Scientists discover why lead-halide solar perovskites work efficiently despite being structurally ‘messy’
Researchers in Austria found that unusually high photovoltaic efficiency in lead-halide perovskites can be explained by internal electric fields generated at strain-induced domain walls, which separate charge carriers and enable long-range transport. Their experiments indicated that these effects arise from mesoscopic structural inhomogeneities rather than a uniform crystal structure, providing a general mechanism for charge separation in these materials.
Renewables growth cut Spain’s electricity bills by 24.2% over the past two years
Spain and Portugal are 53% less exposed to gas price volatility than they were three years ago, according to a new report from Positive Money.
New irrigation tech helps reduce water use in agrivoltaics
Spanish researchers found that combining agrivoltaics with regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) can cut tomato irrigation water use by about 50%, while improving land-use efficiency through simultaneous crop and solar energy production.
Chile reaches 4.6 GW of energy storage under construction
The March 2026 Energy Sector Construction and Investment Projects Report, released by the Chilean Ministry of Energy, records 38 storage systems under construction, for 4,597 MW and 18,780 MWh.
Solar break quarterly generation records in Australia in Q1
In Q1 2026, grid-scale solar generation jumped 648 MW compared to the same period in 2025, recording an all-time quarterly high of 2,706 MW output, according to new figures released by the Australian Energy Market Operator.
Enphase unveils distributed solid-state transformer for AI data centers
The announcement of the company’s latest module power electronics project came alongside Q1 2026 earnings that showed a 20.6% decrease in year-over-year revenue numbers amid a steep decline in domestic demand.
New partnership advances sodium-ion manufacturing in Spain
In a week marked by the largest sodium-ion battery order to date, widely seen as a watershed moment for the technology’s commercialization at scale, one of Europe’s emerging players, Spain’s Bihar Batteries, is strengthening the outlook for European-made sodium-ion batteries.
Resisting rust in solar
Over a 30-year asset life, corrosion can evolve into a structural, electrical, and fire safety issue. Corrosion drives up operations and maintenance (O&M) costs, reduces resilience to extreme events, and in some cases, can force premature decommissioning or complete structural replacement Intertek CEA’s Nicholas Hudson and Ankil Sanghvi advise on best practices.
RCT Hydrogen begins manufacturing operations at German electrolyzer factory
RCT Hydrogen has launched operations at a new electrolyzer manufacturing facility in Saarbrücken, Germany, with planned annual production capacity of 250 MW and a first 5 MW system scheduled for assembly in 2026.
Rosi to build PV module recycling plant in Spain
Rosi has raised more than €20 million in a Series B funding round to scale its photovoltaic module recycling business and build a new 10,000-tonne-per-year facility in Teruel, Spain. The company uses pyrolysis-based technology to recover high-purity materials including silver, silicon, copper, aluminium and glass from end-of-life solar modules.
