Renewable Energy Research In Science

#TOPCon or #BC? First of all, these are two different approaches to improve solar cell #efficiency. TOPCon is a #technology to ‘passivate’ the cell surface and cell-metal contact. This passivation prevents 'carriers' generated by solar radiation from 'recombining,' allowing them to be captured by metal contacts (electrodes) to become electricity. BC, which stands for back contact, places both the positive and negative electrodes on the back side of a solar cell, eliminating shading on the front side. You can also combine TOPCon with BC to create a TBC. Will one technology replace another? That is a good question. In fact, BC has a long history. BC module efficiency reached 21% ten years ago, while P-type mono solar module efficiency was at 18%，leaving a 3% gap. After two revolutions, i.e., PERC and TOPCon, nowadays the top-notch TOPCon module can reach 23% efficiency, while BC modules are around 24%. The gap has shrunk. On the other hand, TOPCon can achieve 85% bifaciality, while BC is struggling to reach 65%. BC maximizes front-side efficiency by placing all metal contacts on the back surface, but this comes with a higher cost and more backside shading. No wonder its #bifaciality is low. This is a textbook case of cost and benefit. The best concept to facilitate this analysis is LCOE (levelized cost of electricity). So far, LCOE clearly favors TOPCon in most applications. Without a doubt, BC is a beautiful module and always has a niche market in high-end residential applications, where customers are willing to pay a premium for ‘absolute all-black’. Otherwise, you shall feel confident with Canadian Solar TOPCon solar modules. #solarcell #solarmodules Canadian Solar Inc.

India needs to add ~46 GW of renewable capacity every year through 2030 to hit its 500 GW target. It added 45 GW of solar in FY2026. So the math works, as long as you diversify from utility-scale parks that take 18–24 months from bid to synchronisation. The faster path runs through distributed energy: rooftop solar, Commerical and Industrial open access, agricultural pumps, behind-the-meter storage. India installed 8.7 GW of rooftop solar in FY2026 alone — a 69% year-on-year jump. Open access solar crossed 30 GW cumulative. A 500 kW rooftop system commissions in 60–90 days. A 5 MW C&I open access project in under six months. These aren't niche numbers anymore. But there's a bottleneck that doesn't get enough attention: working capital. Solar EPCs — especially SMEs — routinely win projects they can't fully fund through procurement. Traditional bank credit is slow, collateral-heavy, and sized for larger tickets. The result: equipment delays, missed milestones, compressed margins. This is exactly where Odyssey Energy Solutions has built something interesting. Their supply chain credit model — proven across Africa and Latin America — is now live in India. Credit without collateral, milestone-aligned repayment, embedded directly into the procurement workflow. An EPC can place a module order with 100% upfront payment to the supplier, secure better pricing, and repay as customer milestones arrive. One case: a leading Indian EPC with 700+ MW in its order book used Odyssey's platform to execute nearly 200 MW across four states — Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh — without straining working capital. India doesn't lack solar resource, manufacturing capacity, or demand. Module production jumped from 38 GW to 74 GW in a single fiscal year. The constraint is deployment velocity — and deployment velocity is a financing problem as much as a policy problem. Companies solving the financing layer for distributed energy in India are working on something structurally important. Worth watching. #India #SolarEnergy #DistributedEnergy #CleanEnergy #EnergyTransition #RenewableEnergy #ProjectFinance

Interesting new Fraunhofer IWES study shows significant cost saving potential of European wind offshore cooperation 📜 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 German waters, particularly in the North Sea, get increasingly crowded – with substantial wake effects leading to low wind generation and thus high Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE). In this context, the idea emerged to reduce the targets for wind offshore buildout in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and instead build more in the EEZs of neighbouring countries with more space and wind, but connect these with electricity subsea cables to Germany (“radial connection”). 💡𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 A new study by Fraunhofer-Institut für Windenergiesysteme, commissioned by BDEW Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft e.V. and BWO - Bundesverband Windenergie Offshore e.V., analysed the effects of such international cooperation on wind output and cost. Key insights: Moving up to 20 GW to Danish & Swedish seas (Scenario 2) leads to 👉 up to 13% higher wind yield 👉 up to 11% lower system cost (incl. grid connection cost) 👉 stronger security of supply 🔗Study available here: https://lnkd.in/eAXZzKfV Interestingly, the German government had already anchored this approach in their coalition agreement. Talks with neighbouring countries are starting. ⏭️ 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰-𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐛𝐲 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐫 BDEW & BWO asked us (Frontier Economics) to use the Fraunhofer results as input to analyse how to most cost-effectively connect these offshore wind parks, with a particular view on how much ‘overplanting’ is sensible. Watch the space.

Almost half of Americans (45%) now expect to see catastrophic climate impacts within their own lifetimes according to a new YouGov survey. That’s no longer a scientific forecast; it’s a mainstream reality check. What’s even more telling is that the "Climate Perception Gap" is closing in the places we’d least expect. The latest AEF survey shows that in states like Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Indiana, the push for solutions is decoupling from political identity. In fact, 83% of voters in these key states, including 75% of Trump supporters, now view solar as a strategic necessity for U.S. energy dominance. This represents a fundamental shift in the sustainability landscape: 🏠 Survivalism is the new Sustainability. People aren't just worried about melting ice caps; they are worried about their own homes and local economies. Climate change has become personal, local, and immediate. ⚡ The "Solution Consensus." Even among those who might disagree on the cause of climate change, there is an overwhelming consensus on the cure. Clean energy is now being framed as national security, economic competition with China, and a way to lower utility bills. 💸 Perception Drives Pressure. When 45% of the public expects a disaster, "business-as-usual" isn't just a slow strategy, it’s a fiduciary risk. Leaders who ignore this are effectively devaluing their own assets and ignoring a massive, cross-partisan mandate for resilience. The Bottom Line: The gap between what the public fears and what leadership delivers has never been wider. Whether you're driven by environmental concern or economic dominance, the destination is the same: a cleaner, more resilient energy grid. Link to the research in the comments ⬇️ #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #RiskManagement #EnergyTransition #ClimateAction #2026Trends #EnergyDominance

A question I often get asked is won't a renewables-dominated European energy system cost more for businesses and consumers?     The answer is no. In fact, the exact opposite is true.     Ørsted published new research this week at WindEurope in Madrid showing that a system running on predominantly wind and solar could cut Europe's total electricity costs by up to 30% by 2040. The savings from stepping away from fossil fuels dwarf the cost of integrating renewables into the grid.     And yet a survey we ran alongside the research found that many Europeans still believe the transition is expensive. Around a third think their country is already energy self-sufficient. Not a single EU member state or the UK is. Around half of Europeans think that offshore wind is more expensive than it actually is.     That gap between perception and reality is costing us. Literally. Europe is spending billions every week on imported fossil fuels it doesn't need to.     The economics are clear. Renewables are already cheaper than legacy power sources and that gap widens towards 2040. Offshore wind in particular has strong fundamentals: winds are stronger and more consistent at sea, and a single wind farm can power millions of homes. The North Seas Investment Pact signed in Hamburg this January adds further momentum — up to 15 GW of new capacity per year from 2031.     More wind and solar means lower bills for households and businesses. It means less dependence on imports. And it means a more stable, resilient energy system for Europe.     The facts point in one direction. The question is how fast we move.     Full research here: https://lnkd.in/eVWaRnDq  

𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞'𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 Climate action in Europe faces key tests in 2026, as the Financial Times rightly argues ( 👉 https://lnkd.in/ecjnARNP). The EU's carbon border tax just kicked in. Large-scale solar and wind projects are being commissioned. New disclosure rules force companies to come clean about emissions. And yet, the political narrative remains dominated by fear. Fear of voter backlash. Fear that ambitious climate policy is electoral suicide. That fear is based on a systematic misperception of what citizens actually want. Research published this week ( 👉 https://lnkd.in/eYth6q26 ) shows UK MPs think only 16% of their constituents support local renewable energy projects. The actual figure? 73%. That is not a small error. That is politicians living in a parallel universe. This aligns with a little older academic research on Belgian politicians ( 👉 https://lnkd.in/eb9pADUV), who consistently overestimate how right-wing their voters are by an average of 13 percentage points. On banning polluting cars from cities, they underestimated public support by 12 points. On every left-wing policy proposal tested, politicians assumed less support than actually existed. The pattern holds across all parties. Left, center, right: all suffer from the same bias. Why does this matter? Because perception shapes action. Politicians who believe voters oppose climate measures will water them down or abandon them. We are trapped in what researchers call a "spiral of silence": 𝟖𝟗% of people worldwide want stronger climate action, but most do not know they are part of a majority ( 👉 https://lnkd.in/ewaiRjRY). With the US retreating, European leadership becomes more critical. Not only for a sustainable future, but also for strategic autonomy. The technology exists. Public support is there. What is missing is political courage, based on a misreading of what citizens want. 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐲.

Solar🤜🤛Jobs The latest #solar #workforce #data may excite (and surprise) you. Let’s dig in⤵️ This week, Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) released its latest Solar Jobs Census for 2023 and I wanted to share a few bits of good news and a few areas for improvement. 1) 280,000 American workers are now employed in the U.S. #solar industry, the most ever. We created 15,564 jobs last year, growing by about 6%. That’s great, but we can do even better. 2) The states with the largest solar job gains were Florida, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada. These states all have fast-growing solar markets and will all be electorally significant in November. That said, 47 out of 50 states saw solar job growth last year! So, it’s vital that our industry communicates the jobs boom occurring across the country and its impact on local communities. 3) The solar industry employs a MUCH higher proportion of Gen Z workers (31%) than the overall workforce (22%). That means we’re attracting young talent who want to work in a fast-growing, mission-driven industry. We must continue to cultivate this portion of our workforce with training and mentorship programs that set ourselves up for long-term success. 4) Rates of union membership jumped last year in the solar industry. We went from ~10% union workers to over 13%. That’s higher than the overall U.S. workforce and nearly double the private sector workforce. The IRA’s prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements have played a key role in this shift and it’s encouraging to see good policy result in good jobs. Now, the areas for improvement: 1) While solar industry has higher proportions of veteran, Asian, and Hispanic or Latino workers than the national labor force, the solar workforce still trails behind when it comes to women, Black workers, and workers with disabilities. Building a diverse and equitable workforce has been a top priority for SEIA and, while progress is happening, it’s clear that we still have work to do. 2) Hiring remains a challenge. 86% of employers surveyed said it was either very or somewhat difficult to find qualified solar workers. This isn’t just a challenge for our industry, but it speaks directly to the challenge of connecting skilled labor with eager businesses. Do you recognize the tension between these two areas for improvement? We need to double down DEIJ strategies. We need to strengthen local partnerships. We need to expand education and training programs, especially for underrepresented groups, and we need to get creative with how we recruit, hire, train, and promote. So, what do you think? How are you going to maintain this progress? How are you going to expand opportunities in our industry and welcome the equitable, diverse workforce that will power the #SolarCentury? Dive deeper into the Solar Jobs Census results on IREC’s website: https://lnkd.in/ePTSJg-g

The growing integration of renewable energy into microgrids has raised concerns about islanding, an unplanned state where distributed generation (DG) continues to power a local grid despite losing connection to the main utility. This poses significant safety risks to personnel and operational hazards to the grid, as unsynchronized reconnection can cause substantial equipment damage due to large inrush currents. Therefore, developing highly accurate, fast, and cost-effective IDS (Islanding Detection Systems) for microgrids is crucial. The IDS is critical for solar PV installations as to: • Ensure safety by preventing energized islands during maintenance. • Protect equipment from damage due to unsynchronized operation. • Maintain grid stability and comply with engineering standards as IEEE-1547, which mandate rapid disconnection (e.g., within 2 seconds) if an island forms. IDS methods are categorized as local, remote, and signal processing. The local method is further classified as passive and active. Local active methods (e.g., AFD) offer fast and accurate detection but can degrade power quality, while local passive methods (e.g., O/U F&V) avoid this but have a large Non-Detection Zone (NDZ). Remote methods (e.g., PLC) provide fast detection and a small NDZ, but are expensive and complex. Signal processing methods, such as Fourier-/Wavelet-Transform (FT/WT), and Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD), aim to reduce the NDZ, but can suffer from aliasing. Their effectiveness in supervised learning prediction accuracy may degrade. To address the drawbacks of active and passive methods, a hybrid Intelligent IDS called 'AVMD-TEO-MPE-1D-CNN' is proposed by the authors of [1]. It's based on a parameter-optimized multiscale variational mode decomposition (VMD) and a deep learning hybrid approach. First, the proposed Adaptive-VMD (AVMD) strategy improves the selection of the optimal mode number and penalty term in VMD by leveraging the relative MPE (multi-scale permutation entropy) between the original signal and the IMFs (intrinsic mode functions). Subsequently, the TEO (Teager Energy Operator) is used to further extract sequential features to track the instantaneous energy of the IMFs. Finally, the AVMD-TEO-MPE-based features in the intelligent IDS are used to train a 1D-CNN (one-dimensional convolutional neural network) as a deep learning binary classifier to distinguish between islanding and non-islanding states. The proposed 'AVMD-TEO-MPE-1D-CNN' method demonstrates 100% accuracy in simulation results for distinguishing islanding from non-islanding events across various conditions, with a maximum detection time of 46.402 ms. It also exhibits noise resistance and outperforms existing methods in comparative analyses. The link to paper [1] is shared in the comments. They developed their simulation using #Matlab, #Simulink, and #Simscape. However, one can use VMD, MPE, and 1D-CNN, available in Python, from various GitHub repository APIs.

Blindness from advanced macular degeneration may no longer be irreversible, as a recent clinical study reports that a subretinal photovoltaic implant was able to restore functional vision in patients with geographic atrophy, a late-stage form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In this condition, photoreceptors are destroyed and visual signals can no longer reach the brain, but the new approach works as a bioelectronic bypass: a miniature solar-powered implant is placed beneath the retina, while patients wear glasses with a camera that projects infrared images onto the implant, which then converts light into electrical signals that stimulate surviving retinal neurons and re-establish visual input to the brain. In early trials, patients who were previously legally blind were able to detect shapes, identify letters, and recognize objects, indicating that while this is not full vision restoration, it is clinically meaningful vision. More importantly, this study demonstrates a broader therapeutic principle: lost sensory input can be partially restored by directly interfacing electronic devices with living neural tissue, representing a shift from treating degeneration to engineering neuroprosthetic recovery. For millions affected by AMD, this is more than a technological advance — it defines a new therapeutic frontier. #Neuroscience #Neurotechnology #MedicalInnovation #Biotechnology #FutureOfMedicine

The European Commission has just published its 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, capturing citizens’ views and concerns across the member states. The vast majority of Europeans view climate change as a serious global threat, with 85% considering it a major problem and 81% supporting the EU’s climate neutrality goal by 2050. Many see climate action as economically and socially beneficial, with 77% of the opinion that the cost of inaction outweighs the cost of transition. Citizens support increased investment in renewables (88%) and improved energy efficiency. Personal concern is rising, with 38% feeling exposed to climate risks, especially in Southern Europe, Poland, and Hungary. Most expect action from governments, the EU, and industry, though information gaps persist and many struggle to find clear and reliable media coverage on climate issues. The data from Ireland shows even stronger support and concern than the EU average across most climate-related topics, especially in perceived responsibility and belief in the benefits of climate action. However, similar to the EU, there's a need for better communication and reliable information on climate change. While these topline trends are encouraging, the real challenge lies in translating this momentum into meaningful improvements in people’s daily lives. Progress must go beyond high-level indicators or awareness levels towards delivering tangible, equitable outcomes especially for those most at risk. A just transition requires confronting existing inequalities, managing social and economic risks, enabling climate action at scale and proactively supporting opportunities to build more inclusive, sustainable livelihoods. https://lnkd.in/erZhBTay