Author: solarenergy

Germany’s Federal Audit Office (Bundesrechnungshof) says the country’s hydrogen strategy is falling short despite heavy subsidies, while Pulsenics and Endua have launched the first commercial AI-based monitoring system to improve the performance of electrolyzers under fluctuating renewable energy conditions. October 31, 2025 Sergio Matalucci The German Federal Court of Justice has assessed the progress and challenges in building a national hydrogen economy and concluded that a ‘reality check’ is needed. “Despite billions in subsidies, the federal government is failing to achieve its ambitious goals for boosting the hydrogen economy. Supply and demand remain far below expectations. This jeopardizes the achievement…

Australia’s PowerCap has entered the US market with its stationary sodium-ion storage systems and plans to build a manufacturing facility to serve customers across America. October 31, 2025 Marija Maisch By ESS news Australian battery manufacturer PowerCap has introduced its sodium ion technology to the US market, expanding beyond its enterprise deployments in Australia and its recent launch in Europe. The company said the technology is now available for residential, commercial and industrial applications in the United States. Initially, the company will expand its presence through distribution channels, with plans to set up local production lines in the future to…

Sunbeam has launched an electronic signature option on its operational platform for solar installation companies. Sunvoy eSignatures allows solar companies to prepare, send and collect legally binding signatures directly within their branded customer portal – no third-party tools and no per-envelope fees. In the United States, a typical solar customer may interact with a half-dozen different platforms throughout their project lifecycle. Sunvoy eSignatures eliminates this fragmentation. Now homeowners can sign documents directly in the same app they use to track installation progress and monitor inverter system performance. Notifications come from the installer’s domain, documents remain accessible under the Documents tab…

On October 30, Illinois lawmakers passed the Clean & Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA Act/SB 25) during the 2025 veto session. The bill now on the governor’s desk aims to strengthen Illinois’ energy grid and protect communities from rising energy costs. As energy-intensive data centers expand and capacity prices continue to rise, Illinois expects significantly increasing electric bills for communities across the state. The CRGA Act is intended to address these challenges by strengthening the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard and ensuring the state stays on track to meet its clean energy goals. By encouraging new storage structures and VPP programs,…

A Saudi-Egyptian research team examined the effects of four types of dust on photovoltaic panels in dry coastal environments and found that energy losses can be up to 48%. October 31, 2025 Lior Kahana A research team led by Saudi Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University has conducted an experimental study on how different fabric compositions affect photovoltaic performance. The study examined four types of dust – montmorillonite, kaolinite, bentonite and natural dust – on solar panels operating in dry coastal environments. “The findings of this study have practical implications for optimizing PV maintenance in arid coastal areas,” the group explains.…

Duke Energy has officially filed a groundbreaking program with the North Carolina Utilities Commission that could reshape how commercial customers approach energy storage. The Commercial PowerPair Incentive, officially called the Non-Residential Storage Demand Response Program, brings Duke Energy’s successful residential battery program to the business world. For commercial, industrial, and government customers in North Carolina, this represents an opportunity to reduce energy costs while contributing to grid stability. If your business has been considering battery storage or solar energy, understanding this new incentive program is essential. The Commercial PowerPair Incentive offers payments for connecting your battery system to Duke Energy’s…

The UK government’s decision to increase the rebate available to energy-intensive industries (EIIs) operating in the country from 60% to 90% is “part of the remedy” to deal with Britain’s growing energy price crisis.This is according to Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), who commented today on the government’s decision, which was published earlier today. Business Secretary Peter Kyle noted that EIIs are eligible for a 90% discount on their energy costs, which could save up to £420 million a year on their electricity bills from April next year.Crucially, these costs will not…

The innovative system consists of 44 Solar Flatracks, which Wattlab describes as movable, stackable thin plates with integrated solar panels and inverters. October 31, 2025 Emiliano Bellini Dutch technology company Wattlab has announced that it has installed a photovoltaic system on a diesel-electric multi-purpose cargo ship owned and operated by Rotterdam shipping company Vertom. The PV array consists of 44 Solar Flatracks, which the company describes as movable, stackable thin plates with integrated solar panels and inverters. According to Wattlab, the system was deployed on board in the port of Harlingen within one day. “For shipowners, time is money, so…

Breakthrough in cobalt catalyst promotes production of photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide Researchers from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics have developed a new catalyst with uniformly dispersed individual cobalt atoms with a Co-N4 coordination structure. The team synthesized this material through thermal transformation using COPC as a precursor and phosphate functionalized reduced graphene oxide as a support. This catalyst, Co@rGO-P, was combined with perylenetetracarboxylic acid (PTA) nanosheets using an in-situ growth process to create efficient heterojunctions. The resulting Co?rGO-P/PTA photocatalyst achieved high activity for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production in pure water under visible light using a non-sacrificial approach. Hydrogen peroxide is…

In a new weekly update for pv magazineOPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a brief overview of the major price trends in the global PV industry. October 31, 2025 OPIS FOB Chinese prices for n-type wafers remained largely stable this week. According to the OPIS Solar Weekly Report published on October 31, FOB China prices for M10 and G12 wafers remained unchanged week on week and remained stable at $0.177 per unit (pc) and $0.217/pc, respectively. In the Chinese domestic market, industry participants reported that more than half of the nearly 20 GW wafer inventory includes n-type 210R (182 mm…