Oyster Renewable has partly commissioned its 315.6 MW solar-wind hybrid project in Agar-Malwa, Madhya Pradesh, for Jindal Stainless Limited. This self-developed project combines solar and wind technologies to provide a stable, efficient power supply, enhancing renewable energy adoption and supporting industrial growth in India’s clean energy transition.

The post Oyster Renewable Part-Commissions 315.6 MW Solar-Wind Hybrid Project for Jindal Stainless in Madhya Pradesh appeared first on SolarQuarter.

Researchers in Moroco analyzed cybersecurity challenges in smart grids, highlighting AI-driven detection and defense strategies against threats like distributed denial-of-service, false data injection replay, and IoT-based attacks. They recommend multi-layered protections, real-time anomaly detection, secure IoT devices, and staff training to enhance resilience and safeguard power system operations.

Researchers at Morocco's Higher School of Technology, Moulay Ismail University, have conducted a comprehensive analysis of emerging cybersecurity challenges in power systems and detailed recent advances in detection and defense strategies.

Their work emphasizes the growing role of AI in enhancing control, protection, and resilience in modern smart grids. It also classifies cyber threats by origin, impact, and affected system layers to provide a structured understanding and reviews machine learning and optimization-based intrusion detection systems (IDSs) for power systems.

The researchers highlighted that renewable smart grids face diverse cyber threats that can disrupt operations and compromise data. Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, for example, flood networks with traffic, blocking legitimate access and delaying control actions, while data integrity attacks manipulate sensor or control data, causing incorrect decisions or blackouts.

Additionally, replay attacks retransmit intercepted data to confuse the system, and false data injection attacks subtly alter real-time data to mimic normal operations while disrupting the grid. Covert attacks inject hidden signals that manipulate system behavior without detection, whereas IoT device-based attacks exploit vulnerabilities in meters or sensors to spread malware, steal data, or launch DoS attacks.

Finally, zero dynamics attacks leverage system models to generate hidden signals that leave output measurements unchanged but affect operations, posing sophisticated stealth threats to smart grid security.

 Do you want to strengthen and enhance the cyber security of your solar energy assets to safeguard them against emerging threats?

Join us on Apr. 29 for pv magazine Webinar+ | Decoding the first massive cyberattack on Europe’s solar energy infrastructure – The Poland case and lessons learned

The researchers warned that while smart grids have improved energy efficiency and flexibility through advanced communication tools and distributed energy sources, they have also introduced new cyber vulnerabilities. Threats such as phishing, malware, denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, and false data injection (FDI) can disrupt operations, compromise data, and damage infrastructure.

They recommend implementing defense strategies that maintain confidentiality, integrity, and availability, while also incorporating authentication, authorization, privacy, and reliability. Machine learning and data-driven intrusion detection systems can help identify anomalies and detect FDI attacks in real time, particularly in smart grids and industrial control systems such as SCADA, which rely on accurate sensor measurements for state estimation.

The research team also encouraged energy asset owners and grid operators to adopt substation security measures and protocol vulnerability analyses to detect risks at the hardware and network levels. Blockchain, distributed ledgers, and Hilbert-Huang transform methods are highlighted as tools to further strengthen cybersecurity.

IoT devices, including sensors and smart meters, should be secured with strong authentication, safe boot procedures, frequent firmware updates, and standardized security across manufacturers. Sensitive grid data should be protected using techniques such as homomorphic encryption to maintain confidentiality during storage and transmission.

“A multi-tiered security approach that includes firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and network segmentation can enhance grid resilience. Extracting critical elements from vulnerable IoT devices and leveraging redundant control channels ensures operational continuity during attacks,” the researchers stated.

Machine learning and anomaly detection systems should be deployed to enable real-time identification of irregular activities, including FDI and malware propagation. Standardized protocols and rapid incident response measures should also support collaboration among grid operators, IoT manufacturers, and regulators, facilitated by information-sharing platforms.

The researchers emphasize that human-centered attacks, including phishing and social engineering, remain significant threats, but these can be mitigated through regular staff and user training.

The review was presented in “Cybersecurity challenges and defense strategies for next-generation power systems,” published in Cyber-Physical Energy Systems.

 

 

A UNSW-led team found that annealing conditions significantly affect stress, strain, and microstructure in copper-plated heterojunction solar cell contacts, with fast annealing increasing microstrain in both copper and indium tin oxide.

A team of scientists led by Australia's University of New South Wales (UNSW) has studied how stress and strain evolve in copper (Cu)-plated contacts on heterojunction (HJT) solar cells under various annealing conditions. Their work specifically examined how annealing affects the material properties of Cu, indium tin oxide (ITO), and silicon (Si).

“We applied multiple characterization methods to understand how annealing conditions influence stress and strain in Cu-plated HJT cells,” co-author Pei-Chieh Hsiao told pv magazine. “Our results show that Cu contacts on HJT cells need careful assessment to balance adhesion with mechanical integrity.”

Hsiao highlighted the importance of controlling the microscopic structure of copper contacts to limit mechanical stress in HJT solar cells. “Ideally, plated Cu with a low defect density and (100) crystal texture is preferred,” he explained. “This reduces stress in Si after annealing because of a lower Young’s modulus. The preferred texture can be achieved by adjusting the electrolyte or plating parameters, and annealing can then be optimized to minimize thermal strain while preserving the (100) orientation.”

The team began with silicon heterojunction G12 half-cut n-type precursors measuring 210 mm × 105 mm. The cells were coated with a resin-based mask to restrict copper plating, with selective openings created via a collimated light source. Copper was then plated onto the exposed ITO surface using an acid-based electroplating solution at a current density of 42 mA/cm².

The team compared three annealing methods. In self-annealing, samples were stored at room temperature in a low-humidity environment. Fast annealing (same day) was carried out in compressed dry air at 205 ± 5 C for 45 seconds under approximately 15 suns of illumination. Fast annealing (next day) used the same conditions but was performed roughly 24 hours after plating.

“Due to the limitation of low temperature processing of HJT cells, fast annealing was performed at 200 C, which is lower than the grain growth stage at over 250 C,” Hsiao said. “It means that annealing of plated Cu contacts on HJT cells would perform distinctly from that on PERC or TOPCon cells, where higher annealing temperatures are permitted and improved contact adhesion has been demonstrated.”

The team then examined the samples in a series of tests. First, nanoindentation was used to measure the mechanical strength and stiffness of the plated copper. Second, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to examine the crystal structure of the copper and the underlying ITO layer. Finally, Raman spectroscopy was used to map the mechanical stress induced by the copper contacts in the silicon, especially near the contact edges.

The analysis showed that no significant differences were found in yield strength or plastic response of plated Cu, which was consistent with the comparable Cu grain size. Moreover, XRD patterns showed fast annealing reduced the Cu lattice parameter and promoted grain growth in the Cu (200) crystallographic orientation, while simultaneously increasing the ITO lattice parameter and full width at half maximum (FWHM).

As a result, microstrains in both Cu and ITO rose under rapid annealing, with the scientists noting that Raman spectroscopy revealed approximately 2 μm-wide regions of high local stress in the silicon along the plated Cu fingers, with stress being lower in self-annealed Cu and higher in fast-annealed Cu.

These results indicate that minimizing defects and promoting a preferential (100) texture in plated Cu can reduce stress transfer to Si and ITO. Maintaining uniform plating conditions and careful surface preparation are also essential for achieving optimal texture and adhesion. Overall, self-annealing is preferred when comparable contact adhesion can be achieved, as it preserves the (100) orientation and minimizes thermal strain.

The research work was described in “Stress and strain analysis of Cu plated contacts on HJT cells under different annealing conditions,” published in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. Scientists from Australia's University of New South Wales and technology company SunDrive Solar have contributed to the research.

In early January, a research team from UNSW and Chinese-Canadian solar module maker Canadian Solar investigated how HJT solar cells are hit by sodium (Na) and moisture degradation under accelerated damp-heat testing and has found that most degradation modes predominantly affect the cells themselves, making cell-level testing the preferred approach.

A month later, another UNSW team assessed the impact of soldering flux on HJT solar cells and found that the composition of this component is key to prevent major cracks and significant peeling.

Spanish researchers found that semi-transparent silicon PV greenhouses boosted tomato fruit weight by 25% while generating 726.8 kWh over two seasons, outperforming cadmium telluride PV and shaded controls. The PV-Si system balanced sunlight, temperature, and energy, showing strong agrivoltaic potential.

Researchers led by Spain’s Murcian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research and Development (IMIDA) have evaluated the impact of different agrivoltaic system designs on tomato crops to determine the level of shading that benefits the plants most.

“The use of four independent, identical greenhouses enables a robust assessment of their respective impacts on microclimate, crop performance, and energy generation,” the team said. “Specifically, the study aimed to evaluate the agronomic and energy performance of two commercially available semi-transparent PV technologies, with distinct light transmission patterns, in comparison with control and shading-net treatments.”

The researchers tested a semi-transparent monocrystalline silicon (PV-Si) greenhouse and a cadmium telluride thin-film (PV-TF) greenhouse against a control greenhouse and one with a shading net.

The study took place in Murcia, Spain, over two tomato-growing seasons: a 120-day winter-spring season from December 2023 to April 2024, and a 98-day spring-summer season from April to July 2024. Murcia’s semi-arid Mediterranean climate features average summer and winter temperatures of 30 C and 12 C, respectively. In both seasons, the team used polyethylene greenhouses measuring 3.9 m long × 2 m wide × 3.1 m high.

Materials under evaluation were installed on the roof and south façade of each greenhouse. The control greenhouse used only the standard polyethylene film, while the shading-control greenhouse added a shading net to selected zones. One solar greenhouse featured monofacial silicon PV modules with 50% transparency, and the other used cadmium telluride (CdTe) modules, also at 50% transparency. Each solar greenhouse had 18 modules—half on the roof, half on the façade—with nominal powers of 59 W for PV-Si and 40 W for PV-TF.

The microclimatic conditions inside each pilot greenhouse were monitored at two-minute intervals. Measurements included air temperature, relative humidity, solar irradiance, and photosynthetically active radiation,” the team explained. “Additionally, soil temperature and humidity were measured at five-minute intervals at depths ranging from 10 to 60 cm in 10 cm increments.”

The testing showed that the PV-Si technology generated an average daily energy output of 3.92 kWh in winter-spring and 4.07 kWh in spring-summer. PV-TF, meanwhile, produced 2.58 kWh and 2.79 kWh, respectively. Total energy generation across both seasons reached 726.8 kWh for PV-Si and 488.4 kWh for PV-TF.

Daily light integral (DLI), representing total photosynthetically active light received by plants each day, averaged 18.1 mol m⁻² in winter-spring and 25.4 mol m⁻² in spring-summer in the Si greenhouse. In the TF greenhouse, DLI averaged 10.8 mol m⁻² and 17 mol m⁻², respectively.

“During the winter-spring cycle, only the control and PV-Si greenhouses maintained DLI values above the minimum threshold required for optimal crop development,” the researchers reported. “Despite a similar number of fruits, the PV-Si greenhouse produced fruits with a mean weight 25% higher than the control, attributed to more favorable nighttime air temperatures and higher soil moisture.”

In winter-spring, the Si greenhouse yielded 21 fruits with an average weight of 74 g, while the TF greenhouse produced 18 fruits averaging 50 g. During spring-summer, the Si greenhouse produced 30 fruits averaging 93 g, compared with 23 fruits at 79 g in the TF greenhouse.

“Overall, the PV-Si system effectively balanced solar radiation management, thermal regulation, and energy production, demonstrating its potential as a suitable technology for agrivoltaic applications,” the team concluded.

The research findings were presented in “Comparative evaluation of semi-transparent monocrystalline silicon and cadmium telluride photovoltaics for tomato cultivation in Mediterranean agrivoltaic greenhouses,” published in Smart Agricultural Technology. Researchers from Spain’s IMIDA, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, and Italy’s University of Bari Aldo Moro have contributed to the study.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that last month North America saw a stark solar divide, with southern regions like northeastern Mexico, southeastern Texas, and much of California experiencing 20–25% above-average irradiance, while Canada, the Great Lakes, and the northeastern U.S. faced persistent cloudiness and below-normal solar conditions. This contrast was driven by high-pressure systems and a southwestern heat dome in the south versus a polar vortex bringing cold air and storms to the north.

North America experienced a pronounced divide in solar conditions through March, with the southern half of the continent recording widespread increases in solar resource while the north faced persistent cloud and storm activity, according to analysis using the Solcast API.

The strongest gains were centered on northeastern Mexico and southeastern Texas where deviations reached roughly 20–25% above the long-term March average, with much of California also seeing similar increases. Canada, the Great Lakes and the northeastern United States recorded lower-than-normal irradiance as polar air and storm systems dominated conditions. This produced a month in which the usual seasonal contrast between north and south was sharpened, with clearer skies in the south and cloudier conditions in the north compared with the 2007–2025 average.

Much of the southern United States and northern Mexico benefited from a pair of high-pressure systems positioned over the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America. These systems stabilised the atmosphere and kept skies clearer than normal across large areas. Southern Mexico and Florida were exceptions to the southern trend, each experiencing slightly below average irradiance where localised cloud cover persisted.

A pronounced heat dome over the southwestern United States further reinforced these conditions, driving temperatures 10–19 C (18-35 F) above seasonal norms and breaking multiple records, as localized areas saw even large increases. These warm conditions, more like summer temperatures than spring, were the result of high atmospheric stability, which also suppressed cloud formation and supported extended periods of clear skies. As a result, California emerged as one of the strongest-performing regions relative to average conditions, with irradiance levels significantly elevated through much of the month. The scale of the heat anomalies was notable, with attribution studies indicating these extremes would be highly unlikely without the influence of climate change.

At the same time, northern parts of the continent experienced a very different pattern as an unstable polar vortex pushed cold polar air into Canada and the northern United States. This brought snowstorms and blizzards across several regions, particularly around the Great Lakes and the Northeast, where irradiance fell far below normal for March. These stormy conditions contributed to the largest percentage drops from average in areas north of the Great Lakes.

The push of polar air extended unusually far south, reaching into Florida and contributing to its slightly below normal irradiance despite the generally sunnier conditions across most of the southern half of North America. Collectively, these factors reinforced the strong contrast between the sunnier southern regions and the cloudier, storm affected conditions across the north.

Solcast produces these figures by tracking clouds and aerosols at 1-2km resolution globally, using satellite data and proprietary AI/ML algorithms. This data is used to drive irradiance models, enabling Solcast to calculate irradiance at high resolution, with typical bias of less than 2%, and also cloud-tracking forecasts. This data is used by more than 350 companies managing over 300 GW of solar assets globally.

An international reserch team developed two deep learning-based IDS models to enhance cybersecurity in SCADA systems. The hybrid approach reportedly improves detection of complex and novel cyber threats with high accuracy, adaptability, and efficiency, outperforming traditional methods across multiple datasets.

A Saudi-British research team has develeped two new deep learning-based intrusion detection systems (IDSs) that can reportedly improve the cybersecurity of SCADA networks.

In large-scale solar power plants, SCADA systems play a vital role by overseeing energy generation, monitoring the performance of solar panels, optimizing output, identifying potential faults, and maintaining smooth overall operations. In essence, they act as the central system that converts raw solar data into practical control decisions, ensuring the plant operates safely, efficiently, and profitably.

The scientists explaind that current cybersecurity frameworks are often inadequate for SCADA systems because they cannot fully cope with the complexity and constantly evolving nature of modern cyber threats. Most existing approaches rely on signature-based detection, which depends on prior knowledge of attack patterns and therefore fails to detect zero-day exploits or novel intrusion techniques.

To address this limitation, the researchers considered deep learning methods, as these techniques allows to process large volumes of data, identify complex patterns, and enable more proactive threat detection.

“Such capability of handling and analyzing big data is particularly useful during scenarios when SCADA systems are generating huge streams of real-time data, including sensor readings, control commands, and other system logs,” they explained. “Furthermore, deep learning methods, especially convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and recurrent neural networks (RNNs), have shown outstanding performances in the detection of complex attack scenarios with sequential or spatial patterns in data.”

The proposed approach integrates two new IDSs, named the Spike Encoding Adaptive Regulation Kernel (SPARK) and the Scented Alpine Descent (SAD) algorithm. By leveraging their complementary strengths, the method reportedly improves spike-threshold accuracy while enhancing adaptability and robustness under dynamic conditions.

The SPARK model introduces adaptive spike encoding by dynamically adjusting thresholds based on input signal characteristics. It uses advanced statistical methods to respond to variations in neural input, improving sensitivity to changes in intensity and frequency. By integrating both temporal and spatial features, SPARK enhances information encoding, especially for complex datasets. Unlike traditional fixed-threshold methods, it provides context-aware thresholding, improving accuracy and reliability.

The SAD algorithm complements SPARK by offering an optimization strategy inspired by olfactory navigation, which is the process by which animals and organisms use odor cues to locate food, mates, or home, and Lévy flight behavior, which is a strategy obeserved in many animal species to randomly search for a target in an unknown environment. This purportedly enables efficient exploration of solution spaces and avoids local minima, ensuring optimal threshold selection.

The hybrid approach can dynamically adjust and optimize spike thresholds simultaneously, surpassing conventional static or isolated approaches, according to scientists, which noted that the SPARK model is well-suited for SCADA and IoT systems due to its scalability, real-time adaptability, and efficient data handling. Additionally, its lightweight design reduces computational overhead and false positives, making it effective for resource-constrained environments.

“SAD is complementary to SPARK in the sense that it focuses on improving the detection accuracy while maintaining computational efficiency,” the researchers emphasized. “SAD's anomaly scoring mechanism can be integrated into this framework to add another layer of detection, which can run parallel with SPARK. In effect, integrating the deep learning models into the scoring mechanism means that SAD would enable a much more fine-grained analysis of attack patterns with little noticeable impact on performance for the SCADA system in question.”

The researchers used multiple benchmark datasets are used to evaluate SCADA intrusion detection performance, including the Secure Water Treatment (SWaT) testbed, Gas Pipeline, WUSTL-IIoT, and Electra. These datasets capture diverse industrial environments, attack types, and operational conditions, enabling comprehensive testing. They also include time-series sensor data, actuator commands, and labeled attack scenarios such as denial-of-service (DoS), distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), malware, and injection attacks.

The diversity of datasets ensured accurate modeling of both normal behavior and complex anomalies in SCADA and IIoT systems, according to the research team. Standardized preprocessing, training, and evaluation procedures also enabled comparison across all tested models. Cross-validation and controlled training conditions, meanwhile, reportedly prevented bias and ensured reliable generalization results. Visualization tools such as histograms, loss curves, and confusion matrices provided insights into model behavior and anomaly detection.

The SPARK model was found to consistently demonstrate “superior” performance, achieving high accuracy, precision, and recall across datasets. It outperformed traditional machine learning and deep learning approaches in detecting diverse intrusion types.

“The findings underline, in summary, that the SPARK and SAD models are basically the final frontier in modern intrusion detection,” the scientists said. “Distinctly designed to provide improved detection capabilities and operational efficiency, the two designs also chart a way into more resilient and intelligent security solutions for modern industrial controlled systems (ICSs) and Internet-of-Things (IoT) networks.”

The novel IDSs have been presented in “SPARK and SAD: Leading-edge deep learning frameworks for robust and effective intrusion detection in SCADA systems,” published in the International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection. The research team comprised academics form the Leeds Beckett University in the United Kingdom and King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. 

A German research team has developed CuInSe₂ micro-concentrator solar cells using laser-assisted metal-organic chemical vapor deposition to grow indium islands directly on molybdenum-coated glass, forming absorber arrays without masks or patterning. The not-yet-optimized micro-modules achieved up to 0.65% efficiency under one sun, with gains of up to 250% under concentrated illumination.

A research team in Germany has developed a copper, indium, selenium (CuInSe₂) micro-concentrator solar device composed of vertically grown absorber islands on a molybdenum (Mo) films.

The scientists used laser-assisted metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (LA-MOCVD) to grow indium (In) islands in a bottom-up approach, instead of depositing a continuous thin film and subsequently patterning it. “The primary novelty of our work is the use of a LA-MOCVD method for the bottom-up growth of indium precursor islands,” corresponding author Jan Berger told pv magazine. “This approach proved to be a fast and reliable technique for simultaneous local growth, importantly offering the possibility to add gallium and copper locally using the same method.”

“The most unexpected finding was that the indium precursor islands formed distinct cluster structures that remained pinned in place, refusing to coalesce into a single large island – even after annealing above the melting temperature of indium,” he added. “Furthermore, it was surprising to see that the structural features of these precursor islands remained clearly visible even after the selenization process.”

Device fabrication begins with glass substrates coated with Mo, which are then processed by LA-MOCVD. In this step, a laser array locally heats the substrate. It decomposes the precursor gas only at defined spots, forming a 7 × 7 array of indium islands without the need for masks or patterning. A thin copper layer is subsequently deposited, and the stack is selenized to form CuInSe₂ absorber islands.

Afterward, the samples are etched to remove unwanted material, coated with photoresist for electrical isolation, and patterned with a laser to form openings. The solar cell is then completed by depositing a cadmium sulfide (CdS) buffer layer, followed by intrinsic zinc oxide (i-ZnO) and aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) window layers. Finally, each array of 49 micro-cells is contacted and measured as a single module, with a device structure of glass/Mo/CIS absorber/ cadmium sulfide (CdS)/i-ZnO/AZO.

Overall, the team produced nine micro-modules and tested four of them. Initial measurements were conducted under one sun, followed by increasing intensities up to 17 suns to simulate concentrator conditions. These not-yet-optimized arrays achieved a conversion efficiency of up to 0.65% under one sun, with efficiency rising under higher illumination—gains of around 60% at lower concentrations and up to 250% at 17 suns.

“Functional devices were successfully produced, but notable key challenges were identified, particularly related to the intensity distribution of diffractive optical element (DOE), the initial morphology of indium islands, and process repeatability. Addressing these challenges in terms of material quality and process control is essential,” the team explained. “Once resolved, the LA-MOCVD method holds significant promise as a rapid and resource-efficient production technique for next-generation micro-concentrator photovoltaics.”

The new cell concept was presented in “CuInSe2-based micro-concentrator solar cells fabricated from In islands grown by laser-assisted MO-CVD,” published in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. Scientists from Germany's University of Duisburg-Essen, the Leibniz Institute for Crystal Growth, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, and the engineering company Bestec have participated in the study.

NTPC Renewable Energy has commenced commercial operations at two plants totalling 168.02MW in Khavda, Gujarat. 

EDP Renewables North America, Linea Energy and LRE have all advanced solar projects in the US Midwest this week.

Data Center POST had the opportunity to connect with Christina Mertens, who joined VIRTUS as VP Business Development EMEA in June of 2022. With her she brings over ten years’ experience in developing strategies for, and expanding, existing and new hyperscale infrastructure geographies across EMEA.

For the past decade, she has worked for Amazon in EMEA, where she expanded the existing AWS data centre regions in colocation and self-built facilities, as well as launched new region geographies as the country manager. In her previous role as Data Center Divestiture Principal at Amazon Web Services in EMEA, Christina worked alongside large strategic hyperscale cloud customers, advising them on their infrastructure assets and developing new models to facilitate and enhance their cloud migration journey. She is the Managing Director of Germany and Italy, responsible for overseeing all aspects of the business, including expansions, sales, data centre design, construction and operations.

The information below is summarized to provide our readers a deeper dive into who VIRTUS is, what they do and the problems they are solving in the industry.

What does VIRTUS do?  

VIRTUS is a European data centre provider and the largest in the UK. With over 10 years of experience, whichever sector a business operates in, VIRTUS tailors solutions to specific customer requirements.

What problems does VIRTUS solve in the market?

Businesses have unique workloads, project durations and changing requirements. VIRTUS’ solutions are designed to provide the digital infrastructure which supports these needs. Built to a vast scale, all of our data centres are designed modularly, allowing full flexibility for data centre customers’ requirements. Our facilities operate using 100% renewable energy and are amongst the most efficient facilities in the world.

What are VIRTUS’ core products or services?

We build AI-ready, built to suit and colocation data centres.

VIRTUS’ AI Ready Data Centres are designed to support the high performance computing (HPC) demands of artificial intelligence workloads. Our facilities provide the optimum environment for HPC deployments of any size, including the next generation of AI IT infrastructure and Machine Learning (ML) workloads, which require next generation cooling deployment and increased power per rack.

Our built to suit data centres are those designed specially for the customer. We know that organisations of all sizes need real flexibility, which is why we work with our customers to create bespoke solutions. For example, some require cutting-edge AI solutions which may require space to scale at speed, others might have a hyperscale cloud deployment that needs custom built data halls.

Our colocation service is designed to provide maximum flexibility with individual IT power and space requirements. The modular facilities are designed to scale up with customer growth. This combined with truly flexible commercials allows customers to grow in a cost efficient and unrestrictive environment.

What markets do you serve?

VIRTUS’ European data centres are strategically located in key markets; currently this is London (UK), Berlin (Germany) and Milan (Italy). As part of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres’ (STT GDC) global platform, we have a presence in ten geographies, more than 101 data centres and over 2GW of IT load across 20+ major business markets.

Our vast experience comes from working with many industry sectors – from financial institutions which require ultra-low latency, to thriving tech start ups which rely on contiguous space to grow, and providing entire buildings or campuses for the world’s largest hyperscalers.

What challenges does the global digital infrastructure industry face today?

Many current European data centres simply cannot meet the short- and long-term demands for critical digital infrastructure, often due to a shortage of infrastructure that can support high HPC workloads. It is a fundamental challenge to find land with access to renewable power to build new facilities, quickly and at scale.

For years, development revolved around a handful of key metropolitan hubs. Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam and Paris (collectively known as the FLAP locations) carried much of the continent’s cloud, enterprise and interconnection load, due to their proximity to financial services, global carriers and concentrated digital ecosystems.

Undoubtedly, whilst those hubs continue to grow, their conditions have changed. Power supply is being delayed due to parts of the electricity distribution network not being capable of transporting it, suitable land parcels are becoming scarcer and therefore more expensive to secure, and planning regulations are increasing, lengthening timelines to approvals, if they are granted at all.

Meanwhile, demand for computing power is surging in ways that surpass forecasts made even two years ago. AI training and inference, HPC, analytics and modernised public services all require significant and sustained energy and cooling capacity.

McKinsey suggests that global demand for data centre capacity could more than triple by 2030. It is clear that Europe needs more digital infrastructure, but it needs that infrastructure in places with the headroom and regulatory clarity to support long term expansion. And this is partly why what is sometimes known as the second-tier locations are becoming increasingly more critical to expanding Europe’s digital architecture.

Over the next five years, this is not a marginal shift. Analysts expect Europe’s installed data centre capacity to more than double, from roughly 24 GW in 2025 to around 55 GW by 2030, with secondary markets growing fastest. And, while recent CBRE analysis indicates that in 2025, around 57% of new capacity will still be delivered in the core FLAP-D markets, the remaining 43% will come from secondary locations such as Milan, Madrid and Berlin, many of which are now on track to exceed 100 MW of installed capacity in their own right. This is the context in which tier two locations are moving from “nice to have” to essential if Europe is to keep pace with global demand.

How is VIRTUS adapting to these challenges?

Our strategy is to build new facilities at scale, located close to, but not necessarily in major European metropolitan cities, and supplied with renewable energy.

We are currently building a €3bn 300MW data centre campus development at Wustermark, west of Berlin. Wustermark offers what many central locations cannot – land large enough for a multi-building campus, access to sustainable electricity, proximity to rail and motorway networks, and alignment with Germany’s policy focus on digital capacity. The site is also positioned to benefit from Germany’s wider energy and grid modernisation programmes, including access to renewable energy to power the campus as it is adjacent to Germany’s largest on-shore windfarms capable via a substation and direct coupling, of fulfilling the energy requirements of the facility.

This move towards larger campuses is a calculated strategy that acknowledges the non-linear cost relationship inherent in these types of operations; larger megascale campuses capable of 200-500MWs can often afford providers – and therefore customers – greater efficiencies.

We are also constructing another facility in Italy. Located in Cornaredo, within the Milan West data centre cluster the site will provide ample capacity to support hyperscalers, enterprises and service providers as digital infrastructure demands in Europe continue to grow.

What are VIRTUS’s key differentiators?

What sets VIRTUS apart from our competitors can be found in many aspects of the design, build and operations of our facilities. However, the quality of operations – the Operational Excellence – is where we truly excel. The way we have implemented design innovations makes a difference to the service we provide in terms of efficiency and resilience. It’s how we design, build, test, maintain, change and operate our facilities that differentiates us – ensuring robust and reliable availability is delivered.

What can we expect to see/hear from VIRTUS in the future?  

It’s an exciting time for VIRTUS Europe, but to meet customer demand we’re still increasing our presence as the leader in the UK market, opening two new London data centres in 2026 (LONDON12 and LONDON14) and in the near future a large four data centre campus at Saunderton, whilst continuing our European expansion.

What upcoming industry events will you be attending? 

The VIRTUS team is attending the following events: Platform UK where Adam Eaton will be speaking on a keynote panel, Energy Storage Summit where Helen Kinsman will be speaking on a panel, Compute Summit where Ramzi Charif will be speaking on a panel, and finally Datacloud Energy where Helen Kinsman will be speaking on another panel.

Do you have any recent news you would like us to highlight?

Earlier in 2026 we announced VIRTUS’ new CEO, Adam Eaton. Under his leadership, we will continue to expand our portfolio of high-efficiency, sustainable data centres, building on more than a decade of rapid growth across the UK and Europe. VIRTUS remains committed to its vision to deliver world-class, energy-efficient infrastructure that supports the growth of the digital economy.

Where can our readers learn more about VIRTUS?  

You can learn more about us on our website, www.virtusdatacentres.com.

How can our readers contact VIRTUS? 

You can contact us through the form on our website, www.virtusdatacentres.com/contact-us.

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The post Company Profile: VIRTUS on Redefining Data Centre Growth in Europe appeared first on Data Center POST.

Data Center POST had the opportunity to connect with Jean-François Berche, the Chief Technology Officer at GreenScale, who is guiding the company’s technological vision towards infrastructure that is scalable, efficient, and above all, sustainable. He focuses on developing data centres capable of supporting the complex needs of AI-driven workloads, while ensuring GreenScale leads in technology integration within the energy ecosystem.

Jean-François previously held senior roles at Microsoft and AWS, where he was instrumental in expanding the cloud infrastructure to meet the growing demands of AI. His extensive work in site selection, colocation, and cloud region expansion at Microsoft and AWS positions him to drive GreenScale’s technological capabilities to the pinnacle of what is possible.

His passion for sustainability in technology is well-aligned with GreenScale’s mission. Outside of work, Jean-François remains committed to exploring how technology can positively impact society through sustainable and innovative practices. The interview information below has been summarized to provide readers with clarity into who GreenScale is, what they do and the problems they are solving in the industry.

What does GreenScale do?  

GreenScale is a sustainable data centre platform redefining the future of sustainable digital infrastructure across Europe’s expanding data centre markets.

What problems does GreenScale solve in the market?

As demand for high-performance AI and cloud workloads accelerates, power availability, grid constraints, and environmental impact have become critical bottlenecks. At GreenScale, we are developing a sustainable data centre platform that positively contributes to the grid, local communities, and the wider energy ecosystem. We provide access to long-term power scalability, combined with deep local relationships with grid utilities and local communities, to enable customers to grow compute capacity quickly, efficiently, and responsibly.

What are GreenScale’s core products or services?

Digital infrastructure

What markets do you serve?

We’re developing data centres in Europe, with plans for international expansion.

What challenges does the global digital infrastructure industry face today?

The global digital infrastructure industry faces the challenge of scaling AI and cloud capacity amid constrained power availability, grid limitations, and growing environmental concerns.

How is GreenScale adapting to these challenges?

Sustainability at GreenScale starts with site selection. By focusing on new power-rich regions such as Norway, where hydropower is abundant, and Derry/Londonderry, where strong wind resources support renewable energy generation, we secure clean, scalable energy from the outset. Working closely with local utilities allows us to contribute positively to the grid while accelerating speed to deployment and enabling responsible, long-term growth for digital infrastructure.

What are GreenScale’s key differentiators?

GreenScale’s key differentiators lie in our ability to deliver at speed while maintaining a strong sustainability focus. We prioritise rapid deployment through strategic partnerships, including our recently announced collaboration with Vertiv, and by building in new power-rich markets that support long-term scalability. Our platform is underpinned by a deep commitment to ESG and led by a team with over 100 years of combined industry experience, enabling us to execute reliably in a rapidly evolving market.

What upcoming industry events will you be attending? 

PTC, NVIDIA GTC, DCAC, Data Centre Expo, Data Centre World London, Datacloud Global Congress and many more!

Do you have any recent news you would like us to highlight?

Vertiv and GreenScale Announce Strategic Collaboration to Deploy AI-Ready Data Centre Platforms across Europe.

Where can our readers learn more about GreenScale?  

Readers can learn more on our company website, www.greenscaledc.com.

How can our readers contact GreenScale? 

You can contact us through our website, www.greenscaledc.com/contact.

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The post Company Profile: GreenScale on Building Sustainable, Power-Rich Digital Infrastructure appeared first on Data Center POST.

54% of respondents cited “energy availability and redundancy” as the single greatest obstacle to successful data center development between now and 2030.

From ESS News

aw firm Foley & Lardner LLP released today its 2026 Data Center Development Report, focusing on the growth and challenges in the data center boom that aims to sustain the growth in AI and LLM usage.

A major focus was on energy, with 54% of respondents citing “energy availability and redundancy” as the single greatest obstacle to successful data center development between now and 2030.

In terms of the right energy mix for data centers, 55% of respondents agreeing that the ideal energy mix to meet the growing power demand of data centers is largely renewables (41%), followed by natural gas (17%), nuclear (16%), and BESS (14%).

Nearly half (48%) of industry participants named advances in energy efficiency (which often includes storage optimization) as the greatest opportunity for development through the end of the decade, and nearly three in four respondents (74%) said advanced energy storage systems like batteries, hybrid solutions, and microgrids are the best way to ensure energy resilience.

Only 14% of developers are actually pursuing modular and small modular nuclear reactors as a viable energy opportunity.

Intriguingly, 63% anticipate a “strategic correction” in the market by 2030, driven by the intense competition for power, with one unnamed banking executive in the report saying, “Once power runs out in 2027 or 2028, that’s where we think deal flow will start to slow down.”

105 U.S.-based respondents were qualified to participate in the survey, including those who had direct experience in data center development, energy procurement, technology delivery, or operations within the past 24 months.

Energy analyst firm Wood Mackenzie identified data centers as one of the five trends to look for in 2026 for global energy storage, and within the past week, a battery storage project decided to give up a grid-connection to a data center and re-tool the batteries, earning revenue without being connected.

What they said:

Daniel Farris, partner and co-lead of Foley’s data center and digital infrastructure team: “There is a Gold Rush mentality right now around securing power. That’s a big part of why people feel there’s a bubble,” said “There’s going to a period in the next two to three years where power at necessary levels is going to be really hard to come by.”

Rachel Conrad, senior counsel and co-lead of Foley’s data center and digital infrastructure team: “Over the next five to 10 years, power providers will need to either grow capacity or increase efficiency to meet the demand fueled by data centers.”

Brazil curtailed about one-fifth of its solar and wind generation in 2025, wasting an estimated BRL 6.5 billion ($1.23 billion), as grid constraints and demand mismatches pushed the power system close to operational safety limits on 16 days, according to a report from Volt Robotics.

From pv magazine Brazil

Brazil failed to use roughly 20% of the solar and wind electricity it generated in 2025, resulting in an estimated loss of BRL 6.5 billion, according to Volt Robotics’ Annual Curtailment Report.

Volt Robotics said the scale of curtailment reflects an unprecedented period of renewable oversupply combined with operational constraints in Brazil’s national electricity system.

Average generation cuts reached 4,021 MW over the year, equivalent to the monthly output of a large hydroelectric plant. On at least 16 days in 2025, system operation approached the lower technical safety limit, a sharp increase from 2024, when only one comparable event was recorded.

Volt Robotics said the 2025 events were driven by excess electricity supply rather than scarcity, marking a structural shift in system risk dynamics.

Curtailment intensified between August and October, when historically high levels of generation coincided with transmission constraints and weaker demand. The report attributes the peak losses to a combination of operational limitations, grid congestion, and insufficient flexibility to absorb surplus power.

Sunday mornings emerged as the most frequent stress point for the grid. Volt Robotics said reduced economic activity during weekends lowers electricity demand, while solar output peaks and is often reinforced by strong wind generation. This recurring mismatch leads to network overloads, forced generation cuts, and system operation near the lower safety threshold.

The report also highlights the risk of system instability caused by excess renewable generation. During the 16 critical days, Brazil’s National System Operator classified conditions as severe and implemented emergency measures, supported by the National Electric Energy Agency, including extraordinary generation curtailments.

Volt Robotics warned that without structural adjustments, surplus clean energy itself can become a source of operational risk.

The economic impact extends beyond immediate revenue losses. Frequent curtailment increases perceived investment risk, raises financing costs, and weakens Brazil’s appeal for new renewable energy projects, the report said. Both regulated and free-market projects were affected, with exposure to contractual penalties and the Settlement Price of Differences.

Regionally, Minas Gerais, Ceará, and Rio Grande do Norte recorded the highest levels of curtailed energy, forming what Volt Robotics described as Brazil’s “curtailment triangle.” Southern states experienced significantly lower losses.

Volt Robotics said the situation reflects a structural mismatch between rapid renewable capacity expansion, rising distributed generation, transmission bottlenecks, and tariff structures that do not adequately signal when electricity consumption is most valuable.

The report recommends the introduction of more dynamic time-of-use tariffs, stronger demand-side participation, and regulatory reforms to reduce curtailment and maintain the stability of Brazil’s electricity system.

Renewables and storage could reliably power data centers, but success requires active grids, coordinated planning, and the right mix of technologies. Hitachi Energy CTO, Gerhard Salge, tells pv magazine that holistic approaches ensure technical feasibility, economic viability, and energy system resilience.

As data centers grow in size and complexity, supplying them with cheap and reliable power has never been more pressing. Gerhard Salge, chief technology officer (CTO) at Hitachi Energy, a unit of Japanese conglomerate Hitachi, shed light on the relationship between renewable energy and data center operations, noting that while technically feasible, success requires careful planning, the right infrastructure, and a holistic approach.

“When we look at what's happening in the grids, then renewables are an active element on the power generation side, and the data centers are an active element on the demand side,” Salge told pv magazine. “What you need in addition to that is in the dimensions of flexibility, for which we need storage and a grid that can actively act also here in order to bring all these elements together.”

According to Salge, the key is active grids, not passive systems that simply react to conditions. With more renewables, changing demand patterns, new load centers, and storage options like batteries and existing facilities such as pumped hydro, it is crucial to coordinate these resources actively to maintain supply security, power quality, and cost optimization.

“But when you talk about the impact and the correlation between renewables and data centers, you need always to consider this full scope of the flexibility in a power system of all the elements—demand side, generation side, storage side, and the active grid in between,” he said, noting that weak or congested grids would not serve this purpose.

AI data centers

Salge warned that not all data centers are the same. “There are conventional data centers and AI data centers,” he said. “Conventional data centers are essentially high-load systems with some fluctuations on top. They contain many processors handling requests—from search engines or other applications—so the workload is distributed stochastically across them. This creates a baseline load with random ups and downs, which is the typical load pattern of a conventional data center.”

AI workloads, in contrast, rely heavily on GPUs or AI accelerators, which consume significant power continuously. Unlike conventional data centers, AI data centers often run at sustained high load, sometimes close to maximum capacity for long periods.

“AI data centers are specifically good in doing parallel computing,” Salge explained. “So many of them are triggered with the same demand pattern at the same time, which creates these spikes up and down in the demand profile, and they come in parallel all together.”

These fluctuations challenge both the power supply and the voltage and frequency quality of the connected grid. “So, you need to transport active power from an energy storage system or a supercapacitor to the demand of the AI data center. And that then needs to involve really the control of the data center’s active power. What you need is the interaction between the storage unit and then the AI data center to provide active power or to absorb it afterwards when the peak goes down. That can be also done by a supercapacitor.”

Batteries can store much more energy than supercapacitors, but the latter can ramp smaller energies more frequently. “However, if you put a battery that is smaller than the load, and you really need to cycle the battery through its full capacity, the battery will not survive very long with your data center, because the frequency of these bursts is so high, then you are aging the battery very, very quickly, yeah, so supercapacitors can do more cycles,” Salge emphasized.

He also noted that batteries and supercapacitors are both mature technologies, but the optimal setup—whether one, the other, or a combination with traditional capacitors—depends on storage size, number of racks, voltage levels, and overall system design.

Managing AI training bursts

Salge stressed the importance of complying with grid codes across geographies. “You need to become a good citizen to the power system,” he said. “You have to collaborate with local utilities to make sure that you are not infringing the grid codes and you are not disturbing with the data center back into the grid. A good way to do this, when renewables and data centers are co-located, is to manage renewable energy supply already inside the data center territory. Moreover, having a future-fit developed grid is a clear advantage. Because you have much more of these flexibility elements and the active elements to manage storage and renewable integration and to manage the dynamic loads of the data centers.”

If the grid is not future-fit with modern, actively operating equipment, operators will see significantly more stress. “With holistic planning, instead, you can even use some of the data center flexibility as a controllable and demand response kind of feature,” Salge said, adding that data center operators could coordinate AI training bursts to periods when the power system has more available capacity. This makes the data center a predictable, controllable demand, stressing the grid only when it is prepared.

“In conclusion, regarding technical feasibility: yes, it’s possible, but it requires the right configuration,” Salge said.

Economic feasibility

On economics, Salge believes solar and wind remain the cheapest power sources, even when accounting for the grid flexibility needed to integrate them with data centers. Solar is fastest to deploy, wind complements it well, and both can be scaled in parallel.

“Any increase in data center demand requires investment, whether from renewables or conventional power. Economics depend on the market, and market mechanisms, regulations, and technical grid planning are interconnected, influencing energy flow, pricing, and system stability,” he said.

“We recommend developers to work with all stakeholders—utilities, technology providers, and planners—from the start to ensure reliability, affordability, and social acceptance. Holistic planning avoids reactive fixes and leads to better long-term outcomes,” Salge concluded.

Zelestra, a global, multi-technology renewable energy company focused on customer solutions, announced a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with AEP Energy Partners (AEPEP), a subsidiary of American Electric Power (Nasdaq: […]

The post Zelestra Signs Long-Term PPA With AEP Energy Partners For 49.9 MW Gem City Solar Project In Dayton, Ohio appeared first on SolarQuarter.

NuGen Capital Management, LLC is committing over $150 million to solar energy investments in the Northeast, prioritizing both operating and distressed assets. With a strategy focused on maximizing project performance and long-term value, NuGen emphasizes collaboration and operational excellence. They aim to engage with stakeholders at the RE+ Northeast event in 2025.

The post NuGen Capital Management Commits $150M To Operating And Distressed Solar Assets Across The Northeast In 2026, $30M Already Deployed appeared first on SolarQuarter.

Signature Solar has launched Sun Atlas Power, a new solar installation company committed to providing transparent and streamlined services to homeowners and businesses. Operating in several states, Sun Atlas Power simplifies the installation process with a single accountable team, clear pricing, and flexible design options, fostering energy independence and customer trust.

The post Signature Solar Launches Sun Atlas Power To Deliver Transparent, Full-Service Solar Installations Across 31 States By Mid-2026 appeared first on SolarQuarter.

NHPC has commenced commercial operation of the third unit of the Subansiri lower hydroelectric project. The project comprises eight units, each with a capacity of 250 MW, thereby taking the project’s total planned capacity to [...]

The post NHPC commences operation of Subansiri lower hydro project’s 250 MW unit  appeared first on Renewable Watch.

NHPC Limited has inked a power purchase agreement (PPA) with ACME Urja One Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of ACME Solar Holdings Limited, for the procurement of 250 MW of firm and dispatchable renewable [...]

The post NHPC inks 250 MW FDRE PPA with ACME Solar appeared first on Renewable Watch.

Octopus Energy Group has announced a joint venture (JV) with PCG Power to trade renewable electricity in China. The JV will operate under the name Bitong Energy and will focus on trading green electricity in [...]

The post Octopus Energy and PCG Power form JV in China  appeared first on Renewable Watch.