How to Operate PV-Driven Residential Heat Pumps Under Time-Varying Tariffs
Researchers at Cranfield University in the UK have created a day‑ahead scheduling model for residential heat pumps that leverages rooftop PV output and time‑varying electricity tariffs. The framework combines distributionally robust chance‑constrained programming with DOE‑ANOVA analysis to handle PV forecast uncertainty while preserving indoor comfort. Simulations show that using a PMV‑based comfort metric reduces operating costs compared with traditional temperature‑band limits. The study demonstrates that dynamic tariffs and PV‑assisted control can jointly lower household energy bills without sacrificing comfort.
UK Tries to Break Gas Link with Voluntary Long-Term Fixed Price Contracts for All Renewables
The UK will introduce voluntary long‑term fixed‑price contracts for all renewable generators under a new Wholesale Contracts for Difference (WCFD) scheme, starting in 2026 with allocations in 2027. The move aims to shield renewables from volatile wholesale prices set by...
Rongke Power Debuts 2 MW/8 MWh Vanadium Flow Battery Storage System
Chinese energy storage firm Rongke Power unveiled the TPower2000, a 2 MW/8 MWh vanadium‑flow battery touted as the world’s highest‑power single‑unit system. The modular design can expand beyond 10 MW and occupies roughly 35 m² per MWh, about 28% less space than typical solutions....
Fabricating Perovskite Solar Cells with Robotic Boxes
An international team unveiled an AI‑driven robotic platform that autonomously designs, fabricates, and optimizes perovskite solar cells. The closed‑loop system produced and tested 50,764 devices, achieving a peak power conversion efficiency of 27% (certified 26.5%). The workflow combines a recipe...
Insurance Premiums Trending Down Despite Severe Weather Threat for Solar
Australian renewable energy underwriter Tokio Marine GX says insurance premiums for large‑scale solar, wind and battery projects are set to fall in 2026, though the decline is uneven. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are seeing faster premium reductions thanks to...
The Hydrogen Stream: Levelized Cost of Hydrogen at Mediterranean Ports Can Be as Low as €2.5/kg for Hybrid Systems
A University of Naples study shows that producing hydrogen at Mediterranean ports could cost $6.5‑10.1 per kilogram using only renewables, and as low as $2.9 per kilogram in hybrid grid‑supported systems. Solar power delivers the most consistent capacity factor (18‑24%)...
‘I Approach Inclusion From a Perspective of Fairness and Performance’
Carla Vico, CEO of Green Solver, argues that inclusion should be rooted in fairness and merit rather than quotas, emphasizing accountability and performance. She notes that the renewable‑energy sector’s youth allows firms to embed diversity in their DNA from the...
Will We Finally Buy European PV Modules?
The Becquerel Institute’s new column argues that Europe’s solar‑module outlook is moving from decline to a narrow window of opportunity, driven by rising energy prices and the Net‑Zero Industry Act (NZIA) that creates partially protected domestic markets. While 60% of...
Inside the Financing of Egypt’s Largest Solar‑plus‑storage Project
Norwegian renewable developer Scatec ASA has commissioned the first phase of its 1.1 GW Obelisk solar‑plus‑storage project in Egypt, a $590 million venture backed by $479.1 million of non‑recourse debt from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, African Development Bank and British...
Philippines Announces 7th Renewables Auction
The Philippines Department of Energy will launch its seventh Green Energy Auction (GEA‑7) this year, inviting rooftop, ground‑mounted and floating solar projects. A standout feature is a strategic allocation in Mindanao that is roughly five times larger than in prior...
Trina Solar TOPCon Patents Invalidated in US Ruling Involving Canadian Solar
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued final written decisions that invalidate all claims of two TOPCon solar‑cell patents that Trina Solar previously asserted against Canadian Solar subsidiaries. The ruling removes a looming infringement threat for Canadian Solar in...
Italy Installs 1.43 GW of PV in Q1
Italy’s photovoltaic sector added 1.44 GW of new capacity in Q1 2026, bringing total installed solar to 44.95 GW. The growth follows a January slowdown and remains below the 6‑7 GW annual pace needed for EU 2030 targets. Residential installations fell 13 % YoY,...
France Deploys 1.41 GW of Solar in Q1
France’s grid operator Enedis reported that 1,418 MW of new photovoltaic capacity was connected in Q1 2026, essentially matching the 1,407 MW added in the same quarter a year earlier. The deployment spanned 31,565 PV systems, with the bulk in the sub‑36 kW segment,...
Hydro-Quebec’s 300 MW Solar Tender Oversubscribed
Hydro‑Quebec announced that its 300 MW solar tender attracted 60 bids, offering a combined 481 MW of capacity—well beyond the 300 MW it plans to select. Each project can be up to 25 MW and must connect to the grid by the end of...
Vietnam’s Solar Capacity Surpasses 19 GW
Vietnam’s cumulative solar capacity reached 19,252 MW (19.3 GW) by the end of 2025, a 586 MW increase over 2024 but far slower than the 1.6 GW added in 2023. The growth is driven by expanding rooftop installations and renewed policy support, including a...
BMW Targets 2028 Hydrogen Car Launch, Cites Infrastructure and Cost Hurdles
BMW announced that its iX5 Hydrogen fuel‑cell electric vehicle will enter series production in 2028, featuring a third‑generation fuel cell system co‑developed with Toyota. The model promises up to 750 km of range and refueling in under five minutes thanks to...
Agrivoltaics Maintain or Enhance Forage Quality, Study Finds
University of Minnesota researchers evaluated grasses and legumes grown under two agrivoltaic solar arrays and a control pasture to assess biomass and nutritional value for dairy cattle. The 30 kW site produced near‑control yields (8,968 kg/ha) while the 50 kW site yielded less...
Germany Adds Record 1 GWh of Battery Storage in March
Germany is on track to surpass the 1 GWh monthly battery storage milestone in March, driven primarily by residential photovoltaic systems. Energy‑Charts data show 522.9 MW of power and 985.9 MWh of energy capacity added, with figures likely to rise as registrations lag...
Heat Pumps May Help Boost Residential Solar in France
France unveiled an electrification plan that seeks to install one million heat pumps per year by 2030, backed by €200 million in public funding. Subsidies of €12,000‑€14,000 aim to deliver a three‑year return on investment for units costing €10,000‑€15,000. The rollout...
Solar Self-Generation Could Outperform PPAs in Brazil, Delivering up to 32.9% Savings
A new study by the Federal Universities of Ceará and São João del‑Rei shows that large industrial consumers in Brazil’s free‑contracting market can save up to 32.9% by financing, building and operating their own photovoltaic plants instead of signing long‑term power purchase...
The Solar Support Gap: Why Do Pro-Solar Citizens Reject Local Projects?
University of Rhode Island researchers examined why voters who support solar energy opposed a utility‑scale solar project in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. An exit‑poll revealed that 28.9% of pro‑solar respondents voted against the 2019 referendum, creating an individual support gap....
Colombia Approves Guidelines for Integrating Energy Storage Into Electricity System
Colombia issued Decree 0393 to establish public‑policy guidelines for integrating energy‑storage systems (ESS) into both the National Interconnected System and isolated zones. The decree sets deployment criteria, market participation rules, and a remuneration framework, recognizing storage for frequency regulation, voltage...
PV Module Prices Continue to Rise Unabated
Photovoltaic module prices climbed for the fourth month in a row, rising 5.5% between March and April 2026, with all‑black modules posting the steepest gains. The increase occurs despite falling polysilicon costs and the removal of Chinese export tax credits,...
Philippines Registers Solar Module Maker Targeting EU Export Market
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has registered Genuine Renewable Energy and Eco‑Friendly Energy Network Corp. (GREEENC) as an ecozone enterprise to produce photovoltaic (PV) modules for export, primarily to the European Union. GREEENC will invest about PHP 370 million ($6.16 million) in...
Varta Launches All-in-One Residential Inverter and Modular Battery
Varta, the German energy‑storage specialist, unveiled the Varta.hybrid.wall, an all‑in‑one residential system that bundles a three‑phase inverter, modular battery packs and an energy‑management platform. The solution offers 4.5 kWh to 20 kWh of storage, can be configured for AC or DC coupling,...
Porous Silica-Based Anti-Reflective Coating Increases PV Glass Optical Transmission by 5.2%
Researchers at Spain’s CIEMAT have created a porous silica anti‑reflective coating that lifts solar‑panel glass transmission by up to 5.2%, reaching 99.8% at 600 nm. By fine‑tuning the ratio of TEOS to MTES, the concentration of the pore‑forming agent Pluronic P‑123,...
Free Midday Electricity Key to Drive Consumer Demand to Match Excess PV Generation
Australia’s Solar Sharer program will give households with smart meters three free midday electricity hours, aiming to pull demand into periods of abundant solar generation. Research by Cambridge’s Ray Galvin shows the scheme could shift roughly 22.5 TWh of electricity by...
Mova Unveils All-in-One Plug-In Solar and Storage Solutions
Chinese appliance maker Mova has entered the residential solar‑plus‑storage market with its LumeGret A2000 and A4000 all‑in‑one units. The A4000 provides a 4 kWh LFP battery, expandable to 20 kWh, and a 2.5 kW inverter, while the A2000 starts at 1.92 kWh and adds...
Tunisia Launches 200 MW Call for PV Projects Under New Licensing Scheme
Tunisia’s Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy announced a sixth licensing round inviting private developers to submit proposals for up to 200 MW of new solar power plants. Applications are open from April 15 to June 15 and will be assessed based on...
Vertical Bifacial PV Outperforms Tilted PV Systems in the UK
A year‑long study by the University of York shows that Over Easy Solar’s vertical bifacial photovoltaic system outperforms traditional tilted monofacial panels across all UK seasons. The bifacial array delivered up to 26.9% more electricity during morning hours and 24.5%...
Vaillant Launches Space-Saving Residential Heat Pump
German heating specialist Vaillant has introduced the Arotherm Pro, a compact air‑to‑water heat pump that uses propane (R‑290) as a low‑GWP refrigerant. The product is offered in 5 kW, 7 kW and 11 kW models, delivering a maximum coefficient of performance of 5.03 at...
Australian Developer Moves Ahead with Modular Green Hydrogen Production Plant
InterContinental Energy (ICE) announced it has secured up to AUD 1.6 million ($1.14 million) in Australian federal funding to develop a digital twin for its patented P2(H2)Node modular system. The company also signed the first licence for the node, marking the transition from...
Halocell Energy, Sofab Inks Advance Perovskite Collaboration
Halocell Energy and U.S. startup Sofab Inks have demonstrated that perovskite modules using Sofab’s Tinfab electron transport layer retain roughly 100% of their normalized efficiency after 1,300 hours of accelerated light and damp‑heat exposure. In contrast, comparable control devices lost...
St. Kitts and Nevis Tenders Major Solar-Storage Project
St. Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC) has opened a tender for the island’s first utility‑scale solar‑plus‑storage project, the Basseterre Valley development. The plan calls for 50 MW of solar generation paired with a 30.5 MW/30.5 MWh battery system, marking a major expansion beyond the...
Dismantled 28-Year-Old PV System Reveals Wasps Nest in Junction Box
Researchers in Austria uncovered a wasp nest inside the junction box of a 1998 rooftop PV module, demonstrating that insects can breach even sealed electrical components. The module exhibited backsheet discoloration, burn marks and partial failure, yet the overall design...
First Solar Project Backed by EU’s Cross-Border Tender Starts Operating
The EU’s first cross‑border renewable tender has funded the 20 MW Loukkaanaro solar park in northern Finland, granting €2.35 million (about $2.7 million) toward a €10 million (≈$11.5 million) project. Managed by regional cooperative Oulun Seudun Sähkö, the park—featuring roughly 30,000 panels—will supply about 4%...
Cooling Solar Modules with Nanofluids Based on Graphene Oxide, Mxene
An international research team combined a three‑dimensional oscillating heat pipe (3D‑OHP) with a surfactant‑free hybrid graphene‑oxide (GO) and MXene nanofluid to passively cool photovoltaic (PV) modules. Field tests on a 50 W panel in Mashhad, Iran, achieved temperature reductions exceeding 24 °C,...
MyNu Energy Launches Mobile Solar and Battery Energy Storage System
MyNu Energy has introduced the PowerQub‑M, a trailer‑mounted solar and battery energy storage system that pairs a 3 kW demountable solar array with configurable battery packs ranging from 60 kWh to 240 kWh. The unit can supply between 25 kVA and 160 kVA of power...
Cyber Threats for PV: What Are Man-in-the-Middle Attacks and How Do They Work
Man‑in‑the‑middle (MITM) attacks are emerging as a critical cyber threat to network‑connected photovoltaic (PV) plants, allowing adversaries to intercept, modify, or block communications between controllers, inverters and monitoring systems. Such attacks can cause operational failures, physical damage to equipment, and...
Jupiter, AMPIN Open 1.3 GW Solar Factory in India
Jupiter International and AMPIN Energy Transition have opened a 1.3 GW solar cell and module manufacturing plant in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, under their joint venture AMPIN Solar One. The facility, inaugurated by Odisha’s chief minister, was developed under India’s Production‑Linked Incentive (PLI)...
The Hydrogen Stream: BMW Unveils Tank for iX5 Hydrogen
BMW unveiled a 700‑bar hydrogen tank for its iX5 Hydrogen, storing seven kilograms of hydrogen for up to 750 km range and refueling in under five minutes. The design can be built on the same line as conventional and electric drivetrains,...
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Polysilicon Prices Extend Decline
State-owned CECEP issued 29.5 million convertible bonds, raising ¥2.95 bn ($432 million) to fund six photovoltaic plants and storage projects totaling 900 MW. The total project outlay is about ¥4.57 bn ($670 million). Meanwhile, China’s polysilicon market saw its seventh consecutive weekly price drop, with N‑type...
Key Takeaways From SolarEx Istanbul
The 18th SolarEx Istanbul gathered more than 400 exhibitors and over 1,000 global solar brands, underscoring Turkey’s rise as a solar manufacturing and innovation hub. Domestic PV players are scaling to gigawatt‑level output while the country’s own installations reached about...
U.S.-Israeli Conflict with Iran Tests Solar Supply
The U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran is not yet derailing solar manufacturing projects in the Middle East, but it is creating logistics uncertainty. Analysts note that container shipping schedules are becoming unpredictable, leading exporters to reroute cargo around the Cape of...
Turkish Manufacturer Presents Photovoltaic Water Heater
Turkish heating solutions provider Water Heating Systems (WHS) unveiled its DC Sunboil photovoltaic water heater at SolarEX Istanbul. The system converts up to 1.6 kW of DC solar power directly into heat without an inverter, delivering about 3 kWh of thermal energy...
‘I Joined the Management Team the Day After Returning From Maternity Leave’
Women in Solar+ Europe highlighted Ilse Cappelle, Libra Energy’s Head of Marketing & E‑commerce, who stepped onto the management team the day after returning from maternity leave. Her story showcases the company’s commitment to career growth, work‑life balance, and gender‑inclusive...
Sodium-Ion Battery Study Claims Zero Thermal Runaway Breakthrough
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have demonstrated a polymerizable non‑flammable electrolyte that eliminates thermal runaway in ampere‑hour‑scale sodium‑ion batteries. Published in Nature Energy, the study reports the first zero‑thermal‑runaway performance for sodium‑ion cells using the new PNE material....
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...
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...
Envision Unveils 12.5 MWh BESS, Begins 790 Ah Cell Output
Envision announced the launch of a 12.5 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) and the start of production for a 790 Ah lithium‑iron‑phosphate (LFP) cell at the ESIE 2026 expo in Beijing. The AI‑energy‑systems platform bundles battery cells, power conversion, energy‑management software, SCADA...