Technology

McGill University researchers, publishing in Communications Earth & Environment, used deep-learning computer vision to analyze 719 solar projects across the Western U.S. The study establishes a new “land-sparing” benchmark, providing developers with precise data to balance rapid capacity expansion with conservation and land-use priorities.

“Direct transfer trip,” a costly approach to ensure that distributed generation shuts down during a power outage, can make solar projects uneconomical. A national lab report points to a combination of inverter-based approaches as a viable alternative.

The company’s stock price fell more than 12% in extended trading following the earnings announcement, partly due to lower-than-expected guidance for 2026 sales and revenue.

A global study finds climate change will sharply increase high-temperature risks, accelerate degradation, and raise costs for rooftop PV, with economically disadvantaged regions hit hardest. Researchers warn current IEC standards underestimate future risks, urging urgent updates to avoid stranded assets and rising electricity costs.

Mexico is attracting US data centers seeking faster power connections, but these facilities will initially rely on firm gas generation from the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), with renewables as a potential future option, Mexican energy expert Santiago Barcón told pv magazine.

Researchers at NREL found that UV exposure can cause significant, partly non-recoverable degradation in TOPCon solar cells, with strong cell-to-cell and intra-cell variability linked to passivation and processing inconsistencies. While some UV-related losses recover quickly under light and are unlikely to affect field performance, the findings highlight gaps in current qualification tests and the need for improved UV aging standards.

On February 1, 2026, California’s batteries bridged the solar gap with seamless precision. After discharging through the night until sunrise, they spent the daylight hours charging, then pivoted back to exporting power well past midnight—effectively sustaining the state on solar energy for a full 24-hour cycle.

PowerBank Corporation, a North American developer and operator of solar and battery energy storage projects, reported $22.3 million in revenue for the first half of its fiscal year and secured new credit facilities to expand its project pipeline.

A market-rate, subsidy-free solar-plus-storage microgrid in downtown Portland highlights how grid-forming buildings can overproduce clean power, island during outages and work around strict interconnection limits.

High-voltage DC distribution enables solar and storage to bypass AC conversion stages for massive gains in data center efficiency and cost, said a whitepaper from Enteligent.