Author: solarenergy

According to preliminary results, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and demand-side response assets both secure around 8% of capacity deals, but nuclear is leading the UK’s first capacity market auction of 2026. Results from the larger T-4 auction are expected later this month, with generators and energy storage assets competing for multi-year contracts. March 6, 2026 Matthew Lynas By ESS news BESS has secured 8% of allocated capacity for delivery in 2026-27 in the UK T-1 capacity market auction, according to preliminary results from grid operator NESO. The auction awarded 7.2 GW of capacity agreements at a clearing price of…

Manufacturing the next generation of solar panels could reduce global CO2 emissions by as much as 8.2 billion tonnes by 2035, according to a new international study led by researchers at the University of Warwick with colleagues from the Universities of Northumbria, Birmingham and Oxford. The team explored how the rapid scale-up of advanced photovoltaic technologies can both support global decarbonization and reduce the footprint of solar energy production itself. Solar panels, scientifically known as solar photovoltaics, convert sunlight directly into electricity and are already central to climate mitigation strategies worldwide. As countries deploy solar energy at multi-terawatt scales over…

Solar powered sales operating system Enerflo has partnered with Palmetto to offer this Palmetto Energy Backupa leasing product that runs exclusively on batteries, fully integrated into the Enerflo platform. This new offering allows residential solar installers to sell backup energy storage as a standalone lease, without requiring homeowners to pay out-of-pocket or secure traditional financing. Palmetto Energy Backup is a third-party ownership lease (TPO) specifically designed for energy storage. Unlike traditional battery add-ons that require upfront payment or loans, this subscription-based model includes premium battery equipment, installation and ongoing maintenance under a leasing structure. The storage lease is built directly…

In March, Women in Solar+ Europe (WiSEu) will launch its International Women’s Day 2026 campaign: “Beyond 10X: Leadership Without Double Standards.” Inspired by a reflection by Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgár: “I had to prove myself 10 times more than if I had been born a boy,” the campaign invites solar industry professionals to reflect on how leadership is evaluated and how subtle double standards can shape career paths. March 6, 2026 Women in Solar+ Europe At a time when the energy transition is accelerating and energy security is more important than ever, the sector depends on innovation, collaboration and…

Pioneering research led by Northumbria University shows how the global solar industry can expand production of photovoltaic technology while further reducing its carbon footprint. As solar deployment accelerates to meet climate targets and rising electricity demand, the work addresses the challenge of ensuring this growth is both scalable and sustainable, rather than simply shifting environmental burdens elsewhere in the energy system. The research, published in Nature Communications, examines the full life cycle of photovoltaic silicon technology, from raw material extraction to the production of state-of-the-art solar panels that are expected to dominate the market until 2035. Researchers from Northumbria University…

Zelestraa renewable energy company, has begun construction on its two largest U.S. solar projects to date. Head of EPC McCarthy Building Cos. has started work on both 253 MWdirect current Echols Grove in Lamar County, Texas, and the 188 MWdirect current Cedar Range in Hopkins County. The Jasper County Solar Project in Indiana. Zelestra “Following our rapid growth in 2025, Zelestra’s expansion across the U.S. energy landscape continues to accelerate in 2026,” said Phil North, Zelestra’s U.S. CEO. “Echols Grove and Cedar Range are two major projects in our partnership with Meta, which will soon bring 1.2 GW of new…

In a new weekly update for pv magazineSolcast, a DNV company, reports that the destabilized polar circulation in February caused wet and cloudy conditions in some parts of North America, while the central and eastern regions enjoyed increased irradiance under brighter conditions. March 6, 2026 Solcast A combination of stratospheric warming and a disrupted polar vortex produced sharply contrasting radiation patterns in North America in February, according to analysis using Solcast API. The destabilized polar circulation brought wetter and cloudier conditions to parts of the north, while the central and eastern regions remained under brighter conditions and increased insolation. These…

Researchers reviewed 110 studies on cold thermal energy storage in liquid air energy storage and found that cold storage performance has a much greater impact on system efficiency than previously thought. Although phase change materials offer high theoretical efficiency gains, simpler, packed-bed sensitive thermal systems are currently the most mature and cost-effective option, with further experimental validation required to bridge the gap to large-scale implementation. March 6, 2026 Lior Kahana An international group of researchers has conducted a critical literature review on the use of cold thermal energy storage (CTES) in liquid-air energy storage systems (LAES). The role of a…

Despite being riddled with impurities and defects, solution-processed lead halide perovskites continue to defy expectations as highly efficient solar cell materials, with performance now approaching that of industry-standard silicon-based devices. A new experimental study from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) provides a comprehensive physical explanation for this efficiency puzzle and points the way to more effective next-generation photovoltaic technologies. Over the past fifteen years, lead halide perovskites have risen from relative obscurity to become leading candidates for low-cost, high-performance solar cells. Originally cataloged in the 1970s for their hybrid organic-inorganic crystal structures and then largely forgotten, these…

Austrian researchers analyzed commercial ethylene vinyl acetate-polyolefin-ethylene vinyl acetate (EPE) solar encapsulants and found that products sold under the same label can have significantly different material structures and performance. Although EPE provides better moisture barriers and thermal resistance than EVA and is rapidly gaining market share, the study cautions that its reliability and long-term behavior vary widely and require more in-depth research. March 6, 2026 Lior Kahana A research team from Austria has systematically investigated the chemical, optical, thermal and thermomechanical properties of commercially available coextruded ethylene vinyl acetate-polyolefin-ethylene vinyl acetate (EPE) encapsulation films. EPE encapsulant is part of the…