Author: solarenergy
A team of materials scientists has developed a bio-based carbon airgel, derived from chitin, that improves thermal energy storage in shape-stabilized phase-change materials while addressing leakage during melting. Phase change materials store and release heat as they melt and solidify, so they are used in building temperature control, solar thermal storage and electronic thermal management. Many organic phase change materials leak when they melt, which shortens their service life and limits their practical application. In the study published in Sustainable Carbon Materials, researchers converted chitin, a natural polymer found in crustaceans and fungi, into an ultra-light airgel and then carbonized…
The total number of UK PV installations supported by Contracts for Difference (CfD) could more than double by 2026 if developers meet deadlines. The contracting company’s latest investment report shows that solar energy has the largest number of contracts of any generation technology. December 31, 2025 Matthew Lynas The UK’s largest PV installation to date, Cleve Hill, was commissioned in 2025 and has a CfD contract. Image: Quinbrook A record number of UK solar power plants, backed by CfDs, are due to come online in 2026 as contract deadlines kick in following a tender process that saw PV win more…
Outdoor retailer REI Cooperative has announced that it has taken further steps to reduce its impact on the planet. In 2025, REI partnered with several companies to accelerate the development of renewable energy. The company is supporting a 2.5 MW community solar project in Woodbury, Minnesota, developed by American solar energy. The project will reserve 500 spots for low- to moderate-income households to subscribe to renewable energy and add clean power to the grid near REI’s Bloomington store. REI too connected a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) with Carhartt and other outdoor partners to develop an 18.5 MW solar portfolio…
Scientists have developed a floating digital PV twin system, trained on data from 155 physical experiments, using a dual artificial neural network (ANN) with a high-fidelity model and a lower-order model. The predictive performance achieved R2 values of 0.9996 for PV surface temperature and 0.9189 for output power. December 31, 2025 Lior Kahana A research team led by scientists from Britain’s Cranfield University has developed an AI-powered digital twin framework for FPV systems. The system uses a physical FPV twin deployed on a water surface, with sensors transmitting data to the cloud and ultimately to the digital version of the…
Waaree Energies exceeded 20 GW of approved solar panel manufacturing capacity after adding the Chikhli plant to the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s (MNRE) Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), strengthening domestic supply for utility-scale projects. December 31, 2025 Uma Gupta By pv magazine India Waaree Energies’ Chikhli facility in the Indian state of Gujarat has been added to the MNRE’s ALMM with an approved capacity of 16,444 GW. The listing brings Waaree’s total solar panel manufacturing capacity in India to 20.17 GW, including Indosolar capacity. The updated ALMM entry includes high-efficiency module lines produced in Chikhli,…
Scientists have simulated a residential building based on a real two-storey house in the UK, combining rooftop agrivoltaic energy with on-site hydrogen production. The electricity generated by the solar system is used to produce hydrogen, which is then supplied to a hydrogen vehicle and insulated gasochrome smart windows. December 30, 2025 Lior Kahana A research group at the University of Exeter investigated a modular agricultural voltaic-powered hydrogen production concept for households. Agrivoltaic solar panels on the roof power an electrolyzer that produces hydrogen for hydrogen vehicles and for insulated gasochrome smart windows. The windows are a form of thermally insulating…
Kit Carson Electric Cooperative will collaborate Nuvve Holding Corp. to establish two battery projects in New Mexico. Nuvve will deploy two four-hour, 5 MW battery systems to limit peak loads, provide grid resiliency and market participation through the Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) through Guzman Energy and the PNM Balancing Authority Area. Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC) will use this battery-as-a-system model to access critical grid infrastructure without upfront capital investments, while transferring ownership, financing, operations, maintenance, expansion and performance responsibilities to Nuvve. The systems will be configured with grid-forming and black-start capabilities, supporting the operation of microgrids during power…
While resiliency remains a key driver for homeowners to adopt home battery storage, it is not as high on the priority list for most customers as many installers think. December 30, 2025 Phoebe Skok By ESS news Backup, backup, backup: that’s the buzzword of residential storage installers, but not necessarily of homeowners looking to add a battery. Resilience, rather than cost savings per kilowatt hour, is increasingly cited by battery companies as one of the top reasons for installing residential storage. “There is a need for less emphasis on cost per kilowatt hour and cost per hour of backup,” explains…
Researchers in Japan have developed an effective PET faceplate encapsulation for copper-indium-gallium-diselenide mini-modules. The laboratory devices passed the moist heat tests and retained approximately 97% of initial efficiency after 3,600 hours. December 30, 2025 Valerie Thompson Researchers from Ritsumeikan University in Japan have tested a new type of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) cover sheet and related encapsulation methods to improve the durability of copper-indium gallium diselenide (CIGSe) mini solar modules. They found that such devices exposed to moist heat tests for 3,600 hours retained about 97% of their initial efficiency. The research is part of an ongoing effort towards robust and…
The 60 MW/600 MWh storage project is co-located with a 250 MW photovoltaic facility, allowing for a high level of green energy self-sufficiency. December 30, 2025 Marija Maisch By ESS news In a major milestone in long-term energy storage, China has activated the world’s largest liquid air energy storage facility, known as the Super Air Power Bank. The facility was built by the China Green Development Investment Group (CGDI) in collaboration with the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIPC-CAS) and is located in the Gobi Desert near Golmud city, Qinghai province. The plant…