One of the outgrowths of the pending sunset of the Federal Investment Tax Credit and a slowdown in new large-scale solar projects entering service is that existing assets, both in service and under construction, may become more valuable. Buyers are active and owners are putting together larger and more diverse portfolios of PV projects. A recent study by the PV Performance and Analytics Modeling Collaborative (PVMAC) at Sandia National Laboratories reports that the rise of large, complex solar portfolios is causing fragmentation in operational data that could threaten output performance and financial returns. The problem, the authors assert, is that many stakeholders, which may have limited industry experience, are not fully aware of the importance of PV operations software on plant performance. At its core, the problem is the lack of standards for reporting, the study says, particularly in key performance indicators (KPI) metrics. “The [solar] industry lacks clear and consistent understanding of PV operations software, and many stakeholders are not fully aware of the importance of these tools for improving operational performance,” the report states. “This makes it difficult to assess capabilities, compare approaches, and make informed decisions.” The PVMAC solicited the input of 24 providers of operations and maintenance (O&M) software providers to assess the capabilities, integration practices and operational functionality of their commercial systems representing more than 1.1 TW of solar assets across over 115,000 sites. The responses indicated that while 70% of platforms offer public application programming interfaces (APIs), 30% still place restrictions and costs on data export. The report also found that only 17% of providers publicly document their KPI performance methodologies and only about half claim KPI reproducibility, making it difficult for operators to consistently evaluate performance across assets and platforms. According to Texas-based enSights, a provider of O&M intelligence and energy business management software that participated in the research, challenges compounded by different data access points across manufacturers, distributed energy resource asset age and operational platforms. “The data accessibility issue and array of different performance KPI definitions are only compounding the data fragmentation challenge, at a time when operators are under increasing pressure to optimize portfolio performance and returns,” said Alon Mashkovich, co-founder and CEO of enSights. “A fragmented data landscape that makes it increasingly difficult for operators to gain a clear understanding of portfolio performance, ultimately limiting their ability to maximize returns and realize the full value of their assets.” Mashkovich added that by removing these barriers, software providers will be able to enable operators to obtain a clearer view of their portfolios that will enable better decisions, stronger performance and greater confidence in the data that drives them. The Sandia report offers the following takeaways on O&M software characteristics and their potential pitfalls: Mashkovich said the industry must advance beyond simply collecting data towards ensuring it can move freely across systems. It should also work to establish standardized performance KPI definitions in order to eliminate variations between expected yield calculations, digital twin definitions, performance methodologies and KPI calculations in order to more accurately predict portfolio performance. Comments Please login to comment The June issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! Thursday, July 9, 2026 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, June 18, 2026 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid 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.
No matter which way you slice it, the farm economy is in a challenging place right now. Farmers are running the numbers on their operations. For many, the numbers aren’t adding up. Fertilizer costs are up. Fuel isn’t coming down. Equipment payments aren’t stopping. As the margins that keep a farm in the family keep getting thinner, many farmers are evaluating their options. Not to get rich. Just to stay afloat. One of those options is putting solar panels on a portion of the farm acreage. Not replacing crops or giving up farming. Just using a small part of what they own to generate steady income and lower their power bills. For a lot of farmers right now, solar is not a political issue or environmental statement. It’s a way to make the math work. As president of CB solar, I’ve helped plenty of farms here in Iowa install solar arrays on their property, and I’ve seen first-hand how solar brings stability to farm families. More: Why Iowa farmers need competition, not another bailout | Opinion Too many debates in Washington around solar and agriculture treat it like a choice between food and energy. But increasingly, farmers are doing both. For farmers facing unpredictable markets, weather, and input costs, a long-term solar lease and lower electricity bill can provide something rare: stability. That’s why programs like the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) matter. REAP has helped farmers install energy systems, cut costs, and invest back into their operations. This is not a partisan issue. Farmers don’t ask whether something is Republican or Democrat. They ask whether it works. REAP has worked. Now, as the Senate takes up the farm bill, lawmakers face a choice: Protect programs like REAP that help farmers lower long-term costs or cut a valuable program for rural Americans. Cutting this critical program would be a mistake. At a time when President Donald Trump is focused on lowering costs and strengthening domestic energy, helping farmers generate their own power checks every box. Energy produced on American farms, by American landowners, is about as local and secure as it gets. More: Farm bill draft has warts; Iowa delegation should fix it | Opinion That doesn’t mean every project should move forward without scrutiny. But the answer isn’t to take options off the table entirely. The answer is to make sure those options are available and workable through the farm bill. Rolling back REAP wouldn’t be a victory for rural America. It would simply make it harder for farmers to use their own land and keep their operations afloat. This is about whether Washington will help ensure the folks that know their land the best get a chance to do what they’ve always done: tend to their land and provide for their communities. Tyler Bacon is president of CB Solar of Des Moines.
Dr. Lu: Since entering the renewable energy sector in 2006, CHINT has recognized that the solar industry is cyclical. That’s why we’ve been committed to building a more resilient business model from day one — not chasing short-term growth but building for the long haul. Today, CHINT operates an end-to-end value chain, from silicon materials and wafers upstream, to solar cells and modules, inverters and BESS, as well as to project development, EPC, and O&M downstream. This integrated approach creates strong industrial synergies and equips us to navigate market cycles with greater confidence. CHINT is also the only enterprise group globally listed in BloombergNEF’s Tier 1 rankings for PV modules, inverters, and energy storage simultaneously — a reflection of our global competitiveness and long-term credibility. Dr. Lu: Looking ahead, we see several strategic areas that will shape CHINT’s next phase of growth: complementary energy systems, green fuels, virtual power plants, and zero-carbon industrial parks. We believe the future energy system will rely on more integrated solutions. We see strong potential in hybrid systems combining solar, storage, and wind to deliver a more stable and cost-effective power supply, especially for markets with weak grids or high diesel dependency. On the green fuels side, we are exploring the conversion of biomass waste into green LNG and green methanol to support industrial decarbonization. In virtual power plants, CHINT has a meaningful first-mover advantage, supported by a flexible, distributed generation base and a strong distributor network that connects a large SME customer base. We are also piloting zero-carbon industrial parks and direct green electricity supply models at our factories in Zhejiang, China, which will serve as proving grounds for solutions we intend to replicate at scale across China’s industrial sector. Dr. Lu: CHINT always takes a long-term and disciplined approach to developing its renewable energy business. With end-to-end capabilities across the entire value chain, we can create stronger synergies across our business and deliver more competitive solutions to customers. Rather than pursuing rapid expansion for its own sake, we concentrate on creating sustainable value and maintaining strategic discipline. Dr. Lu: Over the next five years, global demand for renewable energy is expected to remain robust, driven by energy security concerns, cost competitiveness, and net-zero commitments. In China, the industry is transitioning from policy-backed growth to market-oriented mechanisms, marking a broader shift from “industrializing renewable energy” to “renewables reshaping industry.” Future competition will no longer be limited to standalone solar or storage products. Instead, the market will increasingly value integrated energy solutions, cross-sector collaboration, and efficient utilization of green electricity. Meanwhile, emerging sectors such as green hydrogen and green methanol are also creating significant new opportunities for the industry. Dr. Lu: In hydrogen, our focus will be on hydrogen production equipment and integrated system solutions, while strengthening key technologies and materials across the value chain to enhance competitiveness. We also see strong potential in combining renewable energy with emerging industrial applications. One example is our 5 MW project in South Australia, where solar power is combined with computing infrastructure to improve energy flexibility and reduce exposure to electricity price volatility. We are also expanding into backup energy storage solutions for AI data centers, and other high-energy-demand applications. With our strong technical expertise in power and energy solutions, CHINT has supported several data center projects and sees significant long-term opportunities. 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 June issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! Thursday, July 9, 2026 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, June 18, 2026 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Be part of the high-level European conference on solar and energy storage, exploring bankable BESS projects, warranties, and energy management for residential and C&I sectors 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
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has found that solar only occupies 0.07% of U.S. farmland in an interactive map the organization published today. The new tool comes amid Farm Bill negotiations in Congress and growing misinformation and targeted scrutiny of solar development and agricultural land use. The map shows that solar occupies a small…
Peace between solar developers and farmers is possible through the emerging field of agrivoltaics, in which crops share space with solar panels. Though losing some field space, the farmer gets a reliable income from a new kind of energy crop, while continuing to stay in the business of raising plants instead of going bankrupt or selling the land for real estate development. What is lacking is a legislative framework to support and accelerate the transition into agrivoltaics, and the state of Virginia has just come up with a solution. The new legislation crossed the CleanTechnica radar via an email from the land conservation organization Piedmont Environmental Council. PEC is known for establishing the first crop-based agrivoltaic system in Virginia, located at the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows (pictured above). It’s a relatively small project, but the impact has resonated through the halls of the Virginia state legislature. The word “crop” is significant because at this time, agrivoltaic activity around the US has been largely limited to grazing sheep. As relatively small, efficient grazers, sheep help reduce maintenance costs by keeping vegetation off the panels. They also help condition the soil, conserving it for agricultural use if the panels are ever removed (see more solar grazing background here). Edible crops for humans are a next-level challenge in terms of balancing land use between solar panels and agriculture. The new legislation (SB 340/HB 508) is designed to provide farmers with a reliable, stable platform for making those decisions, while avoiding poorly designed projects. “The topic of agrivoltaics is one that has been top of mind for me for years, because it has always been a question of how is it that we can ensure that our communities–and importantly our farmers–have the ability to keep land in production, but also the option to leverage the technology that can help them offset their on-farm costs and also allow them to be leaders,” Virginia Governor Spanberger explained earlier this week, marking the occasion of a formal bill-signing ceremony. “By establishing clear enforceable definitions of agrivoltaics and code of Virginia, we are protecting farmers. We are making clear that the use of agrivoltaics prioritizes agricultural productivity, keeps land in production for the life of the solar array and is part of an existing farm business,” Spanberger elaborated. If agrivoltaics is so good for farmers and their communities, why does Agriculture Secretary Susan Rollins oppose solar panels on farms? That’s a good question. Perhaps she will explain herself someday. Nevertheless, she is in good company. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum doesn’t believe that energy storage systems are actual things that exist in time and space, although energy storage helps farmers optimize their solar resources. As for Energy Secretary Chris Wright, let’s not bother him. He’s too busy to think about new solar solutions that can help farmers stay in business. His attention is focused like a thousand points of light on an effort to keep coal power from sliding into the dustbin of historical irrelevance. Perhaps in an earlier age he would have been among those fighting to save the whale oil industry after low-cost mineral and petroleum oils swept into the market, with just as much success. As for the President himself, rumor has it that his position on solar power has softened. That’s nice, but not nice enough to prevent the steady march of farm bankruptcies. Sell-offs to real estate developers also continue apace, with skyrocketing fuel and fertilizer costs adding to damage done by the President’s willy-nilly tariff wars. That land is forever lost to permanent infrastructure up to and including data centers. Where were we? Oh, right. A modern solution to the age-old struggle of keeping a farm in operation. SB 340/HB 508 formally defines agrivoltaics as “the intentional co-location of agricultural production and solar energy generation on the same land,” but it doesn’t stop there. The bill also lists some key qualifiers. The project must complement a farm’s existing business and prioritize agricultural activities, including the sale of products, over the solar array’s lifespan. Solar panels typically last about 25-30 years, so that is a substantial commitment. The system also needs to be designed with flexibility in mind, enabling farmers to respond to changing markets and adapt their operations accordingly. The PEC has been a powerful advocate for forward-looking agricultural energy solutions in Virginia, so its no surprise to see the organization give itself a pat on its back for another successful effort. “Working alongside the Virginia Farm Bureau, PEC helped develop an official definition for agrivoltaics that will ensure dual use solar projects take best management practices into account,” the organization explained in a press statement, while emphasizing that SB 340/HB 508 passed with strong bipartisan support. SB 340/HB 508 also follows 11 other energy bills signed into law with PEC support in one form or another Some of those were authored by PEC, and others were advised or otherwise supported by PEC. “PEC worked on these practical legislative proposals with partners before the 2026 General Assembly session, laying the groundwork for accelerating underutilized small-scale, distributed generation and storage opportunities in Virginia,” PEC explains. That’s quite a track record for one legislative session. However, former Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin was term-limited out of office in November, removing one potential obstacle. Spanberger ran for the office on a clean energy platform and she has been making up for lost ground. Agrivoltaics is just part of the farmer-supporting package. The new batch of legislation also supports on-farm energy storage (sorry, Doug!) and virtual power plants, enabling farmers to earn revenue in collaboration with their local utilities. “When multiple farms, businesses and homes use battery backup, the energy they produce and store together can function as a ‘virtual power plant,’ furthering the potential for decentralized power generation,” PEC adds. “PEC worked on these practical legislative proposals with partners before the 2026 General Assembly session, laying the groundwork for accelerating underutilized small-scale, distributed generation and storage opportunities in Virginia, PEC further emphasizes. The Community Farm itself is a living model for replication, with crops sitting alongside solar panels and a full battery backup system. Kale, lettuce, beets, broccoli, and garlic are among the crops currently in residence. With the solar panels and battery in hand, the farm has had an electricity bill of zero so far this year, and the solar-plus-storage can cover its operations in case the grid goes down. Photo: The Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows is hosting the first ever crop-based agrivoltaics system in Virginia — and it won’t be the last (courtesy of PEC). CleanTechnica’s Comment Policy Tina has been covering advanced energy technology, military sustainability, emerging materials, biofuels, ESG and related policy and political matters for CleanTechnica since 2009. Follow her @tinamcasey on LinkedIn, Mastodon or Bluesky. Tina Casey has 4213 posts and counting. See all posts by Tina Casey
A provision in the House-passed farm bill is drawing criticism from farmers and renewable energy advocates who say it could limit opportunities for solar development on productive agricultural land. The measure would restrict certain federal incentives tied to solar projects located on prime farmland, a move supporters say is necessary to preserve land for food production. Critics argue the provision could reduce an important source of income for farmers facing low commodity prices and rising production costs. According to reporting by The Guardian and congressional summaries of the legislation, the debate highlights growing tensions between renewable energy expansion and farmland preservation. Farm groups note that lease payments from solar developers have become a valuable source of revenue for some producers. The issue is expected to receive additional scrutiny as the Senate develops its version of the farm bill. Lawmakers on both sides say they support renewable energy but disagree on how to balance energy development with long-term agricultural production. You must be logged in to post a comment. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
The Nexus project, a 1.6 MW solar installation on the canals of the Turlock Irrigation District (TID) in California, is now complete and operational. The $20 million state-funded pilot is presented as a model for agricultural regions affected by water stress. Two photovoltaic systems were installed, one spanning a 30-meter-wide section and another covering a 6-meter-wide canal in Stanislaus County. Both sites became fully operational in August 2025. The project serves as a proof of concept to study the design, implementation, and co-benefits of canal-top solar. It uses TID’s infrastructure and grid access and is the first US effort of its kind to include collaboration between the public, private, and academic sectors. Image: TID A battery energy storage system has been installed at the narrowest canal site, using 75 kW iron flow batteries from U.S. manufacturer ESS. Each ESS container provides 400 kWh of peak energy and has a lifespan of more than 20,000 cycles. The unit weighs 41.9 tons, measures 12 meters by 2.4 meters, and stands 2.9 meters tall. Its electrolyte system is fully recyclable, relying on recycled iron components and salt water. The University of California, Merced, has deployed research equipment at both sites to collect baseline data. While the evaporative savings from Project Nexus are not yet known, a UC study estimated that covering California’s 4,000 km of canals could save 63 billion gallons of water annually – enough to irrigate 50,000 acres of farmland or supply more than 2 million residents. TID is also studying potential improvements in water quality from reduced vegetative growth. Comments Please login to comment The June issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! Thursday, July 9, 2026 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, June 18, 2026 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects. April 01 – August 31, 2026 pv magazine Insight will be held on October 30, at The Battery Show India Expo 2025 and moderated by pv magazine’s Uma Gupta and Mark Hutchins.
N.A.N. GreenMet and Belgium-headquartered Silox have formed a 50:50 joint venture, N.A.N. Silox GreenMet, to establish a lithium-ion battery recycling and critical minerals recovery platform in India. The JV company will develop and operate an industrial facility to process spent batteries through shredding, beneficiation and hydrometallurgical refining, enabling the recovery of strategic materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese. The facility will be located in Andhra Pradesh, with land and incentives in place. The project is planned to be developed in two phases, ultimately targeting a total capacity of up to 40,000 tonnes per annum of shredding and 20,000 tonnes per annum of hydrometallurgical processing. Beyond recycling, the joint venture will also explore downstream value creation, including cathode active materials as well as second-life battery applications for stationary energy storage systems. Silox brings over four decades of industrial-scale hydrometallurgical expertise in non-ferrous metals recovery. Its Indian entity Silox Specialties India has developed and validated a proprietary process for battery-grade lithium, cobalt, and nickel recovery at pilot scale in India. The JV combines this proven process—now being deployed at a new order of magnitude—with N.A.N. GreenMet’s industrial execution, capital access, and deep policy relationships. “Every spent battery is a domestic resource — lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese — that today leaves India’s supply chain forever. N.A.N. Silox GreenMet changes that: Europe’s most proven hydrometallurgical technology at the scale India’s clean energy transition demands. This is circular economy infrastructure for Viksit Bharat,” said Navin Agarwal, founder & chairman, N.A.N. GreenMet. “This joint venture fully aligns with Silox’s strategy to close the loop on critical metals through advanced recycling solutions. We are convinced that India will play a key role in the global battery ecosystem, and we are proud to contribute to its development. N.A.N. GreenMet gives us the execution platform and scale to make this India’s defining critical minerals recycling platform,” added J.C. Bogaert, chairman, Silox Group. N.A.N. GreenMet is a technology-led manufacturing platform founded by Navin Agarwal, vice chairman of Vedanta, building India’s critical minerals and clean energy industrial backbone across rare earth magnets, battery recycling, and precision blasting. Silox Group is a chemical company headquartered in Belgium and specializing in critical metals recovery, specialty chemicals and innovative materials. Silox develops advanced hydrometallurgical processes to extract and refine valuable metals from secondary resources, with a strong focus on sustainability and circular economy solutions. Comments Please login to comment The June issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! Thursday, July 9, 2026 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, June 18, 2026 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects. April 01 – August 31, 2026 pv magazine Insight will be held on October 30, at The Battery Show India Expo 2025 and moderated by pv magazine’s Uma Gupta and Mark Hutchins.
Solar Power World By Kelly Pickerel | A luxury condominium community in North Scottsdale, Arizona, will have a central clubhouse that features CertainTeed’s SunStyle solar shingles. Designed by KTGY, the clubhouse draws inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West, featuring linear forms, sloped rooflines, expressive structural members and wood-grain stucco stained to resemble natural wood. “We weren’t trying to copy Taliesin West, we were inspired by it,” said Jonathan McCulloch, CEO of Belgravia Group, developer of the Atavia community. “The repeating roof angles, exposed structural elements, and wood detailing create something more visually interesting than what we’re used to seeing in clubhouse design.” The clubhouse will feature the SunStyle solar-integrated roof system, which resembles overlapping dragon-scale tiles. McCulloch discovered the innovative solution while exploring renewable energy options and was drawn to its proven track record, with more than 15 years of successful performance across Europe. Atavia will become the first-ever project in Arizona to feature SunStyle solar roofing, setting a new benchmark for luxury, design-forward sustainability in the region. The high-performance solar roof is expected to generate 55,000 kWh of power annually, which could offset most, and potentially nearly all, of the clubhouse’s annual energy consumption. “We wanted the sustainability component to feel fully integrated into the architecture,” McCulloch said. “We didn’t want to apply traditional rectangular panels on the roof, which can detract from an otherwise beautiful design. This product allowed us to incorporate renewable energy in a way that complements the design rather than competing with it.” Jessie Schiavone, general manager of CertainTeed Solar Solutions, expressed pride in partnering with the Belgravia Group and KTGY on the clubhouse project, noting that it reflects a strong alignment of design, sustainability and performance. “SunStyle delivers a fully integrated solar roofing system that generates clean energy while preserving architectural integrity,” Schiavone said. “We’re proud to contribute a solution that enhances both the aesthetics and functionality of the space, and we hope the Atavia community will enjoy it as a place to gather and connect for years to come.” News item from CertainTeed 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.
The Conversation reports a new study finding that agrivoltaics, colocating solar photovoltaic panels with cropland, could produce enough electricity in Canada to eliminate the need for fossil fuels on the national grid while using less than 1% of the country's land area, according to the article. The report, described in The Conversation as the first study of its kind, also finds that agrivoltaic arrangements can increase food production for some crops. The article frames this potential in the context of rapidly rising electricity demand from AI and large data centres and cites the International Energy Agency on projected growth in compute-related power needs. The Conversation article highlights pilot projects and academic trials (for example at Western University) as evidence supporting the study's conclusions. The Conversation reports a new study concluding that agrivoltaics, the practice of installing solar photovoltaic panels above or among crops, can simultaneously generate substantial electricity and increase crop yields. According to The Conversation, the study finds that agrivoltaics in Canada could supply enough electricity to remove the need for fossil-fuel generation on the grid while occupying less than 1% of the country's land. The Conversation characterises this study as the first analysis specifically linking agrivoltaics to powering AI data centres and mentions academic pilot sites such as Western University. Agrivoltaics combines partial canopy shading from panels with conventional agriculture; published literature shows this can reduce heat stress and evapotranspiration for some crops and improve water-use efficiency. Industry-pattern observations: projects that colocate generation with productive land are increasingly evaluated for land-use efficiency, grid-connection simplicity, and reduced transmission losses compared with distant utility-scale farms. Industry context: Data-centre and AI compute demand is a growing driver of electricity use in many markets. The Conversation cites the International Energy Agency on rising electricity needs tied to AI workloads. For practitioners, agrivoltaics offers a land-efficient route to add distributed renewable capacity near load centres, which could ease peak-power and local reliability pressures while preserving or improving agricultural output. Indicators observers can follow include pilot co-location projects that integrate server facilities or edge infrastructure with agrivoltaic farms, crop-by-crop yield and microclimate datasets from field trials, utility interconnection studies for distributed PV sited on farmland, and policy signals such as agricultural land-use rules and renewable deployment incentives. Reporting to date, as summarised by The Conversation, focuses on feasibility and co-benefits rather than commercially scaled deployments. The finding has notable infrastructure relevance for energy-heavy AI workloads and land-use policy, but it is based on feasibility and pilot studies rather than widespread commercial deployment. Practitioners should monitor pilots and grid-integration work. A 5-minute Tuesday brief on AI & data science. Curated, no fluff. No spam. Privacy. Practice with real Ride-Hailing data 90 SQL & Python problems · 15 industry datasets 250 free problems · No credit card News on Let's Data Science is compiled from multiple public sources with editorial oversight. See our Editorial Standards and Corrections Policy.
rabble.ca It’s clear that those advocating for the necessary “just transition” from fossil fuels to renewable energy care more about workers than fossil fuel supporters. Jobs are disappearing in coal, oil and gas. It’s not just because we have many more efficient, cost-effective and less polluting ways to power our societies — although that’s a big part of it. Automation, artificial intelligence and industry consolidation are already reducing the fossil fuel workforce, and the trend is accelerating. In Canada, despite a 35 per cent increase in oil production and 24 per cent in “natural” gas over the past five years, employment in the fossil fuel industry dropped by 38,000 jobs, down to less than one per cent of the workforce, the Centre for Future Work reports. The industry and its political and media supporters care little about jobs or working people, as much as they might claim otherwise. Machines and computers don’t require training, demand fair wages and benefits, take sick days or get injured on the job. For evidence of how little regard many fossil fuel supporters, especially in politics, have for working people, one has only to look at their attempts to stall the necessary transition to renewable energy — which is already generating far more employment. The Trump administration in the United States is an obvious example, but we’ve also seen it with Alberta and Saskatchewan’s governments, various Canadian provincial and federal political parties and politicians in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Barriers thrown in the way of renewable energy development while fossil fuels continue to receive support and subsidies don’t just represent an attack on safer, less-polluting energy sources; they’re also an attack on working people. According to the Pembina Institute, the Alberta government’s 2023 pause on renewable energy projects affected 118 projects worth at least $33 billion of investment, which would have created enough jobs to keep 24,000 people working for a year. More recently, 79-year-old Calgary-based ATCO Ltd. has blamed Alberta government policies for a $408 million devaluation of its wind and solar projects in the province. Overseas, as Guardian writer George Monbiot explains, the conservative Confederation of British Industry found that “the net zero economy now directly employs more than 300,000 full-time workers, while supporting the jobs of 1.1 million” and that the sector is worth £100 billion to the UK, growing steadily. “The rest of the green economy directly employs a further 600,000.” He adds, “In October, the government announced plans to create another 400,000 jobs through its green energy plan, particularly for people leaving the fossil fuel industry, school leavers, ex-offenders, veterans and the unemployed.” In 2023, the country’s oil and gas industry provided just 27,500 jobs and supported 205,000. It’s the same everywhere, especially as countries ramp up renewable energy development in attempts to extricate themselves from increasingly volatile fossil fuel markets, choked by conflicts in the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine and subject to shortages and monopoly control. In the U.S., regardless of its president’s attempts to shore up what he ludicrously calls “clean, beautiful coal,” solar generated more power in May than coal for the first time — supplying 12.8 per cent compared to 12.2 per cent for coal. Despite a recent drop in renewable energy investment in the U.S. because of the administration’s policy reversals and support for fossil fuels, the sector is growing faster than any part of the economy. The World Resources Institute reports that “clean energy jobs grew by nearly 12%, going from 3.2 million workers in 2021 to 3.6 million by the end of 2024. Across the country, 22 out of every 1,000 workers were employed in clean energy-related positions in 2024. During the same period, the broader U.S. job market only grew by only 8%.” It’s clear that those advocating for the necessary “just transition” from fossil fuels to renewable energy care more about workers than fossil fuel supporters, who prioritize profits and political funding. Along with a shift to better jobs in renewable energy, we also need to shift our thinking about employment. For starters, we must realize that the five-day, 40-hour workweek is as outdated as the energy sources that have fuelled it. We must also ensure that those employed in the fossil fuel industry, along with many others, can be guaranteed adequate training, good wages and benefits and varied opportunities to be part of cleaner, healthier, more prosperous future. David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington. Learn more at davidsuzuki.org.
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Australia’s large-scale renewable energy pipeline has reached 32,277MW of probable generation capacity, according to the Clean Energy Regulator’s pipeline tracker. The CER’s pipeline data, updated weekly, categorises projects as probable once they publicly announce a financing source, such as signing a power purchase agreement (PPA) or winning a Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) tender. Get Premium Subscription On 29 May, the probable queue jumped by 8,315MW in a single week, from 23,962MW to 32,277MW, which has been recorded as the largest seven-day movement in nine years of data. The addition almost certainly reflects the registration of CIS Tenders 5, 6 and 7 awards into the dataset, which together allocated more than 10GW of renewable energy capacity across the National Electricity Market (NEM) and Western Australia. CIS Tender 5 awarded 1.9GW of generation capacity in Western Australia alone, while Tender 7 awarded a further 7.8GW of renewable energy across the NEM, with wind dominating the results at more than 7GW of the total. Meanwhile, CIS Tender 6 saw 3,683GWh of standalone battery energy storage added. The combined weight of these awards, entering the CER’s probable category simultaneously, produced the spike visible in the weekly data. The 32GW probable figure is the cumulative result of successive CIS tender tranches loading the pipeline over the past 18 months. The probable queue stood at roughly 13,600MW in mid-2025, jumped to just over 20,000MW in October 2025 following earlier CIS awards, and has nearly doubled again following the registrations for Tenders 5, 6 and 7. Each step up corresponds directly to a tender round outcome entering the tracker. What the data also shows, with equal clarity, is that the committed queue has not kept pace. Committed projects, which are those that have reached a final investment decision or publicly announced the start of construction, stood at 7,354MW on 29 May, up modestly from around 5,600MW in mid-2025 but still well below the pace needed to match the inflow of new probable capacity. The gap between the probable and committed categories now stands at approximately 24,900MW – the widest in the dataset’s history by a substantial margin. That gap reflects a structural challenge that has been building since the CIS programme began generating large tender outcomes. Projects enter the probable category when they win a CIS contract, but moving from contract award to financial close requires grid connection agreements, state and federal planning approvals, financing arrangements and in many cases, offtake contracts beyond the CIS revenue floor. Each of those steps takes time, and the CIS pipeline has been growing faster than the machinery that converts contracts into construction starts. The accredited fleet, noted as projects that have been commissioned and are generating electricity, stood at 29,542MW as of the week ending 31 May 2026, having grown from approximately 24,000MW in early 2024. That growth reflects the commissioning of projects that entered the committed category during the 2022 and 2023 investment surge, when the committed queue peaked at around 8,000MW. The current committed queue, at 7,354MW, is below that 2022 peak despite a probable pipeline that is now four times larger. The CER’s own modelling, published in its December quarter 2025 market report, projected that between 6-16GW of capacity could reach a financial investment decision by the end of 2027, a range that reflects the uncertainty around how quickly the current probable pipeline will convert. The CER noted that 12GW of CIS-supported generation from the first four tenders alone had yet to reach final investment decision (FID) at the time of that report, before the Tender 5, 6 and 7 outcomes added further volume to the queue. The scale of the probable pipeline provides a degree of insurance against individual project attrition. Historically, not every project that reaches probable status converts to committed, and the CER’s pipeline has always included a proportion that stall or are cancelled before reaching construction. With the probable queue now at 32GW, the volume of capacity available to convert is larger than at any previous point, which gives Australia a deeper buffer against the delays and cancellations that are a routine feature of large-scale renewable energy development. Whether the current committed queue of 7.3GW is sufficient to keep pace with coal retirements and meet the federal government’s 82% renewables by 2030 target is a separate question. You can explore Australia’s monthly solar generation performance in our NEM Data Spotlight series, with all entries available to PV Tech Premium subscribers.
PUBLISHED ON PRESTON and CALEDONIA, Minn. — Solar energy sites popping up across rural landscapes are raising concerns about taking agricultural land out of production. With foresight and creativity, solar sites can be developed to prioritize agriculture production also known as Agrivoltaics. However, building an agrivoltaic site is more than just raising the height of the solar panels. It’s a logistical puzzle involving specialized site prep, complex operations management and long-term land stewardship. Join the University of Minnesota Extension for the July session of the Agrivoltaics webinar series, titled “Keeping the farm in ‘solar farm’: Agrivoltaic logistics.” The webinar will take place on July 14, 2026, at 7 p.m. CT. This discussion brings together experts in agriculture centric solar development. Angela Burke is the director of Operations and Management at Pivot Energy. In her role, Burke supports Pivot’s asset managers and leads their land stewardship initiatives and standards. Pivot has extensive experience working with solar grazers. Mike DellaGala is the co-founder and CEO of Solar Collective. Solar collective develops solar energy projects with an Agrivoltaics first approach. Their goal is to help farmers continue farming. These professionals with varied approaches will discuss agrivoltaics from a solar developer’s perspective. This webinar moves beyond the “why” and dives deep into the “how” of designing, permitting and operating projects where solar and soil work in tandem. This webinar is designed for farmers, solar developers, landowners, government officials and agricultural professionals interested in the future of dual-use land management. Whether you’re a rancher looking to diversify income or a developer aiming to integrate agriculture production, this session will provide the insights you need. Pre-registration is required to access the zoom link. This webinar is free to attend. Registration is available at z.umn.edu/farminsolarfarm. If you have any questions or need assistance with registration please contact your local Extension Office. Residents in Fillmore and Houston counties can call 507-765-3896 or 507-725-5807. — Katie Drewitz, University of Minnesota Extension ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) honored four of its members for their service to agriculture and Farmers Union during their annual banquet, Nov. 20. Alan Perish of Todd County received the Lifetime Service Award. A retired dairy farmer, Perish has been active in MFU for more than 20 years. He’s earned several […] MANKATO, Minn. — Join University of Minnesota Extension foresters to discuss some of the key issues facing woodland owners in Minnesota and beyond. In Fridays with a Forester, a series of free online meetings, Extension educators and other experts will introduce a topic, give a brief presentation, then leave plenty of time for any related questions […] LAKE CRYSTAL, Minn. — An exciting lineup of feature forums are planned for Farmfest in 2023 on Aug. 1, 2 and 3, according to Kent Thiesse, Farmfest Educational Forum Coordinator. The forums will be held in the Wick Buildings Forum and Education Center on the Farmfest Site, which is located at the Gilfillan Estate, 7 […] MANHATTAN, Kan. – Drought, work shortages and next year’s Farm Bill are among the topics that have the attention of farmers across the country. So, it’s no surprise that Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam had those in mind on the eve of one of the Kansas agricultural industry’s major gatherings of the year. The 7th […] The Young Dairy Manager Changing Herd Health One Insight at a Time Nominations Now Open for Farmers and Ranchers to Serve on USDA FSA County Committees Click subscribe to receive a confirmation email. We have sent you an email with a personalized link. Please click the link within 10 minutes to complete your subscription. Pick your region or specialty and stay in the know. Free. Fast. Farmer-approved. Subscribe now → Click here to Subscribe Photo Contest
Nexamp and TurningPoint Energy have commissioned two community solar projects in Minonk, Illinois, on a reclaimed former coal mine site in Woodford County. The two Minonk community solar projects have a combined capacity of 9.8 MW across roughly 40 acres, sending energy directly to the ComEd grid. Built above a former mine that extracted from the…
In this interview with PV Tech Premium, Enervest CEO Ross Warby explains how the engineering demands of floating solar on a live water utility reservoir differ from conventional ground-mount design, and why Australia’s floating solar market has the fundamentals to scale but has lacked local reference projects to do so. When Melbourne-based developer Enervest completed the installation of a 500kW floating solar array at Wannon Water’s Brierly Basin reservoir in Warrnambool, Victoria, last month, it delivered what the company described as “one of Australia’s largest floating solar installations” on a water utility asset. Get Premium Subscription But for Enervest CEO Ross Warby, the project is as much about what it demonstrates for a nascent market as what it achieves for the client. “While Enervest has grown into a broader energy developer, our origins in commercial and industrial solar PV have shaped how we approach development—grounded in experience, working closely with communities and focused on delivering long-term value,” Warby tells PV Tech Premium. “This project with Wannon Water reflects that legacy, bringing together proven expertise, strong partnerships and a practical, innovative approach to infrastructure.” That framing matters because, as Warby is candid about, floating solar is not part of the strategic direction in which Enervest is heading. Commercial solar sits within the company’s legacy portfolio rather than its forward pipeline; Enervest has since shifted toward a larger-scale own-and-operate model, acquiring battery storage assets as part of a broader pivot in its business. The Brierly Basin project is, in that sense, a capstone of one chapter rather than the opening of another. Yet the engineering and market lessons learned are relevant well beyond Enervest’s own trajectory. Floating solar differs from ground-mount installation in ways that extend far beyond the obvious differences between water and land. As Warby explains, every major design decision at Brierly Basin was shaped by the dynamic nature of a live water utility asset, one that fluctuates in level, generates wind-driven wave action and must continue operating through construction and thereafter. The anchoring approach at Brierly Basin avoids any penetration of the reservoir lining. “Rather than driving piles or using ballasted frames as you would on land, the Brierly Basin system uses a gravity anchor arrangement—concrete anchor blocks placed on the reservoir bed, connected to the floating pontoon structure via mooring lines,” Warby explains. “This approach avoids any penetration of the reservoir lining or bed and is fully reversible.” Getting power from water safely requires careful design. As Warby says: “We specified string inverters located on the land surface rather than on the floating array itself.” “This decision deliberately keeps high-voltage equipment away from the water surface. DC cabling from the panels runs back to shore via a floating cable management system, essentially a dedicated cable walkway that floats on the water surface and articulates with the array as water levels change.” Maintenance access was structured in two stages: by boat from shore to the array, then via built-in walkways incorporated into the pontoon structure, allowing technicians to move safely across the array surface for inspection, panel cleaning, connector checks and any remedial work. Site-specific constraints at Brierly Basin added further complexity. “The reservoir embankment is rock-faced, so the team designed a custom launch ramp to slide the floating panels into the water without damaging them,” Warby notes. “The reservoir also remained fully operational throughout construction, which meant Wannon Water’s team had to actively manage water levels day-to-day to keep the installation process on track, a level of coordination you simply don’t have on a land-based solar project.” Warby is measured about the operations and maintenance (O&M) profile of floating solar relative to ground-mount. “Maintaining a floating solar system can be more complex than maintaining a ground-mount array of equivalent capacity, largely from the fact that it is water-based,” he says. “That said, vegetation management is not a factor in this scenario, where it is a key item in ground-mount systems. Other maintenance items are, for the best part, the same or interchangeable with that of a ground-mount system.” Indeed, modules still require cleaning and regular inspection, and the pontoon structure requires maintenance as much as ground-mount framing does, expected practice across all PV arrays. However, there are genuine operational advantages to the water-based environment. “Panels over water run cooler, which supports better energy yield, and at a water treatment facility, rainfall does a reasonable job of keeping panels clean,” Warby notes. As previously reported by PV Tech, reduced evaporation from the covered water surface is an additional benefit that conventional solar economics do not capture, a point identified as one of the technology’s distinguishing characteristics in water-scarce environments. It is also worth noting that the technology is well-established at scale globally, including on saltwater, so the underlying fundamentals are proven. Warby draws on that global track record while acknowledging the local gap. “Floating solar is a well-established technology globally, operating at significant scale, including on saltwater, so the fundamentals are proven,” he says. “As with any early-stage market locally, Brierly Basin will also serve as a valuable reference point for the Australian sector, and we’re committed to sharing operational learnings to support future projects industry-wide.” Warby is direct about why the floating solar market has not grown as fast as its fundamentals might suggest. “The opportunity is significant. Australia has hundreds of water utility sites with suitable reservoirs, treatment ponds or lagoons, sitting adjacent to energy-intensive operation,” he says. “Many of the fundamentals stack up well on paper, but the market hasn’t scaled as fast as it could, and the honest answer is that economics, regulation and risk perception have all played a role.” Floating solar carries a cost premium over ground-mount, reflecting the engineering complexity of a water-based environment. But Warby argues the economics work in the right context. “The numbers work when you’re displacing retail electricity for on-site operations, as Wannon Water is doing at Brierly Basin,” he notes. The 500kW Brierly Basin system comprises 1,260 bifacial modules and is expected to generate more than 600,000kWh annually, with a net positive business case value of more than AU$500,000 (US$351,805) over its operating life. For water utilities with high pumping loads and constrained land, the combination of avoided electricity costs and available water surface area creates a viable investment case that land-scarce sites cannot easily replicate. The more solvable barrier, in Warby’s assessment, is the absence of local reference projects. “Until now, Australia’s floating solar installations have mostly been small pilots,” he says. “My view is that the market will accelerate as reference projects like Brierly Basin demonstrate reliable long-term performance, and as the regulatory frameworks mature. The fundamentals—energy costs, available water surface area, and decarbonisation obligations for public utilities—are all moving in the right direction.” Warby also identifies an adjacent sector he argues is underappreciated: agricultural irrigators, particularly in the cotton industry. “On-site water storage at these farms is prolific and the related energy usage to pump the water is notable,” he says. “This sector presents less rigour and therefore faster deployment, offsetting evaporation and energy costs alike, as well as reducing widespread localised infrastructure stress in these regions that would typically all irrigate at similar times.” The co-benefits of reduced evaporation and avoided peak network demand charges give the economics of agricultural floating solar a profile distinct from utility applications, and one that Warby suggests may prove more straightforward to deploy at speed. For Enervest, the Brierly Basin project closes a chapter rather than opening one. The company’s evolution toward battery storage ownership and operation at the grid scale represents a departure from the commercial and industrial solar origins that projects such as Brierly Basin embody. Warby is clear that sharing operational learnings from Brierly Basin is part of the company’s commitment to the sector it is stepping back from, even as its own focus has shifted. What the project leaves behind is a template: a site-specific engineering approach that accommodates a live utility asset, a financial case grounded in avoided retail energy cost and a set of O&M practices calibrated to a water environment. Whether that template accelerates Australia’s floating solar market will depend less on any single project than on whether the regulatory frameworks and reference data it contributes can reduce the perception of risk that has, until now, kept the market in pilot territory.
No two people agree on the most efficient energy source, but many will admit that the sun is the greenest power source. Electric companies set up “farms” to harvest solar radiation for power, and many homeowners install solar panels on their houses. Adoption has been slow, but solar power finally had a significant victory over one of its main rivals. Earlier this month, the global energy think tank Ember released a report that, for the first time, solar power generated more electricity than coal in the U.S. According to Ember, solar panels generated 12.8% of electricity nationwide, while coal produced 12.2%. This milestone was the product of rising solar panel productivity and a reduced reliance on coal. In fact, organizations such as the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie clarified that over 90% of all the energy added to the U.S. electrical grid this year (approximately 7.8 GW) came from solar power and storage installations. While the news sounds impressive, we must temper the hype a small bit. While coal is now the fourth-largest source of electricity in the U.S., gas and nuclear energy production still outshine solar power. Moreover, this news coincided with the time of year when spring starts to give way to summer, when temperatures (and the need for cooling solutions) rise, and sunlight grows more intense. Will solar power continue this upward trend? It probably could if we stop relying on fossil fuels (studies show that fossil fuels weaken and ruin solar power), but we still have the rest of the year to find out. Analysts in the aforementioned organizations view this recent milestone as a sign of things to come. For instance, Ember’s Senior Data Analyst, Nicolas Fulgum, stated that “markets across the US are betting on solar to meet rising power needs.” However, others view it as a sign that the current administration is out of touch, especially with its own voter base. As outlets such as AP News point out, solar power finally overtook coal amid Trump’s attempts to revitalize the U.S. coal industry at the expense of renewable energy. Recently, Trump announced a plan to spend around $700 million on the coal industry, including power plants and exports, all while his administration guts solar power projects and cancels their funding. And yet despite these attempts to (what some might call) sabotage solar power, coal continues to lose. As Martin Pochtaruk, CEO of Canadian solar power manufacturer Heliene, told AP News, “investors will invest their money in whatever brings the best return. And for power generation that is solar.” To add insult to injury, states such as Texas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Arizona, and Mississippi accounted for 74% of 2026’s solar projects and energy — all states Trump won in the previous election. According to Darren Van’t Hof, CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, these numbers demonstrate that customers prioritize the “security, low cost, and speed” that energy sources like solar provide, regardless of political affiliation. Plus, the more solar power plants we build, the more they will take the strain off our electricity bills due to AI (data centers still do plenty of harm aside from utility costs, though).
A shelter-in-place order has been issued as firefighters battle a massive fire. A dramatic fire involving solar panels erupted Wednesday afternoon on a commercial building in Los Angeles, sending a massive black column of smoke into the air above the scene. The inferno began shortly before 2:30 p.m. at a cold storage facility the Boyle Heights area of the city, east of Downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters were initially in offensive mode and for a time seemed to have gotten the upper hand on the flames. The fire later flared up in a major way, however, sending the firefighters into defensive mode. "All units were called off the roof and out of the interior," the LAFD said in a statement. A shelter-in-place order was issued for the immediate area surrounding the building. The Los Angeles Police Department has reportedly gone on tactical alert due to this fire. No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation. This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.
A shelter-in-place order has been issued as firefighters battle a massive fire. A dramatic fire involving solar panels erupted Wednesday afternoon on a commercial building in Los Angeles, sending a massive black column of smoke into the air above the scene. The inferno began shortly before 2:30 p.m. at a cold storage facility the Boyle Heights area of the city, east of Downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters were initially in offensive mode and for a time seemed to have gotten the upper hand on the flames. The fire later flared up in a major way, however, sending the firefighters into defensive mode. "All units were called off the roof and out of the interior," the LAFD said in a statement. A shelter-in-place order was issued for the immediate area surrounding the building. The Los Angeles Police Department has reportedly gone on tactical alert due to this fire. No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation. This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.
PUBLISHED ON WARRENTON, Va. — Today [June 17, 2026] at The Piedmont Environmental Council’s Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows — the site of Virginia’s first crop-based agrivoltaics project — Gov. Abigail Spanberger ceremonially signed legislation (SB 340/HB 508) that officially defines the term agrivoltaics in code. A formal definition for agrivoltaics, which integrates solar energy into agricultural production, is critically important to pave the way for well-developed, properly sited agrivoltaics across Virginia. This bill is one of 12 solution-oriented energy bills PEC either authored, informed or advocated for in the General Assembly that have been signed into law. PEC worked on these practical legislative proposals with partners before the 2026 General Assembly session, laying the groundwork for accelerating underutilized small-scale, distributed generation and storage opportunities in Virginia. These bills contribute to the Commonwealth’s clean energy future while also enabling energy independence for more Virginians. “The topic of agrivoltaics is one that has been top of mind for me for years,” said Gov Abigail Spanberger, “because it has always been a question of how is it that we can ensure that our communities–and importantly our farmers–have the ability to keep land in production, but also the option to leverage the technology that can help them offset their on-farm costs and also allow them to be leaders. By establishing clear enforceable definitions of agrivoltaics and code of Virginia, we are protecting farmers. We are making clear that the use of agrivoltaics prioritizes agricultural productivity, keeps land in production for the life of the solar array and is part of an existing farm business.” Until now, Virginia has lacked an official definition for agrivoltaics. This is critical, not only to build policy and incentive structures for such projects, but also to avoid poorly developed agrivoltaics – which can undermine the future of this promising approach. Working alongside the Virginia Farm Bureau, PEC helped develop an official definition for agrivoltaics that will ensure dual use solar projects take best management practices into account. This bill, which garnered strong bipartisan support and was a priority bill for the Governor, defines agrivoltaics to mean: “…the intentional co-location of agricultural production and solar energy generation on the same land that: (i) is designed to prioritize and sustain agricultural productivity while integrating renewable energy; (ii) allows the ongoing production and sale of agricultural products throughout the solar array’s life; (iii) is a part of an existing farm business; and (iv) ensures flexibility for farmers to adapt to market conditions and support operational needs.” PEC’s Community Farm demonstrates a real-world example. It also has full battery backup, which allows the farm to run fully on solar and battery in case the electricity grid goes down. When multiple farms, businesses and homes use battery backup, the energy they produce and store together can function as a “virtual power plant,” furthering the potential for decentralized power generation, mitigating new transmission and generation impacts, and compensating those owners for their contributions to the power grid. “We’re proud to convene this bill signing at the site of the first crop-based agrivoltaics project in Virginia,” said PEC Senior Energy & Climate Advisor Ashish Kapoor. “Behind me, you can see kale, lettuce, beets, broccoli, garlic and more, growing under solar panels that are generating energy to reduce this farm’s electricity bill. In fact, we have had no electric bill this year. This site provides a model for other farms in Virginia, and we hope farmers who want to achieve more energy independence will consider integrating solar energy production into their crop production. Virginia has 39,000 farms. If ten percent of those farms installed an agrivoltaics project that produced just 1 megawatt of power on a few acres, we could produce the equivalent power of four nuclear power plants.” The agrivoltaics definition bill also provides a critical foundation for a future stakeholder group that will develop potential incentives to advance agrivoltaics in the Commonwealth. In addition, the definition can guide regulation of agrivoltaics in other solar policies. PEC, a land conservation organization, advocates for clean energy solutions that respect and preserve the region’s natural resources and rural economy. PEC made an investment in the study and implementation of the Community Farm agrivoltaics project to serve as a demonstration site for farmers, installers, developers and policymakers to visit and to inform distributed generation policy in Virginia. PEC hopes the project will create a path forward that supports both Virginia’s climate goals and its agriculture — a critical backbone of the Commonwealth’s economy. The project was made possible with the financial support of current and former PEC board members George Ohrstrom, Mark Ohstrom, Mike Morency, Natalie Pien and Roy Jacobson, as well as the Lazar Foundation, Catesby Foundation, Land Trust Alliance and technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Lab of the Rockies. Contact: Elizabeth Ransom, Media & PR Specialist, [email protected], 540-347-2334 x7029 —Piedmont Environmental Council MADISON, Wis. — The 2025 Sustainable Agronomy Conference, a fully virtual event held this July, will help agronomists, industry professionals, and growers strengthen their sustainability efforts while supporting productivity and profitability. This free conference, taking place over four consecutive Wednesdays, features eight one-hour sessions that showcase innovative practices and technologies. The event is organized by […] BLACKSBURG, Va. — A Virginia Tech-led initiative helping farmers adopt climate-smart practices will continue through 2027 after receiving a one-year extension from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The $80 million Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture provides financial incentives and technical support to help producers implement conservation practices that improve soil health, strengthen water retention, and reduce environmental […] AMELIA COURT HOUSE, Va. — Turning organic waste into clean energy was a futuristic idea that is now a real environmental solution in Virginia. By diverting organic waste from landfills, Massachusetts-based Vanguard Renewables is reducing greenhouse gas emissions at scale while supporting domestic energy infrastructure and regenerative agriculture for U.S. farms. Their newest facility was recently commissioned […] HOWELL, Mich. — The Real Christmas Tree Board’s Competitive Research Grant Program typically funds $100,000 or more of research each year, awarding grants that range from $10,000 – $50,000. The program focuses on research related to the image, desirability, use, marketability, quality, product development or production of Christmas trees. For 2026-27, RCTB has identified the […] Nominations Now Open for Farmers and Ranchers to Serve on USDA FSA County Committees Click subscribe to receive a confirmation email. We have sent you an email with a personalized link. Please click the link within 10 minutes to complete your subscription. Pick your region or specialty and stay in the know. Free. Fast. Farmer-approved. 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A research group in China has developed a new recycling process for end-of-life crystalline silicon (c-Si) PV modules based on three main stages: heavy-liquid separation of mixed materials, solar-cell etching, and solder-strip etching. The researchers also conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) to evaluate the process. “Through systematic experimental investigations, the core reaction mechanisms involving redox reactions, complexation equilibrium, and hydrolysis precipitation were elucidated, providing a theoretical foundation for the development of similar recycling processes,” the researchers said. “The selection of green chemical reagents, superior recovery performance, and closed-loop recycling potential of reagents reduce the environmental impact of the process and lay a solid foundation for its industrial application.” The team used a mixture of glass particles, solar cells, and solder strips supplied by a recycling company. In the first stage, the materials were separated using a zinc bromide (ZnBr₂) heavy liquid. By adjusting the liquid density, the researchers induced different fractions to either float or sink, enabling separation of the material streams. The process recovered more than 98% of the solar cells and almost all solder strips prior to further treatment. In the second stage, the separated solar cells were treated with a solution of aluminum chloride hexahydrate (AlCl₃·6H₂O) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) under hydrothermal conditions. The process removed the silver contacts, aluminum back layer, and silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) anti-reflective coating while preserving the underlying silicon wafer. After optimizing process parameters, the researchers identified the best operating conditions as an AlCl₃·6H₂O concentration of 1.2 mol/L, an H₂O₂ concentration of 2.0%, a reaction temperature of 200 C, and a treatment time of 120 minutes. In the third stage, the separated solder strips were treated with a copper chloride dihydrate (CuCl₂·2H₂O) solution. The strips consisted of a copper core coated with a lead-tin (Pb-Sn) alloy. The aim of this step was to remove lead and tin while preserving the copper core. The team optimized CuCl₂ concentration, stirring speed, reaction time, and temperature, identifying 0.4 mol/L CuCl₂·2H₂O, 600 rpm, 15 minutes, and 60 C as the optimal conditions. The process produced silicon with a purity of 99.997%, silver chloride (AgCl) with a purity of 99.64% and a silver recovery efficiency of 80.07%, recovered aluminum in solution, and copper strips with a purity of 99.99%. It also generated tin oxide (SnO₂) and lead sulfate (PbSO₄) from solder-strip byproducts. In addition, the CuCl₂ etching solution was successfully regenerated and reused, further improving the process’s sustainability. The researchers then performed an LCA using a functional unit of 1 kg of waste input for each of the three stages. The heavy-liquid separation, solar-cell etching, and solder-strip etching steps showed global warming potential (GWP) contributions of 0.049 kg CO₂-eq, 3.522 kg CO₂-eq, and 0.055 kg CO₂-eq, respectively. Compared with conventional treatment methods, the process reduced carbon emissions by 80.42%, according to the analysis. “Economic feasibility results show that the recycling profits of the heavy-liquid separation, solar-cell treatment, and solder-strip treatment steps are -$0.04/kg, $7.76/kg, and $4.81/kg, respectively,” the researchers said. They attributed the negative profit in the heavy-liquid separation stage to the accounting methodology used in the analysis. “Only the recovery value of glass was attributed to this step in the calculation, while the economic values of the separated solar cells and solder strips were assigned to their corresponding treatment steps,” they explained. The novel technique was presented in “Sustainable recycling of waste crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules based on heavy liquid separation and metal chloride etching,” published in the Journal of Cleaner Production. Researchers from Sun Yat-sen University in China and the China University of Mining and Technology have contributed to the study. 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 June issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! Thursday, July 9, 2026 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, June 18, 2026 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Be part of the high-level European conference on solar and energy storage, exploring bankable BESS projects, warranties, and energy management for residential and C&I sectors 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
French research institute Institut Photovoltaïque d’Île-de-France (IPVF) and the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands have jointly achieved a power conversion efficiency of 31% for a 4 cm2 perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. The two therminal (2T) monolithic device combines nanotextured silicon heterojunction bottom cells developed at TU Delft with perovskite top cells fabricated at IPVF using ambient air slot-die coating. The performance improvement came from the integration of nanotextured silicon bottom cells, along with the fine-tuning of the ink and slot-die conditions, and the addition of an antireflection coating. “Achieving 31% efficiency on a 4 cm² two-terminal (2T) perovskite/silicon tandem cell, with all the manufacturing processes compatible with industrial scale-up, represents a significant step towards the next generation of photovoltaic technologies,” Gilles Goaer, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at IPVF, told pv magazine. “Our work on the silicon heterojunction bottom cell focused on developing advanced nano-textures together with tailored plasma treatments to improve the quality of the recombination junction, which is critical for achieving high-efficiency tandem devices,” added Liqi Cao, researcher at TU Delft. Last year, the research team reported a 24% efficiency for 10 cm2 monolithic tandem devices using planar silicon heterojunction bottom cells developed by France’s CNRS – École Polytechnique. That was an important step toward scalable tandem technology, although the planar bottom cell suffered from reflection losses, which limited the current density. “ “By combining nanotextured silicon bottom cells from TU Delft with our ambient-air slot-die-coated perovskite top cells, we were able to push the efficiency beyond 30%,” said IPVF researcher Chandralina Patra. “Several groups have already demonstrated tandem solar cells above 30% efficiency, but many of those results rely on laboratory-scale deposition methods. In our case, the perovskite layer was deposited by slot-die coating in ambient air, which is much closer to industrial manufacturing. Demonstrating this level of performance with a scalable deposition process is an important step toward commercialization.” “Reaching 31% efficiency is an exciting result, but the most important point is that it was achieved using ambient-air slot-die coating,” she emphasized. Looking forward, IPVF and its partners intend to further advance the scientific understanding of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells and the mechanisms that enable such high levels of performance. Building on this achievement, IPVF is now leading efforts to transfer these innovations to larger-area devices and industrially relevant photovoltaic modules. “These developments represent an important step toward the commercialization of high-efficiency tandem technologies and reinforce IPVF’s position at the forefront of next-generation photovoltaic research and scale-up,” Patra said. No more technical details about the tandem device were provided. Recently, IPVF took delivery of a solar simulator with advanced electroluminescence (EL) analysis from Italy’s Ecoprogetti for testing perovskite solar cells and modules. It also has an ongoing collaboration focused on perovskite-silicon tandem solar panels with French solar manufacturer Voltec Solar. 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 June issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! Thursday, July 9, 2026 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, June 18, 2026 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Be part of the high-level European conference on solar and energy storage, exploring bankable BESS projects, warranties, and energy management for residential and C&I sectors 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
After hours of gruelling debate recently ended in a deferral, frustrated residents in one part of Leicestershire say they are living in the “capital of solar farms”. New documents reveal that even more sites are being eyed for development, threatening to swell a green energy footprint that already spans 800 football pitches. Melton Borough Council’s (MBC) Plans Committee met on May 14 to discuss the latest application for a renewable project in the borough. However, after two hours of debate, members agreed to defer the application until more information is received. The news came as borough residents said they were being overwhelmed with solar farm developments, with one objector to this recent application, Brian Kettel, writing that Melton is fast becoming “the rural capital of solar farms, not the rural capital of food”. Residents fear ‘horrific’ industrial estate plan will leave Leicestershire village in a ‘vice grip’ One of Leicestershire town’s busiest roads set for 18 months of roadworks Council documents obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service show there are already 580 hectares – or 800 football pitches – worth of solar farms in the borough, and more applications are expected. With 14 sites already built, awaiting the green light, or marked for development, below is all the green-field sites which could, or have already been, made into solar farms. The subject of the council’s most recent planning meeting, this proposal would see 81 hectares of land east of Freeby Lane developed. Around a fifth of the space marked is classed as “best and most versatile” agricultural land, while around three-quarters is classed as “moderate quality”. Two tenant farmers would lose the land as a source of income if plans went ahead, although sheep would still be able to graze beneath the panels. With potential to power 10,000 homes, the applicant, Tony Gannon, head of Downing Renewable Developments LLP, told councillors this proposal helps counter the “increasing threat” to energy security nationally and that there is a “clear and urgent” need for developments of this sort. However, following the deferral, its future remains up in the air. Also awaiting permission are two developments North of the village of Brentingby and East of Woodfold Lane. Received in December 2024 and July 2025, the applications would involve more than 75 hectares of land being used for solar energy. On the other side of Melton town, proposals to develop land at Welby Grange Farm are pending. Although the plans have attracted dozens of objections from neighbours, like several other sites, positive representations actually outnumber them. However, among the commenters is the National Grid, who submitted a holding objection in January 2026 because the site overlaps with their plans for an overhead line between Weston Marsh and East Leicestershire. The site at Welby Grange Farm sits North-East of a solar farm which has been operational since permission was granted in 2015. East of Welby Lane, the project ranks as the smallest and least powerful site currently listed by the borough council, at just 3.8MW. Along the border with Charnwood, two solar farms are currently operational and a further two have been granted permission. The oldest of all the schemes sits next to Six Hills Road in Ragdale, and is set to be extended by 44 hectares according to an approved application. A modest build next to Paddy’s Lane has been operational since 2016, and land at Leicester Road, Twyford, has also been given the green light for development. The second largest solar farm in the borough, the development at Stygate Lane, Pickwell, was granted permission following some confusion around neighbour’s letters of support. There had been 53 objections about the scheme and 229 letters of support. But MBC revealed in a report to the plans committee that all but one of the letters of support actually came from a form handed out to residents by consultants working on behalf of the developer. Nonetheless, the 87-hectare farm was given the green light in October 2025, and formally granted permission in May 2026 after further work to finalise arrangements for long-term biodiversity monitoring, according to Lydia Rusling, Director for Place and Prosperity at MBC. The subject of another lengthy planning meeting, the land East of Jericho Covert was approved for development in August 2022, despite attracting almost 250 letters of objection from neighbours. Currently under construction, the farm has a capacity of 49.9 megawatts, the highest a project can have without being classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure project. Perhaps the borough’s most controversial build, and certainly the largest, the solar farm south of the A52 will span almost 100 hectares. MBC actually refused this applicant planning permission in September 2023, but following a successful appeal to the Planning Inspector, the scheme was approved in February 2025. In the appeal decision notice, the inspector said that “significant weight” should be given to “the benefits associated with renewable and low carbon energy generation” and the proposal’s “contribution to a net zero future”. A formal application is yet to be received for two new sites South-East of Stapleford, but MBC is anticipating them. A developer submitted a request to the council, asking if the project would need an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). MBC concluded the project would not cause significant adverse environmental impacts. A spokesperson for MBC said: “Melton Borough Council is committed to supporting renewable and low‑carbon energy in line with national policy and the UK’s ambition to reach net zero. “We carefully consider every planning application on its own merits, balancing the benefits of clean energy with impacts on landscape, heritage and ecology. “This approach ensures that appropriate developments can move forward while protecting the character of our local area, with only those proposals that meet planning standards being approved.” The area around the spill is under an evacuation order that affects 50,000 local residents, per the state. Experts explain why unsecured umbrellas can be so deadly. Think more Pacific hurricanes, a wetter and colder winter across the southern U.S. — and potentially the hottest year on record. The system could produce up to 20 inches of rain in some isolated areas, forecasters say. Elye Wahi was arrested days after being named to Ivory Coast's World roster. President Trump on Tuesday offered confidence that a deal with Iran could be finalized soon. But he also laid bare the downsides of a return to full-scale fighting and what it could mean for the global economy and energy markets. Hall, a one-time Worlds Strongest Man, outweighed Fury by a whopping 108.1 pounds. Bitcoin extended losses on Wednesday after a steep sell-off. Renewed US airstrikes on Iran sent oil prices moving north. UFC CEO Dana White has resisted outdoor events prior to Sunday's fight on the White House lawn. The history of such events has proven there's good reason for concern.
Reviewed by Rami Haddad, Editor-in-Chief · Last update: Last year, South Korea’s Qcells set a world record for the efficiency of large-area silicon solar cells, a breakthrough that promised to significantly reduce the size and cost of solar power projects. The company, owned by South Korean giant Hanwha Corp, achieved a conversion efficiency of 28.6% by combining a perovskite light-absorbing top layer with a silicon bottom layer, allowing the cell to capture a broader spectrum of sunlight.
For comparison, most advanced commercial solar panels operate at efficiencies between 21% and 23%, meaning they convert roughly one-fifth of incoming sunlight into usable electricity. More importantly, Qcells achieved its record on a full-size industrial solar cell designed for mass production rather than a small laboratory prototype.
China has now reclaimed the title of the world’s most efficient solar panel manufacturer. Leading Chinese solar giant Trina Solar officially announced a new world record for solar module efficiency, reaching a conversion rate of 29.2% while delivering a record-breaking power output of 907 watts.
A new generation of tandem solar technology
This achievement was made using a tandem perovskite-silicon design, where two different materials are stacked together to capture a wider range of solar radiation. The perovskite layer absorbs higher-energy wavelengths, while the silicon layer captures light that would otherwise pass through unused, enabling the cell to convert a larger share of sunlight into electricity.
Trina Solar also developed a new interconnection architecture between the two layers, reducing energy losses and improving current flow throughout the cell, helping push efficiency to unprecedented levels.
Like the previous Qcells record, Trina’s breakthrough was achieved using industry-standard 210-millimeter wafers rather than small laboratory cells. The company reported efficiencies of 29.2% for full-size cells and 32.6% for half-cut cells, demonstrating the technology’s suitability for large-scale commercial manufacturing.
The resulting module produced 907 watts of power, a major leap from Trina’s previous record of 808 watts and well above the output of conventional solar panels currently available on the market.
From laboratory breakthroughs to commercial reality
The achievement marks another step toward large-scale commercialization of perovskite technology. While researchers have delivered impressive laboratory efficiency records for years, the real challenge has been replicating those results on full-size modules suitable for industrial production.
Traditional silicon solar cells are approaching their practical efficiency limits. Tandem perovskite-silicon designs offer a new pathway beyond those limits by capturing a broader spectrum of sunlight and generating more electricity from the same panel area.
The industry’s focus has now shifted toward scaling manufacturing and ensuring that these cells can operate reliably for decades under real-world conditions.
Why perovskite matters
Perovskite refers to a class of materials that share a distinctive crystal structure. Solar cells built with these materials can convert a broader range of sunlight into electricity than conventional silicon cells.
Perovskite can also be layered directly onto traditional silicon cells in so-called tandem designs, allowing the technology to absorb wavelengths that silicon cannot effectively utilize. As a result, the theoretical efficiency ceiling can exceed 40%.
Another advantage is flexibility. Perovskite can be applied in ultra-thin layers, making it possible to print or spray the material onto flexible films, windows, and even curved building surfaces.
Unlike silicon, which requires energy-intensive manufacturing processes and extremely high temperatures, perovskite materials can be processed into printable inks at room temperature, potentially lowering production costs substantially.
The remaining challenge
Despite growing commercial progress, perovskite technology has not yet become widely available for residential rooftop installations. One of the biggest obstacles remains durability, as pure perovskite cells tend to degrade relatively quickly when exposed to moisture, heat, and ultraviolet radiation.
Nevertheless, several companies have already begun commercial deployment.
California-based Caelux has developed its Active Glass technology, allowing manufacturers to produce tandem modules using existing production lines without redesigning silicon cells or making major factory modifications.
Meanwhile, UK-based Oxford PV has already started shipping solar modules with efficiencies reaching 24.5% to utility-scale customers across the United States and Europe.
As efficiency records continue to rise, the race is no longer about proving that perovskite works. The next battle will be determining which companies can manufacture it at scale while delivering the long-term durability required to transform the global solar industry. The Federal Reserve announced on Wednesday that it had left interest rates unchanged at 3.75%, in line with market expectations, following the first policy meeting chaired by Kevin Warsh as head of the Federal Open Market Committee. Major Wall Street indexes posted modest gains in choppy trading on Wednesday, as semiconductor stocks rebounded while investors awaited the first monetary policy decision from the Federal Reserve under new Chair Kevin Warsh.
Shares of several high-valuation chipmakers advanced, including Broadcom, Micron Technology, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and Intel, with gains ranging from 2.5% to 4%.
The S&P 500 technology sector rose 1.2%, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index jumped 3.5%.
Focus turns to the Fed decision and Warsh’s first press conference
Investor attention is firmly centered on the Federal Reserve’s policy announcement, scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Markets widely expect the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged within the 3.50%–3.75% range, as policymakers continue to assess inflation risks linked to elevated energy costs during the Middle East conflict.
Investors are also closely watching Kevin Warsh’s first press conference as Fed Chair for clues about his views on inflation, labor market conditions, and the outlook for the US economy.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury note climbed to 4.43%.
Jeff Buchbinder, Chief Equity Strategist at LPL Financial, said the last thing Warsh wants is a sharp surge in the 10-year Treasury yield, adding that keeping yields below the 4.5% level remains important for markets, particularly after the recent decline in oil prices.
He added that any meaningful shift in monetary policy would likely be gradual and require broad agreement among Federal Open Market Committee members.
Strong retail sales data
Economic data showed US retail sales rose 0.9% in May, beating economists’ expectations for a 0.5% increase.
The gain followed an upward revision to April’s reading, which now showed a 0.4% increase.
Despite the strong report, analysts believe consumer spending could slow in coming months as the boost from tax refunds fades and living costs remain elevated.
According to CME FedWatch data, traders expect the Fed to keep interest rates unchanged for most of the year, with roughly a 43% probability of a 25-basis-point rate hike in December.
Indexes advance as chip stocks outperform
As of 9:41 a.m. New York time:
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 77.71 points, or 0.15%, to 52,070.81.
The S&P 500 gained 8.14 points, or 0.11%, to 7,519.49.
The Nasdaq Composite advanced 89.53 points, or 0.35%, to 26,466.52.
US equities have partially recovered from the selloff seen in early June, while the Dow Jones has continued to post record highs over the past two sessions, supported by the resilience of the US economy, broader market participation beyond technology stocks, and lower oil prices.
Oil near three-month lows as SpaceX extends gains
Oil prices remained near three-month lows, supported by expectations that the temporary US-Iran agreement could allow oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz to resume.
However, uncertainty persists after President Donald Trump stated that the memorandum of understanding with Iran is not yet final and warned that military operations could resume if he is dissatisfied with the agreement.
In the stock market, SpaceX shares rose 1.6% after the company surpassed Amazon in market capitalization to become the fifth-largest US company by market value.
Meanwhile, CME Group shares fell nearly 5% after the exchange operator announced that CEO Terry Duffy will step down on March 1 and transition to the role of Executive Chairman.
Market breadth remained positive, with advancing stocks outnumbering decliners by a ratio of 1.18-to-1 on the NYSE and 1.52-to-1 on Nasdaq.
The S&P 500 recorded 15 new 52-week highs and four new lows, while the Nasdaq registered 28 new highs and 38 new lows. Zinc prices fell 1% to close at 366.2, as growing concerns about weakening demand in China weighed on sentiment across the metals market.
Recent economic data from China showed retail sales declined 0.6% in May, marking their first contraction in more than three years, while fixed-asset investment dropped 4.1% during the first five months of the year, significantly worse than market expectations.
The figures raised concerns about the strength of industrial activity and construction demand in China, the world’s largest consumer of metals.
However, Chinese industrial production rose 4.5% year-over-year in May, beating forecasts and providing some support to the broader metals complex.
Supply disruptions limit zinc losses
Despite mounting demand concerns, zinc’s decline remained limited due to tightening global supply conditions.
Nexa Resources announced a temporary suspension of operations at its Cajamarquilla smelter in Peru after a fire damaged processing infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Kazzinc, owned by Glencore Group, continued operating at reduced capacity following an explosion that affected its zinc and lead production facilities in Kazakhstan.
These developments came as the International Lead and Zinc Study Group had already projected a refined zinc market deficit for the current year.
Prices also received support from declining global inventories and ongoing challenges facing mine production.
Production growth expectations cap upside
On the other hand, expectations for higher output from several major producers continued to limit zinc’s upside potential.
Sweden’s Boliden plans to restart production at the Garpenberg mine during the second quarter, while Japan’s Mitsui Mining & Smelting expects refined zinc production to increase by 3.2% during the first half of fiscal year 2026-2027.
Global zinc market data also showed that the supply surplus narrowed significantly in March, indicating an improving balance between supply and demand compared with previous periods.
The Price
From a technical perspective, the market is witnessing long liquidation activity, with open interest declining 7.16% alongside lower prices.
Zinc faces initial support at 364.0, followed by a second support level at 361.9.
On the upside, resistance stands at 369.4, and a break above that level could pave the way for further gains toward 372.7.
BNZ has commissioned the Muro solar plant, with an installed capacity of 28.37 MWp, in the municipality of Trofa in northern Portugal, the second project in a €600 million investment plan for the country. Just your email — that's all it takes.
According to Nuvama report, India's solar power demand is projected to grow at a 22 percent CAGR through FY35, driven by data centers, AI expansion and electrification, with solar expected to supply up to 33–37 percent of power consumption. June 18, 2026. By EI News Network India's solar energy demand is expected to witness strong growth over the next decade, supported by rising electricity consumption, expansion of data centers, and increasing adoption of artificial intelligence technologies, according to a report by Nuvama. The report projects solar energy demand to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22 percent between FY26 and FY35. During this period, India's total power consumption is expected to increase significantly from around 1,848 billion units (BU) to nearly 3,228 BU. Solar power is forecast to play a much larger role in meeting the country's energy needs. Its share in total power consumption is expected to rise from about 9 percent in FY26 to 33 percent by FY35 under the base-case scenario. In a more optimistic outlook, solar's contribution could reach 37 percent. A key driver of this growth is the rapid expansion of data centers, which require large amounts of electricity to support digital services and AI-driven applications. The report noted that power expenses account for nearly 30–40 percent of data center operating costs, encouraging operators to increasingly adopt renewable energy sources such as solar power to reduce costs and lower emissions. The study also highlighted that growing demand from the green hydrogen sector and data center industry could add an incremental 416 GW of solar capacity by FY35 under the base-case scenario. As India advances its clean energy transition and digital economy ambitions, solar energy is expected to emerge as a major contributor to the country's future power mix. Renewable Expansion Without Storage will put Increasing Stress on the Grid: Hiren Pravin Shah Integrated EPC Solutions are IB Solar’s Strongest Differentiator: Aakshi Mahajan Transformers to Power Energy Future as Grid Modernisation Accelerates, Says Satyen Mamtora Future of Renewable Infra Will Be Built on Resilient Structures, Not Cheapest Ones: Vedant Goel AI, Digitalisation Will Drive Next Phase of India’s Energy Transition: Schneider’s Udai Singh
Perth-headquartered renewable energy developer BLT Energy has been granted development approval for its Red Gully 800 MW / 4,800 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). To be located adjacent to state-owned utility Western Power’s Regans Terminal, Red Gully is described as the largest utility-scale BESS proposed in WA, with phase 1 delivering up to 400 MW of power with 2,400 MWh of storage to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS). Other major operational BESS projects in WA include Neoen’s Stage 1 (219 MW) and Stage 2 (341 MW) Collie Battery, Synergy’s 200 MW / 800 MWh Kwinana BESS Stage 2, and Synergy’s 500 MW / 2,400 MWh Collie BESS. Due for completion in 2027, the Red Gully project compliments WA’s Clean Energy Link – North transmission network upgrade program. Comments Please login to comment The June issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! Thursday, July 9, 2026 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, June 18, 2026 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid 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.
MENU LED lighting, laser systems, modern displays, and solar panels may serve very different purposes, but they all rely on the science of light. In LEDs, Lasers, and Sunlight: Principles, Design, and Real-World Applications of Modern Photonics, Miklós Lambert explores the technologies behind these applications and explains the principles that make them work. With more than 850 pages of content, the book combines photonics theory with practical engineering topics, covering everything from the fundamentals of light to the design and application of modern photonic systems. The book opens with an introduction to photonics, covering electromagnetic radiation, optical laws, color theory, and the physical principles behind light generation. It then moves into LED technology, examining LED physics, device structures, lighting design, thermal management, power supplies, measurement techniques, and intelligent lighting systems. Modern LED lighting combines optical, thermal, electronic, and mechanical design considerations.
Readers will also find dedicated chapters on horticultural lighting, plant growth applications, hydroponics, and aquarium lighting, showing how LEDs are being used well beyond traditional illumination. Beyond visible light applications, the book explores infrared and ultraviolet LEDs and their use in communication, sensing, and other specialized applications. Several chapters are devoted to display technologies, including LCD, OLED, and MicroLED systems. OLED structure: a) theoretical layout, b) encapsulated lighting panel
A major section focuses on lasers, explaining how they work, the different types available, and their use in fields such as medicine, measurement, communications, industry, and manufacturing. The final part of the book turns to sunlight and energy conversion. Topics include the photovoltaic effect, solar cell technologies, solar panels, and thermal radiation, providing readers with an overview of how light can be converted into usable energy.
A few months ago, SunEnergyXT introduced the 500 Pro Series, a new all-in-one energy storage system for balcony solar systems and photovoltaic (PV) installations. Ahead of the upcoming ees Europe 2026 trade fair in Munich, the manufacturer formerly known as SunLit Solar is expanding the lineup with three additional products: the SunEnergyXT PowerBox, the SunEnergyXT 500 Pro AC Core, and the Smart Wallbox. The new PowerBox allows three-phase operation of more than three master storage units from the 500 and 500 Pro Series. This makes it possible to operate up to nine units in parallel and distribute them across the three phases L1, L2, and L3. Total system output can reach up to 21.6 kW, making it capable of supplying even high-consumption loads such as heat pumps and EV charging stations. In addition, when combined with a compatible Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) for automatic switching between grid-connected and island operation, the system can provide a fully functional backup power solution. The new Smart Wallbox can, for example, be powered by the PowerBox’s output of up to 21.6 kW. It supports three-phase charging of electric vehicles at up to 11 kW (maximum 16 amps) via a Type 2 charging cable. The wallbox features an integrated RFID reader for access control and user-specific authorization. It is also compatible with the SunEnergyXT app, enabling coordinated management of charging, energy storage, and self-consumption, while allowing charging schedules to be aligned with the availability of self-generated solar power. The third new product is the SunEnergyXT 500 Pro AC Core. It complements the existing all-in-one solution and is a purely AC-coupled battery storage system. The home energy storage unit is well suited for retrofitting existing photovoltaic systems and can also be particularly attractive when used in conjunction with dynamic electricity tariffs. The SunEnergyXT 500 Pro AC Core features a bidirectional inverter with 2,400 W charging and discharging power, along with 5 kWh of storage capacity. If required, capacity can be expanded to up to 30 kWh by adding up to five additional battery modules. Another noteworthy feature is that the integrated MPPTs already built into the unit for direct solar module connection are disabled only at the software level. If needed, they can be activated later for an additional fee. SunEnergyXT
Bordeaux, Activ’Inside, the French expert in scientifically validated active ingredients and premium food supplement solutions, continues to invest in sustainable growth with the commissioning of a major photovoltaic installation on the roof of its manufacturing facility in Beychac-et-Caillau, near Bordeaux As part of its long-term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, Activ'Inside has deployed a 327 kWc photovoltaic installation on the roof of its production site. The project represents a significant step forward in the company's ambition to reduce its environmental footprint while increasing its energy independence. The solar installation is expected to generate more than 355 MWh of renewable electricity annually, directly supporting the site's industrial operations. “Since the conception of our manufacturing facility, we have sought to integrate solutions that combine industrial performance with environmental responsibility. This photovoltaic project is a natural continuation of the commitments we made when building the site and reflects our vision of sustainable growth,” said Renaud Ducept, Industrial Director of Activ'Inside. One of the most remarkable aspects of the project is its high level of self-consumption. Nearly 100% of the electricity generated by the solar panels will be consumed directly on-site, demonstrating the perfect alignment between production needs and renewable energy generation. The installation is expected to cover approximately 17% of the factory's annual electricity consumption, meaning that roughly one kilowatt-hour out of every six consumed at the site will come from solar energy. This optimised use of locally produced renewable electricity reinforces Activ'Inside's commitment to responsible manufacturing while helping to secure part of the site's energy supply. Beyond reducing dependence on external electricity sources, the project will contribute to lowering the company's environmental impact by avoiding nearly 10 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions each year. The installation also demonstrates strong environmental efficiency throughout its lifecycle. According to the project's assessment, the photovoltaic system will generate, in less than 11 months, the equivalent amount of energy required for its own manufacturing, installation, operation and end-of-life management. Since the opening of its manufacturing facility, Activ'Inside has continuously invested in innovative technologies designed to improve operational efficiency while minimising environmental impact. The addition of solar power further strengthens the company's position as a responsible and forward-thinking player in the nutraceutical industry. By combining scientific excellence, premium manufacturing standards and concrete environmental actions, Activ'Inside continues to pursue its mission of delivering innovative health solutions while contributing to a more sustainable future. For more information, please contact Ines Chee : i.chee@activinside.com
Section: ENERGY TRANSITION · June 18, 2026 · No comments | Tags: Energy Transistion, feature, featured Norwegian developer Scaec has reached financial close and commenced construction of 120 MW “Sidi Bouzid II” solar power plant in Tunisia. The total capital expenditure (capex) for the project is estimated at $111Million and will be financed by a combination of non-recourse debt and equity, with a leverage of approximately 70%. Scatec will own 50% of the project and Aeolus the remaining 50%. The senior Lenders for the projects are the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and European Investment Bank (EIB). The project’s Power Purchase Agreement PPA was awarded in December 2024 through a government tender designed to support Tunisia’s ambitious renewable energy targets and enhance the country’s energy security. Sidi Bouzid II has been developed in partnership with Aeolus SAS (Aeolus), part of the Japanese conglomerate Toyota Tsusho Group. Scatec will provide Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC), Asset Management (AM) and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) services with an EPC scope of approximately 75% of capex. Sidi Bouzid II is expected to reach Commercial Operation in the second half of 2027. The project will generate 276 GWh of electricity annually. It is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 107,000 tonnes each year. “Sidi Bouzid II is our third project starting construction in Tunisia and reinforces our partnership with Aeolus and our position in Tunisia, with strong fundamentals for renewables and strong growth potential”, says Terje Pilskog, CEO of Scatec. 95% of electricity generation in Tunisia is currently based on natural gas of which more than 60% is imported, and Tunisia has a target to reach 35% of generation from renewable sources by 2030. Scatec believes that “Renewables contribute to reducing the costs of generation as well as increasing energy independence”. Sidi Bouzid II is supported by grant funding from the EU Neighbourhood Investment Platform (NIP) and guarantees from the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+).
Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, has acquired its first two solar parks in Spain, marking an important step in strengthening its renewable energy presence in Iberia – one of its prioritised markets. These Iberian projects sit within Ingka Group’s extensive global renewable energy portfolio, with €4.3 billion already invested or committed worldwide. “At a time when Europe continues to face energy price volatility and supply uncertainty, the projects in Villasequilla (Toledo) and Los Alcázares (Murcia) reinforce the region’s ability to build resilience and strengthen the interconnected energy system. The energy challenges of recent years have shown how essential it is for Europe to strengthen both local production and cross‑border resilience. Spain’s exceptional solar conditions allow us to contribute meaningfully to that effort. Iberia is a prioritised market for us, and these investments are designed to support a more reliable, affordable and sustainable energy system for the long term.” Ingka Investments, the company’s investment arm, has acquired two solar parks: the Toledo solar farm “La Oliva”, which is already operational and generating an estimated 51 GWh annually, and the Murcia site, which will add another 55 GWh per year. Together, the two parks will deliver 106 GWh of renewable energy annually – supporting Spain’s growing renewable energy capacity at a moment when additional, home‑grown production is increasingly important. This move highlights Ingka Group’s long‑term commitment to Iberia. Alongside the new solar parks in Spain, Ingka Investments recently hybridised its wind farm in Portugal by adding solar panels – boosting output, improving grid stability and maximising existing infrastructure. With the new Spanish solar parks and the hybrid asset in Portugal, Ingka Investments’ renewable production in Iberia will reach 323 GWh annually, with the ambition of further growth. “Strengthening Europe’s renewable energy capacity is essential for both climate progress and long‑term stability. By expanding our footprint in Spain and creating hybrid wind and solar assets in Portugal, we’re helping build a more flexible and interconnected energy system. As a global retailer, we believe it’s important to help build energy resilience and security in the regions where we operate.” Ingka Group’s expansion in Spain and Portugal reflects a practical shift in how companies are helping secure and diversify renewable energy sources. With Europe still managing ongoing energy pressures, these investments demonstrate how businesses can support national energy plans and strengthen regional energy interdependence. As a large energy consumer, companies like IKEA also have a responsibility to contribute to new renewable capacity rather than relying solely on existing infrastructure, helping to advance the transition toward renewable energy.
About Ingka Group With IKEA retail operations in 32 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents 87% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on Ingka.com. For further information, journalists and media professionalscancontactus at [email protected] or by calling +46 70 993 6376. Solar Farm, Utah. Photo:Adam Clark [email protected] Frederik de Jong, Head of Renewable Energy at Ingka Investments Karen Pflug, Chief Sustainability Officer of Ingka Group Subscribe and receive news directly in your inbox. Hej! Thank you for your interest in Ingka Group and IKEA. By inserting my contact details and clicking the subscribe button I consent to receiving newsletters and other communication from Ingka Group to my email address as described in the privacy notice. If you do not receive an email shortly, please check your junk email folder. Link copied To secure that we focus on what matters the most, we regularly conduct a double materiality assessment which incorporates stakeholder input and research. In the list you find the material topics identified in our latest assessment for each of the four better movements that form the structure for our report. By filling in the form above and clicking ‘send’, I confirm that I have read and understood the Ingka.com privacy notice
An Edmonton manufacturer has flipped the switch on a new rooftop solar field, the largest of its kind from any private company in the city. All Weather at Home, one of the biggest private window, door and glass companies in the country, is now powering its west-end facilities with more than 2,000 solar panels, producing 1.3 gigawatt hours of energy annually. It amounts to 35 percent of the power needed for the 261,000-square-foot facility. On weekends, the surplus flows directly into Alberta’s electricity grid. On Wednesday morning, guests at an official launch event for the project heard how that stacks up against others. Among similar Canadian window and door manufacturers, it’s No. 1. Within Edmonton, only Epcor’s solar farm and the city’s rooftop array at the Edmonton Expo Centre are larger. “We feel that this is a good indicator of the investment that we’re willing to make here in Edmonton,” co-CEO Jillene Lakevold said. Fellow co-CEO Colin Wiebe said, “It signals to our customers that we’re in this for the long term.” Lakevold said the cost was in the millions of dollars and took around a year to complete. Getting the system up and running in an older building was no small feat, she said. It’s not all silicon and glass when it comes to rooftop solar panels. Curtis Craig, president of InfernoSolar, the company that built the field, said it required more than 17,500 concrete ballast blocks to hold everything in place. The total build amounted to 755,000 lbs, a weight the structure couldn’t handle. However, the roof, like many others, was flush with several hundred tons of rock and gravel. “They literally vacuumed the gravel off the roof, and it worked,” said Lakevold. The next challenge was a gambit of speed. The old electrical panel needed to be replaced, but the company couldn’t shut down operations. The team had just 36 hours over a weekend to make the switch before operations resumed on Monday morning. “We were removing the heart of the building and putting it back in,” Craig said. Craig said this was the second-largest project his company has taken on, the first being the Little Potato Company’s sprawling headquarters just south of the city, in Nisku. This field follows other big rooftop solar projects, such as those at the Edmonton Convention Centre, Ikea Edmonton, and the SunRise Building. Craig pointed to the fact that All Weather at Home did this “without handouts,” and of its own volition, and agreed that some private groups are becoming more interested in solar energy. The company did not receive grants, but is using federal and provincial tax credits and rebates. “It takes a little bit of time to become familiar with these things,” Craig said. He added that sometimes it’s challenging to pitch solar as a worthy expense when companies could use funds on more machines, more trucks, and staff. However, he said that the message is starting to stick. While solar has been shrinking in price, the cost of energy has been on the rise. “At some point, those two curves cross, and it starts to become a really interesting investment.” lnewbigging@postmedia.com @liamnewbigging.bsky.social x.com/nubigin Bookmark our website and support our journalism:Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun. Let's talk about the Ronaldo in the room. Another win for Mexico could virtually lock up Group A. The Derby instituted a clock that oversaw timed rounds in 2015. Young projects to be the market's top point guard. It wasn't Ghana's best game, but Caleb Yirenkyi came through. The Dodgers swept the three-game series between two of the best teams in baseball. Messi's Father Time-defying hat trick is headlining group play at the moment. Soccer's biggest stars opened their World Cups with a flourish. With Kane's two goals, he tied Gary Lineker as the Three Lions' all-time leading goalscorer at the World Cup. Ready to celebrate Knicks in five? Here's how to watch Thursday's parade — even if you're not in New York.
There is remarkable progress in India’s clean energy journey over the past decade, making the country emerge as one of the world’s fastest-growing solar energy markets. The pace at which solar power is being installed across the nation is nothing short of impressive. But it wasn’t always like this. For many years, there was a major challenge that kept hindering this success. Even though India had been expanding its solar capacity consistently, it was still dependent upon imports of key solar components. Components like solar cells, modules and other critical equipment came from international markets. This reliance exposed the country to the risks, including global supply chain disruptions, rising shipping costs, trade restrictions and geopolitical uncertainties. But today, that situation has transformed completely. Due to the strong support from the government and major investments from the private sector, India is building a resilient solar manufacturing ecosystem. India’s solar manufacturing sector has witnessed tremendous growth in recent years. According to a clean energy research firm, the country added an impressive 119 GW of solar module manufacturing capacity in a single year. This has led India’s total solar module manufacturing capacity to reach approximately 210 GW. Considered as one of the industry’s major weaknesses, solar cell manufacturing is also seeing significant progress. There has been a time when many companies assembled solar modules in India but had to rely on imported solar cells. Today, domestic cell production is expanding rapidly. This growth is supporting the country’s renewable energy ambitions. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has revealed India’s cumulative solar power capacity has crossed 157 GW. This enabled the country to rank among the global leaders in renewable energy deployment. The fast growth of solar manufacturing has not happened by chance. It is the result of focused government policies designed to encourage domestic production and reduce reliance on imports. One of the most important initiatives is the Approved Models and Manufacturers of Solar Photovoltaic Modules (ALMM) framework. The ALMM ensures that government-supported solar projects use approved and certified solar products that meet quality and performance standards. Today, the ALMM List-I includes more than 193 GW of approved module manufacturing capacity. Additionally, the government has also introduced measures such as the Production Linked Incentive Scheme and Basic Customs Duty on imported solar equipment. These kinds of incentives have successfully encouraged companies to invest in the Indian manufacturing facilities. Eventually, it helped create a competitive domestic industry. If local production is strengthened, then it also benefits the policies because of the project developers and consumers. The industry is now protected from currency fluctuations, global price volatility and supply shortages as there is reduced dependence on imports. The nation has a more stable and affordable solar power generation ecosystem right now. When the conversation is about energy security, only large-scale power plants aren’t enough. Ensuring reliable access to energy for homes, farms and communities across the country should also be a priority. Domestic solar manufacturing is as important and plays a significant role in supporting government schemes like PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. The scheme has encouraged rooftop solar adoption across urban India. It has already helped millions of households generate their own electricity and reduce expensive power bills. Even in rural areas, schemes such as PM-KUSUM are helping farmers replace diesel-powered pumps with solar alternatives. Domestically manufactured solar equipment ensures these systems remain affordable, accessible and easier to maintain. It also reduces the risk of delays caused by international supply chain disruptions. This just proves how solar energy is being adopted across both urban and rural areas. India’s solar manufacturing growth is creating opportunities even beyond its domestic market. The country is increasingly becoming an important supplier of solar products to international markets. The domestic manufacturers have exported around 5 GW of solar modules and 192 MW of solar cells in 2025. The United States is one of the key export destinations. Indian manufacturers are also adopting advanced technologies such as Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact, also known as TOPCon, which accounts for nearly 70% of installed manufacturing capacity. The country is consistently working towards its target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030. And, solar manufacturing will keep playing a major role in helping make it achievable. The industry is supporting economic growth and job creation, while also focusing on building a self-reliant, secure and resilient future of energy for the country. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those held by pv magazine. 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 June issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! Thursday, July 9, 2026 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Thursday, June 18, 2026 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects. April 01 – August 31, 2026 pv magazine Insight will be held on October 30, at The Battery Show India Expo 2025 and moderated by pv magazine’s Uma Gupta and Mark Hutchins.
The city installed solar panels on the roof of the Newark Municipal Building in 2022. The city is now planning to install more solar power at various city-owned facilities. The city installed solar panels on the roof of the Newark Municipal Building in 2022. The city is now planning to install more solar power at various city-owned facilities. More solar panels are coming to city-owned properties in Newark, part of an energy savings performance contract that ultimately will pay for itself with savings, with no net cost to taxpayers. On Monday, city council authorized the purchase of up to $1 million in solar equipment. City officials are still finalizing the locations for the solar panels, but the purchase has to be made by July 4 in order to qualify for federal tax credits. Assistant City Manager Jeff Martindale said a number of locations are being considered, including rooftops at the city’s maintenance yard on Phillips Avenue, the roof of the police station, and a city-owned parcel at 201 Kells Avenue, where solar panels could be mounted on the ground.
Also under consideration are solar canopies in parking lots such as city hall, the Newark Reservoir, Dickey Park, Leroy Hill Park or Curtis Mill Park. The new solar installations will be part of a broader energy savings performance contract intended to reduce the city’s energy usage and generate cost savings. “Performance contract is a method we really like, because it finds energy efficiencies or solar opportunities and pairs them with other more costly facility projects,” Martindale said. “We combine those projects and find out what the total cost and the total savings would be on those projects and roll them into a loan that is paid for by the savings of the project itself, netting the project cost down to zero.” The city’s last energy savings performance contract was completed in 2022 and included the installation of 1.2MW of solar panels at the reservoir, on the roof of city hall and other areas, as well as HVAC repairs, roof repairs, and upgrades to streetlights and parking lots. “Many of these project items, notably HVAC and roof repairs, addressed significant facility needs that otherwise would have cost the city millions of dollars in the form of cash,” Martindale said. “By combining those improvements with energy-saving initiatives, the total project loan – approximately $10 million – is set to be fully covered by the project savings over the 20-year loan term.” On Monday, council agreed to enter into another energy savings performance contract with the original contractor, Seiberlich Trane. Over the next few months, Seiberlich Trane will evaluate a number of projects in addition to the solar panels, including battery energy storage systems, waterless or low-flow plumbing fixtures in city buildings, motion-sensor timers on light fixtures, replacing lights in city parks and trails with dimmable LEDs, installing directional light-shielding on lights in parks, and various generator and fuel tank improvements. The final list of projects will be subject to approval by city council.
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Civilization is growing thirstier for energy with each passing year – an unquenchable desire which shows no sign of being easily sated. Recent figures show global energy consumption accelerating at its fastest ever rate, close to 4% year on year.[1] And we are nowhere near peak power demand yet. Global electricity consumption is expected to rise an unparallelled 3,500 TWh over the next three years, the equivalent of adding a country the size of Japan to the world’s annual energy bill. By mid-century our societies will be sucking up even more energy to power our homes, industries and transport systems – anywhere between 59,000 TWh and 72,000 TWh, or roughly double present consumption.[2] With 2025 confirmed as another of the hottest years on record[3], it is of critical importance that we manage the reality of soaring energy demands wisely and sustainably. Genuine challenges lie ahead. Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 will need something in the order of US$ 4 trillion annual spending in the coming years[4]. Yet the rewards of a sustainable energy transition are equally rich, with potentially millions of new jobs, a global economic boom and universal access to electricity all within our grasp. Promisingly, most of the technologies required to ensure our global transition to a zero carbon energy system are already available and operational on the market, principally through solar power and wind power solutions. Together these technologies are having a dramatic impact on the way we live our lives. Global renewable energy capacity has increased sharply across all technologies since 2019 and will continue to do so into the future. The International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) Renewables 2025 Report forecasts a doubling of global renewable energy capacity between now and the end of the decade, expanding by around 4,600 gigawatts (GW).[5] Solar and wind combined will comprise 96% of all new additions. Where is this story unfolding? Almost everywhere. China will account for around 60% of this renewable energy growth and is currently scheduled to meet its proposed 2035 solar and wind targets five years earlier than promised.[6] But it is far from alone on the journey to sustainability. India, spurred by higher auction volumes and spiking sales for rooftop PV panels, is set to increase its own renewables capacity by 2.5 times before 2030, becoming in the process the second-biggest growth territory for renewables worldwide. Green energy production is also accelerating in the MENA region due to rapid solar growth in Saudi Arabia, while in Europe a raft of big-budget power purchase agreements (PPAs) are fueling a rise in utility-scale renewable projects. The benefits are measurable, notably in our gradual rejection of high-pollution alternatives. As a result of renewable deployment since 2010, countries have collectively cut coal and natural gas imports by 700 million tons and 400 billion cubic meters respectively.[7] By 2030 renewable energy will account for almost 30% of global electricity supply, twice the current market share.[8] The ongoing evolution of AI will only supercharge this transition, with machine learning bringing benefits across the value chain: Designing more efficient solar panels and turbines for maximizing energy yield from the weather; optimizing operations and balancing energy distribution to power grids; even creating robots for faster construction and installation of new solar arrays and windfarms. Some of these advances are earmarked for the future. However, even with the technology already at our disposal, the unstoppable forces of solar and wind appear destined to shape a greener future for us all. With global heating acting as a ticking clock, the pressure on us to act is intense. The omens are good, particularly for the shining star of the clean energy transition: Solar power. Solar power is tipped to deliver around 80% of all green power growth between now and 2030.[9] With global photovoltaic (PV) capacity set to more than double over the next five years, its trajectory provides a ray of hope amid media headlines consumed by catastrophic climate change.[10] Such confidence is valid, with the solar surge reinforced by a range of intersecting factors: Cheaper PV manufacturing costs from China, streamlined permission procedures across local and national governments, and broader social acceptance of the urgent need for more solar farms within our communities. Smaller distributed PV installations (off-grid projects on domestic and commercial property) will account for 42% of overall solar expansion, driven by rising electricity retail prices and in some emerging economies. Taking a gamble on solar has never been more affordable: Solar panel prices have fallen around 60% in China since 2023 thanks to a steady supply of materials and greater competition in the market, becoming a viable option for domestic as well as corporate customers.[11] More countries are throwing legislative weight behind the solar transition through their Nationally Defined Contributions (NDCs), the individual pledges made to reduce emissions agreed during successive COP climate conferences. Recent additions to NDCs have raised the stakes on prior commitments. The UK, for example, has set its first ever targets for solar capacity (a 24% increase combined with wind), while Vietnam has doubled its existing PV commitments. India has agreed to provide subsidies for 60% of investment costs for all distributed solar systems.[12] Solar has never been hotter, and 2025 proved a banner year for mega-deals in the utility-scale PV market. Technological breakthroughs, which continued to accelerate through 2025, will likely hasten the transition to a solar-powered world. Perovskite solar cells – potentially the most impactful breakthrough in PV technology since crystalline silicon – are finally entering commercial production. Perovskite compounds use tin or lead halides as a base material to harvest light. Highly efficient, flexible and lightweight, they can be used equally in panels or windows and are becoming cheaper to produce than traditional rigid silicone-based solar cells. Tandem solar cells are also growing in popularity. These stack different photovoltaic materials with distinct ‘bandgaps’ (energy ranges) to absorb broader light spectrums than single-material designs. The UK’s Oxford PV has begun manufacturing tandem perovskite-silicon cells with 24%-27% efficiency rates, far exceeding the 20%-23% of traditional monocrystalline panels. Experiments in controlled conditions show even higher perovskite-silicon efficiencies, surpassing 33%.[17] Bifacial (twin-facing) panels are fast becoming the default choice for new solar installations due to falls in unit costs. Engineered to catch sunlight from ground reflection on the rear surface of panels, such dual-sided systems can raise energy capture between 5% and 30% depending on configuration.[18] These advances and more ensure solar energy has a bright future. Yet it cannot single-handedly sustain the global energy transition at the scale required to halt climate change. Luckily, wind power is also showing itself to be a relentless force of nature. The wind power revolution isn’t just spin – it is turning heads right around the world. Just as solar panels are on the march, so too are turbines, both onshore and off. Wind farms accounted for some 155 GW of new installations in 2025 and are expected to supply roughly one-third of additional global energy capacity between now and 2027.[19],[20] By the end of the decade global wind capacity will double to more than 2,000 GW, with annual additions forecast to reach almost 200 GW annually by 2030. Wind deployment will only intensify as energy-thirsty economies like China and the EU address longstanding industry challenges surrounding construction costs, lengthy permission processes and public perception. Furthermore, with competition increasing for the kind of rare earth minerals vital for the magnetic components of wind turbines, countries are also beginning to tackle shortfalls in supply chains. The EU, for instance, remains heavily reliant on imports for neodymium and praseodymium. These two minerals are vital for turbine production, with China presently controlling 69% to 74% of all deposits.[21] In response, the EU is spearheading a new critical minerals alliance with the UK, Japan, Australia and other nations to safeguard future supplies.[22] The USA, meanwhile, has outlined a new US$ 12 billion critical minerals stockpile – Project Vault – funded by a US$ 10 billion US Export-Import Bank loan and US$1.67 billion of private capital, to achieve greater independence in rare earth elements.[23] Although the rollout rate of utility-sale turbine projects varies worldwide, trends show the industry has the wind behind its sails. The IEA recently raised its 2030 wind energy forecast for Europe by 10%, driven by a raft of newly-minted national strategies.[24] Germany, for example, has introduced reforms to streamline the licensing of new projects; Türkiye has scheduled brand new auction capacity; and Spain is estimating higher growth on the back of additional late-stage projects with grid connections already approved. In economies both developed and emerging, we are witnessing a surge in wind projects worth multiple billions of dollars. Wind energy will become even more attractive to investors as technological developments further increase yields and safeguard financial returns. AI and digital twinning technologies are proving transformational to windfarms, reportedly slashing operational downtime by 60% and cutting inspection costs by 22% in 2025.[29] Operators are increasingly using digital twins – virtual replicas of turbines supplemented by live sensor data and machine learning predictive software – to anticipate breakdowns and schedule maintenance phases accordingly. Other wind technology advances are physical, rather than digital, in nature. In May 2025 Chinese engineers achieved new capacity records with the typhoon-resistant offshore MySE 18.X-20 MW turbine. Its rotors span 260-292 meters in diameter and can withstand 150kph winds, generating 80 million kWh annually and offsetting 66,000 tons of CO2 in the process.[30] Prototypes exist for rotors up to 310 meters long, promising even greater performance milestones in future. Some of the most wind-rich locations on Earth are located further out to sea than conventional offshore sites, which are typically limited to 60-meter water depths due to limitations of fixed-bottom installations. With the technology behind floating platforms continuing to evolve, more of these high-wind sites are becoming viable for windfarms. Three floating platform technologies are currently vying for dominance: Semi-submersible units using pontoons to remain upright; spar platforms with deep-draft cylindrical structures for ballast; and tension-leg designs employing taut mooring lines for stability. Exploiting these breakthroughs, in 2025 Chinese state-owned CRRC installed the world’s largest floating offshore wind turbine, a 20 MW unit of 151-meter hub height in the Shandong Province.[31] Similarly demonstrating deep-sea feasibility, the Buchan Offshore Wind consortium has applied to the Scottish government for planning consent for a 1 GW floating windfarm northeast of Aberdeenshire. The US$ 1.23 billion project will incorporate 70 turbines and should connect to the grid in 2033.[32] Floating windfarms are set for major growth, with approximately 4.1 GW operational by 2030, rising to 56.2 GW by 2040.[33] Being weather-dependent, variable renewables like wind and solar do not offer the controllable energy generation of fossil fuel equivalents. What to do when the sun fails to shine or wind speeds decline? Life, after all, must go on. If we wish to guarantee continuous power supplies to the homes and industries at the heart of our communities, we must effectively store energy harvested from the natural elements. Fortunately, that is a task we are becoming rather smart at accomplishing. Modern society needs power 24/7 to function, and the only way to store green energy efficiently is in the form of utility-scale battery systems. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) make sound financial sense: A sophisticated network in the UK alone is estimated to save £40 billion by 2050.[34] That is good news for the environment and the economy. Grid-scale lithium batteries are key to widespread integration of renewable power into the energy sector – a sector which accounts for more than 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Time is of the essence: The IEA’s 2025 Global Energy Review shows energy-related carbon emissions reaching a record high 37.8 gigatons of CO2, driven by an increase in natural gas consumption in China, the United States, the Middle East and India.[35] Clearly, radical action is needed, and BESS is the standout solution. Lithium batteries command around a 90% share of the BESS market. They work by transferring lithium ions between electrodes, using lithiated metal oxides as a cathode for storage and carbon as an anode for extraction. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistries are rising in prominence thanks to lower costs, longer lifespans and better safety (with superior chemical, thermal, and structural stability).[36] A single 40 MWh battery can save around 400 hours of grid congestion and approximately US$ 2 million in fuel costs.[37] Modern BESS units use AI-driven software to coordinate the optimum pattern of storing and releasing energy into the grid, for maximum efficiency. Technological refinements and economies of scale have seen the price of a fully installed BESS project plummet between 2010 and 2024, falling 93% from US$ 2,571/kWh to US$ 192/kWh.[38] During that period the total storage capacity of BESS systems globally has grown from zero to an enormous 169 GWh. With high performance assured, and with the technology becoming more commonplace, some studies suggest the lithium-ion battery industry will achieve a 4.7 TWh capacity and a financial value of US$ 400+ million by 2030. BESS deployment is a global phenomenon, as evidenced by a busy year of dealmaking in 2025. Much of the BESS momentum lies within Europe. If current plans materialize, at least 95 GW of new utility-scale BESS facilities are set for construction between now and 2050 across the continent. This will dwarf the 5 GW cumulatively installed as recently as 2023 and will together account for more than €70 billion of investment.[43] Europe’s battery storage industry is supported by a progressive policy environment. The EU’s REPowerEU plan outlines clean energy infrastructure investments worth €800 million, including several BESS projects. The European Commission’s Net Zero Industry Act, meanwhile, aims to encourage wider BESS adoption by promoting the domestic manufacture of batteries. The buzz around carbon-free power projects – solar, wind, and BESS technologies – illustrates the importance of the private sector to securing our planet’s clean energy future. Data suggests that by 2050 renewables have the potential to provide anywhere from 61% to 67% of the global power mix.[44] That will mean tangible differences to our daily experience of life: Cleaner air, more bountiful harvests and better jobs. Ensuring we arrive at the upper end of that percentage range will require a truly united effort, both between nation states and between the public and private sectors. The journey will not be without hurdles. In the United States restrictions on new wind and solar deals on federal land (alongside the phase-out of tax credits for green energy projects) have seen domestic renewable growth forecasts lowered. Similarly, China’s switch from fixed tariffs to auction models for new renewable projects threatens to curtail its own green energy trajectory. Combined with supply chain pressures, the complexity of grid integration, and competition for funding, it would be wrong to assume that our transition to net zero energy is inevitable. Industry leaders must be creative in sourcing finance for green energy projects, which typically come with sizable price tags attached. Several funding strategies have arisen across the sector. Government grants and subsidies are among the most direct options, with initiatives like the UK’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme ensuring predictable revenue streams, and the EU’s Green Deal diverting capital towards sustainable projects. Private equity and venture capital can help rapidly scale-up embryonic projects, particularly as concepts of ethical investment and environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles climb the global agenda. NGOs, multilateral development banks (MDBs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) can help funnel cash towards green energy schemes in emerging economies; the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and European Investment Bank (EIB) are particularly active in offering loans and guarantees to the Global South. Green bonds are a powerful borrowing tool for utility-scale infrastructure undertakings, with bodies like the World Bank issuing the kind of low-risk options favored by asset firms and pension funds. Mid-sized projects are even finding capital from independent investors through crowdfunding/community investment channels like Thrive Renewables or Ecoligo. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) have proved an especially potent financing weapon. PPAs offer investor-friendly long-term revenue security via contractual agreements between energy producers and utility companies, the latter agreeing to purchase electricity at a set price over a predetermined period. PPAs underwrite many clean energy projects backed by Jameel Energy, which developed into a major player in the sustainable energy market worldwide following Abdul Latif Jameel’s acquisition of FRV in 2015, and subsequent investment and expansion. FRV is today one of the industry’s major players and the flagship renewable energy business of Abdul Latif Jameel. FRV manages more than 3 GW of green energy presently in operation (rising to over 4 GW including projects in development and construction) spanning four continents. FRV continues to roll out a pipeline of new energy projects throughout the world. In February 2026 it revealed plans to build a new €2.8 billion data center in Merida, Spain. With €700 million to be invested directly in energy infrastructure – and with more than 80% of electricity coming from renewable self-generation – the Lusitanus data center will become one of the largest and most technically advanced industrial projects in Europe. Summer 2025 saw FRV’s Masrik-1 55 MW PV plant, the largest in Armenia, commence operations. Energy, distributed through the national grid via a PPA with Electrical Networks of Armenia CJSC, will power more than 20,000 homes and avoid the emission of 54,000 tons of CO2 annually. FRV has been especially active in Australia, where FRV Australia’s largest project to date, Walla Walla, became operational in October 2025. The 605-hectare 300 MW solar farm, located in New South Wales (NSW), falls under FRV’s 15-year PPA with Microsoft. The same month, FRV Australia announced the development of the 450 hectare Rangitīkei solar farm in New Zealand’s North Island. The project is set to achieve annual generation of around 350,000 MWh, enough to supply 45,000 homes, and will also create 250 new jobs during construction. Continually innovating and investing, FRV is regularly celebrating the unveiling or progression of new Battery Energy Storage System, or ‘BESS’ projects. Sites in the UK include Holes Bay, Dorset; Contego, West Sussex; and Clay Tye, Essex, while the company has established a BESS Center of Excellence in Madrid, Spain, and is spearheading private sector efforts to promote BESS plants throughout Europe, Australia and Latin America. FRV Australia runs a BESS plant in Terang, Victoria, and a hybrid plant in Dalby, Queensland. Currently under construction in Chile is the Tarapacá hybrid power station, its largest project to date, with a peak power output of 504 MW shared between PV generation and battery storage. The 461-hectare site will supply electricity for 250,000 homes and is expected to become operational in 2027. In Spain, FRV is adding an additional 1,200 MW of green energy to its books by hybridizing its PV assets with battery storage and developing standalone BESS assets. Based across the autonomous communities of Extremadura, Andalusia, Catalonia, and Cantabria, the storage projects are expected to reach ready-to-build status by 2027 at the latest. In Extremadura, FRV is adding batteries to its Carmonita solar farm cluster: 320 MW at Carmonita Ministerio, 91 MW at Carmonita Norte, 80 MW at Carmonita Sur and 40 MW at Carmonita IV. FRV Australia has also seen significant expansion in its BESS portfolio. In February 2026, the company signed a Long-Term Energy Service Agreement (LTESA) under New South Wales’ Electricity Infrastructure Program to bolster the state’s long-duration energy storage capacity. The Armidale East BESS project will have a total capacity of 315 MW, half of which will supply an eight-hour duration system – one of the most significant storage initiatives in the whole country. The previous year, FRV Australia reached financial close on its 250 MW Gnarwarre BESS storage project in Victoria in August 2025. FRV Australia’s largest BESS project so far, Gnarwarre will form a key component of the nation’s green energy transition. Once complete, it will bring FRV’s Australian portfolio to an installed capacity of 1.4 GW. Elsewhere in Victoria, in March 2025 FRV Australia acquired the 190 MW hybrid solar and BESS Axedale project east of Bendigo. Axedale will have a generation capacity of 140 MW solar energy and a 50 MW two-hour duration BESS system. It will provide clean energy to some 80,000 homes across Victoria. Meanwhile, the business continues to go from strength to strength with BESS facilities in Europe. In October 2025 FRV announced financial close on its SIMO 100 MW BESS project in Finland – one of the largest ever greenlit in the country. The development, near Fingrid’s Simojoki substation in Lapland, is dual phase. Phase one (30 MW) is already operational in the wholesale market, and phase two (70 MW) is scheduled for commissioning in August 2026. Other FRV projects already granted permission are moving closer to connection. In November 2025 FRV submitted a portfolio of 1.8 GW renewable and BESS projects to the UK government’s Gate 2 window of its Connection Reform process. All projects – including the Bicker Fen (400 MW), Stocking Pelham (400 MW), Stow Manor (400 MW), Ansty (200 MW) and Maes Melin (200 MW) BESS facilities – are seeking connection dates before 2030. FRV’s expertise extends beyond PV and BESS. In summer 2025 it announced a strategic partnership with renewable energy leader Envision for the H2 Cumbuco Project in Brazil. A green ammonia project based in the renewable hydrogen hub of the Port of Pecém, it aims to establish large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia production for markets in South America, Asia and Europe. The AI-driven operation will comprise an electrolysis facility of up to 500 MW and an integrated ammonia plant and is expected to start feeding the grid by 2030. Reflecting its status as global green energy leader, all FRV’s projects assume a nature-first ethos. Solar projects in Australia, for example, regularly prioritize the rights of native fauna. Construction schedules are adjusted to respect wildlife movements and migrations; environmental specialists are consulted at every stage of the journey; and infrastructure is carefully integrated to preserve natural corridors and habitats. With these principles enshrined, biodiversity becomes not a constraint but a design opportunity. FRV Australia’s Walla Walla facility was even cited by Microsoft as one of the six key projects helping the US technology giant meet its renewable energy goals. FRV is also renowned for incubating new technologies via its innovation arm, FRV-X, established in 2019. FRV-X explores new concepts in technology, service and business models to deliver scalable green energy solutions to the marketplace, adding momentum to the global sustainability transition. Current undertakings include creative data center solutions; aggregation business models in supply and distribution; the development of the green hydrogen economy; and energy utilization / efficiency across new technologies. The team is focused on battery-based systems, directly connected or co-located with renewable plants, and novel grid management services to enhance the dispatchability of renewable assets. “We must prioritize energy efficiency if we wish to restore environmental equilibrium and ensure greater security for future generations,” says Fady Jameel, Vice Chairman, International, Abdul Latif Jameel. “Wind and solar power – high-velocity, shining examples – combined with cutting-edge battery storage solutions like those being developed by FRV can help unlock a more sustainable future for us all. We all look forward to the day when we can turn on a light switch or charge up a car safe in the knowledge that such simple actions come with net-zero carbon impacts for our precious ecosystem.” Q: Is the world’s energy consumption still growing? A: Energy use is growing approximately 4% yearly, and by mid-century we might need 72,000 TWh of power annually to sustain society. Q: Is there evidence of growing momentum behind green energy? A: Global renewable energy capacity could expand around 4,600 GW by the end of the decade, with solar and wind comprising 96% of all new additions. Q: Which regions will lead the charge towards renewable energy? A: China is forecast to account for around 60% of renewable energy growth in the coming years. Q: Is the rise of renewables directly impacting fossil fuel consumption? A: Since 2010 countries have collectively cut coal imports by 700 million tons and natural gas imports by 400 billion cubic meters. Q: Which technology is likely to dominate the renewable energy market? A: Solar power is tipped to deliver around 80% of all green power growth between now and 2030.
A new low-cost handheld device that tests the quality and safety of milk is being developed by the Abdul Latif Jameel World Water and Food Security Lab (J-WAFS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). MIT mechanical engineering PhD candidate visited milk collection centers in Maharashtra, India, and discussed collection practices with dairy farmers and center operators during a 2017 research trip. J-WAFS-funded technology being developed by Jain in mechanical engineering professor Sanjay Sarma’s MIT lab will allow users at village-level milk collection centers like the one pictured to easily test milk for quality and nutritional consistency on site. Image courtesy of Pranay Jain
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, has been awarded a 55 MWac solar project in Armenia that will power more than 21,400 homes in Armenia with clean energy. Tristan Higuero, COO East, meets Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan. Water infrastructure is entering a new phase of development. One defined by increasing complexity in how projects are financed, governed and sustained over time. As climate uncertainty intensifies … Over the past decade, impact investing has evolved from an aspirational concept into a more structured and disciplined approach to capital allocation. Increasingly, investors are seeking not only fi … Without remedy or mitigation, water challenges across North America could manifest as more than visual scars in a hikers’ paradise. Instead, they could come to define one of the most urgent sustai … Download our News and Insights App
Time is of the essence: The IEA’s 2025 Global Energy Review shows energy-related carbon emissions reaching a record high 37.8 gigatons of CO2, driven by an increase in natural gas consumption in China, the United States, the Middle East and India.
The journey will not be without hurdles. In the United States restrictions on new wind and solar deals on federal land (alongside the phase-out of tax credits for green energy projects) have seen domestic renewable growth forecasts lowered. Similarly, China’s switch from fixed tariffs to auction models for new renewable projects threatens to curtail its own green energy trajectory. Combined with supply chain pressures, the complexity of grid integration, and competition for funding, it would be wrong to assume that our transition to net zero energy is inevitable.
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