Author: solarenergy

By SB staff December 4, 2025 Northern solar energy has built its first project in the Midwest, featuring a 7.5 MWp fixed-tilt solar array paired with 1,050 kVA battery storage in Illinois. The interconnection of the system is planned for the end of December 2025. The new solar energy + storage system will provide direct power to Prysmian’s cable factory in Du Quoin, Illinois. The facility, which produces copper medium-voltage cable that can be used in renewable energy applications such as solar and wind power, will extract renewable energy from the system, reducing dependence on the electricity grid and accelerating…

The former CEO of Sunnova is now a leading global solar energy services company Otovo. John Berger licensed the name Otovo earlier this year from the Norwegian startup, and efforts on separate continents have now merged to offer repair services across Europe and the United States. Berger was appointed CEO of Otovo and Andreas Thorsheim will take on the role of Chief Product Officer. “Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for Otovo as we complete this transformative combination and create the world’s first global home energy services company,” said Berger. “Over the past two years, more than 200,000…

The two companies will invest approximately CNY 2 billion ($282.8 million) in the new facility, which will house two production lines, each with a capacity of 2.5 GW. The project has already passed the environmental assessment. December 5, 2025 Vincent Shaw A newly formed joint venture between back-contact (BC) solar panel manufacturer Aiko And Skyworth PV plans to build a 5GW BC panel factory in Beihai, Guangxi Province. The new company, called Skyworth-Aiko (Beihai) Solar Technology Co., Ltd., will invest approximately CNY 2 billion ($282.8 million) in the new facility, which will house two production lines, each with a capacity…

The European Marine Energy Center (EMEC) has completed demonstration work on a combined battery storage, tidal energy and hydrogen production plant in Orkney, Scotland.The EMEC described the work as a “world first” integration of the three technologies; during periods of high generation, the energy generated by the tidal turbine charged the battery, powered the hydrogen electrolyser and exported power to the grid; during periods of low generation, the battery discharged current to the electrolyzer to keep it running.The successful tests follow a recommendation from EMEC and Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, with as many as 30 tidal current projects found…

The new residential heat pump system can be configured modularly and requires less than 150 grams of refrigerant, allowing it to be installed indoors. The system integrates with M-Tec’s energy management platform and supports multiple heat sources, photovoltaics and battery storage. December 5, 2025 Sandra Enkhardt By pv magazine Germany Austrian manufacturer M-Tec has presented a new propane heat pump for homes that offers a heating power of up to 26 kW and is suitable for indoor installation. The new product is designed for single-family homes, multi-family homes and office buildings. Its flexible configuration makes it suitable for both new…

Omniflow has developed a line of hybrid solar street lights. It offers optional solutions to integrate for security, phone charging and Internet of Things applications. December 5, 2025 Valerie Thompson Portugal-based outdoor lighting technology specialist Omniflow has launched a flexible street lighting system that integrates wind-solar energy generation. In addition to providing lighting, the system, which is typically connected to the electrical grid, can be adapted to provide wireless internet connectivity, surveillance systems, Internet of Things applications or even electric vehicle (EV) charging. Its flagship street lighting product line, Omniled, is a hybrid solar PV and wind turbine system. It…

Australian solar energy distributor OSW Group has enhanced its free solar, battery design and installation business tool, GreenSketch version 3.0, with new AI-powered features that simplify and accelerate workflows. December 5, 2025 Ev Foley By pv magazine Australia Keeping up with consumer demand for home battery installations is a fitting task for OSW Group’s free GreenSketch AI 3.0 business tool for designing and installing rooftop solar and batteries. Upgraded with new features to complement an installer’s ability to automatically detect and refine real roofs with precision to determine installation suitability through high-resolution imaging of neighborhoods anywhere in Australia, and a…

Chinese researchers have proposed a new methodology for designing utility-scale solar projects in mountainous regions. They simulated a 386.4 MW solar farm near Pu’er, a city in southern China, 1037 meters above sea level. December 4, 2025 Lior Kahana Researchers from Chinese energy company Yunnan Longyuan New Energy have proposed a new methodology for designing utility-scale PV installations in hilly or mountainous areas. In particular, they conducted a simulation study of a south-facing mountain PV farm in the southern Chinese city of Pu’er, Yunnan province. High-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) data was acquired via unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry to…

A letter organized by the Solar Energy Industries Association and signed by 143 solar companies is headed to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in response to a Department of the Interior (DOI) memo that has canceled virtually all permits for solar projects involving the department. Credit: Primoris Renewable Energy “Federal agencies are implementing this directive in a manner that amounts to a virtually complete moratorium on permitting for any project in which the Department of the Interior may play a role, on both federal and private land, no matter how small,” 143 solar companies wrote in the letter.…

State generator Stanwell and Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners signed memoranda of understanding for the delivery of a 780 MW / 6,240 MWh CATL battery energy storage system integrated with 1,080 MW of gas turbines in the Gladstone State Development Area in Queensland, Australia. December 4, 2025 Tristan Rayner By ESS news State-owned generator Stanwell has revealed it has taken steps to deliver major shifts in the Australian state of Queensland’s electricity grid as it signed an exclusivity agreement with Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners for the massive Gladstone State Development Area (GSDA) Energy Hub. This area is located approximately 500 km north of…