Author: solarenergy

Battery energy storage system (BESS) developer Fidra Energy has acquired a gigawatt-scale BESS from Innova.At 1,025 MW, the Enderby BESS is one of the largest such projects in Britain, just behind another Fidra project, the 1.4GW/3.1GWh Thorpe Marsh BESS. The Edinburgh-headquartered company will develop the Enderby site in Leicestershire Innova received a building permit in May 2025 (at that time the capacity was slightly lower, 908 MW). The project is eligible to participate in the UK cap-and-floor program for long-term energy storage (LDES), with results expected in the summer of this year.The acquisition, the value of which was not disclosed…

Scottish tidal energy company Nova Innovation has commissioned a 400 kW floating solar PV project at Bathgate Silica Sand’s North Arclid quarry in Cheshire, England. The floating solar array consists of 650 PV modules installed on North Arclid Lake and is designed to directly supply electricity to the quarry’s operations, reducing energy costs and emissions. Nova delivered the project under an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract awarded in December, with first power delivered in May. The project was developed in collaboration with engineering firm RSK. “The array is already reducing our customers’ energy bills. It clearly demonstrates what floating…

As concerns about cybersecurity and energy security increasingly shape renewable energy policies worldwide, India is facing a growing debate over its dependence on imported solar inverters, especially those from China. According to the latest report from JMK Research & Analytics, over 27.5 GW of inverter shipments were recorded in India in the first quarter of 2026 by 19 suppliers of both central and string inverters. In the central inverter segment, Chinese manufacturers held a dominant share, with Sungrow, Sineng Electric and Hopewind accounting for nearly 85.5% of total shipments. In the string inverter segment, Sungrow, Sineng Electric and TBEA together…

British solar developer Aura Power has secured project financing for its Preston Hill Solar Farm in Staffordshire, advancing its pipeline to build and operate 600 MWp of solar energy in Britain. The financing package includes senior debt from Rabobank, bringing the number of Aura Power projects with guaranteed construction financing to six. Construction is expected to begin later this year. Once commissioned, the project is expected to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 14,000 UK homes annually. Burges Salmon’s Banking and Finance team acted as legal advisor for the financing. “Achieving our sixth funded project is…

Mexico’s distributed solar power generation reached an installed capacity of 5,164.98 MW for 600,368 applications by the end of 2025. updated figures of the country’s National Energy Commission (CNE). Total distributed generation from interconnected power plants smaller than 0.7 MW reached 5,189.71 MW across 600,651 applications processed, CNE data said, meaning solar represents more than 99.5% of the total. The estimated investment associated with the solar systems is $13.217 billion, based on a capital expenditure of $2,559/kW. The total estimated investment for all distributed generation technologies is $13.336 billion. CNE’s figures, which cover the period 2007 to 2025, show that…

The UK’s seventh carbon budget target has been confirmed: an 87% reduction in CO2 emissions between 2038 and 2042.The government has committed to reducing carbon emissions reduction proposed by the Climate Change Commission early last yeara doubling of the net zero focus. The budget level was chosen, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said, because: Pacing is “the best choice” to reduce exposure to fossil fuel price shocks; it maximizes the benefits of clean energy; and it is in accordance with the Paris Agreement.This comes as a report commissioned by CBI Economics’ Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit…

According to the price observatory of the French startup Storio Energy, the French electricity market recorded a negative spot price of -€498/MWh on May 1. The record low was recorded at 1:00 PM and was followed by -€471/MWh at 2:00 PM. This is attributed to low consumption associated with the holiday, combined with reduced flexibility in the nuclear fleet, a phenomenon also observed in April. For comparison: the lowest price on May 1, 2025 was -€118/MWh. The difference between the most expensive hour and the cheapest hour in France reached €141/MWh in May, a level unprecedented during the month. According…

By Brad Kramer June 3, 2026 Since Congress passed the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) last summer, the solar industry has been focused on looming deadlines to meet requirements for expiring tax credits. An important part of that process is safely storing materials and supplies for upcoming projects. In this episode of Power Forward! Solar Builder editor Brad Kramer speaks with Travis Walker, director of business development at BayWa re, who explains everything solar installers need to know about safe harbor programs in 2026. 00:50 Safe harbor overview and upcoming deadlines 02:05 What if you miss the deadline?…

The UK government has published draft rules for projects hoping to apply for the eighth allocation round (AR8) of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) programme.Minister of Energy in March this year Ed Miliband announced that AR8 would open in July, is running on a timeline that has accelerated in response to the conflict in the Middle East. The application window will open on July 20, 2026, with the budget not due to be published until September at the earliest, according to an indicative timeline for the auction confirmed this week. The allocation framework for AR8 sets new rules that this…

Water technology specialist Ecolab plans to invest €100 million ($116.5 million) in two major industrial projects in France that have been identified by the government as of strategic importance. The company is investing in the proposed HoloSolis factory, a giant photovoltaic cell and module factory in the Europôle industrial zone in Hambach, northeastern France. The facility is expected to be able to produce up to 10 million solar panels annually and support the development of a European solar energy production sector. Ecolab is also investing in GravitHy, a project that aims to produce 2 million tons of low-carbon iron annually…