UK solar on track for record CfD deployment in 2026
Total number of UK PV plants backed by contracts for difference (CfD) could more than double in 2026, if developers hit deadlines. Latest investment report from scheme contract company reveals solar holds the greatest number of contracts of any generating technology.
New digital twin for floating PV application uses artificial intelligence
Scientists have developed a floating PV digital twin system, trained on data from 155 physical experiments, using a two-tier artificial neural network (ANN) with a high-fidelity model and a reduced-order model. Predictive performance reached R2 values of 0.9996 for PV surface temperature and 0.9189 for power output.
UK research calls for robust approach to rooftop solar fire safety
Research commissioned by the UK government finds rooftop solar panels can significantly influence fire behavior, particularly when the height gap between modules and the roof surface falls below critical limits.
Growing agri-PV tomatoes while producing hydrogen for smart windows
Scientists have simulated a residential building based on a real double-story house in the United Kingdom, combining rooftop agrivoltaics with onsite hydrogen production. Electricity generated by the solar system is used to produce hydrogen, which is then supplied to a hydrogen vehicle and insulated gasochromic smart windows.
Solar to occupy no more than 0.6% of UK farmland by 2030
The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said in response to a recent Freedom of Information (FoI) request that even if all future solar projects under its solar roadmap were ground-mounted, they would occupy no more than 0.4% of the United Kingdom’s total land area.
Off-grid floating PV-desalination system for hydrogen production
Scientists have simulated a solar-powered hydrogen production system comprising 32,050 photovoltaic panels, a pumping system, a seawater reverse-osmosis desalination unit, an electrolyzer, and a hydrogen storage tank. Operation of the system in Oman could potentially yield a levelized cost of electricity of $0.05/kWh and a levelized cost of hydrogen of $9.5/kg.
UK added at least 2.5 GW solar in 2025, revised data reveals
Provisional capacity data updated with 1.5 GW of solar added to total deployment figure. New capacity additions include largest solar plant to date and a record year for rooftop installations.
Europe’s first sodium-ion cell made with fully domestic components
Welsh battery breakthrough uses UK-manufactured anode and cathode materials as well as active materials available through local supply chains. Batri plans to scale up material manufacturing and cell building capability.
New annual record for UK solar generation
NESO records more than 18,000 GWh of PV generation for Great Britain in 2025. SolarEnergy UK welcomes new record and claims more will be broken each year as deployment accelerates.
The impact of transparent conductive electrodes on perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell performance
An Oxford researcher has found that transparent conducting electrodes can reduce perovskite–silicon tandem solar cell efficiency by over 2%, with losses linked to electrical resistance, optical effects, and geometric trade-offs. Using a unified optical–electrical model, the scientist showed how careful optimization of TCE stacks, coatings, and cell design is critical to closing the gap toward the 37%–38% efficiency frontier.
