Author: solarenergy

Register now and secure your spot. Learn more about utility-scale storage at the Battery Business & Development Forum, co-hosted by pv magazine, on March 31 in Frankfurt. After the first successful and fully booked BBDF last July the event takes place for the second time in Frankfurt on March 31 and April 1, 2026. On the first day, discussions will cover topics such as how to attract equity and debt capitalwho takes on what risks, and how the grid connection situation is expected to develop. The second day will include the virtual BESS laba discussion about it co-location business modelsand…

Developer SSE Renewables has achieved commercial operations on the 150MW/300MWh Ferrybridge Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in West Yorkshire.The project was built on the site of the former Ferrybridge 2GW coal-fired power station, which was decommissioned in 2016.The recently commissioned BESS project is designed to store electricity and return it to the grid when demand is greatest, SSE said. The company added that by adding fast energy storage, the project will help balance supply and demand and support the efficiency and reliable operation of the UK electricity grid.Construction of the Ferrybridge project started in August 2023 and 136 battery…

Elon Musk, the CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX, raised some eyebrows at this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, when he predicted “that space will be space and that this will be true in two to three years, three years at the latest.” pv magazine reported on Musk’s vision on January 26, 2026 on our global website www.pv-magazine.com, and exactly one week later SpaceX announced it was acquiring xAI “to form the most ambitious, vertically integrated innovation engine on (and beyond) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s premier platform for real-time…

Researchers from the German institute found that some commonly used PV cleaners can damage anti-reflective glass coatings, significantly reducing the efficiency of solar panels. Their tests showed that while some cleaning products are safe, others cause visible and permanent degradation of the coating. This highlights the need for careful selection of cleaning products to avoid long-term performance loss. March 23, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Researchers from Germany’s Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP) have evaluated the impact of various PV cleaning products on module glass surfaces and found that certain commercially available cleaners for photovoltaic modules can significantly damage anti-reflective glass…

The development and construction of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Massachusetts has become more feasible with the expansion legal protections and the implementation of new safety regulations. Energy storage has been called a ‘Swiss army knife’ because it enables a wide range of applications, including peak shaving, grid stabilization and distributed generation grid integration. Despite its versatility and increasing energy demand, BESS development has faced significant barriers. Local safety concerns and inconsistent municipal permitting procedures have often delayed or discouraged projects. Even with these challenges, energy storage remains essential to the Commonwealth’s clean energy transition, with the Clean Energy…

LMU researchers have developed a dual molecular strengthening strategy for perovskite solar cells that strengthens grain boundaries, improving both durability and performance. March 23, 2026 Emiliano Bellini A research team led by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich (LMU) in Germany has developed a metal halide-perovskite solar cell that can withstand the high temperatures typical of low Earth orbit (LEO) while offering strong energy conversion efficiency. The scientists specifically examined the effects of accelerated thermal cycling between -80 C and 80 C. They found that the boosted cells retained approximately 84% of their initial efficiency after 16 extreme cycles, while unmodified cells suffered significantly…

Researchers in the United Kingdom have developed a smart window that combines switchable polymer-dispersed liquid crystals with integrated PV cells, providing controllable transparency and electricity generation. According to the makers, the system combines light, heat and sun protection while maintaining high visual quality and stable performance. March 23, 2026 Lior Kahana Researchers from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom have developed a new type of smart window that integrates PV modules with polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC). PDLC is a smart film composed of droplets of liquid crystals in a polymer matrix that switches from opaque to transparent when…

Analyzes in 16 European countries show that the number of sales of residential heat pumps is increasing by approximately 240,000 year-on-year. The European Heat Pump Association attributes the upward trend to governments stabilizing their subsidy schemes. March 23, 2026 Patrick Jowett The number of residential heat pumps sold in major European markets will increase by 2025, according to an analysis published by the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA). EHPA found that in 16 countries analyzed – Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom – residential heat pump…

Spain’s Fundación Ciudad de la Energía (Ciuden), a government energy research foundation, has completed operational testing of a 1 MW/8 MWh vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) system at its Cubillos del Sil technology center, which it claims is the largest vanadium flow battery in Europe dedicated to applied research. March 23, 2026 Pilar Sanchez Molina By pv magazine Spain Ciuden, a body under the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, has completed testing of a VRFB system at its technology development center in Cubillos del Sil, northwestern Spain. The 1 MW/8 MWh system includes a dedicated 100…

The UK government’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a strategy paper noting that renewables, housing and food production are “not competing demands”.In a foreword to the first official Land Use Framework for Englandpublished by Defra on March 18, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: “We have enough land to build the homes needed to tackle the housing crisis, sustain domestic food production, restore nature at scale and build clean, domestic energy to deliver energy security.”The framework document, which Reynolds noted, is not a replacement for the planning system (which has been revamped in recent years to…