Author: solarenergy
In a new weekly update for pv magazineSolcast, a DNV company, reports that the destabilized polar circulation in February caused wet and cloudy conditions in some parts of North America, while the central and eastern regions enjoyed increased irradiance under brighter conditions. March 6, 2026 Solcast A combination of stratospheric warming and a disrupted polar vortex produced sharply contrasting radiation patterns in North America in February, according to analysis using Solcast API. The destabilized polar circulation brought wetter and cloudier conditions to parts of the north, while the central and eastern regions remained under brighter conditions and increased insolation. These…
Researchers reviewed 110 studies on cold thermal energy storage in liquid air energy storage and found that cold storage performance has a much greater impact on system efficiency than previously thought. Although phase change materials offer high theoretical efficiency gains, simpler, packed-bed sensitive thermal systems are currently the most mature and cost-effective option, with further experimental validation required to bridge the gap to large-scale implementation. March 6, 2026 Lior Kahana An international group of researchers has conducted a critical literature review on the use of cold thermal energy storage (CTES) in liquid-air energy storage systems (LAES). The role of a…
Despite being riddled with impurities and defects, solution-processed lead halide perovskites continue to defy expectations as highly efficient solar cell materials, with performance now approaching that of industry-standard silicon-based devices. A new experimental study from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) provides a comprehensive physical explanation for this efficiency puzzle and points the way to more effective next-generation photovoltaic technologies. Over the past fifteen years, lead halide perovskites have risen from relative obscurity to become leading candidates for low-cost, high-performance solar cells. Originally cataloged in the 1970s for their hybrid organic-inorganic crystal structures and then largely forgotten, these…
Austrian researchers analyzed commercial ethylene vinyl acetate-polyolefin-ethylene vinyl acetate (EPE) solar encapsulants and found that products sold under the same label can have significantly different material structures and performance. Although EPE provides better moisture barriers and thermal resistance than EVA and is rapidly gaining market share, the study cautions that its reliability and long-term behavior vary widely and require more in-depth research. March 6, 2026 Lior Kahana A research team from Austria has systematically investigated the chemical, optical, thermal and thermomechanical properties of commercially available coextruded ethylene vinyl acetate-polyolefin-ethylene vinyl acetate (EPE) encapsulation films. EPE encapsulant is part of the…
February marked a turning point in the French electricity market in early 2026, with negative prices emerging for the first time, intraday volatility peaking and battery energy storage systems (BESS) capturing growing revenue opportunities. March 6, 2026 Gwénaëlle Deboutte By pv magazine France Storio Energy, a B2B battery energy storage company, has published its updated electricity price observatory for February 2026. After a tense January, February showed early late winter dynamics: negative prices, strong intraday spread and the first effects of the 15-minute market interval. The month had two different periods. The first ten days maintained the winter profile, with…
Researchers in the US have developed a set of guidelines and protocols to assess the performance of three-terminal (3-T) and four-terminal (4-T) tandem solar cells, including those with subcells made of III-V, CdTe, perovskites or silicon materials. March 6, 2026 Valerie Thompson Researchers at the National Laboratory of the Rockies in the US have formulated a comprehensive performance measurement framework for three-terminal (3-T) and four-terminal (4-T) tandem solar cells. “Our work introduces the first comprehensive performance measurement framework specifically for three-terminal (3-T) and four-terminal (4-T) tandem solar cells, including perovskite-based devices,” Tao Song, corresponding author of the study, told us.…
US companies SolSource Solutions and TriBeam Financial have launched a prepaid residential solar and storage financing product designed to unlock federal tax benefits of up to 40%. March 6, 2026 Ryan Kennedy By pv magazine USA SolSource Solutions and TriBeam Financial have announced the launch of Propel, a financing product for residential solar and storage. The platform integrates third-party ownership (TPO) structures with a point-of-sale lending system to finance advance payments in the energy agreement. The product uses a prepaid power purchase agreement or leasing model. Homeowners pay the total contract value at the beginning of the term, often with…
The Virginia State Corporation Commission has approved the continued use of a grid security device that could make midsize solar projects financially exorbitant. In early February, the state’s SCC authorized the utility Dominion Energy to continue making demands direct transfer journey (DTT) for interconnected solar and storage projects, which prevent distributed energy sources from generating power when operating independently of the grid, or ‘islanding’, when not necessary. Producing isolated power in this way can pose safety risks, such as keeping power lines energized during a power outage. But critics of DTT believe that existing utility and inverter safety protocols can…
Qcells announced in a press release today, the company resumed solar panel assembly at its Cartersville, Georgia, facility after customs clearance delays. The factory plans to continue solar panel assembly and integrate block, wafer and cell production this year with an annual capacity of 3.3 GW, a company spokesperson said. Qcells Dalton, Georgia manufacturing facility. “We’re proud to get back to work producing the American energy the country needs now,” said Marta Stoepker, chief communications officer at Qcells. “Like any business, there have been and will continue to be obstacles that require us to adapt and be agile, but our…
Solar Ireland told the Irish government that the Private Wires Bill’s proposed definition of private wires could result in rooftop solar installations being subject to the full electricity licensing requirement, which would place significant additional demands on the energy regulator and delay installations. March 6, 2026 Blathnaid O’Dea Solar Ireland CEO Ronan Power addressed the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy in the Irish Parliament this week. He warned that the rapid deployment of rooftop solar panels in Ireland could be inadvertently delayed under the current wording of the Private Wires Bill. The Private Wires Bill was passed by…