Author: solarenergy

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has further driven up wholesale prices, which in itself will increase energy costs for businesses.According to a recent analysis by energy consultancy Cornwall Insight, depending on the sector and size of the organisation, electricity bills have risen by an average of 10-30% since the end of February.Gas prices are expected to rise even further, between 25% and 80%. Even the lower end of these forecasts could have a significant impact on small businesses, according to the energy consultancy.An average 12-month electricity contract for small commercial and industrial (C&I) businesses would cost £96,000 more…

For decades, the Arctic has been dismissed as a solar dead zone. Long winters, heavy snowfall and extreme cold seemed to rule out solar photovoltaics as a serious energy option for communities above the 60th parallel. A new report from the IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Program (Task 13) challenges this assumption, arguing that solar energy is not only viable in the Arctic, but is increasingly important to the region’s energy security. The 77-page report, titled “Photovoltaics and energy security in the greater Arctic“ and written by researchers from the US, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, comes at a time…

UNSW researchers developed a chemically selective, nitrate-based, single-sided accelerated aging method for TOPCon solar cells that replicates the mildly acidic environment in EVA-encapsulated modules. The proposed approach enables rapid, physically meaningful screening of front-end metallization stability, reliably predicting module-level degradation and reducing development time and costs, according to its creators. March 31, 2026 Emiliano Bellini A research team from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has developed a new accelerated cell-level aging method for TOPCon solar technologies. “Conventional solution-based accelerated tests such as acetic acid soak impose chemically unrealistic conditions and often fail to reproduce degradation trends at the…

Italian energy regulator ARERA has approved a proposal from the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security to target 16 GWh of storage capacity in the 2029 MACSE auction, while urging caution on final volumes to reflect existing pipeline capacity. March 31, 2026 Sergio Matalucci By ESS news Italian energy regulator ARERA has issued a favorable opinion to the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security on grid operator Terna’s proposal to set a target of 16 GWh for the MACSE storage capacity auction for 2029. While ARERA endorses the general approach of the transmission system operator, ARERA has nevertheless emphasized the…

Researchers in Finland found that dish soap reduces the permeability and performance of solar panels, leaving residue even after rinsing. They recommend avoiding its use for cleaning solar panels. March 30, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Researchers from the University of Turku in Finland investigated whether household cleaners can be used to clean solar panels, finding that most – including glass cleaner and isopropanol – are suitable and do not affect the light transmission of module glass. Dish soap was the exception, as it was found to alter the optical properties of anti-reflective (AR) coated solar panel glass. The scientists noted that…

The UK government is proposing tougher cyber security rules for the electricity and gas sectors, following recent attacks on Europe’s energy infrastructure, including a recent incident involving solar power plants in Poland. The plans would extend basic cybersecurity requirements to all licensed energy organizations and could also adjust compliance thresholds under the NIS regulations. March 30, 2026 Matthew Lynas The UK government is advising on changes to cyber security regulations affecting the energy sector. Image: pv magazine/AI generated The UK government is looking to tighten cyber security rules for its electricity and gas sectors, following recent attacks on energy infrastructure…

The DUB20 data center campus in County Wicklow, due for completion in 2028, will feature battery energy storage and solar PV installations capable of generating 6,000 MWh annually. It will be Ireland’s first green energy farm, being delivered as part of the Major Energy Users Action Plan (LEAP). March 30, 2026 Blathnaid O’Dea Irish data center developer Echelon has started construction of a data center alongside a large-scale renewable energy infrastructure, including solar PV systems and battery energy storage. Echelon’s DUB20 data center campus will be Ireland’s first Green Energy Park (GEP) and represents a major milestone in the implementation…

Researchers in Singapore have developed fully vacuum-processed ultra-thin perovskite solar cells with absorber layers as thin as 10 nm, achieving high transparency and stable efficiency up to 12%. These cells balance optical transparency and electrical performance, providing scalable, design-flexible solar photovoltaics suitable for seamless integration into buildings. March 30, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore have developed ultra-thin perovskite solar cells with absorber layers as thin as just tens of nanometers. The research work addresses a key challenge in the development of transparent solar photovoltaics: balancing optical transparency with electrical performance without sacrificing scalability or…

SOSV-backed Qnetic aims to raise $20 million by 2026. Over the next two years, it will work with the National Lab of the Rockies and other partners on field testing and validating its technology for multiple use cases. March 30, 2026 Blathnaid O’Dea By ESS news After a lucrative 2025, New York-based flywheel energy storage systems (FESS) startup Qnetic is equipping a factory in Sacramento, California, where it will begin producing its Q500 solid-state mechanical battery in small volumes. The Q500 is Qnetic’s alpha prototype, CEO Michael Pratt confirms ESS news. “The base specification of the Q500 is 500 kWh,…

Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), together with partners from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, have investigated why perovskites in tandem solar cells lose their performance under temperature changes. Two recently published papers show, on the one hand, how rapid temperature cycles affect crystal structure, and on the other hand, which organic molecules can stabilize perovskite structures. The first study focuses on perovskites as commonly used in perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. The researchers used cells with an efficiency of 24.31%. The temperature was varied at…