Author: solarenergy
The inaugural Solar Manufacturing USA 2026 event takes place in Austin, Texas on 22 & 23 September 2026, with conference topics chosen specifically to allow the PV industry to understand exactly what is being produced today at solar manufacturing sites across the United States and which technologies are being deployed. This article explains why production volumes, technology choice and operating metrics have now become the key issues to track for U.S. solar manufacturing, after years of capacity announcements by dozens of solar companies worldwide, all keen to be part of the domestic U.S. solar manufacturing community. A discussion of the…
ESS Tech is complementing its iron current storage offering, designed for the long-duration segment from 8 to 24 hours, with sodium ion battery products aimed at short- and medium-duration applications. April 30, 2026 Marija Maisch By ESS news US-based ESS Tech focuses on entering the short- and medium-term storage segments with non-lithium-ion storage solutions. As part of a letter of intent for a strategic partnership with Alsym Energy, the long-term storage specialist plans to add 8.5 GWh sodium ion cells and modules to its portfolio. With this initiative, ESS Tech aims to expand its presence in a market segment historically…
The announcement of the company’s latest module power electronics project coincided with its first-quarter 2026 earnings results, which showed a 20.6% decline in year-on-year revenue amid a sharp decline in domestic demand. April 30, 2026 Ben Zientara By pv magazine USA At the end of his commentary on his company’s first-quarter 2026 earnings call, Enphase CEO Badri Kothandaraman had what could be described as a “one more thing” moment à la Steve Jobs. The call previously focused on the company’s revenue and revenue data, which showed a steep decline of nearly 20.6% in quarterly revenue year-over-year, the company’s first negative…
In March 2026, 27,000 new solar installations were completed in Britain, marking the highest monthly deployment since 2012.UK government figures show that across all types of deployment (domestic roofs, commercial and industrial and ground-mounted solar power stations), Britain surpassed two million solar installations in March. A total of 22.1 GW has been installed in Great Britain, spread over 2,003,000 installations. Two-thirds of the installations consisted of PV on the roof of homes. That revelation comes as solar power generation took place in April and subsequently broke several records. The government has achieved an 11.7% growth in installed solar capacity in…
Soluxtec has initiated preliminary insolvency proceedings as falling module prices and international competition continue to put pressure on European solar energy producers. The company said it plans to restructure operations, maintain module supply and preserve jobs as it looks for investors. April 30, 2026 Sandra Enkhardt Soluxtec’s production facility in Bitburg, Germany Image: Soluxtec By pv magazine Germany German manufacturer of solar panels Soluxtec has filed for bankruptcy proceedings with the Court of Bitburg op Wednesday. The court has appointed a lawyer Jacob Joeres of an accounting and consultancy firm dhpg as provisional curator. He will work with the solar…
French renewable energy developer Neoen has announced plans to proceed (NTP) with the construction of two 195 MWp solar PV projects in Ireland. The projects include the 162 MWp Garr Solar Farm in County Offaly and the 33 MWp Johnstown North Solar Farm in County Wicklow, both of which were awarded contracts in 2024 under Ireland’s Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS 4) auction. Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) responsibilities are divided between Omexom, which will supply the solar panels and associated infrastructure, and TLI Group, which will provide the substations and grid connections on site. According to the company, Garr…
Italian authorities have identified seven Trentino-based photovoltaic companies, controlled by an unnamed German operator, accused of evading more than €60 million in taxes and unlawfully obtaining €33 million in incentives from the state energy agency GSE. April 30, 2026 Massimiliano Tripodo Image: Sikwe Scarter, Unsplash By pv magazine Italy The Italian law enforcement agency responsible for financial crimes, tax evasion, customs enforcement and economic fraud – Guardia di Finanza (GDF) – has identified seven photovoltaic companies, based in Trentino, controlled by an unnamed German operator, which allegedly evaded more than 60 million euros in tax revenues and unlawfully obtained more…
Researchers in Canada designed an air source heat pump integrated with an air-based solar collector and underfloor heating for cold climates, demonstrating that the proposed system configuration could improve the coefficient of performance from 2–4 to 2–6 and significantly reduce annual energy consumption. April 30, 2026 Lior Kahana Researchers from the University of Calgary in Canada have investigated the thermodynamic performance of an air source heat pump (ASHP) integrated with an air-based solar collector (SAC) for underfloor heating in cold climates. The system was simulated in the Transient System Simulation Tool (TRNSYS) under Calgary ambient conditions. “Heat pumps integrated with…
A group of researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) claims to have identified a mechanism that helps explain why lead halide perovskites (LHPs) are highly efficient for photovoltaic applications despite their ‘messy’ structure. They found that flexoelectric polarization plays a key role at voltage-induced domain walls, generating internal electric fields that separate charge carriers, suppress recombination, and enable long-distance transport despite rapid intrinsic exciton decay. The scientists explained that their work was initially motivated by the question of why perovskite solar cells can match the performance of silicon despite being fabricated using simple, low-cost solution processes,…
Although the exact specifications of the new product, such as dimensions and weight, have not been revealed, the available images indicate potential transport issues. April 30, 2026 Marija Maisch By ESS news Chinese battery manufacturer Gotion High-Tech has announced that its first Gotion Grid Gen2 high-voltage cascade energy storage system, with a capacity of 5 MW/18.8 MWh in one cabin, has passed a scientific and technological performance assessment and has been awarded the title of ‘international leading’. High-voltage cascade energy storage is a modular battery architecture in which multiple battery inverter units are connected in series to jointly achieve grid-level…