Author: solarenergy

By Brad Kramer February 2, 2026 In this edition of Projects weeklyWe’re looking at a large-scale solar project being built near Dayton, Ohio, plus a series of financing and acquisition deals. First, Zelestra has entered into a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with AEP Energy Partners for the 49.9 MW Gem City Solar project in Ohio. Catalyze has closed tax equity financing for a 100 MW distributed solar portfolio. CleanCapital has acquired a majority stake in a battery storage portfolio through a joint venture with Osaka Gas. Aspen Power has acquired two community solar projects in New York State. Luminace…

Penn Engineers have proposed a solar-powered orbital data center architecture that can scale to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence without drawing electricity from terrestrial networks. The concept uses flexible, tether-based structures in orbit to house thousands of computing nodes for AI inference, relying on established space tether technology rather than massive rigid platforms or huge constellations of independent satellites. The design resembles a green plant, with multiple stems containing computer hardware and branching, leaf-like solar panels. Each trunk is essentially a long cable, populated with identical nodes containing computer chips, solar power systems and cooling hardware, forming a modular…

The ETS2 Frontloading Facility will provide €3 billion ($3.5 billion) to sectors that will be covered by the EU’s new emissions trading system. It will support low and middle-income households with the deployment of heat pumps and electric vehicles. February 9, 2026 Patrick Jowett Image: Christian Lua/Unsplash The European Investment Bank (EIB) has announced a new €3 billion ($3.5 billion) facility to invest in cleaner heating and cooling and reduce energy needs in buildings and road transport. The ETS2 Frontloading Facility, jointly developed with the European Commission, will be available to EU Member States that have implemented the new EU…

By Brad Kramer February 9, 2026 Avangrid has energized two solar projects in Wasco County, Oregon, totaling 200 MWac. Plus, Zelestra has expanded its relationship with Meta in the United States, with a new PPA for the 176 MWdc Skull Creek Solar Plant in Texas. Lunar Energy has raised $232 million to scale home battery deployments and AI-powered VPP software to meet surging demand for affordable electricity. Alliant Energy has completed two BESS projects in Wisconsin. Crux has closed a $340 million tax equity investment for Origis Energy’s utility-scale solar development in Texas. TurningPoint Energy and Standard Solar are partnering…

For the first time in eight years, imported solar panels in the United States are no longer covered by Sec. 201 rates. The tariffs, introduced during President Donald Trump’s first term and extended by his successor Joe Biden, were set to expire on February 6, 2026. Rates under Sec. 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 are intended to protect American industries from damage caused by increased imports. In 2017, U.S. solar cell manufacturer Suniva and module maker SolarWorld requested the investigation, and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determined that an increase in imports of crystalline silicon cells and…

Clean energy project developer Sunraycer has signed a supply and service agreement for two standalone battery energy storage projects totaling 503 MWh in Franklin County, Texas. Credit: e-STORAGE The projects, collectively known as the Lupinus projects, will use BESS from Canadian Solar company e-STORAGE. Lupinus 1, a 202 MWh facility, will begin construction in the first quarter of 2027 and become commercially operational in the third quarter of 2027. Lupinus 2, a 301 MWh facility, will begin construction in the third quarter of 2026 and be commercially operational in the second quarter of 2027. David Lillefloren, CEO of Sunraycer, said,…

The Chinese manufacturer said its new OG02 series includes IP-65 rated inverters with AC output power from 3 kW to 6 kW. The new products also have a maximum efficiency of 97.6% and a European efficiency of 96.5%. February 9, 2026 Lior Kahana Chinese inverter manufacturer Deye has launched a new series of off-grid inverters The OG02 series consists of four models with AC output powers ranging from 3.0 kW to 6.0 kW. It’s an evolution of the company’s OG01 line, which was introduced last year. According to the manufacturer, the OG02 inverters can switch from mains to battery power…

Sunlight has a wide range of wavelengths, but many solar technologies utilize only part of that spectrum, limiting their efficiency. Researchers have now shown that small self-assembled gold spheres known as supraballs can capture almost all wavelengths in sunlight, including those that conventional photovoltaic materials often miss, and can significantly increase the absorption of solar energy when used as a coating on standard devices. Gold and silver nanoparticles are attractive for solar energy applications because they are relatively simple and cost-effective to produce. However, the light absorption of conventional metal nanoparticles is largely limited to visible wavelengths, meaning they affect…

The Chinese manufacturer said it has developed a new circuit model-based method to accurately detect hotspot risks in TOPCon backcontact modules, overcoming the limitations of the IEC 61215 approach caused by low shunt resistance. The method, validated by indoor and outdoor testing, predicts temperature rise under shade and reportedly allows for faster, more accurate risk assessment of hotspots. February 9, 2026 Emiliano Bellini A group of researchers from Chinese PV module manufacturer DAS Solar has developed a new methodology to detect hotspot risks in TOPCon solar cells and modules based on back-contact (BC) architecture. “We found that the inherently low…

When a company – whether a developer, an independent power producer (IPP) or a utility – decides to build a solar PV installation, its scope goes beyond supplying electricity to the grid.More and more projects are implementing strategies or applications that go beyond electricity generation, such as agrivoltaic solar energy (agriPV) or biodiversity applications. In Britain, projects must deliver a net biodiversity gain of at least 10%, but some companies are achieving much more than that target.This is the case with IPP British Solar Renewables (BSR), which has gone one step further as it aims to achieve at least 60%…