Renewable Energy

This March, Women in Solar+ Europe (WiSEu) is launching its International Women’s Day 2026 campaign: “Beyond 10X: Leadership Without Double Standards.” Inspired by a reflection from Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgár: “I had to prove myself 10 times more than if I’d been born as a boy”, the campaign invites professionals across the solar plus industries to reflect on how leadership is evaluated and how subtle double standards can shape career trajectories.

The Chinese manufacturer said its new three residential battery lines support a depth of discharge of 90% and deliver over 6,000 cycles.

The Chinese electric vehicle maker said the new batteries can charge from 10% to 70% in 5 minutes and from 10% to 97% in 9 minutes. The company also announced a new generation of its Flash Charging Technology.

Austrian researchers analyzed commercial ethylene vinyl acetate–polyolefin–ethylene vinyl acetate (EPE) solar encapsulants and found that products sold under the same label can have significantly different material structures and performance. While EPE offers better moisture barriers and thermal resistance than EVA and is rapidly gaining market share, the study warns that its long-term reliability and behavior vary widely and require deeper investigation.

Researchers reviewed 110 studies on cold thermal energy storage in liquid-air energy storage, finding that cold storage performance has a far greater impact on system efficiency than previously assumed. While phase change materials offer high theoretical efficiency gains, simpler packed-bed sensible heat systems are currently the most mature and cost-effective option, with further experimental validation needed to bridge the gap to large-scale deployment.

Researchers in Türkiye have developed a passive anti-soiling coating for PV panels using oleic acid–modified aluminum oxide nanoparticles applied via spray coating. Laboratory and field tests showed the coating reduced dust accumulation and initially boosted daily energy output, though performance declined under prolonged environmental stressors.

The systems deliver outlet water temperatures up to 74 C, operate in ambient temperatures from -25 C to 43 C, and can be cascaded in groups of up to 16 units for larger commercial applications.

Researchers from South Korea improved solar panel dust detection by using SMOTE and stable diffusion (SD) augmentation, with SD boosting detection accuracy from 76.5% to 98.9% while preserving spatial realism.

France’s Engie has introduced Enermap, a free online platform that lets users evaluate the potential for solar, wind, hydroelectric, biogas, and battery projects at the municipal and regional level using government and research data.

South Korea has passed legislative amendments to limit the ability of local authorities to impose separation distances on solar projects, removing a major permitting barrier for PV developers.