Solar Now

A structural restriction on permitting new solar and wind energy resources will directly penalize U.S. ratepayers and undermine grid function, said a new report. According to a macroeconomic modeling study conducted by NERA Economic Consulting for the Corporate Energy Buyers Association (CEBA), blocking the economic deployment of renewable energy could cost the United States an additional $121.2 billion in cumulative electricity and natural gas costs between 2027 and 2033.  
The report outlines how the U.S. electricity system faces massive demand growth from data centers and artificial intelligence expansion. The authors, led by NERA Managing Director Sugandha Tuladhar, PhD, evaluated four distinct market scenarios comparing a system of permitting neutrality against one where wind and solar additions are artificially restricted. The findings show that suppressing clean energy generation locks in higher structural costs by forcing regional networks to build expensive, fossil-fuel-dependent backup systems, such as natural gas “peaker” plants.
The authors indicate that the financial fallout of these restrictions will hit residential consumers hardest.
Over the seven-year study period, American households will face an $81.2 billion increase in energy expenditures, which translates to an average penalty of $11.6 billion annually. NERA analysts applied consumer expenditure data to show that the typical household will pay an extra $59 per year for natural gas and $26 per year for electricity if clean energy cannot compete on pure economics. Commercial and industrial electricity customers will absorb the remaining $40 billion of the penalty, paying an extra $5.7 billion annually.
Regional power markets will bear these cost increases unevenly, with competitive wholesale markets seeing the most severe price spikes. The authors project that electricity prices in the ERCOT grid in Texas will jump by as much as 22% under constrained scenarios, resulting in a localized $21 billion cumulative cost spike. The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) region follows with an expected 11% price hike, while the broader West region will see prices rise by 9%. Across all competitive U.S. electricity markets, average retail power prices will scale up by 10% to 11% without clean energy competition.
The report highlights a dangerous secondary effect of restricting renewable development: a severe supply chain squeeze for thermal generation. If solar and wind builds are frozen, the United States must build between 32 GW and 38 GW of new natural gas capacity above baseline projections just to keep the lights on. NERA researchers point out that advanced gas turbines are already sold out years in advance due to competing data center load, and real-world procurement costs have surged 36% above planning estimates.
Relying entirely on a single fuel source to meet peak load creates long-term reliability risks. The NERA model demonstrates that under an open market, a combination of 135 GW to 143 GW of solar and up to 297 GW of onshore wind would naturally deploy based on cost-competitiveness. This clean energy mix lowers the share of peak-hour generation supplied by natural gas from a dangerous 43% down to a diversified 27%.
The authors conclude that technology-neutral permitting reform is the only viable pathway to shield consumers from fuel price volatility and ensure a stable, low-cost power grid. Suppressing private clean energy development will simply pass the multibillion-dollar burden of a congested, fragile energy system back to the public ratepayer.
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The June issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
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Balcony solar panels can be ‘transformative’ for household energy use, the UK government says — and they’re now close to going on sale thanks to B&Q, Asda, Currys, and Amazon talks  Yahoo Tech
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A shelter-in-place order that had been lifted in the Boyle Heights area was re-issued for some locations Thursday when the Los Angeles Fire Department planned to ventilate smoke from the cold food storage facility that burned a day earlier.
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The order issued early Thursday afternoon was for an area east of Lorena Street, where residents were advised to stay inside and close doors and windows as firefighters work to clear smoke from the large warehouse-type building.
LAFD Alert- Boyle Heights SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDER – Structure Fire 1400 S Los Palos St MAP: https://t.co/dzQll42giN FS25; DETAILS: https://t.co/eeHBjIsSdQ
“LAFD will soon be undertaking ventilation measures to evacuate hazardous smoke from 1400 S Los Palos St.,” the agency said in an alert at about 2:30 p.m.
In an update Thursday evening, the LAFD said crews found a pocket of fire in a freezer container inside the building. Video from NewsChopper4 late Thursday showed gray and white smoke still billowing out of the building as more water drops were being made.
Air quality concerns initially diminished in the hours after the fire burned on the solar panel-covered rooftop of the business, where firefighters continued Thursday to monitor conditions and work to fully extinguish flames. At a Thursday morning news conference, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore said residents might still see smoke drifting from the rooftop of the nearly 500,000-square-foot Lineage building in the community east of downtown Los Angeles.
Firefighters were waiting to access parts of the roof until authorities determine it is structurally sound.

Three water-dropping helicopters made several runs Wednesday on the fire, a rarely used tactic during structure fires. The drops delivering about 480 gallons of water per run were effective in knocking down flames, but added weight to the rooftop, Moore said.
South Coast AQMD dispatched and inspector and mobile monitoring equipment. A survey Wednesday night included measurements of particulate matter and airborne metals. Preliminary test results showed the particulate matter was generally near background levels.
There were elevated particulate matter concentrations for a few seconds at a time within the smoke plume.
“During those few seconds, increased levels of bromine and chlorine were also observed,” the agency said. “Bromine and chlorine are typically found at trace levels during structural fires and the levels seen were below short-term health-based exposure thresholds. Concentrations below this level are not expected to cause adverse health effects. No significant levels of air toxic metals were seen.”
The agency will continue to monitor conditions for potential air quality impacts.
A special Particle Pollution Advisory issued Wednesday night due to potential smoke impacts was extended until 12:30 p.m. Friday.
“As firefighting efforts progress, smoldering material may continue to affect air quality directly downwind of the facility as these cooler smoke plumes do not rise as high into the air,” South Coast AQMD said. “This smoke may lead to poor air quality in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles.”
When the fire broke out Wednesday afternoon, a pressurized ammonia line in the building was damaged, causing the release of pressurized ammonia. The chemical was contained, but a shelter-in-place order was issued for nearby homes and businesses. Residents were asked to stay inside with doors and windows closed and the original order was lifted later Wednesday.
The fire’s origin was on the rooftop, but authorities have not determined a cause. Most of the fire was contained to the solar array on the rooftop, but parts of the interior were damaged. Although the power was shut down, fire officials said the situation remained challenging for crews since solar panels still conduct electricity.
“There is a field of solar panels on the roof. That’s really where the fire was. It was a surface fire on the solar panels,” Moore said.
A 2024 fire on the roof of the building was caused by an electrical problem, the LAFD said. That fire was knocked down using ladder trucks and hand lines.
The fire on Wednesday was reported at about 2:30 p.m. in the 1400 block of South Los Palos Street on the roof of the single-story, nearly 491,000-square-foot Lineage cold food storage facility. Minutes later, an ominous dark cloud of smoke was rising over the community and spreading in the downtown LA area.
Surrounding communities, mostly to the east, were under a smoke advisory.
The city of San Gabriel also recommended that residents shelter in place but said there was no threat to the city as of Wednesday afternoon.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
A spokesperson from Lineage, the food storage company, sent NBCLA the following statement on Thursday:
Lineage’s top priority is the health and safety of our employees, partners, and the communities in which we live and operate. We are deeply grateful to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) for their rapid response, professionalism, and continued support in protecting the community. LAFD hazmat specialists continue to monitor air quality in the structure and immediate area. Importantly, there are no known ammonia readings from air monitoring reported at this time. We are also encouraged that our employees were safely evacuated and there are no reported injuries. We are working closely with local officials and first responder teams to assess the situation and provide support. This is an evolving matter, and we will provide updates as appropriate.

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US energy technology provider Enphase Energy has launched its IQ9N Microinverter, which uses gallium nitride (GaN) technology, for the European residential solar sector.
The sale of the microinverter in Europe follows the launch of the product in the US in January, and the microinverter’s “GaN architecture”, as Enphase puts it, reduces conduction losses and heat, improving the long-term reliability of a solar system using this architecture.
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The company said its IQ9N microinverters in Europe will have an efficiency of 97.44%. With cooler operation and optimised performance across conditions, Enphase said the GaN technology enables peak efficiency of up to 97.95%.
Among its other features, the microinverter will be able to handle a continuous DC current of 16 amperes and deliver up to 427VA of peak output power.
“Residential solar customers across Europe expect their systems to perform at the highest level for decades,” said Enphase senior vice president of sales for Europe Sabbas Daniel, who added that European homeowners now have access to “one of the most powerful and efficient Enphase microinverters we’ve ever built”.
Enphase’s launch of the product in Europe comes as the European residential solar sector has seen a slowdown in new installations in recent months, with Germany posting a 6% year-on-year decline in new residential solar system capacity additions and Italy reporting a 13% year-on-year fall in the sector.
The company’s financial performance in its home country has also worsened, with Enphase posting a 17% quarter-on-quarter decline in revenue in April this year. However, Enphase posted a 36% quarter-on-quarter increase in revenue in Europe in the first quarter of this year, and noted that there may be “green shoots” for the company in the region.

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Concerns have been raised over plans for a large solar farm between Newport and Telford in Shropshire.
Andrew Eade, the Telford and Wrekin councillor for the area, said the site in the open countryside would "slash through historical and ancient rights of way".
He has urged people to attend a consultation event in Lilleshall on 25 June.
The company behind the plans, Greenvolt Power, said the approximate 58 hectare (143 acre) site would meet the annual electricity needs of "approximately 11,000 homes".
Greenvolt also said solar farms can "significantly improve biodiversity compared with intensive agriculture".
It said the land would be returned to farmland at the end of the life of the site.
But Eade said the plans would "have a massive and detrimental impact on Lilleshall's natural landscape", and lead to a loss of much-needed agricultural land.
He added: "Not only would we lose access enjoyed generations, but also prime farm land which will disappear forever, despite developers laughable claims to be able restore the land to agriculture use after 40 years."
The pre-application consultation event will held between 25 June at Lilleshall's Memorial Hall.
This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.
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Cathryn Russell, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer at 26, wants the screening age to be lowered.
Jeremy Hart is leading a team from Land's End to John O'Groats in an electric car.
Calderdale Energy Park aims to build 34 turbines on Walshaw Moor near Haworth, home of the Brontes.
Council lawyers mounted a legal challenge after their objection was not considered by the Scottish government
Campaigners say plans for Kingsway Solar Farm have been "poorly conceived and badly designed".
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Houston couple hasn’t paid an electric bill in a year after joining a virtual power plant  Yahoo Tech
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Researchers from Cornell University have assessed the sustainability potential of integrating advanced perovskite tandem PV into agrivoltaic lettuce production in the United States. Their “farm-to-fork” life-cycle assessment focuses on perovskite-silicon (P-S) and perovskite-perovskite (P-P) tandem technologies, and compares them with a baseline of conventional silicon PV.
“We look at agrivoltaics not only as a solar deployment question or an on-farm crop-yield question, but as an integrated food-energy-water system,” said corresponding author Fengqi You to pv magazine. “To our knowledge, this is the first prospective ‘farm-to-fork’ life-cycle assessment of agrivoltaic food production using emerging perovskite tandem photovoltaic technologies.”
The researcher added that the team combined advanced solar module scenarios, circular recycling assumptions, region-specific agricultural production data, irrigation and shipping inputs, and food loss and waste across the supply chain. “This system-level view allows us to evaluate whether farms can simultaneously produce food, generate clean electricity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water, and ease land-use competition,” Fengqi said.
The team investigated agrivoltaic production in major US lettuce-growing regions: California’s Central and Southern Coasts, the Southern Desert, the Central Valley, Arizona, and Florida. Using current regional production data and yields, they analysed changes under different scenarios combining agrivoltaic configurations, technologies, system lifetimes, and power conversion efficiencies (PCEs).
The full-density (FD), half-density (HD), single-axis tracking, and dual-axis tracking configurations reduce lettuce yields by 40%, 20%, 12%, and 5%, respectively, while reducing irrigation demand by 50%, 30%, 30%, and 15%, respectively.
For P-S tandems, the study assumes three PCE scenarios of up to 25%, 30%, and 35%. For P-P tandems, scenarios are set at 25%, 30%, and 35%. System lifetimes of 2, 5, and 10 years are also modelled.
The scientists employed a comprehensive farm-to-fork life-cycle assessment to quantify greenhouse gas emissions and water impacts associated with the consumption of 1 kg of fresh lettuce. The system boundary included fertilizer production, irrigation, cultivation, harvesting, PV manufacturing and operation, packaging, refrigerated transport, retail distribution, consumer food waste, and landfill disposal. It also incorporated electricity generation from the PV system, module recycling, and remanufacturing within a circular solar economy framework. Environmental benefits from solar electricity were accounted for as avoided grid emissions.
“One of the most surprising findings was the magnitude of the potential benefits,” said You. “Under favorable conditions, retrofitting US lettuce farmland with agrivoltaics could offset up to 30.9 million tons of CO₂-equivalent annually and conserve about 8.4 billion m³ of water annually.”
He added that another notable result was geographic: the highest carbon-offset potential per kilogram of lettuce did not necessarily occur in the sunniest regions. “Florida, despite lower solar irradiance than desert regions, showed very high unit decarbonization potential because lower agricultural yield means more land area is associated with each kilogram of lettuce, which in turn enables more solar generation in an agrivoltaic configuration,” he said. “For water conservation, the strongest potential is in water-scarce regions such as California’s Southern Desert and Arizona.”
“If designed responsibly, next-generation agrivoltaics can turn farmland from a site of competition between food and energy into a platform for integrated food production, clean energy generation, and water conservation,” the academic concluded.
The research work was presented in “Advancing Food-Energy-Water Sustainability with Scalable Perovskite Tandem Agrivoltaics,” published in Nexus.

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The June issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
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The Arizona Court of Appeals has ruled that Arizona utilities’ efforts to impose additional charges on customers whose homes have residential solar systems were made “in violation of due process,” and has vacated a December 2024 decision to this end.
The judgement, made by presiding judge Daniel J. Kiley alongside judges D. Steven Williams and Cynthia J. Bailey, was made this week, and means that residential solar users in Arizona will no longer have to pay additional charges to the Arizona Public Service (APS) utility that are 1.15 times higher than charges levied on non-residential solar customers.
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Vote Solar, a community solar advocacy group that was one of the organisations to oppose the rate increase, called the fees aimed at residential solar customers “discriminatory”. The organisation estimated that these charges amount to US$2-3 a month in additional charges for household.
“As Arizonans brace themselves for another hot summer, and yet another rate hike by APS, today’s decision marks an important step forward towards a fairer and more affordable energy system,” said Kate Bowman, Vote Solar’s west senior regulatory director. “Monopoly utilities should not be allowed to impose unjustified charges on households that choose to lower their utility bills by installing solar.”
The ruling is notable in Arizona, which has one of the larger residential solar sectors in the US. Figures from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), which joined Vote Solar in opposing the rate increase, show that, as of this month, Arizona has the fourth-most solar PV capacity in operation among the 50 US states, and the third-most residential solar capacity.
More than 15% of Arizona homes have solar panels installed, and the state added more residential solar capacity than utility-scale capacity in 2021 and 2022, a period that coincides with APS’ efforts to impose higher fees on residential solar customers; the utility was ordered to remove what it called a “grid access charge” (GAC) for solar projects specifically in 2019, and introduced a new GAC just a few years later in 2022.
Arizona utilities have long argued that the state’s residential solar customers ought to pay higher rates than other residents; APS sought to introduce a specific charge for solar customers as early as 2013, alleging that “they paid less than their fair share” of the utility’s costs for providing services.
In 2019, the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), the state’s public utilities commission, instructed utility APS to remove the GAC, which amounted to a charge on solar projects in the state that pay “less than their fair share of APS’ fixed costs”. The GAC was first introduced in 2013, and upon its removal, ACC left the door open for future rates to be imposed on solar projects, saying that a new charge could be introduced if APS could provide “evidence of specific costs” that residential solar users “impose” on its system.  
APS initiated a new rate case in October 2022, seeking to plug an annual budget gap of US$772 million by raising the base rate for all residential customers by 22.8%, whether or not they use a residential solar system. Curiously, neither ACC nor APS tried to reintroduce the GAC at this stage, as they sought to increase costs for all residential customers, rather than those that use solar systems in particular. The idea of imposing additional costs on residential solar customers came from administrative law judge Sarah Harpring who, in a 2023 case, in the words of the Court of Appeals decision, “recommended something no one asked for”.
APS witnesses also drew a distinction between “site-load COSS” and “delivered-load COSS”, in reference to a cost-of-service study (COSS), which a utility must complete in order to change its rates. This study assesses the relative costs of that utility serving each “customer class”, as the Court of Appeals puts it, in relation to the rates that each class pays.
The site-load COSS includes the total amount of electricity to be delivered from the utility to customers, including on-site generation from residential solar systems, and so “better reflects” the costs incurred by the utility, according to the APS witnesses who spoke during the 2023 case.
APS did not ask the ACC to include its site-load COSS estimates in the new rates to be levied on Arizona customers, as this would amount to a charge for residential solar consumers specifically—only making reference to this to set a precedent for “future rate case proceedings”—but Harpring then recommended that ACC use the site-load COSS in its rate calculations.
In March 2024, ACC then voted to adopt the recommendations made during this court process, including raising of the base rate by 22.8% for all residential customers and Harpring’s recommendation to impose a charge on residential solar customers in particular, which would increase their bills by 1.15 times the average increase under 22.8% base rate increase. Vote Solar and SEIA said they were “blindsided” by Harpring’s recommendations, and ACC’s decision to accept them.
However, this rate increase was met with constant opposition. In a 2024 hearing, judge Belinda A. Martin called on the parties involved to “address the site-load COSS” issue raised by the earlier case, suggesting that uncertainty remained about the utilities’ COSS, and, as a result, the cost of the utilities serving Arizona residential solar customers.
Indeed, the Court of Appeals ruled this week that the ACC was aware that the work done by APS in its 2022 rate case proposal “did not constitute the ‘analysis’” of the costs of providing services that the ACC asked APS to complete after the 2019 decision. The ACC even noted that “APS does not truly provide additional services and does not use additional equipment to serve [residential solar] customers,” suggesting that the state’s residential solar customers were not only to be charged more, but to receive no additional services in return.
“Although the Commission determined that APS does not provide any unique services to residential solar customers, the Commission nonetheless authorised APS to impose a unique charge on those customers,” wrote presiding judge Kiley in the court’s final ruling.
However, it is worth noting that the Court of Appeals’ decision is not a rejection of the idea of GACs for residential solar projects in general, but a decision that the legal process by which the utilities sought to impose the GACs between 2019 and 2024, namely the absence of a COSS demonstrating higher cots of serving residential solar customers, was flawed.
Indeed, Vote Solar notes that the ACC is currently considering a separate proposal from APS to increase fees for residential solar customers that will increase costs to around US$6 a month.
The ongoing residential solar legal battles in Arizona are illustrative of the uncertainty policy environment facing the US solar sector at present. Policy will be a topic of discussion at Solar Media’s PV CellTech USA Conference in San Francisco, on 13-14 October 2026, particularly with regards to government incentives for building more upstream manufacturing capacity in the US. Read the full agenda here and book tickets on the event website.

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Titan Egypt signs 25-year solar PPA for its Beni Suef Cement plant  ZAWYA
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Warning about “solar cancellation” companies and recommending a “reputable local installer.”
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A homeowner says a solar installer went quiet for months after some panels stopped producing output, only to resurface later with an offer to add more panels and join a microgrid program. They turned to the r/solar subreddit for advice.
In a homeowner’s post on Reddit, they said their roughly five-year-old system from small local installer TriSmart Solar recently started having problems, with some panels “no longer reading.”
According to the post, the homeowner tried several ways to reach the company, including Facebook, before a technician finally came out.
Communication then broke down again. 
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“I got ghosted like a one night stand,” the homeowner wrote, adding that a support line reached through the Enphase app said the company was out of business, which only added to the confusion.
The company later resurfaced through a sales call, the homeowner said, with a representative proposing additional panels and saying any bad ones would be replaced under a $110 monthly payment meant to cover all electricity usage.
People replying to the Reddit thread urged the homeowner to be careful, warning about “solar cancellation” companies and recommending a “reputable local installer” for the Enphase system instead.
Going solar remains one of the best ways to save money on home energy, especially when you compare installers carefully before signing. EnergySage’s free tools can help access quick solar installation estimates to compare quotes.
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However, solar only reaches its full money-saving potential when the system is working properly, and service support is available.
In this case, the poster said on Reddit that they were stuck weighing three options: keep pursuing the installer, spend about $3,000 on an independent contractor, or try to get out of the roughly $15,000 still left on the contract.
That kind of uncertainty can quickly turn a cost-cutting home upgrade into a stressful financial burden. A malfunctioning array may lead to higher utility bills, delayed savings, and added repair expenses, all while monthly payments continue.
Choosing the right installer matters just as much as choosing the equipment itself. If homeowners pick the wrong installer and customer service disappears, the value of the setup can change fast.
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EnergySage’s free services will not only land you the best deal, but also installers you can trust. With its help, the average consumer can save up to $10,000 on solar purchases and installations.
If you’re dealing with a stalled solar installer, start by documenting every service request, saving screenshots from your monitoring app, and reviewing your contract for warranty and service terms.
It can also help to contact the equipment manufacturer or monitoring provider directly, get a second opinion from a licensed local solar company, and be cautious about paying anyone upfront to “cancel” the deal.
Landing the best deal in your area with a trusted installer is a huge key to avoiding pitfalls. 
EnergySage’s mapping tool reveals the average cost of solar panel setup on a state-by-state basis and gives full details on the applicable incentives locally. These resources can help you get the best deals on a solar panel setup, while locking in all available incentives.
Adding battery storage to a solar setup is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages. It can also help you save money on energy and go off-grid in some situations. 
EnergySage’s free tools can give you all the information you need on the best options and help you compile installation estimates in your area.
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Gas growth, by contrast, has fallen short of earlier expectations.
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In Asia, solar power has crossed a notable threshold: over the past year, it produced more electricity than gas, underscoring how quickly the region’s power mix is evolving.
Much of that change reflects rapid solar adoption in countries including China, India, and Pakistan, with lower-cost panels helping spread installations more widely across the region.
According to an analysis from Carbon Brief, in the 12 months leading up to April 2026, solar power generated 1,727 terawatt-hours of electricity across Asia. That was enough to make solar the continent’s third-largest source of electricity, edging past natural gas, which produced 1,711 terawatt-hours over the same period.
Compared with 2020, Asia is now producing almost four times as much solar electricity each year, according to Carbon Brief, and the region has supplied about 60% of the world’s solar growth during that span.
China has led that expansion. Carbon Brief said the country contributed nearly three-quarters of Asia’s solar growth since 2020, and record additions in 2025 pushed its installed solar capacity to 1.2 terawatts. 
Its commanding role in manufacturing has also supported panel exports to nearby markets.
💡EDF’s Vital Signs newsletter delivers stories about game-changing solutions close to home and around the world
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Gas growth, by contrast, has fallen short of earlier expectations. Supply disruptions, elevated liquefied natural gas costs, and setbacks at import terminals, pipelines, and gas plants have all constrained expansion, even as Asia’s electricity demand continues to rise.
This analysis reveals solar is gaining ground against gas in markets where planners had once assumed fossil fuels would play the larger role.
Replacing gas with solar helps cut planet-warming pollution and reduce harmful air pollution tied to fossil fuel use. In densely populated parts of Asia, that can mean cleaner air and better public health alongside cleaner electricity.
Carbon Brief also reported a global milestone in April 2026, when electricity generation from wind and solar combined surpassed generation from natural gas for the first time in a single month.
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If you want to make the switch to solar, EnergySage can connect you with vetted, local installers and save you up to $10,000 on your installation. If buying panels isn’t in your budget, Palmetto’s $0 down LightReach leasing program can lower your monthly energy bill by 20%. 
Falling solar-panel prices and large-scale manufacturing have helped drive Asia’s buildout. China is central to that picture, with more than 80% of global solar manufacturing capacity, making faster deployment easier for other countries in the region as well, the analysis noted.
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News Brief | A tiny solar panel could change America  theOrcasonian.com
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Repsol has achieved commercial operations at its 825-MW Pinnington solar project in Jack County in North Texas.
“Pinnington sets a new benchmark for renewable energy delivery in the US, combining unprecedented scale with exceptional pace,” said Federico Toro, CEO of Repsol Renewables North America. “Achieving commercial operations reflects strong execution, a deep safety culture, and the commitment of the teams and partners behind this project.”
Repsol said the project reached commercial operation 2.5 times faster than other comparable megaprojects. Pinnington Solar was engineered and built by Black & Veatch and its Overland Contracting construction subsidiary. The project’s expedited execution put it at the forefront of the generation portfolio of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and among the largest single-injection renewable projects commissioned in the US. Single-injection refers to a project that delivers electricity to the grid through a single point of interconnection.
“Completing the Pinnington solar project on an accelerated timeline—while managing its scale, complexity, and demanding execution environment—is a testament to the strength of our collaboration with Repsol and the dedication of everyone involved,” said Narsingh Chaudhary, president of Black & Veatch’s Fuels & Natural Resources sector. “Most importantly, the project was delivered with a relentless focus on safety, with every hour worked reflecting our shared commitment to caring for our people and the surrounding community. Repsol’s leadership and community-first mindset set the tone for a project that will deliver long-term energy and economic benefits for the region.”
Construction of the Pinnington solar facility supported approximately 700 local construction jobs, and the project is expected to provide substantial tax revenue for the surrounding communities over its lifetime.
Pinnington consists of 1.5 million solar panels, which Repsol says can generate enough energy annually to avoid approximately 1 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, the project enhances grid reliability, providing significant new capacity to the Texas power grid and supporting a more resilient and diversified energy mix.
This project, along with other solar assets already online in Texas, pushes Repsol’s total renewable energy generation capacity in the US above 2 GW.
Repsol entered the North American renewable energy market in 2021, prioritizing projects that offer high returns and favorable regulatory conditions. At the same time, the company maintains a broad portfolio of initiatives to capitalize on opportunities related to rising energy demand and potential regulatory changes.
In Texas, Repsol’s renewable energy portfolio includes Frye (632 MW), Outpost (629 MW), and Pinnington (825 MW)—all of which are operational—as well as Pecan Prairie (595 MW), which is under construction. In New Mexico, the company operates the Jicarilla I and II solar and battery storage complex.

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Land Use and Solar Development  seia.org
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Rain this morning with thunderstorms by evening. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 72F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..
Thunderstorms, some with heavy rain this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 59F. ESE winds shifting to N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.
Updated: June 21, 2026 @ 9:48 am
Mayor Bill Ingold speaks at this week’s Paxton City Council meeting.

Mayor Bill Ingold speaks at this week’s Paxton City Council meeting.
PAXTON — A solar farm is planned for 25 acres of farmland just outside of Paxton, Mayor Bill Ingold revealed during the city council’s monthly meeting this week.
“About a week or so ago, the city attorney (Tony Schuering) and I were on a Zoom phone call with somebody inquiring about the possibility of locating a 25-acre solar farm near Paxton,” Ingold told aldermen.
“It would be near some property that was contiguous (to city limits), and they asked about a possible annexation (of that land into city limits). … And what we said (in response) was that we would want to kind of bring it up (to the council first) … to see what you thought.”
While two of the six aldermen present for the meeting said they were against any solar farm being built on farmland, the council agreed to hear the developer’s pitch anyway. Ingold said he would contact the developer the next morning to arrange for them to attend the council’s July 14 meeting to provide further details and answer any questions.
In response to a question from Alderman Rob Pacey, Schuering said the council could expect the project’s permitting to move quickly if that would be the council’s desire.
“If they come (to the meeting) in July and you are interested in moving forward with the project, it would be up for a vote for your consideration in August,” Schuering told aldermen.
In addition to the council’s approval of the annexation, the project would require approval of a special-use permit following a public hearing before the city’s planning and zoning commission.
While few details of the project were publicly disclosed by the mayor or city attorney, including its proposed location near Paxton, Ingold did reveal that it would not include any battery storage facilities and would not be located in the city’s tax-increment financing district, “because it’s not in there right now.”
Schuering said in response to a question from Alderman Kristen Larson that he was unsure of the project’s electricity-generating capacity. Ingold said he was told the electricity would feed into the grid for use locally by residents and businesses here in Paxton.
Also in reply to a question from Larson, Schuering was unable to say whether the developer already owns the involved property or instead plans to either buy or lease it.
“I think that would be a good question for them,” Schuering said. “Based on the conversation that we had with them, I don’t know that we could have really inquired on that, frankly. (The discussion) was more so about, ‘Let’s check with the council and see if they’re interested in having the discussion.’ If you are, then we can get them here and let them speak for themselves.”
“Right now, we’re just taking your temperature to see what you think,” Ingold told aldermen. “If this is something that you’d like to hear more about, we’ll invite them to come to the July meeting.”
Aldermen Justin Withers and Deane Geiken both said they were not in favor of solar farms being built on farmland but said they would be willing to hear out the developer anyway.
“I would suggest that we at least hear what they have to say before we make a decision on anything,” Alderman Mike Wilson said.
“I’m OK with that,” Geiken replied.
“We have an obligation, I think, to at least have more information than we have right now,” Pacey said.
Ingold noted that even if annexation is not pursued and the project remains outside of city limits, the city could still have a say in whether it is allowed, as the city has zoning authority within a 1 1/2-mile radius of its corporate boundaries.
“We do zone out a mile and a half, so we do kind of control what’s going on,” Ingold said. “If we told them ‘no’ and they don’t annex (the land) into the city, they could always go to the county (for a special-use permit).”
Schuering said some developers of solar farms might pursue annexation and a city-issued permit because, among other reasons, “there’s a little bit more regulatory certainty if they go through our process as opposed to keeping it in the county.”
“Also, frankly, I think we can do it faster,” Schuering said. “I think we can go through the regulatory hearings and the processes and all of that more expeditiously than counties can. … It’s just the process that they have to go through (at the county level) looks different and, as a result, takes longer.”
Also present for the meeting was Alderman Joe Reinhart. Absent were Aldermen Eric Evans and Matt Greenburg.
The council’s July 14 meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 145 S. Market St., and is open to the public.

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Minonk flips switch on solar farm, powers thousands of homes  CIProud.com
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Intersolar Europe 2026 — the world’s largest solar industry exhibition — opens its conference doors in Munich on Monday for the first time on a Tuesday-through-Thursday exhibition schedule, arriving with a technology announcement already confirmed before the doors open: a German research team has built the most efficient solar module ever fabricated, at 34.4%. That number matters to anyone who installs, finances, or designs solar systems because it demonstrates a real pathway to extracting dramatically more power from the same panel area — and it was achieved not through exotic new chemistry alone but through a cell interconnection method that can be applied to multiple module types. Approximately 50,000 visitors from more than 160 countries are expected at Messe München between June 23 and 25, with roughly 1,450 exhibitors across solar PV, energy storage, e-mobility, and grid technology.
The single most important engineering story of the week is that the same interconnection architecture — called Matrix Shingle, or shingle-matrix — drove efficiency gains in two otherwise separate module technologies. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) used it to push space-grade III-V germanium triple-junction cells to 34.4% as a complete solar module. Oxford PV used the same Fraunhofer-developed architecture to integrate its perovskite-silicon tandem cells into a module rated at 25.6%, in two formats: a 491-watt rooftop panel and a 546-watt bifacial panel. Both stories debut at booth A1.440.
Conventional solar modules wire cell strips together with solder-coated copper ribbons. Every ribbon casts a shadow on the active cell area below it — a permanent, built-in shading loss. Shingle-matrix eliminates that loss. In this architecture, solar cells are cut into narrow strips, arranged in a staggered, overlapping configuration like roof shingles, and bonded together with electrically conductive adhesive rather than copper ribbons. The result is direct cell-to-cell electrical contact with no ribbon shading, an exceptionally high active-area utilization ratio, and a matrix interconnection pattern that allows current to route around any locally shaded strip rather than losing the entire row.
For the III-V germanium module, the improvement from Fraunhofer ISE’s previous record of 34.2% — set in early 2026 under the Vorfahrt research project — to 34.4% was achieved entirely through this optimized interconnection, not through a new cell design. The cells, developed by AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH of Heilbronn, are triple-junction space solar cells adapted for the terrestrial solar spectrum, enabling production in comparable quantities and on the same wafer formats as space cells. Anti-reflective coatings on the front glass came from temicon GmbH. The module area is 833 square centimeters.
For the Oxford PV collaboration — conducted under Germany’s government-backed HoTSun research project — Fraunhofer ISE applied the same Matrix Shingle interconnection to Oxford PV’s perovskite-silicon tandem cells and built two prototype modules. “We are delighted to be able to combine two high-tech approaches from Europe in this PV module,” said Stefan Glunz, head of photovoltaics at Fraunhofer ISE. “To achieve this, we have cut the solar cells from Oxford PV into shingles, arranged them in a matrix structure, electrically connected them using conductive adhesive, and then encapsulated them.” Oxford PV CTO Ed Crossland noted that the tandem cells’ higher voltage and lower current density make them particularly well-suited for the shingle architecture, which trades current path length for reduced resistive losses.
Commercial silicon solar panels — the dominant technology across rooftops and utility farms — face a hard physical ceiling called the Shockley-Queisser limit: approximately 33.2% for a single-junction cell under standard illumination. Real-world commercial silicon modules typically deliver 22–25%. Fraunhofer ISE’s 34.4% module clears that limit because III-V germanium cells are not single-junction devices. Each cell stacks three semiconductor sub-layers, each engineered with a different bandgap to absorb a different portion of the solar spectrum. The top sub-cell captures high-energy blue light; the middle captures green and yellow light; the germanium bottom sub-cell captures red and near-infrared photons that pass through silicon entirely. A four-junction Fraunhofer ISE cell set the concentrating photovoltaic world record at 47.6% under concentrated light in 2022; the new 34.4% is a module-level record under standard terrestrial illumination.
The practical barrier to widespread deployment of III-V cells has always been manufacturing cost: these cells are grown using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, an expensive process originally developed for satellite and spacecraft power systems. The Vorfahrt project’s explicit goal is reducing the cost of III-V cells and modules for aircraft and vehicle applications — a narrower premium market in which the energy-per-kilogram advantage justifies the cost premium. The module on display in Munich is not a product announcement; it is a research milestone demonstrating what interconnection architecture can achieve when space-qualified cells meet terrestrial manufacturing engineering.
Swiss electrification company ABB announced its Proteus portfolio for utility-scale solar PV and battery energy storage systems (BESS) this week, presenting the hardware at stand B3.250. ABB originally exited the solar inverter business when it divested its remaining assets around 2020; its acquisition of Gamesa Electric’s power electronics division restored the company’s in-house manufacturing capability and formed the engineering basis for the Proteus product line.
The Proteus PV central inverter delivers 4.7 megavolt-amperes per unit and claims a conversion efficiency of 99.45% — matching the benchmarks of the former Gamesa Electric line from which it descends. That efficiency figure is made possible in part by the CoolBrid thermal management system: a hybrid active-cooling topology that applies liquid cooling to the highest-heat-flux components — insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) and inductors — while managing less thermally demanding auxiliaries with forced air. The design allows the inverter to operate at 55 degrees Celsius without derating in specific configurations. The Proteus BESS offering adds grid-forming and black-start capability, making it suitable for battery storage projects that must actively contribute to grid stability rather than simply following an external grid signal.
“The global energy transition requires proven, scalable and reliable power conversion solutions,” said Daniel Gerber, Business Line Manager for Renewable Power at ABB. The company states it has installed more than 120 gigawatts of power conversion capacity globally.
The dominant conference theme at Intersolar Europe 2026 is not which panel is most efficient but how to make solar generation more predictable and grid-compatible. Hybrid PV systems combine a solar installation and a large-scale battery storage system behind a single grid connection point. Solar power can be fed directly into the grid when the market needs it, or stored and dispatched when demand — and grid pricing — peaks. The combination makes renewable electricity more predictable, smooths price spikes, and reduces the need for fossil-fuel peaking generation. New business models are forming around the planning, financing, and operation of these plants, including power purchase agreements, contracts for difference, and auction frameworks under Germany’s Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz (EEG).
The timing matters. According to the think tank Ember, roughly 30 percent of EU electricity came from solar and wind last year — a milestone that is simultaneously a success and a warning. As the grid’s renewable share rises, the challenge shifts from generation volume to generation dispatchability. The European Union still depends on fossil fuels for roughly 29 percent of its electricity generation, leaving member states exposed to geopolitical price shocks. And electricity demand is rising: electrification of transport, industrial processes, AI data centers, and heat pumps is pushing consumption upward. SolarPower Europe projects EU electricity demand to reach 3,000 terawatt-hours by 2030.
A dedicated conference session on June 22, titled “Hybridization of PV Power Plants With BESS: Market Environment, Business Models, And Significance for the Energy Transition,” addresses bankability, planning, and financing models for hybrid plants. Sessions over the following two days on the Intersolar Forum stage in Hall A3 will cover co-location of solar and storage, fleet management for commercial and industrial operators, and new power purchase agreement structures.
A parallel technology shift on the exhibition floor is the emergence of grid-forming inverters as a commercial specification requirement. Standard solar inverters are grid-following: they track the external grid’s voltage and frequency signal and inject current accordingly. If the grid drops out, a grid-following inverter shuts off. Grid-forming inverters generate their own voltage and frequency reference internally, allowing them to sustain grid operation during a disturbance, contribute to system inertia — the property that damps frequency oscillations — and perform black-start operations: restarting a dead grid section without waiting for a fossil-fuel generator to spin up first.
As Germany manages a grid with rapidly rising renewable penetration, grid operators are beginning to specify grid-forming capability in connection agreements for larger commercial installations. A dedicated Intersolar Forum session on June 23, titled “Grid-Forming Inverters: The Key to Stable Power Grids,” will feature manufacturers explaining how grid-forming inverters in combination with PV and BESS can provide system services including frequency stabilization and black start. ABB’s Proteus BESS product already includes grid-forming and black-start capability as standard features.
Huasun Energy, headquartered in Xuancheng, Anhui, China, will introduce its Himalaya PLUS heterojunction (HJT) module series to the European market for the first time at booth A2.550. The Himalaya PLUS delivers up to 760 watts with an active area ratio of 95.8% — among the highest in commercially available silicon modules — enabled by ultra-large silicon wafers, a negative cell spacing design, and upgraded encapsulation film. The series is rated for 2,000-volt system voltages, a shift from the previous 1,500-volt industry standard that reduces DC cabling losses in high-voltage installations and lowers balance-of-system costs. The 2,000-volt transition is widely expected to become the new utility-scale standard; Huasun secured the first HJT 2000V module certification in March 2026.
The company is majority-funded by Chinese state-connected investors, including Bank of China Asset Management, China Post Life Insurance, and China Xinxing Asset Management. Passive solar modules do not collect or transmit user data in the manner of connected systems such as inverters or monitoring platforms. However, a January 2026 RAND Corporation paper co-authored by former senior officials from multiple governments noted that modern solar systems are increasingly smart, connected systems — particularly at the inverter and monitoring layer — and argued that grid-connected Chinese clean energy components should be subject to verifiable security baselines established by host countries.
Germany’s dedicated agri-PV auction framework is concentrating commercial attention on dual-use solar installations that allow agricultural machinery to operate beneath mounted panels. Schletter is presenting an updated 1P tracker designed to achieve 2.1 meters of ground clearance at tilt angles of up to 60 degrees — the threshold required by German subsidy frameworks for machinery clearance. Huasun will also demonstrate colored HJT modules and a semi-transparent agri-PV configuration at its booth, while Kostal Solar Electric is launching the PLENTICORE BI 25 battery inverter and a Multi-Device-Control interface for managing multiple inverters from a single point.
Building-integrated PV and colored modules are emerging as a commercial product category as Germany’s Solarpflicht — the obligation to install solar on new buildings — expands to additional building types.
The solar industry reached a significant historical marker in 2024: global installed PV capacity surpassed 2 terawatts. That number is the backdrop for everything at Intersolar Europe 2026. It means solar is no longer a niche addition to the energy system but a primary generation source in many markets — which is precisely why the challenge has shifted from “how do we build enough solar?” to “how do we make what we have dispatchable, grid-stable, and bankable at scale?”
The conference’s special exhibition zone, “Renewables 24/7,” addresses this question directly, showcasing integrated technologies across electricity, heat, and transport that together could enable fully renewable, round-the-clock energy supply. India, this year’s dedicated country spotlight, is receiving sessions on solar expansion enabled by state funding programs, green loans, and the India-Europe cooperation opportunity.
What makes the Fraunhofer ISE 34.4% solar module a world record?
The 34.4% figure represents the highest energy conversion efficiency ever achieved for a complete solar module under standard terrestrial illumination — not a single cell under concentrated light. Commercial silicon modules typically convert 22–25% of incoming sunlight into electricity, bounded by the Shockley-Queisser limit of approximately 33.2% for single-junction devices. Fraunhofer ISE exceeded that limit by using triple-junction III-V germanium cells, each tuned to capture a different portion of the solar spectrum, and then optimized the interconnection between cells using shingle-matrix architecture to minimize shading losses within the module.
What is shingle-matrix interconnection and why does it matter?
Shingle-matrix interconnection replaces traditional solder-coated copper ribbon wiring with an overlapping arrangement of cell strips bonded by conductive adhesive. Because ribbon conductors no longer shade the active cell surface, the module’s effective light-capturing area increases. The matrix arrangement also allows current to route around any shaded strip, improving partial-shading resilience. Fraunhofer ISE applied this same architecture to two different next-generation module types at Intersolar 2026: the III-V germanium cells achieving 34.4% and the Oxford PV perovskite-silicon tandem cells achieving 25.6%.
How do hybrid solar-plus-storage systems change how solar energy is used on the grid?
A hybrid solar-plus-storage plant combines a photovoltaic array and a battery energy storage system behind a single grid connection point. Rather than feeding all solar output directly to the grid as it is generated — which can create oversupply at midday and shortfalls at evening peak — a hybrid plant can store surplus energy and dispatch it when grid demand and pricing justify it. This makes solar generation more predictable, improves grid stability, and reduces the need for fossil-fuel peaking plants. The dominant conference theme at Intersolar Europe 2026 is the business models, financing structures, and technical standards needed to make hybrid plants bankable across Europe.
What is a grid-forming inverter and why is it relevant to solar?
A grid-forming inverter generates its own voltage and frequency reference signal rather than following the external grid’s signal. Traditional grid-following inverters shut off automatically when the grid drops out. Grid-forming inverters can sustain local grid operation during a disturbance, contribute to system inertia, and perform black-start operations — restarting a dead grid section from renewable resources alone, without requiring a fossil-fuel generator to go first. As the share of renewable generation rises in Germany and across Europe, grid-forming capability is increasingly being specified in connection agreements for large commercial solar and storage installations.
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© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.
Homeowners who make the switch can see major savings with solar.
Photo Credit: iStock
One California homeowner’s numbers under NEM 3.0 have sparked a lively Reddit discussion, highlighting how little some solar users get paid for sending large amounts of surplus electricity to the grid.
For households in areas with less favorable net metering policies, which determine how utilities credit homeowners for excess solar energy sent back to the grid, battery backups can increase home savings with solar while providing reliable power during outages.
The homeowner explained in the r/solar subreddit that their home has a 17-kilowatt panel system and 33 kilowatt-hours of battery storage, a setup chosen because they live in a foggy area and plan to eventually charge EVs at their home. 
The homeowner was disappointed with how little their utility company, PG&E, compensated them for the excess energy sent back to the grid under California’s updated net metering rules, known as NEM 3.0.
“It is just hilarious how little NEM 3.0 pays out,” the poster wrote. 
Under NEM 3.0, some commenters noted, the value of exported electricity depends heavily on timing and overall grid conditions, not just the number of kilowatt-hours sent out.
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Extra solar power sent to the grid around midday may earn very little because California often has abundant solar generation at that time. Electricity exported later, especially in the evening, can be worth much more.
That structure rewards a different approach: use more of your own generation at home, use a battery to store it for later, and avoid building a system that mainly creates excess power in the middle of the day.
The practical effect is that homeowners may come out ahead by storing excess daytime solar energy for use later in the day.
Because peak-rate electricity is more expensive, batteries can play a significant role in cutting bills, especially in areas where evening pricing is high.
The discussion also turned into a fight over how utilities price power. Some users said it feels wrong for rooftop solar energy exports to be purchased for pennies while electricity is sold to customers at much higher rates, while it is important to note that some of the gap reflects expenses such as transmission, wildfire-related costs, and other fixed charges.
Commenters broadly agreed on one point: system sizing decisions in California look different under NEM 3.0, and energy storage is becoming an important money-saving tool for homeowners with solar. 
While some homeowners were frustrated about the reduced savings, others said the new rules actually show that solar is working well and becoming more common in the area. As more people install solar, there’s less need for extra incentives to push adoption, because it’s already becoming a normal part of the energy system.
Even with less lucrative incentives, homeowners who make the switch can see major savings with solar. 
Another user suggested that the original poster could expand battery storage more affordably by using a repurposed EV battery. While this option would still require professional installation and proper setup, used electric vehicle batteries can sometimes be purchased at significant discounts compared to new home battery systems.
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Superyachts
Published on Jun 21, 2026 at 12:02 PM (UTC+4)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Jun 21, 2026 at 12:02 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Mason Jones
A man who built a solar-powered yacht capable of running indefinitely has completed an impressive journey from Finland to Spain without using a single drop of fuel.
The ambitious project relies entirely on a large-scale solar and battery system that powers both propulsion and onboard living, proving just how far renewable marine tech has come.
Along the way, the YouTuber who built it has been documenting the full electrical setup, including solar arrays, wiring routes, and energy storage systems that keep the vessel moving.
And now, finally, we got a proper look at the ins and outs of the boat from him.
This isn’t your average superyacht; this DIY solar boat is fitted with multiple solar panels across its roof, side decks, and open surfaces, generating several kilowatts of power in good sunlight.
At peak performance, the system can produce around 3,300W, which is enough to maintain cruising speeds of roughly 6 knots.
The YouTuber, who posts as True North Yachts, explained to us that rigid solar panels outperform flexible ones in both efficiency and cost, despite flexible panels being lighter and easier to install.
Energy is distributed through a relatively simple wiring layout, with panels grouped in series and parallel depending on the required voltage for the 48V system.
Power flows through Victron charge controllers that regulate input from different arrays before sending it to the batteries.
At the heart of the system is a 30kWh battery bank, combining newer lithium packs with an older backup system in case of emergency.
These batteries are connected via busbars, which distribute power between the solar charge controllers, inverter, and propulsion motor in a straightforward but effective configuration.
The setup is designed for simplicity, making it easier to maintain and fix if it goes wrong.
A 5kW inverter provides 230V power for onboard appliances, including cooking equipment and heating, while USB outputs allow low-power charging without even running the full inverter.
Overall, the voyage demonstrates how a carefully designed solar-electric system can power long-distance marine travel without fuel.
While still a prototype, it shows the potential for future solar yachts that could operate entirely off renewable energy with minimal operating costs.
# Tags – Finland, Solar, Solar-powered yachts, spain, superyachts, Yacht
Daisy is a technology and automotive journalist covering artificial intelligence, consumer tech, Apple news, cryptocurrency, emerging technologies, and transportation innovation. Since joining the team in 2025, she has reported on everything from AI-powered startups and major iOS updates to viral car stories and the latest developments shaping transportation and the digital economy. Drawing on her background in automotive journalism and a degree in History and Journalism from Goldsmiths, University of London, Daisy specializes in breaking down complex topics into clear, engaging reporting for a global audience. Her work spans cutting-edge technology, innovative vehicles, and the people driving change across both industries. Daisy has gained first-hand access to some of the world's most talked-about technologies and innovators, including meeting Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot during its first European appearance in London. She has also discussed the future of space exploration with an astronaut, bringing unique insights and real-world perspectives to her coverage of emerging technology.
Supercar Blondie finds and covers the coolest cars, tech, luxury and gaming in the world.
Copyrights ©2026 SB Media Holding Limited

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Infinity Power has signed up Chinese solar manufacturer AIKO as the sole solar PV module supplier for Egypt’s Nefer Menya solar project. The announcement was made during the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town. Located in Egypt’s Minya Governorate, the project will combine 1.2 GW of solar PV capacity with 600 MWh of battery energy storage system (BESS). Once operational, it is expected to provide electricity to around 1.4 million homes.
Infinity Power says it selected AIKO’s all-back-contact (ABC) solar modules following technical and financial assessments. The project is backed by financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and supports Egypt’s target of generating 42% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
Infinity Power has signed conditional EPC agreements for 2 utility-scale solar projects in South Africa totaling 773.6 MW during the Africa Energy Forum (AEF) in Cape Town. The company selected PowerChina Guizhou Engineering as the preferred EPC contractor for the 488 MW Ngwedi Cluster Solar PV Projects in Free State, covering the Onderstepoort Solar 1 and 2 sites. It also signed a conditional EPC contract with India-based Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy for the 285.6 MW Highveld Solar PV Project in Mpumalanga under South Africa’s REIPPPP Bid Window 7. According to Infinity Power, the projects are expected to supply electricity to about 456,000 homes. The company said the developments align with its target of reaching 10 GW of operational renewable energy capacity across Africa by 2032.
South African renewable energy developer Mulilo has reached financial close on the Hartebeesfontein Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), a 77 MW/308 MWh project in North West Province. The project was awarded under South Africa’s Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (BESIPPPP) Bid Window 2 under which it secured 5 of the 8 projects awarded. It is located near the Hermes Main Transmission Substation. Once operational, the facility will provide grid support and ancillary services to the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA) under a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA). Mulilo said financing for the project is being provided by Absa, Standard Bank and Nedbank. The company added that the project is its 5^th renewable energy project to reach financial close in 2026.
Global South Utilities (GSU) is expanding the Green Berbera Initiative Phase II in Berbera, Somaliland through a combination of solar generation and battery energy storage. The project includes 12 MW of solar PV capacity and a 70 MWh utility-scale BESS. According to local media reports, it builds on 5 MW solar plant completed under phase I. It is expected to generate around 24,000 MWh of clean electricity annually. GSU says this will improve energy security and reducing reliance on diesel-powered generation. According to project developers, the initiative will provide renewable electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 67,000 households and supply 100% renewable power to the Berbera Economic Zone. The project is also intended to support long-term economic development and strengthen energy resilience in the Horn of Africa.
TaiyangNews 2024

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Infinity Power signs major EPC, supply deals for 2GW African solar portfolio  ZAWYA
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“We’ve never come close to running out of energy.”
Photo Credit: iStock
At their Houston house, Jeff and Jenny Wright haven’t had to pay an electricity bill in more than a year. 
They credited a setup that combines rooftop solar, battery storage, and participation in a virtual power plant, allowing surplus power to reduce their costs.
As NBC News reported, the couple’s system includes rooftop solar panels for their home’s electricity needs and two Tesla battery packs for storing leftover power. 
When they have more energy than they need, they can send it back to the grid through a virtual power plant program, or VPP, and get compensated.
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Once the home’s own energy use is covered, the company running the system, Sunrun in this case, gives the Wrights a $240 yearly incentive, and their monthly bill credits have gone as high as $30.
“I’m getting fairly close to retirement, so cost control for us is a big thing,” he said.
Sunrun said 107,000 customers took part in its VPP in 2025, collectively sending 18 gigawatt-hours back to the grid and receiving $17 million in payments. Sunrun and Palmetto are among the largest companies offering this approach through programs like Palmetto’s LightReach, which can connect a home into a VPP if it subscribes to both solar and battery plans.
VPP programs are active or in development in 35 states and Washington, D.C., while U.S. electricity prices are about 40% higher than they were six years ago.
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Lower bills are only part of the appeal of home electrification. These systems can also give homeowners more control during outages and extreme weather while helping a grid under growing pressure from demand sources such as AI data centers.
Wright said the system has continued to work well when conditions get tough.
“I never notice it, the lights don’t dim,” he said. “We’ve never come close to running out of energy.”
In Texas, heat waves and storms can put serious strain on the grid.
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
Federal officials have said the U.S. will need major new resources to handle future peak electricity demand. NBC News also cited Rocky Mountain Institute estimates that VPPs could reduce U.S. peak demand by 60 gigawatts by 2030 and cut annual power-sector costs by $17 billion.
Energy companies and utilities are pushing to scale up these programs. Sunrun president Paul Dickson said a traditional power plant can take 10 years or more to build, but a VPP can be launched within months. 
Reliant, meanwhile, said 300,000 customers already participate in its VPP programs, and senior vice president Bill Clayton told NBC News, “You really don’t need a bunch of fancy devices in order to be a participant.”
You can also pair solar panels with efficient electric appliances to drive your utility costs even lower. To get started with solar, EnergySage can help you compare quotes and save up to $10,000 on installation costs. If upfront costs make a solar panel array prohibitive, Palmetto’s LightReach solar leasing program can install the technology on your property for $0 down, helping you reduce your electricity bills by up to 20%.
Adding battery storage to a solar setup is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and go off-grid. It can also help you store extra electricity for later use instead of losing it.
Jeff Wright told the outlet, “We’ve got two batteries here, and what we have is not going to stabilize the entire grid, but if enough of us get together and do this, it will help everybody in Texas and ourselves as well.”
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Another Effect of the Mideast War: A Solar-Energy Boom Far From Iran  The New York Times
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Jun 17, 2026
The property of the proposed CAFO in Muncy Creek. SUN-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
Whether two Lancaster County-based companies that want to bring a hybrid form of agriculture and energy businesses in Muncy Creek Township receive conditional use will be determined soon.
Township Supervisors Eric Newcomer, chair, and Harley Fry II are expected to give their verbal decision on the conditional use applications for the hybrid chicken and egg laying operation and solar energy facility at a public meeting that begins at 5 p.m. June 25 at the township building on Route 442.
The proposed projects consist of a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) with 350,000 free-range chickens living in five barns, each barn about 88 feet wide by 616 feet long, each barn housing 70,000 birds. The project would be operated by AgVentures Inc. A second conditional use application is for Bollinger Solar LLC., which wants to build a 32 megawatt solar energy array with 52,000 panels and subsequent equipment on the land owned by Sunny Side Up Farms, which is zoned for agriculture-conservation and residential use. The number of barns and megawattage has differed from the original application.
Supervisors have a bit longer, or by July 11, to render a written report, according to J. Michael Wiley, board solicitor.
At the time Bollinger applied to the township the township did not regulate solar so it was a “use not provided for” and required a hearing.
The board intends to make a decision to either grant, deny, or grant with conditions these projects. Each of the projects is a separate condition, Wiley previously told the Sun-Gazette.
Supervisor Gary Phillips is recused due to statements he made on social media perceived to be biased against the project. Phillips told the Sun-Gazette after one of the hearings that he had three lawyers recommend that he step aside from anything to do with this proposal. He remains an active supervisor able to vote on any other type of business before the board.
Muncy School Board voted on a resolution opposing the proposed CAFO and associated solar array in a vote of 7-1 last summer. Not more than a mile from the proposed site is the Ward L. Myers Elementary School where 450 students attend.
“We have recess, we have a lot of outdoor activities, and the high school plays a lot of their sporting events over there,” Muncy School District Superintendent Craig Skaluba told WBRE-WYOU.
Lately, too, a farmer on the same ground has been riding a tractor and pulling a machine to spread chicken manure on the fields, said neighbor Karla Shipman.
The spreading of the manure is unrelated to anything that has gone before the supervisors at this time regarding the proposed projects.
However, the prevalent odor, especially in the June heat, has become a nuisance and can be detected if one drives by the field or for those living near it.
Shipman described the odor of the spread manure in the field as “atrocious.”
The pungency, she believes, is from it clinging to the plant life.
Weed growth on the property has reached 3 feet high or greater.
The manure sticks on the weeds and tall grass, rather than the farmer chopping them low and then tilling the ground, she said.
The manure piles have been there since early spring. More tractor trailer loads have since dropped off more manure, she said.
She said she believes the farmer may be in a lease agreement with the landowner.
Wanting to find out more, Shipman said last month she reached out to the Lycoming County Conservation District, where she spoke with an individual there who was going to see whether the owner of the manure had a manure management plan.
The Shipmans have been at the hearings from the start as members of Muncy Area Neighborhood Preservation Coalition.
The coalition of neighbors and others hired Zachary DuGan, an attorney with Perciballi & Williams, who has provided legal counsel and asked direct and cross examination questions of the applicants, their witnesses and those opposing the project during the conditional use hearings.
“I am not against farming,” Shipman said. “We moved here almost 40 years ago and the field was filled with cows.”
Knowing that Sunny Side Up Farms owns the parcel and is permitting the farmer to spread the manure – even as it awaits a decision from the supervisors – has upset the couple.
“It’s a kick in the teeth,” Shipman said.
Litigants in continuing legal action between the Lycoming County register and recorder and Lycoming County …
JERSEY SHORE — Confronting a roughly $1 million budget deficit, the Jersey Shore Area School District is …
A resolution was approved by Williamsport City Council authorizing the sale of fire apparatus to Trout Run …

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India needs around 10 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery storage immediately to stop renewable energy curtailment when the s coal fleet cannot ramp down below its technical minimum, according to a new analysis by energy think tank Ember. With solar power flooding the grid at midday, several coal-based power plants are required to operate at or even below their minimum technical loads (MTL), levels at which they can safely operate. As a result, grid operators are curtailing clean electricity to keep coal-based power plants online for the nighttime surge in demand and to provide necessary reserves.
Ember’s analysis found that keeping coal above its MTL forced the curtailment of around 2.1 terawatt-hours (TWh) of renewable generation in the fiscal year (FY) 2025–26, equivalent to 1.3% of total renewable generation. In 2026, around 10 GWh of storage, charging during the midday solar window, would have been enough to absorb that surplus, keep coal above its safe operating floor and avoid the curtailment altogether.

“Solar and wind curtailment is becoming a visible part of India’s real-time grid balancing, and the volumes are already noticeable and rising,” says the report’s author, Neshwin Rodrigues, Senior Energy Analyst at Ember. “Without sufficient flexibility, including storage, this could become a constraint on the next phase of renewable energy growth.”
The report highlights that the core issue is that coal still provides almost all of the grid’s flexibility, including its ancillary reserves. As solar capacity has grown, coal is being cycled from near-full output at night to its lowest point at midday every single day. For example, on 6 March 2026, solar and wind reached 41% of the generation mix at midday, pushing coal down by around 49 gigawatt (GW) in six hours before it had to climb back up by 51 GW in the evening as solar collapsed. “Coal was built for sustained high output, not this daily deep cycling,” says Rodrigues.
Once coal hits its MTL, around 55% of rated capacity, it can no longer provide downward reserves, and renewable generation would need to be curtailed to keep the fleet at this technical minimum. By April 2026, coal was breaching that floor in more than half of all midday dispatch intervals. Renewable curtailment met 37% of down-regulation that month, up from near zero a year earlier.
“This is curtailment required purely to keep coal plants at their MTL,” Rodrigues said. “Before the system even considers reserve requirements or grid constraints, renewable generation is being cut simply to make space for coal to remain operable. The constraint is structural.”
With solar capacity on the rise, the report highlights that curtailment of clean electricity is increasing in the absence of the country deploying alternatives like battery storage for grid flexibility. India added around 24 GW of solar capacity between October 2025 and April 2026, reaching approximately 154 GW. Peak-hour curtailment had returned to 4% of solar and wind generation by April 2026, comparable to the most constrained months of late 2025, despite April falling outside the worst seasonal window. Solar and wind energy curtailment owing to the emergency Tertiary Reserve Ancillary Service (TRAS) down mechanism was over 3,600 GWh by early June 2026, from zero in mid-2026. Since March 2026, the volume of such curtailment has been rising sharply, adding over 1,400 GWh in just two months. On some days, the scale of curtailment is particularly striking, exceeding 120 GWh on both 1 and 3 May 2026.

Given that last year, the sharpest rise in emergency TRAS-down curtailment was between September and November 2025, the report forecasts that, when the post-monsoon period of October-November 2026 arrives, with an even larger solar fleet, curtailment during those hours is likely to exceed 2025 levels unless storage comes online at scale.
The report highlights that battery storage is the solution, as charging during the midday surplus lets batteries absorb generation that would otherwise be curtailed and provide the downward reserves that coal no longer can. It cites the example of the 3.37 GWh Khavda project in Gujarat, the world’s largest outside China, commissioned within 10 months, to show how quickly battery storage projects can be deployed. According to the report, site-ready projects can be built in five to seven months.
However, the binding constraint, the report finds, is the connectivity framework. Current rules can require BESS projects to install commensurate renewable generation before they are permitted long-term grid charging, treating grid charging as a temporary concession rather than a normal operating mode. “The rule treats two different operations as equivalent: a battery absorbing surplus generation at noon, and a battery drawing power through a constrained connection at night,” Rodrigues said. “The first helps the grid; only the second may need limits. The current restriction is broader than the risk it is trying to manage.”
The report recommends that grid charging during solar surplus hours be permitted by default, with drawal limits applied only where non-solar-hour use creates genuine network risk. A battery free to charge from the grid can chase system-wide surplus and the cheap midday power that already falls to around INR 0.1/kilowatt-hour (kWh) on the Day Ahead Market, the route through which merchant investment can enter at the scale viability gap funding alone cannot finance. “The current framework has the default the wrong way around, restricting the very operation that would help the grid most,” says Rodrigues. “Correcting it would allow storage to charge when it reduces curtailment, lowers system stress, and improves flexibility. In doing so, it would unlock the next phase of India’s renewable energy growth.”
Article from Ember. Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY-4.0).
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Europeans are transforming their garden fences into mini solar farms. But is the trend a gimmick or a genius solution to energy independence?
Solar is already cushioning Europe from the crippling costs of fossil fuels amid the war on Iran and has been described as a “shining star” of the EU’s energy transition.
According to a recent analysis by SolarPower Europe, harnessing sunlight for electricity has already saved the continent a staggering €12.8 billion by lowering gas imports since the conflict began.
This works out at an average of €136 million per day – despite Europe’s outdated grid currently stalling around €100 billion worth of clean energy projects.
Interest in traditional rooftop solar panels spiked following Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz – a fossil fuel chokepoint that usually carries around one-fifth of global oil supplies.
In Germany, renewable energy firm Enpal BV saw inquiries for solar panels rise by 30 per cent after the conflict began, while solar brand 1KOMMA5° GmbH has also reported an almost doubling of interest in solar.
UK energy firm EON saw interest in solar soar by 23 per cent between 23 February and 1 March, before surging a further 63 per cent between 2 and 8 March.
But it’s not just rooftop solar that is gaining momentum. The UK recently became the latest European country to lift restrictions on plug-in solar, confirming that low-cost panels will soon be available from budget retailers like Lidl and Iceland.
Now, Europeans are getting even more creative – by installing solar fences in their gardens.
Solar fences can maximise land use by combining a “physical boundary with renewable energy generation”, according to Jacksons Fencing, a company that sells fences fitted with solar panels in the UK and France.
One of its biggest selling points is that it removes the need for costly installations that often require scaffolding. Solar fences are also space-efficient, which is ideal for homeowners who have limited roof space or unsuitable roofs for panel installations.
These futuristic fences can also be scaled up gradually, allowing Europeans to install panels over time rather than all at once.
However, the panels capture less sunlight than they do on roofs due to their vertical positioning. According to Bluetti Power, under optimal conditions a typical solar fence can generate between 100 and 150 watts per linear metre.
For a 10-metre-long wall, this could translate to approximately one to 1.5 kW of power. With around five hours of peak sunlight, this would generate between 5 and 7.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per day.
While this isn’t enough to power a full home, it could help run essential household items like an energy-efficient refrigerator or an LED TV.
In comparison, an average domestic solar power typically produces 2 kWh of electricity per day.
“Performance [also] depends on positioning, shading and available boundary length,” Maguire says.
“In some areas, permissions or regulations may influence installation, particularly in sensitive or listed environments.”
German solar energy firm Next2Sun has completed 479 solar fence projects across six European countries, covering some 10km.
The company says that vertical photovoltaic systems (PVs) can cost as little as €250 – but prices can be higher if households want a more natural design. Costs can be amortised within eight years, putting them at a similar investment level as traditional rooftop panels.
Next2Sun doesn’t just build solar fences for domestic properties, but also offers vertical panels for farms and commercial sites such as airports.
“Solar fencing is suited to infrastructure and commercial environments, where long stretches of boundaries already exist and remain unused from an energy perspective,” Maguire says.
“Warehouses, logistics centres and business parks often have large perimeters where solar fencing can support on-site energy demand – while schools, utilities and local authorities could integrate solar fencing into sustainability programmes.”
Maguire adds that while considerations around durability, safety standards, glare and maintenance in high traffic environments are needed, the concept “aligns strongly with a broader push” to integrate renewable energy into existing infrastructure.


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The Ring is Euronews’ weekly political showdown, where Europe’s toughest debates meet their boldest voices. In each episode, two political heavyweights from across the EU face off to propose a diversity of opinions and spark conversations around the most important issues of EU affairs and the wider European political life.
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Global renewable energy capacity reached 5.15 terawatts at the end of last year after record installations, bringing the world close to half of the 11.17-terawatt clean energy capacity target set for 2030, according to international reports.
The 11.17-terawatt target was set for 2030 at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP28, held in Dubai.
The data was compiled from international reports for June 22, World Renewable Energy Day.
Solar energy led the expansion with 511 gigawatts of new installed capacity, followed by wind energy with 159 gigawatts.
Together, solar and wind accounted for 97% of renewable energy growth during the period.
The remaining growth came from sources including hydropower, bioenergy, and geothermal energy.
With record installations pushing total global renewable capacity to 5.15 terawatts by the end of last year, the world moved closer to reaching half of the 2030 target.
Renewable energy-based electrification stands out in international reports as one of the fastest, most scalable, and most cost-effective solutions.
Energy demand is continuing to rise quickly in transport, industry, buildings and digitalization, increasing expectations that the energy transition will move further in favor of renewable resources.
The main reason renewable energy installations have accelerated in recent years has been the decline in costs, especially in solar and wind technologies, along with a sharp increase in installation speed.
Solar panels and wind turbines have become cheaper than new fossil fuel plants in many countries, shifting public and private sector investments toward these areas.
Energy security concerns have also helped accelerate renewable growth, especially after the natural gas crisis experienced in 2022.
Targets to reduce carbon emissions and large-scale production and installation capacity in major economies, especially China, also supported growth.
As a result, solar energy has become the fastest and cheapest source of added capacity and the main driver of total renewable energy growth.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said at the end of last year that Türkiye had entered a growth path in line with its 2035 renewable energy targets.
“2026 will be a new record year in renewables,” Bayraktar said.
As of June 18, Türkiye’s installed renewable energy capacity reached a total of 78,398 megawatts.
This includes 26,978 megawatts in solar power, 15,168 megawatts in wind power, 32,314 megawatts in hydroelectric power plants, 2,140 megawatts in bioenergy, and 1,798 megawatts in geothermal energy.
Türkiye aims to reach 120,000 megawatts of renewable installed capacity by 2035.
To reach this target, Türkiye needs to commission 8,000 to 9,000 megawatts of renewable energy-based installed capacity every year.

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NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan farmer Yvonne Anyonyi Mumiah walks in the early morning between rows of rosemary, basil and other crops destined for European supermarkets. She once worried that transport delays or extreme heat could spoil much of her harvest, but now relies on a solar-powered cool storage service to keep her produce fresh.
The pay-per-use model offered by cold-chain company Soko Fresh charges farmers based on pounds stored, part of a trend in Africa toward using solar-powered cold storage to help prevent one of agriculture’s most persistent problems: food spoilage.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that up to 40% of food produced in Africa is lost between harvest and market, largely due to poor storage, transport and processing infrastructure.
Solar-powered, off-grid cold rooms, warehouses and cooling hubs allow farmers and traders to preserve perishable goods without relying on expensive and unreliable electricity grids. This shift is gaining momentum across Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda and South Africa.
“The biggest challenge was preserving the quality after harvest,” said Mumiah, who, like many other smallholder farmers, could not afford the roughly $30,000 upfront cost of a solar-powered cold storage unit of her own.
“You can do everything right on the farm, but if the produce is not stored properly, you lose both the product and income,” she said, noting the increased flexibility cold storage provides. “We are no longer forced to sell immediately because we fear the produce will spoil. We can wait for collection and still maintain quality.”
As food handling systems come under pressure from climate change, rising temperatures and sometimes disrupted supply chains, cooling technology is increasingly vital.
In countries such as India, China, Japan, the Netherlands and the United States, sophisticated cold-chain networks allow fresh produce to remain marketable for weeks. In many parts of Africa, however, farmers often lack access to cooling facilities and must sell their crops immediately after harvest, suffering significant losses.
The challenge is increasingly acute as temperatures rise since extreme heat accelerates spoilage of vegetables, fruits, dairy products and fish. Unreliable electricity supplies make conventional refrigeration expensive or impractical in many rural areas.
“Cold storage remains one of the missing links in Africa’s agricultural value chains,” said Emmanuel Aziebor, regional director for Africa at CLASP, a nonprofit organisation that supports the deployment of energy-efficient appliances and productive-use technologies.
“When farmers can store produce for longer, they gain access to better markets, reduce waste and increase incomes,” he said.
SOKO’S SUCCESS
Soko Fresh says it has cut spoilage rates for its customers from up to 50% to under 2%, while helping farmers earn up to 50% more per pound.
In Nigeria, companies like ColdHubs have installed solar-powered walk-in cold rooms in major agricultural markets, allowing farmers and traders to rent space daily rather than invest in expensive equipment. In Rwanda, solar-powered refrigeration is being used to support dairy cooperatives and improve milk collection. In Ethiopia, cold-chain investments are expanding to support horticultural exports, one of the country’s fastest-growing agricultural sectors.
Analysts say such innovations are becoming increasingly important as African countries seek to improve their food security while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Traditional cold storage systems often depend on diesel generators, particularly in areas with unreliable electricity. Solar-powered alternatives can reduce fuel consumption and operating costs while lowering emissions.
Yet experts argue the most important benefit may be economic rather than environmental. For decades, development efforts have focused heavily on expanding electricity access across Africa. While millions of households have gained access to power, less attention has been paid to ensuring that electricity can be used to generate income.
“We have neglected the conversation around how people can turn electricity into opportunity,” Aziebor said. “We keep extending electricity infrastructure, but unless people can use that power productively, the economic benefits never fully materialize.”
Across Africa, solar-powered irrigation systems are enabling year-round farming. Solar milling machines and processing equipment help rural communities add value to agricultural products closer to where they are grown.
Funding remains a challenge.
“The challenge today is not demonstrating that these systems work,” said Carol Koech, vice president for Africa at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet. “It is building enough bankable projects that can attract larger pools of investment and scale across countries.”
Grants, low-interest loans and donor support can help cover upfront costs. Industry experts say attracting sufficient commercial investment remains difficult because many agricultural markets are fragmented and dominated by small-scale producers.
“These investors see emerging technologies as high risk because we lack enough proven business models with reliable returns,” said Soko Fresh CEO Denis Karema. “That makes funding for our type of projects expensive.”

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Homeowner opens first solar bill, and the total drops below zero after 2,000-kWh months  Yahoo
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It was never supposed to be a home for anything.
A solar farm is built to make clean power, not to shelter wildlife, and a vast field of panels behind a chain link fence looks like the opposite of habitat.
So when one of California’s most endangered foxes, an animal with almost nowhere left to go, slipped onto a site like this, biologists expected it to struggle.
Instead it stayed. It denned, it hunted, it raised pups. And the real reason it did so well turned out to be far more deliberate than the feel good headline suggests.
At first a solar farm seems like the least natural place imaginable. Rows of metal. Bare ground. A locked gate.
But something changes once the construction crews leave. The noise stops, the traffic stops, and the land is left mostly undisturbed for years at a time.
In that stillness, life creeps back. Grasses and low plants spread beneath the panels, sometimes sown on purpose to hold the soil.
Insects arrive to feed on the plants. Rodents arrive to feed on the insects and the seeds.
The panels throw patches of shade that cool the ground through brutal summers. Step by step, a power plant starts to behave a little like an ecosystem, with food, cover and calm all inside one fenced square.
The animal at the centre of this is the San Joaquin kit fox, one of the smallest foxes in North America. It is a delicate, huge eared, night hunting canid found only in central California. An adult barely tips the scale at five pounds and stands about a foot tall at the shoulder.
And it is in serious trouble. Farming and sprawl have swallowed more than 90 percent of its range, leaving this federally endangered little fox with almost nowhere to live.
It needs open ground, steady prey, cover from coyotes, and many dens to move between as it dodges danger.
As the wild land vanished, conservationists were left with a hard question. With its real home nearly gone, where was this fox supposed to go?
To find out, researchers with the Endangered Species Recovery Program fitted local kit foxes with GPS collars and followed them across two large California solar farms, comparing them with foxes on nearby wild reference land.
The animals did not avoid the panels. They moved straight in.
They dug dens under the arrays, hunted the rodents living there, and raised litters of pups beneath the metal.
The numbers were striking. Reproductive success was identical, at about 87 percent on both the solar and the wild sites, and the foxes’ home ranges came out roughly the same size.
The foxes on the solar farm were not merely hanging on. By one measure the males there were slightly heavier than their wild neighbours.
Here is what the cheerful telling skips. The foxes did not simply get lucky with a friendly fence.
Almost everything that helped them was put there on purpose. The perimeter fence was made deliberately permeable, with gaps sized so a kit fox could slip through while bigger threats could not.
Crews dug artificial escape dens, kept movement corridors open, and managed the vegetation, in places by grazing sheep across the panels to keep the growth low and the prey healthy.
They also held back feral dogs, traffic speed, rubbish and poisons on the site.
The scientists who ran the work, detailed by the UC Santa Barbara Bren School, were blunt about it. The foxes came to no measurable harm because of these measures. Strip them away, and the very same site could have become a trap.
So this is not proof that solar farms are good for animals. It is proof of something more useful.
Built and run with a species in mind, a solar site can do more than feed the grid. It can leave room for life.
The same researchers added a careful warning. They still recommend against putting new solar plants on the best remaining kit fox habitat, because a managed refuge is no substitute for the wild ground itself.
The real lesson is that clean energy has to count land, not only carbon, the same tension that follows solar projects wherever they spread.
A field of panels can hide a thriving fox underneath. But only, it turns out, when people choose to design it that way.
© 2026 by Ecoportal
© 2026 by Ecoportal

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Imagine, if you will, a world in which Republicans hadn’t repealed the Inflation Reduction Act through President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. 
Dream of a world in which millions of Americans still have access to health care, due to its extension of subsidized premiums for the Affordable Care Act. Domestic production of solar, wind, and battery equipment is booming, creating hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs. 
The health of Americans is improving. The reduction in particulate matter caused by the burning of fossil fuels has put us on track to avoid approximately 63,000 premature deaths by 2035, and prevents up to 100,000 asthma attacks annually.
Demand for electricity is rising, but prices stabilize because renewable energy helps meet that demand, accounting for 80% of new generating capacity, since it is cheaper and cleaner than old-fashioned fossil fuels. Americans frustrated with dealing with utility monopolies have other options as rates rise. Subsidized solar panels with battery backup on homes and businesses decentralizes energy production, also protecting us in case of power outages. 
In the aftermath of Helene, solar power and battery systems played a key role in keeping the lights on for the residents of Western North Carolina. Given an upsurge in interest in renewable energy, subsidies through the Inflation Reduction Act helped build critical residential and commercial infrastructure that will protect us all when the next storm comes our way. 
Affordable electric vehicles are the choice of more and more Americans, which reduces our dependence on the fickle global oil market. With the Inflation Reduction Act incentives in place, we are better insulated from the inflation caused by the war in Iran. Solar energy and wind do not have to squeeze through the Strait of Hormuz.
Alas, the tax credits and incentives that were part of the Affordable Care Act are gone now. While other countries are rapidly pursuing renewables, this president has done everything he can to return this nation to reliance on fossil fuels. It’s as if he has launched a “war on renewables.”
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump called on fossil fuel executives to donate $1 billion to his campaign, calling it a “deal” in consideration of the tax and regulation relief to come under a Trump administration.
The oil and gas industry gave millions, and Trump was as good as his word, taking 145 actions in his first 100 days to roll back rules protecting clean air, water, and a livable climate. He has opened vast tracts of land to oil and gas drilling, and worked to revive coal mining, while calling solar and wind projects “ugly” and “disgusting,”  according to the Guardian. 
Mr. Trump has had nothing good to say about wind energy ever since an off-shore wind farm disrupted views from his golf clubs in Scotland. As President, he paid a French company nearly $1 billion in taxpayer money not to build a wind farm off the east coast that would have supplied electricity to New York and North Carolina. Instead, the money went to invest in a liquefied natural gas plant in Texas — so that gas could now be exported overseas. 
The administration has paused permitting for all off-shore and onshore wind projects and rescinded leases for East Coast wind projects citing “national security.” The Department of the Interior effectively restricted new wind and solar projects on public lands. The IRS attempted to eliminate a commonly-used tax credit for clean energy projects, though that move was recently overturned by the courts, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.  
Here in North Carolina, Duke Energy’s electric rates have risen 22% since 2020, and the utility has proposed an 18% rate hike for 2027. Surcharges for rising fuel costs are also passed along to customers.
Remember “Drill, Baby Drill”? Domestic production of oil was supposed to protect us from international price fixing and bad behavior on the part of oil producers in the Middle East. Even though U.S. daily oil production set new records in 2025 (13.9 million barrels per day) that did not protect us from skyrocketing gas and fuel prices caused by the Iran War. When prices rose, we were told, “Oil is a global market.” 
The health and environmental costs, however, are local. Americans still pay higher prices, while contending with dirtier air, dwindling forests, and polluted water, along with coastal flooding and extreme weather caused by fossil-fuel driven climate change. 
“Drill, baby, drill” serves nobody but the oil companies. 
Opinion: As demolition continues, St. Joe’s Hospital memories remain
Opinion: Pete Hegseth wrong to compare America to Christian church
CS Chima is a writer and retired health care administrator in Asheville. 

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“Not terrible compared to an almost $300 bill.”
Photo Credit: iStock
Going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy, especially when heavy air-conditioning use sends monthly bills soaring.
A Reddit post showed how dramatic that shift can be. A homeowner who had been using about 2,000 kilowatt-hours a month said their first bill after installing solar came in with negative energy use.
The original poster shared a photo on the subreddit r/solar showing the home’s first electric bill after the solar setup was installed.
“Wish it would show previous months which were around 2,000 kwh,” they said. “So having a negative bill is amazing! Hopefully this trend continues.” 
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers in your area.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
That result still came with a caveat: Producing more electricity than you use does not always wipe out every utility charge.
When a commenter asked, “How much is your bill when you’re negative for the month?” the original poster replied, “Unfortunately still 34 because of interconnection fee.”
The homeowner later added: “Yea i knew that going in, its actually $46 a month, so i oversized my system because they let me buy that rate down. … But still not terrible compared to an almost $300 bill.”
Similar experiences came up elsewhere in the thread, including one person who said a May bill was “$23.85” while charging two EVs and running pumps with a 9.6-kilowatt solar array and 30 kilowatt-hours of batteries.
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For households dealing with rising electricity prices, that kind of predictability can make budgeting much easier.
The conversation also pointed to a common frustration for solar customers: Even when a home generates ample electricity, base service and interconnection fees can keep a bill from disappearing entirely.
“That number has slowly crept up over the years as the power company keeps screwing customers more and more,” one user said. 
If you’re interested in benefitting from solar panels like the OP, consider checking out EnergySage. Its free tools can help you find competitive quotes from vetted installers and help you save up to $10,000 when adding panels to your home. 
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
But if upfront costs are prohibitive, consider solar subscription programs, like the Palmetto LightReach program, which lets you get panels on your home for no money down and can lower your utility rate by up to 20%.
Pairing solar panels with efficient electric appliances can push utility costs even lower. Adding battery storage to a solar setup can protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and even go off-grid. Batteries can also help store extra solar power for use at night or during peak-rate hours.
Also, check out Merino for single-room, ultra-efficient HVAC systems that can help you cut down on utility bills, especially during the summer months. Merino’s units are installed incredibly quickly (in under an hour) and can provide both heating and cooling.
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“Being in my small garden, the mental health benefits are the best!”
Photo Credit: Reddit
One Christmas present that took years to materialize is making spouses around the country jealous.
A man on Reddit shared how his wife had long wanted a backyard greenhouse. That dream became a reality on one December 25, and his online post about it has been drawing warm reactions online. 
The proud husband shared photos of an 8-by-16-foot cedar greenhouse, saying it fulfilled a wish his wife had been talking about for years. 
“I think it’s positively benefited her mental health so much as well as made her super excited to come home from work everyday,” he said, noting the project has meant more than just better gardening results. 
When asked about the build, the original poster said, “We assembled it together over the weekend. Probably took about 10 or so hours total.” He later noted that the landscaping, lighting, and fan were added afterward. 
The Veikous greenhouse is set up in southern Ohio’s zone 6 climate and includes raised beds, solar-powered lights, and a solar exhaust fan. 
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The couple said they are beginners and still learning, but they have already grown tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peppers, lettuce, and potatoes.
Much of the discussion on the post centered on the appeal of home gardening beyond the harvest itself. Commenters described it as a way to step away from screens, spend time outdoors, and care for something tangible, while also arguing that the cost of growing food drops after the initial setup.
“It’s only more expensive in the beginning,” as one commenter put it. “I’ll die on this hill. Once you’re established it’s so much cheaper.” 
On the practical side, the OP noted that lettuce “grows super fast” and that the plants they chose “have all been very easy.” The greenhouse’s solar-powered add-ons also came up as a benefit.
The response to the gift was overwhelmingly positive.
“Wow,” wrote one commenter. “I am so jealous.” 
“There’s just something so calming and satisfying about it!” another added, describing the mental health benefits of growing fresh produce.  
A third commented, “Being in my small garden, the mental health benefits are the best!”
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Photo of solar array courtesy of Delaware Electric

Photo of solar array courtesy of Delaware Electric
A trade group’s mapping study reports that solar operations occupy only a tiny portion of Delaware’s land area.
The study from the Solar Industries Association runs counter to arguments that solar farms threaten productive farmland in Delaware and elsewhere
That claim contributed to Kent County's decision to impose zoning restrictions. Similar concerns have been raised in Sussex County, which is losing farmland to residential development.
Some farmers have raised concerns over pending solar projects, while others are adding solar to cut their energy bills. Larger arrays feed electricity into the grid in a state that produces only a small percentage of its own power.
Solar projects  face zoning,  permitting, and financing issues that prevent many proposals from coming to fruition. Grid operator PJM has been criticized for moving too slowly to approve projects and has made changes aimed at fast-tracking “shovel-ready” proposals.
The Trump administration has been unhappy with large-scale solar projects, citing the loss of farmland, affordability and other claims.
According to a release, the association’s mapping tool  comes “amid Farm Bill negotiations in Congress and growing misinformation and targeted scrutiny of solar development and agricultural land use.”
The Trump Administration has opposed solar and wind power by arguing that renewables occupy too much farmland. After unfavorable court decisions, the administration abandoned a freeze on solar and wind projects.
The association noted that farmland with solar arrays can support dual use by serving as pastureland or pollinator habitats. It also noted that abandoned farmland could accommodate solar farms.
Farmers are choosing  solar as a long-term revenue source that keeps their properties in business, the group argues.
“America depends on our land to grow our food, build our communities, and power our lives,” said SEIA’s new   CEO Tim Pawlenty.  “Responsible land use means balancing all of those needs. This map helps provide important context by showing that solar and agriculture can thrive together. Solar development uses a very small amount of farmland compared to many other common land uses, while also delivering affordable energy, local tax revenue, and reliable income for farmers and landowners.”
Pawlenty is a former Republican governor of Minnesota.
Despite its compact size and the large percentage of its land devoted to agriculture, Solar farms occupy less than one-tenth of one percent of farmland in Delaware.
In Delaware and all other states, solar uses only 0.5% of prime farmland.
Delaware stats
Total land – 1,942.8 square miles.
USDA prime farmland in the state – 1,127.0 square miles or 58% of the total land.
Total solar area – 0.9 sq mi, 0.7 square  miles  (0.06%) overlap with prime farmland
Total Golf Course Area – 12.1 square miles. Golf courses use 11.7 times more prime farmland than utility-scale solar.
2014–2024 Suburban Sprawl 34.2 square miles.
The interactive map is available here.
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“I’m skeptical.”
Photo Credit: iStock
A Reddit complaint about a changed solar layout is attracting attention after a homeowner said Sunrun reduced the system size in its “final design” while leaving the projected annual energy output unchanged.
The issue centers on two versions of the same project that the homeowner described on r/solar: an initial 51-panel system rated at 20.91 kilowatts peak power and a later redesign with 38 panels totaling 15.58 kWp. 
Even with the smaller setup designed for more optimal placement and efficiency, the revised plan still estimated the exact same 17,005 kilowatt-hours of yearly production. 
The new proposal seeks to achieve that mainly through moving more panels to the south-facing side of the home while proposing the removal of some trees that would have been casting shade in that area, which are legitimate ways to increase production, though the poster seemed particularly skeptical that the exact same 17,005 kWh of yearly production was proposed despite major changes.
Describing the change, the poster said it showed “about a 24% decrease in panels with supposedly the same production” and added, “I’m skeptical.” 
They said they asked Sunrun for PVWatts or Aurora reports, an explanation of the shading assumptions, and the “exact per-kilowatt-hour ‘Performance Guarantee Refund Rate’ explicitly designated for my contract in Exhibit A.” 
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These wins prove fighting for our planet is worth it
They also wrote: “I do not consent to proceeding with the revised design without this supporting documentation.”
When a solar system is sized well, it can be a meaningful way to lower electricity costs over time. That can be especially useful for households with higher power demand, including those that charge electric vehicles. The OP in this situation said they have three EVs, which is why they need higher output. 
But if a company changes the design after a contract is signed, the savings a homeowner expected may no longer line up with the original proposal.
Much of the discussion centered on the missing support for the production estimate. Output projections can change based on panel wattage, shading, roof layout, and inverter settings, commenters noted. Even so, they said a large reduction in panel count combined with the same annual output estimate was a warning sign.
Most commenters said the homeowner was right to be cautious, even though the proposed changes with more south-facing panels and tree removal would legitimately increase the efficiency of power production per panel. Most maintained that solar was very much a smart upgrade but that it’s smart to compare different quotes carefully to be sure you’re getting the best deal. 
Referencing the tree removal, a user wrote, “Cutting trees to increase production is not a strategy I’d prefer. Cutting shade trees means your air conditioning load will also go up.” This is true during the summer, though a customer located where most months are below room temperature outside could also gain more passive home heating from sunlight, too, in addition to more sunlight to capture on the panels to redirect into an all-season heat pump. 
They added, “SunRun has gotten bad reviews for predatory practices, stick with the original design or have them cancel your contract.” It’s worth noting that Sunrun has plenty of good reviews online, too, and that most major nationwide companies eventually gain many customers with both positive and negative experiences. 
Another commenter questioned the lack of technical backup, saying, “If the salesman is unfamiliar with PVWatts, Aurora they are not going to give you any useful feedback.” 
They also said a drop from 51 to 38 panels with the same production “seems implausible unless you have a lot of tree shading,” leading to the request for supporting documentation being so worthwhile. Doing so, theoretically, could lead to identifying an error somewhere, since it would be rare to see such notably different designs yield the same exact annual power production estimate, even if the 38-panel design had more optimal placement. 
A third commenter said some system adjustments can influence output estimates but also found the identical figure suspicious: “You can tweak the inverter ratio and that might have gotten them in the same production range but the exact same production is kinda funny.”
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Workers from Jancewicz & Son construction begin work, which will ultimately result in solar panels on the roof of St. James Episcopal Church in Keene, on Tuesday, June 9. The panels are one step St. James is taking to lower its carbon footprint and to make the church more financially and environmentally sustainable.
The sanctuary of St. James Episcopal Church in Keene on Tuesday, June 9. A solar project at the church is part of a long-running effort to make sustainability-driven upgrades, according to Rev. Elsa Worth.

City of Keene, Housing and Cheshire County reporter
Workers from Jancewicz & Son construction begin work, which will ultimately result in solar panels on the roof of St. James Episcopal Church in Keene, on Tuesday, June 9. The panels are one step St. James is taking to lower its carbon footprint and to make the church more financially and environmentally sustainable.
Workers from Jancewicz & Son construction begin work, which will ultimately result in solar panels on the roof of St. James Episcopal Church in Keene, on Tuesday, June 9. The panels are one step St. James is taking to lower its carbon footprint and to make the church more financially and environmentally sustainable.
The sanctuary of St. James Episcopal Church in Keene on Tuesday, June 9. A solar project at the church is part of a long-running effort to make sustainability-driven upgrades, according to Rev. Elsa Worth.
Putting solar panels on a historic building isn’t easy. But as technology advances and regulators adapt to the growing need for renewable energy, solar may be a way for historic structures to improve both their environmental impact and their financial position. In some cases, it could also mean old buildings last longer.
In Keene, a historic church is putting that theory to the test, potentially paving the way for other historic buildings in the Monadnock Region to a more sustainable future.
The St. James test case
Going solar has clear anticipated benefits for the small parish of St. James Episcopal Church on West Street. It aligns with the church’s “creation care” goals, and is expected to save the parish money on energy costs in a time when fewer Granite Staters are going to church and many churches are struggling to cover expenses.
St. James wanted to install the panels on the church’s south-facing roof, overlooking Gilbo Avenue. This portion of the roof sits on the parish house that was built in 1899 — the primary church structure was built in 1863. The spot does not obstruct the main facade, which faces north along West Street, and gets ample sunlight.
But there were two obstacles: first, the existing infrastructure, a dated slate roof. Although solar companies are experimenting with installing arrays directly onto slate roofs, this is rare; it’s much easier to install solar on standing seam metal roofing.
The second hurdle for St. James, which is in Keene’s Downtown Historic District, was historical regulations. Many of the oldest buildings in New England sport slate roofs, and any changes to them are strictly regulated for historic preservation reasons.
While a new metal roof is recommended for solar installations, removing the original slate tiles on historic structures is not recommended in the city’s land code.
The tiles above St. James’ parish house are over 100 years old.
And when the city’s Historic District Commission considered the church’s roof replacement proposal last month, some members showed initial skepticism because the roof was still in good condition. But the solar project likely would not have gone through had the slate roof remained, said David Webb, a commercial sales lead with ReVision Energy. The company is a New England-based solar installer contracted with the church for this project.
A standing seam metal roof, Webb explained, is optimal because the panels can be clamped to the seam, avoiding roof damage when the panels are eventually replaced. Installing solar panels over century-old slate tiles requires cutting several holes in the tiles, which can cause leakage and further degradation over time, Webb said.
“If the slate was to stay, then in 40 years when you go to pull off the solar, there’s now a bunch of holes in the slate,” Webb said. “You’ve got to address the slate [damage] at that time.”
Another issue for St. James’ project was a chimney the church needed removed to make space for the panels. The city’s historic preservation rules allow removal only if there is a structural or economic reason to do so.
But at the May 20 historic commission meeting, church members made a different type of economic appeal — one that demonstrates how solar could become a mechanism for financial stability as well as environmental sustainability for historic structures.
The appeal focused on how solar panels and a new roof will increase the church’s longevity. Church members said solar panels would save the congregation over $300,000 in the panels’ 40-year life span. Replacing the slate also guards the church from potential lawsuits that come from falling tiles injuring someone. Those potential savings and avoided costs are a big deal for the small church.
“When things break, we have to fix them, but we also maintain our roof to a place where it’s not failing,” said Edie Fifield, a member of the church’s environmentally focused creation care team. “Our financial hardship … is looking at the future sustainability of this building and serving the public in the best way.”
Fifield said replacing the roof and adding solar panels is a proactive approach that will protect the longevity of the building and the congregation that maintains it.
After lengthy debate, the commission unanimously approved the solar project, including the roof replacement and chimney removal. The historic slate roofing on other portions of the building will remain intact.
The solar panel upgrade, now under construction, is part of a long-running effort to make sustainability-driven upgrades, said St. James’ Rev. Elsa Worth. She said caring for the environment is a core piece of the Episcopal faith.
Fifield has worked on several of the church’s sustainability projects.
“This is creation, and we are here to be partners with creation in all sorts of ways,” Fifield added. “We depend on creation for our life, for our sustenance. The water and the air and the warmth and the soil is important to our very survival, and so it’s a heart-based initiative for us.”
Preservation for the future
The St. James solar project is one example of work that benefits both historic preservation and environmental sustainability, rather than seeing the past and future as in opposition.
Reusing and retrofitting existing buildings is an effective, sustainable practice in comparison to demolishing and rebuilding something new in its place, said James Lindberg, a senior policy director at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Lindberg worked on a 2011 study that examined the carbon impact demolition and rebuilding has on a building versus reusing and retrofitting. The former has a large carbon impact, the study found, because of the emissions produced during the manufacturing and transporting of materials.
Reusing and retrofitting a building is more sustainable because it lengthens its lifespan and avoids emission production that comes with rebuilding, according to Lindberg. The building is even more sustainable when its energy systems are upgraded to solar panels, he said.
“There’s these two kinds of carbon emissions from the building sector — embodied in the materials and operating from the power that goes to run them,” Lindberg said. “If you reuse, you’re reducing the embodied impact, and if you retrofit, you’re reducing the operating impact, and those two together [is] a great combo.”
Lindberg added that investing in green energy for a building, including historic buildings, means it won’t be left behind. Retrofitting older buildings today ensures continued use tomorrow.
“More and more we’re getting used to seeing solar panels on buildings of all kinds … seeing a solar panel array on an older building, it’s exciting,” Lindberg said. “We can bring this great old building into the future and keep it around longer.”
Solar innovation
Historic buildings looking to the future will be aided by new technology coming online that could make adding solar to all kinds of structures simpler.
One example is building-integrated photovoltaic, or BIPV, systems — a solar innovation that could better integrate solar energy production and historic preservation efforts, according to a 2025 study on the subject.
According to the study from a Madrid university, BIPV systems integrate photovoltaic solar cells into the building’s exterior rather than attaching them. The study examines heritage sites around Europe, particularly historic churches, castles and homes in Switzerland, Italy and Spain, that use BIPV systems to generate solar energy.
BIPV is still an emerging technology and has not been used extensively in the U.S. However, the Department of Energy has stated it is studying the technology and is looking at ways to expand its use.
Rev. Worth said she hopes the project at St. James, and the support it ultimately received from the historic commission, are inspiring to other organizations.
“I can say that the moment that we had a unanimous ‘yes’ was the moment that made everything worthwhile,” Worth said. “I think that we’re really grateful that we’re going to be able to do this, and we hope that it encourages other organizations.”
Mason Rouser can be reached at 603-283-0725 or mrouser@keenesentinel.com.
City of Keene, Housing and Cheshire County reporter
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How I set up this $17 solar panel to give my doorbell camera unlimited battery life  ZDNET
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JinkoSolar announced on June 19 that its N-type TOPCon perovskite-silicon tandem cell has reached a certified power conversion efficiency of 34.82%, surpassing the theoretical upper limit that has constrained single-junction silicon solar technology for more than six decades. The certification comes from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. For solar energy developers and utility planners tracking the commercialization race for next-generation photovoltaics, the result signals that the efficiency gap between laboratory tandem cells and today’s mass-market silicon panels may be closing on a platform that is already manufacturing-compatible — not just theoretically possible.
The announcement marks JinkoSolar’s 33rd world record in solar cell efficiency or module power output and beats the company’s own previous tandem result of 34.76%, set in December 2025.
The Shockley-Queisser limit, first calculated by William Shockley and Hans-Joachim Queisser in 1961, sets a maximum theoretical efficiency of approximately 33.7% for any solar cell using a single semiconductor junction. The ceiling exists because any single material can only absorb photons within a defined energy range; photons above that range lose their excess energy as heat, and photons below it pass through entirely. For the last 65 years, this limit has defined the outer boundary of what conventional silicon solar technology can achieve.
JinkoSolar’s 34.82% result clears that limit by design, not by incremental refinement of silicon. A perovskite-silicon tandem cell stacks two distinct absorber layers: a perovskite top cell that captures high-energy photons from the blue end of the spectrum, and a silicon bottom cell that captures lower-energy photons toward the infrared. Together, the two layers harvest a much wider slice of the solar spectrum than either material can manage alone. The theoretical maximum for a two-junction perovskite-silicon tandem is approximately 43%, meaning the technology still has substantial headroom above today’s records.
At 34.82%, JinkoSolar’s cell comfortably clears the single-junction ceiling by more than a full percentage point — a margin that no standard silicon panel can close, regardless of manufacturing quality.
JinkoSolar attributed the efficiency gain to four interlocking innovations in cell architecture, all applied to the interface between the perovskite and silicon layers — the most technically demanding part of a tandem device.
The first is a dual-layer composite passivation contact structure for the N-type TOPCon bottom cell. TOPCon stands for Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact: a silicon cell architecture in which an ultrathin silicon oxide layer, typically 1 to 2 nanometers thick, is deposited on the cell’s rear surface and covered by a doped polycrystalline silicon layer. Majority charge carriers pass through the oxide via quantum tunneling while minority carriers are blocked, substantially reducing recombination losses at the contact surface and boosting open-circuit voltage. The dual-layer extension of this approach applies passivation across a larger portion of the contact geometry to reduce energy loss further.
The second is multidimensional interface passivation technology, which addresses defects at the critical boundary between the perovskite top cell and the silicon bottom cell. This is where charge carriers generated in the perovskite layer must transfer to the recombination junction between the two subcells; defects at this interface act as recombination centers that reduce the current the tandem can deliver.
The third innovation involves gradient crystallization kinetics control — a technique for managing the rate and spatial uniformity with which the perovskite layer crystallizes during fabrication. Perovskite films that crystallize too quickly or unevenly develop grain boundaries and defects that reduce efficiency and long-term stability. Controlling the crystallization gradient produces a more uniform, lower-defect film.
The fourth is enhanced optical coupling and light management, which optimizes how incoming photons are routed into the correct absorber layer rather than reflected from the cell surface or scattered away from the active region.
The work was conducted in collaboration with Soochow University.
Read more: Hanwha Solutions Cuts Rights Offering to $1.14 Billion, Plans U.S. Venture Fund Sale
The most commercially significant aspect of JinkoSolar’s result is not the efficiency number itself but the platform it runs on.
JinkoSolar was the first photovoltaic manufacturer globally to achieve large-scale mass production of N-type TOPCon technology, and it has continued to invest in both TOPCon iteration and perovskite research in parallel. That matters for the commercialization timeline because the dominant alternative bottom cell architecture for tandem cells — the silicon heterojunction (SHJ) format used in LONGi’s competing 34.85% NREL-certified world record — requires different deposition equipment and is manufactured on different production lines than the PERC and TOPCon cells that currently dominate global silicon manufacturing capacity.
A TOPCon-based tandem, if it can be scaled without major efficiency loss, could in principle be integrated into the manufacturing lines that already run at gigawatt scale in China and increasingly elsewhere. An SHJ-based tandem cannot. That architectural distinction does not guarantee JinkoSolar a faster path to commercialization — there are significant unsolved engineering challenges common to all perovskite-silicon tandems — but it removes one category of capital expenditure from the transition.
LONGi currently holds the globally recognized benchmark: its 34.85% was certified by the United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in April 2025, the internationally recognized independent testing authority for solar cell efficiency. JinkoSolar’s 34.82% result was certified by the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences — a nationally accredited certification body, but one that does not carry the same international recognition as NREL. The distinction is relevant for international buyers and investors evaluating competing claims. JinkoSolar’s figure is independently certified; it is not self-reported. But international procurement decisions typically require NREL or Fraunhofer CalLab verification to be treated as globally comparable benchmark figures.
Oxford PV, the UK-based company widely credited with pioneering the commercial perovskite-silicon tandem concept, operates the world’s first commercial-scale tandem production line in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany, and achieved 26.9% module efficiency (Fraunhofer CalLab-certified). Its cell-level record is lower than either Chinese competitor, but it leads on module-level performance and manufacturing readiness — the gap between small-area cell records and full-module efficiency remains one of the defining unsolved problems for the entire industry, with 2 to 8 percentage points typically lost when a lab cell design is scaled to commercial panel dimensions.
Laboratory records measure what a small-area cell can achieve under controlled conditions. Commercially viable mass production requires solving three additional problems that JinkoSolar’s June 19 announcement does not address.
The first is stability. The 25-year warranty that silicon panels carry is supported by decades of field data and roughly 175,000 hours of demonstrated operational lifetime. Perovskite cells are sensitive to moisture, heat, and ultraviolet exposure in ways that silicon is not, and the longest publicly reported operational data for perovskite-based tandems is approximately 1,000 hours — a gap of more than a factor of 100 relative to commercial requirements. Academic reviews identify the lack of standardized long-term testing protocols and operational stability as the primary commercialization barriers.
The second is lead toxicity. Most high-efficiency perovskite solar cells use lead-based absorbers, which offer the best combination of bandgap tunability and electronic performance. Lead-based perovskite cells present environmental risks associated with lead leakage during manufacturing, installation damage, or end-of-life disposal — risks that have driven regulatory interest in the European Union and several US states, and that researchers are actively working to address through encapsulation strategies and lead-free material alternatives. No commercially deployed tandem product has yet resolved this issue at module scale.
The third is the module scaling gap. The 34.82% result was achieved on a small-area cell — the standard format for laboratory records — not on a full-size commercial panel. Oxford PV’s module efficiency of 26.9% illustrates how much efficiency is lost between a record cell and a shippable product; for JinkoSolar to commercialize its tandem technology, it would need to close most of that gap while simultaneously meeting durability requirements at scale. No commercial timeline has been announced.
Read more: How Perovskites Reach Record Solar Efficiency Yet Face Degradation in Everyday Use
JinkoSolar is competing in a field that includes LONGi, Oxford PV, Hanwha Q CELLS, Trina Solar, and a growing list of research institutions. Industry analysts at PatSnap note that if Chinese Tier 1 manufacturers — including LONGi, JinkoSolar, and Trina Solar — simultaneously enter mass production of tandem cells in 2026 or 2027, rapid cost reduction could commoditize the technology before European players establish manufacturing scale. JinkoSolar’s earlier supply chain history also merits brief note: US Customs and Border Protection detained JinkoSolar shipments in 2021 over forced labor concerns under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, and in May 2023, federal agents searched JinkoSolar’s Jacksonville, Florida manufacturing plant, though the Department of Commerce subsequently found no tariff circumvention in August 2023. Those enforcement dynamics remain part of the commercial calculus for buyers evaluating Chinese solar equipment.
For now, JinkoSolar’s 33rd world record demonstrates two things: that the Shockley-Queisser ceiling is no longer a practical barrier for tandem cell technology, and that clearing it on a TOPCon platform — one that runs at industrial scale today — is more commercially relevant than clearing it in the abstract. Whether the company can translate the 34.82% lab result into a commercial product that delivers comparable efficiency, 25-year durability, and regulatory compliance across lead-toxicity and supply chain standards is the engineering and regulatory work that remains.
What does the Shockley-Queisser limit mean for solar panels?
The Shockley-Queisser limit is the theoretical maximum efficiency of a solar cell that uses a single semiconductor material — approximately 33.7% for silicon. It arises because any single material can only absorb photons within a specific energy range; light above that range loses its excess energy as heat, and light below it passes through. Perovskite-silicon tandem cells bypass this limit by stacking two absorber layers that together cover a wider portion of the solar spectrum, enabling efficiencies above 33.7%.
Why does the certification source matter for JinkoSolar’s record?
JinkoSolar’s 34.82% result was certified by the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology under China’s Academy of Sciences, while LONGi’s competing 34.85% record was certified by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). NREL and Germany’s Fraunhofer CalLab are the two internationally recognized certification bodies whose measurements are treated as globally comparable benchmarks by international buyers and investors. Chinese certification bodies are nationally accredited and technically rigorous, but international procurement decisions typically require NREL or Fraunhofer CalLab verification to be treated as equivalent benchmarks.
When will perovskite solar panels be commercially available?
No major manufacturer, including JinkoSolar, has announced a commercial timeline for perovskite-silicon tandem panels. The technology faces three unresolved barriers before it can be sold with the same 25-year warranties as conventional silicon: long-term stability (demonstrated perovskite lifetimes remain roughly 100 times shorter than silicon’s commercial standard), lead toxicity regulations that affect manufacturing and disposal, and the module scaling gap, where efficiency drops significantly when a record-setting small-area cell is produced at the size of a commercial panel. Industry analysts expect initial commercial deployment of tandem technology no earlier than 2027 to 2028 at limited scale.
What makes TOPCon a commercially important bottom cell for tandem solar?
TOPCon, or Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact, is the silicon cell architecture that JinkoSolar and several other large manufacturers already run at gigawatt scale. Unlike the silicon heterojunction (SHJ) architecture used in LONGi’s competing record cells, TOPCon manufacturing is compatible with the production lines currently dominating global silicon solar capacity. If a perovskite top cell can be reliably deposited on a TOPCon bottom cell at scale, the transition to tandem production could require less capital expenditure than building an entirely new SHJ manufacturing base.
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With Intersolar Europe 2026 opening in Munich on June 23, Shenzhen Washi Energy Co., Ltd. — which sells under the WattCycle brand — announced on June 20 a new all-in-one balcony solar storage system that the company says sets a capacity and power record for the compact plug-in residential segment. The system offers up to 10 kWh of storage and a bidirectional power output of 5 kW, a specification combination the company claims has never before appeared in a single plug-and-play balcony-format battery unit. For the roughly 4 million European households with balcony solar installations — and millions more evaluating one — the announcement represents a meaningful expansion of what this category can do, though no price has been disclosed and no independent security audit of the hardware exists.
Balcony solar systems — the plug-in photovoltaic setups popularized in Germany as Balkonkraftwerke — have historically operated within tight constraints: panel output capped at 800 watts under German regulation, and battery storage options limited to 1–5 kWh with modest discharge rates. A 2–5 kWh balcony battery typically covers evening household loads but cannot export meaningful power back to the grid.
WattCycle’s new all-in-one system targets a different ceiling. Available in two bidirectional power configurations — 2.5 kW and 5 kW — with storage capacities up to 10 kWh (specifically, 10,240 Wh rated), the system allows the battery to not only charge from solar panels or the grid but also discharge energy back into the household AC bus or, where local tariff structures permit, back to the utility grid. The Bluetti Balco 500 — a recent competing entry — peaks at 3.68 kW bidirectional output per unit. Hoymiles HiBattery stacks can reach higher total storage through multiple paired units, but with lower combined output power. WattCycle’s claim of a first 5 kW + 10 kWh single-unit configuration in the compact balcony segment appears credible based on publicly available competitor specifications, though the company’s own market research underlies the claim and no independent body has confirmed it.
The system connects to existing balcony or rooftop installations through a dedicated microinverter interface, requiring no major modifications to the existing solar setup. Details of the full product specification were published in the company’s June 20 press release via GlobeNewswire. An integrated AC charging port allows the battery to charge directly from the grid, and the system supports both grid-connected and fully off-grid operation. An integrated heating function maintains battery performance in cold climates, which is operationally relevant for northern European markets where balcony solar has seen some of its fastest growth.
Understanding why 5 kW bidirectional output is noteworthy requires understanding how the system is built. WattCycle uses an AC-coupled architecture with a three-port design — a microinverter input port, an AC output port, and a bidirectional grid connection port. In AC coupling, the battery system connects to the home’s alternating-current bus rather than directly to the solar panels’ direct-current output. This means the battery’s internal inverter must handle power conversion in both directions: converting AC from the grid or solar microinverter into DC for storage, and converting that stored DC back into AC for household use or grid export.
AC coupling carries a tradeoff: each conversion step introduces losses — typically 2–5% per step — that DC-coupled systems avoid by routing solar DC directly to battery DC. But AC coupling offers a critical practical advantage: the battery unit integrates with any existing microinverter or solar panel system without rewiring the solar side. For Europe’s millions of balcony solar users who already have microinverters installed, a plug-compatible AC-coupled unit is what makes genuine add-on storage possible.
The system also integrates MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) charging technology. MPPT continuously samples the voltage-current curve of connected solar panels and adjusts the electrical load presented to the panels to extract maximum available power across varying light intensities and temperatures. While microinverters already perform per-panel MPPT on the AC side, WattCycle’s MPPT layer operates on the battery charging side, optimizing how much of the AC-converted solar power gets stored versus used immediately.
Achieving 5 kW bidirectional flow in a compact form factor requires a high-capacity bidirectional inverter capable of efficiently handling both AC-to-DC conversion for charging and DC-to-AC conversion for discharge at that power level simultaneously. This is meaningfully more engineering-intensive than a unidirectional inverter of similar size, which is part of why this specification has not previously appeared in the balcony-format segment.
The commercial case for a 5 kW bidirectional output only becomes fully apparent in the context of where European electricity pricing is heading. Germany mandated that all electricity suppliers offer dynamic tariffs — rates that change every 30 to 60 minutes based on wholesale spot market conditions — under §41a of the Energy Industry Act (EnWG), effective 2025. The practical consequence is significant: Germany recorded 457 hours of negative wholesale electricity prices in 2024, up from 301 in 2023, driven by renewable energy oversupply during midday solar generation peaks. Negative-price hours are periods when the grid effectively pays consumers to take electricity.
A battery system connected to a dynamic tariff has a direct incentive structure: charge during negative-price or low-price hours, discharge during high-price evening peaks. A published peer-reviewed analysis in the journal Energy Policy (Lorenz, Bayer, Pruckner, Staake, and Hopf; February 2026; DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114952), based on data from 448 households, found that dynamic tariffs yielded 12.7% higher net financial gains for residential battery storage systems compared with fixed tariffs on average. Perfect day-ahead price forecasting increased profits by an additional 6% over rule-based methods. What that study documented in the research context, WattCycle’s 5 kW bidirectional grid connection brings to the balcony-format segment: the electrical capacity to move meaningful energy quantities in and out of the grid fast enough to capture the spread between low-price and high-price hours.
A standard 800W balcony inverter cannot export at a rate that makes dynamic-tariff arbitrage economically meaningful. A 5 kW grid connection changes that calculation. It is the difference between a battery that stores solar energy for personal use and a battery that actively participates in the residential energy market.
Whether European households can legally export at 5 kW under balcony solar regulations is a question the product announcement does not fully resolve. Germany’s 800W grid feed-in limit applies specifically to Balkonkraftwerk systems under the simplified plug-in solar regulatory category. A 5 kW grid-connected system would fall under standard residential photovoltaic installation rules, requiring different registration and potentially a smart meter and grid operator notification. The press release does not specify which regulatory category the system will be marketed under, or whether the 5 kW configuration is intended primarily for markets with looser grid feed-in constraints. Buyers should verify this with their local grid operator before purchase.
The WattCycle system includes an AI-based energy management platform that automates charge and discharge scheduling. Research from energy analytics firm Exnaton found that only roughly 2–5% of consumers actively and consistently optimize their energy usage around dynamic price signals. The remainder experience what analysts call “engagement fatigue” — initial enthusiasm followed by reversion to passive consumption. Automated home energy management systems that respond directly to dynamic price signals without user intervention are therefore not an optional convenience layer. They are a prerequisite for realizing the financial benefit of a dynamic tariff contract for the majority of residential users.
WattCycle’s AI platform factors in time-of-use electricity pricing and household demand forecasting to schedule charging and discharging without requiring manual input. No technical documentation of the AI layer’s architecture, training data, or forecast methodology has been publicly released. The claim that the system “significantly enhances overall system efficiency” comes from the company’s own press release. No independent test results validating the AI energy management performance were available at the time of writing.
WattCycle has not disclosed a retail price for the balcony storage system in Europe, nor has it announced distribution partnerships for the European market. Both will presumably be revealed at Intersolar Europe 2026, where the company will exhibit at Booth C4.251 in Hall C4 from June 23–25.
Several performance considerations common to systems in this category are worth noting before purchase. AC-coupled architectures carry conversion losses of roughly 2–5% per step that DC-coupled competitors avoid; for a system cycling daily through charge and discharge, this reduces total round-trip efficiency. Cold-weather performance for LiFePO4 cells degrades below roughly 0°C — the integrated heating function addresses this but adds parasitic power draw. LiFePO4 cells are rated for 2,500–6,000 charge cycles, suggesting a lifespan of 10–16 years at daily use, which is the timeframe over which the economics of dynamic-tariff arbitrage pay out. No warranty terms have been publicly released for this specific product.
The “world’s first 5 kW + 10 kWh” claim is self-reported. WattCycle’s press release cites “the company’s market research” as the basis for this characterization. No independent market analysis or certification body has confirmed the claim.
WattCycle’s products are manufactured by Shenzhen Washi Energy Co., Ltd., a company headquartered in Shenzhen, China. The AI energy management system in the new balcony unit collects household energy usage data — including charge and discharge schedules, solar generation patterns, grid interaction timing, and consumption profiles. Users who connect the system to the companion app share operational data with servers controlled by a Chinese-domiciled company.
Three laws of the People’s Republic of China create a legal obligation that European buyers should understand before purchasing this or any other internet-connected energy device made by a Chinese company.
China’s National Intelligence Law (2017), Article 7, states: “All organizations and citizens shall support, assist, and cooperate with national intelligence work in accordance with law.” This provision applies to all Chinese entities, including those with overseas operations. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security characterized this law in a 2020 advisory as creating a legal obligation for Chinese entities to turn over data collected abroad and domestically to Chinese intelligence services. Legal scholars debate the enforcement scope of Article 7 — China Law Translate’s Jeremy Daum has written that the provision lacks a specific enforcement mechanism and may be narrower in practice than critics assert — but the statutory obligation exists and cannot be waived by a company’s privacy policy.
China’s Cybersecurity Law (2017) requires network operators to store user data within China and to provide government access to that data on request. China’s Data Security Law (2021) extends similar access requirements to data-processing organizations, covering the type of energy usage data that AI energy management systems generate.
No independent security audit of WattCycle’s products has been published. No backdoor or surveillance capability has been identified in WattCycle hardware specifically. A Reuters investigation from May 2025 reported that U.S. experts found undisclosed communication devices — including cellular radios — in Chinese-made solar inverters and batteries from multiple Chinese suppliers over a nine-month review period. WattCycle was not named in that report, but the category of hardware — Chinese-made, grid-connected energy storage with embedded software and connectivity — is precisely the category reviewed.
What buyers can do: network segmentation — placing the device on a dedicated isolated local area network (VLAN) or IoT subnet — limits the data the device can transmit without disrupting its primary function. Disabling the companion app and operating the device in offline mode eliminates app-layer data transmission but may disable dynamic-tariff scheduling and remote monitoring. No mitigation fully eliminates the structural legal risk created by China’s intelligence and data laws, which bind the manufacturer regardless of server location, app design, or the company’s own stated privacy practices. The absence of a published independent security audit for this product should be treated as an open question, not a clean bill of health.
The balcony system is the headline product at Intersolar Europe 2026, but Shenzhen Washi Energy Co., Ltd. will also exhibit two other products at Booth C4.251. A 48V, 628Ah home battery storage unit offers 32.15 kWh of capacity for larger residential photovoltaic installations, targeting homeowners with full rooftop systems rather than balcony users. The company will also show a compact 12V, 314Ah LiFePO4 under-seat battery measuring 320 × 290 × 190 mm, designed for camper vans and extended off-grid travel. Shenzhen Washi Energy Co., Ltd. has sold energy storage products in over 60 countries and regions under the WattCycle brand; the company’s manufacturing history traces to 2009. Intersolar Europe, the world’s largest trade fair for the solar industry, runs June 23–25 at Messe München, with more than 2,600 exhibitors and over 107,000 professional visitors expected.
What is an AC-coupled balcony solar battery and why does it matter for apartments?
An AC-coupled battery connects to a home’s existing alternating-current circuit rather than directly to solar panels’ direct-current output. This design allows the battery to integrate with any existing balcony solar microinverter without rewiring the solar side, making it genuinely plug-compatible for apartment dwellers who already have a balcony solar system installed. The tradeoff is slightly lower round-trip efficiency — each conversion between AC and DC introduces losses of roughly 2–5% — compared with DC-coupled systems that route solar power directly to the battery before conversion.
Is battery storage worth it for a balcony solar system under dynamic electricity tariffs?
A peer-reviewed study in Energy Policy (Lorenz et al., February 2026), analyzing data from 448 German households, found that residential battery storage systems earned 12.7% higher net financial gains under dynamic electricity tariffs compared with fixed tariffs. That advantage increases when the battery is managed automatically — the study found perfect day-ahead price forecasting added a further 6% in gains. Germany’s dynamic tariff mandate means the economic case for pairing storage with balcony solar has strengthened materially since 2024, though the exact benefit depends on each household’s consumption profile, tariff structure, and local solar generation.
Does buying a Chinese-made energy storage device create data privacy risks under Chinese law?
Yes, in a specific and structural sense. Shenzhen Washi Energy Co., Ltd., which manufactures WattCycle products, is subject to China’s National Intelligence Law (2017), Article 7, which requires all Chinese organizations and citizens to cooperate with national intelligence work. China’s Cybersecurity Law (2017) and Data Security Law (2021) also require that user data be accessible to the Chinese government on request. These obligations apply regardless of where the company’s servers are located or what its privacy policy states. No independent security audit of WattCycle products has been published. Practical mitigations such as network segmentation can limit data exposure but do not eliminate the underlying legal risk.
When will pricing and European distribution details for the WattCycle balcony system be available?
WattCycle had not disclosed a retail price or European distribution partners for the new balcony storage system as of June 21, 2026. Both are expected to be announced at Intersolar Europe 2026, where the company will exhibit at Booth C4.251 in Hall C4 from June 23–25, 2026, in Munich.
ⓒ 2026 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

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Arizona company planning southwest Missouri solar farm project  FourStatesHomepage.com
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Sedgwick County approves solar pause, considers proposals for two developments  KSN-TV
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Scatec has started construction on a 120 MW solar plant in Tunisia’s Sidi Bouzid region after reaching financial close on June 17, 2026, marking a major step forward in the country’s renewable energy expansion.
The Norwegian renewable energy developer secured the funding for the €96 million project in partnership with Aeolus SAS, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Toyota Tsusho Group. Scatec will own 50% of the project while Aeolus holds the remaining 50%, with Scatec also providing engineering, procurement, construction, and operations services.
The Sidi Bouzid II plant will generate approximately 276 GWh of electricity annually once operational, enough to power thousands of homes while reducing CO2 emissions by nearly 107,000 tonnes each year. The facility is expected to reach commercial operation in the second half of 2027.
Tunisia is heavily dependent on natural gas for electricity generation, with 95% of current production based on imported fuel. The country has set an ambitious target to reach 35% of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030, and projects like Sidi Bouzid II are central to achieving that goal. The power purchase agreement was awarded through a government tender in December 2024 designed to support Tunisia’s energy security and reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports.
The project received senior debt financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), with additional support from EU grant funding and guarantees. According to Scatec CEO Terje Pilskog, the project “demonstrates our ability to scale our business through repeatable tender-based opportunities, backed by a strong partnership with Aeolus.” This is Scatec’s third project starting construction in Tunisia, reinforcing the company’s position in the North African market.
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Chris Martin is a US economics and current affairs journalist covering the intersection of policy, markets, and everyday financial life. With a background in financial reporting and a sharp eye for the stories behind the numbers, Chris brings clarity to some of the most complex issues shaping the American economy today. At ECIKS.org, Chris covers breaking developments across domestic economic policy, business strategy, Wall Street movements, and political decisions that ripple through financial markets. His reporting blends rigorous data analysis with accessible storytelling making critical information useful for investors, entrepreneurs, and engaged citizens alike.
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Europeans are transforming their garden fences into mini solar farms. But is the trend a gimmick or a genius solution to energy independence?
Solar is already cushioning Europe from the crippling costs of fossil fuels amid the war on Iran and has been described as a “shining star” of the EU’s energy transition.
According to a recent analysis by SolarPower Europe, harnessing sunlight for electricity has already saved the continent a staggering €12.8 billion by lowering gas imports since the conflict began.
This works out at an average of €136 million per day – despite Europe’s outdated grid currently stalling around €100 billion worth of clean energy projects.
Interest in traditional rooftop solar panels spiked following Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz – a fossil fuel chokepoint that usually carries around one-fifth of global oil supplies.
In Germany, renewable energy firm Enpal BV saw inquiries for solar panels rise by 30 per cent after the conflict began, while solar brand 1KOMMA5° GmbH has also reported an almost doubling of interest in solar.
UK energy firm EON saw interest in solar soar by 23 per cent between 23 February and 1 March, before surging a further 63 per cent between 2 and 8 March.
But it’s not just rooftop solar that is gaining momentum. The UK recently became the latest European country to lift restrictions on plug-in solar, confirming that low-cost panels will soon be available from budget retailers like Lidl and Iceland.
Now, Europeans are getting even more creative – by installing solar fences in their gardens.
Solar fences can maximise land use by combining a “physical boundary with renewable energy generation”, according to Jacksons Fencing, a company that sells fences fitted with solar panels in the UK and France.
One of its biggest selling points is that it removes the need for costly installations that often require scaffolding. Solar fences are also space-efficient, which is ideal for homeowners who have limited roof space or unsuitable roofs for panel installations.
These futuristic fences can also be scaled up gradually, allowing Europeans to install panels over time rather than all at once.
However, the panels capture less sunlight than they do on roofs due to their vertical positioning. According to Bluetti Power, under optimal conditions a typical solar fence can generate between 100 and 150 watts per linear metre.
For a 10-metre-long wall, this could translate to approximately one to 1.5 kW of power. With around five hours of peak sunlight, this would generate between 5 and 7.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per day.
While this isn’t enough to power a full home, it could help run essential household items like an energy-efficient refrigerator or an LED TV.
In comparison, an average domestic solar power typically produces 2 kWh of electricity per day.
“Performance [also] depends on positioning, shading and available boundary length,” Maguire says.
“In some areas, permissions or regulations may influence installation, particularly in sensitive or listed environments.”
German solar energy firm Next2Sun has completed 479 solar fence projects across six European countries, covering some 10km.
The company says that vertical photovoltaic systems (PVs) can cost as little as €250 – but prices can be higher if households want a more natural design. Costs can be amortised within eight years, putting them at a similar investment level as traditional rooftop panels.
Next2Sun doesn’t just build solar fences for domestic properties, but also offers vertical panels for farms and commercial sites such as airports.
“Solar fencing is suited to infrastructure and commercial environments, where long stretches of boundaries already exist and remain unused from an energy perspective,” Maguire says.
“Warehouses, logistics centres and business parks often have large perimeters where solar fencing can support on-site energy demand – while schools, utilities and local authorities could integrate solar fencing into sustainability programmes.”
Maguire adds that while considerations around durability, safety standards, glare and maintenance in high traffic environments are needed, the concept “aligns strongly with a broader push” to integrate renewable energy into existing infrastructure.


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Oxford PV and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have combined two high-efficiency technologies in a single photovoltaic module. To achieve this, they used perovskite-silicon solar cells from Oxford PV and connected them using the Matrix Shingle technology developed by Fraunhofer ISE. Oxford PV is a pioneer in perovskite-silicon tandem technology and was the first company to bring this next-generation solar technology into industrial production. The new module design will be on display for the first time at The Smarter E / Intersolar trade fair, taking place from 23 to 25 June 2026 in Munich. A rooftop module variant is on display at Fraunhofer ISE’s stand in hall A1.440, and a bifacial module for large-scale ground-mounted installations is shown at Oxford PV’s stand in hall A4.540.
“We are delighted to be able to combine two high-tech approaches from Europe in this PV module,” says Prof Dr Stefan Glunz, Head of Photovoltaics at Fraunhofer ISE.
“To achieve this, we have cut the solar cells from Oxford PV into shingles, arranged them in a matrix structure, electrically connected them using conductive adhesive, and then encapsulated them.” The tandem modules are glass-glass modules with edge sealing to protect the moisture-sensitive solar cells.
The 491-watt rooftop module has an area of 1.92 square metres, whilst the large-area, 546-watt bifacial module covers 2.13 square metres. Both achieved an efficiency of 25.6 percent across the entire module area.
“Our tandem technology and the shingle interconnection work well together technologically. Due to the lower current densities of the perovskite-silicon solar cells, they can be cut into wider strips, which increases productivity,” explains Dr Ed Crossland, Chief Technology Officer at Oxford PV. Tandem solar cells achieve significantly higher voltages and efficiencies than conventional cells, while the current is lower due to its distribution across two sub-cells. This lower current density is beneficial, as it helps reduce resistive losses within the PV module.
“At the same time, the adhesive interconnection of the Matrix shingle technology is a low-temperature process and requires no copper connectors,” Crossland added. Reducing usage of copper connectors can reduce operating costs and reduce stresses in the module construction.
Tandem solar cells have the potential to significantly boost efficiency in photovoltaics: by applying a perovskite cell just a few hundred nanometres thick onto a conventional silicon solar cell, the theoretical efficiency limit rises from 29.4 to 43.3 percent. Oxford PV’s perovskite-silicon solar cells and modules are manufactured in a pilot production facility in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany. The perovskite cell is applied directly onto a silicon heterojunction cell using thin-film processes.
In Matrix-Shingle technology, the solar cell strips are bonded together using 100 percent lead-free, electrically conductive adhesives, with the strips arranged in an overlapping and staggered pattern like shingles. This enables complete, homogeneous coverage of the entire module surface. Furthermore, Matrix-Shingle technology is characterised by a high tolerance to partial shading. Thanks to the matrix arrangement, the current can flow around the shaded areas, meaning that, depending on the degree of partial shading, twice the power can be generated compared to conventional inter-connected PV modules.
The new PV modules were developed as part of the ‘HoTSun’ research project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE).
© Fraunhofer ISE / photo: Jacob Forster
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