Articles written by Blathnaid O’Dea

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Markets & Policy
Strengthening solar standards The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) brings stakeholders from across the solar industry together to ensure that every component of the PV value chain is produced and sourced responsibly, from human labor to polysilicon. Rachel Owens, the first CEO of the Brussels-based organization and in the role for a little over a year, spoke to pv magazine about what comes next for the initiative.
Blathnaid O’Dea
Jul 10, 2026
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Applications & Installations
Free online calculator shows Irish homeowners how to save with solar Solar consultant Scott McKechnie told pv magazine his online platform, AirPV, is designed to cut through the information noise homeowners have to wade through if they want to save money and get shorter payback time on their panels.
Blathnaid O’Dea
Jul 09, 2026
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Applications & Installations
Enphase targets 800 V DC data centers with distributed solid-state transformers Enphase Energy representative Andy Newbold told pv magazine the company sees its distributed solid-state transformer model supporting utility-scale solar, batteries, and high-power EV charging eventually. The initial focus, however, will be on data centers.
Blathnaid O’Dea
Jul 07, 2026
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Applications & Installations
Rapid shutdown explained Rapid shutdown is a safety function that reduces the voltage of PV conductors if a system failure occurs. While it can be incorporated into module level power electronics (MLPE) devices – such as optimizers and microinverters – some markets require dedicated rapid shutdown devices (RSDs).
Blathnaid O’Dea
Jul 02, 2026
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Applications & Installations
Energy Dome to build 23 MW/200 MWh carbon battery in Ireland The project has secured land, planning consent, and a grid connection and has been awarded a 10-year capacity contract. It is expected to come online in 2028.
Blathnaid O’Dea
Jul 01, 2026
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Applications & Installations
Ireland expected to exceed 3.3 GW of connected solar capacity by year-end Ireland’s solar market is continuing to mature rapidly, according to Solar Ireland’s 2026 annual report which also identified the emergence of a ‘duck curve’ and called for more energy storage to balance out the 2.7 GW of solar now connected to the grid.
Blathnaid O’Dea
Jun 30, 2026
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Markets & Policy
North Macedonia prepares to integrate gigawatt-sized project pipeline …deployment, institutional reform, and workforce retraining, financed by international institutions including the EBRD, World Bank, and KfW. “It’s a really busy time for the people working in solar,” he added….
Patrick Jowett, Blathnaid O’Dea
Jun 25, 2026
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Markets & Policy
Energy sharing, storage reshaping Slovenia’s PV market pv magazine spoke with Nina Hojnik, General Manager of the Slovenian Photovoltaic Association at the Smarter E tradeshow in Munich, about the launch of energy sharing and its first registrations, alongside a residential rebound driven by solar-plus-storage.
Patrick Jowett, Blathnaid O’Dea
Jun 24, 2026
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Applications & Installations
Feeding Europe’s AI energy demand On one hand, European policymakers are aiming for climate neutrality by 2050. On the other, they’re aiming to at least triple the region’s data center market by the mid-2030s to conserve European digital sovereignty and economic competitiveness. Is it possible to do both? Not without demand-side flexibility, cross-border electricity trading, and smarter integration of renewable energy assets.
Blathnaid O’Dea
Jun 24, 2026