Energy Digest

Base Power secures funding of $1 billion, launching a new battery called Eolian, as the reality of nuclear fusion approaches. Avantus doubles its credit facility, while Antares raises $470 million for microreactors and Sungrow commissions a critical solar-plus-storage project in Sierra Leone. Several energy companies are making significant investments and announcements in the renewable energy sector.

Serentica Renewables has commissioned a 1GWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Rajasthan, India to deliver round-the-clock renewable energy. The project aims to provide RTC renewable energy.

A solar eclipse on August 12 will temporarily reduce photovoltaic generation across Europe due to a decline in solar irradiance, with varying impacts depending on location and weather conditions. Transmission system operators in Germany and other countries are preparing for the reduced output, expecting a decrease of around 2 GW in German PV capacity, but not anticipating it to affect electricity supply. The European energy sector has established measures to mitigate any potential impact, with no expected threat to the security of electricity supply at the continental level.

France is expanding its renewable curtailment mechanism to apply to installations with a capacity as low as 1 MW, down from the previous threshold of 10 MW. The change aims to align renewable power generation with periods of electricity oversupply when market prices turn negative. The new rules will be implemented in two stages, starting on December 1, 2026, and will apply to most types of photovoltaic and wind installations benefiting from certain forms of public support.

The Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) awarded a 1 GW firm and dispatchable renewable energy tender with the lowest bid of INR 5.25 ($0.055)/kWh, attracting six developers to quote this tariff. The tender requires developers to set up renewable energy projects with energy storage systems and supply power under 25-year power purchase agreements. SECI will sell the procured power to buying entities across India on a round-the-clock basis with high availability.

Leading utilities are taking a proactive approach to build a more resilient distribution grid by prioritizing reliability and storm recovery, shifting from a reactive to an anticipatory strategy, and focusing on building resilience before the next storm hits.

Latin America's solar and wind energy generation mix is expected to grow, with renewables comprising around 80% of newly installed power generation capacity by 2025. Brazil remains the largest solar market in the region, while Chile leads in energy storage, and Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina drive renewable energy growth through government policies and utility-scale projects. Annual regional PV demand is forecast to reach 42-54 GW by 2030, driven by energy transition policies and growing electricity demand.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been found to protect silicon heterojunction solar cells from UV-induced degradation and increase cumulative power output by 4.8%. The ZnO film absorbs high-energy UV photons, forming a physical protective barrier on the cell surface that suppresses UV degradation. This approach achieves superior long-term reliability over traditional methods.

The South Korean government has selected 86 villages to participate in the Sunshine Income Villages initiative, with the first round of applications receiving 129 submissions, followed by a second call that drew an additional 34 applicants. The selected villages will receive grant permits and financial support covering up to 85% of solar installation costs, and are expected to become model projects for nationwide expansion.

Federal regulators have directed the six regional grid operators to justify or rewrite how they handle large electricity customers, but a faster interconnection queue still ends at a construction site due to infrastructure limitations. The wires problem remains unresolved, determining when the load is actually served. A nationwide rule was not issued by FERC as requested by the Department of Energy's Section 403 proposal.