Solar Now

June 17, 2026
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The North Carolina Court of Appeals has ruled for a second time in favor of Pender County in a dispute over a proposed 2,300-acre solar farm.
The decision released Wednesday arrived more than a year after the court agreed to revisit a decision handed down on the final day of 2024. The court’s initial ruling also favored the county, which had rejected a special use permit for the solar farm project.
“The record shows that Petitioner failed to meet the mandatory standards to establish a prima facie entitlement to the requested SUP,” Judge Michael Stading wrote in the latest decision. “Therefore, the Board properly denied the SUP. Thus, the superior court ultimately did not err in affirming the Board’s decision. And after careful review of the record, Petitioner’s due process argument is overruled.”
Judge Thomas Murry joined Stading’s opinion. Judge Donna Stroud concurred “in result only,” meaning she agreed with the decision without endorsing Stading’s legal analysis.
The court delivered an unpublished opinion. That type of opinion has limited value as a precedent for future cases.
A January 2025 order blocked the Appeals Court’s initial decision favoring the county over the solar farm developer.
A three-judge panel handed down the original decision on Dec. 31, 2024, the last day in office for appointed Judge Carolyn Thompson. The Democrat Thompson lost a November election to keep her seat for another eight years.
Murry, a Republican, defeated Thompson with 51% of the. Murry joined Stading and Stroud on the panel addressing a motion to reconsider the case Coastal Pine Solar v. Pender County.
“It is hereby ordered that the opinion filed in this case on 31 December 2024 be withdrawn. The Clerk of the Court of Appeals is hereby directed not to certify said opinion. This cause is retained by this Court for disposition by the panel to which it is assigned,” according to the January 2025 order.
The original unpublished Appeals Court opinion determined that plaintiff Coastal Pine Solar had failed to prove that it complied with local ordinance requirements.
To secure a special-use permit for the solar operation, Coastal Pine Solar required “production of competent, substantial, and material evidence demonstrating compliance” with Pender’s unified development ordinance, Stading wrote in his original opinion.
“Though Petitioner presented expert testimony, the Board found this testimony inadequate due to the witnesses’ lack of personal knowledge of the specific site conditions,” Stading added.
“Considering all of Petitioner’s evidence — its experts, their testimony and submissions — it remains insufficient to establish a prima facie case of conformity,” the majority opinion explained. “For instance, UDO § 3.12.2(B)(6) requires detailed evidence of ‘[e]xisting topography and all proposed changes’ along with ‘calculations to show total acreage of area to be graded or disturbed.’”
“The record contains no competent, site-specific engineering or technical data fulfilling these criteria,” Stading wrote. “While Petitioner’s appraiser mentioned topography, his report addressed only the potential effect on adjoining property values rather than providing the mandated calculations of acreage disturbance. Petitioner identifies no other record evidence — and our review reveals no other record evidence — establishing the essential, technical details required by the UDO.”
“Petitioner cannot demonstrate that it satisfied the underlying zoning standards without showing these foundational prerequisites. In other words, failing to produce the information required under section 3.12.2(B) means Petitioner did not carry its initial burden of production. Consequently, Petitioner’s assertion that ‘conformity is not really in dispute’ is unsupported,” the opinion added.
The Appeals Court also cited a lack of evidence that the solar farm demonstrated “adequacy of utilities, access roads, drainage, sanitation, and other necessary facilities.”
“Although Petitioner repeatedly asserted that it would comply with ‘all statutory and local requirements,’ it offered no specific, competent evidence explaining how these requirements would be met,” Stading wrote. “Rather than presenting definitive drainage plans, engineering reports, or other concrete documentation, Petitioner merely stated that it ‘will’ ensure compliance at some future point. Such conclusory statements fall short of the evidentiary standard imposed by the UDO.”
“[T]he Board’s denial of Petitioner’s SUP rested on competent, material, and substantial evidence, reflecting that Petitioner failed to establish a prima facie entitlement under the UDO. As a result, the decision was neither arbitrary nor capricious, and the trial court properly affirmed the Board,” Stading explained.
Thompson joined Stading’s original opinion. Stroud supported the case’s result without endorsing Stading’s arguments.
The original three-judge appellate panel heard oral arguments in October 2024. Coastal Pine Solar asked the court to reverse a trial judge’s decision in the case. The trial court sided with Pender County commissioners, who rejected the solar operation in 2022.
The solar company met its burden to secure a county permit, lawyer Thomas Terrell argued. “An applicant who has met the burden of production automatically wins … if no contrary evidence is offered,” Terrell said. “And in this case, we don’t have any contrary evidence.”
Coastal Pine Solar also believes Pender County “really stepped outside of what its role is” in assessing the company’s permit application, Terrell argued. “What is not proper is for the county to become its own advocate — at any level, at any stage — where the county is looking for a certain outcome, which is clearly what was happening here,” he said.
“They have to be an impartial decision-maker,” he added. “Not the case — What happened here, we had the county was an aggressive prosecutor.”
John Cooke, arguing for Pender County, pointed to evidence supporting county commissioners’ decision.
“We have all this evidence from neighbors — adjoining property owners familiar with the property,” Cooke said. “It floods. It’s already flooding, and it’s going to make it worse. And the applicant has offered nothing to improve it or address it.”
“This is a massive speculative, inchoate venture and nothing more,” Cooke added.
“Neighbor after neighbor said this doesn’t fit,” he argued.
The North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation is siding with Pender County in the legal fight. The Farm Bureau filed paperwork in April 2024 to submit a friend-of-the-court brief in the case.
“Farm Bureau’s members know which tracts have the best soils for growing certain crops and how their farms absorb and drain water,” according to a motion from Farm Bureau lawyers. “Farm Bureau’s members are also keenly aware that North Carolina is losing farmland to development at an alarming rate and they frequently engage with their local leaders to help preserve the farmland on which they are so dependent.”
“Farm Bureau’s interest in this case is focused on Coastal Pine Solar, LLC’s (‘Coastal’) argument that the Superior Court erred below in concluding that Pender County’s denial of Coastal’s special use permit application was ‘supported by competent, material and substantial evidence that is contrary to Coastal Pines Solar LLC’s evidence,’” the motion continued. “To be clear, Farm Bureau does not oppose the siting and operation of solar facilities per se. However, it is concerned that adopting Coastal’s reasoning to reverse the Superior Court, would hinder the ability of farmers and landowners to effectively engage with county leaders when they are considering whether to issue special use permits for development.”
“The Record shows the farmers and landowners who spoke against Coastal’s proposed development possessed considerable knowledge about the farmland and weather in Pender County and how the development will change the way water flows off the property and into nearby waters,” Farm Bureau lawyers wrote.
The proposed farm was larger than any North Carolina solar farm identified by the company’s expert. It was “nearly twenty (20) times larger than the largest solar farm found in this Court’s precedents, raising a serious policy question unencountered by this Court,” Pender County lawyers added.
North Carolina’s second-highest court has agreed to publish its recent decision in a case involving local Outer Banks business restrictions. Publication gives the decision greater weight as a precedent for future cases in state court.
The North Carolina Court of Appeals recently revived an entrepreneur’s lawsuit against a Kill Devil Hills ordinance that limits her economic rights.
The North Carolina Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving a dispute over Montreat’s approval of a new lodge.
The North Carolina Court of Appeals will allow a lawsuit to move forward challenging Kill Devil Hills’ restrictions against “itinerant vendors.”
Copyright 2026 John Locke Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

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Susquehanna University solar array powers 30% of the campus’ operational needs. Now students are trying to determine how the 12,000 panels might be supporting the microhabitats that have grown beneath […]
Susquehanna University solar array powers 30% of the campus’ operational needs. Now students are trying to determine how the 12,000 panels might be supporting the microhabitats that have grown beneath and around them — specifically for spiders.
So far, Matt Persons, Charles B. Degenstein professor of biology at Susquehanna University, and two of his students — Andrew Pisano ’27, an ecology major from Malvern, Pennsylvania, and Kaylee Rathbone ’27, a biomedical sciences major from Mannington Township, New Jersey — have collected more than 1,000 spiders from the array. They do so in a very uniform way, Pisano said, during the day and at night.
“We’re in each plot, which is about 8 meters by 5 meters, for about an hour and we sample as much as we can either by hand or using fine mesh sweep nets,” Pisano explained. The spiders are placed into vials and then sent to Persons’ lab for official identification.
Only about half of the known spider species build webs, and the structure of the solar array gives those spiders the perfect framework to build their homes, Persons said.
“We’re trying to understand how these habitats are different than a traditional agricultural field, which is usually what [a solar array] replaces, versus a forest environment versus a golden rod habitat, so we are doing some comparisons to see what’s there,” he said. “Here we have an area of land that isn’t sprayed and can act as a nursery for a lot of arthropods that can then disperse out to surrounding agricultural systems. Nobody’s done research on this to test it, but it’s likely that there are higher populations of pollinators and spiders in these systems.”
The project is Rathbone’s first research experience.
“It really gives me an opportunity to explore what doing research here is like and use the scientific process to discover what does work and what doesn’t work,” she said. “We’ve had quite a few meetings already this summer to reevaluate our processes and it’s been a valuable learning experience.”
Solar installations have increased in Pennsylvania over the past several years, according to the Pennsylvania Utility Commission, including arrays placed on land once used for agricultural purposes, “but those two things aren’t necessarily exclusive of one another,” Persons said.
“With thoughtful design and management, these sites can support a surprising diversity of microhabitats,” he said, “creating a patchwork of conditions that can benefit a range of plant and animal species.”
Persons and his students are also using their research as an opportunity to identify various spider species that call Pennsylvania home, a study that’s never really been undertaken.
“There are over 4,000 species of spiders in the United States, but we don’t really know how many there are in Pennsylvania,” Persons said. “The last survey that was done in the state was in 1942, so we’re hoping to add to the data currently held by the State Museum of Pennsylvania.”
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Splitting hydrogen from water molecules via electrolysis requires energy, which ideally comes from renewable energy sources. Scientists at the Fraun-hofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have developed a combined pho-tovoltaic/electrolysis module that efficiently produces hydrogen directly from solar energy. To do this, the water molecule is split using the high photo-voltage of multi-junction solar cells, which in turn are electrically and ther-mally connected to electrolyzer cells. A demonstrator from the research team tested outdoors converted up to 31.3 percent of solar energy into chemical energy, based on the higher heating value of hydrogen.
Schematic (left) and photograph (right) proof-of-concept of the concentrator PV-driven electrolyzer.
© Fraunhofer ISE
“For the photovoltaic/electrolysis modules we have developed, we use what is known as concentrating photovoltaics,” explains Dr. Juan Francisco Martínez Sánchez, project manager for the new development at Fraunhofer ISE. “A Fresnel lens array focuses direct sunlight onto highly efficient III-V solar cells, which in this application have an open-circuit voltage of over 4 volts.” III-V solar cells are the most efficient solar cells in the world, proven over many years and long-term stable. Currently, they are primarily used in space but can also produce electricity economically and efficiently on Earth in concentrating solar modules.
“For hydrogen production, we connected these solar cells directly to the cathode and anode of two PEM electrolysis cells connected in series, thereby achieving a perfect match between the two electrical characteristics,” adds Dr. Tom Smolinka, Head of the Membrane Electrolysis Department at Fraunhofer ISE. The electricity from the solar cells is thus used directly for hydrogen production without any detours and therefore without losses. In field tests, the new demonstrator of the photovoltaic/electrolysis module, with a lens area of 64 square centimeters, converted up to 31.3 percent of the solar energy into chemical energy, based on the higher heating value of hydrogen.
“Our new record shows that hydrogen can be produced very efficiently directly from sunlight,” says Dr. Frank Dimroth, head of the III-V Photovoltaics and Concentrator Technology Department at Fraunhofer ISE. “Development is still in its early stages, and it’s hard to say how quickly we’ll be able to achieve competitive systems. To further develop the concept, we are seeking investors for our planned spin-off, Clearsun Energy.”
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PENDER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – The North Carolina Court of Appeals has upheld Pender County’s decision to deny a special use permit for a 2,360-acre solar farm.
The court ruled Tuesday, June 17, that Coastal Pine Solar, LLC failed to provide sufficient evidence that adequate utilities were in place or being provided for the project.
The company applied for the permit in 2022 to build the solar farm in a rural agricultural zoning district. The Pender County Board of Commissioners unanimously denied the application in September 2022.
The appeals court found the company did not prove existing transmission lines could handle the electricity the solar farm would produce. The company presented evidence that two Duke Energy 230-kilovolt transmission lines cross the site, but did not provide evidence that those lines could currently serve the property.
Coastal Pine Solar said Duke Energy would construct a substation and switching station to connect the project to the grid. The court ruled this testimony was too speculative to meet permit requirements.
The court also noted concerns about drainage. The Pender Soil and Water Conservation Director testified at a 2022 hearing that the land had been removed from agricultural use due to wetland designation. No evidence was presented about measures to offset water runoff from clearing 2,300 acres of timberland, according to the ruling.
Coastal Pine Solar appealed the county’s decision to superior court, which initially sent the case back to Pender County commissioners to review additional permit standards. After the board again denied the permit in July 2023, the superior court affirmed that decision in September 2023.
The company then appealed to the state Court of Appeals, arguing the county improperly denied the application and violated its due process rights.
The appeals court rejected those arguments. The three-judge panel found the county board’s decision was supported by the evidence and did not violate the company’s constitutional rights.
The company had presented expert testimony from six consultants at the 2022 hearing, including engineers and planners. Eight landowners and farmers from the community testified in opposition, raising concerns about land use, aesthetics and water runoff.
Copyright 2026 WECT. All rights reserved.

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Solar Power World
By Billy Ludt | July 1, 2026
A global investment firm is acquiring EDF power solutions North America and its portfolio of renewable energy projects. KKR, a private equity firm, is purchasing EDF’s renewable energy business for $4.2 billion.
EDF power solutions is a turnkey renewables company responsible for developing, building, owning and maintaining solar, energy storage and wind projects in North America.
“With power demand anticipated to increase in the United States due to the rapid expansion of data centers, manufacturing reshoring and broader electrification, KKR’s investment in EDF power solutions North America supports the critical need for affordable power,” said Cecilio Velasco, managing director, KKR, in a press release. “EDF power solutions North America’s scale, operational track record, and integrated capabilities position it to meet that demand, particularly through its diversified portfolio and project pipeline.”
KKR is reportedly responsible renewable energy projects valued at upwards of $26 billion globally. In the United States, KKR has previously invested in large-scale solar contractor Sol Systems in 2021, promising up to $1 billion for solar and energy storage project developments and acquisitions. The firm has also invested in California solar plus storage projects developed by Southern Power.
Billy Ludt is managing editor of Solar Power World and currently covers topics on mounting, inverters, installation and operations.

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Shenyang Agricultural University Collaborative Journals
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Optimal energy management of distributed energy resources for a hybrid residential microgrid
Credit: Temitope Raphael Ayodele, Ayodeji Samson Olatunji Ogunjuyigbe, Ifiokobong John Dickson & Richard Oladayo Olarewaju
A new study shows that an intelligent optimization strategy can make hybrid residential microgrids cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable by coordinating solar power, wind power, diesel backup, and battery storage.
As the world looks for practical ways to reduce emissions from electricity generation, hybrid residential microgrids are gaining attention as a promising solution for homes and communities. These systems can combine renewable energy sources, such as solar photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, with diesel generators and battery energy storage systems. However, managing these different resources efficiently remains a major challenge because sunlight, wind, and household demand all fluctuate throughout the day.
In a new study published in Energy & Environment Nexus, researchers developed an optimized energy management strategy for a hybrid residential microgrid using Particle Swarm Optimization, a computational method inspired by the collective movement of birds, fish, and other swarms. The study compared this PSO-based strategy with results from HOMER, a widely used commercial simulation platform for renewable energy systems.
The results showed that the PSO-based approach delivered clear advantages. Compared with HOMER, the new method reduced the Net Present Cost by 12.01%, the cost of energy by 16.09%, diesel fuel consumption by 50%, and CO₂ emissions by 17.65%. These findings suggest that intelligent optimization can help residential microgrids deliver energy more economically while lowering environmental impacts.
“Hybrid microgrids are not only about adding renewable energy resources, but also about managing them wisely,” said corresponding author Richard Oladayo Olarewaju. “Our study shows that when solar, wind, diesel generation, and battery storage are coordinated through an effective optimization strategy, the system can reduce costs, cut fuel use, and maintain reliable power supply.”
The research team modeled a typical hybrid residential microgrid containing four key components: solar photovoltaic arrays, wind turbines, a diesel generator, and a battery energy storage system. The energy management strategy prioritized renewable energy first. When solar and wind power exceeded demand, surplus energy was stored in the battery. When renewable generation was insufficient, the battery helped meet the shortfall. The diesel generator was used only when renewable power and battery discharge could not fully satisfy demand.
This approach is important because diesel generators are often used as backup power in off-grid or weak-grid communities, but they increase fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions. By using battery storage to absorb excess renewable energy and release it when needed, the microgrid can rely less on diesel power.
The study found that adding a battery energy storage system had a particularly strong impact. Battery implementation reduced diesel fuel consumption by 74.44%, CO₂ emissions by 80.81%, and the cost of energy by 46.34%. According to the authors, this demonstrates that storage is not simply an add-on technology, but a central component for improving microgrid performance.
Among the six system configurations tested, the best performance came from the full hybrid setup combining solar PV, wind turbine, diesel generator, and battery storage. This configuration achieved the lowest cost, lowest fuel consumption, and lowest emissions while maintaining reliable electricity supply.
“The battery storage system acts as the bridge between renewable energy availability and household demand,” Olarewaju added. “It allows the microgrid to use more clean energy when it is available and to reduce dependence on diesel generation when renewable output drops.”
The findings provide a useful framework for designing cleaner and more cost-effective residential microgrids, especially in areas where reliable grid electricity is limited or diesel backup remains common. The authors note that optimized energy management can help communities move toward more sustainable power systems without compromising reliability.
 
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Journal reference: Ayodele TR, Ogunjuyigbe ASO, Dickson IJ, Olarewaju RO. 2026. Optimal energy management of distributed energy resources for a hybrid residential microgrid. Energy & Environment Nexus 2: e012 doi: 10.48130/een-0026-0005  
https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/een-0026-0005  
=== 
About Energy & Environment Nexus:
Energy & Environment Nexus (e-ISSN 3070-0582) is an open-access journal publishing high-quality research on the interplay between energy systems and environmental sustainability, including renewable energy, carbon mitigation, and green technologies.
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Energy & Environment Nexus
10.48130/een-0026-0005
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Optimal energy management of distributed energy resources for a hybrid residential microgrid
10-Apr-2026
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Copyright © 2026 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Copyright © 2026 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

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TCL Zhonghuan completed the acquisition of Chinese module maker Das Solar on July 2. According to previously disclosed information, the deal gives TCL Zhonghuan access to 20 GW of advanced n-type TOPCon cell capacity, primarily TOPCon 3.0, and 50 GW of module capacity. TCL Zhonghuan also announced a technology upgrade plan, investing CNY 1.4 billion ($206 million) to convert the full 20 GW of cell capacity to back-contact (BC) production lines and CNY 1.2 billion ($176 million) to upgrade 25 GW of module capacity to BC module assembly lines. Once completed, the upgrades will provide TCL Zhonghuan with 20 GW of BC cell capacity and 25 GW of BC module production capacity.
The Silicon Industry Branch of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNMIA) said on July 1 that polysilicon prices fell for a fifth consecutive week. N-type recharging polysilicon traded at CNY 31,000-CNY 34,000/ton ($4,559-$5,000/ton), with an average price of CNY 32,800/ton ($4,824/ton), down 1.2% week on week. N-type granular silicon traded at CNY 32,000-CNY 33,000/ton ($4,706-$4,853/ton), averaging CNY 32,300/ton ($4,750/ton), down 0.62%. The association said the polysilicon market remains in a bottoming phase, with high inventories, increasing supply, and weak demand continuing to weigh on prices. On July 2, the association reported further declines in wafer prices. N-type G10L wafers averaged CNY 0.88/piece ($0.13/piece), down 2.22% week on week; n-type G12R wafers averaged CNY 0.97/piece ($0.14/piece), down 2.02%; and n-type G12 wafers averaged CNY 1.16/piece ($0.17/piece), down 0.85%. The association said weak downstream procurement, combined with slightly higher operating rates among some wafer manufacturers, led to a modest increase in supply and further downward pressure on prices.

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NTPC Renewable Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Green Energy, has signed a Power Purchase Agreement with PTC India for the bilateral sale of 1,200 MW of solar power.
July 04, 2026. By Mrinmoy Dey

Renewables Will Power Future Datacentres, Says BPE’s Girish Chandra

The Future of Solar Lies in AI-Driven Intelligence, Says Ubiqedge CEO Visat Patel

GridX-120 Bridges India’s Critical Gap in Solar Inverter Testing says Exeliq’s Sharad Gupta

Winning the Data Centre Market Requires Fit-to-Purpose Clean Energy Solutions: Abhishek Goyal

India's EV Future Depends on Localised Manufacturing Says Emobi CEO Bharath Rao

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By Canary Media

By Canary Media
Canary Media
2 July 2026
This analysis and news roundup come from the Canary Media Weekly newsletter. Sign up to get it every Friday.

One year ago, President Donald Trump got his Fourth-of-July wish. Republicans rammed a massive tax and spending bill through Congress before his preferred July 4 deadline, allowing Trump to sign it into law during a showy holiday ceremony at the White House.
Alongside huge cuts to Medicaid, food stamps, and other programs aiding America’s neediest residents, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act repealed large swaths of the Inflation Reduction Act — the only significant piece of climate legislation the U.S. has ever managed to adopt.
That law would have marshaled as much as $1.2 trillion to transition the U.S. economy away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy, largely through tax credits that make it cheaper to build wind turbines and solar panels. But Trump’s big bill sunsetted those incentives; as of Saturday, they will no longer be accessible to clean energy developers unless they have already hit certain construction benchmarks.
Still, despite the tax credits’ looming demise, and the Trump administration’s myriad other attacks on clean energy, developers have continued building renewables at a stunning pace over the past year. More than 90% of the power plants brought online in America in 2025 were solar, wind, or battery farms, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. And the agency projects that these clean resources will account for 93% of new additions to the power grid this year.
There’s a simple reason for clean energy’s unstoppable rise: America needs more energy fast, and only renewables and batteries can deliver it.
After decades of staying flat, energy demand is surging. Big Tech firms are building new data centers that use as much electricity as small cities. Homeowners are switching to electric stoves and heating. People are swapping gas vehicles for electric ones.
Meeting this new demand requires building more supply: more power plants, batteries, poles, wires, and transformers that can produce, store, and transport more electrons. And as gas power faces yearslong supply-chain delays, clean energy is the only thing that can be built quickly and cheaply enough to keep up.
It’s not as if clean energy will escape unscathed from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — or from the Trump administration’s continued clean energy onslaught.
Over the long term, the disappearance of tax credits will take its toll: One estimate suggests the U.S. will build less than half as much clean energy between 2025 and 2035 as it would have with the incentives in place, with the biggest hit happening in the latter years of that range.
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In the near term, the Trump administration’s blockade on federal permitting for wind and solar projects, its payouts to cancel offshore wind leases, and other attacks are having a real negative impact.
This past year has proven that clean energy can roll with some punches — and also that the Trump administration is prepared to keep on taking swings at the industry.
Independence nay: The U.S. Supreme Court rules the president can fire regulators at independent federal agencies, including FERC and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (E&E News)

Another wind payoff: The Trump administration says it will pay Duke Energy $129 million to abandon its offshore wind project off North Carolina, which the utility says it will reinvest in gas and nuclear power projects. (New York Times)
Farming the sun: Solar opponents in Ohio have used alleged threats to agricultural land to derail projects, but a new report makes clear that arrays only take up a fraction of a percent of prime farmland both in the state and beyond. (Canary Media)
Permitting plateau: Trump administration policies holding back clean energy permitting are putting 92 GW of projects at risk, representing $121 billion in investments, a new Wood Mackenzie report finds. (Reuters)
Sunrise, sunset: Connecticut passed a law that authorizes the use of plug-in balcony solar panels, expands the state’s community solar program, and extends solar incentives, while also instituting new restrictions on solar development. (Canary Media)
Steel’s clean opportunity: It’s been a year since Japan’s Nippon Steel acquired U.S. Steel, but former steelworkers and other residents in Northern Indiana are still waiting to see if the acquisition turns into clean, job-creating investments. (Canary Media)
Grid funding disconnect: A Government Accountability Office audit finds Puerto Rico has only received about 25% of the $14 billion it was allocated for grid repairs and a solar and battery buildout after 2017’s Hurricane Maria destroyed much of the island’s energy system. (Associated Press)
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Dan McCarthy is a senior editor at Canary Media.
Kathryn Krawczyk is the engagement editor at Canary Media.
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Global solar resource was redistributed through the first half of 2026 as early-year blocking patterns and polar vortex disruption in the Northern Hemisphere gave way to developing El Niño conditions from April, according to analysis using the Solcast API. Much of Europe, the United States, Southeast Asia, South America and Central Africa saw irradiance 5–10% above the long-term average, while most of Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Northern Africa, parts of Western Russia and Central Asia were 5–10% below average.
Most of Europe saw significantly more solar than normal across the first half of 2026. The pattern began in winter, when cold, dry air reduced cloud cover across parts of eastern and northern Europe, lifting irradiance even as storm systems reduced solar resource farther west. Spring reinforced the surplus. In April, persistent high pressure over the North Sea kept skies clearer across western and northern Europe, with France 13% above the 2007–2025 baseline, Germany 11% above average, and Finland 16% above normal. May continued the pattern as clearer skies extended from Spain to Ukraine, with the strongest anomalies centred around Austria, where irradiance reached as much as 25% above normal. For solar production, the practical impact was extended periods of stronger irradiance across several major European markets, despite local reductions around the edges of the weather systems.
Saharan dust is a recurring feature of Europe’s solar resource, with multiple events each year reducing irradiance and increasing soiling across impacted regions. Below an example from March shows one such dust transport event, with material carried from North Africa over Europe reducing solar resource.
Solar performance in North America was more varied. The United States saw repeated periods of above-average irradiance through winter and early spring, after late-January storm disruption gave way to clearer conditions across large parts of the central, eastern, southern and western U.S. The pattern changed in the second quarter. Western and interior markets remained near or above average, while Texas and the Gulf Coast moved negative as moisture, cloud and rainfall reduced irradiance. California’s Central Valley also recorded below-average irradiance, where persistent tule fog suppressed solar resource during extended periods as can be seen in the maps below. The seasonal shift in North American irradiance is clear when comparing the first and second quarters. Broader gains across much of the United States in winter and early spring gave way to a more regional pattern from April, with clearer contrasts between inland regions and reduced irradiance across the south, particularly impacting Texas and solar production in ERCOT.
South America showed in January how wildfire smoke can reduce solar resource even when broader conditions are otherwise clear. Northern regions saw irradiance reductions of up to 15% as rainfall and storm activity increased cloud cover. Farther south, hotter and drier conditions across northern Argentina and central Chile reduced cloud formation and lifted irradiance in some areas, but wildfire smoke reduced available sunlight during otherwise clearer periods. For solar sites, this meant clear-sky conditions did not always translate into the same gain in surface irradiance.
Asia’s first-half pattern did not follow a single regional split, instead shifting between northern and southern markets as cloud and rainfall patterns changed. Southern and
coastal China started strongly in January and February, as reduced cloud cover and lower aerosol levels lifted irradiance, with Hong Kong more than 25% above average in January and parts of southern China and Taiwan remaining above average in February.
By April, the strongest gains shifted south into mainland Southeast Asia, where clearer, drier conditions lifted irradiance and Bangkok recorded its sunniest April since 2007. At the same time, persistent cloud and rainfall reduced irradiance across eastern China, with the Yangtze Delta around 10% below average.
By May, the contrast had shifted again, with stronger irradiance returning to parts of coastal East Asia while cloud and rainfall reduced solar resource elsewhere across the
region.
The May snapshot highlights how neighbouring markets recorded very different irradiance outcomes under these cloud and rainfall patterns.
Australia followed a clear central–coastal contrast through the first half, with below-average irradiance across central Australia and stronger solar resource along parts of the east and west coasts. Repeated cyclone-driven cloud and rainfall suppressed irradiance inland, while coastal regions experienced more frequent clear periods.
January was mostly above average, but monsoonal cloud and Tropical Cyclone Koji reduced irradiance in the tropical north. Cyclone Mitchell contributed to Australia’s wettest February since 2011, driving 15–30% irradiance deficits across central and eastern regions, before Cyclone Narelle brought cloud, rainfall and dust impacts across
Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia in March. Cyclone Malia later limited April irradiance gains in Far North Queensland and the Northern Territory. For solar operators in affected inland and northern regions, the pattern meant more variable irradiance, higher soiling risk from dust, and more challenging site conditions during periods of heavy rain and cyclone activity, while coastal regions saw stronger resource in parts of the east and west.
Across the first half of 2026, Europe saw broad irradiance gains, while the United States remained above average overall despite more localised disruptions across Texas, the Gulf Coast and parts of California. Asia, South America and Australia showed more regional variability driven by cloud, rainfall, dust, smoke and tropical systems. From April,
developing El Niño conditions added another layer by reshaping rainfall and cloud cover across Asia and Australia.
Solcast produces these figures by tracking clouds and aerosols at 1-2km resolution globally, using satellite data and proprietary AI/ML algorithms. This data is used to drive irradiance models, enabling Solcast to calculate irradiance at high resolution, with typical bias of less than 2%, and also cloud-tracking forecasts. This data is used by more than 350 companies managing over 300 GW of solar assets globally.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those held by pv magazine.
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Residents gather at Pilot Grove high school to protest solar farm  KOMU 8
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In two unanimous votes on June 30, the New Jersey state legislature unanimously passed the Garden State Balcony Solar Act (S2368/A4836), a bill that allows New Jerseyites to install and use portable solar generation devices of up to 1,200 watts without the need to apply for an installation permit or obtain their utility’s approval. 
With the passage of the bill, New Jersey becomes the tenth state in the nation to enact a plug-in solar law, following in the footsteps of Utah, which passed the nation’s first such law in 2025, and eight other states (seven of them on the east coast), which took action earlier this year.
News of the bill’s passage was met with celebration from supporters. A statement from Environment New Jersey state director Doug O’Malley read “New Jersey has been a national leader on solar for more than 20 years – this is a big victory for solar. As solar has spread across the state, there are still hundreds of thousands of residents who don’t have a way to go solar. Plug-in solar is a simple concept – solar small enough to plug in but big enough to provide real environmental and bill benefits.”
The bill also enjoys broad-based public support. In April, a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll of 805 registered New Jersey voters found that between 74% and 82% of these voters supported the bill, with slight differences based on age group.
Provisions of the bill
Like other plug-in solar bills in the recent past, the Garden State Balcony Solar Act includes a requirement that plug-in solar devices comply with National Electrical Code (NEC) standards and are listed or certified by Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) to meet the standards of the UL 3700 Outline of Investigation (or similar standards by an equivalent testing laboratory). However, the law contains an exemption to this requirement for devices with 400 watts or less of power output.
Also like other states, the New Jersey bill exempts portable solar devices from a requirement to file interconnection agreements with or obtain approval from the user’s utility company, but also exempts the utility from liability for property damage, bodily injury, overvoltage, or power quality issues caused by a customer’s use of these devices.
New Jersey legislators also included in the bill provisions related to a tenant’s use of plug-in solar, disallowing landlords, HOAs, and condominium associations from prohibiting use of the devices. 
However, the law does allow these groups to place “reasonable restrictions concerning the size, placement, or manner of placement” of a device “on the exterior of a unit owner’s or tenant’s premises,” and requires users to provide written notice and safety documentation for their device to the landlord or HOA at least 14 days before installing the device.
The act is set to take effect six months after Governor Miklie Sherrill signs the bill. While Sherrill has not publicly commented on the legislation, her administration’s platform is aligned with the bill’s consumer-focused goals. 
Earlier this year, Sherrill issued executive orders declaring a state of emergency over rising utility costs, directed the Board of Public Utilities to freeze residential electricity supply rate increases and ordered the agency to quickly expand solar and battery storage initiatives.
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The June issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
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Graduate student Steve Lawton explains his research and the equipment he uses at the UW Physical Sciences Lab on Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Stoughton, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Graduate student Steve Lawton explains his research and the equipment he uses at the UW Physical Sciences Lab on Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Stoughton, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
As solar power makes up a bigger piece of our electricity puzzle, there’s a worry about a trade-off, especially in rural areas: If we build more solar farms, are we losing land for crops?
But University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists are asking the question: Why can’t we have both?
“Agrivoltaics” is a concept that brings together solar panels and food production in the same field, in a way that allows the two to work together. For example, some crops and livestock can benefit from the partial shade the panels provide.
Researchers are working to figure out the best ways to put agrivoltaics into action, and carefully measuring things like water use, soil carbon levels and wind patterns.
“Wisconsin Today” visited the UW-Madison Kegonsa Research Campus solar array just west of Lake Kegonsa.
There are 5,424 solar panels on the nearly 17-acre site. The panels are arranged in a variety of ways to help measure things like sunlight, crop growth and possible animal grazing.
“What we’re talking about here are utility-grade solar arrays that need to provide power for the grid, so they need to be relatively large,” Ankur Desai, chair of the department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UW-Madison, told WPR”s “Wisconsin Today.”
“To allow farming to happen requires a lot of consideration about the spacing, what crops you can grow and how much that changes things like the local water cycle or nutrient delivery,” Desai said.
The Kegonsa site opened in 2025 and is expected to last 25 years. Researchers from a variety of scientific specialties will begin collecting data each spring.
They hope to publish findings in scientific journals over the lifespan of the site. Through educational outreach, they also plan to bring farmers along to learn about opportunities for them.
There are several towers on site called “flux towers” that measure things like moisture content, wind and the exchange of energy and gasses between the land surface and the atmosphere.
This agrivoltaics site is one of the few in the world that uses these flux towers, Desai said. The tower in the middle of the site extends 100 feet high.
In addition to research on how the solar panels impact the agricultural land, the Kegonsa array is also generating electricity for an estimated 1,000 homes.
“The world needs energy to do all the things it wants to do and that demand is only increasing with time,” Desai said.
“That energy needs to come from multiple sources and right now with a changing climate and with all of the demands on energy, solar energy is one of our best options globally and nationally and in Wisconsin.”

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Fires linked to solar panels force Suffolk council to switch them off in 80 schools indefinitely  TechRadar
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A tenant farmer fears "a pretty dramatic" impact on his livelihood if a proposed solar farm on the land he works goes ahead.
Rob Alderson, a third-generation farmer near the village of Onibury in south Shropshire, said he thought the development would be more detrimental to his livelihood than "if HS2 went through" his farm.
He said the solar panels would cover 90 acres of land, but due to the location of the suggested site, 130 acres would be taken out of use.
A planning application has not been submitted, but an initial screening for where the site could be built has started.
The developer has been approached for comment.
Alderson, who has been on the same land next to the A49 for five decades, said any compensation he could get would be "peanuts" as he rented the land.
"When you're looking at a third of the farm that you're farming, then the actual effect it's going to have on my livelihood is going to be pretty dramatic."
Alderson continued and said as he is a beef, sheep and cereal farmer, he would struggle to "regulate, rotate, and have room for moving stock round".
"Getting left with such a small perimeter will be an end to this farm," he added.
Alderson has joined and been supported by the campaign group Keep Shropshire Beautiful.
The group said the area was "nature-rich with barn owls, skylarks and more than 150 species of plant", and has called for an environmental impact assessment by Shropshire Council.
The authority said such an assessment would not be required.
It added that it was "encouraging applicants to engage in pre-application discussions to understand what the constraints of the site are", and to "shape the necessary documentation" for the scheme.
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John Kirk, 83, died after the accident on Bettyfield Farm near Kelso in September last year.
Weaker monsoon rains are likely to impact farm output but the government says it has enough grain stocks to deal with any shortages.
A charity has reversed a decision to sell the Herefordshire farm, said to have inspired CS Lewis.
The latest draft Nutrients Action Policy caused controversy when it was initially launched last year.
A Cornish farmer says continuity is needed to deliver government plans for the future of farming.
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Finney County Commission to consider permit for commercial solar project  KSN.com
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A shelter-in-place order has been issued as firefighters battle a massive fire.
A dramatic fire involving solar panels erupted Wednesday afternoon on a commercial building in Los Angeles, sending a massive black column of smoke into the air above the scene.
The inferno began shortly before 2:30 p.m. at a cold storage facility the Boyle Heights area of the city, east of Downtown Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters were initially in offensive mode and for a time seemed to have gotten the upper hand on the flames. The fire later flared up in a major way, however, sending the firefighters into defensive mode.
"All units were called off the roof and out of the interior," the LAFD said in a statement. A shelter-in-place order was issued for the immediate area surrounding the building.
The Los Angeles Police Department has reportedly gone on tactical alert due to this fire.
No injuries have been reported.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.

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Even so, the pace of installations fell compared to a year earlier.
Photo Credit: iStock
Installed U.S. clean power capacity now totals 370 gigawatts — enough to supply nearly 80 million homes — and the latest data shows two more notable developments: solar has edged past onshore wind, and Texas is approaching a milestone of its own.
Much of that momentum is coming from low-cost solar and battery storage, though project delays and changing policy support are still complicating the buildout.
According to American Clean Power’s Q1 2026 market report, cited by CleanTechnica, the U.S. clean power project pipeline was 6% larger than it was in the first quarter of 2025. Solar led that growth with a 13% increase, while battery storage climbed 8%.
Solar accounted for one of the report’s biggest shifts. The U.S. added more than 3.6 gigawatts of solar in Q1 2026, bringing installed capacity to 161.1 GW. That left solar just ahead of onshore wind, which ended the quarter at 160.9 GW.
Texas had a standout quarter as well. After adding 1.6 GW, the state reached 96.4 GW of installed clean power, putting it close to becoming the first state in the country to hit 100 GW.
Even so, the pace of installations fell compared to a year earlier. American Clean Power wrote, “Year-over-year, overall clean energy quarterly capacity installations were down by 17%, compared to the 7,695 MW of capacity energized in Q1 2025.”
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More solar and battery storage can help create a cleaner, more affordable, and more reliable grid.
Solar remains one of the most competitive energy sources because of its low cost. Batteries add value by storing electricity for later use and helping the grid during times of heavy demand. That can mean lower power bills, less planet-warming pollution, and stronger resilience when the grid is under pressure.
The report suggests clean energy demand is still strong, even if getting projects online remains difficult. American Clean Power said, “Over 6.4 GW of clean power capacity initially expected to become operational during Q1 were delayed,” adding to a 53-GW backlog.
If you want to take advantage of the same money-saving trend at home, EnergySage can help you go solar with its free tools and save you up to $10,000 in the process by helping you curate competitive bids from local installers. If you’re not ready to spend up front, Palmetto’s $0-down solar leasing program can lower your utility rate by up to 20%.
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To put the 370-GW milestone in practical terms, American Clean Power said it is “enough power for almost 80 million American homes.”
American Clean Power also pointed to why some projects are taking longer than expected, saying developers often face “lengthy permitting schemes, backlogged interconnection queues, and fluctuating prices for key project equipment.” Clean power is growing quickly, but the system still faces major bottlenecks to work through.
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The residential solar and storage market is undergoing a fundamental transformation—one that extends far beyond simply adding more battery capacity to homes. According to Roger Shen, president of MOVA LumeGret, the industry is evolving from standalone hardware solutions toward intelligent home energy ecosystems that maximise the value of every kilowatt-hour generated.
“We see our role not as a hardware vendor, but as an enabler of a fundamental shift from centralised grid dependency to distributed energy autonomy—a transition that European households are increasingly demanding,” Shen told PV Tech at Intersolar Europe in Munich last week.
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This philosophy underpins MOVA LumeGret’s newly unveiled S4800 intelligent residential energy management platform, which integrates solar generation, scalable battery storage, AI-powered energy optimisation and EV charging into a unified system. The solution addresses growing European demand for accessible home energy management that reduces electricity costs while protecting homeowners against grid capacity constraints, blackouts and price volatility.
While residential solar-plus-storage systems have proliferated across Europe, MOVA positions its latest offering as a departure from conventional approaches. Rather than focusing purely on storage capacity or hardware specifications, the S4800 emphasises intelligent energy orchestration through the company’s LumeGret Orbit platform.
The system offers modular battery options of 3kWh and 5kWh, expandable to 15kWh and 25kWh respectively, with support for up to 4.8kW PV input. It delivers up to 3kW on-grid output, 3.6kW backup power and 6.6kW EV charging capability, achieving up to 99.8% MPPT efficiency in an IP65-rated outdoor design.
But the hardware specifications tell only part of the story. What distinguishes the S4800, according to Shen, is how AI-driven software coordinates these components to optimise energy flows in real time.
“AI is at the core of our LumeGret Orbit energy management platform,” Shen explained. “Orbit continuously analyses solar generation, home energy consumption, battery status, weather forecasts and dynamic electricity tariffs to optimise every energy flow in real time.”
The platform automatically determines when to charge, store, or discharge energy, helping homeowners maximise solar self-consumption without requiring constant manual intervention. MOVA’s FluxCharge technology further coordinates battery storage and EV charging to utilise surplus solar energy more efficiently.
MOVA is launching the S4800 with a clear geographic focus. Europe represents the primary market, with initial emphasis on Germany, the Netherlands, and France—regions where residential solar adoption is accelerating amid ongoing energy security concerns and grid capacity challenges.
Mass production is scheduled to begin by the end of June, with broader commercial availability planned for Q3 2026. The company is expanding through online channels and installer networks, with plans to strengthen its presence through major European retail partners including OBI and Bauhaus.
When asked about pricing strategy in an increasingly competitive market, Shen emphasised value over cost competition. “While final pricing will be announced closer to launch, our focus now is on delivering greater overall value rather than competing purely on price,” he said. “The S4800 combines multiple functions within one system … For homeowners, this means a simplified energy solution with easy installation and improved long-term savings.”
As the residential solar and storage market becomes more crowded, MOVA’s differentiation strategy centers on software intelligence rather than hardware alone. Through the MOVA Home App, users can monitor energy production, storage levels, household consumption, and system performance in real time from anywhere, with remote control functions, energy reports and automated optimisation.
“The user experience is designed to be intuitive and accessible,” Shen noted. “Users can explore detailed energy data, and homeowners can rely on automated optimisation to enjoy the benefits without needing technical expertise.”
This approach reflects MOVA’s broader market positioning. The company’s portfolio spans multiple residential scenarios, from balcony energy storage solutions to whole-home energy management systems, addressing what Shen describes as an industry evolution “from standalone batteries toward intelligent home energy ecosystems.”
“We believe the future of home energy storage will be defined not only by hardware performance, but also by software intelligence,” Shen said. “As the industry evolves from standalone products to integrated energy systems, Orbit will become our key advantage.”
The LumeGret S4800 will be available globally in 2026Q3, joining MOVA LumeGret’s expanding portfolio as European demand for accessible, intelligent energy solutions continues to grow. Awareness of the benefits of residential solar and storage—protection against blackouts, price fluctuations and grid dependency—is higher than ever, creating opportunities for companies that can deliver more than just hardware components.
For more information about MOVA LumeGret’s intelligent residential energy management solutions, visit the company’s website at www.mova.tech.

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I loved almost every moment of a month-long road trip I took through the National Parks years ago. The one thing I disliked was hanging out at the campground with a dead phone and solar-powered lights that were getting dimmer by the hour. Now that I take a portable power station camping, I’m no longer powerless.
After testing almost 20 models to find the best overall portable power station, the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 earned the coveted title. It’s not the most powerful model I’ve used, but it strikes the best balance of 1,070Wh capacity, 1,500W output, fast charging, and a size and weight I can actually manage.
This makes it especially useful for people who want a single power station for camping, short outages, backyard projects, or for keeping essentials like phones, laptops, routers, and CPAP machines running. It’s not built for whole-home backup, but for smaller power needs, it’s the model I reach for most often.
This ultraportable generator can reach a full charge within an hour and supports solar charging with optional add-on solar panels. It weighs just 23 pounds and can support one to three days of minor off-grid activity, such as powering small appliances and charging phones and laptops.
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I found the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 way more useful than I expected. Of course, I bring it camping to keep our cell phones charged, power the electric grill and camp lights, and recharge my sleep earbuds in case the sounds of nature keep me awake. But it’s also an ideal model for me during a power outage. Since my home doesn’t usually lose power for more than a day, the 1,070Wh is enough to recharge my phone and laptop, keep the WiFi router online, and use the kettle for some hot coffee in the morning.
The Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 is also part of my summer backyard set-up. My family and I use it during movie nights in the yard to power the projector, and we also use it to recharge the Thermacell Mosquito Repeller when we forget to do so between uses.
If there’s room in the car, I’ll also pack it along on road trips or for holidays spent with family. My parents’ house, for example, has wiring from the 1950s and only a few outlets in each room. To make sure I can work remotely and keep my electronics charged, I pack the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 when it’s reasonable.
For people who want to own just one portable power station, the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 sits in a useful middle lane. Smaller models are easier to carry but run out faster, while larger stations offer more capacity at the expense of price and portability. The Explorer 1000 V2 is what I’d recommend for weekend camping, overlanding, backyard use, and occasional power outages. It’s the optimal balance among price, battery capacity, and portability.
The Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 is intuitive to use and takes zero setup. Unbox it, turn it on, and it’s ready to use, though you’ll probably want to charge it to 100%. It weighs a manageable 24 pounds and has a folding handle that folds flush with the station. I had no trouble carrying it around the campground, the backyard, or lifting it in and out of my car. Though it started to feel more like a workout when I carried it for more than a few minutes.
The ports on the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 are easy to understand: three AC ports, one USB-A, and two USB-C. Press the DC/USB button to activate the USB ports, or press the AC button to use the AC ports.
The Jackery Explorer also connects to the Jackery app. Most portable power stations have app compatibility, but I especially like the uncomplicated design of the Jackery app. I can check the remaining power level and recharge time, or control the onboard light from the app.
Portable power stations come in a range of power capacities, but the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 falls in a useful middle ground with 1,070Wh. Use it to recharge small devices like phones, earbuds, tablets, lights, fans, and small kitchen appliances. But it comes with measurements and a weight that make it portable enough to use without asking for a hand to haul it inside.
In my capacity test, I measured about 90% of its stated 1,070Wh capacity with a Kill-A-Watt meter, which is one of the highest results I’ve ever seen when testing portable power stations.
I also put it through a stress test of powering a space heater, and while the power station itself did get a bit warm to the touch, it never got hot. It also ran quietly during the test and maintained a stable power output. The fan sound during recharging is louder, but not disruptive.
I especially like Jackery’s simple display panel on the unit itself and in the app. Both provide essential information such as remaining battery life, estimated remaining runtime, and total output.
Recharging the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 is simple. When testing, I recharged from a standard AC wall outlet using the included cord and reached 100% in about 90 minutes. If you’re in a hurry, you can enter a quick-charge mode in the app, which will cut the recharge time down to about an hour.
If you’re not in a hurry to recharge or you’re recharging at night, switch on Quiet Charging Mode in the Jackery app. This brings the fan noise down to about 30 decibels while initiating a slower recharge that takes about four hours in my testing.
You can also recharge the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 with up to 400W of solar panels. While I wasn’t able to test this myself, Jackery says the power station will reach a full charge after 3.8 hours when connected to two Jackery SolarSaga 200W solar panels that are in full sun.
To keep things simple, I always recharge the Jackery after use to make sure it’s ready for a power outage or spontaneous camping trip.
I think the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 is an ideal model for almost everyone, but it does have a few elements I don’t love. One of the station’s major downsides is that it’s not expandable. Instead of connecting extra batteries to boost power, the Jackery maxes out at its stated 1,070Wh capacity and can’t connect to extra batteries. You also need to buy solar panels separately, adding to the price.
It’s also not the right model if you’re looking for a whole-home generator, since it’s a smaller unit focused on portability. And while it only weighs about 24 pounds, it’s still hefty to carry it up stairs or lift it into the car’s trunk.
It also has some design elements that aren’t my favorite. The three AC ports are close together, which could be problematic if your plugs are larger, like camera battery packs. I give Jackery points for including an onboard LED light, but it’s blindingly bright even on the lowest setting and uncomfortable to look at. I use it when climbing stairs during a power outage, but it’s not suitable for ambient light at the campground.
For faster charging, it’s worth checking out the specs on the Solix C1000 Gen 2, another power station I recommend. It recharges quicker than the Jackery, taking as little as 50 minutes to reach 100% in UltraFast Recharging mode. However, it’s heavier than the Jackery, and it tends to be more expensive.
Consider something smaller, like the Bluetti Elite 30 V2, if you don’t need much power and only plan to charge smaller devices. The 288Wh in the Bluetti makes it ideal for recharging phones, laptops, earbuds, and cameras.
If you need something for whole-home backup, our top pick is the Anker Solix F3800. It has a 3840Wh capacity with enough output to power high-draw items like the refrigerator, heater, air conditioner, sump pump, or multiple appliances during extended outages.
The Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 is the portable power station I’d recommend to most people who want one reliable unit for camping, storm prep, backyard use, and basic emergency backup. It has enough capacity for small electronics and short outages, but it’s still manageable to carry and simple enough for beginners. It’s also a strong value when it drops to around $450, which is often one of the most affordable models in the 1,000Wh range.
Buy it if: You want one portable power station that can power most weekend trips, storm prep, backyard use, and basic emergency backup. Even better if you can snag it while it’s on sale.
Skip it if: Expecting enough capacity for total home back up or looking to expand with more units as your needs change or require something extremely portable.
Related: I’m a tech writer, and this is my go-to travel charger
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An international research team has designed an agrivoltaic cold frame system for controlled-environment crop cultivation.
Cold frames are simple, low-tech horticultural structures typically consisting of a transparent or translucent cover over a low enclosure used to protect plants and create a warmer microclimate, extending the growing season. In general, a cold frame is a small, unheated enclosure that protects plants from harsh weather and extends the growing season by creating a more favorable microclimate.
“We upcycled EV charging-station crates into agrivoltaic cold frames to test the potential of agrivoltaics in simple cold frame technology,” corresponding author Joshua M. Pearce told pv magazine. “We specifically tested a variety of colors of thin-film solar modules, originally meant to be colorful windows in buildings.”
Pearce added that his team is currently using the same agrivoltaic cold frame to grow other crops, with results expected to be published in the future. “We expect good results, especially with the increased temperatures from global warming,” he said. “Cold frames can help move the temperature to where you want it in two ways. In summer, the partial shade gives plants a break, especially in extreme heat. Toward the end of the season, closing up the boxes keeps the plants warmer and can extend the growing season.”
The researchers conducted the field experiment between July and October 2025 in Ontario, Canada. Four identical agrivoltaic cold frames were constructed by repurposing wooden shipping crates measuring 233 cm × 122 cm × 102 cm, with the roof and south-facing wall replaced with 55%-transparent cadmium telluride (CdTe) bifacial thin-film PV modules. Four module colors—neutral (gray), red, green, and blue—were evaluated. All modules measured 0.72 m² with a capacity of 34 W. Each cold frame incorporated six PV modules, comprising three horizontal roof-mounted and three vertical south-facing modules, for a total installed capacity of 204 W.
Romaine lettuce was grown in 1.5-gallon pots inside the frames, while an uncovered outdoor plot served as the control. All plants received identical soil and irrigation, with no fertilizer applied. Transmitted light spectra were measured using a spectrometer, soil temperature was monitored hourly using thermistors, and plant height and leaf number were recorded weekly. Final crop performance was assessed via fresh biomass at harvest. Annual electricity generation of the installed PV system was estimated separately using the System Advisor Model (SAM).
“The agrivoltaic cold frames crushed the controls,” Pearce said. “Overall, agrivoltaic systems created microclimates in the cold frames that enhanced lettuce productivity. The best were the neutral semi-transparent modules with no added color—they produced 300% more lettuce. However, even the colored variants performed better, with green producing 210% more, red 161% more, and blue 120% more yield than lettuce grown in open-air conditions.”
The SAM simulation predicted a specific annual yield of 1,209 kWh/kW for the horizontal modules and 878 kWh/kW for the vertical modules, corresponding to annual electricity generation of 123.3 kWh and 89.6 kWh, respectively. Combined, a single cold frame was estimated to generate 212.9 kWh of electricity per year. “These cold frames can thus grow your dinner and cut your power bills,” concluded Pearce.
The new agrivoltaic technology was presented in “Semi-transparent neutral, red, green, and blue photovoltaics impacts on lettuce growth in agrivoltaic cold frames,” published in Solar Energy. Researchers from Italy’s Polytechnic University of Turin and Canada’s Western University have participated in the study.
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The Solar Farm Expansion project will develop three schemes: Wobthang (120MW) and Pedseling (40MW) in Bumthang constructed by Druk Green Power; and Dramthang (150MW) in Lhuentse is expected to be developed through a joint venture between DGPC and Tata Power Renewable Energy. Bhutan Power will build 46km of transmission infrastructure to connect the facilities to the grid.
The loan will finance most expenditures, including Druk’s equity investment in the PPP joint venture. The project is expected to catalyse approximately US$68.7m in private equity and commercial debt.
Bhutan relies almost entirely on hydropower. During the dry winter months, river flow drops, causing generation to decline and forcing the country to import electricity. The project will help address this growing gap by diversifying the country’s energy mix and supporting the government’s energy policy target of 5GW of solar power by 2040.
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“In the long run, it just didn’t make sense for us.”
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A Southern California homeowner says they nearly signed a 25-year solar lease that seemed appealing, but long-term plans to eventually sell their home got in the way. 
While solar leasing is a fantastic option for many and they can be bought out after five years in almost all cases, it does need to come with a clear idea for the future to know it’s the best choice, and to know you’re working with a reputable company offering a sound contract. So what started as a potential way to trim a $400 monthly utility bill ultimately became a lesson about long-term contracts, escalator clauses, and the complications they can create if planning to sell in the near future.
The homeowner said in a post on Reddit’s r/solar forum that they decided not to move forward with a Sunrun lease after months of discussions, even though they spoke positively about the salesperson and called him “genuinely a good dude.”
The numbers initially seemed promising: The household’s bill from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power averaged about $400 a month, while the proposed lease would have started at $295 and risen 3% each year over 25 years, designed to stay below yearly electric bill increases and inflation, so the intention would be to save about $100 a month indefinitely.
The quote was for a 13-kilowatt solar panel system designed to generate 135% of the home’s power, with no battery included. So far, all a no-brainer to start saving money right away.
The bigger issue was how the agreement might play out later. The homeowner said they expect to sell their home within five years and that they did not want buyers “asking us to pay off the system as part of the deal.” 
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The original poster also explained that their home already has another solar panel system installed, and that a potential Sunrun addition could not be combined with it, meaning two different inverters attached to the side of their home. 
The roof’s age added to those concerns. With a 28-year-old roof in the mix, the homeowner ultimately decided the lease was not worth it, writing that “in the long run, it just didn’t make sense for us.”
Residential solar can be a powerful money-saving upgrade when it is structured well. And, while homeowners tend to see the most savings when they buy solar panels outright, a leased system can still be a worthwhile investment depending on its terms. 
In this case, the starting payment would have been about $105 less per month than the home’s average electric bill if the system generated all of the home’s energy needs. 
For this homeowner, a 3% annual escalator means the monthly payment would rise over time, which can gradually eat into savings and could make the contract less appealing to a future buyer. 
For homeowners planning to move in the near term, that transfer risk can matter just as much as the initial reduction in monthly bills.
The comment section was overwhelmingly supportive of the homeowner’s decision to back out.
Many replies warned against long solar leases ahead of a possible home sale and favored paying cash or using a loan instead.
Others pointed to concerns about the 3% escalator and the awkwardness of adding a new leased system to an aging system. Commenters agreed that walking away likely helped the homeowner avoid a more complicated situation down the road.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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Science and Technology
China is building in the Kubuqi Desert, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a corridor of solar panels planned to reach 400 kilometers in length, about 5 kilometers in width, and 100 gigawatts of installed capacity by 2030.
Known as the “Great Solar Wall”, the project combines energy generation, desertification control, and recovery of degraded areas in the north of the country, according to information from NASA.
The work has not yet been completed.
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According to Chinese authorities cited by NASA, about 5.4 gigawatts had been installed by December 2024.
Images from the Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellites show the expansion of solar plants between 2017 and 2024 in a strip of dunes south of the Yellow River, between the cities of Baotou and Bayannur.
Kubuqi was once called the “sea of death” because of its aridity, strong winds, and low vegetation cover.
With the implementation of the plants, part of this landscape began to receive photovoltaic panels, ecological management areas, and structures aimed at generating electricity for urban and industrial centers.
The goal of 100 gigawatts places the venture among the largest solar projects planned in the world, according to the size reported by Chinese agencies and companies.
The city of Ordos states that the “Solar Wall” should cross areas administered by the municipality, from Juungar Banner to Hanggin Banner, passing through Dalad Banner, with integration between photovoltaic energy and sand containment measures.
Local planning foresees the recovery of about 3 million mu, approximately equivalent to 200,000 hectares of sandy lands, through projects associated with solar energy and ecological restoration actions.
The structure also includes energy bases, substations, transmission cables, and initiatives related to storage, equipment manufacturing, and agriculture under panels.
Within this corridor lies the Junma plant, a name associated with “good horse” in Chinese.
The installation gained prominence for forming, when viewed from above, the image of a horse in motion.
The Guinness World Records recognized the project as the largest image made with solar panels, composed of 196,320 modules, in Dalate Banner, Ordos, on July 9, 2019.
The record specifically refers to the image formed by the Junma plant, and not the entire Great Solar Wall.
According to Guinness, the figure occupies 1,398,421 square meters and has an average daily generation capacity of 500,000 kilowatt-hours.
NASA reports that this installation was completed in 2019 and is part of the solar expansion in Kubuqi.
The choice of the horse was associated by record organizers with the cultural connection of the animal to the region.
In the context of Inner Mongolia, this reference appears as part of the visual identity of the plant, without altering the main function of the enterprise, which is energy generation and land use in arid areas.
One of the project’s features is the use of panels as part of a desertification control strategy.
In addition to generating electricity, the structures reduce the direct incidence of the sun on part of the soil, help decrease evaporation, and can reduce wind speed in areas near the installations.
According to the state agency Xinhua, local researchers state that the shade from the panels, reduced evaporation, and lower wind speeds favor plant growth under the structures.
The report also states that species used for sand fixation are being cultivated in project areas in Kubuqi.
The China Three Gorges Corporation reports that its solar and wind base in Kubuqi is expected to provide about 40 terawatt-hours of electricity per year to the Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei region when completed.
The company also claims that the project aims to improve the local ecology and boost industrial chains related to photovoltaic generation, energy storage, and digitalization.
In a report published in September 2025, Xinhua reported that the base located in the central section of the “great photovoltaic wall” plans for 8 gigawatts of solar energy, 4 gigawatts of wind energy, and 4 gigawatts of coal support.
According to Na Guiting, vice president of Inner Mongolia Three Gorges Mengneng Energy Co., Ltd., the first two phases, of 1 gigawatt each, had already been connected to the grid.
The same survey reported that the two phases transformed more than 63 thousand mu, about 4.2 thousand hectares, into areas occupied by solar panels.
The estimate released by the company is that, when completed, the project will deliver approximately 40 billion kilowatt-hours per year to the Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei region, with more than 50% coming from clean sources.
Solar generation in a remote area requires infrastructure to bring electricity to consumer centers.
In the case of Kubuqi, the energy is planned to supply the Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei region, one of China’s main population and industrial hubs.
Transmission remains a technical challenge for such projects.
Large renewable bases installed in northern and western China are far from the largest consumer markets, requiring long-distance lines, substations, and integration with high-voltage networks.
In Ordos, local authorities state that the expansion of the “Solar Wall” is occurring alongside reinforcements in the electrical grid and energy distribution infrastructure.
This model is part of a broader national policy.
Reuters reported in September 2025 that China began incorporating solar projects into combating desertification in arid regions of the north and west of the country.
The strategy described by the agency uses the shadow of the panels to protect resilient seeds and shrubs, while barriers reduce wind speed and limit sand displacement.
According to Reuters, China plans to install 253 gigawatts of solar energy between 2025 and 2030 in projects aimed at rehabilitating about 7 thousand square kilometers.
The agency also recorded that desertified lands represented 26.8% of Chinese territory, compared to 27.2% a decade earlier.
The fight against desertification in China predates the current photovoltaic expansion.
The country launched, in 1978, the Three-North Shelter Forest Program, internationally known as the “Great Green Wall,” with a planned duration until 2050.
The initiative aims to contain the expansion of deserts, reduce sandstorms, and expand vegetative barriers in the north, northeast, and northwest of the country.
In Kubuqi, solar energy was incorporated into this agenda as a tool for combined use.
The electricity generated by the panels meets the demand for renewable sources and supply security, while the physical structures help to alter local conditions of wind, shade, humidity, and soil fixation.
Researchers and public agencies, however, treat this process as gradual and dependent on constant management.
In an interview with Reuters about desert containment projects in China, Wang Xiaoling, director of the Baijitan nature reserve, stated that the goal is not to completely eliminate deserts, but to reduce the damage associated with the advance of sand.
The so-called “Great Solar Wall” thus combines electricity generation, land restoration, and territorial planning in an area that was once associated with extreme aridity.
The execution until 2030 should indicate to what extent this model can reduce desertification and, at the same time, increase the supply of renewable energy to large consumer centers.

Content writer and analyst. She writes for the Click Petróleo e Gás (CPG) website since 2024 and specializes in creating content on diverse topics such as economics, employment, and the armed forces.
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With help from Boise’s budget, the push for community solar in Idaho heats up  Idaho Statesman
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Bypass diodes protect solar cells from the destructive effects of hot spotting. When a portion of a module is shaded by debris, soiling, or structures, those cells stop producing power and act as electrical resistors. A functioning diode routes the current around the obstructed string to prevent damage.
Joerg Althaus of Intertek CEA explained in a report why lost bypass diodes in PV modules are a hidden fire risk. Althaus said diode failures can pass standard factory and field inspections, yet create severe overheating when shading occurs, posing a hidden risk.
When a bypass diode is physically missing or disconnected during manufacturing, the module behaves completely normally under uniform, unshaded sunlight. Because factory flash tests use uniform artificial light, the diodes remain inactive during production sign-off.
Field inspections run into the same dead end. Standard drone or handheld infrared thermography performed under clear sky conditions will show a perfectly uniform thermal profile because no active shading is triggering the bypass mechanism. 
The danger manifests when real-world shading inevitably occurs. Without a functional diode to reroute the electrical current, the obstructed solar cells are forced to dissipate the full power of the entire unshaded string.
This extreme, localized energy dissipation drives cell temperatures up rapidly. Overheating can quickly melt internal junctions, compromise the module’s backsheet, and escalate into a severe thermal event or full-scale fire. It exposes a critical detection gap in current operations and maintenance practices, where asset owners assume clear thermal scans mean a clean bill of health.
Catching missing diodes requires moving away from passive monitoring toward targeted diagnostics, said the report from Intertek CEA. Electroluminescence imaging can identify missing or disconnected circuitry within the junction box before modules leave the factory floor or get mounted on racks.
In the field, teams must utilize shaded thermography by intentionally creating or waiting for localized shading during an infrared scan, said Althaus. This forces the bypass mechanism to engage, instantly isolating the vulnerable string segments via extreme heat signatures.
A related topic focused on junction box failures in PV modules will be explored in a pv magazine webinar featuring Intertek CEA this August, stay tuned for the announcement, and find the full lineup of pv magazine webinars here.
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Recent tensions in West Asia have highlighted a key vulnerability in India’s fertilizer sector. India does not lack urea production capacity. What it lacks is control over the feedstock that powers it. Every spike in global gas prices reverberates through the farm economy.
India imported close to 27% of its urea needs and over 80% of the natural gas used for fertilizer production in 2025. When gas supplies tighten and costs rise, the government absorbs the shock through subsidies. In 2024–25 alone, the fertiliser subsidy bill crossed INR 1.71 lakh crore ($17.9 billion). This is not a one-time challenge but a structural weakness. The challenge lies at the heart of the production chain. Urea production depends on ammonia, and ammonia production depends on natural gas. Gas serves as both feedstock and fuel. As a result, disruptions in the Gulf can affect fertilizer economics in India within weeks. Farmers ultimately bear the consequences, whether through supply constraints or the fiscal burden of rising subsidy requirements. Addressing this challenge requires more than short-term measures; it requires rethinking how fertilizer is produced.
An integrated pathway for fertilizer self-reliance
The answer may not be found within the fertiliser sector alone. Co-locating agrivoltaics, maize cultivation, ethanol production, and urea manufacturing can create an integrated system in which energy, carbon, and agricultural outputs support one another.
At the farm level, agrivoltaics enables the dual use of land for crop cultivation and solar power generation. Farmers can grow maize under and around solar photovoltaic panels, generating income from both grain production and electricity generation. At the same time, they can reduce diesel consumption for irrigation and benefit from a more stable source of income.
Maize assumes a central role in this model. India already uses maize as a feedstock for ethanol production under its blending programme, which achieved its 2030 20% ethanol blending target in 2025. Each tonne of maize can produce approximately 400 litres of ethanol. Ethanol production capacity is expanding across states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. However, ethanol plants also release substantial amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) during fermentation. For every litre of ethanol produced, around 0.8 kg of CO₂ is emitted, most of which is currently released into the atmosphere. Unlike conventional carbon capture systems that must separate CO₂ from diluted industrial exhaust streams, fermentation produces a concentrated stream of high-purity biogenic CO₂, making capture and utilisation comparatively straightforward. This CO₂ can instead become a valuable input. In a co-located cluster, biogenic CO₂ from ethanol plants can be supplied directly to nearby urea production facilities. Urea manufacturing requires CO₂, much of which currently originates from fossil-based processes linked to gas-derived ammonia. Substituting this with biogenic CO₂ can reduce emissions, lower dependence on imported inputs, and convert a waste stream into a productive resource.
Energy is the element that binds the system together. Electricity generated through agrivoltaics can power ethanol plants and support electrolyzers that produce green hydrogen. The hydrogen can then be used in ammonia synthesis. Combining green ammonia with captured CO₂ enables the production of low-carbon urea, reducing dependence on imported natural gas and shielding fertilizer production from global price volatility.
Importantly, such clusters need not rely solely on maize cultivated beneath agrivoltaic installations. Agrivoltaics can serve as an energy anchor for a wider regional ecosystem, with ethanol facilities procuring maize from surrounding farming communities. This not only supports larger-scale ethanol and fertilizer production but also creates a dependable market for farmers across the region. By generating sustained industrial demand for maize, the model can strengthen local value chains, provide farmers with an additional avenue to market their produce, and improve price realisation through greater market competition and diversified offtake opportunities.
Why the economics work
The economics of such a system are supported by multiple revenue streams. Ethanol production benefits from assured demand under government blending targets, while urea serves a domestic market exceeding 33 million tonnes annually. Electricity generated through agrivoltaics and consumed captively can reduce industrial power costs by approximately 35%–50%, depending on the state’s electricity tariff structure. It also provides assured and secure offtake for electricity generated by farmers adopting agrivoltaic systems.
Carbon markets can provide an additional source of revenue. Capturing CO₂, replacing fossil-based inputs, and using renewable electricity can generate verifiable emission reductions. These can potentially be monetized through voluntary carbon markets, improving overall project viability.
The benefits extend across stakeholders. Farmers gain income from both agricultural production and electricity generation while reducing input costs and improving income stability. Industry can reduce exposure to gas price fluctuations and diversify revenue opportunities. For the government, lower dependence on imported fertilizers and feedstock can reduce both import expenditure and subsidy pressures. Given the billions of dollars India spends annually on fertilizer imports, even partial substitution could yield meaningful fiscal savings.
The model also supports rural economic development. Rather than relying solely on large, centralized facilities, integrated clusters can emerge within maize-growing regions. These clusters can create employment across farming, processing, energy generation, manufacturing, and logistics while retaining greater value within local economies.
Towards Atmanirbharta in fertilizer production
Many of the building blocks already exist. The upcoming KUSUM 2.0 scheme is expected to support 10 GW of agrivoltaic installations across the country, while ethanol policies continue to stimulate demand for maize. What remains absent is a framework that links these components into a coherent system.
Creating that linkage will require coordinated action. States can identify suitable maize-growing regions for cluster development. Farmer producer organizations, self-help groups, and cooperatives can support aggregation and implementation. Standards for low-carbon urea can help create market signals and stimulate demand. Financing can draw on public support, private investment, green bonds, and carbon revenues to improve project economics and attract capital.
India has relied on imports and subsidies to secure fertilizer supplies, but this approach remains vulnerable to global price and supply shocks. Integrating agrivoltaics, bioethanol, and urea production offers a pathway towards Atmanirbharta in fertiliser production—one that begins not with imports but with resources already rooted in India’s fields.
Suhas Sathyakiran is a Senior Analyst in the Renewables team, while Saptak Ghosh heads the Renewables and Energy Conservation sector at the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), a research-based think tank.

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Germans save an ancient woodland from coal mining, Australia gives away surplus solar power, and how one city became the world’s best place for cyclists?
After a decades-long fight, one of Germany’s last remaining pieces of intact ancient woodland has been saved from coal-mine expansion. The remaining part of Hambach forest, between the western German towns of Aachen and Cologne, will remain standing as the country phases out coal, the most polluting fossil fuel.
For decades, environmentalists and locals had campaigned for the forest and even occupied treehouses high in its canopy to stop the felling, only to be evicted again and again. In October 2018, some 50,000 people flooded the forest to protest plans to turn it into an open-pit mine — and eventually won a legal battle to halt the clearing.
Meanwhile in the US, federal lands are being opened up to drilling and extraction, but some local communities are fighting back too.
The sunny land down under is producing so much solar energy that it’s giving electricity away for free. To ease pressure on the grid and shift demand from peak evening hours, authorities hope to encourage consumers to do electricity-hungry tasks like laundry while the sun is shining.
Most of Australia’s energy still comes from climate-wrecking fossil fuels, but renewables advocates call this a step in the right direction.
Utrecht, in the Netherlands, has transformed itself from a car-clogged city into a haven for cyclists — and now beats Copenhagen on the Copenhagenization Index, a ranking of the world’s best cities for biking and urban mobility.
Some 49% of trips in the city are now made by bike. Getting there took time and a multi-pronged approach, including turning a highway into a canal lined with places to walk, sit and cycle, and building park-and-ride facilities at the edges of town. Other cities around the world are trying to boost cycling too.
Edited by: Anke Rasper

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Rows of solar panels stand on a farm with silos in the background. Photo: Mark Stebnicki / Pexels
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Rows of solar panels stand on a farm with silos in the background. Photo: Mark Stebnicki / Pexels
(The Center Square) – The Trump administration is set to cut subsidies for new solar and wind power projects on Saturday. Estimates suggest the subsidies have cost taxpayers more than $141 billion over the past 16 years, more than any other energy source. 
The Working Families Tax Cuts, a signature piece of President Trump’s tax legislation signed a year ago, set Saturday as the deadline for federal tax credit subsidies on any new solar or wind projects not currently under construction.
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright touted the subsidy deadline and criticized solar and wind energy projects in a video posted to social media Thursday.
“The wind doesn’t always blow, and the sun doesn’t always shine,” Wright said. “They drive up the system costs and increase Americans’ electricity prices.”
From 2010 to 2023, solar and wind energy projects received more than $141 billion in government subsidies combined, according to an analysis by the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The projects received more in government subsidies than any other energy source in the United States, the group reported.
“Beyond their direct costs, subsidies are causing artificially low or negative wholesale prices, scarcity prices during periods of high demand and low wind and solar generation, inefficient use of existing assets, and increased transmission costs,” Brent Bennett, a researcher at the Texas foundation wrote.
The government supports wind and solar projects through the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit. The former is a one-time credit equal to the percentage of an amount invested and the latter is based on the amount of electricity produced.
Before the Trump administration’s proposed cut, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the two programs would increase the federal deficit by $308 billion between 2026 and 2035.
While the newly projected deficit isn’t expected to be as severe, the Trump administration’s push to end subsidies has led developers to rush projects in order to meet the accelerated July 4 deadline. Leaders in the wind and solar industry said the lapse in subsidies proved to be a motivating factor for construction to start on new projects.
The Solar Energy Industries Association estimated in a June report that developers had more than 200 gigawatts of solar capacity, which is enough energy to secure development through 2030. The wind energy industry developed 23 gigawatts of development projects, below the expected 46 gigawatts in the face of tax subsidies ending. 
“While the solar industry has strong market fundamentals, it will take time to adjust to a post-tax-credit world,” the solar energy association wrote.
The Trump administration touted the benefits of the the Working Families Tax Cuts, including the rollback of solar and wind subsidies.
“The Working Families Tax Cut is not just good policy, it’s a demonstration of Republicans’ commitment and belief in the American worker and the American Dream,” a statement attributed to an unnamed White House official said.

 

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Madrid, Spain headquartered ACCIONA Energía, the renewable energy subsidiary of ACCIONA, will begin site mobilization for Fleming Solar Farm in Kentucky. The 235 MW project is located in Fleming County, United States. This will be the company’s fifth PV facility and its 18th renewable energy facility in the United States. The project is expected to be operational by May 2028. At the peak of construction activity, the project is likely to generate employment for up to 300 workers in Kentucky. ACCIONA Energía also stated that the regional contractors and vendors would be prioritized. The project will also generate tax revenues for local services and public infrastructure.
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NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NTPC REL), a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Green Energy Ltd, has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with PTC India Ltd for the supply of 1.2 GW of solar power under a bilateral arrangement.
Separately, NTPC said its 176 MW Ramagundam solar project in Telangana has become fully operational following the commissioning of the final 41.6 MW phase. The first 100 MW and second 34.4 MW phases entered commercial operation on May 2, 2026, and May 29, 2026, respectively.

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The city says it has not asked Lineage to demolish the building, and is instead concerned about the removal of food waste.
BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — There is an apparent roadblock in the cleanup effort after a fire tore through a cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights.
Lineage, the company that operates out of the building, says the group that owns the solar panels on the roof, Altus Power, demanded they stop demolition of the site. However, the city says it is not asking Lineage to demolish any portion of the building related to the fire investigation, and instead asks that the food waste be removed as quickly as possible.
The president and CEO of the company, Greg Lehmkuhl, sent a letter to Mayor Karen Bass and County Supervisor Hilda Solis, raising concerns about the stoppage and asking local officials to intervene and allow demolition to proceed.
It comes after Bass issued two executive orders to help speed up the cleanup and hold those responsible for the fire accountable.

Lineage says the work it planned to begin on Friday morning would not affect the fire investigation and is crucial to ensure there are no more flare-ups. Lineage also said the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that it does not require the company to halt the work.
"Lineage was prepared and permitted to begin demolition work on the Los Palos site this morning, consistent with your Emergency Executive Orders and County Public Health Directive of June 29," Lehmkuhl wrote. "Our work is staged and debris is pre-treated and ready to move. LAFD's investigators have confirmed they do not require us to halt this work. Demolition is required to address flare-ups and extinguish the fire once and for all."
SEE ALSO: ER visits spiked around Boyle Heights during warehouse fire, public health data shows

Containers are staged at the warehouse site, and debris is pre-treated and pre-loaded, ready to move to landfills when they open on Monday morning, according to Lineage. The company said it is committed to working through the holiday weekend.
"Altus has offered no comparable plan and has not demonstrated any of the same sense of urgency. On behalf of everyone in the impacted communities, we ask you to act immediately. Hold Altus and any other party seeking to delay cleanup and fire prevention at the site to the same standard of accountability you have applied to Lineage. Direct them to stand down and allow remediation to proceed," Lehmkuhl wrote. "The Boyle Heights community cannot afford to have its community held hostage by a party whose equipment is suspected of starting this fire."
Lineage believes the fire started while Altus Power contractors were conducting testing on a rooftop solar array. Altus Power previously disputed that conclusion.
Bass sent a response to Lineage's letter, noting that the city has not asked the company to demolish any portion of the building that could be relevant to the fire investigation, and is instead asking Lineage to take measures to eliminate fire flare-ups and remove food waste as quickly as possible.
"No court order is preventing you from doing this, and it is critical that you stay laser focused on clearing out your warehouse of your stored food waste and debris since it is that food decomposition that is causing the greatest ongoing harm to our adjacent communities," Bass wrote in her response.
Eyewitness News reached out to Altus Power regarding the cleanup stoppage and is waiting to hear back.
The following is the full response from Bass:
"I'm in receipt of your letter raising concerns about third parties seeking to delay you from cleaning up the property.The City has not asked and is not asking you to demolish any portion of the building that could be relevant to determining the source of the fire or other issues in any litigation among you and anyone else with an interest in the building or in any lawsuit.The City is simply urging you to continue to take all measures to eliminate any fire flare-ups and remove the food waste as quickly as possible.No court order is preventing you from doing this, and it is critical that you stay laser focused on clearing out your warehouse of your stored food waste and debris since it is that food decomposition that is causing the greatest ongoing harm to our adjacent communities."

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Giant 1-GW solar farm signals Eastern European renewables boom – Actis  S&P Global
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The DCR-compliant solar cell facility will be set up in Surat
July 3, 2026
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StarlinePS Enterprises has announced it will invest ₹1.6 billion (~$17 million) in Celloraa Energy to set up a 1.2 GW Domestic Content Requirement (DCR)-compliant N-Type TOPCon solar cell manufacturing facility in Surat, Gujarat.
Originally focused on the diamond and jewelry business, StarlinePS announced its intention to expand into renewable energy, including solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and related project development and infrastructure services in 2025.
India’s cumulative cell capacity under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) stood at roughly 30 GW by May 2026. The country added 2,829 MW of solar cell capacity since the April update.
India added nearly 119 GW of solar module and over 9 GW of solar cell capacity in 2025, according to Mercom India’s State of Solar PV Manufacturing in India 2026 report. The manufacturing expansion was driven by demand from India’s large utility-scale solar project pipeline, residential rooftop targets, the PM Surya Ghar program, and ALMM List-II domestic cell mandate.
India’s solar cell manufacturing is expanding but still trails module capacity due to high capital costs, technological complexity, and import dependence. Policy support through production-linked incentive, DCR mandates, and ALMM is driving growth and backward integration, but domestic output remains below demand. Rapid technology shifts increase investment risks, requiring advanced equipment and frequent upgrades. New integrated facilities are expected to gradually narrow the gap.
The ALMM mandate for solar cells came into force in June 2026. All solar projects must now deploy modules using DCR-compliant cells. Through this mandate, the government aims to create a self-reliant solar manufacturing ecosystem. From June 2028, ALMM-III for ingots and wafers will also become effective.
MNRE recently allowed provisional commissioning of utility, captive, and commercial and industrial solar power projects installed before June 1, 2026, but not commissioned before that date due to reasons beyond their control.
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The Chinese Module Marker (CMM), OPIS’ benchmark assessment for TOPCon modules FOB China, held steady at $0.113/W this week, with spot price indications ranging between $0.110/W and $0.117/W, according to the OPIS Global Solar Markets Report released on June 30.
However, sentiment for forward deliveries weakened, with prices for Q4 2026 and 2027 cargoes edging lower as expectations for second-half demand softened and upstream cell and wafer prices continued to decline. FOB China forward prices for Q4 2026 cargoes fell 0.88% week on week to $0.113/W, while Q1-Q3 2027 cargoes declined by 0.87% to $0.114/W.
Several manufacturers told OPIS that many overseas buyers had already secured a significant portion of their procurement requirements ahead of China’s cancellation of export tax rebates for solar PV products on April 1, limiting near-term purchasing interest.
A source at a top-10 Chinese module manufacturer said visibility for new distributed solar orders in the second half of the year remains limited and demand is expected to weaken.
The source added that supply tightness for premium high-efficiency products is also likely to ease in the coming months. While certain back-contact (BC) modules experienced temporary shortages in Europe during the first half of the year, additional supply is expected to enter the market in the second half, placing downward pressure on prices. OPIS heard indicative offers for high-efficiency TOPCon and BC modules at around mid-to-high $0.110/W FOB China.
Against this backdrop, major Chinese manufacturers continue to accelerate their transition toward BC technology. Several tier-one suppliers are evaluating BC production alongside their existing TOPCon platforms, although intellectual property considerations remain an important factor in commercialization strategies.
Reflecting this trend, a top- 10 manufacturer recently announced plans to convert one of its manufacturing bases to BC technology by upgrading 6.3 GW of TOPCon cell capacity, 1 GW of PERC cell capacity and 3.5 GW of module capacity without adding new production capacity. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.
Feedback gathered by OPIS from participants at Intersolar Europe 2026 in Munich broadly reinforced these market expectations from the European market perspective.
Conference participants said European module inventories have normalized significantly following two years of oversupply. Distributors are no longer carrying six to twelve months of inventory, while procurement strategies have shifted from delaying purchases in anticipation of lower prices to sourcing modules based on actual project requirements. The change in purchasing behavior points to a weaker export demand outlook for China modules.
OPIS also observed that BC technology continues to gain wider acceptance in the European market, supported by its higher conversion efficiency, lower silver consumption and only a modest price premium over TOPCon products. An EU-based manufacturer told OPIS that Europe’s fragmented market structure continues to foster technological innovation, with more module innovations showcased at Intersolar.
Beyond market fundamentals, the overarching message at this year’s Intersolar was that the solar industry is entering a new phase in which storage, flexibility and market integration are becoming more important than simply adding PV capacity. Although global solar demand is expected to soften in 2026, presenters at Intersolar identified battery energy storage systems (BESS), hybrid PV projects and grid flexibility as the sector’s primary growth drivers.
According to the OPIS Global Solar Markets Report released on June 30, imported TOPCon modules of 600 W and above were assessed at €0.108/W DDP Europe, while EXW Europe prices for TOPCon modules of 450 W and below held unchanged at €0.111/W.
OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides energy prices, news, data, and analysis on gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, LPG/NGL, coal, metals, and chemicals, as well as renewable fuels and environmental commodities. It acquired pricing data assets from Singapore Solar Exchange in 2022 and now publishes the OPIS APAC Solar Weekly Report.
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Scattered thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain, heavy at times late. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a half an inch..
Scattered thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain, heavy at times late. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
Updated: July 3, 2026 @ 9:43 pm
Andrew Pisano, an ecology major from Malvern, and Kaylee Rathbone, a biomedical sciences major from Mannington Township, New Jersey, have collected more than 1,000 spiders from Susquehanna University’s solar array.

Andrew Pisano, an ecology major from Malvern, and Kaylee Rathbone, a biomedical sciences major from Mannington Township, New Jersey, have collected more than 1,000 spiders from Susquehanna University’s solar array.
SELINSGROVE — Susquehanna University’s solar array powers 30% of its campus’ operational needs. Now students are trying to determine how the 12,000 panels might be supporting the microhabitats that have grown beneath and around them — specifically for spiders.
So far, Matt Persons, Charles B. Degenstein professor of biology at SU, and two of his students — Andrew Pisano, an ecology major from Malvern, and Kaylee Rathbone, a biomedical sciences major from Mannington Township, New Jersey — have collected more than 1,000 spiders from the array. They do so in a very uniform way, Pisano said, during the day and at night.
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Workers from the company Taurus began yesterday to erect the structure of the future roof of the outdoor court of the Centre Cívic de la Bordeta, in Lleida.
The work enters its most visible phase with only one week left until the planned completion date, set for July 17, and just another week before the neighborhood’s Festa Major begins.
Yesterday, three cranes were used to lift the base on which the roof’s canvas will be placed.
The piece installed this Thursday is divided into two halves, which will have to be assembled later at height to complete the new coverage of the outdoor court. This assembly is part of the final stretch of work that the neighborhood hopes to have ready a week before its main festival.
In La Bordeta, the action is concentrated in the vicinity of the Civic Center and the outdoor court, which will be sheltered by the new structure.
The schedule places the end of the work on July 17, so the facility should be ready for the celebration with the roof already installed. The municipal plan is to have the intervention finished before the events of the Festa Major begin.
Mayor Fèlix Larrosa has indicated that the roof has been designed to support photovoltaic panels in the future. This approach adds a possible use to a project that currently focuses on covering the neighborhood facility’s outdoor court.
In addition to the structural progress, the project leaves the door open to integrate energy solutions on the new installation at a later date, as is already happening at Parc Agrobiotech within the municipal strategy linked to new facilities.
Larrosa has placed this possibility on a roof whose base was hoisted yesterday with three cranes and which will be completed when the two halves of the canvas are joined at height.
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Cleanup efforts at a fire-ravaged cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights just got messier.
In a letter sent Friday, Greg Lehmkuhl — chief executive of Lineage, which manages the facility — accused Altus Power, the solar panel subcontractor whose rooftop equipment is suspected of potentially sparking the June 17 blaze, of obstructing demolition efforts.
According to the letter, which was addressed to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and county Supervisor Hilda Solis, Lineage was prepared and had the necessary permits to begin demolition work at the site Friday, as required under emergency executive orders and a Los Angeles County public health directive issued June 29.
“Unlike Altus and other involved parties, Lineage has been on the front lines since day one, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to execute a safe and swift remediation effort,” Lehmkuhl wrote.
An Altus spokesperson said Friday that the company’s primary concern is the well-being of the community affected by the fire, and added that the company is cooperating with local officials as the investigation continues.
Lehmkuhl wrote that crews were ready to begin removing debris when they received a notice Thursday ordering them to halt demolition. The letter did not explain the pause, but suggested it may have been intended to preserve evidence.
“The work we planned does not affect the suspected area of origin or materials potentially relevant to evidence preservation or further investigation,” Lehmkuhl wrote. “This is unacceptable. Public safety is our number one priority.”
However, the Altus Power spokesperson said because an official cause of the fire has not yet been determined, concerns about the investigation stand.
“In the last 24 hours multiple parties joined in asking Lineage to appropriately preserve and not destroy relevant evidence during its site remediations,” the Altus spokesperson told The Times. “It is unfortunate that Lineage appears to be focused on pointing fingers rather than getting this community the swift clean-up and answers it deserves.”
Lineage previously said the fire started days after Altus Power conducted performance tests on the warehouse rooftop June 17.
Lehmkuhl said there is an urgent need to prevent additional flareups, clear debris and address the persistent odor of millions of pounds of rotting food at the site.
California
The steady work of hauling 85 million pounds of rotting food out of a damaged warehouse in Boyle Heights began on Sunday, officials said, and city officials have already started mitigation efforts to address concerns of pests, smells, and a steady stream of trucks in the area.
Many residents living near the warehouse have expressed concerns for their health and loved ones, with some calling for the warehouse to shut down entirely.
Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents Boyle Heights, said in a written statement that “no private party should be allowed to use process, finger-pointing, or liability disputes as an excuse to slow down cleanup that the community urgently needs.”
“I am calling on Lineage, Altus, the property owner, and every involved party to cooperate immediately with the City, County, LAFD, Public Health, and regulatory agencies,” Jurado said in the statement to The Times. “If there are legitimate evidence-preservation concerns, they must be addressed through a clear, written protocol that allows investigators to do their work without delaying urgent remediation.”
Crews battled the Boyle Heights warehouse fire for about a week before they got it under control. Questions remain about how long the cleanup process will take, and what long-term repercussions there may be from the resulting air pollution.
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Jasmine “Jaz” Mendez is an editorial assistant at the Los Angeles Times. She previously was a reporting intern for the Metro Desk, covering housing in Los Angeles. Mendez graduated from Cal State Northridge with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in Spanish-language journalism.
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In this episode, we visit Saved By A Story, a writing workshop founded by Palisades fire survivor Kathy Katims. The monthly gatherings bring together survivors of the Palisades and Eaton fires to write, reflect, and share their experiences in community.
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India’s energy sector is going through a major transformation, driven by the powerful combination of solar power and battery storage. As of May 2026, India’s installed solar capacity has reached approximately 157 GW. This represents about 28% of the country’s total power generation capacity and more than 68% of its total renewable energy capacity. With a record 44.61 GW of capacity added during FY25-26, India has firmly established itself as the third-largest solar market in the world.
The dispatchability challenge
However, as solar installations rise, a new challenge has emerged. Solar generation peaks during the middle of the day, while electricity consumption continues to peak into the late evening due to growing cooling requirements. This timing mismatch has become one of the central issues for the national grid.
Between May and December 2025, India lost an estimated 2.3 terawatt-hours of solar energy because mid-day generation exceeded what could be usefully consumed. At the same time, evening hours face a projected capacity deficit of 15 to 20 gigawatts when solar output drops but demand remains high. As a result, the core energy problem has shifted from a general shortage of power to a lack of dispatchable energy at the right time.
The progress of grid-scale battery storage
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) address this issue by storing excess mid-day solar energy and releasing it during peak evening hours. And the pace of adoption has been remarkable. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, India added 4.6 GWh of battery storage capacity—a 941% increase compared to the previous quarter.
● Current Status: By March 2026, cumulative installed capacity reached 5.9 GWh.
● Regional Leaders: Rajasthan leads the country with a 42% share of this capacity, followed by Gujarat at 25%.
● Future Projections: The Central Electricity Authority estimates that India’s overall storage needs will grow from around 82 GWh in 2026-27 to more than 411 GWh by 2031-32. This expansion is vital to support the national goal of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
Policy framework and large-scale execution
Clear policy measures are driving this growth. The Union Budget 2026 allocated Rs 32,914.67 crore to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (a 30% increase over last year), while viability gap funding for BESS projects increased from Rs 100 crore to Rs 1,000 crore. Additionally, basic customs duty exemptions on capital goods used in lithium-ion battery manufacturing have been extended to include BESS projects, lowering setup costs.
These policies are already translating into major real-world projects:
● Public utilities have recently floated bids for 17,500 MWh of BESS plants across states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.
● Tenders have been issued for a 300 MW/1,200 MWh storage facility for a large solar plant in Rajasthan.
● The commercial rollout of India’s first Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE) facility in early 2026 proves that solar-plus-storage can deliver stable, round-the-clock power similar to traditional thermal plants.
The vital role of distributed solar + storage
While large-scale grid storage is essential, distributed solar-plus-storage in the Residential and Commercial & Industrial (C&I) sectors is equally critical.
● For C&I Consumers: Combining solar with on-site batteries protects businesses from power interruptions, reduces expensive peak-load grid charges, and lowers overall operational expenses.
● For Residential Consumers: Small-scale energy storage allows households to fully utilize rooftop solar installations (such as those under the PM Surya Ghar initiative). It provides reliable power backup and reduces reliance on the grid during peak hours.
By generating and storing energy right where it is consumed, distributed storage minimizes transmission losses, alleviates stress on the central grid, and democratizes clean energy access. At Fujiyama Power Systems, with an operational capacity of 3.5 GW+ for solar panels and solar inverters and 545 MWh for batteries, and an additional 2 GWh of storage battery manufacturing capacity underway, we believe we are well positioned to contribute meaningfully to this national goal and to grid integrity.
Economic outlook and challenges
The financial case for solar-plus-storage continues to strengthen. Turnkey battery solution costs decreased by 40% in 2024 and further by 31% in 2025. Concurrently, domestic manufacturing capacity for solar modules expanded to 200 GW as of May 2026.
The Draft National Electricity Policy 2026 recognizes that energy storage, grid planning, and flexibility are crucial for the next phase of renewable energy growth. Real challenges remain — grid integration, transmission network expansion, land acquisition, and project financing all need continued attention. But the direction is clear: solar-plus-storage is set to become a defining feature of India’s power architecture in the coming decades.
About the author: Pawan Kumar Garg, Chairman & Joint Managing Director, Fujiyama Power Systems
The UK and Scottish governments have announced a collaborative proposal to reform the consent process for clean energy projects in Scotland. The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero has outlined plans to modernize outdated legislation, aiming to reduce the approval time for large electricity infrastructure projects, which currently can extend up to four years….
Read More UK and Scottish governments plan clean energy consent reforms
NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) and the New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) have formed a joint venture to invest Rs 1,870 billion in renewable energy projects across Andhra Pradesh.  The partnership targets the development of 25 GW of solar, wind, and hybrid energy projects, 10 GW of pumped hydro storage,…
Read More NTPC Green and Andhra Pradesh join hands for Rs 1,870 billion RE push
Ingka Investments, the €50 billion family office of IKEA, has acquired 241 MW of solar and wind assets in Rajasthan from ib vogt, a Germany-based company. The deal, valued between Rs 1,200–1,400 crore, marks Ingka’s first investment in India’s renewable energy sector. The acquisition is part of Ingka’s global plan to invest €7.5 billion in…
Read More IKEA’s Ingka Investments enters India’s renewable energy market
Avaana Capital, India’s climate-focused venture capital firm, has infused its Avaana Climate and Sustainability Fund with USD 135 million, supported by prominent institutional investors, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF).  Anjali Bansal, partner at Avaana Capital, highlighted the significance of this support, emphasizing the role of innovation in driving climate action and creating long-term impact….
Read More Avaana Capital raises $135-mn climate-tech VC fund
Germany and India have reaffirmed their commitment to renewable energy and sustainable growth, the German Embassy has said. The announcement followed Parliamentary State Secretary Johann Saathoff’s four-day visit to India, marking 25 years of the Indo-German strategic partnership. Saathoff opened the German Pavilion at the Renewable Energy India (REI) Expo 2025 in New Delhi, where…
Read More Germany and India renew clean energy partnership
US-based investor Acadia Infrastructure Capital, along with major companies including Microsoft, has launched a $9 billion initiative to develop renewable energy projects across the United States.  The initiative, known as the Climate and Communities Investment Coalition (CCIC), aims to accelerate corporate-led financing for renewable energy projects and is expected to facilitate the development of 5GW…
Read More Acadia leads $9bn renewable energy initiative with Microsoft
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Alpine Shire Council has been successful in its application for the Australian Government’s Community Energy Upgrades Fund (CEUF) to install energy efficiency upgrades, solar photovoltaic (PV), and battery storage systems on Council facilities.
Through round two of the CEUF, Council received $350,000 (excluding GST), which it will match with an equal co-contribution of $350,000 (excluding GST) as per the requirements of the grant. 
The total funding amount of $700,000 will allow Council to action items identified in the Alpine Shire Climate Action Plan 2025-2029, including the delivery of energy-efficient upgrades to Council-owned facilities and continuing to install solar PV and battery systems at facilities owned and/or managed by Council. 
Mayor, Sarah Nicholas said the grant presented a terrific opportunity for Council to accelerate the upgrades to their facilities to enhance grid stability in townships, reduce energy costs for users of Council-owned facilities, and strengthen local energy resilience.
“Aside from the vital and necessary work of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, one of the main benefits of energy efficiency upgrades, solar PV, and battery storage systems on our facilities is the cost savings that will be passed onto our communities,” she said.
“We are at a really exciting stage of our journey where we are producing local renewable energy to reduce electricity costs and improve the energy resilience of locals and visitors to Alpine Shire.”
The funding must be delivered within the next two financial years and will prioritise works on facilities that currently have high energy bills, still rely on gas, and have ageing, inefficient, and unreliable equipment and appliances.
Mayor Nicholas said community members can now view a map of installed solar PV and battery storage systems online by visiting the Sustainability Hub on Engage Alpine.
“We have 22 facilities that use less grid electricity due to the installation of solar PV and battery storage systems, including the Bright Community Centre, the Mount Beauty Stadium, the RC McNamara Reserve in Myrtleford, and St Alban’s Hall in Running Creek,” she said. 
“We have developed an online map so that community members can see what is happening in and around their home towns, and will continue to update it as we prioritise the list of suitable facilities.”
The map of solar PV and battery storage systems can be found online by visiting: https://engage.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/community-hubs/sustainability-hub/solar-and-batteries-in-alpine-shire.
Contact us: newsdesk@insidelocalgovernment.com.au
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Scatec starts operations at 142MW Rio Urucuia solar plant  Yahoo Finance
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