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solar panels
Trends
- 1California studies solar panels over irrigation canals●What 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 power●Minnesota 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% efficiency●Smoother 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 panels▼Kubota 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 portfolio▼Generate 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 Low▼First 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 claims●Creator 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.
- 8Woodbine neighbors push for pause on solar panel projects▼'You can't put the genie back in the bottle': Woodbine neighbors push for solar panel pause
Residents of Woodbine, Maryland are calling for a temporary halt to local solar panel installations, arguing that once large-scale projects are approved, the changes to their community cannot be reversed. Their slogan, 'you can't put the genie back in the bottle,' reflects frustration over the pace of development. The dispute adds to a wider national debate over where and how solar energy projects should be built.
- 9Farmers pair crops and sheep with solar panels▼Why some farmers are pairing crops and grazing sheep with solar panels
Farmers are increasingly combining solar panels with agriculture, growing crops beneath panels and grazing sheep on solar farms. The practice, known as agrivoltaics, lets land produce food and electricity at the same time, with panels providing shade for plants and pasture while sheep keep grass under the arrays trimmed.
- 10Florida veteran says solar panels doubled her electric bills▼Florida Army veteran was promised 'zero' electric bills. Instead, she says solar doubled costs
An Army veteran in Florida says she was promised zero electric bills when she signed up for residential solar panels, but her costs instead doubled. Her account adds to growing complaints about aggressive door-to-door solar sales tactics, misleading savings claims, and long-term financing contracts that leave homeowners paying more than expected, prompting calls for better consumer protections in the fast-growing rooftop solar industry.