Author: solarenergy

Clean energy project developer Sunraycer has signed a supply and service agreement for two standalone battery energy storage projects totaling 503 MWh in Franklin County, Texas. Credit: e-STORAGE The projects, collectively known as the Lupinus projects, will use BESS from Canadian Solar company e-STORAGE. Lupinus 1, a 202 MWh facility, will begin construction in the first quarter of 2027 and become commercially operational in the third quarter of 2027. Lupinus 2, a 301 MWh facility, will begin construction in the third quarter of 2026 and be commercially operational in the second quarter of 2027. David Lillefloren, CEO of Sunraycer, said,…

The Chinese manufacturer said its new OG02 series includes IP-65 rated inverters with AC output power from 3 kW to 6 kW. The new products also have a maximum efficiency of 97.6% and a European efficiency of 96.5%. February 9, 2026 Lior Kahana Chinese inverter manufacturer Deye has launched a new series of off-grid inverters The OG02 series consists of four models with AC output powers ranging from 3.0 kW to 6.0 kW. It’s an evolution of the company’s OG01 line, which was introduced last year. According to the manufacturer, the OG02 inverters can switch from mains to battery power…

Sunlight has a wide range of wavelengths, but many solar technologies utilize only part of that spectrum, limiting their efficiency. Researchers have now shown that small self-assembled gold spheres known as supraballs can capture almost all wavelengths in sunlight, including those that conventional photovoltaic materials often miss, and can significantly increase the absorption of solar energy when used as a coating on standard devices. Gold and silver nanoparticles are attractive for solar energy applications because they are relatively simple and cost-effective to produce. However, the light absorption of conventional metal nanoparticles is largely limited to visible wavelengths, meaning they affect…

The Chinese manufacturer said it has developed a new circuit model-based method to accurately detect hotspot risks in TOPCon backcontact modules, overcoming the limitations of the IEC 61215 approach caused by low shunt resistance. The method, validated by indoor and outdoor testing, predicts temperature rise under shade and reportedly allows for faster, more accurate risk assessment of hotspots. February 9, 2026 Emiliano Bellini A group of researchers from Chinese PV module manufacturer DAS Solar has developed a new methodology to detect hotspot risks in TOPCon solar cells and modules based on back-contact (BC) architecture. “We found that the inherently low…

When a company – whether a developer, an independent power producer (IPP) or a utility – decides to build a solar PV installation, its scope goes beyond supplying electricity to the grid.More and more projects are implementing strategies or applications that go beyond electricity generation, such as agrivoltaic solar energy (agriPV) or biodiversity applications. In Britain, projects must deliver a net biodiversity gain of at least 10%, but some companies are achieving much more than that target.This is the case with IPP British Solar Renewables (BSR), which has gone one step further as it aims to achieve at least 60%…

LevelTen Energy says solar and wind power purchase agreement (PPA) prices in Europe continued to decline in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the most competitive percentiles in Spain below €30 ($35.65)/MWh, reflecting strong downward pressure. February 9, 2026 Pilar Sanchez Molina The European solar PPA market continues to see contract prices fall, according to a new report from LevelTen Energy. Q4 2025 confirms the downward trend in solar PPAs, with a further quarterly decline of 1% in the LevelTen continental index and a year-on-year decline of almost 8% in the P25. The imbalance between the rapid expansion of renewable…

New guidance for planning grid-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) projects has been issued by the National Fire Chief Council (NFCC), the professional voice of the UK Fire and Rescue Service. The new framework replaces the guidelines first published in 2023. It aims to support fire and rescue services across the country by informing them of BESS projects, enabling effective operational pre-planning and ensuring that its requirements are ‘proportionate to the danger and risk present on site’. The aim is to do this ‘without unduly burdening the developer of the BESS installation’, and to promote a consistent approach across the…

New research from Italy has shown that agrivoltaic systems can reduce potato yields by up to 15% compared to completely light cultivation. However, early season moderate shade was found to slow soil moisture depletion, increase biomass accumulation, and improve water use efficiency. February 9, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Researchers from the University of Florence in Italy have analyzed the impact of an agrivoltaic installation on potato production using a modeling framework that combines PV energy production, high-resolution shadow mapping, process-based biomass growth and economic analysis. “In this paper, we did not conduct a dedicated field measurement campaign with pyranometers or under-row…

Hithium has released the results of a large-scale fire safety test of its 6.25 MWh “∞Power” battery energy storage system, with an open-door configuration overseen by UL Solutions to assess the risk of thermal overflow in 1175 Ah cells under maximum oxygen conditions. February 9, 2026 Tristan Rayner By ESS news Hithium has announced the completion of a large-scale fire safety test on its ∞Power 6.25 MWh long-term energy storage system (LDES). The testing focused on the company’s 1175 Ah “kiloamp-hour” (kAh) battery cells and was reportedly conducted under the supervision of UL Solutions, US authorities with jurisdiction and fire…

Freedom powerthe new short name of residential and commercial solar installation company Freedom Solar Power, has agreed to sell the service rights of its national commercial solar portfolio to Otovo. Otovo will provide the limited warranties on 400 Freedom-installed commercial systems (approximately 70 MW). Additionally, Otovo will have the ability to provide repair and maintenance services to Freedom Power’s commercial portfolio and its residential customers in Colorado. A Freedom Power installation. “Otovo is expanding into the commercial solar repair industry as we continue to grow our footprint and service offerings,” said William J. (John) Berger, CEO of Otovo. “This is…