Author: solarenergy

Planned or under-construction solar and wind power projects slowed last year, analysis showed Tuesday, casting doubt on whether countries will meet the target of tripling renewable capacity by the end of the decade. Dozens of countries agreed in 2023 to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 as part of efforts to limit global warming. But announcements and construction starts of new wind and solar projects grew 11 percent in 2025 – up from 22 percent the previous year, as wind development projects faced hurdles, according to the Global Energy Monitor (GEM). “Wind developers faced political barriers and a series of…

The Portuguese company said its new Drone AgroPV Cleaning Agent will hit the market in June. It has a safe formulation for crops and soil. February 11, 2026 Lior Kahana Chemitek Solar, a Portuguese manufacturer of cleaning and maintenance products for solar panels, is developing a new cleaning solution explicitly designed for drone-based cleaning of agricultural voltaic systems. The new product, called Drone AgroPV Cleaning Agent, is expected to be available from June. “Our new cleaning solution is a water-based formula made exclusively with environmentally friendly components,” a company spokesperson said pv magazine. “It is completely biodegradable, non-toxic and exhibits…

Brazil’s electricity regulator in March approved reserve capacity auctions for thermal and hydropower plants with more than 125 GW registered, while guidelines for a separate battery storage auction are still pending, even though more than 20 GW of projects are under development. February 11, 2026 Livia Neves By ESS news Brazil’s electricity regulator Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica (ANEEL) has approved the bid documents for auctions of spare capacity for hydroelectric and thermoelectric plants powered by natural gas and coal (second LRCAP), as well as thermoelectric plants powered by diesel, fuel oil and biodiesel (third LRCAP). The auctions are scheduled…

Australian researchers developed a low-cost reflective coating for semi-transparent solar roof tiles that reduces surface temperature by up to 20 C and increases power output by up to 11.7%. Simulations in five global cities showed energy savings of up to 5.85%, highlighting the coating’s strong potential for improving both building cooling efficiency and solar energy performance in BIPV systems. February 11, 2026 Lior Kahana An Australian research team has developed a reflective coating strategy for semi-transparent solar-integrated roof tiles, aiming to improve both thermal regulation and electrical performance in building-integrated solar photovoltaics (BIPV). According to corresponding author Mohammad A. Alim,…

Ofgem has said it will not provide relief to the National Energy System Operator (NESO) after it said it would not meet its obligations for projects eligible for Gate 2 network connection offers. NESO has informed the energy regulator that it will not be able to fulfill its commitments for 210 of the energy projects that have been granted “protected” status under the Gate 2 provisions – 62% of the 340 projects that were eligible. Protected projects would keep their contractual connection dates in 2026 or 2027 as part of the connection reform process designed to prioritize projects ready for…

German researchers found that the costs of agrivoltaic energy far outweigh the agricultural benefits, raising questions about subsidies and highlighting the need for more cost-competitive system designs. February 11, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Scientists from the German Thünen Institute for Agricultural Technology have proposed including the costs of land conservation in the modeling of the levelized energy costs (LCOE) for agricultural voltaic projects “Agrivoltaic energy can preserve agricultural land more effectively than standard land‑mounted PV installations by enabling the simultaneous use of land for electricity generation and agriculture,” said the lead author of the study. Jonas Bohmtold pv magazine. “However, our…

The Government will pledge up to £1 billion to support community ownership of new clean energy projects. The Local Power Plan will be managed by government-backed Great British Energy (GBE) and the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (NESNZ) to expand local and community ownership of renewable energy plants across the UK. It will provide direct financing through a combination of grants, loans and local investments to community energy groups, local and devolved governments and community members in what Energy Minister Ed Miliband called “the largest public investment in community energy in the history of this country.” GBE said…

This contributed article by Kevin Byrne, BESS consultancy manager at global consulting, engineering and quality control firm Enertis Applus+ addresses the key challenges that slow BESS deployment in the UK, suggesting various systemic actions to equip the planning system to better support developers.The United Kingdom’s ambitious 2050 Net Zero targets have created an urgent need for energy storage and government policy describes it as “essential infrastructure”. Yet, developers find themselves trapped in a planning system defined by inconsistent regulation, scarce technical expertise and rising local opposition. As a result, battery energy storage system (BESS) projects are delayed for years, or blocked, and costs…

In this article, Josh Cornes, analyst at Solar Media Market Research, discusses the results of AR7 from the government’s Contracts for Difference program, announced yesterdayin which both the awarded projects and the developers are discussed.The UK government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) program has been a driving force behind UK solar, with 60% of capacity built over the last three years receiving a CfD. More than 70% of Allocation Round 4 (AR4) is now under construction or operational and more than half of AR5 is in the same phase. AR7 has become the most successful round ever, with two award-winning projects…

Single-phase inverter products manufactured in Texas are now being shipped to multiple European markets as SolarEdge adjusts its international export strategy. The manufacturer tells pv magazine Key components will increasingly be manufactured in the United States in the coming years. February 11, 2026 Matthew Lynas US-made SolarEdge inverters are now shipping to the United Kingdom as the manufacturer expands the number of European markets served by factories in the United States. SolarEdge’s single-phase residential inverters, manufactured at its Austin, Texas facility, are now shipping to the United Kingdom, Italy, France and the Netherlands. According to SolarEdge, shipments of commercial and…