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by Stace Landrum
CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa (WJAC) — One Cambria County elementary school is officially putting solar power online as the roof of Cambria Heights Elementary is now almost completely covered with solar panels — 346 to be exact.
During a special ceremony on Thursday, fifth graders in attendance were given a science lesson on how protons, neutrons, and electrons interact in order to produce solar energy.
The Cambria Heights superintendent says the school district partnered with a state approved energy savings company to complete the solar project, with the district receiving over a million dollars in state money.
District officials say the school also upgraded the heating system and installed energy efficient lighting, but the biggest improvement is air-conditioned classrooms.
“We were able to put solar on top of the roof and offset the fact that we added electric load for air conditioning. We're offsetting that with the solar. And so, we're actually driving the school to net zero electric use.”
The superintendent adds that the next such project will be at high school and as the cost of electricity continues to climb, the district is looking forward to saving money for decades to come.
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Rapid growth is harder to sustain if the customer experience becomes complicated.
Photo Credit: iStock
India’s rooftop solar market is gaining steam, with households leading the way. New data shows installations across the country more than doubled from a year earlier as incentives and simpler approvals helped turn household energy demand into growth for cleaner power.
Mercom India Research’s latest rooftop solar market report put India’s first-quarter additions at 2.7 gigawatts, PV Magazine reported.
The figure was above the 2.2 GW added in the previous quarter and the 1.2 GW recorded in the same quarter a year earlier, Mercom’s data showed.
Homes dominated the quarter’s new rooftop solar capacity, accounting for 82% of additions, while industry accounted for 11%, commercial projects for 7%, and government installations for 0.4%, according to Mercom. The firm said the PM Surya Ghar program was the key catalyst, aided by subsidies, streamlined approvals, and stronger state-level support.
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“The rooftop solar market maintained strong momentum in Q1 2026, with installations increasing 25% quarter over quarter and 125% year over year, driven primarily by robust residential demand under the PM Surya Ghar program,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group, according to PV.
By the end of March, rooftop solar capacity nationwide had reached 23.5 GW, Mercom said. It named Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat as the leading states for the quarter and said system costs were largely stable, except for higher-priced setups that used Chinese modules.
The trend makes sense — going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy. Many who have made the shift have had their bills reduced by hundreds of dollars. If you’re ready to go solar, explore EnergySage‘s free tools to get quick solar installation estimates and compare quotes. 
Rooftop solar can lower electricity bills; reduce dependence on grids that rely on polluting, non-renewable energy sources; and give families more control over household energy costs.
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When the residential sector accounts for such a large share of new installations, it suggests that solar is becoming a more practical option for homeowners, not just businesses or public institutions.
EnergySage’s solar mapping tool shows the average cost of a home solar panel system and details on solar panel incentives in each state in the United States. These resources can help you secure the best price on rooftop solar panels, saving you both upfront and in the long run. 
India’s high level of solar adoption also shows how much policy design can shape adoption. Subsidies and streamlined approvals can make the difference between a household putting off a project and moving ahead with one that delivers savings for years.
Adding battery storage to a solar setup increases savings and protects your home during outages. It can also help ensure your home can run off-grid. Along with solar assistance, EnergySage provides free tools for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates. 
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
India’s growth is being driven by a mix of public incentives and market readiness, but Mercom warned that the next phase will depend heavily on execution, including access to financing, installation standards, coordination with DISCOMs, and grid preparedness. Rapid growth is harder to sustain if the customer experience becomes complicated.
In the U.S., if you’re ready to take the leap and save money with solar, EnergySage’s expertise and free tools are a great help. With EnergySage‘s help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on a solar purchase and installation.
“As rooftop solar penetration rises, improving on-ground execution and consumer experience will become critical to sustain long-term growth,” Prabhu said, per PV. He added, “While consumer interest in rooftop solar remains strong, the next phase of growth will depend more on implementation and execution.”
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US solar PV module and cell manufacturer Inox Solar Americas has signed a 767MW module supply agreement with a US renewable energy developer and independent power producer (IPP).
Under the agreement, Inox will supply modules for three utility-scale solar projects with a combined capacity of approximately 767MW in North Carolina and Texas. The projects have capacities of approximately 71MW, 102MW and 594MW. The deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027.
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The projects will use Inox’s Vega Series bifacial modules, available in single-glass and dual-glass configurations and using the company’s Galaxion N-type PV cells.
Inox said the agreement reflects demand for modules manufactured and sourced to meet US domestic-content and supply-chain requirements.
“This 767MW agreement represents a significant milestone for Inox Solar Americas and demonstrates the confidence leading US renewable energy developers place in our manufacturing capabilities, technology, and commitment to the US solar market,” said Ashok Nair, president & CEO of Inox Solar Americas.
“Our customers are looking beyond module performance to domestic content, supply-chain transparency, regulatory compliance, product reliability, and long-term bankability. This agreement demonstrates our ability to meet these priorities with reliable, high-performance PV modules manufactured in the US.”
The company said its US manufacturing and sourcing strategy is designed to comply with applicable Prohibited Foreign Entity (PFE), Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC), domestic-content, supply-chain traceability and US trade and energy policy requirements.
The agreement comes as the US solar industry adjusts to tighter domestic-content and supply-chain requirements. Recent analysis by PV Tech Research’s Moustafa Ramadan has highlighted the widening gap between US module and cell manufacturing capacity, as well as the increasingly complex risks associated with solar cell procurement and domestic supply-chain development.
Inox Solar Americas said the three projects will use modules designed for utility-scale applications, with the company citing high US domestic content, supply-chain traceability and domestic manufacturing as factors supporting the supply agreement.
The company was established following Indian renewable energy company INOXGFL Group’s expansion into the US solar manufacturing market.
In April 2026, Inox Clean Energy completed its approximately US$750 million acquisition of Boviet Solar, gaining access to 3GW of annual US module manufacturing capacity at the company’s Greenville, North Carolina facility. The transaction also included plans for a further 3GW of annual solar cell manufacturing capacity, with the cell facility expected to come online in 2027.
The Boviet acquisition formed part of INOXGFL Group’s broader expansion across the renewable energy value chain, which has included investments in solar manufacturing, renewable energy project development and international markets.
The group has acquired SunSource Energy, Vibrant Energy and SkyPower, while more recently acquiring Vena Energy India’s 6GW renewable energy portfolio.
Speaking recently to PV Tech Premium, INOXGFL executive director Devansh Jain said the company’s focus had shifted from acquisition-led growth towards integrating the businesses [subscription required], improving operational synergies and extracting value from the platform assembled through its acquisitions.

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Vertical solar specialist Over Easy Solar has installed its first vertical PV system in Ireland.
Located in Dublin, the 5.37 kW system features 21 of Over Easy Solar’s VPV Units comprised of the company’s third-generation XM-3 QUATTRO-256S, a preassembled, lightweight vertical bifacial photovoltaic unit.
The installation was installed directly on a green roof through Over Easy Solar’s ongoing partnership with Sempergreen, a Dutch company specializing in sustainable urban nature solutions.
Keelin Currivan, International Customer Solutions Advisor at Over Easy Solar, told pv magazine such installations prove that customers do not have to choose between having a green roof and a rooftop solar installation.
“The panels manage rainwater and provide thermal regulation for the roof, while the vegetation boosts panel output via the albedo effect without shading the plants themselves,” Currivan explained. “It’s a genuine case for combining biodiversity and clean energy generation on commercial rooftops, rather than treating them as competing uses of the same space.”
The installation was carried out by Irish renewable energy and electrical contractor company Solar Precision. In a statement to pv magazine, the company explained it chose to utilize Sempergreen’s green roof system with the Over Easy Solar’s vertical PV system “because it offered an innovative way to maximize renewable energy generation while preserving the environmental and biodiversity benefits of a green roof.”
“The system aligns with our commitment to delivering sustainable solar solutions and gave us the opportunity to be the first solar PV company in Ireland to install this technology as a case study,” the company’s statement continues.
Solar Precision added that since completion, the project has demonstrated that vertical solar panels can be successfully integrated with a green roof without compromising performance or maintenance. 
“As an early adopter of this system in Ireland, we’ve gained valuable knowledge and confidence in the technology, and we’re excited about the opportunities it creates for future commercial and residential green roof projects,” the company said.
Over Easy Solar’s latest expansion follows its first installation in the US earlier this year with a 100 kW vertical PV system in New York. Since then, the company also installed its first system in Vancouver, Canada.
In April, Over Easy Solar shared that its vertical bifacial PV system had outperformed a conventionally-tilted monofacial rooftop PV system in the UK across all seasons during a year-long study.
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These lightweight, high-efficiency cells could be used for space solar power, ensuring reliable performance under extreme extra-terrestrial conditions.
Tandem solar cells are emerging as the leading next-generation photovoltaic solution. The technology could help future satellites and space data centers run on ultra-lightweight solar power. 
In this vein, researchers at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) have set a new world record for perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cell efficiency, advancing next-generation, high-efficiency thin-film solar technology.
KIER achieved a laboratory-measured efficiency of 27.0 percent and an officially certified efficiency of 26.7 percent. Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems officially certified the result. It is now listed in the U.S. National Laboratory of the Rockies’ Best Research-Cell Efficiencies Chart.
The tandem solar cell stacks a perovskite layer over a CIGS layer to capture different sunlight wavelengths simultaneously, creating a light, flexible, and efficient thin-film device.
“This achievement is significant in that both cell efficiency and stability can be enhanced by minimizing potential interfacial and optical losses during the integration of perovskite and CIGS. The resulting efficiency was also officially certified by a world-renowned institute and recognized as a world-record performance, underscoring Korea’s technological competitiveness,” said Inyoung Jeong, a senior researcher at KIER, who led the research. 
To overcome the physical efficiency limits of silicon solar panels, scientists stack a top perovskite layer and a bottom copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) layer to capture different wavelengths of light without adding extra weight. 
Perovskite and CIGS form an ideal scientific pairing for tandem solar cells because their complementary bandgaps allow them to divide and absorb the solar spectrum with minimal energy loss. The top perovskite layer absorbs high-energy blue and ultraviolet light while allowing longer wavelengths to pass through to the bottom CIGS layer, which efficiently captures the remaining low-energy near-infrared light.
Although combining these delicate thin films usually causes damage and blocks light, special protection layers and modified electrodes overcome these assembly issues to maximize power output.
The KIER team solved this by inventing an advanced interfacial protection layer and re-engineering the transparent top electrode. This reduced both electrical damage and unwanted light absorption simultaneously, pushing raw laboratory tests up to 27 percent.
“The developed technology is expected to increase electricity generation per unit area and thereby expand the potential applications of photovoltaic power generation,” the researchers stated. 
The development shows South Korea’s strong competitiveness in next-generation thin-film solar technology. By reaching 26.7 percent, KIER surpassed the previous record of 26.3 percent set just a year prior by a joint team from Seoul National University and KIST.
Reportedly, this 26.7% record applies to small-area laboratory research cells (sub-1 cm²).
Earlier, Germany’s Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and Humboldt-Universität held the world-record efficiency at 25.5 percent for perovskite-CIGS tandem solar cells with an active area of over 1 cm². Formally verified by the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI), this benchmark shows the technical progress in scaling up high-efficiency thin-film architectures beyond sub-centimeter laboratory devices.
Thanks to their flexible and lightweight thin-film design, these cells are ideally suited for integration into buildings and vehicles, as well as weight- and space-constrained space applications such as small satellites and orbital data centers.
KIER is now working with industry partners to scale these tiny lab samples into large commercial modules.
Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.
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Officially certified by Fraunhofer ISE in Germany and listed in NLR’s Best Research-Cell Efficiencies Chart
National Research Council of Science & Technology

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Perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cell developed by the KIER research team
Credit: KOREA INSTITUTE OF ENERGY RESEARCH
 The Photovoltaic Research Department of the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) achieved a certified world-record efficiency of 26.7% for perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cells, opening a new chapter in next-generation thin-film photovoltaics.
 This achievement was officially certified by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Germany and listed in the Best Research-Cell Efficiencies Chart published by the US National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR, formerly NREL).
 The previous world-record efficiency of 26.3%, set a year earlier by a joint research team from Seoul National University and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), was surpassed by another Korean research team at KIER, demonstrating the country's leading role in next-generation thin-film solar cell technology. 
 Silicon solar cells, currently the most widely used solar cell technology, have already reached technological maturity, leaving limited room for further efficiency improvements due to fundamental physical limitations. Against this backdrop, tandem solar cells are emerging as a promising next-generation solution for high-efficiency photovoltaics. This technology uses multiple solar cells with different characteristics stacked in layers to capture a broader range of sunlight wavelengths.
 The perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cells developed by the KIER research team have a perovskite cell at the top and a CIGS cell at the bottom. This unique configuration enables the two cells to absorb different wavelengths of sunlight simultaneously. Since both perovskite and CIGS are well suited for thin-film processing, the technology combines high efficiency, light weight, and flexibility.
 Assembling the two cells may, however, degrade the perovskite light-absorbing layer. In addition, some cell layers may absorb unwanted light, reducing the overall efficiency. To address these challenges, the KIER research team conducted a comprehensive analysis of the root causes of such efficiency losses. As a result, they developed an advanced interfacial layer material and processing technology to mitigate potential damage to the perovskite layer. The team also successfully minimized undesired light absorption and potential photocurrent loss by optimizing the structure of the top transparent electrode and charge transport layer.
 This approach resulted in a laboratory-measured efficiency of 27% and a Fraunhofer ISE-certified efficiency of 26.7%.
 The developed technology is expected to increase electricity generation per unit area and thereby expand the potential applications of photovoltaic power generation. Furthermore, owing to their lightweight and flexible thin-film design, they are promising not only for buildings and automobiles but also as power sources for small satellites and space-based data centers for future space applications, where weight and space constraints are critical.
 Inyoung Jeong, a senior researcher at KIER who led the research, said, "This achievement is significant in that both cell efficiency and stability can be enhanced by minimizing potential interfacial and optical losses during the integration of perovskite and CIGS. The resulting efficiency was also officially certified by a world-renowned institute and recognized as a world-record performance, underscoring Korea's technological competitiveness." 
 Going forward, the research team will focus on ensuring that large-area modules achieve the same efficiency as the small-area devices developed in this study. They will collaborate with industry partners interested in mass production and commercialization and pursue technology transfer. In the long term, they will expand the technology to next-generation space solar cells capable of reliable operation in space due to their light weight and high efficiency.
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.
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National Research Council of Science & Technology
ljm@nst.re.kr

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Korea Institute of Energy Research
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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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India’s power demand is surging, but some solar energy is going to waste  WJTV
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Arjun Brij
Sep 02, 2026 | Updated 11:13 AM GMT+5:30
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Delhi’s government approved an ambitious solar energy scheme that will provide free rooftop solar panels to approximately 2.3 lakh households consuming up to 400 units of electricity monthly.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the initiative on Tuesday (1 September) following a cabinet meeting that passed the second amendment to the Delhi Solar Energy Policy, with installations targeted for completion by March 2027.
Under the revised policy, eligible residential consumers will receive 3-kilowatt rooftop solar systems at zero upfront cost, subject to technical feasibility.
The scheme combines a central government subsidy of Rs 78,000 under the PM Surya Ghar scheme with an additional Rs 78,000 capital subsidy from Delhi.
The government will also bridge any remaining gap between the total installation cost and available subsidies, effectively eliminating the financial barrier that has prevented many households from adopting solar energy.
The initiative aims to add 500 MW of additional rooftop solar capacity across the capital.
Gupta candidly acknowledged that the Centre’s PM Surya Ghar scheme had not gained sufficient momentum in Delhi, prompting this state-level intervention.
Currently, only around 10,000 buildings in the city have solar energy generation capabilities.
The revised policy introduces several key changes, including upfront payment of generation-based incentives rather than instalments spread over five years.
The Delhi government will also arrange operation and maintenance support for five years through designated vendors, addressing household concerns about system upkeep.
Consumers installing solar systems of up to 10 kW will not pay any registration fees, further simplifying the adoption process.
Delhi’s existing electricity subsidy benefits will continue for eligible consumers, positioning rooftop solar as an additional route toward lower household energy costs.
A standard 3-kW system costs approximately Rs 1.75 lakh, meaning the combined subsidies will cover most or all installation expenses.
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Researchers from University of New South Wales (UNSW), have been awarded the bulk of a $105.6 million investment for ultra low-cost solar research from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for 12 separate solar projects.
In total, the $64.8 million allocation is the university’s largest single investment in solar photovoltaic research.
UNSW Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise Professor Bronwyn Fox said ever since UNSW’s pioneering work developing high-efficiency silicon solar cells 50 years ago, the university has been a leader in solar energy research.
“UNSW is thrilled to partner with ARENA on these 12 projects which continue to build on this strength and help drive the development of more affordable solar technology,” Fox said.
Eleven of the projects are attached to the UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, and one from the School of Chemistry.
The successful projects are:
Lower-temperature connections for advanced solar panels
Making silicon solar panels more efficient and durable
Testing next-generation solar panels in real-world conditions
Improving solar panel durability in Australian conditions
Making perovskite-silicon solar panels more efficient and reliable
Using AI and advanced manufacturing to improve tandem solar panels
Developing more efficient and affordable tandem solar cells
Using AI to discover new solar materials
Developing new materials to make silicon solar cells more efficient
Designing solar panels for specific sites to reduce costs
Using AI to improve solar farm operations
Using daylight imaging to detect solar panel problems
UNSW Dean of Engineering Professor Julien Epps said the funding enables some of the leading experts worldwide in solar photovoltaics to work hand-in-hand with industry to drive forward innovative research and development that is pivotal to the energy transition and pivotal to climate change mitigation.

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“The Central Government is placing the highest priority on solar and hydro power.”
Photo Credit: iStock
Tripura is turning to rooftop solar as it faces two mounting pressures at once: rising electricity demand and a dwindling supply of natural gas that has long powered much of the state’s grid.
State officials said that shift could be especially meaningful for lower-income households, since it may help keep energy bills from becoming even more difficult to manage.
During a special council meeting in Agartala on Aug. 17, 2026, Tripura Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said the state needs broader rooftop solar adoption to meet future electricity needs without leaving vulnerable residents behind, according to Northeast Today. The session at the Agartala Municipal Corporation Conference Hall centered on rooftop solar installations under the “ULA Model.”
According to Nath, Tripura’s electricity consumer base has grown to around 10.68 lakh (about 1.07 million), up from roughly 7 lakh before the current government took office. He added that more than four lakh consumers use no more than 50 units a month, which he said suggests many belong to economically weaker sections.
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers in your area.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
“When the demand for something increases, its price goes up,” Nath said.
Nath said the challenge is not only rising demand, but also mounting pressure on the state’s conventional power system. He said a limited gas supply has reduced the Palatana plant’s output to about 500 MW, even though it was designed for around 700 MW, while Ramchandranagar is generating only 50 to 60 MW instead of roughly 100 MW.
As electricity demand rises, solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy. Homeowners who want to explore rooftop systems can use EnergySage to get free solar installation estimates and compare quotes.
Reliable electricity is needed across the state, Nath said, including for industry, hospitals, schools, colleges, and waste-recycling facilities.
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He described solar, wind, and hydropower as greener options than gas- and coal-based generation, which he characterized as more polluting.
Tripura is also working to advance rooftop solar through coordination between the municipal corporation and power authorities. Nath said Agartala Mayor Dipak Majumder, Agartala Municipal Corporation Commissioner Saju Vaheed A, Deputy Mayor Manika Das Datta, and other officials took part in the discussion.
For households elsewhere, the economics of solar can be easier to understand with free comparison tools. With EnergySage’s help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on solar purchases and installations. EnergySage’s solar map shows the average cost of a home solar panel system on a state-by-state basis, along with solar panel incentives for each state. Together, these resources can help readers get the best price for rooftop solar panels and access available incentives.
Additionally, adding battery storage to a solar setup is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages. It can also save money on energy and make going off-grid more realistic, and readers can explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
Nath said, “Gas reserves are depleting; the supply is dwindling,” and “The Central Government is placing the highest priority on solar and hydro power.”
Tripura’s rooftop solar push reflects a broader shift as households and governments look for cleaner, cheaper power while conventional fuel supplies come under strain. Across India and in nearby Pakistan, wider access to solar is already changing monthly bills, grid planning, and the pace of renewable investment.
• Across India, rooftop solar installations surged 125% as PM Surya Ghar accelerated household adoption.
• India saves billions by prioritizing solar, showing why states are leaning beyond gas.
• In Gujarat, a vast solar-wind project underscores how quickly India’s renewable buildout is scaling.
• In Pakistan, rooftop solar is shielding consumers from shocks and easing import costs.
• In Colorado, plug-in solar panels are widening home-energy access for residents shut out.
Rooftop solar is becoming a bigger piece of a much wider energy transition. These projects also show how much policy design matters when the goal is getting cleaner, lower-cost power to households that need relief most.
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New Jersey Just Legalized Cheap Plug-In Balcony Solar Panels  insideevs.com
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Surrounded by energy crises, Bihar eyes Rs 1.38 lakh crore solar investment  The Indian Express
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Solar power generation in the UK reached a new record over the summer of 2026, as temperatures across the nation soared, according to new analysis by Carbon Brief. 
Collectively over June, July and August, solar farms and rooftops generated 8.8 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in the UK*, as shown in the chart below. 
Speaking to Carbon Brief, Chris Hewett, chief executive of trade association Solar Energy UK welcomed the new record, adding that it was driven by “clear skies and continued growth in deployment”. 
This surge in generation took place amid the hottest summer on record in the UK, with five heatwaves between May and August.
Summer 2026 was the sixth sunniest on record, with more than 620 hours of sunshine, according to the Met Office. England and Wales – which experienced the most extreme heat – saw their second-sunniest summers on record. 
June 2026 was the hottest June in England since records began in 1884, according to Met Office data, while Wales and the UK as a whole experienced their second-warmest June. 
It was the driest July for England and Wales since records began in 1836, with some parts of London seeing no rain at all in the month, while Wisley in Surrey had no rain for 62 days. 
In England, temperatures peaked at 38.1C at Kew Gardens in London on 13 August. 
According to the Met Office, this summer’s record mean temperature was made 130 times more likely by climate change.  
Amid these hot and sunny months, solar power generation increased 23% from the same period in 2025. This is double the level of solar generation over the summer of 2021, according to Carbon Brief analysis. 
While solar panels can be affected by periods of extreme heat, the longer hours of daylight and higher levels of irradiation over the summer more than offset any efficiency losses. 
June, July and August all saw solar set new monthly records for solar generation – July saw the highest solar generation in a calendar month ever, with 3.3TWh meeting 15% of overall electricity demand for the month. 
As of the end of August, the total UK solar generation in 2026 stood at 17TWh – 13% higher than the same point in 2025. 
The number of solar farms and rooftop installations has grown substantially in recent years, helping to boost generation. Domestic rooftop solar accounts for around 29% of total capacity.
In 2025, the UK’s solar capacity reached 21 gigawatts (GW) by the third quarter of the year, according to UK government figures. This is a jump of 3GW, or 18%, year-on-year, as Carbon Brief reported in January. 
(Capacity is the maximum output possible from an electricity generation, whereas generation is what was produced over a certain time period, such as a day, month or year.)
According to the University of Sheffield, the installed solar capacity is now nearly 24GW. 
This includes nearly 172,000 solar installations that have been fitted across the UK since the start of 2026, according to recent government figures. In July alone, more than 19,800 rooftop solar panels were installed – the equivalent of one installation every two minutes. 
In total, nearly 1.7m households in the UK now have solar panels installed. 
Over 26 heatwave days this summer – periods of at least three days when temperatures exceed the Met Office’s county-level heatwave temperature threshold – UK households with rooftop solar panels avoided an estimated £86.7m in electricity costs, according to analysis by Utility Bidder.
Talking about the surge in solar generation this summer, Hewett says: 
“[It] not only kept bills down for people with solar and batteries in their homes, but helped keep overall power prices much lower than they would have been if Britain had been relying on more gas generation during the day”.
Despite the record generation, no new half-hourly solar power output record was set in the summer of 2026. This still stands at 15.2 megawatts (MW) on 23 April 2026.
* This article refers to the UK throughout, but strictly relates to the island of Great Britain, made up of England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland is part of the separate, all-Ireland electricity system.
Published under a CC license. You are welcome to reproduce unadapted material in full for non-commercial use, credited ‘Carbon Brief’ with a link to the article. Please contact us for commercial use.
Published by Carbon Brief Ltd © 2026 – Company No. 07222041
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Solar panels installed over sea cucumber ponds in China reduced light levels by 80.5% and lowered water temperatures by 1.20°C, according to a ScienceDirect study. Researchers found that these cooler conditions were associated with a predicted 12-day reduction in aestivation among sub-adult sea cucumbers. The study also recorded changes in plankton and sediment, highlighting the need for continued ecosystem monitoring.

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A South Korean research team has developed a method to upcycle silicon recovered from end-of-life (EoL) PV modules into silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), a high-value ceramic used in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, medical, energy, and manufacturing industries due to its high strength, thermal stability, wear resistance, and electrical insulation properties.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of converting silicon recovered from actual EoL PV modules into Si₃N₄,” corresponding author Jin-Seok Lee told pv magazine. “Rather than simply recovering silicon as a secondary raw material, we aimed to demonstrate a practical pathway for giving recycled silicon a new, higher-value application.”
Lee said the team’s next step is to move from proof-of-concept research toward a practical, scalable recycling and upcycling process.
“We are currently working with Wonkwang S&T, a Korean PV recycling company, to develop mobile PV recycling technology that can process end-of-life PV modules closer to where they are generated,” he said. “Through this approach, we aim to reduce transportation costs by approximately 30% and carbon emissions by more than 10% compared with conventional centralized recycling.”
The researchers used a single end-of-life Suntech STP200-18/Ub module containing 54 polycrystalline silicon cells based on an aluminum back-surface field (Al-BSF) architecture.
After removing the junction box and aluminum frame, they separated the glass from the ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)/cell/EVA/backsheet laminate using a hot knife. They then cut the laminate into cell-sized pieces and milled the material at 400 rpm, 600 rpm, or 800 rpm to assess the effects of milling speed on particle agglomeration and impurity removal.
The researchers removed large backsheet fragments and residual EVA using 3 mm and 0.5 mm sieves, respectively. They then combusted the remaining organic materials in air at 600 C for one hour.
Particle-size analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging were then used to assess agglomeration. The recovered silicon underwent a two-stage purification process, comprising 20 minutes in 36 wt% hydrochloric acid (HCl) to remove aluminum, copper, tin, and lead, followed by 30 minutes in 36 wt% nitric acid (HNO₃) to dissolve silver. Both treatments were conducted under stirring and ultrasonication.
To remove acid-resistant titanium dioxide (TiO₂) originating from the backsheet, the researchers dispersed 10 g of powder in 1 liter of water for 20 minutes, allowed it to settle for between 5 minutes and 20 minutes, and then removed 800 mL of supernatant. They identified 5 minutes as the optimal settling time.
Following characterization, the highest-purity powder, produced at 400 rpm, was selected for nitridation. Purified and unpurified powders were ball-milled in ethanol for 20 hours to an average particle size of approximately 1 µm. They were then nitrided under a flow of 95% nitrogen and 5% hydrogen, first at 1,350 C for one hour and then at 1,450 C for 10 minutes.
The researchers subsequently used X-ray diffraction (XRD) to calculate silicon conversion and determine the proportions of the alpha and beta crystalline phases of silicon nitride (α-Si₃N₄ and β-Si₃N₄). They used SEM to compare particle morphology and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) to measure the purity of the final ceramic.
“We found that particle agglomeration during milling strongly affects the subsequent removal of metallic impurities,” said Lee. “By controlling the milling conditions and combining stepwise acid etching with a simple sedimentation process, we were able to effectively control both metallic and ceramic impurities in the recovered silicon.”
The researchers found that severe particle agglomeration at 800 rpm resulted in a residual aluminum concentration of 4,290 ppm after HCl etching, compared with just 189 ppm at 400 rpm.
“This clearly showed that optimization of a recycling process cannot be based simply on more intensive milling,” Lee said.
“We were impressed by the effectiveness of the relatively simple sedimentation process,” he added. “In only 5 minutes, 71.4% of the TiO₂ impurity could be removed while maintaining a silicon recovery rate of 92.3%. Most importantly, after controlling these impurities, the recycled silicon reached 99.95% purity, and the resulting Si₃N₄ contained 93.1% α-Si₃N₄. In comparison, Si₃N₄ synthesized from recycled Si without the additional purification process contained only 54.7% α-Si₃N₄. This demonstrated that impurities originating from waste PV modules can directly affect the properties of the final upcycled product.”
The findings are described in the study “Upcycling silicon recovered from photovoltaic waste into silicon nitride via the field-applicable control of metal and ceramic impurities,” published in Materials Today Sustainability. Researchers from the Korea Institute of Energy Research and Chungnam National University participated in the study.

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Albertans purchasing new solar panels next month will face a hefty fee for recycling them.
Environment Minister Grant Hunter announced Thursday a ban on landfill disposal for the panels and the $14 recycling fee per panel beginning Oct. 1.
Hunter said the move will protect municipalities and taxpayers from future costs. He estimated that by 2045, most of the solar panels currently installed in the province will reach the end of their lives and could produce nearly 73,000 tons of material.
“We’re creating the opportunity for new made-in-Alberta recycling programs and industries that recover valuable materials instead of burying them,” he told reporters in Brooks.
The government estimates a typical household of 20 panels.
But industry associations and advocates have said the $14 price tag is far too steep, punitive and being imposed without clear accounting to back it up.
They note it’s nearly five times the $2.75 cost of recycling a large television set in the province.
Heather MacKenzie, executive director of renewables advocate Solar Alberta, said for a typical panel, a $14 fee is like adding a 10 per cent tax.
In an interview, she said it’s yet another hit to the solar sector from a provincial government that appears intent on undermining it.
“It appears that the government of Alberta is artificially increasing the cost of solar, and that will enable natural gas to compete more easily in our marketplace,” she said.
She added that the impact will be significant.
“It’ll hurt all the small solar installation companies. It’ll hurt the electricians, and we will see job losses as a result.”
When word of the fee trickled down to stakeholders from the Alberta Recycling Management Authority earlier this summer, MacKenzie said they pushed back, and asked how the $14 figure was reached.
“They are not willing to show how they came to that number, which means that nobody can really critique the assumptions that are embedded in it,” said MacKenzie.
Independent research commissioned by the Canadian Renewable Energy Association put the cost of recycling a solar module at about $5.
Hunter, when asked how the province arrived at its cost, said the actual cost of shipping old panels to the United States for processing is $40 per panel.
He said it will also take time for recyclers to develop “economies of scale,” and if they can do it for cheaper, then that price will be passed on to consumers.
The announcement comes after a string of rule changes affecting renewable energy development from Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservatives.
In 2023, the UCP put a short-term moratorium on renewable energy project development before introducing strict new rules on where they can go. Subsequent reclamation fees for decommissioned projects were later criticized as too high.
Business Renewables Centre Canada — which works to help businesses and institutions reduce their emissions by connecting buyers and sellers of renewable power — said it supports a recycling fee but Alberta’s is higher than those of any other jurisdiction in the world.
“We’re disappointed to see the government saddle the industry with another disproportionate burden,” said director Jorden Dye in a Thursday news release.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2026.
Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press
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Governor Mikie Sherrill has signed a law barring municipalities and landlords from blocking portable solar systems of up to 1,200W, a right German tenants and condominium owners have held since October 2024 and which has produced 1.31 million registered systems
Solar panels
New Jersey has legalised plug-in balcony solar up to 1,200W, barring local governments from requiring approvals and stopping landlords from blocking installation. Germany wrote the same right into its civil code in October 2024 and now has 1.31 million registered systems at 1.34GW.
New Jersey has legalised plug-in balcony solar. A new law bars municipalities and landlords from blocking portable panels that plug into a household socket, InsideEVs reported.
Governor Mikie Sherrill signed it this week. It takes effect in six months and caps systems at 1,200W. The panels run through an inverter that stops feeding the grid during an outage, which keeps line workers safe.
Local governments can no longer require licensing or approvals, the governor’s office said. Landlords must be notified 14 days ahead and may still restrict placement and size.
The pitch is bills. Sherrill said the units cost a fraction of rooftop solar and can shave up to $50 off a typical monthly bill. Electricity prices have been climbing across the state.
It passed unanimously in both chambers in June. Around 40% of New Jerseyans rent or live in apartments, a group that has never had a way to lower its own power bill, according to advocacy group Permit Power.
Germany settled this two years ago, after its market had already started without one.
Tenants and condominium owners have had a legal right to install since October 2024, written into the civil code and the condominium act. A landlord must give documented reasons to refuse.
German landlords also cannot demand professional installation. New Jersey’s keep control of placement and size, and both regimes require written notice.
The scale is the difference. Germany had 1.31 million systems registered in April at 1.34GW, and the register is thought to capture a minority of what is actually installed.
The power limits differ too. Germany caps inverter output at 800W against 2,000W of modules, and between 85% and 89% of new systems run at the 800W ceiling. The module allowance is more than twice the feed-in cap.
New Jersey’s 1,200W limit is half as much again. Berlin companies have been building solar for renters on the tighter number for years.
The German market being copied is already cooling. Installations fell 14% year on year in the first quarter, to 64,633 from 88,948.
Britain got there a week earlier anyway. Plug-in kits became legal on 27 August, at around £400 for £70 to £110 of annual saving.
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Researchers from University of New South Wales (UNSW), have been awarded the bulk of a AUD 105.6 million ($76.0 million) investment for ultra low-cost solar research from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for 12 separate solar projects.
In total, the AUD 64.8 million allocation is the university’s largest single investment in solar photovoltaic research.
UNSW Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise Professor Bronwyn Fox said ever since UNSW’s pioneering work developing high-efficiency silicon solar cells 50 years ago, the university has been a leader in solar energy research.
“UNSW is thrilled to partner with ARENA on these 12 projects which continue to build on this strength and help drive the development of more affordable solar technology,” Fox said.
Eleven of the projects are attached to the UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, and one from the School of Chemistry.
The successful projects are:
Lower-temperature connections for advanced solar panels
Making silicon solar panels more efficient and durable
Testing next-generation solar panels in real-world conditions
Improving solar panel durability in Australian conditions
Making perovskite-silicon solar panels more efficient and reliable
Using AI and advanced manufacturing to improve tandem solar panels
Developing more efficient and affordable tandem solar cells
Using AI to discover new solar materials
Developing new materials to make silicon solar cells more efficient
Designing solar panels for specific sites to reduce costs
Using AI to improve solar farm operations
Using daylight imaging to detect solar panel problems
UNSW Dean of Engineering Professor Julien Epps said the funding enables some of the leading experts worldwide in solar photovoltaics to work hand-in-hand with industry to drive forward innovative research and development that is pivotal to the energy transition and pivotal to climate change mitigation.

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From Galleons to Gigawatts: How China’s Solar Machine Made Silver Strategic
WRITTEN BY JASON TOGUT
4 September 2026
Beginning in 1565, Manila galleons carried Chinese silk and porcelain eastward and massive quantities of New World silver westward from Spain’s colonies in Mexico and Peru. The Ming state’s growing reliance on silver taxes had made China the world’s great silver sink, pulling a metal extracted in the Americas across the Pacific and helping create one of the first truly global commodity systems. Four and a half centuries later, China is again drawing silver into its economy, this time not to pay taxes but to print electrical contacts onto solar cells. 
The analogy only goes so far. China does not control the world’s silver mines, and its manufacturers still depend on metal sourced abroad. But the scale of China’s solar industry is hard to overstate: its plants turned out 574.5 gigawatts of modules in 2025, roughly 83 per cent of world output. That means decisions made in its factories — how many cells to produce, how much silver paste to apply, and how quickly to substitute copper — can alter the balance of the global market. China’s role in the global silver market, then, rests less on what it controls at the mine than on what it decides at the furnace.
That is what makes silver strategically important. The issue is not Chinese ownership of the metal itself, but the power and the vulnerability created when industrial policy concentrates much of a commodity’s marginal demand within a single manufacturing ecosystem. China has not conquered silver; it has built an industrial machine that decides how much silver the solar build-out requires.
The silver in solar
Silver occupies an unusual place in global markets. It is both a precious metal and an industrial input. In photovoltaic cells, silver paste forms conductive lines that collect and carry the electrical current released when sunlight strikes the silicon wafer. Manufacturers use it because no other metal combines the same electrical conductivity, reliability, and ease of application at commercial scale.
The scale of solar deployment has created a new source of silver demand. According to the Silver Institute, photovoltaic manufacturing consumed a record 197.6 million ounces of silver in 2024. That was 17 per cent of total silver demand and 29 per cent of industrial demand. The solar sector did not single-handedly cause the market’s recent deficits, but it has grown large enough that changes in solar production could materially tighten or loosen the market.
For policymakers, silver shows why mineral security cannot be measured only at the mine mouth. Silver’s strategic importance does not depend on concentrated extraction; rather, risks associated with losing access can rise when downstream manufacturing is highly concentrated and one industrial system drives a large share of incremental demand.
Silver supply is poorly suited to respond quickly to changes in demand. Mexico remains the largest silver-mining country, while China is also a major producer. Much of the world’s silver, however, is extracted as a byproduct of lead, zinc, copper, and gold mining. A rise in silver price cannot automatically bring a flood of new metal onto the market because production often depends on investment decisions made for other commodities. This makes the market unusually sensitive to shifts in industrial demand.
The divergence of 2025, with record global installations alongside a 6 per cent fall in photovoltaic silver demand to 186.6 million ounces, showed why the relationship cannot be reduced to a simple claim that more solar always means more silver. Installations kept climbing, but silver use in photovoltaics fell as manufacturers accelerated thrifting and substitution in response to intense competition and higher metal costs. The same Chinese factories that had helped push silver demand to a record high were able to pull it back by using less metal. Silver’s strategic relevance lies precisely in this two-way interaction between industrial scale and technological adaptation.
China’s demand-side power
China did not build its solar position to gain leverage over silver. Silver demand is a consequence of a much larger industrial project. State-directed industrial policy and a vast domestic market allowed Chinese firms to scale every major stage of photovoltaic manufacturing. The International Energy Agency estimates that China accounts for more than 80 per cent of global capacity across the principal manufacturing stages, from polysilicon and wafers to cells and modules.
Domestic deployment reinforced that manufacturing base. China added about 278 gigawatts of solar capacity in 2024 and nearly 370 gigawatts in 2025. Installations at home absorbed enormous output, helped firms move down the cost curve, and supported an export industry that made solar panels cheaper around the world. Production and deployment became a feedback loop: policy created scale, scale lowered costs, and lower costs expanded both Chinese and global demand.
That ecosystem gives Beijing and Chinese manufacturers demand-side influence over silver without giving them control of silver supply. When Chinese cell production expands rapidly, it can absorb a meaningful share of incremental metal. When manufacturers change cell architecture or reduce silver loadings, they can suppress demand even as the number of panels rises. Commodity producers, traders, and investors must therefore follow Chinese industrial decisions because those decisions increasingly determine the market’s marginal barrel — or, in this case, its marginal ounce.
But influence is not immunity. China’s solar industry is also exposed to a commodity it does not dominate. A sustained silver shortage or price spike would squeeze already thin module margins, raise the cost of domestic deployment, and intensify the search for copper-based contacts and other substitutes. The relationship is one of mutual dependence: China shapes silver demand, while silver availability and price constrain China’s industrial ambitions.
Why the relationship matters
For policymakers, silver shows why mineral security cannot be measured only at the mine mouth. Silver’s strategic importance does not depend on concentrated extraction; rather, risks associated with losing access can rise when downstream manufacturing is highly concentrated and one industrial system drives a large share of incremental demand. The United States’ decision to add silver to the 2025 List of Critical Minerals recognises the economic costs that a disruption could impose. But the proper response is not necessarily to recreate the entire Chinese solar supply chain or to pursue silver autarky.
A more realistic resilience strategy would identify the points where disruption would be most damaging and where public policy can change the outcome. That includes diversifying silver sourcing and refining, improving recovery from industrial scrap and retired panels, supporting research into lower-silver and copper-metallisation technologies, and checking how quickly new cell designs are being adopted. It also means distinguishing the root vulnerability from its symptom. Silver did not cause Western countries to fall behind in solar manufacturing; China’s industrial ecosystem did. But silver is one of the constraints through which that concentration can transmit risk to the global energy transition.
For China, the policy implication runs in the opposite direction. The country’s manufacturing dominance has created a large exposure to foreign commodity markets. Accelerating substitution is therefore not merely a cost-saving exercise; it is a form of industrial security. The more silver-efficient Chinese producers become, the less vulnerable Beijing’s deployment targets are to a metal whose supply responds slowly and whose price is also driven by investment demand.
For investors, the lesson is that silver can no longer be analysed only through inflation, interest rates, jewelry demand, or safe-haven flows. Solar manufacturing is now a major, but technologically fluid, component of demand. The 2025 decline in photovoltaic silver use, despite continued growth in installations, showed that Chinese module margins, cell technology, production targets, and substitution rates can matter as much as the headline pace of solar deployment itself.
From sink to system
The history of silver has not come full circle, but it has begun to rhyme. Ming China pulled silver across the Pacific because its fiscal system created enormous monetary demand. Modern China pulls silver into factories because its industrial system creates enormous technological demand. In neither era did China need to own the mines to reshape global flows.
The difference is that modern China is not simply absorbing silver. Its manufacturers help decide the scale and intensity of its use. They can expand demand through unprecedented production and then reduce it through engineering. That is demand-side commodity power: not sovereignty over a resource, but the capacity to set the pace at which the world consumes it while depending on supply it does not control.
Silver is more than a niche input in solar panels and less than a tool of Chinese power. It is a case study in how industrial policy is changing the geography of commodity power. In the twenty-first century, strategic resources derive their importance not only from what lies underground, but also from what happens on factory floors.
DISCLAIMER: All views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of the 9DASHLINE.com platform.
Author biography
Jason Togut is an associate at Cicero Group, where he advises private equity clients on commercial due diligence and growth strategy. He previously worked at the National Committee on US-China Relations, where he helped connect multinational corporations with counterparts across the US-China business and policy community. He holds an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School and an MA in International Studies from the Lauder Institute, where his thesis examined China’s electric vehicle investment strategy, and a BA in International Relations and East Asian Studies from Brown. Image Credit: 總統府

Registered in England and Wales: 12548725

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Beyond Local: Solar panels banned from Alberta landfills  LakelandToday.ca
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The 20 kW system is expected to save up to ₹288,000 annually, with a payback period of 3.5 to four years
September 4, 2026
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Residential rooftop systems have been driving India’s rooftop solar capacity additions, especially after the introduction of the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana in 2024. Over 5 million households have benefited from the program so far.
According to Mercom’s Q2 and 1H 2026 India Rooftop Solar Market Report, residential installations accounted for 84% of the total rooftop solar additions in the country during the second quarter of the calendar year 2026,
Apartment complexes are increasingly turning to rooftop solar to  lower common area electricity expenses, limit exposure to rising grid tariffs, and meet a part of their daytime power requirements through on-site generation.
Common loads such as lifts, water pumps, lighting, security systems, swimming pools, and other shared facilities can make residential complexes suitable for rooftop solar installations, particularly where adequate roof space is available.
Vintage View, a residential apartment complex in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, has installed a 20 kW rooftop solar system to reduce its electricity bills.
Wattsun Energy India installed the solar system. According to the installer, high electricity bills were the primary reason for adopting rooftop solar.
Before the solar installation, the property consumed approximately 75 kWh to 100 kWh of electricity per day. Monthly consumption ranged from around 2,200 kWh to 3,000 kWh, corresponding to annual electricity consumption of approximately 27,000 kWh to 36,000 kWh.
The rooftop installation is expected to generate approximately 2,400 kWh of electricity per month.
Based on Wattsun’s estimates, the installation could result in electricity bill savings of ₹19,200 (~$202) to ₹24,000 (~$252) per month. Annual savings are estimated at approximately ₹230,000 (~$2,415) to ₹288,000 (~$3,024).
The installer expects the investment to achieve full payback for the apartment complex within 3.5 to four years.
The project uses Adani Solar modules rated above 550 W and a Sungrow inverter. The modules have been installed on a galvanized steel mounting structure.
Limited rooftop space and shade from surrounding obstructions were among the main challenges that the Wattsun team faced while executing the project. Wattsun designed an elevated mounting structure to improve solar exposure while allowing the area underneath the installation to remain usable.
The company also used a non-invasive anchoring system for the structure. Wattsun handled coordination with the distribution company for net metering and grid approvals.
“Our experience combined with our zest for innovation helps us develop solar solutions that stand the test of time. We are committed to delivering top-tier quality using tier-1 components to ensure optimal performance, maximum energy savings, and a swift return on investment for our clients,” said Terance Alex, Founder and CEO of Wattsun Energy.
Last October, Wattsun Energy executed a 300 kW rooftop solar system at the Cyberpark in Kozhikode, Kerala, to advance its sustainability goals and make productive use of parking and shaded areas.
To raise awareness about the benefits of solar projects, Mercom India hosts a pan-India C&I Clean Energy Meet series, bringing renewable energy developers and commercial and industrial power consumers together to discuss clean energy adoption. The next event in the series will be held in Visakhapatnam on September 24, 2026.
Arjun Joshi
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Clean energy can finally afford to be fully clean.
Clean energy can finally afford to be fully clean. Scientists have created a tin-based perovskite material equipped with a built-in defense against air and moisture, functioning much like a molecular raincoat for solar cells.
The advance is the result of a joint effort led by the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the National Laboratory of the Rockies, and partner institutions. 
Interestingly, this tin perovskites could become a promising eco-friendly alternative to hazardous lead-based cells. However, the previous iterations of tin-based materials typically degrade rapidly when exposed to air and water. This new “raincoat” solves this issue.
The collaborative team revealed a molecular redesign that gives tin-based solar cells built-in protection against these elements. It tackles the single largest obstacle preventing non-toxic perovskite photovoltaics from hitting the commercial market: durability.
“We wanted to find a way to protect these materials while preserving the properties that make them attractive for solar cells,” said Song Jin, a UW–Madison professor of Chemistry. 
With solar panels covering millions of acres, the risk of toxic leaks from damaged or discarded panels remains the biggest roadblock keeping lead-based cells off the market.
Tin perovskites possess superior light-absorbing and electronic properties, but degrade in a short time when exposed to air and moisture. 
Rather than adding a bulky physical layer over the solar cells, the team designed protection straight into the material’s microscopic structure. It all came down to atomic fine-tuning.
Song Jin and his team experimented with different halogen atoms (fluorine, chlorine, and bromine) to alter the material’s organic components. This study engineered a mixed-dimensional (2D/3D) heterostructure.
Interestingly, when the chlorinated version was introduced, something remarkable happened: the perovskite crystals packed together far more tightly than before.
That tight atomic packing acts as a molecular shield. Water and oxygen can’t squeeze inside, creating a protective barrier that keeps them out of the cells.
This structural shift improved both performance and durability. Compared to conventional materials, the new chlorinated tin perovskite maintained its integrity for months in open air. It even survived days fully submerged in water without dissolving.
Further, theoretical models confirmed the mechanism: the tight molecular structure physically blocks oxygen and water from seeping into the vulnerable tin core.
To test its practical viability, the team built working solar cells in partnership with researchers Lei Chen and Kai Zhu at the National Laboratory of the Rockies.
The devices achieved a 16.2 percent power-conversion efficiency, which makes them among the most efficient tin-based cells ever created.
After 1,600 hours sitting in dry air, the cells retained over 95 percent of their initial output. Under severe operational stress with continuous simulated sunlight at a blistering 55°C (131°F), the cells held onto 80 percent of their power after 1,000 hours.
Mostly, solar design meant choosing efficiency or durability. This material shows that companies don’t have to compromise.
“What is exciting is that a relatively small change in the material’s design produces such a large improvement in stability,” said Christopher T. Triggs, who recently received his doctorate in materials chemistry at UW–Madison. 
“It shows how designing the organic components and controlling the way perovskite structures pack together can provide powerful protection of the resulting perovskite materials from the surrounding environment,” the first author added. 
Recognizing the commercial potential of a lead-free, long-lasting solar cell, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the National Laboratory of the Rockies have jointly filed a patent for the technology. 
The study was published in the journal Nature Materials. 
Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.
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A decade ago, Karnataka had 29 times Bihar’s renewable capacity. Today it has 39 times. That widening gap is the first half of this story. The second half is that Bihar has just committed ₹1.38 lakh crore to close it with a run to 24 GW, even as Karnataka plots a run to 66 GW of its own.
Karnataka spent the last decade turning an early lead into outright dominance. Bihar spent it almost entirely on the sidelines, and is only now, in the last two years, showing the first real signs of a state that intends to catch up.
2026 renewable capacity
27,442 MW
709.30 MW
Ten years ago, Karnataka was already the country’s runaway renewable-energy leader, with 5,673 MW installed (Till March 2016) against Bihar’s 194 MW — a near-30x gap before either state’s real growth phase had even begun.
Karnataka didn’t rest on that lead; it compounded it. More than 70% of its current renewable base, 7,131 MW, was added after April 2016 alone, anchored by the commissioning of the 2,000 MW-plus Pavagada Solar Park, one of the largest solar parks built anywhere in the world at the time. 
By 2020, Karnataka ranked first nationally with close to 10 GW of renewable capacity. Today that figure stands at 27,442 MW of renewables within a total installed base of over 39 GW. An almost two-thirds share for clean hydro and renewable power.
Bihar’s decade, by contrast, was one of near-total absence from India’s renewable buildout. From a base of 194 MW, the state added just 515 MW of renewable capacity over ten years to reach 709 MW today, a number Karnataka now adds within a matter of months.
Framed as growth rates, Bihar’s 266% increase can look respectable next to Karnataka’s 384%; framed as capacity actually built, Karnataka added roughly 30 times Bihar’s entire current renewable base in that same window. For most of the decade, Bihar simply wasn’t in the race.Karnataka added roughly 30 times Bihar’s entire current renewable base in the time it took Bihar to build what it has today.
What changes the story is the last two years, in which Bihar has moved with a speed that its previous decade gives almost no hint of. The state has set a target of 24 GW of renewable-energy capacity and 6 GWh of energy storage by 2030, backed by a ₹1.38 lakh crore power investment pipeline,  an ambition that, if realised, would mean building out roughly 34 times its entire current renewable base within this decade alone.
The intent shows up in early execution, not just targets. On rooftop solar, Bihar has committed ₹1,512 crore to a first-phase rollout covering 2.5 lakh Kutir Jyoti beneficiary households, part of a wider plan to bring 25 lakh households under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana by November 2027.
On utility-scale and storage, the tendering pipeline has gone from a standing start to real activity: a 75 MW solar project with SJVN in 2026, and a 125 MW/500 MWh battery storage award at ₹4.44 lakh/MW/month.
The state’s storage ambitions trace back further than they might appear.  BSPGCL first sought developers for a 185 MW solar project paired with a 254 MWh BESS around 2024, followed by a standalone BESS procurement in March 2025. Taken together, these are the first signs of a state moving from isolated projects toward an actual renewable-energy strategy: utility-scale solar, rooftop and storage advancing together rather than in isolation.
Karnataka isn’t standing still while Bihar finds its footing. The state is now preparing a ten-year roadmap to take total installed power capacity from over 39 GW to 66 GW by 2030, with clean energy expansion central to that growth rather than incidental to it. That builds on the Karnataka Renewable Energy Policy 2022–2027, which targets 10 GW of additional renewable capacity over its five-year window and at least 1 GW of dedicated rooftop solar capacity by 2027. A deliberate push to give distributed generation a larger role alongside the state’s large-scale solar parks and hydro base.
The 2026-27 state budget reinforced that direction, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah extending a ₹48,000 crore electricity subsidy to 36 lakh farmers alongside continued emphasis on decentralised energy systems and rural power sustainability. It’s a signal that Karnataka’s next phase isn’t only about adding gigawatts at Pavagada scale — it’s about spreading renewable and clean power more evenly across the state’s rural and agricultural base, even as the larger 66 GW roadmap takes shape.
Put side by side, these aren’t two versions of the same story — they’re two different clocks running on India’s renewable-energy transition. Karnataka’s has been ticking for a decade and is now accelerating into its next phase, from an already-massive base, with policy, rural distribution and a fresh 66 GW roadmap all reinforcing each other. Bihar’s clock effectively didn’t start until the last two years, and it now has to compress what Karnataka did over ten years into the back half of this decade — 24 GW of renewables and 6 GWh of storage from a base of well under a gigawatt. Taken along with Bengal, Assam  and Odisha plsns in East India, the East has finally woken up, many would say. Opening a whole new, and much needed demand centre for India’s solar manufacturers as well.
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GREW Solar, an India-based solar PV module manufacturer, has secured a repeat order worth INR 430 crore (~ $4.55 million) from an independent power producer for high-efficiency solar modules. Under the new order it will supply G12R modules built on n-type TOPCon cell technology to the producer. The order is the second that the same independent power producer has placed with the company. GREW Solar operates a 6.5 GW solar PV module manufacturing facility at Dudu in Rajasthan.
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Farmers thought they had to choose between growing food and generating solar power—German researchers just proved that land could do both, and do it better than either alone.
By Ainura Kalau
Published September 3, 2026 · How we edit
The assumption most people carry into a conversation about solar power on farmland is a simple one: panels and crops compete for the same acre, so a landowner picks one or the other.
It’s an easy assumption to reach for, because it’s usually correct. A standard ground-mounted solar farm covers the soil edge to edge and takes that land out of production for the life of the project, which is exactly why rural communities keep fighting new solar developments proposed on active cropland.
Germany, which has pushed hard to expand solar capacity while trying not to sacrifice the farmland it still relies on, had every reason to want a real answer rather than another argument.
Most solar installations are built to maximize electricity, not to share the ground with anything else. Panels sit low, packed close, angled for sun capture, with no clearance for a tractor and no real light left over for a crop underneath. Treated that way, a solar array and a wheat field really are a zero-sum choice, and the pushback against putting panels on farmland comes from a place of accurate experience rather than confusion.
The debate usually gets framed as a values question, energy independence against food security, as if the two goals were permanently at odds and someone just has to lose.
A research team led by Fraunhofer ISE, working with the University of Hohenheim, tested a different design at a working organic farm called Hof Heggelbach, on the shore of Lake Constance. Instead of a standard low-slung array, they raised the panels on a structure with a clearance height of 5 meters, tall enough for a combine harvester to pass underneath, and kept farming the ground below exactly as before: winter wheat, potatoes, celeriac, and clover grass, rotated the way the farm always rotated them.
When the results from that first growing season came in, Fraunhofer ISE reported that combined land use efficiency rose by more than 60 percent compared to farming and solar generation on two separate plots of the same total size. Individual crops still lost a little yield to the shade. Petra Högy, an agricultural scientist at the University of Hohenheim, put a number on the mildest case: “The crop yield of clover grass under the PV array was only 5.3 percent less than the reference plot.” Potatoes, wheat, and celeriac lost more, in the range of 18 to 19 percent each. None of that offset the electricity the same acre was now also generating, which is the entire point of measuring food and power together instead of separately.
The second year made the case even harder to dismiss as a fluke. The summer of 2018 turned into one of the hottest, driest on record in that part of Germany, and researchers found that the panels stopped being a tradeoff and started acting like protection. Andrea Ehmann, an agricultural scientist on the project, said the team could “assume that the shade under the semi-transparent solar modules enabled the plants to better endure the hot and dry conditions of 2018.” Combined land use efficiency for that drought year came in at 186 percent, and Stephan Schindele, the project’s lead at Fraunhofer ISE, credited the potato harvest specifically for the jump, a full 26 percentage points higher than the already strong number from the first year.
The results aren’t a blanket case for shading every crop everywhere. Clover, which had barely noticed the shade in 2017, lost 8 percent of its yield in the hot, dry 2018 season instead of gaining anything, a reminder that different crops respond to the same panels in different, sometimes opposite, directions. Axel Weselek, another University of Hohenheim researcher on the project, was careful not to oversell a two-year pilot: the result, he said, “shows the potential for APV in arid regions, but also the necessity to carry out further trials in other climate regions and with other types of crops.” One farm, two growing seasons, and four crops is a real result. It isn’t a universal rule yet, and treating a single lake-shore field in southern Germany as proof that shading works everywhere would be exactly the kind of overreach the researchers themselves were trying to avoid.
What sticks with me about Heggelbach is that nobody there was trying to make every single input perform at its individual best. The clover took a real hit some years. The potatoes and celeriac gave up close to a fifth of their usual yield. None of that mattered as much as what the whole acre produced once food and electricity were counted together instead of judged crop by crop. I think a lot of ordinary decisions get harder than they need to be because we insist every piece has to be optimized on its own terms, when the only number that actually matters is how the whole thing adds up. You don’t need every category of your life running at its personal best simultaneously for the overall system to be working. Some parts can just be fine, as long as the combined result is genuinely better than the separate alternatives would have been.
Heggelbach’s field is still standing, still rotating the same four crops under the same raised panels, still getting measured season after season. The interesting question was never whether shade costs a crop something. It almost always does. The interesting question is what you get back for it, measured honestly, on the same acre, over more than one year, and whether that trade held up in a normal season and an unusually brutal one, rather than just the year that happened to make the best headline.
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Ainura was born in Central Asia, spent over a decade in Malaysia, and studied at an Australian university before settling in São Paulo, where she’s now raising her family. Her life blends cultures and perspectives, something that naturally shapes her writing. When she’s not working, she’s usually trying new recipes while binging true crime shows, soaking up sunny Brazilian days at the park or beach, or crafting something with her hands.
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A caesium chloride seed layer developed at the institute promotes more even perovskite growth on textured silicon, addressing a defect that had limited performance in solvent-free tandem cells.
A team at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has developed a new method for depositing perovskite layers in tandem solar cells, addressing a defect problem that has limited efficiency in cells made using solvent-free manufacturing.
Germany – HZB compound squeezes more from perovskite tandems
Perovskite-silicon tandem cells are typically built with a self-assembled monolayer, or SAM, that handles charge transport between the two materials. On textured silicon, used to capture more light, this layer forms unevenly, creating interface defects and unwanted lead iodide formation that reduce cell performance. The HZB team found that inserting a thin caesium chloride seed layer between the SAM and the perovskite promotes more even crystal growth and larger grains, suppressing those defects. First author Viktor Škorjanc said the seed layer “enables uniform growth of perovskite layers on textured silicon,” addressing defects caused by uneven coverage of the hole transport layer.
The cells were built using vacuum co-evaporation, a solvent-free process already established in industries such as OLED display and microelectronics manufacturing. Unlike solution-based lab techniques, it transfers more readily to the large, textured silicon wafers used in commercial production. Researchers say solvent-free layers also tend to be more stable, addressing one of the central barriers to commercialising perovskite solar cells.
New silicon cells take aim at the cost of space power
The cells made with the new method set a new efficiency mark, reaching 30.3 percent in the lab with 29.7 percent independently certified. The work builds on HZB’s earlier record of 29.15 percent, achieved in January 2020 and published in the journal Science. (TF)
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EkoHaul solar trailer could cut truck idling fuel costs  Commercial Carrier Journal
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Renewables developer-operator MN8 Energy, zinc hybrid cathode battery and storage system maker Eos Energy Enterprises, and tech giant Google are backing a multi-technology renewables project on the PJM grid in the US.
Announced 2 September, the Mammoth Solar project in Kanawha County, West Virginia combines 86MW of solar, 10MW/100MWh of Eos’ Z3 zinc-based long-duration energy storage (LDES) solution, and a 70MW/280MWh lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery energy storage system (BESS).
The solar project is expected to reach commercial operation in 2028, with the Li-ion BESS and LDES solution following in 2029 and 2030, respectively. 
MN8 stated that the multi-technology project fills a critical grid need by delivering capacity matched to data centre load profiles. It also claimed that it is the first commercial-scale LDES deployment in West Virginia. 
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Under the agreement, Google will purchase the energy, capacity, and clean energy attributes of the project, “advancing the company’s commitment to bring new capacity to the grids where it operates.”
The project is also part of Google’s broader efforts to accelerate LDES technology commercialisation.
In June, Carbon dioxide-based LDES company Energy Dome announced it would add a 19MW/190MWh ESS to the grid, selected through Google and Arizona utility Salt River Project’s (SRP’s) collaboration to accelerate deployment of non-lithium-ion LDES technologies. Google is also a member of the Long Duration Energy Storage Council trade association which brings together global LDES technology providers, key offtakers such as Google and Microsoft, and service providers to the industry.
Mammoth Solar marks Google’s first project that uses Eos’ Z3 technology and the first project under the previously announced 750MWh MN8-Eos master supply agreement from October 2025. 
Constructed on a former coal mining site in West Virginia, MN8 claimed that Mammoth Solar is anticipated to generate economic opportunities in a community with deep energy sector roots.
According to MN8’s projections, the development represents capital investment of up to US$350 million and is forecast to deliver approximately US$4 million in property tax revenue to the county and local schools during the initial 20 years of operation, with additional millions expected over the subsequent 15-20 years. The construction phase is projected to create roughly 200 jobs, with further full-time and part-time positions supporting the project throughout its operational lifespan.
The project’s influence extends throughout the PJM interconnection, linking new energy infrastructure in West Virginia with American manufacturing and regional innovation.
MN8 and Eos maintain substantial operations and workforces across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, from MN8 projects distributed throughout the area to Eos headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Collectively, the companies claim to bolster domestic supply chains and regional economies.
Google also announced 1 September, a 396MW power purchase agreement (PPA) with geothermal energy developer Fervo Energy for its Cape Station enhanced geothermal systems GeoCluster project in Utah, expected to come online in 2028.
Under the agreement, Google will purchase energy designed “to serve as a foundational building block “for a potential data centre in the state.
As part of the PPA, Fervo will offer Google an option to expand its offtake by approximately 600MW, for a total of nearly 1GW, by June 2030. Final data centre plans will remain subject to a variety of factors including engineering feasibility, state and local approvals, and commercial conditions.
Fervo first partnered wit Google on Project Red, a commercial pilot in Nevada that came online in 2023. It provides power to the local grid and Google’s Nevada data centres.
Following that project, Fervo signed a 115MW PPA with Google and utility NV Energy in June 2024.
In May, MN8 began commercial operation of its 100MW/400MWh Pome BESS project in Poway, California.
In July, Eos received a Golden Dome for America contract from the US Department of Defense (DoD) to integrate “mission-ready LDES supporting requirements of the nation’s defence shield.”
Eos will deploy its Z3 solution for the contentious Golden Dome defence initiative announced by President Trump, although the project’s completion within the proposed timeline, and indeed its overall realisation, remains highly uncertain.
An ESN Premium article published earlier this week examined the recent Level 3 Essential Action Alert issued by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), acknowledging that AI data centres will cause significant load swings that could jeopardise grid operation. ESN Premium spoke with representatives of flow battery provider XL Batteries, Wärtsilä Energy Storage and transformer manufacturer IONATE about order and the technology solutions that can step in and mitigate those risks, which NERC characterised as urgent.
Battery Asset Management Summit USA 2026 will be held 15-16 September in Garden Grove, California, hosted by Energy-Storage.news publisher Solar Media (part of the Informa Group). The agenda emphasises addressing the roles of AI, cybersecurity, and second-life applications, broken down into two tracks: Technical Asset Management and Commercial Asset Management. This year, the conference is also co-located with Solar & Storage Finance Summit USA. Visit the official site for more details.

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Alberta’s solar recycling program imposes a $14 environmental fee on eligible panels
CanREA says the charge is much higher than the estimated future cost of recycling a panel
The association is also questioning the fee’s timing and its impact on renewable energy costs
Starting October 1, 2026, Canada’s Alberta will launch a new solar panel recycling program aimed at keeping end-of-life panels out of landfills. However, the ‘inflated’ recycling fee under the program has drawn criticism from the renewable energy industry. 
The Canadian province plans to collect solar panels for recycling to recover valuable components such as glass, aluminum, silicon, silver, copper and other metals to be reused in new products while supporting local collection and processing capacity.
It will come at a cost since it plans to impose a CAD 14 environmental fee to each new solar panel supplied, starting next month. For a typical 20-panel residential system for instance, the fee would total CAD 280.
This money will cover future recycling costs to collect, transport and recycle solar panels when they reach the end of their lives. It prevents municipalities and taxpayers from paying the bill decades from now.  
The government specifies that the fee will be imposed on new panels when the program begins, and won’t be imposed retroactively on panels already installed.
Alberta’s Minister of Affordability & Utilities RJ Sigurdson stressed that this will protect taxpayers from future cleanup costs and keep power affordable and sustainable for generations to come.
Administered by the Alberta Recycling Management Authority, the CAD 14 fee will apply to solar panels measuring at least 1 square meter and will cover both crystalline silicon and thin-film technologies used in residential, commercial, industrial and utility-scale projects.
The program follows a solar panel recycling pilot conducted between 2022 and 2025. Alberta said the pilot was designed to examine future solar waste streams and work with industry, recyclers and communities on end-of-life management.
Under the rollout, suppliers are required to report and remit the environmental fee from next month. The program will also begin collecting end-of-life panels from October 1, 2026. Alberta plans to engage stakeholders on panel reuse from 2027 and explore investment to expand local recycling capacity.
However, the government’s CAD 14 environmental fee is too high, according to the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) that questions both the size and timing of the fee.
In a July 17, 2026 opinion piece, CanREA Director of Policy for Alberta Radha Rajagopalan noted that recycling a television in Alberta costs CAD 2.75, compared with CAD 14 for a solar panel. She argued that the difference is difficult to justify, particularly because most solar panels installed in recent years are not expected to reach end of life for decades.
The government expects more than 95% of solar panels currently installed in Alberta to reach the end of their lives by 2045, generating 72,700 tons of material.
CanREA said independent research commissioned by the association estimates the present-value cost of recycling a solar module at about CAD 5, after accounting for cost increases over 20 years and potential panel reuse. It therefore considers the CAD 14 charge significantly higher than the estimated cost of recycling.
The association has also raised concerns about the treatment of renewable energy compared with other forms of power generation. CanREA said solar and wind are the only electricity generation technologies required to pay a recycling surcharge in Alberta. This will be on top of existing reclamation security requirements for utility-scale solar and wind projects, which include recycling and disposal costs.
The association calls for greater focus on panel reuse, certification standards and collection infrastructure before imposing what it considers an inflated fee.
“Imposing an inflated, single-industry fee now, decades before most panels need recycling and at nearly three times the estimated cost, is so far off the mark that it will ultimately take away consumer choice and drive up electricity costs,” stated Rajagopalan.
TaiyangNews 2024

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London-based investment firm VH Global Energy Infrastructure (LSE:ENRG) has entered into an agreement for the sale of six operational solar photovoltaic (PV) assets in Brazil.
The solar PV assets, located in the Rio de Janeiro state, have a total installed capacity of 11.7 megawatts per hour.
Under the agreement, Energea Portfolio 2 LP will pay £5.4 million ($10.14 million) to VH Global Energy for the assets.
These assets form part of the VH Global’s entire Brazilian solar PV portfolio, comprising 13 operational assets and three ready-to-build assets. The remaining seven operational assets, contracted with Telefônica, are at an advanced stage in a separate sales process under exclusivity with a Brazilian strategic player in distributed generation.
Chairman Bernard Bulkin says the sale of these assets is a further step in the disciplined realisation of the company’s portfolio.
“Following a comprehensive and competitive process, the board concluded that this transaction represents the best available outcome for shareholders,” Bulkin says.
“We continue to progress the process for the remaining Brazilian assets with Telefônica as the offtake and will update shareholders as those discussions advance.”
VH Global Energy Infrastructure is a UK investment firm with a global focus on the energy transition. The company aims to create environmental impact without compromising on returns.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
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Shift current anomalous photovoltaics in a double perovskite ferroelectric  PNAS
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Friday
September 04, 2026
The government has launched a new incentive scheme offering rooftop solar producers a guaranteed rate of Tk10.50 per kilowatt-hour for feeding surplus power into the national grid, bolstering efforts to expand renewable energy generation and stabilise national power supply.
Formally announced through a gazette notification issued today (1 September), the initiative aims to add up to 4,000 MW of rooftop solar capacity within one year to strengthen national energy security through diversification.
The price was determined taking the cost of batteries in consideration if used in the rooftop solar system.
“Considering market prices and quotations received by the Power Division, the government has estimated the maximum generation cost of rooftop solar power systems with batteries at Tk8 per unit,” Power Division said in the circular, adding that under the special incentive, a 20% profit and an 11.25% premium will be added to the generation cost, bringing the applicable price to Tk10.50 per unit.
If a customer can install such a solar power system at a cost lower than the stipulated generation cost, the amount will be considered the customer’s dividend.
The gazette came into effect yesterday.
Eligibility and timeframe
Customers who install rooftop solar systems by 28 February 2027 and supply surplus electricity to the national grid after meeting their own consumption will receive Tk10.50 per unit.
The price will be applicable for the next three years, until 28 February 2030.
The incentive will not apply to solar systems installed after 28 February 2027.
Payment and governance
Electricity distribution companies will maintain customer information, determine the amount of electricity supplied to the national grid, and preserve records related to electricity prices, including the incentive.
The incentive payments will be transferred to customers through bank accounts or mobile financial services and cannot be paid in cash under any circumstances.
Solar panels, batteries, inverters, meters and other equipment used for installing the systems must comply with the technical standards set by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda).
Policy support for the programme will be provided through the one-stop service centre already established by the Power Division. Customers will also be able to receive assistance from district- and upazila-level offices of the electricity distribution companies.
Experts welcomed the move with some observations.
“Announcing an attractive tariff for supplying surplus electricity from rooftop solar systems to the grid is a positive initiative. However, tariff incentives alone will not ensure the success of this programme. The local grid and distribution feeders must have adequate capacity to absorb the additional electricity,” said Sakir Ahmed, a power sector professional.
He also warned that when grid electricity is unavailable during the daytime, conventional grid-tied solar systems cannot feed electricity into the grid, necessitating the use of energy storage systems.
The incentive scheme is part of a broader plan to generate 20% of the country’s electricity, or 5,500MW, from renewable sources by 2030, according to minutes of a Power Division meeting held on 19 August.
Rooftop Solar Panels / Power Division
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India plans 2-hour battery storage mandate for new solar, wind projects  firstpost.com
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Swedish independent power producer (IPP) Alight Energy and automotive safety company Autoliv have inaugurated the 101MWp Eurajoki Solar Park in Finland.
Located in Eurajoki, in the Satakunta region on Finland’s west coast, the project is owned and operated by Alight and supplies renewable electricity to the grid under a long-term virtual power purchase agreement (PPA) with Autoliv.
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The project is the first commissioned asset in Alight’s Finnish portfolio. The company’s solar and storage pipeline in Finland exceeds 1GW. The solar park comprises two sites connected to a shared substation. The project was financed with €46 million (US$ 54 million) of senior debt from ABN AMRO and SEB.
“Together with Autoliv, we have brought one of Finland’s largest solar parks into operation, adding new renewable electricity to the grid and helping demonstrate the role solar can play in the Finnish energy system”, said Warren Campbell, CEO at Alight.
Eurajoki is expected to generate around 100GWh of renewable electricity annually. The project is connected to the Finnish electricity system through Caruna’s network via a shared substation.
“By supporting the development of new renewable electricity generation through this PPA, we are taking another important step toward achieving carbon neutrality in our own operations by 2030, and at the same time strengthening the resilience of our energy supply,” said Kaisa Tarna-Mani, vice president sustainability at Autoliv.
The 101MWp facility represents 12% of Finland’s utility-scale solar capacity, which stood at 842MWp across 45 parks at the end of June 2026, according to Renewables Finland.
Last year, Alight’s Annelie Westén wrote for PV Tech Premium on Nordic region’s solar growth [subscription required], including Finland’s expanding utility-scale market, PPAs and solar-plus-storage, but warned that grid congestion and permitting delays could constrain further expansion.
Alight is headquartered in Stockholm and operates 0.48GW of utility-scale solar, with a Nordic pipeline exceeding 1GW and a target of at least 5GW by 2030. Its operations span the Nordics, alongside solar projects in the UK, Spain, Poland, Germany and Italy.
In 2024, Alight and Finnish developer 3Flash agreed to develop the 120MW Loviisa solar project, expected to generate around 155GWh annually and enter operation in 2027.

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Deliveries will begin in 2027 for three utility-scale projects in North Carolina and Texas, US.
Inox Solar Americas has signed an agreement to supply 767MW of photovoltaic (PV) modules to a US renewable energy developer and independent power producer (IPP).
The customer, which was not named, develops, finances, owns and operates utility-scale solar and energy storage projects.
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The modules will be used for three utility-scale solar developments in North Carolina and Texas. The individual capacities are approximately 71MW, 102MW and 594MW, with deliveries due to start in 2027.
Inox Solar Americas, which manufactures solar PV modules and cells in the US, said the projects would use its Vega Series bifacial modules. These are offered in single-glass and dual-glass configurations and use Galaxion N-Type PV cells.
The company said the modules are designed for utility-scale use and support high levels of US domestic content.
Inox Solar Americas president and CEO Ashok Nair said: “Our customers are looking beyond module performance to domestic content, supply-chain transparency, regulatory compliance, product reliability and long-term bankability.
“This agreement demonstrates our ability to meet these priorities with reliable, high-performance PV modules manufactured in the US.”
Inox Solar’s US manufacturing and sourcing plans are being built to comply with Prohibited Foreign Entity and Foreign Entity of Concern rules, along with domestic content, supply chain traceability and applicable US trade and energy policy requirements.
Measures cited by the manufacturer include tighter supplier qualification, more domestic sourcing, and greater visibility over components and their origin. It said the aim is to help projects meet compliance obligations and to lower supply-chain risk.
Inox Solar Americas stated that the award reflected the technical, commercial, supply chain and risk factors that developers, IPPs, investors and lenders weigh when choosing module suppliers for long-term solar assets.
The contract will serve large project pipelines through domestic manufacturing and long-term customer support.
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Controversial plans to build one of the UK's largest solar farms have been delayed further by the government, which says it needs additional time to "consider further information".
Developer Photovolt Development Partners (PVDP) wants to build the Botley West Solar Farm across more than 2,000 acres of land to the north and west of Oxford.
A decision on the scheme had been due earlier this year, before being pushed back to September 2026 by then-Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
In a statement on Wednesday, the government confirmed that its decision on the proposals would now be further postponed until 10 November at the latest.
On the latest setback, Minister for Local Energy and Jobs Martin McCluskey said it would "enable my department and other interested parties to consider further information received from the applicant".
"The decision to set the new deadline for this application is without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent," he added.
The final decision on the proposals will fall to Miatta Fahnbulleh, who succeeded Miliband as the secretary of state for energy security and net zero in July.
PVDP previously said the project was crucial to meet the UK's climate and energy security goals, and could power the equivalent of 330,000 homes.
If approved, the £800m solar farm would cover about 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) across three areas – north of Woodstock, west of Kidlington and west of Botley.
Reacting to the latest delay, the developers said it was a "common part" of the process for a project "of this scale and significance".
"The additional time will allow the department to review the further information submitted and ensure all relevant considerations are properly assessed before a decision is reached," the company said.
"We remain confident in the strength of our application, which has been shaped by extensive consultation and detailed environmental and technical assessment."
But the proposals have proved particularly controversial in the local area, with campaigners previously saying the development would harm an 11km (7-mile) rural corridor.
On Wednesday's further delay, the group Stop Botley West said the government was allowing PVDP "even more time to do its homework and answer longstanding challenges".
This, it said, was an "abuse of what should be a strict and fair planning process".
"We know that hundreds of Oxfordshire residents are angered and frustrated by the further delay and feel unfairly let down by a planning system that we've been asked to respect," the group said.
Bicester and Woodstock MP Calum Miller, who has been a vocal opponent of the plans, said the latest postponement "crystallises what was already clear: this Botley West application is full of holes and should be rejected outright".
"The new secretary of state should reject this proposal and back renewable energy schemes that deliver genuine community benefit and respect the places where they are built," he added.
The scheme aims to reduce energy costs at Fieldhead Hospital in Wakefield.
The use of solar panels and biofuel is on the rise across the island.
Officials announce the huge illegal waste dump near Kidlington has been fully cleared.
People living near the planned solar farm site in South Yorkshire will get longer to have their say.
The UK government claimes panels could help homes "significantly cut" energy bills.
Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
 

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The measure also prohibits a range of deceptive conduct, including pretending to be affiliated with a utility or government agency.
Photo Credit: iStock
A broad set of new Texas laws takes effect on September 1, and three of them could be especially noticeable for consumers: stricter oversight of residential solar sellers, expanded repair rights for device owners, and legal-tender status for certain gold and silver bullion.
Together, the measures could shape how Texans buy energy equipment, repair broken electronics, and consider alternative forms of payment.
Starting September 1, companies that sell solar panels in Texas — along with the sales representatives who work for them — must register with the state, according to Lone Star 92.3. Senate Bill 1036 also requires those businesses to carry liability insurance and actively oversee their sales teams.
Some consumer safeguards in that bill are in force. Texans who buy or lease solar equipment must be given 5 days to cancel without penalty, and any financing associated with the transaction must be canceled as well.
Texas will also become the ninth state with a right-to-repair law under House Bill 2963. Makers of certain digital electronic devices must offer owners and independent repair shops the same specialty tools, parts, and manuals that authorized repair providers have access to.
House Bill 1056 also gives qualifying gold and silver bullion legal-tender status in Texas, although private businesses and individuals still are not required to accept bullion as payment.
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The solar rules target a fast-growing industry that has also drawn complaints about aggressive sales tactics and confusing contracts.
When devices can be repaired rather than replaced, consumers can save money and keep usable electronics out of landfills. That can also reduce demand for the raw materials and energy needed to manufacture brand-new products.
Not every product is covered by the repair law. Exemptions include gaming consoles, home appliances, motor vehicles, farm equipment, medical devices, and industrial or aerospace technology.
The law also does not require manufacturers to disclose trade secrets or source code, nor do they have to provide tools that would weaken security protections.
For bullion to qualify, it must plainly list its weight and purity, and it cannot include markings that resemble federal minting.
Beginning May 1, 2027, the Texas comptroller may create or approve electronic payment systems for vendors and account holders using currency backed by precious metals stored in the state vault.
Other Texas laws taking effect on September 1 include limits on local bans on manufactured homes, authority for departments to compensate volunteer firefighters, and a broader list of counties officially designated as border counties.
Overall, the September 1 changes mean stronger protections for solar deals, more opportunities to repair electronics rather than replace them, and a legal shift in how certain gold and silver bullion can be used in Texas.
These new consumer laws land amid bigger debates over home energy and how Texas steers its power market. The articles here add context on grid reliability and the state’s growing renewable buildout.
• Across ERCOT, batteries and solar help Texas through punishing summer demand spikes.
• After completing a half-billion-dollar project, Ørsted makes massive donation to support Texas grasslands.
They show how consumer protections fit into a much larger Texas energy story. That wider view can help readers judge what the new solar rules may mean in practice.
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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Located in the municipality of Eurajoki in the Satakunta region on Finland’s west coast, the solar farm is built, owned and operated by Alight and adds new renewable electricity generation to the grid under a long-term virtual power purchase agreement (PPA) with Autoliv. For Autoliv, the agreement supports its transition to renewable electricity in the EMEA region, strengthens long-term energy resilience, and contributes to the company’s ambition to achieve carbon-neutral own operations by 2030.
The project is the first commissioned in Alight’s rapidly growing Finnish portfolio. Alight’s solar and storage pipeline in the country already exceeds 1 GW, and the Eurajoki park alone adds 12 percent to Finland’s entire utility-scale solar capacity, which stood at 842 MWp across 45 parks at the end of June 2026, according to Renewables Finland.
The facility is expected to generate around 100 GWh of renewable electricity annually, equivalent to the consumption of approximately 20,000 households. It is connected to the Finnish electricity system through Caruna’s network via a shared substation.
“Today’s inauguration is an important milestone for Alight in Finland and a strong example of what long-term partnerships can achieve” said Warren Campbell, CEO at Alight. “Together with Autoliv, we have brought one of Finland’s largest solar parks into operation, adding new renewable electricity to the grid and helping demonstrate the role solar can play in the Finnish energy system.”
Long-term corporate PPAs such as this one are becoming an increasingly common route for businesses to secure predictable energy costs while helping bring new renewable capacity to the grid. For Autoliv, the agreement is part of a broader, global climate strategy across its operations.
“At Autoliv, sustainability is integrated into everything we do” added Kaisa Tarna-Mani, Vice President Sustainability at Autoliv. “We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our operations while continuing to deliver world-class safety products to our customers. By supporting the development of new renewable electricity generation through this PPA, we are taking another important step toward achieving carbon neutrality in our own operations by 2030, and at the same time strengthening the resilience a of our energy supply.”
The Eurajoki Solar Park is made up of two distinct sites, brought together as a single energy asset and linked to a shared substation. The two-site design has allowed the project’s environmental protection measures to be tailored to local conditions at each location. One site’s biodiversity plan includes habitat restoration and improved wetland edges, while a new pond has been created at the other site to support the surrounding ecosystem.
The inauguration brought together representatives from Alight, Autoliv, politicians, local stakeholders, grid partners, financiers and project partners to mark the park’s entry into operation. The project was made possible through 46 million euros of senior debt from banks ABN AMRO and SEB.
For additional information:
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For many Europeans, this summer’s heat was a powerful reminder of the damage climate change has wrought — from illness and devastated crops to high energy bills. For Andrew Austin, a 34-year-old homeowner in Shropshire, England, the stubbornly high temperatures were a chance to make some money.
Power demand was rising as London crossed 34 degrees Celsius on June 24. Energy prices spiked as the sun set and solar panels across the U.K. stopped generating electricity. That’s when Austin knew he could take advantage of his 200 kilowatt-hour home battery, which he had charged up using cheap power from the grid during the daytime. He sold the power back to the grid for £60 ($82) from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. In just a few hours, Austin had earned about as much as an apartment dweller would typically pay for electricity every month.

All this happened without Austin having to press a single button. He has set up a computer to conduct this energy trading while he goes about his life as normal. The computer downloads electricity prices for every 30-minute period from his utility Octopus Energy, which publishes them at 4 p.m. each day. That allows him to know when electricity will be cheap to charge his batteries, and when power prices on the grid are high, the computer sells it back to the grid.
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GREW Solar secures INR 430 crore repeat order from leading IPP for high efficiency G12R TOPCon modules across India.
September 04, 2026. By EI News Network

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Nature Communications volume 17, Article number: 6109 (2026) Cite this article
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Organic photovoltaics (OPVs), with their intrinsic lightweight nature, flexibility, and low energy payback time, are promising power sources for Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) nodes. Yet, the large variation in shunt resistance compromises OPV reproducibility, especially for OPV modules operating under low-light environments, which are the typical working conditions of A-IoT nodes. This study reveals that random presence of mesoscale non-fullerene acceptor agglomeration is the primary contributor to leakage current in high-performance OPVs and demonstrates an effective shunt passivation method by applying a large, continuous reverse bias (RB) on as-fabricated devices. OPVs exhibit excellent stability during RB treatment, with leakage current flowing preferentially through shunted regions to generate spatially confined Joule heat, thereby promoting local molecular diffusion to selectively cure mesoscale shunt pathways. The RB-treated module, with an effective area of only 0.24 cm², enables the continuous operation of our self-designed A-IoT temperature sensor under a minimal illuminance of 200 lux, representing the smallest self-powered A-IoT node operating under extremely low-light conditions. Our work presents a universally applicable method to overcome the key practical limitation in OPV module reliability, paving the way towards miniaturised, self-powered A-IoT nodes.
Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) refers to an interconnected ecosystem of devices seamlessly integrated into environments that continuously provide data for analysis and decision-making to enhance daily life. Each individual device (referred to as an A-IoT node) is sustainably powered by ambient energy-harvesting technologies, among which photovoltaic (PV) is a widely adopted, technologically mature approach. Given that ambient lighting is often low in intensity and subject to temporal fluctuations (within the 200–1000 lux range), PVs must deliver superior performance in terms of efficiency, reliability, and deployability to meet stringent Quality of Service requirements^1,2,3. In this context, organic photovoltaic (OPV) emerges as a promising third-generation PV technology, utilising non-toxic organic molecules as light absorbers and offering intrinsic lightweight properties, flexibility, and a low energy payback time^1,3,4,5. While power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of single-junction OPVs have surpassed 20% under outdoor light conditions and 30% under indoor light conditions, they still suffer from poor reproducibility (wide performance statistics) due to significant variations in shunt resistance (R_sh) in as-fabricated devices^6,7. A low R_sh compromises the open-circuit voltage (V_OC) and fill factor (FF) of an OPV device, particularly under low-light indoor conditions where the magnitude of photocurrent becomes comparable to the leakage current⁸. For commercial modules with an increasing number of serially connected subcells, the random presence of shunted subcells further degrades the module’s performance under varying light intensities⁹. Consequently, large-area OPV modules are often employed to ensure sufficient power output, which in turn impedes the downsizing of A-IoT nodes for better deployability^3,10,11,12.
The shunting of OPV is a two-step process involving the thermally activated injection of charge carriers from electrodes, followed by subsequent charge transport through the active layer¹³. Interfacial-induced shunting has been extensively investigated in early-generation ITO-free OPV devices incorporating heavily-doped PEDOT:PSS layers as electrodes. Due to the lack of charge carrier selectivity at the active layer:PEDOT:PSS (anode) interface, those devices exhibit initial ohmic shunting. This can be cured by applying a short reverse-bias pulse (10 ms) to induce electron accumulation, which de-dopes the PEDOT:PSS at the interface and forms a uniform electron-blocking layer, thereby improving the rectifying characteristics of the devices¹⁴. In high-performance OPVs, such interfacial-induced shunting has been eliminated through the employment of electron- and hole-transport layers (ETLs and HTLs) with excellent uniformity and charge carrier selectivity^{13,15,16,17,18}. Therefore, recent works studying indoor OPVs primarily focused on passivating shunt pathways within the bulk of the active layer. This is usually achieved by optimising nanoscale phase-separated structures of the active layer through modifications to molecular structures, additive incorporation, and adjustments to post-annealing conditions^{19,20,21,22,23}. However, since nanoscale morphology is also highly relevant to the generation and extraction of photo-generated charge carriers, those studies often result in case-specific conclusions that lack universal applicability²⁴. On the other hand, the presence of mesoscale shunt pathways, which have been extensively studied for inorganic PVs, remains overlooked for OPVs^25,26.
In this work, we revealed for the first time the presence of mesoscale shunt pathways in high-performance OPV systems and developed a universally applicable method for shunt passivation. Impedance spectroscopy, along with thickness- and composition-dependent dark J–V measurements, confirmed that the magnitude of leakage current in the prototypical PM6:Y6-based OPVs is determined by bulk-limited, filamentary-type charge transport through Y6-rich phases. Upon applying a large and continuous reverse bias (referred to as the RB treatment), we observed significant improvements in R_sh and device reproducibility. Conductive-atomic force microscopy (c-AFM) mappings revealed mesoscale Y6-rich agglomerates exceeding 1 μm in size within shunted devices. During the RB treatment, leakage current preferentially flows through these shunted regions, inducing spatially confined Joule heat that facilitates the local diffusion of Y6 molecules, thereby restoring mesoscale homogeneity. In the meantime, nanoscale phase separation and molecular orientation remain unmodified. The general applicability of our RB treatment is further confirmed across a variety of OPV systems utilising different active and charge-transport layer materials, in both normal and inverted structures. Encouragingly, the RB treatment is particularly effective at curing shunted subcells within OPV modules. With an effective area of only 0.24 cm², our RB-treated OPV module powers our self-designed A-IoT temperature sensor under a minimal illuminance of 200 lux, representing the smallest self-powered A-IoT node operating under extremely low-light conditions. Our work significantly enhances the reliability of OPV devices, particularly in improving module performance under low-light conditions, thereby showcasing their potential as power sources in miniaturised, self-powered A-IoT nodes.
We began with a prototypical OPV system employing a 100 nm blend film of polymer donor PM6 and small-molecule non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) Y6 as the active layer sandwiched within a conventional device structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/active layer/PNDIT-F3N/Ag (details of device fabrication are provided in the Methods). As illustrated in Fig. 1a, the reverse bias (RB) treatment involves applying a −10 V bias to the ITO anode (relative to the Ag cathode) in as-fabricated devices under dark conditions for 15 seconds, during which the dark current density undergoes a fast initial drop followed by saturation. Despite the thin active layer, OPVs appear robust during RB treatment with negligible degradation in device performance after prolonging the duration to 1 hour (Fig. S1). This is in stark contrast to perovskite PVs, which show semi-irreversible degradation even under mild reverse bias^27,28. The magnitude of voltage used in the RB treatment (−10 V) has been optimised to maximise the curing effect while reducing the risk of device breakdown, as discussed in detail in Figs. S2–4. In contrast, Figure S5 demonstrates that shunt passivation cannot be achieved under forward bias (FB) treatment; instead, large FB degrades the device performance.
a The real-time dark current density extracted during the RB treatment for 15 s. The setup of the RB treatment is shown in the inset, with −10 V bias applied to the ITO electrode (anode). b Dark J-V curves, c indoor (dashed lines) and outdoor (solid lines) light J-V curves of the same device before (blue lines) and after the RB treatment (orange lines). Statistical data of devices from the same batch: d R_sh and J_leak, e PCE, f V_OC, g FF, and h J_SC under outdoor and indoor light conditions. Light intensity-dependent performance of the same device before and after the RB treatment: i PCE, j V_OC, k FF, and l J_SC. The power-exponent α is shown in the inset of l.
As shown in Figs. 1b, c, S6, dark and light J-V curves were measured for the same batch of 20 devices under outdoor (AM1.5 G) and indoor (2600 K LED with an illuminance of 1000 lux) light conditions before and after the RB treatment, labelled as ‘initial’ and ‘RB’, respectively. The dark current density (J_d) in an OPV device is composed of dark saturation current density (J₀) and leakage current density (J_leak)¹³. By fitting the exponential part of the dark J–V curve using the Shockley equation (Fig. 1b), we obtained the J₀ on the order of 10⁻¹⁰mA cm⁻² and confirmed that J_leak is indeed the main contributor to J_d, typical for OPVs with thin active layers. Therefore, we used J_d measured at −1 V to estimate J_leak and used the inverse differential of the dark J–V curve at 0 V to calculate R_sh. As shown in the statistical data (Fig. 1d–h, Table S1), initial devices suffer from a large scatter in the magnitudes of R_sh and J_leak, which compromises device reproducibility primarily by influencing FF and V_OC. Encouragingly, the J_d of the RB-treated device is reduced by two orders of magnitude (Fig. 1b), while light J-V curves become much more square-like with enhanced FF and V_OC (Figs. 1c, S6). Benefitting from the higher R_sh and suppressed J_leak, RB-treated devices exhibit better average performance with a much narrower distribution than initial devices (Fig. 1e). Compared to outdoor light conditions, the effect of the RB treatment is more pronounced under indoor light conditions (Fig. 1c), where J_leak has a greater effect on device performance due to the much lower photocurrent.
To further understand the roles of shunt pathways on key device metrics, we performed light-intensity (I)-dependent and temperature-dependent (T)-dependent J–V measurements on the same device before and after the RB treatment, as shown in Figs. 1i–l, S7. FF and V_OC drop significantly with decreasing light intensity in the initial device, as previously explained using a simple equivalent circuit model incorporating a finite shunt resistance⁸. In contrast, the V_OC of the RB-treated device strictly follows the ideal kT/qln(I) dependence throughout the measured intensity range, while FF remains almost constant due to effective shunt passivation. On the other hand, the intensity-dependent J_SC curve shows no discernible difference before and after the RB treatment, consistent with the device statistics (Fig. 1h) and results of external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements (Fig. S8). This is also consistent with our equivalent circuit modelling results, which indicate that J_SC is barely influenced by R_sh when it is larger than 100 Ω⋅cm² (Fig. S9). Recent work has also suggested that high leakage current influences temperature-dependent V_OC measurements, causing an anomalous turnover at low temperatures²⁹. Encouragingly, we found that the RB treatment can also cure such behaviour, restoring the expected near-linear V_OC increase with decreasing temperature (Fig. S7). Overall, the alignment between device statistics, light-intensity-dependent, and temperature-dependent measurements clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of our RB treatment in enhancing the performance and reproducibility of OPV devices, particularly under low-light conditions.
Next, we elucidated the conduction mechanism of J_leak in our devices via thickness-dependent dark J–V measurements. By plotting dark current density against the electric field (Fig. 2a), we observed a gradual reduction in J_leak with increasing active layer thickness. This excludes the possibility of injection-limited J_leak, which is expected to be independent of active layer thickness under the same electric field³⁰. To understand the nature of this bulk-limited conduction mechanism, impedance spectroscopy measurements were conducted at a DC bias of –1 V under dark conditions. As shown in Fig. 2b, at frequencies above 10⁴Hz, where the impedance is dominated by capacitive response, the Bode (phase) plots of both the initial and RB-treated devices merge. This is consistent with the capacitance spectra of initial and RB-treated devices, which show identical magnitudes and slopes within the measured frequency range (Fig. 2c), ruling out the potential contribution of bulk traps to J_leak^31,32. At frequencies below 10⁴Hz, where the impedance is dominated by R_sh, the phase angle of the RB-treated device remains at around −90° while that of the initial device shows significant deviation due to insufficient R_sh. Consistently, the initial device shows a much smaller semicircle radius compared to the RB-treated device in Nyquist plots (Fig. 2d). Those results point out that J_leak in PM6:Y6 devices is dominated by bulk-limited charge transport at local shunted regions of the active layer, also known as filamentary-type conduction³¹. To determine the composition of conductive filaments, we systematically varied the D:A ratios of the active layer while maintaining a constant thickness of 100 nm to monitor the change in J_leak³³. Fig. 2e, f demonstrate that the increase of Y6 content led to a reduction of R_sh and an increase of J_leak for both initial and RB-treated devices. This indicates that the Y6-rich phase functions as local conductive filaments for J_leak.
a J_d of RB-treated devices with different active layer thicknesses plotted against the electric field. b Bode (phase) plots, c capacitance spectra, and d Nyquist plots of initial and RB-treated devices at a DC bias of −1 V. e Statistics of R_sh for initial and RB-treated devices with different D/A ratios. f Dark J-V curves of typical devices with different D/A ratios.
To investigate the curing effect of the RB treatment on Y6-rich conductive filaments, c-AFM measurements were performed on initial and RB-treated devices after peeling off the top electrode and electron transport layer (ETL) using tape, thereby exposing the top surface of the active layer, as shown in Fig. 3a. The PM6:Y6 device processed with chlorobenzene (CB) was studied first (dark J–V curves shown in Fig. 3b and photovoltaic performance shown in Fig. S10, Table S2), as this system exhibits stronger phase segregation, allowing more confident assignments of PM6- and Y6-rich phases³⁴. By applying a positive bias to the PEDOT:PSS/ITO substrate for hole injection, and using a grounded c-AFM tip to collect holes that reach the top surface, our c-AFM measurement probes the difference in the 3-D hole transport network within the bulk active layer³⁵. Considering interfacial energetic alignment (Fig. S11), holes can be effectively injected from the ITO/PEDOT:PSS substrate to PM6-rich phases due to its shallower highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), while the injection current falls significantly in the Y6-rich phases with a much deeper HOMO, as confirmed by c-AFM mappings of pure PM6 and Y6 films (Fig. S12). Therefore, the increased magnitude of (negative) hole current upon the RB treatment, as shown in Fig. 3g, indicates the formation of more interconnected PM6-rich hole-transport pathways. To better visualise the morphology change, we re-rendered the c-AFM mappings (Fig. 3c, d) using a three-colour scale (Fig. 3e, f). As shown in Fig. 3c, d, c-AFM mappings of both initial and RB-treated devices exhibit bright spherical regions with local currents between 0 and −17 pA. Those regions, rendered white, are assigned to Y6 crystalline domains with a size of around 50 nm (Fig. S13), consistent with our previous works³⁴. In the initial device, there are large, interconnected low-current regions with sizes exceeding 1μm surrounding Y6 crystalline domains. Those regions, with local current between −17 pA and −34 pA (the intersection point between the current histograms of the initial and the RB-treated devices), are assigned to the mesoscale Y6-rich agglomerates and rendered grey. At last, regions with the magnitudes of local current exceeding 34 pA, which appear predominantly in the RB-treated device, are rendered black. Those regions are assigned to homogenised mesoscale phases with more interconnected PM6-rich hole-transport pathways, thereby suppressing Y6-rich shunt pathways. Based on the re-rendered c-AFM mappings (Fig. 3e, f), it becomes clear that the main impact of the RB treatment is to annihilate mesoscale Y6-rich agglomerations that function as local shunt pathways. Consistent results were also obtained when the mapping area was increased from 2 × 2 µm² to 5 × 5 µm² (Fig. S14).
a Setup of c-AFM measurement. The positive bias was applied to the substrate for hole injection, while the grounded probe was placed on the top surface of the active layer after peeling off the top electrode and ETL. b Dark J-V curves of PM6:Y6 (CB) devices without and with the RB treatment for c-AFM measurements. The current mappings (c) without and (d) with the RB treatment. e and f The re-colorized c-AFM mappings corresponding to c and d. The orange box in (e) with a size of 1 µm×1 µm is used to highlight the presence of mesoscale Y6-rich agglomerates. g The current histograms of two c-AFM mappings. The corresponding micro-PL spectra are shown in (h).
To distinguish our RB treatment from the well-known electrical annealing method, which affects nanoscale morphology and the molecular orientation, we measured micro-photoluminescence (PL) spectra on initial and RB-treated devices, which completely overlap with each other, as shown in Fig. 3h^{36,37,38,39,40,41}. This is consistent with the results of J_SC statistics (Fig. S10d), light-intensity-dependent J_SC (Fig. S10i), and EQE measurements (Fig. S15), confirming that the nanoscale phase separation, which governs the yield of exciton dissociation and charge generation, is unmodified by RB treatment²⁴. Additionally, the topography and surface potential (SP) mappings obtained by tapping-mode AFM and Kevlin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM, Fig. S16) also show no discernible difference with and without the RB treatment. Due to the large molecular quadrupole moment associated with Y-series NFAs, any change in molecular orientation is expected to result in a notable change in the SP of the film⁴². Therefore, the identical SP indicates that the molecular orientation remains unchanged after the RB treatment. Finally, optical microscopy images of the initial and RB device appear identical and smooth (Fig. S17), which excludes the potential impact of macroscopic defects, such as pinholes, on R_sh. Consistent results were also observed in high-performance CF-processed PM6:Y6 devices, as shown in Fig. S18–S21.
Based on the above results, we propose the fundamental mechanism of RB treatment, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The random presence of mesoscale Y6-rich agglomerates is the key contributor to the large variation of R_sh in initial devices. This likely arises from the much worse rectifying characteristic of Y6 than PM6 (Fig. 2e, f), due to the smaller bandgap of Y6 as well as its stronger tendency to aggregate (via face-on π-π stackings)⁴³. During the RB treatment, large leakage current preferentially flows through those Y6-rich agglomerates, which generates spatially confined Joule heat to induce local diffusion of Y6 molecules, selectively annihilating those mesoscale shunted pathways. In the meantime, the nanoscale morphology and molecular orientation are unaffected by the RB treatment, maintaining efficient photocharge generation and extraction. In contrast, the joule heat generated under FB treatment is uniformly distributed across the entire active layer, which, as proposed by Maria et al., is equivalent to thermally annealing the device at the same temperature⁴¹. In fact, the excessive joule heat generated under the FB treatment, which is over five orders of magnitude higher than that under the RB treatment (as determined by comparing the magnitudes of current flow during the RB treatment at −5 V shown in Fig. S3b and the FB treatment at 5 V shown in Fig. S5a), can degrade the device performance. Therefore, the unique advantage of the RB treatment is that it leverages the rectifying characteristics of the diode structure, allowing leakage current to selectively anneal and cure the local shunted region.
a The initial D/A network. b The molecule diffusion due to the thermal gradient during the RB treatment. c The D/A network after the RB treatment.
To assess the general applicability of our RB treatment, we applied it to a wide range of NFA-OPV systems, with different active layer materials and charge transport layers, in both normal and inverted structures, as summarised in Fig. S22 and Table S3. Before the RB treatment, all devices showed scattered R_sh values, which resulted in large variations in indoor photovoltaic performance. For BTRCl:Y6, small shunt resistance readily harms outdoor performance, so the corresponding indoor performance was not measured. Promisingly, after RB treatment, all devices showed improved photovoltaic performances, along with much better statistics. The general applicability of the RB treatment on NFA-OPV systems with vastly different optoelectronic and morphological properties suggests that the presence of mesoscale inhomogeneity within the bulk active layer is a universal characteristic of solution-processed NFA-OPVs. Therefore, the RB treatment can be employed as a standard post-treatment method to improve the reproducibility of high-performance NFA-OPVs, especially for those designed for indoor applications.
To evaluate the effectiveness of our RB treatment at the module level, we implemented it in our custom-designed OPV module comprising four 0.06 cm² subcells connected in series with a device structure of ITO/2PACZ/PM6:L8BO (100 nm)/PDINN/Ag, as shown in Fig. 5a, b. Under outdoor light conditions, the initial module shows compromised FF due to an ‘early turn-on’ in current below the built-in voltage, as shown in Fig. 5c (blue solid line) and Fig. S23a. Under indoor light conditions (Fig. 5c, blue dashed line), the initial module shows a more significant reduction in PCE due to an additional V_OC loss. To examine the origin of inferior module performance, we performed separate dark J–V measurements on each of the four subcells. As shown in Fig. 5e and Table S4, four subcells exhibit vastly different degrees of shunting with R_sh ranging from 4 Ω⋅cm² to 5.4 × 10⁵ Ω⋅cm². To understand the underlying mechanism, we simulated the module J–V curves under various light intensities using a four-diode model as shown in Fig. S24a. We set the R_sh of three diodes to 1 × 10⁶ Ω⋅cm², which is close to the R_sh measured in RB-treated devices, and varied the R_sh of the fourth diode (R_sh4) from 1 × 10⁶ to 10 Ω⋅cm². As R_sh4 decreases, the leakage current first influences the diode current near V_OC, resulting in the “early turn-on” observed in the outdoor light J–V curve that compromises FF (Figs. 5d, S24b–e). Upon further decreasing light intensities and R_sh4, the magnitude of photocurrent becomes comparable to the leakage current in the fourth diode, so it behaves like a resistor, giving rise to the additional V_OC loss observed under indoor light conditions. Therefore, our simulation suggested that the large variation of R_sh among subcells is the main cause of the compromised OPV module performance under outdoor and indoor light conditions. By applying the RB treatment to each subcell, their average R_sh was significantly increased to over 10⁶ Ω⋅cm², and dark current density was decreased by several orders of magnitude (Fig. 5e, Table S4), leading to a largely suppressed dark current within the entire module, as shown in Fig. 5f. As a result, light J–V curves of the module become square-like under both outdoor and indoor conditions, with significant improvements in all photovoltaic parameters (Figs. 5g, S23, S25, Table S5), consistent with the simulation results. We further measured the performance of the RB-treated OPV module within a wide illuminance range from 4000 to 200 lux (Fig. S26, Table S5). Remarkably, the maximum power output (P_max) of the RB-treated module maintains a nearly linear proportionality against the illuminance (Fig. 5h), showcasing its excellent reliability.
a, b The photo and schematic of the OPV module. c Indoor (dashed lines) and outdoor (solid lines) light J-V curves before (blue lines) and after the RB treatment (orange lines). d The simulated J-V curves under light intensity of 1 mW⋅cm⁻² using a four-diode model. Dark J-V curves of e each subcell and f the whole module before (blue lines) and after (orange lines) the RB treatment. g Statistical P_max of 8 independent modules before and after the RB treatment. h P_max of an RB-treated module plotted against the illuminance. i System-level block diagrams of the A-IoT temperature sensor integrated with an OPV module. j Real-time temperature monitoring under different illuminances. k The real-time transmission of temperature and location data to a smartphone. l A comparison of illuminance and the area of PV module used as power supply for A-IoT nodes in the last five years, with the demonstration in this work. Detailed parameters are included in Table S7. For fair comparison, we include both the total area of our module (1.08 cm²) and the active area (0.24 cm²). The solid line represents a constant illuminance–module size product, serving as a visual guideline.
To demonstrate real-world applicability, we employed our RB-treated OPV module as the power source in a miniaturised, self-powered A-IoT node. The power consumption of typical A-IoT nodes is on the mW-scale, often requiring panel-scale PV modules with an effective area of tens of cm² (Table S7), which constrains downsizing and deployment^10,12,44. Herein, we designed a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)-equipped temperature sensor with an ultra-low power consumption of only 4 µW. This is achieved by avoiding the use of high-consumption components, such as DC-DC converters or low-dropout (LDO) regulators, in our circuit design. Instead, we utilise the simplest dual Under-Voltage Lockout (UVLO) circuit to manage energy flow (Fig. S27), which fundamentally eliminates unnecessary circuit complexity and switching losses. The temperature sensor and an RB-treated OPV module with an active area of only 0.24 cm² are integrated at a micro-patch scale (Fig. 5i), achieving self-powered operation within a wide illuminance range from 4000 to 200 lux (Fig. 5j, S28). During operation, data collected from the device is delivered via the BLE beacon to a smartphone and synchronised to the cloud (Fig. 5j, k). The minimal execution interval of around 200 ms can be achieved for illuminance above 250 lux, while the average execution interval decreases continuously with increasing illuminance, reaching 566 ms at 4000 lux (Fig. S29). Remarkably, under an extremely low illuminance of 200 lux, at which the P_max of our OPV module (4.62 µW, see Table S5) is close to the startup power of our A-IoT node (4 µW), the node still operates continuously with a decent average execution interval of 14 s and a minimal execution interval of 12 s, as shown in Table S6. By benchmarking our results with previous works (Fig. 5l), it becomes apparent that our prototype represents the smallest self-powered A-IoT node that can operate under extremely low-light conditions. The downsizing of A-IoT nodes, achieved through the joint efforts of our RB treatment and innovative circuit design, will enable the transition from panel-scale deployment to sticker-scale deployment, representing a crucial step towards further expanding the application scenarios of A-IoTs.
Overall, our work identifies mesoscale NFA agglomerations as the primary contributors to leakage currents in high‑performance OPVs. Such mesoscale inhomogeneity randomly presents within solution‑processed active layers, leading to scattered shunt resistance and compromised device reproducibility. This effect is particularly detrimental under low-light indoor environments, which are the typical working conditions for A-IoT nodes. To address this challenge, we developed a simple yet effective shunt-passivation method, known as the RB treatment. Despite the thin active layer, OPVs remain robust during RB treatment, as leakage current preferentially flows through shunted NFA filaments to generate spatially confined Joule heat, which induces local molecular diffusion to annihilate shunt pathways. Unlike conventional post‑treatments, RB treatment selectively cures mesoscale shunted regions without disturbing nanoscale morphology and molecular orientation, making it broadly compatible with diverse fabrication protocols. Since light-intensity-dependent and temperature-dependent J–V measurements that are widely applied to study the recombination kinetics and energetics of OPVs can be influenced by shunt pathways, the RB treatment is suggested to be performed before those measurements to eliminate the random shunting effect and thereby better reveal the intrinsic properties of the materials systems under investigation. Finally, the practical utility of RB treatment is further demonstrated by our OPV module with an effective area of only 0.24 cm², which powers our self-designed BLE-equipped temperature sensor under an extremely low illuminance of 200 lux. By ensuring predictable power delivery at sub‑cm² scale while sustaining standard‑protocol connectivity, our approach advances passive labels into active endpoints and transitions OPV-IoT from pilot‑scale demonstrations toward pervasive, sticker‑scale infrastructure.
Chloroform (CF), chlorobenzene (CB), 1-chloronapthalene (CN), Zn(CH₃COO)₂·2H₂O, 2-Methoxyethanol, ethanolamine, and MoO₃ were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. 1,4-diiodobenzene (DIB) and 2PACz were purchased from Meryer Co., LTD. PM6 and Y6 were purchased from Solarmer Inc. (Beijing). BTRCl, L8BO, Y6-1O, PDINN, and PDINO were purchased from Derthon Optoelectronic Materials Science Technology Co., Ltd. PNDIT-F3N was purchased from eFlexPV Ltd. PEDOT:PSS (Al 4083) was purchased from Heraeus Ltd. All chemicals were used as received without further purification.
For conventional devices and homemade modules, the organic photovoltaics (OPVs) were fabricated with the structure of ITO/hole transport layer (PEDOT:PSS or 2PACz)/active layer/electron transport layer (PNDIT-F3N, PDINN, or PDINO)/Ag (100 nm). The ITO substrates were sequentially ultrasonicated for 20 min using detergent, deionized water, acetone, and isopropanol, and then treated with UV-ozone for 20 min. PEDOT:PSS was spin-coated onto ITO at 4000 rpm for 30 s and dried at 120 ˚C for 20 min in ambient. 2PACz (0.3 mg/ml) in ethanol was spin-coated onto ITO at 3000 rpm for 30 s after 15 s resting and heated at 100 ˚ C for 10 min in the N₂-filled glovebox. The material for the active layer was dissolved in different solvents. For PM6:Y6 and PM6:Y6-1O-based devices, materials were dissolved in CF with 0.5 vol% CN as an additive. For PM6:BTP-eC9, PM6:L8BO, and BTRCl:Y6-based devices, materials were dissolved in CF with 10 mg/ml DIB as an additive. For PM6:L8BO-based indoor devices, materials were dissolved in CF without an additive. For PM6:Y6 (in CB)-based devices, materials were dissolved in CB with 0.5 vol% CN as an additive. The D/A ratio is 1:1.2, except the BTRCl:Y6 (1.7:1). The active layer was spin-coated at 3000 rpm for 30 s and annealed at 100 ˚ C for 5 mins. The active layer, composed of PM6:L8BO without an additive, was annealed at 80 ˚ C for 5 minutes. PNDIT-F3N (0.5 mg/ml with 0.5 vol% ethanoic acid), PDINN (1 mg/ml), or PDINO (0.5 mg/ml) in methanol was deposited at 2000 rpm for 30 s. Then, the Ag electrode with a thickness of around 100 nm was thermally evaporated at 10^-4 Pa.
For an inverted device, OPVs were fabricated with the structure of ITO/ZnO/active layer/MoO₃(2.6 nm)/Ag (100 nm). The ZnO precursor was prepared by dissolving Zn(CH₃COO)₂·2H₂O (100 mg) in 2-methoxyethanol (973 µL) with ethanolamine (28.29 µL). After fully mixing, the precursor was stirred at 60 ˚C for 10 min, followed by stirring at room temperature overnight. The ZnO layer was spin-coated onto ITO substrates at 4000 rpm for 30 s in air and annealed at 200 ˚ C for 30 min. The active layer was deposited as the conventional device. Then, the MoO₃ layer and the Ag electrode were thermally evaporated at 10⁻⁴ Pa.
The current density-voltage (J–V) curves of devices were measured by a Keithley 2400 Source Metre in a N₂-filled glove box under various light sources. For the outdoor condition, a solar simulator (SS-F5-3A, Enlitech) with AM 1.5G (100 mW⋅cm⁻²) spectrum was used, and the intensity was calibrated by a reference silicon solar cell (SRC2020, Enlitech). For the indoor condition, a white LED (iwata M1 Pro RGB Mini, iwata Tech) with adjustable colour temperature and intensity was used. The illuminance was calibrated by a light metre (TES-1334N, TES Electrical Corp.). The external quantum efficiency (EQE) was measured by a QE/IPCE system (Enli Technology Co. Ltd., China) in a wavelength range of 300−1000 nm. The thickness of the active layer was measured by a profilometer (Bruker Dektak XT).
Current density–voltage characteristics were measured using an automatic photovoltaic efficiency measurement system equipped with a commercial solar simulator (LIV-1220, LightSky Technology Co., Ltd.). For temperature-dependent measurements, the devices were mounted on a Linkam HFS600E-PB4 heating/freezing stage integrated into the optical path of the measurement system. The stage provides a temperature range from −196 to 600 °C with a temperature stability of 0.1 °C. During the measurements, the sample chamber was continuously purged with dry nitrogen to minimise moisture accumulation and ice condensation at low temperatures. At each target temperature, the stage was set to the desired value and held until thermal equilibrium was reached, as confirmed by a temperature fluctuation within ±0.1 °C, after which the J–V curve was recorded. All measurements were performed under a fixed one sun intensity condition.
The impedance spectroscopy was measured by ZAHNER ZENNIUM Electrochemical Workstation. All devices were encapsulated and measured in air. During the measurement, a 10 meV AC bias was applied to the device with frequency scanning from 4 MHz to 100 Hz at the reverse bias (−1.0 V) to obtain the complex impedance of the device under dark conditions. The capacitance spectrum was derived from the complex impedance using Eq. 1³²:
where Z’ and Z” are the real and imaginary parts of the complex impedance, ω is the angular frequency, R_s is the series resistance of the devices derived from the dark J-V curve, and L is the parasitic inductance.
All AFM images were conducted using the JPK NanoWizard NanoOptics from Bruker. All samples were fabricated by peeling off the top electrode and electron transport layer using tape and measured in air. Topography images and surface potential mapping were taken through Klevin force probe microscopy on TappingMode^tm technology using the conductive ElectriMulti75-G probe (Pt overall coating, Budget Sensors) in the dark condition. c-AFM images were taken under the contact mode via the conductive ElectriCont-G probe (Pt overall coating, Budget Sensors). The 2 V bias was applied to ITO to inject holes into the active layer in the dark conditions.
The Renishaw inVia Qontor Micro Raman was used to measure PL spectroscopy with a 785 nm excitation laser. The sample was fabricated by peeling off the electron transport layer and Ag electrode to expose the surface of the active layer for measurement.
The Olympus BX60 with AxioCam MRc 5 (ZEISS) and 10× objective lens (Olympus) was used to measure optical microscopy. The sample was fabricated by peeling off the electron transport layer and Ag electrode to expose the surface of the active layer for measurement.
The four-diode model was simulated module J–V curves using MATLAB Simulink. The solar cell block was parameterized by s/c current and o/c voltage, 5 parameters. A PS constant block was used to simulate the light source. A resistor block placed in parallel with the solar cell block was used to simulate the shunt resistance. A resistor block placed in series with the solar cell block was used to simulate the series resistance. A Piecewise Linear Voltage Source block was used to generate a voltage for the circuit from −5V to 5 V. A current sensor, a voltage sensor, and a scope were used to measure the voltage and current in the circuit.
The A-IoT sensor circuit consists of three main components: the Energy Harvester Unit (EHU), the Energy Management Unit (EMU), and the Energy Utilization Unit (EUU). The EMU includes two capacitors for energy storage: a (1,mu {{rm{F}}}) capacitor, which ensures the normal operation of the energy management circuit, and a (47,mu {{rm{F}}}) capacitor, denoted as ({C}_{{{rm{sto}}}}), which serves as the primary energy reservoir for the EUU. The EMU also integrates a hysteresis comparator, a window comparator, and three switches that control the energy flow. The hysteresis comparator features high and low threshold voltages (({V}_{{{rm{DET}}}})) of 1.55 V and 1.45 V, respectively. When the voltage at the EHU input to the EMU reaches the upper threshold of the hysteresis comparator (1.55 V), switch SW2 (Fig. S27) is activated, establishing a direct connection between the EHU and the (47,mu {{rm{F}}}) storage capacitor. At this point, the (1,mu {{rm{F}}}) capacitor maintains the EHU voltage and continues to power the energy management circuit. Conversely, when the EHU voltage falls below the lower threshold of the hysteresis comparator (1.45 V), the internal control circuit deactivates SW2, preventing reverse discharge from the storage capacitor to the EHU, and ensuring readiness for the next power cycle. The window comparator embedded in the circuit has a high threshold voltage (({V}_{{{rm{thH}}}})) of 2.13 V and a low threshold voltage (({V}_{{{rm{thL}}}})) of 1.29 V. When the storage capacitor voltage (({V}_{{{rm{storage}}}})) exceeds 2.13 V, the internal control circuit engages SW3 while simultaneously disengaging SW2, thereby ensuring that power is drawn exclusively from the storage capacitor to supply the EUU. As the storage capacitor voltage decreases to an intermediate value within the high-low threshold range, SW2 is reactivated, allowing both the EHU and storage capacitor to supply power to the EUU concurrently. SW3 remains engaged until the storage capacitor voltage falls below 1.29 V, at which point it is deactivated, effectively disconnecting the EUU from the power supply. The total energy delivered by the EMU to the EUU can be approximated as follows, yielding a value of approximately 67.88 μJ:
By measuring the capacitor voltage under varying input power conditions, it was determined that a 47 μF capacitor can be charged to 2.13 V within approximately 28.9 seconds, completing a full cold start of the entire circuit. Based on the following Eq. 2, the minimum average input power requirement ({P}_{{average}}) is calculated to be 3.71 μW. Taking into account potential power losses at the EHU and EMU interfaces, the estimated minimum average input power required is approximately 4 μW.
In the EUU, the control circuit acquires temperature data from an onboard sensor. During the continuous operation of the EUU, it cyclically executes tasks such as temperature data acquisition and transmission via the Bluetooth protocol. The execution interval is configurable, with a default setting of 100 ms, and persists until the EUU is powered down. The collected data is broadcast to a mobile device. The mobile device synchronizes the temperature data with local positioning information, uploads it to the cloud, and displays it on an app. This process provides users with real-time temperature readings and location-based insights.
This mechanism ensures precise control of the energy delivered to the EUU during each cycle. Notably, the EMU does not incorporate conventional switching circuits. This design choice not only reduces the overall circuit board footprint but also enhances the integration of Bluetooth and other RF functionalities within compact devices.
Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article.
The data supporting the findings of this study are available within the main text and the Supplementary Information. Additional data are available from the corresponding authors upon request.
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Funding The authors disclose support for the research of this work from the RGC Research Fellow Scheme (RFS) [grant number RFS2425-4S05]. X. Li and M. Xiao disclose support for research of this work from Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation [Grant number 2025A1515011342]. W. Liao discloses support for the research of this work from The Chinese University of Hong Kong [grant number 3134164].
These authors contributed equally: Luhang Xu, Yuang Fu.
Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
Luhang Xu, Yuang Fu & Xinhui Lu
Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
Mianxin Xiao & Wei-Hsin Liao
Department of Chemistry and Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Ho Ming Ng & He Yan
Guangdong Basic Research Centre of Excellence for Aggregate Science, School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Wenzhi Ma & Jun Yan
School of Civil Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
Xin Li
Institute of Intelligent Design and Manufacturing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
Wei-Hsin Liao
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L.Xu, Y.Fu, and X.Lu conceived the idea and designed the experiments. X.Li, W.Liao, and X.Lu supervised the project. L.Xu. and Y.Fu fabricated and characterised devices and modules. Y.Fu conducted the EIS measurements. L.Xu. performed KPFM and c-AFM measurements. H.Ng and H.Yan help set up the photovoltaic testing equipment under indoor light conditions. M.Xiao, X.Li, and W.Liao designed the A-IoT temperature sensor and developed ViPSN (the software on cell phones that receives signals from the sensor). W.Ma and J.Yan performed temperature-dependent J–V measurements. L.Xu, Y.Fu, and X.Lu analysed the results and wrote the manuscript. All authors provided revisions.
Correspondence to Xin Li, Wei-Hsin Liao or Xinhui Lu.
The authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Communications thanks the anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.
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Xu, L., Fu, Y., Xiao, M. et al. Reverse-bias enabled mesoscale shunt passivation for organic photovoltaic modules to power miniaturised Ambient IoTs under low-light conditions. Nat Commun 17, 6109 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72623-1
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Texas-based OCI Energy and Israeli utility-scale developer Arava Power have broken ground at the site of the SunRoper Solar project, a 347 MWdc solar installation located in Wharton County Texas, about 60 miles southwest of Houston.
Backed by a 20-year PPA with an undisclosed Fortune 100 company, the installation is expected to begin commercial operations in December 2027. 
WHC Energy Services, a Louisiana-based EPC company with a significant presence in the Texas market, will serve as the contractor on the project.
“WHC is proud to serve as EPC contractor on the SunRoper Solar project, bringing our construction expertise to bear on a facility that will deliver meaningful power to the Houston region. This groundbreaking reflects months of careful planning and coordination with OCI Energy, Arava Power and our project partners, and we look forward to executing a safe, high-quality build through to completion in 2027,” said Randel Badeaux, WHC’s president of power for North America.
The installation is the third collaboration between the two developers in Texas, adding to a list of projects that includes the 270 MW Sunray Solar farm in Uvalde county and the 670 MWdc La Salle Solar facility located about 60 miles northwest of Lardeo. 
“SunRoper demonstrates how strategic partnerships can help meet Texas’ growing demand for electricity through investments in critical energy infrastructure,” said OCI Energy president Sabah Bayatli. “Today’s groundbreaking also marks the beginning of an important new chapter for the partnership between OCI Energy and Arava Power and reflects the strength of collaboration across development, financing, construction and energy procurement.”
The 1.3 GW under development by the companies represents a significant portion of the projected capacity of installations in Texas. According to the Solar Energy Industries of America, the state is expected to see 39 GW in new installations over the next 5 years.  
Financing for the SunRoper project closed in February, with ING Capital acting as the sole coordinating lead arranger, bookrunner, and green loan coordinator for the transaction, with additional support from BHI and Bank of Hapoalim. The financing package included a construction-to-term loan, a tax equity bridge loan, and various letters of credit.
Arava Power now lists a portfolio of more than 2 GW of generation capacity either operating or under development across Israel and North America. OCI Energy said it is targeting a portfolio of up to 10 GW in projects under development and management by 2028.
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Published – September 04, 2026 12:40 pm IST – Bengaluru
WeWork is a flexible workspace developer promoted by real estate developer Embassy Group. The solar plant is expected to generate approximately 15–16 million units of clean electricity annually, and is targeted for commissioning in FY27.  | Photo Credit: Shannon Stapleton
WeWork India Management Limited, a flexible workspace developer promoted by real estate developer Embassy Group, plans to develop a 10 MWp (DC) ground-mounted solar power plant in Karnataka with an investment of ₹35 crore. The location is yet to be identified.
Targeted for commissioning in FY27, the plant is expected to generate approximately 15–16 million units of clean electricity annually. Once operational, it is expected to increase the share of renewable electricity across WeWork India’s portfolio from close to 40% currently to approximately 50%, bringing the company closer to its 100% renewable electricity goal by 2028.
Nearly 80% of the plant’s output would support WeWork India’s operations, including 10 centres in Bengaluru. The remaining 20% of the plant’s output will be used for their future growth.
Karan Virwani, Managing Director & CEO, WeWork India, said, “Bengaluru is our largest market, making it the natural starting point for an investment of this scale. As we grow, we want a greater share of that growth to be powered by clean energy, but we also want sustainability to make strong business sense.’’
Building the company’s own renewable generation capacity allows it to both reduce the carbon footprint of its operations while creating greater certainty over energy costs for the next 25 years. “This is the kind of long-term investment we believe can make sustainability an integral part of how we scale, rather than an initiative that sits alongside the business,” Mr. Virwani added.
According to the company, Karnataka is a strategic location for the investment, with Bengaluru representing WeWork India’s largest market at 30 operational centres. The State accounts for approximately 30% of the company’s total electricity consumption across its portfolio, making it a natural market to drive renewable energy adoption at scale.
The solar plant is expected to enable WeWork India to meet a meaningful share of this demand through renewable power, while reducing its reliance on conventional grid electricity.
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Stephen Barnfield, a Regulatory and Insurance Partner at Forbes Solicitors, looks at whether a maturing risk profile is required for solar panels in schools.

Progressive solar power
The education sector is embracing solar technology in a move to manage both costs and carbon emissions. In recent weeks, the Department for Education (DfE) announced that a new wave of schools and colleges across England are set to save £220 million on energy bills over the lifetime of solar panels. The aim is to free up money that would have otherwise be spent on energy, so that it can be reinvested in children’s education.
According to the DfE’s July 2026 update, 245 schools and colleges already have government-funded solar panels, and 100 more will now join the Great British Solar Partnership. A further 150 schools and colleges will also be embracing Photovoltaic (PV) technology through private sector support, with a pilot programme seeing installation and maintenance of panels at no upfront cost.
It’s clear there’s progressive adoption of PV technology throughout education, but as panels become an increasingly familiar sight on school roofs, is there a danger they are being treated as a ‘fit and forget’ technology? Recent reports suggest this is a real risk, and one that could impact insurance cover for buildings, contents and business / operational interruption, as well as employer, governors’ and trustees’, and public liability.
Fire safety risks
In June this year, the BBC reported that Suffolk County Council had taken the decision to switch off solar panels at about 80 schools across the county. This came after a fire at Sidegate School in Ipswich, which the local fire service confirmed as being caused by solar panels on the roof. Thankfully, there were no reports of anyone being injured by the fire.
It’s also believed that fires at two other Suffolk schools over the last year were linked to PV panels. And in 2025, Northumberland County Council switched off solar panels on 141 of its buildings following a fire at a school, as well as a community centre. Solar panel safety issues aren’t isolated to public sector owned and managed buildings, with PV panel fires also reported across domestic dwellings and commercial properties, including a rooftop fire at a supermarket’s regional distribution centre in Peterborough in 2024.
Solar panel fire risks seem to be more commonly associated with the age and maintenance of PV technology, which should prompt wider consideration about ongoing management. Local authorities, academy trusts, schools and colleges, and insurers must treat solar panels as critical infrastructure, supported by risk management and fire safety frameworks that account for the changing risk profile of PV systems over time.
Moving away from ‘fit and forget’
Solar technology is often perceived as a relatively straightforward system, with no moving parts and low upkeep. These solutions are often positioned as long-term investments that require little maintenance to generate affordable, clean energy. Internet searches even reveal benefits such as natural rainwater cleaning panels by washing away dust and dirt, or a panel installation only needing a quick check or wash a couple of times per year.
Once installed, solar panels can quietly generate electricity for years with little visible intervention, creating a risk that they are viewed as a ‘fit and forget’ technology. Strategies and programmes must avoid this approach.
PV systems are made up of a range of electrical components, including panels, wiring, inverters and connectors, and in some cases, battery storage systems. Each part represents a potential point of failure and like many products, are subject to the ‘bathtub curve’ of reliability. Failure rates can be typically higher during installation and commissioning, before falling (the downward part of the curve) to a relatively low level during normal operation, and then rising again (upward curve) as systems age and components begin to deteriorate.
Based on reported school fires, attention seems to be increasingly focusing on ageing solar installations. The PV panels at Sidegate Primary School were installed in 2012 and Suffolk County Council’s decision to switch off panels at about 80 schools applied to systems installed between 2011 and 2016. Components can become more susceptible to wear, deterioration and potential failure as they mature.
However, risks aren’t only age-related. Solar panel problems can also be caused by faults and damage and may not always provide visible warning signs until an issue becomes more significant.

Managing the risks
To effectively manage the risks and potential liabilities of PV systems, organisations should implement a structured risk management framework based on hazard identification, risk likelihood and impact evaluation, and monitoring and inspections. The framework should cover the entire lifecycle of the installation, from design, installation and commissioning, through to operation, maintenance and component replacement. By aligning inspections and performance reviews with the expected lifespan of key assets, organisations can identify any emerging issues early to ensure systems remain safe and operating as intended.
System inspections though, should not be limited solely to component lifespans. Risk management frameworks need to also account for external factors that could affect the condition and performance of PV systems over time. These may include weather exposure, storms and high winds, as well as accidental damage. For example, school and college settings may mean that solar panels are subjected to repeated impacts from footballs or other sports equipment. There is also a possibility of overhanging trees, falling branches and vegetation growth causing damage.
Wildlife should also be considered as part of risk assessments. Birds’ nesting activity could cause a buildup of twigs, leaves and features beneath panels and close to components, potentially restricting ventilation, concealing defects and increasing fire risks when overheating occurs. Risk management should be questioning: how frequently are systems inspected, and are procedures in place to assess installations following events such as storms or impacts from falling objects?
Detailed, formalised records should support risk management frameworks, with documentation covering asset registers, risk assessments, maintenance schedules, inspections and performance monitoring, incident reporting, and end-of-life planning. This information will provide an audit trail, demonstrating accountability and helping organisations more clearly determine fact, responsibilities and possible liabilities if a fire occurs. The management of formalised records also helps to keep PV systems front of mind, helping avoid the ‘fit and forget’ approach.
Consideration needs also to be given to how the inspections are to be carried out and who is going to conduct them. Will it be in-house or managed by contractors? In either case, the activity itself needs to be managed safely, as it will inevitably involve work at height and proximity to electrical systems.
As the education sector increasingly embraces PV technology, it’s important that systems are not treated as one-off capital investments. Mindsets must shift towards managing solar panels as critical infrastructure that requires ongoing oversight.
About Forbes Solicitors:
Forbes Solicitors is an award-winning law firm, with nine offices across England that look after the interests of clients nationwide.
The firm has 64 partners and an overall headcount of nearly 400, advising on a wide range of commercial and personal matters. Offering services to public sector organisations, commercial entities and consumers, Forbes specialises in providing legal expertise in practice areas including litigation, commercial law, intellectual property, corporate legal services, employment law, business immigration, HR consultancy, insurance, property litigation, commercial property, insolvency and debt recovery, and individual services.
Forbes holds the ISO9001 Quality Certification and in its recent assessment it was described as “exceptional”. The firm is ranked as a Legal 500 Top Tier Firm and a Chambers and Partners Leading Firm, receiving 90 nominations in the latest editions. Furthermore, a number of its professionals are included in the elite “Hall of Fame” list, “Leading Partners” list, the “Next Generation Lawyers” list, the ‘Leading Associates’ list, and 36 of Forbes’ solicitors are listed as recommended lawyers. Forbes is also a member of LawPact® – the international association of independent business law firms – which supports the expansion of its national and global reach.

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Solar Power World
By Kelly Pickerel | September 3, 2026
Cypress Creek Energy’s Ostrea Solar project in Yakima County, Washington, has reached commercial operation.
“Washington’s economy is growing, and that growth requires more electricity,” said Kevin Smith, CEO of Cypress Creek Energy. “Ostrea shows how we can responsibly bring new power online quickly and affordably, while creating lasting benefits for the communities where we operate, and caring for the land for generations to come.”
Ostrea was supported by $180 million in private funds, and nearby headquartered Microsoft is the long-term offtaker of energy and environmental products generated by Ostrea Solar. The project is interconnected to the Bonneville Power Administration transmission system, adding 104 MW_DC of new generation to the region’s power system.
Cypress Creek will own and operate Ostrea for up to 40 years, and the company made thoughtful land management and environmental stewardship an important part of the project throughout its operating life. Cypress Creek worked closely with the Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), including modifying the project design to conserve approximately 275 acres of critical shrubsteppe habitat.
Shrubsteppe is one of Washington’s most diverse ecosystems, providing habitat for species found nowhere else in the state. It is also increasingly scarce, with an estimated 80% of Washington’s historic shrubsteppe lost or degraded to development and agriculture. Cypress Creek also contributed funding to WDFW to support additional conservation work elsewhere in the region.
Ostrea was also designed with wildlife corridors to maintain migratory pathways through the project area, including for Rocky Mountain elk that move through the region.
Cypress Creek’s stewardship efforts extend to the land beneath and around the solar panels. Portions of the project site include degraded former cropland that has not been actively farmed for more than 25 years and where invasive and non-native plant species had become established. During construction, invasive plants that can threaten native habitats were removed, and disturbed areas were revegetated.
The project was then seeded with carefully selected mixes of grasses and pollinator-friendly flowering plants. Beneath and around the solar arrays, lower-growing species were selected to establish healthy vegetation without interfering with the panels. Other restored areas include taller grasses and flowering species that provide additional habitat and forage for pollinators.
 
PCL Solar Constructors served as the project’s engineering, procurement, and construction contractor. Construction created approximately 300 jobs, all paid at prevailing wage rates, and included an apprenticeship program that provided opportunities for workers to gain valuable experience and develop skills for long-term careers in the construction trades. Approximately 75 apprentices contributed 39,000 hours to the project during construction.
News item from Cypress Creek
Kelly Pickerel has more than 15 years of experience reporting on the U.S. solar industry and is currently editor in chief of Solar Power World. Email Kelly.

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Nordic solar developer Alight and automotive safety supplier Autoliv have inaugurated the 101 MW Eurajoki solar park.
Located on Finland’s west coast, the park is built, owned and operated by Alight. It will generate around 100 GWh annually, equivalent to the consumption of approximately 20,000 households, making it one of the largest in the country.
The electricity generated by the plant will be delivered to Autoliv under a long-term virtual power purchase agreement (PPA) first signed in April 2025, billed as the largest in Finland’s history at the time.
A statement published by Alight explains that long-term corporate PPAs are becoming an increasingly common route for businesses to secure predictable energy costs, with this agreement part of a broader, global climate strategy across Autoliv’s operations.
The solar park is made up of two distinct sites brought together by a shared substation. Alight says the two-site design allowed the project’s environmental protection measures to be tailored to local conditions at each location, with one site’s biodiversity plan including habitat restoration and improved wetland edges, and the other featuring a new pond.
The project was backed by €46 million ($53.5 million) of senior debt from banks ABN AMRO and SEB.
Alexander Rudberg, Alight’s Head of Development, told pv magazine the company is planning to add a co-located battery storage to the Eurajoki solar park.
“The current plan is for a 30 MW/60 MWh battery system to be in place in 2027,” he confirmed.
Rudberg added that in the Finnish region of Satakunta, where the Eurajoki project is located, Alight has a further four projects under development totaling 360 MW of solar and 150 MW of battery energy storage.
“They are in various stages of development, for example one has a grid connection agreement signed and two have received approved permits,” he shared.
Additional figures from Alight put its total solar and storage pipeline across Finland at in excess of 1 GW.
Finland installed 478 MW of utility-scale solar during the first half of 2026, taking cumulative utility-scale capacity to 842 MW. The commissioning of the Eurajoki project brings the country closer to 1 GW of large-scale solar.
Finland’s largest operational solar project is the 204 MW Kalanti solar park, which came online earlier this year.
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Renewable energy company Alight has inaugurated the 101 MW Eurajoki Solar Park in western Finland. The project is one of the country’s largest solar facilities, according to Alight. Built, owned and operated by Alight, the park will generate around 100 GWh of renewable electricity annually, enough to match the consumption of about 20,000 households. Swedish automotive safety company Autoliv will access the project’s output through a long-term virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA). The project is Alight’s first commissioned solar facility in Finland. It is expected to add about 12% to the country’s utility-scale solar capacity.
UK renewable energy developer Anesco has secured project financing from Lombard for three projects in the UK. The financing covers the already operational 21 MW Woodwalton Solar Farm in Cambridgeshire; the 50 MW/100 MWh Rothienorman battery energy storage system (BESS) in Scotland, which is nearing commissioning; and the 48.5 MW Coven Solar Farm in Staffordshire, which has reached financial close. Anesco CEO Hildagarde McCarville said the financing would help move the projects forward and contribute to the UK’s energy transition and security.
METLEN, an energy and metals company with operations in renewable energy, has signed a 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Coca-Cola Tria Epsilon. The latter is the Coca-Cola bottling company in Greece. The agreement covers electricity from an approximately 12 MW solar plant in Mikro Perivolaki, near Velestino in Greece. Coca-Cola Tria Epsilon will purchase 100% of the plant’s output, estimated at about 16.5 GWh annually. The company claims to already source all electricity used at its production facilities from renewable sources. The agreement is also linked to parent company Coca-Cola HBC’s target of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Vattenfall, a European energy company active in renewable power generation, has officially opened its 46 MW Nauen Solar Park near Berlin, Germany. The project became operational in June 2026 and was connected to the regional distribution grid. The solar park has around 80,000 panels across 40 hectares and is expected to generate about 47 GWh of electricity annually. It was built without government subsidies. The project’s economics are supported by a 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Wieland Group, a copper and copper-alloy semi-finished products manufacturer. Wieland will purchase the plant’s entire electricity output, which is expected to cover around 15% of the electricity it buys annually for its German sites.
TEAL, a renewable energy company focused on developing clean energy projects, has launched TEAL Renovables, a new development company targeting the Spanish market. The new entity will focus on the early-stage development of renewable energy assets in Spain. TEAL said the country was selected because of its policy framework, growing demand for clean energy and plans to expand renewable power deployment. TEAL Renovables will work with local partners and stakeholders to develop renewable energy projects supporting Spain’s decarbonization and electrification goals.
Orrön Energy, a publicly listed renewable energy and infrastructure company within the Lundin Group of Sweden, has completed its strategic transaction with Cloudberry Clean Energy. It has now become the largest shareholder of Cloudberry with 27.01% stake. This deal, including two board positions, has created a Nordic independent power producer (IPP) with about 2.1 TWh of annual proportionate power generation, says Orrön. The latter retains the 86 MW Karskruv Wind Farm in Sweden and a European development portfolio of about 12 GW spanning solar, battery storage and data center projects.
Catalonia’s regional government, led by President Salvador Illa, plans to triple the region’s renewable energy capacity by 2030, and by 12 times by 2050 with solar power playing a major role in the expansion. The government said it aims to significantly increase the number of solar parks while accelerating renewable energy deployment across Catalonia. The target is part of its broader plan to increase renewable electricity generation and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Catalonia has over 2 GW of operational solar energy capacity, including self-consumption. Illa was speaking during the inauguration of the 300 MW Alcarràs Solar Park. It is to be expanded by 100 MW along with the addition of batteries with up to 4 hours duration.
TaiyangNews 2024

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Vertical solar specialist Over Easy Solar has installed its first vertical PV system in Ireland.
Located in Dublin, the 5.37 kW system features 21 of Over Easy Solar’s VPV Units comprised of the company’s third-generation XM-3 QUATTRO-256S, a preassembled, lightweight vertical bifacial photovoltaic unit.
The installation was installed directly on a green roof through Over Easy Solar’s ongoing partnership with Sempergreen, a Dutch company specializing in sustainable urban nature solutions.
Keelin Currivan, International Customer Solutions Advisor at Over Easy Solar, told pv magazine such installations prove that customers do not have to choose between having a green roof and a rooftop solar installation.
“The panels manage rainwater and provide thermal regulation for the roof, while the vegetation boosts panel output via the albedo effect without shading the plants themselves,” Currivan explained. “It’s a genuine case for combining biodiversity and clean energy generation on commercial rooftops, rather than treating them as competing uses of the same space.”
The installation was carried out by Irish renewable energy and electrical contractor company Solar Precision. In a statement to pv magazine, the company explained it chose to utilize Sempergreen’s green roof system with the Over Easy Solar’s vertical PV system “because it offered an innovative way to maximize renewable energy generation while preserving the environmental and biodiversity benefits of a green roof.”
“The system aligns with our commitment to delivering sustainable solar solutions and gave us the opportunity to be the first solar PV company in Ireland to install this technology as a case study,” the company’s statement continues.
Solar Precision added that since completion, the project has demonstrated that vertical solar panels can be successfully integrated with a green roof without compromising performance or maintenance. 
“As an early adopter of this system in Ireland, we’ve gained valuable knowledge and confidence in the technology, and we’re excited about the opportunities it creates for future commercial and residential green roof projects,” the company said.
Over Easy Solar’s latest expansion follows its first installation in the US earlier this year with a 100 kW vertical PV system in New York. Since then, the company also installed its first system in Vancouver, Canada.
In April, Over Easy Solar shared that its vertical bifacial PV system had outperformed a conventionally-tilted monofacial rooftop PV system in the UK across all seasons during a year-long study.
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With Lombard’s funding, Anesco will be able to support its UK projects through their development phases.
September 3, 2026
UK renewable energy developer Anesco has secured funding from financier Lombard to develop and operate three renewable sites in the UK.
Lombard’s financing will cover a portfolio of Anesco’s projects, which are all at various stages of delivery:
Woodwalton solar farm in Cambridgeshire (21MWp) is currently operational and generating renewable power.
Rothienorman BESS in Aberdeenshire (50MW/100MWh) is approaching the final stages of construction before being commissioned.
Coven in Staffordshire (48.5MWp) has achieved financial close and will begin the next phase of development.
For Lombard, the financing agreement with Anesco is part of the company’s drive to fund renewable projects which are reinforcing the UK’s energy security.
Tom Bosson, head of renewable energy lending for Lombard, commented: “By working with experienced developers such as Anesco, we can help bring forward investment in renewable energy and storage technologies that are expected to play an important role in supporting a more resilient energy system and the UK's pathway to net-zero.”
Related:EY: UK is 2nd most attractive European energy investment market, with strong renewables outlook
“The Woodwalton, Rothienorman and Coven projects demonstrate the scale and variety of infrastructure supporting the UK's energy transition.”
Hildagarde McCarville, Anesco’s CEO, added that the completion of the projects’ financing—at different stages of development—was a testament to the company’s pipeline, delivery and partnerships.
“We are pleased to be working with Lombard to move forward with these projects, which will contribute to the UK’s energy transition and energy security, while creating long-term value for our stakeholders,” McCarville concluded.
The news comes as Anesco continues to expand its foothold across northern Europe. As part of Ara Partners and Nature Infrastructure Capital, Anesco has delivered 1.3GW of solar and storage assets and additionally manages a portfolio for investors totalling over 1.3GW.
Read more about:
Catie Owen
Contributing writer
Since 2019, Catie has been writing news, interviews, client content and editing magazines. In recent years, her interest in sustainability has led her to pursue renewable energy as her primary beat. Having written primarily about solar energy and storage, Catie also enjoys covering the positive human impact of renewable technology.
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