Author: solarenergy
Construction of the 680MW/1,360MWh Carrington project at Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park in Greater Manchester began in autumn 2025, with commissioning expected in late 2026. According to the company, the project builds on its 1 GW strategic partnership with Statkraft, which will provide route-to-market (RTM) services, and will be delivered with Envision Energy supplying the battery energy storage system (BESS) units. Tom Vernon, CEO of Statera Energy, said: “Achieving Carrington Storage’s financial close is a significant milestone for Statera.” “It brings us closer to our target of more than 5GW of BESS capacity operational by 2030, strengthening network flexibility and…
The electricity grid is expected to be increasingly affected by climate change and resulting severe weather events, which are expected to multiply as our world warms. Fires, floods, hurricanes and even extreme heat waves will and are already impacting electricity transmission around the world. Recent events in Texas are a case in point: rapid and intense rainfall damaged critical infrastructure, including substations and transmission lines, leading to both power losses in affected areas and challenges in quickly and effectively restoring full service. A power grid is considered resilient if it can withstand the effects of severe weather, or, if severe…
The market for PPAs – contracts through which utilities or industrial companies purchase electricity from renewable energy projects on fixed terms – is weakening dramatically and undergoing a major transition. These were the two main conclusions of RE-Source, held this week at the historic Amsterdam Stock Exchange, which brought together 1,450 experts in energy trading, sustainable generation and industrial energy consumption. Guy Brindley, head of market intelligence at WindEurope, estimated that in Europe around 60 GW of capacity is traded under PPAs, including 25 GW of solar, representing around 130 TWh – almost a quarter of Germany’s annual electricity consumption.…
Solar redox reactions advance with perovskite-based heterojunctions Researchers from Xi’an Jiaotong University, Zhejiang University of Technology and Northwestern Polytechnical University have published a review on the development of metal halide perovskite (MHP) heterojunctions for solar-driven redox reactions. Led by Prof. Jian Li and Prof. Xiyuan Feng, the team aims to address the challenges of MHPs, such as limited stability and rapid charge recombination, by integrating them with other materials to form advanced heterostructures. MHP-based heterojunctions are designed to promote effective charge separation, thereby reducing charge carrier recombination and increasing photocatalytic efficiency. By passivating surfaces with stable materials, these heterojunctions also…
Older consumers were targeted by sales staff who promised, but failed to deliver, government subsidy refunds to cover the cost of solar equipment and maintenance. Between May 2023 and January 2025, more than GBP 3.1 million ($4.0 million) was deposited into bank accounts of two now defunct companies. November 6, 2025 Matthew Lynas A British solar energy company has been closed after a fraud investigation found that older consumers were targeted with false promises about government grant repayments. A related company previously went bankrupt in 2025. Research carried out by the UK government’s Insolvency Service has revealed that 80 complaints…
French grid operator Enedis will shift off-peak hours to daytime periods to align power demand with increasing solar energy production and reduce consumption peaks in the evening. November 3, 2025 Gwénaëlle Deboutte By pv magazine France French grid operator Enedis has started implementing a national reform of electricity hours during peak and off-peak hours from 1 November 2025, to better align consumption with sustainable generation, in particular from solar energy. The change follows the usage tariff for the public electricity network (TURPE 7), set by the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE). The reform aims to adapt electricity demand to the country’s…
The 284 MWdirect current The Stillhouse Solar project is now complete in Rogers, Texas. The project was built by SOLV Energy and developed by Renewable energy sources matrix. Stillhouse Solar represents more than $370 million in private investment and the creation of more than 320 construction jobs, many of which will be filled by local workers. “The completion of Stillhouse Solar marks an exciting milestone for both Matrix Renewables and the Bell County community,” said Cindy Tindell, Managing Director and Head of U.S. for Matrix Renewables, the project’s owner. “Texas continues to be a leader in clean, domestic renewable energy,…
The cell reportedly shows only a 0.4% efficiency loss compared to a reference device that underwent full silver metallization. November 6, 2025 Emiliano Bellini The German Forschungszentrum Jülich has announced a world record efficiency of 23.08% for a silver-free heterojunction (HJT) solar cell that is fully metallized with copper (Cu). The cell reportedly exhibits only a 0.4% efficiency loss compared to a reference device that underwent full silver (Ag) metallization. “The cells with copper on both sides achieved an average efficiency of 22.4% absolute and a maximum of 23.08% absolute, which represents the highest performance ever measured for cells with…
Scientists in China have investigated how frame perforations can help reduce solar panel operating temperatures through air cooling. Their findings show that the number of perforations must be carefully calibrated, and that more is not necessarily better. November 6, 2025 Lior Kahana A research team led by scientists from China’s Northeast Electric Power University has investigated the impact of frame perforation on lowering the temperature of PV panels using passive air cooling. “Compared to previous studies, the main novelty of this study is the comprehensive effect evaluation of frame perforation on the passive air cooling performance, thermal management and electrical…
The final of pv magazine USA Week 2025 promises an in-depth exploration of the most immediate, multi-faceted solution to America’s escalating energy demand and rising electricity rates: distributed energy. November 6, 2025 Ryan Kennedy By pv magazine USA Titled “Distributed Energy as a Solution,” Day 3 of the virtual conference will demonstrate how rooftop solar, residential storage, community solar and smart grid technologies are not just complements, but the essential building blocks for a more resilient and affordable energy future. As the country anticipates rising electricity demand and associated high tariffs, DE offers a rapid deployment advantage over traditional grid-scale…