Author: solarenergy

An engineer and home energy enthusiast installs the Anker Solix E10 on a fire-prone California hillside and documents the entire process in an in-depth review for ESS news May 22, 2026 Andreas Riha By ESS news A rural setup that begs for storage space I live on a wooded hillside in California’s Napa Valley wine country, above the morning mist that settles in the valley below. It is rural and beautiful, but also a CAL FIRE designated zone of very high fire danger. Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) serves the area, which practically means two things: electricity is expensive…

Polysilicon prices remained flat in China as production and demand moved closer, easing recent supply-demand pressures. May 22, 2026 Vincent Shaw The Silicon Industry Department of China Non-ferrous Metals Industry Association (CNMIA) has released its latest polysilicon price data, showing that the market remained largely stable. N-type polysilicon resupply prices were unchanged at CNY35,000-36,000 per tonne ($4,840-4,980/t), while n-type granular silicon traded at CNY34,000-36,000/t ($4,700-4,980/t), also flat on the week. The association noted that the market is entering a critical transition phase as inventories move from sustainable inventory building to rebalancing. Domestic polysilicon production is expected to reach about 83,000…

The measure increases the import tariff from 18% to 25% for 48V LFP batteries intended for stationary applications in telecommunications and photovoltaic systems until May 2027, following a request from the domestic industry through LETEC. For other batteries classified as lithium-ion electric batteries, the reduced rate of 18% remains in effect. May 22, 2026 Livia Neves By pv magazine Brazil The Brazilian government has increased the import tax rate on specific lithium-ion batteries from 18% to 25%. The decision updates the tariff for lithium-ion cells to 25%, valid between May 19, 2026 and May 18, 2027. This tariff applies specifically…

A study from Türkiye has introduced the Agrivoltaic Innovation Index (AII), a composite scientometric tool designed to assess innovation readiness in the field of agricultural voltaic energy, in addition to traditional publication and citation metrics. The index evaluates research on four dimensions – conceptual, translational, network and societal – and shows that a high publication volume does not necessarily correspond to a higher willingness to innovate. May 22, 2026 Patrick Jowett A study of Turkey has developed an Agrivoltaic Innovation Index (AII) for assessing research-driven innovation in the field of agrivoltaic energy. The researchers say that existing overviews and bibliometric…

Building a high level of expertise is a crucial part of navigating the European Energy Trading Area, and this is essential in Britain, where high energy prices have influenced the decision-making of investors, developers and off-takers alike.This was often expressed by speakers at this week’s Renewables Procurement & Revenue Summit, held in London by Solar energy portal publisher Solar Media. The summit attracted around 200 participants over two days and kicked off with a panel discussion specifically looking at the importance of an active hedging strategy to build this kind of expertise in Britain.“Having an active hedging strategy is important,…

JinkoSolar has won a major patent invalidation case in China against First Solar’s TOPCon-related patent, with the China National Intellectual Property Administration declaring it completely invalid. May 22, 2026 Vincent Shaw Chinese PV manufacturer JinkoSolar has obtained a favorable patent invalidation ruling in China against a patent on TOPCon solar cell technology held by US module manufacturer First Solar, in a case that could impact broader disputes over TOPCon solar cell technology. China The National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has declared patent 201080027881.6, titled “High-efficiency solar cell structures and manufacturing methods,” completely invalid. The patent, owned by TetraSun, a subsidiary…

Cornwall Insight has forecast that the UK energy price cap will rise by 13% to £1,850.13 per year between July and September, in response to a continued rise in wholesale energy prices.The limit is expected to increase by £209 from the current limit due to “pricing”. [remaining] across the entire observation window” following a number of macroeconomic changes, including the US and Israeli missile attacks on Iran and the subsequent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which disrupted the supply of about 20% of the world’s oil and gas trade.The advisor published his forecast of changes to the price ceiling…

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting a five-country battery storage initiative by Slovenian developer NGEN Energetske Rešitve with a €70 million ($81.3 million) loan, backed by an EU first loss guarantee, in one of the first multi-country BESS portfolios in Central Europe. May 22, 2026 Brian Public The EBRD, a multilateral development bank, has provided a €70 million loan to Slovenia-based NGEN Energetske Rešitve to finance five large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovenia, backed by a first loss guarantee from the EU’s InvestEU Fund. According to the EBRD, the five…

Gasunie has launched a 32 km hydrogen pipeline in the port of Rotterdam that connects the Maasvlakte and Pernis. This marks the first operational part of the Dutch hydrogen backbone and enables future expansion to national and cross-border hydrogen networks. May 22, 2026 Sergio Matalucci Dutch gas infrastructure manager Gasunie has inaugurated the first major section of its hydrogen backbone in the Port of Rotterdam: a 32 km pipeline that strengthens the emerging hydrogen network in the region. The pipeline runs entirely within the industrial port area in the province of South Holland and connects the Maasvlakte area, in particular…

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. May 22, 2026 OPIS According to the OPIS Global Solar Markets Report published on May 19, Free-On-Board (FOB) China n-type M10 and G12 wafer prices remained unchanged week-on-week at $0.139 per unit and $0.169/unit, respectively. Meanwhile, the newly launched FOB China n-type 210R wafer price was set at $0.148/piece. Chinese wafer makers have increased their operating rates since May, leading to a corresponding increase in wafer inventories as downstream demand has yet to show…