Author: solarenergy

54% of respondents cited ‘energy availability and redundancy’ as the biggest obstacle to successful data center development between now and 2030. February 2, 2026 Tristan Rayner Google data center in Oregon Image: Lambtron, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 By ESS news aw firm Foley & Lardner LLP today has its 2026 Data Center Development Reportwith a focus on the growth and challenges in the data center boom that aims to support growth in AI and LLM usage. A key focus was on energy, with 54% of respondents citing ‘energy availability and redundancy’ as the biggest obstacle to successful data center…

Solar and wind energy accounted for 93% of new U.S. electricity capacity additions in November 2025, making solar the leading new source of electricity for 27 consecutive months, according to a review of FERC data by the SUN DAY Campaign. Of that percentage, solar energy made up 72% of new generation capacity, both in November and for 2025. According to FERCs “Update energy infrastructurereport for November, 2,879 GW of solar started in November. Thirteen of those projects were 100 MW or larger, including the 484.6 MW Parliament Solar Project and the 256.3 MW Stampede Solar & Storage Expansion Project, both…

UNSW researchers identified a novel moist heat degradation mechanism in TOPCon modules with laser-controlled contacts, driven primarily by backside recombination and open-circuit voltage drop rather than series resistance increase. The study highlights that magnesium in white EVA encapsulants accelerates degradation, leading to better encapsulant and backsheet selection for more reliable modules in humid environments. February 2, 2026 Emiliano Bellini A research team from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has novel moist heat-induced degradation pathway in TOPCon modules manufactured with laser assisted contacts. “Unlike previous studies that were dominated by the increase in series resistance, the main degradation factor…

National Grid’s distribution system operator (DSO) has secured its largest ever long-term flexibility portfolio, awarding 196 GWh of availability in its latest annual tender. That is ten times higher than the A total of 18GWh purchased in the previous tender. The 2025 tender round that secured 196 GWh closed in November. It introduced wider availability windows and more service hours, allowing the number of eligible technologies and providers to grow. The results show rapidly growing market participation and the strengthening role of low-carbon technologies, National Grid DSO said.National Grid DSO is the regional electricity distribution division of National Grid, part…

After reaching an all-time high of $121.65/oz on January 29, silver has fallen to $79.44/oz, with analysts warning of a possible decline towards $50/oz. February 2, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Image: Armin Kübelbeck, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 After reaching an all-time high of $121.65 per ounce (oz) on January 29, silver prices have fallen sharply in recent days, falling to $79.44/oz this morning. The downturn was anticipated by two analysts interviewed by pv magazine on January 27, which warned that the steep rally of previous weeks could abruptly reverse in the coming days. One of the two analysts, Mike McGlone,…

The UK National Energy System Operator (NESO) has published a preliminary regional energy strategic plan for distribution network operators (DNOs) to use in their business plans for 2028-2033.The publication of the Transitional Regional Energy Strategic Plan (tRESP) was described by Julian Leslie, director of strategic energy planning and chief engineer at NESO, as “a key moment in the implementation of strategic energy planning”.NESO said it has spoken to 2,800 local stakeholders across three rounds of RESP forums since March 2025, making submissions to help NESO understand the strategically important energy needs in every region of Britain. The tRESP, as the…

French researchers have developed a high-resolution computational framework to model the microclimate effects of large floating solar PV systems, enabling accurate predictions of heat transfer, ambient temperatures and water evaporation based on panel configuration and wind conditions. The model can inform thermal performance and environmental impacts and optimize designs for utility-scale floating PV, as well as ground-mounted and agrivoltaic installations. February 2, 2026 Valerie Thompson French researchers have developed a framework to model the microclimate effects of large floating PV systems. The new model can be used to determine wind-dependent convective heat transfer coefficients (CHTC) and ambient temperatures and to…

Bulgaria installed more than 1 GW of solar energy for the third consecutive year in 2025 and is expected to add more than 2 GW of solar energy this year thanks to a large pipeline of utility-scale projects. February 2, 2026 Patrick Jowett Bulgaria Last year, 1,416 MW of solar energy was added, according to official data published on the ENTSO-E Transparency Platform. The result marks the third year in a row that Bulgaria has deployed more than 1 GW of solar energy and brings the country’s cumulative capacity to 5,984 MW. Desislava Mateva, project manager at the Sofia-based Association…

Researchers in Iraq have developed biomimetic leaf vein-inspired fins for photovoltaic panels, with reticular (RET) veins reducing panel temperatures by 33.6 C and increasing efficiency by 18% using passive cooling. Their research combines 3D CFD simulations and electrical evaluations to optimize fin geometry, providing a sustainable alternative to conventional cooling methods. February 2, 2026 Lior Kahana A research group from Iraq’s Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University has numerically investigated the thermal and electrical performance of PV panels integrated with leaf vein-inspired fins. They simulated four types of veins used by plants, namely pinnate veins (PIN), reticulate veins (RET), parallel veins along…

The cumulative energy storage capacity of China’s energy sector reached 213.3 GW at the end of 2025, up 54% year-on-year, according to data from the China Energy Storage Alliance (CNESA). Pumped hydro accounted for 31.3% of the total, while “new type” energy storage accounted for 67.9% – about 144.7 GW. Based on the CNESA DataLink 2025 annual energy storage data set, presented at a press conference in Beijing on January 22, a total of 66.43 GW/189.48 GWh of new energy storage systems were deployed in 2025. Added power and energy scales increased 52% and 73% year-over-year, respectively, tying CNESA to…