Author: solarenergy
In a new weekly update for pv magazineSolcast, a DNV company, reports that southern and western China enjoyed above-average insolation in September, while eastern parts of the country experienced wetter conditions. October 24, 2025 Solcast In September, a notable shift in solar radiation patterns was observed across East and Southeast Asia, with a clear split in outcomes across China and emerging La Niña signals in the tropics. In eastern China and the Yellow Sea Basin, which have experienced above-average insolation year-round so far, conditions finally turned cloudy and wet, while the southern and western parts of the country remained sunnier…
The solar shingle game in the United States has always been an uphill battle – even “frontrunners” CertainTeed, GAF Energy and Tesla would probably agree. But New York-based SunTegra has carved out a niche for itself in the luxury residential market and has managed to run a successful business over the past decade, navigating Chinese tariffs, a pandemic and scaling up domestic production of a non-traditional solar product. Now SunTegra CEO Oliver Koehler is pulling the plug on his passion project, calling the events of the past year the final straw. Suntegra solar tiles “If you don’t have access to…
Bacteria breakthrough points to new path for battery self-recycling Scientists at Boston College have identified a previously unknown bacterium that thrives by feeding on waste from used batteries, suggesting a potential new path toward self-sustaining recycling systems for critical materials. The discovery could help reduce dependence on energy-intensive manufacturing and mining for essential metals used in electronics and renewable energy technologies. The bacterium was isolated by a multidisciplinary team investigating microbial metabolism in environments rich in battery discharge products. Their research showed that this organism not only processes the metal ions left in used battery cells, but metabolically, converting them…
South Korea has announced plans to introduce legislation next year to expand the deployment of agrivoltaics, allowing wider use of solar panels on agricultural land. October 24, 2025 Patrick Jowett Image: South Korean Ministry of Agriculture South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to introduce a law that will provide the legal basis for the deployment of agrivoltaic energy. Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung met with farmers and solar companies this week to discuss the upcoming agrivoltaic legislation. Song said the law is expected to be drafted this year and issued in the first half of next year.…
Despite recoil from minority shareholders, Hanwha now has a majority stake in REC Silicon. The majority share was acquired in early September by Anchor ASa Norwegian company that includes Hanwha Solutions and Hanwha Corp. represents. Hanwha acquired all outstanding shares in REC Silicon at the offer price of NOK 2.2 (US$0.21) per share. This puts a temporary peg in the ongoing saga involving REC Silicon, formerly one of the world’s largest polysilicon producers. The Norwegian company operated a solar polysilicon plant in Moses Lake, Washington, before market events forced its closure in 2018. In 2022, Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group became…
Europe opts for solar energy and energy autonomy A recently published study highlights Europe’s move towards solar energy and a decentralized electricity grid, emphasizing less dependence on imports. The research, conducted by ETH Zurich, the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and the Research Institute for Sustainability, introduces an approach that integrates citizens’ preferences into energy system planning in addition to technical and economic data. Decision-making experiments in four European countries provided data for the study. By integrating preference data with existing energy system models, researchers predict which energy configurations people in Europe might choose. Tim Trondle of ETH Zurich explained that while…
The transition to clean energy is changing economies, societies and the very idea of work. But as the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reminds us in its 2025 report Renewable energy: a gender perspective (Second edition)progress towards equality remains uneven. The sector is growing rapidly, but not everyone is keeping up. Women now hold 32% of full-time jobs in renewables, compared to 23% in fossil fuels. Encouraging, but still below the global occupational average of 43%. More worryingly, this figure has remained unchanged since the first edition of the report in 2019. Six years later, the share of women in…
Wholesale of foodstuffs United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) has completed the eighth and largest installation of rooftop solar panels at its distribution center in Riverside, California. The 6.7 MW array is expected to generate approximately 80% of the site’s electricity needs. “Our on-site sustainable energy projects, especially our solar panels, are one of our key strategies to achieve our climate goals and support operational resilience,” said Kevin Alavi, Director of Sustainable Operations at UNFI. “This project reflects our broader approach to impact: delivering strong business value while reducing emissions. It also highlights the dedication of our internal teams who continually…
Japan’s SoftBank Corp. has launched a four-year program, supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), to develop high-density batteries and high-efficiency solar cells for high-altitude platform aircraft. October 24, 2025 Valerie Thompson Japanese telecom company SoftBank Corp, part of the SoftBank Group, has announced a new four-year project focusing on high-energy density battery technology and high-efficiency solar cells for high-altitude long-duration platform station aircraft (HAPS). The project partners are the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), battery energy storage technology specialist Enax, and solar panel manufacturer Choshu Industry. The research aims to reduce…
New X-ray technique preserves the chemistry of lithium-metal batteries for precise evaluation Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new method that allows scientists to analyze lithium metal batteries without changing their chemical composition. The team integrated a flash freezing step into the established X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy technique, allowing the analysis of battery anodes at cryogenic temperatures and avoiding unwanted chemical reactions caused by conventional measurements at room temperature. The new approach, known as cryo XPS, addresses a long-standing problem in battery research: the observer effect. Conventional methods for examining battery electrodes can alter the protective layer that forms on…