Author: solarenergy

Xilia Group has introduced composite frames for solar panels made of glass fiber reinforced polyurethane. The company says the frames reduce weight, are corrosion resistant and eliminate the need for grounding. February 5, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Hong Kong-based startup Xilia Group has launched a composite solar panel frame that reportedly reduces weight by about 25% and reduces initial costs by up to 30% compared to conventional aluminum frames. “The PV market is under enormous pressure, and the industry’s usual dependence on aluminum is exacerbating this situation,” says René Moerman, founder of Xilia. pv magazine. “By continuing to use traditional aluminum…

The U.S. federal government, which is challenging a U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) ruling requiring Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to retroactively collect tariffs on imported solar panels for two years, filed a motion last week to dismiss the appeal. The U.S. Court of Appeals granted the dismissal today. This leaves only trade associations, panel companies and American developers to appeal the ruling. Defendants still listed on the appeal include the American Clean Power Association, Solar Energy Industries Association, Boviet Solar, BYD, Canadian Solar, JA Solar, JinkoSolar, Risen Solar, Trina Solar, Invenergry and NextEra Energy. Now that the government…

A new study shows that perfectly symmetric materials can generate strong photocurrents when their surfaces are designed to accommodate special electronic states, overcoming a long-standing limitation in photovoltaic design. The work points to new strategies for both solar energy conversion and ultrafast spintronic technologies by exploiting the physics of surfaces rather than relying solely on the properties of bulk crystals. Conventional solar cells use interfaces such as p-n junctions to separate photo-generated charges and produce usable power. Another mechanism, known as the bulk photovoltaic effect, can create direct current in a homogeneous material without such bonds, but traditionally requires a…

Swiss startup Sun-Ways is testing removable solar panels installed on an operational railway line through a pilot project with French railway company SNCF in Switzerland. February 5, 2026 Gwénaëlle Deboutte By pv magazine France Sun-Ways, a Swiss startup developing PV systems for railways, has signed a cooperation agreement with SNCF, making the French railway company a partner in a pilot project in Buttes, in the canton of Neuchâtel. The company describes the installation as the first removable solar energy system to be deployed on an active railway line. The project has been operational since April 24, 2025. The pilot project…

Beijing’s new rule allows standalone storage to be charged fixed costs for availability, and not for the energy supplied. February 5, 2026 Vincent Shaw By ESS news China’s top economic planner and energy regulator have moved to formalize a ‘capacity price’ for standalone energy storage on the power grid, expanding a mechanism originally designed for coal-fired power plants and giving investors a clearer route to recoup fixed costs. In a joint notification dated January 30, 2026, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration (NEA) said that qualified, self-employed new type of storage projects that support…

Copec, Luxmeter Energy and Ventisqueros have commissioned a system at the Quintupeu salmon farming center in Hornopirén, a remote area in southern Chile. The facility features a 48 kW photovoltaic system combined with a 109 kWh battery storage system, allowing the facility to reduce its reliance on diesel generators in this off-grid aquaculture operation. February 5, 2026 Luis Ini By pv magazine Latam A hybrid solar and storage system is now operating at the Ventisqueros-owned Quintupeu salmon farm in the Hornopirén area of ​​Chile’s Los Lagos region. The project, developed by Copec and Luxmeter Energy, aims to reduce dependence on…

Solar power has grown significantly in recent years, thanks to innovations in solar panel technology that make it more efficient, cost-effective, and versatile. New advancements like perovskite and bifacial solar panels, have increased efficiency and reduced costs. Perovskite panels are particularly promising, offering higher efficiency at a lower price point than traditional silicon-based panels, while bifacial panels capture sunlight from both sides, generating more power from the same area. These improvements make solar power a more viable option for both residential and commercial applications. Energy storage technology has made solar power more reliable. Improvements in battery technology, like lithium-ion and…

The parent company behind Boviet Solar wants to withdraw from the solar energy industry and is exploring sales options for Boviet’s Vietnamese and American entities. Boviet Solar North Carolina solar panel assembly plant. Credit: SPW Ningbo Boway alloy materiala China-based technology company involved in the alloy, semiconductor and machinery industries, acquired Boviet Solar in 2016. Boviet originally started in Vietnam in 2013 and Boway Alloy has grown its position in the global solar panel manufacturing market. Boviet operates silicon solar cell and panel manufacturing sites in Vietnam and a 3 GW solar panel assembly plant in North Carolina. In addition…

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 5, 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 Silvia Ma Lu shared. pv…

This was said by panelists at Solar Media’s Solar Investment Finance Conference in London The National Energy System Operator’s gated grid connection process accelerates near-term deployment in Britain while providing a potential blueprint for network access reform in European markets facing similar connectivity gaps. Britain entered 2025 with the largest grid connection queue in Europe by capacity, prompting a major overhaul that saw projects split into portsJohn Cooper, senior manager of developments at Decerna Limited, said the reforms have forced developers to rethink how they progress projects in the short term. “What we see is a big focus on optimization,”…