Solar backup power supports Ukrainian intensive care units during grid outages and cyberattacks
At the Solarpower Summit in Brussels, two Ukrainian representatives highlighted the role photovoltaics and battery storage can play in the country, as well as the lessons the European Union can draw from Ukraine’s experience of living through war. Particular emphasis was placed on systems installed at hospitals and schools.
Remote Australian community secures permit for Sun Turtle solar and battery project
A remote Western Australia First Nations community with its sights set on reducing diesel dependence and energy insecurity has had a solar and 3.25 MW battery energy storage project approved for development.
SEG Solar to expand U.S. manufacturing with 4 GW solar module plant
The $200 million investment will bring the company’s total domestic production capacity to 6 GW by late 2026.
Study finds PV plants reshape land surface conditions, reducing wind speed and increasing soil moisture
A China-based research team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 147 studies on how solar PV systems alter land surface processes, covering 609 installations worldwide and 11 key climate variables. The results show mixed but mostly significant environmental effects, including reduced wind speed, albedo, and land surface or soil temperatures, alongside increased soil moisture, while air temperature changes remained largely non-significant.
K2 Systems releases new mounting systems for ground-mounted PV
The German manufacturer launched two mounting systems for utility-scale solar projects and small- and medium-scale installations, respectively. Both are designed to streamline installation with simplified components and modular layouts.
EU allocates 1.1 GW of electrolyzer capacity in third hydrogen auction, lowest bid comes in at €0.44/kg
The European Commission has allocated €1.09 billion in support through the third European Hydrogen Bank auction, selecting nine projects across seven countries. The procurement exercise was significantly oversubscribed with 58 bids from 11 countries. It awarded fixed hydrogen production premiums ranging from €0.44 ($0.51)/kg to €3.49/kg.
Short circuit in nickel manganese cobalt batteries causes fire at UK BESS project
Project owner told ESS News that fire at one of the UK’s oldest grid-scale BESS projects was caused by fault with nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) technology used in some early UK BESS projects. The fire occurred days before scheduled augmentation to upgrade Rufford Colliery BESS site.
Large-scale heat pumps utilize excess heat from Microsoft data centers in Finland
Finnish energy company Fortum has switched on two industrial-scale heat pumps in southern Finland that will utilize excess heat from two local data centres belonging to Microsoft from next year. The company states data centre waste heat could cover around 40% of the total 2 TWh annual district heating demand of users in the area.
Sonnenkraft launches 480 W back-contact TOPCon solar module
The Austrian manufacturer said its new glass-glass module features 108 back-contact TOPCon half-cells and a power conversion efficiency of 23.52%.
Negative electricity prices in France hit a new record
Negative electricity prices are making a strong comeback in the French energy market. Driven by rising photovoltaic output and reduced nuclear flexibility, they dominated much of April, often falling close to the regulatory floor.
