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solar panels
Trends
- 1California studies solar panels over irrigation canalsโWhat California is learning from solar panels built over irrigation canals
California is testing and studying solar panels built over irrigation canals, a design meant to generate clean energy while shading water and reducing evaporation. Early findings from pilot projects are shaping how the state evaluates wider rollout of the approach. The idea has drawn attention as a way to save land and conserve water at the same time.
- 2Minnesota project pairs farming with solar powerโMinnesota agrivoltaics project shows promise of mixing farming, solar power
A Minnesota agrivoltaics project is showing that crops and solar panels can share the same land. By mounting panels high enough for farm equipment and crops to fit beneath, the project aims to generate renewable energy while keeping farmland in production, offering a possible model for reducing land-use conflicts over the expanding solar industry.
- 3Smoother perovskite films push triple-junction solar cells to 30.1% efficiencyโSmoother perovskite films lift three-layer solar cell efficiency to 30.1%
Researchers report that making perovskite films smoother has raised the efficiency of a three-layer, or triple-junction, solar cell to 30.1%, a new benchmark for this class of device. Reducing surface roughness helps the stacked layers convert more sunlight into electricity. The result fuels ongoing excitement about perovskite technology as a cheaper, potentially more efficient alternative to conventional silicon solar panels.
- 4Kubota unveils agrivoltaic system for rice farming under solar panelsโKubota agrivoltaic system allows rice farming and combine harvesting beneath elevated solar panels
Kubota has introduced an agrivoltaic system that lets farmers grow and combine-harvest rice beneath elevated solar panels. By raising the panels high enough for standard machinery to pass underneath, the setup allows the same land to produce both food and renewable electricity. The concept is drawing attention as Japan and other countries look to expand solar capacity without sacrificing limited farmland.
- 5Generate raises $117 million for 114 MW community solar portfolioโGenerate secures $117 million to finance a 114 MW community solar portfolio, giving a new batch of distributed projects the capital to move forward
Generate has secured $117 million in financing to support a 114 MW community solar portfolio. The funding gives a new batch of distributed solar projects the capital needed to move forward, adding momentum to community solar development, which allows households and businesses to subscribe to local renewable energy without installing panels themselves.
- 6First Solar Stock Slides Toward 52-Week LowโFirst Solar (FSLR) Slides Toward A 52 Week Low, Is The Stock Now Cheap?
First Solar shares are falling toward their lowest level in a year, prompting debate among investors over whether the solar panel maker's stock now represents a bargain. The drop has drawn attention to valuation questions around the company, one of the largest US solar manufacturers, as market watchers weigh whether recent weakness reflects deeper problems or a buying opportunity.
- 7Creator rebuts anti-solar meme with cattle farm water claimsโCreator rebuts anti-solar meme, says US cattle farms drain water, and can share land with panels
A creator has pushed back against a meme circulating online that criticises solar panels for taking up land, arguing that US cattle farming consumes far more water than solar energy production and that livestock grazing and solar panels can share the same land. The rebuttal frames solar development as compatible with agriculture, countering a common talking point used against renewable energy projects.