated greywater reuse and rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) concept for a luxury residential compound in New Cairo, Egypt (365 buildings; 7,512 units). Based on stated per‑capita end‑use assumptions, total greywater production is 6,300 m³/day (2,299,500 m³/year), while toilet flushing demand is 2,700 m³/day (985,500 m³/year). A physico‑chemical onsite treatment train (coagulation, multimedia filtration, chlorination) is specified at 6,300 m³/day; using a 5% filter backwash assumption, annual hydraulic recovery is 95% (2,184,525 m³/year). The recovered volume exceeds the flushing demand, indicating demand‑limited potable‑water offset for the quantified end use and potential surplus for additional non‑potable applications. The greywater system CAPEX is 3.37 million USD (535 USD/(m³/day)) with disaggregated components for in‑building supply, transfer networks, and the treatment plant. Total OPEX is 0.06 USD/m³ (137,970 USD/year at design flow), yielding a straight‑line levelized cost of water (LCOW) of 0.133 USD/m³ on a treated‑volume basis and 0.311 USD/m³ on a potable‑offset basis over the 20‑year analysis horizon. For the PV system, the total initial cost for 365 buildings is 666,455,000 EGP, with modeled annual electricity cost savings of 5,348,550 EGP and an indicative simple payback of approximately 10 years. Overall, the results quantify the magnitude of potable‑water offset and cost metrics achievable at compound scale.
The growing human population continues to place increasing pressure on natural resources—particularly clean water—required for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use. Without reliable and sustainable water sources, many risk facing severe shortages and a rise in diseases linked to polluted water¹. In light of these challenges, wastewater treatment has gained global attention not only for its economic advantages but also for its critical role in environmental sustainability. It is now widely recognized as a key strategy for preserving water quality and promoting efficient resource use, ensuring that water is not wasted, polluted, or mismanaged².
Amid escalating global water scarcity, the reuse of treated wastewater—particularly greywater from household activities—has emerged as a viable and increasingly necessary solution. In many developing countries, blackwater is directed to septic tanks, while greywater is often discharged untreated into the environment, especially in rural areas with limited infrastructure. Even in urban settings, centralized wastewater treatment plants are usually designed to handle combined flows without separating greywater from blackwater. Given that greywater is of lower quality than potable water but significantly cleaner than sewage, it can be treated through relatively simple, decentralized systems, offering both practicality and efficiency³. For example, in Saudi Arabia, large quantities of ablution water—a form of greywater—are now being recognized as a recoverable and reusable resource⁴.
Greywater’s relatively low organic and microbial load makes it especially suitable for decentralized reuse. When used for non-potable applications such as toilet flushing and irrigation, it can significantly reduce pressure on freshwater sources while mitigating the environmental burden of conventional wastewater discharge. In recent years, innovative treatment technologies have expanded the feasibility and safety of greywater recycling, reinforcing its role in sustainable, water-efficient systems⁵.
Agriculture, power plants, and industrial facilities in Egypt discharge approximately 13.5, 4.2, and 0.15 billion m³/year of untreated wastewater each year into the Nile River—Egypt’s primary source of freshwater⁶. This widespread pollution accounts for nearly 29% of the nation’s annual freshwater loss, significantly constraining the amount available for domestic use⁷. In response to this escalating threat, greywater management has gained traction as one of the most promising non-conventional water sources, offering a practical and scalable solution to support Egypt’s water security and reduce dependency on vulnerable freshwater reserves.
By 2050, Egypt’s renewable water supply gap is expected to more than double. Addressing this gap will require significant technical effort and financial investment. Policymakers are responding by prioritizing water demand management, particularly within agriculture, which consumes the majority of national water resources. Once Egypt reaches the limits of its renewable freshwater resources, it will be compelled to rely on costly alternatives such as seawater desalination, brackish water treatment, and advanced wastewater reuse. This looming shift underscores the urgency of implementing water conservation measures as a national priority⁸. Greywater reuse stands out as a cost-effective and scalable strategy, with the potential to contribute 4.15–8.30 billion m³/year to Egypt’s water supply⁹. Integrating greywater systems into large-scale urban and residential developments can significantly enhance national water resilience. Moreover, this approach supports broader objectives outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which link improved water access with reduced inequality⁶.
With the growing focus on renewable and clean energy resources, hybrid solar systems have become increasingly significant. Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy offers a reliable and sustainable power source, with its output naturally varying according to daily sunlight availability and weather conditions. By integrating PV systems with energy storage solutions, these fluctuations can be effectively managed, ensuring a continuous and dependable electricity supply for various applications. Solar PVs have emerged as a significant solution to meet the rising demand for electricity, especially in remote areas were traditional power transmission results in substantial energy losses. Additionally, the dramatic increase in load demand is often unmatched by investments in distribution and transmission systems¹⁰¹¹.
Physicochemical treatment trains — combining coagulation, multimedia filtration, and chlorination — have been widely reported as the dominant choice for onsite greywater reuse due to their robust suspended solids removal and relatively simple operation compared with biological alternatives¹². Noutsopoulos et al.¹³ demonstrated that such treatment trains reliably achieve effluent quality suitable for non-potable reuse applications, with BOD₅ and TSS consistently below 10 mg/L. Jefferson et al.¹⁴ further established that the organic content and chlorine demand of greywater are the primary treatment design parameters, directly informing disinfection dosing requirements. Regarding economics, Friedler and Hadari¹⁵ showed that onsite greywater systems in multi-store buildings become economically viable when serving a sufficiently large population, as shared infrastructure spreads fixed capital costs — a finding directly applicable to the compound-scale system examined in this study. Evidence from water reuse facilities across the Middle East and North Africa reports OPEX for tertiary treatment in the range of 0.03–0.09 USD/m³¹⁶, consistent with the independently reported range of 0.069–0.154 EUR/m³ for Mediterranean reuse systems¹⁷, providing benchmarks against which the financial outputs of this study are directly compared.
Studies integrating greywater reuse with solar PV have generally operated at small scale and with a single coupling objective. Waris and Ghaith¹⁸ designed a PV-powered greywater treatment unit for a 38-villa community (~ 152 residents) in Dubai, coupling the two systems exclusively through the electricity demand of the treatment plant rather than conducting a dual-resource economic assessment. Gu et al.¹⁹ modelled PV together with wastewater recycling at the individual smart-home level as an energy scheduling optimization problem, a fundamentally different framework from the infrastructure-scale assessment conducted here. Abdelhamid et al.²⁰ coupled solar energy with treated greywater for hydroponic production, addressing the water–energy–food nexus rather than urban residential resource efficiency. Odeh R ²¹. established that greywater reuse for toilet flushing and irrigation can significantly reduce freshwater demand in water-stressed regions, while Batisha⁹ quantified the greywater reuse potential in Egypt at 4.15–8.30 billion m³/year, underscoring the national-scale relevance of compound-level implementations such as the one examined here. Collectively, these studies confirm the technical viability of greywater reuse and PV deployment in residential settings but do not provide a compound-scale, dual-resource assessment with disaggregated capital and operating costs benchmarked against published MENA data—the specific gap this study addresses.
Expanding these findings, this study proposes a novel solution by evaluating an integrated resource-efficiency concept for a residential compound in New Cairo, Egypt, combining treated greywater reuse for non-potable demands (with toilet flushing as the primary quantified end use) and rooftop solar PV to reduce reliance on potable water supply and grid electricity. The analysis is developed using the project inventory and stated per-capita end-use assumptions to derive baseline water flows and the corresponding offset potential.
The present work contributes a reproducible, project‑inventory–based assessment at residential compound scale in New Cairo, Egypt. Using the development inventory (365 buildings; 7,512 units; ~ 45,000 cap) and stated per‑capita end‑use values, the study:
Quantifies a demand-limited potable-water offset for toilet flushing derived from explicit baseline flows.
Reports replicable design and operational parameters for a 6,300 m³ day⁻¹ greywater treatment system.
Presents a disaggregated CAPEX split (in-building supply, networks, treatment plant) to support verification and comparability.
Conducts a unified ± 20% sensitivity analysis covering water (occupancy, reuse fraction) and PV (yield factor) within one internally consistent dataset.
Therefore, the novelty of this approach lies in four specific and verifiable contributions: (1) a compound-scale integrated assessment (365 buildings; ~ 45,000 residents) that is substantially larger than comparable published greywater–PV studies; (2) a fully reproducible, step-by-step methodology anchored to the Egyptian Code and stated per-capita end-use values, enabling independent verification; (3) a disaggregated CAPEX and OPEX structure benchmarked against, supporting cross-study comparability; and (4) a unified ± 20% sensitivity analysis covering occupancy, reuse fraction, and PV yield within one internally consistent dataset, consistent with published approaches for decentralized greywater cost–benefit assessment.
The study area, Jana residential compound in New Cairo, comprises a total of 365 buildings, each consisting of a ground floor and five repeated floors. In both Model A and Model B configurations, each floor contains four apartments. Model A apartments include two bathrooms and a kitchen, while Model B apartments feature three bathrooms and a kitchen.
The buildings are categorized into two main types:
287 buildings with a total area of 490 m², each containing two apartments of 115 m² and 22 apartments of 130 m².
78 buildings with a total area of 330 m², each containing one apartment of 100 m², eleven apartments of 130 m², ten apartments of 140 m², and two apartments of 150 m².
The compound extends over approximately 200 feddans, with around 20 feddans allocated for landscaping, including green spaces and parks.
The buildings are categorized as summarized in Table 1.
The project spans a total area of approximately 200 feddans, as detailed in Table 2.
Greywater is challenging to classify as a specific wastewater type due to its variable composition and source. Generally, its organic strength is comparable to that of low- to medium-strength municipal sewage and shares characteristics with tertiary-treated effluent in terms of biodegradability and physical pollutants¹⁸. The primary challenge in treatment lies in its organic content, which impacts the appearance, safety, and regulatory compliance of the reused water. A particular health concern is the chlorine demand caused by residual organics, which can compromise disinfection effectiveness if not properly managed¹⁹.
Greywater refers to wastewater from domestic sources like kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry, excluding toilet discharge, which is classified as blackwater²⁰²¹. It contains substances such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, food scraps, and oils. Based on pollution levels, greywater can be categorized as low, moderate, high, or mixed—where mixed greywater is generally the most polluted due to source combination²². Understanding its characteristics is essential for selecting appropriate treatment technologies and assessing potential health and environmental risks³.
The volume of greywater produced varies depending on the socio-economic conditions of each country. For instance, low-income countries may produce as little as 20–30 L per person per day, whereas in most cases, the typical range lies between 80 and 120 L per person per day^18,21,22. In terms of quality, greywater contains various pollutants including organic carbon—measured as BOD, COD, and TOC—suspended solids, nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, surfactants, as well as emerging contaminants from personal care products and certain pharmaceuticals¹³²³. Greywater generally makes up the largest portion of household wastewater, contributing approximately 50–80% of the total domestic flow²¹. The composition varies with its origin; for example, water from showers, bathtubs, and hand basins tends to be less polluted compared to that from kitchen sinks or laundry machines²⁴. Due to its warm temperature and the presence of nutrients, greywater can quickly degrade in quality when stored, creating favorable conditions for pathogen growth. Therefore, timely and appropriate treatment is essential to reduce associated health risks and enable safe reuse²⁵.
Figure 1 illustrates the Indoor per capita water use percentage including leakage. According to the American Water Works Association Research Foundation²⁶, indoor water use was distributed among various fixtures: toilets accounted for 26.7%, clothes washers 21.7%, showers 16.8%, faucets (basins) 15.7%, leaks 13.7%, and other sources 5.3%. While the figure includes all indoor water uses, for greywater-focused analysis, only contributions from clothes washers, showers, basins, and similar non-toilet sources are considered relevant. Greywater constitutes the largest portion of household wastewater. However, if discharged untreated, it may reduce oxygen levels in water bodies and stimulate microbial activity, leading to water quality degradation. Despite these risks, properly managed greywater can be reused effectively in non-potable applications. Recent years have seen increased international interest in greywater reuse, with growing recognition of its potential to relieve pressure on freshwater esources²⁴²⁵²⁷. After appropriate treatment (Fig. 2), greywater can be safely reused. Figure 3 illustrates the greywater cycle within the building.
Indoor per capita water use percentage including leakage.
Greywater recycling process.
greywater cycle within the building.
Greywater from domestic sources contains fewer pollutants than blackwater and is generally easier to treat. The comparative model is based on pollutant load differentials and treatment complexity indicators while, assessment of treatment difficulty based on organic load, nutrient concentration and pathogen density. Laboratory experiments focused on physicochemical and biological characterization of greywater& blackwater and the evaluation of treatment efficiency. Parameters analyzed included pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity, total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and indicator microorganism. Figure 4 presents a comparison of their characteristics by source and contaminant level.
Characteristics of greywater and black water.
Solar PV system performance is primarily influenced by ambient temperature (T_a) and sun irradiance (G), which are the main determinants of its output power (P_PV). This output can be calculated using Eq. (1) ²⁸:
T_a: Ambient Temperature ((^circ C)), G: Solar irradiance ((W/{m}^{2})), ({P}_{PV}) : The output power of the solar PV at a certain operating Temperature (T_a), and solar irradiance (G), ({G}_{STC} and {T}_{STC}) : the standard test condition (STC) of solar irradiance ((1000 W/{m}^{2})) and temperature ((25^circ C)). ({P}_{PV, STC}): the solar rated output power under STC, ({K}_{t}) : the temperature coefficient, ({eta }_{MPPT}) : the efficiency of maximum power point tracking point (assumed to be 98% in this study). Assuming the ambient temperature stays at 25 °C, the PV power merely changes in a linear fashion with G. For the irradiance dataset, it has been selected by PVsyst which is a software tool designed for the solar energy industry. The database library of PVsyst has different irradiance profile based on the geographical location that has been selected based on the study area. PVsyst has different brand models for PV solar system that reflect real manufactures, Suntech Power has been selected as it is long-standing manufacturer of crystalline silicon modules.
Suntech Power modules, particularly the Ultra V Pro N-type (545-570W) and670W series, are designed for high-efficiency, large-scale residential, commercial, and utility projects. Based on typical installation guidelines and industry standards, the following are the recommended DC/AC sizing values and design parameters for systems utilizing Suntech panels: Industry standards recommend a DC/AC ratio (the ratio of total solar panel DC capacity to inverter AC capacity) greater than 1.0 to maximize inverter utilization, with ideal ratios for Suntech systems typically falling between 1.1 and 1.5. Suntech Power has an annual Degradation for newer Ultra V Pro panels, where the warranty promises less than 1% degradation in the first year and 0.4% annually in subsequent years. About the Long-Term Performance, after 30 years, Ultra V Pro panels are warranted to maintain at least 87.4% to 89.2% of their original capacity. For power tolerance, Suntech modules typically operate within a -0/+5 W range or ±3% of the rated power (Pmax) under Standard Test Conditions (STC). Where mismatch losses, its current sorting techniques in manufacturing reduce power loss caused by current mismatch to roughly 2%.
As a result, and for a simpler representation, the PV system may also be represented using a first-order transfer function, as shown in Eq. (2) to link between the outcome of output power and the input of solar irradiance based on the change rate (Δ) of both of them²⁹:
where (T.{F}_{PV}): transfer function of the photovoltaic (PV) system, (Delta {P}_{PV}): incremental change in PV output power, (Delta G): incremental change in solar irradiance, ({K}_{PV}): static gain of the PV system, S: Laplace operator and ({tau }_{PV}): time constant of the PV system, where ({K}_{PV} and {tau }_{PV}) are PV system gain and time constant, respectively. This behavior can be represented in an equivalent circuit model, as illustrated in Fig. 5.
Equivalent modeling of solar PV system.
Egypt is currently facing mounting challenges in ensuring a reliable supply of freshwater. These pressures are largely driven by rapid urban development and the uncertain impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on Nile River flows. Global projections add to this urgency: UNICEF³⁰ reports that by 2040, nearly 600 million children are expected to live in areas with extremely limited water resources, while FAO³¹ estimates that 1.8 billion people may endure absolute water scarcity, with two-thirds living under water-stressed conditions. These realities highlight the need for urgent action to expand water resources and safeguard existing supplies. Among the most promising strategies is the reuse of domestic wastewater through modern treatment technologies—an approach that is increasingly viewed not just as a technical option, but as a national necessity.
In response, the Egyptian government and its key institutions have launched several projects to protect and better manage freshwater resources. These efforts emphasize the adoption of advanced wastewater treatment systems. Globally, greywater reuse is gaining momentum as a practical solution to ease pressure on freshwater systems, especially in regions facing similar challenges. As part of broader goals to conserve energy and use resources more efficiently, many Egyptian institutions are now adopting greywater reuse practices. These initiatives are seen as beneficial not only for reducing consumption but also for delivering meaningful environmental, economic, and social gains. Under the current national conditions, such systems are playing an increasingly strategic role in supporting Egypt’s sustainable development.
Notably, several greywater reuses projects—both experimental and operational—have already been implemented in different parts of the country. Their growing presence reflects an expanding commitment to integrating greywater systems into Egypt’s future water management plans.
The expected greywater production for the Janna compound is derived through a transparent, step by step methodology based on the Egyptian Code and established international benchmarks.
Based on Table 1, the total number of units is 7,512. Assuming an average of six residents per unit, the total population is approximately 45,000 capita.
The derivation relies on the following assumptions for residential water and wastewater cycles:
Potable Consumption: The daily water consumption per capita is approximately 250 L/day, according to the Egyptian Code for luxury residential categories.
Wastewater Generation: The average flow of wastewater is around 200 L/c/d (representing an 80% return-to-sewer factor²⁶).
Greywater Fraction: Greywater (excluding toilet discharge) typically constitutes between 60 and 80% of the total household wastewater flow.
Greywater Recovery Potential: The recovery rate ranges from 120 to 160 L/c/d, with an average of about 140 L/c/d available for reuse.
Toilet Flushing Demand: The average daily consumption for flushing toilets is approximately 60 L/c/d per person (representing 30% of the total sewage flow).
Using the parameters defined above, the total daily flows for a population of 45,000 are calculated as follows:
(begin{aligned} {text{Total}};{text{potable}};{text{water}};{text{demand}}left( {Q_{{total}} } right) & = 45,000;{text{cap}} times 250;{text{L}}/{text{c}}/{text{d}} \ & = 11,250,000;{text{L}}/{text{d}} \ & = 11,250;{text{m}}^{3} /{text{d}} \ end{aligned})  
(begin{aligned} {text{Total}};{text{wastewater}};{text{flow}}left( {Q_{{ww}} } right) & = 45,000;{text{cap}} times 200;{text{L}}/{text{c}}/{text{d}} \ & = 9,000,000;{text{L}}/{text{d}} \ & = 9,000;{text{m}}^{3} /{text{d}} \ end{aligned})  
(begin{aligned} {text{Total}};{text{toilet}};{text{flushing}};{text{demand}}left( {Q_{{{text{flushing}}}} } right) & = 45,000;{text{cap}} times 0.06;{text{m}}^{3} /{text{c}}/{text{d}} \ & = 2,700;{text{m}}^{3} /{text{d}} \ end{aligned})  
(begin{aligned} {text{Estimated}};{text{greywater}};{text{production}}left( {Q_{{{text{gw}}}} } right) & = 45,000;{text{cap}} times 140;{text{L}}/{text{c}}/{text{d}} \ & = 6,300,000;{text{L}}/{text{d}} \ & = 6,300;{text{m}}^{3} /{text{d}} \ end{aligned})  
Based on this derivation, the estimated greywater production is 6,300 m³/day. Therefore, the required capacity of the treatment plant is also 6,300 m³/day.
The greywater treatment section outlines strategies intended to improve water quality and ensure safe reuse in potential future implementation. The proposed treatment involves filtration, biological processes, and disinfection steps that can be integrated within residential buildings. These processes support a range of reuse options, and the main goals of the treatment system are:
Ensuring water quality aligns with intended uses.
Meeting public health standards for treated greywater.
Conserving freshwater resources by reducing overall consumption.
Lowering the overall water-related operational costs
The table below outlines the properties of treated greywater and its suitability for reuse (Table 3).
The table ensures treated greywater meets specific quality levels and highlights its potential applications based on health and environmental standards.
The greywater treatment system involves multiple stages, with treatment quality depending on the specific reuse application. As illustrated in Fig. 6, the process flow begins with collection in a dedicated tank, followed by dosing coagulant, multi-media filtration, and chlorine dosing before the reclaimed water is stored in the final tank for distribution.
Detailed schematic of greywater system components.
The 6,300 m³/day facility is designed based on the following parameters to ensure reproducibility and system reliability (Table 4).
To ensure safe and consistent operation of the treated greywater system, a monitoring program is implemented combining routine field measurements and periodic laboratory analyses. Routine monitoring focuses on parameters that provide immediate indication of treatment stability and disinfection effectiveness (turbidity, pH, and residual chlorine), while laboratory testing confirms organic removal performance and microbiological safety (BOD₅/TSS and indicator organisms) (Tables 5, 6).
The provision of the building’s internal sanitary system includes additional works in the case of using a greywater system, as follows:
Pipes: Greywater supply pipes to feed toilet flushing tanks, including all necessary fittings and connections.
Networks: Collection and transfer of greywater from its sources to the greywater treatment plant.
Lines: Lines for transferring treated greywater that meets the required specifications to designated usage sites, such as irrigation networks within the compound or for watering green landscaping areas.
Storage Tanks: Tanks to store treated greywater to ensure an adequate supply.
Analysis and Monitoring Units: Monitoring the treated greywater to ensure compliance with reuse standards³³.
Pumping Systems: Transport treated water to its point of use.
The following alternatives are considered in designing the system for greywater reuse within residential buildings:
This option involves installing a conventional greywater system in residential complexes. It outlines system components and their interconnections, shown in Fig. 6. Greywater from household fixtures is collected and treated separately for reuse in irrigation and possibly other non-potable applications.
Figure 7 shows how greywater is treated and reused within the project for internal applications and irrigation.
Water cycle in the project with traditional alternative.
Given the existence of a tertiary-treated wastewater reuse system that meets the technical specifications and global quality standards for reuse in various residential communities, and considering the availability of infrastructure and treated water supply lines reaching the project area, the following approach is proposed:
Establishing a network for transporting treated wastewater that meets the required specifications and ensures adequate pressure levels for distribution to buildings. This network will enable the reuse of treated water in toilet flushing systems across different buildings within the development.
Constructing networks for greywater to a dedicated greywater treatment plant within the project.
Developing a greywater treatment plant equipped with storage tanks and pumping systems to facilitate the reuse of treated greywater for irrigating green areas.
Connecting treated greywater distribution pipelines to irrigation tanks inside greywater treatment plants to fulfill the central requirements of irrigation systems.
Figure 8 illustrates the water cycle within the project under the second alternative, where a portion of wastewater (greywater) is treated and reused in household applications and irrigation purposes:
Water cycle in the second alternative.
Treatment Technology: The greywater treatment system employs a physio‑chemical treatment train consisting of multimedia filtration, coagulation/flocculation, and chlorination. Such treatment trains have been widely reported for onsite greywater reuse applications because they provide robust removal of suspended solids and turbidity with relatively simple operation compared with purely biological systems^12,13. In this design‑stage model, backwash water was assumed as 5% of influent flow, consistent with reported typical values around ~5% and published ranges of approximately 2–10% depending on plant practice³⁴.
Table 7 presents the modeled monthly greywater generation and recovery profiles for the Jana residential compound. The system is modeled at a constant influent flow of 6,300 m³/day, and recovery is calculated from the assumed backwash fraction (i.e., hydraulic recovery = 1 − backwash fraction).
Total annual greywater generation: 2,299,500 m³/year, equivalent to 6,300 m³/day based on a population of 45,000 residents at 140 L/capita/day.
Total annual greywater recovery: 2,184,525 m³/year, representing 95% of generated greywater.
Backwash water consumption: 114,975 m³/year (5% of influent), used for periodic filter cleaning.
The recovered greywater (≈2.18 million m³/year) exceeds the annual toilet flushing demand computed from the project baseline assumptions (2,700 m³/day × 365 days = 985,500 m³/year), indicating surplus treated volume under the modeled conditions; the allocation of any surplus to other end uses would require separate demand definition and quality compliance assessment.
The amount of greywater requiring treatment corresponds to the estimated daily generation of approximately 6,300 m³. To improve transparency and reproducibility, the financial assessment is presented in terms of (i) capital expenditure (CAPEX) expressed as total cost and as specific cost per unit design capacity (USD/(m³/day)), and (ii) operating expenditure (OPEX) expressed as unit cost per cubic meter of greywater (USD/m³) and the corresponding annual cost at the design flow.
Total costs are separated into (a) greywater supply within buildings, (b) collection and transfer networks to and from the treatment facility, and (c) the greywater treatment plant. OPEX is disaggregated into energy, labor, chemicals/disinfectants, maintenance and repairs, and materials/consumables and quality monitoring to support reproducibility and comparison across studies.
The construction cost for treating one cubic meter of greywater ranges between 160 and 300 USD. For operating expenditure (OPEX), evidence from facilities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) reports operational costs for tertiary treatment plants of 0.03–0.09 USD/m³ across several facilities, and 0.022 USD/m³ for a large tertiary activated‑sludge facility in Egypt³⁵. As an additional benchmark outside MENA, a detailed cost assessment for tertiary treatment plus disinfection in the European Mediterranean context reported total operating costs of 0.069–0.154 EUR/m³, depending on plant scale and cost scenario¹⁶. In this study, OPEX is itemized into (i) routine operation and compliance activities (operator time, routine inspections, and baseline water‑quality monitoring) and (ii) utilities/consumables and minor maintenance. The routine operation and compliance cost is set at 0.03 USD/m³. Additional allowances of 0.02 USD/m³ for energy and 0.01 USD/m³ for other consumables/maintenance are included (Table 8), which correspond to the energy and “other” cost magnitudes reported for tertiary reuse plants in MENA.
Table 7 summarizes the CAPEX of the greywater system by major components, and Table 8 reports the OPEX in unit and annual terms. Each unit OPEX item in Table 8 is linked to published cost components for tertiary treatment/reuse facilities in MENA³⁵.
LCOW is defined as the annualized cost of the greywater system divided by an annual water volume³⁶. A transparent straight‑line annualization over the 20‑year analysis horizon used in the return assessment is reported here:
Metric
Value
Unit
CAPEX (greywater system total)
3,370,000
USD
Total OPEX (unit)
0.0600
USD/m³
Total OPEX (annual)
137,970
USD/year
Annual treated volume
2,299,500
m³/year
Annual potable offset (toilet flushing only)
985,500
m³/year
LCOW_SL (treated‑volume basis)
0.133
USD/m³
LCOW_SL (offset basis; flushing only)
0.311
USD/m³
Because toilet flushing is demand‑limited in the baseline case, LCOW expressed per m³ of potable offset is higher than LCOW per m³ treated; allocating treated greywater to additional non‑potable end uses would increase potable offset and reduce LCOW_offset.
Solar energy stands as a prominent alternative and renewable energy source, distinguished by its unparalleled abundance among all forms of renewable energy. It retains its potential even under overcast weather conditions.
Solar energy technologies serve a wide range of applications, including heating, cooling, lighting, and electricity generation, all derived from natural sunlight. These technologies convert sunlight into either electrical energy—typically via photovoltaic cells—or thermal energy using mirrors that concentrate solar radiation. Egypt has very high solar radiation levels, among the highest in the world, due to its geographic location (most desert and arid climates), long sunshine hours, and relatively clear skies. This makes it highly suitable for a wide range of solar technologies. Typical sunshine duration ranges from (6–11) hours/day in north regions and (9–12) hours/day in southern and desert regions.
The cost of solar panels has decreased significantly over the past decade, making solar energy one of the most affordable renewable energy options. On average, solar panels remain in service for around 30 years, although their efficiency depends on the materials used in their manufacture.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), between 2010 and 2023, the weighted-average levelized cost of electricity decreased by 70% for concentrated solar power (CSP), 90% for solar photovoltaic (PV), 63% for offshore wind farms, 70% for onshore wind farms, and 14% for bioenergy. Conversely, it increased by 33% for hydropower and 31% for geothermal energy. The IRENA report on global renewable energy expansion over the last decade is summarized in Table 9^37,38.
The adoption of solar energy provides several advantages that support the global transition toward clean and sustainable energy sources:
Environmental benefits of solar energy:
Renewable and Sustainable Source: Solar energy is considered one of the renewable and sustainable energy sources. It depends on an inexhaustible source of energy, which helps reduce dependence on expensive and limited conventional energy sources over the long term. Solar energy is also considered a clean and non-polluting source of energy.
Helps Reduce Global Warming: Solar energy reduces carbon emissions since it does not produce any emissions or air pollutants.
Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: It does not generate harmful gases such as carbon dioxide, making it a key solution for reducing the carbon footprint.
Reduces Dependence on Non-Renewable Resources: It reduces the depletion of natural resources, such as coal and oil, and contributes to the transition to electricity generation using natural and clean energy sources.
Challenges of Solar Energy
Shading Effects: partial shading significantly reduces PV output, may cause “hotspots” leading to long-term panel damage and can reduce the output of an entire module string.
High Temperature Effects: increase cell temperature, results in lower voltage output.
Dust and Soiling Losses: reduce solar radiation reaching the module surface and can decrease energy output by 5–25% depending on cleaning frequently.
Economic benefits of solar energy:
Cost Savings: Solar systems can lead to substantial reductions in installation, maintenance, and operational costs over their lifespan.
Reduction in Fuel Costs: Utilizing solar energy decreases the need for fossil fuels, minimizing recurring energy expenditures.
Contribution to Economic Growth:
Investment in solar technology supports job creation and development within the renewable energy sector.
Energy Independence: Solar adoption strengthens national energy security by reducing dependency on imported fuels and contributing to stable energy pricing.
Reduced Infrastructure and Transmission Costs: distributed solar installations generate electricity near the point of use, reducing transmission and distribution losses.
Lower Environmental and Health Costs: By reducing greenhouse gas emission and air pollutants, solar energy decreases health care costs related to pollution.
Social Benefits of Solar Energy:
Energy Independence: Solar energy helps achieve energy independence by reducing reliance on imported fuels.
Reduction in Electricity Bills: Solar energy can significantly lower household electricity costs—homeowners in the UK have reported savings of up to 62% after installing solar panels³⁹.
The electrical load was calculated for each building model to estimate the cost of installing electrical systems and to evaluate the impact of using rooftop solar panels.
Estimation of Electrical Load:
The estimation considered an average electrical load of 8 kVA per 100 m² of building area, in addition to other loads such as elevators and any other mechanical loads. The estimation is based on the Egyptian Electricity Regulatory Authority (March 2020) and Circular No. (4) for the year 2020 regarding design dispersion factors.
Electrical load for Model A: 215 kVA
Electrical load for Model B: 300 kVA
Description of Electrical Systems:
Electrical systems for buildings without using solar cells
Each building is powered through an internal electrical network, which consists of the main building panel and subsidiary panels for services and apartment panels, with connections extending to circuit breakers for the apartment panels.
Electrical systems with rooftops solar cells
In this case, the same electrical system used in the first case above is relied upon, with the addition of a solar energy panel for the building, which is installed on top of the building. The system is connected to each apartment’s panel and linked to the solar energy grid system (On Grid) through the EDMS 24–300, as per the requirements of the Holding Company for Electricity. Additionally, smart LED lighting is used for internal illumination in the buildings, along with smart meters.
The solar cells are designed to produce the maximum amount of solar energy and comply with the following standards and specifications for equipment:
IEC 62,548, IEC 61,727, IEC 62,093, IEC 62,116, and IEC 62,109–1,2.
NEC Articles 690 & 705.
Table 9 illustrates the electrical power generated by the solar cells for each building model based on the building area. A dedicated substation has been designed for each residential unit, and the power generated from the substation has been calculated as follows:
3 kW for substations used for buildings with areas of 490 m² and 330 m².
2 kW for substations used for buildings with areas of 180 m² and 210 m² in the 400 m² model and the 330 m² model.
2 kW for substations used for residential units of 150 m² in the 330 m² model and the 530 m² model, as well as units of 100 m² in the 530 m² model.
The design of solar PV system will be under the concept of microgrid (MG) that is operating at grid-connected mode. Both of microgrid and utility grid will supply the demand of residential units. This will optimize the share of loading conditions, to not be at fixed concept of design and/or operating numbers and analysis. Another scale of flexibility in the design will be the consideration of diversity factor for loads, which reflects that not all loads within the units are working and connected at same timeslot. So, some rates of solar PV systems can supply different residential spaces.
From the data presented in Table 10 and the associated calculations, it is evident that the percentage of solar energy that can be provided from rooftop areas is approximately 29.7% of the required electrical load for Model A, and 28.9% for Model B.
Components of electrical systems with solar cells
The solar energy system consists of solar panels, DC cables, AC cables, an inverter to convert DC to AC, and a meter to calculate the consumed solar energy, as illustrated in Fig. 9.
General diagram of the solar energy system.
Single-line diagram of the solar energy system for buildings:
This diagram (Fig. 10) illustrates the connection of solar panels through the inverter to the main electrical panel.
The connection of solar panels through the inverter to the main electrical panel.
The cost in this alternative increases compared to the first alternative by the amounts shown in the Table 11, as it includes the initial cost of solar panels, the solar energy panels required for each building, and DC cables, while the total cost shown in Table 12.
The maintenance cost is approximately 2% of the initial cost, with a 5% annual increase as mentioned in the payback period calculations attached for each building model³⁷.
The cost per kilowatt (kW) is as shown in Table 13.
The total cost for using solar energy for 365 buildings is estimated to be approximately 666,455,000 Egyptian Pounds as calculated in Table 14.
The return was studied over a 20-year period, and the findings indicated that the return on investment increases during the study period while the initial costs decrease. The payback period (Initial Payback Period) is approximately 10 years.
The electricity consumption was calculated for two scenarios: Scenario 1 (consumption from the grid only) and Scenario 2 (consumption from the grid + alternative energy).
In this case, all electricity demand is supplied entirely from the national grid.
Assuming an average electricity consumption for a residential unit of 100 m²: Annual electricity consumption: 450 kWh, Annual electricity cost per unit: 6,162 EGP
Assuming an average electricity consumption for a residential unit of 115 m²: Annual electricity consumption: 518 kWh, Annual electricity cost per unit: 7,088 EGP
Assuming an average electricity consumption for a residential unit of 130 m²: Annual electricity consumption: 585 kWh, Annual electricity cost per unit: 8,012 EGP
Assuming an average electricity consumption for a residential unit of 140 m²:Annual electricity consumption: 630 kWh, Annual electricity cost per unit: 8,650 EGP
Assuming an average electricity consumption for a residential unit of 150 m²: Annual electricity consumption: 675 kWh, Annual electricity cost per unit: 9,245 EGP
Model A: Total annual electricity cost for all units in the building = 203,052 EGP
Model B: Total annual electricity cost for all units in the building = 157,796 EGP
The total annual electricity bill cost for all residential apartment units amounts to: 14,497,528 EGP.
Characteristics: full dependence on grid electricity, high exposure to electricity tariff increases, no environmental benefit and no capital investment required.
In this case, part of the electricity demand is covered by a solar energy system, reducing grid dependence.
Assuming the average electricity consumption for a residential unit with an area of 100 m² is 332 kWh, the annual electricity consumption cost per unit is 3,989 EGP.
Assuming the average electricity consumption for a residential unit with an area of 115 m² is 382 kWh, the annual electricity consumption cost per unit is 4,588 EGP.
Assuming the average electricity consumption for a residential unit with an area of 180 m² is 567 kWh, the annual electricity consumption cost per unit is 9,449 EGP.
Assuming the average electricity consumption for a residential unit with an area of 210 m² is 662 kWh, the annual electricity consumption cost per unit is 11,103 EGP.
The average annual electricity consumption cost for all residential units in Model A is 129,481 EGP.
The average annual electricity consumption cost for all residential units in Model B is 100,884 EGP.
The annual electricity consumption cost for all project units is 9,148,979 EGP.
Scenario 1: No carbon emission reduction, lower initial investment, higher long term operation cost and sensitive to future electricity price escalation.
Scenario 2: Reduce carbon footprint, reduces annual operating cost, improves long- term financial sustainability, provides partial energy independence.
Results of Using the Second Alternative:
Annual savings amount to 5,348,550 EGP, calculated as: 14,497,528—9,148,979 EGP.
A screening sensitivity analysis (± 20%) was performed to examine how uncertainty in key assumptions influences (i) the potable-water offset achieved by supplying toilet flushing with treated greywater, (ii) the required treatment capacity (greywater generation), and (iii) the PV simple payback period. The use of ± 20% parameter variation as a sensitivity range is consistent with the approach reported for decentralized greywater reuse cost–benefit assessment, where multiple inputs are varied within − 20% to + 20%⁴⁰.
Baseline values in this study were: population = 45,000 cap; greywater production Q_gw = 6,300 m³/day; toilet flushing demand Q_flushing = 2,700 m³/day; and baseline PV simple payback PB = 10 years. For toilet flushing only, the maximum potable-water offset is demand-limited by Q_flushing. Accordingly, the baseline fraction of generated greywater required to fully supply toilet flushing is f₀ = Q_flushing / Q_gw = 2700/6300 = 0.4286.
Occupancy was represented as a multiplicative factor on population, and therefore on both greywater generation (Q_gw) and toilet flushing demand (Q_flushing). Under this assumption, required treatment capacity scales with Q_gw, while the maximum potable-water offset scales with Q_flushing (Table 15).
To isolate uncertainty in effective reuse, reuse was expressed as a fraction of generated greywater. Sensitivity was applied to the baseline fraction f₀ as f = (1 ± 0.20)·f₀. The treated and reused greywater volume supplied to toilet flushing was calculated as Q_reuse = min of (f·Q_gw, Q_flush) (Table 16).
PV annual yield was varied by ± 20% as a screening assumption to reflect uncertainty in delivered energy (e.g., temperature effects, soiling, and shading). Simple payback is defined as the initial investment divided by annual savings. Let Y denote the annual PV energy yield (kWh/year) under the sensitivity case and Y₀ the corresponding baseline annual PV energy yield (kWh/year). Assuming the electricity value per kWh is constant, annual savings are proportional to annual PV yield. Therefore, relative payback scales inversely with yield, giving PB_PV = PB₀/(Y/Y₀) for the ± 20% yield sensitivity (Table 17).
Model results for the Janna residential compound indicate a greywater generation of 6,300 m³/day (2,299,500 m³/year) and, after applying a 5% backwash allowance, a hydraulic recovery of 95% (2,184,525 m³/year) (Table 1). Under the baseline end-use allocation, toilet flushing demand is 2,700 m³/day (985,500 m³/year); therefore, the achievable potable-water offset for toilet flushing is demand-limited by Q_flush. The fraction of generated greywater required to fully satisfy flushing is f₀ = Q_flush/Q_gw = 0.4286, and any additional recovered volume would require allocation to other non-potable end uses to translate into further potable-water savings. The ±20% screening confirms this behavior: occupancy variations scale both Q_gw and Q_flush, while the effective reuse fraction affects delivered flushing supply, but potable-water savings remain capped at Q_flush for the toilet-flushing end use. For rooftop PV, the ±20% yield screening is evaluated using the inverse proportionality between annual yield and annual savings, giving PBPV = PB₀/(Y/Y₀), where Y is the annual PV energy yield (kWh/year) under the sensitivity case and Y₀ is the corresponding baseline annual yield.
The modeled greywater generation rate of 140 L/capita/day used in this study falls within the 80–160 L/capita/day range²¹ for middle- and high-income residential settings, and is consistent with the Egyptian Code assumption for luxury residential categories. The resulting CAPEX of 535 USD/(m³/day) is broadly consistent with published construction cost ranges of 160–300 USD/m³ for onsite greywater systems reported in the MENA region³⁴, with the higher unit cost in this study reflecting the compound-scale dual-network infrastructure (in-building supply lines, collection networks, and a centralized treatment plant) rather than a simple building-level unit. The modeled OPEX of 0.06 USD/m³ is directly comparable to the 0.03–0.09 USD/m³ range reported for tertiary treatment facilities across MENA³⁴ and within the 0.069–0.154 EUR/m³ range reported for Mediterranean reuse systems³⁵, confirming that the cost assumptions adopted in this study are grounded in published operational evidence.
The LCOW of 0.133 USD/m³ on a treated-volume basis is competitive with published benchmarks for decentralized reuse systems. For comparison, Waris and Ghaith¹⁷ reported a PV-powered greywater treatment system for a 38-villa community in Dubai at significantly smaller scale, where unit costs are typically higher due to the absence of economies of scale. The compound-scale approach demonstrated in this study (365 buildings; ~45,000 residents) achieves a more favorable cost structure through shared infrastructure and centralized treatment, which is a key advantage of the integrated design concept proposed here. The surplus treated greywater volume beyond toilet flushing demand (approximately 1.20 million m³/year at baseline) represents a significant additional resource that could offset potable water use in landscape irrigation across the 89,670 m² of green areas within the compound (Table 2), further improving the LCOW on an offset basis if these additional end uses are formally incorporated.
For the rooftop PV system, the solar coverage of approximately 29–30% of building electrical load (Table 9) is consistent with typical rooftop PV penetration rates in urban Egyptian residential buildings, where available roof area and shading constraints typically limit self-supply to 25–35% of total demand. The indicative simple payback of approximately 10 years is consistent with the broader trend of declining PV system costs documented by IRENA[45, 46], which reported a 90% reduction in the weighted-average levelized cost of solar PV electricity between 2010 and 2023 (from 0.460 to 0.044 USD/kWh). The ±20% PV yield sensitivity (payback range 8.33–12.50 years) reflects real-world uncertainty from dust and soiling losses of 5–25%, temperature derating, and inter-annual solar resource variability — all of which are particularly relevant to the hot, arid climate of New Cairo.
Taken together, the greywater and PV results demonstrate that an integrated resource-efficiency strategy at compound scale is both technically feasible and economically viable under the modeled conditions. The greywater system alone offsets 985,500 m³/year of potable water demand for toilet flushing — equivalent to 8.75% of the compound’s total annual potable water demand of approximately 11,250 m³/day. The PV system simultaneously reduces annual grid electricity costs by 5,348,550 EGP. This dual-resource approach directly supports Egypt’s national water security strategy and renewable energy targets, and provides a replicable, inventory-based framework that can be adapted to comparable large-scale residential developments across Egypt and the wider MENA region.
This study provides a design‑stage assessment of integrating onsite greywater reuse with rooftop solar PV for a 365‑building residential compound (~ 45,000 residents) in New Cairo, Egypt.
Greywater recovery and potable‑water offset (toilet flushing): Greywater generation is 6,300 m³/day (2,299,500 m³/year) and toilet flushing demand is 2,700 m³/day (985,500 m³/year). With a 5% backwash allowance, the assumed hydraulic recovery is 95% giving 2,184,525 m³/year recovered treated greywater.
Greywater system costs: The total greywater system CAPEX is 3,370,000 USD, corresponding to 535 USD per (m³/day) of installed treatment capacity. The total OPEX is 0.0600 USD/m³ (annual total 137,970 USD/year at the design flow). Using the 20-year analysis horizon applied in the return assessment, the straight‑line levelized cost of water is 0.133 USD/m³ on a treated‑volume basis and 0.311 USD/m³ when expressed per m³ of potable‑water offset for toilet flushing only (conservative, demand‑limited).
Rooftop PV economics (as reported): The estimated total PV initial cost for 365 buildings is 666,455,000 EGP. Based on the reported Scenario 1 vs Scenario 2 electricity costs, the modeled annual electricity cost saving is 5,348,550 EGP, giving an indicative simple payback of ≈10 years. A ± 20% PV‑yield screening gives a payback range of 8.33–12.50 years.
Report PV electricity generation outputs (monthly and annual) and the associated performance assumptions used in the model.
Establish an operational monitoring plan (flow and treated‑water quality) to verify recovery, treatment performance, and compliance for the intended reuse.
Data is provided within the supplementary information files.
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Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt
Ahmed Abdo & Dalia Ahmed
Electrical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt
Ahmed M. Othman
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Abdo, A., Othman, A.M. & Ahmed, D. Greywater recycling and solar photovoltaic integration for sustainable water and energy management in urban Egypt. Sci Rep 16, 14389 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-49932-y
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Ashtrom Renewable Energy, elected officials and partners celebrate groundbreaking of El Patrimonio
SAN ANTONIO, TX (MAY 12, 2026) – Ashtrom Renewable Energy leaders were joined by members of CPS Energy, SOLV Energy, and elected officials as they broke ground on El Patrimonio, a new solar facility in Bexar County.
Construction of the El Patrimonio Project began in 2025 and is expected to be completed in 2027. Once operational, the project is projected to supply electricity to approximately 37,000 households and reduce carbon emissions by about 193 tons annually.
“This is an exciting day for Ashtrom Renewable Energy and a major milestone in our continued commitment to delivering sustainable, reliable energy solutions,” said Yitsik Mermelstein, CEO of Ashtrom Renewable Energy.  “We want to thank our partners, including CPS Energy, SOLV Energy, Bexar County, and the City of San Antonio for their collaboration, vision and support bringing this project to life.”
 “CPS Energy is the number one buyer of solar energy in Texas,” said Frank Almaraz, Chief Operating Officer of CPS Energy.  “Today’s groundbreaking and partnership with Ashtrom helps maintain our leadership position. Renewable energy is also a key part of delivering on our diverse generation plan to meet our growing population’s needs.”
“Breaking ground on El Patrimonio marks the start of an important partnership between SOLV Energy and Ashtrom Renewable Energy,” said George Hershman, CEO of SOLV Energy. “From construction through operations, SOLV is committed to delivering this project safely, efficiently, and with a focus on long term performance – supporting Ashtrom’s vision and Texas’ growing energy needs.”
Under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with CPS Energy, the municipally-owned electric and gas utility of San Antonio, CPS Energy will purchase about 70% of the electricity generated by the project, along with renewable energy credits. The remaining electricity will be offered in the Texas open electricity market by Ashtrom.
###
About CPS Energy
Established in 1860, CPS Energy is the nation’s largest public power, natural gas, and electric company, providing safe, reliable, and competitively-priced service to approximately 970,000 electric and 390,000 natural gas customers in San Antonio and portions of seven adjoining counties. Our customers’ combined energy bills rank among the lowest of the nation’s 20 largest cities – while generating $10.1 billion in revenue for the City of San Antonio since 1942. As a trusted and strong community partner, we continuously focus on job creation, economic development, and educational investment. We are powered by our skilled workforce, whose commitment to the community is demonstrated through our employees’ volunteerism in giving back to our city and programs aimed at bringing value to our customers.     
About Ashtrom Renewable Energy
Ashtrom Renewable Energy is delivering clean energy at scale. We build best-in-class renewable energy projects in the United States and around the globe. With a hands-on, risk-informed approach that emphasizes strategic and cost-effective execution, the company is an independent power producer (IPP) led by a team of energy experts with decades of experience in development, construction, financing, and operation of renewable energy projects. Ashtrom Renewable Energy leverages the financial stability and culture of excellence cultivated by Ashtrom Group (TASE: ASHG), a leading infrastructure, construction, and real estate development company with a 60-year legacy of success.
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India crossed 150 GW of installed solar capacity as of March 31, 2026 — a figure that deserves more recognition than it has received. In 2014, when the government announced its National Solar Mission target of 100 GW by 2022, it was widely dismissed as wishful thinking. Today, with 200 GW achievable before mid-2027, the disbelievers have gone silent. But milestones can also be deceptive. The journey to 150 GW was remarkable in many ways and deeply flawed in others. Celebrating it without an honest audit of what went right and what didn’t would be a disservice to the sector — and to the policymakers who must now navigate the far more complex terrain that lies ahead.
The story of how India reached 150 GW is, fundamentally, a private-sector story. A handful of developers — Adani Green Energy (AGEL), ReNew Power, Avaada, Tata Power Renewables, JSW Energy, and NTPC Green Energy in its more recent avatar — built the overwhelming majority of commissioned capacity. AGEL alone has crossed 19.3 GW of operational capacity, commissioning 5 GW+ in FY26 alone — the highest greenfield annual capacity expansion by any single company globally outside China. ReNew Power is at approximately 12.6 GW. NTPC Green crossed 10 GW by March 31, 2026, adding 4.1 GW in a single financial year. Avaada, Tata Power Renewables, and JSW Energy sit in the 7–7.3 GW bracket. These are real gigawatts. They generate power, fulfil PPAs, and feed the grid.
The cost revolution that enabled this was equally remarkable. India’s solar tariffs fell from over ₹7/kWh in 2014 to under ₹2.50/kWh by the early 2020s — forcing developers to innovate relentlessly on procurement, construction, and financing. India’s module manufacturing capacity crossed 200 GW by December 2025, anchored by PLI incentives, ALMM discipline, and the emergence of vertically integrated players such as Waaree, Premier Energies, and Adani Solar.
The solar base is more diverse in its origin than most summaries acknowledge. Utility-scale PPA-route projects dominate, but C&I open access, residential rooftop, and agricultural solar (PM KUSUM) are now material contributors.


Figure 1: India’s 150 GW Solar Installed Base — Segment Breakdown (March 2026)
The foundational framework, launched in 2010, provided the long-term policy anchor that made multi-decade investments viable. Solar energy installed capacity has increased 53.28 times since 2014 — from 2.82 GW to 150.26 GW. India is now the world’s third-largest solar power producer. The 500 GW non-fossil capacity target for 2030 remains the headline ambition, with solar expected to contribute 280–300 GW.
Launched in 2014, the Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects scheme resolved land and transmission in advance, enabling plug-and-play project commissioning. 55 parks across 13 states have been approved with 39,958 MW sanctioned capacity. Bhadla, Pavagada, Rewa, Raghanesda, and Khavda are the landmark parks. However, the scheme’s own delivery record is chequered — only 12.3 GW of 40 GW sanctioned has been commissioned, with the 2021-22 deadline extended repeatedly to 2026 and beyond.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan, launched in 2019, has delivered its most visible impact through standalone solar pump installation (Component B) and pump solarisation (Component C). By FY26, 13.94 lakh pumps were installed/solarised with 7.67 GW added in FY26 alone — a single-year record. Cumulative PM KUSUM capacity reached 13.11 GW. The scheme is reducing diesel dependence in agriculture, lowering DISCOM losses from subsidised farm connections, and creating a new category of rural energy prosumers. The target of 34.8 GW remains ambitious but directionally achievable.
Launched in February 2024 with a ₹75,021 crore outlay, PM Surya Ghar has been the most impactful demand-side catalyst in India’s solar history. In just over two years, 34.3 lakh households adopted rooftop solar — 22.7 lakh in FY26 alone. The scheme added 8.71 GW of rooftop capacity in FY26, driving rooftop installations to a record 7.1 GW in CY2025 (up 122% year-on-year). Residential consumers now account for 76% of rooftop capacity additions — a structural inversion from three years ago when C&I dominated. Total subsidy released: ₹13,465 crore. With many large underperformers, the scheme has a long way to go. 
The PLI scheme has been instrumental in transforming India from an import-dependent module assembler to an emerging module and cell manufacturing hub. By FY26, PLI had attracted ₹48,120 crore in investment and generated approximately 38,500 jobs. Module manufacturing capacity crossed 200 GW; cell manufacturing is scaling rapidly with Waaree, Premier Energies, ReNew, and Adani all operating cell lines. The ALMM mandate — requiring MNRE-approved domestic modules for all grid-connected projects from June 2026 — strengthens the demand pull for Indian production.


Figure 2: Top 5 Government Solar Initiatives — Targets vs Achievement (FY26)
India’s solar geography remains highly concentrated. Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra alone account for over 53% of cumulative capacity. The top five states collectively represent nearly 68% of installed solar. This concentration reflects the resource logic — the best irradiation lies in the northwest — but it also reflects infrastructure readiness, DISCOM creditworthiness, and regulatory certainty, which vary enormously across states.


Figure 3: Top 5 States by Cumulative Solar Capacity (March 2026)
Karnataka stands out as a different kind of leader — while ranking fourth by cumulative installed capacity, it accounts for approximately 30% of India’s solar open-access capacity, reflecting the depth of its C&I market and conducive state policy. Maharashtra has grown rapidly and now ranks third overall. Tamil Nadu, which led wind capacity for decades, is now a credible solar market as well. The gap between these states and the rest of India is stark. East India — West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar — has barely participated in the utility solar story. The northeast is effectively absent. UP is growing rapidly but from a small base, driven primarily by PM KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar rather than large utility tenders.
The pattern across every PSU solar programme is identical: announcements made by entities with no energy development competence, no project finance experience, no EPC ecosystem, and no accountability mechanism for non-delivery. The press release was the product. The megawatts were optional.

Against the impressive private-sector ledger sits a catalogue of institutional underdelivery that the sector must confront honestly if it is to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the next phase.


Figure 4: PSU Solar Targets vs Delivery — A Study in Institutional Underachievement
Coal India was directed in 2017 to develop 3,000 MW of solar by 2024 — a modest target for an organisation with 83 mining areas and 200,000+ employees. By December 2024, it had commissioned 122 MW: 4% of the target, confirmed by CAG audit. Indian Railways announced plans to source 30 GW of renewable power by 2030 and become net-zero. Today, barely 1,200 MW has been commissioned for traction — under 4% of the stated target. Hindustan Salts Limited tendered 5 GW of solar in 2021; the 4 GW Rajasthan project was stayed by the Rajasthan High Court within weeks on Ramsar wetland ecological grounds; the 1 GW Gujarat contract awarded in August 2022 has produced no construction news since. Zero MW commissioned. NLC India, despite possessing land in Tamil Nadu and a strategic rationale for diversification away from lignite, has delivered 1.43 GW against a 3.5 GW target. Even the Solar Parks Scheme itself — a government programme rather than a PSU — has commissioned only 12.3 GW of 40 GW sanctioned, with every deadline extended. And all this, without even considering the oil sector PSU’s that made commitments and have barely scratched the surface. From GAIL to ONGC to IOC and more, the gap between promises anmd achievements has been huge.  
If the first 150 GW was about scale, cost, and speed — building as much capacity as possible as cheaply as possible — the next 150 GW will be shaped by integration, reliability, and execution quality. Three structural challenges define this transition.
India lost 2.3 TWh of solar generation in 2025 alone due to curtailment — not because panels weren’t producing, but because the grid could not absorb midday solar surpluses after coal plants had been ramped to minimum technical limits. That curtailed energy could have avoided roughly 2.1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. As solar scales toward 300 GW and beyond, curtailment becomes structural, not episodic. BESS, pumped storage, and demand-side flexibility must now be treated as co-investments with generation — not afterthoughts procured separately after projects are commissioned. Round-the-clock and storage-linked tenders are a step in the right direction but must form a larger share of the procurement mix.
The first wave of capacity was built by a relatively small cohort of experienced, well-capitalised developers who understood project finance, supply chain, and EPC management. The next wave will include many more aspirants — particularly as PM Surya Ghar and PM KUSUM scale up — with less institutional depth. The underbidding risk, always present in Indian renewable tenders, will intensify as tariff ceilings tighten. Tender-to-commissioning gaps will widen if developer quality is not maintained. Regulatory frameworks that penalise non-performance meaningfully — not just through bank guarantees easily absorbed by large developers — will be necessary.
The top five states account for nearly 68% of solar capacity for a reason: they had transmission infrastructure ready. For the next 150 GW to be distributed more equitably — and to reach East India, the northeast, and the Indo-Gangetic plains — transmission investment must precede generation, not run in parallel. The Green Energy Corridors programme has made significant progress, but inter-ministerial coordination between MNRE, MoP, state utilities, and PGCIL on transmission planning for the 2027–2030 period requires a quality of execution India has not yet demonstrated at scale.
PSUs must either be genuine energy developers — with dedicated project capabilities and enforceable timelines — or they are not, and their land must be channelled through proven private developers via structured models. The current arrangement — where a PSU can announce 5 GW, deliver zero, and face no consequences — is not a policy, it is a publicity exercise.
The private sector, by contrast has more than delivered, with firms such as Adani Green Energy, ReNew Energy Global, Tata Power, JSW Energy, Avaada and more delivering on their projections. Answerable to demanding shareholders, these firms have shown what is possible with the right incentives, even as NTPC Green remains the only PSU to have come close.     
Every rupee invested in BESS, pumped storage, and smart grid infrastructure today averts a larger curtailment problem tomorrow. Storage deployment at GW scale requires transmission infrastructure, grid code reform, and procurement mechanisms that are still being constructed. The institutional structure separating generation incentives (MNRE) from storage investment (MoP/CEA) must be reformed to enable integrated planning.
India’s solar buildout has consistently outpaced the financial health of state distribution companies. If DISCOMs cannot pay for procured power, or refuse to sign PPAs for fear of daytime price suppression, the investment chain seizes. DISCOM reform must now be treated as a solar policy prerequisite, not a separate problem with a separate timeline.
ALMM, PLI, and Basic Customs Duty have collectively created the conditions for Indian solar manufacturing to emerge. But policy continuity risk — changes in ALMM lists, duty structures, or PLI disbursement schedules — creates investment hesitation upstream. Polysilicon, wafers, and specialty materials remain import-dependent. Full vertical integration requires a decade of consistent policy, not three-year cycles.
The geographic concentration of solar in India’s northwest and south represents both a risk and an opportunity. A monsoon-induced grid event in Rajasthan or a policy reversal in Gujarat can impair a disproportionate share of national capacity. Deliberate policy — incentivised tenders for underserved states, targeted transmission investment in East India, and KUSUM-led rural expansion in UP ,Bihar, Bengal— must broaden the solar map.
India is attempting something that no large economy has ever done: reaching middle-income status powered predominantly by clean energy, rather than the fossil fuels that powered every previous industrialisation story from Britain to South Korea.
The Industrial Revolution ran on coal. The American Century ran on oil. China’s rise ran on both. India is building its economic trajectory at a moment when renewable energy has become cost-competitive with coal — a window that did not exist for any of its predecessors. The share of non-fossil fuels in total power generation reached 29.2% in FY26. India achieved 50% of cumulative installed power capacity from non-fossil sources in June 2025 — five years ahead of its Paris Agreement NDC target.
If India can sustain its renewable build-out, solve the grid integration challenge, and anchor its manufacturing base in clean technology, it would be the first large economy in history to demonstrate that the fossil fuel ladder to prosperity can be bypassed entirely. That prize is real, it is historically significant, and it is within reach — but it will not be claimed by announcing it. It will be claimed by executing the unglamorous work of grid investment, institutional reform, developer quality maintenance, and policy consistency.
The first 150 GW showed the world that India could build solar at scale. The next 150 GW will determine whether India can build a clean energy economy — and in so doing, write a new chapter in the history of industrial development.
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Photos: Mitul Kajaria
Editor: Chloé Farand
Data visualisation: Fanis Kollias
It wasn’t a difficult decision for 65-year-old Ramzan and his family to sell their farmland in the arid village of Khirasara in India’s northwestern state of Gujarat to a solar park developer.
“Farming did not bring a lot of profit,” Ramzan told Climate Home News. But “the solar power plant promised jobs and prosperity”.
Three years on, Ramzan lives surrounded by a sea of solar panels and high transmission lines – with a front seat to India’s solar revolution.
One of the local solar parks belongs to Indian multinational conglomerate Adani, which is perhaps better known for its coal business. But most of the solar panels in the area are stamped with the same three words: “Made in China” – the world’s largest solar PV manufacturer, which dominates over 80% of all production stages.
However, future Indian solar parks may tell a different story. Faced with an accelerated solar build-out, the Indian government has set out to compete with Chinese solar cell and panel imports to meet its needs with made-in-India technology.
And the state of Gujarat – one of the most solar-developed in the country – is at the heart of India’s – and Adani’s – solar manufacturing efforts.
To meet a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2070, India committed to triple renewable energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030 – with more than half expected to come from solar power.
Buoyed by rocketing solar panel demand, concerns over the concentration of the supply chain in China, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a “self-reliant India”, the government has taken steps to support domestic solar manufacturing.
“We aim that India becomes a leading manufacturer of solar modules. India is poised to become a global hub of renewable energy manufacturing,” renewable energy secretary Bhupinder Singh Bhalla told an event on clean energy recently.
Adani is one of India’s top solar panel manufacturers. Today, that process is equivalent to a large assembly line where components, largely imported from China, are fitted into solar cells and modules.
But the company is also among a handful of Indian solar manufacturers which are developing production capacity for components further up the supply chain.
About 60 kilometres south of Ramzan’s home, outside the coastal town of Mundra, Adani has built a Solar TechnoPark, where it plans to manufacture solar modules from its raw material: a high-grade silicon known as polysilicon.
Here, in 2022, the company made history when it produced India’s first silicon ingot by melting polysilicon at a high temperature.
Ingots are sliced into very thin layers to make wafers, which are processed into cells and assembled into solar modules.
By 2027, Adani is eyeing 10 GW of polysilicon-to-module manufacturing capacity.
Analysts at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (Ieefa) say India’s rise as a manufacturer of solar PV could one day make a dent in China’s dominance.
The institute foresees that India could become the world’s second-largest solar PV manufacturer by 2026 with a module production capacity of 110 GW – enough to make it self-sufficient and able to “aggressively” target the export market.
But competing with China’s meteoric rise as the top solar component manufacturer, unwavering government support for the industry, and a colossal 931 GW production capacity estimated at the end 2023, is an ambitious and complex task.
Vibhuti Garg, Ieefa’s South Asia director, told Climate Home that India’s focus on solar manufacturing began in earnest following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Disruptions to global trade exposed the risks of concentrated supply chains at a time when energy security concerns had come to the fore.
“There’s been a big push to reduce reliance on Chinese imports because it can hamper energy security,” said Garg. But China’s two decade head start means India is still a long way from being able to compete with Beijing, she added. However, government support can help India scale its manufacturing.
Chinese government policies contributed to a dramatic fall in the cost of solar PV, which is now the cheapest source of electricity generation in many parts of the world and is helping the transition to clean energy.
But allegations of forced labour and human rights violations against Uyghur people in China’s Xinjiang region, which researchers estimate produces between one third and one half of the world’s solar-grade polysilicon, have led western countries and many solar developers to seek alternative supplies.
The US, for example, introduced a ban on imports of all products made in Xinjiang, unless it is proved they are not made with forced labour.
Meanwhile, the Indian government rolled out financial incentives and support measures to encourage domestic manufacturing.
As a result, India’s solar module production capacity more than doubled between 2020 and 2023. Overwhelmingly driven by US demand, cell and module exports rocketed more than 1000% in April-July 2023, compared to the same period the previous year.
“Indian module manufacturers flourish through US exports, capitalising on the US-China trade tensions and government incentives,” explained Harshul Kanwar, a solar PV researcher who covers the Asia Pacific region for Wood Mackenzie.
Mundra was once a quiet village on the edge of the mangrove-lined Arabian coast.
People wandered and cattle roamed across the marshy land, and local communities harvested salt from the sea water, remembers Sajan Bhai Rabari, whose family has lived in the area for generations.
Today, the area looks like a large open-roof factory and lies at the heart of India’s energy transformation. It’s also here that Adani’s story begins.
In the late 1990s, Gautam Adani won the rights to operate the Mundra port, laying the foundation for his business empire. But it’s by importing and burning coal that Adani made his fortune, implementing a “pit-to-plug strategy” to control the supply chain from coal mines to power use – a model which the company aims to replicate in the solar industry.
Mundra’s industrial expansion has transformed many local people’s lives. Hostels have mushroomed along roads to accommodate the inflow of migrant workers from the east of the country, who found work at the port or nearby coal power plants.
Rabari, who works as a security staff at one of the coal plants, no longer lives in a traditional round mud house designed to stay cool in high temperatures, but built a modern home.
From his house’s flat roof, which is covered in a layer of coal soot, Rabari has a view of Adani’s 4.6 GW coal-fired power plant, the second largest in India. Not far from here, lie the company’s solar ambitions.
In recent months, Adani’s pivot to renewable energy projects have provided the conglomerate with a financial buoy amid a crisis which saw its stock tumble following accusations of accounting fraud and stock price manipulation. The group denies the allegations.
Locally, Adani’s solar plans have ushered in new economic opportunities.
Here, the company wants to develop an entire solar manufacturing supply chain. It already produces copper, aluminium, and glass, which are all needed to make solar panels.
Rabari told Climate Home that local people were finding jobs at nearby solar parks as security staff, drivers, cleaners, and grass-cutters for 10,000-15,000 rupees ($120-180) a month – above the minimum wage. But higher paying and skilled opportunities are lacking, he said.
In the nearest city of Bhuj, retailer Nitesh Patel, who buys solar panels from Adani and other manufacturers to sell to residential and commercial projects, is excited about made-in-India solar panels. His customers want to buy high-quality Indian products, he told Climate Home. “There is a lot of profit” to be made, he said.
Manufacturing solar modules from imported cells requires low capital expenditure and India’s cheap labour makes it well-placed to scale the industry, Satyendra Kumar, who began researching solar power in the 1980s and later spent years in the industry, told Climate Home.
But going down the supply chain to produce wafers, ingots, and polysilicon, “the process becomes capital intensive and the technology risk is high,” said Sunil Rathi, director at Waaree Energies, another leading solar panel manufacturer, which recently raised funds to make solar components.
The production process is also more energy-intensive and “the cost of energy and power in India is high. That is why India never really got into making polysilicon, ingots or wafers,” added Juzer Vasi, founder of the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education, at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
But “no matter how expensive, it makes sense for us to try to do it, purely from the point of view of energy security,” Vasi told Climate Home.
Still, this is a tall order. India’s production of polysilicon, ingots, and wafers must be scaled up from virtually zero at the start of 2023.
Despite a rapid acceleration in India’s manufacturing capacity, it remains heavily reliant on Chinese imports. According to BloombergNEF, around two-thirds of India’s imports of cells and 100% of wafers came from China since the start of 2021 and that is unlikely to change this year.
In Mundra, Adani has had to manage its expectations. A first goal to achieve 2 GW of ingot producing capacity by the end of 2023 was missed. But a spokesperson for the company said the facility would be operational by March, citing compliance issues. The target of producing 10 GW of fully Indian-made modules by 2027 “remains the ultimate goal,” they said. The company didn’t respond to several requests to visit its factory.
To boost domestic production, the Indian government launched a scheme that rewards selected solar manufacturers with funding for the production and sale of polysilicon, wafers, and solar cells and modules, which meet compliance checks.
Analysts at Ieefa have described the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme as “one of the primary catalysts spurring the growth of the entire PV manufacturing ecosystem in India”.
But industry insiders say incentives will need to be strengthened if India is to scale-up its manufacturing ecosystem over the coming years. It “excites the industry but it does not really assist them to set up a solar factory,” said Kumar.
Some have recommended expanding the scheme to include manufacturing machinery, upfront subsidies for setting up production units, and subsidised electricity tariffs.
With China mulling restrictions on exports of wafer production technology, Kumar is concerned that India might be shut-out of key technological know-how before it can scale its own production.
“Even with policies like PLI, the conundrum is how will producers make the upstream raw material if China does not help,” he told Climate Home, calling for stronger cooperation between India and western nations to diversify the solar supply chain.
To bolster demand at home, India has taken steps to curb Chinese imports, by imposing custom duty taxes of 40% and 25% on imported modules and cells respectively.
But a glut in the market has seen the price of high-quality Chinese solar panels drop to a historic low. Even with the custom tax, imported Chinese modules remain slightly cheaper than Indian ones.
Earlier this year, a policy requiring all government energy projects to only use solar cells and modules from an approved list of Indian manufacturers was postponed until the end of March 2024, giving time for local production to catch up with the pipeline of projects.
Solar industry leaders have raised concerns that the lack of maturity of domestic solar production, the curb on imports, and growing exports to the US at the expense of domestic use could make it more difficult and expensive for India to meet its renewable energy goals.
As solar panel manufacturer Bluebird Solar put it in a blog post: “There is still a long way to go in terms of promoting domestic manufacturing and ensuring the successful execution of existing solar projects. Only by tackling these challenges head-on can India truly harness the potential of solar energy and achieve its ambitious renewable energy targets in the years to come.”
Main image: Women walk inside a solar park near Mundra,Gujarat, to fetch water / Mitul Kajaria
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ALBEMARLE COUNY, Va. (WVIR) – A former landfill in Albemarle County is now generating clean energy through a new solar farm.
More than 7,000 solar panels sit at the old Ivy Landfill, converting sunlight into electricity. A spokesperson said the site marks Dominion Energy’s first solar farm of this kind in Virginia.
“This is a really exciting trend for us because it’s an eco-friendly use that is on a piece of land that has little to no options in terms of use,” said Tim Eberly, spokesperson for Dominion Energy.
The company is building solar facilities on previously disturbed land, which can include mining sites or closed landfills. At the Ivy site, nothing can be built into the ground. Instead, panels sit anchored with rocks on top of the covered waste buried below.
“We love to develop clean energy and carbon-free energy for our customers, but to be able to pair this with finding a new use for, essentially, breathing new life into a property, is really exciting for us,” Eberly said.
Eberly said the 14-acre solar site can power up to 750 homes — and is on the smaller scale of clean energy projects by Dominion. He described that the project represents a step toward creating more renewable sources to meet a growing energy demand across the state.
“We’re expecting our energy demand to double over the next 20 years,” Eberly said. “To meet that energy demand, we have this all of the above strategy, where we essentially need to develop new power generation from all sources. That’s offshore wind, that’s solar, that’s natural gas, we also need energy storage to pair with that. And solar is a major, significant piece of that strategy — and this is one of dozens of new solar facilities that we’re going to be developing around the state in the coming decades to essentially meet that energy demand for our customers.”
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Soaring energy costs have grabbed headlines around the world the past two months, but prices across the solar supply chain are marching to their own beat, writes Hanwei Wu of OPIS. Oversupply in Asia continues to distort markets, with either sharp price falls or tepid price gains.
Polysilicon producers in China are cutting utilization rates amid continuing low prices and limited order volume.
Image: Daqo New Energy
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ReNew Energy Global Commissions 2.4 GW In FY2026, Expanding Operating Capacity To 12.6 GW Across India  SolarQuarter
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Published 13th May, 2026 by Emily Nutbean
A proposed solar glass plant in Brazil has passed a financial evaluation.
Homerun Resources said it received a positive Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) for its planned facility in Belmonte, Brazil.
The company wants to construct a 1,000 tonne-per-day soda-lime patterned solar glass facility, with four 250 tonne-per-day roll glass lines, which will produce ultra-clear patterned glass for mono and bifacial photovoltaic modules.
It plans to start-up the plant by 2028 and will be located next to Homerun’s low-iron silica sand resources.
The BFS confirmed that the plant is technically and economically feasible.
It outlined a large-scale operation designed to supply both Brazil’s solar sector and selected export markets.
Brazil is identified in the BFS as the leading solar market in Latin America, but is dependent on imported PV modules and solar glass.
The BFS indicates gross glass melting capacity of approximately 365,000 tonnes per annum and solar glass production capacity of approximately 239,000 tonnes per annum in the first operating year.
The plant is designed to reach full run-rate solar glass production of approximately 288,300 tonnes per annum from the fifth year of operations, with a 15-year operating campaign.
Brian Leeners, CEO of Homerun Resources, said: “Completion of this Bankable Feasibility Study marks a transformational milestone for Homerun and provides a clear technical and financial blueprint for the development of what is intended to be Brazil’s first solar glass manufacturing operation.”
The project is due to start in November 2026 subject to financing consultations.
It will incorporate an on-site photovoltaic power system, which will reduce grid dependency and support the company’s lower-carbon production mandate.
After its startup in 2028, the plant will have an estimated annual revenue of $294.3 million and OPEX of approximately $143.3 million in 2030.

Emily is a Digital Content Assistant for Glass International. She is an NCTJ-qualified journalist and studied English at Durham University.
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India mandates use of locally made solar cells in government projects from June 2026  Reuters
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© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.
“The whole point of the bill is to make these things safe.”
Photo Credit: iStock
Illinois’ effort to legalize balcony solar has run into a major setback, delaying a technology that could help apartment residents and other households lower their power bills with small plug-in solar panels. 
Illinois lawmakers and clean energy advocates had been pushing Senate Bill 3104, which would have opened the door for small plug-in solar systems, often known as balcony solar. But with only weeks left in the legislative session, supporters decided to stop advancing the proposal after negotiations broke down.
A key point of conflict was an April 24 amendment that, as described by Canary Media, would have put all plug-in solar systems on hold until the National Electrical Code is revised to address them. Because that revision is not expected until late 2028, any progress could be delayed for years.
Advocates said that was especially frustrating because the original bill was meant to create rules for safe use right away. Kady McFadden, a clean energy lobbyist helping lead the effort, said, “The whole point of the bill is to make these things safe. It’s finding the right pieces to make sure consumers are safe, and also balancing that with being able to deploy these things.”
After the amendment and ongoing objections from stakeholders, including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers state conference, backers concluded they would not be able to reach a deal this session.
Supporters pointed to strong public backing. According to Canary Media, 139 residents or stakeholder groups filed witness slips supporting the bill in the state Senate, while only three were submitted against it. Even so, that opposition proved influential. McFadden said, “We were disappointed to see the opposition.”
The Merino Mono is a heating and cooling system designed for the rooms traditional HVAC can’t reach. The streamlined design eliminates clunky outdoor units, installs in under an hour, and plugs into a standard 120V outlet — no expensive electrical upgrades required.
And while a traditional “mini-split” system can get pricey fast, the Merino Mono comes with a flat-rate price — with hardware and professional installation included.
Balcony solar could make renewable energy savings available to people who are often left out of the clean energy transition.
Traditional rooftop solar generally works best for single-family homeowners who have the money, roof space, and legal authority to install a larger system. That leaves out many renters, condo owners, and residents of multifamily buildings. Plug-in solar offers a smaller-scale option that can cut reliance on utility power and trim monthly bills.
The stakes go beyond household savings. Expanding access to small-scale solar can help reduce pollution from oil- and gas-powered electricity. Even though balcony solar systems are much smaller than rooftop installations, supporters say they serve a different role: helping households save at the appliance level while making clean energy more widely available.
Kavi Chintam, Illinois campaign manager for the advocacy group Vote Solar, described the market for balcony solar as “a totally different category” from rooftop solar, arguing that it is not designed to replace larger systems but to fill a gap for people with few other options.
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Illinois may be pausing for now, but the broader push is still moving ahead.
As Canary Media reported, Utah enacted the nation’s first balcony solar bill in 2025, Maine and Colorado followed this spring, and similar measures have reached governors in Maryland and Virginia while related proposals are being weighed in more than half the states.
Illinois advocates plan to return in a future session and continue working through safety concerns and labor objections. McFadden noted that major clean energy laws in Illinois have sometimes needed more than one legislative session, so supporters see this year’s setback as a delay rather than the end of the effort.
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Ortigas Land Corporation has entered into a long-term partnership with Advent Upgrade Solar Inc. (AUSI) to strengthen its shift toward renewable energy for GH Mall in San Juan City, Metro Manila. The agreement was formalized during the contract signing attended by AdventEnergy Vice President for Retail Sales and Services Catherine Del Villar-Pasilaban and Upgrade Energy Philippines President and CEO, who also serves as AUSI Chairperson, Ruth Yu-Owen. Representing Ortigas Land were Arch.
Renee Bacani, Vice President and Head of Ortigas Malls, along with Chief Finance Officer Davee M. Zuniga.As part of this 20-year power purchase agreement, AUSI—a joint venture between Aboitiz Power Distributed Renewables, Inc. and Upgrade Energy Philippines—will install and operate a 1,587.20 kilowatt-peak solar photovoltaic system that will supply clean and reliable energy to GH Mall.
This project reflects Ortigas Land’s continuous efforts to embed sustainable practices into its developments and to ensure long-term efficiency in estate operations.Arch. Renee Bacani shared that Ortigas Land’s vision is rooted in building places that remain relevant and meaningful for many years. She explained that integrating renewable energy solutions into GH Mall is part of their commitment to responsible development and modern facility management.
By lowering carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency, the project aims to create a better experience for mall tenants, visitors, and the broader Ortigas community.As the company marks its 95th year, Bacani highlighted that this collaboration reinforces the foundation of sustainability that Ortigas Land continues to build on.
She noted that GH Mall will benefit not only from improved operational performance but also from an environment where businesses and families can grow, thrive, and form lasting connections. AUSI stated that the long-term power purchase agreement is designed to support GH Mall’s energy requirements while helping the estate manage its operational costs more effectively.
Ruth Yu-Owen expressed appreciation for the partnership, noting that AUSI is committed to providing a solar solution that contributes both to the mall’s operational goals and to the day-to-day experiences of Filipino families who frequent GH Mall.AUSI focuses on developing, constructing, and operating distributed solar energy systems tailored to large commercial and industrial users. Its partnership with Ortigas Land further emphasizes its mission to make clean energy solutions more accessible to major establishments across the country.

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The MTerra solar project in the Philippines is set to become one of the world’s largest integrated solar-plus-storage facilities once fully completed. Ajay Mullangi, principal at global infrastructure investor Actis, which is developing the project alongside partners, updated pv magazine on progress since the groundbreaking in November 2024 and explains why the development is integral to the Philippines’ future energy security.
The MTerra project achieved initial grid synchronization in February 2026, just 15 months after its groundbreaking.
Image: Terra Solar Philippines
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Springfield community solar project getting billing help from Eversource  Yahoo
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SUZHOU, China, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GCL System Integration Technology Co. Ltd (hereafter referred to as “GCL SI”) announced that its newly launched EcoPower Mate mobile PV storage solution will make its first public appearance at the 19th SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Conference & Exhibition (SNEC 2026), taking place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Shanghai from June 3-5. Designed to support operation sites facing power-constrained or complex energy conditions, especially in remote regions, the integrated mobile photovoltaic solution enables rapid deployment, flexible transportation, and lower-emission power generation across a wide range of off-grid applications.

GCL SI’s EcoPower Mate mobile PV storage solution deployed at a remote oil and gas extraction site in a desert environment, providing reliable off-grid clean energy support for field operations.

Against this backdrop, there is clear and growing demand for standardized, integrated, and deployable mobile solar solutions that can reduce operating costs while improving efficiency and sustainability, especially for remote communities and industrial sites.
Designed for extreme conditions, rapid deployment, and high energy efficiency, the EcoPower Mate series by GCL SI provides a new pathway to zero-carbon transformation for traditional energy-intensive industries, tackling the pain points through an advanced mobile energy storage solution. It also represents GCL SI's strategic expansion into integrated scenario-specific solutions and strengthens the company's position in the growing global market for off-grid energy substitution.
EcoPower Mate offers three configurations compatible with most mainstream inverters and offers exceptional adaptability for various application scenarios:

Built for versatility, EcoPower Mate supports off-grid, hybrid and grid-connected applications across a range of industries. Key use cases include remote industrial operations such as mining and oil and gas, infrastructure projects in isolated regions and islands, as well as emerging applications such as renewable-powered data centers. Its rapid deployment capability also makes it suitable for temporary construction, agricultural production and other distributed energy scenarios.
Looking ahead, GCL SI will bring EcoPower Mate to more international markets, with its first overseas installations currently underway in Saudi Arabia, marking the start of its global deployment and entry into the Middle East market.
At SNEC 2026, GCL SI will further showcase EcoPower Mate alongside its broader portfolio of integrated renewable energy solutions, inviting global partners and industry stakeholders to explore the product's application potential across diverse off-grid scenarios.
 

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ST. PAUL, Minn., May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Established in 2009 and based in Minnesota, All Energy Solar is celebrated as one of the state’s most seasoned solar installers. Supported by a NABCEP certified workforce, they provide services throughout the midwest and east coast states. Their strong commitment to sustainable energy has solidified their standing as a premier solar provider in Minnesota, offering a hopeful vision for a greener future.

All Energy Solar won the Gold award for best Solar Power Provider in the MSP Mag’s Best of the Twin Cities: 2026 Readers Poll! The community voice and action to vote propelled All Energy Solar to the gold winner in the Solar Power Provider category, among 160 other categories and over 450 winning businesses.
To date, the company has completed over 13,000 energy solution projects and has also earned multiple recognitions for its dedication and satisfactory services.
Reflecting on the recognition, Ryan Buege, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, commented, “It’s an incredible honor to be named Best of the Twin Cities. This recognition reflects not just the hard work of our team, but the deep trust our customers place in us. We’re proud to lean into that trust and continue leading the Twin Cities toward a sustainable future.”
This award means the world to All Energy Solar, as the company has continued to be strategic in a very volatile year for the solar energy industry. Most recently, they have launched EnergyLock: a prepaid lease option for homeowners in Minnesota. With continued pivoting to meet the energy needs of their neighbors, All Energy Solar is proud to offer the smartest, most-cost effective way to go solar in 2026.
The future is bright for All Energy Solar and this award confirms it. As Buege puts it, “We’re excited to help more of our neighbors take control of their energy costs. Launching options like EnergyLock this year was our way of pivoting to meet the real needs of our community. As we grow, our mission stays the same—making clean, cost-effective energy accessible to everyone, one rooftop at a time.”
Interested in switching to solar? Get a free quote started today!
About All Energy Solar
All Energy Solar Inc. provides a full-service solar energy integration experience for residential, commercial, agricultural, and government customers. With industry-leading certifications and full electrical and building licenses, All Energy Solar installs high-quality solar power systems with excellent customer service throughout the experience and after installation. www.allenergysolar.com
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ESCANABA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLUC) – Escanaba Township residents had the chance to voice their opinion on a proposed solar farm project in the township.
Bonnie Hakkola was one of many who attended the Escanaba Township Board Monday night to hear a presentation from DTE officials about the viability of a 150-megawatt solar farm in the township.
“We need to keep in mind what’s important for our land and our country and longevity and our grandchildren- that’s why I’m here,” Hakkola said.
DTE Senior Project Site Manager Theresa Hannath says she wants to hear concerns surrounding the project.
“We understand that this is a contentious subject and that people on all sides of this issue care deeply about their community, their property rights and the future of the township. Those concerns deserve to be heard and respected,” Hannath said.
The board was not presented with a formal application for approval. Instead, Hannath spoke to collaborative efforts with the community.
“Our purpose tonight is to better understand how the township wishes us to proceed, especially in light of the recent court appeals, PA 233 decision, and the evolving legal framework surrounding renewable energy and land use in Michigan,” Hannath said.
Public Act 233 creates a statewide approval process for certain utility-scale renewable energy projects. It authorizes the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) to approve or deny projects in cases where local governments have not adopted a “compatible renewable energy ordinance” (CREO). This allows developers to bypass community approval and directly petition the state for utility-scale solar construction.
Hakkola and other residents voiced concerns that included transparency and clear communication with the community.
“There’s a real big concern about cracking the bedrock and then contamination goes into our aquifers,” Hakkola said.
The board did not make a final decision. The next township board meeting is scheduled for June 8.
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Renewable Energy
According to JA Solar, the company began delivering 1 GW of DeepBlue 4.0 Pro photovoltaic modules in April 2025 for the Suji Sandland PV project, located in Urad Front Banner, in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, northern China. The complex will have a total capacity of 2 GW and is part of the third phase of China’s large wind and solar power bases.
When operational, Suji Sandland will occupy over 42,000 acres, an area larger than the city of São Paulo, and is expected to generate 2.96 billion kWh of electricity per year. It is estimated to save approximately 900,000 tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2.68 million tons annually.
But the project’s unique feature is not just its size or electricity generation. Suji Sandland adopts the PV + ecological restoration model, where elevated solar panels create shade, reduce evaporation, promote the growth of sand-fixing plants, and help restore areas undergoing desertification.
While heat evaporates water from reservoirs and countries seek new areas for clean energy, Morocco is testing floating solar panels that function as an energy lid and also generate electricity.
Saudi Arabia is building in Oxagon a US$ 8.4 billion mega green hydrogen plant with 4 GW of solar and wind energy, 5.6 million solar panels, and capacity to produce 600 tons per day, transforming the desert into one of the planet’s largest clean fuel factories.
Germany and Denmark will transform Bornholm into a Baltic power island, connecting 3 GW of offshore wind power to the grids of the two countries via submarine cables and turning a real island into an international energy hub.
Brazil discovers natural hydrogen in four states and enters the silent race that could redraw the energy transition: Petrobras has already invested R$ 20 million in studies.
Desertification in Inner Mongolia is one of the most severe environmental crises in northern China. The advance of the Gobi Desert threatens pastures, agricultural areas, rural communities, and the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on these lands.
The Chinese government has been trying to curb this advance for decades with the so-called Great Green Wall, a belt of trees planted along 4,500 km in the north of the country. The project began in the 1970s, but the results have been uneven, because trees alone do not always solve sandy soil degradation.
Suji Sandland proposes another logic: using the same solar infrastructure to generate energy and restore the environment. Elevated solar panels function as a physical barrier, a source of shade, and an ecological recovery tool in degraded areas.
The mechanism behind the PV + ecological restoration model is simple yet powerful. Solar panels absorb part of the radiation that would directly heat the soil and, at the same time, block extreme sun exposure for plants.
Under elevated panels, soil temperature can be 10°C to 15°C lower than in exposed areas during peak heat periods. This difference reduces evaporation, preserves moisture for longer, and improves conditions for the germination of drought-resistant species.
In deserts, available moisture usually disappears quickly under direct sunlight. When the panels reduce this thermal stress, the soil gains a larger window to sustain vegetation and begin sand fixation.
NASA has already observed a similar effect in previous projects in the Kubuqi Desert, also in Inner Mongolia. In these locations, elevated solar panels created enough shade to slow down evaporation and allow the growth of pasture grasses.
The mechanism does not depend on a single plant species. Any plant adapted to arid environments can benefit from the combination of lower temperature, more available humidity, and protection against intense direct radiation.
The Suji Sandland takes this principle to a much larger scale. The project aims to use 42,000 acres with solar modules and systematic planting of species capable of fixing sand, reducing erosion and gradually rebuilding the local ecosystem.
The Suji Sandland is part of an even larger strategy: the so-called Great Solar Wall of the Kubuqi Desert, documented by NASA since 2017 and expanded by China in subsequent years.
The total project described based on satellite data is 400 km long, 5 km wide, and has a planned maximum capacity of 100 GW. For comparison, this volume is equivalent to several times Brazil’s installed solar capacity in 2025.
The objective is twofold: to generate clean energy at scale and to create a physical and microclimatic barrier against the advance of the Gobi dunes. China is treating solar energy not just as electricity, but as an environmental engineering tool.
The Suji Sandland figures show the scale of China’s bet on solar energy in the desert. The 42,000-acre area is equivalent to about 170 km², forming one of the largest solar installations integrated with ecological restoration in the world.
With 2 GW of capacity, the complex is expected to generate 2.96 billion kWh per year. This volume would be enough to supply approximately 1.3 million Brazilian homes with an average monthly consumption of 190 kWh.
The annual saving of 900,000 tons of standard coal is equivalent to removing a large fossil source from the electrical system. The estimated reduction of 2.68 million tons of CO₂ per year reinforces the project’s climatic significance.
Generating solar energy in a sand desert requires modules prepared for severe conditions. Intense ultraviolet radiation, sandstorms, and abrupt thermal variations can degrade conventional equipment more quickly.
Storms carry abrasive particles that scratch surfaces and reduce light transmission through the glass. The temperature difference between day and night can exceed 40°C in a few hours, causing expansion and contraction cycles that affect electrical connections.
The DeepBlue 4.0 Pro modules were developed for this type of environment, with UV-resistant encapsulation, tempered glass with anti-sand treatment, and a structure prepared to withstand intense thermal cycling.
The most important transformation of the Suji Sandland will occur in the soil, slowly and progressively. After the panels are installed, pioneer species, such as grasses and shrubs adapted to arid regions, are planted in the shaded strips.
These plants have two central physical functions. Their roots consolidate loose sand, reducing wind erosion, while the biomass above ground captures particles carried by air currents.
Over time, the vegetation adds organic matter to the substrate and promotes the formation of microbiota. The soil under the panels tends to retain more moisture and gain conditions that did not exist in the exposed desert.
Ecological recovery does not happen immediately. In models of this type, dune stabilization and the advancement of vegetation cover usually require five to ten years of maintenance, shade, and progressive soil stabilization.
The difference is that, without the panels, many of these areas would remain exposed to direct sun, intense evaporation, and constant wind. Under these conditions, conventional reforestation or grass planting tends to have a low survival rate.
With the panels, the environment changes. The solar farm ceases to be merely a power plant and begins to function as an ecological protection structure, creating conditions for vegetation to reoccupy degraded soil.
Suji Sandland shows an important shift in the use of large solar power plants. Instead of merely occupying unproductive areas with panels, the project aims to transform these areas into environmental recovery zones.
China is not just covering sand with photovoltaic modules. It is using the panels to reduce soil heat, preserve moisture, contain wind, stabilize sand, and create a base for vegetation in a region affected by desertification.
When the modules are replaced at the end of their lifespan, estimated at 25 to 30 years, the goal is for the soil beneath them to be more stable and fertile than at the beginning. If this result is confirmed at scale, Suji Sandland could become a global benchmark for solar energy in degraded areas.
Graduated in Journalism and Marketing, he is the author of over 20,000 articles that have reached millions of readers in Brazil and abroad. He has written for brands and media outlets such as 99, Natura, O Boticário, CPG – Click Petróleo e Gás, Agência Raccon, among others. A specialist in the Automotive Industry, Technology, Careers (employability and courses), Economy, and other topics. For contact and editorial suggestions: valdemarmedeiros4@gmail.com. We do not accept resumes!
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Alternative renewable energy technology such as solar panels will now be mandatory on all new housing and commercial developments.
In 2023, the States agreed Guernsey’s electricity strategy and directed the Committee for Environment & Infrastructure, in consultation with the Development & Planning Authority to explore ways to further facilitate the installation of solar panel arrays to increase on-island electricity generation.
The Island Development Plan encourages installing ways for harnessing renewable energy, primarily through roof-mounted solar panels or appropriate alternatives.
‘It’s good that some developers already do this as standard, but making it mandatory means that we’re making the most of the opportunities that new developments pose,’ said DPA president Neil Inder.
‘It’s also cheaper to install these during the build, rather than fitting them in somewhere down the line.’
Measures such as non-roof mounted solar products, air source heat pumps and battery storage can be considered as alternatives to, or in addition to, roof-mounted solar panels.
Sites will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure suitable provision can be made.
‘In 2023, through the Electricity Strategy, the States made a clear long-term, strategic decision for Guernsey to pursue additional interconnection while also increasing the amount of energy generated locally through renewable sources,’ said E&I president Adrian Gabriel.
‘I welcome the DPA’s supportive decision to make solar panels or alternative renewables mandatory on new developments. Making this the norm will undoubtedly help Guernsey in achieving its renewable energy targets.’
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Global wariness of Chinese solar and E.V. domination offers India an opening. The government is spending money to try to catch up, but it has a long way to go.
Credit…
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By Somini Sengupta
Photographs and Video by Saumya Khandelwal
Somini Sengupta reported from Delhi, Bangalore and Tamil Nadu.
China, the world’s clean-energy juggernaut, faces a rival right next door. And one of its top customers, no less.
India, a big buyer of Chinese solar panels and electric vehicle batteries, is using a raft of government incentives to make more green gear at home. It is driven not just by the need to satisfy the galloping energy demands of its 1.4 billion people, but also to cash in on other countries that want to China-proof their energy supply chains, not least the United States.
India remains a tiny and tardy entrant. Last year it produced around 80 gigawatts of solar modules, while China produced more than 10 times that. India is still tied to coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel: Coal is its largest source of electricity, and India plans to mine for more of it.
But India is aggressively trying to take advantage of a global energy transition and a backlash against Chinese dominance of new energy technologies.
Hoping to spur a clean energy manufacturing boom, the government is offering lucrative subsidies for locally produced solar cells and batteries, and it is restricting foreign products in its biggest renewable-energy projects. To cash in on government contracts to install rooftop solar for 27 million households by the end of this decade, for instance, companies must make the panels at home.
For New Delhi, there are social, economic and geopolitical imperatives. China is its most formidable rival — the two countries have in the past gone to war over border disputes — so India’s quest to build solar, wind and electric vehicle factories is partly designed to secure its energy supply chain. At the same time India wants to create good-paying manufacturing jobs.
Still, India confronts a dilemma facing many other countries: Either buy renewable energy technologies as cheaply as possible from China, or spend more to make the goods at home.
“Strategically, to ensure we have energy independence, we need to have manufacturing capacity,” said Sudeep Jain, additional secretary in India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. “Currently, yes, there is a cost arbitrage.”
The problem is that China commands the building blocks of renewable energy goods. More than 90 percent of the polysilicon that goes into solar panels is in Chinese control. So even as India rapidly expands its production of solar panels, it still imports most of the cells that go into the panels, mainly from Chinese companies. And Indian companies that make solar cells typically import silicon wafers mainly from China.
India has a very tiny battery industry, and it has proven difficult, for a host of reasons, to scale up. Two Indian companies making electric vehicle batteries, Reliance Industries and Ola Electric, recently missed production targets they had promised to hit in exchange for government subsidies. It doesn’t help that China dominates the processing of key battery minerals like lithium.
China has “first mover’s advantage,” said Amit Paithankar, chief executive of Waaree Energies, the country’s largest solar panel maker. “It’s about us being proactive, and being a part of the solution in diversifying the supply chain for India, for the U.S. and for the world.”
India is lifting from the Chinese playbook in at least one way. It is counting on its enormous domestic demand.
India’s wind and solar capacity has nearly doubled in the past five years, according to the research firm Ember, making it the world’s third largest generator of electricity from renewable sources after China and the United States. It plans to incorporate 500 gigawatts of non-fossil-fuel sources into its electricity grid by 2030.
The government has put in place both carrots and sticks to encourage production.
For the past several years, there were subsidies for locally produced solar panels. Those are now being discontinued, but new subsidies are kicking in next year for locally produced solar cells that go into panels, as well as for battery cells.
Domestic demand isn’t the only driver. Last year, more than half of India’s solar modules ended up on American soil.
Now, the wild card for India’s export dreams is the tariff chaos sown by President Trump.
The latest Trump administration duties on goods imported from India are far lower (27 percent) than new duties on Chinese goods (145 percent) and on those from Southeast Asia (up to 3,500 percent), where Chinese companies have set up shop.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India has sought to cultivate warm relations with Mr. Trump, and officials from the two countries say they hope to negotiate a bilateral trade deal in May. “Whatever the United States is going to import, we may still be the most competitive to supply it,” Mr. Jain said.
The global energy transition potentially brings India something it badly needs: factory jobs.
Two out of three Indians are under the age of 35. A majority of people still work in agriculture. And manufacturing as a share of the national economy is still barely 13 percent, a bit lower than it was a decade ago.
The southern state of Tamil Nadu has been among the most forceful in attracting new factories, including in the clean-energy sector. Wind blade makers arrived nearly a decade ago, followed by solar panel makers and electric vehicle companies.
Tamil Nadu offered ready land and government subsidies. The state supported pensions and housing for workers.
“These are all schemes we came up with, peering into the future, looking at how the world is going,” the state’s industry minister, T.R.B. Rajaa, said in an interview. “Energy is everything. Energy security must be localized.”
Perhaps most important, Tamil Nadu, with a long record of women’s education, offered an army of women workers with college degrees.
Which is how 26-year-old Amala K. came to chase her dreams at the Tata Power solar panel factory on the outskirts of a small town, Tirunelveli, near India’s southern tip. (Like most people in the region, she uses her father’s initial as a surname.)
Around 2,000 women like her run the machines round the clock at this factory. Every day, starting at dawn, they move in and out by the busload. Dark blue uniforms. Backpacks. Sandals that are traded for steel-toe factory shoes. The factory floor is largely automated. Human workers are there to make sure robot arms are working properly, to solder a junction box or pick up broken shards of wafers that have slipped in between cracks.
The sun was already shining bright and hot by 7 a.m. on a recent Wednesday, as Amala boarded a company bus after her all-night shift. The bus pulled out of the parking lot, drove past banana orchards, and wove through a river of honking cars and motorcycles. Some of the women nodded off. A few scrolled through their phones.
Amala leaned against the window. For her, the job was partly a way to defer the inevitable arranged marriage. “If I stayed home, I’d be married by now,” she said.
In between work shifts, she was preparing to take an exam to become a physics professor.
Varsha A.R., 26, sitting one row up, had to persuade her mother to let her take this job.
Her mother worried about Varsha living two hours away from home, in a workers’ dorm. So Varsha brought her there and introduced her to other workers. “I explained that this is an opportunity for my life and my career,” Varsha said.
The job meant different things to different women workers. Some said they were saving to buy gold jewelry for their weddings. Others said they were saving to go to graduate school. A few said they liked being able to buy gifts for their nieces and nephews — or buy themselves an ice cream when they wanted.
Varsha and Amala stepped off the bus and walked down a narrow lane to their dorm, two workers in an energy industry all but unknown in their parents’ time. Each year, at least seven million young Indians like them enter the labor market, according to the International Labor Organization. India’s efforts to expand its clean-energy business is a key test of the country’s efforts to deliver the skilled jobs that a new generation of Indians has come to expect.
The solar panels they help make in Tirunelveli furnish Tata Power’s four-gigawatt solar farm on the other side of the country, in the northwestern desert of Rajasthan. The wafers still come from China. So, too, many of the glass panels on which they are affixed.
The risks of relying on Chinese suppliers became abundantly clear during the coronavirus epidemic, Tata Power’s chief executive, Praveer Sinha, recalled. Shipments were disrupted. There were unexpected price swings.
“It’s very important you have a supply chain that’s not vulnerable to two or three countries,” he said.
At the time, during President Biden’s term, the United States agreed. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, a government lender, supported the Tata project with a $425 million loan, with the goal of “diversifying global supply chains.”
First Solar, a U.S. company, set up shop near the state capital, Chennai, also with financing from the U.S. government. Vikram Solar, which makes solar modules near Chennai, is set to build one gigawatt of battery storage.
In an industrial park farther west in Tamil Nadu, the Indian electric scooter company, Ola, is getting ready to produce its own battery cells. At the moment, like most electric car and scooter makers in India, a majority of battery cells come from China.
The question for renewable energy companies now is whether they focus on the Indian market or push to sell Indian-made goods abroad.
Until recently, an export strategy was enormously profitable for Waaree Energies. It made most of its money last year exporting its Indian-made solar panels to the United States. Lured by tax breaks offered by the Biden administration, Waaree invested $1 billion in a solar-panel plant in Houston.
Other companies’ exports surged, too. Between 2022 and 2024, the export of Indian solar modules grew “exponentially” by 23 times, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, a research group. So spectacular was the growth that the group concluded that India could potentially replace Southeast Asian countries as the leading supplier of solar photovoltaics to the United States.
Then Mr. Trump took office. Solar’s future in the United States became far more uncertain. Waaree stocks slumped. The company intends to continue to make solar panels for Americans, Mr. Paithankar, Waaree Energies’ chief executive, said.
In the end, whether Indian companies can muscle in on the renewable energy supply chain depends less on India and more on the geopolitical trade-offs that every government will have to make. “Whether we can become an alternative to China depends on what other countries do,” said Sumant Sinha, chief executive of ReNew Power, which builds solar and wind equipment for the Indian domestic market. “If everyone says, ‘I’m going to buy cheap,’ then China will come out dominating.”
Somini Sengupta is the international climate reporter on the Times climate team.
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By Canary Media
Canary Media
13 May 2026
Pennsylvania needs more energy. Data centers are pushing demand skyward, utilities can’t build new capacity fast enough, and electric bills are on the rise. Medium-sized solar installations — smaller than utility-scale farms but larger than home rooftop arrays — could help ease the pressure.
But state lawmakers, utilities, regulators, and solar developers are tussling over the rules that govern such installations, and it’s unclear whether new legislation to resolve their disputes will be passed this year. That worries Victoria Stulgis, president of Black Bear Energy.
Last month, her company and its partners celebrated the energization of 4.9 megawatts of solar on the roofs of two warehouses owned by EQT Real Estate in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania. The two projects, developed by Sigma Renewables and Scale Microgrids and managed by Black Bear Energy, are among roughly 2,100 mid-sized generation projects being planned in the state, most of them distributed solar.
What makes these projects possible is Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, a 2004 law allowing medium-sized projects that generate power with a range of technologies, from solar and wind to waste biomass and coal-bed methane, to earn a relatively high rate for the energy they feed to the grid.
After years of battling with utilities, solar developers won a 2021 decision from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that laid the groundwork for a rapid expansion of mid-sized projects throughout the state.
But in the past few years, Pennsylvania utilities have cast a pall over that growth with a series of actions that could curtail the revenues these projects can earn, Stulgis said.
“Developers and institutional property owners have invested significant time and capital to develop these solar projects,” she said. Black Bear Energy has completed 15 megawatts of projects, has 22 more megawatts under construction, and has secured interconnection rights for another 106 megawatts across 34 projects, she said.
“Changing those rules midstream would undermine confidence and create real risk for projects already in development,” she said. ​“Some developers are still leaning in, believing there may be a viable path forward, while others are walking away from shovel-ready projects because of the uncertainty.”
Unlike neighboring states such as Maryland, New Jersey, and New York, Pennsylvania hasn’t adopted a program to enable community solar. Such projects are designed to provide enough revenue to spur third-party developers to build mid-sized solar arrays, to which utility customers can subscribe to lower their bills.
Instead, solar projects of up to 3 megawatts in Pennsylvania are compensated through net metering, a system that’s more commonly used with residential rooftop solar and other small-scale installations. The projects earn a close-to-retail rate for power they send to the grid, notably more than the wholesale rate that larger projects earn.
Solar developers argue that the existing rules allow businesses, school districts, public agencies, and farms to offset rapidly rising electricity costs by hosting solar projects. But utilities argue that paying close to retail rates for electricity from these arrays forces them to raise rates on the rest of their customer base — a version of the cost-shift argument that has dogged battles over rooftop solar net-metering programs over the past two decades.
The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission supports the utilities’ cost-shift argument. In March testimony before the state’s House Energy Committee, PUC Chair Stephen DeFrank said that costs from distributed generation projects moving through the interconnection process are projected to exceed $90 million per year by 2027, and could reach $700 million per year if the more than 2,100 projects seeking to be built ​“proceed under existing rules.”
If utilities aren’t able to recover those costs, they’ll have to increase other rates, he said. Those increases will be ​“first borne by commercial and industrial customers, including small businesses operating on narrow margins,” he said.
Advocates of distributed solar are pushing back against this cost-shift argument. Rather than increasing everyone’s utility bills, distributed solar will lower utility costs at large, they say, by bringing much-needed new clean generation to a state facing increasing electricity costs driven by the data center boom.
Those are the findings of an April report by Aurora Energy Research commissioned by community-solar developer Dimension Energy. The report analyzed whether building 2 gigawatts of distributed solar by 2030, a number that’s in line with current market growth, would reduce demand for power across the low-voltage distribution grids they’re connected to.
Aurora found that additional solar power could generate a total savings of $1.7 billion over the next 20 years, compared with a scenario under which it wasn’t built. Utilities would still need to pay those projects about $780 million over that time. But that would leave just under $1 billion in net savings that could be applied toward lowering utility customers’ energy bills.
“There are multiple mechanisms by which distributed solar can reduce costs,” said Zachary Edelen, a senior associate at Aurora.
For example, there is the roughly $1.2 billion over 20 years that Pennsylvania utilities could save in decreasing ​“capacity procurement obligations,” the costs they pay for resources to keep the grid running when demand for electricity peaks, he said. That change could make a substantial difference in Pennsylvania, which is part of PJM Interconnection, the grid operator serving 13 states and Washington, D.C.
PJM’s skyrocketing capacity costs have been a major factor in pushing up utility rates between 12% and 26% for customers of the state’s major utilities from December 2024 to December 2025. That has driven politicians including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) to demand reforms from both PJM and the state’s utilities.
Unlike California, Texas, and other states that are awash in solar and need more batteries to store it to lower summertime peak loads as the sun sets, Pennsylvania gets only about 1% of its electricity from solar, Edelen noted. Adding 2 gigawatts would bring that total to about 4% of the state’s total generation capacity.
That means there’s plenty of room for new solar to flow onto utility grids and reduce overall peak loads — especially during the late afternoon summer hours when PJM measures how much peak demand utilities have, and thus how much capacity they’ll need to procure.
These capacity cost reductions are the biggest source of savings from distributed solar, but not the only one, Edelen said. Aurora’s analysis found that 2 gigawatts of distributed solar could cut the cost of purchasing energy from other resources by about $250 million. And because that solar would provide power to nearby customers, it could cut roughly $200 million from future transmission grid expansions that would be needed to deliver power from large power plants farther away. Aurora also estimated that Pennsylvania could earn about $140 million in renewable energy credits from 2 gigawatts of solar.
And that’s not counting the environmental benefits. The state could reduce carbon emissions by more than 11.3 million metric tons and abate harmful air pollution by supplanting fossil-fueled generation with 2 gigawatts of distributed solar.
To be clear, utility-scale solar can deliver electricity at prices well below those being paid to mid-sized projects under the current Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act regime. Some energy experts agree with the utilities that policymakers should cut the rates paid to distributed solar systems and instead compensate them at the lower wholesale electricity prices earned by power plants and other competitive generators.
The problem with relying on utility-scale projects is that PJM’s notoriously backlogged interconnection process has made it difficult to add new generation capacity to its grid over the past half decade. PJM recently reopened its interconnection queue after a multiyear pause. But new projects are still expected to take several years to move through that process, and years more to win permits and secure financing to get online.
Distributed solar, by contrast, can be permitted, built, and interconnected to lower-voltage utility grids within a year or two, according to developers working in the region. That could make it one of the few options to prevent what PJM forecasts could be a regional shortfall in energy supplies as early as next summer.
“The reliability of our energy system is increasingly uncertain,” Elowyn Corby, Mid-Atlantic regional director with the nonprofit Vote Solar Action Fund, said in March testimony to the state House Energy Committee. Distributed solar is ​“one of the fastest, most cost-effective tools available to bring new supply online where it’s needed most, and ease pressure on an overstretched, under-supplied grid.”
Corby also noted that Pennsylvania’s unusual regulatory structure, unlike almost all other net-metering programs in the country, allows distributed solar systems to have little or no ​“on-site load” — meaning a solar array on a building or one constructed on open land could send all its power to grid instead of using the bulk of it to meet the host’s needs. This makes many of the projects being developed in the state more akin to ​“merchant” generators that compete with other power producers, lending weight to arguments that they should receive lower compensation.
“Thoughtful reform that addresses how excess generation is treated, and that draws a clear line between distributed generation intended primarily to meet on-site load and merchant generation where the aim is primarily to sell excess generation to the grid, is not an attack on solar — it is responsible stewardship of a valuable policy,” she said.
Pennsylvania lawmakers have proposed similar bills to draw that clear line — one in the Democratic-controlled House and one in the Republican-controlled Senate. Both bills would allow projects that have already been built or that had utility interconnection agreements before mid-2025 to retain existing payment structures, although they would give the Public Utilities Commission the option to cap the total number of projects that qualify.
For projects that don’t meet that cutoff, the bills would significantly cut the rates earned for power sent to the grid. But the bills would offer higher compensation for projects built on ​“preferred sites,” such as on warehouse rooftops and parking lot canopies, on abandoned mines and capped landfills, and adjacent to closed coal plants, as well as for systems that serve school facilities.
Brandon Smithwood, vice president of policy at community solar developer Dimension Energy, would like to see these kinds of reforms, but he’s not confident that lawmakers will pass a bill. If they don’t, the state will end up with a patchwork of rules. Different utilities around the state have been making changes to how they classify mid-sized projects and lowering the compensation they earn, and developers have been challenging those changes.
Smithwood thinks that solar advocates can reach compromises with individual utilities to preserve some room for the market to grow. He pointed to a settlement agreement reached in March — between utility PPL Electric Utilities, solar trade groups Coalition for Community Solar Access and Solar Energy Industries Association, and the Pennsylvania Office of Small Business Advocate — as a ​“workable outcome” for solar developers in the absence of legislative action. The settlement would allow up to 140 megawatts of projects to retain retail net-metering compensation for up to 10 years, and then impose a complex and likely lower compensation structure for projects beyond that cap.
But other distributed solar developers are pushing for the legislature’s bills to be passed into law to avoid rules that differ from utility to utility.
“We are asking for regulatory clarity through a legislative foundation with clear and protected rules and rates,” said David Riester, managing partner at Segue Sustainable Infrastructure, a solar and battery project investor. Segue has invested in a portfolio of roughly 250 megawatts of distributed solar projects in development across Pennsylvania, which, if completed, could represent roughly $500 million in infrastructure investment, he said.
That’s just a portion of the total capacity being targeted by developers in the state. ​“If the light went green tomorrow, I would put the over-under on 700 megawatts getting placed in service within a year, and up to 2 gigawatts by the end of next year,” he said. ​“There’s this huge supply of power that’s ready to build.”
Segue is considering putting more money into more projects in Pennsylvania, Riester said. But without some clarity from utility regulators or lawmakers on how much these distributed solar projects will be able to earn, ​“those investments are on hold,” he said.
Jeff St. John is chief reporter and policy specialist at Canary Media. He covers innovative grid technologies, rooftop solar and batteries, clean hydrogen, EV charging, and more.
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CPS Energy is partnering with Ashtrom Renewable Energy to build a solar farm on San Antonio’s South Side.
The project, named “El Patrimonio,” fulfills a 20-year CPS Energy contract aimed at expanding renewable energy.
Frank Almaraz is Chief Operating Officer of CPS Energy and said environmental impact is at the forefront of discussions and solutions on renewable energy growth, and this is just the next step for CPS Energy.
“We’ve had, for decades now, goals around the amount of renewable generation that we would have, ultimately working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as SOx (sulfur oxides), NOx (nitrogen oxides), and particulates,” said Almaraz.
Those sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, are major air pollutants that create a barrier on the glass of a solar panel, causing uneven dust accumulation and leading to significantly reduced efficiency.
Kevin Deters is chief operating officer of California-based contractor Solv Energy, in charge of engineering the project.
“Ultimately, the cost to build it and operate it, it is by far the cheapest form of power,” said Deters. “In today’s market where the power demand is almost parabolic right now between data centers and other demands on the grid, the need for power is ever-increasing, so solar is the quickest to market.”
Federal residential solar tax credits ended last year due to the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” meaning systems installed in 2026 do not qualify for these credits, but Deters added that even with the removal of subsidies, solar energy is the most affordable source to market and operate. Some states and local utility companies continue to offer independent incentives, such as property tax exemptions and net metering, even if the federal tax credit has expired for new 2026 systems.
“El Patrimonio” marks SOLV Energy’s first project with Ashtrom Renewable Energy in Bexar County.
Yitsik Mermelstein is chief executive officer of Israel-based Ashtrom and said the response from the San Antonio community reaffirms the decision to build a new solar farm in South Texas.
“It is our second site in Texas, building on the success of our first project, delivering clean power to the residents of San Antonio,” said Mermelstein. “It’s a strategic extension of the Ashtrom group’s commitment to the U.S. energy market.”
Ashtrom completed the 306-megawatt “Tierra Bonita” project in Pecos County, West Texas in 2024, which also serves CPS Energy.
While large for the local area, “El Patrimonio” is small compared to the massive “utility-scale” farms in West or Southeast Texas, such as Roadrunner Solar, which spans over 2,700 acres. It is roughly twice the size of the original Alamo I project, which was considered the state’s largest when it opened in 2013.
Construction for “El Patrimonio” is expected to be completed in 2027.

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The companies say their solutions combine to provide asset owners with both rapid insights into emergent issues and long-term benefits from scheduled inspections, delivering a “continuous feedback loop” in which data gathered by autonomous drone inspections helps to optimize operational algorithms in the tracker software.
Image: Raptor Maps
Global solar tracker company Gamechange Solar and Raptor Maps have introduced an integrated solution that uses the latter company’s Sentry autonomous robotic inspection technology to pinpoint the causes of issues identified in the former’s GeniusVision tracker monitoring software. 
In addition to providing rapid insights into emergent issues, the two companies’ solutions will feed each other data, automatically refining algorithms within the GeniusVision software to better fit site conditions.
The companies say the solution gives asset owners “a continuous feedback loop between tracker performance and on-site inspection data,” allowing them to eschew manual preventative maintenance inspections and quickly gather inspection data to provide insights that enable workers to more efficiently take corrective action.
“What we’ve built with GameChange Energy is an elegant solution to a major problem,” said Raptor Maps CEO Nikhil Vadhavkar in a statement. “The tracker signals a need, Sentry goes and gets the data, and that data drives the actions necessary to mitigate losses. This closed-loop automation drastically shortens the time between what’s detected and actions taken, delivering a win for the owner and their O&M”.
In addition to regular scheduled autonomous drone inspections, the system can perform immediate inspections in the wake of severe weather, as well as support the construction process by providing verification of installation quality as the system is being built.
Image: Raptor Maps
“GameChange has always taken a long view on the value we deliver to asset owners,” said GameChange CEO Phillip Vyhanek in a statement. “By working with the solar industry’s most deployed robotic inspection platform to combine Sentry’s capabilities with GeniusVision, we’re giving owners a more complete picture of tracker health and giving our teams the feedback needed to continue improving our products. We’re excited to extend our services, value, and relationships with clients throughout the entire project lifecycle.”
GameChange Solar’s GeniusVision software continuously monitors the performance and health of trackers, storing historical data and providing analytics, trend graphs and diagnostics to asset owners.
The RaptorMaps Sentry platform conducts visual and thermal inspections to identify early indicators of equipment failure, such as overheating back-of-panel connectors or damaged wiring.
The autonomous thermal imaging functions can be especially beneficial for asset owners. According to a recent study by kWh Analytics, 84% of fire events that occur in large-scale PV installations arise from problems with the solar equipment and PV fire risk is one of the leading causes of loss.
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Plug-in solar panels can be fitted to balconies, walls and gardens, but safe installation depends on the right location, permissions and connection method.
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Plug-in solar panels could soon give households a simpler way to generate their own electricity, without paying for a full rooftop solar installation. Instead of a large array of panels fixed to the roof and wired into the home by an installer, these smaller systems are designed to be mounted on a balcony, wall, terrace or garden frame and connected to the property using an approved plug-in setup.
It could make solar power accessible to people who have traditionally been locked out of the market, including renters, flat owners and homeowners whose roofs are unsuitable for conventional panels.
But while the name makes the technology sound straightforward, “plug-in” does not mean risk-free or completely hands-off. The panels still need to be positioned properly, fixed securely and connected safely. This guide explains how plug-in solar panels work, what comes in a typical kit and what fitting one is likely to involve.
Read more: Best solar panels 2026 for UK homes, reviewed by experts
Use our comparison tool to get free quotes from leading solar panel installers.
Plug-in solar panels are small-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems designed to generate electricity for use in the home. In parts of Europe, they are often described as balcony solar panels because they are commonly installed on apartment balconies and connected to the property’s electricity supply.
A typical plug-in solar kit may include one or two solar panels, a microinverter, mounting brackets or a frame, connecting cables and a plug or connection unit. Some systems may also include a monitoring app, allowing users to see how much electricity the panels are generating, or a small battery for storing some excess power.
They work on the same basic principle as rooftop solar panels, but on a smaller scale. A plug-in system isn’t designed to power an entire home. Instead, it is intended to offset some of your daytime electricity use, reducing the amount of power you need to buy from the grid.
Read more: Are plug-in solar panels worth it for UK homes?
Like standard solar panels, plug-in panels use photovoltaic cells to turn daylight into electricity. When sunlight hits the panel, the cells generate direct current electricity. Solar panels work best in strong, direct sunlight, but they can still produce electricity on cloudy days, although output will be lower. For a fuller explanation of the technology behind solar PV, read our guide to how solar panels work.
The electricity produced by the panel cannot be used directly by most household appliances. UK homes use alternating current electricity, so the power first passes through a microinverter. This small device converts the direct current from the solar panel into alternating current that can be used by the home.
Once safely connected, the electricity can feed into the household circuit. If appliances are running at the same time, they can use the solar power first. This might include background electricity use from a fridge, a wifi router, a laptop charger, a television or a washing machine.
In practical terms, this means the home imports less electricity from the grid while the panel is generating. The benefit depends on how much electricity the system produces and how much of that electricity you use at the time it is generated.
Read more: Do plug-in solar panels save you money?
The exact equipment will vary between manufacturers, but most systems are built around a few core components.
The solar panel is the part that captures daylight and generates electricity. Many plug-in systems use one or two panels, making them much smaller than a typical rooftop array.
The microinverter is usually fixed near the panel and converts the electricity into a form that the home can use. Mounting equipment holds the panel in place, whether that means clamps for a balcony railing, brackets for a wall or a frame for a patio, garden or flat surface.
Cables connect the panel to the inverter and the system to the home. This is one of the most important parts of the setup. The UK-approved systems should use a connection method designed for domestic electrical circuits, rather than improvised wiring or unsuitable extension leads.
Read more: Lidl to sell £400 plug-in solar panels – here’s everything you need to know
Plug-in solar panels are likely to be most useful in places where rooftop solar is not practical. This could include flats with balconies, homes with small gardens, terraces, sheds, garages, outbuildings or exterior walls that receive a good amount of sunlight.
The best location is usually one with strong exposure to daylight for much of the day. A south-facing position will generally produce the most electricity. But east- and west-facing panels can still be useful, particularly if they match when your home tends to use electricity.
Shading is one of the biggest factors to watch. Trees, neighbouring buildings, balcony railings, walls and even nearby objects can all reduce output. A panel that is easy to fit but shaded for much of the day may generate far less electricity than expected.
The position also needs to be safe. A panel fixed to a balcony or wall must be secure enough to withstand wind and bad weather. Cables need to be routed carefully so they are not damaged, trapped in doors or windows, or left where someone could trip over them.
The fitting process will depend on the product and where it’s installed, but the broad steps are likely to be similar.
First, you must choose a suitable location. This means checking the amount of sunlight, the direction the panel will face, whether anything will cast shade over it and how the cable will reach the connection point.
Next, the mounting system is assembled. On a balcony, this may involve clamps or brackets that attach the panel to the railing. In a garden or on a patio, the panel may sit on an angled frame. On a wall, it may need brackets fixed into masonry or another suitable surface.
The panel then needs to be secured. This is a crucial step, especially for balconies, upper floors and exposed locations. Even a relatively small solar panel can become dangerous if it is not properly fixed.
Once the panel is in position, it is connected to the microinverter. The inverter is usually mounted close to the panel, protected from unsuitable conditions and connected using the manufacturer’s cabling.
The final step is connecting the system to the home’s electricity supply using the approved method provided with the kit. This is the part of the process that UK rules are being updated to enable. Homeowners should only use products approved for use in the UK and should follow the manufacturer’s instructions closely.
After connection, many systems allow users to monitor generation through an app or display. This can help you understand when the panels are producing the most electricity and shift some usage into daylight hours.
The appeal of plug-in solar is that it should be easier to install than a conventional rooftop system. A full rooftop solar array normally requires a professional installer, scaffolding, electrical work and certification. A plug-in system is intended to be simpler and cheaper to set up.
However, there are two separate issues: physical fitting and electrical connection. Mounting a panel on a balcony, wall or outbuilding still needs care. If the location is high, exposed or difficult to access, professional help may be sensible even if the electrical side is designed to be simple.
The safest approach is to buy a UK-approved kit, avoid modifying any cables or sockets, and follow the instructions exactly. Households should not use imported products that are not designed for the UK market, plug systems into extension leads, or attempt DIY wiring to get around the rules.
Permissions may be just as important as the technology itself.
Renters should check with their landlord before attaching anything to a balcony, wall, shed or exterior space. Flat owners may need permission from a freeholder, managing agent or residents’ association, especially if the panel affects a shared wall, balcony, roof terrace or the building’s external appearance.
Planning rules may also matter in some cases. Small solar installations are often straightforward, but listed buildings, conservation areas and flats can be more complicated. If the panel is visible from the street or fixed to a shared structure, it’s worth checking before buying.
Home insurance is another consideration. If the panels are fixed to the property, the insurer may need to know. Leaseholders and renters should also check whether balcony railings, external walls or shared areas are allowed to carry extra equipment.
The main risks are poor performance and safety. A badly positioned panel may produce less electricity than expected. Too much shade, a poor angle or the wrong orientation can all reduce output. That doesn’t make the system unsafe, but it may make it disappointing.
More serious problems can arise from poor mounting or unsafe connections. A panel that is not fixed securely could come loose in high winds. Damaged cables could create an electrical hazard. Running cables through windows, across walkways or near water can also create risks if the system hasn’t been designed for that setup.
This is why plug-in solar should be treated as a home energy product, not a casual gadget. It may be much simpler than rooftop solar, but it still needs to be installed with care.
The main difference is scale. A conventional rooftop system usually has six or more panels and is designed to cover a larger share of a home’s electricity demand. It is fixed permanently to the roof and connected by a certified installer. For more on the price of a larger rooftop system, see our guide to solar panel costs.
Plug-in solar panels are smaller, more portable and easier to fit. They are better suited to households that can’t install rooftop panels or people who want to try solar at a lower upfront cost.
The trade-off is output. A plug-in system will not usually generate enough electricity to run a whole home, and it is unlikely to match the long-term savings of a well-sized rooftop array. Its role is more modest: to reduce some daytime grid use and make solar accessible to more households.
Plug-in solar panels work in the same way as other solar PV systems. They capture daylight, convert it into usable electricity and feed it into the home so appliances can use solar power before drawing from the grid.
What makes them different is the installation. Rather than requiring a full rooftop system, they are designed to be fitted to smaller spaces such as balconies, walls, terraces and gardens. That could make them especially useful for renters, flat owners and households without suitable roofs.
But “plug-in” should not be confused with “anything goes”. The panel still needs a sunny, secure location, the right permissions and a safe, approved connection method. For the right household, plug-in solar could be a practical first step into home-generated electricity, but getting the fitting right will be essential.
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