Author: solarenergy

By Martin McConnell February 23, 2026 Renewable Energy and Decarbonization Platform Origis energy On February 19, the final commissioning and operation of three was announced Swift Air Solar facilities in west Texas. Origis officials say their company has planned and developed the facilities in three phases, with the final phase scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. The 500 MWdc project will give Origis’ partner a boost Western operations throughout the Lone Star State, including the STRATOS Direct Air Capture facility for air decarbonization. “We are proud of our partnership with Occidental, an industry leader with unparalleled technical depth…

Comstock Metals, a solar panel recycler with a delivery facility in Kings County, Californiahas received approval from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control to join a list of recognized companies as universal waste recyclers that can process solar panels. Waste solar panels can be sent to the factory in California, and Comstock will then send the panels to the full recycling facility in Nevada. “Opening a facility in California will allow us to better meet the region’s increasing demand for waste solar panel disposal while providing a streamlined, cost-effective logistics solution for our customers,” said Dr. Fortunato Villamagna, president…

The product line, called H3-Pro, consists of five models with PV input powers ranging from 30 kW to 50 kW and AC output powers from 15 kW to 30 kW. “With 200% PV oversizing, dual independent battery inputs and three MPPTs, it delivers excellent solar energy generation and storage efficiency,” the company said. “For larger installations, the H3-Pro can support up to 144 kWh by combining two of our CQ6 battery stacks, each consisting of 12 modules, making it suitable for commercial applications.” On the DC side, all models have a maximum input voltage of 1,000 V and an MPPT…

The South Korean government has announced plans to invest KRW321 billion ($222.6 million) by 2026 to upgrade regional distribution networks, deploy 85 energy storage systems and expand solar energy integration, while testing microgrids and market reforms. February 23, 2026 Brian Public South Korea unveiled its next-generation distributed grid strategy at a recent discussion forum in Seoul, with plans to expand distributed generation and support region-specific electricity production and consumption. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said in an online statement that it will begin upgrading the regional distribution network to enable variable renewable energy and reduce congestion, deploying 85…

Solar module prices rose €0.01 ($0.012)/W to €0.015/W in February, leaving levels 15% to 18% above the December 2024 low, despite falling wafer costs as manufacturers try to restore margins after prolonged losses. February 23, 2026 MARTIN SCHACHINGER, PVXCHANGE.COM Module prices rose more than expected in February across all major technology classes. Most products increased by approximately €0.01/W to €0.015/W. Modules for small roof systems showed a greater increase than utility-scale products. Prices have risen above January 2025 levels and are now 15% to 18% above the December 2024 low. The increases are not related to higher raw material costs…

Bedford Borough Council has granted planning permission for a 49.9MW PV facility to be built alongside a previously approved battery energy storage system (BESS).The Thurleigh Road Solar Farm in Bedfordshire will share grid infrastructure with the 69MW/138MWh Thurleigh Road BESS, both developed by UK-based international developer of large-scale solar and battery storage projects, Pathfinder Clean Energy (PACE).PACE said the two projects will provide flexibility and reduce network management costs in the long term, “creating efficiencies for the grid operator and ultimately helping to reduce costs for consumers”.With grid connections difficult to come by in Britain, such as reforms to the…

In utility-scale solar, the industry’s data maturity has reached a tipping point. It is no longer sufficient to simply measure irradiance; the standard now is to be able to understand and continuously optimize data quality so that production forecasts, performance ratios and financial models accurately reflect reality. For developers who also own and operate their assets, this shift is not theoretical, but a practical reality. As monitoring systems become more capable, the accuracy of radiation data is critical for evaluating performance and protecting long-term revenues. When “bankable” depends on the sensor Solar radiation data is inherently complex. Even when high-quality…

Taiwanese authorities have also introduced a repowering mechanism intended to encourage the replacement of aging PV equipment. February 23, 2026 Patrick Jowett TaiwanThe Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has announced its Feed-in Tariffs (FiT) for the country’s fiscal year 2026. The FiTs for solar energy remain unchanged compared to the second half of 2025. The highest available solar rate is TWD5.63 ($0.18)/kWh, for rooftop solar with a capacity between 1 kW and 10 kW. Rates decrease as installation size increases, with an array over 500 kW receiving a FiT of TWD3.89/kWh. Ground-mounted solar installations above 1 kW can benefit from…

Researchers from TU Delft developed a new micro-textured hexagonal glass that improves light scattering by up to 50%, improving optical performance in thin-film silicon solar cells. The technology is promising for multi-junctional, flexible and energy-efficient solar energy applications. February 23, 2026 Valerie Thompson Researchers from Delft University of Technology have investigated the application and properties of a new hexagonal glass texturing process in a superstrate configuration for thin-film silicon solar devices. “Our research has shown up to 50% light scattering, even at near-infrared wavelengths, with honeycomb textures on glass. These high-performance glass structures could benefit thin-film multijunction cells,” Govind Padmakumar,…

British energy supplier Octopus Energy will invest ‘almost’ $1 billion (£740 million) in California’s clean energy sector.The announcement was made as California Governor Gavin Newsom visited the United Kingdom and signed a Memorandum of Understanding between Britain and California to “drive innovation, scale up clean energy technologies and connect businesses and researchers in both economies,” according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).The Octopus investment includes a solar energy and battery energy storage system (BESS) project, which will begin commercial operation in July.Octopus did not specify the capacity of the solar-plus-storage project, nor how much of the…