Author: solarenergy
Swiss startup Evolium Technologies’ subscription-based business model offers private battery owners a lifetime warranty on batteries that have a second life. The startup tests and monitors each battery cell remotely, so customers can be alerted when a cell is underperforming. April 3, 2026 Blathnaid O’Dea Evolium’s second-life battery for residential applications with its own monitoring system. The system tells the battery owner when a cell needs to be replaced. Image: Evolium Technologies By ESS news Founded in 2024 and supported by the Swiss Innovation Association, Evolium Technologies is a Swiss second-life battery start-up with its own unique approach to battery…
Agratas, the Tata Group’s global battery company, has completed the steel frame of its Sanand factory in India, with production expected to begin in 2027. April 3, 2026 Uma Gupta By pv magazine India Agratasthe global battery sector of the Tata Grouphas completed the steel frame of its Sanand battery manufacturing facility in India, marking a major milestone towards operational readiness. The company expects production to start in 2027. The first phase of the project is designed for an annual production capacity of 20 GWh. Once operational, the facility will produce advanced battery cells for electric vehicles and energy storage…
A German research team has developed CuInSe₂ microconcentrator solar cells using laser-assisted metal-organic chemical vapor deposition to grow indium islands directly on molybdenum-coated glass, forming absorber arrays without masks or patterns. The not yet optimized micromodules achieved an efficiency of up to 0.65% under one sun, with gains of up to 250% under concentrated lighting. April 3, 2026 Lior Kahana A research team in Germany has developed a copper, indium and selenium (CuInSe₂) micro-concentrator solar device consisting of vertically grown absorber islands on molybdenum (Mo) films. The scientists used laser-assisted metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (LA-MOCVD) to grow indium (In) islands…
Hybrid power purchase agreements (PPAs) that combine solar and storage are proving more difficult to secure with industrial customers than standard solar agreements, despite growing market interest. April 3, 2026 Tristan Rayner By ESS news BBDF 2026 held a panel on hybrid PPAs, with panelists all familiar with the relatively easy days of solar PPAs. Now that projects are increasingly taking place at the same location and the desire of banks and financiers is to tie up part of BESS revenues in toll contracts and not have them operated 100% by merchants, the context for the conversation is to look…
The U.S. solar industry cannot meet workforce needs as developers rush to meet July 4, 2026 construction deadlines tied to federal tax credits. April 2, 2026 Ryan Kennedy By pv magazine USA The U.S. solar industry is facing a serious skilled labor shortage developers are rushing to meet the July 4, 2026 construction deadline mandated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). An analysis of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report (USER) and the IREC National Solar Jobs Census shows that while the industry now supports more than 280,000 workers, the supply of qualified workers cannot keep pace…
The war in the Middle East is putting pressure on energy markets and increasing the value of solar and storage energy purchase agreements (PPAs), with Europe seeing a surge in activity in March, according to Swiss consultancy Pexapark. April 2, 2026 Pilar Sanchez Molina By ESS news The conflict in the Gulf has led to a structural shift in global energy markets that extends beyond short-term volatility. Attacks on liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure have increased the impact on energy markets after an initial focus on temporary logistics disruptions, according to Pexapark. War between Israel, the United States and Iran…
Ember’s latest analysis shows that there are major bottlenecks in transmission and distribution networks across Europe, threatening the viability of both future utilities and small-scale residential solar in the most affected countries. April 1, 2026 Patrick Jowett There is a shortfall of around 120 GW between the planned expansion of renewable energy sources and available network capacity in most EU member states, according to a new report from energy analysts Ember. The “Crossed wires: Network capacity could block the EU’s energy securityAccording to the report, more than one in two EU countries face bottlenecks at the transmission level where large-scale…
The French authorities have announced that in the 2026 tender they will allocate 288 MW of PV for projects ranging from 100 kW to 500 kW in size, and 925 MW for PV systems above 500 kW. The tenders will include cybersecurity requirements as well as facilities to support European manufacturing. April 2, 2026 Gwénaëlle Deboutte By pv magazine France The French government this week published the calendar for wind and solar energy auctions in 2026. The tender for commercial and industrial photovoltaic systems from 100 kW to 500 kW is scheduled for July 2026, with a total capacity of…
When homeowners talk about solar panel efficiency, they’re often referring to two different things without realizing it. There’s the efficiency rating you see on a spec sheet, a fixed number that represents how well a panel converts sunlight into electricity under perfect laboratory conditions. Then there’s the real-world energy output, the actual kilowatt-hours your system produces day after day, which can vary based on how you maintain and operate your panels. Think of it like a car. The window sticker shows a fixed MPG rating tested in controlled conditions, but your mileage depends on how you maintain the vehicle, how…
A team from Nankai University and the Shanghai Institute of Space Power-Sources has developed a hydrofluorocarbon electrolyte that allows lithium metal cells to operate at temperatures as low as -70 C. April 2, 2026 Vincent Shaw By ESS news A research team led by Nankai University and the Shanghai Institute of Space Power-Sources has reported a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) electrolyte that enables lithium-metal batteries with an energy density of more than 700 Wh/kg, while maintaining operation at temperatures as low as -70 C. The findings were published in Nature on February 25 in an article titled “Hydrofluorocarbon electrolytes for energy-dense and…