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Australia’s Clean Energy Investor Group has urged the federal government to accelerate the implementation of the reformed Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
It warns that critical regulatory gaps remain despite the legislation already being in effect.
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The report, titled Implementing the EPBC Act: Recommendations to support better, faster decisions for renewable energy projects, was published and prepared with legal adviser Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer.
It sets out eight recommendations across two areas. This includes the effective administration of the amended Act and the finalisation of the outstanding regulatory instruments and sector-specific guidance that will govern the framework’s operation in practice.
CEIG represents domestic and global renewable energy developers and investors with more than 16GW of installed capacity across 76 power stations, a combined portfolio value of around AU$38 billion (US$24.9 billion), and a project pipeline of more than 46GW across Australia.
The Environment Protection Reform Act 2025 was passed by the Commonwealth Parliament on 28 November 2025, making what CEIG describes as the most far-reaching changes to Australia’s national environment law in a generation.
The reforms established a new National Environmental Protection Agency (National EPA), introduced a streamlined 30-business-day assessment pathway for non-fossil-fuel projects, and replaced the existing “no net loss” offsets standard with a “net gain” requirement.
As of 1 July 2026, the Minister has delegated almost all assessment and approval powers under the EPBC Act to office holders within the National EPA.
Despite those changes already being in effect, the report identifies several critical areas where the framework remains incomplete.
National Environmental Standards covering matters of national environmental significance, environmental offsets, community consultation, data and information, and First Nations engagement are still under development, along with the offsets calculator and the definition of what constitutes a “net gain.”
The report notes that full commencement of the reforms must occur by December 2026, leaving limited time for the government and the National EPA to close those gaps.
“Whether that objective is realised will depend on two things occurring in parallel,” the report states, referring to the government’s aim of stronger environmental protection alongside faster, more efficient approvals.
“The first is the effective implementation and administration of the amended EPBC Act. The second is the finalisation of the regulatory framework that supports it.”
The report also draws on a progress scorecard against 10 recommendations from CEIG’s 2024 EPBC Act review. Of those, only one, relating to referral processing timeframes, was assessed as fully implemented.
Several others, including improvements to bilateral assessment arrangements, the finalisation of onshore wind farm guidance, and explicit recognition of renewable energy’s climate contributions in decision-making, recorded no progress.
The bilateral assessment arrangements between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments must be renegotiated under the new higher environmental standards, with a Western Australian memorandum of understanding targeting December 2026 as a completion date.
The report also points to persistent structural issues that the legislative amendments alone have not resolved.
These include inconsistent definitions of habitat across assessments, overly conservative decision-making driven by limited data on a relatively new industry, and approval conditions that CEIG members describe as disproportionate to actual ecological risk.
A Capability Review of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), released in June 2026, found that 56% of staff said the department’s risk appetite was a barrier to performing at their best, a finding the report highlights in support of its call for a more evidence-based approach to assessments.
You can read the full article on our sister site Energy-Storage.news.

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Sonnedix closed a $196 million financing for 29.3 MW solar projects in Italy
January 4, 2021
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Sonnedix Japan, an independent solar power producer, on behalf of the Sonnedix Group, completed the acquisition of a 55.6 MW ground-mounted solar PV project. The project, located in  Hitachi City, Ibaraki prefecture, started operations in August 2017 and is currently under a feed-in-tariff until August 2037. Sonnedix Japan currently has 251.6 MW of solar PV capacity in operation and 338 MW under development.
Sonnedix also announced the completion of non-recourse financing of solar PV projects in Italy, at a value of €160 million (~$195.91 million). The financing included a debt service reserve facility and long-term facility, which has been partially disbursed for the refinancing of 21 solar projects, with an installed capacity of 29.3 MW, located in several Italian regions. Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Milan Branch acted as mandated lead arranger, green loan lead coordinator, and lender, while Intesa Sanpaolo, Societe Generale, Milan Branch, and UBI Banca (part of Intesa Sanpaolo Group) acted as Mandated Lead Arrangers, Green Loan Co-Coordinators and Lenders. Intesa Sanpaolo also acted as Account Bank and Agent.
Ecofin US Renewables Infrastructure Trust has acquired nearly 12 MW of solar capacity through two projects in the U.S. The investment trust, incorporated in England and Wales, raised $125 million in its initial public offering (IPO) in London earlier this month. The two acquisitions are part of the seed investments announced in its IPO prospectus. Ecofin paid $10.9 million in total for 100% cash equity interests in a commercial rooftop solar facility in California with a capacity of 4.8 MW and a ground-mount solar installation in Massachusetts with a capacity of 7.1 MW. Both projects have contracts for 100% of their output with a weighted average remaining term of more than 17 years.
US solar developer Sunpin Holdings has closed a tax equity financing of undisclosed size with a unit of Morgan Stanley to support a project in California with a capacity of 98 MW. Specifically, the financing coming from Morgan Stanley Renewables will back the Titan Solar 1 project in Imperial County, which has been operating since earlier this month.
Masdar, a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, announced the financial close of the 100 MW Nur Navoi solar project in Uzbekistan. Masdar established Nur Navoi Solar FE as the local project company to deliver the project, which is scheduled to start operations in the third quarter of 2021. The project company will also operate and maintain the project for 25 years.
Capital Dynamics, an independent global private asset management firm, completed the sale of a majority interest in its Beacon portfolio to Tortoise Ecofin and S&B USA Energy. Each buyer has acquired a 49.5% ownership of the portfolio. Capital Dynamics retains a minority stake of 1%. The 107.8 MW Beacon portfolio consists of two projects: Beacon II (59.6 MW) and Beacon V (48.2 MW). Both sites interconnect and sell power to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) under two 25-year fixed rate Power Purchase Agreements.
Capital Dynamics also announced that it’s Clean Energy Infrastructure (CEI) business had completed the acquisition of the remaining 69.98% interest in Arlington Valley Solar Energy II (AVSE II), a 175 MW solar PV project, from funds Apollo Funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management. CEI acquired a 30.02% interest in AVSE II as part of the acquisition of three solar PV projects from LS Power in November 2020. Following the acquisition from the Apollo Funds, Capital Dynamics has assumed 100% interest in the AVSE II solar PV project.
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), a part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy and a developer of renewable energy projects closed the financing agreement for the 115 MW Metz solar project. The funding is provided by Westpac and NORD/LB in the form of a Green Loan compliant with the Loan Market Association Green Loan Principles and the Green Projects requirements. Metz Solar Farm will bring FRV’s Australian operating and in construction solar projects to eight, of which four are in New South Wales, including Moree (56 MW) and Goonumbla (69.75 MW) in operation and Sebastopol (90 MW) under construction.
Sonnedix Japan, an independent solar power producer, on behalf of the Sonnedix Group, completed a project financing led by The Daisan Bank, a local bank headquartered in the Mie prefecture. The financing covers a 2.3 MW ground-mounted operational solar PV project acquired in September this year. The project began operations in 2016.
7C Solarparken, a solar project developer, has acquired an 8.3 MW Hottingen solar project from Energiekontor. The solar project is located in the municipality of Hottingen in the central Franconian district of Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen, around 40 km south of Nuremberg, and was put into operation on December 18, 2020. 
EDP Renováveis completed the sale of an 80% stake in a 563 MW wind and solar portfolio to Canadian firm Connor Clark & Lunn Infrastructure. The deal corresponds to an enterprise value of $684 million. The EDP – Energias de Portugal subsidiary retained the remaining 20% stake in the portfolio. EDP Renováveis will also continue to manage the portfolio, comprising the 66 MW Hog Creek wind project in Hardin County; the 100 MW Meadow Lake wind project in White County; the 98 MW Quilt Block wind project in Lafayette County; the 99.1 MW Redbed Plains wind project in Grady County; and the 200 MW Riverstart solar project in Randolph County.
Altus Power America – an investor, owner, and operator of clean energy projects – completed the acquisition of approximately 100 MW of distributed solar assets across California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, and Vermont. The company expanded its long-standing partnership with Blackstone to finance the projects.
Danish renewable energy project developer European Energy signed an agreement to sell the 30 MW Naessundvej solar project in Denmark to Conquest Group, an international asset management company.
For reports and trackers on funding and M&A transactions in solar, energy storage, smart grid, and efficiency sectors, click here.
Read last week’s project finance brief.
Utsav Sinha
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23 July 2026
Science and technology, Environment, Sustainable impact, Faculty of Science
Commentary: Ralph Cooney looks at why New Zealand lags far behind Australia in residential solar energy, and identifies 10 policy shifts needed to change that.
Over the past two decades, Australia has quietly become a world leader in household solar power. About 4.4 million Australian homes have solar installed, among the highest rates of residential solar adoption anywhere on the planet.
This is in sharp contrast to New Zealand, where only about 75,000 households have installed solar, roughly four percent of homes.
The contrast is striking because New Zealand and Australia share many of the same advantages: abundant sunshine, growing electricity demand and a need to cut emissions while improving energy security.
The adoption of solar energy in Australia emerged from niche expensive off-grid use in the 1990s to the current widespread grid integration driven by government rebates, lucrative feed-in tariffs, and soaring retail electricity prices.
Australia leads the world in rooftop solar adoption, with more than 4.3 million rooftop solar installations and 28.3GW of installed rooftop solar capacity. The Australian residential rooftop solar contributes 11.2–14.6 percent of the national total electricity supply. The continued evolution of Photo Voltaic Solar Farms in New Zealand with large grid batteries should also be inspired by Australia’s many existing and planned large PV projects.
Why did Australia get so far ahead in the adoption of rooftop solar while New Zealand continues to lag so far behind? The short answer: Australia has had government incentives while New Zealand hasn’t. Contrary to common perception, though Perth and Brisbane receive more intense sunlight than any New Zealand city, major centres such as Auckland and Melbourne have similarly strong potential for rooftop solar.
The timing of an expansion of solar energy in New Zealand is likely to benefit from the ongoing exceptional rise of new technologies leading to more efficient, flexible and versatile solar panels, combined with cheaper and safer solar batteries.
A critical economic driver for a switch to solar in New Zealand is the progressively increasingly high cost of retail electricity prices. This is clear in a review of political party policies leading into this year’s election.
Several parties have already proposed measures to encourage residential solar, although the scope and ambition differ considerably, and none of them offers the full suite of measures that would be needed to close the gap with Australia. The relative commitment of the various NZ political parties to residential solar at present is as follows: Greens, The Opportunity Party, Labour, National and Act. In contrast, NZ First is promoting expansion of fossil fuels via a major oil survey.
Below are 10 ways we could accelerate solar adoption in New Zealand, some of which are supported by some parties. The list of suggestions are essentially technology steps while the political policies are obviously broader and more vague (wiggle room for each party). I have considered only those policies that seemed to have some serious priority for the parties.
The timing of an expansion of solar energy in New Zealand is likely to benefit from the ongoing exceptional rise of new technologies leading to more efficient, flexible and versatile solar panels, combined with cheaper and safer solar batteries.
Perovskite panels (next-generation solar technology that uses synthetic crystal structures to convert sunlight into electricity) promise to increase efficiency from about 22 percent for silicon panels to about 28 percent. Flexible solar panels permit deployment directly on different types of building surfaces, thus increasing the overall surface solar exposure.
Recent global energy shocks have highlighted the value of locally generated electricity. Rooftop solar and household batteries can reduce pressure on the grid, lower bills and provide backup power during outages caused by increasingly severe storms.
Australia’s experience shows us rooftop solar does not spread because households suddenly become greener or more technologically adventurous. It spreads when governments make the economics stack up. New Zealand has the sunshine, the technology and the expertise. Now we just need a clear national commitment to unlocking the potential sitting on our rooftops, millions of square metres of underused roof space could become part of the country’s energy solution.
Professor Emeritus Ralph Cooney, chemical sciences, University of Auckland FRSNZ, ONZM.
This article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland.
This article was first published on Newsroom, 23 July, 2026.
Margo White I Research communications editor
Mob 021 926 408
Email margo.white@auckland.ac.nz

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Solar farm fire in Pittsfield, Maine  newscentermaine.com
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Fire breaks out on solar farm in Pittsfield  newscentermaine.com
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Chinese solar module manufacturer Lians Technology has launched a heterojunction (HJT) solar module with multi-cut shingled cell design for residential and commercial rooftop PV systems.
The module relies on large-format HJT cells, a shingled design to reduce inactive spacing and front-side metallization losses by overlapping narrow cell strips and a zero busbar (0BB) architecture to improve current collection and reduce silver consumption. “Lians’ advanced multi-cut shingled structure optimizes current transmission paths and reduces electrical losses, enabling a 15W–20W increase in front-side power output, enhanced rear-side energy yield, and further reduction in levelized cost of energy (LCOE),” the company said in a statement.
The Venus Pro module is built with 102 multi-cut HJT cell strips derived from 210 mm wafers, each measuring 210 mm × 52.5 mm, and arranged in a 12 × 17 cell configuration. It measures 1,762 mm × 1,303 mm × 30 mm, with a surface area of approximately 2.3 m², and weighs 26 kg. It is available with an aluminum alloy or composite material frame and uses 2.0 mm front glass and 1.6 mm rear glass.
The new product is available in eight versions with power outputs ranging from 530 W to 565 W and offer power conversion efficiencies of 23.08% to 24.61%. Its open-circuit voltage is specified at 38.13 V to 38.96 V, while the short-circuit current ranges from 16.91 A to 17.20 A. It supports a maximum system voltage of 1,500 V DC and a maximum series fuse rating of 35 A.
The module has a temperature coefficient of temperature coefficient of −0.24%/C and is designed to operate in temperatures ranging from −40 C to 85 C. For mechanical performance, the Venus Pro series is certified according to relevant IEC standards and carries a TÜV SÜD Class II safety rating. The dual-glass construction is rated to withstand a front-side snow load of 5,400 Pa and a rear-side wind load of 2,400 Pa.
The Venus Pro modules come with a 15-year product warranty and a 30-year linear power warranty. Lians specifies first-year degradation below 1%, followed by annual degradation of no more than 0.32% from the second through the 30th year, ensuring a minimum retained power output of 89.75% after 30 years.
“Lians has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the world’s first HJT multi-cut shingled module manufacturer to receive both TÜV Rheinland and CE certifications, marking international recognition of its technological innovation, product reliability, and commercial application capabilities,” the manufacturer said.
Lians currently operates manufacturing facilities in China’s Sichuan and Jiangsu provinces, with a combined HJT production capacity of 8.8 GW, according to its own figures.
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The technology could reduce reliance on soy-based protein feed for livestock.
Researchers in Germany have developed a solar-powered process that produces amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, from carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methanol.
The technology was developed by scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). They believe it can provide a more sustainable way to manufacture amino acids for livestock feed and cultured meat production.
According to the team, the innovation comes at a time when global demand for food is set to surge by roughly 60 percent by 2050. In contrast, new agricultural land is projected to increase by only about two percent.
The method could also reduce dependence on research-intensive agriculture. “In the long term, this approach could help make more productive use of available land and enable a more sustainable production of amino acids,” Volker Sieber, PhD, a professor of chemistry of biogenic resources and TUM Campus Straubing rector, said.
The system works by converting solar energy into electricity through photovoltaic (PV) systems. This electricity is then used to produce hydrogen, which is combined with captured CO2 to create methanol, a widely used industrial chemical.
Meanwhile, specialized enzymes subsequently convert the methanol through a series of reactions into amino acids. For the project, the team demonstrated the production of seven amino acids, including glycine, serine, L-alanine, L-aspartic acid, L-valine, L-glutamic acid, and L-proline. The choice of enzymes determines which amino acid is produced in the process.
According to the team, the approach offers an alternative to relying on plants as the primary source of protein production. “Plants use sunlight to build biomass, but they are relatively inefficient at doing so,” Sieber stated. “We are investigating an alternative pathway in which renewable energy is first converted into chemical energy carriers and then into valuable protein building blocks.”
The modular platform builds on the team’s 2023 work, when they produced the L-alanine amino acid from green methanol. “What started with a single amino acid is increasingly evolving into a platform technology for producing protein building blocks from renewable energy,” Vivian Willers, PhD, a researcher at TUM, pointed out.
Viktoria Lehmann, a PhD researcher at TUM, revealed that dairy cows need amino acid-enriched feed to sustain high milk production. Meanwhile, millions of tons of these protein-building blocks are used in livestock feed each year.
“However, their production consumes large amounts of land, water, and other resources,” Lehmann explained. “We wanted to find a more resource-efficient way to meet this protein demand.”
But according to the researchers, the technology could have applications beyond livestock feed. Amino acids are also essential ingredients in nutrient media used to grow cultivated meat. The process could also reduce reliance on protein-rich feed ingredients like soy, which is often associated with significant land use and environmental impacts.
For now, the technology remains at the proof-of-concept stage. Even though the team successfully demonstrated the complete production chain, the output is still too low for commercial deployment. They now intend to make the methanol-converting enzymes more efficient.
“Our work is primarily a proof of technological feasibility,” Sieber concluded in a press release. “We have shown that a broad range of biologically relevant amino acids can be produced from CO2-based methanol.”
The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications.
Based in Skopje, North Macedonia. Her work has appeared in Daily Mail, Mirror, Daily Star, Yahoo, NationalWorld, Newsweek, Press Gazette and others. She covers stories on batteries, wind energy, sustainable shipping and new discoveries. When she's not chasing the next big science story, she's traveling, exploring new cultures, or enjoying good food with even better wine.
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Community solar comes to Las Cruces  Las Cruces Bulletin
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Solar tracking provider Array Technologies has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Affordable Wire Management, a supplier of cable protection and balance of system equipment, for a total potential consideration of $203 million.
The transaction includes a base purchase price of $153 million in cash at closing, supplemented by up to $50 million in performance earnouts and employment-contingent consideration through 2028. The total deal value represents an enterprise multiple of approximately 8.8 times Affordable Wire Management’s trailing 12-month EBITDA, with the target company generating nearly $60 million in trailing revenue through May 31, 2026.
The acquisition adds custom wire management hangers, trunk line clamps, and module-level cable protection to Array’s central-axis tracker and foundation platform. The transaction also establishes a footprint in battery energy storage systems and data center infrastructure markets, where Affordable Wire Management recently secured initial product backlog orders.
Subject to regulatory approvals and standard closing conditions, the transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026 and achieve high single-digit accretion to adjusted earnings per share in its first full year. The acquired business will operate within Array’s existing corporate structure while retaining its senior management team.
New tracker variant
In a separate operational update delivered at its annual Insurance Forum in Boston, Array introduced a 60-degree variant of its flagship DuraTrack tracker platform. Developed for projects in moderate hail hazard regions, including Texas and the Great Plains, the system pairs a 60-degree stow angle with automated hail alert software to mitigate hail impact risks while reducing foundation and steel capital expenditures compared to higher-angle stow designs.
The new tracker variant retains Array’s wired AC grid motor architecture and wired communication cables rather than relying on wireless connections or localized batteries. The platform incorporates mechanical passive wind stow technology, which limits row stowing during turbulent wind events to yield up to a 4% energy production benefit over full-field stow configurations.
Commercial quotations for the 60-degree DuraTrack variant will begin in 2026, with initial project deliveries scheduled for mid-2027.
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Jackery is currently having a Member Sale with up to 50% discounts on a collection of its power stations, complete with member-exclusive deals (sign-up is free), and rewards in exchange for Jackery points. One of the member-only offers is a first-time bundle of the new HomePower 1000 v2 Portable Power Station with a 100W mini solar panel for $549 shipped, which is not a unit available on Amazon yet. It would normally run you $999 at full price, with non-members paying $599, while members gain an additional $50 savings to this rate. All in all, this is a 45% markdown for $450 savings, setting the bar for future discounts down the road. Considering the standalone station is sold out after being offered at $549 in the previous sale, this deal is all the better as you are getting a solar panel for free with it. You can browse all the other deals included in this sale event below.
The new Jackery HomePower 1000 v2 power station is the latest revamp of the Explorer 1000 v2 model, bringing along greater uninterrupted power supply (UPS) functionality for indoor usage with critical devices. There is a 1,024Wh LiFePO4 battery here that delivers up to 1,500W of power steadily, while able to surge as high as 3,000W – all through its seven port options: 3x ACs, 2x USB-Cs, 1x USB-A, and a 12V DC car socket.
There are more ways to recharge this station than its predecessor, including AC charging for up to 1.25 hours total to reach a full battery, which can be minimized to 50 minutes using its emergency charging mode. From there, you also have options for up to 400W of solar panel input, using your vehicle’s auxiliary port or the brand’s alternator charger as you drive, or connecting to a gas generator.
You’ll find all the Jackery point exchange options at the bottom of the main sale page here, and for deals from alternate brands, be sure to head over to our dedicated power stations hub here.

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KUALA LUMPUR: Samaiden Group Bhd’s indirect subsidiary, Samaiden Legasi Timur Sdn Bhd (SLT), has achieved a major construction milestone for its large-scale solar five (LSS5) project in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, marking the commencement of full-scale construction.
In a statement, Samaiden said the project, located on a 162-ha site leased from Perbadanan Kemajuan Iktisad Negri Kelantan (PKINK), was awarded under Malaysia’s LSS5 programme in December 2024.
It has since achieved key milestones, including the signing of a power purchase agreement with Tenaga Nasional Bhd, execution of a long-term land lease, financial close with Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd, and receipt of regulatory approvals.
SLT is developing a 99.99 megawatt alternating current (MWac) solar photovoltaic facility under Package 3 of the LSS5 programme, while the neighbouring GVU Fajar Timur Sdn Bhd project will add 27.6MWac under the bumiputra Package 2.
Together, the two projects will have a combined installed capacity of about 196MWp.
SLT chairman Datuk Wira Mohd Anis Hisham said the milestone signified the successful transition from planning to execution and demonstrated the company’s capability to deliver large-scale renewable energy projects safely and on schedule.
He said the integrated development is expected to strengthen Kelantan’s position as an emerging renewable energy hub while generating employment opportunities, supporting local businesses and contributing to the state’s renewable energy ecosystem.
Samaiden Sdn Bhd has been appointed as the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) contractor for both the SLT and GVU projects.
The group has participated in every large-scale solar programme from LSS1 to LSS5 since 2017.
Including its ongoing 9.99MWac EPCC project in Tok Bali, Samaiden expects to establish an LSS5 project footprint of about 210MWp across Kelantan, reinforcing its position as a leading utility-scale solar developer and EPCC contractor in the state.
The group said the project will also create employment opportunities, support local subcontractors and strengthen the local supply chain, while contributing to Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap.
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A South Carolina circuit judge has ruled that solar manufacturing is only permitted in heavy industrial zones in York County, but Silfab Solar‘s existing facility in Fort Mill can continue operating in a light industrial zone due to prior approval. The ruling, reported on July 23, 2026, determined that York County had incorrectly classified solar panel production as computer and electronic products manufacturing, a designation that allows operations in light industrial districts. The York County Board of Zoning Appeals had previously stated that solar panel manufacturing is prohibited in light industrial zones, and the judge agreed with that position.
York County approved construction of the Silfab plant in 2022 in a light industrial district in Fort Mill. After a Fort Mill resident filed an appeal in 2024, the zoning board reversed its earlier decision, asserting that solar manufacturing is only allowed in heavy industrial zones. The county clarified that the Silfab plant could proceed with construction and future operations because the new zoning decision applies only to future projects.
Silfab Solar is lawfully grandfathered into the zoning distinction, but Fort Mill residents have expressed strong opposition. Community members have raised safety concerns about the facility, particularly its close proximity to a newly built elementary school. Residents are worried about the chemicals used in solar cell manufacturing. Outrage escalated in March after two separate chemical spill incidents were reported, though the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services and the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed there was no risk.
In a press statement, Silfab Solar indicated that the court’s recent decision has no impact on its current operations or permits, and that all employees are reporting to work as scheduled. The company noted that York County had previously confirmed the zoning board’s ruling applies only prospectively and does not affect Silfab because its project was well underway before the decision. Silfab Solar stated it will appeal to ensure that future opportunities for expansion and hiring remain open, and to protect the zoning process from being manipulated in the future.
Silfab Solar is headquartered in Canada and operates a solar panel assembly plant in Burlington, Washington. The company was planning to be one of the first brands to establish solar cell manufacturing in the United States. The Fort Mill site is intended to produce 1 GW of cells and 1 GW of panels each year. Panel production has been ongoing in South Carolina, while full cell production has not yet been announced.
Interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report.
This report provides a comprehensive view of the solar cells and light-emitting diodes industry in the United States, tracking demand, supply, and trade flows across the national value chain. It explains how demand across key channels and end-use segments shapes consumption patterns, while also mapping the role of input availability, production efficiency, and regulatory standards on supply.
Beyond headline metrics, the study benchmarks prices, margins, and trade routes so you can see where value is created and how it moves between domestic suppliers and international partners. The analysis is designed to support strategic planning, market entry, portfolio prioritization, and risk management in the solar cells and light-emitting diodes landscape in the United States.
The report combines market sizing with trade intelligence and price analytics for the United States. It covers both historical performance and the forward outlook to 2035, allowing you to compare cycles, structural shifts, and policy impacts.
This report provides a consistent view of market size, trade balance, prices, and per-capita indicators for the United States. The profile highlights demand structure and trade position, enabling benchmarking against regional and global peers.
The analysis is built on a multi-source framework that combines official statistics, trade records, company disclosures, and expert validation. Data are standardized, reconciled, and cross-checked to ensure consistency across time series.
All data are normalized to a common product definition and mapped to a consistent set of codes. This ensures that comparisons across time are aligned and actionable.
The forecast horizon extends to 2035 and is based on a structured model that links solar cells and light-emitting diodes demand and supply to macroeconomic indicators, trade patterns, and sector-specific drivers. The model captures both cyclical and structural factors and reflects known policy and technology shifts in the United States.
Each projection is built from national historical patterns and the broader regional context, allowing the report to show where growth is concentrated and where risks are elevated.
Prices are analyzed in detail, including export and import unit values, regional spreads, and changes in trade costs. The report highlights how seasonality, freight rates, exchange rates, and supply disruptions influence pricing and margins.
Key producers, exporters, and distributors are profiled with a focus on their operational scale, geographic footprint, product mix, and market positioning. This helps identify competitive pressure points, partnership opportunities, and routes to differentiation.
This report is designed for manufacturers, distributors, importers, wholesalers, investors, and advisors who need a clear, data-driven picture of solar cells and light-emitting diodes dynamics in the United States.
The market size aggregates consumption and trade data, presented in both value and volume terms.
The projections combine historical trends with macroeconomic indicators, trade dynamics, and sector-specific drivers.
Yes, it includes export and import unit values, regional spreads, and a pricing outlook to 2035.
The report benchmarks market size, trade balance, prices, and per-capita indicators for the United States.
Yes, it highlights demand hotspots, trade routes, pricing trends, and competitive context.
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Trade Flows and External Dependence
Price Formation and Revenue Logic
Who Wins and Why
How the Domestic Market Works
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Where the Best Expansion Logic Sits
Leading Players and Strategic Archetypes
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Major US solar manufacturer
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Former Cree LED business
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Cypress Creek Renewables, the company proposing to build the Carriger Solar project near Goldendale, currently operates this solar farm in Vale, Ore. It is a 13-megawatt farm compared to Carriger, which would generate 160 megawatts of electricity.
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“They told me that it would be easier to replace the string than to go through manufacturer warranty.”
Photo Credit: Reddit
A homeowner trying to troubleshoot a sudden drop in solar production ended up finding something potentially more alarming than an underperforming power string: rooftop hot spots nearing 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
The discovery — made with a thermal camera whose readings may not be perfectly accurate, as the poster and commenters discussed — came after an installer allegedly offered little meaningful help, and it raised questions about whether the issue points to failing cells, a wiring fault, or something else entirely.
According to a post on Reddit, the problem showed up on a solar system installed in late 2022 when one string “started producing much less than the other.”
The homeowner said the installer provided little useful troubleshooting and mainly had them try steps to rule out the inverter as the issue. 
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers in your area.
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The user added, “They told me that it would be easier to replace the string than to go through manufacturer warranty.” 
That response, they said, made it seem like the company “just wanna sell me more stuff rather than actually providing support.”
The user then decided to inspect the array personally. 
They said, “Long story short I got on the roof and pointed my thermal camera at the panels,” they wrote, saying they saw hot areas near the sides of two panels that matched yellowish marks on the cells, with the “highest point … around 200F.”
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The discussion in the comments centered on how to read those images, including whether reflective glass might distort thermal measurements and whether the hot spots were more consistent with bad cells or a wiring issue. 
Under full sun, a healthy solar panel typically runs around 100 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit across its surface fairly uniformly. If one panel ends up in significant shade, it may fall below its threshold to produce energy and instead be used by the string of panels to dissipate excess heat instead, though 200 (if accurate) would still be overly high. The homeowner also did not mention how hot it was on the day of the reading, which could play a role in a higher reading than normal. 
Some advised the homeowner to insist on a warranty claim. Most solar panels are covered on performance for 25 years and on damage for 10 years, and this homeowner said they had the panels installed in 2002, so they should be covered for a claim. 
When one solar string underperforms, it can drag down the output of an entire rooftop system, cutting into the savings a homeowner expected when they invested in more affordable energy. If the hot spots are real and not simply a reflection issue, they could also be a warning sign.
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
Because the underlying problem could range from damaged cells to a wiring fault, the appropriate repair may depend heavily on what technicians find.
If your system suddenly starts producing less power, it can help to document everything before agreeing to a costly replacement.
If you’re still shopping for panels, EnergySage actually keeps rankings and reviews of the best panels, and quality here would be paramount — most likely, any of the top-rated panel brands would not run into this issue. 
EnergySage can also help you go solar with free tools that let you curate competitive bids from local installers without them obtaining any of your contact information unless you choose to work with one further.
Homeowners can also check EnergySage’s solar map, which shows the average cost of a home solar panel system on a state-by-state level, along with solar incentives available in each state. Together, those resources can help you get the best price for rooftop solar panels and access available incentives.
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Global Solar Module Financial Rankings Reveal Strong Performers And Rising Insolvency Risks—Report  SolarQuarter
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Argentina added 40.9 MW of distributed generation capacity in the first half of 2026, increasing cumulative installed capacity by 34.5% from 118.6 MW at the end of 2025 to 159.5 MW in June. Over the same period, the number of user-generators rose 25.8%, from 3,762 to 4,734, according to the latest report from the country’s Secretariat of Energy.
The country now has 159.5 MW of cumulative installed distributed generation capacity across more than 4,700 projects that have completed installation, connected to the grid through bidirectional meters, and obtained user-generator status.
In June alone, Argentina added 186 user-generators and 6.9 MW of capacity. This represented monthly growth of 4% in the number of connected installations and 4.5% in cumulative capacity compared with May, when the country had 4,548 user-generators and 152.6 MW installed.
The report also identifies 1,041 pending applications totaling 43.8 MW. If all projects are completed, cumulative distributed generation capacity under the national program would exceed 203 MW.
The Córdoba province continues to lead the country with 1,735 user-generators and 50.9 MW of installed capacity. The Buenos Aires province ranks second with 1,072 users and 27.9 MW, followed by Entre Ríos with 524 installations totaling 20.4 MW.
Misiones ranks next with 16.3 MW, followed by San Juan with 10.4 MW and La Rioja with 9.4 MW. Córdoba accounts for about 32% of national installed capacity, followed by Buenos Aires (17.5%), Entre Ríos (12.8%), and Misiones (10.2%). Together, Córdoba and Buenos Aires represent nearly half of the country’s connected distributed generation capacity.
Buenos Aires has the largest pipeline, with 315 pending applications, ahead of Córdoba (205) and San Juan (150). In terms of capacity, however, San Juan leads with 11 MW awaiting connection, followed by Córdoba with 9.3 MW and Buenos Aires with 7.1 MW. Entre Ríos has a further 4.4 MW in the pipeline and La Rioja another 4.1 MW.
Residential systems account for the largest share of installations, with 2,443 user-generators, or 51.6% of the total. However, they represent only 12.7 MW, or about 8% of installed capacity.
Commercial and industrial systems account for 2,025 installations but nearly 127.4 MW, representing about 80% of cumulative capacity. Public entities account for 122 installations totaling 10.9 MW, while the “other” category includes 143 systems with a combined capacity of 8.7 MW.
As of the end of June, the National Distributed Generation Platform listed 350 registered electricity distributors and cooperatives, one more than in the previous report. These entities oversee the procedures established under Law 27.424, from capacity reservation requests to bidirectional meter installation and user-generator certification.
The report also highlights two grid-connected projects. The Legislature of Chubut Province operates a 150 kW system in Rawson comprising 260 PV modules. The installation achieves a self-consumption rate of 60% of the electricity it generates, reduces grid electricity consumption by 26.3% (133,407 kWh per year), and avoids an estimated 118.7 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions annually.
The second project is a 3.48 kW residential system in El Cazador, in Buenos Aires province’s Escobar district. The six-module installation supplies a 120-square-meter home occupied by four people and equipped with a swimming pool. According to the report, it reduces grid electricity consumption by about 50%.
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NORRISTOWN – Nearly $1 million in Solar for Schools funding will help advance major clean‑energy upgrades at two Norristown Area School District buildings.
State Reps. Greg Scott, Matt Bradford and Joe Webster, Democrats of Montgomery County, announced the grants to local schools jointly with the givernor’s office.
Locally, the funding supports rooftop solar installations at Norristown Area High School and East Norriton Middle School — projects designed to generate long-term utility savings, modernize facilities, and strengthen the district’s sustainability efforts, the legislators said in a press release.
The grants are:
• $480,000 for Norristown Area High School, providing an estimated average savings of $56,928 per year, and
• $480,000 for East Norriton Middle School, providing an estimated average annual savings of $58,457.
“Investments in clean-energy solutions will have an impact well beyond the buildings themselves,” Scott said. “Lower utility costs mean more resources for students, classrooms and educational programs. We appreciate the support that made these projects possible and are excited for what they mean for our community moving forward.”
“These projects represent an important step forward in our collective effort for sustainable energy practices,” Bradford said. “By installing solar systems on both the high school and middle school rooftops, we’re making practical investments that reduce energy costs and support more efficient, future‑ready facilities. Each installation will deliver significant annual savings, and together they move our region closer to a more stable, sustainable future.”
“This new funding empowers us to turn our rooftops into reliable sources of clean power and real‑world learning,” Webster said. “The solar installations will lower utility spending, shrink our carbon footprint, and strengthen the resilience of our schools—freeing more dollars for instruction and student support.
“It’s a smart, measurable upgrade that benefits our classrooms today and invests in the community our students will lead tomorrow.”
Tbe office of Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Montgomery County Democrat, announced solar investment of $1.6 million in grants through the Solar for Schools Grant Program, which has invested more than $24.2 million in 82 schools across Pennsylvania.
Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger announced the grants to help five Pennsylvania schools purchase and install solar panels including permit fees, energy storage, and utility interconnection.
“Electricity bills are a major cost for school districts across the Commonwealth, often using significant parts of their budget,” said Siger. “Through programs like Solar for Schools, the Shapiro Administration is supporting schools by investing in long-term solutions that save money, create jobs, and improve the educational environment for all students.”
In the 2026-27 budget signed by Governor Josh Shapiro, the Governor secured $125 million for school infrastructure improvements, including $25 million for the Solar for Schools Grant Program.
“Solar for Schools is a win-win — it reduces costs for school districts on their energy bills, and reduces air pollution from electricity generation,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “These solar panels will generate electricity and give a visible way for students to see how the electricity that powers their school is made without air pollution.”
School districts, intermediate units, area career and technical schools, charter schools, cyber charter schools, chartered schools for the education of the deaf or blind, and community colleges were eligible to apply for the grants.
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The global clean energy transition is often discussed in terms of climate targets, renewable energy capacity additions, and carbon neutrality commitments. Yet, behind every solar panel installed across the world lies an increasingly complex geopolitical story. Solar manufacturing has evolved far beyond being an industrial activity, it has become a strategic asset, influencing national security, trade policies, economic competitiveness, and technological leadership.
For nearly two decades, China has methodically built an unparalleled position across the solar manufacturing value chain, transforming itself into the world’s undisputed manufacturing hub for photovoltaic (PV) technologies. Today, more than 80% of the world’s solar modules and over 95% of solar wafers originate from Chinese manufacturing ecosystems. Such concentration has prompted governments across the United States, Europe, Japan, and India to rethink supply-chain resilience, much like they did for semiconductors.
Against this backdrop, India finds itself at a defining moment. With one of the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy markets, supportive industrial policies, and rapidly expanding domestic manufacturing capacity, the country has the opportunity to emerge as a credible alternative in the global solar supply chain. However, achieving that ambition requires moving beyond module assembly to mastering the upstream segments that currently remain China’s strongest fortress.
The geopolitical significance of solar manufacturing has grown considerably over the past five years. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the risks associated with highly concentrated global supply chains. Subsequent geopolitical developments including the US-China strategic rivalry, trade restrictions, disruptions in maritime logistics, and increasing concerns around economic security that have reinforced the importance of manufacturing diversification.
Energy security today extends well beyond securing fuel supplies. It increasingly encompasses securing access to clean energy technologies themselves.
Countries that rely heavily on imported solar components risk exposure to pricing volatility, trade disruptions, export controls, and geopolitical uncertainties. Consequently, governments are increasingly viewing domestic solar manufacturing as a strategic capability rather than merely an industrial investment.
This shift explains why major economies are deploying unprecedented policy support through industrial incentives, local-content requirements, manufacturing subsidies, and strategic procurement frameworks.
China’s leadership did not emerge overnight. Over the past twenty years, the country has systematically invested across every stage of the photovoltaic manufacturing ecosystem from polysilicon refining and ingot production to wafer manufacturing, solar cells, modules, glass, backsheets, EVA films, and manufacturing equipment.
The result is an ecosystem that enjoys unparalleled economies of scale. According to industry estimates available until June 2026, China accounts for over 80% of global manufacturing capacity across the solar value chain while controlling more than 95% of global wafer production. Equally significant is its dominance in polysilicon production, where Chinese manufacturers continue to dictate global supply and pricing.
This vertical integration enables Chinese manufacturers to optimise costs, improve production efficiencies, shorten supply chains, and respond rapidly to technological transitions such as TOPCon and Heterojunction (HJT) technologies.
For competing nations, replicating such an ecosystem represents a far greater challenge than simply establishing module assembly plants.
India’s manufacturing landscape has transformed significantly since 2020. Just five years ago, domestic manufacturing capacity was largely limited to module assembly, with extensive dependence on imported solar cells and wafers. Today, the picture looks substantially different.
Driven by the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, Basic Customs Duty (BCD), the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), and strong domestic demand, India’s manufacturing ecosystem has expanded at an unprecedented pace.
By June 2026, India’s module manufacturing capacity has crossed 200 GW annually. ALMM-approved manufacturing capacity exceeds 190 GW. Domestic solar cell manufacturing capacity has crossed 30 GW. Several integrated manufacturing facilities are under construction with investments running into billions of dollars.
Leading Indian manufacturers have announced ambitious expansion plans aimed not only at serving domestic demand but also global export markets. This rapid capacity creation has transformed India into one of the fastest-growing solar manufacturing destinations worldwide.
Despite impressive achievements, India’s manufacturing story remains incomplete. The country’s greatest vulnerability lies in upstream manufacturing.
Today, nearly all of India’s polysilicon requirements continue to be imported. Wafer imports also remain overwhelmingly dependent on China despite growing domestic module production.
This creates a structural imbalance. While Indian manufacturers increasingly produce modules domestically, the critical raw materials and intermediate products that determine manufacturing competitiveness continue to originate from overseas.
The wafer segment deserves particular attention. Solar wafers serve as the foundation upon which solar cells are manufactured. Without meaningful domestic wafer production, countries remain dependent on external suppliers regardless of how many modules they assemble locally.
Recognising this challenge, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) expanded the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) framework in March 2026 to include solar ingots and wafers. The new framework, scheduled to become operational from June 2028, reflects a strategic policy shift towards encouraging upstream manufacturing and reducing import dependence.
Ironically, China’s extraordinary manufacturing success has also created opportunities for competitors.
Massive capacity expansion within China has resulted in significant oversupply across multiple segments of the solar value chain. Intense price competition has placed financial pressure on manufacturers worldwide.
Simultaneously, governments across advanced economies are actively seeking supply-chain diversification. The United States has strengthened domestic manufacturing incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act while implementing multiple trade measures aimed at reducing dependence on Chinese imports.
Europe is similarly exploring strategies to improve manufacturing resilience and avoid excessive concentration of critical clean-energy technologies.For global developers and utilities, supplier diversification has become an increasingly important procurement criterion.
India stands to benefit from these structural shifts. Unlike several emerging manufacturing destinations, India combines a rapidly expanding domestic market with policy support, skilled engineering talent, improving infrastructure, and a mature renewable energy ecosystem. These advantages make it one of the few countries capable of supporting large-scale integrated solar manufacturing.
Capacity expansion alone will not establish India as a global manufacturing alternative. The next phase requires deeper structural transformation. First, India must significantly expand wafer and ingot manufacturing. These segments remain the weakest links in the domestic value chain while representing the greatest strategic opportunity.
Second, the country needs to accelerate investments in polysilicon production. Although capital-intensive and energy-intensive, domestic polysilicon manufacturing would substantially strengthen supply-chain resilience.
Third, manufacturing competitiveness must increasingly be driven by technology rather than protection. The global industry is rapidly transitioning toward high-efficiency technologies such as TOPCon, HJT, Back Contact (BC), and tandem cells. Indian manufacturers must remain aligned with these technological shifts to remain globally competitive over the long term.
Fourth, integrated manufacturing clusters should become the cornerstone of industrial policy. China’s competitiveness stems not only from production capacity but from tightly integrated ecosystems where raw material suppliers, equipment manufacturers, logistics providers, testing facilities, component manufacturers, and exporters operate within close proximity.
Developing similar manufacturing clusters in India would improve operational efficiencies, reduce logistics costs, and strengthen global competitiveness. Finally, international collaboration will remain essential.
India’s ambition should not be complete self-sufficiency but resilient diversification. Strategic partnerships with Europe, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and technology providers can accelerate technology transfer, research collaboration, and advanced manufacturing capabilities.
Replacing China entirely is neither realistic nor necessary. China’s manufacturing ecosystem represents nearly two decades of sustained investment, technological advancement, industrial integration, and economies of scale.
However, global supply chains no longer require a single dominant manufacturing centre. What the world increasingly seeks is diversification. If India succeeds in building competitive capabilities across polysilicon, ingots, wafers, cells, and modules while maintaining cost competitiveness and technological excellence, it can emerge as the world’s most significant alternative manufacturing hub outside China.
That outcome would not merely strengthen India’s renewable energy ambitions; it would reshape global clean-energy supply chains. The geopolitics of solar manufacturing is redefining the global energy transition. Solar panels are no longer viewed simply as clean energy products, they are instruments of industrial policy, economic resilience, and strategic influence. As nations seek to reduce dependence on concentrated supply chains, the ability to manufacture critical clean-energy technologies domestically has become a cornerstone of national competitiveness.
India has already demonstrated that well-designed policies can rapidly expand module and cell manufacturing. The next challenge is considerably more ambitious: building a fully integrated solar manufacturing ecosystem that extends from polysilicon to finished modules.
Success will require sustained policy support, patient capital, technology partnerships, infrastructure development, and a long-term industrial vision.
If India can bridge the upstream gaps and continue building globally competitive manufacturing capabilities, it will not merely participate in the clean energy transition, it will help shape its future.
In the decade ahead, the countries that control solar manufacturing will influence far more than renewable energy markets. They will shape global trade, industrial growth, energy security, and the geopolitics of the low-carbon economy. India has an opportunity to become one of those countries, provided it transforms today’s manufacturing momentum into a resilient, integrated, and globally competitive supply chain.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those held by pv magazine.
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Columbia County Circuit Court
Columbia County Circuit Court
A Waukesha contractor overwhelmed with debt is now facing felony charges in Columbia and Dane County, accused of using payments from new clients to fund other projects, but leaving homeowners without their money or any home improvements.
Trevor Sumner, 42, appeared in Columbia County Circuit Court on July 22, on two counts of felony theft by contractor, originally filed by the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office in March.
According to the criminal complaint, the case dates back to late December, 2021, when a Poynette resident, with her husband, entered a contract with “Sun Badger Solar,” for installation of two solar panels on the roof of their home and a shed on their property. The contract included payment in two installments, adding up to about $88,000, which had been paid in January 2022.
The project had an estimated completion of spring 2022, but according to the homeowners, company president Sumner explained that there had been a series of delays due to weather and issues with Alliant Energy. According to Alliant, Sumner had been the cause of those delays.
Sun Badger Solar eventually installed “railing” for the panels in December 2022, but the work did not progress beyond that point. The following February, the homeowners contacted Sumner, but, according to the complaint, were not satisfied with the answers that were offered, and contacted the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 14 to report the situation.
A deputy later spoke with Sumner, who reportedly said that the company had encountered financial issues with a firm called “Sunlight Financial,” with Badger owing about $600,000, resulting in the company having to lay off 120 employees.
Any money left from the $88,000 paid by the Poynette couple, would have been spent on other projects, he told the officer.
In May 2026, the Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Poynette couple to pursue criminal charges, after discovering charges had been filed against Sumner in Dane County, and it remained that the work was still not completed and money not returned.
On March 17, the Dane County District Attorney filed charges of two counts of felony theft by contractor, as a party to a crime, against Sumner. Following his initial appearance, he was released on a signature bond, with a preliminary hearing set for Aug. 13.
In the Columbia County case, he was similarly released on a signature bond, and is scheduled to next be in court for a return hearing on Oct. 16.
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The legislature voted in the second reading in favor of a legislative initiative aimed at simplifying administrative procedures related to the installation of photovoltaic systems and energy storage systems, as well as to amend the regulatory framework related to the National Fund for the Development of Regulatory Documentation in Construction.
The bill aims to remove administrative barriers that slow the development of renewable energy generation capacity and energy storage infrastructure. According to the bill’s authors, the new provisions will accelerate investment in this sector and facilitate the implementation of renewable energy projects.
Thus, the legislation will clearly define that electricity storage facilities fall under the category of work carried out under the simplified procedure. As a result, individuals who install photovoltaic panels and/or heat pumps in single-family homes, including duplexes or townhouses, in multi-unit residential buildings, or on roofs and facades, will only be required to provide design documentation for the electrical compartment.
The bill also simplifies the installation of energy storage systems and related infrastructure within photovoltaic parks or other energy, commercial, agricultural, or industrial facilities. The document establishes the minimum scope of technical documentation required for this category of structures. If such systems are installed in protected areas or in areas designated for the protection of historical monuments, an opinion from the competent authority in the field of cultural heritage protection will be required.
The provisions of the legislative initiative also ensure that secondary regulations comply with the legal framework applicable to the authorization of construction work, thereby helping to eliminate legislative gaps and discrepancies in interpretation.
The new provisions take effect on the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

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Jul 23, 2026
By Shay Lelonek / News Director
CLEAR LAKE, Minn — Xcel Energy has announced the completion of phase three for the Sherco Solar plant near its existing Sherco plant in Becker.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, July 21. Sherco Solar is the largest solar facility in Minnesota, and one of the biggest in the Midwest, according to a media release form Xcel Energy.
With the first three phases now online, the site produces 710 megawatts of electricity, which is powered by 1.7 million solar panels.
The proposed fourth phase would enable the plant to generate a capacity of 910 megawatts by 2029, which is capable of powering more than 190,000 homes.

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NORWICH – County officials are figuring out how to handle a major curveball for the proposed $35 million office building project.
Adhering to a relatively new state code that requires a sustainable energy component on new construction, project engineers must now plan for a solar array to power the new office building – an expense that has not yet been factored into the final cost of the building.
The project now faces a $28,000 expense increase to pay for an engineering study to determine the best placement and size of solar panels needed to power the new building, which is the minimum standard under the state’s new building codes. The project will incur additional costs when a solar array is priced and purchased.
“We thought there might be a time period where we might get grandfathered in,” said Chenango County Board Chairman Jeffry Blanchard, citing engineering plans for the county office building that predate the NYS energy conservation construction code that went into effect in December 2025.
But Blanchard said hopes of being grandfathered in are no longer realistic. The project is now looking at a large, unexpected, and unavoidable expense, he told members of the county’s Building and Grounds Committee on Tuesday.
“If we put it on the roof, we know that someday we’re going to have to deal with it. And that’s not something that we’re choosing to do, but it’s something the state is forcing us to do,” Blanchard said. “And it’s not just us. All new school buildings, any new construction, are having to deal with the same type of thing.”
Engineers have advised that roof-mounted solar panels may be the best and most cost-effective approach to meeting state regulations, although Blanchard said they’re also considering alternative county-owned sites that could allow for construction of a solar array, including the county landfill and the Preston Manor Home for Adults.
Blanchard also said the county will face the same regulatory hurdles when it moves forward on building a new DPW facility. Officials plan to move that project forward when they find a viable location.
“This regulation just came out and we’ve been in this process for a while,” said Buildings and Grounds Committee Chairman John Lawrence (R-Afton). Lawrence questioned whether the $28,000, if approved by the county board, will also fund studies of other possible locations for solar panels.
“My concern is that if we do a motion to authorize this, that’s as far as they’ll go, and they’re not going to look at anything else,” Lawrence said. “It will be $28,000; then six months down the road, they’ll say they have an option for another approach.”
The committee also raised concerns over the collective price tag of a solar array and the impact it will have on the project’s bottom line. Solar panels typically fall in the $1 million range to generate a megawatt of power, and such projects often bank on public subsidies for private developers to construct.
“We have to do the engineering before we can figure out what the final cost is going to be,” Blanchard said.
Committee members unanimously approved the request to go before the county’s Finance Committee, which meets July 30. A resolution to fund the $28,000 engineering report must go to a vote before the Chenango County Board of Supervisors in August before engineers can proceed.
The proposed building project has been an uphill battle for the county, drawing public criticism over its necessity as well as the transparency of local officials. The project hit another snag two months ago when a review put anticipated costs at nearly 7% over budget (totaling $37.6 million), triggering a contingency plan that allows an overage between 5% and 8%.
The county is working with engineers to revamp some of the design features for its IT department in order to stay within the initial $35 million budget.
The county has determined the cost of renovating the 1960s wing of the current office building was 70% to 75% of the cost of building new. Consequently, officials intend to raze the 1960s wing and build a new facility that will connect to the 1991 wing on the north side of the building. The plan is to construct the new building in front of the old one, move departments to the new building when it’s finished, and then demolish the old facility.
County officials aim to put the project out to bid in the fall with hopes of starting construction in 2027 and having it completed within two years.
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The tech could let homeowners enlarge an existing solar setup without rebuilding it.
Photo Credit: Enphase Energy
Enphase Energy is bringing its latest residential solar hardware to Australia and New Zealand, expanding a broader global rollout that could make rooftop systems more productive, easier to expand, and better suited to harsh real-world conditions.
For homeowners considering solar, that could mean more usable electricity from each panel and more control over household energy costs.
Enphase has now introduced its IQ9N microinverters to residential customers in Australia and New Zealand, following recent launches across Europe and in the United States, according to SolarQuarter. The company says the devices are built with gallium nitride, or GaN, and are intended to pair with newer, higher-power solar panels.
Enphase says the IQ9N can hit an efficiency as high as 97.95%. The units are rated for as much as 427 VA of continuous output power, support 16 A of continuous DC current, and come with a 25-year limited warranty.
For households already using Enphase products, the company says the IQ9N works with IQ Batteries and remains backward compatible with the IQ7 and IQ8 series. That could let homeowners enlarge an existing solar setup without rebuilding it or adopting a different installation approach.
With microinverters, power conversion happens at each panel instead of through one central string inverter. In practice, that means shade or buildup on a single panel is less likely to reduce output across the rest of the system.
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For many households, the biggest draw is economics. If each panel can produce more usable electricity, especially during partial shading or in high heat, homeowners may get better value from limited roof space and potentially lower their power bills over time.
Safety is part of the appeal as well. Enphase says this distributed architecture avoids long high-voltage DC cable runs, which can lower system risk compared with conventional string-inverter designs, and the units also include integrated rapid shutdown capability.
The launch is especially notable in Australia and New Zealand, where rooftop solar is already widespread and weather conditions can be demanding. Enphase says the IQ9N has an operating temperature range of minus-40 to 149 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-40 to 65 degrees Celsius).
That kind of durability can help households rely more on clean electricity and less on power generated from dirtier fuels like coal and gas.
Enphase says customers in Australia and New Zealand can now get the IQ9N microinverters through authorized distribution partners. The units meet AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 grid requirements and appear on Australia’s Clean Energy Council list.
Homeowners can monitor system performance in real time through the Enphase App, and the platform supports over-the-air software updates, which may help systems stay optimized without requiring an on-site service visit.
For people who already have rooftop solar, the backward compatibility with IQ7 and IQ8 products could offer a practical path to expansion, especially when paired with battery storage. That can be useful for households trying to use more of their own solar power at night or prepare for grid instability.
Growing battery adoption is following a similar pattern elsewhere: Australian homeowners have been installing home batteries at a record pace to store solar power and, in some cases, sell it back to the grid.
The product offers a longer warranty, high efficiency, app-based monitoring, and a design meant to keep generating even when conditions are less than ideal.
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China-based battery manufacturer Fox ESS has introduced Power Beast, a commercial and industrial (C&I) energy storage solution pairing its H3 Plus three-phase hybrid inverter with the modular CQ7 high-voltage battery architecture.
The company said the new solution is designed to replace complex on-site assembly and extensive cabling requirements with a modular plug-and-play architecture and reduce the number of interconnection steps while helping minimize potential wiring errors during installation.
A key feature is the optional CQ7 Dual Tower Base, which supports two battery stacks from a single base and reduces overall system height by up to 50% compared with conventional single-stack configurations, keeping the installation height below 1.3 meters. The base integrates power and communication channels, enabling rapid stack assembly, with module connections completed in as little as five seconds per unit, according to the manufacturer.
The H3 Plus inverter is available in power ratings from 50 kW to 125 kW, including 50 kW, 60 kW, 75 kW, 80 kW, 100 kW, and 125 kW models. It features up to eight MPPT trackers, a maximum input voltage of 1,000 V, and support for PV arrays of up to 250 kW.
Each H3 Plus inverter is equipped with three independent battery inputs. When paired with CQ7 battery modules, each offering a nominal capacity of 6.96 kWh, a single inverter configuration can support up to 292 kWh of battery storage.
The storage system can also be expanded through multi-inverter configurations, scaling up to 3.125 MW/7.35 MWh for grid-connected applications and up to 1.25 MW/2.94 MWh for off-grid systems.
The H3 Plus hybrid inverter series delivers a maximum efficiency of 98.5% and a European efficiency rating of 98.1%, while the CQ7 battery achieves a round-trip efficiency of more than 95%. The battery system uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP, LiFePO₄) chemistry and features an IP65 protection rating for indoor and outdoor installations.
The H3 Plus inverter operates across a voltage range of 180 V to 950 V, while the CQ7 battery operates from 104.4 V to 919.8 V and supports 100% depth of discharge. The inverter is rated for operating temperatures from -30 C to 60 C, while the battery operates from -10 C to 55 C, with optional heating extending the range to -25 C to 55 C.
For backup applications, the H3 Plus includes an integrated Emergency Power Supply (EPS) function with a transfer time of less than 10 ms during power outages. Depending on system sizing, the platform can provide more than six hours of continuous backup power and supports integration with off-grid generators, electric vehicle charging equipment, and solar PV systems, according to the company.
System monitoring and control are managed through the FoxCloud V2.0 web portal and mobile application, with support for RS485, CAN, Wi-Fi, LAN, and optional 4G connectivity.
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The new 755-foot-long vessel can transport 10,800 vehicles and will operate global shipping routes for Hyundai Glovis after its delivery to South Korea’s KOBC.
China on Tuesday delivered the world’s first 10,000-vehicle-class car carrier equipped with a photovoltaic power generation system to South Korea’s Korea Ocean Business Corporation (KOBC). Built by Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI), the ship can carry up to 10,800 vehicles and uses both solar power and liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel engines to boost fuel efficiency and cut emissions worldwide.
The delivery took place through a remote online signing ceremony between GSI and China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd., as KOBC chose a virtual handover instead of an in-person event. According to GSI, the new ship will be leased to Hyundai Glovis for international routes connecting Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe.
This new Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) is the fourth carrier of its size delivered by China, and it is the first in its class to have a solar power system.
The ship’s solar system can produce up to 200 kilowatts at its peak and generates about 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity daily with 5.5 to 7 hours of sunlight. This power helps run the ship’s operations, lowering fuel use and making the ship more energy efficient.
The carrier also uses a dual-fuel propulsion system that operates on conventional fuel oil and LNG. It includes a shaft generator and meets the International Maritime Organization’s Tier III emissions standards. According to GSI, this combination makes it the most energy-efficient vessel in its series.
GSI and the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute worked together to design the vessel. It has been approved by Norway’s Det Norske Veritas and South Korea’s Korean Register, so it can operate anywhere in the world.
The carrier is about 755 feet (230 meters) long, 131 feet (40 meters) wide, and has a draft of 34.4 feet (10.5 meters). It can travel at speeds up to 19 knots, which is about 22 mph (35 km/h).
The ship’s LNG tanks hold enough fuel for a full trip, so it does not need to refuel during long journeys.
The ship has 14 decks for vehicles, with nine fixed and five adjustable. This setup lets it carry passenger cars, vans, heavy trucks, trailers with freight containers, and other large vehicles.
In addition to cars, the ship can carry some packaged dangerous goods covered by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. This expands the types of cargo it can transport.
This latest delivery adds to GSI’s growing lineup of large vehicle carriers and shows China’s increasing role in building new commercial ships.
When Hyundai Glovis starts using the ship, it will help move vehicles between major manufacturing and consumer markets in Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe. The use of solar power and LNG engines also shows the shipping industry’s wider push to cut emissions while still carrying large amounts of cargo.
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Solar Energy
The combination of solar energy and electric mobility is changing the way many families manage electricity consumption. With a well-sized photovoltaic energy system, it is already possible to power the home and also recharge an electric car, reducing the electricity bill and increasing independence from the public grid.
According to an article published by CartaCapital on July 21, 2026, this scenario drives integrated solutions like Huawei’s FusionSolar Residential Smart PV, which combines energy generation, battery storage, intelligent management, and residential charging to make the most of the electricity produced by solar panels.
The growth of solar energy and the fleet of electric cars is transforming the residential energy sector. Instead of using electricity only to power home appliances, consumers have started to see the photovoltaic system as a way to also reduce mobility costs.
More than 1,000 residents of a remote island in Kiribati now have clean water and electricity with solar systems operated by the community itself.
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In practice, when a solar panel produces more energy than the home is consuming at that moment, the surplus can be stored or used to charge the vehicle. This allows for better utilization of daytime generation and further reduces dependency on the utility company.
Besides the savings, the solution helps reduce emissions associated with transportation and increases the energy autonomy of families.
Among the main benefits are:
To meet this new demand, Huawei developed the FusionSolar Residential Smart PV ecosystem, based on the Smart PV Residential 4.0 concept.
The architecture is named 1+4+X. At the center is an intelligent energy controller responsible for coordinating all the equipment connected to the system.
The four main components include:
The set can also be integrated with various household appliances, such as air conditioners, climate systems, and naturally, the electric car.
All management occurs through the FusionSolar app, which displays real-time information on generation, consumption, storage, and vehicle charging.
Energy storage has become one of the main evolutions of residential photovoltaic energy.
When the solar panel generates electricity above the house’s demand, this excess production can be stored in the batteries instead of being used immediately. Later, the energy can power the residence’s equipment at night or be used for charging the automobile.
The LUNA2000 batteries use LiFePO₄ (lithium iron phosphate) technology, recognized for its high thermal stability, good durability, and longer lifespan compared to other chemistries available on the market.
Another differential is the modular structure. This means the battery bank can be expanded as the residence’s consumption or the use of the electric car increases.
This also increases the potential for reducing the electricity bill, especially in properties with good solar incidence.
The residential charger SCharger was developed to work in an integrated manner with the rest of the system.
It is available in single-phase 7.4 kW and three-phase 22 kW versions, depending on the existing electrical infrastructure in the residence.
Under ideal conditions, a vehicle equipped with a battery of approximately 50 kWh can be charged overnight using previously stored energy.
One of the main differentiators is the so-called solar priority mode.
Whenever there is sufficient solar energy production, the system automatically directs this electricity to charge the vehicle before resorting to the energy supplied by the distributor.
Additionally, the equipment performs intelligent power management to avoid overloads in the electrical installation and offers authentication via app, RFID card, and Bluetooth connection.
Although many people seek an exact value to know how much they will save, the result depends on several factors.
Among the main ones are:
When the project is well planned, a large part of the energy consumed by the vehicle can be produced by the residence itself. After the return on the initial investment, the marginal cost to fuel the vehicle tends to be significantly reduced, making the electricity bill smaller over the years.
Besides the residential charger, the investment usually includes photovoltaic modules, inverter, batteries, electrical project, and installation, whose value varies according to the desired power.
The growth of electric mobility also drives residential infrastructure. In recent years, the number of public charging stations in Brazil has increased, while manufacturers of electrical equipment have started investing in increasingly intelligent home chargers.
Simultaneously, regulatory changes in various states and municipalities have facilitated the installation of individual chargers in condominiums, expanding consumers’ access to technology. Huawei also develops the FusionCharge line, aimed at the commercial market.
Unlike the residential system, these devices use significantly higher power and serve charging stations, gas stations, shopping centers, and rapid charging corridors. This strategy shows that the company seeks to operate at different stages of the infrastructure necessary for the growth of electric mobility.
For those who already have solar energy or intend to install a photovoltaic energy system, integrating the charging of the electric car represents an important step towards more efficient energy management.
The main advantage lies in the automatic coordination between generation, storage, household consumption, and vehicle supply. Instead of operating separate equipment, the system distributes the available energy according to the needs of the house, making better use of each kilowatt-hour produced by the solar panel.
Although the initial investment is still significant, experts point out that the combination of distributed generation, smart storage, and electric mobility is expected to gain ground in the coming years. As more consumers seek to reduce the electricity bill and increase energy autonomy, integrated solutions like FusionSolar are likely to become increasingly present in Brazilian homes, uniting economy, technology, and sustainability in a single ecosystem.

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The US state of Pennsylvania has enacted Senate Bill 349, establishing clear requirements for the decommissioning of solar energy facilities at the end of their operational life. Signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro, the legislation requires solar project developers to submit a decommissioning plan and provide proof of financial assurance at least 30 days before construction begins. The decommissioning plan must also be updated as required over the life of the project. 
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) President and CEO Tim Pawlenty called it a bipartisan win for energy affordability, economic strength, and supporting landowners in the state. “Senate Bill 349 provides clear expectations for developers and landowners while ensuring developers are responsible for meeting state requirements,” added Pawlenty. 
Silfab Solar’s planned solar cell and module manufacturing plant in Fort Mill, South Carolina, has suffered a setback after a US court ruled the project’s current location unlawful. According to local media reports, Circuit Court Judge William A. McKinnon affirmed the decision of the York County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) that ruled against solar panel manufacturing in the Light Industrial (LI) district. The BZA decision followed a petition by a local property owner, Walter Buchanan, seeking an interpretation of the Zoning Code. The Circuit Court has denied the appellants’ petition for appeal. Silfab Solar had announced plans to use the Fort Mill fab to produce 1 GW of n-type solar cell capacity along with a 1.3 GW solar module factory. In November 2024, it secured $100 million for the project (see Silfab Solar Lands $100 Million For US Solar Cell Manufacturing Plant). 
US-based Strata Clean Energy has increased its revolving loan and letter of credit facility by $150 million, taking the total facility size from $300 million to $450 million. The expanded facility closed on July 9, 2026. The solar PV and energy storage infrastructure company said this facility will support its growing portfolio of renewable energy and energy storage projects, as well as its EPC and O&M businesses. The facility continues to be led by Nomura as Sole Bookrunner and Coordinating Lead Arranger, with First Citizens Bank joining as Coordinating Lead Arranger. Strata Chief Financial Officer Alex Wilhelm said the additional liquidity will provide greater flexibility to invest in the company’s development pipeline and support business expansion. 
US utility Xcel Energy has completed Phase 3 of the Sherco Solar project in Becker, Minnesota, bringing the site’s total installed solar capacity to 710 MW across 1.7 million solar panels. Built near the retiring Sherco coal plant, the project is now the largest solar facility in Minnesota, according to the company, and among the largest in the Upper Midwest. It has proposed a fourth phase that would increase the project’s capacity to 910 MW by 2029. Xcel said the expansion is expected to create around 300 union construction jobs and generate approximately $90 million in local economic benefits. Xcel Energy added that the project supports its strategy to replace retiring coal generation with renewable energy while using existing infrastructure and maintaining grid reliability. 
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Plans for an aggregate 20GW of new solar PV and wind capacity to be installed by the end of the decade have been set out by Egypt, along with a substantial battery energy storage system (Bess) expansion.
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The proposed location for the solar pavilion in Gilbo Avenue in downtown Keene.
Design option 1 for the Gilbo Avenue solar pavilion would cost $1.62 million, the city said.
Design option 2 for the Gilbo Avenue pavilion would cost $1.69 million, the city said.
Design option 3 for the solar pavillion on Gilbo Avenue would cost $1.74 million. 

City of Keene, Housing and Cheshire County reporter
The proposed location for the solar pavilion in Gilbo Avenue in downtown Keene.
Keene officials and contractors on Wednesday provided a glimpse at what a solar pavilion project on Gilbo Avenue could look like.
The Gilbo Avenue solar pavilion project will add a covered structure over parking spots on Gilbo Avenue next to the site of the Farmers’ Market of Keene. It’ll also have solar panels to generate enough electricity to offset downtown lighting and electricity costs, according to the most recent Capital Improvement Program. Construction is slated for next summer, Public Works Director Don Lussier said.
At a meeting Wednesday, the city sought public feedback on three design options for the $2.2 million project. Roughly $1.8 million — or 80 percent of the cost — comes from a Northern Border Regional Commission grant. The city will cover the remaining $440,000.
The wooden structure is slated to be 230 by 30 feet. It will have a 75 kilowatt solar array. 
Of the roughly 40 people who attended Wednesday afternoon’s two feedback sessions, most preferred the cheapest option, Russ Bates, a representative from the contractor NXTGEN Clean Energy Solutions, told the Municipal Services, Facilities and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday night.
The committee recommended 4-1 the City Council delay decision on the options to allow for more public input.
Here are the designs:
Option 1: Sloped roof 
Design option 1 for the Gilbo Avenue solar pavilion would cost $1.62 million, the city said.
The first option features a south-sloping roof with a 15-foot height clearance on the low end and a 19-foot clearance on the high end. It will have gutters between the panels that drain down to prevent rain or snow from dripping into the canopy. The pavilion will also include LED lights for use in the evening.
The structure will have electrical hookups for farmers market vendors, food trucks or other community events. It’ll cost $1.62 million to build.
Bates said this is the simplest and cheapest design.
Option 2: Sloped roof with a flat sidewalk canopy
Design option 2 for the Gilbo Avenue pavilion would cost $1.69 million, the city said.
The second option is slightly larger and involves a sloped roof with a flat addition that covers the nearby sidewalk. 
The clearance height for this design is between 15 feet and 17 feet. It will have the same drainage system, LED lights and electrical hookups as in option one. It’ll cost $1.69 million.
Bates said this design adds extra coverage for pedestrians using the sidewalk, but it requires more involved foundation work, which increases the price. 
Option 3: A-frame roof
Design option 3 for the solar pavillion on Gilbo Avenue would cost $1.74 million. 
The third option features an A-frame gable roof, with solar panels on the south-facing side. The clearance height would be 15 feet. It will also include the same water drainage system, LED lights and electrical service as the first option.
The A-frame roof would fit with the style of downtown, he added. 
The main drawback to this design, Bates said, is the post placement which would make it more difficult for vehicles and snow plows to maneuver. Construction for option 3 is also the most involved of the options before the city. This design would cost $1.74 million.
Editor Liora Engel contributed reporting to this story.
Mason Rouser can be reached at 603-283-0725 or mrouser@keenesentinel.com.
City of Keene, Housing and Cheshire County reporter
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Zecon Renewables (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zecon Berhad has awarded a RM328 million Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning contract to Zecon Renewables Sdn Bhd also a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group, for the development of a 100MWac large-scale agrivoltaics solar photovoltaic facility at Kota Petra Green Technology Park in Sarawak.
ZRS is an Independent Power Producer holding a 30-year, 100MWac Electricity Licence for Solar Power. In October 2025, ZRS signed a 30-year Power Purchase Agreement with Syarikat Sesco Berhad (“SEB”) to design, construct, own, operate and maintain the solar PV facility, and to generate and deliver solar energy to SEB. The PPA carries a Scheduled Commercial Operation Date of 31 December 2027.
The long-term, contracted offtake under the PPA provides the revenue certainty that underpins the project’s commercial viability and supports its financing, construction and long-term operation.

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Published on 07/23/2026 at 03:35 am EDT
SGL Carbon has further expanded its photovoltaic capacity at its Ort im Innkreis site in Austria. With the commissioning of new PV carports, the site’s solar system capacity has increased to approximately 870 kilowatt-peak (kWp). The new carports contribute an additional 252 kWp to the company’s own power generation, combining sustainable energy production with practical benefits for employees.
Implemented in collaboration with energy partner VERBUND, Austria’s leading energy company, the project is part of SGL Carbon’s ongoing efforts to expand renewable energy use at its sites and support its energy-related sustainability goals.
The new carports generate environmentally friendly solar power and protect parked vehicles from direct sunlight in the summer and from snow and harsh weather conditions in the winter. Additionally, ten electric vehicle charging stations have been installed on site. This allows employees to charge their vehicles in the parking lot, making it easier to incorporate sustainable mobility into their daily lives.
“With the new PV carports, we’re combining environmental responsibility with tangible benefits for our employees,” says Robert Hütter, site manager at Ort im Innkreis. “We’re expanding local renewable energy generation while offering our employees concrete added value in their daily lives.”
With the expansion of the PV system, SGL Carbon continues on its path of increasing its use of renewable energy. This will help to further reduce the company’s carbon footprint and ensure a sustainable energy supply.
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India’s Rayzon Solar and Navitas Solar have separately entered into five-year partnerships with U.S.-based perovskite technology company Caelux to develop and manufacture a combined 10 GW of perovskite-silicon tandem solar modules in India.
Under the agreements, each company will integrate Caelux’s energy-producing solar glass—a perovskite-coated front glass—with its n-type TOPCon module technology to manufacture hybrid tandem modules with targeted efficiencies of up to 28%, compared with around 25% for conventional TOPCon modules.
Unlike conventional PV modules that use non-active front glass, Caelux’s technology replaces the front glass with a power-generating perovskite layer. Combined with the underlying TOPCon silicon cell, the tandem architecture enables both layers to generate electricity, increasing module power density compared with conventional silicon-only modules.
Rayzon Solar’s partnership covers 5 GW of hybrid tandem module production. The company said it will leverage its 11.3 GW bifacial module manufacturing platform to integrate Caelux’s perovskite-coated glass into its TOPCon module production. Commercial production is targeted for 2028. The modules are expected to be eligible for India’s government-tendered utility-scale market.
Navitas Solar’s agreement also targets 5 GW of hybrid tandem module manufacturing, with commercial production expected to begin in 2028. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Surat, Gujarat, Navitas Solar manufactures mono PERC and n-type TOPCon modules with power ratings of up to 720 W.
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Chinese solar manufacturer Dinto Solar has won a bid to supply 1GW of heterojunction (HJT) solar modules to the China Datang Corporation, a Chinese state-owned power generation company.
China Datang offered procurement categories for HJT alongside tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and back contact (BC) modules, which Dinto Solar said demonstrates the “continued market demand” for a diversity of technology types in modules.
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Founded in 2017 by the Central Research Institute of China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), Dinto Solar has invested consistently in new HJT manufacturing capacity, starting work at a 5GW module manufacturing plant in Longgang in 2023. The company expects to expand its annual module manufacturing capacity to 15GW in the coming years.
Earlier this year, the company launched its latest series of product, the G12 PLUS 1/3-cut HJT modules, at the SNEC 2026 event. The series consists of three modules of different sizes, with the largest module—a 198-cell panel dubbed the “flagship” module by the company—including an output of 740-770W and a conversion efficiency of 23.8-24.8%.
These performance metrics mean this module will not fall foul of new regulations passed in the China PV industry that will prohibit the sale of modules with a conversion efficiency of less than 23.2%. Based on a standard module size of 1,134mm × 2,382mm, this amounts to a minimum rated power of 630W, and starting in 2027, modules that do not reach this threshold will be prohibited from commercial scale.
While the 128-cell and 144-products in the G12 PLUS 1/3-cut series exceed the 23.2% efficiency threshold, they do not exceed this 630W output benchmark.
The US, in particular, has seen a flurry of activity in HJT manufacturing this year, including moves towards a new HJT cell facility from Toyo Solar, following calls for an antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) into its shipment of TOPCon cells from Ethiopia to the US, and the announcement of plans for a new HJT module manufacturing plant from SEG Solar.
Last week, SEG Solar CEO Jim Wood told PV Tech Premium that he expects the company to be producing HJT modules in the US “this year”.

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The project spans the Caliraya and Lewin villages in Lumban; West Talaongan, East Talaongan, Inao-Awan, Mahipon-Lumot, Tibatib and Paowin villages in Cavinti; and San Antonio and San Juan villages in Kalayaan, all in Laguna Province. The point-to-point transmission facility is estimated to cost Ps1.379bn (US$22.32m).
NKS Solar One, a joint venture between Blueleaf Energy Philippines and NKS Energy Utilities, plans to develop a 250MW floating solar project in Lake Caliraya and Lake Lumot in Laguna.
The company plans to develop the solar plant in phases, the first of which involves a 162MW Caliraya scheme and phase 2 is an 88MW Lumot project. Construction is targeted to commence in the fourth quarter and the project is expected to be fully operational by the first quarter of 2026. They also intend to develop and operate a dedicated point-to-point limited transmission facility to connect the solar farm to the Luzon grid. 
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By Sethuraman N R and Colleen Howe
Indian makers of solar panels are being forced to shut factories as they face waits stretching up to eight months for domestic components to replace Chinese imports as the government pushes to beef up domestic manufacturing, industry sources say.
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Plans for solar farm substation submitted – but campaigners think they’ve got a ‘strong case’  LincolnshireWorld
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Researchers have redesigned solar panel structure around the geometry of a bee honeycomb, aiming to fix a long-standing flaw in how conventional panels handle sunlight that hits them at an angle. The work was published in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies.
Traditional solar panels are flat, which limits how efficiently they capture light outside of solar noon. As the sun moves across the sky, its rays strike a flat panel more obliquely, and much of that light simply reflects off the glass surface and is lost rather than absorbed.
To address that, researchers built a concave, three-dimensional module using tetrahedron-shaped units arranged into a honeycomb lattice, echoing the same hexagonal cell pattern bees use to build hives with minimal material and maximum strength. The tilted cell walls create angled surfaces that recapture light a flat panel would otherwise reflect away.
According to the study, the honeycomb-structured modules delivered 28 percent greater power output than flat photovoltaic cells of the same size, without requiring any moving parts or expensive solar-tracking motors to follow the sun’s position through the day.
The structure also behaves as a mechanical metamaterial, giving it shock-absorbing properties and enough flexibility to be mounted on curved surfaces rather than only flat rooftops. Researchers say that flexibility could open the technology to uses beyond conventional solar installations, including curved building facades, vehicle surfaces and aerospace equipment.
The underlying principle borrows directly from how bees construct comb. Honeycomb cells use the least amount of wax needed to enclose a given volume while remaining structurally strong, a geometric efficiency that has previously informed lightweight panel designs in aviation, packaging and acoustic engineering.
Applying that same hexagonal logic at solar-cell scale represents a shift from treating solar panels purely as flat electrical components toward treating their physical structure as part of the engineering problem, alongside the materials used to build the underlying photovoltaic cells themselves.
The approach remains at the research stage, and further work would be needed to test durability, manufacturing costs and performance at commercial scale before honeycomb-structured panels could compete with conventional flat panel installations.
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Overcapacity remains a major challenge, according to CRU, while TOPCon 3.0 and advanced metallization are expected to lead near-term innovation
LONGi and TCL Solar advanced BC technology through improved wafers, busbarless metallization, hidden busbars, and full-screen module designs, with LONGi additionally incorporating its Advanced Contact Matrix and integrated conductive backsheet
Trinasolar promoted an integrated solution combining high-efficiency modules, intelligent tracking and storage to shift PV generation toward higher-value hours
JinkoSolar’s field data showed TOPCon outperforming BC references through higher bifaciality and stronger temperature performance, while Tongwei combined rear poly-fingers and advanced cell metallization with quarter-cut cells and an overlapping module layout
AESOLAR’s ShadeStar module maintains higher generation under partial shading while reducing hotspot temperatures and associated safety risks
The TaiyangNews Global PV System Technology Trends H1 2026 Conference, held following SNEC and Intersolar Europe 2026, brought together leading solar and storage companies to examine the technologies and products that stood out at these major exhibitions. Though the solar industry as a whole is going through tough times, the segment has not taken a back seat in terms of innovation. The sheer amount of innovations and product introductions at these events necessitated that we split the conference into two days – July 8^th & 15^th. An article summarizing Day 1 of the conference has already been published on our website. In this article, we present a summary of Day 2.
Day 2 opened with Shravan Chunduri, Head of Technology at TaiyangNews, providing a brief recap of Day 1 of the conference, followed by the key findings of the latest TaiyangNews TOP SOLAR MODULES Analysis report. Based on data collected over the past 30 months, the report highlights two major technologies that achieve benchmark efficiencies in commercial modules. In April, LONGi and AIKO – two strong representatives of the back-contact (BC) segment – provided proof of commercialization for their BC modules offering 25% efficiency. In the same month, TOPCon surpassed the 24% threshold with JA’s commercial module reaching 24.1%. Heterojunction (HJT) retained its position as a power leader, with Risen’s product rated at 740 W.
Overcapacity Clouds PV Outlook, with TOPCon 3.0 to Dominate
During his keynote, Alex Barrows, Head of PV at market research firm CRU, presented the global solar sector across four areas: markets, costs and prices, technology, and product quality. Barrows noted that while a few segments of the market, such as Europe’s residential sector, which is growing strongly, are showing signs of recovery, the overall global PV downturn driven by China is continuing. He also emphasized that the mid-term growth projection is in question amid China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, which might slow progress toward 2028 and cast doubt on achieving TW-scale annual installations by 2030. However, regions such as Africa, the Middle East, and some Asian markets present potential upside.
Regarding the long-term overcapacity problem, recent mergers and acquisitions have prevented the retirement of considerable capacity from the market, suggesting the overcapacity situation is expected to persist. China’s polysilicon capacity, for example, is estimated at around 3 times market demand. While some companies expect profitability to recover in the second half of 2026, others continue to accept losses.
As a countermeasure, the companies are increasingly diversifying into related areas, mainly storage, while a few have also ventured into power electronics. Prices rose during the first half due to higher material costs for aluminum, silver, and encapsulant, mainly driven by geopolitical disruptions. On policy grounds, China’s withdrawal of export VAT rebate also pushed prices up. All these factors, including the degree of tax enforcement against below-cost pricing, will influence market dynamics, according to Barrows.
In terms of trade, Chinese cell and module exports increased 12% year-on-year during the first 5 months of 2026, although CRU expects the country’s overall export sector to dip by around 5% for the year. India’s cell-level ALMM requirements are a key contributor to this downward trend. Specific to the US cell import market, Africa is gaining traction, with cell capacity additions in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia. However, the supply of Chinese wafers to these cell fabs may pose a risk of anti-circumvention restrictions. In this context, the Philippines, with its rising cell exports to the US, is likely to be the next target for AD/CVD investigation, according to Barrow.
CRU expects TOPCon 3.0 to dominate the near term, supported by poly-finger structures, edge passivation, multi-cut cells, and overlapping layouts. Barrows was more cautious about BC, whose costs may only reach parity with TOPCon between 2028 and 2030. The two technologies are therefore likely to coexist with increasingly similar efficiencies. And perovskite-silicon tandems are expected to become commercially significant only in the early 2030s.
Continued price pressure is creating serious reliability concerns, particularly delamination and encapsulation failures observed in field testing. Yet many buyers remain unwilling to pay a premium for higher-quality modules. Barrows also highlighted trade risks related to emerging cell supply from Africa and the Philippines, particularly where Chinese wafers could trigger US anti-circumvention or antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.
LONGi Advances BC Technology Through Cell, Module, and Materials Innovation
LONGi, a strong proponent of BC technology, presented the latest technical advancements in its BC product range. According to Senior Product Solution Manager Barry Chen, LONGi’s HIBC technology has achieved 28.13% cell-level efficiency. Incidentally, LONGi also announced a new world record efficiency for a perovskite-silicon tandem cell of 35.5% just one day prior to Chen’s presentation at the TaiyangNews event.
On the commercial front, one of the key innovations adopted by the company’s BC platform is its patented Advanced Contact Matrix metallization, which addresses rising silver costs and reliability risks associated with increasingly thin fingers. Its 2-layer alloy structure combines a narrow cell-contact and barrier layer topped with a wider, highly conductive current-carrying layer.
The company’s latest BC technology suite also features an innovative approach to interconnection. While not brand new, LONGi employs an integrated backsheet. According to Chen, it is a 3-in-1 technology with a conventional backsheet on the cell side, and an encapsulation film in the middle, with an intermittent conducting foil layer on top of it. This multilayer structure, mimicking high-WVTR backsheets consisting of metal foils, also serves as a highly effective moisture barrier. However, the solution is only applicable to monofacial modules with an overall power gain of about 3 to 5 W.
This latest product platform, branded Hi-MO X10, also carries forward the advanced features of the Hi-MO 9 Prime series, including a full-screen design enabled by the gapless cell layout and hidden busbars. Emphasizing the growing acceptance of LONGi’s BC technology, Chen noted that following 6 GW of BC module shipments in 2023, LONGi expects volumes to reach close to 100 GW by the end of 2026. 
Chen’s presentation also included a summary of LONGi’s progress across other sections of PV. These include TaiRay wafers, RCZ wafer technology, diamond-wire cutting, and perovskite-silicon tandems. Beyond PV, LONGi is expanding into battery storage, green hydrogen, and green methanol. Its BESS portfolio covers distributed generation, C&I, and utility applications, supported by in-house battery and energy management systems. The company’s storage shipment capacity currently stands at up to 13 GWh and is expected to rise to 31 GWh by 2028, with a longer-term target of 100 GWh.
Trinasolar Combines High-Efficiency Modules, Intelligent Tracking, and Storage
Flexibility is becoming a central theme in Europe’s energy transition as rising renewable penetration leads to more frequent curtailment and negative electricity prices. Addressing these imbalances requires solutions that shift generation and consumption across periods rather than relying solely on costly, time-consuming grid expansion. Adele Zhao, Head of Marketing, Product and Technical Service for Europe and Latin America at Trinasolar, presented the company’s approach combining high-efficiency PV modules, intelligent tracking, and battery storage. Citing IEA data, she noted that the incidence of negative electricity prices increased across Europe between 2024 and 2025, strengthening the case for rapidly deployable battery storage and more flexible PV system designs.
Discussing a UK case study, Zhao showed how a 1P tracker, by following the Sun from east to west, can broaden the solar generation profile into the morning and evening periods when electricity tariffs are higher. Compared with fixed-tilt systems, this can enable more electricity to be sold during peak-price hours. Trinasolar’s SuperTracker uses hardware, software, and smart algorithms to optimize tracking and bifacial gains under changing weather, terrain, and low-light conditions. For hilly sites, the Vanguard 1P Terrain+ tracker incorporates terrain-following capability, while independent rack control helps prevent row-to-row shading.
At the module level, Trinasolar showcased its upgraded Vertex G3 series for European rooftops. For utility projects, the company is promoting two modules: Vertex N G3 NEG19RC.20Q with a 670 W power rating and NEG21RC.20Q with 760 W. These modules feature an overlapping gapless design, an inter-cell adhesive buffer layer, and quarter-cut cells. An important advancement in this latest generation of modules is a reduction in the power temperature coefficient to 0.26%. The spec for annual degradation is also lower at 0.35% per year, including the first year, which is typically rated at 1%.
Completing the integrated offering, Trinasolar presented its Elementa 3 DC storage system combined with the Electra 13.8 AC conversion platform. The utility-scale solution provides 13.8 MW/50 MWh of capacity and incorporates 587 Ah cells, power conversion, and liquid-cooling and fire-safety systems.
JinkoSolar’s Field Data Highlights TOPCon’s Energy-Yield Advantage
Long-term field performance is becoming increasingly important, as it reflects how well the STC performance attributes translate into ground reality under real operating conditions. Presenting data from multiple test sites in China, JinkoSolar Senior Manager of PV Solutions Senbo Yan highlighted the performance of TOPCon modules compared with IBC products. His presentation first summarized the officially released field test data by SPIC from the Daqing test base in northeastern China.
The 182 mm cell-based TOPCon modules were monitored for approximately 1,300 days between 2022 and 2025. The location has an average annual irradiance of 900-1,000 W/m². According to Yan, TOPCon modules delivered an average power-generation advantage of 2.27%/W over BC modules. Higher bifaciality was identified as a key contributor, with TOPCon modules achieving 74% bifaciality, compared with 64% for the BC modules. Under 900 W/m² front-side irradiance and an ambient temperature of 25°C, the higher rear-side contribution helped TOPCon achieve a power gain of up to 2.63%. The data also indicated that the yield advantage increased with higher ambient temperatures, reaching up to 3.54% across the evaluated temperature intervals. A second test at Daqing during 2025 showed a 0.75% gain in power output per watt (kWh/kW) for TOPCon. In this comparison, TOPCon bifaciality ranged from 77% to 80%, compared with BC’s 72%.
Yan’s presentation also included field performance data from Wuwei in Gansu province, where annual irradiance reaches approximately 1,600 W/m² and module surface temperatures reach 60°C. The presented data indicated that the company’s TOPCon modules generated up to 1.28% more power per watt than the reference BC modules over a month.
Tongwei’s TNC 3.0 Includes Collective Improvements at Cell and Module Levels
High cell efficiency and nameplate power do not necessarily reflect in corresponding module or field performance. The reasons? Mismatch in optical, electrical, and thermal attributes, emphasized Jason Yang, Product Marketing Manager at Tongwei. Even record-performing cells experience power losses when interconnected and encapsulated into modules. Hotspots, microcracks, and degradations prevent high-power products from realizing power yields.
Tongwei has developed an upgraded platform, TNC 3.0, that combines improvements at both the cell and module levels to address these gaps.
At the cell level, TNC 3.0 uses what Tongwei calls a 360° passivated high-efficiency cell. The key features include passivation optimization of the front, rear, and edges, as well as metallization. The most prominent one is the adoption of a rear-polyfinger structure. According to Yang, the resulting cell reaches 26.3% efficiency, compared with approximately 25.5% for a conventional TOPCon cell. A 210 mm TNC 3.0 cell produces 11.6 W, representing a claimed gain of 0.4 W.
Module-level improvements begin with a quarter-cut cell design. Tongwei says this reduces electrical losses to around one-quarter of those associated with conventional half-cut cells, contributing approximately 4 W of additional module power. The company also employs a high-density layout based on what it calls louvered interconnection, which is essentially an overlapping layout that adds another 5 W by increasing the active cell area within the module.
Yang presented 2 products based on the platform. The G12-66 module reaches 770 W with an efficiency of 24.8%, while the G12R-66 offers up to 670 W at the same efficiency.
Tongwei also highlighted the value proposition of its latest product range in terms of levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). According to Yang, the key attribute is a module bifaciality of up to 90%, which can improve overall energy yield by about 1.2%, potentially translating into a similar increase in project revenue. Yang also highlighted Tongwei’s fully integrated manufacturing value chain and world-class facilities, including a ‘lighthouse factory’ that employs AI, big data analytics, and closed-loop process control to improve efficiency, quality, traceability, and manufacturing costs.
TCL Solar Advances BC Technology From Wafer To Module
TCL Solar is bringing one of the solar industry’s longest-standing BC technology legacies into a new generation of products. Through TCL Zhonghuan’s controlling position in Maxeon / Sunpower, the group now possesses BC know-how developed over several decades. The technology portfolio comprises more than 1,600 patents, concentrated mainly in the US and Europe. The validity period of these patents mainly covers the 2030-2037 timeframe, providing a long-term, predictable window for technology use, as Xiao Geng, Deputy Chief Engineer of Product Planning at TCL Solar, underscores.
The company’s BC development also builds on TCL Zhonghuan’s established wafer expertise with cumulative wafer shipments surpassing 300 GW. According to Geng, the wafers offer minority-carrier lifetimes of up to 10,000 µs and tightly controlled oxygen content. At the cell level, TCL’s BC architecture employs submicron texturing to limit reflectance to below 9.5%. Half-cut wafers and busbarless metallization are claimed to deliver a 5 W power gain over conventional BC cells. Its Pattern OPT process uses new lithography-based patterning to avoid thermal damage from laser patterning and enhance module reliability. The electrode pattern OPT is also said to enhance the low-light coefficient to above 95% under comparable test conditions.
TCL Solar’s C2 series module features a full-screen design with hidden busbars. This facilitates another claimed 5-10 W power gain. Among the products presented, the bifacial G12R-66P reaches 680 W, while the 197-54P monofacial, dual-glass residential module delivers up to 505 W.
AESOLAR’s ShadeStar Targets Rooftop Shading and Hotspot Risks
Shading remains a significant but often underestimated challenge for rooftop PV systems. Hamed Hanifi, Director of Technology and Innovation at AESOLAR, noted that rooftop installations account for as much as 60% of Europe’s PV capacity. Even when cables, chimneys, antennas, or trees shade only around 5% of a module’s active area, the effect can range from a disproportionate power loss to complete module shutdown. Persistent localized shading can also create hotspots, potentially increasing fire risk.
Hanifi explained that an illuminated solar cell operates under forward bias, whereas a shaded cell can become reverse-biased and behave as an electrical load until it reaches the breakdown voltage. The response varies considerably among PERC, TOPCon, and BC technologies, influencing both energy loss and hotspot behavior.
AESOLAR began addressing this issue with its Shade-Free module in 2018, which incorporated 63 bypass diodes. Its latest development, showcased at Intersolar Europe, is the patented ShadeStar module based on segmented-cell technology.
The new module uses 80 G12 half-cut TOPCon cells and delivers up to 440 W of power, with an efficiency of 22.04%. It is backed by product and performance warranties of up to 30 years.
Hanifi presented the comparative results from indoor shade testing of ShadeStar modules benchmarked against TOPCon and BC butterfly-layout modules across several shading scenarios at Fraunhofer CSP. Shading tests were conducted in the horizontal, vertical, and diagonal directions in 9 different possible scenarios. While BC outperformed TOPCon in all cases, ShadeStar outperformed BC modules. Both the reference modules are based on a butterfly design.  . Hanifi also presented the evaluation of active and passive diodes, with active diodes found to be advantageous, operating at a lower temperature of up to 30°C.
According to the company, ShadeStar is a module-level advancement that depends on the cell level. Applying the ShadeStar design to BC modules would result in a PV panel that never sleeps during the day due to shading, said Hanifi in his closing remarks.
Risen Attains Cost Parity with HJT with Low Silver Metallization
The sole representation for HJT technology at the conference was from Risen Energy. The company’s CTO, Po-Chuan Yang, presented its progress in HJT, emphasizing not only higher efficiency and module power but also reductions in material consumption and emissions. It claims to have shipped 12 GW of HJT products to more than 80 countries.
Risen’s HJT platform combines G12-format ultrathin wafers, 0BB metallization, reduced silver consumption, and low-stress cell interconnection. According to the company, its n-type, single-junction HJT cell has reached 27.03% efficiency, while its HJT tandem cell has achieved 31.95%.
The company claims to have reduced the silver content in its metallization paste from 60% to 15%, and to have less than 10% silver content in its printed seed-grid process. At this level of silver consumption, Risen’s HJT technology is comparable in costs with TOPCon, according to Yang. He added that Risen is also developing a silver-free metallization process in collaboration with Swiss research institute CSEM.
At the wafer level, Yang says that wafer thinning is an important part of Risen’s cost and carbon-reduction strategy. The company has mass-produced wafers with thicknesses ranging from 100 µm to 110 µm, resulting in finished cells of approximately 95 µm. According to Yang, Risen also has the capability to develop cells thinner than 70 µm. The company is further working with the University of New South Wales on ultra-low-emission PV products based on thinner wafers.
At the module level, Risen’s Hyper-ion Pro series provides power outputs ranging from 720 W to 745 W and reaches efficiencies of up to 24.0%. The products are rated at 90% bifaciality. Looking ahead, Risen is targeting 760 W HJT modules in 2026 to 2027, followed by HJT tandem modules exceeding 850 W in 2028.
Panel: Storage, Advanced Cells, and Application-Specific Modules Lead Product Trends
The panel discussion brought together Alex Barrows of CRU, Adele Zhao of Trinasolar, Hamed Hanifi of AESOLAR, and Xiao Geng of TCL Solar to assess the major trends emerging from SNEC and Intersolar Europe 2026.
Responding to a common question on the three most important developments, the panelists broadly agreed on the growing prominence of energy storage, the continued evolution of TOPCon and BC technologies, and the expansion of application-specific products. System integration – from PV and storage to intelligent home energy systems – was another recurring theme. Moderator Shravan Chunduri added that space PV and cable-based mounting systems are also emerging areas to watch. Barrows identified TOPCon 3.0, particularly rear poly-finger structures and advanced metallization, as one of the most commercially relevant developments. He expects further innovation in silver-copper and copper overprinting, while cautioning that supply of application-specific modules does not always correspond with actual market demand. Zhao emphasized that module performance should not be judged by STC efficiency alone. That’s because factors such as bifaciality, low-light behavior, system costs, and long-term reliability are equally important in determining project value. She also highlighted that integrated solutions tailored to specific project needs are gaining traction.
Hanifi argued that crystalline silicon is approaching its theoretical efficiency limit and that TOPCon and BC will coexist until tandem products reach commercial maturity. In the meantime, reducing cell-to-module losses and assessing products through LCOE offer more meaningful measures of value than nameplate power alone. Geng similarly described efficiency as the foundation rather than the complete value proposition. Future differentiation, he said, will depend on matching modules to customer requirements by improving contacts, spacing, frames, glass, and resistance to wind, hail, and other site-specific conditions. Looking ahead, the panel expects metallization and silver substitution to remain prominent at next year’s exhibitions.
TaiyangNews 2024

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Darrell Proctor
A California-based solar power equipment group said it has signed two separate five-year, 5-GW commercialization partnerships with a pair of India’s leading solar module manufacturers.
Caelux Corp. on July 23 said Rayzon Solar and Navitas Solar will integrate Caelux’s energy-producing solar glass with those companies’ TOPCon solar module technology. The announcements come on the heels of Caelux-Solx five-year, 3-GW partnership announced in April. Caelux on Thursday said the new deals provide a strong market signal for the direction of perovskite technology in the solar energy sector.
“We are pleased to partner with Navitas Solar, a true visionary dedicated to scaling this important energy technology in India, one of the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy markets,” said Scott Graybeal, CEO of Caelux, which is headquartered in Baldwin Park, east of Los Angeles. “By integrating our technology into its module, Navitas Solar is taking the lead in India’s ambitious clean energy goals, both in terms of domestic production and deployment. Together, we aim to deliver advanced solar solutions that support India’s clean energy transition while strengthening its domestic manufacturing capabilities.”
The Caelux-Navitas partnership is designed for delivery of ultra-high efficiency solar modules that combine both perovskite and silicon solar layers. The agreement will couple Caelux’s energy-producing glass tech with Navitas’ N-Type TOPCon solar technology, creating Hybrid Tandem modules with efficiencies of up to 28%.
Aaron Thurlow, chief commercial officer at Caelux, told POWER, “We are honored to partner with these two market-leading India-based solar module manufacturers on multi-gigawatt scale production agreements. Building on our partnership with Solx in the U.S., these deals further strengthen Caelux’s leadership position globally in bringing perovskite technology to market at scale. Just as importantly, these agreements send a powerful market signal that perovskite technology has moved beyond promise to commercial reality.”

Caelux in the deal with Rayzon Solar will integrate its energy-producing solar glass with Rayzon’s advanced TOPCon modules. The companies said their collaboration will support the “Make in India” vision of the Indian government through local manufacturing, and enable next-generation perovskite-plus-silicon modules with efficiencies of as much as 28%.
India recently reached more than 150 GW of installed solar power making it the third-largest country in terms of deployed solar. Officials have said that to continue this trajectory, and achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pledge of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 (with solar as the primary driver), the country needs to install 350 GW of renewables in less than four years. The technology combination from this deal is expected to significantly improve the power density compared to silicon-only modules. The new module with the companies’ combined technology should accelerate the deployment rate for solar power.
“As India enters the next phase of its renewable energy journey, the focus must extend beyond capacity expansion to manufacturing globally competitive, high-efficiency technologies within the country,” said Ankit Singhania, co-founder and director for Navitas Solar. “Our partnership with Caelux marks an important milestone in that journey. By combining our manufacturing expertise with Caelux’s pioneering perovskite technology, we are creating one of India’s earliest pathways for large-scale production of Hybrid Tandem solar modules. Crucially, this leap in world-class technology and scale will serve as a powerful engine to fuel the Government of India’s ambitious vision of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030. This collaboration reinforces our commitment to innovation, market leadership, and self-reliance.”
The companies on Thursday said they want to have commercial production available by 2028.
“Navitas Solar is living proof that India’s energy transition will be won by coupling advanced technology with Indian supply chains, and Indian jobs,” said Vish Iyer, managing director, India & West Asia, for Caelux. “By integrating Caelux’s energy producing glass to create high-efficiency modules, Navitas is helping India leap forward towards its clean energy goals.”
Navitas, founded in 2013, is headquartered in Surat, Gujarat, India. The company specializes in Mono PERC and high-efficiency N-Type TOPCon solar modules.
Rayzon Solar said it will leverage its 11.3-GW large-scale bifacial manufacturing platform as part of the agreement with Caelux. Rayzon Solar will overlay Caelux’s energy-producing glass on its TOPCon technology to produce the highest power density modules available, according to the company.
“We are dedicated to fulfilling India’s vision of establishing world-class, high-quality solar manufacturing at scale,” said Chirag Nakrani, co-founder and managing director, Rayzon Solar Limited. “By partnering with Caelux, we are furthering our technology leadership and strengthening India’s position at the forefront of next-generation solar manufacturing.”
“As India is one of the top solar manufacturing countries in the world, it is a strategic destination for us. This partnership is a critical step in Caelux’s growth trajectory as we look to scale our technology globally,” said Graybeal. “We are honored to partner with Rayzon Solar, an award-winning and globally-respected solar module manufacturer.”
The companies are currently collaborating on early deployments, and commercial volumes are expected to be available by 2028 and eligible for India’s government-tendered utility market.
India is experiencing dramatic growth in both solar deployment and manufacturing due to the Production Linked Incentives Schemes from India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, combined with the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) listing requirements.
“This partnership accelerates our capability to domestically manufacture at the efficiency frontier and at the scale India needs to meet its ambitious clean energy goals of 500 GW by 2030,” said Amit Barve, CEO of Rayzon Solar.
Rayzon Solar said its ALMM-listed manufacturing platform provides the scale needed to commercialize the next-generation modules. The company has facilities in Kim and Kosamba, Surat.
“Having spent my career supporting both downstream project development and solar manufacturing, I am excited about the massive impact that this partnership will have for the Indian solar market,” said Iyer.
Caelux is considered a global leader in perovskite (an advanced crystalline structure that converts sunlight into electricity) solar technology  development and manufacturing. The company’s technology transforms the top glass of solar modules into a second power generation layer, increasing energy density by up to 30% and improving LCOEs (levelized cost of electricity) by 20% or more.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
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Solar panels could save South African municipalities R10 billion a year  MyBroadband
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China to boost wind and solar generation by more than 50% in five years  Reuters
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Italian court overturns Sardinia freeze on permits for renewable energy projects  Reuters
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A powerful hail storm swept across Italy’s Marche region this week, bringing intense thunderstorms, damaging winds, and severe weather conditions along the Adriatic coast. Large hailstones battered parts of the region, causing damage to vehicles, crops, and property while leaving communities facing a difficult cleanup.
Photovoltaic systems have also been affected by the severe weather. “In the 15 years we have been managing PV systems, hail damage has been extremely rare. However, over the past two or three years, these incidents have increased significantly. This summer alone, we have already recorded a second event in the Marche region that has destroyed solar installations,” Michele Mencarelli, the Marche regional representative for Italian PV association Italia Solare, told pv magazine Italia.
Mencarelli explained that these hail events are typically highly localized, affecting specific areas while leaving nearby locations untouched. “Of the approximately 200 systems we manage, only one was damaged in this event, with losses estimated at around €80,000 to €90,000. In early June, a similar storm caused comparable damage to two systems in Monteroberto, near Jesi. A PV system located just a few hundred meters away was unaffected, while the two impacted installations were destroyed.”
Regarding the PV system near San Benedetto del Tronto, Mencarelli said the project benefits from coverage under an “all-risk” insurance policy because it was developed under Italy’s Conto Energia incentive scheme.
“The client has already filed an insurance claim. Companies are now also required to obtain catastrophe insurance, but based on my experience, many insurance policies exclude photovoltaic systems and instead refer customers to dedicated PV insurance coverage,” he added. “The issue mainly concerns newer, non-subsidized installations, where not all owners choose to purchase this type of protection.”
The damage is particularly significant considering that the modules installed at the site are certified for mechanical resistance. “They had always withstood hail events in the past, but weather phenomena have recently become much more intense,” Mencarelli said.
With the frequency of extreme weather events increasing, Mencarelli recommends that PV system owners consider dedicated insurance coverage to mitigate potential losses.
Other media reports and social media posts have also highlighted additional PV systems damaged by the hail storm.
No information is currently available on the size of the hailstones. However, a recent study found that PV installations consistently sustain damage when exposed to hailstones measuring 60 mm or more in diameter, regardless of system configuration.

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Solar panels named as cause of hospital fire  Yahoo
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Shanxi Installation wins $210m EPC deal for Oman solar IPP  Utilities Middle East
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