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.

# # #

About Data Center POST

Data Center POST provides a comprehensive view of the digital infrastructure landscape, delivering industry insights into the global data center ecosystem. As the industry’s only peer-contributed and online publication, we offer relevant information from developers, managers, providers, investors, and trendsetters worldwide.

Data Center POST works hard to get the most current information and thought-provoking ideas most apt to add relevance to the success of the data center industry. Stay informed, visit www.datacenterpost.com.

If you are interested in contributing to Data Center POST, contact us at contributions@datacenterpost.com or submit your article here.

Want more digital infrastructure news? Stay in the know and subscribe to Data Center POST today!

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.

# # #

About Data Center POST

Data Center POST provides a comprehensive view of the digital infrastructure landscape, delivering industry insights into the global data center ecosystem. As the industry’s only peer-contributed and online publication, we offer relevant information from developers, managers, providers, investors, and trendsetters worldwide.

Data Center POST works hard to get the most current information and thought-provoking ideas most apt to add relevance to the success of the data center industry. Stay informed, visit www.datacenterpost.com.

If you are interested in contributing to Data Center POST, contact us at contributions@datacenterpost.com or submit your article here.

Want more digital infrastructure news? Stay in the know and subscribe to Data Center POST today!

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.

The European Commission has approved nearly €650 million in grants under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) to support 14 cross-border energy infrastructure projects. The allocation aligns with the European Grids Package, which highlights improved interconnectivity [...]

The post European Commission allocates €650 million for cross-border energy projects appeared first on Renewable Watch.

Younan Company has announced the development of a large utility-scale solar and battery storage project in California under Soleil Renewable Energy, LLC. The project is planned in East Kern county, on approximately 3,200 acres of [...]

The post Younan to develop solar-plus-storage project in California  appeared first on Renewable Watch.

The Union Budget 2026-27 aims at strengthening clean energy development, clean technology manufacturing, lithium-ion battery production, and tariff rationalisation. There has been a significant increase in budgetary allocations for the Ministry of New and Renewable [...]

The post Union Budget 2026-27 highlights for the renewable energy sector appeared first on Renewable Watch.

Greenko Group has secured a Rs 48 billion long-term loan from the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID). The loan has a tenure of 25 years and has been arranged to refinance green [...]

The post Greenko Group secures Rs 48 billion loan from NaBFID appeared first on Renewable Watch.

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.

In 2025, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development significantly boosted its investments in Moldova, committing €508 million to 19 projects. This surge reflects a deepening partnership aimed at supporting Moldova’s EU integration and enhancing its energy security, infrastructure, and private sector competitiveness amidst ongoing reforms and economic challenges.

The post EBRD Marks One Of Its Most Active Years In Moldova With €508M For 19 Projects, Strengthening Energy Independence, Roads And MSMEs Amid EU Accession Push appeared first on SolarQuarter.

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

From ESS News

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.

ISO Market	Solar P25 Price ($/MWh)
ISO-NE	$115.00
PJM	$81.03
MISO	$64.95
CAISO	$62.00
ERCOT	$49.00

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.

 

Voltalia has been awarded a 132 MW solar project in the Gabès region of south-east Tunisia by the Tunisian government. Construction of the Wadi solar project is scheduled to begin in 2027, with commissioning planned [...]

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