Control, not capacity, could be the next driver of U.S. residential storage investment
Investors are shifting focus from deployment growth to platforms that can orchestrate and monetize battery fleets.
The solar support gap: Why do pro-solar citizens reject local projects?
Researchers from the University of Rhode Island explored why citizens who voiced pro-solar sentiments voted against a solar project development in a 2019 municipal referendum. Their analysis found objections over land use greatly outweigh proximity concerns.
Cyber threats for PV: What are distributed denial-of-service attacks and how do they work
Denial-of-service attacks overwhelm networked systems with massive traffic from compromised devices, disrupting communication and making critical services like PV system monitoring and control unavailable. They can cause operational instability, reduced energy production, and safety risks, requiring layered defenses such as filtering, redundancy, and automated mitigation to maintain system resilience.
Span and Nvidia to develop AI data centers in your backyard, lowering electric bills
The two will develop XFRA, a distributed network of compute nodes connected to homes with smart panels, batteries and optional solar generation, in partnership with Nvidia and homebuilders like PulteGroup,
Managing cyber risks in the era of decentralized energy
The move toward decentralized energy resources offers resilience and flexibility in power generation, but it also introduces new complexities that demand proactive security measures.
Volta Space Technologies leverages government partnerships and funding to develop laser-enabled lunar PV power network
The public-private partnership plans a 2028 demonstration of its LEPTON technology designed to deliver photovoltaic power to the moon’s surface from low orbit.
The world added 4 GW of new solar capacity for every GW of wind in 2025, but wind is gaining
A new report from global energy think tank Ember shows 814 GWdc in new solar and wind capacity was installed in 2025, but the pace of wind deployment rose 47% year-over-year compared to just 11% for solar.
Most state-permitted U.S. solar and wind projects in 19 states received a timely permit
In 19 states analyzed, permitting processes partially or fully adjudicated at the state level “are not preventing new potential energy from entering the grid,” researchers said.
U.S. scientists build copper-contacted TOPCon solar cell with 24.3% efficiency
The TOPCon solar cells fabricated with screen-printed, fire-through copper rear contacts and silver front contacts, using laser-enhanced contact optimization (LECO) to significantly reduce contact resistivity. Optimized copper cells achieved 24.3% efficiency, comparable to Ag-contacted cells, with excellent stability.
Solar keeps slimming down while power rises
An international study found that the specific power of commercial silicon solar modules increased from 8.5 W/kg in the early 2000s to 23.6 W/kg today, driven by advances in module design, bifaciality, and temperature management. The researchers highlighted that glass and framing dominate module weight, and considering operating conditions like nominal operating cell temperature and rear-side illumination is essential for accurate PV system design.
