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Indian solar manufacturer Waaree Energies has approved a US$37 million investment to expand its solar module manufacturing facility in Arizona from 1GW to 1.6GW.
The Waaree board approved the capital expenditure for Waaree Solar Americas (WSA), its wholly owned US subsidiary, to upgrade the Arizona facility. The investment will replace the plant’s existing module production lines with higher-efficiency equipment, raising annual nameplate manufacturing capacity to 1.6GW.
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Following the expansion, Waaree’s US module manufacturing capacity will increase to 4.8GW, comprising 3.2GW in Texas and 1.6GW in Arizona. The project will be funded through a combination of debt and internal accruals, the company said.
The firm unveiled its US expansion plans in late 2023, committing up to US$1 billion in investment. At the time, Waaree aimed to scale up its annual nameplate capacity in the country to up to 5GW by 2027.
Waaree has been expanding its US manufacturing footprint amid growing demand for domestically produced solar modules.
In July 2026, the company secured a 236.22MW “Made-in-America” module supply contract for a utility-scale solar project in Flemingsburg, Kentucky. The company was to supply n-Type G12R modules in 615Wp and 620Wp variants, manufactured at its Brookshire, Texas facility.
Last year, WSA signed a 599MW module supply agreement with an undisclosed US-based independent power producer (IPP), with deliveries scheduled for 2026. The modules are being manufactured at Waaree’s Texas facility.
The company secured more than 1.2GW of new US orders in the first quarter of its 2025-26 financial year. Additionally, Waaree announced the expansion of its the Texas plant by 1.6GW, taking its annual nameplate capacity to 3.2GW, to supply utility-scale and commercial and industrial solar projects.
The manufacturer signed a 586MW module supply agreement with North Carolina-based IPP Pine Gate Renewables in June 2025. The US$176 million contract covers four solar PV projects, with deliveries scheduled for the 2026-27 financial year.
Moreover, Waaree Energies also objected to a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) finding that there was “substantial evidence” it had evaded AD/CVD duties on crystalline silicon PV cells from Vietnam and Malaysia. CBP’s June 2026 determination required affected entries to remain suspended or be reclassified pending liquidation instructions.
Separately, the Waaree board has approved the transfer of plant and machinery from its 1GW Tumb facility and 1.11GW Nandigram facility to its manufacturing site at Chikhli in Gujarat, India. The move is intended to consolidate existing module production capacity rather than add 2.11GW of new capacity.
Waaree reported in December 2025 that its total solar module manufacturing capacity in India, including Indosolar, had reached 20.17GW. Its Chikhli operations represented 16.44GW of capacity approved under India’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II. The site also has 5.4GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity.
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.

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N.J. governor signs law allowing portable solar panels for residents  CBS News
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India’s installed power generation capacity is projected to cross 2 TW by 2047, nearly four times current levels, driven by a major expansion in clean energy. Solar power alone is expected to rise from 119 GW to more than 1.1 TW, according to an outlook report by the Energy & Climate Initiatives Society (ENCIS).
The report, titled India’s Power & Energy Transformation Outlook, was released at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, during the inaugural session of Bharat Electricity 2026, a three-day event co-located with POWERGEN India and Indian Utility Week 2026. The event brings together more than 15,000 professionals, over 250 exhibitors and 150 global thought leaders from 40 countries.
“India’s energy transition is now about orchestration, not just expansion. Our next phase will be judged not by the number of gigawatts added, but by whether we build a system that is reliable every hour, affordable for every consumer, flexible under stress, and secure against disruption,” said Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, IAS (Retd), chairperson of the Governing Council for Bharat Electricity, POWERGEN India and Indian Utility Week 2026, and former secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. 
According to the report, non-fossil sources have already reached 53% of India’s 540 GW installed power capacity, five years ahead of target, while peak electricity demand has nearly tripled since 2000 and is forecast to reach 366 GW by 2032, a 34% jump, driven by new loads from data centres, e-mobility, and green hydrogen.
Ghanshyam Prasad, chairperson, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), said, “India is experiencing phenomenal growth in the power sector, with record annual capacity additions and a rapid shift toward clean energy. But it’s not just about adding megawatts; our real challenge now is to build a grid and market architecture that can integrate renewables, storage, and new technologies at scale, ensuring reliability, flexibility, and affordability for a future-ready economy.”
The report further highlights the need to reach 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 while maintaining system reliability. It estimates that grid-scale storage capacity will need to increase about 40-fold to 200 GWh by 2030. 
Ashish Sood, minister of home, power, urban development and education, Government of NCT of Delhi, said, “Delhi’s experience shows that better management, technology, and investment can fundamentally transform the performance of an urban power system. Our grid must always stay ahead of the city’s demand.” 
The report also notes that nationwide smart-meter deployment is projected to reach 250 million units by FY2028. According to the report, this expansion could enable real-time management of up to 90% of consumer demand and help bring average AT&C losses below 10% nationally. While digital reforms have contributed to a reduction in AT&C losses, the distribution segment remains a critical bottleneck, with the report estimating that 44 GW of renewable-energy projects are held up in contractual or financing-related uncertainty.
Shailesh Kumar, minister of Energy, Government of Bihar, said, “As India’s energy landscape evolves, Bihar is ready to partner with industry and international investors, offering land, infrastructure, and policy support to help shape the next chapter of India’s clean energy growth.” 
The report states that coal-based generation will continue to play an important role in maintaining grid stability with plants needed to operate at a minimum technical load of 40% and ramp rates of 3% by 2030. It estimates that India’s power sector will require around $0.5 trillion in investment by 2030, while more than one million additional skilled workers will be needed to support the digitalisation and clean-energy transition.
Major sponsors and participating organisations at the event include Adani, NTPC, Coal India, NLC, Tata Power, ReNew, EDF, Schneider Electric, Toshiba, JSW, Kirloskar Brothers, and others.
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The role of real estate in Australia’s unprecedented energy expansion  jll.com
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Research team (from left SeJin Ahn, Sungjun Hong, and Osigwe Chidingozi Emeka)
Dr. Sungjun Hong testing the performance of the developed technology.
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Newswise — A research team led by Dr. Sungjun Hong of the Photovoltaics Research Department at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) has developed a dual-molecule passivation technology that simultaneously improves the efficiency and stability of inverted perovskite solar cells. The research was conducted in collaboration with Professors Young Seok Park of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) and Professor Kyung-Koo Lee of Kunsan National University.
 Perovskite solar cells are attracting significant attention as a next-generation photovoltaic technology because they are lightweight and relatively easy to manufacture. However, during thin-film fabrication, microscopic defects can form at grain boundaries and surfaces, causing charge carriers to recombine before they can contribute to electricity generation. In particular, inverted perovskite solar cells, which can be fabricated at relatively low temperatures and are therefore advantageous for commercialization, have faced surface defects as a major barrier to further performance improvements.
 To address these defects, conventional approaches have mainly relied on passivation, in which an ultrathin molecular layer is applied to stabilize the perovskite surface. However, because most existing techniques use only a single type of molecule, it has been difficult to simultaneously passivate defects located deep within grain boundaries and those present directly on the surface.
 Moving beyond conventional single-molecule approaches, the research team introduced a dual-molecule strategy that combines two organic molecules with different binding characteristics.
 Similar to filling gaps with two differently shaped building blocks, the researchers first used the smaller PDAI molecule to fill microscopic voids remaining at grain boundaries and stabilize charge-transport pathways. They then applied 4TF molecules, which bond with undercoordinated lead atoms remaining on the perovskite surface. This chemically stabilized the surface and facilitated more efficient charge transport.
 As a result, the newly developed solar cell achieved a power conversion efficiency of 24.6%, significantly higher than that of the untreated control device (21.21%) and the device treated with PDAI alone (23.17%). The researchers also experimentally demonstrated that sequentially applying the two molecules produces complementary effects in defect passivation and surface stabilization, resulting in better performance than using either molecule independently.
 Dr. Hong, who led the study, said, “This technology provides a key fundamental platform for accelerating the commercialization of high-efficiency, flexible solar cells for applications such as building windows, automotive sunroofs, and portable devices.” He added, “We plan to expand its application to a broader range of high-performance next-generation solar cell products and strengthen technological competitiveness in the clean and renewable energy market.”
 The research was supported by KIER’s principal research program and was published online in April 24 in the internationally renowned journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (Impact Factor: 7.8).
Journal Link: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Apr-2026
Credit: KOREA INSTITUTE OF ENERGY RESEARCH
Caption: Solar cell featuring the developed technology
Credit: KOREA INSTITUTE OF ENERGY RESEARCH
Caption: Research team (from left SeJin Ahn, Sungjun Hong, and Osigwe Chidingozi Emeka)
Credit: KOREA INSTITUTE OF ENERGY RESEARCH
Caption: Dr. Sungjun Hong testing the performance of the developed technology.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Apr-2026
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Flow Power brings online new solar-storage hybrids in S Australia  renewablesnow.com
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PLANS to build a £30million solar farm in Port Glasgow have been approved by councillors.
Members of Inverclyde Council’s board voted four to two in favour of granting permission for the Knocknair Renewable Energy Park scheme, despite the recommendation of the authority’s own planning officers that the application should be turned down.
The solar array will be built on land south of Dougliehill Road and east of the B788.
(Image: Inverclyde Council)
The board reached a decision after members paid a visit to the site of Renewco Power’s proposed development.
Councillor Stephen McCabe (Labour, Inverclyde East), who proposed the motion to approve, said: “I thought the site visit helped me to make a more informed decision.”
The 25-megawatt facility will have around 600 solar panels.
(Image: Pexels)
Officials had stated in their report: “The development would introduce extensive energy infrastructure into an area currently characterised by openness and simplicity.
“As a consequence, the proposal would undermine the role of the green belt in protecting the landscape setting and identity of Port Glasgow, erode the environmental quality of the green belt and contribute to the increasing industrialisation of this sensitive upland fringe.”
Only one representation was received from the public on the plans, with the Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce expressing its support.
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They said the development would “strengthen the local economy, create employment opportunities and encourage sustainable economic growth”.
The Chamber also said local businesses would have the capacity to participate in the project’s supply chain and share in the wider economic benefits.
Councillor McCabe told the board’s meeting: “There is no doubt the application will have an impact on the green belt. But the issue, for me, is balancing that against the national imperative to move away from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy generation
“Solar has got to be part of the mix, and we in Inverclyde have to make our contribution.
(Image: Renewco/Inverclyde Council)
“On balance I believe we should grant this with appropriate conditions. I don’t agree it will lead to an industrial landscape.”
Each of the 602 solar panel frames at the development will be mounted about three metres above ground.
The site will also include a distribution network operator brick-built cabin, a user substation and security measures such as fencing and CCTV.
Construction is expected to take around six months.
Councillor Graeme Brooks (Conservative, Inverclyde North) proposed an amendment to refuse the application, saying he agreed with officers’ recommendations, but his bid for refusal was defeated in the final vote.
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Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith accused of defrauding company out of $2.5 million  CBS News
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British bank holiday weekends traditionally contain a number of familiar activities, whether it be going camping only to find the weather turns very wet just after you have pitched your tent, spending way too much time in the pub, or going and getting all the materials for a garden or DIY project but then running out of time to complete the actual job.
But I wonder how many people spent this bank holiday weekend, heading down to Argos to be among the first to buy plug-in solar panels for their home, now they have become legal in the UK? 
Utilising the power of the sun and having some energy independence is hardly a new concept in the UK. I had a school friend whose parents had a solar hot water system back, and I recently saw BBC archive footage from way back in 1975 of a householder who had rigged their own solar hot water system up. The film reported their quarterly bill totalled 10 pence compared to their neighbours’ bills of £12 using electricity and £11 using gas!
Since then, the push was on for hot water and heating to be done by gas, with the focus on photovoltaic cells rather than solar hot water, in this country at least. 
Germany is considered to be the leader in plug-in solar and panels have been a common feature on balconies there since 2019. The technology that is now available here is aimed at groups that have previously been excluded from the installation of rooftop solar, including rented properties and flats.
Whilst the regulations have changed to allow the sale and use of plug-in solar panels, the terminology is slightly misleading, as unless you have had the electrics in your home checked or updated recently, it would be wise to get your electrics checked before making a purchase. 
The charity Electrical Safety First released guidance last week that explained consumer units and the RCD’s (Residual Current Devices) inside need to be suitable for plug-in solar, which when connected essentially runs the electric in the opposite direction. 
So, education is important here to help keep people safe but this development may also provide an opportunity to build knowledge around how energy is generated, and how the energy system works. 
Research undertaken by SEC Newgate on sentiment towards development of solar farms shows a key interaction between awareness, knowledge and communication. In DESNZ Public Attitudes Tracker awareness of renewable energy (self-reported) including solar, is high, but deep knowledge is relatively low outside the younger demographic, people who have studied the subject, or those such as homeowners who have already researched installations for their properties – which leaves a lot of people who will be experiencing the potential benefit of and how solar energy works, for the first time.  
Being able to buy a solar plug-in kit will mean that a lot of people are now more included in making decisions about the generation of energy, many of whom have already done as much as they can to conserve energy but have been excluded from previous self-generation schemes.  
I clearly remember the first round of the UK solar Feed in Tariff (FiT) when it was snapped up by home owners who could afford the initial outlay. These early adopters who signed up from 2010 received a guaranteed tax-free payment for every unit starting at 40 – 50 pence per kWh, with an additional payment for surplus energy sent back to the grid. 
Those who were really quick off the mark and signed up in the first two years got a 25-year guaranteed contract. Meanwhile those without the money and suitable properties to join the scheme were left to pay higher and higher bills, many of whom moved into fuel poverty.
While these off the shelf kits are not going to produce a lot of energy per household, it opens up the opportunity for more people to take some control of some their own energy production and bring bills down, broaden understanding of renewable energy and help in a small way to the energy transition being more equal. 
 
https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/press-and-media/responding-to-the-roll-out-of-plug-in-solar-panels/
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/desnz-public-attitudes-tracker-winter-2025/desnz-public-attitudes-tracker-renewable-energy-winter-2025-uk
https://www.secnewgate.co.uk/sites/default/files/2025-02/SEC%20Newgate%20-%20NSIP%20Research%202025%20digital.pdf
https://www.facebook.com/BBCArchive
 

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10 Jun, 2026, 14:38 CST
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SHANGHAI, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AIKO Energy has announced a series of developments at SNEC 2026 that strengthen its position in the Australian solar market, including multiple distribution MOUs with local partners, recognition as Top Brand PV 2026 Australia by EUPD Research, and arrival to Australia of healthy stocks of 500W – the first solar module in under 2m² at 25% efficiency.
Multiple Distribution MOUs Signed at SNEC 2026

At SNEC 2026 in Shanghai, the world’s largest photovoltaic trade exhibition, AIKO signed multiple memoranda of understanding with Australian distribution partners for its third and fourth generation Neostar 54 cell module series. The agreements are designed to widen access to high efficiency ABC modules across residential and commercial segments, while supporting availability through major states and territories nationwide.
The new generations extend AIKO’s proprietary n-type ABC architecture with further advances in copper electroplating metallisation. By eliminating silver dependency, AIKO is addressing one of the industry’s most persistent supply and cost pressures, while keeping high performance solar more financially accessible for Australian households and businesses. AIKO is the first manufacturer in the world to achieve this at commercial scale, having shipped silver-free ABC modules in gigawatts globally.
On the same occasion, AIKO received the Top Brand PV 2026 Australia designation from EUPD Research, demonstrating its growing strength and recognition in the Australian solar market.
Two years after entering the Australian market, AIKO has established a presence that many solar brands take far longer to build. The company was voted number one Installer Choice on SolarQuotes in its first year on market and now accounts for close to 20% of active monthly solar proposals nationally*, reflecting strong traction with installers and growing recognition among Australian homeowners.
World’s First 500W 25% Efficiency Module Under 2m², Now Available in Australia
First introduced at All Energy Conference last year, the highest power class of AIKO’s third generation Infinite series has now officially arrived in Australia. The Neostar 3P54 delivers 500W at positive power tolerance and 25% module efficiency in a compact 1762 x 1134 mm footprint, making it the world’s first module to achieve this milestone.
This breakthrough is driven by innovations in cell architecture, including Zero Gap and Invisi-Ribbon technology, which maximise active light absorption and bring 93.5% of the module surface into power generation. The result is a significant leap beyond conventional front contact technologies like PERC and TOPCon, setting a new benchmark for residential solar performance.
The significance goes beyond a specification. As Australia’s solar rebate scheme reduces with rising installed capacity, the value of a solar system increasingly comes down to how much energy a fixed roof area can generate over its lifetime. For homeowners, a panel delivering 500W where others deliver 460W to 470W means more usable energy, lower bills, and stronger returns. For installers, it enables higher system capacity per roof, creating a clear point of differentiation in a competitive market and allowing them to win by quality without reducing price.
Triple-Certified for Extreme Australian Conditions
AIKO’s 54-cell Neostar series has this month added cyclone approval to its existing hail and coastal salt mist credentials, completing a triple certification across Australia’s most demanding climate conditions.
Cyclone testing was conducted by Albright Consulting Engineers in Darwin under Australian static wind load methodology, with both the full black and black frame variants independently assessed and each receiving its own verified result confirming structural integrity across wind regions C and D.
On hail, AIKO holds TÜV Rheinland certification to 40 mm, well above the 25 mm IEC industry standard and among the most stringent hail ratings available for a residential solar module. For coastal installations, the ABC Gen 3 modules carry IEC 61701 Salt Mist certification at Severity Level 6, the highest standard, with selected models also achieving Method 8, the most demanding protocol within that standard.
“We test our products to beyond Australian standards because this market expects more than a generic lab result,” said Thomas Bywater, Head of Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia, AIKO Energy. “By testing under Australian conditions and engineering methods, we want to prove that AIKO is ready for the type of roofs, weather conditions, and performance expectations that matter here, and that we are willing to go above and beyond to give installers and homeowners the confidence to choose us.”
Gen 3 500W modules are now available in Australia through AIKO authorised distributors. Pricing and additional information are available at https://s.zoom.us/m/bPFbnL5dh
*OpenSolar data 2026
About AIKO Energy
AIKO is a global, BNEF Tier 1 renewable energy leader renowned for its proprietary high-efficiency ABC (All Back Contact) solar products that combine world‑class efficiency, advanced reliability and premium aesthetics. With more than 190 GW of cumulative cell and module shipments, over 10,000 employees, and more than 1,000 patents, AIKO has built a strong global footprint across residential, commercial, and utility scale solar.
In Australia, AIKO was voted Best Solar Panels in the 2025 SolarQuotes Installers’ Choice Awards and has held the No. 1 commercial module efficiency ranking on TaiyangNews since March 2023.
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PV and ESS maker JA has secured an RMB 700 million cross-border green financing package from Hang Seng Bank, comprising green loans and green guarantee facilities. The financing follows the publication of JA Solar’s Green Financing Framework, which received an independent Second Party Opinion from international consultancy Arup.
The financing will primarily support PV manufacturing and module sales, solar power plant construction and operations, energy storage manufacturing, and overseas business expansion. JA Solar has used the facility to arrange cross-border guarantees in more than 10 countries to deliver overseas projects.
In July, JA disclosed that it plans to convert an existing 72-cell module production line into a 600 MW perovskite tandem module pilot line (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
PV silver powder manufacturer Dongguan City Betterly New Materials Co., Ltd. (Betely) has listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange’s ChiNext board, raising RMB 794.97 million through its IPO for four projects. Of this, RMB 210.12 million will go toward a project with an annual capacity of 500 tons of low-temperature PV paste for HJT, HBC, and perovskite solar cells. The remaining funds will support production base expansion, an R&D and marketing center in Wuxi, and working capital.
Betely’s businesses cover conductive and silicone materials. It reported revenue of RMB 2.273 billion, RMB 2.52 billion, and RMB 3.65 billion in 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively. Net profit attributable to shareholders was RMB 85.63 million, RMB 97.50 million, and RMB 116.05 million, while silver powder sales totaled 298.40 tons, 262.61 tons, and 293.11 tons in the respective years.
PV-related products mainly include silver powder and HJT paste. Combined revenue from the two products accounted for 69.50%, 68.34%, and 72.69% of total revenue in 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively, with silver powder remaining its core business.
Wuhan-based PV cleaning robot manufacturer Virtue World Robot has started mass production of its second-generation handheld intelligent PV cleaning robots at its Honghu Industrial Park in Hubei province. The first batch comprises 220 units, including 20 5.5-meter roller-brush models, 100 5.5-meter disc-brush models, and 100 7.5-meter disc-brush models. Two 7.5-meter models were shipped to a customer in the Philippines the same day.
Designed for operations & maintenance at C&I rooftop and distributed PV plants, the robots support both dry and wet cleaning. They use PBT brushes, brushless motors, and aerospace-grade glass/carbon-fiber composite poles, and are designed to clean irregular arrays, corners, and other hard-to-reach areas.
Solar mounting systems supplier Arctech Solar reported first-half 2026 revenue of RMB 2.91 billion, down 27.88% year-on-year. Net loss attributable to shareholders reached RMB 204 million, while net loss excluding non-recurring items was RMB 211 million, compared with profits on both measures a year earlier.
Arctech attributed the losses mainly to delays in overseas project deliveries and revenue recognition amid developments in the Middle East, higher logistics costs, and foreign-exchange losses from the renminbi’s appreciation.
As of the end of June, Arctech had an order backlog of approximately RMB 8.9 billion, including RMB 7.6 billion for tracking systems and RMB 1.2 billion for fixed-tilt systems.
PV equipment manufacturer Autowell reported first-half 2026 revenue of RMB 2.72 billion, down 19.55% year-on-year. Net profit attributable to shareholders declined 3.11% to RMB 298.04 million, while net profit excluding non-recurring items fell 40.66% to RMB 171.25 million, mainly due to lower PV equipment revenue.
PV equipment revenue dropped 40.47% to RMB 1.59 billion, while lithium-ion battery and energy storage equipment revenue rose 80.81% to RMB 317.80 million. Semiconductor revenue increased 14.54% to RMB 82.48 million.
Autowell had an order backlog of approximately RMB 11.3 billion at the end of June, up 7% year-on-year. The company said persistent PV overcapacity and slower customer capacity expansion continued to weigh on equipment demand.
In April, Autowell reported FY2025 revenue of RMB 6.397 billion, down 30.60% year-on-year (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
TaiyangNews 2024

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Energies Media
Solar panels and frozen lakes don’t belong in the same sentence — at least not in any engineer’s comfort zone. Yet floating solar, a technology that spent years being dismissed as a novelty, has quietly crossed 10 gigawatts of cumulative installed capacity worldwide. Cold climates, however, have remained stubbornly out of reach.
That may be starting to change. A PhD student from Togo, studying electrical engineering at a Canadian university, has been testing a system that sounds almost improvised — and the early results are hard to ignore.
Floating solar PV has had a remarkably fast rise. A decade ago, attaching panels to pontoons and setting them adrift on reservoirs seemed like an engineering curiosity at best. Today it’s a proven segment of the global solar industry, with an estimated 1.5 to 2 gigawatts installed in 2025 alone — enough to push cumulative worldwide capacity past 10 GW.
The technology earned that growth. Early proponents argued that water bodies cool the panels, boosting efficiency, while the panels themselves reduce evaporation from reservoirs. Both benefits proved real, and investors followed.
But floating solar grew up in warm climates. The engineering assumptions baked into standard systems — plastic pontoon bases, no insulation, no ice management — reflect that origin. Cold regions were largely left out of the picture. The panels can’t float if the water beneath them turns solid, and temperatures that might seem panel-friendly actually create a different set of efficiency problems. Nobody had built a system specifically designed to handle all of that. Until recently.
Koami Soulemane Hayibo grew up in Togo and is now pursuing a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Western University in Canada. His research focuses on a deceptively simple question: can floating solar actually work in a country where lakes freeze?
His answer involves two components that, on paper, sound almost too low-tech. He replaced standard plastic pontoon bases with polyethylene foam slabs. The panels sit on these slabs and float roughly one centimeter above the water surface — a small gap that matters more than it might seem. The foam provides built-in thermal insulation, keeping panels from shedding the heat they need to stay efficient when temperatures drop.
In warm climates, water cooling is an asset. In cold climates, it works against you. The foam addresses that directly.
The second component is an air bubbler system integrated beneath the panels. It pushes air through the water to prevent ice from forming under the floating array. The energy required to run the bubblers is minimal, which matters enormously for the economics — a solution that burns significant power to solve a cold-weather problem would undercut the whole point of generating solar energy in the first place. Together, these two elements form a system designed from the ground up for cold-climate conditions, not adapted from a warm-climate template.
The results, published in the journal Applied Energy, gave Hayibo and his co-authors something concrete to work with. Foam-based floating PV generated more energy annually compared to conventional floating PV models when evaluated under cold-climate conditions. That advantage wasn’t incidental — the researchers linked it directly to more accurate temperature modeling, which they identified as a gap in existing floating solar research.
The study also documented a water conservation benefit: the panels reduced evaporation from the water bodies they covered, a co-benefit observed in warm-climate floating solar before, now confirmed in cold-climate contexts as well.
The finding that co-author Joshua M. Pearce flagged as most significant was economic. “The foam-based FPV was economic while solving the issue of FPV in cold climates,” Pearce told pv magazine. Technical functionality matters, but a system that works yet costs too much to deploy at scale doesn’t move the needle. Economic viability is what separates a promising prototype from a potential product.
Small-scale research success is not the same as commercial viability. That’s not a criticism of the work — it’s the honest gap between a promising finding and a technology that shows up on a project bid.
The researchers are clear-eyed about this. Their own conclusion frames the findings as “a solid foundation for future research at larger scales and across diverse water bodies.” Measured, appropriate language. It doesn’t oversell what’s been demonstrated so far.
The floating solar industry has navigated this gap before, though. Early floating PV faced genuine skepticism — anchoring solar arrays to water surfaces struck many observers as impractical. The technology proved them wrong, one installation at a time, until the economics became undeniable.
Whether foam-and-bubbler systems follow the same arc depends on factors the research can’t yet answer: how the materials hold up over years of freeze-thaw cycles, how installation and maintenance costs scale at larger deployments, and whether manufacturers see a market in cold-climate regions large enough to justify investment in production.
Those are the questions worth watching. Cold-climate countries — Canada, Scandinavia, parts of Central Asia — represent significant untapped potential for floating solar. If Hayibo’s system proves itself at larger scales, it could open a geography the floating solar industry has essentially written off. That’s not a small thing.
The full study is available here: Hayibo, K. S., Rahman, M. M., & Pearce, J. M. (2026). Design and thermal-energy performance analysis of foam-based floating photovoltaic systems in a cold climate: experimental results from a 7 kW floatovoltaics in Canada. Applied Energy, 420, 128159.
Carlos is an engineer with strong expertise in technical and industrial topics. He previously worked at international companies such as Siemens and is multilingual.
Carlos is an engineer with strong expertise in technical and industrial topics. He previously worked at international companies such as Siemens and is multilingual.
Carlos is an engineer with strong expertise in technical and industrial topics. He previously worked at international companies such as Siemens and is multilingual.

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Once installed, the solar panel systems will power appliances such as fridges and TVs before they need to pull energy from the grid.
September 2, 2026
Octopus Energy, a UK-based energy company, has begun to release plug-in solar systems – the first “major supplier” to roll out the new tech.
The news follows regulatory updates from the UK government on 27 August. Under the new rules, households are now able to plug solar panels into their homes via a three-pin plug, up to 800W in capacity. With rooftop solar accounting for seven out of ten installations in the UK during July, the government is pushing to increase the rollout of residential solar.
Plug-in solar systems, including the kits from Octopus, consist of one or several compact PV panels. Once set up in a sunny area of a residence (such as an outdoor garden or shed), the panels can be plugged into a weatherproof outdoor socket.
Once installed, household appliances and lights will use generated solar energy before pulling from the grid. These appliances include goods such as fridges, TVs, and WiFi routers. However, they will not be able to power heavy gear simultaneously, including electric showers, ovens, and EV chargers.
Related:Plug-in solar is legally available in major UK retail stores
As the panels are both mains-powered and portable, the plug-in systems allow renters, flat-owners, and households without suitable roofs to benefit from solar energy. The benefits could also include reduced costs. According to Octopus, households using plug-in kits could see savings of up to £150 – depending on sunlight levels and individual energy use.
The kits are fitted with a standard UK three-pin plug and a 5m cable. This will enable households to plug the panels into their pre-existing mains sockets, as an alternative to rooftop panels which require specialist installation.
“Britons love solar – generate your own green power, slash bills, and get energy independent, what’s not to love,” said Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, chief product and marketing officer at Octopus.
“But you shouldn't need a roof to tap into the savings. Plug-in solar democratises cheaper energy, making sure everyone can shrink their bill while helping build a greener grid.”
The company’s system will start at £450 per solar kit, and customers will choose a setup that includes either one or two panels. Octopus additionally explained that customers with a two-panel system could pair it with a smart export tariff. In doing so, they could potentially repay the panels’ cost within five and a half years.
In its announcement, Octopus said that its plug-in solar panels will also be added to its upcoming Nook Cube plug-in home battery, which will be launching in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain in 2027.
Related:British households earn £100 million from solar in past year, Octopus says
Read more about:
Catie Owen
Contributing writer
Since 2019, Catie has been writing news, interviews, client content and editing magazines. In recent years, her interest in sustainability has led her to pursue renewable energy as her primary beat. Having written primarily about solar energy and storage, Catie also enjoys covering the positive human impact of renewable technology.
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Canadian Solar’s quarterly battery storage shipments increased 73% year-on-year, with 3.7GWh delivered in the second quarter of 2026.
The Ontario-headquartered vertically integrated solar PV and battery energy storage system (BESS) manufacturer released its Q2 2026 financial results for the three-month period ending 30 June, last week (27 August). In the same period of 2025, it shipped 2.2GWh of battery storage.
Its BESS subsidiary, e-STORAGE, generated US$426 million revenue during the quarter and its contracted backlog at the end of the period stood at US$3.5 billion. E-STORAGE has 34GWh of operating projects contracted under long-term service agreements (LTSAs). Of the 3.7GWh shipped during the quarter, 471MWh went to Canadian Solar internal projects, with revenue recognised from the remaining 3.3GWh.
While Canadian Solar’s PV module shipments fell 60% year-on-year to 3.1GW, the lowest since Q2 2020, when it shipped 2.9GW of modules mid-pandemic, battery energy storage system (BESS) shipments surged.
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You can read coverage of Canadian Solar’s results focused on the solar PV side of the business over at PV Tech, which notes that the company expects an increase in solar module shipments in Q3 as it ramps up its PV manufacturing capacity significantly, particularly in the US through 2026.
Q2 2026 net revenues stood at US$1.2 billion, at the high end of previously offered guidance of US$1 billion to US$1.2 billion. This was a sequential increase of 12% from the previous quarter, but 29% less than Q2 2025’s US$1.7 billion.
Meanwhile, gross margin was 13.9%, less than half the 29.8% reported a year previously for Q2 2025. Canadian Solar posted a net loss of US$77 million for the quarter.
The company offered guidance for Q3 shipments, forecasting 3.5GW to 3.8GW of solar PV module shipments and between 3.4GWh and 3.8GWh of battery storage shipments, revenue between US$1.3 billion – US$1.5 billion and a 13.5% – 15.5% gross margin.   
It also gave full-year 2026 guidance, limited only to expected module and BESS shipments to the US market: Canadian Solar expects to ship between 6.5GW and 7GW of PV modules in the US this year and between 4.5GWh and 5.5GWh of BESS.
While Canadian Solar essentially has two businesses: CSI Solar, its manufacturing arm (of which e-STORAGE is a subsidiary) and Recurrent Energy, its project development arm, almost all the company’s revenues come from manufacturing.
Recurrent Energy’s revenue for the quarter was US$117 million, with a gross profit of US$36 million and gross profit margin of 30.7%. Recurrent Energy also racked up an operating loss of US$19 million in Q2.
In addition to about 6GW of solar PV projects in construction and 15.5GW in its opportunities pipeline across North America, EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions, Recurrent Energy is currently building 600MWh of BESS projects in North America, has a backlog of 4,378MWh, an advanced pipeline of 7,841MWh for which grid interconnection has been secured and an early-stage pipeline of 71,238MWh.  
The results release is the first since founder and CEO Dr Shawn Qu stepped down to make way for successor Colin Parkin. Parkin, whom Qu introduced in a Q1 2026 results earnings call, was previously the head of e-STORAGE, and Qu has now taken up new roles as Canadian Solar’s chairman and chief technology officer (CTO).  
“During the quarter, shipments within our Manufacturing segment were in line with expectations, with slight operational outperformance in battery energy storage, as we continue to navigate global macroeconomic uncertainties with agility,” Parkin said of the latest results.
Parkin said in an earnings call to discuss results that manufacturing, the key driver of Canadian Solar’s financial performance, “is also where our strategic priorities lie.” That includes an energy storage business that the CEO claimed “is scaling rapidly and executing well globally,” with deliveries during the quarter to projects in North America, EMEA, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
Manufacturing, responsible for US$1.1 billion of quarterly revenues, saw US$131 million gross profit with a 11.9% gross margin. It made an operating loss of US$49 million, which CEO Parkin said was due to “higher unit shipping costs and ramp-up expenses.”
Parkin talked up the company’s vertical integration as a strategic advantage in the battery storage market, claiming that Canadian Solar’s “market value extends well beyond supplying battery containers.”
“We produce our own battery cells, design the SolBank platform, integrate the power conversion and proprietary energy management controls and deliver full EPC and commissioning services and provide ongoing support through long-term service agreements,” Parkin said.
“This end-to-end full-stack model offers customers a single accountable partner while supplying us with real-world operating data to refine future solutions.”
Canadian Solar began transitioning in 2023 from a former white-label business model to manufacturing its own BESS, including cells.
On the earnings call, executive chairman and CTO Shawn Qu outlined progress and the trajectory of the company’s solar PV and energy storage technology roadmap.
In solar, Canadian Solar is focused on mass production and optimisation of its next-generation heterojunction (HJT) and TOPCon cell architectures through 2028. It expects to begin mass production of premium Tunnel Oxide Passivated Back Contact (TBC) architecture cells to begin in 2028, aimed primarily at the residential market, while perovskite tandem cells targeted for commercial shipment in 2030 could “break through the 30% module efficiency area,” as Qu called it, “our ultimate efficiency frontier.”
In energy storage, Canadian Solar is “exploring” solid-state transformers at 2.5MW, 34.5kV AC to 800V DC solution with over 98.5% conversion efficiency that could potentially replace power conversion system (PCS) units and integrate directly into the BESS platform, Qu said.
This could enable BESS to serve long-duration energy storage (LDES) applications and meet harsh environmental requirements at a lower levelised cost of storage (LCOS), the CTO claimed.
Alongside the current SolBank 3.0 lithium iron phosphate (LFP) BESS, which delivers 5MWh of capacity in a standard 20-foot enclosure using 314Ah cells, e-STORAGE will begin shipping the next iteration in 2027.
SolBank 4.0 increases energy density by 25%, featuring 6.25MWh of storage in the same 20-foot containerised form factor using 588Ah LFP cells.
Qu said Canadian Solar has scaled its power electronics “in tandem” with the growth of the battery systems, transitioning to a new liquid-cooled medium voltage (MV) skid from the company’s current air-cooled version. Skid 2.0 integrates 32x 450kW inverters to put 14.4MW in a 40-foot layout.
In addition, the company is “actively validating” its new sodium-ion (Na-ion) containerised BESS platform, SolBank Na, which Qu claimed will eventually deliver an “exceptional” cycle life of over 15,000 cycles.
The former CEO also talked up sodium-ion’s potential advantages, including abundant raw materials used in production, simplified cooling requirements and reduced thermal runaway risk versus lithium.  
Elsewhere, Canadian Solar’s energy storage technology roadmap also includes a high-capacity product designed for deployment in AI data centre server rooms “to deliver millisecond-scale energy management solutions,” Qu said.
“Ultimately, unifying these solar and storage development advances our vision of Canadian Solar as a total energy technologies provider.”  
Conference call transcription by The Motley Fool.

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While transitioning from silver to base metals like copper in solar panels presents manufacturers with significant advantages in cost and availability, new research suggests it could potentially decrease the future economic viability of recycling end-of-life PV modules.
Researchers from the University of New South Wales, Poland’s Gdansk University of Technology and the Polish Academy of Sciences, have analysed the material composition of diverse solar panels in the Australian market as part of efforts to better understand the profitability of recycling processes for the growing PV waste stream in Australia and similar markets.
“There is still a lack of comprehensive, experimentally derived data on the material composition of diverse photovoltaic panels in the Australian market,” the researchers said. “This paper addresses this gap by providing a detailed characterisation analysis of 12 different PV panels from various manufacturers.”
The study shows that despite variability in material composition across the different panels, the key components – including aluminium, glass, EVA (copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate) laminate, and solar cells – are all recyclable and meet raw material production requirements.
The researchers said the study also reveals potential barriers for future recycling with the variability between panels produced by different manufacturers posing a threat to effective commercial recycling processes.
Among the issues highlighted is the significant variance in solar cell composition with a reduction of silver content in newer panels. The copper content also varied depending on the cell technology of the panel.
“A consistent year-on-year decline in silver content was observed in solar panels, signalling potential decreases in economic revenue for recyclers,” the researchers said, adding that “this trend warns recyclers of potential decreases in future economic revenue, as silver comprises up to 47% of a panel’s recoverable value.”
The study also shows that the recyclability of each of the components depends heavily on the composition with both aluminium and glass being reduced in value as a result of contamination with various impurities. 
The research team said that while the glass can be recycled, there was obvious variability among the samples with the potential to significantly decrease the recyclability.
“As a result, the only option for recycling the glass in these cases may be downcycling the glass into concrete, aggregates and road base materials …severely diminishing the value of the glass,” they said.
The findings show that up to 98.3% of aluminium frames are suitable for recycling but warned that surface coatings containing high amounts of sulphur decrease purity and economic value.
The researchers said the findings of the study could be used to inform policy development, optimise recycling strategies, and better forecast the economic viability of recycling processes for the growing PV waste stream in Australia and similar markets.
Management of end-of-life solar modules is a significant issue in Australia with an estimated 4 million panels being decommissioned each year. Government analysis shows only 17% of those panels are currently being recycled and forecasts that the waste stream will increase to more than 90,000 tonnes annually by 2030, and a cumulative 1 million tonnes by 2035.
The study, Beyond assumptions: Experimental characterization of end-of-life photovoltaic panels composition for recycling in Australia, was published in ScienceDirect.
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SAEL has secured 1 GWp solar module supply orders, including 585.8 MWp for NTPC REL’s Chitrakoot project in Uttar Pradesh.
September 02, 2026. By EI News Network
Renewable energy company SAEL Industries’ wholly owned subsidiary SAEL Solar P6 Pvt. Ltd. has secured solar photovoltaic (PV) module supply orders totaling 1 GWp over the past six months, covering projects in domestic and international markets.
The company will supply N type TOPCon solar modules for the contracted projects. The order book includes a 585.8 MWp module supply requirement from NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd. for its Chitrakoot solar PV project in Uttar Pradesh.
The remaining domestic orders cover utility scale solar projects in Gujarat and other parts of Uttar Pradesh.
SAEL’s solar PV modules are listed under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), which is required for deployment in government and government assisted solar projects.
The company has operations spanning utility scale solar power generation, solar PV module manufacturing and agri waste to energy. As of September 30, 2025, SAEL had a contracted and awarded portfolio of 8,299 MWp of solar and storage capacity, along with 3,625 MW of TOPCon module manufacturing capacity and 164.9 MW of agri waste to energy capacity.
SAEL is also developing an integrated solar manufacturing facility at Greater Noida’s Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, comprising 5 GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity and a 5 GW solar module manufacturing line. The facility is currently under construction.

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Shera Energy’s Naseem Sheikh Says Energy Transition to Boost Demand for Copper, Aluminium

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The European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have approved the investment program for a €2 billion ($2.3 billion) Islands Decarbonization Fund established specifically for Greece.
The Islands Decarbonization Fund is a financing framework developed jointly by the Greek government, the European Commission and the EIB. It will finance electricity interconnections between the Greek islands and the mainland grid, as well as clean energy, energy storage and electric mobility projects on the islands.
Greece’s Ministry of Environment and Energy said in a press release that the approved investment program includes projects and initiatives totaling about €2.3 billion.
The fund will be financed through the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The ministry said its “resources are currently estimated at approximately €2 billion, based on current emission allowance prices within the European Union Emissions Trading System. The total volume of resources will depend on the evolution of allowance prices during the Fund’s operational period.”
The approved investment program is divided into four categories.
Around €1.1 billion will be allocated to electricity interconnections and related energy infrastructure in the Dodecanese, the Cyclades and the islands of the northeastern Aegean.
Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) said last week that the electricity interconnection between the mainland and the island of Kos has entered the construction phase. IPTO awarded a contract for the design, supply and installation of the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable system between Corinth, on the mainland, and Kos to Fulgor, a subsidiary of Hellenic Cables.
The second category of the Islands Decarbonization Fund comprises €977 million for renewable energy and energy storage projects. The ministry said the investment plan will place particular emphasis on the installation of self-consumption PV systems at homes, hotels, restaurants, shops, offices, hospitals, care facilities, schools, public buildings and agricultural facilities.
Another €200 million will be invested in multipurpose dams and reservoirs, while the program’s fourth category allocates €56 million to electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
“These investments will play a decisive role in reducing the carbon footprint of the Greek islands, strengthening their energy autonomy and security, and accelerating the green transition of island Greece,” the ministry said.
One of Greece’s most pressing energy and environmental challenges is the continued reliance of many of its islands on diesel-fired power generation. Diesel generation is also costly, with the expense ultimately shared among electricity consumers across Greece.
The ministry has acknowledged the issue, saying that combining new electricity interconnections with island-based renewable energy and storage projects can reduce the operation of oil-fired power plants and bolster the flexibility of the electricity system.
It added that it is now working with other Greek institutions on detailed project planning for the €2 billion program.
In recent years, Greece has implemented a range of clean energy projects on its islands, often using different technological and business models.
On Tilos, for example, a privately owned hybrid power plant combines solar PV, wind power and energy storage. The project covers more than half of the island’s annual electricity demand.
Halki, by contrast, has a PV plant that operates under a net-metering model and provides local residents with solar electricity. The plant was donated to the island by private sponsors.
Other islands, including Astypalaia and Agios Efstratios, are pursuing different clean energy models. The next question is which approaches Greece will prioritize through the Islands Decarbonization Fund and how it will use the program to support projects capable of delivering lasting reductions in fossil fuel consumption on its islands.
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Our special edition for Intersolar South America 2026 is here!
Discover the latest insights into the Brazilian solar market – in Portuguese.
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
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.
pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand.
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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Square Roots Farm is looking to install solar arrays to generate power and provide shade for its livestock.
At the Planning Board's August meeting, farm owner Michael Gallagher, Steve McDonough of BlueWave Solar, and project manager Andrew Hamel with Weston and Sampson explained the solar power system layout and answered any questions before they submitted a formal application.
"For us, this project really makes so much sense with the kind of farming that we're already doing," said Gallagher. "If somebody had told us they would come and just put up shade structures just for us, just for the cows, that would have been a good deal on its own, even if there was no energy generation or anything else that went with it. Just for this first shade, in terms of the benefit for the cows and the chickens and for the forages, like that would have been a quick deal on its own. So really, this is really going to let us do a lot of the same things that we're already doing, but better."
"We can pull our chicken pens right up next to the rows, just like we do now," continued Gallagher. "We move them every day through the pasture. We can do that right between the rows of panels. The cows can graze under them. They're on like heavy I-beams, so if the cows want to rub and scratch on them, they can do that all day long."
He said the solar will not affect his farming in any way, but it will be adding to the farming as it will generate energy.
Hamel explained the rows are oriented north to south and the panels track east to west during the day while going into a flat "stow mode" at night. The project will cover 19 acres of the farm's 33, with 6,020 panels spread across two fields, generating 3,973.2 kilowatt direct currents (kWDC). He also said the arrays will be bounded by woven wire fences and a separate fence will surround the energy pad. 
Gallagher said the farm already has a 10 kW solar array so any power generated would go directly back into the grid. According to BlueWave, it could produce energy for 800 to 900 homes, offsetting the annual consumption.
He said depending on permitting processing if they were permitted by March it could take four to six months to complete.
Planning Board member Audra Ladd asked what the array would look like from Old Cheshire Road.
While they don't have a configuration, the applicants said they have one drawn up but added that the array will most likely be at least 50 feet from the road. Hamel said they will verify with zoning bylaws to make sure they are in compliance. 
It was also mentioned that part of the farm coincides with the Mount Greylock Scenic Viewshed and the town has a bylaw banning solar arrays from the scenic area. This could stop the project and Blue Wave asked for the best path forward before submitting a formal application to the board. The board will clarify with the town counsel on how best to go about that situation.
The town's consulting planner Andrew Groff mentioned that recent state zoning amendments changed the variance standard from "substantial hardship" to more flexible "practical difficulty" which may offer a variance path if scenic-route bylaw creates a practical difficulty for them.
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of people gathered downtown on Monday to remember those lost to overdose and work toward a future of zero deaths from substance use disorder. 

The Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative and its partners held a proclamation reading and flag-raising at City Hall, followed by a standout in Park Square with signs promoting the use of naloxone, harm reduction, and reducing associated stigma. 

There were 23 fatal overdoses in Berkshire County in 2025, 11 in Pittsfield. This is down 44 percent from the 41 countywide fatalities in 2024. 

While it is a significant decrease, advocates want to see that number at zero. 

"On the one hand, we're very pleased to see this significant of a decrease. This is actually the lowest number that we've had since [Department of Public Health] started collecting these numbers in 2013, but the goal is still zero," said Andy Ottoson, public health planner with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. 

August is International Overdose Awareness Month, the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those lost without stigma, and acknowledge the grief of families and friends left behind. September is National Recovery Month, a national observance to educate the public on the importance of substance use treatment and mental health services.

Samantha Kendall of Berkshire Harm Reduction explained that it is truly meeting people where they are, as they are, and when they are, "and I think we all do a really great job at that."

"We also want to remember that we're building a community for everybody, and systems and policies for everybody. That's really important in harm reduction work, so that's also the reason we're here today," she said. 
Square Roots Farm is looking to install solar arrays to generate power and provide shade for its livestock. click for more
That noise you’re hearing coming out of Pittsfield? It’s the howlin’ and hootin’ and seismic sounds from the crowd of people who packed the Barrington Stage Company’s Boyd-Quinson Theater on Wednesday afternoon to catch the matinee of “Noises Off.” click for more
Chili’s is struggling to find a tenant who will take over the lease and purchase its liquor license at 555 Hubbard Ave. after closing two years ago. click for more
Dozens of people gathered downtown on Monday to remember those lost to overdose and work toward a future of zero deaths from substance use disorder. click for more
For many students, kindergarten is their first experience in a school setting and the beginning of ongoing growth and change throughout their lives. click for more
A handful of residents have reported people who speed down their road making them feel unsafe to walk or pull out of their driveways as they are unsure who might be coming down the road and at what speed. click for more
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UNSW researchers secure major share of record government investment in solar  UNSW Sydney
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SteelX Solar Power Brings Midsummer’s Integrated Solar Roofs to the North American Market  AZoM
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One less barrier for farmers who want to cover fields with solar panels  Yahoo
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Energies Media
Somewhere in West Texas, 3,000 sheep graze beneath thousands of solar panels across 8,000 acres—land that once yielded cotton until consecutive years of severe losses made traditional farming impossible. For Chad Raines, installing solar arrays didn’t destroy his agricultural livelihood; it rescued it.
Yet across rural America, as utility-scale clean energy projects expand rapidly, an intense battle is unfolding over the future of working land. Critics argue that leasing fields to energy developers quietly undermines national food security.
This raises a pressing question for the heartland: is clean energy actively destroying American farming, or is an entirely different threat responsible?
Chad Raines inherited his Texas cotton farm in 2008 with high hopes for economic stability. After a single profitable season, eleven straight years of crippling drought and market losses forced his operation deep into debt.
His turnaround came through an innovative partnership combining solar arrays and livestock grazing. Today, Raines manages 3,000 sheep across 8,000 acres beneath solar panels. Solar developers pay him to control vegetation, allowing his flock to forage while keeping grass away from equipment.
This dual-use practice, known as agrivoltaics, transformed his near-bankrupt farm into a viable, cash-flowing operation. Raines reflects a rising trend of American producers who view renewable leases not as the end of agriculture, but as a critical economic lifeline.
Despite these local successes, clean energy expansion on agricultural ground faces federal opposition. In August 2025, the USDA restricted funding for loan programs supporting farmland solar, citing concerns over rising property values.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated that prime farmland should not be replaced by subsidized energy installations, claiming solar development makes land unaffordable for young, working farmers.
Consequently, programs like the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)—which helps small agricultural businesses finance modest clean energy installations—have seen funding streams frozen. Critics of the policy point out that small-scale, on-farm panels rarely displace prime cropland, yet they remain caught in the broad legislative rollback.
While solar installations spark vocal political debates, land-use data reveals a starkly different reality regarding loss of agricultural ground. The primary driver removing American fields from production isn’t energy development—it is relentless urban sprawl.
Jeff Risley of the Renewable Energy Farmers of America notes that commercial construction, housing developments, and strip malls permanently destroy soil capacity. Once paved, agricultural land is lost forever.
In contrast, standard solar leases span 30 to 40 years, after which equipment can be decommissioned and the soil restored.
While the American Farmland Trust estimates that up to 83% of new solar builds could touch agricultural property, this total footprint accounts for less than 2% of total U.S. cropland over the coming decades—a fraction of the acreage lost to suburban expansion.
Statistical reality does not always ease local anxieties. In upstate New York, Alex Fasulo bought property in Fort Edward seeking scenic open land and traditional farming vistas.
When Canadian developer Boralex proposed a 530-acre solar installation nearby, she launched a public awareness campaign that quickly gained 650,000 social media followers. Fasulo’s resistance highlights a deep cultural divide: residents feel industrial energy infrastructure destroys rural identity.
Industry leaders recognize this tension, noting that high-density Eastern towns react far differently to utility development than vast, isolated West Texas tracts.
To bridge this divide, developers are increasingly turning to community benefit agreements—legally binding contracts that funnel solar revenue into local infrastructure, fire departments, and public services.
The shift toward agricultural solar carries major economic and environmental stakes. A report from the Rural Climate Partnership indicates that rural America—housing under 20% of the population—produces 38% of total U.S. carbon emissions, with agricultural operations contributing 10.5%.
Integrating clean energy into farm country provides a workable path to lower emissions while diversifying income for struggling family farms. Ultimately, blocking solar leases does not save small farms; it strips away one of their few reliable revenue streams.
The debate over solar arrays often obscures the real culprit behind the decline of rural agriculture. The ultimate answer is that solar development isn’t destroying American farmland—it is actually subsidizing its survival against corporate consolidation, climate volatility, and permanent suburban sprawl.
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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The government of Niger has signed a public private partnership agreement with Niger Electricity Power Production (NEPP) for the development of a 200 MW solar photovoltaic plant with battery energy storage in Niamey.
The project represents an investment of 126.1 billion CFA francs, equivalent to approximately US$205 million to US$225 million, and is expected to become an important addition to Niger’s electricity generation capacity.
The project will be implemented under a 20 year Build, Operate and Transfer concession. Construction and financial mobilisation are expected to take approximately 24 months.
Once operational, the solar facility will sell its electricity directly to Niger’s state owned utility, Société Nigérienne d’Électricité (NIGELEC), at a contracted tariff of 35 CFA francs per kWh, equivalent to about 6.2 US cents per kWh.
The inclusion of battery energy storage is expected to strengthen the reliability and flexibility of the project by allowing electricity generated during periods of strong solar irradiation to be stored and dispatched when required. This is particularly important for Niamey, where electricity shortages and supply interruptions remain a significant challenge.
The project is also intended to reduce Niger’s dependence on imported electricity, particularly supplies from neighbouring Nigeria. Increasing domestic generation capacity is a key priority as the country seeks to improve energy security and meet rising electricity demand.
At the end of the 20 year concession, ownership of the facility will be transferred to the Nigerien state.
The project forms part of Niger’s longer term strategy to increase the contribution of renewable energy to its electricity mix. The country is targeting a 30% share of renewable energy, primarily solar and wind, by 2030.
With abundant solar resources and persistent electricity supply constraints, the development of large scale solar generation combined with battery storage could play an increasingly important role in strengthening Niger’s power system and reducing its exposure to imported electricity.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal






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UNSW Sydney academics have been awarded $64.8 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for 12 different solar projects.
Researchers from UNSW’s Engineering and Science faculties have been granted the bulk of a $105.6 million investment by ARENA in Australia’s next wave of solar innovation.
ARENA almost doubled its grant allocation for Ultra Low-Cost Solar PV Research due to the high quality of applications it received. It marks the organisation’s largest single investment in solar photovoltaic research.
The UNSW projects, 12 of the 20 to receive funding, include improving silicon solar modules so they last longer, improving the efficiency of solar cells, developing materials to improve the cost and efficiency of solar panels and better monitoring of solar farms.
Professor Bronwyn Fox, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, said UNSW had long been at the forefront of solar research and that these grants would provide a huge boost to a wide range of significant projects driving the future of solar energy.
“Ever since UNSW’s pioneering work developing high-efficiency silicon solar cells 50 years ago, the University has been a leader in solar energy research,” Prof Fox said.
“UNSW is thrilled to partner with ARENA on these 12 projects which continue to build on this strength and help drive the development of more affordable solar technology.”
Eleven of the projects are attached to UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, with one from the School of Chemistry.
UNSW Dean of Engineering, Professor Julien Epps,said: “This funding enables some of the leading experts worldwide in solar photovoltaics to work hand-in-hand with industry to drive forward innovative research and development that is pivotal to the energy transition and pivotal to climate change mitigation.”
The successful projects from UNSW are:
Lower-temperature connections for advanced solar panels
Making silicon solar panels more efficient and durable
Testing next-generation solar panels in real-world conditions
Improving solar panel durability in Australian conditions
Making perovskite-silicon solar panels more efficient and reliable
Using AI and advanced manufacturing to improve tandem solar panels
Developing more efficient and affordable tandem solar cells
Using AI to discover new solar materials
Developing new materials to make silicon solar cells more efficient
Designing solar panels for specific sites to reduce costs
Using AI to improve solar farm operations
Using daylight imaging to detect solar panel problems
ARENA acting CEO Chris Faris said the projects would help ensure Australia remained at the forefront of solar innovation while addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the renewable energy industry.
“Australia has played a leading role in the development of solar technology, and these projects will help ensure we continue to strengthen that position,” Mr Faris said.
“The portfolio brings together a mix of near-term improvements and breakthrough technologies that have the potential to lower costs, improve performance and accelerate the deployment of solar energy both in Australia and around the world.
“Achieving ultra low-cost solar requires innovation across the entire value chain. From the solar cells and modules themselves through to the way solar farms are built, operated and maintained, these projects will help unlock practical solutions that support a faster, more affordable energy transition.”
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China’s photovoltaic power capacity overtakes coal-fired power for first time  Belt and Road Portal
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A heteroatom additive boosts efficiency and longevity of tin perovskite solar cells  Nanowerk
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Huge new solar farm in south Lancaster will provide plenty of clean energy  lancasterguardian.co.uk
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FILE – Workers walk through a swamp to install electric transmission towers for the Adani Renewable Energy Park near Khavda, Bhuj district, near the India-Pakistan border in the western state of Gujarat, India, Sept. 21, 2023.
FILE – Workers install solar panels at the under-construction Adani Green Energy Limited’s Renewable Energy Park in the salt desert of Karim Shahi village, near Khavda, Bhuj district near the India-Pakistan border in the western state of Gujarat, India, Sept. 21, 2023.
FILE – A motorcyclist ride past wind turbines, an Adani Group project, near Sadla village in Surendranagar district of Gujarat state, India, March 20, 2023.
FILE – Team leader K. Sridhar, center, closes the doors after a routine check of lithium-ion batteries of 500-kilowatt battery energy storage system in Thiruvallur District, on the outskirts of Chennai, India, July16, 2024.

FILE – Workers walk through a swamp to install electric transmission towers for the Adani Renewable Energy Park near Khavda, Bhuj district, near the India-Pakistan border in the western state of Gujarat, India, Sept. 21, 2023.
FILE – Workers install solar panels at the under-construction Adani Green Energy Limited’s Renewable Energy Park in the salt desert of Karim Shahi village, near Khavda, Bhuj district near the India-Pakistan border in the western state of Gujarat, India, Sept. 21, 2023.
FILE – A motorcyclist ride past wind turbines, an Adani Group project, near Sadla village in Surendranagar district of Gujarat state, India, March 20, 2023.
FILE – Team leader K. Sridhar, center, closes the doors after a routine check of lithium-ion batteries of 500-kilowatt battery energy storage system in Thiruvallur District, on the outskirts of Chennai, India, July16, 2024.
BENGALURU, India (AP) — When India’s power demand surged at the height of summer, the country struggled to meet evening needs as air conditioners ran longer amid hotter nights. Despite this demand, some renewable energy providers were told to limit their output because the country had more clean electricity available than its grid could safely handle.
In the last 15 months, India curtailed nearly 11 terawatt-hours of solar generation — enough electricity to power about 10 million homes, according to government data and research by energy think tank Ember. That solar power went unused even as extreme heat and poor monsoon rains drove up demand for power in India for cooling and pumping groundwater for agriculture.
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Gov. Mikie Sherrill was elected in large part on one word: affordability.
Few issues better illustrated that campaign promise than New Jersey's skyrocketing electric bills.
Sherrill promised action. She promised to stabilize rates. She signed executive orders on her first day in office declaring an energy affordability emergency and directing state regulators to freeze certain rate increases.
Yet, more than seven months into her administration, New Jersey families are still waiting for the affordability part.
To be fair, Sherrill has taken action.
Her administration provided a $25 universal bill credit this summer, with additional assistance for some lower- and moderate-income households. She has signed legislation targeting utility costs and requiring data centers to shoulder more of the costs they impose on the electric grid.
The administration says its broader energy policies will ultimately save New Jersey ratepayers $1 billion annually.
Maybe they will.
But "ultimately" doesn't pay this month's electric bill.
And despite all the talk about freezing rates, utilities can still seek increases. JCP&L, for example, recently filed for an 8.8% increase in distribution rates that, if approved, would take effect in 2028.
That doesn't sound much like a freeze.
Which brings us to Tuesday's rather curious event in Trenton.
Sherrill signed the Garden State Balcony Solar Act, allowing residents to install small plug-in solar systems without the usual utility approvals or municipal permits.
It's actually an interesting idea.
These systems can be placed on balconies or in backyards and plugged into a standard household outlet. Sherrill says they could shave as much as $50 a month off a typical electric bill.
There's just one little catch.
You have to buy the solar panels.
Systems can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to about $1,500. At the maximum projected savings of $50 per month, a $1,500 system takes 30 months — two-and-a-half years — just to recover the purchase price.
And that's assuming you actually achieve the maximum $50 monthly savings.
Even better: the new law doesn't take effect for six months.
So, congratulations. Your electric bill is too high, and Trenton's latest solution is for you to spend up to $1,500 today so you might start saving money sometime around 2029.
Balcony solar may be a perfectly good product. It may make sense for renters who couldn't otherwise install solar. Some homeowners may love it.
But it doesn't lower New Jersey's electric rates.
It simply gives consumers another way to spend their own money to buy less electricity from the grid.
There's a big difference.
If gasoline jumps to $5 a gallon and the governor holds a press conference encouraging you to buy a bicycle, your transportation costs might go down.
The price of gasoline didn't.
Sherrill deserves time for some of her longer-term energy policies to work. Building generation, changing grid policy and dealing with PJM are not things that happen overnight.
But she also deserves to be judged against the promise she made.
New Jerseyans were told an "affordability governor" was coming to Trenton.
Seven months later, they're still opening expensive electric bills.
And now they're being told to buy a solar panel.
Gallery Credit: New Jersey 101.5
Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt
Gallery Credit: Dan Alexander
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A forest fire can force a review of the technical, environmental and economic conditions of a solar project, even after it has reached ready-to-build (RTB) status. In some cases, it could also make the project technically unfeasible.
While a fire does not automatically invalidate existing permits or result in project cancellation, changes to site conditions can trigger new administrative requirements and revisions to environmental and fire-protection measures. They can also affect the project’s economic viability.
Jochen Beckmann, a lawyer at Rödl Barcelona, spoke with pv magazine about the legal and administrative consequences a forest fire can have for an authorized solar project in Spain.
Once a project reaches RTB status, it typically holds preliminary administrative authorization (AAP), administrative construction authorization (AAC), an environmental impact statement (DIA) and the corresponding municipal building permit.
According to Beckmann, the situation can change substantially, however, if a forest fire affects part or all of the project site shortly before construction begins.
Such a scenario could arise, for example, from a lightning-induced fire. “Although the event is beyond the developer’s control, changes to the site’s physical and environmental conditions may require authorities to reassess some of the conditions underpinning the project’s existing authorizations,” the lawyer said.
Safety is among the first areas that may require reassessment. Authorization of a solar project is based on compliance with the technical and protection requirements applicable at the time of approval. If a fire substantially alters the surrounding environment, the relevant authorities may require a review of the project’s planned safety measures.
The review could affect the project’s self-protection plan (PAU), Beckmann stressed. A reassessment of site conditions may result in additional fire-protection requirements, such as wider vegetation-free safety buffers.
Additional buffer zones could reduce the area available for solar modules, potentially requiring changes to the project’s planned capacity.
Authorities could also require additional fire-protection infrastructure, including firefighting water reserves, hydrants or other specialized equipment. “These measures could increase project costs and affect the project’s original economic assumptions,” Beckmann added.
The environmental impact statement (EIS) is based on the environmental conditions in place when the assessment is conducted. A forest fire can significantly alter those conditions and affect elements considered in the original analysis.
Potential consequences that could require reassessment include increased erosion risk, changes in vegetation, altered soil hydrology and impacts on the protection and mitigation measures established for the project.
Spain’s Law 21/2013 establishes monitoring and reporting obligations that are further defined in the conditions attached to each EIS. According to Beckmann, these statements typically require developers to notify the relevant authority of project modifications or significant events that could affect the environmental assessment, including natural events such as forest fires.
In such cases, environmental authorities may require a technical addendum to the environmental monitoring program (EMP). The document would assess changes caused by the fire and, where necessary, establish additional protection, monitoring or restoration measures.
These could include measures to prevent or reduce soil erosion, modifications to drainage and water discharge systems, measures to mitigate flooding and runoff risks during heavy rainfall, and monitoring of the recovery of affected areas.
Such changes can have implications beyond environmental compliance. “New technical requirements could affect project design, construction schedules and the cost of bringing the plant into operation,” Beckmann said.
Another consideration is the legal classification of the fire and its potential implications for financial guarantees lodged for the project’s development.
A forest fire caused by lightning would generally meet the criteria for a force majeure event, according to Beckmann.
However, classification as force majeure does not automatically result in the return of financial guarantees. The issue becomes particularly relevant if additional technical, environmental or safety requirements imposed after the fire make the project economically unviable or technically impossible to execute.
In such cases, the developer would need to demonstrate a clear causal link between the fire and its inability to proceed with the project.
“Comprehensive documentation of the event and its specific impact on the project’s viability is decisive,” Beckmann said. The return of deposited guarantees could be considered only if the developer can sufficiently demonstrate that the fire and its consequences prevent the project from proceeding.
Documentation should therefore cover the cause and extent of the fire, as well as any resulting technical, environmental and economic changes to the project.
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Will Your Next Solar Panel Be Plastic?  Forbes
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SAEL has secured 1 GWp solar module supply orders, including 585.8 MWp for NTPC REL’s Chitrakoot project in Uttar Pradesh.
September 02, 2026. By EI News Network
Renewable energy company SAEL Industries’ wholly owned subsidiary SAEL Solar P6 Pvt. Ltd. has secured solar photovoltaic (PV) module supply orders totaling 1 GWp over the past six months, covering projects in domestic and international markets.
The company will supply N type TOPCon solar modules for the contracted projects. The order book includes a 585.8 MWp module supply requirement from NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd. for its Chitrakoot solar PV project in Uttar Pradesh.
The remaining domestic orders cover utility scale solar projects in Gujarat and other parts of Uttar Pradesh.
SAEL’s solar PV modules are listed under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), which is required for deployment in government and government assisted solar projects.
The company has operations spanning utility scale solar power generation, solar PV module manufacturing and agri waste to energy. As of September 30, 2025, SAEL had a contracted and awarded portfolio of 8,299 MWp of solar and storage capacity, along with 3,625 MW of TOPCon module manufacturing capacity and 164.9 MW of agri waste to energy capacity.
SAEL is also developing an integrated solar manufacturing facility at Greater Noida’s Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, comprising 5 GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity and a 5 GW solar module manufacturing line. The facility is currently under construction.

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Frontier Energy announced it has executed all major contracts for stage one of its Waroona Renewable Energy Project being developed in Western Australia’s southwest. The first phase of the project comprises a 132 MW solar facility paired with an 81.5 MW / 565 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), designed to capture solar energy during the day and dispatch electricity into the grid during periods of high-value demand.
“We are fully funded, fully contracted and ready to build,” Frontier Executive Chairman Jamie Cullen said. “We have now secured the full suite of contracts required to deliver stage one at our Waroona Project and position the company as Western Australia’s largest solar-BESS hybrid power producer.”
The Perth-headquartered developer said construction on stage one is set to commence this month with first generation scheduled for 2028.
Infrastructure specialist Monford Group has been contracted to oversee construction and commissioning of the solar and battery facility, while Western Australia-based construction company Global Power Services will undertake the substation works.
Chinese PV manufacturer Longi has been contracted to supply more than 200,000 PV panels rated at 650 W and 655 W for the first stage solar farm, with the first delivery scheduled to arrive in January 2027.
United States-headquartered Nextpower will provide the tracking system, with first delivery expected in November 2026.
China-headquartered Trinasolar will supply the battery units under arrangements that include a 20-year warranty and long-term services agreement, while SMA Australia, through its German parent company, will provide the inverters.
Frontier said it has also secured an unconditional Western Power connection allowing export of up to 99 MW at the nearby Landwehr Terminal and import of up to 95 MW to charge the BESS when solar generation is low or unavailable.
The company said all major equipment and construction contracts are fixed price and in line with its expectations and account for the majority of the $310 million project budget.
Cullen said having signed off on the contracts for the initial stage, Frontier will now look to advance its expansion plans, which include delivering up to 1 GW of solar and 660 MW of battery energy storage capacity by 2031.
“With only 300 of our 830 hectares of grid-adjacent freehold land committed to stage one, the team is already advancing stage two,” Cullen said. “The state needs new generation to support the targeted retirement of ageing fossil fuel plants while meeting rising demand from data centres and population growth. Stage one is our first step in delivering exactly that.”
The contract milestone follows the recent announcement that the first stage of the Waroona project was among the winners of the Western Australia’s first Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) tender. Frontier has also been assigned capacity credits for stage one of the Waroona project as part of by the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) Reserve Capacity Mechanism (RCM).
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Beyond coal: China’s installed solar power capacity crosses historic threshold  South China Morning Post
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Huge new solar farm in south Lancaster will provide plenty of clean energy  thevisitor.co.uk
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Indonesia Launches 100 GWp Solar Program, Opens 4.7 GWp Tender Pipeline  SolarQuarter
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DOE funds research into Earth-abundant materials for thin-film solar applications in response to the issue of materials scarcity surrounding other photovoltaic (PV) technologies. The sections below contain a list of the projects, summary of the benefits, and discussion on the production and manufacturing of this solar technology.
Currently, the most promising alternative to thin film photovoltaic technologies that use rare elements such as CIGS and CdTe is copper zinc tin sulfoselenide (Cu₂ZnSnSe_xS_4-x, or simply CZTS). Other alternatives, such as lead sulfide (PbS) and pyrite (FeS₂)-based materials, have also garnered attention. This section focuses on CZTS as a model system for Earth-abundant chalcogenide absorbers.
CZTS is very similar to CIGS in optoelectronic and crystallographic properties, as well as in methods of fabrication. However, CZTS has a laboratory efficiency of just above 10%, which is about half that of CIGS cells. Kesterite CZTS is very similar to the chalcopyrite crystal structure, but with the Group-III indium (In) and gallium (Ga) ions replaced in an ordered manner with an equal number of Group-II zinc ions and Group-IV tin ions. This maintains many of the optoelectronic properties of CIGS, but eliminates the need for the expensive In and Ga metals.
For CZTS to be commercially viable, higher efficiencies are needed. A more in-depth understanding of the defect physics of CZTS is essential, including the primary recombination pathways and to what extent the CZTS defect structure behaves like that of CIGS.
Additionally, similar to CIGS cells, CZTS cells would benefit from an optimized back contact and window layer. Researchers are investigating replacements for the CdS window layer in CZTS cells, and an optimal back-contact material.
Researchers are also developing other Earth-abundant materials, such as iron sulfide (FeS₂), commonly known as pyrite, lead sulfide (PbS), and tin sulfide (SnS). These materials have exhibited some solar-relevant properties and have similarities to other solar absorber materials.
Learn more about the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office awardees and the projects involving CZTS below.
Learn more about the awardees and the projects involving non-silicon Earth-abundant solar cell technologies below.
The benefits of CZTS solar cells include:
Neither non-silicon Earth-abundant nor CZTS solar cells are currently produced in large quantities. Record CZTS cells have been produced using a CZTS solution in hydrazine, which may not be favorable for manufacturing. This solution is then deposited onto a substrate and annealed. Using this process, efficiencies of greater than 10% have been achieved. Other methods that have been used for depositing CZTS include use solution processable nanocrystal inks and vacuum based deposition systems.
Similar to CIGS, including sodium appears to be important to CZTS performance, but more work is needed to fully understand this phenomenon in CZTS.
For more information on solar cells, visit the Energy Basics website.
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China-based solar PV equipment manufacturer Wuxi Autowell Technology (ATW) has launched a screen-printing solution for copper paste and silver-coated copper paste. The new product line targets TOPCon, back-contact (BC), and next-generation solar cell technologies.
“The sintering window, glass-frit compatibility system, and oxidation-prevention process for copper pastes differ fundamentally from those of silver pastes, demanding metallization equipment with novel process windows and more precise control capabilities,” the company said in a statement. “ATW leverages its expertise in screen printing and intelligent integration to tackle this challenge from the equipment side. Its three technological pillars – precision printing, accurate alignment, and precise thermal control – enable it to overcome key equipment bottlenecks from material to mass production.”
The solution comprises three main equipment offerings: a cell-printing line, a base-metal print-on-print line, and a carrier-type curing furnace.
The cell-printing line features a parallel dual-head architecture and achieves a cycle time of 0.68 seconds or less for 182 mm wafers, with printing and flood speeds of 400 mm/s and 1,400 mm/s, respectively.
According to ATW, the dual-track line achieves a stable throughput of 10,400 wafers per hour. It offers overlay accuracy within plus or minus 6 μm and supports super multi-busbar (SMBB), zero-busbar (0BB), and ultra-fine printing for TOPCon and BC cells.
The line accommodates wafer formats ranging from 182 mm to 210 mm, including rectangular 210R wafers, and wafer thicknesses from 100 μm to 180 μm. ATW said it can be customized to handle wafers as thin as 90 μm. The minimum total line length is 15.6 meters.
The base-metal print-on-print line uses a closed-loop, high-rigidity platform, charge-coupled device (CCD) alignment, and AI-driven offset compensation to achieve overlay accuracy within plus or minus 6 μm. It is designed for multilayer printing with copper and silver-coated copper pastes.
The carrier-type curing furnace, meanwhile, is designed to prevent copper paste from oxidizing during high-temperature curing. Its temperature-control system achieves temperature uniformity within 5 C across four tracks, while an inert-gas atmosphere protects the copper electrodes against oxidation.
The furnace also features a transport mechanism. ATW said it can operate alongside the company’s light-injection annealing furnaces and other supporting equipment.
ATW also announced plans for a Solar Cell Metallization Laboratory, where it will build experimental lines and testing equipment for post-cell processing. The facility will include equipment for environmental reliability testing, electrical performance testing, material characterization, and various processing steps.
“ATW emphasizes that reducing reliance on silver is not solely a cost competition but a fundamental issue concerning the environmental sustainability and resource viability of the PV industry,” the company said. “ATW will continue investing in R&D for copper printing, Print-on-Print precision, curing furnace thermal optimization, and ultra-thin wafer handling. By integrating precision equipment with intelligent algorithms, it aims to expand low-silver and silver-free process windows for its customers.”
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Martedì, 22 Settembre 2026
11:00 – 12:00 CEST, Roma
Monday, October 26, 2026
10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, September 10, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Our special edition for Intersolar South America 2026 is here!
Discover the latest insights into the Brazilian solar market – in Portuguese.
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
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.
pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand.
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Swedish thin-film PV manufacturer Midsummer has abandoned from plans to build a new 200MW cell manufacturing facility in its home country.
Announcing plans to shelve the new facility, Midsummer said it would instead focus on an alternative “asset light” approach to expanding its international production footprint.
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The new facility was first announced in 2024, when Midsummer revealed plans to build a 200MW line to produce its copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) cells in the Flen area of Sweden. The project attracted a €32 million (US$37 million) grant from the European Commission to finance the new line.
But in a statement yesterday, Midsummer said it would decline the EU grant and halt its plans for the facility.
It said the project’s financing had been adversely affected when Midsummer was denied financial support from the Swedish Energy Agency’s ‘Industriklivet’ programme, the country’s flagship initiative to cut industrial emissions.
“We are happy to establish a new factory in Sweden in the future when the commercial and financial conditions allow it, but it will not happen within the framework of the specific project we have been awarded time-limited EU support for. A major reason is that we have strategically decided to choose other financing models for new factories than self-financing,” said Midsummer’s CEO Eric Jaremalm.
Midsummer said it was now exploring “significantly less capital-intensive opportunities” for establishing manufacturing facilities abroad, in collaboration with established global and “very large industrial players”.
The company said this so-called “asset-light model was based on collaboration with large industrial partners.
“Instead of owning and operating all the factories itself, the company supplies machinery, raw materials and know-how to enable local production of solar cells on different continents. This provides significant early income in the form of machine orders and also ongoing income after the factory is operational,” the company’s statement said.
This approach is reflected in Midsummer’s recent activities, which have included several significant turnkey orders from overseas customers for its CIGS production equipment.
Midsummer highlighted one of these deals to illustrate its change of tack—a contract last year to deliver machinery with operational responsibility to a solar cell factory in Colombia, with an annual production capacity of at least 100MW. Midsummer said that so far it had received machinery orders worth approximately SEK380 million (US$39.3 million) for this purpose. It said it would also continue to expand production in its own factory in Bari, Italy, which, fully operational, produces 50MW annually.
“Even with the EU grant, self-financing a completely new factory of this size in Flen would have cost us several hundred million SEK, and we do not find it responsible to take such large loans or ask our shareholders for such amounts when we have found other ways to finance our expansion, which in addition to being financially more advantageous are also geographically closer to the fastest growing markets today,” added Jaremalm.

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September 02, 2026 06:39 ET  | Source: Research and Markets Research and Markets
Dublin, Sept. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The “Tandem Solar Cell Market, Till 2040: Distribution by Technology, Structure, Application, Geographical Regions, and Key Players: Industry Trends and Global Forecasts” has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

The global tandem solar cell market is projected to grow from USD 2.63 billion in 2026 to USD 30 billion by 2040, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 18.20% during the forecast period. Rising demand for high-efficiency photovoltaic technologies, lower levelized cost of energy and greater power generation from limited installation areas is expected to support sustained market growth.

Tandem solar cells offer higher energy conversion efficiency than conventional single-junction silicon technologies by combining multiple absorber layers. Their ability to deliver greater power output per unit area makes them increasingly attractive for utility-scale solar projects, residential installations, commercial facilities and building-integrated photovoltaics. Adoption is particularly relevant in high-insolation and land-constrained markets where energy yield and system economics are critical.
Key Growth Drivers in the Tandem Solar Cell Market
Market expansion is being driven by the solar industry’s need to overcome the efficiency limitations of single-junction silicon cells. Higher module efficiency can reduce balance-of-system expenses associated with land, mounting structures, cabling, labor, inverters and supporting infrastructure. These system-level savings can offset the higher upfront cost of tandem solar modules and strengthen their long-term commercial value.
Advances in perovskite-silicon integration, interface engineering, module stability and scalable manufacturing are also improving the outlook for tandem photovoltaic technology. Companies including LONGi Green Energy Technology and Oxford PV have announced commercialization and integration roadmaps aimed at accelerating large-scale deployment.
Government incentives are providing additional market support. Programs such as the US Inflation Reduction Act and renewable energy initiatives across Europe encourage domestic solar manufacturing, high-efficiency module production and clean energy investment. These measures are expected to strengthen supply chains and improve the competitiveness of advanced solar cell technologies.
Competitive Landscape and Investment Activity
The tandem solar cell market features established photovoltaic manufacturers, energy technology companies and specialist developers. Prominent participants include Canadian Solar, CubicPV, Hevel, Huasun, JA Solar, JinkoSolar, LG Energy Solution, LONGi, Meyer Burger, Panasonic Energy, Sharp, Solar Frontier and Solaronix.
Partnerships, research collaborations, funding rounds and manufacturing expansions remain central to competitive strategy. Solar Frontier’s collaboration with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology focuses on high-efficiency CIGS-perovskite tandem cells. SunDrive has also received AU$21 million in support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency in collaboration with CSIRO to advance tandem solar technology.
Investment is increasingly directed toward pilot production lines, perovskite-silicon integration, flexible tandem cells and improvements in operational stability. Swift Solar, for example, secured institutional seed funding to support research, development and pilot manufacturing. Continued access to capital is expected to accelerate technology validation and commercial production.
Asia-Pacific Leads the Global Market
Asia-Pacific holds the largest share of the global tandem solar cell market, supported by extensive photovoltaic manufacturing capacity, integrated supply chains and ambitious renewable energy targets. China, Japan, India and South Korea collectively account for a substantial portion of global solar production capacity, enabling manufacturers such as LONGi, JinkoSolar and Trina Solar to scale advanced cell technologies rapidly.
Industrialization, urban development and rising electricity demand are further strengthening the region’s growth prospects. North America and Europe are also expected to present significant opportunities, supported by manufacturing incentives, decarbonization targets and demand for high-performance solar modules.
Commercialization Challenges
Large-scale adoption continues to face technical, financial and regulatory barriers. Long-term performance of perovskite layers under heat, humidity and ultraviolet exposure remains a key concern. Limited field data and the absence of widely accepted durability standards can affect lender confidence, project bankability and the availability of conventional long-term warranties.
Manufacturing integration also requires specialized deposition, processing and quality-control capabilities. Environmental concerns related to lead-based perovskite formulations may create additional compliance obligations. Industry participants are therefore investing in lead-free materials, containment systems, recycling technologies and production processes designed to improve reliability and environmental performance.
Tandem Solar Cell Market Segmentation
Report Coverage
The tandem solar cell market report provides revenue forecasts and opportunity analysis across technology, structure, application and geography. It evaluates the competitive landscape, profiles leading companies and examines market positioning, product portfolios, operating segments, financial information and recent strategic developments.
Additional analysis covers industry megatrends, patents, partnerships, funding activity and commercialization initiatives. Strategic frameworks include Porter’s Five Forces, value-chain assessment and SWOT analysis, helping stakeholders evaluate competitive intensity, supplier and buyer dynamics, substitution risks, emerging opportunities and potential market threats.
Key Questions Addressed
Value for Market Participants
The report supports manufacturers, investors, project developers, technology providers and policymakers with detailed market projections and decision-ready competitive intelligence. It identifies growth hotspots, technology white spaces and emerging commercial opportunities while providing access to analytical dashboards, expert insights, report walkthroughs, customization support and eligible report updates.
Key Attributes

A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i5dlq0
About ResearchAndMarkets.com
ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world’s leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
Attachment
Dublin, Sept. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The "Business Process Management Market, Till 2035: Distribution by Type of Component, Type of Deployment, Type of Functionality, Type of Industry, and…
Dublin, Sept. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The "DC-DC Converter Market, Till 2035: Distribution by Type of Product, Type of Input, Type of Output, Type of Form Factor, Output Number, End-User, and…

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Saatvik Solar Industries Applies for ALMM List-II Enlistment for Its 2.4 GW Odisha Solar Cell Facility  SolarQuarter
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SunRoper is set to expand the region’s generation capacity to support rising power demand.
Construction has commenced on the 347MW-direct current (MWdc) SunRoper Solar project in Wharton County, Texas, US, following a groundbreaking ceremony.
The SunRoper project is being developed through a joint venture between OCI Energy and Arava Power.
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The solar facility is expected to start operations in December 2027, supplying electricity to a Fortune 100 company under a long-term power purchase agreement.
Located near the Houston metropolitan area, SunRoper is set to expand the region’s generation capacity to support rising power demand.
The total investment is projected to be approximately $394m. ING is providing construction financing including a construction-to-term loan, a tax equity bridge loan and several letters of credit.
ING has been named sole coordinating lead arranger, sole green loan coordinator and sole bookrunner, and will also serve as administrative agent.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by representatives from OCI Energy, ING, Arava Power, WHC and local landowners.
OCI Energy president Sabah Bayatli said: “SunRoper demonstrates how strategic partnerships can help meet Texas’ growing demand for electricity through investments in critical energy infrastructure.
“Today’s groundbreaking also marks the beginning of an important new chapter for the partnership between OCI Energy and Arava Power and reflects the strength of collaboration across development, financing, construction and energy procurement.”
The construction contract for SunRoper has been awarded to WHC.
WHC North America power president Randel Badeaux said: “This groundbreaking reflects months of careful planning and coordination with OCI Energy, Arava Power and our project partners, and we look forward to executing a safe, high-quality build through to completion in 2027.”
Once operational, SunRoper will provide new electricity generation for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas market, along with supporting local economic activity during both the construction phase and the project’s operating lifespan.
The project brings together experience from multiple energy industry organisations.
In May 2026, OCI Energy and Arava Power signed a membership interest purchase agreement related to the La Salle Solar project, a 670MWdc utility-scale development in Texas.
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China Energy Network learned that on August 31, Longi Green Energy (SH: 601012) officially released its 2026 semi-annual report. So far, the five leading photovoltaic module enterprises including Tongwei Co., Ltd. (SH: 600438), JA Solar Technology (SH: 002459), JinkoSolar (SH: 688223) and Trina Solar (SH: 688599) have all submitted their semi-annual results for the first half of the year.
None of the five enterprises achieved profitability, and the “winter” of the photovoltaic industry is still ongoing.
Among them, Tongwei Co., Ltd. posted the largest loss, with a net loss of more than 5 billion yuan; Trina Solar had the smallest attributable net profit loss belonging to shareholders, losing only 270 million yuan in the first half of the year; both JinkoSolar and Longi Green Energy recorded losses of over 3 billion yuan in the first half of the year; JA Solar Technology posted a loss of 2.663 billion yuan in the first half of the year, with a slight year-on-year widening.
However, some positive signals have emerged. Longi Green Energy and Trina Solar both reduced their losses quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter, the operating cash flow of JinkoSolar, Tongwei Co., Ltd. and JA Solar Technology all turned positive collectively, the gross profit margin of JA Solar Technology also turned positive for the first time, and Trina Solar even achieved positive revenue growth……
The characteristics of the industry bottom are gradually taking shape, and the “spring” of the photovoltaic industry may really be not far away.
None of the five leading enterprises achieved profitability in the first half of the year, with a total attributable net loss belonging to shareholders of about 14.812 billion yuan, and a total adjusted net loss after deducting non-recurring profit and loss of 18.588 billion yuan.

Among them, Tongwei Co., Ltd. recorded the largest loss, achieving operating revenue of 34.357 billion yuan in the first half of the year, down 15.19% year on year; its attributable net profit belonging to shareholders reached -5.119 billion yuan, compared with -4.955 billion yuan in the same period of last year, with the loss widening by 3.31% year on year. JinkoSolar achieved operating revenue of 24.727 billion yuan in the first half of the year, down 22.32% year on year; its attributable net profit belonging to shareholders was -3.076 billion yuan, compared with -2.909 billion yuan in the same period of last year, with the loss widening by 5.74% year on year. Longi Green Energy achieved operating revenue of 27.045 billion yuan in the first half of the year, down 17.58% year on year; its attributable net profit belonging to shareholders was -3.684 billion yuan, compared with -2.569 billion yuan in the same period of last year, with the loss widening by 43.40% year on year. The loss of JA Solar Technology also expanded slightly, achieving operating revenue of 17.498 billion yuan in the first half of the year, down 26.80% year on year; its attributable net profit belonging to shareholders was -2.663 billion yuan, with the loss widening by 3.21% compared with the same period of last year.
It is worth mentioning that the performance of Trina Solar is relatively outstanding. The company achieved operating revenue of 31.985 billion yuan in the first half of the year, up 2.99% year on year, becoming the only one of the five enterprises that realized positive revenue growth; its attributable net profit belonging to shareholders was -270 million yuan, with the loss narrowing sharply by 90.75% year on year.
China Energy Network believes that there are two main common reasons for the losses of the five enterprises in the first half of the year.
The first is the plunge of industrial chain prices. In the first half of the year, there was no obvious improvement in domestic demand, and the industry still faced overall oversupply. China’s new photovoltaic installed capacity in the first half of the year was only 72GW, down 66% year on year. The severe overcapacity and insufficient orders led to generally low operating rates in all links, which kept the price of the whole industrial chain at a low level, and the product selling price was always lower than the manufacturing cost.
The second is the impact of exchange rate fluctuations. The appreciation of RMB brought large-scale exchange losses. The exchange losses of JinkoSolar and Longi Green Energy reached 821 million yuan and 697 million yuan respectively, and the financial expenses of JA Solar Technology and JinkoSolar surged by 529.94% and 589% respectively as a result. Under the condition of meager profit or loss, the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on the income statement is significantly amplified.
Although the overall performance is in loss, the positive signals released by all enterprises in the semi-annual report are also worthy of attention.
The first is the substantial improvement of the company’s operating cash flow. The semi-annual report shows that the operating cash flow of Tongwei Co., Ltd. turned positive from -1.951 billion yuan in the same period of last year to 109 million yuan; the operating cash flow of JinkoSolar also turned sharply positive from -3.812 billion yuan in the same period of last year to 682 million yuan, of which the operating cash flow in the second quarter increased by 1.513 billion yuan, with a significant quarter-on-quarter improvement; the operating cash flow of Trina Solar reached 5.072 billion yuan, which also surged by 175% compared with 1.844 billion yuan in the same period of last year.

Secondly, the gross profit margin of enterprises is also improving. The overall gross profit margin of JA Solar Technology turned positive from -3.53% in the same period of last year to 1.29%; the gross profit margin of its cell business improved to 13.34%, up 36.55 percentage points year on year; although the gross profit margin of photovoltaic modules is still negative at -1.74%, it has increased by 4.24 percentage points compared with the same period of last year. The gross profit margin of Longi Green Energy in the second quarter turned positive from negative to 3.13%, up 4.31 percentage points quarter on quarter. The gross profit margin of Trina Solar in the second quarter was 8.5%, up 1.8 percentage points quarter on quarter.
In addition, the performance of both Trina Solar and Longi Green Energy showed quarter-on-quarter improvement. The operating revenue of Longi Green Energy in the second quarter increased by 41% quarter on quarter, and its attributable net profit loss belonging to shareholders narrowed by 8.1% quarter on quarter. Trina Solar also achieved a single-quarter profit of 130 million yuan after turning losses in the second quarter.
The simultaneous improvement in the three dimensions of cash flow, gross profit margin and quarterly trend is often the most critical signal to judge the bottom of the industry. From “blood loss” to “blood production”, the profitability of enterprises has taken a big step forward.
At the same time, all enterprises have shown their respective differentiated advantages, which is expected to support them to get out of the industry winter faster.
For example, the BC transformation of Longi Green Energy has entered the stage of large-scale volume release. In the first half of 2026, the total module shipment of Longi Green Energy was 29.93GW, of which the shipment of BC modules was 19.55 GW, up 125% year on year, and the shipment proportion increased to more than 65%. Trina Solar is the only enterprise that achieved overall positive profitability in the energy storage business in the first half of the year. Its energy storage shipment exceeded 5GW in the first half of the year, up 188% year on year; the energy storage revenue reached 2.472 billion yuan, up 92.27% year on year; and the gross profit margin of the business reached 21%.
Although positive signals have emerged gradually, to achieve accelerated development in the second half of the year, it still depends on which enterprise can maintain cash flow, hold technical barriers and seize the next growth point in the industry winter. The photovoltaic winter will not last much longer, but it is far from the time to slack off.
This article is from the WeChat official account “China Energy Network”, author: Gao Ming, editor: Han Chenggong, published by 36Kr with authorization.
该文观点仅代表作者本人，36氪平台仅提供信息存储空间服务。
36kr Europe (eu.36kr.com) delivers global business and markets news, data, analysis, and video to the world, dedicated to building value and providing business service for companies’ global expansion.
© 2024 36kr.com. All rights reserved.

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Sinoma’s 36 MWp Solar Project Connects To Zambia’s National Grid  SolarQuarter
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The Australian Government, through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), has announced up to $105.6 million for 20 research and development projects aimed at tackling the next frontier in ultra low-cost solar.
The funding represents ARENA’s largest single investment in solar PV research and development and will support a portfolio of projects spanning improved efficiency, cost and stability across advanced cells and modules, to innovations that can help improve the performance of solar farms and reduce the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE).
The investment builds on ARENA’s ultra low-cost solar ambition to help reduce installed solar costs to 30 cents per watt by 2030 to drive down the costs of solar-generated electricity.
ARENA acting CEO Chris Faris said the projects would help ensure Australia remained at the forefront of solar innovation while addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the renewable energy industry.
“Australia has played a leading role in the development of solar technology, and these projects will help ensure we continue to strengthen that position,” he said.
“The portfolio brings together a mix of near-term improvements and breakthrough technologies that have the potential to lower costs, improve performance and accelerate the deployment of solar energy both in Australia and around the world.
“Achieving ultra low-cost solar requires innovation across the entire value chain. From the solar cells and modules themselves through to the way solar farms are built, operated and maintained, these projects will help unlock practical solutions that support a faster, more affordable energy transition.
“ARENA initially allocated $60 million to the Ultra Low-Cost Solar PV Research and Development Funding Round. When we saw the quality of applications, we decided to increase funding to support a broader portfolio of high-quality projects that can help accelerate progress towards ultra low-cost solar.”
Related article: Speed and scale are key risks in race to ultra low-cost solar
The 20 projects selected for funding are listed below:

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In the energy crisis that struck Europe after the start of the Iran war, solar power, battery storage and interconnections proved to be vital for the energy system. Photovoltaics contributed to maintaining stability by averting fossil gas imports worth more than EUR 30 billion, SolarPower Europe calculated. It is the cost estimate of the displaced gas power output, including the crisis-related rise in prices of the fuel.
Savings accelerated in the summer as higher volumes of solar power became available and fossil fuel prices climbed, the report adds.
Heatwaves and droughts have reduced the efficiency of, or even shut down, some thermal and nuclear power plants. The drop in reservoir levels limited hydropower output. At the same time, the extreme heat increased the demand for air conditioning. Power prices spiked. The burden on Europe’s citizens and businesses rose.
Pipelines and shipping lanes have repeatedly proven vulnerable to disruption
“Solar has been delivering huge financial benefits for Europe since the latest fossil fuel crisis in the Middle East began. The Iran War deepened the turmoil in energy markets generated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” SolarPower Europe’s CEO Walburga Hemetsberger stated.
A dependency on the flow of oil and gas is clearly a risky energy strategy, she stressed. Pipelines and shipping lanes have repeatedly proven vulnerable to disruption, according to Hemetsberger.
“This is not a hole the fossil fuel sector can drill us out of. The solution is above us and Europe must grab it with both hands,” she added.
SolarPower Europe has been monitoring the daily savings owing to the solar fleet, through displaced gas imports.
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Slovenian state-owned energy companies GEN energija and its subsidiary GEN-I got new chief executive officers: Andrej Vizjak and Jure Soklič, respectively
Romanian transmission system operator Transelectrica SA has secured over RON 351 million from the European Union's Modernisation Fund
Norwegian company Scatec has obtained financing for its Urleasca wind farm in Romania from BCR and Erste Group. The 77 MW facility is under construction.
Amid the energy crisis, European companies turned to power purchase agreements (PPAs) as a key hedge against spikes in prices, IEEFA's Jonathan Bruegel wrote
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