These Cheap Solar Cells Work Better because They’re Flawed
Lead‑halide perovskite solar cells, despite impurities, now achieve efficiencies comparable to silicon. Researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria identified a three‑dimensional network of domain walls that act as internal charge‑highways, explaining the material’s high performance. They visualized these hidden pathways using a silver‑ion angiography technique that marks defect regions. The finding shifts development focus from chemical purity to structural engineering, accelerating the path toward commercial perovskite panels.
Sora Fuel Secures $14.6 Million to Scale Carbon‑Negative Jet Fuel
Sora Fuel announced a $14.6 million financing round co‑led by Spero Ventures and Inspired Capital. The Boston startup will use the capital to build a pilot facility that captures CO₂ from air and water, aiming to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)...
The Emergence of Sustainable Orbital Data Center Infrastructure
The orbital data‑center market accelerated in 2025 when Canada’s PowerBank Corp. launched DeStarlink Genesis‑1, the first satellite in Orbit AI’s low‑Earth‑orbit cloud. U.S. hyperscale cloud providers are now exploring solar‑powered ODCs after an executive order and the DOE’s Genesis Mission...
U.S. Scientists Build Copper-Contacted TOPCon Solar Cell with 24.3% Efficiency
U.S. researchers have demonstrated a TOPCon silicon solar cell that uses screen‑printed, fire‑through copper paste on the rear and silver on the front, combined with laser‑enhanced contact optimization (LECO). The LECO process reduces rear contact resistivity from roughly 300 mΩ·cm² to...
This New Chip Could Slash Data Center Energy Waste
Engineers at UC San Diego have unveiled a hybrid DC‑DC converter that blends a piezoelectric resonator with conventional capacitors, achieving 96.2% efficiency when stepping 48 V down to 4.8 V—levels typical for data‑center GPUs. The prototype delivers roughly four times the output...
Amazon Would Rather Shareholders Did Not Look Too Closely at Carbon Footprint
Amazon’s board is urging shareholders to reject a proxy proposal that would force the company to disclose detailed carbon emissions from its rapidly expanding data center portfolio. The proposal, backed by activist investors, questions Amazon’s ability to meet its Climate...
Iberdrola Wind Farm Hit by Last Minute Stop Work Order – and Not in the US This Time
Iberdrola's 105 MW El Escudo on‑shore wind farm in Cantabria was halted by Spain's Energy Ministry after unresolved administrative appeals triggered an automatic suspension. The project, 92% complete with 23 of 25 Vestas turbines installed, faced appeals from environmental groups that courts...
Ricoh Sets Higher 2030 Climate Target in Revamped Net Zero Strategy
Japanese electronics leader Ricoh announced a revamped net‑zero strategy that raises its 2030 climate ambition. The company now targets a 75% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse‑gas emissions by 2030 compared with 2015 levels, a goal validated by the Science...
Maine Passes Balcony Solar Law, Virginia and Colorado to Follow
Maine Governor Janet Mills signed LD 1730 on April 6, 2026, legalizing plug‑in, or balcony, solar systems up to 1,200 watts. The law requires UL 3700‑certified panels, rapid‑shutdown inverters, and notification for units over 420 watts, while barring utilities from imposing interconnection fees or approvals....
Snøhetta Adds "Positive Energy Building" To Dunkirk Port
Snøhetta and Santer Vanhoof have completed Écosystème D, a positive‑energy hub in Dunkirk’s port. The 1,200 m² photovoltaic roof produces more power than the building consumes, feeding surplus electricity to the surrounding innovation district. Constructed from a wooden frame clad in metal...
Hydrogen Generators
Hydrogen fuel‑cell generators are beginning to replace diesel backup units at telecom sites, offering silent, heat‑free, zero‑emission power. Diesel generators, common at data centers and remote cabinets, generate loud noise—up to 110 decibels—and oily smoke, especially in cold weather. Early...
India Becomes Third Largest Country for Solar PV Capacity
India has become the world’s third‑largest holder of renewable‑energy capacity, now at 274.68 GW, with solar PV surpassing 150 GW. The FY 2025‑26 year saw a record 44.61 GW of new solar capacity, more than double the previous year’s addition. Domestic solar‑module manufacturing rose...
Clean Energy Champions Win Control of Arizona’s Top Utility
Liberal‑aligned Clean Energy Team captured an eight‑to‑six majority on the Salt River Project board, Arizona’s largest public utility that provides power and water to millions. The election, framed as a showdown between the Sierra Club and Hollywood activist Jane Fonda...
Japanese Rail Operator to Procure 98 MW of New Solar via Corporate PPA
Japanese transport conglomerate Tokyu Corp. announced a corporate power purchase agreement to supply Tokyu Railway with approximately 98 MW (DC) of newly built solar power. The PPA, managed with Tohoku Electric, will begin delivering electricity in fiscal 2026 and run for...
Study Finds Wastewater Emissions Significantly Underreported Globally
A Princeton-led study published in Nature Climate Change reveals that national inventories vastly underestimate greenhouse‑gas emissions from wastewater systems. Across 38 countries, methane and nitrous‑oxide outputs are under‑reported by 19 % to 27 %, translating to a missing 94 million‑150 million metric tons of...
DHL Express Norway Adopts Spirii Charging Platform
DHL Express Norway has fully migrated its depot charging infrastructure to Spirii’s end‑to‑end platform, securing reliable 24/7 power for its electric fleet. Spirii, majority‑owned by Edenred, offers real‑time monitoring, billing, RFID and app‑based access, and integrates public chargers along routes....
Array to Supply OmniTrack Solar Trackers for Pekintas’ 260MW Solar Project
Array Technologies will install its OmniTrack terrain‑following solar trackers on Pekintas’ 260 MW photovoltaic plant in Karaman, Turkey. The project, a joint venture between Turkish developer Pekintas and Germany’s Schmid Group under the YEKA programme, will also use TOPCon+ solar cells...
Deals of the Week: RWE, Nordex, TenneT and Galp
RWE announced a major divestiture of its Nordic renewable assets, marking one of the week’s headline deals. The week also saw a UK floating wind project sold for a nominal £1 after a contract was cancelled, and a high‑profile dispute...
Big Tech Is Going Nuclear
Big Tech is injecting capital into the nascent small modular reactor (SMR) market to secure low‑carbon power for AI‑intensive data centres. Meta pledged funding for two Terrapower units totalling up to 690 MW and a 1.2 GW Oklo campus in Ohio, while...
Tata Power Partners with CORE Academy to Train Renewable Energy Workforce
Tata Power has engaged CORE Academy, the specialised training arm of POWERCON Group, to upskill its wind turbine operations and maintenance workforce. The curriculum spans theoretical safety and system modules, hands‑on field training, and advanced troubleshooting, data analytics, and remote‑command...
Half of Aldi's UK Stores Expected to Feature Solar Panels by End of 2026
Aldi announced it will install solar panels at an additional 62 UK supermarkets this year, bringing the total to over 500 stores with on‑site renewable generation. The rollout aims to cover roughly half of the chain’s UK footprint by the...
Could This Be the End of Green Building Standards in Ontario — Again?
Premier Doug Ford’s government is moving to eliminate mandatory municipal green‑building standards in Ontario, turning them into voluntary guidelines and stripping municipalities of the power to require features such as EV‑ready parking, expanded tree canopy, and bird‑friendly windows. The province...
SLR Acquires Planetrics and ClimSystems to Bolster Digital Climate Consulting
UK‑based sustainability consultancy SLR announced the acquisition of climate‑analytics platforms Planetrics and ClimSystems, launching an upgraded Digital Services suite. The move adds advanced physical and transition climate modelling tools to SLR’s portfolio, positioning the firm to meet growing investor and...
Smart Buildings IoT: Energy Efficiency, Automation and Occupant Experience
Smart Buildings are leveraging IoT sensors, edge computing, and AI-driven analytics to transform static structures into responsive, energy‑efficient environments. By integrating real‑time data from lighting, HVAC, security and occupancy systems, enterprises can cut energy consumption by up to 30% while...
Nordex Secures Orders From Turkey and Germany at the End of the Quarter - Nordex Stock Among Top 3 in...
Nordex secured two new wind‑energy contracts worth 160 MW at the end of March 2026, including a 120 MW order in Turkey’s Balıkesir region and a 39.9 MW repowering project in Germany’s Schleswig‑Holstein. The Turkish deal involves 18 N175/6.X turbines with a ten‑year...
Energy-Hungry Nova Scotia Companies Nearly Doubled Their Solar Power Capacity in 2025
Nova Scotia’s commercial solar capacity surged 82% in 2025, nearly doubling the sector’s output. New net‑metering rules now permit installations up to one megawatt, and a federal tax credit covering 30% of capital costs has spurred larger projects. The province...
Ascend Elements Files for Chapter 11 After Raising $1.1 Billion
Battery recycling startup Ascend Elements announced a voluntary Chapter 11 filing Thursday, ending a decade‑long effort that attracted more than $1.1 bn in equity and government grants. The move highlights the capital intensity of circular‑economy ventures and raises questions about the...
Solar Project Twice the Size of Paris to Produce Green Fuels
China’s Xinjiang region launched a massive green‑hydrogen project powered by a 13.5 GW solar array, the world’s second‑largest. The solar farm, covering 230 sq km—more than twice the size of Paris—will generate up to 3.6 million tonnes of methanol annually from 675 000 tonnes of green...
Chinese Module Trading Slows After Export Tax Rebate Cancellation
OP IS reported a modest dip in the FOB China TOPCon spot price to $0.119/W, down 0.83% amid post‑Lunar New Year slowdown. The decline follows China’s removal of export tax rebates on PV products effective April 1, prompting manufacturers to absorb higher...
Japan, Oman Sign Carbon Offset Deal
Japan and Oman signed a joint offset agreement on April 9, creating a Joint Crediting Mechanism to spur decarbonising technologies in Oman. The deal marks Japan’s 32nd bilateral JCM partnership and targets 100 million tCO₂e reductions by FY2030‑31 and 200 million tCO₂e by FY2040‑41. Credits...
TenneT Signs Contract with Developer for ‘First Controllable Congestion Mitigator’ BESS Project in Netherlands
Dutch transmission system operator TenneT has signed a contract with Green Energy Storage to build the 200 MW/800 MWh Sequoia battery energy storage system in North Brabant. The deal uses a time‑bound transmission right and a capacity‑control contract, making it the first...
Australian Miner Proves Renewables Boost Profit and Planet
No "net zero" fluff: Giant Australian mining group proving that Real Zero is better for planet and profits >24-hour renewables operations by 2027 >100% fossil-fuel-free mining by 2030 >1.2GW solar + 600MW wind + 5GWh BESS >Electrified rail & 800+ haul trucks >$100m saved/ year If...
India Postpones Coal Plant Upkeep Amid LNG Shortage
India is delaying maintenance on its coal power plants because of a gas supply crunch 🇮🇳 ⚠️ India’s LNG imports have dropped because of the war in the Middle East And with hot summer weather coming fast, India needs more coal...
EV Chargers, Solar Batteries and Smart Systems in Your Home Must Comply with These New Electric Rules From April 15
From 15 April 2026 the UK will enforce updated electrical safety regulations that reshape how solar‑battery storage, electric‑vehicle chargers, power‑over‑Ethernet, and smart‑home wiring are installed in residential properties. The rules prohibit battery placement in lofts or escape routes, demand proper ventilation, clear...
UK Solar Startup Attracts China, US Interest
The British Solar Startup Being Courted by Both China and the U.S. - WSJ https://t.co/sX60BYn0kE
Copenhagen Achieves 100% Electric Bus Network as Movia Deploys 62 New Units
Denmark’s public transport authority Movia has added 62 battery‑electric buses, raising its operational fleet to 794 vehicles and lifting the electric share to 72 percent. The rollout completes the conversion of all 42 municipal bus lines in Copenhagen to zero‑emission operation,...
Stochastic Methods for Forecasting and Power System Mode Optimization with a High Share of Renewable Energy Sources: A Case Study...
The study introduces a hybrid forecasting framework that combines Long Short‑Term Memory (LSTM) neural networks with GARCH econometric models to predict solar generation in Tajikistan’s hydro‑centric power system. Tested on 2021‑2023 data, the two‑loop algorithm achieved a Mean Absolute Percentage...
Security and Resiliency in Action: Supercharging the Energy Supply Chain
In the inaugural episode of JPMorgan’s Security and Resiliency in Action series, Dr. Sarah Kapnick and Michael Johnson discuss the escalating demand for energy, the need for diversified and resilient supply chains, and the role of the $1.5 trillion Security and...
Smartphones as Micro Data Centers: A Creative Edge Solution?
Researchers propose linking ordinary smartphones into a pooled cluster that functions as a miniature data center, aggregating CPU, memory and storage. The concept targets edge workloads, especially AI inference, by leveraging the locational flexibility and low cost of repurposed devices....
RWE Installs CO2-Reduced Steel Tower and Recyclable Blades at Thor
RWE has installed an offshore wind turbine at the Thor project using a reduced‑CO₂ steel tower and recyclable rotor blades. The 1.1 GW farm, located 22 km off Denmark’s west coast, now delivers its first power to the grid and will host...
RWE Installs CO2-Reduced Steel Tower and Recyclable Blades at Thor
RWE has installed an offshore wind turbine at Denmark’s Thor wind farm using a reduced‑CO₂ steel tower and recyclable rotor blades. The turbine is part of the 1.1 GW project, which began delivering power to the Danish grid and will host...
Why Fundamental Research in Photovoltaics Remains Critical for an Established Technology
A new paper led by Professor Rebecca Saive of the University of Twente warns that fundamental research in photovoltaics is losing traction as scientists drift toward other fields. The authors cite a 15% drop in dedicated funding over the past...
Trailblazing UK Floating Wind Project Sold for £1 After Contract Cancelled
Hexicon sold its TwinHub floating offshore wind project for £1 after the UK government cancelled its Contract for Difference. The 32 MW Celtic Sea pilot had secured the first UK floating wind CfD at £87.30/MWh ($115.69) but faced soaring inflation‑driven costs...
Carbon Emissions Data at Your Fingertips
Upsun has integrated annual carbon‑emissions data directly into its Console’s Billing section, making the 2025 figures instantly available to organizations and project owners. The data, calculated through a partnership with Greenly, adheres to GHG Protocol standards and reflects updated electricity...
World's Largest Sand‑Based Heat Battery to Decarbonise Finland
Heat batteries are a game changer for decarbonising heat. Polar Night Energy and Lahti Energia Oy have partnered to construct what is expected to become the world’s largest sand-based thermal energy storage system, to be built in Vääksy, Finland. https://t.co/vDUn27Tawr https://t.co/sm8e5BJTH9
Baltic CO2 Terminal Plans Advance to Support Cement CCS
Lithuania’s Environmental Protection Agency has moved the Klaipėda CO₂ transshipment terminal into the environmental impact assessment (EIA) phase, a key step for the CCS Baltic Consortium’s carbon capture and storage value chain. The terminal will receive CO₂ captured at cement...
PPC Boosts Sustainable Cement Production with 20MW Solar Launch
PPC Ltd has commissioned two 10 MW solar farms at its Slurry and Dwaalboom cement plants in South Africa, delivering renewable power directly to the production lines. The behind‑the‑meter installations, built with Sturdee Energy, use bifacial panels and single‑axis trackers to...
Singapore Company Signs Deals with Indonesian Firms to Scale Biofuel Production
Singapore‑based Aligned Energy has signed two MOUs with Indonesian partners PT Beon Parama Energi and PT Cipta Jagat Lestari to launch large‑scale sweet sorghum plantations on former bauxite mines in Bintan. The plan targets roughly 2,000 ha of degraded land and...
Geocycle to Invest US$125m in Latin America Co-Processing Capacity
Geocycle, Holcim's waste‑management unit, announced a $125 million investment to boost co‑processing capacity across Latin America by 2030. The funding builds on a $55 million spend that created 14 waste‑to‑fuel facilities, now delivering roughly 30% of the region’s thermal energy needs. In...
FELDA Mulls B100 Biodiesel Malaysia Policy Change
FELDA chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek urged the Malaysian government to adopt B100 biodiesel, which could be priced below RM5 ($1.10) per litre, compared with diesel at RM6.72 ($1.48). The proposal is still at the policy stage, with pilot...