solar power

China has become the first country in the world to surpass 1,000 gigawatts of installed solar power capacity, a milestone underlining the scale of its renewable energy build-out. The announcement is being widely shared and discussed as evidence of China's dominance in solar deployment and its accelerating shift away from fossil fuels.

Germany has generated 90.2 terawatt hours of solar power so far this year, and with the year only at the end of September the figure already exceeds the full-year 2025 total of 90.0 terawatt hours. According to the Federal Association of the Solar Industry, an unusually high number of sunshine hours and continued capacity expansion drove the record production, underlining the rapid growth of the country's renewable energy sector.

Ukraine's spread-out renewable energy installations are proving resilient against Russian strikes on the country's power grid. Because solar and wind capacity is distributed across many sites rather than concentrated in large plants, attacks cause less disruption to electricity supplies, supporting the country's energy security during the war.

Solar and wind generation supplied a record 80% of power demand on Australia's national electricity grid, according to a report by The Guardian. The milestone marks a new high for renewable penetration on the network and highlights the pace of Australia's shift away from coal and gas. Commenters online are sharing the figure as evidence that renewables can cover the bulk of demand, with debate continuing over grid stability and backup capacity.

Japan is converting closed golf courses into large-scale solar farms as the country struggles to find land for renewable energy. With limited flat terrain and a push to expand clean power after Fukushima, disused golf facilities have become attractive sites for developers. The story, reported by Yale Environment 360 and picked up by Yahoo, has drawn attention as an example of creative land reuse in the energy transition.

Farmers are installing solar panels on farmland while continuing to use the same ground, grazing sheep beneath and between the arrays and in some cases growing crops alongside them. The approach, known as agrivoltaics, allows agriculture and power generation to share land, giving farmers extra income from electricity while keeping land in production. Coverage is highlighting which setups work best and why sheep in particular suit the panels.

Germany has generated 90.2 terawatt-hours of solar power by September, already exceeding its total solar output for all of 2025. The figure marks a record milestone for the country's renewable energy expansion. Observers point to it as evidence of the accelerating pace of Germany's solar build-out, though no details on the drivers of the increase were available.

Used electric vehicle batteries could be given a second life as large-scale storage, helping Europe hold on to the solar and wind power that is currently wasted when supply exceeds demand. Reporting describes the retired batteries as 'a gold mine' for the energy transition, since they can store cheap renewable electricity and release it when the grid needs it, easing curtailment and supporting Europe's shift away from fossil fuels.

California is using and storing greater amounts of solar energy, according to Environment America. The environmental group highlights the state's progress in both generating power from the sun and saving it for later use through storage, a key step in cutting reliance on fossil fuels. The finding points to continued growth of solar capacity and battery infrastructure across California's grid.

Researchers report a new perovskite solar cell reaching 30.1% efficiency, achieved by engineering smarter perovskite layer structures to reduce energy losses. The result marks another step toward making perovskite-based panels competitive with, or better than, conventional silicon technology, and is drawing attention in the renewable energy field.

A Minnesota project combining agriculture with solar panels is drawing attention for showing how the two can work together. Under the agrivoltaics approach, crops or grazing continue on land that also hosts solar arrays, letting farmers earn energy revenue without giving up production. Coverage from major outlets highlights it as a promising model as interest grows in siting renewable energy on farmland.

Japan is converting disused golf courses into large-scale solar power sites, as the country searches for open land to expand renewable energy. Many courses have closed as membership declines, leaving flat, sunny, already-cleared land that suits solar panels. Bloomberg reports the trend is emerging as a practical answer to Japan's land scarcity for clean energy projects.

Kenya has begun construction on a project to produce green fertiliser using solar power, according to a report by Renewables Now. The initiative combines renewable energy with agricultural input production, aimed at reducing dependence on imported synthetic fertiliser and cutting emissions from farming. Details on the project's size, location and backers were not provided.

Renewables covered a record 80% of electricity demand on Australia's main grid, according to a report picked up by international outlets. The milestone, driven by solar and wind output, highlights how far the country's clean energy transition has progressed and is drawing attention as an example of high-renewable grid operation.

Australia's most powerful battery has been completed and is now operating as a giant shock absorber for the electricity grid, according to Renew Economy. The project is designed to smooth out sudden fluctuations in supply and demand as the country relies more on variable wind and solar power. The news is being shared in renewable energy and climate circles, with commenters highlighting it as a milestone for Australia's clean energy transition and grid stability.

Chinese solar manufacturer Longi has set a new world record of 28.29% efficiency for a single-junction silicon solar cell, according to pv magazine USA. The figure marks a milestone for crystalline silicon photovoltaics, pushing closer to the technology's theoretical limits. Industry observers see such records as key to lowering solar power costs and strengthening Longi's position in the fiercely competitive global panel market.

Bulgaria is benefiting from its investment in solar power as drought reduces output from hydropower and strains electricity grids across the wider region. With water levels low affecting neighbouring countries' energy supplies, Bulgaria's growing solar capacity is helping keep power flowing, highlighting how renewable build-out can cushion countries against climate-related disruptions to traditional energy sources.

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.

A copper mine in Utah has installed more than 71,000 solar panels that use tellurium, a metal extracted from the same refinery sludge already processed for gold and silver. Around 90 percent of the world's tellurium is locked inside copper ore, making copper refining a key supply route. The panels now power the mining operation itself, closing the loop between extraction and clean energy production.

Indonesia has set out its priorities for turning its 100 GWp solar power ambition into concrete global investment opportunities. The announcement positions the country's large-scale solar expansion as a magnet for international capital, with the government framing clear priorities to make projects investable. Details of the specific measures remain limited, but the move signals Indonesia's intent to court foreign investors for its renewable energy build-out.

Power Electronics has announced plans to build the largest power conversion manufacturing campus in the United States. The facility would significantly expand domestic production of power conversion equipment used in solar and energy infrastructure projects. The announcement is drawing attention from clean energy and manufacturing observers watching how US supply chains scale up.

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.

Argentina has put its first solar train into service, running on batteries charged by solar power in the Andean region. The initiative is being shared as an example of renewable energy applied to public transport, with coverage from Euronews drawing attention to the use of Andean sunlight as the train's power source and the project's significance for sustainable transit in the country.

A large battery storage facility is being built in Waltrop, Germany, at a cost of around 500 million euros. It will use 800 containers of lithium batteries to store up to 1,800 megawatt hours of electricity and deliver up to 900 megawatts of power, allowing surplus wind and solar energy to be fed into the grid later.