AI powered solar forecasting helps UK grid operator reduce balancing costs
Open Climate Fix says its Quartz Solar tool saves Great Britain’s grid operator GBP 30 million ($39 million) per year through more accurate forecasting, which reduces the reserve capacity needed for balancing the electricity system. The non-profit company has used machine learning techniques with satellite, weather and historical generation data to reduce forecasting errors by half.
Italy limits solar tax break to EU-made HJT and tandem modules
Italy’s 2026 budget law limits its “Iperammortamento2026” fiscal incentive to European-made heterojunction (HJT) and tandem perovskite solar panels. Experts say the move gives Italian manufacturer 3Sun a strategic advantage and warn that the exclusion of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and back-contact (BC) technologies could distort competition and create market inefficiencies.
Fluence to supply Leag’s 4 GWh battery project, Europe’s largest, in Germany
Fluence Energy says it will supply a 1 GW/4 GWh battery energy storage system for German power producer Leag, marking both Europe’s largest such project and the company’s biggest single installation to date using its Smartstack platform.
Swiss researchers develop snow model to optimize PV system design in alpine regions
The researchers have used computational fluid dynamics-based modelling of snow patterns in an effort to establish best practices to mitigate snow accumulation in alpine PV plants.
Aermec debuts modular heat pump for residential, commercial buildings
The Italian manufacturer said its new WWMG heat pump system has a coefficient of performance of up to 4.98 and an energy efficiency rating of 16.30 BTU/Wh.
UK solar company shut down after defrauding elderly consumers
Elderly consumers targeted by sales staff who promised government grant refunds to cover the cost of solar equipment and maintenance but failed to deliver. More than GBP 3.1 million ($4.0 million) was paid into bank accounts of two now defunct companies between May 2023 and January 2025.
Battery optimization for a secure revenue structure
Discover how Entrix’s AI-driven optimization boosts battery storage profitability in Italy. Join industry experts to explore BESS revenue strategies, technical challenges, and evolving market mechanisms.
Spanish start-up Bihar Batteries to commercialize sodium-ion batteries in 2026
The company has produced its first sodium-ion battery prototype and, in collaboration with Spanish research institute CIC energiGUNE, developed sodium-ion cell prototypes that have shown “very promising results.”
Alfa Laval launches once-through steam generator for thermal storage
The Swedish company stated that its new product was designed for use in compact, molten salt energy storage applications, eventually in combination with PV power. In its standard configuration, it can reportedly withstand temperatures up to 400 C and pressures up to 60 bar.
Forschungszentrum Jülich achieves 23.08% efficiency for copper-metallized heterojunction solar cell
The cell reportedly exhibits only a 0.4% efficiency loss compared to a reference device that underwent full silver metallization.
