Author: solarenergy

Developer SSE Renewables has made a final investment decision (FID) to commence construction on a new 100MW BESS project in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.Located next to the Tamnamore 275/110kV substation near Dungannon, the 100MW Derrymeen BESS facility will provide two hours of storage, equivalent to 200MWh. The facility will be connected to the substation and participate in the all-island integrated internal electricity market (SEM).Construction of the project follows initial activities, including detailed design and procurement of key equipment, such as the mains transformer, which are already underway. Heather Donald, onshore Ireland projects director at SSE Renewables, said: “Securing a final…

A document published by the European Commission on strengthening the EU’s economic security cites dependence on Chinese solar inverters as an example of high-risk dependence. It adds that the commission has plans to address such risks under its cybersecurity framework. December 16, 2025 Patrick Jowett A safety doctrine published by the European Commission has identified solar inverters from Chinese suppliers as a high-risk dependency. The documenton how to strengthen the EU’s economic security, outlines how the bloc plans to respond to growing external economic threats. It says the commission’s immediate focus will be on six high-risk priority areas, which have…

Mounting solar panels over fields can improve working conditions for farm workers and produce food and electricity on the same land, according to research to be presented at the AGU 2025 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Interviews with workers and field measurements show that agricultural voltaic systems provide shade, reduce exposure to extreme heat, and help farms avoid conditions associated with dangerous heat stress. The research focuses on agrivoltaic systems, in which solar panels are installed over or next to crops, so that energy and agriculture share the same area. Farmworkers reported that the panel structures give them access to…

British solar and solar PV developer Naked Energy has launched a dedicated system design service for integrated solar energy systems.Naked Energy says it is the first solar OEM in the UK to do so. It will provide plans for companies looking to integrate the technology into their overall energy system and engineer Sam Notter has joined the company as chief design engineer to lead the new operation.Naked Energy offers heat-as-a-service through the installation of its Virtu solar technology, which uses modular solar collectors to heat water up to 120°C. It also offers a system that combines photovoltaic generation and solar…

The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) has overturned a refusal for British independent energy producer Enviromena’s 40MW Fillongley Solar Farm.North Warwickshire Borough Council initially rejected the solar power plant and objections were raised by Fillongley Parish Council, which diverted community funds to oppose the project.North Warwickshire Borough Council, led by a Conservative minority government, refused the project on the grounds that it would be an inappropriate development in the Green Belt and would cause landscape and visual damage.Enviromena argued – and PINS agreed – that the 150 hectare site should be considered ‘Gray Belt’ land. When the project was initially denied in…

Waaree Energies says its latest factory expansion strengthens its supply to India and the United States as global demand for high-efficiency solar panels accelerates. December 15, 2025 Uma Gupta By pv magazine India Waaree Energies has achieved a total solar panel manufacturing capacity of approximately 22.3 GW globally, including 19.7 GW in India and 2.6 GW in the United States, after completing a 1.5 GW expansion at the Samakhiali plant in Kutch, Gujarat. Its solar cell manufacturing capacity stands at 5.4 GW, making the company one of India’s largest cell manufacturers. The latest expansion builds on the commissioning of two…

Virya Energy will deploy BayWa re’s local team in Japan to strengthen its position in the country’s lucrative power purchase agreement (PPA) market. The Belgian company will also rely on its Asian subsidiary Constant Energy, headquartered in Thailand. December 16, 2025 Blathnaid O’Dea Belgium-based Virya Energy has acquired BayWa re’s Japanese solar business to expand into the Japanese renewable energy market. Under the terms of the deal, BayWa re’s Japanese team will transition to the Virya Energy brand, providing their local market knowledge to the Belgian company, which will also acquire BayWa re’s existing portfolio of more than 60 MW…

Excess manufacturing equipment from solar energy maker GAF Energy is being auctioned off after the company announced it would close its R&D facility in San Jose, California, and move its headquarters to Texas. Equipment at the San Jose facility. Roofing specialist GAF started an energy division and launched a nailable Timberline Solar shingle in January 2022. The company initially operated out of a 50 MW factory in San Jose and then opened a second manufacturing site in Georgetown, Texas in 2023. At last check, the Georgetown site has an annual production capacity of 250 MW and its employees produce solar…

China’s Juhang Energy Technology met with representatives of Pakistan’s Board of Investment to discuss the implementation of a solar panel manufacturing facility in Pakistan, targeting both domestic demand and potential exports. December 15, 2025 Patrick Jowett Image: Chirayu, Trivedi, Unsplash China’s Hebei Juhang Energy Technology Group Co., Ltd. plans to set up a large-scale solar panel manufacturing plant in Pakistan. A delegation from the company, led by Chairman Wang Jianbin and representatives of the China-Pakistan Business Forum, met with Pakistan’s Federal Minister for the Board of Investment (BOI), Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh and other BOI board members last week. According to…

Market trends suggest that battery energy storage systems (BESS) are likely to operate at 1.5 cycles per day, reducing effective storage costs to as low as INR 2.8/kWh (0.031/kWh), the ministry said on Monday. December 15, 2025 Marija Maisch By ESS news India’s Ministry of Energy said in a statement on Monday that the cost of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in India has fallen sharply in recent years. Tariff-based competitive bidding during 2022-2023 revealed costs of approximately INR 10.18/kWh ($0.11/kWh), assuming two full cycles per day. However, recent tenders indicate that BESS can now be installed for approximately INR…