Author: solarenergy

Brookfield has appointed Santander and Barclays to manage the sale of X-Elio, worth more than €4 billion ($4.7 billion), including debt. If completed, it would be the company’s second major divestment in Spain in two years. February 5, 2026 Pilar Sanchez Molina By pv magazine Spain Brookfield has started a process to sell solar energy developer X-Elio, with a valuation of more than €4 billion including debt, according to Spanish business newspapers El Economista And Cinco Dias. The Canadian infrastructure investor has appointed Santander and Barclays to coordinate the sale. The company has not responded pv magazine’s request for more…

Ørsted has sold its European onshore renewable energy activities to Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). Completion of the €1.44 billion (£1.25 billion) transaction is expected in the second quarter of this year, subject to regulatory approval. Through its fifth flagship fund, Copenhagen Infrastructure V (CI V), CIP has agreed to acquire the portfolio, which includes 825 MW of onshore wind, solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS) projects in Ireland, the UK, Germany and Spain. The portfolio includes an operational capacity of 577 MW, 248 MW under construction and a multi-gigawatt development pipeline. Operating UK assets totaling 82.4 MW are included…

Solar energy is expanding faster than any other new energy source in the United States. According to the MERAmerica is expected to add nearly 70 GW of new solar generation capacity in 2026 and 2027, a 49% increase compared to the end of 2025. That pace is good news for decarbonization, but still raises familiar questions about how to expand responsibly. Can we build enough projects with respect for working areas, neighbors and local ecosystems? The short answer is yes. With smart design and site management, solar farms can simultaneously support agriculture and biodiversity, turning clean energy projects into conservation…

The multi-project cluster includes the world’s largest single-site electrochemical energy storage facility: the 4 GWh Envision Jingyi Chagan Hada Energy Storage Power Station. February 5, 2026 Marija Maisch By ESS news In the last days of December 2025, the world’s largest electrochemical energy storage plant – the 4 GWh Envision Jingyi Chagan Hada Energy Storage Power Station – was successfully connected to the electricity grid. This milestone marked the completion and grid connection of Envision’s 12.8 GWh energy storage cluster in Inner Mongolia. In addition to the flagship location, the other projects are in Bayannur, Ordos, Hohhot, Ulanqab, Xilingol League…

Armenia had a record year for solar deployment last year, surpassing cumulative solar capacity of 1 GW. The market is currently led by autonomous solar producers, of which there are now more than 50,000 in the country. February 5, 2026 Patrick Jowett ArmeniaThe country’s cumulative solar capacity has reached 1.1 GW, the country’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan said. The total indicates that approximately 615 MW of solar energy was added in 2025, while the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reported Armenia’s cumulative solar capacity at 485 MW at the end of 2024. Khudadtyan announced for the…

Researchers from the School of Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have developed a robust coating layer that significantly improves the operational stability of perovskite solar cells while maintaining high efficiency. In accelerated tests simulating intense midday sunlight at 85 degrees Celsius, the coated cells retained more than 95 percent of their initial energy conversion efficiency after more than 1,100 hours of continuous use, demonstrating great potential for outdoor use in real-world conditions. Perovskite solar cells are known for their high efficiency and relatively low production costs, but their limited long-term stability is a major obstacle…

IRENA’s latest report shows that energy consumption and material intensity in the solar PV manufacturing supply chain will decrease until 2030. The analysis also shows that Vietnam remains more cost competitive than India due to lower electricity prices, while high energy and labor costs keep Australia and Germany less competitive. February 5, 2026 Patrick Jowett A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says energy consumption at all stages of solar energy production will decline over the next five years. The “Solar supply chain energy cost tool” report details the material, processing and assembly costs at each stage…

Rystad Energy says it expects the global battery energy storage system (BESS) to exceed 130 GW/350 GWh by 2026, led by China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany. February 5, 2026 Marija Maisch Image: Rystad energy storage solution By ESS news Last year marked a historic turning point for BESS, when global operational storage capacity exceeded 250 GW, overtaking pumped hydro storage (PHES) for the first time, according to Rystad Energy. Annual additions exceeded 100 GW/280 GWh in 2025 – nearly triple the volumes added in 2023 – reflecting a compound annual growth rate of more than…

SolarEdge is working on connecting them commercial solar inverters and power optimizers of battery energy storage systems (BESS) from Socomec to provide customers with a streamlined solar and storage solution. The solution also includes the SolarEdge ONE energy management system (EMS). As states like California encourage more commercial and industrial (C&I) entities to maximize self-consumption, this new SolarEdge + Socomec solution is ideal for the U.S. C&I market. By reducing traditional three-vendor integration to a simplified two-vendor system, the solution helps developers simplify system design, implementation and compliance, while providing a scalable path to energy resilience and long-term value. The…

Chinese researchers have demonstrated a one-step submicron structured surface texturing process that improved the absolute efficiency of a TOPCon solar cell by 1% through broadband anti-reflection and lower electrical resistance. Cell-level performance was validated in laboratory and outdoor tests. February 4, 2026 Valerie Thompson A research group led by Jiangsu Ocean University in China has demonstrated a one-step surface texturing process that can reportedly increase the absolute efficiency of tunneling oxide-passivating contact (TOPCon) silicon solar cells by 1%. Cell-level performance was validated in laboratory and outdoor tests. “This study introduces a new rapid one-step method for fabricating dense silicon submicron…