Author: solarenergy
The polymer solar cell can maintain 97% of its performance after 2,000 hours in the air. By mixing small molecule acceptors into polymeric matrices, the research team improved molecular packing, improving both stability and charge transport for ‘ultrastable’ flexible devices. February 27, 2026 Emiliano Bellini A group of researchers The Wuhan University of Technology in China has manufactured a polymer solar cell that can achieve an efficiency of 19.1% while maintaining remarkable levels of stability. Polymer solar cells are a subset of organic solar cells where the active light-absorbing material is specifically a conjugated polymer. “Polymer solar cells using polymer…
The APX HV Battery 2.0 supports a capacity of 5–30 kWh and a power of up to 15 kW. The IP66-rated system features a stacked, cable-free design. February 27, 2026 Emiliano Bellini The APX HV 2.0 battery Image: Growatt By ESS news Chinese inverter and battery manufacturer Growatt has unveiled a new high-voltage energy storage system tailored for residential and small commercial solar applications. The APX HV Battery 2.0 builds on the company’s modular APX architecture. “Existing APX users can freely combine new and previous generation battery modules within one system, protecting previous investments,” the company said in a statement.…
The Bluetti Elite 300, which packs more power than ever into a small form factor, will be available from March 8 with early bird discounts. February 27, 2026 Tristan Rayner By ESS news Bluetti is about to launch its portable Elite 300 power station, with a compact design that will set a standard for the 3 kWh market. Bluetti says the Elite 300, which measures 366mm x 305mm x 297.5mm, is the world’s smallest 3kWh power plant, weighing approximately 26.3kg. It follows the company’s revised design for the Elite 200 V2, part of the same product series, which saw savings…
China added record amounts of wind and solar power capacity in 2025, while polluting energy from coal and gas also soared, according to data released Wednesday by the National Energy Administration. The world’s second-largest economy added 543 gigawatts of new energy capacity from all sources last year, about double Germany’s entire electricity generation capacity, as the country looks to power the energy-intensive industries of the future while meeting its emissions reduction targets. That included 315 gigawatts of solar power and 119 gigawatts of wind power, increasing total installed power generation capacity by 16.1 percent compared to the previous year. But…
The cell was fabricated using a novel interfacial phase equilibrium strategy that suppressed uncontrollable migration of metal ions. The device achieved an exceptionally high open-circuit voltage of more than 600 mV at a band gap of 1.10 eV. February 27, 2026 Emiliano Bellini The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has manufactured a kesterite (CZTSSe) solar cell that achieved a world record energy conversion efficiency of 15.45% and a certified efficiency of 15.04%. Kesterite is one of the most promising candidates for a light-absorbing material for potential use in lower-cost thin-film solar cells. Kesterites include common elements such as copper, tin,…
HydrogenPro says its 220 MW ACES Delta project in Utah is nearing completion, with all electrolyzers operating at full load, while the hub will store hydrogen in salt caverns with an energy capacity two to three times greater than that of all U.S. grid-connected batteries combined. February 27, 2026 Sergio Matalucci HydrogenPro said the 220 MW ACES project in Utah, United States, is nearing completion. HydrogenPro is the exclusive supplier of electrolyzers. “This project is one of the world’s largest sustainable hydrogen projects and is expected to have a significant impact on California’s power supply,” said the Norwegian company, adding…
In a new weekly update for pv magazineOPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a brief overview of the major price trends in the global PV industry. February 27, 2026 OPIS Free-On-Board (FOB) TOPCon cells remained stable this week amid weak trading activity during the Lunar New Year holiday break. According to the OPIS Global Solar Markets Report published on February 24, FOB China TOPCon M10 cell prices were found stable at $0.0559/W this week. Most manufacturers withdrew spot fast-load offers one to two weeks before the holidays, with new bookings postponed until the following month, market sources said. Producer sources…
A new automated platform enables commercial and industrial rooftop solar developers to receive medium-voltage connection assessments from grid operators in 15 minutes. February 27, 2026 Ev Foley Image: Smart commercial solar By pv magazine Australia British network monitoring company VisNet, part of EA Technology Group, has launched an enhancement to its connectivity platform aimed at accelerating the approval of medium-voltage assets. The tool allows owners of commercial and industrial rooftop solar and battery projects to determine online whether requests for medium-voltage connections are likely to be approved by distributed network service providers within 15 minutes. The platform supports new demand…
Renewable energy developer Elmya has started construction of a 30MWp solar PV power plant with a 20MW/40MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Kinglassie, Scotland.The Kinglassie site, located in FIFA, will combine solar power generation with battery storage technology to provide network stability services and optimize energy distribution during peak periods.Elmya confirmed that this will be the first project developed by Elmya Energy and built by Elmya EPC in the UK.The project scope includes the execution of ‘Lite’ engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) on the solar PV side, the BESS balance of system (BOS) and interconnection works as an accredited…
The China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNMIA) says polysilicon production has fallen to 32% of capacity, maintaining oversupply, while wafer prices are weakening as demand fails to recover after Chinese New Year. February 27, 2026 Vincent Shaw The CNMIAChina’s Silicon Industry Division said polysilicon prices continue to decline, with limited transactions and subdued purchases after the Chinese New Year holidays. Business rates among manufacturers fell to 32%, but oversupply remained. Wafer prices also fell, with n-type G10L averaging CNY1.10 ($0.15) per piece, down 8.33%; G12R at CNY 1.20, down 4.76%; and G12 at CNY 1.40, down 3.45%. The trade association…