Author: solarenergy
A research team assessing the social embeddedness of solar mini-grids in rural Pakistan found that the technology responds to energy poverty while promoting community empowerment. The team concluded that a mini-grid can promote broader societal changes while providing a technological solution. October 17, 2025 Patrick Jowett A research team based in Italy and Pakistan has explored the socio-technical implications of installing solar microgrids in off-grid rural communities in Pakistan. The study covered three rural communities near Jahanpur in the Punjab province of East-Central Pakistan, each mainly engaged in agricultural activities. In the village of Bismillah Mor, the researchers conducted a…
A community solar project in Illinois by Ampion. On October 17, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved major updates to the Illinois Power Agency’s Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan (LTRRPP) 2024 – 2026 to expand solar capacity and protect Illinois consumers from rising energy costs. The ICC’s decision allows for an immediate expansion of the ICC Adjustable block program by 100% – doubling the community, commercial and small-scale solar categories – and promoting new competitive procurement for utilities, ahead of the phase-out of federal investment tax credits (ITC). The ruling allows developers to bring hundreds of additional megawatts of affordable,…
The AI model tightens the solar forecasts to support the stability of the satellite network Accurate predictions of solar radiation are crucial for the stability of photovoltaic energy systems, but current models often fade as the prediction time increases. To tackle this challenge, researchers led by Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology have unveiled an AI-based solution called GAN-Solar, designed to generate sharper, more reliable forecasts for solar energy management. The model uses the principle of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), pitting two neural networks against each other in a process that resembles a competition between a ‘master painter’ (the…
Chinese researchers developed an electric heating model to support uniform material temperature in a new four-ring, 80-rod industrial Siemens reactor. October 17, 2025 Valerie Thompson A Chinese team led by researchers from Kunming University of Science and Technology and Yunnan Yuntong Zinc Co. built a model to simulate the electrical heat processing of U-shaped silicon rods in a new four-ring, 80-rod industrial Siemens reactor. The research team noted that previous studies showed that using high-frequency alternating current (AC) “could significantly improve temperature uniformity in polysilicon rods due to the skin effect,” albeit in much smaller reactors, and developed a new…
UK battery company Allye Energy has secured £1.9 million in seed funding to accelerate the deployment of its battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the UK and mainland Europe.Climate-focused investor Elbow Beach led the financing, along with Germany-based Alpha Future Funds, and the investment will be used to achieve an order book worth $2.7 million and a total project pipeline worth $10.7 million, Allye Energy said.The company delivered its first MAX BESS, a 300 kWh mobile unit that the company claims is the first in the world to use second-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries, to renewable energy provider OnBio. last…
Scientists in Morocco have developed a new solar panel cleaning system designed to remove dust and bird droppings. Their prototype was built for a total cost of $386 and is ready to integrate AI features in the future. October 17, 2025 Lior Kahana A research group in Morocco has developed a new solar panel cleaning system that uses transparent roll film technology to efficiently remove dust and bird droppings. The system, which has already been patented, represents a step forward in automating the maintenance of solar panels. The team plans to integrate monitoring systems and artificial intelligence (AI) in future…
Prediction software Zonario has launched the new Omniscale Next-generation Ensemble (ONE) offering to deliver critical weather and energy insights. “Sunairio ONE is trained on the Sunairio High-Resolution Earth Dataset (the SHED), our proprietary archive of high-resolution historical weather data purpose-built to replicate detailed risks to the modern power grid,” said Rob Cirincione, CEO of Sunairio. Sunairio started with the industry’s historical weather data, used machine learning to improve resolution, and then trained ONE on that data while accounting for changing climate fundamentals. Sunairio ONE generates ensembles of 1,000 members per hour, compared to traditional methods that stop at 50 members.…
According to the IEA-PVPS, the global solar market will set annual records in 2024 in terms of solar installations, solar module production and solar module production capacity. Trends in PV applications 2025 report. The report highlights that between 553 GW and 601 GW of solar power was added globally last year, pushing the cumulative capacity past 2,260 GW. About 373 GW, or 62%, of last year’s installations were centralized systems, defined as installations larger than a few MW that supply electricity to the grid. In the distributed segment, another 228 GW was added, both for installations of less than a…
Irish transmission system operator (TSO) Eirgrid has launched a consultation on a proposed procurement mechanism and operational considerations for its long-term energy storage system (LDES). It follows the recommendation of last year’s Electricity Storage Policy Framework (ESPF), published by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (DCEE), for the immediate procurement of LDES services with the capacity to supply electricity to the EiGgrid for 4 hours or more. Research agency Cornwall Insight did this said at the time that a lack of LDES policies was putting Ireland’s sustainability goals at risk. Eirgrid said it is looking to source 500 MW…
Panasonic has supplied transit operator Osaka Metro with a combined hydrogen fuel cell and solar power system, underscoring the Japanese conglomerate’s growing focus on industrial hydrogen applications. October 16, 2025 Brian Publicover Panasonic Corp. said in a press release that its electric plant division has delivered a combined pure hydrogen fuel cell and PV system to Osaka Metro’s Morinomiya Depot, supporting the transit operator’s carbon neutrality goals. The system was initially installed in September 2024 as part of a demonstration project, with Panasonic providing end-to-end supply and installation. The deployment links a 100 kW solar panel with a 10 kW…