Author: solarenergy

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the future policy will ensure domestic consumers and the electricity grid are protected amid the country’s data center expansion. This could include using the ASEAN Power Grid project to address any supply shortfalls. February 25, 2026 Blathnaid O’Dea Kuala Lumpur. Image: indragunawan/Pixabay Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said data centers have contributed to the increase in energy and water consumption and confirmed during a parliamentary question and answer session that the government has already restricted the entry of new data centers that have nothing to do with AI. The restrictions are expected…

Ofgem’s cap-and-floor support scheme for long-term energy storage (LDES) is not innovation funding, the regulator stressed today.Senior policy advisor at Ofgem, Mark Horley, noted this during a presentation at the Energy Storage Summit today the UK scheme is the first in Europe to offer investment support specifically for LDES.Notably in defining the scheme and how it will work, Horley was keen to emphasize that the scheme is not a grant but an investment aid, “not here to develop early stage technologies; there are other schemes for that”.“It’s here to ensure that there is a meaningful scale of flexibility assets that…

A systems approach is essential for smart energy standardization, ensuring interoperability, avoiding overlaps and addressing complex interactions between the electricity grid, devices and infrastructures. The IEC System Committee for Smart Energy (SyC SE) applies systems-level thinking, using tools such as reference architectures and roadmaps to coordinate standards, support innovation and address emerging areas such as EV integration, digital twins and zero-emission technologies. February 25, 2026 International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) A systems approach is indispensable for the standardization of smart energy-related technologies, to avoid overlaps and ensure that the right requirements are met. As electrical technology evolves and becomes more complex,…

The voluntary carbon market (VCM) has passed its inflection point. The volatility that characterized 2023 and 2024 has settled into a stark, data-driven reality: the market has bifurcated. As we look toward 2026, corporate leaders face two distinct markets. One is a liquid, low-price market of legacy credits facing increasing obsolescence. The other is a constrained, high-value market of high-quality assets. Specifically within Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), where demand is beginning to structurally outstrip supply.For the capital-intensive, risk-averse organization, the strategy for 2026 cannot rely on the spot market procurement tactics of the past decade. The data from 2025 indicates that…

The Chinese manufacturer claims that the new efficiency result sets a world record for industrial-scale TOPCon solar cells on M10-sized wafers. The performance was verified by an undisclosed independent third party in China. February 25, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Chinese solar panel manufacturer JinkoSolar achieved an energy conversion efficiency of 26.6% for an industrial-scale TOPCon solar cell based on an M10-sized wafer. This achievement, which represents a world record for industrial-scale solar cells, was certified by an independent, unnamed organization in China. The device was developed with the support of scientists from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE)…

In this blog, Toby Virno, investment manager at Foresight Solar Fund, examines the structural curtailment pressures facing a saturated renewable energy market.Curtailment has gone from a theoretical concern for the renewable energy sector to a practical reality. For years, the conversation around the economics of solar has focused on the level of deployment, subsidies and long-term energy prices. Today, the limitation is no longer generation capacity, but the ability of the system to absorb that energy and use it efficiently where and when it is produced.Electricity networks around the world are under pressure. Renewable capacity continues to grow, often in…

The lab-scale near-white heterojunction solar cell uses nanoclay-based scattering layers in combination with dielectric multilayer films to maintain energy conversion efficiency while increasing visual appeal. The researchers report optical losses of less than 1% at a 50% clay volume fraction, which is significantly lower than that observed with textured glass. February 25, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Researchers at Nagaoka University of Technology in Japan have fabricated a heterojunction (HJT) solar cell with a near-white appearance for applications in building-integrated solar photovoltaics (BIPV). “This is still a laboratory-scale proof of concept, but the key processes we used, such as large-area coating and…

Oxford PVa solar perovskite company operating in Europe has opened its patent portfolio to the US panel manufacturer First solar energy. First Solar has signed a patent licensing agreement with Oxford PV, which gives First Solar access to Oxford’s existing issued patents and currently pending patent applications. First research and development in solar thin film The non-exclusive license allows First Solar to continue its development of solar PV devices using a perovskite semiconductor for potential applications in the U.S. utility, commercial and residential markets. The scope of the license includes the potential manufacturing and distribution of such products in the…

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) wants to put sodium batteries at the heart of the EU’s industrial strategy and calls for rapid action. Opinion papers, debates with stakeholders and a specific study are planned. February 24, 2026 Matthew Lynas Image: Carl Grüner, Unsplash By ESS news Sodium-ion batteries are becoming a new focus for the European Union, and according to EESC President Séamus Boland, the next EU budget should provide funding for the sodium batteries sector. “Sodium batteries, and batteries more broadly, are crucial for the EU’s competitiveness, and it is urgent that the next Multiannual Financial Framework…

GreenSpark solar energy And Encore renewable energy have completed a capacity of 13 MWdirect current portfolio of solar projects for the agricultural voltaic community in New York and Vermont. The three-project portfolio includes the 3.8 MW Constable Solar (Constable, New York), 2.9 MW Boardman Hill Solar (West Rutland, Vermont) and 6.3 MW Danyow Solar (Sheldon, Vermont). This portfolio includes Encore’s first completed solar project in New York and GreenSpark Solar’s first completed projects in Vermont, expanding each company’s geographic footprint while strengthening its shared commitment to community-based renewable energy development. Under the partnership model, Encore conceives, develops and designs the…