Author: solarenergy

Norwegian state-owned company Statkraft has commissioned Ireland’s first four-hour battery energy storage system at the 55.8 MW Cushaling wind farm in County Offaly. The Cushaling BESS has a power capacity of 20 MW and a duration of four hours, delivering 80 MWh of stored energy. The system is supplied by Fluence. According to the company, the battery system can respond in approximately 0.1 seconds, providing rapid frequency support to the transmission system operator as renewable energy penetration increases. The project is part of Statkraft’s wider investment in Ireland’s energy infrastructure, announced in September 2023, and is expected to support the…

Turboden, part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has powered what it calls the world’s largest steam-producing heat pump, delivering 12 MWth of superheated steam using low-grade waste heat and CO₂-free electricity with a coefficient of performance 10% above the guaranteed value of 2. February 19, 2026 Lior Kahana Turboden, an Italian manufacturer of organic rankine cycle (ORC) systems, has announced the launch of what it defined as the world’s largest steam-producing heat pump. The company, part of Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, said the project consists of a large heat pump (LHP) coupled with mechanical vapor recompression (MVR). “It is capable of…

GameChange solar energy has launched a new logistics platform to streamline site receiving, improve materials visibility and reduce installation delays on utility-scale solar projects. With GeniusShip, every GameChange Solar delivery now comes with a unique QR code, giving site teams access to detailed shipping information. Teams can view component-level data including part descriptions, quantities and expected installation zone, eliminating guesswork and improving accuracy during receiving. GeniusShip adapts to the conditions on site. Upon delivery, the system calculates the required installation zone in real time, adapting to site-specific restrictions and changes. This flexibility allows receiving teams to make faster, more informed…

A floating PV project of 96 MW will be built on a dredged depot in the port of Rotterdam. The array will not supply energy to the electricity grid, but will serve local businesses. It is scheduled for operations in 2027. February 19, 2026 Patrick Jowett Work is underway to progress a large-scale floating solar energy project in the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The project will be built at the De Slufter dredging depot, where contaminated dredged material is stored, located on the Maasvlakte, an artificial extension of the Europoort in Rotterdam. Plans for a 100 MW project…

Scientists in Hungary found that ground-mounted PV modules at an intermediate height of 1.1 m achieve the highest efficiency and power output due to improved airflow and lower cell temperature. Their research also estimated levelized electricity costs at $0.0843/kWh and 577.78 kg of CO₂ reduction over 25 years, noting that the results are specific to concrete surfaces. February 19, 2026 Lior Kahana A research team from the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences has investigated the effects of altitude on the performance of ground-mounted PV modules. The controlled field experiment was conducted using matched polycrystalline modules at different heights…

After their review of redox flow battery research, Norway-based scientists said pv magazine that despite high initial capital costs and lower energy density compared to metal ions, the technology can provide safety, reliability and scalability benefits for standalone, large-scale applications. February 19, 2026 Blathnaid O’Dea Deploying redox flow batteries (RFBs) at the system level is more expensive than cheap metal ion alternatives. Not only this, but the energy density of RFBs is significantly lower than that of a metal ion battery. Both factors together cause investors to view RFBs as high risk. According to the authors of the new study…

The first building-integrated solar photovoltaic (BIPV) project using Roofit.Solar energy technology in the United States was built by Agathon Solar on a house in Kalamazoo, Michigan. ArcEdge, a private solar energy company, has signed a partnership agreement for the installation of Roofit.Solar BIPV. Roofit.Solar BIPV is installed on a home in Maryland. Roofit.Solar energy “The transition to sustainable energy solutions for residential and commercial real estate is not just a market trend, but an essential part of achieving national energy independence, increasing energy security,d advancing a resilient, sustainable future,” said Greg Grace, Chief Growth Officer of Roofit.Solar. “We are seeing…

Research on off-grid practices in South Africa has defined three forms of off-gridding, with the reasons for being off-grid varying depending on income background, which in turn highlights that decentralized energy transitions can reproduce existing inequalities. February 16, 2026 Patrick Jowett Research of the University of Cambridge has developed a framework that identifies forms of off-gridding in South Africa. In the research paper “Towards a framework of ‘off-gridding’: conceptualising the practices and processes of urban energy transitions in South Africa”, available in the magazine Geoforum, Corresponding author Joanna Watterson uses interview data and field observations from high-, middle- and low-income…

Luxembourg’s Ministry of Economy has launched a €3 million ($3.54 million) tender to support commercial and industrial (C&I) solar projects between 30 kW and 200 kW, with tenders open until April 17. February 18, 2026 Gwénaëlle Deboutte Image: Carlo Letsch, Unsplash The Luxembourg Ministry of Economic Affairs has opened a new €3 million tender to support C&I solar projects from 30 kW to 200 kW. Companies have until April 17 to submit applications. The Ministry of Economic Affairs opened the tender on February 16 and offered investment support to support companies developing PV systems with capacities between 30 kW and…

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…