Author: solarenergy

Dongkuk CM has introduced an ultra-high reflectivity colored steel sheet designed to improve the performance of dual-sided rooftop PV systems, increasing solar reflectance to 80-85. The new material also offers improved corrosion resistance, long-term durability and additional cooling benefits thanks to its advanced plating and dual-layer design, according to the manufacturer. December 2, 2025 Emiliano Bellini Dongkuk CM, a unit of South Korean steel manufacturer Dongkuk Steel, has launched new colored steel sheets for roof applications with dual-sided PV systems. Colored steel sheets, also called pre-painted or color-coated steel, are durable, visually versatile building materials widely used in roofing, wall…

The Italian PV industry expressed concerns about new regulatory measures and budget cuts when Gestore dei servizi Energeci (GSE) published the results of the FER December 3, 2025 Sergio Matalucci and Massimiliano Tripodo The Italian PV sector is in a period of transition as it faces regulatory changes and needs new investments to strengthen the production system and supply chain in response to the opportunities under the Net Zero Industry Act, the European Union’s strategy to strengthen industrial competitiveness for decarbonization. This was the main message of the tenth forum of Italia Solare, Italy’s leading PV association, held this week…

NextEnergy Solar Fund has seen a decline in net asset value and an increase in portfolio generation compared to budget in the second and third quarters of 2025. The dedicated solar and energy storage asset management fund said its project portfolio outperformed its expectations by 7.6% between April 1 and September 30, generating around £2.5m of additional cash, despite the impact of weather variability and distributed network operator (DNO) outages. The fund has 101 assets: 90 in Great Britain, eight in Italy and one each in Spain and Portugal, with a total installed capacity of 939 MW. These assets generated…

A Swedish government agency is investing 130 million SEK ($13.8 million) in Exeger’s next generation indoor solar cell technology. The company’s Powerfoyle solar cells are an evolution of dye-sensitive solar cells and are said to offer a thousand times better conductivity. December 3, 2025 Patrick Jowett The Swedish Energy Agency has awarded SEK 130 million ($13.8 million) to Swedish deep-tech company Exeger to support the development and industrialization of its next-generation indoor solar cell technology. Exeger’s solar cells, known as Powerfoyle, are capable of converting both indoor and outdoor light into electricity. Billed as the world’s only fully customizable solar…

Solar and storage industry leaders from China and Europe gathered in Germany this week to promote cross-border partnerships, launch a bilateral storage cooperation platform and coordinate strategies for scaling PV and battery deployment amid rising demand, grid pressure and increasing market competition. December 3, 2025 Brian Public China and European solar and storage leaders met this week in Dusseldorf, Germany, to call for deeper cross-border cooperation as both regions face record PV volumes, rising storage demand and complex market dynamics. Speakers at the China-EU Solar & Energy Storage Industries Dialogue 2025 highlighted the growing interdependence between China’s production scale and…

EcoFlow, Tibber and Fenecon have introduced new software and hardware updates to improve battery management, interoperability and network arbitration across Europe. December 3, 2025 Tristan Rayner By ESS news The evolution of residential battery storage has seen significant developments in design, safety, functionality and cost, both in terms of physical batteries and hybrid inverters, but also in software features. The battle for home energy management systems, or HEMS, is just as fierce on the hardware battery and mobile technology side, and includes both manufacturers and third-party software that potentially deliver better everyday experiences – think using Apple’s CarPlay to control…

Chinese module manufacturer Longi says its Hi-MO 9 series with HPBC 2.0 cells achieved watt-for-watt power gains of 1.21% to 3.92% in real-world testing in multiple countries and climates, reducing levelized electricity costs (LCOE) compared to regular tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules. December 3, 2025 Patrick Jowett Chinese module manufacturer Longi has published field data from a series of tests with its Hi-MO 9 module series. The flagship product of Longi’s back-contact (BC) series, revealed earlier this year, the Hi-MO 9 module was built on the company’s HPBC 2.0 high-efficiency cell technology. The test scenarios include environments including temperate…

Energy Toolbase and Napa-based EPC BPi successfully deployed three energy storage systems (ESS) at the Korbel Winery in Sonoma County, California. The installation is part of the winery’s broader commitment to promote sustainability and integrate renewable energy into its operations. Energy Toolbase and BPi installed three BYD battery systems integrated with the ETB Controller energy management system at the winery. The deployment of the advanced energy storage system is designed to reduce demand charges, circumvent network limitations and optimize energy consumption under the region’s time-of-use (TOU) billing rates. The project also focuses on a 980 kWAC export limit imposed by…

Researchers in the US tested the degradation of antimony chalcogenide solar cells exposed to proton radiation. The result indicated robust tolerance and potential for use in space. December 3, 2025 Valerie Thompson Researchers from the University of Toledo and Auburn University in the US have assessed how well antimony chalcogenide-based solar cells can withstand levels of proton radiation at levels typically experienced by solar arrays in space orbit. Prior to the research, the team noted the potential to use this type of thin-film solar cell technology in future land and space photovoltaic applications. “Antimony chalcogenide-based solar cells have received much…

SP Electricity North West has started testing an “innovative” smart energy trading project designed to reduce renewable energy constraints. The BITraDER project is designed to introduce a bilateral energy trading market to allow “large connected customers” to trade their curtailment obligations – the order in which they are asked to curtail their production during times of high network demand. SP Electricity said the project would make it easier for renewable energy projects to connect to the grid and create new revenue opportunities for renewable energy producers. Participants can trade their position in the curtailment queue, which is usually led by…