Author: solarenergy

Organic semiconductors are thin, flexible materials that already underlie many consumer displays, and researchers now report a strategy that allows these materials to both efficiently emit light and harvest energy in the same device. Their work focuses on multifunctional organic components that can act as both organic light-emitting diodes and organic photovoltaic elements without sacrificing performance in either role. In conventional designs, light emission and energy generation place conflicting demands on excitons, which are bonded pairs of electrons and positively charged holes. Efficient electroluminescence requires excitons to recombine robustly to produce photons, while efficient photovoltaics requires excitons to quickly dissociate…

An international research team assessed agrivoltaic systems, highlighting challenges in design, crop performance and PV efficiency, while mapping their global potential. They call for innovative layouts, targeted crop selection and improved modeling to maximize energy yield and land use efficiency. February 10, 2026 Emiliano Bellini An international research team has created a comprehensive overview of the current state of affairs in the field of agrivoltaic cultivation systems. “Our work highlights the challenges and barriers from four critical perspectives that are essential to the advancement of the field: system design, performance, implementation, and research,” corresponding author Pietro Elia Campana said. pv…

Long-term energy storage (LDES) is needed, but the excessive purchase of battery energy storage systems (BESS) threatens to negatively impact the build-out of commercial projects, according to the CEO of Fidra Energy. Fidra Energy’s Thorpe Marsh BESS is one of 77 projects to have progressed in the first application window in the government’s cap-and-floor LDES programme. Thorpe Marsh is now undergoes project assessment together with 76 other successful applicants (mainly lithium-ion BESS). While recognizing LDES is necessary, Chris Elder, CEO of Fidra Energy, does have concerns, which he shared with our sister site Energy storage.news in a recent interview, which…

Energy infrastructure platform Revera Energy has completed an extended US$150m (£110m) credit facility to accelerate the development of at least 1GW/2GWh of late-stage battery energy storage (BESS) systems in the UK.The first project, a 200 MW BESS, is expected to start in the first quarter of 2026.Two additional projects are expected to follow in the next twelve months, with a combined output of 800 MW. Both projects have already secured ground, grid connections and capacity market contracts.The UK projects aim to strengthen the resilience of the electricity grid and tackle transmission bottlenecks that prevent stranded Scottish wind generation from reaching…

The UK government has awarded Contracts for Difference to 4.9 GW of solar PV, securing revenues for a record number of solar projects.Allocation round 7a (AR7a) of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) support scheme represented the highest number of individual projects (155) and the largest capacity awarded to solar PV projects in the UK since the start of the CfD scheme. The solar strike price achieved at the auction was £65.23/MWh, over 10% cheaper than the last allocation round, AR6, when the previous record for solar allocated was set. AR6 3.3 GW of solar energy allocated for 93 projects. We…

Norwegian fire safety specialist Bridgehill has developed a fire-resistant roof membrane designed for use under rooftop PV systems. The company says the product is intended to limit heat transfer and flame spread in commercial and industrial installations subject to strict fire safety and insurance requirements. February 10, 2026 Marian Willuhn Bridgehill, a Norwegian developer of advanced fire blankets and related fire protection solutions, has developed a fire-resistant roof membrane specifically for PV systems. It says the Fireblock membrane is built into roof structures as an additional passive fire protection layer under PV systems. The company said it is designed for…

The Canadian Renewable Energy Association predicts that Canada’s cumulative solar capacity, now at 5.4 GW, could rise to about 21 GW by 2035, thanks to a healthy procurement pipeline in most provinces. Official figures for last year’s deployment of behind-the-meter solar installations, which today drive Canada’s solar market, have yet to be determined. February 10, 2026 Patrick Jowett Canada According to data from the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA), 57 MW of utility-scale solar was deployed in 2025. The association’s annual data release last year identified new utility-scale projects in Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. Official data for behind-the-meter…

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued its first decision in a patent infringement complaint against Voltage, finding that Shoals Technologies Group’s cable management patents had been infringed. Credit: Shoals On February 6, Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Doris Johnson Hines ruled that Voltage Sec. 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 by importing its LYNX trunk bus products into the United States. One sec. 337 violation states that the infringement of certain patents leads to unfair competition in the import trade. The LYNX product would infringe on Shoals’ patents for its Big Lead Assembly (BLA) solution. This is the…

Won Kwang S&T has developed a mobile on-site solar panel recycling system for utility-scale PV installations. The SolreBorn unit can reportedly process up to 2.5 tons of modules per day and improve the economics of solar panel recycling through on-site dismantling and material recovery. February 10, 2026 Emiliano Bellini South Korea-based solar project developer Won Kwang S&T has developed a mobile on-site solar panel recycling system designed to reduce transportation costs, landfill waste and CO2 emissions associated with photovoltaic modules at the end of their life. The system, called SolreBorn, is currently operating in South Korea and targets large-scale solar…

Battery leasing is gaining traction in Europe as a way for households with rooftop solar to increase their own consumption without the upfront costs of purchasing a storage system. February 10, 2026 François Puthod By ESS news Although home batteries are becoming increasingly affordable, investing in a storage solution to maximize self-consumption of solar energy represents a significant expense. For example, for a 5 kWh battery you have to pay an average of almost € 5,000, depending on the brand, the integrated inverter and the connected energy management system. The battery has been the expensive relative of residential photovoltaic installations…