Author: solarenergy

UK power generator Drax has signed a toll agreement with West Burton C to gain full operational control and dispatch rights for a 250MW/500MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in the UK.West Burton C, a subsidiary of British battery company Fidra Energy, will make a final investment decision on the BESS project in the third quarter of this year and, should the project go ahead, the company expects to begin commercial operations at the facility in 2028.Once work starts, Drax will pay a fixed annual toll rate, indexed to the UK Consumer Price Index (CPI), for ten years to gain…

SUPSI researchers found that six Swiss PV systems installed in the late 1980s and early 1990s exhibit exceptionally low degradation rates of just 0.16% to 0.24% per year after more than 30 years of use. The research shows that thermal load, ventilation and material design play a greater role in the long-term reliability of modules than height or irradiation alone. January 30, 2026 Emiliano Bellini A research group led by the Swiss University of Applied Sciences (SUPSI) has conducted a long-term analysis of six south-facing, grid-connected PV systems installed in Switzerland in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The researchers…

By pv magazine USA Demand for electricity is increasing and solar energy generation is being put under pressure like never before for reliability and affordability. Developers are looking pragmatically at opportunities and investing in generation to meet demand using the most cost-effective solution for the location. Solar shows that it can still perform on its own. In addition to the availability of fuel sources, there is the issue of interconnection and grid availability. Large-scale solar energy projects that maintain energy costs at the same level over the life of the installation encounter planning problems related to the electricity grid. interconnection…

Solar cycle has started recycling solar panels at its new facility in Cedartown, Georgia. The 255,000 feet2 The recycling facility is home to SolarCycle’s proprietary next-generation advanced recycling technology, which delivers more than double the throughput of the company’s first-generation recycling lines. The new process enables 100% diversion from landfill and recovers 96% of the value from silver, copper, aluminum, glass and other crucial minerals in a solar panel. The site now processes thousands of solar panels per week and will continue to scale up to one million panels per year by the end of 2026. At full capacity, the…

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. January 30, 2026 OPIS Chinese TOPCon cell prices rose for the fourth week in a row, led by higher production costs due to rising silver prices and ongoing discussions about eliminating export tax credits. In contrast, PERC cell prices fell due to declining demand, driven by the industry’s ongoing technology shift to TOPCon cells, trading sources said. According to the OPIS Global Solar Markets Report published on January 20, Chinese TOPCon M10 cell prices…

Dutch utility Eneco is testing low-noise air-to-water heat pumps from startup Whspr in about twenty homes, with the aim of easing installation restrictions near property boundaries. The systems reportedly achieve coefficients of performance of up to 5 and show noise reductions of up to 80% in laboratory tests. January 30, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Dutch utility Eneco has started testing an ‘innovative’ type of air-to-water heat pump with low noise levels in residential buildings. The company says conventional heat pumps rely on outdoor units that emit a constant hum, requiring installations several meters away from property lines under Dutch building regulations…

During tests at the 100 MW Kiisa battery farm in Estonia, both EstLink 1 and EstLink 2 tripped, causing the most serious disruption to the regional electricity grid since desynchronization with the Russian electricity system. As a result, almost 1 GW of capacity was lost within seconds. The owner of the park has now publicly pointed out the battery manufacturer. January 29, 2026 Marija Maisch By ESS news An outage in Estonia’s electricity system on January 20 caused both EstLink interconnections between Estonia and Finland to go offline, cutting around 1,000 MW of capacity, equivalent to around 20% of the…

The Ariya demonstrator features 3.8 m² of custom solar panels from Lightyear, integrated across the hood, roof and tailgate. Tests showed that the car could generate 0.5 kWh of solar energy during a 2-hour, 80-kilometre drive, and deliver a range of up to 3 kilometers without additional costs or charging time. January 29, 2026 Blathnaid O’Dea Dutch startup Lightyear has developed and refined its solar car charging technology, working with a number of vehicle manufacturers to demonstrate the system. It announced a partnership with Nissan to integrate its solar charging system into a demonstration vehicle, which the startup says is…

The South Korean giant said its new EHS All-in-One provides air heating and cooling, underfloor heating and hot water from a single outdoor unit. It can provide hot water up to 65 C in sub-zero weather conditions. January 29, 2026 Lior Kahana The EHS all-in-one Image: Samsung South Korean technology giant Samsung has launched a new all-in-one heat pump for residential and commercial use. The system, called EHS All-in-One, provides air heating and cooling, underfloor heating and hot water from a single outdoor unit. It will initially be released for the European market, with a Korean rollout expected within a…

The Missouri Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in the case last week Colleen Eikmeier, et al v. Granite Springs Homeowners Association case that strengthens protections passed by the Missouri Legislature for solar customers against restrictive and excessive land covenants. The non-profit organization Renew Missouri helped secure this victory, which not only protects Missourians’ right to enjoy solar energy, but also helps expand protections for property owners generally. Senate Bill 820, sponsored by then-Senator Eric Burlison, passed during the 2022 legislative session. The bill prohibited homeowners associations (HOAs) from prohibiting solar energy in their covenants. An amendment added by Senator…