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.

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.

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.

Researchers in Iraq have developed biomimetic leaf vein–inspired fins for photovoltaic panels, with reticulate (RET) venation reducing panel temperature by 33.6 C and boosting efficiency by 18% using passive cooling. Their study combines 3D CFD simulations and electrical evaluations to optimize fin geometry, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional cooling methods.

A research group from Iraq’s Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University has numerically investigated the thermal and electrical performance of PV panels integrated with leaf vein–inspired fins. They have simulated four types of venation used by plants, namely pinnate venation (PIN), reticulate venation (RET), parallel venation along the vertical axis (PAR-I), and parallel venation along the horizontal axis (PAR-II).

“The key novelty of our research lies in introducing and systematically optimizing biomimetic leaf vein–inspired fin geometries as passive heat sinks for photovoltaic panels,” corresponding author Yasser A. Jebbar told pv magazine. “While conventional cooling approaches rely on simple straight fins, fluids, or active systems, our study is among the first to directly translate natural leaf venation patterns—particularly RET structures—into manufacturable backside fins specifically tailored for PV thermal and electrical performance.”

The team combined detailed 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling with electrical efficiency analysis to identify geometries that maximize heat dissipation without additional energy input or water consumption. Next steps include experimental validation of the leaf vein fin designs under real outdoor conditions, particularly in hot climates.

The simulated PV panel consisted of five layers: glass, two ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) layers, a solar cell layer, and a Tedlar layer, with a copper heat sink and fins attached. All fin configurations were initially 0.002 m thick, 0.03 m high, and spaced 0.05 m apart. Panels measured 0.5 m × 0.5 m, with a surrounding air velocity of 1.5 m/s and incident irradiance of 1,000 W/m².

RET fins outperformed all other designs, reducing operating temperature by 33.6 C and increasing electrical efficiency from 12.0% to 14.19% —an 18 % relative improvement—compared to uncooled panels.

“This temperature reduction rivals, and in some cases exceeds, water-based or hybrid cooling methods, despite relying solely on passive air cooling,” Jebbar noted. The study also highlighted the significant impact of fin height, more than spacing or thickness, on cooling performance.

The team further optimized the RET fins, varying spacing from 0.02–0.07 m, height from 0.02–0.07 m, and thickness from 0.002–0.007 m. The optimal geometry—0.03 m spacing, 0.05 m height, and 0.006 m thickness—achieved the maximum 33.6 C temperature reduction and 18% efficiency gain.

The novel cooling technique was described in “Improving Thermal and Electrical Performance of PV Panels Using Leaf Vein Fins,” published in Solar Energy. Researchers from Iraq’s Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, University of Kerbala, and Sweden’s University of Gävle have participated in the study.

CNESA says China’s non-pumped storage technologies hit 144.7 GW in 2025, with 66.43 GW added.

From ESS News

China’s cumulative power-sector energy storage capacity reached 213.3 GW by the end of 2025, up 54% year on year, according to data from the China Energy Storage Alliance (CNESA). Pumped hydro accounted for 31.3% of the total, while “new-type” energy storage made up 67.9% – around 144.7 GW.

Based on CNESA DataLink 2025 annual energy storage dataset, presented at a press conference in Beijing on Jan. 22, a total of 66.43 GW/189.48 GWh of new-type energy storage systems were commissioned in 2025.

The added power and energy scales increased 52% and 73% year on year, respectively, which CNESA linked to a continued shift toward longer-duration configurations, it reported the average duration rising to 2.58 hours in 2025 (from 2.11 hours in 2021).

CNESA said the leading application scenario has shifted toward standalone energy storage, which accounted for 58%, while user-side storage fell to 8% and thermal-plus-storage frequency regulation to 1.4%; “renewables-paired storage” was described as stable.

Geographically, CNESA reported that the top 10 provinces each exceeded 5 GWh of newly commissioned capacity and together represented about 90% of additions. Inner Mongolia ranked first by both power and energy capacity, and Yunnan entered the top 10 for the first time.

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries continued to dominate, with CNESA reporting over 98% of new-type installed capacity. CNESA also noted emerging deployments of sodium-ion, vanadium flow, compressed air, gravity storage, and hybrid systems, separately citing a 40 MW/40 MWh grid-forming sodium-ion project in Wenshan, Yunnan as an example.

On procurement, CNESA reported 690 energy storage system tenders (excluding centralized/framework procurement), down 10.4%, while EPC tenders rose to 1,536, up 4.5%. Winning bid volumes (excluding centralized/framework procurement) reached 121.5 GWh for systems and 206.3 GWh for EPC.

CNESA’s tender-price analysis for LFP systems (excluding user-side applications) reported a 2025 winning bid price range of CNY 391.14/kWh ($55/kWh) to CNY 913.00/kWh ($128/kWh). For EPC (excluding user-side), CNESA reported average winning bid prices of CNY 1,043.82/kWh ($146/kWh) for 2-hour projects and CNY 935.40/kWh ($131/kWh) for 4-hour projects.

CNESA also launched a policy “map” for standalone storage market mechanisms covering 21 provinces.

A report from LevelTen Energy finds solar PPA prices in North America rose 3.2% in Q4 2025, marking a nearly 9% year-over-year increase as developers and buyers navigate a complex “post-OBBBA” regulatory environment.

From pv magazine USA

Renewable energy power purchase agreement (PPA) prices continued their upward trajectory in the final quarter of 2025, driven by persistent policy headwinds and a shifting tax credit landscape.

According to the Q4 2025 PPA Price Index from marketplace operator LevelTen Energy, solar P25 prices rose by 3.2% following a 4% increase in the third quarter.

While solar costs climbed, wind PPA prices saw a slight dip, declining 1%. However, on an annual basis, both technologies have seen prices surge by nearly 9% compared to the same period last year.

Post-OBBBA

The market is currently adjusting to the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), which introduced tax credit cuts. LevelTen noted the second half of 2025 was defined by “ruthless” prioritization as firms scrambled to safe-harbor projects.

Despite these challenges, a November survey of developers representing over 230 GW of capacity found that more than 75% of projects slated to go online before 2029 expect to successfully retain access to tax credits.

This clarity has allowed some developers to dial in pricing by removing risk premiums that had previously accounted for OBBBA-related uncertainties, said the report.

Regional pricing

The report highlights significant price disparity across North American ISOs. For solar, P25 prices reached as high as $115 per MWh in ISO-NE and $81.03/MWh in PJM, while ERCOT remained the most competitive at $49 per MWh.

In the wind sector, ERCOT has seen a massive 19% year-over-year price hike, fueled by an ongoing boom in data center development and a premium on available capacity. 

Buyer headwinds

LevelTen pointed to several factors that could continue to apply upward pressure on prices:

• Tariff uncertainties: Ongoing Section 232 investigation tariffs are adding direct development costs.
• Permitting hurdles: “Harsh” new federal permitting procedures have stalled substantial amounts of development nationwide.
• FEOC: The industry is still awaiting guidance on Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) rules, which are expected to add compliance costs and further complicate tax credit qualification.

Corporate strategy

Many corporate buyers are now pausing or adjusting their procurement strategies due to proposed updates to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) Scope 2 standards, said the report. The updates, expected to be finalized in 2027, may introduce more stringent accounting for hourly matching and physical deliverability.

“The current uncertainty has caused some buyers… to adjust or even delay their procurement strategies,” the report said.

LevelTen encourages industry players to weigh in on the proposal, as 97% of companies tracking emissions currently utilize the GHGP.

As buyers and sellers work to establish a “pricing equilibrium,” the report said in markets where contract values are challenging, sellers may need to find more transactable pricing levels to get deals done.

The Finnish start-up says its sand battery technology is scalable from 20 to 500 MWh with charging power from 1 to 20 MW, depending on industrial needs.

From ESS News

Finnish cleantech startup TheStorage says that its thermal storage technology could reduce industrial energy costs by up to 70% and cut carbon emissions by as much as 90%. The system converts renewable electricity into heat, stores it in sand, and delivers it on-demand for industrial heating.

The concept emerged in Finland in 2023, with engineering work beginning in 2024. In January 2026, TheStorage installed its first industrial-scale pilot at a brewery, putting the technology to the test in a real-world setting. There, it produces fossil-free steam for the brewery’s production lines.

“Producing steam without fossil fuels is a major step toward carbon-neutral production,” says Vesa Peltola, Production Director of the brewery.

TheStorage’s technology captures electricity when it is abundant and inexpensive, converts it into high-temperature heat, and stores it in sand. This stored heat can later be used in industrial processes independently of real-time electricity availability.

To continue reading, please visit our ESS News website.

Scientists have grown organic romaine lettuce under 13 different types of PV modules, in an unusual hot Canadian summer. Their analysis showed lettuce yields increased by over 400% compared to unshaded control plants.

A research group from Canada’s Western University has investigated the performance of organic romaine lettuce, a heat-sensitive crop, under a broad range of agrivoltaic conditions. The test was conducted in London, Ontario, in the summer of 2025, during which 18 days had temperatures over 30 C.

“Our study explores how agrivoltaic systems can be tailored to optimize crop growth, especially under extreme heat conditions, while contributing to sustainable energy generation,” corresponding researcher Uzair Jamil told pv magazine.

“This becomes especially relevant in the context of climate change, where we are experiencing temperature extremes across the world,” Jamil added. “We examined the performance of organic romaine lettuce under thirteen different agrivoltaic configurations – ranging from crystalline silicon PV to thin-film-colored modules (red, blue, green) – in outdoor, high-temperature stress conditions.”

More specifically, the experiment included c-Si modules with 8%, 44% and 69% transparency rate; blue c-Si modules with transparency of 60%, 70%, and 80%; green c-Si modules with transparency of 60%, 70%, and 80%; and red c-Si modules with transparency of of 40%, 50%, 70%, and 80%.

All agrivoltaics installations had a leading-edge height of 2.0 m and a trailing-edge height of 2.8 m, and the modules were oriented southwards at 34◦. Pots with organic romaine lettuce were placed under all configurations, along with three pots fully exposed to ambient sunlight without shading, used as controls.

In addition to measurements against the control, the scientific group has compared the results to the national average per-pot yield for 2022, which included less high-temperature days and was therefore considered typical. Those data points were taken from agricultural census data, which later enabled the researcher also to create nationwide projections of their results.

“Lettuce yields increased by over 400% compared to unshaded control plants, and 200% relative to national average yields,” Jamil said about the results. “60% transparent blue Cd-Te and 44% transparent crystalline silicon PV modules delivered the highest productivity gains, demonstrating the importance of both shading intensity and spectral quality in boosting plant growth.”

Jamil further added that if agrivoltaic were to scale up to protect Canada’s entire lettuce crop, they could add 392,000 tonnes of lettuce.

“That translates into CAD $62.9 billion (USD $46.6 billion) in revenue over 25 years,” he said. “If scaled across Canada, agrivoltaics could also reduce 6.4 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over 25 years, making it a key player in reducing the agricultural sector’s environmental footprint.”

The results of the research work were presented in “Enhancing heat stress tolerance in organic romaine lettuce using crystalline silicon and red, blue & green-colored thin film agrivoltaic systems,” published in Solar Energy.

Cubenergy has launched FlexCombo 2.0, a scalable battery energy storage system for utility, commercial, and industrial applications, offering up to 16 MWh capacity with LFP batteries. Its modular design, advanced BMS, and cloud-based operations enable easy installation, seamless expansion, and efficient grid integration, according to the manufacturer.

Cubenergy, a Chinese manufacturer of battery energy storage systems (BESS), has introduced a new energy block designed for utility, commercial, and industrial (C&I) applications.

The product, named FlexCombo 2.0, uses the company’s 835 kWh FlexCombo D2 batteries. It is available in three configurations: 10, 12, or 12 batteries, providing a total capacity of 8 MWh, 10 MWh, or 16 MWh, respectively.

“With the FlexCombo D2 modular design and parallel architecture, FlexCombo’s core advantage lies in its long-term scalability,” the company said in a statement. “It enables seamless capacity growth and effortless integration with power generation systems (PGS), simplifying deployment and accelerating delivery for ultimate flexibility.”

The FlexCombo D2 batteries feature lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, offering a lifespan of 8,000 cycles at 70% capacity retention, according to the manufacturer.

Each battery measures 2 m x 1.68 m x 2.55 m and has a weight of up to eight tons. They carry an IP55 protection rating. Each block also comes with a power conversion system (PCS) rated at 430 kW AC with an IP66 protection grade. Optional medium-voltage (MV) transformers are available, with AC power ratings of either 8,800 kVA or 5,250 kVA.

“The FlexCombo 2.0 is designed primarily for utility and C&I applications, including renewable energy arbitrage, stand-alone grid stabilization, factories, and commercial buildings,” the company stated. “This integrated, easy-to-install BESS can be quickly connected and aligned with project requirements, while the advanced Active Balancing battery management system (BMS) and cloud-based operations provide a superior user experience.”

This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Alba Sande, lawyer at Spanish law firm ASande Legal. She states that, despite progress, women remain underrepresented in the renewable energy industry. "As a woman and a mother, I have often encountered the unspoken assumption that professional ambition must take a backseat to family life, a bias rarely applied to men," she says.

The solar, energy storage, EV charging, and grid infrastructure sectors sit at the heart of the energy transition. What makes these industries particularly suited to, and in need of, gender diversity and inclusion is the nature of the challenge itself. The energy transition demands innovative thinking, long-term vision, and the ability to manage complexity across technical, legal, regulatory, and social dimensions. Gender diversity brings varied perspectives, leadership styles, and problem-solving approaches. Inclusion ensures those voices are heard and valued.

These industries work best when they reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. Decision-making becomes stronger when collaboration replaces uniformity. Diverse teams are not only fairer; they are more effective, more resilient, and better prepared to build a sustainable future.

From my experience, diversity, equity, and inclusion are directly linked to the resilience and success of the renewable energy sector. DEI broadens the range of inputs organizations rely on to navigate complexity. Inclusive workplaces foster trust and psychological safety, encouraging open dialogue and the kind of bold ideas that innovation requires. This is essential in a fast-evolving sector like renewable energy, where adaptation is constant. When professionals feel empowered to contribute, retention improves, decision-making becomes more robust, and strategies are better aligned with societal needs. DEI is not separate from business success, it is integral to long-term impact.

Looking back at my own career, I encountered systemic barriers that many women in male-dominated industries will recognise. Implicit biases about how leadership should look and sound, often shaped by traditional models, were persistent. The absence of visible female role models and the lack of structural support, particularly for those balancing care responsibilities, created additional friction. Overcoming these challenges required building strong support networks, staying grounded in purpose, and allowing results to speak clearly. It also meant resisting pressure to “fit the mould” and instead demonstrating that strategic thinking, empathy, and consistency are powerful leadership traits.

Over time, I have observed important shifts in how the industry approaches gender inclusion in leadership. There is greater recognition that diverse leadership is not simply desirable; it is necessary. We are seeing more women in strategic roles and greater openness to flexible career paths. That said, inclusion at senior levels still requires deliberate effort. True progress happens when organisations understand that leadership potential is not tied to a single profile or personal circumstance. Valuing varied life experiences, including those shaped by caregiving, strengthens leadership culture and builds resilience.

Navigating bias and scepticism has been a defining part of my professional journey. As a woman and a mother, I have often encountered the unspoken assumption that professional ambition must take a backseat to family life, a bias rarely applied to men. Yet this is not about choosing one over the other; it is about integration. Early on, I realised that women with young children are frequently expected to prove they are prioritising work in order to be taken seriously. My response was consistency, results, and a clear message: commitment is not gendered.

Even today, driving DEI initiatives at an executive level remains challenging. Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in decision-making spaces. In my experience, around 80% of strategic meetings still involve only men, particularly when critical decisions are being made. One of the greatest challenges is feeling like an equal, owning expertise, and expressing it with confidence in environments where women are often required to repeatedly prove their competence, while male colleagues are assumed to be capable by default. This imbalance makes DEI both essential and deeply personal to lead.

There are still specific gender dynamics within the energy sector that influence career progression. Women, especially mothers, are more frequently questioned about long-term commitment or availability. There remains an unequal expectation to prove expertise. While these dynamics are evolving, progress is slow. Acknowledging them and addressing them without penalising different life experiences is essential for building an inclusive, high-performing industry.

To young women entering the solar and renewable energy sector today, my advice is simple: believe in your voice and your contribution from day one. This industry needs critical thinkers, communicators, and leaders who reflect the diversity of society. Do not allow outdated assumptions to shape your path. Seek mentors who support your growth and organisations that recognise potential beyond traditional models. Being a woman is not a limitation, even when you are the only one in the room. Trust your expertise, ask questions boldly, and bring your full self to the table. The sector will be stronger for it.

Alba Sande is an administrative and regulatory lawyer specialised in energy, environment, and infrastructure. After several years advising major national and international clients at Clifford Chance Madrid, she founded Asandelegal, a boutique legal practice focused on strategic regulatory support for the energy transition. Her experience includes advising banks, funds, and energy companies on permitting, litigation, and regulatory matters in large-scale renewable energy projects—especially wind, solar PV, and storage. Alba holds a double degree in Law and Economics (ICADE) and a Master’s in Energy from the Spanish Energy Club. She is a regular contributor to industry publications and a speaker at sectoral forums. As a woman and mother working in a traditionally male-dominated industry, she is an advocate for inclusive leadership and visibility of diverse talent in energy law and infrastructure. She believes that legal certainty, diversity, and sustainability must go hand in hand to meet the challenges of the green transition.

Interested in joining Alba Sande and other women industry leaders and experts at Women in Solar+ Europe? Find out more: www.wiseu.network

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that in January most of East Asia experienced normal to above-average solar irradiance, with southeastern China seeing surges due to reduced clouds and low aerosol levels under lingering La Niña effects. In contrast, the Philippines faced below-average irradiance from early Tropical Storm Nokaen, while other regional cities like Seoul, Tokyo, and Taipei recorded modest gains.

Most of East Asia recorded normal to above‑normal solar irradiance in January, as weak La Niña conditions continued to influence regional weather patterns. The largest gains were observed across southeastern China, where suppressed cloud formation and reduced aerosol-effects delivered a strong start to the year for solar operators, while unusual early tropical storm activity brought significant rainfall and irradiance losses to parts of the Philippines. With two days left in January at time of publishing, this data uses live data from 1-29 January, and forecasts for 30-31 Jan from the Solcast API.

Irradiance in southeastern China surged well above historical averages in January, with Hong Kong exceeding 25% above average. A dominant Siberian high pressure system, with temperatures in parts of Siberia more than 10 C below normal, extended into western China. The resulting northerly flow delivered drier air into southeastern China, reducing both precipitation and cloud formation. This irradiance pattern aligns with typical La Niña effects, even though the La Niña signal was weak and fading toward neutral by late January. Additionally, lower than normal aerosol levels contributed to above average irradiance in coastal parts of China.

In a continuation of the irradiance and aerosol pattern seen in 2025, many parts of China, in particular low-lying industrial areas saw significant drops in aerosol load and a corresponding increase in available irradiance. Both Hong Kong and Shanghai regions saw significantly lower winter average aerosol loads, than the historical average for winter months from 2007-2026. Whilst this supported the exceptionally high irradiance in Hong Kong through January, Shanghai recorded slightly above-average irradiance, despite experiencing a rare snowfall late in the month. By contrast, Beijing has historically lower aerosol loads, however still saw slightly below-average irradiance due to prevailing cloud levels.

Elsewhere in East Asia, irradiance levels were generally normal to above normal for this month. Seoul and Tokyo recorded irradiance 5–10% above January averages and Taipei saw gains exceeding 10%. Across the maritime continent, irradiance and precipitation anomalies were near normal.

The most significant negative irradiance anomaly in the region was associated with Tropical Storm Nokaen (Ada), which marked an unusually early start to the 2026 Pacific typhoon season. Making landfall in January—the first such occurrence since 2019— Nokaen delivered intense rainfall and heavy cloud cover to the central and northern Philippines. Daily rainfall totals reached up to 200 mm, triggering mudslides and widespread disruption. Irradiance across the northern Philippines dropped by as much as 10% below average, while the southern parts of the archipelago, spared from the worst of the storm, saw irradiance climb to 10% above average.

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.

Sungrow is introducing its large-scale energy storage system, PowerTitan 3.0, to Europe, featuring grid-forming capability, next-generation battery cells, DC coupling for co-located solar projects, and streamlined commissioning to accelerate deployment.

Sungrow is introducing its large-scale energy storage system, PowerTitan 3.0, to the European market. With the option to connect the battery to a central inverter on the DC side, the company is responding to strong demand for co-located solar-storage projects. The system was first presented at SNEC in Shanghai in June 2025 and has now been showcased to European developers at an event in Madrid.

The storage system is available in standard 10- and 20-foot container formats. The 20-foot version integrates a 1.78 MW power conversion system (PCS) with a 7.14 MWh battery, providing four hours of storage in a single container. A 30-foot version with roughly 12 MWh, also displayed in China, will not be offered in Europe due to logistics and transport costs, which could reduce project profitability. Larger systems in Europe can be achieved by connecting four units to form an AC block with approximately 7.2 MW of power and 28.5 MWh of capacity.

The higher energy density is enabled by new 648 Ah battery cells, with a volumetric energy density exceeding 440 Wh/L. A full liquid-cooling system and updated software maintain all cells within their optimal temperature range, reducing the system’s own energy consumption by around 10%, according to Sungrow. The company guarantees 10,000 cycles at 60% remaining capacity. State of charge is monitored at the rack level and synchronized across the system.

“We are seeing growing demand for stand-alone projects and a significant increase in co-location projects across Europe,” said Moritz Rolf, VP DACH at Sungrow. The DC coupling option is key to meeting this demand.

Paired with a PV system and Sungrow’s “1+X” central inverter, no separate PCS or medium-voltage switchgear is needed. The company estimates hardware and cabling savings for a 150 MWh project at around €1 million.

When connected on the AC side, the system includes an integrated PCS using silicon carbide MOSFETs. Maximum PCS efficiency is 99.5%, with a round-trip efficiency of 92%.

Fast commissioning

The PowerTitan 3.0 is delivered fully assembled and pre-configured. Commissioning is largely autonomous, taking about one hour per unit. A project can be connected to the grid in approximately 12 days, with no on-site parameterization required.

The system can also serve as an AC power source for plant certification tests. If a grid connection is not yet available, the battery can energize medium-voltage switchgear, inverters, and other equipment, simplifying logistics for commissioning and testing.

“Having completed the first stage of the energy transition—the expansion of renewables and their market integration—we are now entering the next phase: electrification, flexibility, and supply security,” said James Li, VP Europe of Sungrow, during a panel discussion.

Grid-forming capabilities were a central theme of the presentation. The system can provide short-circuit current with a ratio of 1.2, deliver instantaneous reserve power within five milliseconds, and contribute to harmonic attenuation, supporting grid strength and stability.

Antonio Arruebo, battery storage analyst at SolarPower Europe, highlighted the growing importance of these functions. Beyond frequency services, markets for instantaneous reserve, short-circuit current, and black-start capability are emerging across Europe. He stressed the need for early development of corresponding markets at EU and national levels, faster approval and certification processes for storage systems, and reduction of duplicate grid fees.

Key challenges

Discussions with event participants highlighted that, while the European battery storage market is developing positively overall, project financing remains a critical bottleneck. Highly leveraged projects are subject to intensive risk assessments by lenders, particularly regarding the valuation of future revenues from arbitrage and frequency markets. The long-term development of these markets is difficult to predict, directly affecting risk premiums and financing terms. Multi-bank financing structures appear to be becoming increasingly common.

From an investor perspective, the stability of revenue streams and technological risks are central. “The crucial factors are the resilience of the revenues and the likelihood of market mechanisms changing over time,” said Paula Renedo, Principal Engineer Director at Nuveen Infrastructure, during a panel discussion.

For battery storage, the balance between exposure to the stock market and contractually secured revenues is evolving. Creditworthiness of customers and technological reliability are gaining greater importance. “We look closely at proven technologies with robust operational experience, particularly regarding availability and degradation over the system’s lifespan,” Renedo added. Nuveen adopts conservative assumptions and engages external technical consultants to assess and mitigate these risks.

On pricing trends in the battery segment, and the Chinese government’s announcement requiring battery cell manufacturers to adopt “sustainable pricing,” Moritz Rolf noted that comparisons with recent photovoltaic module price trends are limited. PV modules have reached a high degree of commodification, whereas integrated large-scale storage systems involve numerous complex integration steps. As a result, prices equivalent to fractions of a cent per kilowatt, as seen in the module market, are not expected. After-sales service and local support remain critical for developers and operators. Sungrow currently employs around 800 people in Europe.

The South Korean giant said its new EHS All-in-One provides air heating and cooling, floor heating, and hot water from a single outdoor unit. It can supply hot water up to 65 C in below-zero weather.

South Korean tech giant Samsung has launched a new all-in-one heat pump for residential and commercial use.

Dubbed EHS All-in-One, the system provides air heating and cooling, floor heating, and hot water from a single outdoor unit. It is initially released for the European market, with a Korean rollout expected within a year.

“It delivers stable performance across diverse weather conditions. It can supply hot water up to 65 C even in below-zero weather and is designed to operate heating even in severe cold down to -25 C,” the company said in a statement. “The system also uses the R32 refrigerant, which has a substantially lower impact on global warming compared with the older R410A refrigerant.”

The product is an upgrade to the EHS Mono R290 monobloc heat pump that the company released in 2023. The company has enlarged the propeller fan and used a high-capacity motor in the novel model, reducing the number of fans from two to one. That results in a design with a height of about 850 mm, approximately 40% lower than before.

“The system also introduces a new Heat Recovery feature, which does not release waste heat from the cooling process to the outside but recycles it. Using this feature can boost the energy efficiency of water heating by more than twice under certain conditions,” Samsung added. “It also includes an ‘AI Saving Mode’ that can reduce energy consumption by up to 17%.”

The Dutch start-up, founded by former Tesla leaders, is taking a novel approach to sodium-ion battery technology, optimizing it for integration with solar power plants. Its technology is set to be deployed for the first time in a Dutch solar-plus-storage project later this year.

From ESS News

Amsterdam-based Moonwatt has developed a new type of battery storage system based on sodium-ion NFPP chemistry, purpose-built for seamless solar hybridization. The system integrates battery enclosures with hybrid string inverters, enabling efficient DC-coupled solar-plus-storage integration.

The company gained attention in March 2025 when it raised $8.3 million in seed funding to accelerate growth. Moonwatt operates as an energy storage system integrator, designing, developing, and supplying string battery enclosures, hybrid string inverters, and battery management and site control systems, while sourcing sodium-ion cells globally.

“Initially, we’re sourcing them from Asia, but we aim to add American and European cell sourcing options as soon as they become available and create value for our customers,” Valentin Rota, co-founder and CCO of Moonwatt, said in an earlier interview with ESS News.

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