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Indian solar manufacturer Loom Solar has launched a 125 kW/261 kWh CAML battery energy storage system (BESS) for commercial and industrial (C&I) applications. The company says the system is designed as a cleaner and quieter alternative to conventional diesel generators to provide uninterrupted power and reduce production losses caused by grid outages. The BESS is scalable up to 1 MWh.
According to the company, the system ensures instantaneous power availability, addressing the switch-over delays typically associated with diesel generator–based backup solutions, which can range from 30 seconds to three minutes. The BESS is suited for critical industrial operations that demand high uptime and operational efficiency.
Loom Solar states that the system is designed for microgrid applications and can address low-voltage conditions and power cuts while delivering continuous power for more than two hours with deep-discharge capability. It adds that the system has a lifecycle of up to 6,000 charge–discharge cycles.
The BESS is IoT-enabled and compatible with connected energy management platforms, allowing real-time monitoring and integration with renewable energy sources such as solar PV. Loom Solar says the product has been developed through in-house research and development and validated through internal testing facilities.
“The scalable 125kW/261kWh BESS is a solution-led product designed specifically for India’s C&I sector, where even a few seconds of downtime can translate into significant losses. Our focus has been to replace reactive power backup with intelligent, seamless energy continuity,” said Amod Anand, co-founder and director, Loom Solar. “This solution not only ensures uninterrupted operations but also helps businesses optimise energy costs and move closer to energy independence through renewable integration.”
Headquartered in Faridabad, Haryana, Loom Solar produces solar panels, inverters, lithium-ion batteries, and advanced energy storage solutions. The company operates two manufacturing facilities and six warehouses across India, supported by a network of over 10,000 resellers and a team of 150 employees.
From pv magazine India
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Zenith Energy adds another Italian solar project to portfolio  Renewables Now
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Saudi researchers outlined pathways for Saudi Arabia to reach net-zero power sector emissions by 2060, requiring up to 3.6% of land – mostly for onshore wind – with 151.3 GW of solar PV covering only 0.16% of the country.
Image: 12019, pixabay
A group of researchers from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) has outlined a potential pathway for the kingdom to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, finding that the efforts required could lead to the occupation of around 3.6% of Saudi land, particularly in the northeastern region.
“Under the high-demand net-zero scenario we modelled for 2060, the total land footprint corresponds to around 77,278 km2 and about 515.3 GW of installed renewable capacity, mostly coming from onshore wind, solar PV, and concentrated solar power (CSP),” the research’s corresponding author, Sarah Abuouf, told pv magazine. “Most of this area is associated with onshore wind. In our assumptions, wind supplies a large share of capacity and requires more land per megawatt than other technologies, which is why it accounts for around 94% of the total land requirement.”
Solar PV, in contrast, was found to have a much smaller footprint. “Around 151.3 GW of PV would require about 3,519 km2, as solar can install substantially more capacity per unit of land compared with wind,” Abuouf added, noting that solar would only cover 0.16% of total Saudi land by 2060.

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The researchers explained that, in terms of siting, their modeling places most wind development in the northeastern parts of the Kingdom, while solar PV is concentrated mainly in the western and eastern regions. “We would also like to emphasize that these are modelling-based estimates, developed for analytical purposes,” Abuouf stressed. “They are not government plans, pledges, or official commitments, but rather illustrative results to help understand possible long-term infrastructure needs under a net-zero pathway.”
In the study “Achieving net-zero in Saudi Arabia’s power sector by 2060 considering land and mineral availability,” published in Energy, the academics said their work consisted of assessing the technical, land, and material feasibility of achieving net-zero in Saudi Arabia’s power sector by 2060. They analyzed, in particular, electricity demand forecasting, generation and transmission capacity expansion planning, land requirement, and material and mineral needs. 
Two main scenarios were analyzed: zero-emission power (ZEP), which assumes the sector produces no gross emissions by 2060, and net-zero emissions power (NZEP), which allows residual emissions that are offset through carbon dioxide removal (CDR). These scenarios were evaluated under two demand trajectories: a reference scenario (RefDem) and a high-electrification scenario (HiDem), which influence both peak load and overall generation requirements.
In all pathways, onshore wind dominates the installed capacity, while solar PV and concentrated solar power (CSP) contribute smaller shares. Battery storage and hydrogen technologies play critical roles in ensuring firm capacity and system reliability. Some gas generation remains online to provide backup, and fuel cells are primarily deployed in scenarios with strict zero-emission targets.
The scientists explained that the Saudy energy transition also raises challenges in critical minerals, with rare-earth elements required for wind turbines, as well as copper for solar PV and batteries, eventually facing supply constraints, particularly in the 2030s and 2050s. However, these challenges can be mitigated through careful selection of sub-technologies, material-efficient designs, and substitution strategies, they also stated.
From a cost perspective, their analysis showed that ZEP pathways involve substantial investment, with generation infrastructure driving most of the increase. The analysis also highlights that allowing some emissions and relying on CDR, as in the NZEP scenarios, significantly reduces system costs while still achieving net-zero targets.
“Overall, our findings underscore the importance of adopting a holistic approach to power sector decarbonization by integrating techno-economic optimization with considerations of materials and land constraints,” the academics concluded. “As Saudi Arabia advances toward its net-zero targets, proactive power sector planning, strategic selection of renewable technologies to reduce reliance on critical minerals, and effective land management will be essential for policymakers to better navigate trade-offs, reduce risks and enhance the resilience of the energy transition.”
 
 
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Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market
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The city of Jefferson is looking to an alternative energy source to drive down some costs.
At their most recent meeting, the City Council approved to enter a contract with Red Lion Renewables to install solar panels and associated equipment at 11 locations across the community. City Administrator Scott Peterson says Red Lion is going to own, operate and maintain all of their equipment, while the city has agreed to allow access to the easements on city-owned property for the installation and purchasing the power that is generated from those panels. He points out the ultimate goal is reducing the overall electricity costs at those locations.
“The savings to the city comes in, in that the cost of purchasing that solar power is less than what the city would pay to Alliant Energy for the equivalent power. So there is some savings that are generated here.” 
Peterson states that the estimated savings from the solar panels after the first year of operation is $27,000, which isn’t too significant, but then over the 30-year lifespan of the equipment, the savings are projected to be close to $3 million. He anticipates construction to begin prior to the end of June, because that’s when the federal tax credits for solar panels are discontinued and Red Lion must start the project before then.
Peterson adds that some of those 11 locations include City Hall, Greene County Community Center, the library and swimming pool, among others. Click the link below to see where all of the areas are that will have solar panels installed.
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Spanish renewable energy company Zelestra has finalised a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Facebook’s parent company Meta for its 176MW Skull Creek Solar Plant in Texas.
The companies said the project would support Meta’s aim of matching its operations with 100% clean and renewable energy.
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The Skull Creek deal brings the number of PPAs between Zelestra and Meta to seven, totalling 1.2GW of solar capacity across the US.
The first of these projects, the 81MW Jasper County Project in Indiana, achieved full commercial operation last year, and two more are due to begin construction in 2026. The entire portfolio is scheduled to be online by 2028, Zelestra said.
Phil North, Zelestra’s US CEO, said: “Our clean energy collaboration with Meta is gathering momentum across the US. We are delighted to welcome full operations at Jasper County and start of construction at two further major projects, at the same time as closing another major agreement that will enable the construction of Skull Creek in Texas. Thanks to our forward-looking partnership, nearly 1.2 GWdc of new clean solar power will soon be operational in the US.”
In separate news, Zelstra has also finalised a long-term PPA deal with retail supplier AEP Energy Partners (AEPEP) for its 50MW Gem City Solar project in Dayton, Ohio.
Under the deal, AEPEP will sell all the power from the project to its retail affiliate AEP Energy. AEP Energy supplies the City of Dayton’s community aggregation programme, which offers residents a 100% renewable energy option.
After securing the PPA, Zelestra said it was now advancing its construction planning programme for the project. Full work on the project is anticipated to begin in early 2027, with the project fully operational by the end of that year.

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South Korean researchers have developed a guided-learning framework that accurately predicts PV power without requiring irradiance sensors during operation, using routine meteorological data instead. The model reportedly showed strong out-of-sample performance while outperforming conventional irradiance-based approaches, particularly under noisy or inconsistent data conditions.
A PV project built along a highway in South Korea.
Image: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
A research team from South Korea has developed a novel guided-learning framework that jointly estimates irradiance and regresses PV power.
“The model first learns an irradiance proxy from routine meteorological signals and then uses that proxy for PV power regression,” corresponding author Sangwook Park told pv magazine. “This enables deployment at sites without irradiance sensors while retaining the accuracy benefits those signals usually provide.”
The proposed framework uses solar irradiance measurements only during training and does not require them during operation. According to the researchers, it consistently delivers the same level of accuracy even when applied to scenarios beyond the training dataset.
The method consists of two main components: a solar irradiance estimator, which predicts irradiance from meteorological inputs, and a power regressor, which augments its inputs with the estimated irradiance and outputs PV power normalized by installed capacity. The system initially collects inputs such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed and, during training, also incorporates irradiance data.
A deep sequence model processes the weather time series to generate internal features. These features are passed to an estimation block and a region block, which enable the model to learn internal irradiance representations. After training and validation, the model is deployed without irradiance inputs, instead estimating irradiance internally and using it to calculate PV power output.
The framework was demonstrated using a dataset collected in Gangneung, South Korea, over one year, from Jan. 1, 2022, to Dec. 31, 2022. Three PV plants were analyzed: C9 for training, N19 for validation, and C3 for testing. Several deep sequence models were evaluated within the framework, including double-stacked long short-term memory (LSTM), attention-based LSTM, and convolutional neural network, long short-term memory CNN-LSTM architectures. The double-stacked LSTM delivered the best overall performance, with the attention-augmented variant showing statistically comparable results.
“The proposed guided-learning method demonstrated strong out-of-sample performance on the test set,” the researchers stated. Statistical comparisons using t-tests and bootstrap methods showed average improvements over baseline approaches without irradiance data of 0.06 kW in hourly root mean square error (RMSE) and 1.07 kW in daily RMSE. Compared to reference approaches using irradiance data in both training and testing, improvements reached 1.03 kW and 15.33 kW, respectively.
Park noted that one of the most unexpected findings was that the guided model generalized better at the test site than models that directly used irradiance data during inference. “When irradiance inputs were noisy or inconsistent, conventional models degraded, whereas the guided model remained stable and achieved lower error across both hourly and daily metrics,” he said.
The research team is now preparing a multi-region study spanning diverse climates and installation types and is exploring multi-station data fusion to further improve model robustness. “We also plan to add missing-input robustness, uncertainty quantification with calibrated prediction intervals, and out-of-distribution detection for extreme weather and sensor faults,” Park added. “Finally, we are scoping pilot deployments with grid operators to assess operational value.”
The new model was introduced in “Guided learning for photovoltaic power regression in the absence of key information,” published in Measurement. Scientists from South Korea’s LG Electronics and Gangneung-Wonju National University participated in the study.
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DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GameChange Solar, a leading global supplier of solar tracker and fixed-tilt racking technology, announced that it has won an order to supply its Genius Tracker™ 1P system for the 1,290 MWp Bisha Solar PV Independent Power Plant in Saudi Arabia. The project is being developed by ACWA Power, with L&T appointed as the EPC partner.
The Bisha project is part of Saudi Arabia’s expanding renewable energy pipeline under the PIF programme, where meeting delivery timelines requires strong regional supply capability. GameChange Solar’s expanded manufacturing presence in Saudi Arabia, with 6 GW of annual capacity, strengthens the company’s ability to support large-scale projects with dependable regional supply.
Located in the Asir Province, the plant will deploy GameChange Solar’s advanced Genius Tracker™ 1P platform featuring SmartStow™, PowerBoost™ and WeatherSmart™ systems. These features ensure reliable performance in Saudi Arabia’s harsh climate, characterized by high wind speeds, unpredictable wind directions, hurricanes, and extreme heat.
"Bisha demands reliability, and that is what our platform is built to deliver. The experience we have across a wide range of projects, the consistency of our manufacturing and the operating results we’ve achieved globally form the foundation of our work here. Our focus is to support the Kingdom with technology that performs in real conditions," said Vikas Bansal, CEO – International, GameChange Solar. "With this project, our collaboration with L&T crosses 2 GW. It is a significant milestone for us and reflects a working relationship built on clarity, accountability and long-term commitment. L&T is an important partner for us, and we value the trust they place in our team and our technology."
"At L&T, our suppliers are integral to our value chain and project success. The inclusion of Gamechange Solar reflects our confidence in their capabilities and sustainable business practices. We look forward to a collaborative partnership that strengthens execution excellence and delivers superior value to our clients," said Mr. A Ravindran, Senior Vice President & Head – Renewable IC, Larsen &Toubro Limited.
About GameChange Solar
GameChange Solar is one of the top three global providers of solar tracker solutions used in utility-scale and ground-mounted distributed generation solar projects around the world. We have delivered over 53 GW of solar tracker and fixed tilt systems that combine fast installation, bankable quality, and unbeatable value through superior engineering, innovative design, and high-volume manufacturing. Our products enable solar panels at power plants to follow the sun’s movement across the sky and optimize plant performance while protecting the array from damaging weather conditions.
For more information about GameChange Solar and its solar tracking solutions, visit www.gamechangesolar.com.
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Lead – Marketing, GameChange Solar
nisha.wadhwani@gamechangesolar.com
 

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Avangrid, Inc., a member of the Iberdrola Group, today announced that it had achieved commercial operations at two new solar projects in Wasco County, Oregon—Daybreak Solar and Bakeoven Solar. The projects has begun delivering electricity to the Portland General Electric grid through the Green Future Impact program. The adjacent projects provided with combined capacity of 269 MW (DC) using about 650,000 solar panels and were expected to generate hundreds of gigawatt-hours of electricity annually to support commercial and industrial demand. Construction supported more than 300 jobs, largely filled by local union labor. Avangrid estimated the projects would generate around $40 million in tax revenue over their lifetime and support permanent operations and maintenance jobs. The facilities marked the first commercial-scale solar projects in Wasco County, supplied electricity to large customers such as Intel.

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GCL says Musk’s delegation visited company, Chinese state media reports  Reuters
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Iberdrola and Norges Bank Investment Management have reached 1.5 GW of renewable energy capacity in operation through their long-term strategic partnership in Spain.
The latest contribution to the joint venture includes 646 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity from the Caparacena (330 MW) and Ciudad Rodrigo (316 MW) plants, located in the provinces of Granada and Salamanca, respectively. Both projects have been operational since the end of last year.
As with previous asset injections, Iberdrola will retain a 51% majority stake in these renewable assets, maintaining operational control while advancing its co-investment model.
With these additions, the partners continue to strengthen their co-investment platform in Spain and Portugal, which exceeds €2 billion in total investment. The joint venture, established in 2023 to accelerate electrification and the deployment of clean energy, is expected to incorporate further assets currently under advanced construction in the near term. While the initial focus is on the Iberian Peninsula, the partnership has the potential to expand into other geographies.
The Caparacena and Ciudad Rodrigo solar PV plants together generate enough clean electricity to supply more than 800,000 people annually in the regions of Granada and Salamanca. They also help avoid approximately 85,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year, contributing to Spain’s decarbonisation and renewable energy targets.
Norges Bank Investment Management manages assets worth around €1.7 trillion and holds stakes in more than 9,000 companies worldwide, representing an average ownership of 1.5% of all listed companies globally and around 2.5% across Europe.
The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund manager has been one of Iberdrola’s largest shareholders for more than seven years, with a stake close to 3%. Building on this long-standing relationship, Norges Bank Investment Management partnered with Iberdrola to make its first direct investment in renewable energy assets in Spain.
The alliance brings together two global leaders in their respective fields: Iberdrola, Europe’s largest utility by market capitalisation, and Norges Bank Investment Management, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund managers. Together, they are consolidating a long-term strategic partnership that could unlock new renewable energy investment opportunities in additional markets.
by Strategic Energy Keep reading
In its updated 2026–2030 strategy, the country lowers production targets, revises cost assumptions upwards and shifts its focus towards domestic demand and hydrogen derivatives to build a sustainable, competitive industry.
by Strategic Energy Keep reading
Argentina’s main renewable energy association will formally incorporate energy storage into its name, reflecting the rapid growth of battery systems. Its president says the upcoming AlmaSADI tender will drive strong market momentum.
by Strategic Energy Keep reading
The Spanish government opens public consultation on €465 million in incentives to boost renewable hydrogen production and industrial decarbonisation, while preparing a comprehensive legal framework aligned with EU hydrogen rules.
by Strategic Energy Keep reading
In its updated 2026–2030 strategy, the country lowers production targets, revises cost assumptions upwards and shifts its focus towards domestic demand and hydrogen derivatives to build a sustainable, competitive industry.
by Strategic Energy Keep reading
Argentina’s main renewable energy association will formally incorporate energy storage into its name, reflecting the rapid growth of battery systems. Its president says the upcoming AlmaSADI tender will drive strong market momentum.
by Strategic Energy Keep reading
The Spanish government opens public consultation on €465 million in incentives to boost renewable hydrogen production and industrial decarbonisation, while preparing a comprehensive legal framework aligned with EU hydrogen rules.
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On-Grid Solar PV Market
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Photovoltaic Market
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GameChange Solar Selected to Supply Trackers for 1,290 MWp Bisha Solar PV Plant in Saudi Arabia  SolarQuarter
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Solar Photovoltaic (Pv) Panels Market Analysis
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Türkiye and Saudi Arabia signed an energy agreement that covers an investment of about $2 billion (TL 87.01 billion) to build two solar farms, a senior official announced on Tuesday.
Under the deal, Saudi companies will construct a solar power plant in the eastern province of ⁠Sivas and another in the central province of Karaman with a total capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW) in the first phase.

The total capacity of solar and wind power plants that the ‌Saudi Arabian companies will construct will reach 5,000 MW, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on the social media platform X.
The agreement came on the sidelines of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit ‌to Riyadh.

“We view these investments as one ​of the most important examples of direct ‍foreign investment in our energy sector, and they will ‍be ​financed entirely ‍through external financing. Credit will ⁠also be provided ‍by international financial institutions,” Bayraktar said.
The $2 billion solar power plants will meet the electricity needs of 2.1 million households in ⁠Türkiye, the minister also said.
Türkiye has been heavily investing and providing incentives to expand renewable energy capacity. By 2035, it plans to reach an installed capacity of 120,000 MW in solar and wind power.
The country's total installed electricity generation capacity reached 122,519 MW at the end of 2025.

Renewable sources accounted for 76,281 MW, or 62.3%. Combined, solar and wind installations approached 40,000 MW, equivalent to 32.6% of overall capacity.
Solar power capacity reached 25,109 MW, representing 20.5% of the total, while wind capacity stood at 14,774 MW, or 12.1%.
Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek on Wednesday said the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow “will accelerate the green transition, enhance energy security and structurally reduce reliance on energy imports.”
“The pace of FDI is picking up, underscoring the growing credibility of our economic program,” Şimşek wrote on X. He said FDI inflows reached $12.4 billion in the first 11 months of 2025, an increase of 28% from the previous year.
“We are now in the final phase of our (economic) program, anchoring lasting price stability while laying the foundation for sustainable high growth,” Şimşek said.
Bayraktar said electricity purchases will be made for 25 years at a rate of 1.99 euros ($2.36) per kilowatt-hour from the plant to be built in Karaman and 2.34 euros per kilowatt-hour from the plant to be built in Sivas.
The minister said they aim for 50% localization within the scope of the project.
“We will hopefully lay the foundation in 2027, and we aim to complete the first phase toward the end of 2027 and the entire project in 2028 and 2029,” he added.
Bayraktar also noted that they discussed some projects that will make the cooperation between the two countries in the field of electricity more long-term.
“In particular, regarding the electricity transmission line from Saudi Arabia to Türkiye, and the interconnection, our colleagues will hopefully come back here and start working again. That is also a project of such magnitude and importance that it can affect our entire region,” he added.

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A deal with METLEN Energy & Metals has been struck by Schroders Greencoat, a specialist energy transition infrastructure manager for Schroders Capital, to acquire a portfolio of seven photovoltaic projects in the UK on behalf of its clients.
The 7 projects, located across England and Scotland, have been developed, constructed, and built commercially by METLEN. Of the total portfolio of 283 MWp, 143 MW are already in operation and completed, while the remaining 140 MW are under construction, with an expected commercial operation start (COD) in Q2 2026. The projects meet energy needs corresponding to 89,333 households. In addition, they have long-term offtake agreements with Vodafone and Engie, which ensure high revenue visibility and stable cash flows.
METLEN, listed on the London Stock Exchange and with a long-standing, strong presence in the UK, is focused on delivering the country’s energy transition agenda, with activities ranging from photovoltaics, energy storage systems (BESS), flexible generation, and grid infrastructure. Extensive expertise, unparalleled project implementation capabilities, and market access combine to create a unique platform that enables METLEN to capitalize on the developing trends of the energy transition.
This is the second transaction between Schroders Greencoat and METLEN, following the acquisition, on behalf of its clients, of a portfolio of approximately 110 MWp of PV assets in the UK in 2024. The deal further strengthens the partnership between the two companies and establishes Schroders Greencoat as one of the largest managers of operating ground-mounted PV farms in the UK.
 
 
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Missouri Senate considers bills to halt solar development on farmland  Missouri Independent
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Shock the capital market!
According to a report by Cailian Press, Musk’s team has recently “surveyed” China’s photovoltaic industry chain, and a heterojunction equipment manufacturer has received orders.
According to people familiar with the matter, recently, the SPACE X team and Tesla team under Musk have “surveyed” Chinese photovoltaic enterprises. Currently, the TESLA team is only in the factory inspection stage and has visited multiple enterprises in the industry chain. The SPACE X team mainly visited photovoltaic equipment manufacturers and has an order cooperation with a leading domestic heterojunction equipment manufacturer. However, due to factors such as commercial confidentiality requirements, this cooperation has not been made public.
According to the latest news, the market rumor has been confirmed by leading enterprises. Behind Musk’s team’s recent secret visits to multiple Chinese photovoltaic enterprises is a bet on a new energy super track.

In the early trading session, the space photovoltaic sector in the A-share market witnessed a strong rise, with the space photovoltaic index surging 2.73%. The stock price of JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. directly hit the daily limit. The news of Musk’s team’s recent secret visits to multiple Chinese photovoltaic enterprises was confirmed by a staff member of JinkoSolar.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Musk once highly praised China for its annual solar power installation capacity exceeding 100 gigawatts, and the stable power supply with energy storage can reach 25 gigawatts. Now, this technology tycoon is setting his sights on a farther place – space.
After a reporter from Cailian Press called JinkoSolar in the capacity of an investor, it was confirmed that the company had indeed had contact with an inspection team related to Musk’s team recently. Musk’s team inspected the company’s technological reserves and production equipment.
Regarding the cooperation intention and specific inspection details, the staff member answering the phone said it was inconvenient to disclose. He also revealed that “mainstream domestic photovoltaic enterprises have also been inspected.” This means that Musk’s inspection scope is far beyond just one enterprise.
JinkoSolar is a global leading component enterprise, ranking first in component shipments for many consecutive years. In fact, this company is also the most active industry leader in embracing space photovoltaics.
The capital market responded quickly to this news.
As of the mid – day trading session today, the space photovoltaic index soared 2.73%. The stock prices of companies such as JinkoSolar and Jolywood (Suzhou) Sunwatt Co., Ltd. were particularly eye – catching.
People familiar with the matter revealed that both the SpaceX team and Tesla team under Musk are “surveying” Chinese photovoltaic enterprises.
Currently, the Tesla team is only in the factory inspection stage, while the SpaceX team has taken further actions.
The SpaceX team mainly visited photovoltaic equipment manufacturers and has an order cooperation with a leading domestic heterojunction equipment manufacturer. However, due to commercial confidentiality requirements, this cooperation has not been made public.
Musk’s team focused on inspecting photovoltaic enterprises with heterojunction and perovskite technology routes. These technology routes are regarded as representatives of the next – generation photovoltaic technology in the industry.
A corporate insider told a reporter from Cailian Press that currently, there are few enterprises capable of supplying heterojunction equipment for the whole production line. Musk’s team has previously made stable purchases from a domestic heterojunction enterprise, and the cooperation is still ongoing.

At the Davos Forum in January this year, Musk clearly stated that SpaceX and Tesla are simultaneously promoting the improvement of solar power production capacity.
His set goal is to achieve an annual solar manufacturing capacity of 100 GW in the next three years. What does this number mean? It is equivalent to nearly half of China’s current annual new photovoltaic installation capacity.
Musk proposed using photovoltaics to power AI data centers. This is not only a response to the trend of green energy but also opens up a brand – new imagination space for the photovoltaic industry chain.
More notably, Musk plans to allocate 100 GW of this capacity specifically for space scenarios, aiming to achieve the milestone of the first 100 GW space photovoltaic deployment before 2030.
The concept of space photovoltaics is not actually new, but Musk’s entry may truly push it towards industrialization.
So – called space photovoltaics means converting solar energy into electricity by deploying large – scale solar power stations in space. This kind of energy can directly power satellites in orbit, space stations, and even future lunar or Martian bases.
Compared with ground – based photovoltaics, space photovoltaics have natural advantages such as no day – night alternation, no weather interference, and higher light intensity.

Space photovoltaics have obvious advantages in energy density and power generation hours. The energy density of space photovoltaics is 710 times higher than that of ground – based photovoltaics, and the power generation hours are 47 times higher than those of ground – based photovoltaics, and it does not occupy land resources.
The following table compares the main differences between space photovoltaics and ground – based photovoltaics:

Data sources: Securities Daily, Cailian Press, public information, etc.
For Chinese photovoltaic enterprises, Musk’s attention may mean new opportunities. JinkoSolar analyzed in the institutional research minutes that perovskite has advantages in efficiency, future efficiency growth, adaptability to the extreme space environment, light weight, flexibility, and cost.
“If the perovskite technology can make a breakthrough in the future, it will greatly improve the application of space photovoltaics.” This indicates that Chinese photovoltaic enterprises have been making technological preparations for the era of space photovoltaics.
However, challenges also exist. JinkoSolar recently disclosed its annual performance forecast for 2025, expecting the annual net profit to be between 6.9 billion yuan and 5.9 billion yuan. This loss is mainly due to the intensified price fluctuations in the global photovoltaic industry chain and the disturbances of trade protection policies in overseas markets.
The special requirements of space photovoltaics mean a higher technological threshold. Space photovoltaics have much higher requirements for the conversion efficiency, radiation resistance, and lightweight degree of batteries than ground – based photovoltaics. Enterprises engaged in the R & D of high – efficiency battery technologies such as gallium arsenide, HJT, and perovskite will directly benefit.

According to the analysis of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Securities, Musk bundles energy and computing power in the spatial dimension to form a “space photovoltaic – AI satellite” system. This approach avoids the limitations of the ground power grid and the transmission losses between heaven and earth, and makes full use of the physical advantages of the space environment in continuous power generation and efficient heat dissipation.
The market potential of space photovoltaics is huge. A research report by UBS Group predicts that the global demand for space photovoltaics will be 0.3 GW in 2026 and is expected to soar to 115 GW in 2035. The scale is expected to increase by more than 300 times in ten years.
For the photovoltaic industry as a whole, space photovoltaics may become a breakthrough point for differentiated competition. The recent photovoltaic industry entrepreneur symposium held by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in China emphasized the development orientation of “anti – involution”. Coupled with the emerging demand for high – power components downstream, which forces efficiency improvement and upgrading, component manufacturers’ demand for price increases has become stronger.

The rise of space photovoltaics may prompt the iteration of photovoltaic technology towards higher reliability and higher power quality. This also means that enterprises in the industry chain need to re – evaluate their technological routes and market positioning.
In the afternoon, the concept of space photovoltaics continued to rise, and JinkoSolar’s stock price hit a 20% daily limit. Musk’s SpaceX recently announced that it has acquired xAI and is promoting the plan to deploy a data center in space.
The energy density of space photovoltaics is 710 times higher than that of ground – based photovoltaics, and the power generation hours are 47 times higher than those of ground – based photovoltaics. A staff member of JinkoSolar responded cautiously: “It is inconvenient to disclose the cooperation intention and specific inspection details.”
However, the capital market has cast its vote of confidence with real money, and Musk’s dream of space photovoltaics seems to be quietly coming true.
This article is from the WeChat official account “Investment Banking Circle”, author: Senior Sister of Investment Banking. It is published by 36Kr with authorization.
该文观点仅代表作者本人，36氪平台仅提供信息存储空间服务。
36kr Europe (eu.36kr.com) delivers global business and markets news, data, analysis, and video to the world, dedicated to building value and providing business service for companies’ global expansion.
© 2024 36kr.com. All rights reserved.

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Iondrive Advances Solar Panel Recycling With High-Efficiency Silver Extraction Results  TipRanks
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Meta sources 136 MW of Texas solar under PPA with Zelestra  Renewables Now
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Norfolk County Council has pledged to retain its agricultural land for farming
Farms owned by Norfolk County Council will not be used for solar energy.
The authority made the pledge not to allow any of its 16,000 acres of agricultural land for use as solar farms after being asked a question by a member of the public.
In its response on 26 January, the cabinet member for corporate services and innovation said: "Norfolk has had too many solar farms already and we need to protect our environment and the important arable land that feeds this country."
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the "biggest threat to agriculture and nature is the climate crisis."
"Under this Conservative administration we will not be using any of this land for solar farms, and will ensure, as set out in our constitution the minimum holding of 16,000 acres," the county council cabinet member said.
The council's response also revealed the purpose of its county farms was to provide entrance and progression farms.
With its flat terrain and generally sunnier weather, Norfolk had been regarded as an ideal place for solar farms – and several of the UK's largest facilities have been proposed for the county.
East Pye Solar would see the installation of solar panels on farmland in south Norfolk – including in Brooke, near Norwich – to generate power for 115,000 homes.
Energy company Island Green Power, behind the scheme, has claimed the site will create jobs and help the UK meet climate change targets.
The government has said previously the schemes were necessary to reduce energy bills, cut carbon emissions and provide better energy security.
But critics have warned about the loss of agricultural land and the impact on the look of the countryside.
The flat terrain means parts of the East have been regarded as ideal for solar farms, such as here at Great Wilbraham in Cambridgeshire
In a statement, a government department spokesperson said: "Solar is one of the cheapest and quickest forms of energy to build – getting us off fossil fuels and delivering energy security so we can get bills down for good.
"Even in the most ambitious scenarios, we only expect up to 0.4% of total UK land to be used for solar by 2030."
The government has the final say on large solar farms, rather than local councils
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Rangeford Villages has installed photovoltaic (PV) cells at Wadswick Green in Corsham, Wiltshire, as part of its commitment to sustainability.
The project, which is has been delivered by Vision Zero Consult, involved the installation of PV cells on the village’s pavilion roof. The main objectives are to cut Wadswick Green’s carbon footprint, lower ongoing building operating costs through energy efficiency, demonstrate its commitment to sustainable practices, and meet stakeholder expectations around environmental responsibility.
It has been funded from existing reserves, and the installation is expected to deliver approximately a 20% cut in energy costs associated with running the pavilion. To ensure long-term performance, monitoring systems will be installed to track energy generation and consumption. The installation is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 20 tonnes of CO₂ per year.
‘This project reflects our continued focus on reducing our environmental impact while making sensible, long-term investments that benefit our villages. By installing solar PV at Wadswick Green, we are lowering carbon emissions, reducing energy costs and taking another practical step towards a more sustainable future,’ said Rangeford Villages chief executive officer Howard Nankivell.
Rangeford Villages, which is owned by Fern Trading Ltd, is advised by Octopus Capital.
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Photo Courtesy ReVision Energy
ReVision Energy has become well known for designing, installing, and maintaining clean energy projects around Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire over the past two decades. Bill Behrens launched the company in 2003 as EnergyWorks, a division of the Green Store in Belfast, Maine, which sold solar products in the state before expanding into solar installation later that year. Fortunat Mueller and Phil Coupe reached out a couple of years later with interest in expanding the company to Portland, which became EnergyWorks South. By 2008, it had its current name, and by 2014, the company had installed 7 megawatts of solar. The company now has five branches, including the solar-panel-covered headquarters in South Portland, Maine. 
ReVision develops both residential and commercial projects, with solar installation being a particular highlight. The company makes the case that “Solar is an economic opportunity” and explains to homeowners, who would benefit from the reliable systems with long lifecycles, that they also have the ability to lock in a consistent electricity price for 30 years or more. In addition, ReVision offers several avenues to make solar adoption more affordable. A team of Solar Advisors is available to discuss solar loan options for up to $100,000 that enable awardees to adopt solar “without needing to save or drain your bank accounts to cover the full cost of the solar system.” The company even offers a Solar Salute program for veterans, service members, and reserves, featuring $500 off solar systems and $250 off thermal energy systems. 
“Solar is one of the best investments you can make for the longevity of your business,” it adds for commercial customers, as it promises a reduction in operating costs as well as a return on investment. There is an opportunity there for businesses of all sizes, ReVision notes, as installation prices have been cut in half over the past decade. Towns and municipalities benefit not only from electric cost savings but also from the ability to generate revenue from excess generation. ReVision also offers six- to twenty-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) to municipalities, which can lock in energy costs 50% to 75% lower than current utility costs. It offered its first PPA to the Good Will-Hinckley school in Fairfield, Maine, in 2011, helping save over $110,000. According to President Glenn Cummings, “Every cent we save on this electric bill will go to scholarships for kids who need help. That’s the biggest win for us.” Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham, Maine, meanwhile, will see $800,000 in energy cost savings over the next 25 years from its 633-kilowatt rooftop array, installed in 2020. 
Photo Courtesy ReVision Energy
Especially important for homeowners, small businesses, schools, and nonprofits is the energy independence that ReVision’s solar systems offer. Solar means less reliance on the grid and centralized energy sources. Using local power will shield them from price volatility and rate hikes. ReVision offers numerous other technologies to support this path to energy independence, including battery storage, air source heat pumps, water heaters, and electric vehicle chargers, “introducing the very real possibility of a 100% renewable energy household.” 
Battery storage provides resilience for homes and businesses during power outages, while heat pumps can keep homes warm in temperatures as low as -20 Fahrenheit, with two to three times more efficiency than other technologies. A heat pump water heater, meanwhile, produces hot water with 200% to 600% greater efficiency than a resistive electric tank and without the load roar of an oil-fired boiler. Efficiency translates into cost savings; heat pumps powered by solar cost about 9 cents per kilowatt-hour to operate, while typical rates in New England are 29 cents per kilowatt-hour, the company says. 
Numerous success stories demonstrate the impact of ReVision’s solar installations. Now-retired Bath Iron Works employee Barry Fifield explained his reasoning for going solar, “Home heating here in New England is where it’s at for solar. Heating is huge compared to an electric bill.” He told ReVision that because it installed a 9-kilowatt system on his home in Brunswick, Maine, “I retired 7 years early at age 58 because of my installation. I can’t believe how much money I’m saving!” Meanwhile, in 2018, ReVision installed an 11-kilowatt system on Split Rock Distilling’s tasting room and craft distillery in Newcastle, Maine, which will save $50,000 over the lifecycle of the 36 panels on its roof. 
Photo Courtesy ReVision Energy
ReVision has also brought community solar to Maine and New Hampshire. After Revision builds large community solar farms, Central Maine Power customers can buy shares, and the solar energy generated by their portion of the farm results in credits on their monthly energy bills. In fact, ReVision was responsible for Maine’s first two community solar farms. Following one in South Paris in 2014, Revision added another in Edgecomb the following year. The owner of the land and one of the nine members who signed on to the 25-year agreement, David Nutt, said that joining the project would lower his electric bills from $80 to $10 or $15 per month. 
Photo Courtesy ReVision Energy
ReVision is owned completely by its more than 400 employees, thanks to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Coupe summarized, “We are investing the future of our company in the exceptional people who have worked hard all these years to build ReVision Energy into one of the best solar companies in the world.” That dedication to employees is evident in good times and bad, as the Portland Economic Development Committee gave the company the 2020 Job Preserver Award for expanding employment during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
The company encourages curiosity in its employees and invests in their development. The ReVision Energy Training Center (RETC), launched in 2018, exemplifies this dedication. The RETC’s programming is especially essential as the company expands at a historical 20% to 25% annual growth rate, in a region facing an electrician shortage and a national need to electrify rapidly. 
For example, ReVision offers the four-year ReVision Energy Electrical Apprenticeship Program (REEAP) in Maine and New Hampshire, combining on-the-job training in building solar projects with technical instruction. It is the first employer-based apprenticeship program in the U.S. to meet the academic requirements for obtaining an electrical license. In 2022, the Maine Department of Labor awarded the company funding to expand its apprenticeship offerings, and by the end of last year, the program had helped more than 49 apprentices earn their licenses.
ReVision is also using initiatives to spread the message that “electricians will save the world.” In 2022, for example, the Maine Governor’s Office also awarded funding to the company for its outreach across the state, highlighting the importance of these types of careers. “Our campaign will clearly define solar career pathways and provide access to those pathways for individuals in the pre-apprenticeship, as well as for others seeking careers in solar,” Vaughan Woodruff, Director of the ReVision Energy Training Center, wrote in a blog post. 
Photo Courtesy ReVision Energy
As a B Corp, ReVision is also dedicated to the environment. The company has committed to achieving net-zero by 2030, even hiring a Sustainability Coordinator in 2022. While all its offices use solar power, batteries, air source heat pumps, and LED lights, the company wants to go further by installing more solar and enhancing building insulation. Although it has already installed electric vehicle chargers and owned 16 EVs by the start of 2023, it wants an all-electric fleet by 2035. 
On the education front, ReVision has focused on educating Maine’s youth on solar. To do this, the company introduced a “gentle giant” mascot named Sunsquatch, who teaches children about solar and the importance of nature, in addition to assisting parents and teachers broach those conversation topics. Every purchase from Sunsquatch’s merch store contributes $5 to support Solar on Schools. 
The company’s work also clearly improves the environment and avoids local emissions. The company spotlights Solar Champions on its website, who, Bridget Sprague, vice president of marketing, explained to PV Magazine, are “customers who trust us enough to recommend ReVision to friends, family, and colleagues, or who return for additional products and services,” and who account for the majority of the company’s business. For example, Coast of Maine, a garden product company, will avoid 38,000 pounds of carbon emissions per year by using solar, which is the equivalent to the amount generated by charging 4,452 cell phones every day. CEO Erik Drake reflected, “Partnering with ReVision Energy aligns perfectly with our mission to care for the planet while delivering premium products. This project strengthens our long-term vision to grow sustainably — grow together, and it marks another important milestone in our ongoing journey to build a healthier future for our communities and the environment.”  The solarversary cards that ReVision owner-employees send on anniversaries of such installations show just how committed the company is to its customers and the environment. 
Photo Courtesy ReVision Energy
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Topic:Batteries
Australia's love affair with solar is shifting towards batteries. (ABC News)
Australian households installed as many batteries in the final six months of 2025 as they did in the entire preceding five years, according to figures showing the boom in demand for storage devices.
Amid generous federal government subsidies that slash the up-front cost of batteries, a report from the Clean Energy Council found customers were taking up the offers at a breakneck pace.
More than 183,000 units were sold in the six months to December 31, the Clean Energy Council found, a "fourfold" increase on the same time in 2024.
It was also equivalent to the combined battery sales for 2020 and 2024.
But as battery demand surged, the council noted that Australians may have reached a tipping point in their uptake of rooftop solar, which had long been an engine of the country's energy transition.
Installations of rooftop photovoltaic, or PV, cells dropped 20 per cent in 2025 compared with the previous year to 254,664.
The council said about 4.3 million households now have solar, and demand may have reached a saturation point.
"This was the first time since 2020 that total annual rooftop PV installations did not surpass 300,000," the council noted in the report.
The extraordinary growth in demand for batteries has been boosted by taxpayer-funded incentives that reduce battery costs by about 30 per cent, or $4,000 for a typical system with 10 kilowatt-hours of storage.
Amid the clamour for subsidies, federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen acknowledged in December that the entire $2.3 billion budget would have been spent by mid-year.
Under its original design, the funds were intended to last until 2030.
Chris Bowen tipped more money into the battery subsidy scheme. (ABC News: Bridget McArthur)
The government has also faced criticism for its handling of the scheme, which experts said had been exploited by companies selling consumers super-sized systems of up to 50 kilowatt-hours.
In a shake-up announced before Christmas, Mr Bowen said the government would tip in an extra $5 billion to keep the scheme going.
At the same time, it tightened the eligibility criteria to guard against the over-selling of super-sized systems.
Jackie Trad, the Clean Energy Council's chief executive, said there were now more than 450,000 batteries installed on homes and businesses across the country.
"We know Australians have long had an appetite for energy independence to drive down bills and as a result have been adopting solar and battery technology at a record pace for the last several years," Ms Trad said.
Jackie Trad says battery demand has been "phenomenal".  (AAP: Dan Peled)
"Recent government home battery programs have strapped a rocket to this momentum, driving even stronger uptake over the past six months.
"We've seen phenomenal uptake of home batteries in Australia, with installations more than doubling in the space of one year.
"This increase in demand has also driven a surge in new batteries and inverter products available in the market, giving customers more choice than ever."
While installation rates for new rooftop solar panels cooled in 2025, Ms Trad said this reflected the technology's growing maturity in Australia.
She noted demand was still strong with consumers installing ever bigger systems, which were now 10.6 kilowatts on average when purchased.
By contrast, typical system sizes were as little as 1.6 kilowatts about 15 years ago.
Moreover, Ms Trad said rooftop solar was becoming one of the largest players in the country's electricity system.
At times, small-scale solar contributed more than half of the supply, while overall it met 14.2 per cent of demand last year.
That was up from 7.2 per cent just five years ago.
Ms Trad said, "Australia's rooftop solar uptake is a national triumph," noting that the technology now accounts for 28.3 gigawatts of combined capacity.
Rooftop solar, she noted, had a capacity that eclipsed "that of the country's entire fleet of coal-fired generators", which combined could produce 22.5 gigawatts of power.
"Our biggest power station now resides on the rooftops of more than 4.3 million households," she said.
"(It's) helping to drive downward pressure on power bills for consumers and businesses, with less reliance on expensive gas or unreliable coal to power our grid.
"It not only leads our national renewables rollout, but also leads the rest of the world on a per capita basis."
The growing popularity — and influence — of household batteries and solar panels has raised questions about whether the broader system will benefit from the shift.
Some pundits have questioned whether the battery subsidy scheme amounts to middle-class welfare, noting that renters, apartment owners, and other groups often lack the money or ability to access the technology.
Rohan Best, an associate professor at Macquarie University, said it made sense that the government wanted to support the rollout of battery storage.
Batteries, he said, were a natural complement to the predictable swings in solar output, and they would ensure less generation had to be wasted at times of abundance.
"I think it's a really great idea to be trying to support batteries at a whole range of scales, including at home," Professor Best said.
However, he said the government's scheme was arguably inequitable because most of the benefits would flow to people who could already afford the technology.
"There's certainly suggestive evidence that it's been quite expensive," he said.
"And it's very likely to have been unfair in the sense that a lot of the subsidies will be going to the households who already have more resources.
"Sort of higher income, higher assets, and these households will be getting larger subsidies even than the other ones who can afford the batteries at this stage."
Federal subsidies have cut the up-front cost of a battery by about 30 per cent. (ABC News: Rhiannon Shine)
According to Ms Trad, the adoption of batteries and rooftop solar would deliver "wider benefits" beyond those enjoyed by the asset owners.
She said this was because the technology could reduce peak demand on the grid by storing excess solar output during the day and releasing it in the evening after sunset.
Although she acknowledged that individual householders who owned the equipment could benefit most by reducing their bills and earning extra income by selling excess power from their batteries, she insisted others would benefit as well.
Key to this, she said, was the coordination of so much diffuse household clean tech through so-called virtual power plants.
Under a virtual power plant, companies ranging from large retailers to start-ups can orchestrate solar panels, batteries, and other clean technologies across thousands of homes.
To that end, Ms Trad cited research by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) showing that households in virtual power plants (VPPs) pay, on average, less for electricity.
"We know energy customers who sign up to a virtual power plant are currently paying the lowest power bills in Australia, according to the most recent analysis by the ACCC," she said.
"That's why encouraging and incentivising stronger participation in VPPs by Australian households and businesses is more important than ever."
More than 4 million Australian homes now have rooftop solar panels. (ABC News: Daniel Mercer)
Mr Bowen said the government's battery subsidy scheme was helping "more Australians take control of their power bills" by enabling them to use clean energy.
"Cheaper home batteries deliver real, lasting cost of living relief for Aussie households, while working to make the energy grid fairer, more affordable and more reliable during peak demand times," the minister said.
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New Jersey is now a “top ten” state for interconnecting distributed solar and storage, said nonprofit group IREC, as projects with an export capacity of up to 2 MW will now qualify for a more streamlined interconnection process.
A New Jersey warehouse with Qcells solar panels installed.
Image: pv magazine USA
New Jersey has improved its policies for interconnecting distributed solar and storage, earning the state a top ten ranking on the “Freeing the Grid” scorecard published by the renewables-focused group IREC, said David Golembeski, senior program manager at IREC.
New Jersey’s new policy streamlines the review processes for smaller projects, expands the number of projects that qualify for the most streamlined reviews, and includes provisions that “open the door for flexible interconnection,” IREC said in a statement. The regulation also clarifies that battery storage qualifies for the new interconnection processes.
While applauding New Jersey’s progress, IREC also called for state regulators to make further improvements. New Jersey could consider adopting the IEEE 1547-2018 smart inverter standard, which enables more solar on distribution circuits, IREC said, and consider “strengthening” the quality of grid data in the hosting capacity maps published by utilities, to clearly show where more solar may be deployed without incurring grid expense.
Export capacity
Several of the improvements to interconnection policy changed the basis of a requirement from a project’s nameplate capacity to its export capacity. The policy also specifies acceptable export control methods.
These changes “are important,” Golembeski said, because many energy storage systems or solar-plus-storage systems will use export controls to avoid or reduce the need for grid upgrades.
Before the changes, only projects with a capacity of up to 25 kW could qualify for New Jersey’s simplest, Level 1 interconnection review process. Now, projects with a nameplate capacity of up to 50 kW and an export capacity of up to 25 kW could qualify.
Projects that could qualify for the next simplest, Level 2 interconnection process were formerly those sized at up to 2 MW. Now, projects could be eligible if they have an export capacity of up to 2 MW.
Two screens that apply to both Level 1 and Level 2 now qualify projects based on the resulting total export capacity on a circuit, rather than the total generation capacity. One screen applies to a facility connecting to a radial line segment, and the other to a facility connecting to a single-phase shared secondary circuit.
Projects that do not qualify for Level 1 or Level 2 interconnection review default to Level 3 interconnection review.
Fixed export limits
By considering export capacity in the interconnection screening criteria, the new policy provides “a streamlined pathway for export-limited projects to enter the queue and operate on the grid,” said Golembeski.
But the policy does not authorize flexible interconnection, he said, “because the project export limits must stay the same for the entirety of the project life,” while “true flexible interconnection would allow the project’s export values to vary based on hourly, daily or seasonal variations in grid hosting capacity.”
Among the states advancing flexible interconnection for distributed energy resources are Colorado, California and New York.
Siting tools
Golembeski said that under New Jersey’s new policy, customers also have access to “robust pre-application reports to help them make informed decisions, minimizing speculative interconnection requests and queue backlogs.” The policy also creates a process for timely dispute resolution that includes a third-party facilitator, he said.
IREC participated in the New Jersey rulemaking process, providing 26 technical comments recommending specific improvements.
New Jersey last updated its interconnection rules in 2010. Sky Stanfield, lead regulatory counsel for IREC, said that IREC encourages New Jersey regulators to consider more frequent updates.
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• Agreement provides American-made energy storage projects across a portfolio of utility-scale sites • Projects are scheduled for 2028-2030 • All projects will meet U.S. domestic content requirements
Westborough, Mass. and Houston, Texas – LG Energy Solution Vertech and Qcells – leaders in energy solutions and products – today announced a multi-year commitment to install reliable, affordable, American-made storage products for Qcells’ development projects across the country. The agreement includes 5GWh of lithium-ion energy storage projects for utility-scale projects, as well as lifecycle services from LG Energy Solution Vertech. This agreement supports Qcells EPC projects scheduled from 2028 – 2030. Also, in May 2024, Qcells entered into battery purchase agreements with LG Energy Solution Vertech totaling 4.8 GWh of BESS projects developed across the US.

This partnership secures energy storage systems for Qcells that meet domestic content requirements, as LG Energy Solution’s battery energy storage products are made in Michigan, and Qcells’ solar panels are made in Georgia. Beyond the direct financial benefit of achieving domestic content, leveraging made-in-America products delivers broader economic value. It supports U.S. manufacturing jobs, strengthens the nation’s clean-energy supply chains, enhances grid reliability, and reduces exposure to trade risks and tariffs.

“Qcells is proud to partner with LG Energy Solution on a project that shows what’s possible when energy development supports U.S. manufacturing,” said Chris Hodrick, CEO of Qcells EPC. “This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to building clean energy the right way: creating American jobs, strengthening supply chains, and delivering reliable, affordable power for communities across the country.”

Qcells operates the largest solar panel manufacturing facility of its kind in the United States, based in Dalton, Georgia. The company is building a second factory in Cartersville, Georgia, where it will manufacture ingots, wafers, cells and finished panels, making it the largest investment in U.S. solar history to create an integrated, sustainable domestic supply chain. Once fully operational, Qcells’ annual solar panel production capacity in the US will reach 8.4 gigawatts—nearly 46,000 panels every day—enough to power more than 1.3 million American homes each year.

“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Qcells as we begin a new phase together,” said Jaehong Park, CEO and President at LG Energy Solution Vertech. “Being a long-term partner to our customers is extremely important to us. We are committed to supporting projects throughout their lifecycles to enable the long-term success of our customers’ energy storage programs, and we’re looking forward to seeing the impact our joint project portfolio has on the energy grid.”

The energy storage systems included in this commitment are built using the latest LG Energy Solution containerized lithium-ion battery solutions with LFP cells manufactured at U.S. facilities. LG Energy Solution is manufacturing up to 16.5 GWh of battery energy storage cells in Holland, MI with production set to ramp up to around 50GWh at sites across North America by the end of 2026.

# # #

About Qcells EPC

Qcells EPC provides complete utility-scale turnkey solutions through the entire project lifecycle from modules, solar and energy storage project development, and Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) services to the US utility-scale market. With a track record that includes 8.4 GW of sustainably produced module manufacturing capabilities in Georgia and nearly 2 GW of developed, constructed, and operating projects, Qcells USA is a dependable partner throughout the entire project lifecycle. Qcells EPC is a flagship company of Hanwha Group, a FORTUNE Global 500 firm and a Top 7 business enterprise in South Korea. For more information, visit us.qcells.com/epc and on LinkedIn.

About LG Energy Solution Vertech
LG Energy Solution Vertech is an energy storage systems integrator backed by LG Energy Solution. The company delivers integrated, reliable, and bankable grid-scale energy storage systems supported by in-house services and software. In 2022, LG Energy Solution purchased NEC Energy Solutions and established LG Energy Solution Vertech Inc. By vertically integrating the battery manufacturer and integrator, LG Energy Solution Vertech offers customers a uniquely streamlined experience and comprehensive support through a system-level contracting process. Via a single contract, the company provides systems, warranties, services, and software. The combination of excellence in technology coupled with nearly two decades of energy storage integration makes LG Energy Solution Vertech a leader in the global energy storage market.

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Energy solutions and products companies LG Energy Solution Vertech and Qcells said they have joined in a multi-year commitment to install energy storage for Qcells’ development projects across the U.S. The agreement announced February 3 includes 5 GWh of lithium-ion energy storage projects for utility-scale installations, as well as lifecycle services from LG Energy Solution Vertech.
The companies on Tuesday said the agreement supports Qcells’ engineering, procurement, and construction projects scheduled from 2028 to 2030. Qcells in May 2024 entered into battery purchase agreements with LG Energy Solution Vertech; those deals totaled 4.8 GWh of battery energy storage system projects developed across the U.S.
The partnership secures energy storage systems for Qcells that meet domestic content requirements. LG Energy Solution’s battery energy storage products are made in Michigan, while Qcells’ solar panels are made in Georgia. The companies noted the direct financial benefit of using domestic content, including their support of U.S. manufacturing jobs and the nation’s supply chains for clean energy equipment.
“Qcells is proud to partner with LG Energy Solution on a project that shows what’s possible when energy development supports U.S. manufacturing,” said Chris Hodrick, CEO of Qcells EPC. “This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to building clean energy the right way: creating American jobs, strengthening supply chains, and delivering reliable, affordable power for communities across the country.”
Qcells operates the largest solar panel manufacturing facility of its kind in the U.S., in Dalton, Georgia. The company is building a second factory in Cartersville, Georgia, where it will manufacture ingots, wafers, cells, and finished panels, making it the largest investment in U.S. solar history to create an integrated, sustainable domestic supply chain. Qcells’ annual solar panel production capacity in the U.S. will reach 8.4 GW once that facility is fully operational; the company said that’s about 46,000 panels each day.
“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Qcells as we begin a new phase together,” said Jaehong Park, CEO and president at LG Energy Solution Vertech. “Being a long-term partner to our customers is extremely important to us. We are committed to supporting projects throughout their lifecycles to enable the long-term success of our customers’ energy storage programs, and we’re looking forward to seeing the impact our joint project portfolio has on the energy grid.”

The energy storage systems included in this commitment are built using the latest LG Energy Solution containerized lithium-ion battery solutions with LFP cells manufactured at U.S. facilities. LG Energy Solution is manufacturing up to 16.5 GWh of battery energy storage cells in Holland, Michigan, with production set to ramp up to about 50 GWh at sites across North America by the end of 2026.
—POWER senior editor Darrell Proctor edited this content, which was contributed by LG Energy Solution Vertech and Qcells.

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CRAWFORD COUNTY, Kan. (KOAM) — Questions continue over a proposed solar project in Crawford County following last week’s county commission meeting, as a revised proposal from solar company Shasta Power draws mixed reactions from residents.
Some residents say transparency remains their top concern.
“I’m not anti-solar. I’m not pro-solar. I’m pro-transparency,” said Crawford County resident Matthew Harrison.
Shasta Power says it revised its proposal in response to concerns raised by residents. Company representatives, along with landowners where the project would be built, have been meeting directly with neighbors to explain changes to the plan.
One of those landowners, Rick Elnicki, said the revised proposal includes moving the fenced project area farther from nearby homes.
“The flag behind me is about 400 feet from my property line, and most of these homes are another 200 feet from here,” Elnicki said. “So, it would be approximately 600 feet from any of these homes before they would even see a privacy fence. They wouldn’t see the solar panels because they’re lower than the eight-foot privacy fence.”
Under Shasta Power’s latest proposal, the company also would provide direct payments to homeowners who live near the proposed project site. But some residents say financial compensation doesn’t address their broader concerns.
“They’re pressuring the council. They’re pressuring the commission. They’re pressuring the neighbors,” Harrison said. “People don’t want to be pressured. They want to be informed. They want to trust the people making these decisions.”
County leaders say the ongoing debate has highlighted a larger issue — outdated regulations.
Crawford County Commissioner Bruce Blair said the county’s comprehensive plan, which guides development decisions, has expired and does not include language addressing wind or solar projects.
“I think at this point where we’re at right now, we need to get the comprehensive plan done,” Blair said. “Our current comprehensive plan is expired. It has no language that covers wind or solar. Quite frankly, we need to have those kinds of regulations in place before we approve any more projects.”
Shasta Power and participating landowners are expected to speak at an upcoming Crawford County Commission meeting as discussions continue.
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The global power sector is at a turning point in 2026. Electricity demand growth continues to accelerate driven by an electrification push across all sectors, and booming demand from data centers and transportation. At the same time, renewable energy capacity growth is decelerating due to regulatory hurdles and saturation in some markets, which make the financing of new projects more challenging. Still, these renewable sources, when combined, will become the largest source of power supply globally. Additionally, booming storage capacity and renewed interest in nuclear energy are creating new opportunities in a sector that is expected to dominate the energy landscape in the future. In this commentary, we discuss the five things to watch in the global power sector in 2026.
1.       A slowdown in renewable energy power generation capacity growth
Renewable energy capacity growth is expected to slow down for the first time since the technological boom in the early 2000s. Renewable energy capacity growth reached a new record last year with the commissioning of 703 gigawatts (GW). This was largely driven by new solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity coming online in China during the first half of the year. It is estimated that the country commissioned close to 300 GW of solar capacity in 2025, representing more than half of the solar capacity installed globally. Local developers were keen on getting their projects operational before a change in China’s power pricing policy for renewables came into effect on 1 June.
The policy changes are expected to have a spillover effect into 2026 as less projects are forecast to enter operations in China, affecting global numbers. In 2026, the country is forecast to commission 235 GW of solar PV and 98 GW of wind capacity. This will take global added renewable power generation capacity from 703 GW in 2025 to 650 GW in 2026.  

2.       Renewable energy combined will overtake coal as the largest source of power supply
Despite a slowdown in global installed capacity, renewable energy generation will continue to grow at a fast pace. Generation from hydro, solar PV, wind, geothermal and other renewable sources has gone from 2,886 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2000 to close to 10,742 TWh in 2025. Most of the growth has come from new solar PV and wind capacity.
In 2026, generation from renewable sources is expected to reach 11,900 TWh, overtaking coal as the largest source of generation. For decades, coal power has been the largest source of generation contributing to almost 40% of the energy mix in 2000. Given that practically all the new demand is being met with renewable sources, coal generation has plateaued, marking a significant milestone in power generation. 
3.       Battery capacity grows exponentially
As renewables take center stage, energy storage is becoming indispensable and could help overcome some of the challenges being encountered by variable power generation. The coming year will see an expansion in the deployment of storage technologies, particularly of batteries. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) capacity grew by 99 GW in 2025 to reach a total operational capacity of 241 GW. This year, growth is forecast to be even higher at 122 GW taking the operational capacity to 363 GW in 2026 representing a growth of 50%. The fast growth has been driven by a continued decline in BESS costs. Utility‑scale turnkey costs for four‑hour lithium‑ion systems have gone from more than $300 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) a few years back to a level of $200 per kWh in Europe and as low as $150 per kWh in China.
4.       A resurgence of nuclear power
Nuclear energy is experiencing a renaissance in 2026 , driven by concerns over energy security, decarbonization, and the limitations of renewables and storage alone. Nuclear power will add close to 14 GW of new generation capacity this year, making it the largest net addition from this technology in almost 30 years. Most of the capacity will be commissioned in China, but countries such as India, Bangladesh, Türkiye and South Korea will also contribute to the growth.
Additionally, the US might see its first restart of a nuclear plant with the comeback of the Palisades 800 megawatt (MW) power station. If successful, Palisades will be the first US nuclear plant ever to restart after being shut down and decommissioned. This could also mark the start of a trend of more reactors getting lifetime extensions in the western hemisphere as this is more economical than building new projects.
Small modular reactors (SMR) have also been gathering momentum with large investments and power purchase agreements (PPA) signed during 2025. Even when some projects are gathering momentum, it is still unlikely that we will see a final investment decision (FID) for a new SMR project during 2026.
5.       Demand growth from the commercial and transport sectors to accelerate
Global electricity demand growth in 2026 will exceed that of last year, as consumption from the commercial and transport sectors in mature markets accelerates, and industrial demand growth in emerging markets remains robust. The latest numbers suggest that global power demand reached around 29,300 TWh, representing an annual growth rate of 3.6%. Rystad Energy forecasts that global demand will reach close to 30,400 TWh in 2026 adding 1,100 TWh of new demand. The industrial sector is expected to be the sector that grows the most, adding around 470 TWh mainly due to increasing industrial activity in Asia. However, the commercial sector, mostly driven by data centers, and the transport sector will represent the largest relative growth.
Electricity demand from the commercial sector is expected to reach more than 6,900 TWh in 2026, representing a year-on-year growth of 5.1%, or 337 TWh. One third of the added demand will come from new data centers being commissioned around the world. In the US alone, demand from data centers will grow from 270 TWh in 2025 to 343 TWh in 2026.  
Finally, demand from the transport sector is forecast to reach 665 TWh. Even if this is still modest compared to total power consumption, the sector will outpace other sectors by growing 10.8% year-on-year.
2026 is set to be a transformative year for the power sector. The slowdown in renewable capacity commissioning signals a maturing industry, while the historic milestone of renewables surpassing coal in generation marks a new chapter in the energy transition. The rapid growth of energy storage and renewed interest in nuclear power reflect the sector’s drive for reliability and decarbonization. Meanwhile, the relentless rise in power demand – fueled by data centers and transport – underscores the need for continued innovation and investment in power generation and transportation infrastructure.
Author:
Carlos Torres Diaz
Head of Power Research
carlos.torres@rystadenergy.com

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NEW DELHI : A spike in prices of solar modules is expected to raise costs and tariffs for projects under construction, even as multiple solar projects languish for want of power purchase contracts.
Solar module prices have surged by roughly a third since late December, thanks to soaring prices of silver and aluminium, a weaker rupee, and a global scramble for components after China tightened wafer quotas and signalled a rollback of a 9% value-added tax refund. The price of photovoltaic cells—the core of the solar panel—has jumped to 5.5 cents per watt peak from 3.5 cents in just weeks, four people aware of the matter said. A module comprises multiple cells, which are largely imported.
“The recent jump in cell prices highlights the structural vulnerability of India’s solar supply chain,” said Prashant Mathur, chief executive officer at Saatvik Green Energy Ltd, a Gurugram-based solar component manufacturer. “As equipment costs rise, upcoming projects will face higher capital costs, and tariffs for new power purchase agreements (PPAs) are likely to harden after a prolonged period of deflation.”
A total of around 93 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity is under construction, and the segment accounts for an installed capacity of 135.81GW. India targets 300GW of solar energy in its overall 500GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
The risk of higher solar tariffs is another concern for India’s renewable energy sector, as multiple states prefer long-term purchase pacts for stable coal-fired power. Moreover, 43 gigawatts (GW) of green power, involving an investment of ₹2.1 trillion, doesn’t have long-term purchase and supply agreements, Mint reported earlier. Besides, amid an oversupply of renewable power during solar hours, power distribution companies are selling renewable energy on electricity exchanges at a price lower than what they had purchased it for.

Module makers at risk too

“Since the later part of December, there has been a massive jump in cell prices, owing to the rise in silver and aluminium prices, along with a sudden supply crunch as China has imposed capacity quota restrictions on wafers,” said an executive at one of India’s largest component manufacturers, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
“The policy move of VAT refund rollback has set off a scramble among global buyers to secure supplies ahead of the deadline. This rush has created a sharp demand spike, driving global solar module prices further,” the executive said. “Domestic module manufacturers, who still rely heavily on imported cells and silver, have raised module prices by as much as ₹20 lakh per MW (megawatt) from ₹2-3 crore per MW.”
According to the executive, this development would not only increase project costs in India but also impact the internal rate of return (IRR) of solar module makers in India, as most of the components for the modules assembled in India are imported from China.”
India has more than 100GW of solar module manufacturing capacity, with Adani Solar, ACME Solar, Avaada Electro, ReNew, Waaree Energies and Saatvik Solar among the major players. According to UK-based consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, this capacity is on track to surpass 125GW by 2025.
However, the country has only 18GW of cell production, and subcomponents, including polysilicon, ingots, and wafers, are all imported. And Longi, Jinko Solar and Trina Solar are among the top Chinese solar module suppliers.
Queries emailed to the spokespersons of Union ministry of new and renewable energy, the Chinese embassy in India, Adani Solar, ACME, Waaree Energies and Avaada remained unanswered until press time. Key Chinese suppliers Longi, Jinko Solar and Trina Solar also did not respond to queries.
Mint awaits responses from queries emailed to India’s renewable energy implementation agencies–Solar Energy Corporation of India, NTPC, NHPC and SJVN–and renewable power developers NTPC Green, Adani Green Energy Ltd and ReNew.

Policy conundrum

Indian solar power developers must source components from an Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) under government-supported schemes and projects. A similar mandate will come into effect from June this year for cells, while wafers may be brought under such a scheme by 2028 to boost local manufacturing.
There should be terms and conditions that account for factors driving price volatility, so the power-purchase agreements can be revised, according to a former secretary in the ministry of new and renewable energy, who didn’t want to be identified. “Policy uncertainty has been a major concern for the renewable energy space, including the implementation of the ALMM and its exemption allowed for a certain period due to a lack of local capacity.”
Higher module prices will also hurt the projects that have secured power purchase agreements but have not been implemented. Solar sector rules do not allow power producers to recover these costs.
“There is no such provision in the power purchase agreements to revise tariffs or allow compensation if prices of components increase due to external factors such as actions by a supplying country,” said Mohit Bhargava, country director, India Energy & Climate Center, Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP), UC Berkeley.
Bhargava, a former CEO of the NTPC Green Energy Ltd, said: “The impact on the IPPs (independent power producers) would depend on the rate of price change of the cells and other components. There would be a marginal hike in project cost and impact on profits, and if the hike in prices is significant, the impact would also be higher.”
According to Mathur of Saatvik Energy, this “reinforces the reality that India cannot indefinitely rely” on imported cells and modules while targeting aggressive renewable capacity additions. “From an industry standpoint, stronger prices improve the sustainability and IRRs of domestic manufacturers, but they also put pressure on IPPs with fixed tariffs. This is precisely where policy plays a stabilizing role,” he said.
Ashish Agarwal, head of solar and storage at BluPine Energy, expects the cell prices to drop.
“Recent movements in module prices reflect evolving upstream dynamics, driven by higher cell costs and a seasonal dip in production in China ahead of the Chinese New Year. This is a familiar, short-term pattern in global supply chains, and prices are expected to return to previous levels as production normalises,” said Agarwal of Actis-backed BluPine, which has a total renewable capacity of nearly 4GW.
“However, if elevated prices persist, this would directly impact project costs and returns for developers, while module suppliers remain largely insulated as costs are passed through,” he said. “Prolonged price pressure could slow project execution and lead to softer demand across the renewable sector.”
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Livium gains early validation for silver-focused solar panel recycling push  TipRanks
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Solar Power World
By Billy Ludt | February 3, 2026
Enphase Energy reportedly laid off about 160 employees in January, which is close to 6% of the solar inverter, energy storage and EV charger manufacturers’ workforce.
Badri Kothandaraman, president and CEO of Enphase, stated in a document published in the Securities and Exchange Commission that the layoffs are largely caused by the now inactive residential investment tax credit (25D).
“We are aligning our cost structure to match current market conditions while staying disciplined against our financing operating model,” Kothandaraman wrote.
The document also states that an undisclosed “small number” of other employees will be laid off. The layoffs will be effective February 16. The affected staff is receiving a minimum of 13 weeks of severance pay.
Enphase has been operating at about $80 million quarterly, but plans to reduce those expenditures by between $5 to $10 million by Q3 2026, according to the document. The company is reportedly investing $4.6 million in several cost savings initiatives, that include product research and development, as well as implementing AI and automation in customer service, product diagnostics and operations.
Enphase announced yesterday that it is planning to start production of its IQ Bidirectional EV Charging Platform in Q4 2026.
Billy Ludt is senior editor of Solar Power World and currently covers topics on mounting, installation and business issues.

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Solar energy has held the top spot in new energy capacity additions for more than two straight years, according to a new Energy Infrastructure Update by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Accounting for 72% of new American energy capacity in November 2025, it seems solar is unlikely to give up that spot any time soon.
A new review of the FERC data by the SUN DAY Campaign and executive director Ken Bossong says solar is now on track to surpass coal capacity before the end of 2026. Additionally, solar and wind accounted for 93% of November 2025’s total energy additions, by far the two largest renewable energy sources in America.
Solar has held the top spot since September 2023. In light of the new FERC report, Bossong and the campaign forecast wind and solar power to add another 106 GW of energy capacity over the course of the next three years.
“Coupled with recent court decisions to lift ‘pauses’ on offshore wind construction, the continued dominant growth by solar and wind should send a clear wake-up call to the Trump Administration,” Bossong says. “Renewable energy is the future and will not be stopped by the short-sighted policies emanating from the White House.”
Released last November, FERC’s latest report says that solar added nearly 2.9 GW of capacity in November alone, good for 38 “units” of new power. November was solar energy’s second-best month of the year for new capacity, behind January 2025.
Solar’s late-year additions include 13 projects over 100 MW each, Bossong says. The 484.6-MW Parliament Solar Project just outside of Houston and the 256.3-MW Stampede Solar & Storage Expansion Project on the outskirts of Dallas both came online in November 2025.
Those utility-scale projects—plus about 25.5 GW more in utility-scale capacity throughout the year—have served as one of solar’s greatest assets during its 27-month-and-counting run at the top, Bossong and the SUN DAY Campaign say.
“(Between September 2023 and November 2025), total utility-scale solar capacity grew from 91.82 GW to 163.44 GW,” the SUN DAY Campaign says. “No other energy source added anything close to that amount of new capacity. Wind, for example, expanded by 13.20 GW while natural gas’ net increase was just 6.83 GW.”
At just over 12%, utility-scale solar now accounts for nearly one eighth of the U.S.’s total installed generating capacity, Bossong says. Combined with wind, solar makes up nearly a quarter of the country’s installed utility-scale capacity at about 24%.

A bright future for utility-scale renewables

FERC’s latest report forecasts major growth in the renewable energy sector over the next three years, with solar continuing to lead the pack.
The commission reports that solar’s “high probability” capacity additions could total over 86.1 GW between December 2025 and November 2028. This number, the SUN DAY Campaign says, would more than quadruple wind’s predicted additions of about 19.8 GW, and leave other renewables even further in the metaphorical dust.
Still, FERC has forecasted growth for hydropower and geothermal energy in the next three years, and a dip of more than 116 MW for biomass energy capacity. Total utility-scale additions from renewables could account for total just under 106.5 GW throughout the rest of the second Trump administration, with utility-scale solar making up 17.2% of the country’s total energy generation.
The non-renewable side of things aren’t looking quite as rosy, the FERC reports. Natural gas, expected to be the nation’s leading energy generator at about 40.1%, is expected to see a growth of just over 10 GW.

Taking everything into account

Zooming out of the realm of high-probability utility-scale energy, the numbers look even better for renewable energy across the U.S. FERC’s “all additions” figure for utility-scale solar tells a staggering story, with totals as high as about 225.8 GW of added power in solar alone.
Before adding wind, hydropower, or geothermal additions, that forecasted number represents a 542% increase over expected natural gas additions, which total around 32.2 GW.
Inclusion of small scale solar like residential projects could push solar energy’s total share of capacity to 20% of the American energy grid by late 2028, FERC reports. That is, of course, assuming that small-scale projects retain their 25% share of all solar over the next three years. Conversely, natural gas’s share would drop to about 38% of the grid, as all renewables account for over 41%.

Tags: FERC, infrastructure, policy, SUN DAY Campaign, utility, utility-scale, wind


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Iondrive's IONSolv delivers 85%+ silver recovery in lab, boosting solar recycling; advances with Livium toward end-of-life PV materials.
Key points
IONSolv: >85% silver recovered in bench tests
Move to end-of-life PV feedstock with Livium
Target Ag & polysilicon recovery as waste grows
Iondrive (ASX: ION) has reported encouraging early laboratory results from its solar panel recycling initiative, with its proprietary IONSolv platform achieving greater than 85% silver extraction efficiency under controlled bench-scale conditions.
The results establish a preliminary performance baseline for the technology and support progression of the company’s collaboration with Livium to apply the process to end-of-life photovoltaic materials.
Initial laboratory testing was conducted as an early-stage screening and optimisation program designed to assess the performance of the IONSolv formulation, utilising discrete batch experiments under controlled conditions to establish an extraction benchmark.
Iondrive stated that the results bolster confidence in advancing the solar recycling collaboration and extending testing beyond pure metal samples.
The next stage of the program will focus on applying the IONSolv platform to mechanically prepared end-of-life photovoltaic materials.
Livium is providing feedstock preparation and panel dismantling capability to support testing on representative solar panel waste.
This phase of work will assess how feedstock preparation, mechanical separation, and chemical recovery interact within an integrated recycling workflow.
Planned activities include further laboratory optimisation, preliminary techno-economic assessment, and evaluation of recovery performance as the program advances toward larger-scale testing.
Iondrive highlighted that increasing volumes of end-of-life solar panels are entering the Australian waste stream as early installations approach the end of their typical 25–30 year design life.
Research indicates that a significant proportion of valuable materials contained in photovoltaic panels – including silver and silicon – are not recovered in typical recycling practices, which are often limited to aluminium framing and junction boxes, with much of the remaining material down-cycled or disposed of due to technical and economic constraints.
The company views this gap as both an environmental challenge and an opportunity for improved resource recovery through targeted processing innovation.
The solar recycling program will now prioritise development of recovery pathways for both silver and polysilicon –  considered among the most economically attractive commodity streams within photovoltaic waste and central to improving overall recycling outcomes – using the IONSolv platform.
Iondrive’s ongoing work will focus on laboratory optimisation, scalability assessment and, integration into mechanical preparation processes, with further updates to be provided as the program progresses.
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