Author: solarenergy
The UK Contracts for Difference (CfD) market is the “gold standard” for investment opportunities, according to Bob Psaradellis, CEO of Island Green Power.Speaking on a panel at the Solar Finance & Investment Summit, held in London, this afternoon, he discussed the importance of including a mix of CfD, purchase agreement and power purchase agreements (PPA) in an investment portfolio. Fellow panelist Kari Tikkanen, head of revenue at AUKERA Energy, noted that “not all CfDs are equal”, to which Psaradellis said the UK CfD scheme is the ideal balance between trading opportunities and guaranteed income for renewable energy investors.“We are only…
Risk assessment company VDE America has released guidance for project owners and developers in meeting the July 4, 2026 deadline to qualify for the end of clean energy tax credits. Credit: Alliant Energy The conclusions in the technical memorandum, “Navigating the Beginning of Construction Requirements for Solar Energy Projects,” represent VDE’s assessment based on its interpretation of published guidelines and expert insight into engineering, procurement and construction best practices. Under incentive changes to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), solar projects over 1.5 MW must now meet a stricter threshold to qualify for tax credits by performing qualified “physical…
The IP66-rated Aura 5000 system features bi-directional inverter functionality and AC power up to 2.5 kW. February 3, 2026 Lior Kahana Chinese inverter and battery manufacturer Growatt has announced a new AC-coupled energy storage system for household balconies. The system, called Aura 5000, features a 5 kWh battery capacity, bidirectional inverter functionality and AC power up to 2,500 W. “Aura 5000 offers broad inverter compatibility, allowing seamless integration with existing PV systems without rewiring,” the company said in a statement. “For systems using conventional inverters, Aura 5000 supports smart energy management through flexible AC coupling, significantly reducing the complexity of…
Spanish building-integrated PV (BIPV) manufacturer Onyx Solar is delivering a bespoke building-integrated PV system with nearly 1,800 solar glass ‘louvers’ designed to power Australian tech giant Atlassian’s new 39-storey headquarters in central Sydney with 100% renewable energy February 3, 2026 David Caroll By pv magazine Australia Onyx Solar has collaborated with Australian building products supplier Metz to deliver a bespoke 247 kWp BPIV solution for the Atlassian Central tower currently under construction next to Sydney Central Station. The 182-meter-tall Atlassian tower combines a hybrid solid wood structure surrounded by a steel exoskeleton that supports a PV-glazed facade with 1,794 crystalline…
The performance of single-component organic solar cells is highly dependent on the spacing units built into their molecular design. The mounting position of spacers on a dual cable polymer backbone has received much less attention than other structural parameters, even though it can influence how the material is arranged and functions in a device. To close this gap, researchers adopted a spacer isomerization engineering strategy and created two isomeric, double-cable conjugated polymers by changing where the spacer attaches to an indenone benzene ring. By shifting this bond position, they were able to precisely regulate molecular packing and film crystallinity, both…
NREL researchers found that UV exposure can cause significant, some of it non-repairable degradation in TOPCon solar cells, with strong cell-to-cell and intra-cell variability related to passivation and processing inconsistencies. While some UV-related losses recover quickly under light and are unlikely to affect field performance, the findings highlight gaps in current qualification testing and the need for better UV aging standards. February 3, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies (NREL) have quantified the performance loss due to ultraviolet (UV) light in TOPCon solar cells and found that cells with high UV-induced…
In this article, Josh Cornes, solar analyst at Solar Media Market Research, outlines his prediction for how the UK solar market will develop in 2026. He discusses the added capacity and some of the challenges developers may face.The UK solar market is expected to grow 50% year-on-year for the second year in a row, and is expected to add 5-5.5 GWp-dc of capacity by 2026, comfortably its best year on record. The market grew by 50% year-on-year by 2025 (as predicted at the beginning of the year), bringing the total capacity past 23 GWp with 3.5 GWp added. Growth in…
By Brad Kramer February 2, 2026 In this edition of Projects weeklyWe’re looking at a large-scale solar project being built near Dayton, Ohio, plus a series of financing and acquisition deals. First, Zelestra has entered into a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with AEP Energy Partners for the 49.9 MW Gem City Solar project in Ohio. Catalyze has closed tax equity financing for a 100 MW distributed solar portfolio. CleanCapital has acquired a majority stake in a battery storage portfolio through a joint venture with Osaka Gas. Aspen Power has acquired two community solar projects in New York State. Luminace…
Enphase energy plans to begin volume production of its IQ Bidirectional EV Charging Platform in the fourth quarter of 2026, following a series of successful product demonstrations. IQ bi-directional EV charging platform from Enphase Energy IQ plugs into an EV’s DC port, charging the vehicle while providing energy backup during power outages. The bidirectional charger has been tested on American and European electric vehicles. Throughout 2025, Enphase demonstrated the platform at multiple CharIN interoperability events in the United States and Europe. The company plans to continue participating in industry and interoperability events in 2026. IQ is designed to work with…
Tesla and Chint Power rank first and second in Sightline Climate’s new long-term energy storage rankings, while mechanical storage providers such as Italy’s Energy Dome figure prominently as post-final investment decision projects begin to reshape the competitive landscape. February 2, 2026 Tristan Rayner By ESS news An analysis of long-term energy storage (LDES), focusing on technologies with a duration of at least eight hours, shows that the two largest suppliers of lithium-ion batteries today are Tesla and Chint Power globally. Sightline Climate’s new scoreboard, which the company says has been developed over the past 15 months, currently provides a snapshot…