Author: solarenergy
The International Renewable Energy Agency’s annual employment survey shows that solar energy accounted for more than 43% of global renewable energy sector jobs by 2024. January 14, 2026 Patrick Jowett Global solar employment reached 7.24 million in 2024, up from 7.11 million in 2023, according to analysis by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). IRENAs Annual review of renewable energy and jobsdeveloped in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO), highlights that solar energy accounts for the lion’s share of renewable energy jobs worldwide. The entire sustainable energy sector directly and indirectly employed 16.6 million people in 2024, an increase…
Scientists have reported a new way to make perovskite solar cells both highly efficient and significantly more stable, directly addressing one of the key obstacles to large-scale deployment of this emerging photovoltaic technology. Perovskite semiconductors are being widely promoted as candidates for the next generation of solar energy because they can be processed at low temperatures into thin, lightweight and potentially flexible devices that could be cheaper to manufacture than conventional silicon panels. However, leading perovskite formulations tend to degrade under sustained heat or illumination, causing rapid efficiency losses and limiting their practical lifespan in real-world conditions. A team led…
The facility will produce solar wafers for the US market. January 14, 2026 Emiliano Bellini South Korean polysilicon manufacturer OCI Holdings has started production operations at its wafer plant in Vietnam. “We can confirm that we have started wafer production operations in Vietnam,” a company spokesperson said pv magazine in response to Vietnamese media reports. “That said, we are currently in the very early ramp-up phase following the recent closing of the transaction. While production has begun, we are not yet in the shipping or delivery phase. Activities are being stabilized and we expect to gradually ramp up to full…
An Australian court has fined a solar installation company $9,000 after it pleaded guilty to the unsafe installation of residential energy storage systems at five properties, including one that caused a small house fire. January 14, 2026 David Caroll By pv magazine Australia Melbourne-registered solar installer Greenova Pty Ltd has been fined without conviction by the Seymour Magistrates Court after admitting unsafe installation of battery energy storage systems at five Victorian properties between December 2023 and July 2024. Greenova pleaded guilty to three charges under the Electricity Safety Act 1998 for failing to comply with electrical installation requirements and failing…
S-5!a manufacturer of metal roof fasteners, has introduced its new S-5-TH clamp for attaching certain roof accessories, including solar, to T-shaped metal roof profiles. S-5-TH clamp. S-5! The S-5-TH, where “H” stands for “hinge,” is a non-penetrating clamp specifically designed for solar PV and lighter attachments – such as pipes and conduits – on commercial T-shaped metal roofs, including the McElroy Metal Trap Tee and Morin SymmeTry. S-5-TH is designed to ensure a reliable connection while maintaining the integrity of the roof system. The one-piece design of the holder snaps over the roof rib and allows thermal cycling of the…
The Norwegian solar market experienced a slowdown in 2025, especially in residential installations. The outlook for 2026 looks more optimistic, thanks to policy reforms to support larger projects and continued demand from commercial and industrial customers. January 13, 2026 Patrick Jowett Norway has installed 117 MW of solar power by 2025, according to figures published by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE). The result is lower for both The result of 2024 and the country’s record year for solar energy deployment in 2023, bringing the cumulative capacity to approximately 876 MW. The commercial and industrial market segment added…
Physicists at Trinity College Dublin have developed a new theoretical framework that links photon condensation in optical microstructures to the fundamental limitations of heat engines, potentially offering new routes to harvest more useful energy from sunlight and other light sources. The work suggests that devices that trap light in small cavities could concentrate diffuse radiation into laser-like beams without the need for an incoming laser, opening a path to convert disorganized heat into ordered optical work. In their analysis, the team looked at photons trapped in microscopic optical devices, where the light particles can behave collectively rather than as independent…
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have set a world record for selenium solar cells, achieving an efficiency of 10.3% above the 10% threshold for the first time. The breakthrough was made possible by optimized charge-selective contacts, light-driven crystallization and post-deposition annealing, producing stable devices with an open-circuit voltage of 1.03 V. January 13, 2026 Emiliano Bellini A research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has achieved an energy conversion efficiency of 10.3% for a solar cell based on a selenium absorber. The result represents a world record for this photovoltaic technology and marks the first time…
Hybrid solution combines battery, solar energy and a new DC generator to power the energy system as it goes directly to the consumer. Plus full pricing and availability. January 13, 2026 Tristan Rayner By ESS news Anker Solix is taking a brand new approach to home battery storage in the US with the launch of its E10 range, moving from an installer-only model or installer partnerships, as most companies, including Tesla, are choosing, and moving to a direct model, and what the press release says is a “hassle-free, one-stop installation service”. The E10 is called a ‘smart hybrid’ product because…
Solar manufacturers are facing increasing cost pressures as silver paste now accounts for 30% of total cell production costs. OPIS analyst Hanwei Wu explains pv magazine that module manufacturers currently have limited ability to increase final panel prices, accelerating efforts to reduce silver use in all mainstream cell technologies. January 13, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Solar panel manufacturers have struggled to raise solar panel prices despite higher production costs following a recent surge in silver prices, which hit a record $83.62 per ounce on Dec. 28. “It is challenging, if not impossible, to pass on the entire cost increase to end…