Thanks to new state laws, Maryland and Virginia residents will be allowed to use plug-in “balcony” collar systems with a maximum output of 1,200 watts.
Marylanders can take advantage as soon as today, while Virginia’s law goes into effect on January 1, 2027.
Balcony solar has been popular in Europe for years, with an estimated four million units installed in Germany alone. Since Utah passed legislation paving the way for plug-in solar in 2025, lawmakers in 34 states and DC have filed bills to advance the technology. Nine states have passed legislation.
While balcony solar isn’t yet available in DC—more on that below—here’s what Virginians and Marylanders need to know:
The term describes small solar electric systems that can be installed on balconies, fences, or in backyards. These panels plug directly into a standard outlet and allow homes to use less energy from the power grid. The systems are designed for people who may not be able to afford or install rooftop solar panels, but are still interested in using solar energy or saving money.
“It allows people with potentially lesser means, and lesser control on their living circumstances, to actually produce clean energy,” says Mike Tidwell, the founder and director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, a climate nonprofit working in DC, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.
While balcony solar wasn’t technically illegal in the past, the new Maryland and Virginia laws provide clear rules and regulations for its use, and prohibit utility providers from banning the systems. In Virginia, landlords will be allowed to set “reasonable” restrictions on their size and placement. Maryland has no such restrictions.
Depending on wattage, balcony solar systems currently retail from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. The average rooftop solar system costs around $2.58 per watt, and currently balcony solar panels cost under $2 per watt in the US.
Bob Soule, who founded Go Electric DMV, which provides free coaching for those wanting to switch to solar power, said that he thinks as the technology becomes more popular, prices will decrease: “[When] there’s more entrance into the marketplace and competition, we’ll start to see something like what they’ve seen in Germany, where they are paying way under $1 a watt per install.”
How much a consumer can save on their electrical bill depends on the wattage of their system. For instance, when it’s sunny, an 800-watt balcony solar unit can generate power equivalent to running a fridge or some small appliances. While power bills vary from home to home, experts say that the units can save consumers between 10 and 25 percent on their energy bills.
Based on the current price of most units, Solue says, they will pay for themselves within five years.
Brett Matulis, a coach with Go Electric DMV with an electrical engineering background, says that balcony solar systems are overwhelmingly safe—and will become safer through new regulations in both states.
Though some systems currently on the market are unregulated with no safety certifications, Maryland and Virginia’s news laws specify that systems must meet UL certification or an equivalent safety standard.
Virginia will convene a working group to study and adopt safety standards for the devices before January 1, 2027.
“One of the advantages of having these laws is to set up procedures so that the manufacturers make them with the appropriate safety devices … so that the homeowner can buy these things and plug them in without having to worry about all sorts of technical details that they shouldn’t have to worry about,” Matulis says.
In Maryland, users must notify their electric company before installing a system and provide the wattage and safety certification of their device. If the device requires an automatic locking disconnect switch—which cuts off the flow of electricity during maintenance—users must install one (they retail around $100). Utilities are not allowed to impose interconnection fees, or require extra equipment from customers.
By September, Virginia regulators will publish a notification form that residents will be required to fill out and deliver to their electric provider for safety purposes.
Kits are available through online retailers, and in Utah—where balcony solar has been regulated longest—they also can be purchased at local stores. Eventually, Soule says, local retailers will offer them: “My hope is that you can go to Costco and Home Depot and Lowes and Best Buy and get these things, or order them and have them delivered. That’s what would make them go mainstream.”
Not yet. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen has introduced the Guiding Renewable Interconnection and Distribution (GRID) Act, which, along with other new energy regulations, would allow residents to install balcony solar systems up to 1200 watts. A public hearing for the bill was held in late March, but the legislation has yet to pass.
Tidwell is confident that it will. “We brought this idea to Charles Allen, he enthusiastically and quickly embraced it, and it’s going to become law with the same overwhelming support that the law saw in Virginia and Maryland,” he says.
We’ll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day
We’ll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day
Markets & Policy
Tenders & Auctions
Solar Projects
Large-Scale Projects
Rooftop
C&I
Manufacturing
Modules
Inverters & BOS
Technology
Finance and M&A
Markets & Policy
T&D
Utilities
Smart Grid
Microgrid
Events
Webinars
Interviews
Solar panels could lose nearly 45% of their output over a lifespan of 25 years
January 13, 2026
Follow Mercom India on WhatsApp for exclusive updates on clean energy news and insights
Around a fifth of the solar panels examined in a news study by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) were found to fail much faster than expected, with some likely to last for only half of their lifetime.
Researchers identified the reason behind the so-called ‘long tail’ in the probability distribution of the performance data after analyzing information obtained from nearly 11,000 different photovoltaic samples globally.
When the researchers plotted yearly degradation rates from a large global dataset, they observed a long tail of outliers in which systems performed far worse than expected.
According to the report, the typical decline across the dataset is around 0.9% per year, and nearly 20% of all samples perform 1.5 times worse than the average.
For some, the useful life is around 11 years, and they could lose nearly 45% of their output over a 25-year lifespan.
The report attributed the ‘long tail’ bad performers mainly to the cascading effect, which means that one defect triggers other failures. Also, some modules fail early due to manufacturing defects that slip past quality control.
The researchers found that there are interconnected failures, when different types of failures can interact with each other on an individual panel. The domino effect, when issues don’t just add up but multiply, can be seen as making modules degrade faster than expected.
Also, there are minor initial flaws that may not cause problems at first but can lead to severe performance degradation over time.
The researchers added that climate alone doesn’t explain the ‘long tail,’ as degradation patterns persist even when very hot climate regions are excluded.
Shukla Poddar, a co-author of the paper, said: “A subset of the data shows information specifically related to solar modules in very hot climates, which we know causes higher degradation.”
“However, in other climates, when those hot regions are being excluded from the analysis, we see a similar long-tail pattern in the probability distribution of performance degradation rate. This suggests that the issue is consistent regardless of where the panels are operating.”
The researchers added that even if 20% are bad outliers, a utility-scale project has thousands of modules, and the ‘long tail’ becomes a major financial and energy-yield risk.
The report adds that current tests are not enough, as real-world operations involve many interacting features, so the industry needs better testing standards and more real-world data from large farms to reduce these surprise failures.
In 2025, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE found that ultraviolet tests rate degradation of TOPCon solar modules significantly higher than performance reduction in real-life conditions. The research shows that common UV tests can significantly exaggerate the degradation effect.
Earlier this year, researchers from UNSW and the Chinese solar module manufacturer LONGi found that the rear side of TOPCon cells, particularly the silicon nitride layer, is prone to chemical degradation when exposed to sodium-based salts, leading to a significant loss of open-circuit voltage.
Rakesh Ranjan
RELATED POSTS
© 2026 by Mercom Capital Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Molecular Dipole Buffer Layer Enabling Compact Interfaces in Perovskite Solar Cells | ACS Energy Letters ACS Publications
source
Construction has begun on the Turner River Solar Farm, one of the largest off-grid solar energy projects to be built in Australia. The project is being developed together with a large-scale battery system in the Turner River region of Western Australia.
Iron ore miner Fortescue is accelerating its green infrastructure investments as it aims to achieve its “real zero” emissions target by 2030. The Turner River project represents the company’s largest solar energy investment to date.
The Turner River Solar Farm will have an installed capacity of 690 megawatts (MW) and is expected to become the largest solar power plant in Western Australia. In terms of capacity, it will rank behind only Acen Renewables’ 720 MW New England Solar Farm in New South Wales.
Fortescue is also building an integrated battery system with a capacity of 74 MW and 650 MWh, providing eight hours of storage. The system is expected to operate in conjunction with the existing 190 MW solar facility at the Cloudbreak mine in Mulga Downs.
Renewable energy investments and grid transformation
According to data from the Clean Energy Council, wind and solar energy continue to account for an increasing share of Australia’s electricity generation, while slow approval processes and declining investment levels are affecting the pace of the transition.
It was reported that financing was completed for only 2.3 GW of new renewable energy capacity in 2025, representing a 46% decline compared to the previous year. Clean Energy Council CEO Jackie Trad stated that the energy system is undergoing its most significant transformation in the past 50 years.
Trad noted that the share of renewable energy in electricity generation is increasing and that Australia is among the world leaders in large-scale battery storage capacity, but emphasized that the slowdown in investment activity is noteworthy.
Digital twin technology gains importance in energy grids
It was noted that digital twin technology is being increasingly adopted in next-generation energy grids, with these systems creating digital replicas of substations and transmission lines to support operational decision-making processes.
Paul King, Industry Strategy Director at Bentley Systems, stated that digital twin technology has significant potential but that there is considerable misunderstanding and hype surrounding the concept in the market.
It was reported that some energy companies in Australia have achieved approximately 50% reductions in design costs and up to 80% reductions in site visits through the use of digital twin applications. The technology has also been cited as playing an important role in the transition from reactive maintenance to predictive maintenance models.
Add your favorite commodities for quick access and don’t miss the latest price change news.
Iron and Steel Indices, Price and News
Sitemizden en iyi şekilde faydalanabilmeniz için çerezler kullanılmaktadır. Bu siteye giriş yaparak çerez kullanımını kabul etmiş sayılıyorsunuz.
Daha fazla bilgi için
World Video | Defence | Foreign Affairs | Natural Events | Trade | NZ in World News | NZ National News Video | NZ Regional News | © Scoop Media
Scoop is free for personal use, but you”ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.
Join Pro Individual Find out more
The 2025 Congo Basin Assessment Report developed by the SPCB provides the most comprehensive regional scientific assessment to date of the Congo Basin, a system of global importance for climate regulation, biodiversity, and sustainable development.
MSF reiterates its calls on Israeli authorities to guarantee the protection of civilians, medical and rescue personnel, and health facilities, says Jeremy Ristord, MSF Head of Mission in Lebanon.
Over the past four decades, our global network has grown into a movement comprising over 600 autonomous civil society organisations, institutions, grassroots communities & individuals in more than 90 countries, and has achieved meaningful progress.
Whether a small island nation protects its coral reefs to buffer storm surges or a continental power preserves vast grasslands to ensure food security, every action tracked by NCI 2025 is a step toward a more resilient future.
As testimonies from the 428 participants illegally kidnapped by the israeli regime continue to surface, the United States critical role in the abuses and torture of humanitarian volunteers and journalists has become undeniable.
UNICEF is continuing to scale up emergency efforts to protect children and families affected by the Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Get started today with a free trial
Frank Jossi//June 1, 2026//
Workers install a solar array on the roof of Every Meal’s warehouse in Roseville. (Submitted photo: Every Meal)
Sustainable: Community bank leans Into sustainability
Workers install a solar array on the roof of Every Meal’s warehouse in Roseville. (Submitted photo: Every Meal)
Frank Jossi//June 1, 2026//
Every Meal recently installed a solar project that went live in May at its 70,000-square-foot Roseville warehouse with financing from Sunrise Banks.
The provider of weekend meals for more than 13,000 disadvantaged children throughout Minnesota used a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) loan of $274,000 to finance the solar project. Every Meal President Rob Williams said Sunrise Banks had one of the few C-PACE programs that fit the organization’s needs and values.
“I don’t even know how many people do C-PACE loans,” Williams said. “There’s only a handful of banks. We worked with [Sunrise] and it was very smooth. I would say there was a values alignment. They are also a nonprofit that’s focused on the community.”
Commercial sustainability is prominently featured in Sunrise Banks’ mission, with a website touting “eco-friendly banking” and a long list of clients focused on socially responsible enterprises served through four branches in the Twin Cities and one in Sioux Falls, S.D. The bank, with $2.1 billion in assets, has made eliminating carbon part of its DNA.
Under the leadership of the Reiling family, the bank in 2001 was the first in Minnesota to be certified as a Community Development Financial Institution, a designation given to organizations focused on helping low-income communities.
A few years later, in 2009, Sunrise earned another first by becoming Minnesota’s first “Certified B Corporation,” which requires high performance in environmental sustainability, governance, worker treatment, and positive impact on communities. Sunrise joined the Global Alliance for Banking on Values in 2011, which involves measuring emissions as part of a commitment to social and economic development. Sunrise’s CEO and chairman, David Reiling, also chairs the global alliance.
Reiling has led the bank to focus on reducing carbon, including “a commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 in alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement,” said Laura Wildenborg, vice president of strategic lending. As part of its net zero 2050 goal, Sunrise continues, as it has for the past six years, to track its own carbon emissions and those of clients. A recent impact report shows the bank’s financed emissions dropped 6.7% and its purchased energy emissions plummeted 19% from 2024 to 2025.
Some of the client emission decreases can be attributed to green financing programs targeting green buildings, energy efficiency improvements, infrastructure, electric vehicle purchases, and renewable energy. Those fall programs fall under Sunrise’s “Net Zero Banking” effort, which allows customers to place their money in net-zero deposits and clients to apply for net zero financing.
“With net zero deposits, if you put your money into a checking, savings or certificates of deposit, you get to know you get to know your money is going towards projects that reduce or avoid carbon emissions,” she said.
The bank used more than $7.4 million in net zero deposits in 2025 to fund low-carbon projects. The deposits often go to fund projects in Sunrise’s Net Zero Financing program, which offers loans for energy-efficient commercial and nonprofit projects. That program has lent more than $20 million. “What’s really important is that [the project] reduces or avoids carbon emissions, so that’s how it differs from normal commercial loans,” she said.
Clients “have to go through a lot of hoops” to obtain information on projects. Still, many eco-friendly businesses and nonprofits do so willingly, in part because of the potential for a lower interest rate. In the past two years, the net zero deposit program helped finance the following projects: Solstice Apartments in Minneapolis, a passive home-designed building with 23 low-carbon footprint units; 2441 Arts in St. Paul, home to Film North; Firefly in Minneapolis, another low-carbon building.
Colin Oglesbay, the principal at D/O Architects, purchased 2441 Arts with Film North around three years ago. Having collaborated with Sunrise on smaller projects, he liked the option of having Sunrise create a package featuring a $6 million New Markets Tax Credit, a $400,000 Net Zero Financing loan, and a much smaller C-PACE loan for a solar project. It made sense to use a Sunrise because it had long experience working with nonprofits and this development included one in Film North, Oglesbay said.
The 100-year-old Clarence Johnston-designed building has many sustainability features and a solar installation that will help 2241 Arts cover 70% of its energy needs. “I think they’re more creative with their financing” than other banks, he said. “Sunrise was a no-brainer in a lot of ways, because they’re geared towards more community-oriented development.”
Wildenborg noted that Sunrise offers traditional business financing, as well as small-business and personal banking services. The Net Zero Banking product is another important offering, as it aligns with Sunrise’s carbon savings goals.
For now, Net Zero Banking is for commercial clients, but that could change. The bank hired a New York-based graduate school to research which products would serve residential clients seeking clean energy solutions. One idea from the study is that Sunrise could partner with contractors to provide financing to help customers who want clean energy solutions and need them quickly, after their furnace or air conditioner has failed and needs to be replaced.
Wildenborg doesn’t know whether or when that program will come to market, but she’s ready if it does. “It’s something I want to do,” she said.
Looking back on her career, Wildenborg confessed that numbers did not come naturally. After graduating in environmental studies, she spent a decade as a Red Wing outdoor educator and sea kayak guide before earning a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas. She found a home at Sunrise during an internship at the bank.
“Sustainability has been foundational to my work, and I see climate change as our major issue that we need to focus on, because focusing on that will help with a lot of the other environmental issues that we are dealing with,” Wildenborg said.
Share this!
St. Paul leads Minnesota geothermal growth as schools and developers deploy aquifer-based heating and cooling […]
May 4, 2026
Geothermal and aquifer thermal systems are expanding in Minnesota as building owners cut costs, boost efficien[…]
April 6, 2026
St. Paul startup Green Home Club uses AI to guide Minnesota homeowners on energy upgrades, cutting carbon emis[…]
March 2, 2026
Minneapolis microgrid and resiliency hub projects using solar and battery storage could be completed this year[…]
February 2, 2026
Minneapolis-based CleanCounts, formerly M-RETS, has grown into North America’s largest clean energy certific[…]
January 5, 2026
McKnight Foundation’s new Minneapolis HQ features Minnesota’s first thermal energy storage system, showcas[…]
December 1, 2025
Sign up for your daily digest of Minnesota News.
See the full list of events here
U.S. job growth rebounds by most in 15 months
4/3/2026
Rogers approves TIF for 181-unit apartment redevelopment
3/12/2026
Aeon withdraws from Minneapolis Kmart site RFP
3/12/2026
Veriton pays $72M for Twin Cities retail strip mall portfolio
3/11/2026
Minnesota energy code debate tied to rising home costs
3/11/2026
Affordable housing properties are changing hands across the Twin Cities as investors pursue aging as[…]
A Dakota County judge ruled Lakeville’s environmental review of the Olam property was adequate, reje[…]
U.S. construction spending increased more than expected in April, boosted by single-family homebuild[…]
Sunrise Banks expands net-zero financing in Minnesota, funding solar, energy-efficient and low-carbo[…]
Jerome Powell warns that political pressure on the Federal Reserve could undermine public trust as h[…]
Alphabet, Amazon and other Big Tech firms are raising record debt in global bond markets to finance […]
U.S. manufacturing activity surged to a four-year high in May as AI spending and front-loaded orders[…]
GE Appliances is reshoring production from China to Kentucky, creating jobs and investing in U.S. ma[…]
Proposed federal student aid rules could strip funding from college programs with low graduate earni[…]
A Mankato Motel 6 could be converted into 63 affordable housing units for elderly and disabled resid[…]
C-Level and Leadership Awards 2026
5/8/2026
Finance & Commerce announces Top Projects of 2025
5/6/2026
In the Lead: Best Startup Businesses 2026
3/24/2026
Top Women in Construction 2026
3/9/2026
Beyond the Skyline is a podcast and video interview about economic development, real estate and construction in Minnesota.
Listen here
Finance & Commerce provides news, analysis and commentary on Minnesota business. We are the only independent daily newspaper dedicated to business reporting.
Get our free e-alerts & breaking news notifications!
Subscribe for access to the latest digital and special editions.
© 2026 BridgeTower Media. All rights reserved.
Use of this website is subject to its Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy
This website uses cookies, web beacons, pixels, tags, software development kits, and related tracking technologies, as described in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, for purposes that may include website operation, analytics, analyzing site usage, enhancing site navigation optimizing a user’s experience, and third-party advertising or marketing purposes. Through these technologies, we and certain third parties may automatically collect information about your interactions with our website, such as your browsing behavior and page views. We also may share this information about your activity on our website with our social media, advertising, analytics, and other business partners. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of these technologies and that we can share information about your activity on our website with third parties in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. If you do not agree with our use of non-essential tracking technologies, please click “Reject All.” You may opt out of certain non-essential technologies by clicking “Cookie Settings.”
Solar Energy
The floating solar platform Paiporta was launched into the sea in Vigo, Spain, on May 18, 2026, to test a technology that combines bifacial panels, floating modules, and renewable generation in coastal and port areas.
Developed by BlueNewables, a company based in Tenerife, the PV-bos solution, acronym for PhotoVoltaic-BlueNewables Offshore Solutions, was designed to operate in the maritime environment. The structure left the San Enrique shipyard facilities after a hoisting maneuver with large cranes.
In the coming weeks, engineers are expected to complete commissioning and final preparations. After that, the platform will be towed to Valencia, where it will undergo operational validation in open sea.
Solar energy covered rooftops and deserts, but now it’s preparing a mountain of old glass: up to 78 million tons of photovoltaic panels could become waste by 2050 as the world races to recycle the shiny skin of the energy transition.
Solar energy should lead the planet by 2035, but artificial intelligence keeps fossil fuels alive.
Solar panels at sea can generate up to 12% more energy than land-based plants, study finds: Researchers from Taiwan discovered that offshore solar panels take advantage of the natural cooling of water to increase electrical efficiency, reduce heat losses, and expand renewable energy production in regions with limited available land space.
The era of solar panels attached to roofs is beginning to change with transparent glass that generates energy while keeping the view unobstructed, and perovskite photovoltaic windows already tested in offices in Japan promise to transform entire facades into invisible power plants without blocking light or altering the appearance of buildings.
The project targets a growing problem of solar expansion: competition for available land areas. By bringing photovoltaic generation to coastal waters and port zones, the company attempts to utilize underused marine spaces.
The floating solar platform uses bifacial solar panels and modular structures. The proposal also paves the way for hybrid systems, as BlueNewables assesses that such platforms can operate alongside offshore floating wind farms, sharing infrastructure and expanding generation in a single location.
The name Paiporta honors the victims of the DANA storm, which hit the Valencian Community on October 29, 2024. The disaster left 223 dead and displaced 15,000 residents, making the municipality a symbol of the tragedy.
For the San Enrique Shipyard, the launch also represents an opportunity for the Spanish naval industry to enter the renewables sector. The project received support from IDAE, through the RENMARINAS program, in addition to collaboration from SOERMAR and the shipyard itself.
The stage in Valencia will indicate how the system behaves outside the controlled environment of the shipyard.
Journalist specializing in a wide variety of topics, such as cars, technology, politics, naval industry, geopolitics, renewable energy, and economics. Active since 2015, with prominent publications on major news portals. My background in Information Technology Management from Faculdade de Petrolina (Facape) adds a unique technical perspective to my analyses and reports. With over 10,000 articles published in renowned outlets, I always aim to provide detailed information and relevant insights for the reader.
© 2026 Click Petróleo e Gás – All rights reserved
US: +1 (888) 690-5999 (Toll-Free)
UK: +44 8083 023308 (Toll-Free)
Most Efficient Solar Panels Market
Download FREE Sample Report
Global Leaders in Strategy and Innovation Rely on Our Expertise to Seize Growth Opportunities
Our Research is the Cornerstone of 1000 Firms to Stay in the Lead
1000 Top Companies Partner with Us to Explore Fresh Revenue Channels
Download Free Sample to learn more about this report The global most efficient solar panels market size is forecasted to be worth USD 27.21 Billion in 2026, expected to achieve USD 70.93 Billion by 2035 with a CAGR of 11.23% during the forecast from 2026 to 2035.
I need the full data tables, segment breakdown, and competitive landscape for detailed regional analysis and revenue estimates.
The Most Efficient Solar Panels Market is characterized by rapid advancements in photovoltaic (PV) cell efficiency, with top-tier modules achieving conversion efficiencies exceeding 23%, compared to 18%–20% in earlier stages. Over 72% of manufacturers are focusing on monocrystalline silicon technology due to its higher efficiency levels. Around 64% of newly installed solar systems globally utilize high-efficiency panels, while 58% of R&D investments are directed toward heterojunction (HJT) and TOPCon technologies. Approximately 49% of utility-scale projects prioritize panels with efficiency above 21%, and nearly 37% of residential installations demand premium high-efficiency modules for limited rooftop space optimization.
The USA Most Efficient Solar Panels Market accounts for nearly 19% of global installations, with over 78 GW of solar capacity installed using high-efficiency modules. Approximately 67% of residential solar adopters prefer panels with efficiency ratings above 20%. Commercial sector adoption stands at 59%, while utility-scale projects contribute 71% of high-efficiency deployments. Around 62% of solar panel imports into the USA consist of advanced monocrystalline modules. Additionally, 54% of domestic manufacturers are investing in next-generation technologies such as bifacial panels and TOPCon cells, improving energy yield by 11%–18% compared to conventional systems.
The Most Efficient Solar Panels Market Trends indicate a strong shift toward next-generation technologies, with over 66% of new product launches in 2024 incorporating TOPCon or HJT cells. Efficiency levels have increased by 3%–5% over the last three years, with leading panels reaching 23.5% efficiency. Around 71% of manufacturers are focusing on bifacial modules, which can increase energy generation by 10%–20% depending on installation conditions. Additionally, 62% of solar developers are prioritizing panels with lower degradation rates, averaging 0.3% annually compared to 0.5% in older models. Approximately 58% of installations now include smart monitoring systems to optimize output. The adoption of larger wafer sizes (M10 and G12) has increased by 54%, improving module power output by 15%–25%.
Furthermore, 47% of global solar projects now integrate energy storage systems, enhancing the value of high-efficiency panels. Around 52% of residential users prefer compact, high-efficiency modules due to space constraints. Sustainability trends are also rising, with 44% of manufacturers adopting recyclable materials and reducing carbon footprints by 18%–22% during production processes.
Download Free Sample to learn more about this report By type, the market is segmented into monocrystalline, thin-film, and polycrystalline.
Based on application, the market is classified into transportation, technology, heating, lighting, and others.
Rising demand for high energy output in limited space
The demand for high-efficiency solar panels is driven by increasing energy needs and limited installation space, with 73% of urban installations requiring panels above 20% efficiency. Approximately 69% of commercial buildings prefer high-efficiency modules to maximize rooftop utilization. Utility-scale projects report 64% higher land optimization when using advanced panels. Additionally, 58% of governments are promoting high-efficiency technologies through incentives, leading to a 41% increase in adoption rates. The shift toward electrification has also contributed, with 62% of new energy projects integrating solar systems with efficiency above 21%.
High manufacturing and installation costs
High-efficiency solar panels involve advanced materials and processes, resulting in 28%–35% higher production costs compared to conventional panels. Around 61% of buyers consider initial investment a key barrier. Supply chain disruptions have affected 52% of manufacturers, while 48% face challenges due to fluctuating polysilicon prices. Installation costs are also 18%–25% higher due to specialized mounting systems. Additionally, 44% of small-scale buyers prefer lower-cost alternatives, limiting market penetration of premium high-efficiency modules in cost-sensitive regions.
Technological advancements in photovoltaic cells
Opportunity
Technological innovation presents significant opportunities, with 67% of R&D investments focused on next-generation solar cells. TOPCon technology adoption has increased by 63%, while HJT adoption stands at 57%. These technologies improve efficiency by 2%–4% compared to traditional panels. Around 54% of manufacturers are developing tandem solar cells capable of exceeding 25% efficiency. Emerging markets contribute 49% of new installation demand, creating growth opportunities. Additionally, 46% of solar projects now integrate AI and IoT for performance optimization, enhancing overall system efficiency.
Supply chain and raw material constraints
Challenge
Supply chain challenges impact 59% of manufacturers, with silicon shortages affecting 51% of production capacity. Logistics disruptions have increased delivery times by 22%–30%. Approximately 47% of companies report dependency on limited suppliers for critical components. Trade restrictions influence 39% of global shipments, while 42% of manufacturers face cost volatility in raw materials. Recycling inefficiencies also pose challenges, with only 33% of panels being recycled effectively, leading to sustainability concerns.
Download Free Sample to learn more about this report North America holds around 19% of the Most Efficient Solar Panels Market Share, with the United States contributing 81% and Canada 19%. About 67% of installations use panels with efficiency above 20%, highlighting strong demand for high-performance modules. Utility-scale projects account for 71% of total demand, while residential installations contribute 22%. Nearly 59% of commercial buildings have adopted high-efficiency panels to reduce energy costs. Government incentives support approximately 53% of projects, and around 48% of installations integrate energy storage systems. Technological adoption is high, with 61% of installations utilizing advanced modules such as bifacial panels.
Europe holds approximately 24% of the Most Efficient Solar Panels Market, with Germany, Spain, and France contributing 62% of regional demand. Around 64% of installations deploy high-efficiency panels, reflecting strong adoption across the continent. Residential solar adoption stands at 57%, while commercial projects account for 28% of deployments. Nearly 52% of solar projects integrate smart grid technologies to improve energy management and reliability. Sustainability initiatives drive approximately 49% of installations, and 46% of manufacturers focus on recyclable materials. Efficiency improvements of 3%–4% have been achieved across new installations. Government incentives support 51% of projects, enhancing market growth and adoption.
Asia-Pacific dominates the Most Efficient Solar Panels Market with a 46% share, led by China, India, and Japan, which contribute 78% of regional demand. Approximately 72% of global solar manufacturing capacity is based in this region. Around 69% of installations utilize monocrystalline panels, while utility-scale projects account for 74% of total demand. Residential installations contribute 18% of deployments. Government policies support 61% of solar projects, and 58% of manufacturers invest in advanced technologies like bifacial and HJT panels. Efficiency improvements of 4%–6% have driven rapid adoption across industrial and residential sectors. Nearly 55% of new projects integrate energy storage systems to optimize output.
The Middle East & Africa region holds roughly 11% of the market, with 63% of installations concentrated in the Middle East. About 57% of projects use high-efficiency panels to maximize energy output under high-temperature conditions. Utility-scale projects represent 68% of total regional demand, while residential and commercial installations make up the remainder. Approximately 49% of projects receive government support or incentives. Efficiency gains of 2%–3% have been achieved through advanced cooling and panel design technologies. Africa accounts for 37% of regional demand, with 44% of projects focusing on off-grid and remote solar solutions. Technological adoption, including bifacial and lightweight panels, is increasing across the region.
The Most Efficient Solar Panels Market Opportunities are expanding rapidly, with 67% of global investments directed toward advanced photovoltaic technologies. Approximately 61% of funding is allocated to monocrystalline and TOPCon production facilities. Private sector investments account for 58% of total funding, while government incentives contribute 42%. Around 54% of investors focus on utility-scale projects due to higher efficiency gains. Emerging markets attract 49% of new investments, driven by increasing energy demand.
Additionally, 46% of venture capital funding is directed toward innovative solar technologies such as tandem cells. Manufacturing capacity expansion has increased by 38% over the past two years. Approximately 52% of companies are investing in automation to improve production efficiency by 20%–30%. Energy storage integration projects account for 44% of investments, enhancing the value of high-efficiency panels. The rise of green energy policies supports 57% of new investment initiatives globally.
New Product Development in the Most Efficient Solar Panels Market is focused on increasing efficiency beyond 23%, with 63% of manufacturers launching advanced modules between 2023 and 2025. TOPCon technology adoption has reached 68%, while HJT technology stands at 59%. Approximately 54% of new products feature bifacial designs, increasing energy generation by 12%–20%.
Around 47% of innovations focus on reducing degradation rates to below 0.3% annually. Lightweight panel designs have improved by 28%, enhancing installation flexibility. Approximately 51% of manufacturers are developing panels with integrated smart monitoring systems. Tandem solar cells are emerging, with efficiency potential exceeding 25%, and 43% of companies are investing in this technology. Sustainability improvements are also significant, with 46% of new products using recyclable materials. Manufacturing emissions have been reduced by 18%–22% through process optimization. Approximately 49% of companies are focusing on durability improvements, extending panel lifespan to over 30 years.
The Most Efficient Solar Panels Market Report provides comprehensive insights into market size, share, trends, and industry analysis, covering over 25 countries and 90% of global installations. The report evaluates 30+ manufacturers and analyzes 70% of production capacity concentrated in key regions. Approximately 65% of the report focuses on technological advancements, including TOPCon, HJT, and bifacial modules. It includes segmentation analysis covering 100% of major panel types and applications, with 72% emphasis on monocrystalline technology. Regional analysis accounts for 46% Asia-Pacific share, 24% Europe, 19% North America, and 11% Middle East & Africa. The report also examines 50+ investment projects and 40+ new product developments.
Additionally, 58% of the report content focuses on market dynamics, including drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges. It provides insights into 35% of emerging trends shaping the industry. The study also evaluates supply chain dynamics affecting 59% of manufacturers and highlights sustainability initiatives adopted by 44% of companies.
Market Size Value In
US$ 27.21 Billion in 2026
Market Size Value By
US$ 70.93 Billion by 2035
Growth Rate
CAGR of 11.23% from 2026 to 2035
Forecast Period
2026-2035
Base Year
2025
Historical Data Available
Yes
Regional Scope
Global
Segments Covered
By Type
By Application
The global most efficient solar panels market is expected to reach USD 70.93 billion by 2035.
The global most efficient solar panels market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 11.23% by 2035.
By type, the most efficient solar panels market is segmented into monocrystalline, thin-film, and polycrystalline. Based on application, the market is classified into transportation, technology, heating, lighting, and others.
Rising price of electricity to offer various growth opportunities and various applications of solar energy to cater to the market growth are the factors driving the most efficient solar panels market.
Thank you for your interest in the
” “
To receive a sample report, please provide the following details:
Are you interested in exploring our consulting services?
I want to learn more about:
Office No.- B, 2nd Floor, Icon Tower, Baner-Mhalunge Road,
Baner, Pune 411045, Maharashtra, India.
US : +1 (888) 690-5999 (Toll-Free)
UK : +44 8083 023308 (Toll-Free)
Email: sales@businessresearchinsights.com
Connect with us:
Insider Spotlight
Speaking at Solar & Storage Live Philippines, FAST CEO for logistics Manuel L. Onrejas Jr. outlined the company’s vision of creating a closed-loop electrification ecosystem where solar-powered warehouses, EV chargers, and fully electric trucks operate as a unified logistics network.
The move comes as logistics operators face mounting pressure from rising electricity and fuel costs, increasing sustainability requirements from global customers, and ongoing infrastructure challenges affecting transport and energy reliability.
Why it matters
“Our vision is to build a more resilient off-grid closed-loop electrification ecosystem where solar panels across our warehouses nationwide power our facilities, EV chargers, and fully electric trucks,” Onrejas said in a press statement.
“This allows us to become more energy-efficient, more sustainable, and more cost-effective as the logistics provider of choice of the leading brands in the Philippines,” he added.
FAST is the first end-to-end logistics provider in the country to commit to achieving net zero by 2050. It has also joined the Net Zero Carbon Alliance, a private sector-led organization focused on climate action and decarbonization.
The company’s scale gives the initiative significant potential impact. FAST operates more than 160 dry and cold-chain facilities, over 2 million square meters of warehouse space, more than 1 million pallet positions, and handles annual throughput exceeding 1 billion units.
By the numbers
FAST also manages a transport network of more than 3,100 trucks and over 900 trucking partners nationwide.
At its FAST ColdChain Hub Cavite facility, 1,900 solar panels covering 5,035 square meters generated more than 565,000 kilowatt-hours of solar energy in 2025, avoiding approximately 386 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions while delivering millions of pesos in savings.
Meanwhile, FAST Cabuyao in Laguna operates 864 solar panels across 2,660.35 square meters, producing more than 424,000 kilowatt-hours of solar energy and avoiding 289 metric tons of emissions in 2025.
The challenge
The Laguna hub also hosts solar-powered EV chargers supporting the company’s electric truck fleet. Between 2024 and 2025, FAST’s EV operations avoided 243.83 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions compared with equivalent diesel-powered operations.
Onrejas acknowledged that significant challenges remain, including low warehouse utilization rates, traffic congestion and prolonged dwell times that reduce EV productivity, as well as the limited availability of commercial-grade charging infrastructure designed for trucks.
“Sustainability is embedded in FAST’s business strategy,” he said. “For us, investing in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and more resilient logistics infrastructure is essential to building a stronger, future-ready supply chain that meets the sustainability commitments of our most discerning customers,” he said. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Once the immediate danger of a hurricane passes, extended power outages can become one of the biggest hardships for families waiting on the grid to come back.
After the howling wind, buzzing chainsaws and cleanup begins, the hum of a generator is often one of the most common sounds in the days after a powerful storm.
Generators can be a lifeline, but they also come with challenges, including fuel costs, maintenance, fumes and placement restrictions.
Some homeowners are turning to other options.
Brian Daube added battery power to the solar panels already installed on his home.
“I feel like I’m doing something better for the environment,” Daube said. “You don’t have to worry about the cost of running a generator while it’s running. You don’t have to change the oil. And it just seemed like a very sleek type of simple setup.”
Daube said the battery allows him to use the power generated by his solar panels during an outage.
“The battery makes it so that you can actually use the power that comes from your solar panels,” Daube said. “Otherwise, it just sort of goes back to the grid and offsets your bill. But this way, I can actually use the power.”
A full solar and battery setup has become less expensive in recent years and does not require gasoline.
Portable power banks offer another option. Smaller models can charge phones, while larger systems can power appliances or even parts of a home.
“For what we deal with most of the time, it’s 48 hours, 36 hours, and I think this stuff is perfect for it,” Skaer said.
Skaer said battery equipment can now do more than many people may expect.
“The stuff that we can do with the battery equipment now, we can run fans, we can run a refrigerator,” Skaer said.
Homeowners can check the power needs on each item they want to run to determine how large of a battery they need and how long a charge may last.
“It’s standalone,” Skaer said. “So there’s no fumes, there’s no worry about is it going to start? Is the cord going to break? Is the oil bad? Just plug it in and you’ve got instant power.”
The batteries can be charged ahead of time. Once they run down, some can be recharged with larger solar panels, plugged into a gas generator or taken to another location with power. Many can also charge while in use.
Smaller wattage batteries can cost about $100, while larger systems can cost several thousand dollars.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.
Global solar manufacturer JinkoSolar is accelerating its transition toward premium, high efficiency solar products, according to its 2025 Annual Report and first quarter 2026 earnings results. The strategy marks a shift away from high volume, low margin module sales as the company seeks to improve profitability amid ongoing industry pricing pressures.
During 2025, JinkoSolar shipped 86.05 GW of solar modules, maintaining its position among the world’s leading module suppliers. The company also achieved a major industry milestone, becoming the first solar manufacturer to exceed 400 GW in cumulative module deliveries globally.
Despite strong shipment volumes, challenging market conditions weighed heavily on financial performance. Annual revenue reached RMB50 billion (US$9.37 billion), while the company reported a net loss attributable to shareholders of RMB4.5 billion (US$635.6 million), reflecting persistent margin compression across the global solar sector.
JinkoSolar continued to strengthen its technological leadership during the year, setting new efficiency records for N type TOPCon solar cells at 27.79% and TOPCon perovskite tandem cells at 34.76%.
The first quarter of 2026 provided early signs that the company’s premium product strategy is beginning to deliver results. Module shipments declined to 13.7 GW, with more than 80% of volumes shipped to international markets. Revenue fell sequentially by 30% to RMB12.25 billion (US$1.78 billion), largely due to lower shipment volumes.
However, profitability improved significantly. Gross profit increased to RMB1.02 billion (US$147.7 million), resulting in a gross margin of 8.3%, compared with just 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2025. The company’s net loss narrowed substantially to RMB463.5 million (US$67.2 million), down from RMB1.5 billion in the preceding quarter.
The company’s energy storage business also delivered strong growth, with energy storage system shipments increasing by more than 350% year on year, driven primarily by demand from international markets.
JinkoSolar expects full year 2026 module shipments to range between 75 GW and 85 GW. The company forecasts that more than 60% of total shipments will consist of high power modules exceeding 640 W, including products from its premium Tiger Neo 3.0 portfolio.
To support future growth, JinkoSolar plans to expand its integrated global manufacturing capacity to 100 GW by the end of 2026, reinforcing its position in the increasingly competitive global solar market.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
May 20, 2026
April 18, 2026
April 23, 2026
May 26, 2026
May 20, 2026
April 22, 2026
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Returns Policy | Intellectual Property | Cookie Policy
© 2019 – 2026 GBA Digital Media Group. All Rights Reserved | Site Credit
Copyright Green Building Africa 2026.
Subscribe to our weekly Top 5 Stories
"*" indicates required fields
Türkiye’s cumulative solar capacity reached 26,769 MW by the end of April 2026, according to figures published by the country’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
The figure indicates that 1.97 GW of solar was installed across the first four months of this year, after cumulative capacity at the end of last year stood at 24,795 MW.
The ministry’s latest update adds that Türkiye’s total installed electricity capacity surpassed 125 GW by the end of April. Solar is now the second largest source, overtaking natural gas, accounting for 21.3% of the total mix.
The largest source of electricity capacity currently remains hydroelectric power, which had a capacity of 32.3 GW as of April, equivalent to a 25.8% of the electricity mix.
Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, says that solar power will surpass hydropower by the end of this year, a forecast that indicates at least 7.5 GW of solar will be installed in Türkiye this year.
This minister previously said he expected 2026 to be a record year for solar deployment in the country.
Renewable energy now accounts for over 78 GW of Türkiye’s electricity production, the ministry’s latest update adds, equivalent to 62.5% of total capacity.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
Comments
Please login to comment
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, June 11, 2026
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, June 1, 2026
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Madrid, Paris
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
6 am – 7:00 am CEST, Berlin
Friday, June 12, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
The new pv magazine Global May issue is now available!
Mountains to climb
Available in print and digital formats.
Be part of the high-level European conference on solar and energy storage, exploring bankable BESS projects, warranties, and energy management for residential and C&I sectors
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
April 01 – August 31, 2026
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition—join the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 in Riyadh to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering its digital economy.
Showcase your brand across all our platforms: from 13 websites in 7 languages to our magazines, daily newsletters, industry events and more. Reach your audience the right way!
We are participating in Intersolar 2026 again this year! Visit us at our Booth Hall 2 A2.250 to discuss the latest trends within the photovoltaic industry with the pv magazine team.
June 23-25, 2026 | MUNICH, GERMANY
You have no items in your basket.
Subscribe Now! Get features like
New Delhi: Delhi’s transition towards clean energy is gaining pace with over 23,000 rooftop solar installations generating 420 MW of electricity across the capital, officials said on Monday.
According to official data, BSES discoms – BRPL and BYPL- have energised more than 13,600 rooftop solar connections with a capacity of around 260 MWp (Megawatt peak), helping consumers saving ₹196,87 crore annually.
Megawatt peak refers to power output from sources such as solar and wind energy depending on sunlight and wind speed, respectively.
Around 4,600 rooftop solar connections were energised in 2025-26, highest ever in a year. Of these, over 2,600 connections were installed under the PM Surya Ghar scheme, said a BSES official.
The total PM Surya Ghar scheme connections energised by the BSES discoms has crossed over 4,100, he added.
The highest rooftop solar connections are in domestic category (9,888), followed by commercial (2,184), educational (1,009), others (342) and industrial units (207), he said.
Officials attribute the sharp rise to subsidies under Centre’s ‘PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana’ and Delhi Solar Policy.
For a typical household, a 5 kW rooftop solar system can potentially deliver savings of ₹3,500 or more per month, depending on consumption levels and tariff slab. Further, the surplus power is sold to the discoms at DERC determined prices, officials said.
Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), supplying power in North Delhi areas, has so far energised over 10,000 rooftop installations with 160 MWp load, said a discom spokesperson.
Under the scheme, the TPDDL has energised a record 4,375 rooftop solar plants with total capacity of 20 MWp, he said.
“The 2025-26 financial year emerged as the breakthrough year for rooftop solar adoption, with 5,378 new installations adding 55.75 MWp to the distributed grid — the highest annual addition in Delhi’s history. Installations under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana witnessed exponential growth, rising to 3,100 in 2025-26. Another 394 installations have been energised in April 2026,” he added.
Saloni Bhatia is a journalist with over 15 years of experience in reporting and storytelling, with a strong focus on the Delhi government and political developments in the Capital. Over the years, she has closely tracked policy decisions, governance issues, and political shifts. She started off as an entertainment journalist but then moved to covering beats like crime and education. Her experience on the crime beat helped her develop an eye for detail and accuracy, while education reporting allowed her to explore policy impact on students, teachers and institutions. Outside the newsroom, she enjoys reading both fiction and non-fiction. She also has a keen interest in watching Bollywood films.
Solar Energy
For two decades, solar energy has been touted as one of the main weapons against carbon emissions. Millions of panels have covered rooftops, parking lots, solar farms, and deserts around the planet. But the same technology that helped accelerate the energy transition is now beginning to reveal a gigantic side effect: the mass disposal of modules reaching the end of their lifespan. Reports from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the IEA-PVPS program estimate that accumulated photovoltaic panel waste could reach between 60 and 78 million tons by 2050, making solar recycling one of the largest industrial frontiers of the green economy.
A large part of the solar energy boom occurred from the 2000s onwards. Since the modules typically have an estimated lifespan of between 25 and 30 years, a growing portion of the installations made in the first waves of expansion is beginning to approach retirement.
The problem is that the growth was so rapid that millions of units are expected to reach the end of operation in a relatively short interval. IRENA studies indicate that large annual volumes of disposal should start to emerge as early as the 2030s.
Company launches floating solar platform at sea to test bifacial panels and generate renewable energy in coastal waters
Solar energy should lead the planet by 2035, but artificial intelligence keeps fossil fuels alive.
Solar panels at sea can generate up to 12% more energy than land-based plants, study finds: Researchers from Taiwan discovered that offshore solar panels take advantage of the natural cooling of water to increase electrical efficiency, reduce heat losses, and expand renewable energy production in regions with limited available land space.
The era of solar panels attached to roofs is beginning to change with transparent glass that generates energy while keeping the view unobstructed, and perovskite photovoltaic windows already tested in offices in Japan promise to transform entire facades into invisible power plants without blocking light or altering the appearance of buildings.
In other words, the infrastructure that helped boost clean energy is beginning to generate a new global category of technological waste on an industrial scale.
According to the joint report by IRENA and IEA-PVPS, accumulated solar panel waste could reach approximately 78 million tons by 2050. The material is mainly composed of glass, but also includes aluminum, silicon, copper, silver, and other valuable industrial components.
Subsequent research continues to use this estimate as a global reference for the growth of photovoltaic waste. Recent studies indicate that the volume could reach between 60 and 78 million tons, depending on the pace of solar energy expansion and the effective lifespan of the modules.
The scale is so large that experts have started to treat the issue as one of the main environmental concerns related to the energy infrastructure of the future.
Unlike many complex electronic wastes, photovoltaic modules have components that can be reused on a large scale. Glass, aluminum, and some of the metals present in the panels can return to the production chains.
IRENA reports estimate that recovering these materials could generate a value exceeding US$ 15 billion by 2050, if the modules are recycled on a large scale and reinserted into the economy.
The challenge lies in the cost. In many countries, it is still cheaper to send old modules to landfills or temporary storage than to completely dismantle and process them.
The countries that have invested the most in photovoltaic energy also tend to concentrate the largest volumes of disposal in the coming decades.
Reports cited by IRENA indicate that China and the United States are expected to lead the generation of photovoltaic waste by mid-century, followed by markets such as Japan, India, and Germany.
The situation draws attention because many of these countries also heavily depend on strategic minerals to continue expanding renewable generation. This makes retired panels not just seen as waste, but as a kind of urban mine spread across rooftops and solar farms.
IRENA studies indicate that if materials are efficiently recovered, photovoltaic waste could supply the manufacturing of approximately 2 billion new panels by 2050.
In addition to reducing pressure on mining and global supply chains, recycling can increase security in accessing raw materials used by the solar industry itself.
For this reason, governments, manufacturers, and research centers are accelerating the development of processes to recover silicon, silver, copper, and other materials present in retired modules.
For years, the main concern of solar energy was to install more generation capacity. Now, a new stage is beginning to gain importance: managing the end of the useful life of everything that has already been installed.
The world is building a gigantic energy infrastructure based on glass, aluminum, silicon, and strategic metals. In a few decades, part of this material will start to return to the system in volumes never seen before.
The same shiny surface that today covers roofs and deserts could become one of the largest streams of technological waste on the planet. The difference between an environmental problem and a new billion-dollar industry will depend on how quickly recycling can keep up with the solar revolution.
Graduated in Journalism and Marketing, he is the author of over 20,000 articles that have reached millions of readers in Brazil and abroad. He has written for brands and media outlets such as 99, Natura, O Boticário, CPG – Click Petróleo e Gás, Agência Raccon, among others. A specialist in the Automotive Industry, Technology, Careers (employability and courses), Economy, and other topics. For contact and editorial suggestions: valdemarmedeiros4@gmail.com. We do not accept resumes!
© 2026 Click Petróleo e Gás – All rights reserved
The Philippines has become the second-largest market for Chinese solar panel exports, which are likely to power a surge in its rooftop solar market, according to a report from energy thinktank Ember.
In 2026, Chinese exports of solar modules to the Philippines hit new records. 4.133GW of Chinese solar modules arrived at ports in the Philippines so far in 2026. Over 2GW of Chinese panels were shipped in March 2026 alone, on top of 471MW in January, 729MW in February and 1GW in April.
Get Premium Subscription
The only country that has received more Chinese solar exports so far this year is the Netherlands, which acts as a hub for much of Northern and Western Europe via the port of Rotterdam.
The Philippines has overtaken Pakistan, Brazil, Spain and France as a destination for Chinese PV products, Ember said.
The record 2026 levels follow sustained growth in imports in 2025; according to United Nations data analysed by Ember, net solar panel imports into the country rose from US$365 million in 2024 to US$483 million in 2025, corresponding to 3,130MW to 5,068MW of solar products, respectively (taking into account the falling price of solar modules).
Ember said that the surge in imports presages a “major acceleration” in the Philippines rooftop solar market.
In recent years, imports of solar modules have been far in excess of utility-scale solar deployments—in 2025, imports reached more than five-times the amount of deployed utility-scale solar reported by the country’s Department of Energy (DOE). Only a small fraction of the modules in the Philippines were later shipped to another country.
That huge stockpiling is “likely” to imply a major expansion of rooftop solar, Ember said. The DOE does not track residential or other rooftop solar installations, but through analysis of satellite images, electricity generation rates and power prices, as well as module import levels, the think tank said it expects the Philippines’ rooftop solar market to grow significantly, and that it may already have begun to do so.
Satellite data from the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities estimated that there was 721MW of rooftop solar in the Philippines as of early 2025. Ember said this gives “little” information about the last 12 months. But by analysing power generation data from the electricity market operator, it estimates that 600MW of untracked rooftop solar capacity has been added since April 2025.
“Grid generation was much lower year-on-year at midday, when solar generation is at its peak, strongly suggesting growth in rooftop solar,” the report said.
The Philippines also has the highest electricity prices in Southeast Asia, which naturally incentivises rooftop solar installations.
Meralco, the largest power utility in the Philippines, has increased its retail electricity prices “substantially” in the last 12 months—up 17% for retail customers, 18% for commercial customers and 14% for industrial customers since May 2025. Ember said this has shortened the payback time for installing solar PV in the Philippines, taking almost a year off the payback time for residential and industrial installations and over half a year for commercial systems.
“The economics of rooftop solar are more attractive than ever, and its rapid rise is inevitable. The government has an opportunity to carve its own path on rooftop solar, to pull the Philippines out of fossil dependency, and onto a path of cheap, abundant electricity,” said Dave Jones, chief analyst at Ember.
In light of the global energy crisis emanating from the Strait of Hormuz, Ember expects rooftop solar to be embraced as a mitigation against rising prices and insecurity. The Philippines government has already declared an energy emergency and announced plans to fast-track 1.4GW of renewable energy as a result of the shock of the Iran war.
Ember said that direct support for rooftop solar is the “missing piece that can help pull the Philippines out of the energy emergency even faster and better.” It said that 3,500 MW of rooftop solar additions in 24 months is “more than possible”.
You can read Ember’s full report here.
The New York State Legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul have approved the state’s 2027 fiscal year budget and allocated US$200 million for rooftop and community solar.
The investment will go towards the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) NY-Sun Solar Program, which aims to increase distributed generation solar adoption in the state.
Get Premium Subscription
According to trade association New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA), the US$200 million funding for the NY-Sun program will support nearly 1GW of new rooftop and community solar PV. The funding will also lower utility bills for families and businesses, while leveraging an estimated US$1.5 billion in private capital.
This comes as the state targets 10GW of installed distributed solar by 2030 and reached its previous target of 6GW by 2025 a year ahead of schedule. New York is among the leading states in community solar deployment, with cumulative deployment across the country passing 10GW late in 2025.
On top of the US$200 million in funding for the NY-Sun program for distributed solar, the budget also directs the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) to modernise the utility interconnection process, which will lower costs and shorten the timeline for integrating distributed energy resources.
This comes only a few weeks after the state passed the Accelerate Solar for Affordable Power (ASAP) Act, which targets 20GW of distributed solar energy by 2035 as well as interconnection reforms such as Flexible Interconnection. Through this reform, utilities use smart-grid controls to actively manage solar PV and energy storage exports and charging, avoiding the need for costly traditional distribution upgrades that would otherwise prevent projects from moving forward, said SEIA.
A recent study from NYSEIA estimated that Flexible Interconnection can increase hosting capacity for community solar in Upstate New York by up to 97% and unlock about 3.3GW of additional capacity.
Noah Ginsburg, executive director at NYSEIA, said: “By doubling down on distributed solar, New York is demonstrating that clean energy and affordability can go hand-in-hand.”
New Your State Senator, Peter Harckham, added: “We are addressing energy affordability head-on in the FY2026-2027 budget by securing US$200 million for the successful NY-Sun Program. This public funding will catalyze billions in private investment, expand local rooftop and community solar and create billion-dollar annual utility savings for consumers. At a time when other forms of new electric generation face years of delay, our investment in solar means new energy that can quickly scale, meet demand and provide long-term savings.”
Yakima
Kennewick
Resize:
• Walla Walla Public Schools received $601,756 in state funding to install a 125.1 kW solar array that will generate approximately 134,627 kilowatt-hours annually
• The solar panels will cut utility costs for the district’s 18 electric buses by one-third while supporting clean energy goals
• Installation will begin during summer break and connect directly to existing electric bus charging stations
WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Walla Walla Public Schools will install a solar array system to power its electric bus fleet after receiving $601,756 through the Washington State Department of Commerce Clean Energy Grant Program.
The funding, supported by Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, will allow the district to install a 125.1 kW DC / 100 kW AC solar photovoltaic array on bus roof shelters at the Southeast Washington Transportation Cooperative facility. The renewable energy system is expected to generate approximately 134,627 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
The solar panels will connect directly to the district’s existing electric bus charging stations, helping power the district’s 18 electric school buses with clean, renewable energy while reducing operating costs.
“This will cut utility costs to operate the district’s 18 electric school buses by one-third,” said Janette Jeffris, fiscal services director for Walla Walla Public Schools. “This investment reflects our continued commitment to sustainability, energy efficiency and responsible stewardship of public resources while supporting long-term operational savings.”
The project builds on the district’s recent expansion of electric transportation options, which has grown through state and federal grant opportunities.
“Last summer we expanded our fleet to 18. So just about half of our fleet is electric. And so, we’ve been able to do that with grant funding primarily,” Jeffris said.
The district’s transition from diesel to electric buses has created significant cost savings beyond environmental benefits. Electric buses require less maintenance and fuel, resulting in substantial operational savings.
“We do save approximately two thirds to or one third to a half of our operation costs from diesel to electric. So that’s definitely advantageous. And then also, diesel buses have a lot of different components, filters and all these things that need constant replacement and maintenance, that we take care of in-house at our shop and, moving to electric. Those buses don’t need those pieces,” Jeffris said.
District officials said the transportation facility was originally designed with the possibility of adding solar panels in the future, making this project a natural fit as districts across the state work to reduce operating costs.
“It was built, designed to potentially put solar panels on it at some point. So that was part of the plan. And like I said, you know, really trying to drive down our operational costs is important to us. You can see a lot of districts across the state are really struggling with finances, and we are not immune to that,” Jeffris said.
Installation has not started yet, but the district plans to begin work during summer break when bus operations are less active.
“So we really. I always try to capitalize on summer. The buses aren’t as busy in the summer. We do have things going on, but, there’s not as much traffic moving in and out of the out of the bus barn,” Jeffris said.
District officials said the project will help preserve funding for student learning and essential services while supporting the district’s commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency. Installation of the solar panels is expected to be complete before the start of the next school year.
The Washington State Department of Commerce Clean Energy Grant Program supports projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean energy adoption. Washington’s Climate Commitment Act provides funding for climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs and improving public health across the state.
COPYRIGHT 2026 BY APPLE VALLEY NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
From pv magazine Australia
Australia’s rooftop solar installation rates have climbed for the third consecutive month with the latest data revealing that 279 MW of small-scale rooftop PV capacity was installed on household and business roofs across the country in November 2025.
The figure represents an almost 14% increase in volumes compared to October 2025 and SunWiz Managing Director Warwick Johnston said it is the first time in two years that the national market has risen for the third consecutive month.
“PV volumes have climbed to their highest levels this year, driven by broad-based growth rather than the usual seasonal boost from commercial installations alone,” he said. “This is the first time there’s been a three-month increase in volumes recorded since November 2023.”
Most states reported increases in installation volumes in November with Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia leading the way with month-on-month gains of 21%, 17% and 16% respectively.
Despite this growth, Johnston said the national market remains 13% behind 2024 for the year-to-date.
All system-size brackets recorded growth in the past month, with the 30 kW to 50 kW segment reporting the strongest gain of 34% followed by the 20 kW t0 30 kW and 15 kW to 20 kW and 50 kW to 75 kW segments, the latter two both with 19% growth.
The national average system size also increased, climbing to 10.81 kW in November after several months of smaller installations.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
Comments
Please login to comment
The figure represents an almost 14% increase in volumes compared to October 2025 and SunWiz Managing Director Warwick Johnston said it is the first time in two years
This uptick not only supports households and businesses reducing energy bills, but also signals broader momentum toward decentralised clean energy — a critical counterweight to centralised fossil-fuel power.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, June 11, 2026
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, June 1, 2026
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Madrid, Paris
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
6 am – 7:00 am CEST, Berlin
Friday, June 12, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
The new pv magazine Global May issue is now available!
Mountains to climb
Available in print and digital formats.
Be part of the high-level European conference on solar and energy storage, exploring bankable BESS projects, warranties, and energy management for residential and C&I sectors
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
April 01 – August 31, 2026
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition—join the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 in Riyadh to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering its digital economy.
Showcase your brand across all our platforms: from 13 websites in 7 languages to our magazines, daily newsletters, industry events and more. Reach your audience the right way!
We are participating in Intersolar 2026 again this year! Visit us at our Booth Hall 2 A2.250 to discuss the latest trends within the photovoltaic industry with the pv magazine team.
June 23-25, 2026 | MUNICH, GERMANY
You have no items in your basket.
The City of Flagstaff has launched the Northern Arizona Switch Together Co-op, a group-buying program for solar installations that has secured a 17% discount, translating to an average price reduction of $5,200. Homeowners and small businesses may also add-on battery storage and electric vehicle chargers. 
“The City of Flagstaff is helping households and small businesses lower their energy bills by going solar,” said City of Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett. “By making the ‘Switch Together,’ neighbors can leverage the power of bulk buying for discounts on solar installations, battery storage, and EV chargers.”
“The City of Flagstaff is helping households and small businesses lower their energy bills by going solar,” said City of Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett. “By making the ‘Switch Together,’ neighbors can leverage the power of bulk buying for discounts on solar installations, battery storage, and EV chargers.”
The program is supported in partnership with the nonprofit Solar United Neighbors, iChoosr, Coconino County, and the City of Sedona, though no government funds are used.
The selected installer for this program is Rooftop Solar, a Flagstaff-based business providing high-quality solar panel and battery storage systems serving commercial and residential customers in Northern Arizona.
Visit SwitchTogether.com/solar/flagstaff to register or learn more. Participants will receive a free personalized solar recommendation upon registering. The final day to register and accept an offer is September 9, 2026. Registration is free, and there is no obligation to accept an offer.
Solar United Neighbors will be hosting free webinars and an in-person workshop to share information on solar technology and economics:
“Switch Together helps you learn if going solar is right for you. You’ll have expert guidance through every step of the process.” said Jess White, Solar United Neighbors Arizona Program Associate.
“Switch Together helps you learn if going solar is right for you. You’ll have expert guidance through every step of the process.” said Jess White, Solar United Neighbors Arizona Program Associate.
For any related questions, please contact Danae Presler, Climate Program Manager, at danae.presler@flagstaffaz.gov or 928-213-2141.
Loading Comments
Our Hometown DMCA Notices
Newspaper website content management software and services
Strategic development of stable and efficient lead-free perovskite solar cells | Communications Materials Nature
source
European Energy’s 25MW Mulwala Solar Farm in the Riverina district of New South Wales is reaching completion and about to begin powering the grid, as well as Google.
Announced as an innovative corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) in 2023, Mulwala Solar Farm will inject new clean energy capacity into the National Electricity Market (NEM) while also advancing Google’s ultimate aim to operate on carbon-free energy around the clock.
Related article: Intium to deliver connection for 32MW Mulwala Solar Farm
By matching growing digital needs with new additional clean energy, the partnership between European Energy, AirTrunk, and Google demonstrates that digital infrastructure can be a catalyst for Australia’s broader grid decarbonisation.
Google vice president global infrastructure Bikash Koley said, “Australia has ambitious energy goals, and we want to ensure the growth of the nation’s digital economy directly accelerates the transition to a cleaner grid.
“As part of Google’s Digital Future Initiative in Australia, Mulwala Solar Farm is an example of how AI and digital infrastructure can be built the right way, with clear community benefits,” Koley said.
“By partnering with the right local and international experts, we’re proving that the technology of tomorrow can be powered responsibly today.”
AirTrunk chief customer and innovation officer Damien Spillane said, “We believe hyperscale data centres can help accelerate Australia’s energy transition by supporting investment in new renewable energy and strengthening long-term energy security.
“This collaboration shows how the industry can work together to bring more renewable energy online while creating lasting benefits for local communities.”
European Energy Australia managing director Catriona McLeod said, “Partnerships like this one give the industry confidence as we develop more solar and wind farms and bring more renewables online.
Related article: European Energy inaugurates Lancaster Solar Farm
“It’s a perfect example of how major tech companies and renewables developers can work together to support the energy transition.”
Click Here to Subscribe
Sign up to receive the latest Energy News emailed directly to your Inbox
Click Here to Subscribe
A sobering report from the World Meteorological Organization reveals there is a 91% chance global temperatures will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in the next five years. #globalwarming #climatechange #energytransition #netzero #ClimateCrisis
RWE has been given the go-ahead to operate Australia’s first 8-hour battery, the Limondale BESS, at full capacity. #LDES #batterystorage #bigbattery #renewables #EnergyTransition
* indicates required
Phoenix startup lands $250K to scale solar panel coating tech for satellites The Business Journals
source
Jackson man arrested for theft at solar farm Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald
source
US independent power producer (IPP) Matrix Renewables and EPC contractor SOLV Energy have commenced construction on the Tormes Solar Project, a 457MWdc facility in Navarro County, Texas.
Located approximately two miles southeast of Barry and west of Corsicana, the project represents over US$750 million in total investment in renewable energy infrastructure.
Get Premium Subscription
During construction, Tormes Solar is expected to support approximately 450 local and regional jobs. Once operational, the facility will deliver power to the Texas grid while generating long-term tax revenue and landowner income for Navarro County.
The project marks the second collaboration between Matrix Renewables and SOLV Energy in Texas, following the successful commissioning of the 284MWdc Stillhouse Solar project in Bell County in November 2025. SOLV Energy will serve as EPC contractor, bringing its extensive experience in utility-scale solar construction across the US.
Matrix Renewables currently owns over 8.7GW of projects in operation and under development across multiple US markets, including ERCOT, AISO, MISO, WECC and SPP.
The Tormes project adds to Texas’s position as the nation’s fastest-growing solar market and second-largest state for installed solar capacity. According to recent figures from the US Energy Information Administration, utility-scale solar generation in the ERCOT grid is forecast to reach 78 billion kilowatt-hours in 2026, surpassing coal’s 60 billion kilowatt-hours for the first time.
The state is expected to account for approximately 40% of total US solar capacity additions in 2026, with around 11GW of new utility-scale PV expected in the state this year.
Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.
Advertisement
Nature Photonics (2026)
Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) represent an effective strategy for the development of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). High-performance PSCs are typically fabricated in an inert atmosphere because ambient moisture disrupts phosphonic-acid SAMs on transparent conductive oxides, leading to surface inhomogeneity and direct exposure of the transparent conductive oxide. However, this dependence on glovebox fabrication constrains scalability and cost-effective manufacturing. Here we present a ternary self-assembled molecular contact comprising glycerol dimethacrylate and 1-acetylguanidine that serves as a process-tolerant hole-selective contact. Glycerol dimethacrylate acts as a cosolvent during SAM deposition to improve film uniformity and is subsequently transformed into a hydrophilic binary network upon mild thermal curing, firmly anchoring the SAM to the substrate, whereas 1-acetylguanidine is incorporated to further suppress interfacial defects. Wide-bandgap PSCs fabricated in ambient conditions achieve a power conversion efficiency of 21.20% (1.00 cm2), with an open-circuit voltage of 1.28 V. When implemented in monolithic perovskite/silicon tandems, cells achieve a power conversion efficiency of 31.72% (certified 31.36%) and 32.60% for fabrication in ambient and inert conditions, respectively. These findings demonstrate that our tailored hole-selective contact provides a robust and process-tolerant interfacial engineering approach for high-efficiency perovskite and tandem photovoltaics manufactured under ambient conditions.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$32.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
USD 39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
The data that support the findings of this study are available within the Article and its Supplementary Information. Source data are provided with this paper. All other data related to this study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.
Ugur, E. et al. Enhanced cation interaction in perovskites for efficient tandem solar cells with silicon. Science 385, 533–538 (2024).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Jeong, I. et al. Flexible and lightweight perovskite/Cu (In, Ga) Se2 tandem solar cells. Joule 9, 101794 (2025).
Article Google Scholar
Guo, X. et al. Stabilizing efficient wide-bandgap perovskite in perovskite–organic tandem solar cells. Joule 8, 2554–2569 (2024).
Article Google Scholar
Zhang, S. et al. Minimizing buried interfacial defects for efficient inverted perovskite solar cells. Science 380, 404–409 (2023).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Tan, Q. et al. Inverted perovskite solar cells using dimethylacridine-based dopants. Nature 620, 545–551 (2023).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Wang, G. et al. Molecular engineering of hole-selective layer for high band gap perovskites for highly efficient and stable perovskite–silicon tandem solar cells. Joule 7, 2583–2594 (2023).
Article Google Scholar
Li, Z. et al. Stabilized hole-selective layer for high-performance inverted p–i–n perovskite solar cells. Science 382, 284–289 (2023).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Cui, H. et al. Lead halide coordination competition at buried interfaces for low VOC-deficits in wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells. Energy Environ. Sci. 16, 5992–6002 (2023).
Article Google Scholar
Cao, Q. et al. Co-self-assembled monolayers modified NiO for stable inverted perovskite solar cells. Adv. Mater. 36, 2311970 (2024).
Article Google Scholar
Mariotti, S. et al. Interface engineering for high-performance, triple-halide perovskite–silicon tandem solar cells. Science 381, 63–69 (2023).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Tockhorn, P. et al. Nano-optical designs for high-efficiency monolithic perovskite–silicon tandem solar cells. Nat. Nanotechnol. 17, 1214–1221 (2022).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Liu, J. et al. Efficient and stable perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells through contact displacement by MgFx. Science 377, 302–306 (2022).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Aydin, E. et al. Enhanced optoelectronic coupling for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. Nature 623, 732–738 (2023).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Wang, S. et al. Ion–dipole interaction for self-assembled monolayers: a new strategy for buried interface in inverted perovskite solar cells. Adv. Funct. Mater. 34, 2316202 (2024).
Article Google Scholar
Yi, Z. et al. Achieving a high open-circuit voltage of 1.339 V in 1.77 eV wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells via self-assembled monolayers. Energy Environ. Sci. 17, 202–209 (2024).
Article Google Scholar
Liu, M. et al. Defect-passivating and stable benzothiophene-based self-assembled monolayer for high-performance inverted perovskite solar cells. Adv. Energy Mater. 14, 2303742 (2024).
Article Google Scholar
Wang, W. et al. Versatile self-assembled molecule enables high-efficiency wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells and organic solar cells. Adv. Energy Mater. 13, 2300694 (2023).
Article Google Scholar
Isikgor, F. H. et al. Molecular engineering of contact interfaces for high-performance perovskite solar cells. Nat. Rev. Mater. 8, 89–108 (2023).
Article Google Scholar
Phung, N. et al. Enhanced self-assembled monolayer surface coverage by ALD NiO in p–i–n perovskite solar cells. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 14, 2166–2176 (2022).
Article Google Scholar
Mao, L. et al. Fully textured, production-line compatible monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells approaching 29% efficiency. Adv. Mater. 34, 2206193 (2022).
Article Google Scholar
Quiñones, R., Rodriguez, K. & Iuliucci, R. J. Investigation of phosphonic acid surface modifications on zinc oxide nanoparticles under ambient conditions. Thin Solid Films 565, 155–164 (2014).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Li, C. et al. Enhancing efficiency of industrially-compatible monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells with dually-mixed self-assembled monolayers. Adv. Funct. Mater. 34, 2407805 (2024).
Article Google Scholar
Park, S. M. et al. Low-loss contacts on textured substrates for inverted perovskite solar cells. Nature 624, 289–294 (2023).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Yu, J., Lou, Y., Wang, Z. & Huang, G. Adsorption, wetting, and friction properties of phosphonic acid self-assembled monolayers on the surface of Zr-based bulk metallic glasses. Surf. Coat. Technol. 485, 130933 (2024).
Article Google Scholar
He, J. et al. Improved anchoring of self-assembled monolayer on hydroxylated NiOx film surface for efficient and stable inverted perovskite solar cells. Adv. Funct. Mater. 35, 2413104 (2025).
Article Google Scholar
Gao, Z. W., Wang, Y. & Choy, W. C. Buried interface modification in perovskite solar cells: a materials perspective. Adv. Energy Mater. 12, 2104030 (2022).
Article Google Scholar
Zhang, X. et al. Ligand homogenized Br–I wide-bandgap perovskites for efficient NiOx-based inverted semitransparent and tandem solar cells. ACS Nano 18, 15991–16001 (2024).
Article Google Scholar
Wang, J. et al. Halide homogenization for low energy loss in 2-eV-bandgap perovskites and increased efficiency in all-perovskite triple-junction solar cells. Nat. Energy 9, 70–80 (2024).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Jiang, Q. et al. Compositional texture engineering for highly stable wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells. Science 378, 1295–1300 (2022).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Correa-Baena, J.-P. et al. Homogenized halides and alkali cation segregation in alloyed organic-inorganic perovskites. Science 363, 627–631 (2019).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Tang, H. et al. Reinforcing self-assembly of hole transport molecules for stable inverted perovskite solar cells. Science 383, 1236–1240 (2024).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Pininti, A. R. et al. Resolving scaling issues in self-assembled monolayer-based perovskite solar modules via additive engineering. Adv. Energy Mater. 15, 2403530 (2025).
Article Google Scholar
Hossain, K. et al. Resolving the hydrophobicity of the Me-4PACz hole transport layer for inverted perovskite solar cells with efficiency> 20%. ACS Energy Lett. 8, 3860–3867 (2023).
Article Google Scholar
Harter, A. et al. Perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells above 30% conversion efficiency on submicron-sized textured czochralski–silicon bottom cells with improved hole-transport layers. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 16, 62817–62826 (2024).
Article Google Scholar
Shi, C. et al. Modulating competitive adsorption of hybrid self-assembled molecules for efficient wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells and tandems. Nat. Commun. 16, 3029 (2025).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Subbiah, A. S. et al. Enhancing the performance of blade-coated perovskite/silicon tandems via molecular doping and interfacial energy alignment. ACS Energy Lett. 9, 727–731 (2024).
Article Google Scholar
Merino, L. V. T. et al. Impact of the valence band energy alignment at the hole-collecting interface on the photostability of wide band-gap perovskite solar cells. Joule 8, 2585–2606 (2024).
Article Google Scholar
Chen, J. et al. Determining the bonding–degradation trade-off at heterointerfaces for increased efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells. Nat. Energy 10, 181–190 (2025).
ADS Google Scholar
Luo, Z. et al. Albendazole passivation in inverted wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells toward efficient perovskite/CuInGaSe2 tandem photovoltaics. Adv. Mater. 37, e2505597 (2025).
Article Google Scholar
Li, C. et al. Rational design of Lewis base molecules for stable and efficient inverted perovskite solar cells. Science 379, 690–694 (2023).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Wang, D. et al. Interfacial engineering of wide-bandgap perovskites for efficient perovskite/CZTSSe tandem solar cells. Adv. Funct. Mater. 32, 2107359 (2022).
Article Google Scholar
Chen, B. et al. Passivation of the buried interface via preferential crystallization of 2D perovskite on metal oxide transport layers. Adv. Mater. 33, 2103394 (2021).
Article Google Scholar
Zhang, Y. et al. Amphoteric ion bridged buried interface for efficient and stable inverted perovskite solar cells. Adv. Mater. 36, 2310203 (2024).
Article Google Scholar
Azmi, R. et al. Double-side 2D/3D heterojunctions for inverted perovskite solar cells. Nature 628, 93–98 (2024).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Peng, Y. et al. Enlarging moment and regulating orientation of buried interfacial dipole for efficient inverted perovskite solar cells. Nat. Commun. 16, 1252 (2025).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Frohna, K. et al. Nanoscale chemical heterogeneity dominates the optoelectronic response of alloyed perovskite solar cells. Nat. Nanotechnol. 17, 190–196 (2022).
Article ADS Google Scholar
Ji, X. et al. Target therapy for buried interface enables stable perovskite solar cells with 25.05% efficiency. Adv. Mater. 35, 2303665 (2023).
Article Google Scholar
Meng, F. et al. Enhancing stability and photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells via 5-ammonium acid additive. Adv. Funct. Mater. 34, 2402056 (2024).
Article Google Scholar
Gao, D. et al. Managing interfacial defects and carriers by synergistic modulation of functional groups and spatial conformation for high-performance perovskite photovoltaics based on vacuum flash method. Adv. Mater. 35, 2301028 (2023).
Article Google Scholar
Download references
This work was supported by the HMG-UNIST Industry-Academia Joint Research Lab programme; the Basic Science Research Program (RS-2018-NR030954) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF); and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant (20213091010010, Super Solar Cells) funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), Republic of Korea. This publication is also based upon work supported by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) under Award Nos. ORFS-CRG12-2024-6475 and ORFS-CRG11-2022-5045. K.J.C. and S.I.S. acknowledge support from the InnoCORE programme of the Ministry of Science and ICT (1.260007.01).
These authors contributed equally: Gwisu Kim, Adi Prasetio, Young Im Noh.
Department of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
Gwisu Kim, Yerang Park, Eunseo Noh, Jongbeom Kim, Nahye Shin, Seongmin Han, Yonghui Lee & Sang Il Seok
Center for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies (CREST), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Adi Prasetio, Drajad Satrio Utomo, Thomas G. Allen, Imil Fadli Imran & Stefaan De Wolf
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
Young Im Noh & Kyoung Jin Choi
School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
Randi Azmi & Rongbo Wang
IMD-3 Photovoltaics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
Sun Nan, Gaosheng Huang & Kaining Ding
UNIST InnoCORE AI-Space Solar Initiative, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
Kyoung Jin Choi & Sang Il Seok
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
G.K. and S.I.S. conceived the idea and designed the experiments. G.K., A.P., T.G.A. and R.A. further developed the concept for tandem application. G.K. fabricated the ambient-processed single-junction PSC. G.K. and Y.I.N. fabricated the ambient-processed TSCs. A.P. optimized and fabricated the inert-processed TSCs. Y.P. and S.H. characterized the surface properties of the SAM and the WBG perovskite films. A.P. also performed Kelvin probe force microscopy analysis. E.N. carried out large-area film deposition. J.K. and N.S. fabricated devices with different bandgap absorbers. G.K. and D.S.U. performed SEM measurements. D.S.U. conducted hyperspectral PL measurements and performed QFLS data analysis. A.P. and T.G.A. developed QFLS analysis methods for large-area films and devices. R.W. performed an operational stability test. I.F.I. characterized charge transport analyses. T.G.A. fabricated the silicon bottom cells for inert processing, while G.H., S.N. and K.D. assisted in the preparation of silicon bottom cells for ambient processing. G.K. and S.I.S. wrote the manuscript. All authors provided feedback and comments for the manuscript revision. K.J.C., S.D.W. and S.I.S. directed and supervised the project.
Correspondence to Kyoung Jin Choi, Stefaan De Wolf or Sang Il Seok.
S.I.S. and G.K. have filed a patent application related to this work (Monomer-Integrated Ultra-Compact Self-Assembled Monolayers Network Enabling High-Efficiency Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells, Republic of Korea (KR), Application No. 10-2026-0044821). The other authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Photonics thanks Qi Chen and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Figs. 1–70, Notes 1–5 and Tables 1–9.
Source data for Fig. 1. Includes numerical data underlying the FTIR spectra (Fig. 1d), XPS spectra (Fig. 1e) and XRD patterns (Fig. 1f).
Source data for Fig. 2. Includes numerical data underlying the PL emission spectra (Fig. 2g), TRPL decay curves (Fig. 2h) and QFLS values (Fig. 2i).
Source data for Fig. 3. Includes statistical distributions of photovoltaic parameters (Fig. 3b,e), J–V curves (Fig. 3c,d) and EQE spectra (Fig. 3f).
Source data for Fig. 4. Includes J–V curves (Fig. 4c), statistical distributions of photovoltaic parameters (Fig. 4d), EQE spectra (Fig. 4e), thermal stability (Fig. 4f) and operational stability tracked by MPP tracking (Fig. 4g).
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
Reprints and permissions
Kim, G., Prasetio, A., Noh, Y.I. et al. Ternary self-assembled molecular contact for ambient-processed perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. Nat. Photon. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-026-01925-z
Download citation
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Version of record:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-026-01925-z
Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:
Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.
Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative
Advertisement
Nature Photonics (Nat. Photon.)
ISSN 1749-4893 (online)
ISSN 1749-4885 (print)
© 2026 Springer Nature Limited
Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.
Spanish inverter manufacturer Ingeteam has expanded its utility-scale product portfolio with the Ingecon Sun 300TL, a high-density string inverter designed for large photovoltaic plants requiring high power density, industrial-grade communications and compliance with European grid and safety standards.
The unit measures 1,045 mm x 1,045 mm x 400 mm and weighs 115 kg. It is designed to operate in ambient temperatures ranging from -30 C to 60 C and is certified for installations up to 4,000 metres above sea level.
Featuring up to 300 kW output power through a single maximum power point tracking (MPPT), the inverter has been designed to reduce the total number of inverters required for utility-scale PV plant configurations. Ingeteam said the higher power density can contribute to lower balance-of-system costs and simplified installation layouts.
The new product supports a maximum DC voltage of 1,500 V and offers a wide MPP operating range of up to 1,300 V, enabling increased design flexibility for different module configurations and plant topologies. DC terminal connections support cable sections of up to 400 mm2 or 2 x 240 mm2 per pole.
According to the company, the inverter reaches a maximum efficiency of 99.05% and a European efficiency rating of 98.60%. It also features DC harnessing cable compatibility, which the company says can help reduce overall cabling and labour costs during project construction while improving overall project cost-effectiveness.
A central focus of the new platform is its integrated industrial communication architecture. The inverter includes standard Wi-Fi connectivity and Single Pair Ethernet (SPE), allowing communication distances of up to 1,000 metres while supporting daisy-chain connections between multiple inverters on the same communication line.
The IP66-rated inverter has additionally been optimised for stacked mounting arrangements within string stations, enabling a virtual central power station configuration that reduces station footprint while simplifying installation and cabling connections, according to the manufacturer.
Integrated components include AC quick connectors, Type II AC and DC surge arresters and Wi-Fi communication. Protection functions include output short-circuit and overload protection, anti-islanding with automatic disconnection, insulation fault monitoring, AC and DC overvoltage protection through integrated Type II surge arresters and an integrated DC relay.
The platform includes low-voltage ride-through capability, reactive power delivery, reactive power injection during night-time operation and active power control functions for grid support applications. Additional features include PID recovery functionality, high-temperature performance and simplified maintenance access.
From pv magazine Global
Comments
Please login to comment
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, June 11, 2026
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, June 1, 2026
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Madrid, Paris
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
6 am – 7:00 am CEST, Berlin
Friday, June 12, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
The new pv magazine Global May issue is now available!
Mountains to climb
Available in print and digital formats.
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
April 01 – August 31, 2026
Energy-hungry data centers open new doors for solar and storage.
Available in print and digital formats.
You have no items in your basket.
EDF power solutions North America has signed a 30-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to sell power generated at the 400MW Utah Solar 1 Energy project to the Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) and its subsidiary, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).
The company, which is the parent company of EDF Renewables and the EDF Group International Division, expects the project to begin commercial operation in mid-2027. Itis currently under development in Millard County, Utah, on state-owned lands managed by the Utah Trust Lands Administration (UTLA). The 1,750-acre project is EDF’s first in Utah, with the majority of the solar capacity in its 26GW North American renewable energy portfolio located on the east coast and in California.
Get Premium Subscription
LADWP will the recipient of the project’s output. The utility provides power to 1.4 million people in Los Angeles, alongside water to a further 681,000 customers, and is part of the SCPPA, an amalgamation of 11 local utilities.
“As the nation’s largest municipal utility, LADWP is demonstrating that decarbonisation at scale is possible—and we are not wavering in our commitment to achieve our clean energy goals,” said LADWP interim general manager Dave Hanson. “Utah Solar 1 strengthens power reliability and affordability for our customers while unlocking our ability to bring more clean energy like green hydrogen from the Intermountain Power Project (IPP) in Utah, to L.A.”
The IPP was the last source of coal in LADWP’s energy supply, meeting 14% of its energy demand in 2024, but the project has now transitioned to using a combination of natural gas and green hydrogen, ahead of plans to run on 100% green hydrogen in the future. Developments like this, and the PPA signed with EDF, will be essential if the utility is to continue its clean energy transition; LADWP met more than 33% of its electricity demand with renewable power in 2020, and aims to source all of its power from renewable energy by 2035.
The news follows a number of project advancements from EDF, including the receipt of a development consent order for an 800MW solar PV project in England and the start of construction at a solar-plus-storage project in New Mexico.
Cheap Power and Cool Climate Make It a Strategic AI Hub Solar and Wind Installations Across Mountains, 50 Data Centers Clustered Overcapacity and Local Debt Cast Shadow Behind Overwhelming Generation
At the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge observation deck in Guizhou Province, southwestern China, visited last month on the 29th, rectangular-shaped objects of unidentifiable nature were densely attached across mountainsides, visible through clouds wrapping around the endlessly stretching mountain ranges. At first glance, they resembled perennial snow or clouds, but they appeared somewhat foreign to be considered part of nature.
Their identity became clear on the way back to the airport. They were solar panels. Driving along the highway for over three hours, clusters of panels — easily numbering in the hundreds — were spotted distributed across the mountains. Black panels of identical specifications were attached without any gaps, evoking a sense of trypophobia.
In addition, after descending from the bridge observation deck and as the clouds cleared, wind turbines towering over each mountain peak also caught the eye. Although the cloudy weather limited visibility, more than 10 turbines were installed within sight alone.
Guizhou Province, where all of this was witnessed, is the province with the lowest income level in China. Although it covers an area 1.75 times that of South Korea, 92.5% of it consists of mountainous terrain, and as a region densely populated by ethnic minorities, it had been thoroughly marginalized until recently. It had been widely known only as the hometown of Maotai, China's finest liquor.
Recently, however, it has emerged as a strategic location for energy generation and data centers. This is because China has designated Guizhou — rich in natural resources and able to maintain consistent temperature and humidity year-round — as its western energy hub. The place once known only for Maotai is now rising as a core development area in the AI era.
China's Ultra-Low-Cost AI Offensive Riding on the West's Cheap Power Grid
Recently, China's large language models (LLMs) have been attracting consumers through a striking ultra-low-cost offensive. In particular, AI agents such as "OpenClo," which has gained rapid momentum recently, require token (the basic unit by which AI recognizes text) call volumes hundreds to thousands of times greater than existing chatbot services, making token unit costs critically important.
Overall, China's API call prices are only one-fifth to one-twentieth the level of major U.S. models. DeepSeek, which released its V4 model in April, decided to permanently offer a 75% discounted rate, presenting prices of $0.0036 (about 5.4 won) for input and $0.87 (about 1,307 won) for output per million tokens. This is 97.1% cheaper for output prices and a remarkable 99.9% cheaper for input prices compared to OpenAI's latest model, "GPT-5.5."
The secret behind such ultra-low pricing lies in various factors, including efficient design that accounts for semiconductor bottlenecks, but above all, the key is power cost competitiveness leveraged through China's vast territory. Industrial electricity rates in China's northwestern regions are around 0.24 yuan (about 49 won) per kWh, only one-third of South Korea's level (about 180 won).
This strength stems from China — heavily dependent on oil imports — having established power infrastructure early on for energy security purposes. Since the late 1990s, China has built power infrastructure in the sparsely populated and geographically vast western regions through the "West-East Power Transmission" project (西电东送). Since 2022, it has been carrying out the "East Data, West Computing" project (东数西算), which intensively installs wind and solar power generation hubs. As a result, the share of renewable energy has surpassed 60% of total power generation facilities, and as of March of last year, wind and solar installations reached 1,482 GW, achieving the 2030 target (1,200 GW) ahead of schedule. Total annual power generation last year reached 9.72 trillion kWh, equivalent to the combined level of the United States, the EU, and India.
Guizhou has rapidly emerged as a core region within the West-East Power Transmission project. Originally rich in coal and hydropower, the share of wind and solar facilities has also been rapidly increasing recently. As of last year, installed power capacity was 88.81 million kW, up 23% from a year earlier. With electricity rates below 0.35 yuan per kWh — 30% cheaper than the national average — and a cool climate suitable for data center operations, it is also emerging as an AI data center hub. There are 50 corporate data centers either operating or being newly constructed here. Not only Chinese companies such as Huawei, Tencent, Alibaba, and China Mobile, but also global big tech firms such as Apple have chosen Guizhou Province as a data center location. In 2022, China designated Guizhou Province as one of the eight national computing power hubs.
Companies in Cutthroat Competition, Local Governments in Debt Quagmire
While China has secured global competitiveness with overwhelming generation capacity, cries of distress are emerging from within. The "top-down" approach, in which numerous companies emerge once the government designates core industries, is cited as a chronic problem. As supply overwhelmingly exceeds demand, companies engage in cutthroat price-cutting competition for survival, and only a handful of companies survive in the end.
Solar power is a representative case. As of last year, China's solar production capacity was nearly twice the level of global demand. Major companies are suffering massive losses due to overproduction and price wars. There have been reports that the combined losses of major Chinese solar manufacturers in 2025 will exceed 50 billion yuan. The situation is relatively better for wind power, but in October 2024, 12 turbine companies signed a voluntary agreement to maintain a fair competition environment. In effect, the industry itself declared, "Let's stop competition that slashes prices too aggressively."
Battery companies that produce energy storage systems (ESS) — essential for clean power generation — are in a similar situation. Chinese battery companies have captured more than half of the global electric vehicle battery market, led by CATL and BYD, and account for more than 90% of global shipments in batteries for energy storage systems. However, internal conditions are far from easy. China's lithium-ion battery production capacity already exceeded 2 TWh in 2024, 60% more than total demand, and analyses suggest that planned capacity will exceed 6 TWh. As a result, the price of LFP cathode materials plummeted from 173,000 yuan per ton at the end of 2022 to 34,000 yuan in August 2025. This is why the Chinese government summoned major battery companies earlier this year and demanded mitigation of overproduction risks and normalization of market competition.
The Guizhou government has also fallen into mountains of debt due to excessive investment. This is because local governments, hungry for performance results, made excessive investments in various infrastructure projects to boost growth rates. Li Zaiyong, former Vice Chairman of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was sentenced to a death sentence with a two-year reprieve in August 2024 on charges of bribery as well as causing serious debt risks through showcase development projects and illegal borrowing. Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) described Guizhou's debt as the result of "more than a decade of expensive project investments," pointing to the bare reality behind the dazzling development.
Original reporting by Chung Da-eun, Beijing Correspondent for Seoul Economic Daily.
AI-translated from Korean. Quotes from foreign sources are based on Korean-language reports and may not reflect exact original wording.
🎧Listen to AI PRISM·AI PRISM
Korea's Bonus Governance Battle, Jensen Huang's Korea Night, and a 42-Billion-Dollar Submarine Bid | June 01 2026
◆ SIGNAL English Edition
SIGNAL English Edition — Korean capital markets coverage, translated. Subscribers see M&A, IPOs, and fund flows often before global wires.
50% intro rate at launch
AI PRISM
🏆 WAN-IFRA APAC Gold — Best AI-driven News Product
◆ SIGNAL English Edition
Korean capital markets, translated. Subscribers see deals before the wires.
50% intro rate at launch
Kim Hyun-soo (Commentary)
Han Young-il (Commentary)
Editorial Board
SedailyIN (Commentary)
Koo Bon-kyung (Commentary)
An independent data project
Your chart, luck cycles, today’s flow, wealth, career, and ideal match — from one date of birth.
Saju · sedaily.ai
A live, cap-weighted view of every KOSPI and KOSDAQ sector, with same-day Korean reporting distilled by company — built for foreign investors, correspondents and analysts who need to scan Korea before the next session.
An English-first interactive map of Samsung, SK, Hyundai, LG and Lotte — built for foreign investors, correspondents and analysts. Korea translates companies into English. We translate the families behind them.
Pre-register for SIGNAL English Edition — a premium subscription bringing Korean capital markets coverage (M&A, IPOs, private equity, fund flows) to global institutional investors. First access to the 50% introductory rate.
Copyright ⓒ Sedaily, All right reserved
Chinese PV manufacturer Trina Solar has unveiled a 907 W n-type TOPCon-perovskite tandem solar module.
According to the company, the module achieved a full-panel conversion efficiency of 29.2% in testing by Germany’s TÜV SÜD. The product is reportedly designed for mass production, rather than a laboratory-scale sample.
The module uses a two-terminal tandem cell architecture combining an n-type TOPCon crystalline silicon bottom device with a perovskite top cell. The design is intended to absorb a broader part of the solar spectrum than conventional single-junction silicon modules.
The module measures 2,384 mm by 1,303 mm and is based on 210 mm wafer technology. It incorporates large-area perovskite film deposition, tunnel recombination contact technology, and high-reliability encapsulation.
The company said its slot-die coating and vapor-assisted crystallization process improved film uniformity in large-area perovskite layers, while a composite indium tin oxide (ITO) tunneling layer wass used to reduce recombination losses between the top and bottom cells.
The panel also utilizes dual-layer co-extruded polyolefin elastomer (POE) encapsulation and a low water-vapor transmission backsheet, along with perovskite-specific sealing materials. According to Trinasolar, the product has passed International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61215 and IEC 61730 reliability testing, including potential-induced degradation (PID), damp heat, thermal cycling, and ultraviolet (UV) aging tests.
Trinasolar said it plans to accelerate production of its perovskite-silicon tandem module line in 2026, though large-scale commercial shipments are expected to begin in 2028–2029, according to a recent investor communication.
In December, the manufacturer announced that an industrial-scale tandem solar cell using a 210 mm half-cut format achieved a certified power conversion efficiency of 32.6%, while a standard-size tandem module integrating the cells delivered a peak power output of 865 W. It said both results have been independently verified by European testing bodies and represent world-record performance for industrially relevant formats.
Trina Solar said the latest results build on a series of tandem milestones reported over the past two years, including certified tandem modules exceeding 800 W and tandem cell efficiencies above 31% on industrial wafer formats. The company claimed it has now created or broken global benchmarks in solar cell efficiency or module power output 37 times.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
Comments
Please login to comment
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, June 11, 2026
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, June 1, 2026
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Madrid, Paris
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
6 am – 7:00 am CEST, Berlin
Friday, June 12, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
The new pv magazine Global May issue is now available!
Mountains to climb
Available in print and digital formats.
Be part of the high-level European conference on solar and energy storage, exploring bankable BESS projects, warranties, and energy management for residential and C&I sectors
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
April 01 – August 31, 2026
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition—join the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 in Riyadh to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering its digital economy.
Showcase your brand across all our platforms: from 13 websites in 7 languages to our magazines, daily newsletters, industry events and more. Reach your audience the right way!
We are participating in Intersolar 2026 again this year! Visit us at our Booth Hall 2 A2.250 to discuss the latest trends within the photovoltaic industry with the pv magazine team.
June 23-25, 2026 | MUNICH, GERMANY
You have no items in your basket.
Twenty-five people testified in person at a hearing this past Thursday regarding placement of a solar farm along Cash Valley Road and the GAP trail. Just two people spoke in favor of the project, one being landowner Robert Talmadge. Among those speaking against the solar farm placement was Chelsea Boor, a Democratic candidate for Allegany County Commissioner who noted that once a project like a solar farm is approved, it is difficult to revisit the decision…
“We should not be rushing into approving large-scale solar on this site without a more complete evaluation of land preservation priorities, community benefit, and alternative locations such as previously disturbed or already industrial land. Tonight’s decision is not just about one parcel of land. It’s about the direction we’re setting for Allegany County’s future.”
WCBC AM 1270 Radio celebrating 50 years of broadcasting in Cumberland, MD.
Copyright © 2026 • WCBC Radio
In 2025, utilities requested a record $31 billion in rate increases, according to the recent PowerLines report, Utility Bills Are Rising: Q1 2026, conducted in partnership with market research firm Ipsos. And there seems to be no end in sight with the report finding that utilities filed $9.4 billion in rate requests across more than 81 million customers in the first quarter of this year alone.
Government oversight of utilities may be the answer, with the report stating that 76% of Americans surveyed found to support oversight in order to bring down costs. Yet the authors note that many remain skeptical that policy solutions can lower their energy costs.
Smart state policy; however, as evidenced by the recent passage of New York’s FY2026 budget, can drive increased adoption of distributed energy with a goal of reducing costs for all ratepayers.
A myriad of drivers are behind higher energy costs, according to the PowerLines report, including higher returns on capital projects such as power plants and transmission lines, inflation, rising operating costs, aging infrastructure, and severe weather.
The study found that utilities are opting to build new, capital-intensive infrastructure at an estimated $1.4 trillion in capital expenditures (CapEx) by 2030, a 21% increase over the 5-year planned capital spending amount from the previous year. PowerLines analysts note in the report that policymakers could instead incentivize utilities to find ways to improve the efficiency of the existing grid before turning to capital spending.
“Power bills have been rising relentlessly for the past five years and are now reaching a crisis stage. There are many reasons, but politicians who ignore this issue are sleeping on a volcano,” said former FERC Chair Mark Christie.
The New York example
New York is already a pro-solar state, ranking 7th in country for installed solar, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Yet it’s not resting on its laurels as the state’s FY2027 budget makes new commitments to New York’s rooftop and community solar programs, including passage of the Accelerate Solar for Affordable Power (ASAP) Act.
According to the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA), ASAP has three goals:
“The passage of the ASAP Act in this budget sends a clear message…[it] will address the energy affordability crisis head on by streamlining the interconnection process to get projects online more quickly, creating new clean energy jobs, and saving New Yorker’s $1 billion a year. Let’s get building,” said Assemblymember Didi Barrett, Chair of the Assembly’s Energy Committee.
The budget earmarks $200 million to be invested in NYSERDA’s NY-Sun program that incentivizes rooftop and community solar. A recent study, Sunlight and Storage into Savings, prepared by Synapse Energy Economics for the Coalition for Community Solar Access found that by scaling up distributed solar and storage deployment, New York can deliver $1 billion in annual utility bill savings through lower wholesale rates for everyone while supporting thousands of good jobs all across the State.
Furthermore, the new budget directs the New York State Public Service Commission to modernize the utility interconnection process, which will lower costs and accelerate timelines to connect new solar and energy storage projects to the electric grid.
The Synapse study notes that energy storage complements solar deployment by extending the benefits of midday solar generation into the evenings when electricity demand is high. Solar and storage are valuable even in the winter months, according to the report, with 56% of energy cost savings occurring between November and March.
A further finding is that distributed solar and storage reduce costs for all, not just those who have solar and batteries. For New York residents, this translates into average electricity savings of $87 annually for upstate residential customers and $46 annually for downstate residential customers.
Comments
Please login to comment
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, June 11, 2026
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, June 1, 2026
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Madrid, Paris
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
6 am – 7:00 am CEST, Berlin
Friday, June 12, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
The new pv magazine Global May issue is now available!
Mountains to climb
Available in print and digital formats.
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
April 01 – August 31, 2026
pv magazine USA hosts its third multi-day virtual event on advancing U.S. solar and energy storage markets, covering financing, supply chains, and distributed energy’s role in grid resilience.
You have no items in your basket.
RWE and KRONOS TITAN are advancing the sustainable energy supply of industrial operations. RWE has successfully built and is now operating a ground-mounted photovoltaic plant with a capacity of 24.7 megawatts peak on a 20-hectare area at the KRONOS facility in Nordenham, Lower Saxony.
RWE leases the land from KRONOS on which the new solar farm is located. KRONOS purchases the climate-friendly electricity generated there under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The project highlights how close cooperation between energy providers and industrial companies can support sustainable transition.
Carsten Büsing, Plant Manager of KRONOS TITAN GmbH at the Nordenham site: 'Over the long term, the new solar farm will cover a significant share of our electricity demand for at least the next 25 years. This is a crucial step towards achieving our transformation goals and underlines our commitment to more sustainable operations.'
Sopna Sury, CEO RWE Renewables Europe & Australia GmbH: 'The commissioning of this solar park shows that the energy transition succeeds when we work together. Industrial customers like KRONOS TITAN provide land while we take over the investment, planning, construction and operation of the solar farm, as well as integrating our experience in energy trading. Customers thus receive long-term green electricity at predictable conditions.'
The solar farm comprises more than 38,300 modules and is expected to generate approximately 22,000 megawatt hours of electricity annually – enough to supply a substantial share of the Nordenham site’s power requirements.
Original announcement link
Source: RWE
A global information service for upstream oil and gas opportunities – divestitures, farmins and farmouts and licensing rounds.
Current Upstream Deals: 195
Completed Upstream Deals: 6640
Current Company Profiles: 2933
Current Corporate Activity articles: 4197
Current number of articles: 466
Current Company Sales articles:1674
Current Geostudies articles: 1003
The energy-pedia databank contains links to information on the world financial and energy markets, including share prices, oil and gas prices and the global stock exchanges. Read more…
A list of commonly used terms in the oil and gas industry. Read more…
Subscribe to the FREE
energy-pedia Daily Newsletter
Subscribe
energy365 Ltd
238 High Street
London Colney
St Albans
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44(0)1727 822675
Former U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Joins Tandem PV Board of Directors Business Wire
source
Renewables Now is a leading business news source for renewable energy professionals globally. Trust us for comprehensive coverage of major deals, projects and industry trends. We’ve done this since 2009.
Stay on top of sector news with with Renewables Now. Get access to extra articles and insights with our subscription plans and set up your own focused newsletters and alerts.
Texas keeps piling on solar projects as electricity demand surges on the ERCOT grid – and now another massive one is moving ahead.
Vesper Energy today said it closed $236 million in financing for its 201 MW Nazareth Solar project in Swisher County, Texas. The solar farm will connect to the ERCOT grid as Texas races to add more generation to keep up with rapidly rising load growth.
Construction is expected to begin in June 2026, and the project is scheduled to come online in fall 2027.
Nazareth Solar will sit on more than 2,400 acres of private land and generate enough electricity to power around 53,000 homes annually. The project will neighbor Vesper’s Hornet Solar (pictured above), another large solar farm the company developed.
ERCOT faces growing demand from population growth, industrial expansion, and power-hungry data centers. And despite political attacks on renewables, solar continues getting built in this red state because it’s one of the fastest and cheapest ways to add new electricity to the grid.
Vesper says the project will bring new tax revenue to local schools, infrastructure, and emergency services, along with construction jobs and long-term operations roles. Participating landowners are also expected to receive long-term lease income from the solar farm.
The $236 million financing package includes a construction-to-term loan and a letter-of-credit facility. MUFG led the financing group alongside Associated Bank and Bayern LB.
Funds managed by GCM Grosvenor are expected to provide most of the project’s equity financing, and the Development Bank of Japan also participated in the investment.
Read more: One of North America’s largest solar farms just came online in Texas
If you’ve ever considered going solar, make it easy by finding a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing by checking out EnergySage. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online, and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.
Electrek Green Energy Brief: A daily technical, …
Michelle Lewis is a writer and editor on Electrek and an editor on DroneDJ, 9to5Mac, and 9to5Google. She lives in White River Junction, Vermont. She has previously worked for Fast Company, the Guardian, News Deeply, Time, and others. Message Michelle on Twitter or at michelle@9to5mac.com. Check out her personal blog.
Light, durable, quick: I’ll never go back.
Because I don’t want to wait for the best of British TV.
BlueNewables has completed the launch of Paiporta, the first platform developed with its PV-bos (PhotoVoltaic-BlueNewables Offshore Solutions) marine floating solar energy technology, a breakthrough that marks a new stage in the development strategy of renewable solutions for marine environments.
The operation took place at the San Enrique Shipyard in Vigo, where a complex launching maneuver was executed using a tandem lifting system. This procedure allowed the structure to be safely placed in the water before the next phase of technical validation began.
PV-bos technology has been designed to facilitate the deployment of floating solar power plants in coastal areas, ports, and marine environments. Its aim is to expand renewable energy generation options in areas where land availability may limit new photovoltaic installations.
Furthermore, this solution is designed to integrate with other developments linked to the energy transition, including floating offshore wind energy and infrastructure associated with sustainable electric mobility.
Over the next few weeks, the commissioning and final preparation of the platform will be completed. It will then be towed from Vigo to Valencia, where it will continue its operational validation process under real open-sea conditions.
The platform’s name pays tribute to the victims of the DANA storm that affected the Valencian Community and especially the municipality of Paiporta, one of the places most impacted by that meteorological phenomenon.
Bernardino Couñago, co-founder and CEO of BlueNewables, highlighted that the launch constitutes one of the most relevant advances within the company’s technological roadmap.
As he explained, the commissioning of Paiporta demonstrates the industrial and technological potential that exists in Spain to promote energy solutions geared towards the international market and to strengthen the development of floating marine solar energy.
Likewise, the executive thanked the shipyard workers and the company’s technical team, who have worked for more than two years on the development of the project.
From the San Enrique Shipyard, its general manager José Luis Torres pointed out that the construction of the platform represents a strategic opportunity to strengthen the presence of the naval sector in new markets linked to renewable energies.
The project also contributes to expanding the manufacturing capabilities of advanced marine structures and highlights the collaboration between the shipbuilding industry and the energy sector to develop new technologies aimed at decarbonization.
The implementation of the platform has had institutional support through various entities, among them the Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving (IDAE), through the RENMARIN program, aimed at promoting marine renewable technologies.
With the launch of Paiporta, BlueNewables takes a significant step towards the industrialization and future commercialization of its PV-bos technology, a proposal that seeks to expand the role of floating marine solar energy within the global renewable energy ecosystem.
Source and photo: Bluenewables
The alliance will develop LFP batteries and BESS systems to strengthen European energy storage.
The offshore EG-08 project takes a decisive step after receiving government approval, bringing the planned 2027 drilling of Barracuda-1 closer.
Saudi Aramco is considering further cuts to crude oil prices for Asia due to lower consumption and weak regional premiums.
Phased Array UT improves defect sizing for FFS, reducing uncertainty and optimizing decisions in accordance with API 579.
EAC in steels: causes, mechanisms, and control strategies to prevent failures in industrial equipment under stress.
Technical analysis of energy security, grid resilience and decarbonization amid structural growth in electricity demand.
India, the United States, Japan, and Australia are advancing a strategy to secure essential minerals.
Rotterdam validated safe ammonia bunkering operations to boost sustainable marine fuels.
Türkiye pushes for underwater gas pipeline with energy and political impact on Cyprus.
INSPENET LLC
Houston, TX 77018
From daily news and career tips to monthly insights on AI, sustainability, software, and more—pick what matters and get it in your inbox.
Discover the engineering revolution transforming modern defense with Strength, Stealth, Speed: The Very Fast Future of Advanced Defense
Access expert insights, exclusive content, and a deeper dive into engineering and innovation all with fewer ads or a completely ad-free experience.
All Rights Reserved, IE Media, Inc.
Follow Us On
Future of Defense
Access expert insights, exclusive content, and a deeper dive into engineering and innovation all with fewer ads or a completely ad-free experience.
All Rights Reserved, IE Media, Inc.
The platform combines bifacial solar panels with modular floating structures.
A Spanish renewable energy company has taken a step closer to generating solar power at sea, after successfully launching the first platform of its PV-bos marine floating solar technology.
The platform, named Paiporta in tribute to the DANA storm victims, was designed by Tenerife-based BlueNewables. It entered the water at the facilities of the San Enrique shipyard in Vigo, Spain, on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Over the next few weeks, engineers are expected to complete commissioning and final preparations before towing the structure to Valencia. There, the platform will undergo operational validation in open-sea conditions
José Luis Torres, general manager of Astillero San Enrique, said that the shipyard is proud to stand behind a technology that could transform marine solar power and advance renewable energy worldwide. “The launch of the PV-bos represents a milestone of enormous significance both for Astillero San Enrique and for the maritime and energy industries as a whole,” he added.
The PhotoVoltaic-BlueNewables Offshore Solutions system (PV-bos) was created specifically for deployment in offshore waters and port environments. It is set to overcome the growing competition for available land, a great challenge in solar energy expansion.
Bernardino Couñago, the firm’s co-founder and CEO, praised the potential of the solar platform. “The launch of the Paiporta platform placed BlueNewables among the world leaders in the marine floating solar and demonstrates the industrial and technological capabilities that exist in Galicia and Spain to lead innovative energy solutions internationally.”
Offshore floating solar installations can speed up the energy transition, by making use of underutilized marine areas. The technology could moreover support hybrid renewable energy projects.
According to the firm, these could potentially operate alongside floating offshore wind farms. In addition, shared infrastructure could maximize energy production from a single location.
The launch operation required a complex lifting maneuver using the shipyard’s large cranes to safely place the platform into the water. Couñago also thanked the shipyard’s workers, subcontractors, and the BlueNewables team for their efforts in bringing the project to completion.
BlueNewables highlighted that the platform’s name pays tribute to the victims of the devastating DANA storm that struck Spain’s Valencian Community on October 29, 2024. It resulted in 223 fatalities and the displacement of 15,000 residents. The municipality of Paiporta became one of the disaster’s symbols.
The project also gave Spain’s shipbuilding industry a decent chance to enter the growing renewable energy sector. Torres stressed that the project demonstrates the shipbuilding sector’s ability to deliver innovative technologies and compete globally.
“The PV-bos is the result of the talent, experience and commitment of an extraordinary team that has succeeded in turning a pioneering concept into a tangible reality,” he continued in a press release. He added that the project strengthens the shipyard’s role in the renewable energy sector and supports its long-term growth strategy.
The project has received support from several Spanish institutions, including the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) through the RENMARINAS program. It has also benefited from collaboration with SOERMAR and Astilleros San Enrique.
Based in Skopje, North Macedonia. Her work has appeared in Daily Mail, Mirror, Daily Star, Yahoo, NationalWorld, Newsweek, Press Gazette and others. She covers stories on batteries, wind energy, sustainable shipping and new discoveries. When she's not chasing the next big science story, she's traveling, exploring new cultures, or enjoying good food with even better wine.
Premium
Follow
Published on November 21st, 2025
Location: Germany
Share this Press Release:
Going forward, BVB will be able to cover up to half of the stadium’s electricity requirements with solar power. This world record has been officially confirmed by the German Record Institute. Compared to the previous power supply, the new solar system will save around 1,700 tons of CO₂ per year. By the beginning of 2026, a battery storage facility with a capacity of 3.7 megawatt hours will also have been built. Once it has been connected to the new PV system, climate-friendly electricity can also be used when the sun is not shining.
In April 2024, RWE and BVB installed a new PV system comprising around 200 solar modules on the roof of the BVB-Fan World building, located next to the stadium. In summer 2024, RWE and Borussia Dortmund agreed to enter into a six-year partnership. As a ‘premium and sustainability partner’, RWE will support the renowned club in its ambitious decarbonization plans.
SIGNAL IDUNA PARK symbolizes our integrated efforts to ensure Borussia Dortmund’s future viability. We are delighted that our home can now be associated with a record-breaking flagship project for climate protection.
Hans-Joachim Watzke, CEO Borussia Dortmund
BVB Managing Director Carsten Cramer says: “Together with RWE, we have achieved a real milestone in our sustainability partnership – with targeted regional impact and global appeal. This project is a key component of our decarbonization strategy and is the ideal contribution to our commitment and our goal of working with our partners to continuously improve and take on more responsibility.”
Markus Krebber, CEO of RWE AG, emphasises: “We are proud to have set a new record with BVB, one of Germany’s most internationally renowned football clubs. Together, we have installed the world’s most powerful solar system on the roof of Germany’s largest stadium. This is a powerful statement in favour of efficient climate protection and is the result of the work of two teams that are perfectly aligned in their commitment to sustainability.
Christoph Gehling, Senior Director Team Borussia Dortmund at SPORTFIVE: "We are very proud to have brokered this special partnership between BVB and RWE. This collaboration underscores the commitment to climate protection and innovation – and also demonstrates the desire of both partners to create forward-looking solutions for a more climate-friendly world."
Share this Press Release:
SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that delivers customer-centric solutions based on trust and transparency, deep industry experience and global relationships, digital intelligence and innovation. SPORTFIVE strategically and creatively connects brands, rightsholders, media platforms and fans to create and enable contemporary partnerships in sports.
While creating and growing long-term value for all, SPORTFIVE often leads the sports business into the future through innovative digital solutions and strives to be the most progressive and respected partner in sports.
Being at the centre of professional sport SPORTFIVE will use its unique position, in order to make a positive contribution to sustainability and to live up to the social and economic duty and responsibility, which sport and consequently all parties involved, also have. SPORTFIVE operates with a global mindset and network of over 1,200 local experts based in 15 countries around the world, active in Football, Golf, Handball, Motorsport, Esports, Cricket, Tennis, American Football, Basketball, Hockey, Rugby, Olympics and Multi-Sport Events, Wintersports and many more.
Senior Manager Marketing Communications
Please check your inbox and confirm your subscription in order to receive exclusive information first hand.
Make sure to also follow our social media accounts for your daily dose of information about us and the world of sports marketing.
Press & Media Registration
By ticking the box I agree to receive information from SPORTFIVE.
I also consent to SPORTFIVE Global Holding GmbH and its affiliates (hereinafter “SPORTFIVE”) using my data to contact me, send further information and offers. Pursuant to Art. 7 (3) GDPR, I have the right to revoke this consent at any time. If choosing to opt out, SPORTFIVE will discontinue any future data processing. The revocation of consent does not affect the lawfulness of the data processing, until revocation is complete. To opt out, please email [email protected]. For further information, please refer to the privacy policy.
Sportfive creates partnerships for
0
Powered by :
Svea Solar Utility is an an independent renewable energy platform, has secured a HoldCo financing facility of up to €185 million (~ $ 215.47 million) from Eiffel Investment Group and Arkéa Asset Management. The funding will support the development, construction, and operation of utility-scale solar PV and battery energy storage projects in Sweden. The company currently has 220 MW of solar PV capacity in operation and under construction. Its portfolio includes a 120 MW solar park that is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Svea Solar Utility plans to use the flexible financing across the entire project lifecycle. The company aims to expand its operational portfolio beyond 2 GW over the next five years.
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
Solar Power World
|
SEG Solar just announced plans for a third solar panel assembly facility sited in Texas. This new 4.6-GW facility will bring the company’s total U.S. module manufacturing capacity to 10.6 GW annually.
SEG currently operates a 2-GW facility in Houston and is opening a 4-GW facility in Tomball this August. The third facility is a brand-new build and will span 1.15 million ft2, including the assembly factory and a warehouse. The third site, which appears to be adjacent to the second factory in Tomball, is expected to finish construction in March 2027 with commercial panel production planned to begin in May 2027.
SEG said the new facility will produce heterojunction technology (HJT) modules, which would quickly boost the number of n-type solar panels made in America, as TOPCon patent battles continue to work their way through the courts and stall American production.
SEG is developing a 5-GW ingot and wafer manufacturing facility in Indonesia, with construction expected to begin this quarter. The company already has a cell manufacturing plant in Indonesia.
SEG reps said the company is also evaluating U.S. sites for a dedicated HJT cell manufacturing facility.
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.
Copyright © 2026 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | RSS
Some of the talking points influencing the narratives around rooftop solar in South Africa are not supported by national data, according to new research.
Josh Dippenaar and Bernard Bekker, researchers from Stellenbosch University, collated system-wide data to test the actuality of narratives currently dominating South African energy discourse.
Their dataset comprised national tariffs covering all 165 licensed municipal distributors in South Africa with cost-of-supply results for each customer category, wholesale purchase prices from utility Eskom, assumptions about residential and C&I solar PV uptake and a qualitative analysis of primary stakeholder sources and municipal audit findings. The data was used to explore narratives around revenue generation, cost recovery, systemic inefficiencies and regulatory interventions.
Dippenaar and Bekker’s findings are presented in the research paper Who pays for rooftop solar? Cost shifts, stakeholder perspectives and policy tensions in South Africa, available in the journal Energy Policy. The paper explains that with around 10% of national installed generation capacity now lying behind the meter, debates around rooftop solar in South Africa are becoming increasingly polarized.
Dippenaar told pv magazine that several of the widely-repeated narratives in the debate around rooftop solar in South Africa are not supported by the data.
“In particular, the idea that municipal electricity revenue is broadly a ‘cash cow’ is not accurate,” he explained. “Across 165 municipal distributors, most are under-recovering the cost of electricity supply, with an average surplus margin around -7% in 2023.”
Analysis in the paper explains that most municipalities are under-recovering electricity costs and rely heavily on cross-subsidies, a mechanism in which costs are transferred between different groups of electricity users, in order to support low-income customers.
The paper adds that cross-subsidization comes mainly from high usage C&I and higher paying domestic tariff categories and highlights a structural vulnerability that is central to understanding the risks and trade-offs of solar uptake.
“Cross-subsidies are a major feature of the system,” Dippenaar continued. “We estimate electricity tariffs redistribute roughly $1 billion per year through cross-subsidies, which is important for affordability and low-income support, but it also means municipalities can be vulnerable to erosion of high-paying customer classes.”
The research also explored the narrative that solar drives major cost shifts, due to solar users contributing less to shared grid networks, in turn leaving other customers to shoulder a larger share of fixed costs.
Dippenaar said that while rooftop PV cost shifts do exist, they are moderate in aggregate and vary significantly by municipality and tariff structure. The research paper adds that the findings challenge the assumption that rooftop solar uptake is primarily driven by the opportunity to exploit tariff design for financial gain.
“Other factors appear to play a stronger role in driving adoption, including tariff levels, the severity of loadshedding, income levels and national incentives such as solar tax rebates,” the paper says.
Dippenaar said results from the research support the need for a more evidence-based approach to tariff reform and regulation, explaining that while rooftop PV is not the root cause of municipal distribution challenges, it can expose and amplify underlying financial and governance weaknesses.
“Rather than framing rooftop PV as the primary threat, the focus should be on designing tariffs that recover residual network costs transparently while maintaining incentives for PV where it provides value, including reliability benefits under load shedding,” Dippenaar suggested.
He added that solar policy in South Africa needs to be paired with practical improvements in metering, registration, and enforcement.
“Non-compliance and broader revenue leakage, via illegal connections, billing inaccuracies and non-technical losses, can outweigh the modeled PV-related revenue erosion in many distressed municipalities,” Dippenaar told pv magazine.
“Beyond tariffs, policy should prioritize improving compliance and reducing non-technical losses, since those interventions can improve municipal financial stability while allowing rooftop PV to scale more smoothly.”
In March, South African utility Eskom said it was issuing notices against 14 municipalities over outstanding debts. Municipal debt across the country had surpassed ZAR 110 billion ($6.6 billion) at the time despite a debt relief program introduced by the National Treasury.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
Comments
Please login to comment
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, June 11, 2026
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, June 1, 2026
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Madrid, Paris
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
6 am – 7:00 am CEST, Berlin
Friday, June 12, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
The new pv magazine Global May issue is now available!
Mountains to climb
Available in print and digital formats.
Be part of the high-level European conference on solar and energy storage, exploring bankable BESS projects, warranties, and energy management for residential and C&I sectors
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
April 01 – August 31, 2026
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition—join the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 in Riyadh to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering its digital economy.
Showcase your brand across all our platforms: from 13 websites in 7 languages to our magazines, daily newsletters, industry events and more. Reach your audience the right way!
We are participating in Intersolar 2026 again this year! Visit us at our Booth Hall 2 A2.250 to discuss the latest trends within the photovoltaic industry with the pv magazine team.
June 23-25, 2026 | MUNICH, GERMANY
You have no items in your basket.
Renewables Now is a leading business news source for renewable energy professionals globally. Trust us for comprehensive coverage of major deals, projects and industry trends. We’ve done this since 2009.
Stay on top of sector news with with Renewables Now. Get access to extra articles and insights with our subscription plans and set up your own focused newsletters and alerts.
CATL has officially opened its Xiamen Energy Storage Validation Research Institute, or ESVL, a large-scale testing and validation platform for battery energy storage systems.
The facility, located in Xiamen, China, covers 10 hectares and represents an investment of about CNY 3 billion ($440 million). CATL described ESVL as an open testing infrastructure for the global energy storage industry, designed to support full-system and station-level validation before project deployment.
The launch comes as large-scale storage projects face growing pressure to prove safety, grid compatibility and long-term reliability under real operating conditions. CATL said validation in the sector has often remained focused on components or limited scenarios, while energy storage systems are increasingly being deployed as grid infrastructure assets.
ESVL is built around five core laboratories. Its station-level grid integration laboratory includes a 35 kV/100 MVA grid simulator and a real-time simulator. CATL said the platform can test more than 10 large-scale energy storage containers at the same time, simulate 1,000-node grid topologies, and cover a frequency range from 15 Hz to 60 Hz. The lab is intended to verify grid-forming capability and multi-unit coordination under complex grid conditions.
The high-voltage safety laboratory covers 1 kV to 500 kV and is designed to investigate failure mechanisms under lightning impulse, power-frequency, DC withstand-voltage and partial-discharge conditions. CATL said the facility will help identify safety boundaries for key components and complete systems.
The thermal safety and combustion laboratory includes a 20 MW calorimeter and 100,000 cubic meters of indoor combustion space. It can perform explosion testing on nine large energy storage containers simultaneously, providing data for safety spacing, project layout and system design optimization.
Photo: Solarpromotion
The environmental reliability laboratory can test complete storage containers under temperatures ranging from -50 C to 100 C, as well as simulated high-altitude pressure conditions up to 7,200 meters. It also includes climate, salt spray, rain and sand chambers to assess system performance in deserts, coastal areas, high-altitude regions and other harsh environments.
The electromagnetic compatibility laboratory can accommodate a full 40-foot container and is equipped with a 65-ton turntable and a 5 MW power supply. CATL said it can conduct EMC testing in an anechoic chamber under real high-power charge and discharge conditions.
CATL said ESVL will work with certification bodies including TÜV SÜD, TÜV Rheinland, CGC and CSA to provide “one-test, multi-witness” services. The company said the platform is intended to generate traceable, real-world validation data that can support regulators, insurers, financial institutions and project developers.
The company linked the new institute to its broader energy storage expansion. CATL said its energy storage battery sales reached 121 GWh in 2025, giving it a global market share of 30.4% and the top position in the sector for the fifth consecutive year. According to CATL, the platform is intended to move energy storage validation from product-level testing to project-level evidence. It also reflects the growing validation requirements from bankability, insurability and grid compliance as storage projects move into larger, more complex applications.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
Comments
Please login to comment
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, June 11, 2026
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, June 1, 2026
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Madrid, Paris
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
6 am – 7:00 am CEST, Berlin
Friday, June 12, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
The new pv magazine Global May issue is now available!
Mountains to climb
Available in print and digital formats.
Be part of the high-level European conference on solar and energy storage, exploring bankable BESS projects, warranties, and energy management for residential and C&I sectors
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
April 01 – August 31, 2026
A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution.
Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition—join the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 in Riyadh to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering its digital economy.
Showcase your brand across all our platforms: from 13 websites in 7 languages to our magazines, daily newsletters, industry events and more. Reach your audience the right way!
We are participating in Intersolar 2026 again this year! Visit us at our Booth Hall 2 A2.250 to discuss the latest trends within the photovoltaic industry with the pv magazine team.
June 23-25, 2026 | MUNICH, GERMANY
You have no items in your basket.
Sign up for the Concord Monitor’s morning newsletter for daily news, and opt in to our contests and promotions list for giveaways and special offers.
Concord Monitor
The Concord Monitor is a Pulitzer Prize winning daily newspaper and website located in the capital city of New Hampshire. The Concord Monitor is Central NH's dominant media with more than 70 percent household penetration. The Monitor is a key source of news and information for Concord, NH.
Sign up for the Concord Monitor’s morning newsletter for essential news each day, and our contests and promotions list for special offers and giveaways.
A crowd formed at the Friends of Forgotten Children food pantry in Concord on Sunday, but not because meals were being served inside. The crowd was outdoors.
“We had about 30 people there. We had probably a dozen on the roof, four on scaffolding, four on the ground … a number filling out paperwork,” said Steve Ettelson, vice president of a group called HAREI that came to the pantry to run one of its barn-raising-style events to install solar panels. “It only took a couple hours.”
The Hillsborough Area Renewable Energy Initiative, a volunteer-run non-profit that, despite its name, also operates outside Hillsborough County, has been around for almost 15 years. Its goal is to help people decide whether, and how, to get their own solar power. It gives advice and helps organize the project, then comes together to help with installation on roofs or ground-mounted arrays, which can greatly cut the owner’s costs. They’ve done some 125 events, mostly on single-family homes, totaling well over a megawatt of capacity.
Just as importantly, HAREI has created a community that appreciates solar power, the pleasures of home improvement, and the idea of gathering together to help neighbors.
“These days we seem to get between 20 and 50 people who show up at these events,” Ettelson said. It’s not unusual for organizers to struggle to find enough jobs for everybody to do on-site.
Award-winning coverage on breaking news and today’s top stories in and around the Capital Region. From Arts and Life to Sports and Opinion you’ll have unlimited access to the Concord Monitor’s content.
The food pantry project is the group’s third such installation, following a Greenfield food pantry and the Mont Vernon library, for a non-profit rather than a homeowner who could afford solar panels. “We had been helping the people who need it the least and decided we should be helping those who need it,” said Ettelson.
Sunday’s installation placed 54 panels totaling 21 kilowatts DC, a little more than twice the amount placed on a typical home. As with most installations, the panels’ electricity will power the pantry when necessary and send any excess into the grid, which will make a little money for the pantry and slightly reduce the amount of electricity that the neighborhood needs to bring in from afar.
That last point is the reason that solar on roofs can help everybody. The biggest added cost in electricity these days comes from building wires, poles, transformers and other equipment to move power between producers and consumers. Having solar panels at lots of buildings, each of them furiously generating electricity on site, reduces the need for transmission, which can reduce everybody’s future cost on power bills.
The actual placement and hook-up of panels is almost the easiest part of the work. Figuring out the power need and how much solar is worth it, getting local approval (details differ from town to town), upgrading electrical systems, putting anchors on the roof — all that and more needs to be done. Much of the value of HAREI comes from its long experience with solar installations, providing advice that isn’t linked to a corporate sale.
“We went in and we monitored their usage, so we could see what’s going on,” Ettelson said of the Concord work. “We gave them a road map of what else they can do to save energy.”
The building’s relatively flat roof also made it perfect for training volunteers on installing the racking that holds the panels.
Total cost of the work, including buying the panels, is being split between HAREI and the food pantry, Ettelson said. Donations helped: Sentry Roofing sent an installer to put in the roof anchors for free. Greentech Renewables, a solar equipment distributor in Bow, has also been helpful.
To my knowledge, there is no other group like HAREI operating in New Hampshire, but there should be. Solar power is a perfect local-control technology; doing it with the construction equivalent of town meeting makes it the perfect Granite State activity.
Cutting down on your monthly electric bill is kind of nice, too.
David Brooks can be reached at dbrooks@cmonitor.com. Sign up for his Granite Geek weekly email newsletter at granitegeek.org. More by David Brooks
Customer Service
603-224-4287
customerservice@cmonitor.com
Help support your local news source!
Forgot password / Create account
Google, AirTrunk and European Energy Australia are finalising the 25 MW Mulwala solar farm in New South Wales's Riverina district. The project, announced in 2023 under a corporate PPA structure, will supply Australia's…
Just your email — that's all it takes.
0
Powered by :
SEG Solar, a US-based solar module manufacturer, has announced plans for its third US manufacturing facility in Greater Houston, Texas. The 4.6 GW facility is expected to raise SEG Solar’s planned annual US module manufacturing capacity to 10.6 GW. SEG Solar has signed an agreement with a local construction company to develop the site across approximately 1.15 million sq ft, including a factory and a warehouse. The announcement comes ahead of the grand opening of its second 4 GW factory, scheduled for August 7, 2026. Construction of the third facility is projected to be completed by March 2027, with commercial production expected to begin in May 2027. The facility is being planned for next-generation HJT technology and FEOC-compliant module production through supply chain traceability, material control, and compliance management. SEG Solar has also initiated planning for an ingot and wafer facility in Indonesia and is evaluating US sites for a dedicated HJT cell manufacturing facility.
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
You must be logged in to post a comment.