Author: solarenergy

Lithium battery recycler Elements take off has signed a multi-year off-take agreement for lithium carbonate Trafiguraa player in the global raw materials industry. The agreement includes a total of 15,000 tonnes (15 kilotons) to be delivered between 2027 and 2031. >99% pure, recycled lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) recovered from black liquor on a commercial scale. Credit: Ascend Elements Under the terms of the agreement, Trafigura will provide global marketing and logistics capabilities, while Ascend Elements produces refined, low-carbon lithium carbonate produced from recycled lithium-ion batteries and manufacturing scrap through its patented Hydro-to-Cathode process. Ascend operates recycling plants in Georgia and Kentucky…

TWAICE says California Senate Bill 283 will shift developers’ focus from hardware redesign to proactive documentation and data-driven security compliance. November 12, 2025 Phoebe Skok Image: blmcalfornia, public domain, Wikimedia Commons By ESS news Earlier this fall, California Governor Gavin Newsom implemented the fire safety directive Senate Bill 283which is poised to reform the deployment of energy storage in the state and overhaul government supervision. The law, which was proposed in response to the Moss Landing Fire in February 2025 will require developers to meet with local fire authorities before submitting project applications and after installation, aligning project design with…

California-based Apparent Inc. has unveiled a new water heater that can reportedly offset 100% of a home’s water heating costs. The system uses low-voltage direct current generated by conventional solar panels and a cloud-based machine learning platform that manages the energy in real time. November 12, 2025 Emiliano Bellini Apparent solar boiler Image: apparently US-based startup Apparent Inc. has introduced a direct current (DC) powered solar water heater designed for residential use. The system works completely off-grid and runs on standard photovoltaic panels. It can be configured with four solar panels in standalone mode or integrated into a hybrid, grid-connected…

China’s carbon emissions were flat in the third quarter as solar power generation soared and the use of electric cars continued to grow, a survey showed on Tuesday. Emissions from the world’s biggest polluter have now been stable or falling for 18 months in a row, according to the analysis published by climate news specialist Carbon Brief. “After the first three quarters of the year, China’s CO2 emissions in 2025 are now right in the balance between a small decline or increase depending on what happens in the last quarter,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, chief analyst at the Center for Research…

Ghana has started construction of the 200 MW Norbert Anku solar farm, its largest renewable investment to date, with plans to expand the project to 1 GW by 2032. November 11, 2025 Patrick Jowett Image: Presidency of Ghana The Ghanaian government has broken ground on the country’s largest solar project, the Norbert Anku Solar Park, located in the Dawa Industrial Enclave in the Greater Accra Region. Solar for Industries Ltd., a subsidiary of Ghanaian conglomerate LMI Holdings, is developing the project in two 100 MW phases. The first phase is expected to be completed in December 2026, while the second…

The Chinese company says its new ESA series is available with a hybrid inverter ranging from 3 kW to 10 kW and storage capacities from 5 kWh to 48 kWh. The IP66-rated product supports MPPT current up to 20 A on the PV side and enables 200% PV oversizing, according to the manufacturer. November 11, 2025 Lior Kahana Chinese inverter and energy storage manufacturer GoodWe has launched a new generation of its ESA series residential all-in-one energy storage solution. The single-phase system is available with a hybrid inverter from 3 kW to 10 kW and stacked battery modules, with a…

By SB staff November 10, 2025 Renewable energy developer and owner-operator Pine Gate Renewables has filed for bankruptcy and is beginning the process of selling virtually all of its assets and operations. Pine Gate says its operations will continue uninterrupted as the company enters into a competitive sales process with “multiple interested parties to transfer ownership of its solar and energy storage project fleet while preserving jobs and maximizing value.” “Since our founding nearly 10 years ago, Pine Gate has grown tremendously, deploying innovative solar and energy storage projects at scale that enable us to deliver renewable, reliable and affordable…

Solar power has agreed to the takeover Ambia Solara solar installation company based in Lindon, Utah. SunPower will buy Ambia for $37.5 million in equity. The transaction is expected to close before the end of the year. According to Ohm Analytics, Ambia is among the top 20 solar installers in the country based on installed megawatts. Based on three-quarters of actual results and with one month left in Q4 2025, Ambia’s estimated 2025 revenue forecast is $83.6 million. The corresponding estimated 2025 revenue guidance for SunPower is $303.4 million. After the deal closes, Ambia CEO Conner Ruggio will lead SunPower’s…

Japanese oil giant Idemitsu Kosan and US-based Source Energy Company have announced a collaboration to develop copper-indium-gallium-selenide solar panels and arrays for satellite and space applications. November 11, 2025 Valerie Thompson The BOTAN microsatellite Image: Idemitsu Kosan Idemitsu Kosan, a Japanese manufacturer of oil and chemicals, and Source Energy Company, a US-based manufacturer of components for aerospace solar energy systems, have announced collaboration plans to develop copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) solar PV arrays for satellite and space applications. The next step in the partnership will be a “rigorous development and testing campaign” at Source Energy Company’s Colorado facility in preparation for implementation,…

Accurate technology cost assumptions are a cornerstone of effective energy transition planning. Although we have been blessed with rapid cost declines in renewable energy technologies, most energy models and policy analyzes remain based on outdated assumptions. A new study by researchers from the University of Canterbury, LUT University, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA): “Are we too pessimistic? Cost forecasts for solar photovoltaics, wind energy and batteries overestimate actual costs worldwide”, published in Applied energysystematically reviewed 40 studies and 150 long-term scenarios for sustainable energy technologies. It compared their expected costs (all adjusted for…