Author: solarenergy
Portugal’s first heat-as-a-service agreement combines a 7 MW solar power plant and a 100 MWh thermal battery to provide continuous, emission-free steam for industrial use, according to Rondo Energy and Energias de Portugal (EDP). November 4, 2025 Pilar Sanchez Molina By pv magazine Spain Central de Cervejas e Bebidas, the brewery and malting plant of the Heineken Group in Portugal, has signed an agreement with American manufacturer Rondo Energy and Portuguese utility EDP to install a 100 MWh thermal battery at its Lisbon plant. The companies said the system will be one of the largest thermal batteries in the global…
Researchers from Fraunhofer ISE tested different types of heat pumps in existing buildings across Germany for four years, finding that the systems achieved seasonal performance factors between 2.6 and 5.4. The team also showed that PV-powered heat pumps can increase self-consumption, especially when combined with battery storage. November 4, 2025 Emiliano Bellini Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) this week presented the results of a four-year study into the performance of various heat pump systems installed in existing residential buildings across the country. In total, the institute’s researchers analyzed 77 commercially available heat pumps operating in one-…
Belgian grid operator Fluvius says complaints about inverters have fallen by more than half since 2023, while solar panel connections rose 8.5% year on year in record sunshine. November 4, 2025 Patrick Jowett Belgian grid operator Fluvius said the number of complaints it receives about solar inverter defects has fallen by more than half since 2023. In 2023, the operator received more than 5,000 complaints about the failure of grid inverters when the electricity grid became overloaded. Inverter shutdowns are most likely when high levels of home solar generation, due to abundant sunshine, are combined with low consumption. This is…
Prysmian recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the company’s $63.8 million expansion project, which added 100,000 square feet and 80 new jobs to its existing factory in Du Quoin, Illinois. The ceremony also commemorated the facility’s 60th anniversary. Credit: Prysmian Prysmian’s produces cabling used for renewable energy projects and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. The expansion also helped modernize existing infrastructure and implement an energy management system within the facility. The expansion project also includes a new solar farm, which will generate approximately 50% of the energy needed to produce the product at the Du Quoin factory. “This investment in our…
Japanese TOPCon specialist Toyo will become the official solar cell supplier of French solar panel manufacturer Voltec Solar, after signing a strategic partnership that marks Toyo’s first entry into the European market. November 4, 2025 Patrick Jowett Tokyo-based solar energy company Toyo has entered into a strategic partnership with French solar panel manufacturer Voltec Solar. Under the terms of the agreement, Toyo, which specializes in the production of TOPCon solar cells, will become the official solar cell supplier of Voltec Solar. This step marks the entry of the Japanese company into the European market. A statement published by Toyo said…
Battery storage has secured almost all new build capacity at the latest capacity market auctions in Belgium, cementing its central role in the country’s energy supply plans until 2030. November 4, 2025 Marija Maisch Image: Patrick Robert Doyle, Unsplash By ESS news Battery storage continues dominate the new capacity contracted in the Belgian capacity market auctions. In return, CRM payments play a key role in supporting these projects by providing guaranteed revenue, which helps increase bank financing. On the last day of October, grid operator Elia published the results of the three CRM auctions, which are being held simultaneously for…
In response to a question about how an AI satellite constellation could provide precise and equitable adjustments to solar energy across Earth’s hemispheres — taking into account seasonal variations and potential geopolitical conflicts over control — Musk said: “Yes. Small adjustments would be enough to prevent global warming or cooling. The Earth has snowballed many times in the past.” The same user who asked the question added that “making small adjustments to balance warming and cooling makes perfect sense; Earth’s ancient ice ages already demonstrate this. But managing such an intervention would require a global AI protocol; otherwise geopolitical tensions…
Pexapark has attributed a slowdown in the number of power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed in most leading European markets to a lack of price consensus between buyers and sellers. November 4, 2025 Patrick Jowett There is currently little to no overlap between the bids of buyers and sellers of power purchase agreements (PPAs) in some of the key European markets, analysis by the Swiss-based price intelligence platform shows. Pexapark. In its latest report, Pexapark applies its tradable price range model, which identifies the range within which PPA deals can realistically occur by mapping the overlap between the highest buyer bids…
Credit: fluency Environmental and consumer advocates are asking the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) to lower Marylanders’ electric bills by quickly acquiring new, low-cost clean energy and storage, as allowed by the New Generation Energy Actwhich passed the Legislature with bipartisan support and was signed into law by Governor Wes Moore in April. The Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Center for Progressive Reform, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Earthjustice, Elders Climate Action Maryland, Environment Maryland Research and Policy Center, Maryland League of Conservation Voters and Maryland PIRG Foundation sent a letter encouraging the PSC to take swift action to…
GSE Integration has introduced a new version of its ground-mounted photovoltaic structure, the GSE Ground System Evolution. It is designed for faster installation and compliance with French soil conservation laws. November 4, 2025 Gwénaëlle Deboutte By pv magazine France France’s GSE Integration has developed a new version of its ground-mounted PV structure, the GSE Ground System Evolution, for faster installation and compliance with French soil conservation laws. The French mounting manufacturer said the updated system can be installed up to twice as fast as the previous model. Made from pre-cut galvanized steel, it requires no concrete foundation or excavation and…