Author: solarenergy

PV systems and distributed energy assets require stronger cybersecurity and auditability, but measures to protect critical infrastructure must be based on careful, expert judgment rather than hasty policy decisions. May 19, 2026 MARTIN SCHACHINGER, PVXCHANGE.COM It has long been clear that photovoltaic systems and other distributed energy producers should not be openly monitored or controlled over the Internet without appropriate security measures. At the same time, these assets – just like large-scale consumers – must be increasingly controllable and, where necessary, disconnected within the network infrastructure to guarantee system stability. This is widely accepted. However, decisions on cybersecurity measures and…

Independent power producer (IPP) Aukera has achieved commercial operations at two solar PV power stations in Shropshire and Essex.Both the Ledwyche Solar, with a capacity of 12 MW, and the Crays Hall Solar, 25.6 MW, are part of IPP’s UK construction programme. financed under a £135 million senior debt facility secured with the European financing institutions Deutsche Bank and Rabobank.The financing was secured last year and will support the construction of five solar PV and battery energy storage projects with a combined capacity of 250 MW. All five projects have already secured Contracts for Difference (CfDs) in the allocation round…

Researchers from TU Wien say binding EU policy targets are essential to make solar panel recycling economically viable, with exports to third countries remaining the cheapest option for member states. May 19, 2026 Brian Public Exporting waste solar panels to third countries will remain the cheapest option for EU member states unless binding targets for recycled content and domestic production are enforced, according to new research from TU Wien. “Our research identifies the recycling capacity needed to meet legally binding targets at minimal cost, which is a relevant and policy-relevant finding,” the study’s lead author, Sebastian Zwickl-Bernhard, said pv magazine.…

A study from Switzerland has compared how France, Italy and Spain are integrating biodiversity into renewable energy planning, spatial policy and ecological impact monitoring under the European Green Deal. The findings show that France and Spain have more advanced frameworks, while Italy remains more fragmented regionally, with large gaps in cumulative impact assessment in all three countries. May 18, 2026 Pilar Sanchez Molina Scientists from Switzerland have conducted a comparative analysis of national policies in France, Italy and Spain in the areas of environmental integration of sustainable energy projects, spatial planning, ecological monitoring and cumulative impact assessment. The study examined…

Josef Daniel-Ivad of the Zinc Battery Initiative provides an update on the current scale of zinc battery manufacturers and technology. May 18, 2026 Zinc Battery Initiative (ZBI) By ESS news Safe and sustainable zinc batteries have made major strides in energy storage over the past five years, garnering $1.3 billion in combined private and public investment and leading to the construction of half a dozen factories. Last month, I had the pleasure of working with U.S. Department of Energy leadership at a Zinc Battery Workshop at West Virginia University, where we created a roadmap to accelerate commercialization and scale production…

The new propane heat pumps support water supply temperatures of up to 70 C and achieve a seasonal coefficient of performance of up to 5.2, according to the British manufacturer. May 18, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Heating specialist from Great Britain Diplex has unveiled a new range of air-to-water heat pumps for apartment buildings and commercial applications. The company said the new product line can be combined with existing heating systems such as boilers, solar thermal installations, biomass systems or photovoltaic installations. It also highlighted that the system is ‘plug-and-play’ oriented, allowing a high degree of prefabrication and simplified hydraulic planning…

By Martin McConnell May 18, 2026 This week on Projects Weekly, Streetleaf is expanding its solar-powered streetlight units through a new master-planned community in the Tampa Bay area. In Texas, DataBank is set to build the largest rooftop solar array in the entire Houston area, OCI Energy and Arava have an agreement on a project in La Salle County, and Ashtrom is breaking ground on ‘El Patrimonio’ in San Antonio. Slightly west of the Lone Star State, a group of solar firms is celebrating the near-completion of their community solar portfolio in New Mexico. DESRI and Meta have also announced…

UK-based integrated solar solutions manufacturer Solfit has launched a new solar system and delivery framework in response to the Future Homes Standard (FHS).The specification-based system is designed specifically for UK housebuilders, which will be all of those from 2028 mandatory to install solar panels as standard on new-build homes as part of the FHS. Solfit said the new launch provides a structured approach to specifying, integrating and delivering residential solar PV. It added that solar energy is “fast becoming a core component of home design”, increasing the need for “consistent, compliant and scalable” approaches to delivery.The new approach brings together…

Toyo Co. says a new anti-circumvention petition targeting its Ethiopian solar cell facility is ‘full of misinformation’. This is what the Japanese manufacturer says pv magazine that the site reached a capacity of 4 GW last year and that there are plans for a US onshore cell factory. May 18, 2026 Brian Public Toyo Co. is backtracking on accusations that it is sidestepping U.S. solar taxes through Ethiopia, with Chief Strategy Officer Rhone Resch calling a newly filed petition misleading and inaccurate. Resch said a petition filed earlier this month by the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade (AASMT)…

GCL Technology is expanding into lithium-ion battery storage based on LFP materials as part of a shift to a “multi-product” new energy platform. May 18, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Chinese polysilicon and solar module maker GCL Technology has announced plans to expand into the lithium-ion battery storage sector. The company said it aims to transform into a global new energy materials platform with multiple products focused on silicon, lithium and carbon, targeting opportunities in the fast-growing global clean energy market. GCL Technology said it will focus on physically synthesized iron oxide red-based lithium iron phosphate (LFP) storage materials, which it describes…