Solar for All

California is testing and studying solar panels installed over irrigation canals, an approach that generates renewable energy while shading water and reducing evaporation. Projects in the state are offering lessons on how much power the canopies can produce and how the shading affects water conservation, as officials weigh wider deployment of canal-top solar across California's extensive water delivery network.

Data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaiʻi has been used to identify the youngest planet yet discovered outside our solar system. The finding, reported by Maui Now, highlights the observatory's continuing role in major exoplanet research and offers scientists a rare chance to study planet formation at its earliest stages. Astronomers say such young worlds help refine models of how planets develop.

Renewable sources — solar and wind — met a record 80% of electricity demand on Australia's national grid, a new milestone for the country's energy transition. The figure highlights how quickly renewables are displacing coal and gas in Australia's power mix, and it is being shared widely among energy and climate observers as evidence the transition is accelerating.

Japan is converting disused golf courses into large-scale solar farms, reusing cleared, open land for renewable energy generation. With many courses closing as membership declines, the sites offer ready-made space for panels without competing with farmland. Observers see it as a practical model for other countries with aging leisure facilities and growing clean-energy targets.

Australia's most powerful battery has been completed and is now operating as what its developer describes as a giant shock absorber for the electricity grid. The project is being discussed as a milestone for the country's renewable energy transition, helping stabilise power supply as coal generation is phased out and more solar and wind capacity comes online.

Researchers have reported using solar panels to convert plastic waste into hydrogen fuel, according to a new report. The approach could offer a double benefit: reducing plastic pollution while producing clean energy. Details on how the process works are drawing interest, with the method combining sunlight-driven technology with plastic recycling to generate hydrogen.

Some farmers are installing solar panels on their fields and using the same land for agriculture, grazing sheep beneath the panels or growing crops alongside them. The approach, often called agrivoltaics, allows land to produce both food and electricity at once, offering farmers extra income while panels provide shade that can benefit grazing animals and reduce water loss.

French development finance institution Proparco and Finland's Finnfund have committed $33 million to ERCO, a Colombian solar energy platform. The investment is aimed at expanding solar power capacity in Colombia, supporting the country's transition to renewable energy. Development finance institutions have been increasingly directing capital toward Latin American clean energy projects.

SoFab Inks has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the US National Science Foundation to develop lower-cost perovskite solar layers. The funding will support the company's work on making perovskite-based photovoltaic materials cheaper to produce, a step that could help bring down the overall cost of solar energy. SoFab Inks develops specialty inks used in solar cell manufacturing.

Australia's New South Wales has launched trials of property-level and community battery models aimed at extending the benefits of rooftop solar to more households. The schemes will test how stored solar energy can be shared, easing grid pressure and lowering costs. The state is a leader in household solar uptake, making storage a key next step in its energy transition.

A Texas solar farm is running sheep grazing alongside its panels while generating millions of dollars in local tax revenue. The dual-use model, often called solar grazing, lets farmers keep livestock on solar sites while the land also produces electricity and tax income for the county. Supporters say it shows renewable energy projects can coexist with agriculture and deliver direct financial benefits to rural communities.

Georgia Power has received regulatory approval for 1,137 MW of new solar power purchase agreements through the CARES program. The decision adds a significant amount of solar capacity to the utility's energy mix and supports renewable expansion in Georgia. The move is being noted as a step forward for clean energy procurement in the state.

Chinese inverter and energy storage manufacturer KSTAR presented its products at Solar & Storage Live UK, an event it describes as a step in expanding its presence in the British market. The company is positioning itself among suppliers targeting the UK's growing solar and battery storage sector as demand for grid-scale and commercial installations rises.

Suntech presented its photovoltaic modules and energy storage solutions at Solar & Storage Live UK, one of Britain's main renewable energy trade events. The company's focus on combined solar-plus-storage offerings reflects growing demand in the UK market, where installers and developers are increasingly pairing panels with batteries as grid connection costs rise and households seek energy independence.

CPS Energy, the municipal utility serving San Antonio, has brought back its community solar program, which lets residents subscribe to solar power without installing panels on their own homes. The utility is explaining how enrollment works, with subscribers typically receiving credits on their bills for the energy produced. The relaunch gives customers another option to support renewable energy and potentially lower costs.

An analysis by SolarPower Europe has found that solar and wind generation made Europe's electricity 25% cheaper and saved the continent more than €100 million per day by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The report frames the shift as 'decoupling from fossil fuel shocks', arguing renewables are now delivering measurable savings for consumers and energy systems across Europe.

Reports highlight India's rapid rise in solar manufacturing, crediting domestic production policies for building a homegrown industry capable of supplying solar panels at scale. India has become one of the world's fastest-growing solar manufacturing hubs, reducing reliance on imported Chinese modules while creating jobs and supporting its clean energy targets. Commentators point to it as a model for how emerging economies can industrialise around renewables.

Intersolar Mexico has closed its latest edition with a notable increase in visitor numbers, according to PV Tech. The trade fair for solar energy, held in Mexico, saw attendance grow markedly compared with previous editions. The result points to strengthening interest in Mexico's solar sector, with industry players and observers highlighting the event's momentum amid the region's ongoing energy transition.

Archaeological work ahead of a solar energy project in Ireland has uncovered a medieval settlement and an iron-working site buried beneath farmland. The finds, made during pre-construction surveys, show the clean-energy development doubled as a significant historical discovery, shedding light on early industry and daily life on the site.