solar power

Data centers are already among the world’s hungriest power users, and artificial intelligence (AI) is pushing their energy consumption to new heights. The International Energy Agency expects data centers’ electricity use to more than double by 2030, reaching roughly 1,000 TWh. That’s a growth rate four times faster than the overall grid. In some scenarios, AI-optimized facilities could […]

The NTPC Vindhyachal Thermal Power Station, with an installed generation capacity of 4,783 MW, comprises 13 coal-fired units and includes solar and hydropower installations. The plant continues to implement advanced emission-control technologies as part of India’s broader decarbonization strategy.

Solar dominates new energy generation in the U.S., accounting for 69% of new capacity additions in Q1 of 2025. But although most of this added capacity comes from utility-scale projects, the engineering labor force hasn’t scaled to match this demand. Only a limited number of qualified engineers, particularly those with experience as Engineers of Record (EORs), can support the complexity and speed required for current utility-scale solar projects.

The Cabaiguán photovoltaic park, with a capacity of 21.87 MW, located in the central province of Sancti Spíritus, began operations after just over two months of installation. This is part of Cuba’s national plan that calls for the construction of 55 solar parks by 2025, each with a capacity of 21.8 MW, with a total […]

Perovskite solar cells are a high-efficiency, low-cost alternative to traditional silicon-based solar panels. With the perovskite solar cell industry expected to reach $1.2 billion by 2033, there’s enormous potential for this next-generation technology. The Basics of Perovskites Perovskites are a type of material, with a distinctive crystal structure described as ABX3 (Figure 1). These crystals […]

AES Corp. announced the company has entered into two long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) to support tech company Meta’s data centers. The deal announced May 21 is for 650 MW of generation from solar projects that AES is bringing online in Texas and Kansas, serving the Southwest Power Pool market.

In 2025, as the Paris Agreement marks its tenth year since its signing, the global energy structure has entered a critical transformation phase. While solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have become an important pillar that supports the goal of net-zero emissions, challenges in terms of power losses from generation remain. It is imperative to effectively minimize […]

Extreme weather events have increased in frequency and intensity, but renewable energy projects can maintain financial stability through sound technical and financial risk mitigation strategies. Extreme

Stowing capabilities, tougher modules, and real-time data are the new frontline in solar’s fight against extreme weather. Alex Roedel and Jyoti Jain, Nextracker The global climate crisis is reshaping the way we think about energy resilience. As extreme weather increases, utility-scale solar projects face a new era of challenges. Advanced solar tracker systems, control and […]

Imagine a field of solar panels floating silently in the endless day of Earth’s orbit. Unlike their terrestrial cousins, this space-based solar array never faces nighttime, clouds, or atmospheric interference. Instead, they bathe in constant, intense sunlight, converting this endless stream of energy into electricity with remarkable efficiency. But the true innovation lies in how […]

Kinematics, an Arizona-headquartered global group focused on intelligent motion control, said it has completed its acquisition of P4Q. Kinematics on Feb. 4 said it will now integrate P4Q’s high-performance electronics portfolio—which includes more than 1 million solar controllers deployed across 2,400 solar sites globally—with Kinematics’ installed base of 2.9 million solar actuators (Figure 1). The […]

The new year always provides a great opportunity to take a look back to see what POWER got right (or wrong) in our previous industry forecast. More importantly, it gives us a chance to look ahead. Some things

Recent advancements dramatically reduce loss due to weather conditions, but there is still much more the industry must do. Solar energy skeptics have long argued about its supposed unreliability. “The sun doesn’t always shine!” is their most common refrain. While this argument is easily discounted, it is true that environmental conditions can affect the energy […]

In the presence of Cuba’s Vice Prime Minister Ramiro Valdés and the Minister of Energy and Mines Vicente de la O Levy, the results of a study focused on the control and supervision of investments in photovoltaic parks and the maintenance of thermal power plants were analyzed in the Industry, Construction, and Energy Commission of […]

The American Clean Power Association (ACP) on Nov. 25 announced the release of the inaugural Solar Market Monitor, a market analysis of the domestic utility-scale solar industry produced by S&P Global Commodity Insights. The new report includes projections of a record-breaking year for solar, with more than 32 GW of installations for 2024. The new […]

Ampion Renewable Energy announced it is expanding its community solar programs to Delaware, New Jersey, and Virginia, bringing the company’s portfolio under management to about 1.5 GW. Ampion notes that U.S. community solar installations are expected to exceed 14 GW in the next five years. The company is partnering with new developer and asset owner […]

Space-based solar power (SBSP) could prove transformative to global energy demand by providing price-efficient, continuous clean energy from orbit (Figure 1). Recent developments, including low-cost space access, mass-produced satellites, robotics, and other commercial-led innovations, will unlock this capability within the next 10 to 20 years. While both U.S. allies and adversaries are rapidly advancing their […]

In May, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and IRS released additional guidance on the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA’s) domestic content bonus, part of President Biden’s economic strategy to boost American manufacturing, and iron and steel production. The domestic content bonus credit is available to taxpayers that certify their qualified facility, energy project, or energy […]

BlueWave, a solar power developer and owner in the U.S. Northeast, announced five projects across Massachusetts that incorporate the company’s innovative dual-use solar design and operate under the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program. BlueWave said the installations announced August 22 are located in Palmer, Haverhill, Dighton, and Douglas. The sites have 19.8 MW of […]

Waste from end-of-life solar panels and other solar-related equipment provides an opportunity to recover valuable materials, along with other benefits. The International Renewable Energy Agency said that by 2030, the cumulative value of recoverable raw materials from end-of-life panels alone will be about $450 million worldwide, which the agency said is equivalent to the cost […]

Whether you’re a longtime solar panel maker or just embarking on a business plan, it’s easy to overlook some key business considerations. Perhaps you need to design a new warehouse and develop support

U.S. solar installations saw a banner year in 2023. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), new installs set multiple records, exceeding 30 GWdc of capacity and comprising more than half of the nation’s new generating capacity for the first time. Many cheer this renewable growth; others, whether wary of change or wedded to […]

The U.S. has officially exceeded five million solar installations, marking a significant achievement in the nation’s clean energy transition. This milestone comes just eight years after the U.S. reached one million installations in 2016—a milestone that took 40 years to achieve following the first grid-connected solar installation in 1973. According to data released by the […]

The U.S. was one of the world leaders in solar equipment manufacturing a few decades ago, but then the Chinese stole the show. Now, however, American companies are finding a lot of new opportunities as a

Nearly 200 solar and storage companies sent a letter to congressional leaders on April 17 calling for legislation to improve permitting, project siting, transmission, and public lands access for solar and solar plus storage projects. Market forecasts show that a range of policy and economic outcomes will determine the volume of solar deployment over the […]

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) explains that community solar, also known as shared solar or solar gardens, is a distributed solar energy deployment model that allows customers to buy or lease part of a larger, off-site shared solar photovoltaic (PV) system. It says community solar arrangements allow customers to enjoy advantages of solar energy […]

Israel-headquartered SolarEdge Technologies is expected to cut about 900 jobs from its global workforce as the company seeks to reduce operating costs. SolarEdge on Jan. 21 said it would lay off about 16% of its employees. CEO Zvi Lando in a statement said, “We have made a very difficult, but necessary decision to implement a […]

Operators of utility-scale commercial solar farms know the importance of predictive maintenance for their installations. Being proactive when it comes to developing operations and maintenance (O&M) programs can help operators anticipate equipment failures, and also streamline repairs in the field, allowing O&M service providers to better manage and plan staff assignments, find spare parts, and […]

The solar energy industry in the U.S. is at a critical juncture. With the ambitious target set by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) to have solar produce 30% of the country’s energy by 2030, a monumental effort is required. We must add 48 GW of solar capacity each year to meet this goal. Achieving […]

India’s government has issued an emergency order that extends the operation of coal-fired power plants using imported coal, as the country grapples with a shortage of domestic coal and continued high demand for electricity. The order, which came from the power ministry on Oct. 23, asks coal-fired power plants using imported coal to operate at […]