Author: solarenergy
Elon Musk told the World Economic Forum in Davos that the cheapest energy for AI could come from solar energy generated in space. He also suggested that the sparsely populated areas of Spain and Sicily could serve as the “power stations” of Europe. January 23, 2026 Pilar Sanchez Molina Image: Steve Jurvetson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 “We are in the most interesting era in history.” This is how Elon Musk opened his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, speaking with BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink. Musk highlighted the potential of solar energy and battery storage in…
Technical ceramics manufacturer CoorsTek has placed the order Turn energy to construct three off-site net-metered solar projects to support the company’s operations in northeastern Colorado. The arrays, with a total capacity of 10.4 MWDC, will be built in Greeley. Once operational, the project is expected to generate approximately 20 million kWh of solar energy annually, enough to meet approximately 40% of CoorsTek’s electricity consumption at six of its Colorado facilities. CoorsTek’s ceramic products are used in a range of industries, including automotive, energy infrastructure and consumer electronics. “This partnership with Pivot Energy reflects our commitment to a more resilient and…
A research team from Osaka Metropolitan University has developed a donor-acceptor-donor molecule that can spontaneously self-assemble into nanoscale structures, providing a more stable route to built-in p/n heterojunctions in organic solar cells. January 23, 2026 Patrick Jowett Scientists from Osaka Metropolitan University have developed a molecular architecture that provides a new design strategy for the production of more efficient organic thin-film solar cells. Their donor-acceptor-donor (DAD) molecule, known as TISQ, integrates a squaraine-based p-type segment and a naphthalene diimide n-type segment within a single molecule. It is able to naturally form p/n junctions, also known as the interface between p-type…
China’s leading stationary storage battery manufacturers are accelerating the rollout of 500 Ah-plus lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells, betting that larger sizes can reduce system complexity and increase energy density in 6 MWh-class containers, even as safety, yield and standardization challenges increase. January 23, 2026 Vincent Shaw By ESS news China’s largest stationary storage cell manufacturers have accelerated the rollout of LFP sizes above 500 Ah since 2025, positioning ‘large cells’ as a short-term path to reduce system complexity and increase energy density at the container level. CATL advertises a 587 Ah energy storage cell as part of its large-scale…
Spain’s electricity grid has lost almost 2.8 GW of available capacity in two months, raising substation saturation to 85.7% and leaving more than 5,200 facilities without spare capacity, a new analysis shows. January 22, 2026 Pilar Sanchez Molina By pv magazine Spain Spain’s electricity grid is under increasing pressure after losing almost 2.8 GW of available capacity in just two months, pushing overall saturation to 85.7%, according to the latest update of a survey by the Industry and Energy Forum and consultancy Opina 360. The study, based on data as of December 1, 2025, assessed 6,108 substations operated by Spain’s…
Halocell Energy is expected to benefit from the development of a sovereign supply chain for high-purity perovskite precursors, after signing a memorandum of understanding with Queensland advanced materials company Lava Blue. January 22, 2026 Ev Foley By pv magazine Australia Halocell energy will benefit from the development of a sovereign supply chain for high-purity perovskite precursors, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Queensland advanced materials company Lava Blue. Lava Blue and New South Wales (NSW) head office Halocell Energy team up to develop scalable, Australian-made specialty chemicals used in printing perovskite solar panels. The MOU builds…
Chinese manufacturer Sungrow has introduced a new utility string inverter, a three-phase hybrid inverter for commercial and industrial (C&I) applications and a liquid-cooled energy storage system. January 22, 2026 Lior Kahana Sungrow has developed several new products for large-scale and C&I solar projects, including a utility string inverter, a three-phase hybrid inverter and a liquid-cooled C&I energy storage system. The new products include the SG465HX string inverter, the PowerStack ST255CS liquid-cooled C&I energy storage system and the SH125CX three-phase hybrid inverter for C&I applications. “The latest technologies reflect Sungrow’s continued focus on system-level innovation, improved grid compatibility and practical solutions…
The NC Center for Clean Energy Technology (NCCETC) published a report finding that 49 states, plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico, had adopted distributed solar policies by 2025. The NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) has released its 2025 Annual Review and Q4 Update edition of “The 50 states of solar energy”, a quarterly series providing insight into regulatory and legislative discussions and actions related to distributed solar policy. The policies related to net metering, community solar, and residential utility rate increases. The most active states were Colorado, Illinois, Connecticut, Virginia, Maine, and New Jersey. 2025 Policy Action on Distributed…
Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), Maryland’s largest utility, introduced a program Tuesday that would provide free batteries to medically vulnerable customers. If adopted, the program would provide a solution for continuous power supply for customers at risk during power outages. Baltimore gas and electricity BGE’s pilot program would provide free utility batteries to eligible multifamily facilities with medically vulnerable residents. The batteries would support the electric grid by participating in a virtual power plant and maintaining a state of charge that ensures energy availability for medically vulnerable customers during emergencies. As part of this pilot, BGE plans to install 3…
IEA-PVPS Task 15 has launched its first cross-comparison exercise in the field of colored building-integrated solar photovoltaics (BIPV), inviting PV modelers and researchers to evaluate their methods using real-world performance data. January 22, 2026 IEA-PVPS IEA PVPS Task 15 has launched its first cross-comparison exercise in the field of colored building-integrated solar photovoltaics (BIPV), inviting PV modelers and researchers to evaluate their methods using real-world performance data. The activity aims to assess how accurately current models can predict the performance of colored BIPV systems and to quantify the differences between various modeling approaches. The results will be analyzed and published…