solar panels

Some farmers are installing solar panels on their fields and using the same land for agriculture, grazing sheep beneath the panels or growing crops alongside them. The approach, often called agrivoltaics, allows land to produce both food and electricity at once, offering farmers extra income while panels provide shade that can benefit grazing animals and reduce water loss.

Japan is converting disused golf courses into large-scale solar farms, reusing cleared, open land for renewable energy generation. With many courses closing as membership declines, the sites offer ready-made space for panels without competing with farmland. Observers see it as a practical model for other countries with aging leisure facilities and growing clean-energy targets.

Researchers have reported using solar panels to convert plastic waste into hydrogen fuel, according to a new report. The approach could offer a double benefit: reducing plastic pollution while producing clean energy. Details on how the process works are drawing interest, with the method combining sunlight-driven technology with plastic recycling to generate hydrogen.

Reports highlight India's rapid rise in solar manufacturing, crediting domestic production policies for building a homegrown industry capable of supplying solar panels at scale. India has become one of the world's fastest-growing solar manufacturing hubs, reducing reliance on imported Chinese modules while creating jobs and supporting its clean energy targets. Commentators point to it as a model for how emerging economies can industrialise around renewables.

Scientists have produced solar power from panels placed 10 metres underwater, according to a report by Euronews. The experiment suggests solar panels can work effectively below the sea surface, where water cools the equipment and space is abundant. If scalable, underwater solar could open new sites for renewable energy generation, though costs, maintenance and efficiency underwater remain open questions for the industry.

An agrivoltaics project in Minnesota is showing that farmland can host solar panels while crops continue to grow, according to an Associated Press report. The setup allows farmers to generate electricity and income from the same land they cultivate, and supporters see it as a model for expanding renewable energy without taking farmland out of production.

Hanwha Solutions shares jumped 12% after solar panel prices in the United States surged. The South Korean energy company, a major solar module supplier through its Q Cells business, is seen as a beneficiary of higher U.S. pricing. Investors bet the rally will boost margins and demand for its American-market products.

EWS reports winter wheat yields 14% higher at its Austrian agrivoltaic site, where solar panels are installed over farmland. The findings are being cited as evidence that renewables and agriculture can work together, with similar integration possible for trees in livestock, horticulture and arable systems through agroforestry, so farming and energy generation need not compete for land.

A small village in Ohio has installed 9,222 solar panels on top of its reservoir, a floating solar project that gives the community 13 times more solar capacity per resident than the Ohio average. The project is being highlighted as an innovative use of unused water surface, providing clean energy without taking up farmland or open land.

A solar farm in Texas is grazing sheep beneath its panels while generating millions of dollars in local tax revenue, according to Energies Media. The dual-use approach lets land serve both energy production and agriculture, a model known as solar grazing that is drawing attention as large renewable projects expand across the state and rural counties weigh the trade-offs.

Kubota has introduced an agrivoltaic system that lets farmers grow rice and harvest it with standard combines beneath elevated solar panels. The setup raises photovoltaic arrays high enough for machinery to work underneath, letting the same land produce both food and electricity. Coverage in energy media is highlighting it as a practical answer to land-use conflicts between agriculture and renewable energy expansion.

A free software tool can now calculate how many solar modules fit on a rooftop using just a photograph. The tool is aimed at helping homeowners and installers quickly assess a roof's solar potential without a site visit, by estimating available space and panel count from images.

Suntech presented its photovoltaic modules and energy storage solutions at Solar & Storage Live UK, one of Britain's main renewable energy trade events. The company's focus on combined solar-plus-storage offerings reflects growing demand in the UK market, where installers and developers are increasingly pairing panels with batteries as grid connection costs rise and households seek energy independence.

CPS Energy, the municipal utility serving San Antonio, has brought back its community solar program, which lets residents subscribe to solar power without installing panels on their own homes. The utility is explaining how enrollment works, with subscribers typically receiving credits on their bills for the energy produced. The relaunch gives customers another option to support renewable energy and potentially lower costs.