Author: solarenergy

Free-On-Board (FOB) Chinese M10, 210R and G12 wafer prices remained stable at $0.138/pc, $0.147/pc and $0.169/pc respectively, unchanged from the previous week, according to the OPIS Global Solar Markets Report published on June 13. The fundamentals of the wafer market continue to mirror those of the polysilicon sector, with bearish sentiment, weak demand and continued inventory accumulation remaining the dominant themes according to market participants. Based on manufacturers’ production schedules, industry sources estimate that wafer production was close to 50 GW in May and could rise further to around 55 GW in June. One market participant noted that the increase…

For much of the past two years, the European solar industry has been shaped by a very specific market condition: an abundant oversupply of modules. Global manufacturing expansion, combined with weaker-than-expected demand in certain regions, led to a sustained period of supply consistently exceeding demand. The result was predictable and very beneficial for buyers. Warehouses filled up, spot prices fell almost continuously, and purchasing strategies across Europe began to focus on a single assumption: waiting would almost always lead to better prices. That logic became embedded not only in trading behavior, but also in project planning. Developers postponed purchasing decisions,…

The Silicon Industry Department of the China Non-ferrous Metals Industry Association (CNMIA) reported on June 18 that polysilicon prices fell for the third week in a row. N-type rechargeable polysilicon traded at CNY32,000–34,000 ($4,402–$4,677) per ton, with an average of CNY33,400 ($4,594), down 1.47% week-on-week. N-type granular silicon traded at CNY32,000–33,500 ($4,402–$4,608) per tonne, with an average of CNY33,000 ($4,539), down 1.49%. The association attributed the decline to ongoing inventory pressure and the restart and ramp-up of production by some producers in June, which has reinforced expectations of rising supply and prompted some polysilicon makers to cut prices to reduce…

By Martin McConnell June 19, 2026 Community solar energy supplier Nexamp and solar and storage developer TurningPoint Energy have cut the ribbon on two community solar projects in Minonk, Illinois. The project is located in Woodford County in central Illinois and currently sits on top of former coal mining land, officials say. With a combined capacity of 9.8 MWdc and nearly 17,000 solar panels spread over 40 hectares, the projects aim to “transform fossil fuel heritage land into a long-term source of clean, reliable energy for residents, businesses and institutions in the area.” “The fact that we stand on this…

Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) owner-operator Zenobē has achieved financial close for its 200MW/800Mh Coalburn project in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.The four-hour Coalburn BESS was approved last April. The financing comes from a group of international lenders, including Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW), ABN Amro, Mizuho and Siemens Financial Services. All financiers were also participants Zenobē’s 400MW battery project in Eccles.Canadian Solar’s e-STORAGE energy storage unit will supply the battery systems and Omexom will balance the plant operations. Zenobē signed one 15-year toll agreement with Drax for the project at the beginning of the year. The Coalburn BESS is the first four-hour UK…

The energy transition has never been purely a technological challenge. As our industries grow and become more interconnected, many of the barriers we face today are no longer purely technical, but human. At the same time, leaders are dealing with accelerating change, growing complexity and the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into organizations. Success increasingly depends on our ability to collaborate across disciplines, generations and areas of expertise. Yet many leadership models have been built for a more predictable world. The challenge is becoming increasingly clear: you cannot lead tomorrow with yesterday’s playbook. When technical excellence is no longer enough…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced an investment package at the G7 summit, including £1.3 billion to support the UK’s energy storage.More than £300 million comes from Atri Energy Transition, an India-based company focused on the deployment of long-term energy storage (LDES). Investments have been made before £12.5 million to Invinity Energy Systems, which develops non-lithium LDES projects, and has contributed to a funding round for flow battery startup Quino Energy. Atri’s contribution will finance the development of large-scale battery storage and advanced manufacturing, the government said.A £1 billion investment from French infrastructure investor InfraVia Capital Partners is aimed…

Nexamp and TurningPoint Energy have commissioned two community solar projects in Minonk, Illinois, on a reclaimed former coal mine in Woodford County. The two Minonk community solar projects have a combined capacity of 9.8 MW over approximately 40 acres, sending energy directly to the ComEd grid. The projects are built over a former mine that extracted from the Colchester Coal Seam for around 75 years in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They are certified brownfield sites under the Illinois Shines program, which earns credits for returning previously disturbed land to productive use. They also represent the first solar…

On May 19, 2026, the Massachusetts Dept. of Public Utilities (DPU) has approved a complete redesign of the Commonwealth’s primary solar incentive program, Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART), changing how solar projects will be financed, how much ratepayers will pay and how quickly new solar capacity can come online. Solar developers, taxpayers and clean energy observers should all pay attention. What has changed? The DPU has approved two updated model tariffs without change: (i) a revised SMART 2.0 provision and (ii) a new SMART 3.0 provision. SMART 3.0 is the bigger story because it makes fundamental changes to the way…

By Martin McConnell June 17, 2026 The city of Santa Barbara, California has a new EV fast charging station, courtesy of Volkswagen subsidiary and charging solutions company Make America electric. Located on the site of a former one Greyhound bus station in downtown Santa Barbara, the charging station has a series of 20 “hyper-fast” chargers, capable of delivering a power of 350 kW. At peak performance, that could provide up to 20 miles of driving range for EVs per minute, provided those EVs accept high-power charging options. In addition, the charging station includes a 1.9 MW battery energy storage system…