Author: solarenergy
By Martin McConnell February 24, 2026 Last year’s Intersolar & Energy Storage North America (IESNA) flagship show took place in something of a limbo period. With President Trump having just retaken office a month prior — and promising to “drill, baby, drill,” largely doing away with the renewable energy policy advancements of the previous Biden administration — many feared the solar space, even as a mature market, was on unsteady ground going into 2025. So far, 2026 has been largely more of the same, with good vibes abound, but that sinking feeling that the other shoe could always drop very…
The Massachusetts House released its redesign of a climate omnibus bill (H.4744). The bill contains provisions recommended by advocacy groups, including Vote for solar energyThat would make the electricity grid more resilient and affordable, but it still calls for dramatic cuts to the Commonwealth’s flagship energy efficiency program. While many of the solar provisions in the bill will help meet Massachusetts’ climate goals, the bill misses an opportunity to rein in costs by reducing spending on fossil fuels and utilities, Vote Solar officials say. Instead, the bill cuts Mass Save by $1 billion, focusing on a short-sighted cut rather than…
Weidmuller USA has launched the WM4 C PV connectors, designed for residential, commercial and utility-scale solar systems. The connectors support a maximum of 1,500 V, are equipped with crimp contacts, an anti-tampering lock and IP67 protection. February 24, 2026 Lior Kahana The WM4 C PV connectors Image: Weidmuller VS Virginia-based industrial connectivity and automation products manufacturer Weidmuller USA has introduced a new connector designed for solar applications. The WM4 C PV connectors are equipped with crimp contacts that support a maximum of 1,500 V. “These UL-approved PV connectors are compatible with residential, commercial and utility-scale photovoltaic systems,” the company said…
Zenobē received the first Gate 2 Phase 1 connection offer, the company’s public affairs and policy leader Georgina Morris-Rowbottom announced this afternoon at the Energy Storage Summit.Rowbottom announced the news at a panel entitled ‘The UK’s new market design: opportunities for storage’. She later confirmed that Solar energy portal that the company received the bid for one of its Scottish projects. We reported last week that the first official offer had been made.Zenobē did not reveal which project is involved, but there are only three major projects underway in Scotland. They are: The 400MW/800MWh Eccles project, under constructionThe 100MW/200MWh phase…
Vattenfall says it will connect a 7.6 MW solar power plant to a 17 MW wind farm in Germany, allowing both to operate via a single grid connection point. February 24, 2026 Sandra Enkhardt By pv magazine Germany Barrel trap plans to build a 25 MW hybrid power plant in the southern Eifel region of Germany. The “Hommerdingen-Biesdorf” project will include four wind turbines with a combined capacity of 17 MW and a solar power plant with approximately 12,000 PV modules totaling 7.6 MW. The wind farm will be built in the municipality of Hommerdingen, while the solar panels will…
Sun run has formed a distributed power plant partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), leveraging more than 1,000 customers’ solar and storage systems to export energy to reduce grid constraints. Sun run “Sunrun’s groundbreaking program with PG&E shows that distributed power plants can help communities avoid the high costs of adding more poles and wires to accommodate load growth,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell. “We saw time and time again that our customers’ batteries delivered location-specific load lighting with high precision and consistent performance.” Sunrun’s Local PeakShift Power distributed power plant is part of PG&E’s Seasonal Aggregation of…
An agrivoltaic energy zoning plan in Israel specifies that solar panel coverage should not exceed 30% of the built-up area. The bottom edge of panels should be a minimum of 1.5 meters above the ground for field crops, increasing to 4.5 meters for orchards and other crops. February 24, 2026 Patrick Jowett Israel’s National Planning and Construction Council has approved an outline plan for agricultural voltaics. The plan, prepared under the guidance of Israel’s Planning Administration and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, represents the country’s first attempt to define rules that comprehensively regulate agricultural installations. It specifies that solar…
Looking for a real deep dive into the most pressing battery storage topics? Visit us at BBDF 2026. After the first successful and sold-out BBDF last July, the event returns Frankfurt on March 31 and April 1, 2026 for two impactful days dedicated to Europe’s fast-growing market for grid-scale battery storage. Investors, developers, manufacturersAnd policymakers will dive in investment trends, regulatory frameworksAnd technologies shaping the future of BESS. Regarding sustainability, supply chains, security and resilience of the grid, the forum provides sharp insights, expert panels and valuable networking opportunitiess for those actively involved in the energy storage transition in Europe.…
Artificial intelligence can accelerate the planning, construction and operation of photovoltaic systems, as evidenced by the recent Solar Quality Summit in Barcelona, Spain. But its effectiveness depends on data quality, as poor data, unclear responsibilities and weak documentation can become major cost drivers. February 24, 2026 Marian Willuhn “Are you ready for artificial intelligence?” With this question, David Moser, head of the Becquerel Institute Italy, opened the recent Solar Quality Summit in Barcelona. The two-day conference, attended by 250 representatives from project development, operations, financing and monitoring, focused more intensively than ever on AI. The event, organized by SolarPower Europe…
Researchers in Germany assessed lightning risks in livestock-integrated agrivoltaic systems, identifying key injury mechanisms and establishing safe step and touch voltage limits. Their simulations showed that collisions at edges and conductive structures pose the greatest hazards, highlighting the need for livestock-specific grounding designs and mitigation strategies. February 24, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Researchers from Ilmenau University of Technology have assessed lightning-related hazards in livestock-integrated agrivoltaic systems and proposed a range of mitigation strategies and protection measures to reduce risks to animals. “Project developers are generally aware that lightning can pose risks to livestock, especially as protective measures against lightning have already…