Tongwei has partnered with GS-Solar and Golden Solar to establish a large-scale manufacturing facility for hybrid heterojunction back-contact (HBC) solar cells, focusing on technology development, manufacturing, and process optimization. The hybrid HBC technology aims to achieve high efficiency at lower production costs, streamlining processing. This collaboration could expedite the shift from laboratory-scale research to industrial production, broadening Tongwei's solar technology offerings. GS-Solar, positioning itself as a technology and equipment provider for hybrid HBC commercialization, has engaged in similar partnerships previously.
Author: Pv Magazine
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Industry 4.0 technologies raise cyber risks for smart renewables grids
An international research team has developed a novel AI-enhanced intrusion detection system (MSIDS) to detect and mitigate cyber threats in smart renewable energy grids. The system outperforms traditional intrusion detection models by achieving high accuracy, precision, and recall rates, while maintaining a low false positive rate. It utilizes supervised and unsupervised learning for threat detection, addressing known and unknown attacks, and features a multi-layer architecture with automated feature extraction and decision fusion. MSIDS's ability to provide low-latency detection allows for swift response to potential threats, ensuring uninterrupted energy distribution and enhancing decentralized security within the grid when deployed on edge computing nodes and smart meters.
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UK’s first community-owned solar battery seeks investors
Low Carbon Hub is seeking investors for a 12 MWh battery energy storage system to be added to the Ray Valley Solar project in the UK, making it the first community-owned co-located battery in the country. The developer has raised over GBP 10 million in community investment and is now looking for GBP 500,000 to fund the battery. Shares in the project are available for purchase starting at GBP 100, providing an opportunity for individuals to invest in a sustainable energy solution that will contribute to reducing carbon emissions in the UK.
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/03/27/uks-first-community-owned-solar-battery-seeks-investors/
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Ultra-low-cost solar could enable 2,000 GW market in Australia
Researchers from the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics have quantified the potential of ultra-low-cost solar to deliver 1,000 TWh per year for domestic use and 2,600 TWh per year for exports in Australia. The ARENA 30-30-30 vision aims for 30% solar module efficiency and an installed cost of $0.30 per watt by 2030, creating a 2,000 GW-scale solar market in Australia. This could support a fully decarbonized economy and large-scale production of green metals for global markets, changing the economics of Australia's energy transition. Cost reductions in heavy industry and closer cost parity with conventional production for green commodity production are expected as a result of ULC solar implementation.
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Solar sheep grazing delivers margins up to 40% in new study
Agrivoltaic sheep grazing models in Ontario have been found to outperform traditional farming, offering higher margins and dual revenue streams from livestock and solar site services. The co-location of sheep grazing and solar PV arrays, known as agrivoltaics, provides a robust solution to the tightening profit margins of modern agriculture. Research by Western University indicates that these integrated business models offer a hedge against market volatility, with performance metrics consistently exceeding the broader agricultural industry's average EBITDA margin. The study explores two operational strategies – a year-round "Breeding Model" and a seasonal "Auction Model" – both of which show high financial stability and return on investment. The dual-revenue nature of the business, vegetation management fees from solar asset owners, and the technical superiority of sheep for vegetation control under solar panels contribute to the economic and environmental benefits of agrivoltaic systems. This approach could also help address trade imbalances in the meat industry, boost the rural economy by $170 million, create specialized agricultural jobs, enhance local food security, and preserve farmland while ensuring the financial resilience of family farms in the long term.
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/03/26/solar-sheep-grazing-delivers-margins-up-to-40-in-new-study/
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Australian science agency trials AI robots for solar farms
CSIRO has repurposed AI-driven robots from the mining industry to conduct maintenance inspections at large-scale solar farms in Australia. Equipped with cameras, sensors, and AI software, these robots can identify issues like dust build-up and physical damage, aiming to reduce maintenance costs, improve efficiency, and extend asset lifespan. This integration of robotics and AI is expected to shift the focus from manual tasks to skilled technical work, making inspections in harsh conditions more feasible. CSIRO plans to partner with industry to make this technology more widely available after successful trials.
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/03/25/australian-science-agency-trials-ai-robots-for-solar-farms/
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Tesla advances plan to build 100 GW of U.S. PV manufacturing capacity by 2028
Tesla is making strides towards deploying 100 GW of solar manufacturing in the U.S. by 2028, with a focus on developing new equipment and processes for energy products at a large scale. The company is in discussions with Chinese firms to purchase $2.9 billion worth of solar equipment, including screen-printing production lines. CEO Elon Musk has announced plans to achieve the 100 GW solar power target in the U.S. within three years, showcasing a commitment to expanding renewable energy solutions.
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Solar and wind reach record 17% of US power generation
In 2025, wind and utility-scale solar in the US accounted for a record 17% of electricity generation, producing 760,000 GWh. Solar generation increased by 34%, while wind power remained the larger source of zero-carbon electrons. The growth in renewables is driven by increasing electricity demand from data centers and industrial electrification. The future integration of renewables will rely on managing interconnection backlogs and deploying battery energy storage systems. An historic expansion of the US electric grid is expected in 2026, with 86 GW of new utility-scale generating capacity, primarily from solar and battery storage technologies.
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/03/24/solar-and-wind-reach-record-17-of-us-power-generation/
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Entso-E report finds systemic failures behind 2025 Iberian blackout
Entso-E's final root cause report on the April 28, 2025 blackout in Spain and Portugal identified systemic failures in voltage control, reactive power management, and regulatory frameworks, with manual disconnections and lack of real-time monitoring contributing to the blackout. The investigation was hindered by incomplete data, particularly from generators below 1 MW. Entso-E issued 22 recommendations to strengthen European grid resilience, focusing on voltage control, oscillatory stability, disconnection behavior, and defense and restoration, including improving reactive power resources, real-time visibility, and harmonizing operating voltage ranges. The article also discusses recommendations for improving small-scale generation, defense, and restoration in the context of climate-related incidents, suggesting adaptive load shedding schemes, better coordination among operators, and standardized data collection frameworks for future investigations.
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Why technical due diligence is becoming the backbone of Europe’s solar-storage boom
The European energy transition is accelerating with the growth of hybrid solar-plus-storage projects, which are becoming more complex and require rigorous technical due diligence to ensure reliability, investor confidence, and a resilient clean-energy transition. SolarPower Europe has developed new guidelines for these projects, integrating environmental and social governance, supply chain sustainability, cybersecurity, and financial risk analysis. Technical due diligence is crucial for earning trust in asset performance and ensuring a resilient, bankable, and sustainable clean-energy future in Europe.