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The Solis PrimePower units that will cut the electricity bill and carbon footprint

UK – Solis announces UK arrival with NHS battery project

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The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital has switched on a 600 kWh battery system paired with rooftop solar, delivered by ZLC Energy using six Solis PrimePower units. The setup is expected to offset around 75 percent of the hospital's electricity use.

Discover new technologies and business models for solar projects on arable land in our special issue
Download the free special issue

Crops meet kilowatts – explore our agri-PV special edition

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Free to download: This special issue highlights the dual use of land as a key aspect of the solar energy transition in agriculture. Alongside the latest technological developments, it also covers the emerging business models for solar installations on farmland.

Different boxes, same queue: batteries lined up for a shared grid slot

Greece – battery projects with shared grid connections near 500 MW mark

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Connection terms for co-located battery storage schemes sharing a single grid access point are expected to reach 500 MW shortly, accounting for half of the capacity cap set out under Greece's latest regulatory framework.

The carborane core (left) and its two functional arms, approaching the perovskite surface

Germany – HZB compound squeezes more from perovskite tandems

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Researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin for Materials and Energy have developed a carborane-based electron transport material that raises perovskite cell efficiency by up to 2.4 percentage points, addressing a longstanding stability weakness in the process.

Europe's storage tanks are filling, although not as fast as usual

When gas prices spike, batteries win and PPAs shrug

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Renewed disruption to LNG flows pushed European gas and power prices higher in July, but PPA pricing barely responded, a structural shift that instead lifted merchant battery storage revenues.

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What is photovoltaics?

Photovoltaics (PV) refers to the generation of electrical energy from sunlight. At the heart of this process are the solar-active semiconductors known as solar cells, which capture sunlight and convert it directly into electricity.

From a technical standpoint, a PV system or solar installation functions as a generator. Here, individual solar cells are combined into a solar module, which is protected from the elements. These modules are then assembled into a larger solar generator, which can be mounted on rooftopsfaçadesopen ground or specially designed structures. The electricity generated is direct current (DC), which is converted into alternating current (AC) by an inverter. This AC power can be used directly on site or fed into the public grid via the building’s connection. The electricity is typically supplied to the local utility or grid operator.

Larger PV systems installed on open land are often called solar parks. These feed power into the grid via dedicated transformers and switchgear. In many countries special Acts and regulations govern remuneration for solar power, whether via feed-in tariffs or market premiums for direct sales to third parties.

Self-consumption can be increased by using solar power for heating waterroom heating, air conditioning or refrigeration. Battery storage systems help by storing surplus solar electricity for later use. These so-called solar batteries improve system reliability, especially when solar output dips.

Not all incoming sunlight is converted into electricity. The conversion rate depends on the intensity and wavelength of the incoming light spectrum. This ratio between usable electrical output and the maximum available solar radiation is known as efficiency.

The performance of a solar generator or storage system is defined by its output. When multiplied by the number of sunshine hours, this gives the solar yield – the amount of electricity generated per day, month or year. In addition to charging and discharging power, solar batteries are also rated by their capacity, or the amount of energy they can store. Power is measured in kilowatts (kW) or megawatts (MW), while energy and yield are expressed in kilowatt-hours (kWh) or megawatt-hours (MWh). (HS)