Solar energy news and discussion

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Government approves UK’s largest power-producing solar farm

800 MW Springwell Solar farm given approval – the largest solar project in the UK in terms of power generation.

8 April 2026

Families and businesses will benefit from more solar power, one of the cheapest forms of power available, as the government today (Wednesday 8 April) approves a major new solar power project.

The Springwell Solar Farm is set to be the largest power-producing solar farm in the UK – according to the developer it could power over 180,000 homes a year, the equivalent of half the homes in Lincolnshire.

The decision marks the 25th nationally significant clean energy project approved by the government since July 2024 – enough clean energy to power the equivalent of more than 12.5 million homes.

Global instability – from Ukraine to the war in Iran – has exposed the cost of relying on fossil fuel markets Britain does not control. Solar is one of the cheapest forms of power available for the country, and central to the government’s clean power mission to bring stability and lower bills, in an uncertain world.

Today’s approval builds on decisive action the government has taken to learn the lessons from the conflict in the Middle East. This includes bringing plug-in solar to the UK, fitting solar on new homes as standard and fast-tracking the next renewables auction to July this year.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/gove ... solar-farm

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"Spin-flip" system pushes solar cell energy conversion efficiency past 100%
By Etiido Uko
April 13, 2026

Energy can never be created or destroyed. That's basic Physics 101. You simply cannot create energy out of thin air. Yet researchers at Kyushu University in Japan say they have developed a technology that pushes the energy conversion efficiency of solar cells to 130%!

At first glance, the results of the research, conducted with collaborators at Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany, sound fanciful at best. However, the reality is far more nuanced. Using a molybdenum-based “spin-flip” metal complex paired with a singlet fission material, the scientists managed to generate more usable energy carriers than incoming photons.

https://newatlas.com/energy/spin-flip-s ... fficiency/

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Geronimo Power plugs in 270-MW solar farm in Texas

Apr 21, 2026, 4:17:51 PM

US renewables company Geronimo Power said on Tuesday it had started commercial operations at its 270-MW Blevins Solar plant in Falls County, Texas.

The facility, located in the ERCOT market, is fully contracted under long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Japanese conglomerate Fujifilm Holdings Corp (TYO:4901) and US pharma group Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (NYSE:BMY).

Geronimo said the project is expected to generate about USD 33.8 million (EUR 28.7m) in direct economic impact over its first 20 years, including USD 32.5 million in tax revenues for local authorities. Construction supported around 400 jobs, with a small number of permanent roles during operations.

The plant is projected to produce enough electricity to power roughly 88,900 homes annually and offset more than 9 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over 20 years.

https://renewablesnow.com/news/geronimo ... s-1293437/

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The State of Solar in the U.S. - Despite Partisan Rhetoric, the Industry Is Still Booming
By Rebecca Egan McCarthy & Kate Yoder
April 20, 2026

Introduction:

(Grist) The future looked dire for renewable energy in the United States last spring. Republicans in Congress started gutting the Inflation Reduction Act, forcing its generous tax credits for wind and solar into an early retirement. The Interior Department then rolled out a series of byzantine regulations aimed at restricting clean energy on federal land. Some feared those regulations would curb wind and solar development on private land, too.

Although these restrictions do seem to have hindered the wind industry, there are some signs that its fortunes are changing. But a year later, solar continues to boom. MAGA influencers are promoting it, there’s hope for legislation that would speed up approvals for new projects, and the industry has continued to expand over the last year as energy requirements from data centers demand fast, cheap power. The Trump administration has even signed off on some big solar projects: In February, the administration announced that it would allow several solar projects that had been blocked by the new Interior regulations to move forward.

“I feel like there has been so much written that’s like, ‘The Trump administration is delaying this stuff. It’s holding it all up in red tape. Nothing’s getting built,’” said Hannah Hess, director of the Rhodium Group’s Clean Investment Monitor team. “When we look at the data, that’s not true.” Combined, solar and battery storage (which banks excess energy for use when the sun’s not shining) accounted for 79 percent of power generation brought online in 2025 and are expected to continue to grow by 49 percent before the Inflation Reduction Act tax credits expire at the end of 2027.

The article also states the obvious:

The war in Iran, which has caused oil prices to skyrocket, may serve to boost interest in solar power even more — especially as a way to combat rising electricity costs and promote energy independence.

Read more here: https://grist.org/energy/solar-power-i ... centers/

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Unfounded Health Concerns Are Powering a Solar Backlash
By Anna Clark
April 24, 2026

Introduction:

(ProPublica) Kevin Heath had hoped there would be solar panels by now on his family farm in southeastern Michigan, roughly 50 miles outside Detroit.

About six years ago, he agreed to lease part of his land for a solar project. It would help him pay off debt and keep the farm in the family, he said. But the opportunity was thwarted when, in 2023, following pushback from some local residents, his township passed an ordinance that banned large solar projects from land zoned for agriculture.

In the fight over solar development, Heath said he was bombarded by just about every argument from critics — including claims that solar fields are a health hazard. “I’ve heard them say that, but I’ve never heard anybody prove that,” Heath said.

“The health and safety issue,” he added, “that is just a joke.”

Michigan has big prospects in solar farming — measured by the expected growth in the capacity of its farms to add electricity directly to the grid. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, most of the nation’s new capacity from this type of solar farm is planned this year for four states, including Michigan. The others, with their hot deserts and big-sky plains, seem more obvious: Texas, Arizona and California.

Read more here: https://www.propublica.org/article/mic ... ir-county

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