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The Government of California has completed Project Nexus, a first-of-its-kind solar-covered canal pilot in the Central Valley. The project involves installing solar panels over irrigation canals to test multiple system benefits. Backed by a $20 million investment, the pilot evaluates evaporation reduction and electricity generation. It also assesses impacts on water quality and canal maintenance costs. The initiative is supported by public, private, and academic partners, including DWR, TID, SolarAquaGrid, and UC Merced. Analysis suggests that scaling solar-over-canal systems could save billions of gallons of water annually.

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RenewSys India has entered the ALMM List-II for solar PV cells by adding 452 MW of Bifacial N-Type TOPCon Solar Cell capacity from its plant in Telangana. Total enlisted capacity in ALMM List-II has increased to 30,508 MW.
May 04, 2026. By Mrinmoy Dey

Grid Modernisation, Storage, and Hydrogen to Shape India’s Energy Future: Advait's Rutvi Sheth

Energy Security Has Evolved into a Strategic Imperative for India: Hartek Singh

Geopolitics Reshaping Solar Strategy, Says Hindustan Power's Chairman Ratul Puri

Solar Shifts Farming from Constraint to Opportunity, Says Solarsure’s Bhavesh Patidar

Solar Plus Storage Is Key to India’s Clean Energy Future: BluPine’s Pankaj Tyagi

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The 204 MW Edenvale Solar Park in Queensland’s Western Downs region has been identified by energy consultancy Rystad Energy as the best performing large-scale PV asset in Australia last month.
The Edenvale solar plant
Image: GRS
From pv magazine Australia
New data from global energy consultancy Rystad Energy shows that all Australian large-scale solar power plants generated 1,730 GWh of clean energy last month, up 21% from the 1,435 GWh produced in April 2025 with Queensland home to three of the top five best-performing utility PV assets for the month.
The 204 MW Edenvale Solar Park, co-owned by Japanese companies Eneos and Sojitz, was ranked Australia’s top-performing big PV facility for the month with Rystad Senior Analyst David Dixon noting the power plant had delivered an average AC capacity factor (CF) of 33.1% for the month.
Greek energy company Metka’s 82 MW Moura Solar Farm ranked second for the month with the central Queensland facility delivering an average capacity factor of 32.8 %.
Stage 2 of Acen Australia’s 400 MW Stubbo solar project in New South Wales (NSW) was ranked third with a capacity factor of 32.6 % while the first stage of that project was listed in fifth place. Neoen’s 460 MW Western Downs solar farm in Queensland was ranked fourth.

Dixon said all Australian utility-scale PV and wind assets generated 4.7 TWh of clean energy last month, up 24% from 3.8 TWh in April 2025.
At a state level Queensland was in top spot for utility solar and wind generation at 1,256 GWh with 678 GWh from utility PV and 578 GWh from wind.
The top wind assets for the month were the Granville Harbor and Cattle Hill wind farms in Tasmania with the Kennedy Energy wind farm in Queensland third.
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MNRE Updates ALMM List-II Solar PV Cells With Renewsys Entry And Waaree Efficiency Boost  SolarQuarter
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BusinessDay
Oladehinde Oladipo
May 4, 2026
…Renewvia scaling to meet demand
1 Renewvia Solar structure in Ozuzu community
Blessing Ebere remembers the exact moment she decided to sell her generator. It was sometime in 2022, a few months after Renewvia Solar Nigeria switched on a new mini-grid serving her community in the Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.
For the first time in her 56 years on earth, reliable electricity hummed through the wires strung across Ozuzu’s muddy lanes. Her refrigerator ran through the night. Her television stayed on past sunset. She slept without the rattling diesel racket that had defined every night of her adult life.
2 Blessing Ebere, a market woman in Ozuzu community

“We were getting close to 23 hours of power supply,” she said, seated outside her trading shop one afternoon. “The solar was very good.”
So, she sold the generator. Then her neighbours sold theirs. Then almost everybody in Ozuzu sold theirs too.
A near-total transition away from generators highlighted both the system’s reliability at commissioning and the strong economic case for solar power in rural communities.
Read also: How solar is paying off for energy-starved Nigerians
That decision, made by nearly every household in this small farming and trading community tucked inside the Niger Delta, is now at the centre of an uncomfortable paradox — a familiar next phase in successful electrification projects — playing out across rural Nigeria, and, increasingly, through sub-Saharan Africa.

The mini-grid revolution that was supposed to leapfrog decades of energy poverty is working, perhaps better than anyone anticipated. But that breakthrough seems to have recreated a problem it fought so hard to eliminate.
A village the grid forgot
Ozuzu is, by most measures, the kind of place that development economists describe with clinical detachment as “energy-poor”.
3 Major road in-ward Ozuzu community
There is no national grid connection here, never has been, not in anyone’s memory. The community sits in Etche, a local government area that history-minded Nigerians will recognise as one of the earliest sites of oil discovery in the country, a bitter irony that is not lost on its residents.

The land beneath their feet helped fuel one of Africa’s largest petroleum economies for six decades. The lights still didn’t come on.
“Throughout my lifetime, there was no national grid power in this community,” Ebere said flatly. It was not a complaint, particularly. It was simply a statement of fact delivered the way you might describe the weather.
When Renewvia arrived to conduct surveys and community consultations in 2021, they found fertile ground, in both the agricultural and figurative sense.
The company, which executes rural electrification work under Nigeria’s federal electrification project, spent nearly a year interviewing residents, assessing demand, and securing consent before installing the mini-grid.
The project was backed by the Rural Electrification Agency, which administers the Nigeria Electrification Project on behalf of the federal government.

“It wasn’t hard convincing them,” said Samuel Adewumi, the company’s regional service manager for the South-South zone, standing near the solar installation during a recent visit. “You get to some communities, and they are really happy to accept you, because what you are going to provide them is light. Light is power. Light is like life.”
4 Samuel Adewumi, Renewvia regional service manager for the South South zone
The 250-household mini-grid powered up in 2022. The response was immediate and, in hindsight, entirely predictable.
When the lights came on, everything changed
Within months of electrification, Ozuzu began to change. People who had never operated a refrigerator went out and bought one.

Traders who had been hand-selling warm drinks to customers began stocking cold ones. Some imaginative businessmen saw the positive side of it and utilised the opportunity to make cool money as their services have availed people the privilege of having cool or chilled drinks at any time of the day.
5 Ice block business in Ozuzu community
6 Ice blocks ready for sale
John Nwala, who had spent years doing dredging work in a nearby river, looked at the foot traffic flowing into his newly illuminated community and opened a beer parlour.
7 John Nwala runs a beer parlour in Ozuzu community

“People came from five neighbouring communities to patronise my business,” he said, “because the solar was efficient.”
He was not exaggerating. The economics of solar-powered commerce in a region where diesel costs roughly N1,500 per litre, a price that makes generator-powered businesses barely viable, are compelling enough to function as a serious competitive advantage.
Ozuzu had cheap, reliable power. Surrounding communities did not. The result was a gravitational pull: customers, traders, and eventually new residents began drifting toward the light.
“Some people moved into this community because of the solar,” said Happiness Lucky, a shop owner who has watched the transformation unfold from her storefront. It was said without drama, as simple cause and effect.
Read also: Dangote University inaugurates N8bn solar mini-grid, moves to cut energy cost

8 Happiness Lucky runs a provison store in Ozuzu community
Stephen Nwala, a 32-year-old from the community, sold three generators. He calculated, correctly, that the recurring cost of petrol made diesel generation economically irrational compared to Renewvia’s pay-as-you-go metered service. “Solar was cheaper and reliable,” he said.
Across Ozuzu, the generators disappeared. Nobody kept one as a backup. Why would you? The solar was on for twenty-three hours a day.
The paradox of progress
Except now it isn’t.

This is the part of the story that the promotional materials for rural electrification projects rarely include in their brochures.
When you take a community that has no reliable electricity and give it reliable electricity, people behave the way people everywhere behave when a chronic scarcity suddenly resolves: they consume. They buy appliances. They start businesses that require power. They invite relatives to come live with them in the newly lit homes. The population grows. Demand grows. The infrastructure, designed based on surveys conducted before all of this happened, stays the same size.
“Our energy demands have increased by more than 100 percent,” Nwala said, reflecting the rapid growth in commercial activity, appliance ownership, and population inflow following electrification.image.jpeg
9 Stephen Nwala, a 32-year-old youth in Ozuzu community
The 24-hour supply that had become Ozuzu’s calling card has eroded. Residents now describe a service that delivers fewer hours than before, a regression that stings harder precisely because of the baseline they’d come to expect.

Blessing Ebere, who sold her generator because the solar was so dependable, now finds herself without a backup on the nights the supply falls short.
“We no longer get 24 hours of light,” she said. “We now get fewer hours of supply.”
Nwala John’s beer parlour, which flourished when the power was plentiful, feels squeezed. “I don’t get enough solar light now,” he said. “We need more supply. We don’t have enough.”

The community’s frustration is genuine, and it carries an edge of betrayal, not necessarily directed at Renewvia, but at the situation itself. These are people who made irreversible economic decisions, selling generators, buying appliances, restructuring businesses, sometimes relocating, on the basis of a service they trusted.
The trust was not misplaced. The service was real. The problem is that the success transformed the parameters on which the service was originally built.

Paying out of pocket for a system that can’t keep up
Rufus Nwala, the assistant general secretary of the Ubogu community in Ozuzu-Etche, articulates the infrastructure gap on personal and structural levels.
He spent his own money, not a single naira from Renewvia, purchasing galvanised poles and service wire to extend the mini-grid connection to his home. He did it because he needed the power. He did it because he believed in the system.
10 Rufus Nwala, the assistant general secretary of the Ubogu community in Ozuzu-Etche
“That is even more than millions, I’m telling you,” he said. “In some places, we complain that they should extend their poles.” His voice carried the frustration of a man who has made himself a stakeholder in something he cannot fully control. He recharges his meter. He pays. But the supply is not what it was, and the infrastructure has not kept pace with the demand of the community it serves.

His demands are not unreasonable: better reliability, extended poles, upgraded infrastructure to accommodate what Ozuzu has become rather than what it was when the mini-grid was first scoped. He is even willing to pay higher tariffs if that’s what it takes.
“We’re willing to pay more to have a return to 24 hours,” Nwala John echoed.
This willingness to pay, stated openly, repeatedly, by multiple residents, is actually significant in the context of rural electrification financing. One of the persistent challenges in the mini-grid sector is the assumption that rural consumers are either unable or unwilling to pay cost-reflective tariffs.
Ozuzu’s residents are pushing back against that assumption with some force. They understand value. They have already demonstrated that they’ll restructure their economic lives around reliable power. They’re not asking for charity. They’re asking for a service that matches the demand they’ve generated.
The financing gap nobody planned for

Renewvia’s Samuel acknowledges that demand has grown beyond initial projections and that this is a challenge the company is actively working to address.
The economics of mini-grid expansion are not straightforward; new panels, additional battery capacity, pole extensions, and distribution upgrades all require capital that has to come from somewhere.
The company, he notes, needs investors to scale.
“It hasn’t been easy,” Samuel said, “because we also need growing interest from investors to make sure that we get these things done.”
The broader context matters here. Renewvia has connected eight communities across the Niger Delta through the Nigeria Electrification Project, serving roughly 2,000 households and more than 10,000 individuals in total.

Read also: Solar Microgrids are doing what oil billions never did for Niger Delta villages
Trey Jarrad, the company’s chief executive, has spoken publicly about the dual mandate of delivering affordable energy and helping Nigeria meet its net-zero commitments by 2060.
These are large, legitimate ambitions. But they sit in some tension with the ground-level reality in places like Ozuzu, where the immediate concern is not the carbon transition, it’s whether the beer will stay cold tonight.
The security design of Ozuzu’s mini-grid is, at least, one thing that seems to have been thoughtfully executed.
Samuel describes a deliberate choice to leave the installation visible rather than enclosed, partly to discourage the kind of curiosity and potential interference that walled facilities tend to invite.

“If it was covered, people would want to boggle in and find out what’s happening,” he said. The open design means that community members themselves serve as an informal watch.
The setup is straightforward in principle. Power from the photovoltaic panels flows down to a bank of charge controllers, each one handling a string of roughly 12 panels.
From there, it feeds three 10-kilowatt inverters running on a three-phase line — red, yellow, blue — before going out to the community. The batteries absorb whatever the panels generate beyond immediate demand and discharge when consumption outpaces supply.
11 Inverters and batteries in solar structure in Ozuzu community
“We have maxed out on our charge controllers,” Adewumi said. It is not an admission of failure so much as a statement of physics. The infrastructure was sized for a community that no longer exists, replaced by a busier, more electrified version of itself.

The expansion work has already begun. Renewvia has doubled the battery bank at the site, adding six units to the original six, bringing the total to 12 batteries, each rated at 7.4 kilowatt-hours and manufactured under the SolarMD brand. A cooling system has been installed inside the equipment house to manage heat buildup, a detail that matters more as the system runs harder and longer.
A spare charge controller sits visible on-site, not yet connected, but ready. Adewumi points to it as evidence of intent.
“This is part of what we intend to do in terms of our expansion,” he said.
The bottleneck, he acknowledges, is not technical know-how. It is capital. New panels, additional inverter capacity, and extended distribution poles all of it requires investment that the company cannot self-fund at the pace the community now demands.
“We also need investors to make sure that we get these things done,” Adewumi said.

But the bigger structural questions, how to finance capacity expansion, how to price power in a way that covers costs without pricing out the rural customers the project is meant to serve, how to manage the gap between what a community needed when it was surveyed and what it needs three years after electrification changed everything, remain genuinely unresolved.
The story they don’t tell at energy conferences
There is a version of the Ozuzu story that gets told at energy conferences and in development finance presentations. It features the before and the after: the community in darkness, the community in light. It features the ice business Renewvia helped start, selling cold products to surrounding villages. It features the households liberated from diesel dependency. It features the children who can study after sunset.
All of that is real. The transformation that solar power delivered to Ozuzu is not a fiction invented for a brochure. It happened. It changed lives in ways that are lasting and, by any reasonable measure, good.
But the full story, the one being lived right now by Blessing Ebere and Nwala John and Rufus Nwala, is more complicated. It is the story of what happens after the solution works, when the problem it solved turns out to have been the simpler part of a longer problem.

Ozuzu got electricity. The electricity worked. People responded rationally to having electricity. That rational response has now outpaced the system that delivered the electricity in the first place.
Read also: Shell, NNPC hand UNILAG solar-powered geosciences facility
The community is, in the truest sense, a victim of its own success, caught between what the mini-grid was designed to do and what three years of economic and demographic growth now require it to do.
No generator to fall back on
There is no generator to fall back on. They sold all of those.

“We’re ready to pay and use our last card to recharge and pay for solar light,” Ebere said. “If the light is available, we would pay.”
In response to this Renewvia has already begun system upgrades, including doubling battery capacity and preparing additional charge controllers, demonstrating a clear pathway toward scaling the system.
The light is available. Just not enough of it, and not for long enough. For Ozuzu, and for dozens of communities like it across Nigeria’s rural south, that gap, between what solar delivered and what it still needs to deliver, is the next frontier of the energy transition. It is less photogenic than the first one. It requires less inspiration and more capital. But it is just as urgent.
The generators are gone. There is no going back.
The Ozuzu project highlights a broader opportunity across Nigeria, where successful electrification is rapidly increasing demand and creating a clear pathway for scalable investment in distributed energy infrastructure.

Dipo Oladehinde is a skilled energy analyst with experience across Nigeria’s energy sector alongside relevant know-how about Nigeria’s macro economy. He provides a blend of market intelligence, financial analysis, industry insight, micro and macro-level analysis of a wide range of local and international issues as well as informed technical rudiments for policy-making and private directions.
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Researchers at the University of Queensland have created a new type of indoor solar panel that could allow small devices to run using nothing more than the light found inside homes and offices.
This is a concept already adopted by Logitech with their solar powered keyboards.
The technology is built around perovskite, a material widely seen as a possible successor to silicon in solar applications. Traditional silicon cells used indoors typically reach about 10 per cent efficiency, but perovskite has shown the potential to outperform that benchmark.
One of the major obstacles has been the reliance on lead and harmful solvents during production, raising concerns about safety and large-scale manufacturing. The Queensland team has addressed this issue by developing a cleaner production method.
The work was led by PhD researcher Zitong Wang, working with Dr Miaoqiang Lyu and Professor Lianzhou Wang. They designed a vapour-based fabrication process that produces high-quality perovskite material without the need for toxic solvents or lead components.
Using this approach, the team achieved a power conversion efficiency of 16.36 per cent under indoor lighting conditions. This result is believed to be the highest recorded for a lead-free perovskite indoor solar cell produced using a method suitable for industry.
The panels are being explored as a replacement for small batteries commonly used in low-power electronics. Devices such as wearable technology, environmental sensors and health monitoring equipment could benefit from a continuous energy source that removes the need for frequent battery changes.
The University of Queensland
Early interest is also emerging from retail environments, where electronic shelf labels are being tested as an alternative to paper pricing. These systems could potentially run on indoor light, reducing maintenance and waste.
Another advantage lies in the design flexibility of the panels. They are thin, lightweight and adaptable in shape, making them easier to integrate into a wide range of products without significant redesign.
Before the technology can be commercialised, researchers need to improve durability by protecting the panels from exposure to moisture and oxygen. Once that step is complete, development is expected to move towards real-world applications.
Dr Lyu indicated that indoor perovskite panels could begin appearing in consumer products within the next few years, pointing to growing momentum behind the technology as industries look for more sustainable energy solutions.
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The energy crisis triggered by conflict in the Middle East has caused a rush in solar panel and heat pump installations, with solar power being fitted on a rooftop about every three minutes.
There were more than 27,000 solar power installations in March, the highest monthly total for 14 years. The number of applications for heat pump grants also jumped to its second highest monthly level on record.
The disruption to oil and gas supplies caused by the conflict is forecast to increase a typical home’s energy bill from £1,641 a year under the current price cap to £1,843 in July. The energy shock appears to have led people to take steps to shield themselves.
The 27,607 solar installations completed in March was the greatest number in any single calendar month since 2012, a time when consumers were awarded generous inflation-linked payments for electricity from solar panels for 25 years. Between 2016 and 2021, the UK was seeing a median of only 3,000 installations per month.
The panels installed in March accounted for 121 megawatts of added capacity, with 85W on domestic rooftops and the rest in fields and elsewhere on the ground. There are now more than two million solar installations in the country. 
A typical household solar panel installation costs about £6,100. In London, the annual savings can be as much as £650 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust, a non-profit group. The payback period is usually between 9 and 15 years, depending on where in the UK the panels are installed and what times people consume electricity.
Renters and those put off by the upfront cost of a professional solar installation should also have the option this summer of buying plug-in solar panels. They work by plugging directly into mains sockets and can usually supply between 5 and 25 per cent of a home’s electricity. 
The devices have been hugely popular in Germany, where some can sell for as little as €200. The government is moving to change regulations so they could be sold by Lidl, Amazon and other retailers.
The recent run of sunny weather has seen solar power hit two records for output nationally in the space of two days. The National Energy System Operator (Neso), the body responsible for keeping the lights on, said there was a peak of 14.8 gigawatts on April 22, beaten a day later 15.4GW. 
Households will be offered free electricity to run their washing machines and other appliances to soak up surges in solar power, Neso said.
The number of people moving to replace their gas boiler with a heat pump also increased by almost a quarter last month. About 4,500 applied for a £7,500 government grant to fit a heat pump in March, making it the second highest month since the scheme started.
The 4,517 applications were up 24 per cent on February and 12 per cent on March last year. However, the devices still have an expensive upfront cost that is largely unchanged. The median cost for an installation was about £13,000, meaning a cost of roughly £5,500 cost even after the £7,500 grants.
Chris Norbury, the chief executive of energy supplier Eon, said combining heat pumps and solar panels offered people a significant opportunity to reduce their energy bills. He said consumers needed to trust the government would not make “knee-jerk” changes to policies supporting such technologies.
The figures come as the UK and almost 60 other countries wrapped up an international meeting on phasing out fossil fuels. 
The talks in Santa Marta, Colombia, agreed that governments would draw up roadmaps on how they will curtail their use of coal, oil and gas. The US, China and major oil and gas producers in the Middle East were absent from the meeting, known as the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels.
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As Solar Cell Line Plans Face Delays, ALCM Rollout Could Trigger a New Crisis Photograph: (Archive)
Significant sections of India’s solar manufacturing industry are uneasy over the proposed rollout of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) for solar cells—commonly referred to as ALCM in industry parlance—as delays in building domestic cell capacity raise concerns over supply shortages and potential project disruptions. Scheduled to kick in from June 1, 2026, the delays have ensured many plans to manufacture cells will only come to fruition in 2027. Even larger players including Waaree Energies have struggled to meet deadlines, and are still ramping up capacity.    
Over the past two years, more than 40 module makers had announced plans to enter solar cell manufacturing, largely in anticipation of the government’s push for backward integration. But many of these projects are now running behind schedule, even as the deadline for ALCM implementation approaches. This can be attributed to on-ground challenges, including high capital requirements, land acquisition hurdles, shortage of skilled manpower, dependence on specialised equipment, multiple regulatory clearances, and the inherently complex, process-driven nature of cell manufacturing—distinct from relatively simpler module production lines.
The worry is straightforward: once ALCM kicks in, developers and manufacturers will have to rely on domestically produced cells. The problem is that supply may not be ready in time—especially for the non-DCR segment, which currently drives the bulk of India’s solar installations.
“Today, DCR supply is only about 10–12 GW, while the total market is roughly 50 GW,” said Ashok Singh, President (Solar Cells) at Novasys. “If ALCM is implemented in the current situation, the non-DCR market could shrink to 10–15 GW, implying a sharp drop in installations. At present, the effective supply of TOPCon cells is only around 10–12 GW. How will the industry cater to such high demand when supply itself remains a key constraint?”
Industry executives say such a mismatch could ripple across the value chain—leaving module factories underutilised, slowing project execution, and pushing up costs. “At least for the next 18–24 months, capacity utilisation will remain under pressure because domestic cell supply won’t be sufficient,” Singh added. “The intent of self-reliance is right, but the transition needs to be phased.”

The comparison with the earlier rollout of ALMM for modules is often cited—but manufacturers argue the two transitions are not comparable. “Cell manufacturing is far more complex than modules,” said Manish Gupta, Chairman of Insolation Energy (INA Solar), a listed firm. “It involves chemical and thermal processes, along with specialised infrastructure like ETP and ZLD systems. Setting up a plant takes 15–24 months in India—it cannot be done in a few quarters.”
While the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) had signalled the transition timeline in advance, execution bottlenecks have persisted. The DCR segment—including schemes such as PM-KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar—will continue to rely on domestic cells, but scaling production for the broader market remains a work in progress. Costs are another sticking point. “Cell manufacturing requires investments of around ₹500 crore per GW,” Gupta noted. “Prices will soften over time as capacity scales up and efficiencies improve, but competing with China in the near term will be difficult.”
SaurEnergy  saw this coming back in 2024-25, when we covered the expected expansion in capacities, and flagged the many challenges manufactuirers faced to ensure scheduled operations.  Industry players like Websol with experience in cell manufacturing have also been confident that catching up will take time for oither players. 
Even so, not everyone in the industry is pessimistic. “When ALMM was introduced for solar modules, there were similar concerns. But the industry adapted,” said Nitin Sangle, CEO of the Sunray vertical at Kosol Energie. “This is part of a larger push towards self-reliance. There could be short-term disruptions, but it will strengthen the ecosystem in the long run.” Companies are already moving towards captive cell capacities, and many believe this phase could accelerate technological development and reduce import dependence over time.
For now, however, the immediate concern is policy timing. Several manufacturers have approached courts seeking relief, while others are urging the government to consider a more gradual implementation. The expectation in the industry is that the MNRE may offer some flexibility—either through deadline extensions or transitional provisions.
The argument is not against the policy itself, but against the pace. With challenges ranging from high capital costs and equipment supply delays to land acquisition hurdles and skilled manpower shortages, companies say the ecosystem needs more time to align with the policy ambition. A rushed rollout, they warn, risks creating temporary dislocation in a sector that has been one of the fastest-growing segments of India’s energy transition.
 
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ENGIE and Pele Green Energy commission 150 MW solar projects in South Africa, enhancing grid reliability and advancing the clean energy transition.
May 04, 2026. By EI News Network
ENGIE, in partnership with Pele Green Energy, has brought new solar capacity online in South Africa, with the 75 MW Graspan Solar PV plant in the Northern Cape now feeding electricity into the national grid.
The Graspan facility, developed under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) Bid Window Five, has been operational since early 2026 and is already contributing to easing the country’s power supply constraints. It forms part of a broader push to stabilise electricity availability through utility-scale renewable energy.
Alongside Graspan, ENGIE’s Grootspruit Solar PV plant in the Free State adds another 75 MW, taking the combined contribution of the two projects to 150 MW of clean energy capacity. This additional generation is expected to strengthen grid reliability while reducing dependence on conventional power sources amid ongoing supply challenges.
Industry executives emphasised that the transition from project development to actual delivery is key in the current energy landscape. With electricity already flowing from Graspan into the grid, the project highlights the growing role of renewable infrastructure in addressing immediate supply gaps while supporting long-term system resilience.
The initiative also underscores the importance of public-private collaboration in expanding generation capacity in South Africa. Beyond electricity production, the projects are expected to deliver wider economic benefits, including local procurement, job creation, and skills development, contributing to community upliftment alongside energy security.
Together, these developments signal a steady shift in South Africa’s energy mix, with solar power playing an increasingly central role in diversifying generation and supporting a more stable and sustainable electricity system.

Grid Modernisation, Storage, and Hydrogen to Shape India’s Energy Future: Advait's Rutvi Sheth

Energy Security Has Evolved into a Strategic Imperative for India: Hartek Singh

Geopolitics Reshaping Solar Strategy, Says Hindustan Power's Chairman Ratul Puri

Solar Shifts Farming from Constraint to Opportunity, Says Solarsure’s Bhavesh Patidar

Solar Plus Storage Is Key to India’s Clean Energy Future: BluPine’s Pankaj Tyagi

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The 204 MW Edenvale Solar Park in Queensland’s Western Downs region has been identified by energy consultancy Rystad Energy as the best performing large-scale PV asset in Australia last month.
Image: GRS
New data from global energy consultancy Rystad Energy shows that all Australian large-scale solar power plants generated 1,730 GWh of clean energy last month, up 21% from the 1,435 GWh produced in April 2025 with Queensland home to three of the top five best-performing utility PV assets for the month.
The 204 MW Edenvale Solar Park, co-owned by Japanese companies Eneos and Sojitz, was ranked Australia’s top-performing big PV facility for the month with Rystad Senior Analyst David Dixon noting the power plant had delivered an average AC capacity factor (CF) of 33.1% for the month.
Greek energy company Metka’s 82 MW Moura Solar Farm ranked second for the month with the central Queensland facility delivering an average capacity factor of 32.8 %.
Stage 2 of Acen Australia’s 400 MW Stubbo solar project in New South Wales (NSW) was ranked third with a capacity factor of 32.6 % while the first stage of that project was listed in fifth place. Neoen’s 460 MW Western Downs solar farm in Queensland was ranked fourth.

Dixon said all Australian utility-scale PV and wind assets generated 4.7 TWh of clean energy last month, up 24% from 3.8 TWh in April 2025.
At a state level Queensland was in top spot for utility solar and wind generation at 1,256 GWh with 678 GWh from utility PV and 578 GWh from wind.
The top wind assets for the month were the Granville Harbor and Cattle Hill wind farms in Tasmania with the Kennedy Energy wind farm in Queensland third.
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Record high set on Monday and raised on Tuesday, with 14.4GW of electricity generated in sunny spring weather
Britain’s sunny spring weather powered the grid to new solar energy records on two consecutive days this week.
Solar farms in England, Wales and Scotland generated 14.1GW of low-carbon electricity at lunchtime on Monday, surpassing the previous high of 14GW in July last year.
And that record was toppled a day later when power generation from the sun’s energy climbed to another new high of 14.4GW on Tuesday afternoon.
The electricity system operator confirmed the new high as the government approved plans for the UK’s biggest solar farm to go ahead in Lincolnshire.
Ministers said the decision to support the Springwell solar farm in Lincolnshire built on their plan to “bring stability and lower bills in an uncertain world” by increasing homegrown low-carbon energy.
The project is expected to provide enough electricity to power the equivalent of 180,000 homes a year when generating at its maximum capacity.
The approval for Springwell comes six months after the government backed the Tillbridge solar farm, another super-sized facility in Lincolnshire, an area where Reform UK’s anti-renewables agenda has won rising support.
It is the 25th large-scale clean energy project approved by the Labour government since it came to power in 2024. Together, these could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of up to 12.5m homes.
The solar record was confirmed less than a fortnight after Britain’s windfarms drove gas-fired power generation to a two-year low by reaching a record high.
Towards the end of last month, wind power climbed to a new high of 23.9GW, beating the previous record of 23.8GW set on 5 December, to generate the equivalent of enough electricity to power 23m homes.
At the time, gas-fired power was used to provide just 2.3% of the grid’s electricity, in a test of the government’s plan to run a virtually carbon-free grid by 2030. The electricity system operator is understood to be preparing to run the grid without any gas for short periods as soon as this summer, in a first for the UK energy system.
Michael Shanks, the energy minister, said: “We are driving further and faster for clean homegrown power that we control to protect the British people and bring down bills for good. It is crucial we learn the lessons of the conflict in the Middle East – solar is one of the cheapest forms of power available and is how we get off the rollercoaster of international fossil fuel markets and secure our own energy independence.”
The government has streamlined plans to bring “plug-in solar” to the UK, and updated building standards to require solar panels for new homes from 2028.

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Burbank Water and Power, in collaboration with Hollywood Burbank Airport, unveiled the city’s largest solar installation Friday, marking a milestone more than a decade in the making.

The 2-megawatt solar system, located on the rooftop of the Regional Intermodal Transportation Center (RITC), has the capacity to power up to 585 homes. The site provides 4 acres of rooftop space above the parking structure and holds 4,260 American-made solar panels.
BWP General Manager Mandip Samra said the $17 million project has been more than 10 years in the making and will provide clean and renewable resources.

“We don’t want to rely on outside vendors or outside agencies or outside transmission,” Samra said. “It’d be really great to be able to control resources and build resources internally and have our team control and operate it. It gets us closer to a zero-carbon grid.”

Samra also credited the project’s success to a long-term partnership with Hollywood Burbank Airport.

Burbank Mayor Tamala Takahashi said in-territory energy generation is essential as the city moves toward a zero-carbon future.

“This project highlights the importance of the Inflation Reduction Act in funding and deploying renewable sources,” Takahashi said. “We receive substantial tax credits that allow it to proceed, significantly reducing the impact on the city’s budget.”

Takahashi said this project is a catalyst for other projects in the future.

“We have another solar installation that’s going to be going on top of our new airport as well, and this is just the beginning,” Takahashi said. “We now have this first win, and we can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next.”

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THETFORD TWP., Mich. (WNEM) – People at a town hall shared their worries about a proposed solar farm project that will take up thousands of acres in Genesee County’s Thetford Township.
It is proposed to go into an area around North Belsay and East Wilson roads and reaches into nearby Forest Township. Residents fear it will negatively affect their properties.
“I’ve spent my whole life building my home,” said Resident LaVerne Morse. “And now, it’s going to be worthless.”
Residents brought questions and concerns to the meeting held on April 20.
“I would be completely surrounded by this,” said Morse. And I’m really concerned about the radiation.”
The proposed Otisville solar project, a 125-megawatt development, covers more than 2,000 acres of land.
“You’re not going to have the same views,” said Resident Joseph Windle. “The same nature experience. Just the country sounds that you would be used to in a place like this.”
For many, the concern is not just size, it is impact, property values, drainage, and losing the rural feel they say defines this community.
“The whole area will be turned into a solar farm,” said Morse. “This is why I live out here. Because I wanted to be away from all this.”
Under Michigan Public Act 233 of 2023, local leaders cannot deny projects that meet State requirements. That is where the tension lies – a local community, trying to have a voice, in a process controlled by the State.
“Who came up with that bill is, you know, shame on them,” said Morse.
Township leaders said that was why the meeting was called – to inform residents, break down what has changed, and make sure their concerns are part of the official record.
“We encourage all of our residents to get on the MPSC and make a public comment regarding our case that stands there,” said Thetford Township Supervisor Rachel Stanke. “It’s never too late to state your opinion.”
Some landowners support the project, but many said they are looking for balance, transparency, and protection for the community.
“Get involved in your local elections and your state elections,” said Windle.
If approved by the State, the project would move forward with operations possibly starting by 2028.
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By Dale Johnson, Morning Edition Host / Reporter
20 de Abril de 2026 a las 11:00 ·

Drive on U.S. 77 in southern Lancaster County and you’ll see acres of short, dark columns – the foundation of what will be the largest solar farm in the state, according to the state of Nebraska.
The 304-megawatt Panama Energy Center just east of Hallam is expected to generate $1.4 million in local tax revenue annually. It will be a total of 2,400 acres and is being built in two phases.

Christa Yoakum, chair of the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners, said NextEra, the company behind the project, is taking steps to protect the surrounding area.
“We put some conditions on it as far as road use and what kind of plantings happen on the ground to prevent soil erosion, so they’re complying with the contingencies that we put on it,” she said.
Yoakum added that Lancaster County is monitoring what the state may impose for caps on what the county can charge for property taxes.
“The reality is we don’t want to put more burden on taxpayers,” she said. “And so, if we can diversify some of those revenues in ways like this, it’s really helpful.”
Despite NextEra officials saying the project will provide 250-300 construction jobs, some neighbors are raising concerns.
The project was challenged in the appellate court in December 2025. District Court Judge Julie Smith determined the solar farm was compatible with existing agricultural land uses and would not change the character of the neighborhood.
The plaintiffs appealed to the Nebraska Court of Appeals in mid-March. That appeal is still pending.
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Ohio let counties ban solar. In Richland, it’s now on the ballot  LimaOhio.com
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Transcript:
For many aspiring farmers, the high cost of land can make their dream feel out of reach.
But in Minnesota, some farmers are avoiding that high up-front cost by growing crops between rows of solar panels.
Lenarz-Coy: “There’s quite a lot of available space between the rows of panels.”
Sophia Lenarz-Coy leads the Food Group, a nonprofit that runs a program to support new farmers, including many immigrants and people of color.
The Food Group has partnered with the energy company U.S. Solar to offer free, long-term leases to three farms at the Big Lake solar installation in Minnesota.
Using land for both agriculture and solar is called agrivoltaics.
At Big Lake, farmers grow crops like kale and radishes – and on hot days, they can rest under the shady panels.
Lenarz-Coy says agrivoltaics can help make solar farms more popular in rural areas by keeping the land in agriculture.
And this approach opens up land to help farmers start new businesses as affordable land disappears.
Lenarz-Coy: “I think we need to get more creative and look at … how can we get really smart about combining interests, and I do think agrivoltaics is a really cool way to start thinking about that.”
Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media

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Submit your nominations for the Gazette’s 2026 Person of the Year and Young Community Leader today!
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HADLEY — A proposed agrivoltaic solar project at a South Maple Street farm appears to have support from the Planning Board, even if there is no new screening to buffer the photovoltaics from neighboring properties.
The Planning Board on April 21 began a hearing on the 499 kilowatts AC, 2.45-acre project at 129 South Maple St., in a 29-acre field across from Flavyors of Cook Farm.
Proposed by Hyperion Systems LLC, which has developed similar projects in Hadley, the board would likely be able to vote at its May 19 meeting. The hearing was continued to that date because annual Town Meeting on May 7 is expected to revise the solar bylaw and give planners more discretion on screening for solar projects.
Members of the board indicated that screening from the road isn’t necessary and the site is mostly wooded to the east, toward Amherst, and to the south, with both of those parcels owned by Hampshire College.
Planning Board Chairman James Maksimoksi said there are not many neighbors nearby.
“I don’t think anybody’s going to be negatively impacted by the viewscape of this thing being in the way,” Maksimoski said.
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He added that the town drafted its solar rules at a time when there wasn’t an expectation that farmers would be able to continue growing crops beneath them.
Kayla Loubriel, land use coordinator, said the Conservation Commission prefers to see the existing vegetation remain, rather than planting new arborvitae that would be an alteration to the site.
In other business, the board again approved signs and a graphics package for the exterior of Dave’s Hot Chicken, a new restaurant under construction at 5 South Maple St. within the Mountain Farms Mall property.
Ryan Little, who is handling the work for the business, said the multicolored art on the side of the building has “no rhyme or reason,” but distinguishes it from the nearby Chase Bank building. “All the stores have a different art phase on all of them,” Little said.
But a mural originally commissioned for the restaurant, featuring a Greek god wearing sunglasses and holding a cellphone, is being abandoned. The store is expected to open sometime before summer.
The board also advised a contractor for Gohyang Korean Restaurant that if work to improve the kitchen and make the bathrooms handicapped accessible is valued at more than a third of the building’s $200,000 assewssment, it will trigger compliance with the rules of the village overlay district, including adding a peaked roof.
Planners are also concerned that the building, once used as Gene’s Ice Cream Shoppe, has limited parking that could force people to spill off site.
Finally, planners:

Scott Merzbach is a reporter covering local government and school news in Amherst and Hadley, as well as Hatfield, Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury. He can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com or 413-585-5253. More by Scott Merzbach
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Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low near 45F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low near 45F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: May 3, 2026 @ 8:25 pm

Curly Dock grows near solar panels Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn.
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Longi claims to have achieved the world’s highest efficiency for a silicon solar cell. The result was confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin.
Image: Longi
A few hours after Trina Solar revealed it achieved the world’s highest efficiency for silicon solar cells with 28.0%-efficient device TOPCon-compatible hybrid back-contact solar cell (THBC), Chinese module manufacturer Longi announced it achieved a higher efficiency of 28.13% with a hybrid interdigitated-back-contact (HIBC) solar cell.
The result was independently confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH).
Longi also said that HIBC-based modules with an efficiency of 26.4% were certified by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). “These breakthroughs in technological capability have already translated into a leading edge in mass production,” the company said in a statement.
Longi outlined details of its HIBC solar cell architecture in a scientific paper published in November. The company said the device combines passivated tunneling contacts, dielectric passivation layers, and both n-type and p-type contacts.
The cell is built on a high-resistivity half-cut M10 wafer featuring edge passivation and optimized n-type contacts produced through a combined high- and low-temperature process. An indium tin oxide (ITO) layer improves lateral transport, while multilayer aluminum oxide (AlOx) and silicon nitride (SiNx) coatings reduce surface recombination.
The researchers also reduced phosphorus doping in the n-type polycrystalline silicon layer to limit dopant diffusion into the wafer. The company’s in situ passivated edge technology enables edge passivation during fabrication. In addition, deep-trenched metal fingers and selective ITO etching help prevent leakage between n-type and p-type contacts, while a thicker amorphous silicon layer improves junction coverage and sidewall encapsulation. To reduce contact resistivity without compromising passivation, the amorphous silicon layer is crystallized using a pulsed green nanosecond laser.
Longi said the technology could be scaled for heterojunction solar cell manufacturing, although additional improvements are still needed to reduce resistive losses in the p-type contact.
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A solar energy company’s $100 million investment in Orangeburg County will also bring with it about 400 temporary construction jobs.
Contact the writer: gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5551. Check out Zaleski on Twitter at @ZaleskiTD.

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Funding Opportunities
Solar System Cuts Health Center’s Yearly Cost by $2,600; Provides Workforce Training
Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs
In this Tribal Energy Snapshot, learn more about the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) project, providing clean energy to the Tribe’s recreation center. The project was cofunded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Indian Energy. 
The Coeur d’Alene Tribe installed a 35.2 kilowatt (kW) solar PV system to generate clean power at the Marimn Health Coeur Center, a youth recreation center located on the reservation. 
The solar project builds on three previous successful DOE-supported projects, including the Benewah Market Energy Efficiency Project and the Senior Housing Complex Energy Efficiency and Solar Energy Project. 
This latest project supports the Tribe’s energy goals by integrating renewable energy into its energy infrastructure, while also protecting the cultural and environmental values of the Coeur d’Alene people.
Take a glance at the project by the numbers: 
Cost savings to the Tribe: 
The project will reduce the Coeur Center’s annual electricity costs by approximately $2,600.
Total energy use reduction:
The system reduces energy use by about 41,750 kilowatt-hours per year, enough to power roughly 1.92 million smartphones.*
Total project cost:
The cost of the project is $136,259, shared by DOE ($68,129) and the Tribe ($68,130).
*Equivalency value was estimated using the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator. 
Learn from Laura Laumatia, Environmental Programs Manager for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, on her experience with the project.
[This project was initiated] to reduce the Tribe’s carbon footprint and save energy for our Marimn Health and Wellness facility. But perhaps more importantly, [the project is] a way to promote solar energy at a facility that has high visibility. The Coeur Center is a brand new family and youth center that houses a gym, exercise facilities, and our Boys and Girls Club, and has high traffic from not only reservation residents, but families from around the region.
A major benefit has been the opportunity to have community members trained in solar installation. We worked with our contractor, Nimiipuu Energy, to incorporate training into the contract, which included 10 community members receiving 40 hours of hands-on training and 7 of those assisting with the installation. At least 3 [of those trainees] have expressed interest in developing a career path in this field, helping build long-term capacity to achieve the Tribe’s renewable energy and energy sovereignty goals.
The biggest takeaway has been understanding the value of great partners. Even this relatively small solar project requires a lot of planning and coordination, and without [our] partners, it would have been impossible.
We are excited to be finishing this project at a time when the opportunities to rapidly expand renewable energy are practically exploding! This project has been a launchpad for thinking about the Tribe’s bigger energy goals, and I’m excited to see this project be a springboard for great things. I hope that we will see widespread incorporation of solar into our energy portfolio with all the benefits it can provide in cost savings, emissions reductions, and grid resilience.
Learn more about this project, including additional background information, cost, and status on the project summary page.
Explore more Tribal energy projects through the Tribal energy projects database. 
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Researchers note that the Sahara is considered an ideal region for the development of solar energy due to the large number of sunny days. However, the desert ecosystem is characterized by climatic stability and sensitivity to any changes. A key factor identified by scientists is the difference in solar light reflection. Light sand reflects a significant portion of solar energy back into the atmosphere, while dark panels, on the other hand, actively absorb heat. When millions of panels are installed, the effect becomes large-scale: the heated surface enhances the temperature contrast and leads to a faster rise of hot air. According to the model, moisture contained in the atmosphere rises along with the air. Although its amount in the desert is small, during a sharp rise and cooling at altitude, the moisture begins to condense, contributing to the formation of dense clouds and potential precipitation. Scientists emphasize that solar panels do not create moisture but change the mechanisms of its movement in the atmosphere, which may be enough to trigger rainfall events. Moreover, the possible increase in precipitation could lead to vegetation growth, which can amplify changes through the so-called “feedback loop,” further affecting heat exchange and humidity. The authors of the study note that solar energy remains an environmentally important direction; however, even “clean” technologies, when implemented on a large scale, can significantly impact natural processes and climate.
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A Qatari research team found that utilising bifacial 2P horizontal single-axis tracking PV systems in desert conditions produced up to 13.5% more electricity than fixed-tilt systems over long-term field testing. The study also showed strong seasonal and technology-dependent performance, with tracker advantages varying with irradiance and weather conditions.
Image: Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Renewable Energy, CC BY 4.0
Researchers at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) in Qatar compared the performance of bifacial, two-in-portrait (2P) horizontal PV systems with horizontal single-axis trackers (HSAT) against fixed-tilt systems under desert conditions in the Middle East and found that the bifacial arrays can generate up to 13.5% more electricity than their counterparts.
“This study assessed the impact of module technology, ground coverage ratio (GCR), string configuration, and environmental conditions on the energy yield,” corresponding author Maulid M. Kivambe told pv magazine. “With seven tracker rows, variable pitches, 34 strings, 13 commercial PV module variants, multiple placements relative to the torque‑tube and fixed-tilt string references, the testbed is among the largest HSAT research facilities globally.”
The 20-month field testing was conducted at HBKU’s Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), where the horizontal single-axis tracking PV system has been in operation since 2020. The site features very high solar irradiation and is classified as a desert climate under the Köppen-Geiger-Photovoltaic system. The installation includes seven rows of SOLTEC-SF7 trackers with varying ground coverage ratios and multiple PV string configurations using 13 different module technologies. It employs astronomical single-axis tracking with asymmetric backtracking to reduce shading and optimise energy yield.
Module rear-side temperatures were monitored using embedded sensors, while multiple irradiance components such as plane-of-array irradiance (POA), global horizontal irradiance (GHI), diffuse horizontal irradiance (DHI), and rear-side irradiance were measured using calibrated pyranometers and reference cells. A fixed-tilt system served as a benchmark, installed at a 22° south-facing tilt with similar string configurations and row spacing as the tracking system. Both systems operated on a natural gravel surface representative of desert conditions.
The tests showed that tracker-based system achieved annual average gains of 15.5% in plane-of-array irradiation and 13.5% in specific energy yield relative to the fixed-tilt configuration, with peak performance occurring in early July 2024, when daily energy yield gains reached approximately 36%.
However, the testing also demonstrated that tracker advantages were strongly seasonal, with benefits mainly from February to September under high direct irradiance conditions. From October to January, the fixed-tilt system was found to outperform the tracker-based array by up to 7.2% due to lower sun angles and reduced tracker effectiveness.
DC power analysis confirmed that the tracker-based system better captures early morning and evening irradiance in summer, while fixed tilt performs better around midday in winter. Under overcast conditions, performance differences diminished because diffuse irradiance dominates and is captured similarly by both systems.
Overall, the analysis showed that the tracker-based systems provide higher annual yields, but their advantage is highly dependent on solar geometry and weather conditions, with performance varying with irradiance composition.
“Among the evaluated technologies, silicon heterojunction (HJT) modules generated the highest overall energy yield, particularly under conditions of high irradiance and elevated ambient temperatures as expected, owing to their superior temperature coefficients and high bifaciality factors,” the scientists said. “N-type PERT and high-efficiency bifacial PERC modules also demonstrated strong performance, indicating that high bifacial response can partially compensate for less favourable temperature coefficients.”
They also found that string layout relative to the torque tube exhibited minimal impact on energy yield, suggesting a high degree of layout flexibility for tracker-based systems in desert installations.
Their findings are available in the study “The Impact of Module Technology, Ground Coverage Ratio, and String Configuration on the Performance of Bifacial PV Systems on Horizontal Single-Axis Trackers in Desert Environments,” published in Renewable Energy. 
From pv magazine Global
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Renewables roundup: Austria fuel cells to Philippines solar  Enlit World
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Richland County Commissioner Darrell Banks emailed a GOP political consultant that he would “not be surprised if there is a cross burning in my future” shortly after voting last summer to ban wind and solar farms at a meeting last year packed with local residents who opposed the ban.
Voters in the Ohio county will vote Tuesday on a referendum on the ban, which prohibits large new wind and solar farms in 11 of 18 of the townships located in the Ohio county. A “No” vote will overturn the ban, while a “Yes” vote will uphold the ban. Thousands of county residents signed petitions to place the issue on the ballot. 
“Mission accomplished,” Banks emailed Tom Whatman, a chief strategist for the Republican political advertising firm Majority Strategies, after the Richland County Commissioners approved the ban on July 17, 2025. 
“Great work. Thank you!” Whatman responded. 
“More than 30 residents from the left present, a few Trustees,” Banks, a Republican, wrote back. “Would not be surprised if there is a cross burning in my future. It was interesting to say the least.” 
The afternoon email exchange occurred on the same day county commissioners voted to prohibit large wind and solar farms in 11 of the county’s 18 townships at a 9:30 AM meeting, where dozens of local residents voiced opposition to the ban. 
Banks attached a copy of the ban that the commissioners adopted at the meeting to his “Mission accomplished” email to Whatman. 
Richland County has a history of racist cross burnings.  
The Energy and Policy Institute obtained the emails from Richland County on Friday afternoon in response to an Open Records Law request.
Emails previously released by the county in April revealed that Banks informed Whatman about the commissioners’ plans to ban wind and solar about two months before the meeting last summer, as Canary Media first reported. 
Whatman’s firm Majority Strategies has been paid hundreds of thousands per year by a gas industry group, The Empowerment Alliance (TEA), that’s campaigned for years against wind and solar farms in Ohio. TEA reported the money in annual reports filed with the IRS.
Banks now serves on an advisory committee for Richland Farmland Preservation, the PAC formed to defend the ban ahead of Tuesday’s referendum vote. The PAC reported that Majority Strategies provided it with text messaging and digital advertising valued at over $12,400 in its initial campaign finance report last month. Whatman’s farm in Belville, Ohio contributed $2,500 to the PAC in April. 
Other emails obtained by EPI show Banks received e-newsletters from TEA that portrayed solar farms as harmful to farmland prior to his vote to ban wind and solar farms. Whatman previously popped up in neighboring Knox County, where he was involved with a group called Knox Smart Development that was secretly funded by TEA-backer Tom Rastin, a retired gas industry executive and GOP megadonor.
Banks did not respond to an email from EPI requesting comment on his emails and his relationship with Whatman and The Empowerment Alliance before the publication of this article. 
The “No” campaign against the ban is supported by local residents and unions, Ohio Citizen Action, Property Rights Ohio, and environmental groups like the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund and NRDC Action Fund. Opponents of the ban view it as an attack on property rights that prohibits local landowners and farmers from leasing their land to wind and solar farms. 
Top image an excerpt from the ban on wind and solar farms adopted last year by the Richland County Commissioners

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Record growth in solar, especially in China and India, was a driving factor for clean energy sources surpassing the world’s strong demand for electricity in 2025, according to a new global power analysis.
Clean power generation grew 887 terawatt hours last year, exceeding overall global electricity demand growth of 849 terawatt hours, according to a report by energy think tank Ember, released after midnight Tuesday London time.
Ember analyzes electricity data from 215 countries, and studied 2025 data for 91 countries, which the firm says represents 93% of global demand.
Overall, the share of renewables — including solar, wind, hydropower and other clean energies — hit more than one-third of the world’s electricity mix for the first time in modern history last year, growing 33.8% to 10,730 terawatt hours.
It’s promising news for a world embattled by climate change that’s driven by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas to meet growing needs from economic growth, rising populations and electrification. The analysis is also especially timely amid a global energy crisis exacerbated by the U.S. war in Iran.
In another historical first, coal power saw its share fall below one-third of global generation, dropping by 63 terawatt hours, or about 0.6%, to 10,476 terawatt hours in 2025.
“We’re coming from a period over the last few decades where new electricity demand growth meant growth in fossil generation,” said Nicolas Fulghum, Ember senior data analyst and lead author of the report. “We’re now moving into a world where that’s no longer the case.”
Also: “Milestones like renewables overtaking coal mark an occasion, but they don’t tell us everything about the story in the power sector,” Fulghum added. “The big difference to 10, 15 years ago, where governments were pledging a build out of renewables, is that now those pledges are much more believable.”
SOLAR AND WIND OVERALL
Solar, which grew 30% in 2025, alone met three-quarters of last year’s net rise in electricity demand — and combined with wind power generation, met 99% of it.
Though solar overtook wind power globally for the first time last year, and gained on nuclear power, Ember expects the two to overtake nuclear this year.
Meanwhile, fossil fuel generation essentially halted, and fell about 0.2% in 2025, or 38 terawatt hours — making last year one of only a handful of years without a rise this century.
Growth in battery storage accompanied the acceleration of solar around the world; as battery costs fell 45% last year, storage grew 46% in 2025. Ember estimates that enough battery capacity was added last year to shift 14% of the solar generation added from midday to other hours of the day.
That’s an important part of using solar generation beyond the daytime, when it can be collected.
So, “Despite the accelerated growth and electricity demand that comes with added electric vehicle build out, of heat pumps, industrial sector electrification,” Fulghum said, “clean power will be able to structurally meet that increase in demand going into the next few years, before then bending the curve and reducing the amount of fossil generation we’re using. And that is a stark departure from the last few decades.”
REGIONAL IMPACT
Last year also marked the first time this century that both China and India — historically major contributors of fossil power — saw declines in fossil fuel generation. In China, the decline was 0.9%, or 56 terawatt hours, and in India, 3.3%, or 56 terawatt hours.
Instead, they’re “now aggressively pursuing a strategy of diversification through bringing renewables into the mix. And those are the sources that are the biggest drivers of change in their power system today,” Fulghum said.
China led the globe in solar, and is responsible for more than half of the world’s growth in both solar capacity and generation last year. China also accounted for most of the world’s rise in wind, with 138 terawatt hours added.
India, meanwhile, saw record increases in both solar and wind generation, along with strong hydropower output. In a reversal from fossil fuel generation increases — which for years, were driven by an economic rebound following the pandemic — India also saw lower-than-average demand growth.
The U.S. and Europe added 85 terawatt hours and 60 terawatt hours, respectively, of solar last year as fossil fuels saw small increases.
President Donald Trump’s administration has placed pressure on industry leaders to boost coal, oil and gas production and reduced support for renewables; but in Europe, fossil generation is generally trending down. The analysis suggests that despite efforts attacking clean energy in the U.S., and war-related challenges, the transition continues to make headway around the world.
“As we’re seeing the cost of oil be incredibly volatile right now because of the war, I think more and more people are looking to that national security argument as a reason to think about how we electrify more and and how we’re able to take advantage of additional solar and wind, which does not rely on other countries,” said Alexis Abramson, dean of the Columbia University Climate School, who was not involved in the study.
“We’ve really crossed this important threshold that clean energy now can meet rising demand economically and at the same time really help address national security concerns,” she added. “The next challenge is really turning that into a steady decline of fossil fuel use as well. So it’s a great step in the right direction.”
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Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: alexa–stjohn. Reach her at ast.johnap.org.
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The financial closing for Israel’s largest solar power plant, set to be built near Dimona, southeast of Beersheva, across roughly 3,000 dunams (300 hectares, or 740 acres) of land, was completed on Sunday.
EDF Renewables, which won the tender with a record-low bid of less than 6.5 agorot per kilowatt-hour (approximately $0.022 per kWh), is expected to begin construction immediately. The project is scheduled to take approximately two years to complete.
The facility will have an installed capacity of 265 megawatts and use photovoltaic technology. It will be developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, under which the concessionaire is responsible for the project’s planning, financing, construction, operation and maintenance for 25 years before ownership reverts to the state.
“This power plant is good news for the State of Israel as a whole, and for the South in particular. The AI revolution is driving increased energy demand and fueling a global race to establish data centers and server farms, and this is one of many mega-projects we are advancing across the country,” Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen told JNS on Sunday.
“The southern region, with its abundant sunshine, has the potential to become a hub for clean energy production located near server farms, which is a significant advantage. In this way, we are strengthening Israel’s energy security, creating high-quality jobs and positioning Israel—already a technological powerhouse—as a global leader in artificial intelligence,” he added.
The project joins a series of PPP renewable energy initiatives in the Ashalim area led by the Energy Ministry, the Accountant General’s Department and the Electricity Authority, which together are expected to generate more than 800 megawatts.
The Dimona tender was issued as part of efforts to expand renewable energy capacity in line with the government’s goal of generating 30% of Israel’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
“The largest solar power plant in Israel, to be built in Dimona at the lowest electricity rate ever set, is a significant achievement for the public and the economy,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said.
“The project reflects the right combination of innovation, competition and efficiency, and will help increase electricity supply, reduce emissions and advance progress toward the government’s 2030 targets. We will continue to promote advanced infrastructure and strengthen the Israeli economy,” he added.
Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) is the fastest-growing news agency covering Israel and the Jewish world.

© 2026 JNS, All Rights Reserved

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India headquartered NTPC has declared commercial operation of 100 MW capacity at its solar PV project in Ramagundam, Telangana. The commercial operation became effective from 00:00 hours on May 2, 2026. The total planned capacity of the project is 176 MW, with the remaining capacity under development. Following this addition NTPC’s total installed capacity has reached 89,805 MW. The company’s commercial capacity now stands at 88,725 MW. The announcement was made under SEBI Regulation 30 compliance. This phased commissioning enables early revenue generation from operational capacity.

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In 2024, Houston debuted a new program in partnership with the Black United Fund of Texas and the Green Thumb Academy to train Black, low-income, and formerly incarcerated residents for jobs in clean energy.
In the inaugural 22-week training, called “Vulnerable to Vibrant,” 50 participants left with an $18/hour paycheck and a certification in solar installation. And for some, it also provided a sense of purpose. 
“Being a part of [the program] felt like creating history,” Leon Dillard, a 37-year-old who was incarcerated for two years prior to being in the program, told Capital B News. 
“Learning the trade with people from similar backgrounds [not only] gave us something to offer back to society, but also ourselves.”
In addition to being a source of opportunity for the trainees, it’s also a way to confront environmental disparities that plague marginalized communities.
“For decades, these … communities have faced disproportionate challenges, from contamination to extreme heat and flooding,” Black United Fund of Texas writes on its website.
“The Vulnerable to Vibrant program directly addresses these inequities by bringing sustainable solutions, workforce development, and improved quality of life directly to the heart of these neighborhoods.”
Unfortunately, nearly as quickly as the program began, its funding was put in jeopardy. After being created under the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act, federal dollars were withdrawn by the Trump administration. 
But the organizers rallied. 
Velika Thomas of the Black United Fund said, “We’ve worked before without literal dollars,” and still kept the initiative alive on a razor-thin budget. Combining funds and grants, they were able to maintain the wages for the trainees.
“As a Black person, I have not felt that America has ever put us at the forefront,” Thomas said. “We are not a waste; the community is not a waste.”
And the impact of the solar job training program is proof of that sentiment.
Those, like Dillard, who completed the program, left with certifications, a pathway to a union apprenticeship, and a newfound knowledge no one could take from him.
“Learning this trade … it’s something you can do as a career and retire from,” Dillard said.
“Solar is the way the world is going,” Marissa King, another student, told Houston Landing. “I want to be a part of that.”
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A version of this article was originally published in The 2026 Environment Edition of the Goodnewspaper. 
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Researchers note that the Sahara is considered an ideal region for the development of solar energy due to the large number of sunny days. However, the desert ecosystem is characterized by climatic stability and sensitivity to any changes. A key factor identified by scientists is the difference in solar light reflection. Light sand reflects a significant portion of solar energy back into the atmosphere, while dark panels, on the other hand, actively absorb heat. When millions of panels are installed, the effect becomes large-scale: the heated surface enhances the temperature contrast and leads to a faster rise of hot air. According to the model, moisture contained in the atmosphere rises along with the air. Although its amount in the desert is small, during a sharp rise and cooling at altitude, the moisture begins to condense, contributing to the formation of dense clouds and potential precipitation. Scientists emphasize that solar panels do not create moisture but change the mechanisms of its movement in the atmosphere, which may be enough to trigger rainfall events. Moreover, the possible increase in precipitation could lead to vegetation growth, which can amplify changes through the so-called “feedback loop,” further affecting heat exchange and humidity. The authors of the study note that solar energy remains an environmentally important direction; however, even “clean” technologies, when implemented on a large scale, can significantly impact natural processes and climate.
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“The answer depends on several factors.”
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In the face of rising energy prices and increasing power outages, more U.S. homeowners are looking at solar as a potential solution. However, many rightfully wonder if panels are still a good investment as the industry reacts to federal incentives drying up. 
According to Andrew Blok, Electrification Writer and Editor for Palmetto, the answer depends on several factors, including your roof condition, location, and home energy goals. 
Blok explained in a Palmetto article that solar panels typically cost anywhere from $2.36 to $3.24 per watt. However, the total cost can vary dramatically based on your system size, incentives available, and location. 
One of the most important factors to consider before going solar is your payback period, or the point at which the energy bill savings surpass the upfront cost of installing panels. While homeowners often see substantial long-term savings thanks to modern solar panels lasting 25 years or more, the exact payoff can vary depending on how the system is financed and installed.
While homeowners typically see the most savings by buying outright, leasing options, like the $0-down plans from Palmetto, can still be a worthy investment for those who are concerned about the upfront installation costs of purchasing solar panels. 
Solar panel production and subsequent bill savings can vary by season. To get a more accurate picture of overall savings, Blok recommended focusing on annual or multi-year data rather than short-term results.
According to Palmetto, homeowners across the country can see substantial long-term returns from solar investments. Its state-by-state estimates suggest homeowners can save anywhere from $54,000 to $119,000 on their energy bills over 25 years with solar. 
Homeowners who upgrade typically have a payback period of seven to 12 years. 
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Whatever your solar budget, Palmetto can help you save.
If you want to buy your own panels, Palmetto’s advisors can help you save up to $10,000 on installation through a network of preferred installers. And if you’d rather get solar savings without upfront costs, Palmetto’s revolutionary LightReach subscription program can deliver — including an exclusive $1,000 cashback offer for TCD readers.
LightReach lets you lease solar panels with no money down, making it painless to lock in long-term savings of up to 33% off your current power bill. Palmetto covers a 25-year warranty for the panels, which means you’ll get reliable performance without unforeseen costs.
To get started, just book a short meeting with Palmetto’s experts to explore your options and find the solution that’s right for you.
To calculate your own payback period, divide the total upfront cost of a solar panel system in your area by your estimated annual energy bill savings. Because electricity prices tend to rise over time, the actual payback period may end up being shorter than your initial estimate.
Other than bill savings, solar panels can help you lower pollution from your home, boost your property value, and, when paired with a battery backup, can protect your home from outages. 
To see which solar plan is best for your situation, connect with the experts at Palmetto. They have helpful tools and a $0-down leasing option called LightReach that can lower your utility bill by up to 20%. 
Plus, to boost your savings even more, consider pairing solar panels with an ultra-efficient heat pump. Palmetto also offers an HVAC leasing program that starts at just $99 a month and includes 12 years of free maintenance. 
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Published on: May 3, 2026 / Updated on: May 3, 2026 – Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
Agri-PV or “Cow-PV”? Nestlé Biessenhofen: When cows generate solar power – Economic analysis of an integrated energy transition model – Creative image: Xpert.Digital
Moving away from fossil fuels: How this food processing plant saves millions with cow pastures and heat pumps
In Biessenhofen, Bavaria, the food giant Nestlé is demonstrating how the industrial energy transition of the future can look in practice. With an innovative "cow-PV" system, the company combines state-of-the-art solar power generation with traditional dairy farming, creating a win-win situation for both industry and agriculture. Covering an area of ​​nearly five hectares, thousands of solar panels provide valuable shade for grazing cows while simultaneously supplying a quarter of the electricity needed for the adjacent nutrition plant. But the solar plant is just the visible part of a much larger plan: coupled with high-performance industrial heat pumps, it creates an intelligent, closed-loop energy system that drastically reduces the use of fossil fuels. This multi-million-euro project impressively proves that climate protection, security of supply, animal welfare, and economic viability don't have to be mutually exclusive, but rather complement each other perfectly through smart local cooperation.
On April 21, 2026, Nestlé officially opened a so-called "cow-PV" system at its Nutrition plant in Biessenhofen, in the Bavarian Allgäu region – an agri-photovoltaic solution that combines solar power generation and agricultural grazing on the same land. The system was realized in partnership with local farmer Gerhard Metz and the renewable energy company BayWa r.e., which contributed its expertise in planning, construction, and operation. What at first glance appears to be a commendable sustainability initiative is, upon closer inspection, an economically sound overall concept that addresses several challenges simultaneously: volatile energy markets, rising CO2 costs, regulatory pressure, and the structural dependence of industrial food production on fossil fuels.
The agrivoltaic system covers an area of ​​4.74 hectares – roughly equivalent to seven football fields – in the immediate vicinity of the Nestlé Nutrition plant, to which it is directly connected. With an installed peak capacity of 4.5 megawatts and a total of 7,800 solar modules, it can theoretically cover around a quarter of the plant's electricity needs, which corresponds to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 2,000 single-family homes. The modules are mounted at a height of two meters and have a row spacing of 3.30 meters, allowing access for tractors, mowers, and forage wagons, thus ensuring that agricultural operations can continue uninterrupted.
The system meets the requirements of DIN SPEC 91434, which defines binding criteria for the primary agricultural use of agrivoltaic projects. Even during the test phase in March 2026 – with reduced operation and seasonally low solar irradiance – a 14 percent reduction in the plant's electricity consumption was achieved. On particularly sunny days, the generated solar power is sufficient to operate the entire plant. Surplus solar power is fed into the public grid.
Nestlé has invested around three million euros in the project. This sum may seem modest at first glance, but it is deliberately designed to create leverage: The direct connection to the plant and the on-site use of the electricity eliminate grid fees and transmission costs that would be incurred with externally sourced electricity. The combination of self-consumption and occasional grid feed-in creates a robust economic foundation that also protects against rising electricity prices. Plant manager Frank Brinkmann emphasized that the investment is intended to simultaneously improve the plant's competitiveness – reducing energy costs and climate protection go hand in hand here.
For farmer Gerhard Metz, lease payments from leasing land provide additional income streams that stabilize his agricultural earnings during times of volatile producer prices. At the same time, he has invested in a new, modern barn for up to 50 cows with automated milking technology, directly adjacent to the agri-PV area. The installation of a milking robot with selection gates, which controls grazing based on individual cow data, significantly reduces labor and increases operational efficiency. Thus, the overall project is mutually beneficial for both parties – industry and agriculture.
The agri-PV system is not an isolated component, but rather part of an integrated energy system that is being gradually implemented at the Biessenhofen site. Since July 2024, a highly efficient industrial heat pump has been supplying the plant with 60-degree Celsius hot water via an on-site district heating network, thus replacing fossil fuels that were previously used to generate steam. This system will soon be supplemented by another heat pump for higher temperature ranges, which will heat water to 90 degrees Celsius.
Two newly constructed thermal storage tanks, each with a capacity of 100 cubic meters, ensure a constant supply of hot water. During 2026, two additional heat pumps and a chiller with two compressors will be installed. This chiller will produce cooling water at 10 degrees Celsius, replacing the current system of using drinking water for cooling – a significant step towards water conservation in the production facility. According to the company, the first two heat pumps will save more than 3,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually. The heat pumps are already powered entirely by electricity from renewable energy sources – and will be further powered in the future by the new on-site agrivoltaic system.
The principle is economically compelling: heat pumps generate three to four times the amount of heat energy from one kilowatt-hour of electrical energy. In industrial food production, where heating and cooling are required simultaneously, waste heat from refrigeration systems can be directly recovered and used for heating purposes – a closed loop that fundamentally improves the plant's energy efficiency.
The concept of the agri-PV system explicitly takes the animals' needs into account. The modules, mounted at a height of two meters, provide shade for the heat-sensitive cows on sunny days and offer protection from rain. The area accommodates both mother cows and calves and young animals. During the trial operation, the animals oriented themselves well within the area and readily used the shaded areas under the solar modules in sunny weather.
Farmer Gerhard Metz points out that this grazing concept can mitigate the negative effects of climate change on livestock. Rising average temperatures and more frequent extreme heat events are increasingly impacting animal health – heat stress demonstrably leads to reduced milk production in dairy cows. Shading provided by solar panels acts as a cost-effective and productive protective shield, combining animal welfare with economic efficiency. At the same time, the area remains fully usable as pasture and hay meadow, as the spacing between the modules has been specifically designed to accommodate machinery.
 

New: Patent from the USA – Install solar parks up to 30% cheaper and 40% faster and easier – with explanatory videos! – Image: Xpert.Digital
The core of this technological advancement is the deliberate departure from conventional clamp mounting, which has been the standard for decades. The new, more time- and cost-effective mounting system addresses this with a fundamentally different, more intelligent concept. Instead of clamping the modules at specific points, they are inserted into a continuous, specially shaped support rail and held securely in place. This design ensures that all forces – whether static loads from snow or dynamic loads from wind – are distributed evenly across the entire length of the module frame.
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The project in Biessenhofen is not an isolated case, but rather part of a rapidly growing global market segment. The worldwide agrivoltaics market is estimated at US$5.9 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to over US$14.23 billion by 2035, representing an annual growth rate of more than 9.2 percent. According to industry observers, agrivoltaics in Germany is still in its infancy, but it has exceptionally high potential.
A study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) has calculated that around 500 gigawatts peak solar power could theoretically be installed on the most suitable agricultural land in Germany – many times the German photovoltaic expansion targets for 2040. Even more conservative scenarios, which take nature reserves and other restrictions into account, arrive at a technical potential of 5,600 to 7,900 gigawatts peak. The Jülich Research Centre assumes that realistically, 1 to 2 percent of German agricultural land is suitable for agri-PV – this would still amount to 170 to 340 gigawatts of installable capacity. Besides investment costs and regulatory hurdles, the main obstacle to growth is considered to be the lack of sufficient grid connection points.
The project in Biessenhofen cannot be viewed in isolation from the company's global climate goals. Nestlé has committed to halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050 – across its entire value chain. This commitment is based on a company-wide greenhouse gas emission of approximately 92 million tons of CO2 equivalents annually, of which around two-thirds originate from agriculture.
Nestlé already relies on renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power for its electricity supply in Biessenhofen – including through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with partners like Axpo. The agri-PV system complements this mix with a regional, decentralized generation component directly on site. As a driver of electrification through heat pumps, the "cow-PV" system contributes to the global climate strategy and serves as a blueprint for other Nestlé locations worldwide. Jörg Schmitt, Environmental & Sustainability Manager for the German production sites, explicitly stated that many Nestlé sites are to be modernized in a similar way over time.
One of the structural problems of large energy projects in Germany is a lack of public acceptance. The "cow-PV" plant in Biessenhofen demonstrates how this problem can be solved through a participatory project structure: A local farmer is an active participant and economic beneficiary, not merely an affected landowner. Andreas Kaufmann, member of the Bavarian State Parliament (CSU) and the Economic Affairs Committee, emphasized that the project successfully combines two seemingly contradictory goals: energy infrastructure with public acceptance, and economically sound energy generation with effective climate protection.
The regional economic benefits are not a marginal side effect: The new barn, equipped with modern milking technology and space for up to 50 cows, creates economic substance in rural areas. The lease payments for the land stabilize the farmer's operating profit in an environment of volatile producer prices. Dr. Stephan Schindele, Head of Product Management Agri-PV at BayWa r.e., emphasized that scaling such projects requires, above all, planning certainty and pragmatic permitting processes – from land valuation to grid connection.
The macroeconomic context of this investment extends far beyond operational efficiency. Since the disruptions in European energy markets between 2021 and 2023, triggered by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the resulting disruption of Russian natural gas supplies, security of supply for industrial consumers has become a crucial factor for business location decisions. The volatility of energy prices increases entrepreneurial risk, complicates production costing, and jeopardizes the international competitiveness of energy-intensive companies.
Decentralized, on-site power generation through agrivoltaics, combined with the use of heat pumps instead of gas-fired steam boilers, is a direct response to this vulnerability. Every kilowatt-hour that the plant produces itself is a kilowatt-hour that neither needs to be purchased nor is subject to price fluctuations. Nestlé CEO Alexander von Maillot succinctly stated this at the opening ceremony: Electrification and securing the energy supply are key tasks for the future, and Biessenhofen is implementing these concretely and innovatively – through renewable energy directly on-site, state-of-the-art technology, and tangible added value for the region.
The Biessenhofen model is more than a local success story – it's a promise of scalability. The combination of an agrivoltaic system, industrial heat pumps, thermal storage, and a refrigeration system, all interconnected through intelligent waste heat utilization, demonstrates how a traditionally energy-intensive food production site can be gradually decarbonized. The three million euros invested, which covers approximately a quarter of the plant's electricity needs, provides a benchmark for the cost range of similar projects.
Comparable projects in the food industry – such as the heat pump expansion at Arla Foods in Pronsfeld, where €14 million was invested in two industrial heat pumps with an annual output of 12.5 gigawatt-hours and an annual CO2 saving of over 5,000 tons is targeted – illustrate that Biessenhofen is not an isolated case. The trend toward electrifying industrial heat supply via heat pumps, powered by renewable electricity from on-site or nearby generation facilities, is gaining momentum. The food industry, with its specific requirements for simultaneous heating and cooling, is particularly well-suited to benefit from this combination of technologies.
The plant in Biessenhofen convincingly demonstrates that the energy transition in industry does not necessarily have to involve sacrifice or competitive disadvantages – provided that all parties involved pull together and jointly seek solutions that meet several requirements simultaneously.
 
 

Konrad Wolfenstein
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DGTR has recommended imposing up to 30% anti-dumping duty on Chinese solar cells/modules for a period of 3 years 
The domestic manufacturing industry claims that imports surged during the injury period, harming their sales and market share 
Domestic producers increased output but faced losses and were forced to sell below cost due to cheaper imports 
DGTR found dumped imports undercut prices, threatening further injury to the Indian solar industry 
The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) in India has recommended imposing an anti-dumping duty (ADD) of up to 30% on solar cells, whether or not assembled into modules, originating in or exported from China, for a period of 3 years. It will come into effect post-publication in the Gazette of India. 
The decision comes within a year of the investigation initiated at the request of petitioners, namely FS India Solar Ventures Private Ltd., Jupiter International Ltd., Tata Power Solar System Ltd., and TP Solar Ltd. RenewSys India Private Ltd. was also a co-petitioner, but it pulled out during the course of the investigation.  
The period of investigation (POI) was April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. It covered the periods of FY 2020-21, FY 2021-22, FY 2022-23, and the POI to examine injury analysis. During the entire POI, India imported more than 30.7 GW of subject solar cells. The domestic industry claims that the volume of subject imports increased by 271% during the injury period, while the volume of solar cell imports rose by an additional 63% in the subsequent period. 
In 2021-2022, the volume of imports was more than double that of the previous year. It declined in 2022-23 owing to the imposition of 25% Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on solar cells from April 1, 2022, which was lowered to 20% in the Union Budget 2025 and came into force from February 2, 2025 (see Union Budget 2025: India Reduces Tariffs on Imported Solar Cells and Modules). 
The domestic industry submitted to DGTR that the increase in imports in POI is due to a steep price reduction by the Chinese producers. It claims that domestic manufacturers were forced to curtail their production. While domestic industry output increased by 456% over the injury period, domestic sales increased by only 112%. As a result, FS India claims it was forced to sell 41% lower than its cost. 
Manufacturers also claim to have lost various contracts to cheaper Chinese imports. The industry was unable to fully utilize its capacities while piling up inventories and being unable to sell its goods in the market.
“Due to the presence of such significant volume of subject imports, the domestic industry was unable to sell its goods in the market and its market share in total demand was abysmally low,” determined DGTR, while subject imports were “undercutting the price.”  
“The dumped imports are also threatening to cause further injury to the domestic industry,” observed DGTR. “The domestic industry was also unable to reach its projected or targeted levels, and its performance was much lower than that projected at the time of commencement of production.”
It has determined that Chinese companies have been dumping solar cells into the Indian market at dumping margins of up to 115%, and has recommended injury margin levels on imports from various Chinese companies in the list that’s available on DGTR’s website. 
In May 2025, the Indian Ministry of Finance, acting on the recommendation of the DGTR, imposed an ADD on solar glass originating in or exported from China and Vietnam for 3 years (see India Imposes Anti-Dumping Duty On Imported Solar Glass). 
Recently, DGTR also launched an AD probe into solar encapsulant imports from South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam following a petition from RenewSys (see India Initiates AD Investigation Into Imported Solar Encapsulants).
In a related development, India is also planning to introduce a dedicated import monitoring system to keep a close watch on solar energy equipment entering the country. The system will track product details, country of origin, and compliance with harmonized system codes, according to The Economic Times report. 
TaiyangNews 2024

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Four new major projects to strengthen Australia’s supply chains  Department of Industry Science and Resources
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CHRISTIANA, Tenn. (AP) — From a distance, the small solar farm in central Tennessee looks like others that now dot rural America, with row upon row of black panels absorbing the sun’s rays to generate electricity.
But beneath these panels is lush pasture instead of gravel, enjoyed by a small herd of cattle that spends its days munching grass and resting in the shade.
Silicon Ranch, which owns the 40-acre farm in Christiana, outside of Nashville, believes cattle-grazing is the next frontier in so-called agrivoltaics, which mostly has involved growing crops or grazing sheep beneath the panels.
The solar company debuted the project this week and will spend the next year working to demonstrate to farmers that much larger cattle also can thrive at solar sites. If successful, advocates say, that could jump-start new projects to meet the soaring electricity demand driven by rapidly expanding data centers — without contributing climate-warming carbon emissions — and help cattle producers hold onto their land and livelihoods.
“Solar is one of the most powerful tools we have for cutting emissions and … is cost-competitive with fossil fuels,” said Taylor Bacon, a doctoral student at Colorado State University who has studied ecological outcomes at solar grazing sites. “I think we’re starting to see enough research that, when you do it well, the land use can be more of an opportunity than a downside.”
Though there are far more cattle than sheep in the U.S., their size poses challenges at solar sites, where both expensive equipment and the animals, which can weigh more than half a ton, must be protected.
Solar panels often pivot to near-vertical angles to capture the sun’s rays, leaving little room underneath for cattle; simply raising the panels is cost-prohibitive because of the amount of steel required. So Silicon Ranch raised the panels a little but also developed software that workers activate to turn the panels close to horizontal when cattle are grazing, giving them room to wander, said Nick de Vries, the company’s chief technology officer.
Workers rotate the cattle — currently 10 cows and their calves — between paddocks every few days so panels on the ungrazed portion of the site operate normally, generating a supply of roughly 5 megawatts of electricity for Middle Tennessee Electric, a rural electric co-op.
The hope is that the technology eventually will be adopted more broadly, company officials said.
“We know it works,” said de Vries. “But you need to prove it to other people.”
For solar companies, agricultural land is generally easier to develop than other types of sites. But many farmers — and communities — will need to be convinced that solar grazing will benefit them because of past practices that destroyed topsoil and took land out of production permanently.
“For many agricultural stakeholders, it is offensive to see high-quality farmland getting graded and piled when that’s a farm family’s legacy,” said Ethan Winter, national smart solar director at American Farmland Trust.
But he sees potential for solar grazing partnerships to help farmers keep their land in production and earn extra income at a time when it’s increasingly difficult to earn money farming and ranching alone.
“Agriculture is in a really tough spot right now” including because of trade wars, climate extremes, increased costs and pressure to sell, Winter said. “So maybe this is our moment where we can be helping states meet their energy needs and do that in a way that’s providing new opportunities for farmers.”
Silicon Ranch this year will have almost 15,000 acres of pasture being grazed — mostly by sheep — since launching five years ago, and is working with ranchers, farmers, university researchers and others to adopt best-practices for keeping soils and animals healthy.
What they’re finding is that pasture beneath solar panels retains more moisture, making it more drought tolerant, said Anna Clare Monlezun, a rancher and rangeland ecosystem scientist who’s working on the Tennessee project. Grazing in the shade leaves animals less prone to heat stress, enabling them to gain more weight and drink less water.
“There are more win-wins than trade-offs,” she said.
Sheep already have proven to be a good fit for solar sites, with more than 130,000 acres grazed as of 2024, a number that certainly has grown, said Kevin Richardson, senior director of the American Solar Grazing Association.
But for cattle, the industry still has to overcome site-design challenges and be able to scale up operations while also developing appropriate economic incentives for ranchers, Richardson said.
“Once we have that, I think we’ll see more solar sites using cattle or multi-species grazing with sheep and cattle,” he said.
Farmers often earn about $1,000 an acre by leasing their land for solar, easily 10 times more than what they historically earned through traditional agriculture, said Winter, from the Farmland Trust. That can help them to diversify operations, pay down debt and buy more land.
“I think you’ll start to hear more interest from farmers who are up against a serious financial wall right now and looking for income diversification opportunities that keep land in production,” Winter said. “We need and want to grow America’s energy capacity but not at the expense of our best farmland or at the expense of agricultural livelihoods.”
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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You never know what impact you can have on others — Patsy Montesinos brings us that reminder with a story featuring some very familiar faces. Enjoy this story and go vote for Shante!

– Carrie Sharp

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At first, it didn’t make sense.
The wind above a solar farm wasn’t behaving the way it should. It wasn’t flowing smoothly across the landscape.
It was slowing down.
Shifting.
Sometimes even reversing in subtle ways.
For a while, it looked like a measurement error. A glitch in the data.
But the pattern kept repeating.
And when scientists took a closer look, they realized something unexpected was happening—something that doesn’t just affect the ground, but the air above it.
So what was really changing?
Solar panels are designed to absorb energy.
That’s their purpose.
But when you cover large areas of land with them, you don’t just change how much energy is captured—you change how that energy moves.
Natural land reflects and releases heat in a certain way.
Solar panels don’t.
They absorb more sunlight, store heat differently, and release it back into the environment at a different rate.
At small scales, that effect is not enough to write home about.
But across massive solar farms, it becomes noticeable.
Especially in the air.
Researchers studying airflow over large solar installations began noticing something unusual.
Wind speeds actually dropped as air passed over the panels.
In some cases, turbulence increased.
The smooth, predictable flow of air became disrupted.
That raised a key question for consideration.
Why would a flat surface change wind behavior so significantly?
The answer wasn’t in the wind itself.
It was in temperature.
Solar panels heat up differently than the land around them.
They create patches of warmer air close to the surface.
That temperature difference alters pressure patterns locally.
And when pressure changes, wind responds.
Air moves from high-pressure areas to low-pressure ones. If solar panels create warmer, rising air, they effectively pull surrounding air toward them.
That movement disrupts the natural flow.
Creating microcurrents.
Small but measurable shifts in wind direction and speed. You wouldn’t think these would count much.
This is the hidden effect.
Not visible. Not obvious.
But persistent.
At first, these changes seem localized.
A slight shift in wind. A small drop in speed. Minor, right?
But scale changes everything.
As solar farms expand, these micro-effects can combine.
Potentially influencing temperature distribution, moisture movement, and even cloud formation in surrounding areas.
In other words, solar farms don’t just sit in the environment.
They interact with it.
Continuously.
This doesn’t mean solar energy is harmful.
Far from it.
But it does highlight something important. And it’s relevant if we want to improve future operations.
Even clean energy systems have physical effects on their surroundings.
They change how heat moves.
How air flows.
How local climates behave—at least, on a small scale.
And as installations grow larger, those effects become more relevant, says the study “Wind pressure characterization on ground-mounted solar PV systems: A combined experimental and numerical study,” published in Case Studies in Thermal Engineering.
What started as a simple observation—wind behaving strangely—led to a deeper understanding of how these systems work.
Not of wind alone. But of how interconnected environmental systems really are.
If you change the surface, you change the air.
Change the air…
And over time, you may begin to change the climate around it.
It’s not dramatic.
Not immediate.
But it’s real.
And it’s something scientists are only beginning to fully understand.
© 2026 by Ecoportal
© 2026 by Ecoportal

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A bird appears to smoke after flying through concentrated solar beams, known as "solar flux," at the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant in 2016, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (U.S. Geological Survey)
This is part 2 of a series on California’s troubled Ivanpah Solar Power Plant in the Mojave Desert. 
More than a decade after it opened, an Obama-era taxpayer-backed “clean energy” solar plant in California still burns fossil fuels and kills thousands of birds each year.
The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant, a massive facility in the Mojave Desert near the California–Nevada border, uses hundreds of thousands of mirrors to reflect sunlight into three towering structures, generating intense heat to produce electricity.
But those same beams have proven deadly.
A composite image shows a tower at the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant alongside a bird found with burn injuries linked to concentrated solar heat exposure, according to federal wildlife research. (Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
OBAMA-BACKED $2.2B GREEN ENERGY ‘BOONDOGGLE’ LEAVES TAXPAYERS ON THE HOOK
Federal researchers and monitoring reports have documented thousands of birds being killed after flying through the plant’s concentrated solar rays — a phenomenon known as “solar flux.”
The plant also relies on natural gas to start up each day — producing tens of thousands of metric tons of carbon dioxide annually — an amount comparable to the energy use of thousands of homes, raising questions about how “clean” the facility really is.
Standing near the site, its footprint is unmistakable. The towers glow intensely as beams of reflected sunlight converge at their tops, creating an almost surreal scene against the desert landscape.
Once promoted as a symbol of the future of renewable energy, Ivanpah is now drawing scrutiny over whether its environmental costs outweigh its benefits, with critics saying the project raises broader concerns about how “clean energy” is evaluated.
“If oil and gas spills a drop, literally a drop, the entire operation is shut down. And to an extent that’s a good thing,” Daniel Turner, founder of the energy advocacy group Power The Future, told Fox News Digital.
“But you label something ‘green’ or ‘clean’ and all regulations are waived.”
TRUMP’S UN SPEECH REVEALS INCONVENIENT TRUTH OF MASSIVE GREEN ENERGY COSTS
An aerial view shows the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant near the California-Nevada border, where mirrors reflect sunlight onto towers to generate electricity. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group)
Despite the documented wildlife impacts, the plant continues to operate — with California regulators declining efforts to shut it down and instead arguing it is still needed to support the power grid. Officials under both the Trump and Biden administrations have supported shutting the facility down, citing the high cost of its electricity compared to newer alternatives.
The project was built with more than $1.6 billion in federally backed loans and additional taxpayer-funded incentives, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars still outstanding — even as environmental concerns continue to mount. In addition, the U.S. Department of the Treasury provided a $539 million grant to help build the facility, covering about 30% of construction costs.
Bird deaths and wildlife impacts
The facility spans more than 4,000 acres of the Mojave Desert and uses roughly 350,000 mirrors — mounted on more than 170,000 heliostats — to reflect sunlight toward three central towers.
That same concentrated light has had unintended consequences.
Researchers say insects are drawn to the bright towers, which in turn attract birds. Some then fly through the plant’s concentrated solar beams — known as solar flux — where they can be injured or killed.
Researchers dubbed the phenomenon “streamers,” with video released by the U.S. Geological Survey showing birds trailing smoke as their feathers burn.
A peregrine falcon wing shows severe feather damage consistent with exposure to concentrated solar heat, according to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study of the Ivanpah solar plant. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Burned feathers from a peregrine falcon show damage patterns linked to concentrated solar beams at the Ivanpah solar plant, according to federal research. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
A 2016 federal study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found evidence of birds suffering feather damage and trauma consistent with exposure to intense heat near the towers.
Monitoring reports filed with California regulators and reviewed by Fox News Digital continue to document bird and bat deaths at the site, with hundreds of birds found dead each year.
Environmental reviews conducted before construction anticipated some level of wildlife impact, including bird deaths linked to mirror collisions and concentrated solar beams, according to California Energy Commission documents.
“Bird mortality is still a significant concern at concentrated solar plants like Ivanpah,” Lewis Grove, director of wind and energy policy at the American Bird Conservancy, told Fox News Digital.
“Public estimates are that thousands of birds are killed every year by this single facility,” he said, adding that the trade-off is “generally not worth it for birds.”
CALIFORNIA’S POLITICIANS DIDN’T START THE FIRES. THEY MADE THEM WORSE
He noted that newer photovoltaic solar systems have significantly lower impacts on wildlife, underscoring how the industry has shifted away from the technology used at Ivanpah.
“The Ivanpah plant was a financial boondoggle and environmental disaster,” Julia Dowell of the Sierra Club said in a previous Fox News Digital report. She added the project “killed thousands of birds and tortoises” and showed that “not all renewable technologies are created equal.”
Habitat impact
Beyond bird deaths, the project has reshaped the surrounding desert.
The site was once considered a high-quality habitat, according to federal environmental reviews conducted before construction. Development cleared large areas of land, displacing tortoises and other wildlife and raised concerns about long-term survival.
Early monitoring reports showed dozens of protected desert tortoises went unaccounted for during initial operations — including animals held in controlled enclosures — according to California Energy Commission documents reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Critics have also questioned whether efforts to relocate tortoises away from the site have been effective.
Burning fossil fuels
The plant’s environmental footprint extends beyond wildlife.
Ivanpah relies on natural gas to start up operations each day — a requirement that has raised questions about how “clean” the facility really is.
While the original design assumed limited gas use, actual operations often require several hours of gas-burning to bring the system online. The plant also lacks large-scale energy storage, meaning it cannot generate electricity at night — a limitation newer solar projects increasingly address.
A bird feather shows curling and charring linked to concentrated solar heat exposure at the Ivanpah facility, according to a federal wildlife study. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Project documents show the facility was originally approved to use significantly less natural gas than it ultimately required, with operators later seeking approval to increase usage by roughly 60% to maintain reliable operations, according to California Energy Commission filings reviewed by Fox News Digital.
The plant has burned natural gas to support daily startup and operations, producing roughly 25,000 to 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually — roughly equivalent to the emissions from several thousand U.S. homes.
That level of emissions is enough to place the plant under California’s cap-and-trade program, which requires major polluters to pay for their emissions — effectively placing the “solar” facility alongside traditional fossil fuel plants when it comes to emissions.
While Ivanpah produces fewer emissions than a conventional natural gas plant, its carbon footprint remains significantly higher than that of modern solar farms, which generate electricity without burning fossil fuels.
NRG Energy, which operates the facility, said in a previous statement that it remains committed to providing renewable electricity but declined to provide additional comment regarding environmental issues.
The California Energy Commission told Fox News Digital the project remains in compliance with its environmental requirements, with wildlife impacts addressed through ongoing monitoring and coordination with federal and state agencies.
The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant in California’s Mojave Desert uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto three towers to generate electricity. (Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Getty Images)
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More than a decade after it opened, Ivanpah now stands as a symbol of the tradeoffs in the push for clean energy — where efforts to reduce emissions can also bring real-world environmental costs.
For now, the plant continues to operate because regulators say the power it provides is still needed — even as questions remain about its cost, environmental impact and whether it still makes sense to keep it running.
Those questions extend beyond the plant itself, raising broader concerns about how projects like Ivanpah were approved — an issue Fox News Digital will examine in the next part of this series.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
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Oil shipments are down, but one energy export is sitting pretty: Chinese solar panels. Yale Environment 360 reports that as the US-Iran conflict has disrupted oil flows out of the region, buyers have rushed to lock in alternatives—sending China's solar exports to a new high. In March—the war's first full month—55 countries hit records in terms of their Chinese solar panel purchases. African and Asian countries saw the biggest surges in demand, with exports to India, Laos, and Malaysia more than doubling compared to February, and exports to Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria more than tripling.
China shipped out 68 gigawatts' worth of new solar generating capacity via panels and components. Futurism translates: That is twice what China normally exports and about as much capacity as the US expects to add over all of 2026 and 2027. The surge arrives as China's solar industry wrestles with overproduction that has already pushed dozens of firms out of business. Analysts are now watching to see whether war-driven demand can absorb that excess capacity. Futurism sees a political twist: the boom benefits both China and renewable energy—two sectors former President Trump has frequently criticized.

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New Delhi: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) organised the ‘Run for Sun’ Marathon on Sunday, on the occasion of International Sun Day, as a tribute to the ‘Saur Shakti’ lighting the world.
The event celebrated over 1,50,000 MW of solar energy installed capacity and the transformative progress under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PM-SGMBY), under which 30 lakh solar rooftop installations have been completed, with the highest single-month number — 2.7 lakh of them — completed in April 2026. The rooftop solar panels now benefit more than 45 lakh households across the country, according to an official statement.
As of March 31 this year, India’s cumulative solar capacity stands at 150 gigawatts, up from just 2.82 GW in 2014 — a 53-fold increase in twelve years. The last 50 GW alone was added in just 15 months, the fastest such addition in its history. Around 50 per cent of India’s installed electricity capacity now comes from non-fossil fuel sources — a target achieved well ahead of the 2030 timeline, reinforcing India’s position as a global leader in the clean energy transition, the statement said.
India is presently ranked third globally in terms of installed renewable energy capacity. The ‘Run for Sun’ event served as a platform to highlight the depth of India’s solar energy journey — and to build on this momentum to further accelerate solar deployment across the country.
The ‘Run for Sun’ featured 2 km and 5 km races at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi, drawing enthusiastic participation from citizens across all age groups — reflecting the growing public ownership of India’s clean energy mission.
In his remarks on the occasion, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Santosh Kumar Sarangi, said that the ‘Run for Sun’ is not merely a marathon, but a collective step towards a more sustainable and self-reliant India. He emphasised that as India strengthens its position as a global leader in renewable energy, the focus remains firmly on expanding access to solar energy through the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana — ensuring that the benefits of the clean energy transition reach every household.
(IANS)
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UK solar installations hit decade high in March as energy prices surge  Reuters
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Plans to build Australia’s first large-scale silicon ingot and wafer manufacturing facility in Queensland have been put on the fast track by the federal government in a nod to the project’s potential to play a key role in supporting a domestic solar supply chain.
Image: Stellar PV
Stellar PV’s plan to establish a 2 GW silicon ingot pulling and wafer manufacturing plant near Townsville in north Queensland has been awarded Major Project Status by the Australian government, putting it on the fast track for regulatory approvals.
Sydney-headquartered Stellar is looking to build a polysilicon ingot pulling and wafering facility close to Townsville. The low-emissions plant would process polysilicon to produce silicon ingots and then convert the ingots to silicon wafers.
The company said the project will support high-value solar manufacturing that turns Australian expertise and resources into globally competitive capability and provide an alternative supply chain for both domestic and global solar markets.
“This unlocks a significant opportunity for Australia to move beyond exporting raw critical minerals and into high-value processing and manufacturing, creating a trusted, high-quality alternative supply chain for photovoltaic wafers,” Stellar Chief Executive Officer Louise Hurll said.
Stellar said being awarded Major Project Status recognises the national significance of the estimated $400 million (USD 281 million) project and the strategic importance of establishing Australia as a global hub for solar manufacturing.
The designation ensures the project will receive direct support from the federal government’s Major Projects Facilitation Agency, including help navigating regulatory approvals related to areas such as environment, biosecurity and foreign investment.
The announcement follows the recent release of an interim report that confirmed the feasibility of the planned manufacturing facility.
The pre-feasibility review indicates the facility is technically and commercially achievable and there are no environmental, regulatory or site-related barriers that would limit progression to the next stage of the feasibility study.
The study, supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of the $1 billion federal Solar Sunshot program, says preliminary findings “indicate that establishing Australia’s first large-scale ingot and wafer facility is technically feasible and commercially promising.”
“Early assessments of the process design, equipment options, site requirements and ESG commitments provide a sound basis for progressing to detailed engineering studies,” it says, noting that market case is strong with European and United States “actively looking” for wafer supplies as their cell and module capacity expands.
“Australia’s low-cost renewable energy, trusted trade position and supportive policy settings give us a clear advantage in meeting this demand,” the report reads. “With production credits and CAPEX support, our early findings indicate the project can achieve globally competitive pricing, deliver high-value regional jobs and sovereign capability, and relieve one of the most significant chokepoints in the global clean-energy supply chain.”
Stellar said the report provides a solid foundation to proceed to the next stage of the project, which is to deliver feasibility study, front-end engineering design, and preparation and submission of development applications for the facility. The company is aiming for production in late 2028, pending regulatory approvals.
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Beam Global Granted U.S. Patent for Integrated Wind and Solar Power Generation System  Yahoo Finance
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NewsNews | Apr 30, 2026
eramos@tahoedailytribune.com
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The South Tahoe Public Utilities District (STPUD) had a “ribbon cutting” of sorts on Wednesday. With no ribbon to be seen, the STPUD board threw the switch on for the largest solar array in the Tahoe Basin, celebrating renewable energy and the efforts of the community.
This project was years in the making and director Shane Romsos stressed how needed such a project was. “Energy is one of our fastest growing costs,” he said. The solar array spans 1.5 acres and will generate 1.4 megawatts of power per year—roughly a third of the energy requirements of the wastewater treatment plant.
The solar array will offset over 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide per year and is estimated to produce $190,000 in savings in its first year. It was bought through a power purchasing agreement with the Staten Group, who also constructed and installed the 2,112 panels.
The panels are set four feet above the ground in preparation for snow seasons, and are bifacial, meaning they can absorb sunlight (and reflected sunlight from the snow) from both sides of the panel.
Romsos thanked their partners and collaborators, including the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the city of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County and Liberty Utilities. He also thanked staff, saying, “Since the idea was formed in 2019, our staff has worked tirelessly to make this happen.”
Board director Nick Exline said, “This was a really long journey to get here… this was an effort of ‘we.’” He thanked the community for their support and added, “We have a unique opportunity as a public utility. We want to work together so that Tahoe can bring forth its own energy future, because this sets a pathway to where we’re going to go in the future.”
Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley. Learn more at https://fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows/.
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Showers early, then partly cloudy for the afternoon. High 72F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Higher wind gusts possible..
A clear sky. Low near 45F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: May 3, 2026 @ 4:51 am

Concord, CA – When homeowners in Concord, California, search for solar companies, many are trying to make sense of how system design, battery storage, and PG&E requirements will affect their long-term electricity costs. North Valley Solar Power, a regional solar energy company, helps homeowners design and manage residential solar projects while coordinating installation through a licensed installation affiliate.
Located in the East Bay within PG&E territory, Concord homeowners face rising electricity rates and evolving utility policies. With energy costs continuing to rise, careful planning has become an important part of any solar installation project, particularly when designing a system that matches how the home actually uses energy day to day.
 
One of the most important steps in residential solar planning is proper system sizing. When solar panel companies design systems that are too small, homeowners may still rely heavily on grid electricity. Oversized systems can produce excess power that provides limited value under current utility credit structures. North Valley Solar Power approaches each project by reviewing household electricity usage, roof configuration, and long-term energy goals before finalizing the solar power installation design.
 
Battery storage is another important consideration for many Concord households looking for more flexibility in how they use their energy. When paired correctly with solar panels, a battery can store electricity generated during the day and make it available later in the evening when energy use and costs are typically higher. By carefully designing solar power installation plans that incorporate battery storage where appropriate, the company helps homeowners reduce reliance on grid electricity during peak rate periods.
 
Navigating PG&E requirements can also play a big role in how a solar project timeline unfolds. Interconnection applications, documentation reviews, and utility approvals must be completed before a system becomes operational. North Valley Solar Power manages these coordination steps while working with a licensed installation affiliate. This helps homeowners move through each phase of the project with clear communication and a better sense of what to expect.
 
“Every home uses energy a little differently, so designing a solar system should never be one-size-fits-all,” said a spokesperson for North Valley Solar Power. “Our role is to design the system carefully and manage the process from start to finish so homeowners know their project aligns with PG&E requirements and supports their long-term energy goals.”
 
North Valley Solar Power has managed more than 2,500 residential solar projects across Northern and Central California. The solar providers focus on clear communication, structured project oversight, and careful coordination between homeowners, permitting offices, and installation partners. Where applicable, NABCEP-certified solar professionals contribute to system design and planning, helping ensure each project meets technical and performance expectations.
 
To learn more about Concord solar installation services, visit https://northvalleysolarpower.com/location/concord-ca/ or call 925-678-6404.
 
About North Valley Solar Power
 
North Valley Solar Power is a solar design and project management company serving homeowners in Concord and throughout Contra Costa County. The company designs and manages residential solar energy systems while coordinating installation through a licensed installation affiliate. Operating within PG&E territory, North Valley Solar Power guides homeowners through system design, permitting support, and utility interconnection to ensure projects align with California energy policies and household electricity needs.
 
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A bird appears to smoke after flying through concentrated solar beams, known as "solar flux," at the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant in 2016, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (U.S. Geological Survey)
This is part 2 of a series on California’s troubled Ivanpah Solar Power Plant in the Mojave Desert. 
More than a decade after it opened, an Obama-era taxpayer-backed “clean energy” solar plant in California still burns fossil fuels and kills thousands of birds each year.
The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant, a massive facility in the Mojave Desert near the California–Nevada border, uses hundreds of thousands of mirrors to reflect sunlight into three towering structures, generating intense heat to produce electricity.
But those same beams have proven deadly.
A composite image shows a tower at the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant alongside a bird found with burn injuries linked to concentrated solar heat exposure, according to federal wildlife research. (Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
OBAMA-BACKED $2.2B GREEN ENERGY ‘BOONDOGGLE’ LEAVES TAXPAYERS ON THE HOOK
Federal researchers and monitoring reports have documented thousands of birds being killed after flying through the plant’s concentrated solar rays — a phenomenon known as “solar flux.”
The plant also relies on natural gas to start up each day — producing tens of thousands of metric tons of carbon dioxide annually — an amount comparable to the energy use of thousands of homes, raising questions about how “clean” the facility really is.
Standing near the site, its footprint is unmistakable. The towers glow intensely as beams of reflected sunlight converge at their tops, creating an almost surreal scene against the desert landscape.
Once promoted as a symbol of the future of renewable energy, Ivanpah is now drawing scrutiny over whether its environmental costs outweigh its benefits, with critics saying the project raises broader concerns about how “clean energy” is evaluated.
“If oil and gas spills a drop, literally a drop, the entire operation is shut down. And to an extent that’s a good thing,” Daniel Turner, founder of the energy advocacy group Power The Future, told Fox News Digital.
“But you label something ‘green’ or ‘clean’ and all regulations are waived.”
TRUMP’S UN SPEECH REVEALS INCONVENIENT TRUTH OF MASSIVE GREEN ENERGY COSTS
An aerial view shows the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant near the California-Nevada border, where mirrors reflect sunlight onto towers to generate electricity. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group)
Despite the documented wildlife impacts, the plant continues to operate — with California regulators declining efforts to shut it down and instead arguing it is still needed to support the power grid. Officials under both the Trump and Biden administrations have supported shutting the facility down, citing the high cost of its electricity compared to newer alternatives.
The project was built with more than $1.6 billion in federally backed loans and additional taxpayer-funded incentives, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars still outstanding — even as environmental concerns continue to mount. In addition, the U.S. Department of the Treasury provided a $539 million grant to help build the facility, covering about 30% of construction costs.
Bird deaths and wildlife impacts
The facility spans more than 4,000 acres of the Mojave Desert and uses roughly 350,000 mirrors — mounted on more than 170,000 heliostats — to reflect sunlight toward three central towers.
That same concentrated light has had unintended consequences.
Researchers say insects are drawn to the bright towers, which in turn attract birds. Some then fly through the plant’s concentrated solar beams — known as solar flux — where they can be injured or killed.
Researchers dubbed the phenomenon “streamers,” with video released by the U.S. Geological Survey showing birds trailing smoke as their feathers burn.
A peregrine falcon wing shows severe feather damage consistent with exposure to concentrated solar heat, according to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study of the Ivanpah solar plant. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Burned feathers from a peregrine falcon show damage patterns linked to concentrated solar beams at the Ivanpah solar plant, according to federal research. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
A 2016 federal study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found evidence of birds suffering feather damage and trauma consistent with exposure to intense heat near the towers.
Monitoring reports filed with California regulators and reviewed by Fox News Digital continue to document bird and bat deaths at the site, with hundreds of birds found dead each year.
Environmental reviews conducted before construction anticipated some level of wildlife impact, including bird deaths linked to mirror collisions and concentrated solar beams, according to California Energy Commission documents.
“Bird mortality is still a significant concern at concentrated solar plants like Ivanpah,” Lewis Grove, director of wind and energy policy at the American Bird Conservancy, told Fox News Digital.
“Public estimates are that thousands of birds are killed every year by this single facility,” he said, adding that the trade-off is “generally not worth it for birds.”
CALIFORNIA’S POLITICIANS DIDN’T START THE FIRES. THEY MADE THEM WORSE
He noted that newer photovoltaic solar systems have significantly lower impacts on wildlife, underscoring how the industry has shifted away from the technology used at Ivanpah.
“The Ivanpah plant was a financial boondoggle and environmental disaster,” Julia Dowell of the Sierra Club said in a previous Fox News Digital report. She added the project “killed thousands of birds and tortoises” and showed that “not all renewable technologies are created equal.”
Habitat impact
Beyond bird deaths, the project has reshaped the surrounding desert.
The site was once considered a high-quality habitat, according to federal environmental reviews conducted before construction. Development cleared large areas of land, displacing tortoises and other wildlife and raised concerns about long-term survival.
Early monitoring reports showed dozens of protected desert tortoises went unaccounted for during initial operations — including animals held in controlled enclosures — according to California Energy Commission documents reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Critics have also questioned whether efforts to relocate tortoises away from the site have been effective.
Burning fossil fuels
The plant’s environmental footprint extends beyond wildlife.
Ivanpah relies on natural gas to start up operations each day — a requirement that has raised questions about how “clean” the facility really is.
While the original design assumed limited gas use, actual operations often require several hours of gas-burning to bring the system online. The plant also lacks large-scale energy storage, meaning it cannot generate electricity at night — a limitation newer solar projects increasingly address.
A bird feather shows curling and charring linked to concentrated solar heat exposure at the Ivanpah facility, according to a federal wildlife study. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Project documents show the facility was originally approved to use significantly less natural gas than it ultimately required, with operators later seeking approval to increase usage by roughly 60% to maintain reliable operations, according to California Energy Commission filings reviewed by Fox News Digital.
The plant has burned natural gas to support daily startup and operations, producing roughly 25,000 to 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually — roughly equivalent to the emissions from several thousand U.S. homes.
That level of emissions is enough to place the plant under California’s cap-and-trade program, which requires major polluters to pay for their emissions — effectively placing the “solar” facility alongside traditional fossil fuel plants when it comes to emissions.
While Ivanpah produces fewer emissions than a conventional natural gas plant, its carbon footprint remains significantly higher than that of modern solar farms, which generate electricity without burning fossil fuels.
NRG Energy, which operates the facility, said in a previous statement that it remains committed to providing renewable electricity but declined to provide additional comment regarding environmental issues.
The California Energy Commission told Fox News Digital the project remains in compliance with its environmental requirements, with wildlife impacts addressed through ongoing monitoring and coordination with federal and state agencies.
The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant in California’s Mojave Desert uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto three towers to generate electricity. (Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Getty Images)
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More than a decade after it opened, Ivanpah now stands as a symbol of the tradeoffs in the push for clean energy — where efforts to reduce emissions can also bring real-world environmental costs.
For now, the plant continues to operate because regulators say the power it provides is still needed — even as questions remain about its cost, environmental impact and whether it still makes sense to keep it running.
Those questions extend beyond the plant itself, raising broader concerns about how projects like Ivanpah were approved — an issue Fox News Digital will examine in the next part of this series.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
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For almost half a century, the vast majority of climate experts have agreed on a solution to global warming: stop burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. But despite the political efforts of governments across the world to promote replacing these fuels, fossil sources have remained a stubbornly large share of global energy — around 80 percent at last count.
But the war in Iran, which the United States and Israel launched two months ago this week, may turn out to be the push that dislodges fossil fuels’ place atop the world’s energy system. The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway near Iran through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies flow, has been blocked since early March, with no relief in sight. This has created the biggest energy crisis in modern history. Twenty-five countries are now reporting critical road fuel, jet fuel, or heating oil shortages. 

But unlike the oil shock of the 1970s, which occurred in a time when substitutes for fossil fuels were not yet powerful or cheap enough to build at scale, this disruption is happening as renewable energy sources are beginning to outcompete fossil fuels, providing countries with new energy options at costs that have plummeted in recent years.
“We now have a viable alternative,” said Selwin C. Hart, a special adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General, at a first-of-its-kind international conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels in Colombia this week. “Renewables have changed the equation.” 
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But even though this calculus has changed, it’s too soon to say where the chips will fall as the world’s energy system evolves. While the reliability of a huge chunk of the world’s oil and natural gas is now perhaps permanently in question, it’s not certain that renewables will fill all or even most of the gap. Coal, the most polluting fossil fuel, is taking on a renewed appeal in a world desperate to replace natural gas for electricity, and it remains difficult for solar and wind to replace the around-the-clock power provided by both of those fossil fuels.
“It’s hard to say which direction things will go,” Daan Walter, a lead researcher at the energy think tank Ember, told Grist.
Still, two months after the war began it’s becoming clear which sources of energy stand to win and which stand to lose as the world changes in response to the conflict. As prices rise and supplies dwindle, countries around the globe are reevaluating their energy futures. While some have fallen back on dirty fuels to fill the gaps caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, others have announced significant investments in clean energy to chart a path away from the sources of energy they have relied on for more than a hundred years. 
The Strait of Hormuz is the chokepoint through which more than 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes, including exports from major producers such as Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. The small nation of Qatar produces around one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas, or LNG, which it exports on boats in superchilled tanks. Iran’s drone attacks have damaged Qatar’s major gas infrastructure and prevented all the nations in the region from sending both oil and LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
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The main buyers of this oil are in Asia, but tankers from the strait travel all over the world, including to the U.S. The first month of the war set off a scramble to replace this lost supply. Major buyers like China and Japan started hoarding refined oil products they would normally export and began rationing their strategic fuel reserves. Rich importers like Australia and California paid more to secure seaborne oil from other countries.
Most nations don’t have the same luxuries; they simply have to use less oil. In Asia, the loss of LNG compounds the problem tremendously. Several major Asian economies including Japan, Korea, and Singapore rely on LNG to run their power plants and factories. Many LNG shippers sign long-term contracts with importing countries, meaning there weren’t any spare shipments floating around, as was the case with crude oil after the start of the war. If they wanted to keep the lights on, these countries had to turn back to dirtier coal power.
The loss of LNG from Qatar was a big win for the United States, which is the world’s other biggest exporter of liquefied gas. The LNG exporters who did have spare capacity available could command eye-watering prices from countries that needed the fuel. But there’s a limit to how much more gas the U.S. can send to fill the gap: liquefying natural gas requires the construction of massive factories on the coast, which can take years, and existing plants are already running at full capacity. In the meantime, the disruption has dampened enthusiasm for what had been a very popular fuel, said  Anne-Sophie Corbeau, a researcher at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and the former head of gas analysis at BP. 
“If you are an LNG importer and you are looking at the global market, you’re thinking, ‘do I want to be exposed in that way?’” she said.
Meanwhile, governments across Asia have rolled out a host of policies intended to cut down on the consumption of oil and natural gas: They lowered speed limits, mandated remote work, set thermostats higher despite hot weather, and asked employees to take the stairs rather than using the elevator. They have also waived fuel taxes and banned price increases to prevent an affordability crisis. These measures have contained unrest and economic collapse for now, but further warning signs are emerging. Airlines in Europe, Africa, and New Zealand have cancelled hundreds of flights, and small carriers in the U.S. are facing bankruptcy as the price of jet fuel rises.
In the long term, the oil crisis may accelerate a preexisting shift to electric vehicles and hybrids, which had already begun to outsell gas cars in many countries in Europe and Asia. In the first month of the war, electric-vehicle sales jumped by more than 50 percent in big European economies like France and Germany, and by almost 200 percent in Brazil. While gas cars still make up the vast majority of vehicles on the road today, a fast shift to EVs — juiced by government mandates such as Indonesia’s — could cause oil demand to plateau or decline in the coming years.
Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel; it produces far more carbon dioxide than oil or natural gas to generate the same amount of energy. Although some major economies like China and India still burn tremendous amounts of it, many world powers have been shifting toward liquefied natural gas and renewables over the past decade, cutting emissions in the process.
Even so, most of these coal-to-gas switchers never decommissioned their old coal plants — they just stopped using them. Since the beginning of the war, the availability of this legacy coal fleet has allowed countries across Asia to ramp up coal capacity to fill the gap in lost LNG imports. South Korea lifted a previous emissions limit that barred coal plants from running at more than 80 percent of total capacity, allowing the coal fleet to generate as much power as possible. On the other side of the globe, some European countries like Italy are extending the lifespans of their coal plants, in some cases by more than a decade. 
“The real question is how governments balance short-term energy security with long-term climate commitments,” said Dinita Setyawati, a Jakarta-based analyst for Ember who studies decarbonization in Asian economies.
Although most experts believe coal power will continue its decline as a major source of primary energy, Corbeau said that the crisis could prolong its lifespan in Asia, breaking natural gas’s role as a so-called “bridge fuel” between coal and renewables.
“They could definitely keep coal, add more renewables, and do less LNG in the end,” said Corbeau. “It may be that a lot of countries say that coal is a lot less subject to geopolitics, therefore we are going to use more coal.”
No renewable source is in a better position to surge than solar. Solar farms already made up the vast majority of new power plants even before the war, and Chinese exports of solar panels, batteries, and electric vehicles hit records in March, according to recently-released export data. (China is by far the world’s most prolific exporter of renewable energy technology.)
The countries most affected by the Iran War are among the areas seeing the “sharpest increases in demand” for these products, according to Ember. Exports of Chinese batteries rose 44 percent; the European Union, Australia, and India were top customers. The flow of solar components to India rose by 6.6 gigawatts between February and March, a nearly 150 percent increase. Solar exports to Africa rose 176 percent over the same time frame. Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia led the way with more than a gigawatt of growth each. All told, 50 countries set records for Chinese solar imports in March. 
After Europe saw its solar market contract slightly last year, demand for rooftop solar in countries across the continent is surging as electricity bills rise, according to a report from Reuters. Three major energy equipment wholesalers interviewed for the report have seen their sales spike more than 30 percent, with one company’s net sales tripling in March. The European Commission, which released a document last week calling for more electrification, renewables, and energy efficiency measures to counteract the ongoing energy shortage, will present energy ministers with proposals for how to reduce short-term fossil fuel exposure at a meeting in Greece next month.
In Vietnam, a company that planned to build a 4.8-gigawatt liquefied natural gas plant — which would have been the country’s largest — has axed those plans and now aims to build a wind, battery storage, and solar facility instead. South Korea recently announced a fast-tracked plan to deploy 100 gigawatts of renewables by 2030, a plan that includes 400 billion won, or roughly $270 million, for low-interest loans for village solar projects. (One hundred gigawatts is roughly enough electricity to power Ho Chi Minh City 10 times over.)
While solar is a clear winner in light of the new bottleneck in the Middle East, the outlook for wind power is less clear. On the one hand, the German wind turbine maker Nordex saw its shares reach a 24-year high in the first quarter of 2026, as demand for clean energy in Europe continues to rise. But the Iranian and American blockades of the Strait of Hormuz could stymie the delivery of wind turbine components such as foundations and substations, many of which are manufactured in the Persian Gulf. This could have a depressive effect on wind growth even if countries in Europe and the United Kingdom wish to boost development. 
There’s a chance, however, that the biggest winner may be the most controversial form of climate-friendly power. For decades, the growth of nuclear energy has been constrained by high prices and long development timelines; it can take over a decade to get a plant licensed and built. Disasters like the 2011 tsunami that damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan further dampened nuclear’s growth. In Europe, pressure from anti-nuclear environmental groups led many countries to decommission their nuclear power fleets. As a result, the share of power coming from nuclear reactors globally reached its lowest point in four decades in 2022.
Anti-nuclear sentiment was starting to soften before the war in the Middle East began, but the Iran War is speeding up this trend, prompting countries that shunned nuclear for decades to reevaluate the role that around-the-clock carbon-free energy plays on their grids. Early evidence for a nuclear surge is strongest in Asia, which is most reliant on Middle Eastern oil and natural gas. In Taiwan, a country that gets a third of its liquefied natural gas from Qatar, the state utility formally submitted a restart plan for its Maanshan nuclear plant a month after the war began.
South Korea, which already gets about 30 percent of its power from nuclear, signed a cooperative agreement with Vietnam to jointly develop new nuclear capacity, building on talks that began last year. After restarting Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, which is the world’s largest nuclear plant, in January, Japan inked a$40 billion deal to build advanced small nuclear reactors in the American south during a visit to the White House in March. Japan also signed a 5-year “memorandum of cooperation” with Indonesia aimed at advancing nuclear power and critical minerals development around the same time.
Elsewhere, countries are delaying nuclear phase-outs and talking about how to boost capacity. “I believe that it was a strategic mistake for Europe to turn its back on a reliable, affordable source of low-emissions power,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in March this year as she announced a $232 million fund to galvanize private investment in new nuclear technologies. The Commission warned member states like Spain and Belgium against prematurely phasing out nuclear power plants. In Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa reaffirmed their support for nuclear; nearly half of the countries on the continent had long-term nuclear development plans before the war began. This week, the government of Belgium began negotiations to take over a fleet of nuclear reactors that the utility Engie had been planning to shut down.
“All decommissioning activities are being halted with immediate effect,” said the country’s prime minister, Bart De Wever, in a statement.

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A former trade school in the Hill District is celebrating a new rooftop solar array that will cover more than 20% of the building’s electricity needs.
Backers say the project is an example of the kind of investment Pittsburgh needs for long-term energy resilience.
The Energy Innovation Center in the former Connelley Trade School is home to university research labs, incubator space for new energy companies and workforce training programs.
Don Evans, CEO of the center’s nonprofit parent company Pittsburgh Gateways Corporation, said he wants the center to be a “beacon on the hill” for new tech.
The solar array is the latest addition to the building, which already features a small wind turbine, a thermal battery, combined heat and power generators fired with gas and high-efficiency lighting.
“We do want to showcase the best that modern energy technology can bring, even to a 1930s historic building,” Evans said.
He was encouraged to add the panels by federal incentives created under President Joe Biden. Last year, the Republican-controlled Congress voted to phase those tax credits out earlier than originally scheduled.
Evans said, even without federal credits, the panels still make financial sense.
The $1.2 million project included a new roof and 530 solar panels. The roof is reflective, allowing the panels to catch even more light as it bounces back from the roof’s surface. The arrays will generate 350,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which is about enough to power 33 homes.
Evans said the power generated by the panels will be worth $50,000 annually over the next 25 years, and help guard against future electricity price increases.
Sharon Pillar, executive director of the Pennsylvania Solar Center, which helped Pittsburgh Gateways plan the project, said adding solar energy anywhere on the grid can help temper electricity prices. That is because solar panels can produce a lot of energy on hot, sunny days, when demand for cooling is high, she said.
“ We are so thrilled that this iconic place has some of the latest energy technology sitting up on its rooftop and has finally been cured [of] this illness that we call ‘lazy roof syndrome,’” Pillar said, adding the roof is now being put to good use.
The project was financed by Bridgeway Capital, a lending company that focuses on social impact.
The firm’s Dawn Seckler said energy financing is difficult, especially in the midst of shifting federal priorities. But she said making sure community assets like the center stay viable helps create neighborhood stability.
“We think of this not simply as an investment in an individual building, but really the kind of investment that we need more and more of to ensure that we have the long-term regional strength,” Seckler said.

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