Author: solarenergy
By Brad Kramer December 15, 2025 This edition of Projects Weekly highlights an initiative to bring rooftop solar to an affordable housing complex and community library in Milwaukee. Plus, Enel North America has completed its largest solar power plant in the United States, GreenSpark has begun construction on a rooftop solar array at the headquarters of one of the oldest foodbanks in the United States, BayWa r.e. has secured funding for the JVR Energy Park to provide solar for 57,000 homes in California, BridgePeak Energy Capital has facilitated a construction loan for a Gum Swamp solar project in North Carolina, Sunstone Credit has…
A new workforce trends report from talent consultancy root/edge and Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) finds mixed views from the US clean energy and sustainability sectors. The majority of respondents are optimistic about long-term careers in the renewable energy sector, but a significant proportion have considered leaving the sector in the past year. The “2025 Salary and Sentiment Report’ is based on the responses of more than 500 professionals and captures how changing market conditions are influencing both talent expectations and employer decision-making, during a year described in the foreword as a ‘moment of recalibration’, shaped by…
A Guide to Solar Energy Behavior When the power goes out and the lights go dark, many homeowners with solar panels often wonder, “How does solar work when you lose power?” This is an important question because it impacts your home’s energy supply and safety during an outage. Solar panels are typically connected to the grid, meaning they rely on grid power to function when the electricity is down. Without additional features, solar panels will shut off during an outage to prevent backfeeding, which could be dangerous for utility workers trying to restore power. When combined with battery storage, solar…
Gokin has launched back-contact solar modules ranging from 480W to 780W for residential, C&I and utility projects. The series supports 1,500 V systems and achieves an efficiency of up to 24.8%. December 15, 2025 Vincent Shaw Chinese wafer manufacturer Gokin Solar has introduced a new series of back-contact (BC) solar modules at its Global BC Eco Summit in Guangzhou, China. The series includes three products: the GK-3-54HGFb for residential applications, the GK-3-72HGF for commercial and industrial (C&I) roofs, and the GK-4-78HGBD with double glazing for utility-scale projects. All modules are CE certified and designed for 1,500 V DC systems. The…
Ofgem’s latest quarterly report for the second quarter of FIT Year 16 (1 July to 30 September 2025) reveals continued activity under the Feed-In Tariffs (FIT) scheme, despite its closure to new applicants in 2019. During this period, six new installations were registered, contributing 0.059 MW to the total installed capacity (TIC). This brings the cumulative total under the scheme to 869,620 installations and 6,492 MW of TIC.Of the installations accredited this quarter, five were solar photovoltaic (PV) and one was hydroelectric. In terms of capacity, this left solar accounting for 73.2% of the quarter’s new TIC, while hydro contributed…
The battery has a nominal capacity of 48 V and 314 Ah, with a protection degree of IP20. December 15, 2025 Lior Kahana The 48V/314Ah 15kWh LiFePO4 battery system Image: Shenzhen First Tech By ESS news Chinese solar manufacturer Shenzhen First Tech (1stess) has introduced a new 15 kWh battery energy storage product. The 48V/314Ah 15kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery system is available in two versions: one with a control screen and one without. “Engineered with security, scalability and intelligence, this product is designed to address diverse climatic and geographic challenges worldwide,” the company said in a statement. “Up…
France is developing domestic production of batteries for electric vehicles with a view to industrial independence, but Asian experts appear to play a key role in kick-starting operations. At the Verkor factory outside the northern city of Dunkirk, which will be inaugurated on Thursday, foreign specialists, mainly from South Korea and Malaysia, train local staff. Verkor is the third battery factory to open in northern France, in a region known as “Battery Valley”. At the AESC factory near the city of Douai, where production has been underway for several months, Chinese engineers and technicians supervise French recruits. “They are the…
Researchers at MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) in India have developed a liquid organic hydrogen carrier system (LOHC) that can transport hydrogen in a stable liquid form. The system is non-flammable, non-explosive and can be used at normal temperatures and pressures. December 15, 2025 Uma Gupta By pv magazine India Researchers from India’s MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) have developed a liquid organic hydrogen carrier system (LOHC) that can transport hydrogen in a stable liquid form that is non-flammable, non-explosive and controllable at normal temperatures and pressures. The proposed technology addresses one of the biggest obstacles slowing the widespread adoption…
The French government says PV has won the latest technology-neutral auction, awarding 36 projects totaling 507.7 MW in the fourth round as prices fell and agricultural voltaics gained ground. December 15, 2025 Gwénaëlle Deboutte Image: Andreas Gucklhorn, Unsplash By pv magazine France The French Ministry for Ecological Transition published the report results of the fourth round of its technology-neutral renewable energy tender, which selected 36 projects with a combined capacity of 507.7 MW against a target of 500 MW. Photovoltaics accounted for all allocated capacity, marking the first time that no wind energy projects were selected under the scheme. Agrivoltaic…
The Chinese energy and oil company said the cell can be used as a top device in perovksite-silicon tandem configurations. The result was confirmed by the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT). December 15, 2025 Vincent Shaw The headquarters of China National Petroleum Corporation and PetroChina, outside Dongzhimen, Beijing Image: Charlie fong, Wikimedia Commons, public domain China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has announced that it has achieved an energy conversion efficiency of 25.05% for an inverted perovskite solar cell. The result was confirmed by the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT) of the Chinese Academy of…