Solar Now

Published 3:00 pm Wednesday, May 6, 2026
By Don Jenkins
Ex-Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has defended approving the Horse Heaven wind and solar project, arguing in a court brief that governors need to push through renewable energy development.
The state Supreme Court will hear oral arguments June 11 on whether Inslee overreached in permitting 222 windmills and 5,500 acres of solar panels on hills near the Tri-Cities.
Although Inslee is a party to the lawsuit, he and another former governor, Gary Locke, submitted a friend-of-the-court brief asking the court to give governors a free hand in approving power projects.
“Without it, clean energy projects likely will not be built timely, or at all,” the ex-governors stated. “Time is of the essence in dealing with our climate and energy crises.”
Tri-Cities CARES, a citizens group suing to overturn Inslee’s approval, filed a response May 4, asking the court to ignore Inslee’s brief.
A person being sued shouldn’t try to sway the court with partisan statements, the group averred. “The filing of an amicus curiae brief by a party to a case is inappropriate,” the response reads.
The Yakama Nation and Benton County also sued to block the project. The three lawsuits were merged into one case to present to the Supreme Court.
At issue is whether Inslee and the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council failed to balance the need for more energy with other public interests, such as protecting farmland, views, wildlife and tribal culture.
EFSEC originally recommended eliminating some windmills to reduce impacts, but Inslee said the project was vital and ordered the council to restore the windmills.
Inslee painstakingly reviewed the project, according to the Inslee-Locke brief. “Aware of the specific objections raised by project opponents, Governor Inslee did not take his decision lightly,” the brief reads.
Inslee and the project’s owner, Scout Clean Energy, maintain the windmills, solar panels and batteries will help the state meet its clean-energy goals and shore up the electric grid.
Tri-Cities CARES is asking the Supreme Court to at least send the project back to EFSEC to examine Inslee and Scout’s claims.
At full capacity, the project would generate 1,150 megawatts, according to Scout. An administrative law judge, however, barred Tri-Cities CARES from probing the anticipated average output of the intermittent wind and solar project.
The Inslee-Locke brief argues the state must speed-up energy development and cites a study by the consulting firm Energy and Environmental Economics that projects power shortages will occur, most likely during prolonged spells.
The Inslee-Lock brief didn’t mention that the study found windmills, solar panels and batteries make only a small contribution to grid reliability during cold snaps.
Renewable Northwest, an advocacy group, and the Northwest and Intermountain Power Producers Coalition, a trade association, urged the court to let the project go ahead.
Washington’s renewable energy industry is already struggling and pulling the Horse Heaven permit could be the “final blow,” according to the groups.
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Núñez de Balboa, one of the biggest photovoltaic plant in Europe  Iberdrola
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France-headquartered grid-scale solar and battery storage system developer Neoen Australia has begun operation of its 350 MW Culcairn Solar Farm in New South Wales, one of numerous assets adding to its goal of 10 GW capacity in Australia by 2030.
Culcairn Solar Farm
Image: Neoen Australia
Australian arm of French-owned solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) developer Neoen, which is owned by Canada-headquartered asset management company Brookfield, has begun operation of its 350 MW (440 MWp) Culcairn Solar Farm in New South Wales (NSW), located 9 kilometres south of the Riverina regional town of Culcairn, and 535 km southwest of Sydney.
Featuring 760,000 bifacial, single-axis tracker solar panels, Culcairn is Neoen’s second largest solar asset globally that can produce enough energy to power 160,000 homes per year.
Half of its annual output however, was secured in 2024 with the signing of a four-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with independent energy retailer SmartestEnergy, to be used for supplying renewable energy to its commercial and industrial clients across the National Electricity Market (NEM).
Built in two years, in collaboration with Bouygues Construction Australia, Equans Solar & Storage, Lumea, Transgrid, and local contractors, the 1,000 hectare site aims to maintain agricultural production through sheep grazing.
Culcairn Solar Farm was included in a Neoen portfolio of clean energy assets as part of a $100 million Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) investment in 2024.
Neoen’s other key grid-scale solar projects in operation or under construction include in Queensland, it’s largest solar development globally, the 460 MW Western Downs Green Power Hub, Victoria, the 128 MW Numurka Solar Farm, and Western Australia (WA), the 10.6 MW DeGrussa Solar Farm.
In NSW, five Neoen developed solar farms include the 189 MW Coleambally, 65.9 MW Parkes, 35.9 MW Griffith, and 28.85 MW Dubbo Solar Farm.

Battery storage
A 963 MWh BESS is also proposed for the site occupying an approximately four hectare footprint in the heart of the solar farm, and adjacent to an existing Transgrid switching station and 330 kV transmission line.
Construction is expected to take 24 months and begin in mid-2026.
Neoen has five grid-scale batteries operational or in development in Australia, including in South Australia (SA), the 150 MW / 193.5 MWh Hornsdale Power Reserve (Australia’s first grid-scale battery development), and 200 MW / 400 MWh Blyth Battery.
In WA, the  341 MW / 1,363 MWh Collie Battery Stage 2, Queensland, the 200 MW / 400 MWh Western Downs Battery, Victoria, the 300 MW / 450 MWh Victorian Big Battery, and the Australian Capital Territory 100 MW / 200 MWh Capital Battery.
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March 2026 saw a return to installation volumes not seen since 2012 as rooftop and large-scale deployment drove UK solar to a new milestone. Even greater monthly installation volumes are expected as further government support kicks in.
UK rooftop solar installations are forecast to grow as grant and loan support kicks in.
Image: MCS
Millions of solar installations now power UK homes and the grid, according to the latest government deployment data, with installation volumes hitting a rate not seen for more than a decade.
Total solar capacity reached 22.1 GW at the end of March 2026, according to provisional data from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), and while large-scale projects count for the lion’s share of generating capacity, growth in rooftop demand pushed the total number of installations to 2,003,000.
There were 27,607 installations recorded during March 2026 accounting for 121 MW of capacity: the most installations recorded in any calendar month since 2012. Total deployed capacity of 2.3 GW was added since March 2025, representing growth of 11.7% for UK solar over the 12-month period.
Roughly 16% of the solar capacity added in the 12-months to the end of March came from one site: The 373 MW Cleve Hill plant commissioned in July 2025 – the largest UK solar plant to date.
Source: UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ)
That share is on course to grow significantly, with the UK government targeting at least 45 GW solar capacity by 2030. The latest CfD auction round which closed in February 2026 secured a record 4.9 GW of solar capacity across 157 plants.
Solar arrays with capacity below 50 kW are also increasingly backed by the subsidy support. Arrays of this size accounted for 99% of the total number of installations at the end of March 2026, and 37% of total deployed capacity. Demand for this segment has taken a positive turn since early 2024.
Source: MCS Data Dashboard
The latest data from certification body MCS reveals small-scale installations have returned to volumes not seen since the feed-in tariff closed for applications. Residential installations accounted for 66% of the total in volume terms in March 2026, adding a total of 85 MW.
MCS certification is not mandatory for UK rooftop solar installations, but it does give households access to the Smart Export Guarantee – which ensures consumers are paid for exporting surplus electricity to the grid.
Higher monthly installation rates for residential solar are anticipated. The UK government has committed to spending GBP 15 billion ($20 billion) on a home energy efficiency investment program, which includes grants and loans to support millions of new rooftop installations by 2030.
The grant support will be available for new solar, battery energy storage, heat pump installations and other energy efficiency technologies. The UK government also recently committed to legalizing plug-in “balcony solar” devices in time for summer 2026.
 
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24/7 renewables: The economics of firm solar and wind  IRENA – International Renewable Energy Agency
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CleanMax to Supply Hybrid Solar-Wind Power to Iron Mountain Data Centres in India Photograph: (Archive)
Clean Max Enviro Energy Solutions Ltd (CleanMax) has signed a long-term agreement with Iron Mountain to supply hybrid renewable energy to the company’s data centres in Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru, as rising AI and cloud demand drives electricity consumption in India’s data centre sector.
Under the group captive arrangement, CleanMax will supply around 32 million units of renewable power annually through a hybrid solar and wind project, helping raise the renewable energy share across Iron Mountain’s Indian data centre portfolio to as much as 75%.
The project will combine solar and wind generation assets across Maharashtra and Karnataka to support round-the-clock clean power supply for high-density data centre operations.
CleanMax said the partnership reflects growing demand from data centre operators for long-term renewable energy solutions as companies pursue decarbonisation and sustainability targets. “Data centers are becoming a key driver of electricity demand, and powering this growth with renewable energy is essential for a sustainable digital economy,” said Kuldeep Jain, Managing Director of CleanMax.
Iron Mountain said the agreement supports its target of achieving 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2040 and will also allow customers to claim renewable energy usage through the company’s Green Power Pass programme. The deal comes amid rapid growth in India’s data centre market, fuelled by expansion in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital infrastructure, which is increasing focus on renewable energy procurement and hybrid power solutions.
CleanMax currently has 5.7 GW of operational and contracted renewable energy capacity across India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, spanning rooftop solar, utility-scale solar, wind and hybrid renewable projects. The company said data centres and AI-related customers accounted for 42% of its contracted volumes as of the third quarter of FY26.
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What’s in a word?
Labeling some solar setups as “guerrilla” installations creates a false dichotomy. If not qualified, such a statement frames independent efforts to access clean energy as illegal and even risky, while installations sanctioned by power companies and government entities are considered proper, aboveboard, and safe.
Early this month, the Senate heard proposals to simplify net metering rules by amending the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 as part of ongoing efforts to lower the country’s electricity rates, which are the second-highest in Southeast Asia (after Singapore). Such a move is good for our energy security amid the Philippines’ high dependence on imported crude oil (98 percent sourced from the Middle East).
Net metering allows households and private businesses to receive monthly bill credits for excess energy generated by their solar panels and fed into the power grid. The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has around 20,000 net metering installations in its franchise area, which covers 39 cities and 72 municipalities.
While the net metering program is limited to a combined capacity of just over 170 megawatts (MW), a Meralco official informed the Senate that large commercial establishments independently added another 370 MW of solar capacity—pushing the total past 500 MW.
Meralco then advocated adopting international standards, such as the use of inverters, while expressing concern over so-called “guerrilla” solar setups (see “PH has plenty of sun—so why isn’t solar booming yet?” Nation, 5/5/26). These unregistered rooftop installations may account for roughly a third of all solar installations in Meralco’s franchise area in Luzon.
‘Insensitive’ framing. Calls for regulating unregistered or informal solar installers seem sound, especially when safety is at stake.
But the term “guerrilla” carries a negative connotation. It may suggest impropriety, illegality, and risky behavior, though not necessarily reckless. Applying this label to our pursuit of access to abundant clean energy, such as solar power, unmistakably reflects the perspective of monopolies and those who see themselves as self-appointed guardians of the nation’s energy security.
This framing is not only insensitive but also misguided—especially at a time of surging oil prices driven by Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. With a fifth of global oil and gas supply constrained, markets are upended, and pump prices remain elevated, threatening a potential global recession.
This narrative, especially if it emanates from the establishment, downplays, if not belittles, smaller voices trying to take part in a wider conversation over energy security that benefits all. Rather than encouraging households to embrace renewables and foster the behavioral change needed to build a critical mass for lifestyle-altering clean energy adoption, this narrative will have the opposite effect.
University of the Philippines Diliman professor and Inquirer data scientist Dr. Rogelio Alicor Panao summed up what proponents of tighter regulations are up to. “Recent calls for Congress to investigate ‘guerrilla’ solar installers highlight the friction between monopoly control and energy democratization,” said Panao, adding, “While framed as a safety concern, the ‘guerrilla’ label not only unfairly stigmatizes citizens seeking relief from some of Asia’s highest electricity rates, but also casts doubt on the motive since monopolies stand to gain the most when decentralized competition is strictly curtailed.”
Consumer safety is a valid concern. However, when “regulatory compliance concerns”—often a euphemism for tighter oversight—are raised, it raises questions about whether electric distributors fear net metering might eventually impact their profits.
Low-carbon future. Ironically, despite the Philippines’ impressive photovoltaic (PV) potential of 3.93 kWh/kWp per day—among the highest in Southeast Asia—the barriers to solar power adoption for Filipino households remain high.
The primary barrier for households and small businesses remains the prohibitive upfront cost—even though prices have generally declined over the past decade. For instance, one solar company offers a residential 1kW solar PV system package for P90,000, sufficient for consumers with a monthly electric bill of P4,000 or less (and promises annual savings of P16,800); a 5kW package costs up to P365,000, ideal for those paying P12,000 to 16,000 a month (with an estimated annual savings of P84,000).
Solar power, as with other renewable resources, can also help lower fuel costs for car owners who opt to shift to energy-efficient electric vehicles (EVs), whether pure EVs, plug-in hybrid EVs, or battery EVs.
Thus, any government-mandated regulation should favor consumers this time around, ensuring that the new policies help the country immediately transition to a low-carbon future that is also insulated from global fossil fuel market volatility.
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Initiative will save 360,000 litres of diesel imports annually, ease pressure on forex
In a move towards industrial energy self-reliance, Pakistan's HubSalt has signed a first-of-its-kind agreement with Chinese firm Livoltec to install a hybrid solar and battery storage system. The agreement was signed in Karachi by Hub Salt CEO Ismail Sattar and Livoltec's Asia-Pacific Director Max Ma.
Under the agreement, the project will be executed on an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) basis, with responsibility assigned to Optimizen, which will work in collaboration with its Chinese technology partner Livoltec.
The project involves installation of a 1.44-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system integrated with a 2.35MW-hour battery energy storage system (BESS). This initiative will significantly reduce the company's reliance on imported diesel.
Speaking on the occasion, Ismail Sattar termed the project a transformative development that would serve as a model for the local industrial sector. He said that the integration of advanced renewable technologies would not only improve operational efficiency but also set a benchmark for promoting green energy in Pakistan's industrial landscape.
He added that the project is part of the company's long-term strategy to contribute to sustainable industrial growth and national energy goals. Sattar noted that the company previously relied on diesel generators for its operations but is now transitioning to a modern hybrid energy system. He said the project would enable annual savings of around 360,000 litres of diesel, reducing import costs and easing pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
From an environmental perspective, the project is also significant, as it will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2,000 tonnes annually; equivalent to planting around 90,000 trees. Sattar added that the initiative would also allow HubSalt to participate in global carbon markets, where carbon credits can be earned under international standards such as Verra and Gold Standard.
The hybrid system has been designed to maximise the use of renewable energy, improve efficiency, and ensure uninterrupted power supply.
Livoltec's Asia-Pacific Director Max Ma and Optimizen's CEO also highlighted the importance of the green energy project, reaffirming their commitment to completing it ahead of schedule. They expressed confidence that the collaboration would further strengthen Livoltec's presence in Pakistan and showcase its expertise in executing large-scale projects in partnership with Optimizen.
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Australia’s Energy Market Commission says introducing a new distribution planning framework and undertaking enhanced data reporting will help to reduce rooftop solar curtailment.
Aerial view of a suburb in Sydney
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) is proposing to modernize its distribution network planning, which it says will help to lower curtailment of rooftop solar.
A draft rule released earlier this week proposes to replace the existing distribution annual planning report with a distribution network plan. The plan would be published every five years covering a 20-year timeframe, with distribution network service providers also required to provide concise annual updates.
The commission is also planning to establish a new framework for distribution network data reporting. It says that with rooftop solar, batteries and electric vehicles transforming the distribution networks, in turn creating both opportunities for consumers and challenges for the grid, planning needs to be backed by clearer, more accessible data on how and where these technologies are being used.
Chair of the commission, Anna Collyer, said the reform will give decision-makers across the energy system better information to act earlier.
“With detailed visibility of where solar, batteries and electric vehicles are emerging, distributed network service providers and investors can plan ahead through targeted upgrades or non-network solutions,” Collyer said. “That means fewer constraints, less curtailment of rooftop solar, and ultimately more efficient investment decisions that flow onto everyone’s power bills.”
The draft rule also proposes to boost visibility of the low-voltage network, which the commission says will help identify the best stops to install electric vehicle chargers and community batteries.
AEMC is now seeking stakeholder feedback, with submissions due by 4 June, before publishing a final determination and rule later this year.
The planned reform comes as the rollout of rooftop solar in Australia accelerates, with recent analysis finding Australia’s rooftop solar market surged 19% last month as consumers race to take advantage of battery subsidies.
A report by the Clean Energy Council found the capacity of Australia’s rooftop solar fleet reached 28.3 GW by the end of last year, with approximately 4.3 million installations across the country. Rooftop solar’s contribution to Australia’s total electricity generation reached 14.2% in the second half of the year of 2025, up from 13.4% in the same period the previous year.
In January, AEMC permitted virtual power plants to compete directly with large-scale generators in Australia’s energy market from 2027.
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Seci invites bids for 500k tonne green methanol supply under SIGHT scheme  Business Standard
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Europe’s solar glut shunts power system into tricky new transition phase  Reuters
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US independent power producer (IPP) Longroad Energy has started commercial operations at its Sun Pond solar-plus-storage project in the US state of Arizona.
Announced 5 May, Sun Pond combines 111MW of solar PV generation with a 85MW/340MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), and has long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with California community choice aggregators (CCA) Ava Community Energy and  San José Clean Energy (SJCE).
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In December 2024, Longroad announced financial close of Sun Pond, noting that construction company McCarthy Building Companies would act as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor on the project.
Additionally, the BESS cells would be provided by Japan-headquartered lithium-ion battery manufacturer Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC), which is majority owne by Chinese firm Envision Energy.
Longroad has specified that Fluence’s Gridstack BESS solution was used at Sun Pond. PV modules from First Solar, smart trackers from Nextpower, and solar inverters from Sungrow were also used in the project.
Sun Pond is part of Longroad’s Sun Streams Complex, which is made up of three additional projects, and brings the Complex’s total capacity to 973MW solar PV and 600MW/2,400MWh BESS.
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CONWAY — About 50 residents packed Town Hall on Tuesday night to discuss developer BlueWave Solar’s plans for a 20-acre solar array on farmland along Roaring Brook Road that residents fear will put the town at risk of fires, cause property values to drop and negatively impact the pristine landscape.
The application for the project on Ronald Boyden’s property describes solar panels set 10 feet above the ground, along with a battery energy storage system, a 20-foot-wide gravel access road and a stormwater basin. BlueWave would be responsible for decommissioning and removing the solar farm after 20 to 35 years based on the lease agreement, according to Melinda Costello, a civil engineer with Weston & Sampson.
The solar farm would be a dual-use system, allowing landowners to continue using the site for farming. According to Costello, the height of the solar panels would allow cattle to graze under them, and they would be spaced with enough room for sunshine to reach the field. Instead of fixed panels, the solar panels would move to follow the sun throughout the day.
Planning Board Chair George Forcier explained that the board will “[chew] on all the information” residents raise during the site plan review and special permit process, and will hold future hearings to answer more questions.
“We may not have all the information tonight,” Forcier said, “but we will get there.”
On the web or with our app, the Greenfield Recorder provides award-winning, essential local coverage from arts and sports to breaking news and opinion. You get unlimited access to it all, including archives and our popular e-Edition.
Fire Chief Christopher Herrmann asked for further details about the battery energy storage system, claiming “there really wasn’t much detail at all” in the project application.
In response, Costello said she plans to pass along his questions to the fire protection engineer who is working with BlueWave.
Resident Mary McClintock voiced concern about potential fires at the battery energy storage system and asked if BlueWave plans to donate to the Conway Fire Department to compensate it for handling the potential new risk.
She and other residents claimed the proposed array could also lead to erosion caused by the flow of stormwater.
“I know that land. I tilled and farmed that land for many years. It is not erosion-resistant,” said Howard Boyden, property owner Ronald Boyden’s brother. “There’s no way that this should be planted on agricultural land until every roof and parking lot is.”
“It’s going to be a big flat table where water is going to be pouring on these panels. It doesn’t make any sense,” said Devlin Selman, an abutter to the only solar array in town on North Poland Road. “As Howard said, solar belongs on already developed land to be considered green energy. We need our pastures, we need our fields, we need farms that aren’t going to be ruined.”
While answering questions at the end of Tuesday’s hearing, Costello said the solar panels will allow rain to fall off throughout the day as the panels move while following the sun, instead of collecting on a fixed flat surface.
Selman and Gerry LeBlanc, whose home also neighbors the existing solar array, claim they have shouldered the upkeep of the North Poland Road development themselves, from picking up litter during construction to calling the phone number on the fence when an alarm rang. They called for oversight of the proposed development to ensure BlueWave and any subcontractors stick to set conditions.
“It’s an absolute nightmare across the board,” LeBlanc said of the existing solar array. “It’s an ecological disaster. That land will never be the same again.”
Former Planning Board Chair Beth Girshman told residents that the board listened to problems residents raised with the existing solar array to craft the town’s solar bylaw — the standards that are now guiding the Planning Board’s review of BlueWave’s application.
“It’s going to be a whole lot of equipment and a whole lot of technology installed into something that’s now really beautiful and pristine. It’s never going to be the same,” LeBlanc continued, with the crowd applauding after he spoke. “The state isn’t protecting us and the rural community and the beauty of the town — this board is and we are.”
Tim Luce, an abutter of the proposed solar array, said he expects the development will cause the value of his property to drop.
“You can’t tell me looking out my living room window at this instead of that beautiful field that we look at is not going to affect our property value,” Luce said. “The adverse effect to this community is pretty obvious.”
Resident William Cote requested that information on the proposed project be more accessible and comprehensive on the town website. In response, Forcier said he plans to work with Adam Reed, assistant to the town administrator, to better share information on the proposed solar development.
Resident Michael Kurkulonis described his longtime friend Ronald Boyden as a “good steward of the land,” and said the concerns and questions attendees raised “would apply perfectly to public land or town-owned land, but that’s not what this is; it’s private land.”
“I have a real problem with telling people what to do with their own land. … We can’t be buying out private land and private businesses. It’s not what the town is for [and] that’s not what we should be doing,” Kurkulonis said. “I don’t like the look of solar fields, but I’m willing to bet that 99.9% of everyone in this room is in favor of solar, and I hate to say it this way and people probably won’t like it, but I’m getting the perception just listening to this stuff, that ‘Yes, we want solar, we want wind power, but we don’t want it in our backyard.’”
The public hearing will continue on Tuesday, May 19, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Aalianna Marietta is the South County reporter. She is a graduate of UMass Amherst and was a journalism intern at the Recorder while in school. She can be reached at amarietta@recorder.com or 413-930-4081. More by Aalianna Marietta
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Harmony-F solar flooring can withstand uniformly distributed loads of at least 2 tons and has a hardness above 7 on the Mohs scale, indicating high resistance to wear and abrasion.
Image: Arctech
From pv magazine Spain
Chinese manufacturer Arctech has launched the photovoltaic paving system Harmony-F Solar Flooring in Europe.
The off-grid solution is designed to generate renewable energy on walkable surfaces such as sidewalks, walkways, and building exteriors.
Harmony-F integrates solar modules with a reinforced surface layer in a structure capable of withstanding uniformly distributed loads of at least 2 tons. It also has a hardness above 7 on the Mohs scale, indicating high resistance to wear and abrasion.
The company says the paving system offers transmittance of more than 85% across a wavelength range of 380 nm to 1,100 nm. It uses TOPCon modules measuring 1,200 × 600 × 45 mm and weighing 28 kg.
Each module has a rated power of 110 W under standard test conditions (STC), with a maximum power point voltage of 19.20 V and a current of 5.73 A. The system supports a maximum DC voltage of 1,500 V, enabling integration into larger arrays or hybrid systems.
The pavement incorporates anti-slip treatment achieving a wet slip resistance value above 60 BPN, in accordance with JGJ/T 331-2014. According to the manufacturer, this makes it suitable for outdoor pedestrian areas where wet conditions may increase slip risk.
The system has an IP67 rating under IEC 60529 and an operating temperature range of -40 C to 85 C.
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TaiyangNews Solar Technology Trends Report Maps Charts the Future of Solar PV  openPR.com
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Why the Canada Solar Energy Market Is Growing With Clean Energy Demand  vocal.media
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IMPARTIAL NEWS + INTELLIGENT DEBATE
Account
Neighbours in an area of east London are hoping to pool resources to install solar panels on as many homes as possible, with 130 streets already showing an interest
As the Iran war drives up oil and gas prices, causing the UK to experience its second energy crisis in less than five years, an increasing number of households are looking to solar as a solution.
Renewable energy firms are reporting a surge in interest and data released last week shows 27,000 solar installs were completed in March, the highest monthly total in over a decade.
But one factor stands in the way of Britain embracing a solar revolution: the prohibitive up-front cost that prices out the majority of households.
HEALTH
Scientists have developed an at-home test which can predict a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study led by the University of Exeter.

It involves a finger-prick blood test and an online brain assessment to help identify people at the highest risk.
Finger-prick blood tests look for biomarkers, p-tau217 and GFAP, which have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.  
Scientists look at the blood test alongside computerised cognitive testing to identify risk.
The test results can be used to prioritise high-risk people for further testing and treatment.
Finger prick blood tests could revolutionise dementia diagnosis – they offer a low cost, scalable way to identify people who may be at higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and who should be offered further checks.
MONEY
The Bank of England (BoE) kept interest rates on hold last week, but some experts predict rises later in 2026, which could mean mortgage deals increase yet again.

Here are all the potential interest rises later this year, and what they could mean for your finances.
Rising inflation
The BoE increases rates as inflation climbs above its 2 per cent target. It is currently 3.3 per cent and set to rise to 3.75 per cent.
Iran war
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is expected to rise due to the Middle East conflict pushing up oil prices which trickles down to goods and services.
Explained
5 min read
Last week, the BoE published three scenarios for the Middle East conflict – all of which saw inflation rising.
Some forecasters are predicting that the base rate could rise twice this year, taking it to 4.25 per cent.
What happens to your mortgage depends on which product you have and a range of external factors.
MONEY
3 min read
TRAVEL
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary says serving alcohol before morning flights should be banned to tackle bad passenger behaviour.

With the problem getting worse, could this spell the end of a pre-flight pint?
O’Leary said Ryanair is now having to divert one aircraft a day because of passengers behaving badly. Ten years ago, this was just one diversion a week.
He said the mix of alcohol and drugs means the problem is getting worse, with passengers becoming aggressive and “hyper” rather than just falling asleep.
I fail to understand why anybody in airport bars is serving people at five or six o’clock in the morning…Who needs to be drinking beer at that time?
Routes from Britain to Ibiza, Alicante and Tenerife have posed a particular problem, but flights from Ireland and Poland also experience disruption.

It is a criminal offence to be drunk on board an aircraft, with those convicted facing large fines and up to two years in prison.

If a flight is diverted, the offending passenger can face airline bans, large compensation fees and prosecution in the country where the aircraft lands.

TRAVEL
3 min read
Pornhub’s parent company Aylo said Apple users who had confirmed their age with the company’s updated iOS would
be allowed back on the site.
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
Major platforms have been affected by the landmark Online Safety Act, with Pornhub seeing a 75 per cent drop in UK users since the introduction of more robust age checks.

However, critics have questioned whether people are simply using VPNs instead, allowing them to evade age checks by masking their IP addresses.
POLITICS
3 min read
ROYAL
The Princess of Wales is set to make her first official foreign visit since being diagnosed with cancer.

Kate, who revealed she was in remission last year, will travel to Italy next week on a trip with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
Kate’s trip to Italy will be the first official overseas engagement in nearly three-and-a-half years. Her last visit was in December 2022, when she went to Boston, USA, with Prince William for his Earthshot Prize award ceremony.
She has been on unofficial trips to Marseille, France, for the Rugby World Cup in autumn 2023 and to the Crown Prince of Jordan’s wedding in Amman in June 2023.
The princess will visit the city of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy for two days from 13-14 May to focus on early years child development.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said Kate is “very much” looking forward to the trip, where she will learn about the Reggio Emilia Approach, an educational philosophy which focuses on children’s self-development.
Kate was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer following abdominal surgery in January 2024, sparking widespread speculation.
WORLD
Donald Trump said his operation to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz will be paused “for a short period of time” due to “great progress” towards a deal with Iran.

Here is all you need to know about “Project Freedom” and what it means for tense relations between Iran and the US.
Trump announced Project Freedom on Sunday, saying it was a “humanitarian gesture” to help seafarers stuck in the Gulf.

The plan launched on Monday, with US Central Command (Centcom) saying it was “essential” to regional security and the global economy.

Iran responded saying it would attack US forces if they entered the strait.

LIVE
1 min read
LIVE
1 min read
On Friday, Trump said he was “not satisfied” with Iran’s latest peace proposal. Trump has repeatedly called for Iran’s nuclear programme to end, while Tehran has demanded the release of frozen assets. On Tuesday, he said “great progress” has been made on a deal, but it remains to be seen what that looks like.
Analysis
4 min read
Iran’s attempts to incite antisemitism in the UK “will not
be tolerated”, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said.

Here are the main points from
the Downing Street summit.
The measures to protect the Jewish community come after the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green and a series of attacks at synagogues and other sites in recent months.

Starmer has faced criticism that he has not done enough to keep the community safe, and was heckled during a visit to the north London suburb on Thursday.
NEWS
7 min read
One of the lines of inquiry is whether a foreign state has been behind some of these incidents…Our message to Iran, or to any other country that might seek to foment violence, hatred or division in society, is that it will not be tolerated.
NEWS
Co-op has been secretly marking frequently shoplifted groceries with a special forensic spray to tackle the resale of stolen goods.

Here’s how the invisible spray works, and how the company hopes it will make shoplifting less profitable.
Co-op has been marking items with an invisible spray that contains a unique forensic code linked to the shop where it was originally sold, according to Retail Gazette.
Co-op has invested £250m in store security, including body-worn cameras for staff, reinforced kiosks for items such as spirits and tobacco, and shelf fixtures designed to stop thieves sweeping products into bags.
Where?
The scheme has been trialled in Manchester and London and will be rolled out across the UK.
Which items?
High-risk items such as alcohol, laundry detergent and confectionary have been sprayed.
Why?
The aim is to help Co-op and the police identify where stolen products are being resold, making theft less profitable.
NEWS
2 min read
One east London community believes it has the answer; community solar projects that use the power of collective bargaining and financing to lower costs and share the benefits of renewable energy.
What started as a single-street fundraising project is now expanding across Walthamstow, with over 130 streets signing up to lower their bills by becoming part of a community ‘power station’.
The Walthamstow Power Station project was born during lockdown, when artists Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell set out to answer a basic question.
“If we’re in a climate crisis, why isn’t renewable energy being put everywhere? We have the technology available to have clean, renewable energy. Why is it not being deployed on every viable building?” Edelstyn explained.
The couple slept on their roof for 23 nights to raise money for solar for themselves and their neighbours, creating a documentary in the process.
They raised over £150,000, which paid for solar panels on 16 homes and five local schools. 
Edelstyn said the homes have cut their bills by roughly a third and reduced their dependency on fossil fuels. 
“Beyond that there is the civic advantage of growing a community of people that want to participate together in something. That feels important at a time where a lot of people are divided,” he said. 
Following the success on their own street, Edelstyn and Powell are now looking to expand the Power Station project across Walthamstow. To do this, they must find a finance model that is more sustainable that crowdfunding.
“Basically that seems to be the area where the most innovation needs to happen, about how it’s financed. The technology of solar definitely works and it’s cheaper than it’s ever been. Getting over the financial hurdles is the biggest problem that we all have,” Edelstyn said.
The project has teamed up with community energy company People Owned Power (POP) Energy to develop a co-op that local people will be able to invest in, which will install solar on people’s homes at no up-front cost.
Households who want solar will pay a fixed subscription fee to the co-op to pay off the solar panels over a set period of time, most likely 15 years. The aim is that this subscription fee will be less than the money households are saving on their bills.
Solar subscriptions schemes are not entirely new and have previously encountered hurdles, including higher long-term costs and difficulties with selling their homes.
Howard Johns, CEO of POP Energy, said households can either pass the subscription onto their buyer when they sell or will have to pay the panels off. However, he believes the uplift in value of having solar on your property would be enough to offset the cost.
“We’re just trying to make it as equitable as possible really by doing it as a co-operative,” he said.
The Power Station project has caught the attention of Walthamstow’s MP, Stella Creasy, who has held a series of meetings to encourage streets to take the plunge on solar panels together.
The most recent meeting took place last week and was attended by over 250 residents, as well as the Energy Secretary, Ed Milliband.
“My constituents know exactly how much money they don’t have to pay for the basics,” Creasy said. “It’s a big outlay to get that return so the more we can do using our collective bargaining power to reduce that cost, the more inclusive it can be.”
Over 130 streets have expressed interest in working together to install solar on their streets and Creasy is encouraging them to pursue a number of routes, including the co-op being established by Pop Energy.
Another more straightforward option for residents who are able to shoulder some of the upfront cost, is bulk-buying solar as a street in exchange for a discount.
Walthamstow resident Charlie Dearman is among those who have done this successfully with his neighbours. Eight households on his street negotiated a 30 per cent discount from a company called Everyone Energy by agreeing to have solar installed at the same time.
Dearman paid £4,000 for his solar, which he estimates he will have made back between bill savings and selling excess energy to the grid within five years. He paid an additional £3,000 for a battery, which he estimates will be paid off in seven years.
Creasy and her team are also exploring whether they can obtain money from the Government for community solar projects in Walthamstow.
Great British Energy, the Government-owned energy company, is providing up to £1bn for community-owned energy projects by 2030.
It’s not clear how much of this money will be available for projects like those springing up across Walthamstow, but Miliband encouraged residents to apply.
There are still various challenges in place that discourage the widespread take-up of community energy projects.
More innovative ideas, such as trading the solar your panels generate with neighbours still face regulatory hurdles and many households still face practical barriers, such as gaining permission from landlords and freeholders.
But Johns believes what’s happening in Walthamstow is “the future of energy”.
“It is going to be generated locally. It is going to be across millions of roofs,” he said.
Impartial news + intelligent debate
All rights reserved. © 2026 Associated Newspapers Limited.

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A study from China shows rooftop PV systems on dairy barns can significantly reduce roof heat flux and improve indoor thermal conditions. Field measurements and simulations found up to a 2.3 C reduction in indoor temperature during peak afternoon heat stress periods.
Image: pv magazine/AI generated
A research team from China has investigated whether rooftop PV systems can help mitigate heat stress in dairy barns.
“This research provides quantified evidence to support advisory and decision-making processes for farm managers, agricultural policymakers, and PV integrators,” the researchers said in a statement. “By demonstrating that rooftop photovoltaic systems serve a dual purpose—generating clean electricity and acting as a passive cooling solution that reduces peak indoor temperatures by up to 2.3 C during critical afternoon hours—this work directly informs investment decisions in sustainable infrastructure.”
The scientists developed a numerical simulation and validated it against an operational PV system installed on top of a commercial dairy barn. The model enabled calculation of roof heat flux, which is the rate of heat transfer through the roof into the barn interior.
To assess the impact of PV modules on roof heat flux, the team conducted field measurements at a naturally ventilated dairy barn in Shandong Province, China. The barn measures 32 m in span, 372 m in length, and has an eave height of 4.5 m. It features a south-facing gable roof with a 17.17° pitch and a single-layer profiled steel sheet construction without insulation.
The facility was divided into two zones. One section was left without PV installation, while the other was fitted with 1,152 PV modules with a total capacity of 299.52 kW. The modules were installed parallel to the roof slope, maintaining a 0.10 m ventilated air gap between the panels and the roof surface, and covered 60% of the south-facing roof area. The two zones housed 164 and 316 dairy cows, respectively.
To compare thermal performance between the two sections, the researchers monitored indoor and outdoor dry-bulb temperatures, relative humidity, airflow velocity, and solar radiation from June to September 2023. They also measured inner roof surface temperatures using infrared thermography and applied the temperature-humidity index (THI) to assess heat stress conditions in the cows.
The measured datasets were then used to validate a computational model of the barn developed in SolidWorks. The validation showed mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values of 4%–6% relative to field measurements. With the model validated, the researchers were able to quantify heat transfer dynamics across the barn envelope.
“Linear mixed model analysis revealed that PV panels significantly reduced roof heat flux during daytime (57.7% influence weight, p < 0.001), with the strongest reduction occurring during peak solar radiation between 11:00 and 13:00,” the researchers said. “This effect was primarily attributed to shading, photovoltaic conversion, and convective cooling within the ventilated air cavity beneath the modules.”
“PV panels significantly lowered indoor temperatures during daytime (8.7% influence weight, p < 0.05), achieving a maximum reduction of approximately 2.3 C during the critical afternoon heat stress period (14:00–16:00),” they added.
Overall, the findings indicate that integrating PV systems into livestock housing can deliver measurable co-benefits by simultaneously generating renewable electricity and improving indoor thermal conditions for animal welfare under heat-stress scenarios.
The research work was presented in “Rooftop photovoltaic systems can mitigate dairy barn heat stress by suppressing roof heat flux: a temporal analysis,” published in Biosystems Engineering. Researchers from China Agricultural University, China’s Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shandong Agricultural University, and Beijing Engineering Research Center on Animal Healthy Environment have participated in the study.
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Fraunhofer ISE Launches New Lab to Advance Perovskite-Silicon Solar Technology  SolarQuarter
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New Zealand government-backed utility Genesis Energy and FRV Australia, the local arm of global renewable energy developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, have dissolved their solar development joint venture just months after delivering their first PV project.
Image: Genesis Energy
Genesis Energy and FRV Australia, owned by Saudi Abdul Latif Jameel Energy and Canadian pension fund Omers, have terminated their joint venture (JV) agreement that was to deliver up to 500 MW of large-scale solar capacity across New Zealand.
Genesis Chief Operating Officer Tracey Hickman said in a statement the decision reflects the natural evolution of the companies’ respective strategies and the growing capability of the development team within Genesis.
“Our partnership with FRV has been instrumental in accelerating solar development in New Zealand,” she said. “We are proud of what we have achieved together and thank FRV for their contribution to our partnership.”
The announcement comes less than six months after the JV partners officially launched the 47 MW Lauriston Solar Farm near Christchurch on the nation’s South Island.
Genesis said the JV partners will continue their co-ownership and running of the Lauriston Solar Farm, which is the sole project to have been completed under the development agreement that was first announced in 2021.
The government-backed energy generator and retailer provided no detail regarding other projects in the JV development pipeline, including a 200 MWp development near Foxton on the North Island. The JV partners had also secured sites on the North Island for three solar farms with an expected combined capacity of 400 MW.
While the ownership of those projects is yet to be revealed, Genesis, which is 51% owned by the NZ government, has previously stated that its renewable generation pathway remains focused on solar development due to “speed to market, lower capital costs and overall improving economics.”
In addition to the JV pipeline, Genesis is also developing a 67 MWp consented site near Leeston on the South Island, and a 114 MW consented solar project near Edgecumbe in the Bay of Plenty. That site is expected to start generating electricity in 2027.
Genesis has also started building a 100 MW / 200 MWh battery energy storage system alongside the 1.2 GW coal- and gas-fired Huntly Power Station about 100 kilometres south of Auckland on North Island.
The project, which is scheduled to be operational by late 2026, is the first phase of a planned multi-stage development that is expected to deliver up to 400 MW / 800 MWh of energy storage capacity at the site.
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The off-grid solar project, encompassing 31.85 MW of solar connected to 75.26 MWh of battery energy storage, will supply energy to over 90,000 people in eastern Angola.
Image: MCA Group
Portuguese group MCA has inaugurated a 31.85 MW off-grid solar park tied to 75.26 MWh of battery energy storage in Angola.
The Luau photovoltaic park is now the largest off-grid solar park in Africa, surpassing the record previously set by MCA’s Cazombo solar park, also in Angola, which came online late last year.
The project was designed and built by MCA with Angolan state-owned electricity production company, PRODEL Ep, acting as project developer. Its production capacity is enough to supply energy to more than 90,000 people in the area, while its battery bank also ensures night time supply and completely eliminates the need for any fossil fuel, a statement from MCA explains.
The solar park is located in eastern Angola on the Lobito Corridor, a railway and logistics infrastructure project aiming to connect the Port of Lobito on Angola’s western coastline to its neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia in the east.
Valued at €87 million ($102 million), MCA says the project attracted significant European investment due its strategic position near the border with DRC. Financing was structured by the British Standard Chartered Bank with the support of the German Export Agency, which provided a guarantee of around €1 billion, reinsured by the Portuguese and Korean Export Agencies.
The Luau and Cazombo solar parks both form part of Angola’s Rural Electrification Project, a government initiative planning to implement 46 autonomous minigrids powered by solar parks. The project is aiming to reach over one million people spanning 60 communes in Angola.
MCA Chairman, Manuel Couto Alves, says the project “represents a commitment to communities that, for decades, have lived without access to energy.”
“The completion of the Cazombo and Luau parks marks just the beginning of a structural and ambitious programme, which will continue to expand in the coming years,” he added. “We will continue to work, side by side with the communities, to ensure that electrification reaches where it makes the most difference.”
The Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) has identified 467.8 MW of operational solar in Angola, according to figures available in its project database.
In January, Abu Dhabi-based developer Masdar signed a 150 MW solar power purchase agreement in Angola, marking the first phase of a 500 MW multi-site project.
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Arab Potash to develop Jordan’s first floating solar plant  ZAWYA
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PINE POINT, MINN. – A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Pine Point Resilience Hub (PPRH) began with a silent prayer by a spiritual elder, tobacco pipe smoke wafting in four compass points.
Pine Point School and numerous partners flipped the switch on the solar and battery system on Monday, May 4.
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The hub, also dubbed Waabizii1, was dedicated to Mike Swan. Waabizi means “swan” in Ojibwe, and the late Swan was a pillar of the community.
The 500-kilowatt solar array, paired with a 2.475 megawatt-hour battery, is capable of powering the building through a full blackout.
It’s based at the K-8 school and community center in Pine Point, located on the White Earth Reservation.
“It’s a big day,” said mistress of ceremonies Sandra Kwak. She’s founder and CEO of 10Power, “a climate justice, renewable energy project developer” that works with tribal nations, schools, nonprofits and underserved communities globally.
“It’s designed to provide backup power in the case of emergencies, so that people can come here, shelter in the gym, have backup electricity, be able to continue sustaining themselves in the community,” she explained.
The PPRH contributes to the grid as a whole, too. “Instead of being a drain in times of strain, the battery has potential to provide capacity, helping to provide stability,” Kwak said.
It will also save the school money on electricity bills year-round, “liberating dollars that can be reinvested” into classrooms and children.
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This project was five years in the making.
The hub endured headwinds.
It was launched under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, then faced “a turbulent transition as the current administration clawed back clean energy grants, dismantled equity programs and moved to eliminate tax credits for clean energy. Billions of dollars awarded to support community-based projects were terminated by the White House,” according to a news release.
In the release, Kwak said, “This project thankfully prevailed, but many others were canceled. Now, we’re working to help as many as possible qualify for tax credits before they end.”
Financing the solar installation required a patchwork of public and private resources, including the U.S. Department of Energy, the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund, the Verizon Climate Resilience Prize, a private bridge loan and more.
Kwak said, “Through an innovative capital stack, we were able to make this project happen at zero dollars out of pocket to the school.”
Tara Hammond from the Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation partners with philanthropists to finance projects like this one.
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“One of the funding streams is the tax credit, which in this case, covered half of the project cost. The Trump administration escalated a tax on clean energy and environmental protections, but has also weakened the resilience and capacity of our social systems to support our communities,” Hammond said.
A philanthropist who believed in Pine Point’s vision “chose to step up, not only despite the federal uncertainty, but because of it. That’s what we need in this moment,” she said.
Minnesota’s Solar for Schools Program was another crucial supporter, awarding $500,000.
“This is one of almost 200 Solar for Schools projects that are in the works or have happened so far,” said program manager Amanda Scheinebeck. “You’re one of the few projects that is sized to produce 100% of the energy needs for your building,” along with battery storage.
PPRH is a role model, she added, for incorporating curriculum and technology career aspects.
Technical assistance was provided by the Clean Energy Resource Teams. Additional tech help as well funding came from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Sandia National Labs.
The solar panels were manufactured at Heliene’s plant in Mountain Iron, Minn.
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The battery is American-made lithium iron phosphate, sourced from Texas-based ELM Microgrid.
Zeigler Energy Solutions was selected through a competitive request for proposals to install the array.
An Indigenous-owned local firm, Design Electric, handled subcontracting.
According to the release, the Pine Point community sits in the 98th percentile nationally for energy burden – the share of household income spent on electricity.
“Across the U.S., Indigenous people face the highest energy poverty of any demographic group. Fourteen percent of reservation homes lack electricity entirely, and nearly half lack reliable clean water or adequate sanitation,” the release states.
Pine Point Community Council member Gerald Roberts said, toward the end of his grandmother’s life, she was on oxygen all of the time. “So that’s what got me excited about this project,” he said.
Pine Point School was built as an all-electric facility with ground-source heat pumps.
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According to the release, “The new system was projected to save the school $1.15 million over 25 years. That figure has since been revised downward by roughly $324,000 after the local utility, Itasca-Mantrap Electric Cooperative, announced a rate increase.”
Calling it “a bright, new chapter” and “monumental achievement” for the school and community, Superintendent Chris Schultz said, “Today, we aren’t just cutting a ribbon. We are capturing the power of the sun … By turning to the sun, we are doing more than reducing our carbon footprint. We are ensuring financial stability. The installation provides resiliency, ensuring our school remains a steady, powered beacon for the community for decades to come.”
The White Earth Tribe will own the system long term.
A joint venture was created between 10Power and 8th Fire Solar, a community development initiative in Pine Point founded by Winona LaDuke. Together, they’ll handle operations and maintenance of PPRH, funded through the school’s energy savings. They are recruiting a community member to train as a solar and battery technician.
White Earth Tribal Chairman Michael Fairbanks spoke about the hub’s role in self-determination, while also growing relationships.
The release says White Earth is among dozens of tribal nations establishing tribal utility commissions and writing their own utility codes.
Nathan Matthews, director of the White Earth Tribal Utility Commission (TUC), said, “Policies like net metering are essential not just for economics, but for protecting tribal ratepayers and advancing energy sovereignty.”
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Established in 2022, Matthews said the TUC serves “as a conduit and support mechanism for tribal council initiatives.”
“This is a cutting edge project. This is very, very new territory for rural Minnesota and also for Indian country, so be proud of this project. It took a lot of work,” he said.
There are four electric service providers on the reservation. Matthews noted the PPRH will overproduce electricity in summer, when school is out and grid power is most expensive.
In the news release, Matthews called on Itasca-Mantrap Electric Cooperative and its wholesale provider, Great River Energy, to develop battery participation programs that would let installations like Pine Point’s feed clean power back to the grid during peak periods, potentially lowering costs for everyone.
Michael LaRoque, White Earth secretary of the treasury, expressed hope that similar hubs will be created in neighboring communities.
LaDuke said the PPRH is a foothold, not a finish line. “This is just the beginning – that’s why it’s called Waabizii1. Next up: getting solar on every home that wants it.”
Schultz told students to “look at these panels as a promise. They represent our commitment to being good stewards to the earth, blending a modern nation with the timeless respect for nature that the people of White Earth have honored for generations.”
Laura Lee Erickson, Pine Point’s District 3 representative on the White Earth Tribal Council, shared that sentiment. “Harnessing this gift from the sun gives us power and is in line with the ways of the earth and traditional stewardship values,” she said in a statement.
On Monday, Erickson thanked the team members for their dedication, “turning an idea into something tangible, something that will generate clean energy, reduce environmental impact and set an example for those to follow. This project is huge.”
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a White Earth Tribal member, sent a letter of congratulations.
“With your broad and far-reaching approach, your project showcases the strength and values of the White Earth Nation,” she wrote. “Incorporating the unique expertise and Ojibwe language into the planning, construction and implementation of the solar farm demonstrates what we have always known: that we will continue to break barriers, uphold our traditions and identities and be good stewards of our lands.”

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Published on May 6, 2026
Jefther A
The Luau Photovoltaic Park Project has been commissioned in eastern Angola, marking the delivery of the largest off-grid solar park on the African continent within the Lobito Corridor, with an investment exceeding €87 million. The project introduces record-setting solar and battery infrastructure while expanding electricity access to remote communities and reinforcing the corridor’s role as a strategic development axis.
Angola’s President, João Lourenço, inaugurated the facility in Luau, located near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The location places the project at the eastern end of the Lobito Corridor, a transport and logistics route increasingly positioned as a transcontinental link connecting Atlantic ports to Central Africa’s mineral-rich regions.
The commissioning establishes a new continental benchmark for off-grid renewable energy systems. It also reflects growing alignment between energy infrastructure and transport corridors, particularly where grid extension remains economically unviable.
The Luau Photovoltaic Park Project delivers 31.85 MWp of installed solar capacity and 75.26 MWh of battery storage. Consequently, the hybrid system provides continuous electricity supply without reliance on diesel or other fossil fuels. The facility supplies power to more than 90,000 people in remote communities. In addition, it prevents approximately 47 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, supporting Angola’s broader energy transition objectives.
With its commissioning, the project surpasses the previous record set by the Cazombo solar park. The earlier installation delivered 25.3 MWp of solar capacity and 59.46 MWh of storage, establishing the initial benchmark for off-grid systems in the country. The Luau project incorporates 54,912 photovoltaic modules deployed under a turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction model. Furthermore, construction activities generated more than 200 local jobs, contributing to short-term economic stimulus in the region.
Operationally, the system is expected to reduce fuel consumption by approximately 18 million litres annually. This shift significantly lowers operating costs associated with diesel-based generation in isolated networks.
The project forms part of Angola’s Rural Electrification Project, a national programme targeting 60 communes through decentralized renewable energy systems. Notably, the Luau installation represents the second off-grid solar park delivered under the initiative, following the Cazombo plant completed in 2025.
The broader programme plans the deployment of 46 autonomous mini-grids powered by solar photovoltaic parks. As a result, it aims to provide electricity access to more than one million people by 2027.
The integration of energy infrastructure into the Lobito Corridor reflects a coordinated development approach. While the corridor primarily supports transport and logistics, energy access remains critical for industrial activity, cross-border trade, and community development along the route.
The initiative also aligns with the European Union Global Gateway strategy, which promotes sustainable and high-quality infrastructure investments across partner regions. Under this framework, projects are expected to meet environmental, social, and governance standards while delivering long-term economic benefits.
The commissioning of the Luau Photovoltaic Park Project highlights the growing role of off-grid solar systems in addressing energy access gaps. By combining solar generation with battery storage, such systems ensure reliability in regions where grid extension remains limited.
Officials involved in the project emphasized that the development extends beyond technical delivery. Reliable electricity access supports essential services, including healthcare and education, while enabling local businesses to operate more efficiently.
The project also demonstrates a scalable model for future deployments. As additional mini-grids come online under the Rural Electrification Project, similar configurations are expected to be replicated across Angola’s underserved regions.
From a construction perspective, the project reinforces the viability of large-scale off-grid infrastructure delivered through integrated EPC contracts. It also highlights the role of international financing structures in supporting capital-intensive renewable energy projects in emerging markets.
Similarly, large-scale solar developments are advancing elsewhere on the continent, reinforcing the shift toward renewable energy infrastructure. In South Africa, Pele Green Energy reaches financial close for 100MW Sonvanger Solar PV Power Plant highlights how utility-scale projects are being structured to support industrial energy demand. The 100 MW Sonvanger Solar PV project, located in the Free State, will supply clean power to mining operations under long-term agreements, demonstrating how private-sector-led solar investments are complementing public electrification programmes.
Location: Luau, Moxico Province, Angola
Project Value: Over €87 million
Project Type: off-grid solar Photovoltaic Park with battery storage
Installed Capacity: 31.85 MWp
Battery Storage: 75.26 MWh
Solar Panels Installed: 54,912
Electricity Coverage: More than 90,000 people
CO2 Emissions Avoided: Approximately 47 tonnes annually
Fuel Savings: Around 18 million litres per year
Jobs Created: 200+ during construction
Programme: Rural Electrification Project (60 communes)
Wider Rollout: 46 mini-grids targeting over 1 million people
Precedent Project: Cazombo Solar Park (25.3 MWp; 59.46 MWh)
Status: Commissioned (2026)
Developer: PRODEL EP (Angola state-owned electricity producer)
EPC Contractor:
Financier: Standard Chartered Bank
Export Credit Agency: Euler Hermes
Reinsurance Partners: COSEC; K-Sure
Government Stakeholders:
Strategic Framework: European Union Global Gateway
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Goldbeck Solar to build 268-MWp solar park in Germany  Renewables Now
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Floating Solar Panels Market 2026
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Lund Hill, Washington’s biggest solar project  Iberdrola
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Rooftop solar in Australia has reached a high system capacity and is prompting rapid growth in home batteries. To explore how to transfer that success to the U.S., a study group of U.S. regulators met with energy sector leaders in Australia.
Generating sources in Australia’s National Electricity Market in 2025
The CHARGED Initiative
Distributed solar and storage could play a larger role in the U.S. if regulations were more like those in Australia, suggests a report from GridLab, Advanced Energy United and RMI that documents a study trip to Australia by U.S. state utility regulators.
Thanks to rooftop solar’s low cost in Australia—less than a third of typical U.S. costs—its capacity in the nation’s predominant electricity market exceeds that of grid-scale solar and wind combined, as shown in the featured image above.
The study group found that Australia’s approach to permitting and installation are key to rooftop solar’s low costs.
Friction-free interconnection
For example, in the state of South Australia, residential customers may install a large rooftop solar system with no need for interconnection approval, in exchange for accepting flexible export limits, which modeling has shown would allow export of full generation more than 98% of the time in most areas.
That approach has helped rooftop solar and other renewables to now provide close to 75% of South Australia’s electricity consumed, said Bryn Williams, principal at Energy Horizons, on a webinar accompanying the report.
The flexible export mechanism relies on an Australian smart inverter standard that enables a distribution network operator to communicate with each customer’s solar inverter over the internet, for example by household Wi-Fi, to vary how much each system can export at any given time, according to available grid capacity.
GridLab Executive Director Ric O’Connell told pv magazine that the same flexible export approach to interconnection could “absolutely” be taken in the U.S., by relying on smart inverters for rooftop solar that meet the IEEE 1547-2018 standard. He noted that the Australian smart inverter standard was based on California smart inverter standards “which became IEEE 1547-2018.”
Thirteen U.S. states have adopted the IEEE 1547-2018 standard, along with some utilities in other states, according to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.
Flexible interconnection of distributed solar has made some headway in the U.S. For example, in Colorado, regulators have ordered a utility to promptly propose a “flexible interconnection or energization tariff” for distributed energy resources, as required by state law. In New York, a utility has piloted flexible interconnection based on real-time grid capacity available. And California has created an option for distributed generation to interconnect based on a schedule-based limited generation profile.
Utilities supporting solar
Contributing to rooftop solar’s success in Australia is the fact that the nation’s distribution utilities do not generate electricity, so “there is no incentive” for them “not to support solar,” said Williams, on the webinar.
Overall, renewables provided 43% of the electricity consumed last year in the populous eastern half of Australia, Williams said.
Home battery subsidies
As rooftop solar capacity has soared, Australia’s federal government began subsidizing home battery installations to help smooth out the generation profile. In the last six months of 2025, homeowners installed 4.6 GWh of storage, exceeding the combined capacity of the 12 largest grid-scale batteries in the country, the report notes.
The subsidy program’s goal, Williams said, is to reach 2 million new home battery installations and 40 GWh of new capacity over the next four years.
Australia is expected to update its smart inverter standard to add battery communication functionality, the report says.
“Consumer energy resources”
For both distributed solar and storage, Australia’s approach is to require technologies to enable control by the distribution utility, but to allow each customer to decide whether to hand over control, based on their assessment of the value of doing so. Australians use the term “social license” to describe this approach, and refer to distributed energy resources instead as “consumer energy resources.”
Allocating fixed costs
The report cautions that the “equity dimension” of recovering fixed network costs “as the solar-heavy customer base grows” is “real and unresolved.”
Forty percent of Australians are renters and cannot install and benefit from rooftop solar, said Brian Spak, general manager for advocacy and policy for Energy Consumers Australia, on the webinar.
The wholesale electricity market operator for eastern Australia, known as AEMO, is actively reviewing how to recover fixed costs.
Counting DERs in planning
The report highlights a voluntary effort by three distribution network operators in the state of New South Wales to demonstrate how transmission planning could incorporate cost-saving opportunities for distribution network development. The distribution network operators produced a joint distribution system plan analyzing the hosting capacity, flexibility value and grid services potential of consumer energy resources operating as active assets.
That effort, which the utilities completed without financial support, led AEMO to incorporate distribution network development opportunities into its modeling for its draft 2026 Integrated System Plan.
For New South Wales alone, a modeling study projected cost savings with a net present value of AUS $2 billion to $4.3 billion, largely from better utilizing network capacity and integrating consumer energy resources.
Four lessons
Study tour participants “brought home” four lessons, the report says:
The report is titled “Lessons from the 2026 Charged Initiative Australia study tour.” The companion webinar features study tour participant Dan Scripps, chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission.
The Charged Initiative aims to “chart a path” for greater electrification on the distribution system.
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Indonesia’s PLN has launched a tender for a 1,225 MW solar project that will be spread across several regions of the country. The state-owned utility has not publicly announced a closing date.
Image: mz romadhoni/Unsplash

Indonesian state-owned electric utility company PLN has opened a tender for a solar project with a total capacity of 1,225 MW.
The Mentari Nusantara I solar power project will be developed across multiple regions of Indonesia, with 35 MW planned in Sumatra, 340 MW in Kalimantan, 600 MW in Java, 50 MW in Sulawesi, 80 MW in West Nusa Tenggara and 120 MW in Maluku and Papua.
The tender is being run through an integrated procurement scheme titled ‘Giga One’, which the utility explains promotes economies of scale and provides measurable project certainty for investors by bundling several projects into one package.
PLN kicked off the tender process last week (April 30). The utility has not yet published a closing date for the tender but has given the projects a targeted commercial operation date of 2029.
Suroso Isnandar, Director of Project Management and New and Renewable Energy at PLN, said the Mentari Nusantra project is a key initial driver in supporting the Indonesian government’s target of building 100 GW of solar.
Isnandar also said Giga One is “a new blueprint for renewable energy procurement in Indonesia and an important milestone in the national energy transition journey,” while advising that the procurement strategy will be replicated in future hydropower, wind power and battery energy storage system tenders.
Earlier this year, the Institute for Essential Services Reform and Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs published a study exploring how Indonesia can work towards its 100 GW solar target, which targets 80 GW of decentralized, small-scale solar systems alongside 20 GW of centralized solar.
Indonesia surpassed 1 GW of solar capacity last year, with total capacity reaching 1.49 GW.
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(Yicai) May 6 — Twenty-two major players in China’s photovoltaic industry reported aggregate losses of CNY10.5 billion (USD1.5 billion) in the first three months amid tumbling raw material prices and sluggish end demand despite ongoing efforts to cut excess capacity.
Revenue sank 11.6 percent to CNY95.8 billion (USD14 billion), reflecting a pattern of shrinking scale alongside persistent losses, according to Yicai’s analysis of the financial reports of the 22 listed firms. And losses excluding non-recurring items reached CNY13.2 billion.
For industry giants such as Tongwei, Longi Green Energy Technology and TCL Zhonghuan, this was their 10th consecutive quarter of losses.
Tongwei’s net loss narrowed 5.7 percent year on year to CNY2.4 billion (USD352 million) while revenue plunged 23.9 percent to CNY12.1 billion (USD1.7 billion). TCL Zhonghuan racked up a net loss of CNY1.6 billion (USD234 million), even though revenue climbed 7.3 percent to CNY6.5 billion (USD954 million). And Xi’an-based Longi reported a net loss of CNY1.9 billion, widening by 34.2 percent.
Xinjiang Daqo New Energy fared particularly badly. The silicon material producer saw revenue plummet 79.2 percent to CNY189 million (USD27.7 million), the lowest quarterly revenue since it went public in October 2010. And the Shihezi-based firm’s net loss widened 42.5 percent to CNY801 million (USD117.6 million).
The root cause of these losses is the sharp decline in upstream prices. The average price of N-type multi-crystalline silicon raw material tumbled to CNY40,500 (USD5,900) per ton at the end of March from CNY59,200 in early January, a quarterly drop of approximately 24.7 percent. Prices of various silicon wafer models also slumped by more than 24 percent.
The silicon wafer and silicon material sectors have been the hardest-hit segments. The battery segment, though, has proved to be relatively resilient. The higher penetration of N-type technology has helped support some product price premiums. Hainan Drinda New Energy Technology narrowed its net loss to CNY44 million (USD6.4 million) in the first quarter, after excluding non-recurring items.
By contrast, the module segment saw declining revenues but improved profitability year on year, helped by lower raw material costs and deliberate production cuts aimed at preserving margins, which partially offset weak demand.
Several leading solar firms began to voluntarily reduce production after the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which is the country’s top decision-making body, proposed to combat ‘involution,’ or disorderly, cutthroat competition, in July 2024. However, given the industry’s substantial existing production capacity, the impact of these measures has been slower than expected.
The industry remains in a state of oversupply, but positive factors are gradually emerging, Longi Chairman Zhong Baoshen said at the earnings call. The government’s roll out of measures to combat ‘involution’ and the continued shift toward competition driven by market forces, mean that this year could be a crucial year for the PV industry in terms of consolidation and quality-focused development.
Looking ahead to the second quarter, wafer prices have started to stabilize following a rebound in silicon material prices. However, battery cell prices have begun to decline more rapidly, with prices dropping more than 7 percent in a single week in April. Whether the industry can reach a turning point in earnings will depend largely on the pace of recovery in downstream installation demand.
Editor: Kim Taylor

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Qair, a France-based renewable energy company, has awarded INTEC Energy Solutions the EPC contract for Brecks Solar Farm. The 46.51 MW plant is located near Retford in Nottinghamshire and has reached the construction phase. INTEC Energy Solutions will manage EPC, and O&M services for an initial two-year term. The O&M arrangement has an option to extend after the initial service period. Once operational, Brecks Solar Farm is projected to generate approximately 46.08 GWh of electricity every year.  Brecks Solar Farm is Qair’s first UK solar project to reach construction phase. INTEC Energy Solutions has delivered more than 200 projects, representing 5 GW of installed and secured capacity. Qair has over 1.7 GW in operation or construction and a development pipeline exceeding 30 GW.

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Egypt: Edita installs 390 kWp rooftop solar system at Sheikh Zayed headquarters  ZAWYA
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Solar and wind with battery storage become more cost competitive, IRENA report shows  Reuters
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https://arab.news/puhcz
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani salt manufacturer HubSalt announced on Wednesday it has signed a landmark agreement with Chinese energy manufacturer LIVOLTEK to deploy a hybrid solar and battery storage system at its facility, saying the project would significantly reduce its reliance on imported diesel and curb fuel imports.
LIVOLTEK is a Chinese renewable energy manufacturer that delivers tailored energy solutions in over 110 countries worldwide. HubSalt, established in 1986, is a leading salt manufacturing company in Pakistan. 
The deal involves the installation of a 1.44 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) system integrated with a 2.35 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at HubSalt’s facility, the salt manufacturer said in a press release. The deal was signed in the presence of LIVOLTEK’s Asia Pacific Director Max Ma and HubSalt CEO Ismail Suttar.
“Previously operating entirely off-grid on diesel generators, HubSalt will transition to a hybrid energy model,” the salt manufacturer said.
“The company estimates the project will displace approximately 360,000 liters of diesel annually, contributing to import substitution and easing pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.”
It said the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the system has been awarded to Optimizen Pvt Ltd, which is spearheading the project in collaboration with its Chinese technology partner, LIVOLTEK.
 
Suttar termed the project a “transformative step” for the company and a benchmark for the wider industrial sector.
 
“By integrating advanced renewable technologies, we are not only improving our operational resilience but also setting a benchmark for clean energy adoption in Pakistan’s industrial sector,” Suttar said at the ceremony. 
 
The company said that the environmental impact of the system is also significant, with the project expected to offset more than 2,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. It said this was equivalent to planting over 90,000 trees each year.
“The initiative may also enable HubSalt to participate in global carbon markets through the generation of verified carbon credits under internationally recognized standards such as Verra and Gold Standard,” it added. 
 

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Unicommerce eSolutions, an India-based e-commerce enablement SaaS platform, has partnered with Waaree Energies to automate its commerce operations. Waaree Energies, an India-based solar PV module and solar cell manufacturer, will use the platform for B2C and B2B distribution. The platform will cover solar modules, inverters and solar kits across marketplaces, direct-to-consumer channels and wholesale portals. It will also provide real-time inventory visibility across multiple warehousing and fulfilment locations for stock allocation. The system will manage stock transfers across Waaree’s nationwide distributor network and streamline warehouse workflows for fulfilment timelines. Waaree has approximately 22.3 GW solar PV module capacity and 5.4 GW solar cell capacity, with operations across India and over 25 countries. Unicommerce serves 8,000+ clients and has ~350 integrations across marketplaces, logistics and ERP systems.

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PIXON Secures ALMM Approval for 2.391 GW Solar Module Capacity, Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing Footprint  SolarQuarter
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Ampyr and Climate Fund commission India solar  reNews
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Propelled by a select group of high-capacity manufacturers including T1 Energy and Canadian Solar, Texas is set to exceed 15 GW of solar PV module production in 2026, accounting for nearly half of all U.S. silicon-based manufacturing and serving as the primary hub for the inaugural Solar Manufacturing USA conference in Austin this September.
A factory warehouse.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Solar PV module production in Texas is set to exceed 15 GW during 2026, making the state the clear leader today in the drive to ramp domestic manufacturing in the United States, potentially accounting for almost 50% of all silicon-based PV modules made in the United States this year.
While investments in the domestic solar PV ecosystem are spread across a large part of the country, Texas has become the preferred location for a select group of silicon-based PV manufacturers that have efficiently ramped production lines at the multi-gigawatt level, including T1 Energy, SEG Solar, Canadian Solar, Waaree Energies, Imperial Star and TOYO Solar.
This is why the new Solar Manufacturing USA conference is happening in Austin, Texas on 22-23 September 2026. We could have chosen other locations for what will be the first domestic-only U.S. PV manufacturing event, but the concentration of production at the module level in Texas today – and its associated materials supply – puts the state at the forefront of the domestic PV production revival in the United States.
Indeed, attendees at the event will have options to visit some of the local factories the day after the event on 24 September.
The figure shows the dramatic rise in module production in Texas since 2024, first with Canadian Solar and shortly after with T1 Energy, while SEG Solar, Waaree Energies and Imperial Star also ramped GW-scale capacities through 2025.
With this concentration of module assembly underway, Texas effectively becomes the litmus test for how the United States can effectively onshore the necessary raw materials for module production: cells made in Texas or shipped from cell-specific factories located elsewhere; and similarly for solar glass, backsheets, films, frames and other bill-of-materials requirements.
Indeed, simply knowing how the major module producers in Texas today are going to backward integrate will be a key part of the entire U.S. solar manufacturing landscape in the years ahead. Will these companies all ramp up cell lines in 2027? Which will be the first to announced ingot and wafer operations?
For more information on Solar Manufacturing USA 2026, including options to get involved in speaking at the conference and the full two-day agenda topics, the event portal can be viewed here.
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Under the May 6 agreements, Skycorp will issue 1,685,000 Class A Ordinary Shares at $2.1365 per share. The offering price represents a 30.19% discount to the average Nasdaq closing price over the prior 15 trading days.
The financing follows a previously announced $3 million PIPE transaction involving 1,694,000 Class A ordinary shares.
The financing includes four unaffiliated institutional investors. Existing investors Hoping Group Limited, Matrix Sea Limited and Hoping AI Machine Pte Ltd expanded their positions.
Helios Tech Limited joined as a new investor, subscribing for 1,295,500 shares valued at about $2.77 million.
Skycorp said all newly issued shares are subject to a six-month lock-up beginning May 6.
The company said offering proceeds will support working capital, business development, and strategic initiatives, including a potential 200MW wind farm project in Hebei Province, China.
In April, Skycorp signed an agreement to acquire the remaining 56% stake in Nanjing Cesun Power. The $20.19 million deal will increase Skycorp's ownership in the company to 100%.
Skycorp manufactures and sells solar photovoltaic products, including solar cables and connectors, while also supplying GPU and HPC servers.
PN Price Action: Skycorp Solar Group shares were up 14.39% at $7.87 at the time of publication on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Photo by Nguyen Quang Ngoc Tonkin via Shutterstock
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Skycorp Solar Group Limited (NASDAQ:PN), a solar PV products provider, rose on Wednesday after announcing a $3.6 million private placement, bringing recent PIPE funding to $6.6 million.

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Greenvolt Next has announced the completion of a 2.2MWp ground-mounted solar farm at the Astellas Damastown facility in Dublin.
The renewable energy company delivered the project in four months, managing every stage from concept and design to installation and commissioning.
The Greenvolt Group subsidiary will undertake ongoing maintenance and performance reviews at the site.
The solar farm, which is now live, features 3,192 solar panels and five inverters, supplying 27% of the site’s electricity needs and reducing Scope 2 CO₂ emissions by 310 tonnes annually.
The solar farm is expected to strengthen operational resilience and lower environmental impact while maintaining operational excellence.

Designed with future growth in mind, the system can accommodate additional inverters and battery storage integration, allowing the facility to expand its renewable energy capacity as operational needs evolve.
“This solar farm is an impressive feat with our resourceful team completing the design, installation and delivery of over 3,000 solar panels in just four months,” said Owen Power, CEO of Greenvolt Next Ireland.
“The turnaround time for a project of this scale is meaningful and shows how quickly we can implement change – change that gives Astellas more control and more reliability in terms of its energy needs both today and in the future.
“Making renewable energy easy not only benefits the organisation but also its customers and the environment as a whole, particularly at a time when these factors are becoming increasingly critical amid ongoing volatility and uncertainty in energy markets.”
Leon Burns, capital projects lead at Astellas Ireland, commented: “At Astellas, we know that time is of the essence when it comes to taking action.
“As well as doing the best for patients, we are also committed to doing the best for the world around us – that includes supporting a greener future. In just four months, Greenvolt Next has delivered a solar farm which boosts our sustainability credentials and offers scalability.
“Underpinned by their resources and expertise, this installation is already making a tangible difference to our business operations.”
Photo: John Carty, chief commercial officer, Greenvolt Next, pictured with Leo Burns, capital project lead, Astellas Ireland. (Pic: Supplied)

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Latest report from the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS) finds measurable advancements in PV module recycling performance compared to its prior studies, including higher material recovery rates, improved process yields and higher output purity.
Image: Soren H, Unsplash
From pv magazine Global
PV module recycling is making “meaningful advancement” across both commercial and pilot-scale technologies, according to a new report from the IEA-PVPS.
The latest Task 12 report presents new and updated life cycle inventory (LCI) data. Its sources include two U.S.-based commercial crystalline silicon (c-Si) module recyclers, Solarcycle and SPR, Italian pilot-scale c-Si module recycler 9-Tech, the EU-funded Photorama project and updated global LCI data on cadmium telluride (CdTe) modules from U.S.-based thin-film solar module specialist First Solar.
The report says that, in comparison to prior Task 12 studies, the research found measurable advancements in PV module recycling performance across higher material recovery rates, improved process yields and higher output purity.
It says recovery rates for high-value materials have “improved significantly” compared to a 2024 study, when the pure-mechanical benchmark recycling technology did not recover silicon or silver. “In the current study, SPR reports recovery of 98 weight percent (wt. %) of input silicon using a pure-mechanical process at commercial scale, while 9-Tech achieves 95 wt. % silicon recovery in a pilot-scale system that employs mechanical, thermal and chemical recycling processes,” the report explains.
IEA-PVPS also highlights the recovery of non-ferrous metals, including silver, aluminum, and copper, which the report says represents “a new capability for mechanical processes at scale.” “Solarcycle reports recovery of nearly 92 wt. % for silver and approximately 95 wt.% for copper, while SPR reports 99% copper recovery,” the report continues. “In its pilot-scale system, 9-Tech achieves recovery rates of 95 wt. % for copper, 90 wt. % for silver, and 90 wt. % for aluminum. First Solar reports recovery of more than 90 wt. % for the semiconductor material and more than 90 wt. % of metals beyond the semiconductor materials.”
The report then notes developments in output purity, further enhancing the value of recovering materials. “In the current study, Photorama achieves 5N purity for silicon and greater than 2N purity for silver,” IEA-PVPS’ results add. “SPR reports 99% purity for recovered copper and other trace metals through mechanical processing, while 9-Tech achieves up to 95% purity for copper and silver in recovered metallic powders.”
Glass recovery has progressed on 2024 levels, IEA-PVPS’ report continues, explaining that advances in mechanical, thermal and other separation approaches, such as flash lamp separation and water jet cleaning, can achieve high glass yield and purity but may require more energy than pure mechanical processes.
IEA-PVPS’ report outlines that applications for the reuse of recovered materials is expanding. It says recovered silicon is being used for battery anodes, sputter targets, and metallurgical grade applications while non-ferrous metals are sent to metal recyclers, smelters, and refineries, helping to reduce reliance on new resources. The report also finds evidence of glass recovery being reused in flat glass production.
Despite the overall progress, the report stresses that there are persistent gaps in material quality reporting, system boundary harmonization and energy-use characterization. It also suggests that additional information on downstream use and treatment pathways would help future efforts to quantify material recovery, energy recovery and landfill disposal, in turn improving assessment of reuse pathways in future updates.
“Continued collaboration among recyclers, researchers, policymakers, and standard-setting bodies will be essential to improve data consistency, guide research and development priorities and support the development of circular, high-value pathways for PV materials,” IEA-PVPS’ report concludes. “A forthcoming Task 12 study will develop life cycle assessment-based analyses to assess life-cycle implications across different PV recycling pathways.”
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Solar lobby looks to batteries as Europe’s grid fails to keep pace  Euractiv
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While Chinese manufacturer JA Solar is a leader in solar photovoltaic products, its new JAPlanet energy storage solutions are far newer to markets, having been introduced at the end of 2025.
The new products are part of its solar-plus-storage strategy for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers, for medium to large-scale installations, with a 261 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) modular battery system that scales to 5.2 MWh per site.
The company said its first installations, partnering wth an installation specialist in Italy, are going live in Sicily, with 10 JAPlanet units deployed at an aquaculture facility, eight units at a 200-bedroom hotel and resort in Palermo, and a further 10 units at the municipality of Licodia Eubea in Catania. The latter project provides a 2 MW PV-coupled battery system supporting energy trading and arbitrage at a municipal level.
In Germany, JAPlanet was said to be “gaining traction across a variety of C&I sectors,” supported by distribution partner SegenSolar Germany, with early deployments including a mixed agricultural operation in Straelen.
In the Netherlands, JA Solar is partnering with wholesaler GWS Energy-systems B.V. (GWS Energy), based in Wierden, with installations taking place in the country as well.
Alastair Mounsey, vice president Europe at JA Solar, noted, “Increasingly, solar needs to be paired with storage to unlock its full value, particularly as businesses respond to rising energy prices, grid constraints, and more dynamic energy markets. The strong early demand we are seeing underlines the growing importance of integrated PV and storage solutions as a core part of Europe’s energy transition.”
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Photovoltaic solar energy  Iberdrola
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Solar PV and wind are now the cheapest sources of power globally, with co-located hybrid systems increasingly delivering round-the-clock electricity at fossil fuel-competitive costs in high-resource regions, according to a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).  
In its report titled ‘24/7 renewables: The economics of firm solar and wind’, IRENA highlighted that while renewable energy deployment has scaled rapidly on the back of falling costs, the next phase of the energy transition will be defined by system adequacy and flexibility – ensuring clean electricity is available whenever and wherever it is needed. 
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The report introduced a new project-level metric, “firm levelised cost of electricity (LCOE)”, to assess the cost of delivering continuous electricity from hybrid systems combining solar PV, onshore wind and battery energy storage systems (BESS).  
According to IRENA’s analysis, firm renewable electricity costs have declined rapidly across all major technologies and markets, driven primarily by sharp reductions in solar PV and battery storage costs. 
In high-quality solar resource regions, co-located solar PV and storage systems are already capable of delivering firm electricity at costs below fossil fuel benchmarks. The report said that in 2025, firm LCOE for solar-plus-storage systems in strong solar and wind regions ranged from around US$54-82/MWh, down from more than US$100/MWh in 2020. 
Further cost reductions are expected, with IRENA projecting firm LCOE could fall by around 30% by 2030 and approximately 40% by 2035, bringing costs below US$50/MWh at the best-performing sites. 
The agency’s analysis of 252 utility-scale solar PV projects commissioned in 2024 in China shows that a significant majority can deliver firm electricity below US$100/MWh, with minimum firm costs as low as US$30/MWh at a 90% reliability level. Even at 99% reliability, costs rise only modestly to around US$46/MWh. 
The report attributed falling firm electricity costs primarily to the rapid decline in component costs across solar PV and battery storage technologies. 
Between 2010 and 2024, global weighted average total installed costs for solar PV fell by 87% to US$708/kW, while levelised costs of electricity declined by 90% to US$44/MWh. 
Battery energy storage systems experienced even steeper declines, with costs falling by 93% over the same period from US$2,634/kWh in 2010 to US$197/kWh in 2024. Industry data cited in the report suggests that battery system prices fell by around 30% in 2025 alone, reaching their lowest recorded levels. 
IRENA stated that continued manufacturing scale, technology learning and supply chain maturation are expected to drive further cost reductions across solar PV, wind and storage over the next five to ten years. 
The report highlighted that solar PV is increasingly being deployed alongside wind and battery storage in co-located hybrid configurations, enabling projects to optimise grid connections, shift generation to higher-value periods and reduce exposure to price volatility. 
IRENA noted that these systems are now emerging as a distinct asset class capable of providing firm electricity supply, particularly for large energy users such as data centres, artificial intelligence workloads and advanced manufacturing facilities. 
A key example cited is the Al Dhafra project in the United Arab Emirates, which will combine 5.2GW of solar PV with 19GWh of battery storage to deliver 1GW of firm clean electricity. The project has an estimated firm LCOE of around US$70/MWh. 
The report added that in the US, solar-plus-storage has shifted from an exception to a standard configuration for new utility-scale solar developments, with paired storage expected to account for the majority of new solar capacity additions within this decade. 
IRENA identified strong solar resource regions as the primary drivers of cost competitiveness for firm solar electricity. Across high-quality sites in Brazil, India, South Africa, Australia and the Gulf region, firm solar LCOEs in 2025 are estimated to range between US$65-82/MWh, with unfirmed LCOEs as low as US$29–39/MWh. 
By 2030, firm costs in these regions are projected to fall to between US$44-58/MWh, reflecting continued declines in both solar PV and storage costs. 
China remains the lowest-cost market globally, while the US is identified as an outlier with higher firm LCOEs due to elevated financing costs, interconnection charges and permitting complexity. 
Despite regional variation, IRENA concluded that the majority of the world’s population lives within high-irradiance and strong wind zones, making the declining cost of firm solar power a development opportunity of global significance. 
The report highlighted significant technological improvements in solar PV systems as a key driver of cost reductions. Between 2010 and 2024, global module efficiencies increased to between 21.7% and 23.8%, with advanced cell technologies such as n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and heterojunction (HJT) becoming standard. Bifacial modules now account for around 90% of global shipments, contributing to higher yield and improved system economics. 
These advances, alongside widespread deployment of single-axis trackers and improved inverter loading ratios, have helped increase global solar capacity factors from 15% in 2010 to 17.4% in 2024. 
IRENA estimated that module and inverter improvements accounted for around 60% of total installed cost reductions in solar PV systems, with balance-of-system components contributing a further 30%. 
The report stated that in 2025, utility-scale solar PV and onshore wind both cost around US$40/MWh globally, less than half the cost of new combined-cycle gas turbines, which exceeded US$100/MWh. 
In China, firm solar-plus-storage already undercuts both new coal and gas generation, while in markets such as Saudi Arabia, firm solar electricity is approaching parity with gas-fired generation even where fuel costs are relatively low. 
IRENA also noted that in several economies, co-located wind and solar systems with storage are now competitive with the operating costs of existing fossil fuel plants, challenging not only new build economics but also the viability of continued operation of legacy assets. 
The report concluded that the pace of deployment of firm renewable electricity systems will be one of the most consequential factors shaping the global energy transition in the coming decade. 

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US renewable energy IPP Longroad Energy’s Sun Pond solar-plus-storage project in Maricopa County, Arizona, US has reached commercial operation.
Announced 5 May, Sun Pond combines 111MW of solar PV generation with a 85MW/340MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), and has long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with California community choice aggregators (CCA) Ava Community Energy and  San José Clean Energy (SJCE).
In December 2024, Longroad announced financial close of Sun Pond, noting that construction company McCarthy Building Companies would act as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor on the project.
Additionally, the BESS cells would be provided by Japan-headquartered lithium-ion battery manufacturer Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC), which is majority owne by Chinese firm Envision Energy.
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BESS integrator Fluence, which at that time, had recently secured US-manufactured cells from AESC, would work with Longroad and operations and maintenance firm NovaSource Power Services to provide operations and maintenance (O&M) services for the Sun Pond project.
In the past week, AESC sold its stake in the US lithium-ion battery manufacturing business to US firm Fixx Energy, amid tighter restrictions in the US on companies seen to be controlled by the Chinese government.
Longroad has specified that Fluence’s Gridstack BESS solution was used at Sun Pond. PV modules from First Solar, smart trackers from Nextpower, and solar inverters from Sungrow were also used in the project.
Sun Pond is part of Longroad’s Sun Streams Complex, which is made up of three additional projects, and brings the Complex’s total capacity to 973MW solar PV and 600MW/2,400MWh BESS.
Longroad claims that the Sun Streams Complex will provide over US$300 million in benefits to Arizona schools and local communities through its long-term leases with the Arizona State Land Department and tax remittances.
In March 2024, the company closed on Serrano, a large-scale solar PV and battery storage project in Pinal and Pima Counties, Arizona, with PV modules also developed by First Solar.
Prior to closing on the Serrano project, Longroad closed on Sun Streams 4, which was the company’s largest solar and storage project to date, at 377MW PV and 300MW/1,200MWh. The project was part of a portfolio it acquired from First Solar.
In 2025, Longroad secured a PPA for its Allium solar-plus-storage project in San Benito County, California, with CCA Marin Clean Energy.

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Solar and Electronic Grade Polysilicon Market Size  openPR.com
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