Author: solarenergy
Researchers in Finland found that dish soap reduces the permeability and performance of solar panels, leaving residue even after rinsing. They recommend avoiding its use for cleaning solar panels. March 30, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Researchers from the University of Turku in Finland investigated whether household cleaners can be used to clean solar panels, finding that most – including glass cleaner and isopropanol – are suitable and do not affect the light transmission of module glass. Dish soap was the exception, as it was found to alter the optical properties of anti-reflective (AR) coated solar panel glass. The scientists noted that…
The UK government is proposing tougher cyber security rules for the electricity and gas sectors, following recent attacks on Europe’s energy infrastructure, including a recent incident involving solar power plants in Poland. The plans would extend basic cybersecurity requirements to all licensed energy organizations and could also adjust compliance thresholds under the NIS regulations. March 30, 2026 Matthew Lynas The UK government is advising on changes to cyber security regulations affecting the energy sector. Image: pv magazine/AI generated The UK government is looking to tighten cyber security rules for its electricity and gas sectors, following recent attacks on energy infrastructure…
The DUB20 data center campus in County Wicklow, due for completion in 2028, will feature battery energy storage and solar PV installations capable of generating 6,000 MWh annually. It will be Ireland’s first green energy farm, being delivered as part of the Major Energy Users Action Plan (LEAP). March 30, 2026 Blathnaid O’Dea Irish data center developer Echelon has started construction of a data center alongside a large-scale renewable energy infrastructure, including solar PV systems and battery energy storage. Echelon’s DUB20 data center campus will be Ireland’s first Green Energy Park (GEP) and represents a major milestone in the implementation…
Researchers in Singapore have developed fully vacuum-processed ultra-thin perovskite solar cells with absorber layers as thin as 10 nm, achieving high transparency and stable efficiency up to 12%. These cells balance optical transparency and electrical performance, providing scalable, design-flexible solar photovoltaics suitable for seamless integration into buildings. March 30, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore have developed ultra-thin perovskite solar cells with absorber layers as thin as just tens of nanometers. The research work addresses a key challenge in the development of transparent solar photovoltaics: balancing optical transparency with electrical performance without sacrificing scalability or…
SOSV-backed Qnetic aims to raise $20 million by 2026. Over the next two years, it will work with the National Lab of the Rockies and other partners on field testing and validating its technology for multiple use cases. March 30, 2026 Blathnaid O’Dea By ESS news After a lucrative 2025, New York-based flywheel energy storage systems (FESS) startup Qnetic is equipping a factory in Sacramento, California, where it will begin producing its Q500 solid-state mechanical battery in small volumes. The Q500 is Qnetic’s alpha prototype, CEO Michael Pratt confirms ESS news. “The base specification of the Q500 is 500 kWh,…
Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), together with partners from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, have investigated why perovskites in tandem solar cells lose their performance under temperature changes. Two recently published papers show, on the one hand, how rapid temperature cycles affect crystal structure, and on the other hand, which organic molecules can stabilize perovskite structures. The first study focuses on perovskites as commonly used in perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. The researchers used cells with an efficiency of 24.31%. The temperature was varied at…
The International Finance Corporation is providing an A-loan to Malaysian polysilicon producer OCI TerraSus that will partially finance the development of a semiconductor-grade polysilicon manufacturing facility in Sarawak, Borneo. March 30, 2026 Patrick Jowett The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is lending up to $125 million for a semiconductor-grade polysilicon manufacturing facility in Malaysia. The loan is provided to OCI TerraSus Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Korean polysilicon producer OCIfor its polysilicon plant under development through a joint venture with Japanese chemical company Tokuyama Corporation. Construction of the facility, located in the Samalaju Industrial Park in Sarawak, Borneo, started last July.…
Multi-year field trials in Italy show that agrivoltaic systems can support healthy potato yields without major losses. Strategic sun protection and dynamic light management during critical growth phases proved to be the key to maintaining productivity. March 30, 2026 Lior Kahana A research team led by Italy’s Catholic University of the Sacred Heart has completed a four-year field experiment on potato cultivation under agrivoltaic (APV) systems. The study analyzed how potato yields and traits respond to different shade patterns. “The potato crop, despite its global importance, is relatively underrepresented in agrivoltaic research, with only a handful of studies available,” the…
IPP Matrix Renewables is working with energy company EDF to optimize its 500MW/1,000MWh Eccles BESS in Scotland. EDF will provide route-to-market (RTM) services and optimization for the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project once it becomes operational. Commercial operations are expected to commence in summer 2027 and will be Matrix’s first standalone BESS in the UK, headquartered in Madrid. Matrix has acquired Eccles and another Scotland BESS of identical size, named Kilmarnock, in April 2025. It then has appointed Tesla as a BESS and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) supplier. for the Eccles project in December. Matrix said it is…
Bosa Energy in Hubei, China, has launched sodium ion cells for stationary energy storage, with a volumetric energy density of 206 Wh/L March 30, 2026 Tristan Rayner By ESS news Hubei-based Bosa Energy has announced the launch of 175Ah sodium-ion cells, and while it’s not one of the battery giants on the market, it’s a further sign that sodium-ion is developing to complement lithium-ion based battery solutions. Bosa Energy operates four manufacturing bases covering approximately 500,000 m2 in China, and the company says its new sodium-ion battery cell is “identical in size to the 314 Ah cell,” requiring no modifications…