Author: solarenergy

A new 218 kW solar array powers the Deerfield plant Easterseals Capital Region and Eastern Connecticut. The project, which included solar and lighting upgrades, was funded through the Green Bank’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program. Oxford, Connecticut-based Facility Solutions Group installed the system. “We are so grateful to the Connecticut Green Bank for a partnership that has enabled Easterseals to upgrade our facility with solar energy and smart lighting, allowing us to operate more efficiently and sustainably,” said Robin Sharp, president and CEO of Easterseals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut. “And the best part is that the savings…

By pv magazine Brazil MP 1.304, introduced by the Federal Government of Brazil, has once again highlighted the dilemmas facing Brazil’s electricity sector: how to balance tariffs, subsidies and investments without jeopardizing regulatory stability. The bill creates a Resource Complement Charge (ECR), a mechanism that is triggered if the CDE spending limit is exceeded. Although MP 1.304 does not repeal Act 14,300 – which established the legal framework for distributed generation – industry insiders have warned that this could pose risks for DG operators. At the same time, however, the new regulations could provide an opportunity to discuss issues such…

The International Energy Agency (IEA) says capital costs for solar energy remain higher in Southeast Asian countries than in other emerging and developing economies. October 9, 2025 Patrick Jowett Reducing capital costs is key to unlocking further solar energy investment in Southeast Asia, according to analysis from the IEA. The cost of capital represents the minimum return that equity investors and bondholders require to invest in a project, with a higher percentage indicating that an investor will demand a higher return due to actual and perceived risks, making projects more expensive to finance. The latest update from the IEA Observatory…

Solar farms poised to protect Britain’s bumblebees if managed for biodiversity Solar farms in Britain could serve as important refuges for bumblebees, according to new research led by Lancaster University in collaboration with the UK Center for Ecology and Hydrology and the University of Reading. However, the benefits are largely limited to the sites themselves. In field studies, the management approach was the dominant driving force behind bee numbers within solar farms. Sites with wildflower edges supported many more bumblebees than those maintained as turf. Modeling shows that bee abundance in solar farms could more than double, with an increase…

Earlier this year, the Lithuanian Ministry of Energy called for at least 800 MWh of energy storage, but ultimately approved support for five times that capacity. October 9, 2025 Marija Maisch By ESS news Amid overwhelming interest in purchasing energy storage earlier this year, the Lithuanian Ministry of Energy approved additional financing of €45 million to support the development of high-capacity electricity storage facilities. This new call for proposals will support new projects submitted by legal entities, as well as projects not selected for funding under the previous Call of €102 millionwhich closed in June. Applicants on the reserve list…

Scottish ministers have approved plans for a 342MW transmission-linked battery energy storage (BESS) system in South Lanarkshire.The Red Moss BESS project was submitted to the Scottish Energy Consents Unit (ECU) by Qair UK, previously known as Green Switch Capital. It is the company’s first Section 36 consent.Qair Group acquired a majority stake in Green Switch Capital in August 2024 and renamed the British renewable energy developer Qair UK.The approved site will include 148 battery storage units and the construction of a new 132 kV substation, the Redshaw Substation. The location of the 342MW Red Moss BESS in South Lanarkshire will…

DHL Freight Sweden and Denmark-based Green Energy Group have announced a nationwide one-year pilot in Sweden to test the use of vehicle-integrated PV with a fleet of biofuel-powered transport trucks. October 9, 2025 Valerie Thompson To measure how solar energy improves the efficiency of biofuels, Danish startup Green Energy Group is supplying its vehicle-integrated PV systems (VIPV) to DHL Freight Sweden for use in ten vehicles in a twelve-month pilot project. Based in Sweden, the project includes ten vehicles from Scania and Volvo, powered by hydrogen-treated vegetable oil (HVO) and liquefied biogas (LBG). Four of the HVO and four of…

For its 2026 budget, the Irish government will allocate a record €558 million ($648.1 million) to grants for energy upgrades for homes and communities, including the popular micro-generation scheme for residential PV, and extend the €400 income tax exemption for micro-generation profits until 2028 to help reduce energy bills. October 9, 2025 Blathnaid O’Dea The total fund committed to sustainable energy in Ireland’s 2026 National Budget Plan is almost €1.1 billion. The plan was published on October 7 and includes a significant portion for the country’s solar energy sector. Ireland’s 2026 Budget has earmarked €558 million for home and community…

Quality assurance laboratory Intertek expands acquisition of Clean Energy Associates (CEA) in 2022, rebranding the consultancy as Intertek CEA. Intertek CEA provides technical and consultancy services in the solar energy and energy storage sectors. The company’s experts are uniquely positioned to help customers navigate the complex and ever-changing clean energy landscape, and mitigate quality, safety and investment risks by addressing the dynamics in supply chains, factories, diverse markets and workplaces. Intertek CEA has supported projects in more than 85 countries and is a trusted partner to some of the world’s leading clean energy developers, owners and financiers. Intertek CEA’s end-to-end…

As silver prices approach $50 per ounce, researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) say pv magazine that efforts to reduce silver use in solar cells will not compromise the quality of the modules if they are designed properly. October 9, 2025 Emiliano Bellini Silver traded around $49 an ounce on Thursday, compared to around $44 in the last week of September. The price increase and the possible crossing of the $50 threshold in the coming weeks or months are prompting the PV industry to intensify efforts to…