Author: solarenergy

The Australian scientists designed the cell with a sodium sulfide additive to achieve a uniform distribution of sulfur and selenium, improving charge transport.This controlled elemental layering reduces energy barriers and defects, enabling a certified efficiency of 10.7%. January 20, 2026 David Caroll By pv magazine Australia University of New South Wales (UNSW) engineers have improved the performance of solar cells made from antimony chalcogenide (Sb2(S,Se)3), achieving a champion power conversion efficiency of 11.02% in the laboratory and a certified efficiency of 10.7%. Due to its optoelectronic properties, high absorption coefficient, material availability, and ability to be deposited at low temperatures,…

Silver prices hit a record high of $94.73/oz on January 19. Silver analyst Philip Newman explains pv magazine the metal could soon surpass $100/oz, increasing pressure on PV module manufacturers to reduce silver use. January 20, 2026 Emiliano Bellini The price of silver continues to rise, reaching an all-time high of $94.73 per ounce (oz) yesterday. For comparison, the average silver price in 2024 was $28.27 per ounce. “I think we could soon cross the $100 threshold,” said Philip Newman, director of British market research firm Metals Focus. pv magazine. “If the prices are this close, it seems very likely.”…

France-based IT services provider Cyllene has developed the RC-DC4/5G “Cyllene Box”, a networking device for PV power plants that manages multiple internet connections, encrypts data and supports compliance with the European Union Network and Information Security Directive (NIS 2). January 20, 2026 Gwénaëlle Deboutte By pv magazine France Cyllene has developed the RC-DC4/5G box, a device that can manage multiple Internet connections while encrypting data and facilitating compliance with the European Union’s Network and Information Security Directive (NIS 2). Recent warnings from the European Solar Market Council and SolarPower Europe have highlighted a growing concern: the cybersecurity of PV installations.…

Environmental groups are backing a coalition of renewable energy industry groups challenging the Trump administration’s actions preventing federal permits for wind and solar projects. The lawsuitfiled in December against the Department of the Interior by eight renewable energy groups, including Renew Northeastchallenges six actions by the Trump administration that unlawfully punish wind and solar energy development while elevating the fossil fuel industry. Today, environmental groups – Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Conservation Law Foundation, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental League of Massachusetts, Environmental Protection Information Center, National Wildlife Federation, New York League of Conservation Voters, and…

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) has reported a material breakthrough that brings all oxide-based batteries closer to commercial use. The work focuses on the high costs and manufacturing challenges of solid garnet-type electrolytes, a key component in next-generation non-flammable lithium batteries designed to eliminate fire and explosion risks. All solid-state batteries replace conventional flammable liquid electrolytes with solid electrolytes, improving intrinsic safety in applications such as electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage systems. Oxide-based systems have attracted interest because they provide high energy density and avoid the toxic gas generation problems associated with sulfide-based solid electrolytes.…

China-based metallization paste supplier DK Electronic Materials says a major unnamed customer has used its high-copper content metallization paste to produce gigawatt-scale solar cells, combining copper paste with a seeded silver paste compatible with n-type and tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) 3.0 processes. January 20, 2026 Vincent Shaw Silver paste from DKEM Image: Solamet In a recent note to investors, DK Electronic Materials (DKEM) said its high-copper metallization paste had achieved a gigawatt-scale production target at an undisclosed ‘strategic customer’, with the customer now moving to deploy the material across increased production capacity. DKEM’s unveiling comes as PV manufacturers and…

As demand for data centers increases and home batteries evolve from backup power to grid assets, Marco Krapels, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer at Enphase Energy, says the industry must shift from “saving with solar” to “get Enphase, get paid.” January 20, 2026 Tristan Rayner By ESS news At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Marco Krapels, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer at Enphase Energy, stood alongside ESS news for Enphase’s new bi-directional EV charger to discuss the topic of distributed energy generation and data centers, the “sleeping giant” of EVs, and why finance can support confidence in the flexibility of…

By Brad Kramer January 19, 2026 This edition of Projects Weekly highlights a slew of financial deals in the solar industry, including Aspen Power’s $200 million strategic capital commitment from Deutsche Bank, Summit Ridge Energy securing $290 million with MUFG, and Renewable Properties adding $40 million from AB CarVal. In addition, Origis Energy and Meta have partnered on a landmark project in Texas, Swift Current Energy executed the sale of Prospect Power to Elevate, and PowerBank is building a 5 MW solar DG and BESS project in New York. To wrap things up, we present Altus Power’s acquisition of 105…

The copper operation at Utah’s Kennecott mine is now supported by a new 25 MW solar project. Rio Tinto also installed a 5 MW solar project at the site in 2023. A copper telluride filter cake – the final product – at the Kennecott Tellurium Plant. Credit: Rio Tinto Construction of the 25 MW plant began in October 2024 in collaboration with Bechtel, and the project was energized in December 2025. The new solar array includes more than 71,000 panels containing tellurium, a crucial mineral for solar technology, produced in Kennecott. Kennecott began producing tellurium as a byproduct of copper…

United Solar Holding has secured more than $900 million to complete the financing needed for its 100,000-ton polysilicon production facility in Oman. Production is expected to begin in the first quarter of this year. January 20, 2026 Patrick Jowett Omani solar manufacturing company United Solar Holding says it has secured more than $900 million in debt financing to complete the financing needed for its $1.6 billion polysilicon production facility in Oman. The factory, which will be located in Oman’s Sohar Freezone, will be the Middle East’s largest polysilicon factory, capable of supporting the production of up to 40 GW of…