Author: solarenergy

As Europe prepares to deploy 200 GWh of battery storage over the next five years, the discussion at the Battery Business & Development Forum 2026 will focus on how financing models are rapidly changing. Bankers, developers and stakeholders shared key pain points with the audience, as well as practical advice. March 31, 2026 Tristan Rayner By ESS news Finance took center stage at BBDF during a lively session discussing the range of financing options available for BESS projects. Mark van Zon, senior director at ABN AMRO, opened the session by introducing a wide range of financial concepts, such as floor…

A study of twenty solar farms in southern France found that soil biodiversity and respiration significantly decrease under panels, especially in mowed areas, while plant traits such as height and leaf area can increase under grazing. The researchers emphasized that climate, type of management and sun protection all determine the responses of the soil and plants. March 31, 2026 Lior Kahana A French research team has analyzed the impact of solar farms on the mesofauna, respiration and plant properties of the soil by collecting samples from twenty different parks in southern France. “This study has several new aspects,” said corresponding…

By Martin McConnell March 31, 2026 The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has approved the Kaawanui Solar and Energy Storage Project on Kaua’i, furthering the island’s efforts toward 100% renewable generation. Led by AES Hawaiithe Kaawanui solar energy The project includes a 43 MW solar array and four-hour battery storage capacity. In total, the battery can store up to 172 MWh of electricity for use during periods without solar power. David Bissell, president and CEO of the Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC)says once powered, the project would power the equivalent of 16,000 homes per year. That would account for 17.5%…

A solar power plant with a generation capacity of 99.9 MW has been submitted to the Melton Borough Council by Canadian independent power producer (IPP) Boralex.The 99.9MW solar power plant would be built on approximately 118 hectares of land near Melton Mowbray, in Leicestershire. This is the first planning application for a power station of more than 50 MW to be submitted to a local planning authority (LPA).At the end of 2024, the The government has published a revised national planning policy framework (NPPF). In addition to changing the wording in the document to give additional weight to proposals for…

Researchers in Brazil tested second-life polycrystalline PV modules for two years and found that they retained 87-88% of their original power, with minimal degradation and stable performance. Despite strong sustainability and circular economy benefits, economic incentives remain limited due to the falling costs and short warranties of new, state-of-the-art silicon PV modules. March 31, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Researchers from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) in Brazil have conducted two years of testing on polycrystalline solar panels deployed on their campus and found that they can still guarantee ‘stable’ behavior, with performance consistent with annual degradation rates of up…

Investors at the Battery Business & Development Forum (BBDF) 2026 pointed to continued confidence in the energy storage market, while warning that regulatory uncertainty, particularly around electricity rates in Germany, could impact project economics and investment decisions. March 31, 2026 Brian Publicover By ESS news European battery storage has matured, but remains dynamic and experiencing strong growth in all markets. That was one of the main conclusions of the opening session of the Battery Business Development Forum (BBDF) 2026 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Now in its second year, the two-day event welcomes more than 100 expert speakers and 28…

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has further driven up wholesale prices, which in itself will increase energy costs for businesses.According to a recent analysis by energy consultancy Cornwall Insight, depending on the sector and size of the organisation, electricity bills have risen by an average of 10-30% since the end of February.Gas prices are expected to rise even further, between 25% and 80%. Even the lower end of these forecasts could have a significant impact on small businesses, according to the energy consultancy.An average 12-month electricity contract for small commercial and industrial (C&I) businesses would cost £96,000 more…

For decades, the Arctic has been dismissed as a solar dead zone. Long winters, heavy snowfall and extreme cold seemed to rule out solar photovoltaics as a serious energy option for communities above the 60th parallel. A new report from the IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Program (Task 13) challenges this assumption, arguing that solar energy is not only viable in the Arctic, but is increasingly important to the region’s energy security. The 77-page report, titled “Photovoltaics and energy security in the greater Arctic“ and written by researchers from the US, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, comes at a time…

UNSW researchers developed a chemically selective, nitrate-based, single-sided accelerated aging method for TOPCon solar cells that replicates the mildly acidic environment in EVA-encapsulated modules. The proposed approach enables rapid, physically meaningful screening of front-end metallization stability, reliably predicting module-level degradation and reducing development time and costs, according to its creators. March 31, 2026 Emiliano Bellini A research team from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has developed a new accelerated cell-level aging method for TOPCon solar technologies. “Conventional solution-based accelerated tests such as acetic acid soak impose chemically unrealistic conditions and often fail to reproduce degradation trends at the…

Italian energy regulator ARERA has approved a proposal from the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security to target 16 GWh of storage capacity in the 2029 MACSE auction, while urging caution on final volumes to reflect existing pipeline capacity. March 31, 2026 Sergio Matalucci By ESS news Italian energy regulator ARERA has issued a favorable opinion to the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security on grid operator Terna’s proposal to set a target of 16 GWh for the MACSE storage capacity auction for 2029. While ARERA endorses the general approach of the transmission system operator, ARERA has nevertheless emphasized the…