Author: solarenergy

South Carolina-based solar panel assembler Hounen Solar has announced it will open a second manufacturing site in the state. To complement the company’s existing 1-GW plant in Orangeburg, Hounen will establish a 3-GW plant in Summerville by the end of 2026. Hounen has been making silicon solar panels in Orangeburg since 2024. The Summerville location was previously occupied by a home furnishings manufacturer, so Hounen only needs to purchase panel assembly equipment. “The facility will feature advanced automation and intelligent manufacturing systems to ensure the production of high-efficiency solar panels that meet the standards of the US market,” Hounen said…

Researchers in Iran have investigated how twisted tape in water-cooled channels can improve heat transfer in solar panels. They used a computer simulation to analyze the new approach with different parameters and found that the electrical efficiency of the panels increased by as much as 11.84%. November 17, 2025 Lior Kahana Researchers from Iran’s University of Tabriz have developed a new cooling method for PV modules that uses twisted tape in water-cooled channels to improve heat transfer. “The use of twisted tape in the channel creates an eddy current that disrupts the velocity and temperature boundary layers in the channel,…

Aurora Energy Research says regulatory shifts in the Czech Republic create strong near-term revenue prospects for utility-scale battery storage, with a two-hour system coming into service next year expected to deliver an internal rate of return of more than 15%. November 17, 2025 Patrick Jowett By ESS news According to an analysis by Aurora Energy Research, the Czech battery storage capacity will reach 6 GWh by the end of the decade, up from the current 2.3 GWh. The country’s current battery fleet consists almost entirely of behind-the-meter installations, with such systems expected to account for 98% of installed capacity by…

Sunnic Lighthouse says Germany’s first prequalified secondary control reserve solar project shows how quickly PV assets can be moved into advanced grid services markets. November 17, 2025 Jochen Siemer By pv magazine Germany Enerparc subsidiary Sunnic Lighthouse, flexibility provider Entelios and transmission system operator 50Hertz completed prequalification for the 37.4 MW Schkölen solar park in Thuringia, Germany, to participate in the secondary control reserves market. The plant has provided up to 25 MW of positive and negative automatic frequency restoration reserve in the past week. Photovoltaic assets have not previously participated in Germany’s secondary reserve segment. The companies said the…

ESI Motion has announced SatBat, a new battery designed for low Earth orbit spacecraft. SatBat integrates a heating and battery management system, aiming to improve energy storage and management in orbital environments. The battery leverages ESI Motion’s expertise in radiation tolerant electronics and power management. It delivers high power density, thermal stability and advanced battery control, setting the standard in space systems. SatBat weighs half as much as typical lithium-ion space batteries and offers twice the usable capacity and operational life. After a four-year LEO mission, it retains 98 percent of its original payload. “SatBat represents a quantum leap in…

Puerto Rico has reached 1.3 GW of residential solar and 185,000 residential batteries, while Wood Mackenzie expects an additional three GWh of residential storage by 2029. Utility-scale solar and storage projects are taking off, as described by a McConnell Valdés attorney. November 17, 2025 William Driscoll By pv magazine USA Nearly 90 MW of residential solar power was added in Puerto Rico from July through September, said Max Issokson, a senior research analyst. at Wood Mackenzie, based on data from utility Luma Energy. That represents the U.S. territory’s second-best quarter ever, he said. Issokson spoke at the annual conference of…

Puerto Rico has reached 1.3 GW of residential solar and 185,000 residential batteries, while Wood Mackenzie expects an additional three GWh of residential storage by 2029. Utility-scale solar and storage projects are taking off, as described by a McConnell Valdés attorney. November 17, 2025 William Driscoll By pv magazine USA Nearly 90 MW of residential solar power was added in Puerto Rico from July through September, said Max Issokson, a senior research analyst. at Wood Mackenzie, based on data from utility Luma Energy. That represents the U.S. territory’s second-best quarter ever, he said. Issokson spoke at the annual conference of…

Vermont utility Green Mountain Power (GMP) announced it has selected Enphase Energy to join the company Home battery leasing program where customers have backup power when they need it and share stored energy during peak hours. GMP’s battery leasing program is a key component of the growing 75 MW Virtual Power Plant, which is now Vermont’s largest dispatchable energy source and peaking facility, reducing costs for all GMP customers while increasing resiliency and grid flexibility. “We are excited to partner with Enphase to bring cutting-edge technology directly to our customers – strengthening the network, improving reliability and reducing costs,” said…

The Instrumentation and Industrial Electronics research group of the University of Cordoba has implemented a sensor-based system for monitoring solar power plants. This network collects energy and meteorological data every tenth of a second. The team applied new software implementations to existing measurement equipment, referred to as Extended Phasor Measurement Units. These units record detailed parameters including current, voltage, frequency and solar radiation. Monthly data output reaches two to three gigabytes, as a result of the fine-tuned synchronization of the devices across multiple solar locations. The data collected supports performance analysis and short-term forecasting of plant production. It also aims…

In a new weekly update for pv magazineSolcast, a DNV company, reports that the end of spring in the Northern Hemisphere is creating favorable conditions for solar power generation in key markets in the United States, China and Europe. November 14, 2025 Solcast Seasonal forecasts through late spring in the Northern Hemisphere indicate favorable conditions for solar power generation in key markets in the United States, China and Europe, according to analysis using the Solcast API. Despite regional differences, especially in China, large-scale solar operators in all three regions can generally expect above-average irradiance during the critical months of the…