0 Powered by : InfoLink Consulting, a Taiwan-based market research company, has recently released its H1 2026 globalshipment rankings regarding PV cells. The top five manufacturers have collectively shipped approximately 91.9 GW during the half year period, representing a 5% YoY increase. Tongwei held the first place, while Yingfa Ruineng moved into second after maintaining a higher utilization rate and recording stable BC cell shipments. As per the position table, SolarSpace ranked third, with its diversified product portfolio and production capacity in Laos supporting shipments to markets outside China. Jietai remained in fourth place as demand for n-type cells increased across markets outside China. Sunsync entered the global top five for the first time after expanding its production capacity and increasing shipments during H1. InfoLink based the ranking on external sales volume, excluding shipments used for in-house module production and OEM orders. TOPCon cell prices peaked at RMB 0.45/W (~ $0.0675/W) in February amid elevated silver prices. By July–August, prices had fallen to RMB 0.26–0.27/W (~ $0.039–0.0405/W), near industry cash cost levels. SOLARbytes brings you the latest news in solar world in bite size; essentially a gist of important solar news in few sentences. Subscribe to our Newsletter!
APA Group (ASX:APA) has reached a final investment decision to construct the 72-megawatt (MW) Sybella Creek Solar Farm and 52MW battery storage system in Mount Isa, Queensland. APA has committed to invest $259 million, underpinned by an energy supply agreement (ESA) with Ernest Henry Mining, a wholly owned subsidiary of Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN). The agreement, which runs until mid-2046, supports the long-term future of APA’s gas-powered Diamantina Power Facility, which will provide firming capacity and energy supply to complement the new renewable energy assets. CEO Adam Watson says the project diversifies APA’s customer base and supports earnings growth while improving energy security in Mount Isa. “In addition to supporting further efficiencies in the operation of the Diamantina Power Facility, this project diversifies our customer base, supports ongoing earnings growth and will further improve energy security in Mount Isa,” Watson says. “New renewables projects developed locally and firmed by existing gas-powered generation assets are the most efficient way to deliver the energy needed to underpin growth and energy security in this critical Queensland growth region.” Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2026, with completion targeted by mid-2028. The investment forms part of APA’s $3.5 billion organic growth pipeline and will be funded from existing balance sheet capacity. APA Group is an energy infrastructure business owning and operating more than $20 billion of gas transmission and electricity generation assets across Australia. Evolution Mining is a gold and copper mining company operating six core mines across Australia and Canada. Write toPaula Fabe at Mining.com.au Recent Stories
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Energies Media At peak midday, a utility-scale solar plant in California running at full throttle looks like a textbook operational triumph. Rows of silicon panels sit angled steeply south, absorbing every photon. Yet in modern American power markets overwhelmed by solar generation, that same midday energy surge routinely drives wholesale spot prices down to zero—or well into negative territory. Maximum energy generation and maximum financial profit have quietly become two entirely different goals. Solar arrays generate peak electrical output around solar noon, which is precisely when wholesale markets need it least. As solar capacity has rapidly expanded across major American power grids like CAISO in California and ERCOT in Texas, thousands of facilities peak simultaneously. This massive midday supply flood crushes wholesale power prices while evening demand prompts sharp price spikes—a market phenomenon known as the duck curve. In high-penetration US wholesale markets, negative pricing—where plant owners must pay grid operators to offload excess power—is now a daily reality. For decades, American solar engineering followed a simple rule: tilt panels at an angle roughly equal to site latitude, point them due south, and maximize annual kilowatt-hour volume. Project economics were evaluated almost exclusively using Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). However, LCOE contains a critical flaw. It values every kilowatt-hour identically, ignoring whether power is generated during a midday price trough or an evening spike. Traditional engineering models also treat panel tilt and azimuth as isolated parameters, failing to capture how orientation shifts directly alter inter-row spacing, land lease overhead, and net returns. To fix this structural disconnect, researchers created an integrated optimization framework tailored to wholesale spot-market dynamics. The model unifies four critical inputs into a single objective: solar irradiance, panel temperature coefficients, geometric row-spacing constraints, and real-time hourly spot prices. Rather than targeting maximum raw energy output, the algorithm optimizes for the full 25-year net present value (NPV). Crucially, array row spacing is treated as an internal variable. Shifting panel orientation dynamically alters shading geometry, land footprint requirements, and real estate costs across US solar installations. When tested against US market data and sunbelt meteorological profiles, the optimization framework overturns traditional engineering assumptions. Instead of a steep 32° south-facing tilt, the model yields an unexpected geometric configuration: a shallower 24.6° tilt rotated 9.8° east of due south. Morning air across American sunbelt regions is consistently cooler than sweltering afternoon air. Because photovoltaics carry a negative temperature coefficient—losing conversion efficiency as heat rises—capturing cooler morning irradiance yields superior conversion efficiency before afternoon heat degradation takes hold. Simultaneously, the flatter tilt reduces required inter-row spacing from 17.0 feet to 16.5 feet, trimming land lease overhead. An obvious question follows: if orientation matters so much, wouldn’t dynamic tracking or seasonal tilt adjustmentsoutperform a static mount? The research evaluated semi-annual and seasonal manual tilt-adjustment strategies against the optimized fixed setup. Surprisingly, dynamic tracking produced a lower overall NPV. The incremental energy capture from physical adjustments suffers from diminishing financial returns, while adjustable hardware increases upfront capital expenditures and ongoing maintenance. Furthermore, dynamic systems require wider land footprints to handle maximum seasonal clearance angles, forfeiting the permanent land-cost savings achieved by a flatter fixed design. Physical layout must mirror market pricing, not just astronomical geometry. By slanting panels flatter and slightly east, the optimized fixed configuration delivers a 0.51% increase in first-year energy capture while driving a 5.52% jump in overall 25-year Net Present Value. This yields over $32,000 in pure added value per 10-megawatt facility with zero added hardware costs. As US power markets expand, developers who treat panel orientation as a financial variable rather than a static engineering rule unlock immediate, zero-CAPEX margin expansion. The complete study in Frontiers offers a complete review: Xu Z, Shen F, Liang G, Qiu X, Yin X and Liao L (2026) Multi-parameter collaborative optimization design of photovoltaic power plants considering electricity spot market trading. Front. Energy Res. 14:1863215. doi: 10.3389/fenrg.2026.1863215 Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading. Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading. Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
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From daily news and career tips to monthly insights on AI, sustainability, software, and more—pick what matters and get it in your inbox. Access expert insights, exclusive content, and a deeper dive into engineering and innovation all with fewer ads or a completely ad-free experience. All Rights Reserved, IE Media, Inc. Follow Us On Access expert insights, exclusive content, and a deeper dive into engineering and innovation all with fewer ads or a completely ad-free experience. All Rights Reserved, IE Media, Inc. While government mandates accelerate the global fight against climate change, the immense land demands of solar power are fragmenting local habitats and straining ecosystems. There is always some bad side to the good things as well. The global rush toward clean power is delivering an unexpected ecological blow. Solar power is vital for fighting climate change, but its rapid growth comes with a hidden catch: habitat destruction and fragmentation. A decade-long study examining 2,344 Chinese counties reveals that aggressive solar energy policies are driving local declines in bird diversity. As photovoltaic arrays replace open meadows and farmland, avian populations are taking a direct hit. Led by researcher Huiming Zhang from Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, the team analyzed nationwide bird observations, solar infrastructure expansion, and regional economic data from 2014 to 2023. The findings quantify a troubling trend: for every one-standard-deviation increase in a county’s solar-promoting policy intensity, local bird diversity indices dropped by 2.10 percent. “The findings revealed that stronger policies promoting solar expansion were associated with significant declines in bird diversity – a one-standard-deviation increase in policy intensity corresponded to a 2.10% reduction in the bird biodiversity index,” the researchers stated. As the uncontested titan of renewable energy, China leads the world in solar manufacturing and generation, driving a transition that surpassed its target of 1,200 gigawatts of combined solar and wind capacity years ahead of its 2030 deadline. However, this dizzying pace of deployment requires an unprecedented physical footprint. As mega-scale photovoltaic installations require vast tracks of continuous space, thousands of square kilometers of rural land are rapidly being converted. In China, where strong government policies dictate the vast scale and location of photovoltaic infrastructure, thousands of square kilometers of land are being transformed. Birds are sensitive indicators of ecological changes. Monitoring their shifts shows that fast solar development degrades critical vegetation and food sources, threatening local biodiversity in ways other metrics often overlook. The damage was clearest in wealthier, non-desert regions due to rapid land conversion. Rather than building on barren deserts, developers often claimed rich grasslands and farms, replacing vital bird habitats with concrete and glass. Surprisingly, widespread bird species suffered the steepest losses. The study also uncovered a deceptive ecological illusion dubbed “inferior greening.” Satellite monitoring revealed that solar installation areas often scored higher on the Leaf Area Index — appearing greener from orbit. On the ground, however, vegetation diversity plummeted, turning vibrant ecosystems into simplified, degraded habitats. “Without such valuation, policy analysis gives insufficient weight to conservation,” noted researcher Yuanning Liang in an accompanying Perspective. Experts stress that just as carbon pricing reshaped global manufacturing, policymakers must assign concrete economic value to biodiversity loss, and ensure that green energy doesn’t cost the natural world. The trade-offs surrounding solar deployment are part of a broader challenge across the renewable energy sector, where decarbonization efforts often clash with local ecosystem health. Wind energy, while vital for replacing fossil fuels, faces scrutiny over bird and bat mortality caused by turbine blade collisions. Similarly, large-scale hydroelectric dams disrupt freshwater ecosystems by fragmenting rivers, blocking migratory fish species like salmon, and altering natural sediment flows. Solar habitat loss shows that clean energy must also become nature-positive. To prevent climate solutions from causing a biodiversity crisis, green development requires smarter planning. Perhaps building on degraded land, sharing space with agriculture, and designing eco-friendly infrastructure. Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her. Premium Follow
Published 9:35 am Thursday, August 20, 2026 By Pamela Sleezer Louisiana State Rep. Brett Geymann (R-Lake Charles) says the residents of a Moss Bluff community identified as the site for a proposed 4,700-acre solar farm don’t want to see the development in their neighborhood, and that he is opposing the site from the state level. The industrial solar farm proposed by California-based Orion Renewable Energy Group would include up to 2.5 million solar panels in a space that would be kept 300 feet from residential property lines, with a greenspace buffer that includes trees and shrubs. Geymann said that’s not enough for nearby residents. “It’s really about location; that is what is at the heart of this opposition,” he said. “Community members in that area are not against industry development or expansion, but they don’t want to see it in their backyard. The people who live in that area chose to do so to get away from industry; it’s the character of the community.” In addition to having industry creep into their home community, Geymann said residents are also concerned about the potential threat to their property values. According to a 2024 study by LSU’s Center for Energy Studies, solar farms have the potential to reduce property values up to 6.9 percent for the homes located within one mile of the site. The study did not find a negative effect on property values of homes located beyond a one-mile radius. “Purchasing a home is the single most expensive investment a person makes; they have every right to be concerned with protecting its value,” Geymann said. According to Orion officials, the solar farm would directly impact about 20 property owners. Those that live closest would receive a $5,000 annual stipend, while property owners living one-third of a mile away would receive $2,500 annually. Still, Geymann said that’s not enough for residents to drop their concerns. “This project will have a footprint on the community and even the wildlife surrounding the area,” he said. “We have to be careful about where we place these projects.” For that reason, Geymann said he is willing to revise the state’s ordinance that he himself helped to draft in order to better protect residents. The current ordinance, adopted in January, requires utility-scale solar projects with a footprint of 75 acres or more to include a minimum 300-foot setback from residential property lines and a minimum 50-foot setback from public roadways with a 35-foot vegetative buffer. Additionally, operational noise is prohibited from exceeding 10 decibels above pre-construction levels at property lines. Geymann said he is currently drafting a moratorium that, if passed, would temporarily pause the development of solar farm projects in the state while legislators review and enhance the state’s existing ordinance. He said he hopes to see the state adopt a stricter ordinance similar to Iberia Parish’s ordinance that was adopted last year, which requires a half-mile buffer between solar projects and residential property lines, as well as other restrictions. “I believe we did a good job with the state’s current ordinance, but I believe we could do better,” Geymann said. “We don’t want to prevent industry from expanding in our state, but we have to be mindful of the impact these projects will have in the long-term.”
Solar Power World By Kelly Pickerel | Local news organizations are reporting that solar panel manufacturer Silfab has furloughed workers at its cell and panel facility in Fort Mill, South Carolina. In a statement to WCNC Charlotte, a Silfab Solar spokesperson said that the furlough was due to “temporary constraints affecting the availability of certain materials required for production.” The company temporarily idled production in Fort Mill earlier this month for the same reasons, but workers were performing maintenance and other tasks in the meantime. The company expects the furlough period to be resolved within three to four weeks. Silfab Solar, a Canadian-headquartered solar panel brand, established its manufacturing base in South Carolina in 2023 and operates a panel assembly plant in Burlington, Washington. The company has received pushback for siting cell manufacturing — a more specialized manufacturing process than panel assembly — in the Fort Mill community, but Silfab has still sought approval from the South Carolina Dept. of Environmental Services and York County officials. Heliene, another Canadian-headquartered solar panel company operating in the United States, laid off nearly 100 workers at its Minnesota plant earlier this month due to “unforeseen business circumstances.” Silfab did not reveal how many workers were furloughed this week in South Carolina. The U.S. solar industry is navigating multiple tariff investigations and supply chain constraints that appear to already be affecting domestic players. Starting new antidumping/countervailing duty (AD/CVD) investigations into more countries causes the supply of solar cells into the United States to fluctuate, and recently announced tariffs on polysilicon products will affect the pricing of all solar panel products made domestically. Kelly Pickerel has more than 15 years of experience reporting on the U.S. solar industry and is currently editor in chief of Solar Power World. Email Kelly.
This week, as part of our summer travels around New England, hubby and I have reserved a Vermont farmhouse. The rolling hills are lush and verdant. Generations of farmers have planted creamy hydrangea and purple phlox. Native columbine, wild grapes, and milkweed feed pollinators are among the thousands of plants that surround us. Crab apple, willow, maple, elm: deciduous trees stand guard beside the barns. Huge mounds of yellow day lilies. Oh! The long rows of vegetables — tomatoes, cukes, zucchini, carrots still producing. Pole beans, lettuces, asparagus gone to seed. All emit slightly sweet aromas.
To vacation in Vermont in August means slow days and mindfulness. It means going light on the beach and leaning more toward immersion in museums and north country architecture. It means studying the rising mist and breathing in familiar and hard-to-identify fragrances. With touchless check-in, one of my first activities was to familiarize myself with the property and home. As my regular readers know, I’ve been attempting to convert my summer home to all-electric. At our host farmhouse, interestingly, there’s a surprising lack of one smell: burning fossil fuels. I was a little caught off-guard by the multiple ways that our hosts have made a slow and steady conversion toward an all-electric lifestyle. Our vacation farmhouse is run primarily by electricity. Solar water heaters: Gravity, thermodynamics (heat transfer), and water flow all come into play on a roof. Solar water heaters are high-efficiency appliances that use dedicated solar collectors on a rooftop to draw power from the sun. The solar energy collected is then used to heat the water in the farmhouse. They don’t use energy from the grid to heat water. Rooftop solar: The barn is topped with 16 solar panels. Hubby found a log inside that chronicles the first records of kWhs produced, starting in 2014 — a time when rooftop solar was much more expensive than today. The entries indicate that about 50,000 kWh were produced cumulatively in the solar system’s first decade. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average US home used 10,791 kWh of electricity in 2022. So the farm family is producing about half their annual needed electricity with the solar panels. It’s substantial, if not everything. EV charging: We were delighted to be able to plug in our summer vehicle, a 2017 Chevy Bolt, at our rural farmhouse destination. Driving an EV long distances has definitely become easier over the last couple of years with more access to public chargers. Then again, there’s nothing quite like the convenience of plugging in at home and going about regular daily activities while the electrons accumulate. Sustainable practices help, too: A huge vegetable garden provided amazing complements to our meals while we were in farmhouse residence. Our hosts requested that we compost — which we always do — and a pile at the bottom of a rolling hill popped with pumpkins. The short answer to that question is “No.” A 10-acre farm is complex, and, while our hosts have made strides toward net zero energy usage and far exceed any of their neighbors in those goals, the transition to an all-electric lifestyle is a process for us all. Mowing the fields: While many of the fields are dedicated to haying, the acreage around the farmhouse must also be mowed. A brush hog on site is a necessity, even if it takes diesel to run it. Yes, commercialized, zero-emission, off-road equipment is on its way. In fact, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced $5,909,575 in funding to reduce diesel emissions by supporting the replacement of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and certain non-road equipment with electric options. Who knows? Maybe our host family will be a recipient of such funding and make their field equipment all-electric in years to come. Propane backup: We noticed that our hosts do have an access point for propane to enter the home, and there are baseboard heaters in a couple of the rooms. While two wood stoves offer carbon neutral heating, it must be necessary to have another option during periods of travel, for example. “There’s no question that the average consumer is feeling pressure from rising fuel costs,” Home Depot CFO Richard McPhail said in May. More recently, and with greater persuasion, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wrote an editorial for Common Dreams. In it, he condemned any softening of the Trump administration’s approach to climate change. He also affirmed that progressives are ready to vote for candidates who aren’t afraid to stand up for our planet. “The last 11 years have been the hottest 11 years on record and the last three years have been the hottest three years on record. This past year the United States and countries throughout the world have seen major heatwaves, flash floods, increased drought and horrific forest fires – and scientists tell us the worst is yet to come. Progressives believe that we must forcefully take on the greed of the fossil fuel industry. The truth is that we can create millions of good-paying union jobs by transforming our energy systems away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy. For the sake of our kids, future generations and the habitability of the planet that is what we must do.” Although I’ve never met them, I suspect our VT farmhouse hosts are progressives. They’re moving toward a sustainable lifestyle, even if the Trump administration denies the imperative to stop climate change at every turn. I also suspect that our hosts, like us, will be voting in the November midterms for like-minded candidates who will push to enact policies and programs that help everyone to live cleaner, more sustainable, and more affordable lives. In the meantime, we’re making renewable energy inroads in small but important steps. CleanTechnica’s Comment Policy Carolyn Fortuna, PhD, is a writer, researcher, and educator with a lifelong dedication to ecojustice. Carolyn has won awards from the Anti-Defamation League, The International Literacy Association, and The Leavey Foundation. Carolyn owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y as well as a 2017 Chevy Bolt. Please follow Carolyn on Substack: https://carolynfortuna.substack.com/. Carolyn Fortuna has 1860 posts and counting. See all posts by Carolyn Fortuna
Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Continue in Browser Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. Please enter a valid zipcode. Save LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted 8-7 this week to advance zoning language that would allow private developers to pursue large-scale solar farms on up to 1% of Fayette County, including farmland. The proposed zoning ordinance text amendment, commonly called a ZOTA, is not final. It must come before the council again for final approval. The issue has been debated for about two years as council members considered what types of solar projects should be allowed in the county. Public comment during the Urban County Council work session included speakers on both sides of the proposal, as it has in past meetings. Supporters said the ZOTA could help Lexington meet its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 while responding to rising energy demand. “We have an opportunity to positively contribute to the region with clean energy in a way that supports our land,” District 5 Councilwoman Liz Sheehan said. Sheehan was one of several people who helped develop changes to the ZOTA. Other council members cited a white paper by the Lexington Environmental Commission that supported the change. Opponents pointed to the city’s planning commission, which recommended banning solar farms in the county’s agricultural spaces. Fayette County Farm Bureau President Robert James raised concerns about the impact on farmland and soil. “Anytime there’s development, you’re losing that soil structure,” James said. “With these solar installations, there’s not been one successfully decommissioned and returned to productive agriculture.” James also said he is concerned the 1% cap could be expanded later. “All it would take is another ordinance in the future to change it from 1% to 2% or 5%,” James said. Fayette County has a land area of about 284 square miles, meaning the 1% cap would limit solar development to just under 3 square miles. James believes Lexington can pursue its emissions goals without using large amounts of farmland for solar development. “I believe we can reach net-zero without sacrificing large amounts of farmland for that purpose,” James said. “There are ways to do it and achieve both goals.” Supporters among the council and public speakers said the ordinance includes provisions meant to protect farmland. Under the ZOTA, solar farms would be required to maintain agricultural production on the land, with vegetation under mounted panels. One option discussed is combining solar panels with sheep grazing. “It’s an environmentally positive way to enhance the vegetation,” said James Mansfield, who runs a sheep farm in Versailles. Mansfield said people he knows in the sheep industry have seen benefits when grazing is managed correctly. “Here we go to about four inches at the most, and then we move to keep the quality of the forage up and not harm the land,” Mansfield said. Vice Mayor Dan Wu said concerns about energy use tied to large data centers make renewable energy part of the conversation. “If we are worried about, and I think rightfully so, about the energy impacts of hyperscale data centers, we have to absolutely support renewable sources like solar,” Wu said. Sheehan said she supports preserving agricultural land and would not support solar development without land protections. “The proposal we brought forward for solar that requires co-location with agricultural production does both,” Sheehan said. Some opponents said the focus should be on solar panels for individual homes. District 2 Councilwoman Shayla Lynch said state laws limit rooftop solar and can increase costs for some residents. “State laws are highly restrictive regarding rooftop solar and can create a high energy burden on our low-income neighbors,” Lynch said. Lexington does offer programs to support discounted rooftop solar. There are two solar farm projects currently in the works in Fayette County, but neither would be affected by the proposed ordinance. One is on city-owned land, and the other is from a public utility company that falls under different rules.
BarcelonaThe Generalitat’s public electricity company L’Energètica has launched a campaign to deploy photovoltaic solar installations in Catalonia’s public education network. In the coming months, the public renewable energy company will install 234 new solar installations on rooftops, which will be added to the 107 projects already completed, as the company reported this Thursday. Once the campaign is finished, the public company will have an installed capacity on high school rooftops of 56 MW. This priority deployment in the education sector allows progress towards the goal that by 2028 all technically suitable high school roofs will have solar panels. The total of 341 installations, between those completed and those in progress, represents more than half of the viable centers, and L’Energètica is already planning the execution of the rest to achieve this goal. The 341 installations are distributed geographically as follows: the metropolitan area of Barcelona will host 177 projects; the Girona counties, 52; Camp de Tarragona, 44; Penedès, 34; Central Catalonia, 21; the Ponent area, 6; Terres de l’Ebre, 4; and Alt Pirineu and Aran, 3. The boost to renewable generation on school center rooftops allows them to be supplied with clean, local energy, and also facilitates the sharing of this energy with nearby public facilities. This type of distribution, called collective self-consumption, allows the excess energy generated on rooftops to be distributed to other public centers of the Generalitat located within a five-kilometer radius – such as Mossos d’Esquadra police stations, judicial facilities, or primary care centers (CAPs) – which results in economic savings for public facilities. The company L’Energètica (Public Renewable Energies of Catalonia, SAU) is the public company of the Generalitat de Catalunya that has the mission to multiply the generation of renewable energy to supply the public services of the Catalan administration. The company’s objective is that by 2040, it can manage a generation park of at least 1,000 MW that guarantees clean, local energy at stable prices for citizens through its public services.
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The automaker is evaluating multiple states for Project Crystal Sun. The Fort Bend County site would create more than 9,712 jobs and begin construction as soon as this year. Both of Musk’s companies, Tesla and SpaceX, are separately working toward a combined goal of building outof 100 gigawatts per year of manufactured solar power capacity in the United States, the CEO said at the World Economic Forum at the start of the year. “That’ll probably take us three years or something,” Musk said at the event. He addedthat China makes solar cells at an “incredibly low cost,” and thusit would be “worth doing large-scale solar” domestically. SpaceX has submitted permit applications to build a 10-gigawatt solar cell factory in Bastrop, Texas, with plans to build aerospace-grade infrastructure for its orbital data centers, Bloomberg reported in May. Currently, Tesla engineers its solar panels and systems in California and assembles them in Buffalo, New York, with a capacity of more than 300 megawatts per year. Project Crystal Sun would massively expand Tesla’s capacity. Tesla is considering multiple U.S. locations for its proposed solar cell manufacturing facility, but it did not disclose where beyond the Fort Bend County site, according to comptroller documents. The EV and robotics maker is seeking incentives from the state to offset property taxes, including support from the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation Act. Without the JETI incentives, Tesla said the Fort Bend County site would not be as competitive as the other unnamed site. Through the first half of the year, Tesla generated $5.5 million in revenue from its energy generation and storage division, which accounts for solar and battery systems. This was comparable to last year. While energy comprises a fraction of its earnings compared to automotive sales, the company said in its latest report that it’s focusing on ramping production of energy storage products and developing its solar manufacturing and battery technologies. “There’s going to be tremendous need for electricity in the future,” Musk said on a July 22 earningscall, citing increased demand from the electrification of transportation and artificial intelligence. “We’re working on what we believe is the most ambitious build-out of advanced infrastructure and manufacturing capacity ever in history,” he said. SpaceX recently moved forward with plans to invest $16.8 billion on a 100-million-square-foot Terafab semiconductor manufacturing facility in Grimes County, Texas. The first phase of construction is set to begin this year and create 3,000 jobs. Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts Manufacturing Dive recently visited Tutor Intelligence's new headquarters in Watertown, where the firm is seeing growing demand for its autonomous robots. AI and industrial automation may be the hot topics for investors and technology companies lately, but plenty of companies still haven’t made the investment for numerous reasons. Subscribe to Manufacturing Dive for top news, trends & analysis Sign up for the free newsletter. Interested? Explore more of what has to offer. Thanks for signing up! Please keep an eye out for a confirmation email from [email protected] To ensure we make it into your inbox regularly, add us to your allow list, mark us as a safe sender, or add us to your address book. Check out more from Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts Manufacturing Dive recently visited Tutor Intelligence's new headquarters in Watertown, where the firm is seeing growing demand for its autonomous robots. AI and industrial automation may be the hot topics for investors and technology companies lately, but plenty of companies still haven’t made the investment for numerous reasons. The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines
The U.S.’s oldest community solar developer is celebrating the completion of its latest project, as SunShare cut the ribbon on the Juniper Sol Community Solar Garden in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Developed in conjunction with local solar firm CSolPower, the 6 MWdc project reached commercial operation July 1. Sitting on about 31 acres of land, the site will be able to power nearly 2,000 homes and avoid 261 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, company representatives estimate. “Our nation’s electricity needs are rapidly growing, and the Juniper Sol project demonstrates how community-based solar can cost-effectively and quickly meet that demand,” says David Amster-Olszewski, CEO and founder of the Denver-based SunShare. “At the same time, these types of projects bring wide-ranging benefits, such as to the 2,000 families who are saving on electricity costs for the next 25 years with their subscriptions to this garden.” The solar garden also incorporates dual-use and agrivoltaic practices, according to SunShare officials. The project will include native, pollinator-friendly habitats both under and around the solar panels in the garden. Deb Haaland, a former U.S. Secretary of the Interior and a candidate for New Mexico’s governorship, says the state has an opportunity to expand creative and smart local projects as it consistently looks to combat spiking utility bills. This project and other community solar sites like it are perfect examples, she adds. “People shouldn’t have to choose between putting gas in their car, paying for groceries, or paying their electricity bill. That’s why projects like this are so important,” Haaland says. “Juniper Sol is making the cost-saving benefits of renewable energy accessible to all, including renters and those who can’t afford the upfront installation of solar.” As part of SunShare’s wider community development commitment, the company also pledged more than $7 million in donations to the to Navajo Technical University, the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, and Habitat for Humanity. Tiffany Jiron, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, says the financial support will go to to a good cause, as the organization aims to support survivors of abuse across New Mexico. “This partnership demonstrates how renewable energy can generate lasting benefits not only for the environment,” she says, “but also for our communities.” About 50% of the solar garden’s subscribers are also income qualified, the company says, with some residing in SunShare’s affordable housing partnerships. Developed alongside with Yes! Housing and Catholic Charities, those subscribers will be able to take advantage of “meaningful reductions” on their home energy bills. “This solar farm will generate clean energy, but this partnership has the potential to generate something just as important: opportunity,” says Dr. Elmer Guy, president of Navajo Technical University. SunShare also cut the ribbon on a similar garden, the 4.5 MWdc Rockhound Sol Community Solar Garden in Deming, New Mexico, on the same day.
Even the most ardent solar evangelists can agree on one limitation solar panels have: they only produce electricity when the sun is shining. But, peak energy use tends to come in the evenings, coinciding with decreased solar generation and causing a supply and demand issue. The thing is, solar panels often pump out more than enough energy during…
US commercial renewable energy developer ForeFront Power has begun operations at a solar PV installation in California, which is mounted flat directly onto the ground. The system, installed at the City of Fresno’s Northeast Surface Water Treatment Plant, was developed by Arizona-based company Erthos. It forms part of a 27MW, three-site solar PV and battery energy storage portfolio that ForeFront developed for Fresno’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU), from which the municipal utilities provider will purchase power for its operations. Get Premium Subscription Erthos’ technology mounts solar modules directly onto the ground, rather than arranging them on the standard steel racking systems. ForeFront claimed that since it began producing power at the Fresno site in late March, the system has outperformed its expectations by producing 101% of forecast power. ForeFront said that it approached Erthos to use its technology in 2023, after a “combination of inflation and supply shocks caused the price of labour and materials to spike.” The technology is cheaper to install than standard solar arrays because it does not require steel racking; savings which ForeFront Power said it was able to pass onto the City of Fresno through its power purchase agreement (PPA) deal. “After conducting our due diligence and vetting Erthos technology, we discovered that the Northeast Surface Water Treatment Plant was an optimal site for an Erthos application,” said Erinne Davis, senior project manager at ForeFront Power. “Erthos helped us avoid significant, expensive civil upgrades, as well as the cost of steel for racking and the labour to install that racking. Realising these savings on the installation is what enabled the project at this site to move forward.” Erthos is the originator of mounting solar flat on the ground, which it calls Earth Mount Solar. It says that taking this approach reduces the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) of a solar installation, as it removes the cost of steel racking and reduces labour costs. The company has signed some other deals for US projects, including a 180MW community solar portfolio in Texas. By creating a continuous carpet of solar modules, the method also increases the energy density of a solar installation, enabling more electricity generation per square metre than a standard configuration where modules are spaced out in rows. The installations can also be adapted to ground contours up to 15% slope, Erthos said, which means it was suitable to the undulating topography at the Fresno site. The Fresno project demonstrates how Erthos Earth Mount Solar can unlock projects that might otherwise be constrained by conventional construction costs,” said Jim Tyler, CEO of Erthos. “Working with ForeFront Power, we delivered a high-density solar system designed for strong long-term performance, efficient maintenance, and lower-cost energy for the City of Fresno.” The company also developed robotic cleaning devices which clean the modules every night. An obvious question mark over mounting modules directly on the ground is the risk of damage. We know that hail causes significant damage to modules mounted on standard racking and tracker systems, which are able to change their angle to “stow” against hailstones. Flat modules can’t be moved to protect against hailstones. Analysis has shown that hail is expensive; it causes 70% of losses for US solar PV projects, despite representing only 6% of total recorded incidents.
A ribbon cutting was recently held to celebrate the school district’s multi-million dollar investment in their students through a solar energy project. Submitted photo BRADFORD — Bradford Schools is celebrating the completion of a new solar energy project designed to reduce long-term operating costs and allow the district to direct more resources toward students and classrooms. The approximately $2.14 million project includes a new roofing membrane and a 304-kilowatt roof-integrated solar photovoltaic system. The solar array officially went into service June 30, 2026, marking the culmination of more than two years of planning, research and collaboration. The project began taking shape in February 2024 when Aaron Daniels of Ameresco approached Carla Surber, district treasurer, with the possibility of developing another solar project at Bradford Schools with assistance from an energy grant through the Ohio Department of Development. District leaders saw an opportunity that aligned with Bradford’s history of seeking innovative ways to control operating expenses. Bradford Schools first invested in solar energy in 2008, becoming one of the early districts in the area to do so. More recently, the district transitioned its two-route bus fleet to electric vehicles and installed five charging stations with assistance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and AES Ohio. As a small rural school district, Bradford has focused on finding creative ways to reduce expenses so that more local tax dollars can support education. After months of research, meetings and financial analysis, the district submitted its grant application on June 17, 2024. Officials continued evaluating the project’s financial benefits, including whether the investment made sense given the district’s already favorable electric rates. In July 2025, Bradford learned that its grant application had been approved. The district contracted with Ameresco in September 2025 to move the project forward. The project included several significant improvements. Before installing the solar panels, the district replaced its 26-year-old roof with a new white roofing membrane installed by Cotterman and Company. The reflective surface is designed to work with the system’s bifacial solar panels, allowing additional reflected sunlight to contribute to energy production. Ameresco managed the 304-kilowatt solar photovoltaic project, with Yellowlite completing the solar installation. The project received a $500,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Development. District officials also anticipate significant federal direct-pay tax credits, potentially totaling approximately $500,000, which would further reduce the district’s overall investment. District officials credited numerous partners with bringing the project to completion, including Daniels and the Ameresco team, Candice Brothers of the Ohio Department of Development, the Bradford Board of Education and district taxpayers. Superintendent Joe Hurst and Director of Maintenance Skip Miller also played key roles throughout the project. Hurst provided leadership and support during the planning and implementation process, Surber handled all the financial matters and tax credits while Miller coordinated work behind the scenes through the project’s various phases. For Bradford Schools, officials say the project’s importance extends beyond producing electricity. The district expects the solar investment to generate long-term savings that can ultimately be redirected toward classrooms, teachers and students. The completed project also continues a pattern of innovation for the rural district — demonstrating that a small school system can pursue ambitious projects through careful planning, partnerships and a willingness to explore new opportunities. Bradford Schools marked the project’s completion as both an investment in energy efficiency and an investment in the district’s future.
For many U.S. households and businesses, installing rooftop solar isn’t an option — whether due to renting, roof condition, shading, or building type. Community solar addresses this gap by allowing multiple customers to share the energy produced by a single off-site solar array, reducing their utility bills without requiring an on-site installation. With so much…
There were 210,000 installations in the UK between January and June 2026, up 17 percent on the previous highest start to a year in 2025 and equivalent to one installation every 74 seconds. Solar panels were the biggest driver, with almost 150,000 certified installations – a 14 percent increase on last year’s record. It took nearly 15 years for solar to break its long-standing annual record, and it’s now set to be broken two years running. Battery storage installations have also risen sharply, almost doubling the number for the same period last year with 36,000 MCS certified installations in 2026 so far. This means last year’s annual record of 40,000 installations has almost been surpassed in just six months. MCS data shows a growing trend in combining multiple technologies in a single home. One in three installations in 2026 were either delivered onto a home that already had an MCS certified renewable or were part of an installation that combined more than one technology. For example, it is becoming increasingly popular to pair battery storage with other technologies, with 92 percent of battery installations so far this year going onto properties with solar panels. “More and more households are gaining confidence in the benefits of home-grown energy, and the fact that many are now investing in multiple technologies is testament to this” said Lisa Cooke, Managing Director at MCS. “As energy markets continue to be influenced by global events, we’re seeing more households than ever before turn to renewables and put their trust in MCS certified businesses. With this rising demand, MCS’s evolving role as not just a standard setter, but also a consumer protection body, is more important than ever. We take our role seriously, and that’s why we’ve redeveloped our Scheme and set new rules under which every installer will have to operate by 31 March 2027. This includes a higher level of financial protection and a legally binding commitment to adhere to consumer protection law. We remain committed to raising standards across the sector to give everyone the confidence they need to make the move to home-grown energy.” Heat pump installations, however, were 17 percent lower than the first half of 2025. With three quarters of heat pump installations funded by government programmes such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), it highlights the important role these schemes play in helping households access low-carbon heating. Households with oil or LPG-heated properties can now access an increased BUS grant of £9,000 to support them to make the switch, and the Warm Homes Plan set out the Government’s commitment to further support to a wider range of homes including through Government-backed loans. The new build market is also contributing to the growth in numbers, with 25 percent of installations in 2026 on new build properties. This is a particularly strong market for solar, with the latest available data for new homes (which covers the opening quarter to 2026) showing an estimated 59 percent were fitted with MCS certified solar panels, as the sector prepares to deliver the Future Homes Standard. “While energy costs continue to hit the headlines, it is no surprise that so many more homes are having solar panels and battery energy storage fitted” said Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK. “They slash bills and installations are quick and simple to complete. Moreover, every solar home helps to push gas off the grid, cutting bills for us all.” For additional information: Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS)
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SunShare and CSolPower, a local community solar company, have completed two community solar gardens in New Mexico. The 6-MW Juniper Sol Community Solar Garden is sited on 31 acres in Santa Fe and will incorporate agrivoltaic practices, including native, pollinator-friendly habitats under and around the solar panels. Half of the solar garden subscribers are income-qualified,…
BEIJING, Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Recently, JA powered Fisher & Paykel Healthcare’s step toward a more ecosystem-friendly future by supplying New Zealand’s largest rooftop photovoltaic (PV) power station in Auckland. The 5.3 MWp system, featuring JA’s high-efficiency modules from their deep blue series, is helping transform healthcare manufacturing toward greener, lower-carbon practices. To support the Fisher & Paykel project, JA supplied and installed 8,273 modules — demonstrating its ability to deliver at scale and manage multi-party construction, both of which require precise scheduling and on-site coordination. This success was underpinned by JA’s extensive experience in global projects and its warehouse network, which further ensured high-quality, on-time delivery. In response to the global energy volatility crisis, New Zealand faced the need to increase energy independence and accelerate low-carbon transformation. As the exclusive module supplier, JA offers high-efficiency modules that are fully adaptable to challenging rooftop environments. Accordingly, these modules deliver an annual average of 6,600 MWh of power generation, reducing carbon emissions by 486 tons per year. This data suggests the modules’ ability to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and set a standard for a sector-wide low-carbon transition. Thus far, the DeepBlue series has operated with zero commissioning failures, achieving excellent power-generation efficiency and stable output. This reliability is rooted in JA’s position as one of the first PV companies to enter the New Zealand market and its willingness to listen and grow in line with local demand. In support of this, research on Chinese customs export data suggests that China’s PV exports to New Zealand rose to 365.5 MW at the beginning of 2025 and continued to expand to 735.5MW one year later. This suggests a growth of 101.26%, effectively doubling the market size. This surge unequivocally confirms JA’s strategic market foresight and the timing of its calibrated expansion. Sunergise is New Zealand’s leading renewable energy developer and the EPC for this project; their CEO, Paul Makumbe, describes the collaboration with JA as “When you’re rolling out New Zealand’s largest rooftop solar, you need a partner who is reliable, who has the technical capability to deliver, has know-how and understanding of the challenges that you would face doing a project of this scale.” Rooted in the global market, JA prioritized product reliability, delivering stability and commitment to full-cycle quality. The DeepBlue series high-efficiency module has proven its value by performing in complex environments worldwide. Moving forward, JA will continue to collaborate with global partners, supporting industries across sectors to accelerate low-carbon transformation — delivering reliable power for the journey ahead —and helping the world pave the way toward a zero-carbon future. SOURCE JA AAPR aggregates press releases and media statements from around the world to assist our news partners with identifying and creating timely and relevant news. All of the press releases published on this website are third-party content and AAP was not involved in the creation of it. Read the full terms. Factual. Independent. Impartial. In the spirit of reconciliation, Australian Associated Press acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. Follow us Follow AAP FactCheck
Get your morning recap of today’s local news and read the full stories here: tucne.ws/morning Hundreds of Three Points residents gathered Wednesday in opposition of one company’s proposal that could turn 5,000 acres of rural desert into a solar farm. The room was united in its opposition to the project and in its dissatisfaction with CG Three Points, a subsidiary of Spanish utility company RepSol, which many said has kept community engagement at a bare minimum. CG Three Points sent landowners letters on July 31 informing them of potential plans to build a 500 megawatt solar farm and a 250 megawatt battery storage facility as soon as next year, the Star previously reported. Three Points is about 25 miles southwest of Tucson. Wednesday night’s meeting was led by a self-assembled steering committee of the group calling itself Open Space Alliance Southern Arizona. The group’s leader is surgeon and rancher Doug Lowell, who ran a brief campaign in the Republican primary for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District in 2021, and Robert Contreras, who ran for Marana Town Council earlier this year but did not qualify for the ballot. Doug Lowell listens to Robert Contreras brief the community members gathered for a meeting about a proposed solar energy generating farm in Three Points. Lowell and Contreras took questions from the audience and asked for input on the group’s mission statement, as well as ideas for more formal organizing. Many cheered and clapped as attendees shared their grievances with the project, including negative impacts to wildlife and changing the character of the rural desert town. Erik Andreasson owns 26 acres of land near West Hermans and South Avra roads. If the project is built, his property would be surrounded by solar panels on two sides. He has started researching legal avenues residents might have against the developer because of what a utility solar farm would do to the landscape, he said. “I work in town a lot. My blood pressure drops about 10 points when I come out to my property. I can see Kitt Peak and see the stars and stuff at night. I don’t want to see solar panels,” he said. Despite significant public concern, the company still hasn’t submitted any formal application to the county, said CJ Boyd, a representative of the Pima County District 3 office who attended Wednesday’s meeting. Although the site is on state trust land, the company will first need county approval for rezoning or use permits, according to the Arizona State Land Department. Leaders were frank about the challenges of grassroots organizing, like lack of funding, communication and the logistics of an unofficial petition. A few attendees bickered about the best ways of keeping people informed, arguing over whether social media or the community group’s website would reach more people. Without the formality of a ballot measure, Lowell and Contreras told the group they needed to try to appeal to people outside of the region. “We are, 1,000 votes out of 15,000 maybe, that vote in our district. What we have to do to get from here to killing the project … is to generalize the issue outside of our small community,” Lowell said. RepSol representatives held a community meeting Aug. 12 at a local steakhouse. School health aide Sandra Freeman attended and said the meeting felt informal. “I think they just expected people to go to the different boards that they had set up to ask questions, but if you don’t know what questions to ask, then, you know,” she said. Several audience members also raised fears that solar energy generated at the potential site would be used to power data centers currently under development in Marana and the Project Blue site, but organizers said it’s still unclear. “Linking the project to data centers is difficult from a factual point of view,” Lowell said. Community members packed Serenity Baptist Church on Thursday evening for a meeting about a proposed solar energy generating farm in Three Points, a community about 25 miles southwest of Tucson. In the letter, RepSol wrote the project will produce “affordable, renewable” energy, but has not released details on where the power will be connected to or what it will be used for. RepSol did not respond to the Star’s request for comment about planned power uses. The total acreage for the project is 5,554 acres with a total estimated cost of $575 million. They plan to operate for 35 years, according to an application CG Three Points first filed with the Arizona State Land Department in 2021. As well as the solar array and battery storage infrastructure, the application includes associated access roads, underground electricity collection lines, and a substation. The application lists no impacts to land, endangered species, or groundwater. The company wrote they have completed several environmental site assessments, including a native plant inventory, a hydrology study, site characterization, aquatic resources, and others. The environmental reviews are not included in the application. Still, distrust remains, said IT consultant Joe Phebus, a member of the group’s steering committee. “I think it’s a trend nationwide that these kind of projects are coming under the radar and being solved down communities’ throats with very little input,” he said. Wednesday’s meeting of the opposition group ended with a loose agreement to meet monthly. One of the crowd of a few hundred rises to speak at a community meeting Thursday evening concerning a proposed solar energy generating farm near Three Points. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community.
Get local news delivered to your inbox! Government Reporter Get your morning recap of today’s local news and read the full stories here: tucne.ws/morning Swimming laps at city of Tucson pools will now cost up to $30 a month with a new monthly pass system starting in just a few weeks. Pinal County joins several other Arizona jurisdictions that have cancelled contracts with Flock in the last year, including Flagstaff, Sedona,… Former treasurer Brian Johnson is asking for damages amounting to $260,000, which is the salary he would have earned for the rest of his term … Two men detained in connection to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie have filed a notice of claim against the Pima County Sheriff’s Department… The intersection of East Fifth Street and North Alvernon Way to close for the weekend beginning Friday for ongoing road construction. Community members packed Serenity Baptist Church on Thursday evening for a meeting about a proposed solar energy generating farm in Three Points, a community about 25 miles southwest of Tucson. Doug Lowell listens to Robert Contreras brief the community members gathered for a meeting about a proposed solar energy generating farm in Three Points. One of the crowd of a few hundred rises to speak at a community meeting Thursday evening concerning a proposed solar energy generating farm near Three Points. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.
Oakland-based developer Orion Renewable Energy Group is facing pushback over its proposed $1.7 billion Persimmon Energy Center, a 1,000 MW solar and energy storage project spanning approximately 4,700 acres in North Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. The project, which has been in development alongside local landowner partners since 2019, is sited across rural and residential areas in Moss Bluff, DeQuincy, and Gillis. If completed, the facility would generate enough electricity to power roughly 200,000 average Louisiana homes annually. Despite the project’s scale and projected economic output, local opposition has emerged. Louisiana State Representative Brett Geymann (R–District 35) has voiced opposition alongside nearby residents, raising concerns over land use, alterations to the rural character of the community, and potential impacts on local property values. Geymann argued that utility-scale industrial developments are ill-suited for areas that function primarily as residential bedroom communities. In response to land-use and aesthetic concerns, Orion outlined several mitigation measures and community benefit initiatives on its project site. The developer plans to implement 50-foot retained tree buffers along adjacent property lines and public roads, supplemented by planted greenspace buffers featuring native trees and shrubs to screen the facility. To address environmental and site management concerns, Orion plans to install wildlife-friendly game fencing around the perimeter to preserve local wildlife corridors, paired with customized ground cover vegetation to mitigate soil erosion and manage stormwater runoff. The developer projects the facility will generate an estimated $470 million in local tax revenue over a 35-year operational lifecycle to fund emergency services, public schools, and parish infrastructure. Additionally, Orion introduced a voluntary Solar Neighbor Program that offers annual disbursements to non-participating homeowners located within one-third of a mile from the project boundary. These neighbor payments will escalate by 30% every ten years and remain tied to the property deed across future ownership changes. Before starting construction, the developer must provide funds to guarantee the site will be fully restored when operations end, and sign binding agreements with the parish to pay for any road damage caused by their construction traffic. Developer Aypa Power has proposed the nearby Cajun Crescent Energy Center, a 375 MW, 2,000-acre project on the east side of Moss Bluff. The surge in utility-scale project proposals across the state comes as Louisiana experiences unprecedented growth in data center development, driven by hyperscalers seeking low power costs and heavy utility support. Projects like Meta’s multi-gigawatt Richland Parish campus and multi-billion-dollar AI facilities from Amazon, Hut 8, and Applied Digital have placed immense pressure on the regional grid. To meet this skyrocketing demand, primary utility Entergy Louisiana has been aggressively procuring generation capacity, including gigawatts of new solar resources alongside natural gas expansion. Development and permitting discussions in Calcasieu Parish remain ongoing as local officials and community members weigh the proposed 1 GW installation against regional land-use priorities.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. Comments Please login to comment The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution. Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects. April 01 – August 31, 2026 Tuesday, August 25, 2026 10:00 am – 11:00 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, August 27, 2026 5:30 am – 6:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, October 7, 2026 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid pv magazine USA hosts its third multi-day virtual event on advancing U.S. solar and energy storage markets, covering financing, supply chains, and distributed energy’s role in grid resilience.
Searching for your content… In-Language News Contact Us 888-776-0942 from 8 AM – 10 PM ET Aug 20, 2026, 09:17 ET Share this article The company donated $7.2 Million to Navajo Technical University, the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, and Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity as part of its commitment to the community. SANTA FE, N.M., Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SunShare, LLC (“SunShare”), the nation’s oldest community solar developer, in conjunction with CSolPower, LLC, a local New Mexico community solar company, is proud to announce the completion and energization of its first two community solar gardens in New Mexico. As part of its commitment to enhancing the lives of the communities in which it operates, SunShare is proud to announce it has committed more than $7 million in donations to Navajo Technical University, the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, and Habitat for Humanity.
“People shouldn’t have to choose between putting gas in their car, paying for groceries, or paying their electricity bill. That’s why projects like this are so important. Juniper Sol is making the cost-saving benefits of renewable energy accessible to all, including renters and those who can’t afford the upfront installation of solar,” said Deb Haaland, Candidate for New Mexico Governor. “As we look to fight rising costs, we have an opportunity to expand creative and smart local projects like community solar.” “Our nation’s electricity needs are rapidly growing, and the Juniper Sol project demonstrates how community-based solar can cost-effectively and quickly meet that demand. At the same time, these types of projects bring wide-ranging benefits, such as to the 2,000 families who are saving on electricity costs for the next 25 years with their subscriptions to this garden,” said David Amster-Olszewski, CEO and Founder of SunShare. “As we celebrate SunShare’s 15th anniversary with this dedication of Santa Fe County’s first community solar garden, SunShare is as committed as ever to advancing a clean and distributed renewable energy future.” “SunShare’s support will strengthen our work to prevent violence, support survivors in New Mexico, and help create safer futures for Native women and children,” said Tiffany Jiron, Executive Director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women. “This partnership demonstrates how renewable energy can generate lasting benefits not only for the environment, but also for our communities.” “This solar farm will generate clean energy, but this partnership has the potential to generate something just as important: opportunity,” said Dr. Elmer Guy, President of Navajo Technical University. About the Juniper Sol Community Solar Garden: To celebrate this exciting milestone with all its community partners, SunShare hosted a ribbon-cutting event at its Juniper Sol Community Solar Garden in Santa Fe. The six megawatt direct-current (MWdc) community solar garden reached commercial operation on July 1 and has started producing renewable energy. Additionally, SunShare’s Rockhound Sol Community Solar Garden, a 4.5 MWdc solar farm in Deming, NM, was energized on the same day. The celebration brought together hundreds of local subscribers and community leaders from across the state, including: SunShare remains resolute in its mission to drive positive change, advance clean energy solutions, and invest in indigenous communities. The company’s contributions exemplify the power of collective action and the potential of renewable energy to fuel transformation. To learn more about SunShare’s work in New Mexico, visit https://mysunshare.com/community-solar-nm/. About SunShare SunShare has been a pioneer in the community solar industry since 2011. SunShare earned its place as the first company to build and operate a community solar garden in a competitive market by breaking through legislative and regulatory barriers to pave the way for all citizens to have equal access to renewable energy. Since then, SunShare has led the way in transforming the energy industry with locally-generated solar power. SunShare has developed nearly 100 fully-subscribed community solar gardens across Colorado, Minnesota, and New Mexico. It has built one of the largest active residential subscriber bases in community solar, focusing on the individuals and families that community solar programs were created to serve. SunShare offers subscribers a choice for renewable energy regardless of homeownership, and without rooftop installation. Through innovations, the SunShare team is making solar an easy choice for thousands of citizens, businesses, and organizations to create a cleaner, brighter future. Learn more at mysunshare.com. Media Contact: Kate Laursen 203.610.5879 [email protected] SOURCE SunShare Do not sell or share my personal information:
The average selling price of full black, back contact and monofacial tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules in Europe has continued to increase, as buyer sentiment has become slightly more pessimistic than in previous months. This is according to the latest pv.index report from online solar marketplace sun.store, which has published its monthly update on European solar purchasing trends. Get Premium Subscription As was the case in June, July saw month-on-month increases in the price of all three types of premium modules, with full black becoming the most expensive type of module, priced at an average of €0.138/Wp (US$0.16/Wp), an 8% month-on-month increase. Back-contact and monofacial TOPCon modules reported average prices of €0.135/Wp and €0.128/Wp, representing 4% and 2% month-on-month increases, respectively. All three module types have seen a fairly sustained increase in prices this year, while the price of bifacial TOPCon modules has been more variable. Between December 2025 and May 2026, average price increased from €0.088/Wp to €0.125/Wp, even becoming more expensive than monofacial TOPCon in the latter month, but the price of bifacial modules has since dropped considerably. In July, the average price of bifacial TOPCon modules fell to 0.11/Wp; no other type of module has reported a price that low since February. The latest module trends are shown in the graph above, which compares module price, by module type, to the PV Purchasing Managers’ Index (PV PMI), an assessment of optimism for the solar industry taken from sun.store users. The company notes that a score of 50 or higher indicates a general sentiment that the industry will grow in the future—so the majority of sun.store users do not expect the market to contract sharply—but the PV PMI has now declined consistently since May. In May, the PV PMI score of 70 was the highest reported in over a year, but fell to 65 in July. This is still higher than the all-time low of 62 reported in December 2025, but is lower than both the 69 reported in January 2026 and the historical average of 67 across sun.store’s data. Indeed, in January, 52% of respondents said that they expect to buy more modules in the coming months, but this fell to 46% in July. This sentiment perhaps reflects uncertainty across the European solar sector, as Europe’s operational solar projects have broken generation records this summer; in June, solar PV accounted for 25% of Europe’s monthly electricity generation for the first time ever, according to figures from Ember. In its inverter index, sun.store’s latest report ranks Germany-based SMA Solar as the third strongest string inverter brand in the quarter ending in July, up from fourth place in the previous quarter. While Sungrow and Deye are the top string and hybrid inverter brands, reflecting the strength of the Chinese inverter manufacturing sector and its influence over European solar, the performance of European companies like SMA Solar will be integral if European solar developers are looking beyond China to source inverters. This is especially relevant in the context of the European Commission’s ban on using EU funds for energy projects that use inverters made in China. Figures from Wood Mackenzie suggest that this ban could disrupt 14% of Europe’s inverter supply to the end of the decade. A more positive outcome of this ban could be an increase in demand for inverters made in Europe, which already boasts a strong manufacturing sector. PV Tech Research’s Mollie McCorkindale wrote a piece for PV Tech at the end of July in which she noted that Europe has over 100GW of inverter manufacturing capacity currently in operation, and over 90% of this capacity is owned by companies headquartered in Europe. Chief among these is SMA Solar, which has 40GW of manufacturing capacity in Germany, and the company has posted strong financial results in recent months. Its sales and earnings were up in the first half of this year, and in July raised its full-year financial guidance due to improved “market conditions”.
Rating agency ICRA estimates that renewable energy, including large hydropower, will account for more than 35% of India’s total electricity generation by 2029-30, up from 22% in 2024-25. The renewable energy project pipeline remains healthy with more than 150 GW of projects under construction as on June 30, 2026, which are likely to drive the capacity additions in the near-to-medium term. However, ICRA said that scaling up the share of generation from the RE capacity is contingent on the implementation of the ongoing project pipeline (where the projects are bid out and the PPAs are signed), development of adequate transmission connectivity infrastructure and timely bidding for new RE projects, along with signing of the PPAs by central nodal agencies. Transmission infrastructure has lagged the growth in generation capacity, resulting in curtailment concerns, particularly for projects operating under temporary general network access (T-GNA). Following the award of a sizeable RE capacity of 40.6 GW in 2024-25, the bidding activity slumped with only 14.7 GW capacity awarded in 2025-26 and the same continued in the current year with 4.7 GW awards till August 10, 2026. Further, the unsigned PPA capacity remained sizeable at 40-45 GW as of April 2026. “RE capacity addition is impacted by concerns over transmission connectivity infrastructure as increasing episodes of grid curtailments affect project returns. Around 37% of the capacity at the impacted substations in North, West and South operates under T-GNA and faces curtailment of 30-50% during solar hours,” said Girishkumar Kadam, senior vice president & group head – Corporate Ratings, ICRA. “Hence, timely execution of intra-state and inter-state transmission infrastructure and enhancement of storage capacity will be critical to protect project economics and sustain the pace of capacity addition, as the ramp up in the share of renewables in the generation mix.” Storage is likely to emerge as an important enabler for grid stability as the share of RE rises. Decline in battery costs over the past decade has helped reduce the cost of energy storage, which coupled with the availability of viability gap funding and extended transmission charge waivers till June 2028, have given an impetus to battery energy storage system (BESS) adoption in India. ICRA said BESS project awards have increased significantly over the past 12 to 18 months. Total awarded BESS capacity, including projects under construction and operational projects, stood at around 90 GWh as of June 2026. Based on prevailing battery costs, ICRA estimates the levelized cost of storage for two- to four-hour BESS projects at INR 4/kWh to INR 7/kWh, compared with around INR 5/kWh for pumped storage hydropower projects. While BESS costs for four hours of storage remain higher than pumped storage projects, the execution risks and gestation period for the BESS projects are relatively lower. However, aggressive bidding in standalone BESS tenders could put project economics under check, according to ICRA. “The viability of the BESS projects remains critically linked to their capital cost. Based on the average battery cost of $70-75/kWh seen in the recent past, along with associated taxes/duties and cost of the balance of plant, the capital cost is estimated in the range of $110-130/kWh,” said Kadam. “However, expectations of a further decline in battery prices has led to aggressive bidding activity in the standalone storage tenders. Nevertheless, the reversal in price trends coupled with rupee depreciation against the dollar impacted the economics of some of these projects.” Kadam said that at prevailing capital costs and interest rates, the cumulative debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) for some of the previously bid standalone BESS projects appears to be under pressure, with values in the range of 0.80-1.20 times. “While there has been some restoration of pricing power in the recent tenders, the ability of BESS projects to adhere to performance parameters such as availability, round trip efficiency, depth of discharge and degradation remain key monitorables, given the limited track record,” he added. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. Comments Please login to comment The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects. April 01 – August 31, 2026 Tuesday, August 25, 2026 10:00 am – 11:00 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, October 7, 2026 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
One heatwave follows another, with new temperature records being set across Europe. Forests are burning and rivers are drying up, even in temperate climate zones. What until recently sounded like dystopia from a mediocre science fiction novel has, this summer, become a bitter reality. Europe is feeling the consequences of climate change. As a result, demand for air conditioning systems and heat pumps capable of providing cooling is rising sharply. This is driving up electricity demand among households, public buildings, and commercial and industrial consumers. High energy costs are a growing concern, particularly as conventional energy supplies based on coal, gas and nuclear power come under pressure globally because of high temperatures and ongoing crises. The obvious response would be to accelerate the energy transition and make renewable power generation a top priority. Yet governments remain largely silent, offering short-term measures to mitigate the effects of climate change without addressing the bigger picture. Against this backdrop, it is hardly surprising that demand for photovoltaic systems, while not declining, is not growing exponentially either. There are even indications that stagnant solar module sales are largely attributable to “pull-forward effects”: buyers in various regions anticipate a significant deterioration in investment and installation conditions next year, or possibly as early as the fourth quarter of this year. Nevertheless, module prices have changed little, with some segments even seeing renewed declines. Production surpluses need to be cleared, putting pressure on market prices, particularly for modules intended for large rooftop systems and ground-mounted projects. In the index, these products are primarily represented by the “Mainstream” price category. However, the basis for data collection had to be adjusted this month. Continued improvements in module efficiency meant that the previous 23% efficiency threshold separating the “Mainstream” and “High Efficiency” categories left almost no price points in the former. The dividing line has therefore been raised to 23.5% efficiency. For small-scale system modules, this corresponds to a nominal output of approximately 470 W. For utility-scale modules, the new threshold places modules above 635 W or 730 W, depending on the form factor, in the “High Efficiency” category. As a result of the redefinition, modules with efficiencies below 23.5% have shifted from one category to the other, slightly skewing the reported price trends. Lower-efficiency products are typically offered at lower prices than higher-efficiency modules. Without this adjustment, the August price for high-efficiency modules would have remained at the previous month’s level, while less-efficient products would have shown a slight decline. According to manufacturers, however, module prices are unlikely to fall much further this year for the reasons outlined above. Whether this forecast proves accurate depends, at least in Germany, on developments surrounding the new renewable energy law – EEG 2027 – and the “Grid Package” (Netzpaket) following the summer recess. Numerous associations have already lodged complaints and called for extensive revisions to the draft legislation. Resistance has also emerged within the governing coalition, particularly among state premiers from federal states with large numbers of renewable energy installations and industrial companies active in the photovoltaic and wind sectors. If the federal government implements the measures outlined in the draft legislation without significant changes, it could lead to substantial job losses, reminiscent of the situation under then-Federal Economics Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) in the early 2010s. Uncertainty over the future of EEG is prompting some market participants to adopt a “wait-and-see” approach, while others are rushing to act. As a result, many installers’ order books remain well filled for the time being. How long this surge in demand for photovoltaic systems and energy storage will last, even through the holiday season, depends on how quickly subsidy-free business models gain traction. Many installations are already financially viable without statutory feed-in tariffs. Mid-sized photovoltaic systems, however, often still rely on the EEG in its current form, at least as a fallback option. A sensibly designed transitional solution could significantly ease the situation — or so the industry hopes. The USA and India are further regions where “pull-forward” effects—purchases made in anticipation of future changes—are influencing demand, and consequently module availability and pricing. In early August, the US government imposed minimum import prices and additional tariffs on polysilicon and other photovoltaic products from China, set to take effect on December 4, 2026. In the short term, this is triggering increased stockpiling and a resulting outflow of material specifically to that region. Similar moves to tighten existing domestic industry protection measures are also being reported from India; this, too, could lead to a rapid surge in imports from China and, consequently, localized supply shortages. The remainder of the year promises to be eventful, likely holding a few surprises in store for us—and not just regarding further weather-related volatility. About the author: Martin Schachinger has studied electrical engineering and has been active in the field of photovoltaics and renewable energy for almost 30 years. In 2004, he set up the pvXchange.com online trading platform. The company stocks standard components for new installations and solar modules and inverters that are no longer being produced.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those held by pv magazine. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. Comments Please login to comment The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects. April 01 – August 31, 2026 Tuesday, August 25, 2026 10:00 am – 11:00 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, October 7, 2026 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Indian rooftop solar company Freyr Energy has launched a range of single-phase solar PV inverters for residential applications, with 3kW and 5kW models using silicon carbide (SiC) technology. The Hyderabad-based company said the inverters, developed by Freyr Energy and manufactured by renewable energy and EV charging equipment maker Zenergize, have a stated maximum conversion efficiency of 97.8%. Get Premium Subscription The on-grid inverters convert DC electricity from solar modules into 230V single-phase AC electricity for residential use. The units include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, with system performance monitoring available through Freyr Energy’s mobile application. The company said the inverters have an IP65 enclosure rating and protection against short circuits, overloads, overheating and voltage surges. The products have also received Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification and approval from India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), according to Freyr Energy. “During periods of low solar generation, such as cloudy conditions or reduced sunlight availability, the inverter continuously tracks the optimum voltage and current from the solar panels using maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technology to maximise energy generation under changing weather conditions,” Radhika Choudary, co-founder and director, Freyr Energy, said. “The inverter seamlessly synchronises with the utility grid by matching its voltage, frequency, and phase, enabling surplus solar power to be exported whenever available. During periods of low solar generation, it automatically switches to grid power, ensuring uninterrupted and reliable energy supply in urban as well as rural regions.” The inverters carry a 10-year warranty, while the company said a dust-resistant design and self-cleaning functionality are intended to reduce dust accumulation and maintenance requirements. Freyr Energy said the new products are designed for operating conditions in Indian residential markets, where rooftop PV systems can be exposed to high temperatures, dust and fluctuations in grid voltage. The launch comes as India’s residential rooftop solar market expands under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY). The government scheme is aimed at increasing rooftop solar deployment among households through financial support and other measures. India’s cumulative solar capacity reached 164.8GW at the end of June 2026, with rooftop solar accounting for 17%, according to analyst Mercom’s latest report. More than 3.3 million rooftop systems had been installed under the programme as of June 2026, adding over 12GW of capacity, according to government data. This was up from 9.5GW in March. The MNRE said monthly rooftop installations had risen from around 7,000 before the scheme was introduced to more than 300,000. The time required to add 100,000 beneficiary households had fallen from 118 days to fewer than eight. More than four million households had benefited from the programme, while over 6.5 million applications remained in the pipeline. The government aims to target 7.5 million households by the end of 2026. The programme also attracted international development finance. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved an US$850 million loan for the second phase of reforms supporting PMSGMBY, while the World Bank approved an US$890 million financing package for India’s national rooftop solar programme. The rapid increase in installations have raised questions over financing, deployment capacity and whether the pace of growth could be sustained. PV Tech Premium spoke with Gaurav Upadhyay, South Asia energy finance specialist at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), about the development of India’s rooftop solar market, the impact of PMSGMBY, financing conditions and remaining challenges. Read the full interview here (subscription required). India’s renewable energy transition, from solar PV and energy storage to grid integration, will be a key topic of discussion at the Renewable Energy India (REI) Expo, co-located with the Energy Storage Summit India (ESS India), in Greater Noida on 22-24 October 2026. For the full agenda and booking details, click here.
Local news organizations are reporting that solar panel manufacturer Silfab has furloughed workers at its cell and panel facility in Fort Mill, South Carolina. In a statement to WCNC Charlotte, a Silfab Solar spokesperson said that the furlough was due to “temporary constraints affecting the availability of certain materials required for production.” The company temporarily…
Imagine a display that harvests ambient light when it is not actively in use, offsetting some of its own energy consumption. The materials physics shows that this is possible, the same semiconductor material can, in principle, emit and absorb light efficiently. What has been missing is a device architecture that allows it to do both without reductions in efficiency of either application. A new study reports a perovskite diode that converts sunlight to electricity at 26.7% efficiency (a world record at the time of publication submission) and emits light at 31% efficiency, figures that would be high for a device designed to do only one of those things. Read the Article here EurekAlert! The Brighter Side
In a new report, IEA PVPS says conventional ground-mounted solar PV design assumptions may not accurately reflect BIPV, FPV, and agrivoltaic operating conditions Analysts believe performance assessment for integrated PV needs to consider application-specific technical, economic, environmental, and social factors They call for more representative testing and long-term field data to improve reliability assessments and design standards The International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA PVPS) has called for more application-specific approaches to designing and evaluating solar PV systems as solar deployment expands into buildings, water bodies, and agricultural land. In its August 2026 Task 13 report, Optimisation of Photovoltaic Systems for Different Applications, IEA PVPS examines building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), floating photovoltaics (FPV), and agrivoltaics (AV). It says conventional PV design approaches, developed mainly for ground-mounted systems, are no longer sufficient for these applications. Report writers explain that because integrated PV systems operate under different environmental conditions and perform multiple functions, their design must account for factors beyond electricity generation. Identified factors include durability, safety, environmental interactions, and stakeholder acceptance. IEA PVPS said applying conventional assumptions can result in higher degradation, inaccurate energy-yield estimates and unsuitable component selection. Integrated systems can experience different thermal behavior, irradiance conditions, mechanical loads, and degradation pathways than ground-mounted PV. It offers the Flakkebjerg agrivoltaic test site in Denmark as a case study for application-specific challenges. The 998 kW system uses bifacial PERC modules on single-axis trackers. The report found that some crops, including rapeseed, grew taller than the trackers’ 70-cm ground clearance at ±55° tilt angles in the 2025 growing season. This could damage crops and cause power losses through shading. The project is therefore examining adaptive tracking and backtracking strategies. The challenges also vary by application. BIPV systems, for instance, must operate as both power generators and building components. These require compliance with structural and fire-safety requirements along with addressing issues related to restricted ventilation and partial shading. A 368 kW BIPV façade project in Amsterdam uses 1,735 colored frameless glass-glass modules across a 3,013 m² building façade. The system has to meet architectural and building-envelope requirements while operating in a maritime environment with high humidity and strong winds. The project therefore illustrates how module design, aesthetics, durability, and electrical performance must be considered together in BIPV, as per the report. On the other hand, FPV systems face humidity, corrosion, biofouling, wind, waves, and other mechanical stresses. Agrivoltaic systems need to balance solar generation with crop production and farming activities. The report therefore recommends a broader set of performance indicators. Depending on the application, these can include energy yield per available area, self-consumption, dual-use value, land productivity, environmental interactions, and stakeholder acceptance, alongside conventional measures such as performance ratio and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). “Integrated PV systems are multi-purpose infrastructure, requiring a broader performance framework than energy yield or LCOE alone,” stresses IEA PVPS. IEA PVPS also highlighted limitations in existing testing and modeling methods. The standardized IEC 61853 energy rating methodology remains useful for comparing PV module performance, but its conventional reference conditions do not fully capture the operating conditions of BIPV, FPV, and agrivoltaic systems. The report therefore calls for application-specific mounting conditions, thermal modeling and further adaptations to energy-rating methods. Dedicated, application-specific R&D benchmarking facilities can help bridge the gap between laboratory testing and real-world operating conditions. While there has been some progress in the BIPV domain in developing international test facilities for benchmarking and performance evaluation of BIPV, the same remains limited for FPV and AV. The report says that there is a clear need for application-specific testing, improved modeling, and long-term field data for all three integrated PV applications. “Integrated PV systems require design approaches that go beyond those developed for conventional ground-mounted PV systems, and should be understood as multifunctional infrastructure rather than stand-alone energy assets,” the report said. The complete report is available for free download on the IEA PVPS website. TaiyangNews 2024
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French energy major Engie has signed a deal to supply power from a 61MW solar PV project to a data centre in Irving, Texas. The agreement is a deal between Engie and data centre operator QTS (Quality Technology Services), which will purchase 48MW of power under a power purchase agreement (PPA). It will power QTS’ data centre operations near Irving. Get Premium Subscription The deal runs parallel to a long-term PPA Engie has in place with the developer of the 61MW Lubio Solar project, ABEI Energy. The site in Kaufman County, Texas, is yet to begin commercial operations. Once it does, it is expected to produce around 150GWh of clean power annually. QTS said the deal forms part of its work with Engie to “support renewable energy solutions tailored to the evolving needs of the data centre industry”. Data centres for AI operations are forecast to be a major driver of power demand in the US, with Big Tech firms like Google, Microsoft and Amazon making huge investments into power supply to enable their operations. “Data centre customers continue to seek long-term, dependable renewable energy solutions that align with both operational and sustainability goals,” said Taymur Bunkheila, regional vice president, ENGIE North America. Engie is a major player in the global corporate PPA market. The company says it contracted 3.6GW in 2025 and has committed 13.8GW of supply since 2011. In recent times, this includes a 600MW PPA deal with tech giant Meta to power the company’s data centre operations in Texas. You can read more of our global coverage of data centres here.
Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. Advertisement Naturevolume 656, pages 616–623 (2026) Cite this article 7014 Accesses 144 Altmetric Metrics details Wide-bandgap (WBG) mixed-halide perovskites with high bromine (Br) content, which are used as the front-cell material in perovskite–organic tandem solar cells (TSCs), often exhibit initial halide-mixing inhomogeneity and light-induced halide segregation1,2,3, limiting the performance of perovskite–organic TSCs. Here we introduce a photo-transformable additive, 4-[3-(trifluoromethyl)-3H-diazirin-3-yl]benzylammonium salt (TDB), into the WBG perovskite precursor solution to establish a two-stage strategy for stabilizing the mixed-halide phase. During crystallization, TDB improves the initial halide homogeneity by suppressing the rapid precipitation of the Br-rich phase and accelerating halide mixing upon annealing. During operational illumination, TDB undergoes transformation to form a new species with stronger adsorption on the perovskite grain-boundary surfaces, which inhibits the formation of iodide-related defects and suppresses defect-assisted carrier trapping and ion migration, thereby mitigating light-induced halide segregation4,5,6. The representative WBG perovskite (bandgap energy (Eg) = 1.88 eV) solar cell had a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.01%, with an open-circuit voltage of 1.42 V, a fill factor of 85.13% and improved stability under illumination. By integrating the WBG perovskite solar cell into a monolithic perovskite–organic TSC, we achieved a PCE of 28.80%, with a certified steady-state PCE of 28.04%. 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A consistent and accurate ab initio parametrization of density functional dispersion correction (DFT-D) for the 94 elements H–Pu. J. Chem. Phys.132, 154104 (2010). ArticleADSPubMed Google Scholar Download references We thank the 1W1A-Diffuse X-ray Scattering Beamline of Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility for providing technical support and assistance in GIWAXS data collection; Enli Technology for QFLS measurement equipment; Shenzhen HUASUAN Technology for assistance with theoretical calculations; and N. Wu for assistance with solid-state 207Pb NMR measurements and data analysis. The authors disclose support for the research of this work from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2024YFB4205200), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB0520102), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52173188), and the Key R&D and Achievement Transformation Plan Project of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (2025YFHH0021). Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Ruihan Wu, Shucheng Qin, Tianwei Zou, Xin Jiang, Senyao Wang, Siyu Zhuang, Yiyang Wang, Siguang Li, Minchao Liu, Yishun Feng, Yufei Gong, Haozhe He, Peiwen Liao, Jinyuan Zhang, Xiaojun Li, Lei Meng & Yongfang Li School of Chemical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Ruihan Wu, Tianwei Zou, Xin Jiang, Senyao Wang, Siyu Zhuang, Yiyang Wang, Siguang Li, Minchao Liu, Yishun Feng, Yufei Gong, Haozhe He, Peiwen Liao, Lei Meng & Yongfang Li East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China Hongyu Li Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Yu Chen Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Novel Semiconductor Materials and Devices, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China Yongfang Li Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar Search author on:PubMedGoogle Scholar L.M. and R.W. conceived the idea and designed the experiments. R.W. performed device characterization and analysed data. R.W., S.Q., T.Z. and S.W. participated in the fabrication and characterization of tandem solar cells. S.Z. and X.J. participated in device fabrication. S.Q. and H.L. performed DFT calculations and analysis. Y.W., S.L., M.L. and Y.F. participated in the photoluminescence and optoelectronic property analyses. Y.G., H.H. and P.L. synthesized the organic photovoltaic materials. Y.C. participated in the design and analysis of in situ GIWAXS experiments. J.Z. performed in situ photoluminescence measurements. X.L. participated in the data analysis and discussion. L.M. and Y.L. supervised the project. R.W., L.M. and Y.L. wrote the manuscript. All authors contributed to the work. Correspondence to Lei Meng or Yongfang Li. The authors declare no competing interests. Nature thanks the anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Peer reviewer reports are available. Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This file contains Supplementary Figures 1–47, Supplementary Tables 1–9 and Supplementary References. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law. Reprints and permissions Wu, R., Qin, S., Zou, T. et al. Perovskite–organic tandem solar cells with a photo-transformable stabilizer. 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Companies/ Energy Transition Mark Segal Microsoft and clean energy company Qcells announced a significant expansion of their alliance, currently focused on solar panels, to the exploration of new approaches to address the key challenge of adding massive compute capacity required to support AI, without shifting the energy burden onto local communities. The announcement follows an initial 2.5 GW solar panel and services agreement by the companies in 2023, which was subsequently scaled up to an 8-year, 12 GW strategic alliance in 2024. The companies said that they are expanding their existing relationship in order to explore ways to pair AI infrastructure with new energy capacity. Rather than simply adding electricity demand to the grid, the proposed approach would develop new generation and flexible energy resources alongside Microsoft’s expanding data center footprint, helping support grid reliability while enabling future AI growth. The collaboration will support Microsoft’s Community-First AI Infrastructure initiative and Qcells’ growing role in developing the energy infrastructure that enables AI, the companies added. Under the collaboration, the companies are exploring a “bring-your-own-capacity” (BYOC) model, under which Qcells would develop and build new energy capacity alongside Microsoft’s expanding data center footprint. The new capacity could be delivered directly to Microsoft or to the local utility serving the surrounding community, with Microsoft funding the power required for its operations. The companies said that they are also exploring Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) that would combine thousands of residential and commercial batteries into a single flexible energy resource that can provide electricity to the grid during periods of peak demand. Participating customers would be able to use their batteries normally outside of grid events, while potentially benefiting from lower electricity bills and compensation for supporting the grid. Qcells said that it plans to prioritize participation by income-qualified households in the VPP initiative, aimed at extending the economic benefits associated with AI infrastructure to communities where the infrastructure is built. Microsoft, which has set a goal to become carbon negative by 2030, recently revealed that its GHG emissions jumped by 25% last year, driven by an accelerating AI infrastructure buildout, as well as a shift in the company’s clean energy strategy away from the use of non-additional renewable energy certificates and towards the development of new carbon-free energy sources. Earlier this year, the company announced a “Community-First AI Infrastructure” initiative, with commitments to ensure that its datacenter buildout doesn’t increase local electricity prices, replenishes more water than it uses, creates jobs for local residents, adds to local tax bases, and provides investments in local AI training and non-profits. Andy Park, Global CEO of Qcells, said: “Our relationship with Microsoft began with American-made solar manufacturing and construction. Now we’re exploring how we can build the energy capacity needed for AI while creating lasting value for the communities that share the grid.” Companies / Energy Transition / Companies / Daily climate, sustainable finance & policy coverage Back to Top Daily coverage of climate, sustainable finance and policy — delivered straight to your inbox every morning. Daily coverage of climate, sustainable finance and policy — delivered straight to your inbox every morning. We value your privacy. We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies. Manage your cookie preferences below: Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website. CloudFlare provides web performance and security solutions, enhancing site speed and protecting against threats. Service URL: developers.cloudflare.com (opens in a new window) These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website. Google Tag Manager simplifies the management of marketing tags on your website without code changes. Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website. Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions. Service URL: policies.google.com (opens in a new window) You can find more information in our Terms of Service, Cookies and Privacy Policy and Privacy Policy. Daily coverage of climate, sustainable finance and policy — delivered straight to your inbox.
A group of researchers led by China’s Nanjing University and PV perovskite specialist Renshine Solar has fabricated a perovskite solar module with an aperture area of 810 cm2 and a record-breaking power conversion efficiency of 24.0%. “This result represents a world record for this perovskite module format,” corresponding author Ke Xiao told pv magazine. “It was confirmed by TÜV SÜD in China.” The perovskite cells used in the modules were passivated with chemically stable lead carboxylate passivators (LCPs) based on lead dioleate (Pb(OA)₂), which the scientists said improved charge-carrier transport. They explained that conventional ammonium halide passivators (AHPs), used in combination with slot-die coating followed by vacuum chamber drying (VCD), often suffer from chemical, thermal or interfacial instability. Unlike LCP-treated films, AHP treatment resulted in non-uniform deposits, macro-scale defects and pronounced photoluminescence (PL) heterogeneity, according to the researchers. By contrast, LCP treatment produced uniform, hydrophobic films with enhanced resistance to moisture, thermal stress and ultraviolet degradation. The LCPs were applied to a perovskite film with a formamidinium iodide (FAI)-enriched surface. This enabled the formation of a chemically bonded, well-defined passivation layer that provided environmental protection while maintaining efficient charge extraction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed chemical bonding between the LCP and FAI-rich surface, while photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed that the carrier lifetime increased from 264 ns to 706 ns, indicating reduced carrier trapping and improved passivation. The researchers used cells fabricated with this passivation approach to build the 810 cm² module, although they did not disclose technical details about its architecture. Under standard test conditions, the module achieved a champion power conversion efficiency of 24.2%, while independent certification confirmed the above-mentioned efficiency of 24.0%. It also achieved an open-circuit voltage of 53.46 V, a short-circuit current of 0.436 A and a fill factor of 83.40%. “It also maintained a stable 19.4 W output under maximum power point tracking (MPPT),” Xiao stated. “This marked the first perovskite solar module exceeding 800 cm² to surpass 24% efficiency.” The research team also fabricated 150 modules with an area of 0.72 m², achieving an average power output of 144 W. The champion module reached a certified efficiency of 22.0% and an output of 158.4 W, representing a meter-scale efficiency record. It also maintained a stable output above 158 W for more than two hours under MPPT. “We also found that, beyond efficiency, LCP dramatically enhanced module durability under standardized International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) testing,” Xiao added. “After 1,300 hours of damp-heat exposure, LCP modules lost only 2% of their initial efficiency, compared with 39% for ammonium halide passivator (AHP) modules. LCP modules also showed negligible degradation after 300 thermal cycles and retained 96% of their initial efficiency after 2,200 hours of MPPT operation. Under ultraviolet aging, they retained 95% of their initial performance, confirming strong resistance to multiple environmental stressors.” The researchers also found that all LCP-modified modules surpassed the reliability requirements of IEC 61215. Field monitoring further showed higher specific energy yields than silicon tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules. “Overall, combining high-saturated-vapor-pressure (SVP) processing with chemically stable LCP passivation provides an industry-ready route to efficient, durable and scalable meter-scale perovskite photovoltaics,” they concluded. The novel manufacturing process was described in “Lead carboxylates passivation for meter-scale perovskite solar modules,” published in nature.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. Comments Please login to comment The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects. April 01 – August 31, 2026 A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution. Tuesday, August 25, 2026 10:00 am – 11:00 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition—join the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 in Riyadh to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering its digital economy. Thursday, August 27, 2026 5:30 am – 6:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid pv magazine USA hosts its third multi-day virtual event on advancing U.S. solar and energy storage markets, covering financing, supply chains, and distributed energy’s role in grid resilience. Thursday, October 7, 2026 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
MyTendring is your self service portal to interact as a resident, you can: An award-winning business centre in Jaywick Sands is taking a step towards a more sustainable future with the installation of new solar panels. Work to fit the panels at the Tendring District Council-run Sunspot is set to begin over the next few days and will soon require scaffolding to be placed around the building for approximately six weeks. Businesses will be able to continue trading as usual during this period, and customers and visitors are encouraged to keep supporting them. The solar panels are forecast to generate savings on electricity bills Ivan Henderson, TDC Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Tourism and Economic Growth, said: “Sunspot has been a huge success story since it opened, and this project will make the building a more sustainable place to work and visit. “Businesses will be able to stay open as usual during the works, so I’d encourage everyone to continue supporting them during the installation.” By generating some of its electricity on-site rather than relying solely on grid power, the building’s carbon emissions are expected to reduce by around 15 tonnes a year – equivalent to the emissions produced by driving approximately 50,000 miles in a petrol car. Following a competitive tender process, Pyramid Eco has been appointed by the council to carry out the works. They are also a tenant at Sunspot. Founded in 2011 by Michael Zohouri, Pyramid Eco delivers retrofit projects across London and the South East, but have their head office proudly based in Jaywick Sands. Michael said: “My team and I care deeply about this community and we are looking forward to helping the council with these improvements to Sunspot. “I am confident our local knowledge and expertise in retrofit will ensure this project runs smoothly. “We will be working hard to ensure disruption to businesses is kept to a minimum.” Roof maintenance, to be carried out by another contractor, will also take place during this period. The solar panel project is being funded through the Community Regeneration Partnership, a £20 million investment programme from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, delivered locally by the council. For more information on government-funded projects in the district, visit https://www.tendringdc.gov.uk/government-funded-projects.
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