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Iberdrola has initiated work on distributed solar installations in Portugal under a community energy initiative. The Spanish company is building ten solar photovoltaic facilities intended to supply local networks of homes and enterprises within a four-kilometer radius of each site. Eight of these projects are in development, while two are already generating power.
This solar community concept relies on physical infrastructure situated in villages and towns rather than centralized generation. The approach places photovoltaic arrays in urban or semi-urban settings. Businesses and energy producers host the solar equipment on their premises without any capital outlay. The panels channel excess electricity to consumers within four kilometers through existing distribution networks.
The design enables participants to benefit from renewable generation without installing equipment on their own properties. This could address scenarios where cost, zoning restrictions, or building characteristics prevent individual solar adoption. The physical size of each installation varies based on the location and anticipated demand from the local network.
Producers receive the solar hardware at no upfront expense, and consumers join the network without connection fees. This arrangement redirects electricity that would otherwise go unused within the current grid infrastructure. The solar community projects represent a move from large-scale centralized renewable installations toward localized generation networks. The infrastructure brings production closer to consumption points rather than depending on transmission from distant sites.
Pedro Torres, Director of Smart Solutions at Iberdrola Clientes Portugal, characterizes the approach as transformative. He notes that solar communities are changing how energy reaches people, making it more accessible and collaborative. Through this initiative, Iberdrola seeks to accelerate that change by advancing innovative solutions that bring generation closer to consumption, enhance sustainability, and provide concrete advantages to local communities and the broader energy system.
Design factors include proximity constraints, load balancing within the four-kilometer radius, and integration with existing distribution infrastructure. Planning for these installations differs from conventional utility-scale solar farms because of their embedded placement within populated areas.
The solar community initiative is part of Iberdrola’s broader infrastructure portfolio in Portugal. The company has been active in the country since 2004 and is constructing what it describes as Portugal’s largest renewable energy project. The Sistema Eletroprodutor do Tâmega includes three hydroelectric plants: Alto Tâmega, Gouvães, and Daivões. These facilities form an integrated complex with 1,158 MW of installed capacity, including 880 MW of pumped storage capability. Iberdrola states that the hydroelectric scheme represents an investment exceeding US$1.85 billion.
Iberdrola also constructed seven photovoltaic projects awarded in Portugal’s 2019 solar capacity auction. All seven are now operational, with a combined installed capacity of roughly 186.3 MW. In 2024, the company received the highest rating from Fitch Sustainable after preventing 26.7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions the prior year.
Whether the community solar model expands beyond Portugal remains uncertain. The infrastructure design is replicable, and demand for localized renewable generation continues to rise. Physical installation requirements include suitable host sites, distribution network capacity, and planning approval for embedded generation within residential or commercial areas.
Torres’s focus remains on completing the ten projects currently underway. The program tests whether decentralized energy infrastructure can deliver measurable benefits to the communities it serves. The construction and commissioning phase will determine if the model performs as intended across different site types and network configurations. Each site presents distinct planning considerations that affect the commissioning timeline. Variation in host property characteristics, local grid capacity, and community participation levels means the rollout proceeds at different speeds across the ten locations. This phased approach allows Iberdrola to refine the installation process as operational data comes in from the two functioning sites.
This report provides a comprehensive view of the solar cells and light-emitting diodes industry in Portugal, 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 Portugal.
The report combines market sizing with trade intelligence and price analytics for Portugal. 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 Portugal. 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 Portugal.
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 Portugal.
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 Portugal.
Yes, it highlights demand hotspots, trade routes, pricing trends, and competitive context.
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Market Size, Growth and Scenario Framing
Commercial and Technical Scope
How the Market Splits Into Decision-Relevant Buckets
Where Demand Comes From and How It Behaves
Supply Footprint and Value Capture
Trade Flows and External Dependence
Price Formation and Revenue Logic
Who Wins and Why
How the Domestic Market Works
Commercial Entry and Scaling Priorities
Where the Best Expansion Logic Sits
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Update 6/16: Bluetti has expanded its clearance sale section of this sale, while also adding the newly launched FridgePower Portable Power Station and bundle options. The list below has been updated.
Bluetti has switched over to its Early Prime Day power station sale, which is not only getting some special extra savings promotions but also benefits from our two ongoing exclusive codes for even lower prices. One solid option is the Elite 200 V2 Portable Power Station taken down to $759.05 shipped after using our code 9TO5TOYS5OFF at checkout, beating out Amazon by $40. It’s down from its recent $899 full price (originally $1,699), which has been seeing regular discounts to $799 since April. While we have seen it go a bit lower in the past, you’re still getting an exclusive $140 markdown off the new going rate, landing it at the third-lowest price we have tracked. Head below to get the full rundown on extra savings and to browse the entire lineup of deals.
During this Early Prime Day Sale, you’ll have access to two of our exclusive bonus savings codes, with a sitewide 5% off available using the code 9TO5TOYS5OFF, while purchasing the Elite 400 or any of its bundles get 6% extra savings using the code 9TO5TOYS6OFF at checkout. What’s more, Bluetti is offering additional tiered savings: $100 off on orders over $2,000, $150 off on orders over $3,000, or $200 off on orders over $4,000. Plus, purchases score you 2x Bluetti Bucks that you can redeem (just sign up here for free) for coupons, gift cards, and lifestyle products.
The Bluetti Elite 200 V2 power station is a solid middle-ground option to cover your devices and appliances, with it providing a 2,073.6Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity. Through its nine output ports (4x AC, 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x DC), it delivers up to 2,600W of steady power and can surge as high as 5,200W; not to mention, it operates at 16dB “whisper-quiet” levels, so it won’t disturb your sleep while camping or using it near your bed. There are a few different options to recharge the stations battery, including the usual AC outlet charging, using 12V or 24V car auxiliary ports, using either of the brand’s alternator chargers, connecting up to 1,000W of solar panel input, or by simultaneously using both AC and DC charging.
***Note: None of the prices in the lineup below have had any of the possible bonus savings factored in, so be sure to use either of the above exclusive bonus savings codes when you reach checkout, while the website automatically adds the up to $200 savings from the promotions. Following the last few posts since Bluetti permanently cut down its MSRPs, units that have been permanently given price cuts may have a “No additional price cut” reflected to show that the rate shown is the newest MSRP and not receiving further savings.
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A group of researchers from Chinese PV manufacturer Longi and China’s Yangzhou University has developed a new manufacturing technique to mitigate laser shock waves in the production of heterojunction (HJT) back-contact (BC) solar cells in an effort to reduce potential damage.
“Our work not only addresses a major contradiction in laser-based manufacturing but also offers a practical, industry-ready route toward ultra-high-efficiency photovoltaics,” corresponding author Lvzhou Li told pv magazine. “Laser processing plays a central role in modern photovoltaic manufacturing, providing benefits in throughput, precision, and patterning flexibility. However, at high energy densities, the interaction between ultrafast laser pulses and silicon can trigger non-thermal processes that produce instantaneous, high-pressure shock waves.”
Laser-induced shock waves can damage solar cells by generating extremely rapid, localized pressure spikes within the silicon lattice. These stresses can exceed the material’s mechanical limits, leading to microcracks and defect formation. Such damage degrades carrier transport and reduces the overall efficiency and reliability of solar cells.
In the paper “Harnessing and mitigating laser shock waves for 27.27% efficiency back contact silicon solar cells,” published in Solar Energy, Li and his colleagues specifically addressed the degradation of front-side passivation and texture caused by rear-side laser patterning at high energy densities, focusing on how rear-side p-type region formation affects front-side passivation through laser-induced shock waves, rather than on contact or edge optimization.
The group identified the rear-side silicon nitride (SiNx) layer as the primary source of damage and revealed the underlying picosecond laser–SiNx interaction mechanism, which is described as a non-thermal ablation process driven by ultrafast energy deposition. It is triggered when the laser pulse excites electrons in the SiNx faster than heat can diffuse, causing rapid bond breaking and localized plasma formation. This leads to a sudden, explosive ejection of material rather than gradual melting or evaporation. The rapid expansion generates shock waves that can propagate into the underlying silicon and induce mechanical stress or damage.
The researchers also investigated the relationship between laser-induced shock waves and device architecture using two sample groups: G1 with a backside SiNx layer and G2 without it. After identical laser ablation and wet etching, G1 was found to exhibit distinct stripe-like damage on the front surface, while G2 showed no morphological abnormalities, indicating the critical role of the backside SiNx layer in amplifying shock-wave effects even at relatively low laser fluence.
In paralle, surface analysis reveals periodic high-reflectivity defects in G1 that match simulated shock-wave intensity distributions, whereas G2 remains defect-free. Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed complete loss of pyramidal texture in affected G1 regions, leading to collapse of the passivation stack and failure of light-trapping functionality.
The scientists attributed the damage to shock-wave reflection at the backside SiNx interface, which concentrates stress at pyramid tips, generates microcracks, and promotes preferential silicon etching during subsequent wet processing. This ultimately causes structural collapse of the passivation layer.
To mitigate this issue, they tested three front-side textures: standard pyramids (E1), submicron pyramids (E2), and rounded-top pyramids (E3). Further analysis showed that, while E1 suffers severe degradation after laser processing, E2 and E3 significantly improve passivation stability by reducing stress concentration, with electrical measurements confirming this trend. Photoluminescence imaging further validates improved uniformity for E2 and E3 compared to E1.
The champion solar cell among all devices tested by the team achieved a power conversion efficiency of 27.27%. By way of comparison, the world’s most efficient heterojunction cell developed by Longi itself achieved an efficiency of 28.13%, which means the reported device is only slightly lower in performance and remains very close to the state-of-the-art level.
The result was confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH). The cell also achieved an open-circuit voltage of 745.0 mV, a short-circuit current 7,439 mA, and a fill factor of 86.19%.
“We engineered a novel front-side texture consisting of submicron, rounded-top pyramids that effectively disperse stress waves and preserve passivation quality,” Li said. “By strategically harnessing shock waves on the rear while mitigating their impact on the front, we achieved improved device stability and performance.”
From pv magazine Global
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FILE – A motorcyclist drives past the South Luzon Thermal Energy Power Plant in Calaca, Batangas, in the Philippines on Oct. 4, 2025.
FILE – A boy fishes in front of the Bangchak Oil Refinery, home to Thailand’s newest sustainable aviation fuel facility, in Bangkok on Jan. 3, 2026.
FILE – A pair of solar installers haul a solar panel onto the roof of a home in Manila, Philippines, on April 30, 2026.
FILE – A group of workers installs solar panels on the roof of a warehouse near Jurong Island in Singapore on Oct. 6, 2025.
FILE – This aerial view on Jan. 19, 2025, shows the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the Philippines, which has never produced a single watt of energy.
FILE – A motorcyclist drives past the South Luzon Thermal Energy Power Plant in Calaca, Batangas, in the Philippines on Oct. 4, 2025.
FILE – A boy fishes in front of the Bangchak Oil Refinery, home to Thailand’s newest sustainable aviation fuel facility, in Bangkok on Jan. 3, 2026.
FILE – A pair of solar installers haul a solar panel onto the roof of a home in Manila, Philippines, on April 30, 2026.
FILE – A group of workers installs solar panels on the roof of a warehouse near Jurong Island in Singapore on Oct. 6, 2025.
FILE – This aerial view on Jan. 19, 2025, shows the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the Philippines, which has never produced a single watt of energy.
BANGKOK (AP) — The Iran war has exposed major risks for Southeast Asia that could cost the region billions of dollars, if it doesn’t diversify sources of energy more quickly, according to an International Energy Agency report released Tuesday.
An overreliance on oil and gas transported through the Strait of Hormuz left the region particularly vulnerable to shocks from the Iran war, a “stark wake-up call” for its energy security, the report says.
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Topic:Renewable Energy
Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 6:18am
A New South Wales government scheme aims to increase the uptake of homes powered by renewable energy. (ABC News: Johanna Marie)
New South Wales residents can now apply for state government zero-interest loans and subsidies for renewable energy technology.
Premier Chris Minns says the scheme will help more families access technology that lowers their bills.
The up-front payments are set to begin later this year and will cost taxpayers $77 million.
Interest-free loans and cash subsidies are being offered by the New South Wales government to encourage the uptake of renewable energy measures like solar panels and household batteries.
From today, home owners with a combined household income of $210,000 or less can apply for a 10-year loan of up to $15,000 at zero interest.
The government will fund $480 million worth of loans, meaning 32,000 households could borrow the maximum amount.
Premier Chris Minns said the new scheme was a practical way to help ease the pressure of energy bills on the cost of living.
"We're stepping in to help where we can, so more families can access technology that lowers their bills and makes their homes more comfortable."
The state government will fund $480 million worth of loans. (ABC News: Peter Garnish)
Cash subsidies of up to $4,000 for energy-saving upgrades will be available to concession card holders and households earning less than $80,000 a year.
Renters will be able to access the payments provided that their landlord approves the upgrade.
The up-front payments are set to begin later this year and will cost taxpayers $77 million.
Those eligible are encouraged to apply for the cash first and seek a loan for the remaining cost of the improvement.
Ms Sharpe says the scheme will help more families upgrade their homes. (ABC News: Liam Patrick)
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe said the program would give more families access to better technology.
Eligible home improvements include rooftop solar, batteries and switchboard upgrades, as well as ceiling insulation, draught-proofing and double glazing.
The scheme also covers appliances like solar water heaters, reverse cycle air conditioning, induction cooktops, EV chargers and DC ceiling fans.
Funding was first allocated in the 2024-25 budget, with the initiative in development since then.
People will be able to use the state program on top of the federal government's home batteries scheme, which cuts up-front installation costs by around 30 per cent.
The government said more than one in two houses in New South Wales already had solar panels and 13,000 batteries were being installed each month.
Smart Energy Council chief executive David McElrea said a battery and solar system can range from $10,000 to $40,000 depending on size and the electrification needs of homes.
He said systems paid themselves off within seven years through cost savings, but with the government scheme it could be paid off in as soon as four years.
"So it is the best investment you can make in bringing down cost of living."
Mr McElrea said there was increased demand for solar batteries in response to federal government subsidies and that he hoped New South Wales would experience the same.
"There's been very strong demand, partly because the federal government has provided a generous subsidy for batteries," he said.
"That subsidy is winding down a bit … I think New South Wales can get ahead of other states and drive increased demand, and the more people that can get access to a battery or solar, the better."
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LONGi, a global leader in solar technology, announced that its Back Contact (BC) technology platform has surpassed a cumulative 60GW in commercial sales and shipments. This milestone marks a pivotal shift in the global solar market toward widespread adoption of next-generation, ultra-high-efficiency modules.
The achievement underscores LONGi’s rapid commercial momentum. Driven by strong market performance throughout 2025 (22.87GW shipped) and a powerful first quarter in 2026 (8.34GW shipped), BC technology has officially transitioned from a niche premium architecture into the global mainstream platform for high-efficiency solar applications.
The momentum is rapidly accelerating. Fresh off the heels of the SNEC exhibition in Shanghai, LONGi disclosed a massive deployment target, projecting full-year shipments to reach approximately 100GW of wafers and 80GW of modules. Propelled by an unprecedented surge in market demand and the rapid scale-up of its next-generation technology, LONGi anticipates its cumulative BC solar module shipments will break all historical industry barriers to skyrocket past the 100GW milestone by the end of 2026. This trajectory positions BC technology to dominate more than 65% of the company’s total annual shipments, solidifying a new era where Back Contact serves as the primary engine for global decarbonization.
A new era of global commercialization
As the photovoltaic industry matures, competitive dynamics are shifting away from sheer capacity expansion toward lifecycle value, reliability, and superior energy yield. Modern developers and EPC partners look beyond mere nameplate power; they prioritize site adaptability and long-term asset performance.
LONGi’s BC technology is uniquely engineered for this market evolution. By placing both positive and negative electrodes on the rear side of the cell, the architecture eliminates front-side gridline shading, maximizing sunlight absorption and delivering significantly higher energy generation under real-world operating conditions. For utility-scale and distributed projects alike, this translates to optimal land utilization, reduced O&M pressure, and maximized return on investment.
R&D-driven, scenario-based innovation
This commercial milestone is backed by LONGi’s unwavering commitment to research and development, including an RMB 4.3 billion R&D investment in 2025 alone. Rather than treating solar modules as standardized commodities, LONGi is utilizing its BC platform to pioneer a broad product ecosystem tailored to specific environmental challenges.
Following the large-scale global rollout of its HPBC 2.0 products in 2025, LONGi’s R&D strategy has increasingly focused on full-scenario value creation. Whether mitigating the risks of heavy snow and hail, resisting salt corrosion in coastal regions, or optimizing performance in high-wind and dust-heavy desert environments, LONGi’s scenario-specific engineering ensures high bankability and robust risk management for investors worldwide.
This tailored approach is particularly vital in Europe, where strict sustainability standards, limited land availability, and high expectations for lifecycle performance dominate the market landscape.
Experience the future of solar at Intersolar Europe
To experience these innovations firsthand, LONGi invites partners, media, and attendees to visit Booth A2.170 at Intersolar Europe in Munich.
LONGi will showcase its latest cutting-edge products and advanced solutions across both the Photovoltaic (PV) and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) sectors. Furthermore, the company will officially disclose its visionary LONGi ONE strategy, a comprehensive blueprint designed to deliver fully integrated, seamless, and high-performance clean energy ecosystems for the next generation of global solar deployment.
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Nature Water (2026)
Industrial hydrazine (N2H4) wastewater is highly toxic and difficult to treat sustainably, and current treatment technologies are typically energy/chemical intensive while conventional photocatalysts either underutilize the solar spectrum or suffer from inefficient charge utilization. Here we induce efficient narrow-bandgap organic photovoltaic catalysts (OPCs) with donor–acceptor heterojunctions that harvest visible to near-infrared solar light and facilitate effective charge separation and transfer to drive remediation of hydrazine wastewater while co-producing hydrogen without external energy input or added sacrificial reagents. Then we effectively enhance the operating stability and performance in complex wastewater matrices by incorporating Al2O3-coated OPC nanoparticles. Furthermore, the detailed catalytic mechanism based on proton-coupled electron transfer is revealed through density functional theory calculations combining in situ spectroscopy and isotope experiment. Under simulated sunlight (AM 1.5 G, 100 mW cm−2), the optimized OPC nanoparticles reduce 640 ppm N2H4 to trace levels (hundredths of ppm) within 5 h, meeting the industrial and agricultural safety standards, with mass/area-normalized hydrogen evolution rates of up to 559.3 ± 28.0 mmol h−1 g−1/117.6 ± 4.7 mmol h−1 m−2 and good recyclability and no secondary discharge, demonstrating a feasible, efficient and sustainable route for hazardous wastewater remediation.
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All data needed to evaluate the conclusions in the paper are present in the paper and/or Supplementary information. The data that support the findings of this study and the raw data for all the figures are available via figshare at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.32149390 (ref. 71).
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We thank S. Yu and J. Ma for their help on the ecological safety assessment.
Y. Lin thanks the CAS Project for Young Scientists in Basic Research (YSBR-110), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB0520102) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22335001).
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Laboratory of Organic Solids and Laboratory of Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Yuhao Wu, Yuhsuan Lee, Zhenzhen Zhang, Yawen Li, Wenqin Si, Shuming Bai & Yuze Lin
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Yuhao Wu, Yuhsuan Lee, Yawen Li, Wenqin Si, Shuming Bai & Yuze Lin
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Y. Lin conceived the idea, supervised the project and wrote the paper. Y. Lin and Y.W. designed the experiments. Y.W. carried out most of experiments and prepared the draft. Y. Li assisted in the measurement of TA. W.S. carried out the TEM measurement. Z.Z. helped with the paper revisions. Y. Lee and S.B. performed DFT calculations. All authors reviewed this paper.
Correspondence to Yuze Lin.
The authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Water thanks Ho-Hsiu Chou and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.
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NV Energy’s 400-megawatt solar facility under construction in Churchill County, which includes 1600MW-hours of battery storage, is on track for early completion near the first quarter of 2027.
By Rob Sabo
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
NV Energy’s 400-megawatt solar facility under construction in Churchill County, which includes 1600MW-hours of battery storage, is on track for early completion near the first quarter of 2027.
The Sierra Solar project spans 6,787 acres on the east and west sides of Sagehen Creek Road. The battery energy storage system is already complete, and with infrastructure and materials already in place for construction of the photovoltaic solar array, crews could potentially finish the $1.5 billion facility ahead of its scheduled April 2027 completion date, said Tua Fale, vice president of major projects for NV Energy.
“The battery portion of the project came online March 20, and that’s a great win for the customer,” Fale told NNBW during an interview last week. “As we start to settle the numbers – we’re working through the contractor to true up everything – it is looking to be at the very least on budget, but leaning heavily toward being under budget and early.”
Fale said all the foundation piles for the solar array racking have been installed, and the photovoltaic solar modules have been delivered and moved into place. Other key materials are on site and ready for installation by general contractor Kiewit. During peak construction, the project could employ between 350 and 400 trades workers and suppliers, Fale noted. NV Energy is handling much of the behind-the-scenes work as owner-developer through the Engineering, Procurement and Construction delivery method.
The Sierra Solar project includes the large scale battery storage system, photovoltaic solar array, switch yard, and two transmission lines – one connecting to an NV Energy-owned switch yard, and the other connecting to the existing Tracy-Valmy 345 kilovolt transmission line.
Construction of the facility helps NV Energy meet a state mandate of 50 percent renewable energy generation by the year 2030, Fale added. The massive scale of the solar facility also helped drive down overall project costs, he added.
“Through economies of scale, the larger the project, the per-capita cost for each megawatt goes down,” Fale said. “The larger you’re capable of building a project, the cheaper the project is in regards to energy cost.
“Permitting and land cost goes down, and you get better pricing on solar panels and batteries,” he added.
With more than 300 days of sunshine per year, Nevada’s wide-open high desert valleys are prime sites for solar arrays, and the largest solar facilities in the state are in Clark County. NV Energy draws power from multiple solar arrays in Northern Nevada, including the 200MW Dodge Flat Solar near Wadsworth, 100MW Fish Springs Ranch Solar north of Reno, and 19.5MW Fort Churchill Solar Array in Mason Valley.
The site on Sagehen Creek Road north of Fallon was chosen due to its proximity to Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, which is where power generated from the facility is destined once it comes online, although that energy can easily be routed elsewhere to meet demand once it’s on the energy grid, Fale noted.
Sierra Solar will deliver power to TRIC by connecting to the existing Tracy-Valmy 345 kilovolt power line that runs from the Frank A. Tracy Generating Station east of Reno to North Valmy Generating Station near Battle Mountain. Since it’s about 60 miles east of TRIC, there’s little power lost during transmission, Fale said.
“There is a cost to move electricity, so if you’re able to locate your generation closer to the destination, that also drives the cost down,” Fale said.
Fale said the biggest hurdle that has been overcome, and still presents ongoing challenges, has been the impact of tariffs on imported solar panels. Most of the world’s solar panels are made in China, and administrative trade wars have seen tariffs fluctuate wildly.
Fale said the impact has led to tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars of additional cost – and headache – on the Sierra Solar project.
“Because of their unpredictability and because of the size of the project, the tariffs are massive,” he said. “We’re still trying to figure out how to settle some of those tariffs. We have specific teams dedicated to trying to make sure we are paying the right amount, but there was a time when tariffs were 20 percent, then they would jump up to 40 percent to 100 percent. It was a very chaotic time.”
The Sierra Solar site will be one of the largest solar arrays in Northern Nevada, but the possibility exists to expand the site in the future if warranted. Fale said the current scope of the project could readily be doubled in a second phase of solar development on adjacent land, though it’s currently not planned.
“We have an approach and strategy that takes into account the demand that we’re seeing and anticipating for standard load growth,” he said. “There is an opportunity there. We’re prepared, we’ve found the land, we have the capacity, so that is an option.
“If the lowest-cost opportunity for the customer is to take advantage of the additional land that NV Energy currently has next to the Sierra Solar project, that will be flagged and brought up as a project to be developed and to be built, or to be part of a power purchase agreement where a third party could come in,” he added.
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Newly released documents provide details on the proposed Apple Blossom and White Tail energy projects near Tuckerman. The plans include solar generation and battery storage across thousands of acres. A public meeting is scheduled to discuss the proposal, tax agreements and community concerns.
Documents shared by the city of Tuckerman show the proposed Apple Blossom and White Tail energy projects would be located on thousands of acres near the city.
Project records identify the developer as BGTF Arkansas Solar Holdings, which documents describe as a subsidiary or affiliate of Brookfield Renewable Partners.
According to project documents, the development could include solar generation, battery storage and other related energy infrastructure.
Materials presented to county officials estimate the projects would represent billions of dollars in private investment.
The documents also include proposed Payment In Lieu Of Taxes, or PILOT, agreements.
Under those agreements, the company would make payments to local taxing entities in place of traditional property taxes.
The proposed agreements state those payments would equal 35 percent of what property taxes would otherwise be.
Additional correspondence between project representatives and local officials discusses concerns related to roads, water infrastructure and emergency services.
In an email to Tuckerman Mayor Zack Graham, a Brookfield representative said the company is reviewing an economic impact assessment, discussing infrastructure needs with local leaders and planning additional opportunities for people to learn more about the project.
The same email states the anticipated construction timeline has shifted, with the project, if approved, now expected to begin during the first quarter of 2027.
Tuckerman officials have scheduled a public meeting for Wednesday at 6 p.m. at City Hall to discuss the proposal and hear from residents.
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Aurora Solar, a US-based PV sales and design platform, has added integrated storage modeling to HelioScope. The feature enables users to size storage, model performance, and run financial cases within the design workflow. HelioScope now combines PV layout, bankable production estimates, financial analysis, and storage modeling in one solution. Aurora Solar said the same work previously required three tools for design, storage modeling, and financials. The integrated workflow can move projects from layout to lender-ready output for financing discussions. The company said developers can assess bigger battery economics in minutes instead of days within HelioScope. Aurora Solar will preview the feature at Intersolar Europe 2026, June 23–25, at Booth #C4.409. Its cloud-based platform has been used to design more than 20 million PV projects globally.
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European inverter manufacturing capacity has now surpassed 100GW, making the region’s inverter manufacturing sector the largest in the world, outside of China.
This is according to the latest research from PV Tech Market Research, which publishes the PV InverterTech Bankability Ratings report. According to the report, Europe’s inverter manufacturing capacity now exceeds that of the APAC region—excluding India and China—which sits at 70GW; the US, which has 40GW of operational inverter manufacturing capacity; and India, which has close to 20GW of capacity.
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Trends in inverter manufacturing capacity across these regions are shown in the graph above. According to PV Tech Market Research’s Mollie McCorkindale, growth in the EU’s inverter manufacturing capacity has positioned Europe as “the global leader in terms of regional manufacturing capacity.”
“It would be fair to characterize Europe as a world leader in inverter manufacturing capacity,” McCorkindale told PV Tech today. “The region has successfully maintained and expanded its manufacturing footprint in this critical component of the solar energy value chain, demonstrating both technological expertise and industrial scale.”
The growth in EU manufacturing capacity has been significant; last month, McCorkindale wrote in a blog for PV Tech that she expected European inverter manufacturing capacity to hit 100GW by the end of this year, and this growth can be traced back to a number of policies implemented at the EU level.
This includes the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), which aims to have 40% of deployed net zero technology manufactured domestically by 2030, but also more recent policies against inverters made in China in particular, following the EU’s designation of the reliance on imports of inverters from China alone as a ‘high-risk’ state of affairs.
In the months since, the EU banned funding for energy projects that use Chinese inverters, creating opportunities for European manufacturers to establish facilities that, according to McCorkindale, serve as a “viable alternative to Chinese dominance” in the space.
“Access to non-Chinese inverter suppliers provides strategic independence for regions like Europe and the US, reducing vulnerability to supply chain disruptions,” said McCorkindale. “While China leads in solar panel production, European strengths in inverters promote a balanced competitive landscape and encourage more collaborative global supply chains.”
Establishing a supply of European-made inverters for export to markets, such as the US, is another key piece of the puzzle. According to McCorkindale, “a substantial portion” of Europe’s inverter shipments go to the US, as the US has sought to reduce its reliance on clean energy components made in China or by Chinese companies.
“This allows them to serve the American market while meeting local content requirements and avoiding potential trade barriers,” explained McCorkindale.
However, she noted that European developers are expected to purchase almost 20GW of European-made inverters this year, the most of any region. Europe’s inverter supply chain, more broadly, is not completely independent either, with PV Tech Market Research expecting Europe to import more inverter capacity than any other region this year, as shown in the graph above.
“Europe still relies heavily on Chinese companies for inverters and materials, indicating that despite its strong domestic manufacturing, China’s influence persists in the market,” said McCorkindale. “While Europe leads in inverter manufacturing, true supply chain independence requires developing strength in cells, modules, polysilicon and other key components where China is dominant.”
The PV Tech Market Research team produces the PV InverterTech Bankability Ratings report each quarter, which includes an analysis and rating of each company that can be used to benchmark suppliers against each other in terms of risk. Read more about the report and request a demo on the PV Tech Market Research website.
Frequency Performance Payments were introduced into the NEM on 8 June 2025 to improve system frequency performance through financial rewards and penalties. The reforms also fundamentally changed the way FCAS Regulation costs are allocated across market participants.
WattClarity® has already published multiple articles on these changes – for example
Given that almost exactly a year has passed since the reforms were introduced, it seems like a good time to explore in detail how market participants have been affected. This article analyses the first year of FPP operation and quantifies its impact on utility-scale solar farms across the NEM between 8 June 2025 (the commencement of FPP) to 30 April 2026 (the latest data available at the time of writing).
The FPP reforms introduced two significant changes.
First, they introduced a new system of frequency performance payments. Market participants that contribute positively to frequency performance receive FPP rewards, while those that contribute negatively incur FPP penalties. This is a new pool of net-zero-sum rewards and penalties in which the total amount paid by “unhelpful” participants equals the total amount paid to “helpful” participants.
Second, the reforms changed how FCAS Regulation costs are allocated across the market. Previously, these costs were recovered through the Causer Pays framework. Under FPP, regulation FCAS costs are allocated using a new methodology that links cost recovery more directly to each participant’s contribution to frequency performance.
Frequency-related costs can be grouped into six categories:
FPP Reward
+
Payments received by participants that improve frequency performance
FPP Penalty
–
Charges incurred by participants that worsen frequency performance
FCAS Raise – Used
–
FCAS Lower – Used
–
Costs associated with lower regulation services that were actively used to correct frequency deviations
FCAS Raise – Unused
–
Costs associated with raise regulation services that were procured but ultimately not required
FCAS Lower – Unused
–
Costs associated with lower regulation services that were procured but ultimately not required
It is important to note that both FCAS regulation costs and FPP rewards or penalties are influenced:
While the new FPP framework applies to all market participants, the impact was not evenly distributed between generation types (percentages indicate % of total reward or penalty):
Solar farms accounted for 32.3% of all FPP penalties, despite contributing only 8.7% of total NEM generation over that period. While this appears to indicate an outsized penalty for solar farms, this is perhaps not entirely unexpected:
While the figure above shows total FPP rewards and penalties, each generation type provides significantly different amounts of generation. It is also helpful, therefore, to understand the FPP rewards and penalties per MWh for each technology:
As can be seen, battery storage obtains a high reward per MWh compared to other generation types, while solar incurs the largest penalty per MWh.
Across all utility-scale solar farms analysed [1], total FPP penalties amounted to $7.49 million, offset by $5.06 million in FPP rewards, resulting in a net cost of $2.43 million. The total frequency-related costs (sum of FPP and FCAS Regulation) amounted to $6.58 million for the period. Extrapolating linearly to a full year of operation, that would equate to $7.34 million for the first year of FPP.
To place FPP costs in context, net FPP represented 35% of total FCAS Regulation and FPP costs incurred by solar farms during the period analysed:
The introduction of FPP therefore significantly altered the composition of frequency-related costs faced by solar generators.
Total frequency-related costs averaged $0.38/MWh generated, equivalent to 1.23% of wholesale market revenue. However, this average masks substantial variation between regions, across seasons, and between individual solar farms.
FPP costs varied considerably month-to-month, with September to November having by far the highest costs:
This was partly due to higher average FCAS regulation costs during those months:
However, it seems that variable spring weather and cloud formation and patterns in those months played an important role as well.
The cost per MWh varied significantly from one solar farm to the next. The following graph shows individual cost for every solar farm:
For some solar farms, frequency-related costs per MWh were 3x as high as for others. One solar farm (Bolivar Waste Water Treatment solar farm) even managed to obtain a net reward of just over $5,000 across the year.
Notably, solar farms in New South Wales appear to mostly (but not always) have incurred higher costs relative to generation volume, while solar farms in South Australia appear to mostly (but not always) incur lower costs. Again, local weather conditions likely played an important role, with New South Wales and Victoria generally exposed to more variable weather than Queensland and South Australia.
The following chart shows costs incurred by solar farms outside of daylight hours, using timing of sunrise and sunset specific to every individual solar farm (percentage values indicate percent of total frequency-related costs – daytime plus nighttime):
It turns out that solar farms incurred total overnight costs of $1.47 million – representing 22% of all frequency-related costs. This may seem surprising, given that solar farms are presumably not participating in the market overnight. However, unused FCAS regulation costs are allocated using broader cost recovery mechanisms that apply to market participants irrespective of whether they are generating in a particular interval.
Does higher uptake of renewables lead to higher amounts of FPP? So far, that does not seem to be the case:
South Australia, with the highest renewable energy penetration, in fact experienced the lowest frequency-related costs per MWh generated.
To understand this well, it is helpful to look at FPP performance on two dates side-by-side.
Here is what they looked like:
On 18th April 2026, cloud-free skies led to highly predictable solar output, leading to stable frequency, and low regulation and spot prices.
On 3rd November 2025, on the other hand, much of south-eastern Australia was covered by cloud – partly thick cloud cover, and partly patchy, which leads to higher ramp rates and unpredictability for solar generation. This led to highly variable solar output, likely driving up FCAS requirements, resulting in higher FPP and FCAS costs. Wholesale prices in NSW1 and QLD1 in reached high levels later in the day, presumably due in part to cloud conditions over the course of the day.
It is worth looking at how individual solar farms compared on that specific day:
Interestingly, in some cases solar farms very close to one another had vastly different FPP outcomes, despite having been subject to very similar weather conditions and cloud cover. This suggests that operational decisions, too, have a big impact on how different solar farms fare when it comes to FPP, particularly on volatile days.
It is worth digging into the impact of cloud cover a little more deeply. Thursday 30th August 2025 also saw a day of high FPP costs for many solar farms in northeast New South Wales and southern Queensland. This is what cloud cover looked like on that day:
Long, stripe-like bands of low cloud (sometimes referred to as “cloud streets”) extended across eastern Australia. These conditions make it particularly difficult to forecast output (and set a dispatch target), and also make it particularly difficult to follow a steady trajectory to achieve a dispatch target. Cloud conditions such as these are therefore likely to be one of the biggest drivers of FPP (both rewards, and penalties) for solar farms.
A small number of dispatch intervals accounted for a disproportionately large share of both wholesale market revenue and frequency-related costs. More than 12% of all solar farm wholesale revenue was earned during just 0.22% of intervals, while 19% of all FCAS and FPP costs occurred during only 4.4% of intervals.
Several of the highest-cost events coincided with rapidly changing weather conditions, including sudden cloud formation and certain types of cloud patterns that caused significant deviations between actual and expected solar generation. These events demonstrate the strong relationship between weather-driven variability and frequency-related cost exposure.
FPP is now a significant component of frequency-related costs. Seasonality, location, and operational decisions all have a large impact on the frequency-related costs a solar farm operator must pay.
What does this mean for solar farms moving forward?
On the one hand, FCAS Regulation prices, a main driver of FCAS and FPP costs, appear to be broadly trending downward over the past several years.
On the other hand, extreme intervals can have a disproportionate impact on cost and revenue for the year. These are often driven by unique operating conditions that increasingly result from unexpected and extreme weather occurrences. In this context, accurate forecasts that have a high resolution (both in terms of time, and geospatially), are likely to become increasingly important – for both individual solar farm operational decisions, and to better forecast market-wide impacts.
For solar farms with co-located battery storage, these challenges and opportunities become even more significant. Operational decisions increasingly need to account not only for the next dispatch interval, but for market conditions over the coming hours and days. Given that more than 12% of annual solar farm spot revenue was earned in just 0.2% of intervals during the year, the ability to anticipate and prepare for rare but high-impact events is likely to become an increasingly important source of competitive advantage.
To follow from this article, Solstice AI has published a 28-page report ‘One Year of Frequency Performance Payments: Quantifying the Impact on Australian Solar Farms’ that readers can access here.
[1] A small number of solar farms were excluded from this analysis:
… meaning that typical performance is not representative of a standard utility-scale solar farm.
Solstice AI is an Australian technology company building the intelligence layer for a solar-dominated energy system. Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, the company combines expertise in artificial intelligence, energy systems, and large-scale software engineering to deliver high-accuracy solar generation forecasts across utility-scale assets, distributed rooftop PV, and for entire regions.
Every solar farm is affected differently by Frequency Performance Payments. Solstice AI can help you understand your site’s exposure and evaluate how improved forecasting could reduce costs and improve market outcomes.
Thu 23rd March 2017
The National Electricity Market (NEM) is designed to operate at 50 Hz. Frequency deviation occurs when generation and load are mismatched. It is important in a lightly meshed and long network such as the NEM to maintain tight frequency control and that frequency response is available throughout the network.
Tue 12th October 2021
Ben Domensino from WeatherZone has provided this summary about what we can expect to see across Australia during the 2021-22 summer weather season.
Mon 7th November 2022
Greg Thorpe of Oakley Greenwood discusses some of the latest developments in the electricity sector which could be described as ‘back to the future’.. and provides a forecast of what might follow.
Fri 7th June 2013
Following from a period of elevated prices in South Australia, prices dropped on Thursday. Here’s some reasons why…
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Four years of field testing at China's Daqing site found N-type TOPCon modules consistently outperforming BC modules, with power generation gains increasing annually, reinforcing TOPCon's long-term efficiency and reliability advantages.
June 16, 2026. By EI News Network
JinkoSolar has highlighted the findings of the Field Test Results (Release) 2025 from the National Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Demonstration Platform at Daqing, which show that N-type TOPCon modules consistently outperformed N-type BC modules over a four-year evaluation period.
The Daqing testing base, located in China's Heilongjiang Province, operates under challenging climatic conditions, with an average annual temperature of 5.5°C and solar irradiance levels typically ranging between 900 and 1,000 W/m². These conditions provide a suitable environment for assessing the real-world performance, reliability and durability of photovoltaic technologies.
The first phase of the demonstration project began in January 2022 and involved 12 manufacturers and 29 types of PV modules with a combined installed capacity of 24.25 MW. Continuous monitoring over four years generated operational data intended to reflect actual field performance rather than laboratory conditions.
According to the report, N-type TOPCon modules delivered an average power generation gain per watt of 2.27 percent compared with N-type BC modules during the evaluation period. The performance gap widened over time, with TOPCon modules recording a gain of 1.39 percent in 2022, 2.68 percent in 2023 and 3.49 percent in 2025.
The report attributes the superior performance of TOPCon technology to factors including stronger bifacial power generation capability, a favorable temperature coefficient and stable long-term power output. These characteristics contributed to higher energy yields across different operating conditions.
The evaluation also found notable differences within the TOPCon category itself, indicating that power output can vary by around 2 percent between leading products and standard offerings. The findings suggest that manufacturing quality, process control and technological expertise play a significant role in determining long-term project returns.
JinkoSolar said that its Tiger Neo series modules ranked among the leading TOPCon products in the assessment, citing the company's large-scale mass production experience, ongoing technology development and quality control measures.
The company further said that the Daqing results provide further evidence of TOPCon's competitiveness as a mainstream N-type photovoltaic technology and reaffirm its suitability for large-scale solar projects. JinkoSolar added that it will continue to monitor performance data from major testing platforms and focus on improving module efficiency, reliability and long-term value for customers.
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By Jay Carstens
ABC Western Qld
Topic:Renewable Energy
Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 7:05am
Ergon's Kein Jones says the new Windorah solar farm can generate five times as much electricity as the old solar array and save 150,000 litres of diesel. (ABC Western Queensland: Jay Carstens )
The outback town of Windorah will halve its annual fuel bill with a 850-kilowatt solar and battery storage system.
The project replaces a failed solar array from almost two decades ago but locals are disappointed the fuel savings won't be passed on to help lower their power bills.
Hopes are the new system will make the remote community more resilient during major floods as Ergon prepares to roll out similar projects across other diesel-reliant towns.
It's not the first time this stretch of sunburnt country in outback Queensland has been tipped as ideal for solar.
While previous attempts have failed, almost 2,000 panels now shimmer against the red dirt, feeding into Windorah's isolated energy grid.
Engineers and locals hope this solar and battery project will deliver the resilience the community needs, despite no expectations of lower power bills.
The new Windorah 850-kilowatt solar farm and one-megawatt battery system is expected to power the town for days at a time when demand is low during winter. (ABC Western Queensland: Jay Carstens )
Ergon Energy senior engineer Kein Jones said the new installation would cut fuel use from the town's diesel generators by more than 50 per cent.
"The whole community [of 100 people] will be powered from the solar farm for days and potentially weeks when the loads are low and the weather's sunny," Mr Jones said.
The 850-kilowatt solar farm and one-megawatt battery storage system have been three years in the making as part of a state- funded shift from diesel in remote Queensland.
"It's a pretty exciting milestone for us now to transition into utilising that system to power the community," Mr Jones said.
Windorah, about 1,200 kilometres west of Brisbane, became well known locally for its solar array project — large metal 'sunflower-like' dishes constructed on the edge of town in 2009 as part of an experimental energy project.
The large dishes of Windorah's failed solar array project were dismantled to make way for the new solar farm. (ABC Western Qld: Cameron Simmons)
Mr Jones said expensive upkeep, inefficient power generation and faltering market interest meant, more than a decade later, the accidental tourist attraction was being dismantled.
"The sunflower part of it were all mirrors, and those mirrors reflected sunlight back into a very small solar panel, which was called a solar concentrator, to produce electricity," Mr Jones said.
"[Then, flat-plate solar went] into mass production and the unit cost of building that solar-panel material just came right down."
Mr Jones says diesel stored for the town's generators will last twice as long as a result of the solar farm connection. (ABC Western Queensland: Jay Carstens)
The new fixed, flat-plate system is expected to generate five times as much energy as the old solar array, reducing the town's reliance on trucked-in diesel.
Publican Marilyn Simpson has lived in Windorah all her life and hopes the new development will make the town more self-reliant.
"Especially when we're already diesel-generated and we're not hooked up to … the main lines," Ms Simpson said.
"Our towns are lucky sometimes that we don't have to deal with having our power cut and we have a consistent supply."
Windorah publican Marilyn Simpson says some locals had expected the savings from the solar farm to be passed onto residents, which is not the case. (ABC Western Queensland: Jay Carstens)
The town can be isolated by road for weeks at a time during floods.
Mr Jones said the project would lower the risk of running out of diesel when the town is cut off by floodwaters.
"The amount of fuel we use will essentially be half of what we currently use, so that's half the amount of trucks needing to come in," he said.
"Our existing storage will last twice as long as well. Resilience is a big one for the community."
Outback towns can be isolated for weeks at a time when floods cut off roads. (ABC Western Queensland )
Ms Simpson said she would have liked to see savings passed on to locals, and through to reduced power bills.
"It's really just a business venture for Ergon to save on the use of diesel," Ms Simpson said.
Ms Simpson says the renewable energy project is "just a business venture for Ergon". (ABC Western Queensland: Jay Carstens)
The longtime local said despite the failure of the last project, people in town held mostly neutral views on the new build.
"I don't know that anyone's unhappy, but I'm not sure that it [will] have a direct benefit to our bill or anything," Ms Simpson said.
"I think most people perceived that was the idea [to reduce energy costs], and it's not."
In regional Queensland, the sta106763978te Competition Authority (QCA) sets a uniform price offering for everyone outside the south east corner, which is usually heavily based on the National Energy Market offer.
The state government subsidises the cost of electricity in rural areas to match the rate paid by urban customers, with any local savings from renewables likely to only reduce the public subsidy paid to Ergon.
Barcoo Shire mayor Sally O'Neil says other remote towns in the region, like Jundah, can benefit from a similar solar farm and battery system. (ABC Western Queensland: Jay Carstens)
Barcoo Shire mayor Sally O'Neil said the success of the Windorah solar farm could pave the way for more diesel-reliant communities to make the shift.
"Long-term, their [Ergon's] intention is to, like Jundah being a diesel-run town as well, their intention is to convert to solar," Ms O'Neil said.
"But we're on a list of several towns in Queensland that require to go to solar because we're still on diesel-run generators.
"The solar panels they've got in place now are tested and proven, they're everywhere and they work."
Boulia and Doomadgee are next in line to install solar farms — backed by batteries — under Ergon's decarbonisation program.
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China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has opened a public consultation on six proposed electronic industry standards for photovoltaic product classification and grading.
The draft represents one of China’s first attempts to introduce a structured grading system for PV products. By ranking modules into quality tiers rather than applying a simple pass-fail standard, the framework could influence procurement, financing, and insurance decisions across the solar sector.
The proposed framework evaluates products across three categories: reliability, power-generation performance, and green attributes. Modules would be scored against a series of indicators under each category and assigned an overall grade. Products scoring 80 points or higher would qualify as Grade 1, those scoring 60 to 79 would be classified as Grade 2, and those scoring below 60 would fall into Grade 3.
Reliability is a key component of the proposed standard. The framework introduces differentiated testing requirements tailored to specific climate and application conditions, moving beyond uniform baseline testing. It incorporates conventional reliability tests such as thermal cycling, damp heat, damp-freeze, mechanical load, snow load, hail resistance, and potential-induced degradation (PID), as well as additional assessments for sand and dust exposure, marine environments, ultraviolet aging, and coupled-stress conditions.
The performance section establishes different efficiency and bifaciality thresholds for major n-type technologies, including TOPCon, heterojunction (HJT), and back-contact (BC) modules. The draft sets A+ efficiency thresholds at 25% for TOPCon, 24.8% for HJT, and 25.2% for BC products, together with corresponding bifaciality requirements. According to Huatai Securities, the minimum efficiency thresholds proposed in the draft are 23.4% for TOPCon, 23.5% for HJT, and 23.9% for BC modules.
The green-attributes category incorporates carbon and environmental metrics into the grading system. Criteria are expected to include manufacturing energy consumption, carbon intensity, lifecycle carbon footprint, recyclability, and material-related environmental performance. As a result, the standard could influence not only domestic project tenders but also manufacturers targeting overseas markets with more stringent sustainability requirements.
The framework is expected to have its greatest impact on centralized PV procurement. China’s large state-owned power developers frequently incorporate official standards into tender qualification requirements and scoring systems. If Grade 1 or Grade 2 products become preferred in utility-scale procurement, lower-efficiency PERC modules and earlier-generation TOPCon products could gradually lose access to mainstream ground-mounted projects.
In a recent research report, Huatai Securities estimated that the proposed standard could accelerate capacity rationalization across the industry. Under a baseline scenario based on current mainstream product efficiencies, the banking firm said approximately 317.5 GW of TOPCon capacity and 10.2 GW of HJT capacity could become non-competitive, while BC capacity would remain unaffected. The total impacted capacity would reach about 327.6 GW, equivalent to roughly one-third of industry capacity.
Under a more optimistic scenario, in which manufacturers upgrade products toward the efficiency levels of current leading modules, Huatai estimated that potential capacity exits would decline to 143.4 GW for TOPCon and 10.2 GW for HJT, for a combined total of 153.6 GW, or around 15% of installed manufacturing capacity. Huatai Securities said TOPCon would account for most of the affected capacity, as older production lines face increasing pressure to adopt technologies such as multi-cut cells, rear-side efficiency improvements, and enhanced passivation processes.
Under China’s administrative framework, the proposed measures are recommended industry standards rather than mandatory national regulations. They would not prohibit the production, sale, or export of lower-graded modules, provided those products continue to meet compulsory safety and market-access requirements. Their influence is therefore likely to be exerted through market mechanisms, including state-owned enterprise tenders, government-backed projects, financing assessments, insurance pricing, local incentive programs, and brand-based product segmentation.
The draft standards come after nearly two years of severe overcapacity and intense price competition across China’s solar manufacturing supply chain. Previous efforts to encourage capacity rationalization through market forces, industry coordination, and production controls have delivered limited results. The proposed grading framework represents another attempt to promote industry consolidation through standards development and procurement preferences rather than direct administrative intervention.
If widely adopted in project tenders and financing assessments, similar grading frameworks could eventually be extended upstream to cells, wafers, and polysilicon, increasing competitive pressure on older and less efficient manufacturing capacity throughout the solar value chain.
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In Gaiselberg in the Weinviertel, Austria’s first grid-connected agri-photovoltaic system over grapevines (“Viti-PV”) has gone into operation. The 2,560 solar modules generate around 965,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This corresponds to the average annual consumption of about 350 households and saves 342 tons of CO2 according to the operator RWA. The system features an integrated battery storage. Installation began after the flowering phase in 2025.
Under the solar modules, the wineries Schödl and Schweighofer cultivate 4,500 vines of the varieties Weißburgunder, Grüner Veltliner, and Souvignier Gris. They are expected to yield around 5,000 liters of wine. Winemaker Herbert Schödl describes his first observations: “Particularly noticeable was the stronger development of the shoots and the longer green phase of the leaves in autumn. This suggests that the vines under the modules remain active longer and can store more reserves.” Winemaker Hannes Schweighofer says: “It will be interesting to see how the system affects drought stress and disease pressure. If the vines grow more evenly and ripening occurs more slowly, this could have a positive impact on the quality of the grapes and the wine, especially with increasing weather extremes.”
The Higher Federal Teaching Institute and the Federal Office for Wine and Fruit Growing Klosterneuburg are accompanying the project. They are investigating the effects of partial shading on growth, yield, and wine quality according to scientific criteria.
(al; Image: RWA)
More on the topic:
Côtes-du-Rhône bans photovoltaics in the vineyard
Back to the Future – Prof. Manfred Stoll on Viti-Photovoltaics
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That shift could have real consequences for households already facing rising utility costs.
Photo Credit: iStock
After earning the nickname “man who killed offshore wind,” the strategist is now taking aim at Michigan’s solar developments, wind projects, and clean energy laws from the platform of a much larger, better-funded think tank.
That shift could have real consequences for households already facing rising utility costs and for communities counting on cheaper, cleaner power in the years ahead, as fossil fuel companies stand to gain from any delays or cancellations of projects that yield effectively free energy from natural factors like wind and sunlight.
Michigan-based Mackinac Center for Public Policy has named David Stevenson its director of energy and environmental policy, according to the Energy and Policy Institute.
Before that, Stevenson was a leading anti-offshore-wind figure at Delaware’s Caesar Rodney Institute.
Both organizations are affiliated with the State Policy Network, a national network of right-leaning think tanks that has pushed back against state clean energy policies.
Since arriving at Mackinac, Stevenson has moved quickly to join efforts to weaken Michigan’s Healthy Climate Plan and the state’s 100% clean electricity by 2040 standard.
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He has also backed legislation known as Project Lighthouse, which would roll back key 2023 clean energy laws and reopen disputes over where wind and solar projects can be built.
The outlet reported that the Mackinac Center brought in more than $11 million in 2024, while the Caesar Rodney Institute reported $463,000.
Groups in the Koch network also sent major funding to Mackinac and its lobbying arm.
Instead of favoring more wind, solar, and battery storage, Stevenson and the Mackinac Center have pushed to keep coal plants operating longer and to rely more on nuclear and gas.
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That approach could prove costly for consumers. Consumers Energy has said that complying with Trump administration orders to delay the closure of the J.H. Campbell coal plant has already cost $400 million, with those expenses spread across customers in the regional grid.
The utility had previously estimated that replacing the plant with solar and storage could save Michigan customers about $600 million through 2040.
Another major coal plant, DTE’s Monroe facility, is also part of the debate.
DTE says closing it on schedule would save customers $1.4 billion.
Delays there could mean both higher bills and prolonged exposure to pollution for nearby communities.
In Michigan, Stevenson has testified in support of Republican legislation to repeal parts of the state’s clean energy framework.
He has also promoted reports claiming coal, gas, and nuclear would be cheaper than a grid centered on wind, solar, and storage — even while acknowledging, “Our study might be contested.”
State officials and environmental groups are pushing back. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel challenged federal orders that kept the Campbell coal plant operating.
Clean energy advocates have also warned that repealing Michigan’s recent laws would slow deployment of some of the fastest and least expensive new energy sources now available.
“The future of electric generation is clearly nuclear, not solar, and state legislation needs to change in recognition of this reality,” Stevenson wrote, according to the Energy and Policy Institute.
Nessel offered a sharply different view: “The Trump Administration is crying wolf over a non-existent energy emergency, while at the same time undermining every effort made to increase the efficiency, affordability, and reliability of domestic energy markets.”
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In Singapore, researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have developed a groundbreaking semi-transparent perovskite solar cell with a thickness equivalent to just one ten-thousandth the width of a human hair. Not only is its energy efficiency a record for such slenderness, but it can also be used almost anywhere—a bit like solar tech in stealth mode.
Thanks to its semi-transparent nature and neutral color, this super-slim cell can generate electricity from virtually any surface while staying highly discreet. Unlike conventional photovoltaic panels, this technology slips smoothly onto the facades of buildings, without disrupting the original look and feel. It’s enough to make architects breathe a sigh of relief (no more worries about clunky rooftop panels spoiling the skyline).
One of the system’s top advantages is the use of perovskite. This material not only absorbs sunlight very efficiently but can also be produced at a lower cost than standard silicon. Even better, these new solar cells keep on working even when exposed to indirect or diffuse light—think urban canyons, where tall buildings often block direct sunlight. Here, the property that lets perovskite cells keep up the pace when the sun’s playing hard to get is especially essential for dense city centers.
To achieve such a fine and uniform layer, the scientists relied on a process called thermal evaporation. In practical terms, this industrial technique means heating the material (using the Joule effect) inside a vacuum chamber until it vaporizes, then letting it condense as an ultra-thin film on a surface. Through this approach, the team managed to create perovskite layers just 10 nanometers thick: that’s about 10,000 times thinner than a human hair! (No wonder Professor Annalisa Bruno and her NTU team are grabbing headlines.)
By adjusting the thickness of the active layer, the researchers designed two types of cells:
Now, while these numbers are remarkable for something so thin, they are still somewhat lower than traditional photovoltaic panels. Yet, as reported in the journal ACS Energy Letters, the deployment possibilities for this technology are far greater. Imagine cities where not just rooftops, but windows and facades help power the grid.
The method pioneered by the NTU team has notable environmental and industrial benefits. It avoids the toxic solvents usually required in solar cell manufacturing, is easier to implement, and, as a result, costs less. It’s also suitable for environmentally friendly large-scale production. In other words—it’s a solid win both for the planet and for industry.
Perhaps most importantly, this breakthrough could lay the foundations for a whole new generation of electricity-producing surfaces. Building facades, office or home windows, and even car bodies could, in the near future, integrate these cells easily and affordably—no major design overhauls necessary. Tech that slips in so subtly it’s almost like giving your building (or car) a secret power-up.
In England, researchers from the universities of Warwick and Birmingham have also highlighted that, during chemical reactions, intermediate steps can reveal new materials with helpful properties for solar energy, batteries, or catalysis. Who knew that searching in overlooked places could yield such neat discoveries?
Altogether, ultra-thin, semi-transparent perovskite solar cells promise a new, more integrated way to generate renewable energy in urban environments—without needing to build new solar farms on city outskirts or crowd every rooftop with photovoltaic arrays. For cities looking to boost their green energy credentials, the future might just be looking brighter—and a whole lot sleeker.
Explained: Next-Generation Smart Solar Modules: How AI Is Transforming PV Manufacturing And Performance Analysis SolarQuarter
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According to the latest IndexBox report on the global Roof Penetration Sealing Kits market, the market enters 2026 with broader demand fundamentals, more disciplined procurement behavior, and a more regionally diversified supply architecture.
The World Roof Penetration Sealing Kits market is entering a phase of sustained expansion, with demand projected to accelerate through 2035 as global rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installations surge and building energy codes become more stringent. These pre-engineered assemblies—comprising gaskets, boots, flashing, brackets, and sealants—are critical for weatherproofing penetrations where solar mounting structures, electrical conduits, ventilation ducts, and instrumentation cables pass through roof membranes. The market benefits from a structural shift away from generic, field-assembled solutions toward certified, multi-component kits that integrate fire-stop, vapor barrier, and thermal-break properties. Solar mounting applications account for an estimated 60–70% of total unit demand, with the remainder split among industrial automation, semiconductor fabrication cleanrooms, OEM integration, and aftermarket replacement. Asia-Pacific dominates both production and consumption, while Europe and North America remain net importers due to domestic capacity constraints. Average selling prices are rising 2–4% annually in premium segments, supported by enhanced material specifications (high-temperature silicone, EPDM, UV-stabilized polymers) and third-party certification costs (UL, TÜV, IEC). However, raw material cost volatility—especially for silicone elastomers and specialty polypropylene—and multi-jurisdiction certification timelines (6–18 months per variant) pose challenges. The market is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 7.5% from 2026 to 2035, with the market index reaching 207 by 2035 (2025=100). This report provides a comprehensive analysis of market size, demand drivers, supply dynamics, trade flows, pricing, competitive lands
The baseline scenario for the World Roof Penetration Sealing Kits market from 2026 to 2035 assumes continued global expansion of rooftop solar PV capacity, particularly in commercial and industrial segments, supported by government incentives, corporate renewable energy targets, and declining solar hardware costs. Building energy codes in developed markets (IBC, ASTM, EN 13501) are becoming more prescriptive regarding air leakage, thermal bridging, and fire resistance, driving specification of certified, pre-engineered kits over generic alternatives. In emerging markets, rapid urbanization and industrialization are increasing the installed base of roof penetrations for HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems, creating replacement and retrofit demand. On the supply side, Asia-Pacific—led by China, India, and Southeast Asia—will remain the largest production hub, with manufacturers investing in automated assembly lines and vertical integration of elastomer compounding. Europe and North America will continue to rely on imports for 40–60% and 30–50% of kits, respectively, though localized production of premium, certified kits is expected to grow modestly. Pricing dynamics are bifurcated: standard-grade kits face near-flat pricing due to low-cost competition from un-certified suppliers, while premium kits see 2–4% annual price increases driven by material upgrades and certification costs. Key risks to the baseline include raw material price spikes (silicone, polypropylene), trade policy disruptions (tariffs on Chinese goods), and slower-than-expected solar deployment in key markets. The market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% through 2035, with the market index reaching 207 (2025=100).
The solar PV mounting segment is the largest consumer of roof penetration sealing kits, accounting for approximately 65% of total unit demand. These kits are essential for weatherproofing the interface between solar array mounting structures and roof membranes, preventing water ingress, air leakage, and thermal bridging. Demand is driven by the rapid global expansion of rooftop solar capacity, particularly in commercial and industrial buildings where large arrays require multiple penetrations. Key demand-side indicators include annual solar PV installations (global additions exceeded 180 GW in 2023), corporate renewable energy procurement targets, and government incentives such as tax credits and feed-in tariffs. By 2035, the segment will benefit from the growing adoption of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and the need for certified, code-compliant sealing solutions as building energy codes tighten. The trend toward pre-engineered, multi-component kits with integrated fire-stop and vapor barrier properties is accelerating, as solar installers seek to reduce labor costs and warranty exposure. Major companies in this space include Sika AG, Carlisle Companies Inc., GAF Materials Corporation, Firestone Building Products, and Dow Inc. Current trend: Dominant and growing, driven by utility-scale and commercial rooftop solar expansion; share expected to remain above 60%.
Major trends: Shift from generic flashing to certified, multi-component kits with integrated fire-stop and thermal-break properties, Growing demand for kits compatible with standing seam metal roofs and single-ply membranes (TPO, PVC, EPDM), Increasing direct-to-installer shipments from specialized manufacturers, reducing distribution layers, and Rising adoption of pre-assembled kits with factory-applied sealants to ensure consistent quality and reduce on-site labor.
Representative participants: Sika AG, Carlisle Companies Inc, GAF Materials Corporation, Firestone Building Products (Holcim), Dow Inc, and RectorSeal Corporation.
The industrial automation and instrumentation segment accounts for approximately 12% of roof penetration sealing kit demand, driven by the need to seal penetrations for control cables, sensors, and instrumentation lines through factory and warehouse roofs. As manufacturers invest in Industry 4.0 upgrades and smart factory retrofits, the number of roof penetrations for data and power cables increases, creating demand for reliable, weather-tight sealing solutions. Key demand-side indicators include global industrial automation spending (projected to grow at 8–10% annually), factory construction starts, and retrofitting of existing facilities. By 2035, the segment will benefit from the expansion of logistics and distribution centers, which require extensive roof penetrations for lighting, HVAC, and automation systems. The trend is toward modular, multi-cable sealing systems that allow for future additions without re-roofing, reducing lifecycle costs. Major companies include Hilti Corporation, Oatey Co., Polyguard Products Inc., and Tremco Incorporated. Current trend: Steady growth supported by factory automation investments and smart building retrofits; share stable at 10–13%..
Major trends: Adoption of modular, multi-cable sealing systems that accommodate future cable additions without roof modifications, Increasing specification of fire-rated sealing kits to comply with NFPA 285 and local fire codes in industrial facilities, Growing use of pre-assembled kits with integrated gaskets and clamps to reduce installation time and errors, and Demand for UV-stabilized and high-temperature resistant materials for rooftop installations in harsh climates.
Representative participants: Hilti Corporation, Oatey Co, Polyguard Products Inc, Tremco Incorporated, and CSL Silicones Inc.
The semiconductor and precision manufacturing segment represents approximately 10% of roof penetration sealing kit demand, but is the fastest-growing niche due to the global expansion of semiconductor fabrication facilities (fabs). These facilities require contamination-free environments, and roof penetrations for process utilities (chemicals, gases, exhaust, power) must be sealed with high-purity, non-outgassing materials to prevent particle ingress and maintain cleanroom classifications (ISO Class 5 or better). Key demand-side indicators include global semiconductor capital expenditure (capex), which exceeded $180 billion in 2024, and the number of new fab construction projects announced worldwide. By 2035, the segment will benefit from the construction of new fabs in the US, Europe, and Southeast Asia, driven by chip supply chain diversification and government subsidies (CHIPS Act, European Chips Act). The trend is toward fully integrated sealing systems with factory-certified leak-tightness and compatibility with aggressive chemicals and high temperatures. Major companies include W. R. Grace & Co., Dow Inc., and CSL Silicones Inc. Current trend: High-growth niche driven by global chip fabrication capacity expansion; share rising from 8% in 2025 to 12% by 2035..
Major trends: Demand for high-purity, non-outgassing sealing materials (PTFE, perfluoroelastomers) for cleanroom applications, Integration of fire-stop and chemical resistance properties in sealing kits for process utility penetrations, Growing preference for factory-assembled, pre-tested kits to reduce on-site validation time and ensure cleanroom compliance, and Expansion of fab construction in regions with stringent building codes, driving demand for certified, code-compliant kits.
Representative participants: W. R. Grace & Co, Dow Inc, CSL Silicones Inc, and Hilti Corporation.
The OEM integration and maintenance segment accounts for approximately 8% of roof penetration sealing kit demand, driven by manufacturers of rooftop HVAC units, exhaust fans, skylights, and other equipment that require pre-assembled sealing solutions for roof penetrations. OEMs specify kits that match their equipment dimensions and performance requirements, often including custom flanges, gaskets, and sealants. Demand is sustained by new equipment production cycles and aftermarket replacement when equipment is upgraded or roofs are replaced. Key demand-side indicators include commercial construction starts, HVAC equipment shipments, and building renovation rates. By 2035, the segment will benefit from the growing trend toward prefabricated, modular building systems, where roof penetrations are pre-planned and sealed at the factory. The trend is toward OEMs partnering with kit manufacturers to develop proprietary, branded sealing solutions that differentiate their equipment and reduce installation complexity. Major companies include Sika AG, Carlisle Companies Inc., and Tremco Incorporated. Current trend: Stable demand from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) integrating sealing kits into rooftop equipment; aftermarket.
Major trends: OEMs increasingly specifying proprietary, branded sealing kits to ensure compatibility and reduce warranty claims, Growing adoption of pre-assembled kits with integrated insulation and vapor barriers for energy code compliance, Aftermarket replacement cycles driven by roof replacement and equipment upgrades, creating recurring revenue streams, and Demand for kits with quick-install features (snap-fit, peel-and-stick) to reduce labor costs for contractors.
Representative participants: Sika AG, Carlisle Companies Inc, Tremco Incorporated, and RectorSeal Corporation.
The electronics and optical systems installations segment accounts for approximately 5% of roof penetration sealing kit demand, driven by the need to seal penetrations for fiber optic cables, data cables, and antenna mounts on commercial and industrial roofs. As data center construction accelerates globally—driven by cloud computing, AI, and 5G—the number of roof penetrations for cooling systems, power feeds, and fiber optic connections increases. These installations require sealing kits that prevent water ingress while allowing for cable movement and thermal expansion. Key demand-side indicators include global data center capex (projected to exceed $300 billion by 2030), fiber optic network deployment, and 5G small cell installations. By 2035, the segment will benefit from the expansion of edge computing facilities and the need for reliable, low-maintenance sealing solutions for critical infrastructure. The trend is toward multi-cable sealing systems with fire-stop properties and compatibility with high-density cable bundles. Major companies include Hilti Corporation, Oatey Co., and Polyguard Products Inc. Current trend: Moderate growth supported by data center construction and optical network expansion; share stable at 4–6%..
Major trends: Growing demand for multi-cable sealing systems that accommodate high-density fiber and power cable bundles, Increasing specification of fire-rated sealing kits for data center roof penetrations to comply with NFPA 75 and local codes, Adoption of pre-assembled kits with integrated cable management features to simplify installation and reduce errors, and Demand for UV-resistant and weather-tight materials for rooftop installations in exposed environments.
Representative participants: Hilti Corporation, Oatey Co, Polyguard Products Inc, and CSL Silicones Inc.
Interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report.
Asia-Pacific leads the market with 45% share, driven by massive solar PV deployment in China, India, and Southeast Asia, plus semiconductor fab construction. The region is both the largest production base and fastest-growing consumer market, with domestic manufacturers supplying low-cost standard kits and increasingly premium certified kits for export. Direction: Dominant and fastest-growing.
North America holds 22% share, supported by strong solar PV growth under the Inflation Reduction Act and tightening building codes. The region imports 30–50% of kits from Asia, though localized production of premium, certified kits is expanding. Demand is concentrated in commercial rooftop solar and data center construction. Direction: Steady growth, import-dependent.
Europe accounts for 20% share, with demand driven by stringent energy performance directives (EPBD) and fire safety standards (EN 13501). The region imports 40–60% of kits from Asia, but domestic manufacturers focus on high-value, certified kits for premium segments. Solar PV and building retrofit are key demand drivers. Direction: Moderate growth, regulatory-driven.
Latin America represents 7% share, with growth led by solar PV expansion in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. Demand is price-sensitive, favoring standard-grade kits, but regulatory improvements and foreign investment in renewable energy are gradually increasing specification of certified kits. Import dependence is high. Direction: Emerging growth, solar-led.
Middle East & Africa hold 6% share, with demand concentrated in large-scale solar projects in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and South Africa. Price sensitivity is high, and competition from un-certified kits limits premium segment growth. However, infrastructure investment and building code modernization are creating opportunities for certified kits. Direction: Slow growth, price-sensitive.
In the baseline scenario, IndexBox estimates a 7.5% compound annual growth rate for the global roof penetration sealing kits market over 2026-2035, bringing the market index to roughly 207 by 2035 (2025=100).
Note: indexed curves are used to compare medium-term scenario trajectories when full absolute volumes are not publicly disclosed.
For full methodological details and benchmark tables, see the latest IndexBox Roof Penetration Sealing Kits market report.
This report provides an in-depth analysis of the Roof Penetration Sealing Kits market in the world, covering market size, growth trajectory, demand structure, supply capability, trade flows, pricing, competitive landscape, and forecast to 2035.
The study is designed for manufacturers, distributors, importers, exporters, investors, procurement teams, advisors, and strategy teams that need a consistent, data-driven view of market dynamics and a transparent analytical definition of the product scope.
This report covers the market for roof penetration sealing kits, which are pre-engineered assemblies designed to seal and protect roof penetrations such as vents, pipes, ducts, and cables against water ingress, air leakage, and thermal bridging. The scope includes complete kits, individual components, integrated sealing systems, and consumable or replacement parts used in commercial, industrial, and residential roofing applications.
The report combines the standard market-statistics backbone with strategic chapters that are useful for commercial planning, sourcing decisions, market entry, competitor monitoring, and portfolio prioritization.
The market is segmented into decision-relevant buckets so that demand drivers, pricing logic, supply constraints, and competitive positions can be compared across the same analytical frame.
The classification coverage encompasses products categorized by product type (roof penetration sealing kits, components and modules, integrated systems, consumables and replacement parts), by application (industrial automation and instrumentation, electronics and optical systems, semiconductor and precision manufacturing, OEM integration and maintenance), and by value chain segment (upstream inputs and critical components, manufacturing/assembly/quality control, distribution/integration/channel partners, after-sales service/replacement/lifecycle support).
Coverage includes global totals, major demand markets, production and sourcing hubs, leading exporters and importers, and country profiles for the top national markets.
The report combines official statistics, trade records, company disclosures, product-level evidence, and analyst validation. Data are standardized, reconciled, and cross-checked to keep market sizing, trade flows, pricing, and forecasts comparable across countries and time periods.
All indicators are mapped to a consistent product definition and reviewed against the segmentation framework used in the Table of Contents.
Report Scope and Analytical Framing
Concise View of Market Direction
Market Size, Growth and Scenario Framing
Commercial and Technical Scope
How the Market Splits Into Decision-Relevant Buckets
Where Demand Comes From and How It Behaves
Supply Footprint, Trade and Value Capture
Trade Flows and External Dependence
Price Formation and Revenue Logic
Who Wins and Why
Where Growth and Supply Concentrate
Commercial Entry and Scaling Priorities
Where the Best Expansion Logic Sits
Leading Players and Strategic Archetypes
Detailed View of the Most Important National Markets
How the Report Was Built
Offers roof penetration sealing kits for waterproofing
Provides polyurethane and silicone-based sealing systems
Known for DOWSIL brand roof sealants
Produces penetration sealing kits for commercial roofs
Offers roof penetration sealing kits under GAF brand
Provides EPDM and TPO penetration sealing kits
Part of Holcim; offers roof penetration sealing solutions
Produces sealing kits for roof penetrations
Specializes in roof penetration sealing systems
Offers sealants for roof penetration applications
Provides roof sealing kits under Loctite brand
Offers roof penetration sealing tapes and kits
Subsidiaries like Tremco and Carboline serve roof sealing
Provides integrated roof sealing solutions
Offers penetration sealing kits for flat roofs
Brands include Icopal and Monier; supplies sealing kits
Produces roof penetration sealing products
Offers sealing kits for roof penetrations
Provides roof penetration sealing accessories
Offers sealants and flashing for roof penetrations
Supplies roof penetration sealing kits
Offers specialized sealing systems for roof penetrations
Provides roof sealing kits under Dr. Fixit brand
Offers roof penetration sealing solutions
Produces penetration sealing kits for roofing
Offers roof penetration sealing systems
Provides penetration sealing kits for commercial roofs
Offers roof penetration sealing kits
Produces roof penetration sealing accessories
Offers penetration sealing kits for TPO and EPDM roofs
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The European photovoltaic industry seeks to differentiate itself from Asian competitors by focusing on innovation, sustainability, and circularity. An example of this strategy is Solarge, a Dutch manufacturer that produces ultra-lightweight, fully recyclable solar modules at an automated plant in Weert, in the southern Netherlands.
Operational since May 2023, the factory currently has an annual production capacity of 150 MW—equivalent to around 300,000 solar panels per year—but plans are in place to scale up output. The company also states that its facilities and infrastructure are designed to support a future expansion to 400 MW.
Solarge’s flagship product is the SOLO module, which departs from conventional panel design. Instead of glass and aluminium frames, it uses composite materials, reducing the module weight to 5.5 kg/m², which is approximately half that of traditional solar panels.
The company also highlights the elimination of substances considered environmentally problematic. The module is free of the so-called “forever chemicals,” or PFAs, and antimony—two materials that are attracting increasing regulatory and environmental scrutiny.
Thanks to this design, the manufacturer has developed a fully circular panel. The company offers a buy-back guarantee at the end of the product’s life and commits to recovering and recycling all materials without resorting to “downcycling,” meaning the recovered materials retain their quality and value in subsequent applications.
Solarge says its focus on circularity has enabled a dual milestone: the SOLO module is, according to the company, the first solar panel worldwide certified under the C2C Certified Circularity program and the first to meet the requirements of version 4.1 of the standard.
The certification obtained is at Silver level, independently verifying that the product has been designed according to lifecycle and resource-optimization criteria aimed at keeping materials in continuous use for as long as possible.
The manufacturer highlights weight reduction as one of its key competitive advantages. Millions of square metres of roofing on industrial facilities, logistics centres, public buildings, and older structures cannot support conventional photovoltaic systems due to structural limitations.
According to the company, its modules allow these surfaces to be used without the need for structural reinforcement, as their low weight maximizes the available area for solar installations. They also highlight applications such as photovoltaic carports, ground-mounted systems, and projects linked to airports and transport infrastructure. In these latter cases, Solarge emphasizes that the panel design helps to minimise glint and glare, a particularly important factor in airport environments.
Previous articles in pv magazine‘s new series on solar manufacturing facilities around the world covered Sunmaxx’s PVT module factory in Germany, SoliTek’s fully-automated line in Lithuania, United Solar’s polysilicon factory in Oman, Belga Solar’s module production facility in Belgium, Midsummer’s CIGS factory in Italy, and Tindo Solar’s PV module plant in Australia.
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Prairie’s Edge is the tribe’s primary source of revenue.
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A state administrative ruling in Minnesota has gone against a rural power cooperative that had warned a tribal casino it could lose electricity service because of a sizable solar installation.
The decision may have broader implications for those looking to rely on larger solar setups on their own properties to trim utility costs.
Administrative Law Judge Joseph Meyer said Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association may not sever electric service to the Upper Sioux Community’s Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort because the tribe built a 2.5-megawatt solar project beside the property, the local outlet MPR News reported.
The installation was set up to operate behind the meter, so the power it produces is used on-site rather than exported into the wider grid.
In Meyer’s view, the cooperative’s own rules do not bar that arrangement. He wrote that cutting service as a penalty “would unlawfully violate [Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association’s] obligation to provide service.”
According to MPR, the conflict dates to 2024, when the tribe installed the array with the goal of covering about 30% of the casino’s electric bill.
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Later, the co-op warned in a letter that it would disconnect service if the system went live, saying its policy limited member-owned solar to 40 kilowatts.
The tribe then brought the dispute to the Public Utilities Commission in 2025, MPR News reported, and the matter was eventually sent to the Court of Administrative Hearings.
Although Meyer did not invalidate the cooperative’s policy itself, he said the utility was applying it more broadly than the policy allows.
Across rural Minnesota, many electric cooperatives cap member-owned generation at 40 kilowatts, according to the local news site.
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Meyer’s ruling says those co-ops cannot stop customers from using larger behind-the-meter projects — or punish them for doing so — when the systems do not export electricity to the grid.
That interpretation may make it easier for households, farms, businesses, and tribal governments to pursue stand-alone solar installations that can cut recurring energy expenses.
When solar displaces electricity generated by fossil fuels, it can also reduce air pollution and the emissions that drive climate change.
The casino is the tribe’s primary source of revenue and helps fund housing, health care, schools, and tribal police, MPR reported, meaning lower energy spending could bolster core community services.
According to the local news outlet, Meyer also said that engineers should redo their analysis using the solar project’s actual zero-export design.
If the tribe follows that study’s recommendations, he concluded that “any disconnection of electric service whatsoever based on the existence or generating capacity of the Project would be unlawful, so long as the Project remains a not-for-export system.”
The next step is a final decision from the full Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Before that happens, the cooperative still has the option to file exceptions with the commission.
The advocacy organization CURE celebrated Meyer’s ruling, with the group’s legal director Hudson Kingston telling MPR, “This is a very clear, very clear decision that co-ops cannot have policies that limit behind-the-meter solar systems.”
Kingston added, “It’s going to help drive people’s bills down, and it’s going to make a better electric grid for all of us.”
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Aena, Spain-based airport infrastructure operator headquartered in Madrid, has tendered photovoltaic solar plant at Seville Airport. The project is valued at €5.26 million (~ $6.10 million) and will be built within the airport site. The planned facility will occupy about 5 hectares and have 5.02 MW of total power and 4.57 nominal megawatts (MWn) of nominal power. The selected contractor will draft the project, execute the works, start the solar field and provide 1 year of maintenance. The installation is expected to run within about 32 months and will supply power to the airport’s internal grid. Aena said the plant’s annual generation will be equivalent to the estimated consumption of more than 2,000 households.
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Home – Energy – Solar panels were blamed for wiping out fields, but birds and insects are now rewriting the story beneath them
For years, solar parks have carried a heavy image problem. Many people picture rows of black panels spreading across the countryside, pushing out birds, insects, and the quiet life of rural fields.
However, new data from Spain is complicating that picture. The latest findings suggest that, when solar sites are well placed and properly managed, they can become surprisingly active refuges for wildlife instead of silent industrial zones.
The key point is simple, but important. Solar farms should not be compared with untouched forests. They should often be compared with the intensive farmland they replace.
The clearest numbers come from Spanish solar plants studied by EMAT, an independent environmental consultancy, and highlighted by the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF). In Minglanilla (Cuenca), researchers identified 32 bird species inside the solar plant, compared with 19 in the nearby agricultural control area.
The pattern also appeared elsewhere. Revilla Vallejera (Burgos) recorded 39 species inside the solar site and 34 outside, while Trujillo (Cáceres) recorded 31 species inside and 25 outside. These are not vague hopes about green energy. They are species counts from real facilities.
What kinds of birds are moving in? UNEF says the sites have documented species of special ecological interest, including stone-curlew, little bustard, roller, little owl, and lesser kestrel. As insects and small prey return, raptors such as eagles, vultures, kites, harriers, falcons, and owls can also find reasons to hunt there.
The explanation is not some hidden solar technology. It is much more down to earth. Inside many well-managed solar parks, there are no herbicides, no hunting, no intensive farm work, and only limited human visits for maintenance.
Compared with a field that is regularly plowed, sprayed, and stripped back, that quiet can matter. For an insect, a nesting bird, or a small mammal, the space beneath and between panels may feel less like a machine and more like a break from pressure.
Martín Behar, UNEF’s director of studies and environment, said Spanish data show that solar plants that are “well located and managed” can support valuable habitats. He also pointed to the lack of fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides, combined with controlled grazing, as a reason for the “very positive” biodiversity results.
Spain is not alone here. In the United Kingdom, research by the RSPB and the University of Cambridge found that solar farms in agriculturally dominated East Anglia had more bird species and more individual birds than nearby arable land, acre for acre.
The best results came from solar farms managed with nature in mind. Sites with hedgerows, mixed habitats, flowering plants, and less intensive grass cutting held nearly three times as many birds as adjacent arable farmland. Threatened species such as corn buntings, greenfinches, yellowhammers, and linnets were among the birds that benefited most.
There is also a farming angle. Lightsource bp reported promising results from wool testing at its Wellington solar farm in New South Wales, Australia, where Merino sheep grazing among panels were compared with sheep in a regular paddock.
The company said the setup did not harm wool production, and some measures even suggested improved wool quality, although it warned that longer-term measurement is still needed.
Here is the catch. You cannot just plant panels, mow everything flat, and expect birds and insects to magically appear. A simple, closely cut site may produce electricity, but it will not necessarily do much for nature.
The better model is more active. That means keeping plant cover, using native vegetation around the edges, creating ecological corridors, installing nest boxes or shelters, and using sheep as natural lawnmowers where appropriate. Ultimately, the panels are only part of the story. The land plan is what decides whether wildlife gets a chance.
UNEF’s Sustainability Excellence Seal tries to push the sector in that direction. Its framework includes environmental integration, biodiversity protection, community value, governance, and circular economy measures.
UNEF also says ground-mounted solar plants can leave about 90% of the land free, which gives developers room to restore vegetation and add wildlife features if they choose to do it properly.
None of this means every solar project is automatically good for the countryside. Researchers at Cambridge warned that new solar farms should not be placed in ecologically risky areas, protected nature sites, or places that already serve as important refuges for rare or declining species.
That nuance matters. A solar farm on degraded intensive farmland can create breathing room for wildlife. A poorly planned project in the wrong place can still damage habitats that were already valuable.
So the real debate is changing. It is not simply solar panels versus birds. It is whether solar developers, regulators, and landowners are willing to treat the ground under the panels as living space, not empty space.
The idea now gaining ground is sometimes called “conservoltaics,” a blend of renewable power and active conservation. It sounds technical, but the basic idea is easy to understand. The same field can help produce electricity while also giving insects, birds, sheep, and native plants a better shot at surviving.
That could matter as countries race to build more clean power while families deal with higher electric bills and hotter summers. Solar farms will keep spreading, but the question is what kind of countryside they leave behind.
At the end of the day, a fence around a solar park can work like a wall or like a shelter. The difference comes down to design, location, and care.
The press release was published on UNEF.
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The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) announced that the Solar Roofs program in Mexicali received an investment of US$11 million during its first phase, from March 2025 to May 2026, using funds from the Universal Electricity Service Fund, administered by the Ministry of Energy (SENER).
According to the CFE, each family achieves savings of up to 85% on their electricity bills, which are paid every 30 days in these border municipalities.
The “Solar Roofs for Well-being” program—promoted by SENER, the CFE, and the government of Baja California—aims to improve access to electricity for vulnerable families in the northern part of the country, particularly those facing extreme weather conditions and high energy consumption for much of the year.
It is estimated that the installed systems generate approximately 44,160 MWh of clean energy per year and prevent the emission of 19,486 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, thereby strengthening the energy transition and environmental sustainability, in addition to providing benefits to household finances.
A second phase is scheduled to begin in July 2026 in Hermosillo, Sonora, and in the two municipalities of Baja California, with the interconnection of an additional 5,000 photovoltaic systems.
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By Niina H. Farah | 06/16/2026 01:34 PM EDT
A judge found renewable energy developers were likely to win the legal fight.
Solar panels are shown. Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images
A federal judge has rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to end a lawsuit challenging federal policies targeting wind and solar projects.
On Tuesday, Judge Denise Casper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled that clean energy developers had grounds to continue their challenge against five Interior Department and Army Corps of Engineers policies they alleged were hampering solar and wind development.
One of those policies is a memorandum requiring senior Interior Department officials to sign off on wind and solar permits, putting those projects under additional scrutiny as part of an effort to slow-walk approvals and construction.
The ruling comes less than two months after Casper, an Obama appointee, issued an order temporarily blocking Interior and the Army Corps from enforcing the policies against Renew Northeast and other regional wind and solar developers involved in the lawsuit.
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PEDOT:PSS is a conductive polymer blend widely used as a hole transport and electrode interlayer in solar cells. It is attractive because it is highly transparent, allowing efficient light to reach the active layer, and it has good hole conductivity along with a suitable work function that enables efficient charge extraction at the electrode interface. In addition, it can be processed from solution to form smooth, uniform films, which improves device quality and reproducibility.
However, in tandem solar cells it can become problematic because its acidic and hygroscopic nature can degrade sensitive layers such as perovskites. It can also contribute to interfacial instability and parasitic losses, which ultimately reduce long-term efficiency and operational stability.
With this in mind, a group of researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has designed a PEDOT:PSS-free all-perovskite tandem solar cell that utilizes a phenothiazine-functionalized phosphonic acid monolayer as the hole transport layer (HTL).
“We designed two-terminal monolithic all-perovskite tandem solar cells that stack two perovskite absorbers with complementary bandgaps in one structure, offering a promising route to surpass the efficiency limits of single-junction solar cells while retaining the advantages of lightweight and potentially low-cost manufacturing,” the research’s corresponding author, Fengzhu Li, told pv magazine. “A major challenge lies at the buried interface of the narrow-bandgap tin-lead perovskite subcell. Many high-performance devices rely on PEDOT:PSS as a hole-transport material, but this polymer can absorb moisture, interact unfavorably with perovskite precursors and promote phase segregation during crystallization. These issues can undermine both device performance and stability.”
In the study “Interface-mediated crystallization enables PEDOT:PSS-free all-perovskite tandems with 29.1% efficiency and enhanced durability,” published in Joule, Li and his colleagues explained that they used in-situ characterization to reveal how PEDOT:PSS induces an unstable crystallization pathway in mixed tin-lead perovskite films. “We then replaced PEDOT:PSS with a phenothiazine-functionalized self-assembled monolayer, known as 4PAPT, which promotes direct phase transition, improves crystal orientation and suppresses non-radiative recombination losses,” he went on to say.
Compared to PEDOT:PSS, 4PAPT reportedly enables faster and more direct perovskite crystallization, suppresses intermediate tin iodide–dimethyl sulfoxide (SnI₂–DMSO) phase formation, promotes preferred orientation, and improves interfacial stability, resulting in reduced defect density and enhanced carrier transport.
The researchers also found that that PEDOT:PSS is more susceptible to DMSO-induced degradation and instability during processing, while 4PAPT maintains stable wetting behavior, preserving interfacial integrity throughout deposition. Overall, 4PAPT was found to promote faster, more uniform crystallization and higher-quality mixed tin–lead perovskite films compared to PEDOT:PSS. In situ ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy also showed faster absorption evolution and phase transition on 4PAPT, while PEDOT:PSS exhibited slower kinetics.
The team built the all-perovskite tandem solar cell using a stacked device architecture on indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent electrodes. The bottom cell consisted of a wide-bandgap (WBG) perovskite absorber, interfaced with a carbazole-based naphthalene derivative (CbzNaph) as the hole-selective layer, followed by fullerene (C60) as the electron transport layer and atomic layer deposited tin dioxide (ALD-SnO₂) as the recombination layer, completed with a gold (Au) electrode. The top cell was built with the SAM as the hole transport interface, combined with a narrow-bandgap (NBG) perovskite absorber, C60 electron transport layer, bathocuproine (BCP) as the exciton blocking layer, and a silver (Ag) back electrode.
“Our molecular interface strategy enabled a narrow-bandgap single-junction perovskite cell with 23.2% efficiency,” Li further explained. “We the translated the strategy into monolithic all-perovskite tandem solar cells by developing the SAM combining thiol and phosphonic acid anchoring groups on SnO2/Au surfaces. The resulting dense molecular interlayer maintained efficient charge transport while avoiding the instability associated with PEDOT:PSS.”
“The PEDOT:PSS-free all-perovskite tandem solar cell achieved a reported efficiency of 29.1%, the highest reported efficiency to date for PEDOT:PSS-free all-perovskite tandem configurations,” Li added. “Encapsulated devices retained 90% of their initial efficiency after more than 800 hours of maximum power point tracking under simulated one-sun illumination at around 40 C.”
“The instability of PEDOT:PSS is not only a materials problem; it also affects how the perovskite film forms at the buried interface. By replacing this polymer with molecularly designed self-assembled monolayers, we were able to control crystallization from the start and carry that benefit into high-efficiency tandem devices,” co-author Yen-Hung Lin emphasized. “Perovskite tandem solar cells have reached a stage where every interface matters. Our study shows a critical principle: molecular interfaces can be designed as active platforms to control crystallization, reduce energy loss, facilitate charge transport and improve long-term stability across different tandem architectures.”
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The U.S. residential solar industry is cratering after President Donald Trump eliminated a key tax credit for homeowners to install solar panels last year – and it’s dragging down residential battery additions, according to a new BloombergNEF report.
The U.S. is expected to add 4.1 gigawatts of residential solar in 2026, down 15% from 2025, according to a BloombergNEF projection. That would mark the lowest level of new residential solar installations in five years.
“The market is not expected to recover to the record levels of 2023 anytime in the next decade,” the report states.
The main reason for the anticipated drop in home solar is the sunsetting of a 30% tax break for homeowners late last year under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, explains BloombergNEF’s June 15 report. This has made solar systems more expensive for consumers. Meanwhile, tariffs and other factors have raised costs for solar equipment too.
Solar companies are feeling the pressure. According to the new report and company filings, Sunrun Inc. is expecting a 25% drop in U.S. residential solar additions in 2026 compared to 2025, while Enphase Energy Inc., SolarEdge, and SunPower Corp. are expecting declines of 22%, 20% and 15%, respectively. Back in April, Freedom Forever filed for bankruptcy, citing the elimination of the federal tax credit.
While most of the country is experiencing this drop, two states are bucking the trend: California, a longtime solar leader, and Florida, which passed a new pro-solar law last year. BloombergNEF projects Florida’s residential solar additions will hit 710 megawatts in 2026, a 62% increase over last year. California’s installations are also forecast to grow 17% in 2026. Both states are also leading on solar permit applications.
The national solar crunch is having a knock-on effect on home batteries, which are highly dependent on solar installations. About 1.4 gigawatts of home storage is expected to go online this year, down 26% from 2025.
But even as total home battery installations are down, the combination of residential solar with batteries is on the rise. As of the first three months of 2026, some 40% of new residential solar systems have a battery attached, BloombergNEF found, up from an average of 35% last year.
“Battery storage is the future of home solar,” said Cosmo van Steenis, a BloombergNEF analyst and co-author of the new report. “Batteries can lay up stores of solar power in the daytime and release them at night.”
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Australia’s Largest Proposed Wind Farm Scaled Back as Developer Adds Solar and Battery Storage SolarQuarter
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“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times,” read Jason Grumet, CEO of American Clean Power (ACP) as he kicked off the CLEANPOWER conference in Houston, the energy capital of the world, acknowledging the contrast of the positive market dynamics versus the challenging federal policies. The audience let out a defiant chuckle, capturing the persistent atmosphere of the show of: “We’ve figured this out before and we’ll figure it out again.”
While it was a bit too sweltering for an outside opening reception, it was not by accident that ACP chose Houston, Texas, as its newest location for its annual trade show and conference. The state is a leader in utility-scale wind, solar, batteries, and data centers, plus it is known for its extreme weather impacting grid resilience. In 2025 alone, Texas hit $24 billion in clean energy investments. Highlighting the state’s clean energy leadership, Terraflow Energy held an exclusive tour of its new 60,000 sq ft Long Duration Battery Manufacturing facility designed for data centers and located only 35 minutes from the convention center. The state is experiencing an energy abundance, compared to the rest of the world that is undergoing an energy scarcity — and not just because of the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, but also due to the blockade on wind and solar by the federal government.
Overall, the Opening General Session had such an upbeat and positive atmosphere that anyone in the audience could have almost forgotten that there are critical OBBB deadlines looming around the corner. But there was a sense that the industry has quickly matured over the past few years with savvier communications and smarter policy agendas, including ACP’s new PAC reception, which headlined Nextpower’s CEO Dan Shugar and his band, Sweet Voodoo.
As another example of the industry’s growth, ACP launched and demoed its new CLEANPOWER IQ (CPIQ) platform, a comprehensive, real-time “database covering 40+ years of clean energy projects and detailed insights into domestic manufacturing facilities.” Pulling more than just publicly available data, the robust and interactive platform, with excellent data visualization, can be leveraged for advocacy, bizdev, manufacturing, procurement, and by media and communications professionals.
And of course, AI and data centers were discussed in almost every panel, presentation, and side discussion.
With so many changes happening in the industry, there were a number of insightful and interesting panels that ranged from investing strategies, tariffs, state-level policies, regulations, and of course AI.
“Where Capital is Flowing: Investor Perspectives on Energy Growth and Risk” with Susan Nickey of HASI, Edwina Kelly of CPP Investments, Jeffrey Osborne of TD Cowen, and Ray Wood of Bank of America Securities highlighted that while the political noise was being offset by the market, policy changes were still having an impact on investment. Some changes that were noted included:
The bottom line of the panel was that investors still believe in clean energy due to pricing, even past 2030, but at the same time the industry should continue to push for an ITC extension.
“Tariff Playbooks: How Industry Leaders Are Navigating Trade Challenges” with Vanessa Sciarra of ACP, Kimberly Ellis of Monument Advocacy, Jeffrey Grimson of Mowry & Grimson, PLLC, and Perry Spiegel of McLarty Associates discussed some of the key tariffs impacting the industry, such as International Emergency Powers Act (IEPA), section 122, 232, and 301. While IEPA was overturned by the Supreme Court, the 3 other sections are still putting price pressures on the industry. The good news is that Section 122 expires in July and that Section 232, while still available to the President, does not have the word tariff in it, and both are legally vulnerable. The Section with the most long-term potential impact is 301, which is for unfair trade practices. This is currently being wielded against 16 countries for so-called “overproduction” and 60 countries for forced labor, including indirectly. Other industries have had success arguing for exemptions, such as the agricultural sector for machinery, and this may be replicable for the solar industry with the right approach. Plus, this type of blanket tariff is unprecedented, leaving it legally vulnerable, especially with a Supreme Court that is getting clingier to the Constitution and separation of powers doctrine. Overall, the panelists agreed that the goal of the tariffs are to reduce our dependency on China, especially for critical minerals. It was also noted that trade policy is often used to force change in other countries, that it seems as if this time it may be a two-way street, as China may also be changing the US to have more of a “small yard, high fence” trade strategy.
“PowerTalk with Jason Grumet Featuring NARUC Leaders” with Jason Grumet of American Clean Power Association, The Honorable Ann Rendahl of National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) & Commissioner of Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, and The Honorable Jehmal Hudson Commissioner of Virginia State Corporation Commission discussed the two big elephants in the room: data centers and permitting. With large load customers being given higher rates, data centers are now beginning to outbid utilities on new power generating assets, causing indirect costs to ratepayers. The panel also called for permitting reform at both the federal and state levels. The panelists noted that one way to solve both of these issues is resolving the political divide between electrons, and the good news is that clean energy and economic growth are not competing.
“State Leadership in Action: Regional Strategies to Meet Energy Demand” with Sarah Cottrell Propst, MPA of ACP, Steve Caminati of Pattern Energy, Kelsey Hallahan of ACP, Chris Kunkle of Apex Clean Energy, and Mike Weiner of Fluence centered their conversation around affordability. The consensus was that energy prices are becoming a Tier 1 voter issue. Caminati captured the importance of smart energy policies by stating, “Governors can’t have an economic development strategy without an energy strategy.” Some examples that the panel noted were Virginia, which rolled out one of the most ambitious ESS targets, and Texas, with the largest clean energy portfolio in the country. Also mentioned were Illinois and Michigan for passing redesigned permitting regimes that created a tremendous amount of certainty and predictability, which are desperately needed from states. On the same topic of batteries and affordability, it was called out that batteries are the best technology for maximizing the grid we already have.
To no one’s surprise, the standing room only panel was “How AI is Accelerating Clean Energy Project Deployment” with Russell Gold of T1 Energy, Craig Cornelius of Clearway Energy Group, Mark Donahue of Mortenson, and Sheldon Kimber of Intersect. During the panel, they discussed the challenges and opportunities in the data center and energy sectors. The conversation kicked off with the need for standardization in data center energy planning in order to streamline development and reduce project delays. But other project delay factors also were discussed, such as the supply chain, labor shortages, and community pushback. The IRA’s apprenticeship requirements were highlighted as an important solution for workforce development. Early collaboration to address disinformation and gain community buy-in was another critical way to address the causes of project delays. Of course, interconnection queues were also mentioned and the solutions discussed included an approach that bundled load and generation for interconnection studies and the option to go off-grid. The panel also made future predictions, which included significant advancements in clean firm solar and wind with batteries and technology-enabled permitting and grid connection processes.
While many felt that CLEANPOWER 2026 was quieter, there were 8,000 participants this year. The show floor was filled with various companies showcasing their new products and solutions.
Filling in one of the most critical U.S. manufacturing gaps for the solar industry is ES Foundry with its crystalline PV solar cells that are manufactured in Greenwood, South Carolina. While the initial impetus for refurbishing the then Fujifilm factory into its 1 GW plant was the IRA, the company’s cells are fully FEOC compliant and qualifies as domestic content. The company has a deep commitment to its local city, employing over 360 employees and partnering with Piedmont Technical College on a workforce development program. The company is planning on expanding its facilities to 3 GW in H2 of 2026 and growing its workforce to 500 employees. With discussions frequently drifting to policy at the conference, ES Foundry believes that U.S. government support is necessary for the industry’s continued growth.
While downstream, Bila Solar is focused on providing high-quality, domestic-content panels to the market. After transitioning its singe line in Indiana back from ultra-lightweight modules to conventional glass and aluminum/steel bifacial modules, the company recently achieved its ISO 9000-1 certification, validating its quality management system. It continues to conduct third-party and customer audits, and its AA-Series 530-550 Watt Dual Glass Module was recently named a Kiwa PVEL Top Performer in the 2026 PV module reliability scorecard.
Fresh off its inverter acquisition agreement, Nextpower announced its entry into the energy storage market with its agreement to acquire Prevalon Energy. These acquisitions are part of the company’s evolution into a holistic solar technology platform, which Jonathan Eastwood, SVP of U.S. sales and global sales enablement, describes as “very much in response to customers.” He explains that during this environment of unprecedented demand growth, an integrated system is more efficient as it compresses overall timelines and accelerates design — which is especially critical for the speed-to-power challenges facing the AI and data center market. The battery acquisition is particularly relevant to meeting AI energy demand and the new market conditions in which developers need to build where demand is.
GameChange Solar came to the show brandishing its new name GameChange Energy to reflect its transition into an end-to-end solution provider. As part of its name change, the company consolidated its solar tracker, eBOS, asset monitoring, and transformer division. CEO Phillip Byhanek explained that the company’s mission is to improve quality while reducing CAPEX and that when a site is engineered to work together it reduces costs. For instance, by optimizing for eBOS layout, it can reduce eBOS costs by 15% and increase installation efficiencies. The company is also addressing the transformer shortage with a 330,000 square foot expansion of its transformer facility in Mumbai, India.
Meanwhile, Erthos is taking a completely different direction with its earth-mounted solar solution. In what it calls a quilted solar panel design, its solution lays panels flat on the ground and uses ballasting on the permitter, consisting of pre-cast concrete blocks. According to the company, this design dramatically reduces system CAPEX and achieves one of the highest wind ratings. The system requires “smooth, not flat” grading, under a 10% slope, and does not fit heavy snow-load regions.
Affordable Wire Management (AWM) introduced its utility-scale Gen 5S Arden hanger with a new design that enhances cable airflow, boosts ampacity, and lowers project development costs. The new staggered design of the hanger allows for increased airflow and reduces voltage drop. Plus, with the battery market growing, especially due to data center demand, AWM displayed its new Strata for BESS wire management that eliminates trenching and prevents overheating.
And I couldn’t close out the article without mentioning that Fight Night made its official debut at CLEANPOWER, after doing the same at Intersolar this pat February. As the clean energy transition expands and matures, it feels appropriate that so does the long-standing tradition of Fight Night.
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Indian solar PV manufacturer and EPC group HVR Solar is expanding upstream into solar cell production. At the SNEC 2026 expo in Shanghai, the company signed multiple strategic memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with international partners to establish a 1.2 GW annual capacity TOPCon cell manufacturing line in the Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh. Under these agreements, Shenzhen Han’s Photovoltaic Equipment Co., Ltd. will supply the core manufacturing machinery for the TOPCon production line, Gentech Technology (Huzhou) Co., Ltd. will provide critical chemical and gas utility systems, and Indygreen Technologies will serve as the technology facilitator responsible for production line integration and process deployment.
This project is viewed as a strategic move to strengthen India's domestic renewable energy supply chain, reducing the company's reliance on upstream cell imports while enhancing local manufacturing capabilities. Furthermore, this new cell facility will create synergies with HVR Solar’s recently commissioned 1.2 GW automated module factory in Sonipat, Haryana. The module plant primarily produces G12 and G12R bifacial modules utilizing both TOPCon and HJT technologies, targeting the residential and commercial & industrial (C&I) rooftop solar markets.
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Moreover, self-generation of energy increases the property’s attractiveness because it reduces fixed costs, improves financial predictability, and offers protection against tariff adjustments. In this scenario, buyers begin to see the solar system as an asset already incorporated into the property.
The reduction in the energy bill is usually the most well-known benefit of solar energy. However, the impact can go beyond monthly savings.
According to Amicta Sole, some clients already seek photovoltaic systems as a strategy for asset protection. This movement appears mainly among investors, commercial property owners, and families planning a future resale.
Researchers present a hydrogen ion battery capable of storing energy in two different forms, an innovative solution that promises to increase the autonomy of renewable systems and simplify energy transport.
Researchers present a hydrogen ion battery capable of storing energy in two different forms, an innovative solution that promises to increase the autonomy of renewable systems and simplify energy transport.
Researchers present a hydrogen ion battery capable of storing energy in two different forms, an innovative solution that promises to increase the autonomy of renewable systems and simplify energy transport.
Government announces R$ 370 million for those who preserve the forest and an unprecedented initiative places traditional Amazonian communities at the center of conserving a vast area.
Additionally, a property with solar energy tends to offer lower operational costs. Therefore, it can gain an advantage in purchase, sale, or rental negotiations.
The survey cited by Gazeta do Povo indicates that appreciation can vary between 4% and 10%. This difference occurs because the buyer is acquiring more than just the physical structure of the property.
In practice, they also receive a modern energy infrastructure, capable of generating savings for many years. Furthermore, the system offers greater predictability in the monthly budget.
As a result, the property can stand out among other similar options in the market.
In commercial properties, the impact can be even more significant.
The reduction of fixed costs improves the operational margin of companies and makes the asset more attractive to investors. Furthermore, businesses that consume a lot of energy can directly benefit from self-generation.
Thus, solar energy ceases to be just a structural improvement. It becomes a strategic negotiation argument.
A quality photovoltaic system usually has a lifespan of over 25 years, as highlighted by Gazeta do Povo in Amicta Sole’s content. This means that the owner incorporates a long-term productive asset into the property.
Moreover, the financial return does not end after the payback. Once the investment pays off, the system continues to generate savings and add value to the property.
Therefore, the installation can be analyzed as a property decision, not just as an improvement expense.
Consumer behavior has changed in recent years. Today, many buyers evaluate not only price and location but also efficiency, sustainability, and future costs.
Additionally, properties with clean energy can attract individuals and companies interested in reducing emissions and meeting environmental criteria. For companies, this factor can also reinforce commitments related to ESG practices.
In this context, solar energy helps position the property as modern, efficient, and aligned with new market demands.
The appreciation of the property directly depends on the quality of the installed project.
According to Amicta Sole, feasibility studies, consumption analysis, and financial return simulation help the owner understand the economic impact of the system before installation.
Moreover, poorly designed projects can reduce efficiency and compromise the expected return. Therefore, technical planning and responsibility in execution are essential points.
Solar energy is gaining ground as a tool for savings, sustainability, and real estate appreciation.
Additionally, the system can strengthen the owner’s bargaining power in a future sale or rental. In a market increasingly attentive to fixed costs and energy efficiency, properties with self-generation tend to attract more attention.
Thus, investing in solar energy can represent not only an immediate reduction in the electricity bill but also a way to protect and enhance the property’s value in the long term.
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A Chinese research team has developed a novel panel surface temperature (PST) retrieval model designed specifically for utility-scale photovoltaic power plants.
The proposed approach leverages moderate-resolution thermal infrared (TIR) satellite imagery and is engineered to address several long-standing challenges that have limited accurate temperature estimation in large PV installations.
“The novelty of this research is that it enables satellites to estimate the surface temperature of photovoltaic panels – something that has been very difficult because solar farms are not uniform surfaces, but complex mixed scenes made up of panels, gap ground, and surrounding ground,” corresponding author Kun Yang told pv magazine.
“Our method goes beyond conventional land surface temperature retrievals by accounting for the three-dimensional structure of PV arrays, changes in the apparent panel area with viewing angle, and the unusually low, directional emissivity of PV panels,” the academic said. “In doing so, it provides a new scene-aware way to retrieve panel-scale thermal information from satellite observations over utility-scale solar farms.”
The novel method is based on measurements collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), a scientific instrument aboard NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites. With a spatial resolution of 1 km, each MODIS pixel covers a large surface area that typically includes not only PV modules, but also inter-row gaps, surrounding vegetation, access roads, and bare soil. As a result, the thermal signal recorded by the sensor represents a mixed radiance from multiple land-cover types rather than the temperature of the PV modules alone, which is the target variable of the study.
To address this limitation, the research team developed a pixel decomposition approach to separate PV modules from inter-row gaps within each MODIS footprint. High-resolution Sentinel-2 imagery was first used to estimate the fractional PV coverage within each MODIS pixel. This information was then combined with a three-dimensional geometric model of the PV array layout, incorporating module tilt, azimuth, row spacing, and satellite viewing geometry, to determine the proportion of panel surface that is actually visible to the sensor.
Finally, by explicitly modelling the thermal contribution of non-panel components such as exposed ground and inter-row spaces, the researchers were able to isolate the radiative signal attributable to the PV modules. This correction enables a more accurate retrieval of panel surface temperature at utility scale using moderate-resolution thermal infrared satellite data.
To validate the method, the research team compared modelled results against ground-based measurements from two utility-scale PV power plants: an arid-site installation in Wujiaqu, Xinjiang (northwestern China), and a more humid site in Ganzi on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, Sichuan Province (southwestern China). Ground-truth panel temperatures were recorded using calibrated thermocouples mounted on the rear surface of PV modules at four representative locations across each array.
The results show a substantial improvement in retrieval accuracy. During the warm season, the proposed algorithm reduced the root mean square error (RMSE) from 10.8–18.9 C under a conventional land-surface emissivity baseline approach to 3.7–8.6 C. At the same time, it significantly mitigated the systematic cold bias, improving it from approximately −10 to −17 C down to −2 to −3 C.
Overall, these improvements – on the order of roughly 10 C in absolute error reduction – translate into a 3–5% decrease in PV power simulation bias. This level of accuracy enhancement supports more reliable estimation of photovoltaic performance and generation potential from satellite-derived thermal data.
“One of the most striking findings is that the low emissivity of PV panels matters even more than directional effects,” Yang said. “If PV panels are treated as if they had the emissivity of a typical natural surface, the retrieved panel temperature shows a systematic cold bias of around 10 C. In other words, getting the emissivity right is essential for accurate satellite retrieval of PV panel temperature.”
However, the scientist highlighted that while the method performs well in the warm season, winter remains far more challenging, primarily due to long shadows and potential snow cover. “These factors make the ground between panel rows colder than nearby open land, which can lead to significant underestimation of panel temperatures. To address this, we plan to develop a new approach to estimate the temperature of these shaded gaps and then incorporate that into our retrieval algorithm,” Yang said.
“Our long-term goal is to produce a global data set of utility-scale PV panel temperature for both research and industrial applications. Our next key step is to understand better the non-panel parts of solar farms, especially the shaded gaps between rows of panels. These gaps can strongly affect satellite measurements in winter,” he concluded. “We will also test this method on more solar farms under different climate conditions and array setups, including both fixed-tilt and sun-tracking systems, to see how widely it can be applied.”
The new approach was presented in “Photovoltaic panel surface temperature retrieval from MODIS through accounting for directional effects,” published in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation. Scientists from China’s Tsinghua University, Renewables Research Center of Huairou Laboratory, SPIC Southwest Energy Research Institute, SPIC Innovation Center of Photovoltaic Industry, Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development, the Aerospace Information Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Huadian Xizang Energy have contributed to the study.
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Thursday, July 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, June 18, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Be part of the high-level European conference on solar and energy storage, exploring bankable BESS projects, warranties, and energy management for residential and C&I sectors
The new pv magazine Global May issue is now available!
Mountains to climb
Available in print and digital formats.
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
April 01 – August 31, 2026
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition—join the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 in Riyadh to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering its digital economy.
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We are participating in Intersolar 2026 again this year! Visit us at our Booth Hall 2 A2.250 to discuss the latest trends within the photovoltaic industry with the pv magazine team.
June 23-25, 2026 | MUNICH, GERMANY
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