Author: solarenergy

Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy is looking to woo Chinese companies for its first auction for battery energy storage, which is expected to improve grid stability and the integration of renewable energy sources. October 28, 2025 Livia Neves By ESS news Brazilian Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira held bilateral meetings with Chinese energy companies such as Huawei Digital Power, BYD and CATL during a recent government mission through Asia, which also included business stops in Indonesia and Malaysia. The ministry wants to attract international investments for its first large-scale battery auction, scheduled for later this year. Battery…

MXene additive increases heat resistance and efficiency in perovskite solar cells As perovskite solar cells move closer to mass production, heat-induced degradation continues to hinder their long-term stability. Researchers from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, led by Professors Zhongquan Wan, Junsheng Luo and Chunyang Jia, have now demonstrated a multifunctional approach using Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets that improve both thermal conductivity and optoelectronic properties. The incorporation of Ti3C2Tx MXene into the perovskite layer significantly improves thermal transport, increases conductivity from 0.236 to 0.413 Wm-1-K-1 and reduces operating temperatures by approximately 3 C under illumination. At the same…

The researchers said their new discovery could open the way to the production of simpler solar panels made from a single material. October 30, 2025 Emiliano Bellini Researchers from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom claim to have discovered photovoltaic properties in a glowing organic semiconductor molecule known as poly(3-triphenylmethyl-thiophene (P3TTM). Unlike conventional organic semiconductors, which have paired electrons, organic radical semiconductors contain at least one unpaired electron per molecule, giving them an ‘open shell’ character. “In most organic materials, electrons are coupled and do not interact with their neighbors,” says lead author Biwen Li. “But in our…

Chinese manufacturers now dominate Europe’s residential storage sector, taking more than 80% of installations, while European companies are losing ground amid falling prices and weak policy support. October 29, 2025 Anna Darmani, Isabel Nieto Tous By ESS news Europe continues to lead the global residential energy storage segment, accounting for seven of the ten largest global residential storage markets by 2025. This year, however, the European residential storage market is experiencing a 9% decline in installations for the second consecutive year. There are two main reasons for this shrinkage. On the one hand, there is the decline in energy prices…

Chile’s Colbún has started a green solar-powered hydrogen unit at its Nehuenco thermoelectric complex, replacing fossil-based hydrogen used to cool generators. October 30, 2025 Luis Ini By pv magazine LatAm Chile’s Colbún has inaugurated the country’s first industrial green hydrogen plant at a power generation facility located in the Nehuenco thermoelectric complex in Quillota, Valparaíso region. The $1.6 million project operates independently of the national grid and uses PV energy to produce hydrogen for the generators’ cooling system, replacing gray hydrogen derived from fossil fuels. The facility, announced in 2023, will include a 100 kW solar panel, battery storage, an…

Manila Electric Company (Meralco), through its subsidiary MGen Renewable Energy Inc, has increased its stake in SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC) following the transfer of 10.8 billion exchangeable shares in a deal worth PHP 13.76 billion ($233.5 million). The company is working on the world’s largest solar-plus-storage project currently under development. October 30, 2025 Patrick Jowett Image: Lainecedillo, Wikimedia Commons Electricity distribution company Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has increased its stake in SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC), the largest solar energy provider in the Philippines. According to a transaction notice, 10.8 billion exchangeable shares have been transferred from SPNEC to…

Under the terms of the agreement, Drax will pay £157.2 million in phased installments between 2025 and 2028, depending on construction milestones and Apatura’s delivery of the project. The acquisition of the first two projects is expected to be completed in 2025, while the third will be completed in the first quarter of 2026. According to the company, the 260 MW, two-hour (520 MWh) BESS portfolio includes two sites in Scotland and one in Northern England, with construction planned for 2026 and the first site to be online in 2027. “This acquisition marks our first investment in short-term storage as…

Britain is in the midst of an unprecedented energy debt crisis, with millions of households in arrears totaling more than £4 billion, according to a new report from the Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee.This figure has tripled in the past five years, underscoring the impact of the ongoing energy price crisis on consumer finances. In response, the Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee has called on Ofgem to use £4 billion in windfalls from energy network companies to fund a comprehensive energy debt relief programme, as part of a series of recommendations in the first part of…

A BESS installation of AES. The Illinois House of Representatives passed a bill on Oct. 29 that would help build 3 GW of utility-scale battery storage in the state, according to WIZARD. By encouraging new storage expansions and VPP programs, the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act aims to help the volatile grid better meet the skyrocketing demand of new data centers and increasing electrification. The bill would also impose new requirements on utilities to adopt time-of-use policies to encourage homeowners to reduce demand on the electric grid during peak times through the use of solar + storage, according…

The country’s National Institute of Technology and Standards said the new standards apply to modules that combine photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies in a single device, noting that separate standards for each technology already exist. October 30, 2025 Emiliano Bellini Rooftop PVT systems in Germany Image: Andreas Siegemund, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 South Korea’s National Institute of Technology and Standards (KATS) has introduced new national standards for photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) solar panels. The government-run agency said the new standards apply to modules that combine photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies in a single device, noting that separate standards for each technology…