Author: solarenergy
While resiliency remains a key driver for homeowners to adopt home battery storage, it is not as high on the priority list for most customers as many installers think. December 30, 2025 Phoebe Skok By ESS news Backup, backup, backup: that’s the buzzword of residential storage installers, but not necessarily of homeowners looking to add a battery. Resilience, rather than cost savings per kilowatt hour, is increasingly cited by battery companies as one of the top reasons for installing residential storage. “There is a need for less emphasis on cost per kilowatt hour and cost per hour of backup,” explains…
Researchers in Japan have developed an effective PET faceplate encapsulation for copper-indium-gallium-diselenide mini-modules. The laboratory devices passed the moist heat tests and retained approximately 97% of initial efficiency after 3,600 hours. December 30, 2025 Valerie Thompson Researchers from Ritsumeikan University in Japan have tested a new type of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) cover sheet and related encapsulation methods to improve the durability of copper-indium gallium diselenide (CIGSe) mini solar modules. They found that such devices exposed to moist heat tests for 3,600 hours retained about 97% of their initial efficiency. The research is part of an ongoing effort towards robust and…
The 60 MW/600 MWh storage project is co-located with a 250 MW photovoltaic facility, allowing for a high level of green energy self-sufficiency. December 30, 2025 Marija Maisch By ESS news In a major milestone in long-term energy storage, China has activated the world’s largest liquid air energy storage facility, known as the Super Air Power Bank. The facility was built by the China Green Development Investment Group (CGDI) in collaboration with the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIPC-CAS) and is located in the Gobi Desert near Golmud city, Qinghai province. The plant…
Researchers from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have designed an optimized electron transport layer for inverted perovskite solar cells that increases both energy conversion efficiency and operational stability. The work, led by Prof. Pan Xu of the Institute of Solid State Physics, focuses on controlling the behavior of the fullerene derivative PCBM at the perovskite interface. Perovskite solar cells have now achieved energy conversion efficiency of almost 27 percent, making them among the leading candidates for the next generation of photovoltaic technologies. The Hefei team had previously reported a method to homogenize the…
Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd has commissioned a 1 GW solar project for SJVN Ltd. in Rajasthan, India, which supplies green electricity to Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand. The installation is built in accordance with the Domestic Content Requirements (DCR). December 30, 2025 Uma Gupta By pv magazine India Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd. (TPREL), a subsidiary of Tata Power, has commissioned SJVN’s 1 GW DCR compliant solar project in Rajasthan. This milestone represents the largest solar project commissioned by TPREL to date and one of the most extensive renewable energy developments in India. All 2.4 million modules used…
India’s Ministry of Energy has mandated that all battery energy storage system (BESS) projects supported under the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) program meet a minimum local content threshold of 20%, with the aim of boosting domestic manufacturing and innovation. December 30, 2025 Marija Maisch By ESS news India’s Ministry of Power has issued a directive requiring a minimum of 20% local content in all battery energy storage system (BESS) projects implemented under the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme supported by the Power System Development Fund (PSDF). The order, addressed to 15 beneficiary states and Indian state-owned energy company NTPC, is…
Research commissioned by the British government shows that rooftop solar panels can significantly influence fire behavior, especially when the height distance between the modules and the roof surface falls below critical limits. December 30, 2025 Patrick Jowett A research paper commissioned by the UK government has concluded that a more comprehensive approach to fire safety in rooftop solar installations is needed. The researchcarried out by Manchester-based fire and risk consultancy OFR Consultants, includes a literature review examining the extent to which rooftop solar systems alter fire dynamics or pose additional risks to roof structures and firefighting operations. It was found…
FranklinWH energy storage has received TIA-942 certification for its aPower battery storage system. The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) telecommunications infrastructure standard for data centers specifies the minimum requirements for data centers, including site location, architectural, electrical, mechanical, fire safety and security requirements. TIA-942 guarantees the reliability and availability of equipment. Expanding the standard to home energy systems gives homeowners the confidence that they will have power when they need it, FranklinWH claims. Adopting the data center standard provides consumers and partners with transparent, objective assurance that the energy storage system performs to the highest standard of reliability and robustness, with…
In 2025, the UK solar and energy storage industry was booming with supportive legislation and record investment.It’s been a big year for UK solar, so we’re watching it Solar energy portal most read stories of 2025. See Britain’s biggest solar news and commentary below.Britain sets a new record for maximum solar generationOn April 1, between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m., the Britain has achieved a new record for maximum solar energy generation of 12.2 GW. By comparison, on April 1, 2024, Britain recorded a peak generation capacity of 5.71 GW, while the peak for all of 2024 reached 11.5 GW on…
A US solar industry group has laid out a nine-point policy agenda calling on New York City’s new mayor to accelerate the deployment of rooftop solar and batteries to address risks to grid reliability, energy costs and climate goals. December 30, 2025 William Driscoll By pv magazine USA The New York Solar Energy Industries Association did just that recommended nine ways for the administration of newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to accelerate the deployment of solar and storage in the city, in a “solar and storage playbook.” The playbook’s main proposal is for the city of 8.5…