Technology and R&D

Macro-siting models that protect sensitive habitats and farmland from utility-scale development reduce permitting friction for a mere 0.17% cost premium.

The aircraft, acquired by Skydweller Aero in 2019 and converted into an autonomous long-endurance platform, crashed after a loss of power. It was equipped with approximately 17,000 photovoltaic cells on its wings.

Amazon has conducted a six-month field trial of a rooftop heat pump system developed by U.S. startup Transaera at one of its logistics facilities. The system uses metal–organic framework (MOF)–based dehumidification to remove moisture from outdoor air before cooling.

U.S. researchers have developed an IR-CW laser-based method to remove backsheets from end-of-life silicon solar modules without damaging the glass or wafers, using controlled heating of the silicon–EVA interface through the front glass. The process enables clean mechanical delamination with preserved device performance and offers a lower-energy, lower-cost alternative to conventional thermal or chemical recycling methods.

The companies say their solutions combine to provide asset owners with both rapid insights into emergent issues and long-term benefits from scheduled inspections, delivering a “continuous feedback loop” in which data gathered by autonomous drone inspections helps to optimize operational algorithms in the tracker software.

U.S. researchers developed a meta-weakly solvating electrolyte that optimizes sodium-ion solvation structure, enabling faster ion transport, reduced side reactions, and improved interfacial stability in high-voltage sodium-ion batteries. This design significantly extends cycle life and outperforms conventional and localized high-concentration electrolytes by promoting more uniform and stable electrode–electrolyte interfaces.

The company will use its orbit-to-grid energy technology to provide resilient power for Department of War operations in “logistically constrained environments.”

The California-based nonprofit, backed by a $28 million state energy commission grant, aims to provide an open-access pilot manufacturing line for battery startups to scale their technologies without the need to raise massive amounts of capital.

Researchers in Canada designed an air-source heat pump integrated with an air-based solar collector and radiant floor heating for cold climates, showing that the proposed system configuration could improve the coefficient of performance from 2–4 to 2–6 and reduce significantly annual energy consumption.

The announcement of the company’s latest module power electronics project came alongside Q1 2026 earnings that showed a 20.6% decrease in year-over-year revenue numbers amid a steep decline in domestic demand.