Author: solarenergy
In this article, Warwick Johnston analyzes exclusive data from Australian market research firm Sunwiz, providing a more positive picture of domestic battery installations than expected.Running a business without reliable data is like flying through the clouds without instruments: you may stay in the air for a while, but you’re flying blind and may end up hurtling toward the ground without time to pull up. For solar energy, the MCS database provides valuable information on the total number of installations under 50 kW. But when it comes to battery energy storage systems (BESS), the picture is incomplete. That leaves a gaping…
Solar Media Market Research analyst Josh Cornes provides an overview of operational solar capacity in Britain, which, despite some of the barriers developers have faced this year, continues to rise at a healthy pace.Overall, 2025 can be seen as a success for the solar industry. Grid reform will pave a path in the coming years, and the capacity going live is at levels not seen in the last decade. Britain has now reached 14 GWp of operational capacity for utility-scale ground-mounted solar, and the market continues to grow year on year.Last year exceeded expectations by approx 1.3 GWp of utility-scale…
Last year, Oregon-based Mark Jacobs was looking for a jigsaw puzzle that depicted rural American life – but with solar energy. He couldn’t find anything, so he set out to make his own. Kathleen Russell’s oil painting now on display in puzzle form. The result is the 500-piece puzzle “Solar Farms in America” that is now for sale via Portland Puzzle: portland puzzle.com/product/solar farms-in-America/ Jacobs is chairman of the board Twende Solar, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing solar energy to under-resourced communities. He donates 10% of puzzle sales to the nonprofit. “We need more Americans to see solar energy…
The 2025 IRENA report shows that women represent only 32% of the renewable energy workforce, and their participation in technical and managerial positions remains much lower. While these figures are slowly improving, they reflect persistent structural and cultural barriers that continue to limit women’s participation in the energy sector. From my experience with government and policy design, one of the biggest obstacles is the lack of family-friendly business policies. According to UN Women, women and girls spend 16 billion hours every day in unpaid care work, 2.5 times more than men. This invisible and undervalued work limits women’s time and…
Fluence Energy says it will deliver a 1GW/4GWh battery energy storage system for German energy producer Leag, which will be both the largest such project in Europe and the company’s largest single installation to date using its Smartstack platform. November 7, 2025 Marija Maisch By ESS news German energy company Leag is working with Fluence Energy GmbH, the German subsidiary of US-based Fluence Energy, on a 1 GW/4 GWh system in Jänschwalde. This is Germany’s first officially announced multi-gigawatt scale project and perhaps Europe’s largest project to date. The GigaBattery project is part of Leag’s GigawattFactory, a major regional industrial…
The Italian manufacturer said its new WWMG heat pump system has a coefficient of performance of up to 4.98 and an energy efficiency of 16.30 BTU/Wh. November 7, 2025 Emiliano Bellini Aermec North America, part of Italy-based Aermec, which itself is part of the Giordano Riello International Group has launched a new water-cooled heat pump system that it claims provides more heating and cooling per m2 than any other heat pump on the market. “Thanks to its compact design, it will play an important role in the renovation of existing residential, commercial and industrial buildings in urban areas where powerful,…
Central Bedfordshire Council has approved a 21MW solar PV installation developed by Renewable Connections, a solar and battery developer founded by Armstrong Capital Management.The planning application for the Lowfield solar farm, submitted in January 2025, received a positive recommendation from the planning officer and was approved by the Council committee earlier this year before being ratified this week.The Lowfield Solar park will cover approximately 47 hectares of land and is being developed in partnership with the UK subsidiary of Danish renewable energy developer, European Energy.According to Renewable Connections, the project also comes with a community benefits package of around £42,000.This…
British energy companies made £30 billion in profits in 2024, equivalent to around £500 in payments per household, according to data from Unite, one of the country’s largest trade unions.Profit margins in the energy sector average 23%, the report said, about three times the national average, which hovers around 7-9%. That margin increases to 38% in the network sector and up to 58% in gas extraction, according to Unite. At the same time, the report states that household energy bills have increased by 42% since winter 2021 and have failed to return to pre-energy crisis levels. Based on energy sector…
In a new weekly update for pv magazineSolcast, a DNV company, reports that North America experienced highly variable solar performance in October as a strong high-pressure system increased irradiance in the eastern regions, while cooler, cloudy conditions reduced solar potential in the Pacific Northwest. November 7, 2025 Solcast North America experienced highly variable solar performance in October, as a strong high-pressure system increased radiation in the eastern regions, while cooler, cloudy conditions reduced solar potential in the Pacific Northwest. In the Caribbean, Hurricane Melissa significantly disrupted radiation levels and damaged infrastructure. According to analysis using the Solcast APIThese contrasting regional…
International Finance Corp. (IFC) plans to finance up to $16 million for Nigerian developer Virtuitis to build and operate 97 solar mini-grids, connecting more than 140,000 off-grid consumers by 2027. November 6, 2025 Patrick Jowett The IFC proposes to co-finance the rollout of 97 solar mini-grids Nigeria. According to a project listing on the company’s website, a revolving loan of up to $16 million will be provided to Nigerian energy company Virtuitis for the construction and operation of the mini-grids, pending final approval. Virtuitis is one of 22 developers that signed an agreement with the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency in…