pvbuzz

KEY POINTS Alberta’s renewable energy boom has stalled, with corporate clean-energy deals falling 99% from their 2023 peak. Developers still see demand, but policy uncertainty and a shrinking project pipeline are raising questions about when investment will return.

ALBERTA — New independent analysis conducted by the Pembina Institute confirms Saskatchewan’s plan to extend coal-fired power to 2050 is one of its most expensive electricity options, costing tens of billions more than modern and viable alternatives. The analysis estimates that extending and refurbishing Saskatchewan’s coal fleet could cost between $26 billion and $32 billion through 2050.

ONTARIO — NRStor, together with the Mississaugas of the Credit Business Corporation, Six Nations Group, Aecon Concessions, and Sitka Power Inc., announced the award by the Independent Electricity Systems Operator (IESO) of the Simcoe Battery Project, a 150-megawatt, 1,200-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system (BESS) to be developed in Norfolk County, Ontario.

KEY POINTS Environmental benefits of wind and solar depend on when and where generation displaces marginal fossil-fuel plants. Nighttime generation in coal-dependent regions can reduce emissions and air pollution, whereas midday output in renewable-rich areas may curtail other clean generation. Policies based on real-time local marginal emissions could better target high-impact projects.

KEY POINTS A dual-function, sun-tracking PV system (FLAPTrack) uses a patented linear actuator to both track solar position and fold modules into a protective stow position. Optimal two-axis tracking increases annual yield by ~40% versus fixed systems, with up to 56% on some days and >2× output at off-peak times, while folding mitigates wind, hail, and snow loads, improving winter performance and system reliability.

KEY POINTS Ensemble machine-learning methods improved day-ahead solar forecasts by up to 13% versus a BiLSTM baseline using 2019–2022 California utility data. Weighted averaging performed best for one region (up to 11%), while multi-input models performed best for another, indicating that forecast strategies require regional tuning.

KEY POINTS Prohibited door-to-door solar contracts will not be binding on consumers. Sellers cannot arrange financing as part of these direct-sales contracts. Homeowners may still invite solar businesses to their homes. Beginning August 1, 2026, British Columbia will of solar panel systems as part of broader changes to its consumer-protection laws.

KEY POINTS Perovskite–organic tandem solar cells were engineered to suppress deep trap states and reverse tunneling, yielding high reverse-bias stability. Organic subcells reached irreversible breakdown voltages below −35 V, while tandems retained >90% efficiency at −40 V and 97% after 2,000 h at −4.5 V. Power conversion efficiency exceeded 26%, indicating durable, shade-resistant thin-film photovoltaics. It is common for solar panels to be shaded by trees, clouds, birds or buildings.

VANCOUVER, B.C. — BC Hydro is moving forward with British Columbia’s first utility-scale battery energy storage project, launching a competitive procurement process for a 100 MW battery facility near Duncan on Vancouver Island as electricity demand continues to grow across the province.

KEY POINTS Rooftop solar adoption in multi-person households is strongly associated with the presence of a “champion” who is most favorable to solar, drives planning, and sustains discussion. Couples with coordinated, “in sync” roles plus a catalyst event (e.g., rising bills) are more likely to adopt. Broad household participation and even higher disagreement correlate with adoption, highlighting decision-making as a relational, not individual, process.