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solar energy
Trends
- 1Farmers combine crops and sheep with solar panelsβWhy some farmers are pairing crops and grazing sheep with solar panels
Farmers are adopting 'agrivoltaics', installing solar panels above fields while continuing to grow crops or graze sheep beneath them. The approach lets land produce both food and electricity at once, and sheep keep grass around panels trimmed. Interest in the practice is growing as pressure rises to expand renewable energy without taking farmland out of production.
- 2California studies solar panels over irrigation canalsβWhat California is learning from solar panels built over irrigation canals
California is testing solar panels built over irrigation canals, a design that generates renewable energy while shading water and reducing evaporation. The shade may also cool the panels, improving their efficiency. Early findings from pilot projects in the state are offering lessons on costs, construction and water savings, and the approach is drawing attention as a model for dual-use infrastructure in other regions.
- 3Solar and wind hit record 80% of Australia's power demandβ"Solar and wind generation meet record 80% of power demand on Australiaβs national grid" # Australia # Energy # Renewabl
Renewable sources supplied a record 80% of electricity demand on Australia's national grid, according to a report shared widely online. The milestone highlights the country's rapid shift from coal and gas toward solar and wind, reinforcing Australia's position as one of the world's faster energy transition stories and prompting discussion about grid reliability and the pace of decarbonisation.
- 4Australia's main grid runs on 80% renewables for consecutive daysβAustralia's main grid hits 80% renewables on consecutive days, rooftop solar tops half of demand
Australia's main electricity grid has recorded 80% renewable energy across consecutive days, with rooftop solar at times supplying more than half of total demand. The milestone highlights the rapid growth of household solar and wind capacity in the country, with observers pointing to it as evidence that a heavily renewable grid can reliably meet everyday power needs.
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Researchers have successfully generated solar power from panels placed 10 metres below the sea surface, according to a Euronews report. The experiment suggests underwater photovoltaic systems could one day complement offshore wind and floating solar farms, though questions remain about efficiency losses, maintenance costs and marine impact. The findings have drawn interest as countries look for new ways to expand renewable energy capacity.
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Renewable sources are now generating 61 percent of Turkey's electricity, according to a report by Informed Comment. The figure is being highlighted against the backdrop of an energy crisis tied to the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil shipments. Turkey's growing reliance on wind, solar and hydro is being framed as insulation from disruptions in Persian Gulf energy supplies.
- 7Fossil Fuel Industry Shifts Goalposts as Solar Beats SkepticsβThe Fossil Fuel Industry Keeps Shifting the Goalposts How denial tactics have evolved as renewable energy succeeds... Th
Australian commentary is revisiting how fossil fuel interests have repeatedly moved the goalposts on renewable energy. A key example: during a 2013 Senate debate on renewable energy, Barnaby Joyce dismissed the idea that solar could reach even 5% of supply, calling it impossible. As renewables have since surpassed targets once dismissed as fantasy, critics argue denial tactics have evolved from outright rejection to new arguments about cost and reliability.
- 8Underwater Solar Panels Tested at Ten Metres in South China SeaβUnderwater Solar Panels Tested at Ten Metres in the South China Sea
Researchers have tested underwater solar panels at a depth of ten metres in the South China Sea, according to an industry report. The trial explores whether photovoltaic technology can generate usable power beneath the surface, where light is weaker but conditions are more stable. Observers are watching to see if the approach could support offshore installations, marine research stations or subsea equipment in the future.
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Construction of a new solar farm is set to begin in November, according to a report carried by the BBC. The project is part of the wider push to expand renewable energy capacity, though the report gives no further details on its location, size or the companies involved.
- 10Indonesia's Solar Lessons from ASEAN and Pakistan at Climate WeekβHighlighting Regional Insights: What Indonesia Can Learn from ASEAN and Pakistan's Solar Boom at New York Climate Week
During New York Climate Week, attention turned to Indonesia's solar potential in light of rapid solar growth across ASEAN countries and Pakistan's unexpected boom in rooftop and off-grid solar adoption. Observers argue Indonesia can draw on these regional experiences to accelerate its own clean energy transition, reduce reliance on coal, and meet its renewable energy targets faster.
- 11Turkish Parliament to run entirely on solar power from KonyaβParliament to meet all electricity needs with solar power from Konya
Turkey's Parliament plans to meet all of its electricity needs through solar power supplied from Konya, according to HΓΌrriyet Daily News. The project would make the legislature fully reliant on renewable energy generated in the central Anatolian province, a notable step in the country's push to expand solar capacity.
- 12Ohio village installs 9,222 solar panels on reservoirβOhio village puts 9,222 solar panels on reservoir, now has 13 times the state's solar per resident
An Ohio village has installed 9,222 floating solar panels on its reservoir, giving it 13 times more solar capacity per resident than the state average. The project uses water surface otherwise going unused, and coverage in outlets including The Cool Down highlights it as a model for small communities looking to cut energy costs and expand renewable power without sacrificing land.
- 13Ohio solar farm becomes home to 3 million honey beesβThis Ohio solar farm is now home to 3 million honey bees across more than 50 hives, turning an energy sit
A solar farm in Ohio is now hosting around 3 million honey bees across more than 50 hives, turning the energy site into an active pollinator habitat. The project pairs renewable energy production with beekeeping, and reports highlight it as an example of solar sites being used to support declining bee populations while continuing to generate power.
- 14FAO Distributes Solar Cookers to 468 FamiliesβFAO: 468 Families Receive Solar Cookers in Five Provinces
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has provided solar cookers to 468 families across five provinces, according to an announcement carried by regional media. The distribution is intended to give households a clean, free cooking energy source, reducing reliance on firewood and fuel. Further details on the provinces involved and the wider programme have not been released.
- 15Farming and solar energy projects show promise in ArkansasβPromise seen in mixing farming, solar energy production projects
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that combining farming with solar energy production is seen as promising. The idea of pairing agriculture with solar panels, sometimes called agrivoltaics, allows land to be used both for crops or grazing and for generating electricity. Details of specific projects, locations and stakeholders were not provided beyond the report's claim of potential in this approach.
- 16Sun King Lands $5 Million Acumen Investment to Expand Solar Access in ZambiaβSun King Secures USD 5 M Acumen Investment To Expand Solar Access In Zambia
Off-grid solar company Sun King has secured a USD 5 million investment from Acumen to expand access to solar energy in Zambia. The funding is aimed at growing the company's pay-as-you-go solar products among households with limited or unreliable access to electricity. The move highlights continued investor interest in African off-grid energy startups working to close the continent's power access gap.
- 17New York farmer converts 30 acres of farmland into solar fieldβIn 2023, New York farmer Tony Emmi began turning 30 acres of good farmland into a solar field; three year
In 2023, New York farmer Tony Emmi began converting 30 acres of productive farmland into a solar field, part of a growing debate over whether solar development should occupy good agricultural land. Three years in, the project highlights the tension between clean energy goals and preserving farmland in rural New York.
- 18Column Slams Trump's Diesel Push as Solar Gains GroundβWhitcomb: Trumpβs Diesel Desperation; Solar Looks a Little Brighter; Rudy Cheeks
A commentary by Whitcomb on GoLocalProv criticises the Trump administration's push for diesel, calling it an act of desperation, while arguing that solar energy is looking increasingly promising. The piece also touches on Rudy Giuliani under the heading 'Rudy Cheeks'. It frames US energy policy as tilting toward fossil fuels even as renewable momentum builds.
- 19CPS Energy relaunches community solar program in San AntonioβCPS Energy's community solar program is back. Here's how it works.
CPS Energy has brought back its community solar program, allowing San Antonio residents to subscribe to solar power without installing panels on their homes. The San Antonio Express-News outlined how the program works, covering enrollment details and how subscribers receive credits on their utility bills for the solar energy generated.