All articles tagged with #solar
Garmin unveils the Fenix 9 family in five configurations (standard, Pro titanium, Pro Solar, and inReach variants) with 64GB storage, brighter AMOLED or transflective MIP displays, and optional LTE/satellite connectivity, plus new software features like Epic for bundling multi-day trips and expanded mapping enhancements.
A Czech retailer leak suggests Garmin Fenix 9 will come in 18 configurations across 43, 47, and 51 mm, with separate AMOLED and Solar options and widespread inReach connectivity. The 43 mm line appears AMOLED-only with inReach, while 47/51 mm models pair AMOLED and AMOLED‑inReach as well as Solar variants. Pricing hints show modest increases vs Fenix 8, especially for Solar inReach models. No MicroLED yet. Garmin’s Play Harder event on Aug 25 is anticipated and the listings were briefly pulled (now returning 404) but remain visible in search results.
Davis County Schools are using their Mustang Mobile Microgrid—a solar-powered, eight-hour mobile generator—to run a mobile hospital trailer that will vaccinate up to 280 people against measles, aiding southern Iowa’s outbreak response; funded largely by an Iowa Rural Development grant via the Iowa Energy Office, the system is designed for emergency use and can serve other districts in need.
Oregon approved the Diamond Solar Project: 406,000 panels on 1,560 forest acres split into two blocks with a 600-foot vegetated wildlife corridor (about 700 feet including 50-foot fire breaks) to keep deer and elk connected to water. The width is a negotiated, untested design and no field study has begun yet since construction hasn’t started. The project, built by Invenergy on land owned by the Shanda Group, includes a 1,900-acre offset parcel and benefits from a new fast-track permitting pathway that could set a template for future solar farms; the online date is projected around 2029 after about two years of construction.
A renewables-backed Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC spent about $2 million to help Charlie Hatcher defeat Rep. Andy Ogles in Tennessee, using ads that highlighted voting records rather than energy issues. The move signals the solar industry’s growing willingness to wage targeted political battles to punish lawmakers who oppose renewables and to build a broader, more aggressive influence operation for future races.
U.S. solar stocks rose after President Trump announced a 15% tariff on products made from polysilicon and set minimum import prices under Section 232 to shield domestic solar supply chains. First Solar jumped about 6%, SolarEdge rose roughly 1%, and the Invesco Solar ETF gained more than 2%, amid ongoing U.S.-China tensions in chips, energy and AI.
Trump announced tariffs on polysilicon and related products to curb China’s choke points in the solar panel and semiconductor supply chains, aiming to boost domestic production and set a price floor against dumping.
Scientists released the Sun’s most detailed surface image yet, captured by the National Solar Observatory and provided by the NSF. The ultra-high-resolution image highlights fine solar features and showcases advances in solar imaging, offering researchers a closer look at the Sun’s dynamic surface.
Switzerland’s Muttsee dam hosts 4,872 solar modules on its south face, delivering a surprisingly strong winter share of annual output (43% of energy in the cold half) thanks to altitude and a steep tilt, but a five‑foot gap to the concrete is left so inspectors can map cracks—limiting the rear-face (bifacial) gain to about 1.5%. The project, funded by Axpo/IWB under the Solar Express regime, shows that site conditions and the regulatory framework largely determine alpine solar viability, with many such projects stalled or canceled despite measured performance that exceeds a valley reference plant.
The U.S. FCC approved the Earendil-1 satellite by Reflect Orbital to test a thin-film reflector that can direct sunlight to targeted spots on Earth, potentially extending solar-energy collection and providing on-demand illumination. Reflect Orbital envisions a future daylight-on-demand network, but critics warn about glare risks to pilots and drivers and impacts on astronomy. The approval covers only Earendil-1; the company plans a rapid fleet expansion, while stressing they will ensure precise control and coordination with affected communities and scientific groups.
Solar generated a record 52 TWh in June 2026, supplying 25% of EU electricity and becoming the bloc’s largest power source for the month, driven by heat and long sunny days; this follows years of rapid growth and 18 EU countries setting monthly solar records in 2026, with notable shares in Spain (34%), Germany (36%), and Poland (24%).
Trump’s aggressive push to boost fossil fuels and curb offshore wind faces legal and political pushback, even as solar power posts record gains in May 2026 and rooftop/plug-in solar expands, with California and New York pursuing actions to accelerate clean energy despite ongoing policy headwinds.
U.S. solar power generation has, for the first time, surpassed coal as the dominant source of electricity, signaling a historic shift in the nation’s energy mix driven by cheaper solar and retirements of coal plants, with potential implications for emissions, pricing, and grid planning.
U.S. EIA data show CAISO utility-scale solar generated more electricity than natural gas on 82% of days from January to May 2026, with solar output up 21% vs 2024 and gas down 60%. Solar capacity reached about 25 GW and battery storage 16 GW, while natural gas capacity stayed around 29 GW. Despite a 7% rise in electricity demand, total CAISO net generation fell 19% as imports from hydropower and the new SunZia wind project in New Mexico offset domestic generation, and several capacity retirements occurred, including a 300 MW battery facility after a 2025 fire.
U.S. solar generation surpassed coal in May for the first time (solar 12.8% vs coal 12.2%), with solar becoming the third-largest electricity source behind natural gas and nuclear. Despite Trump’s push to bolster coal, solar and other renewables are driving growth and are the leading source of new power—solar plus battery storage comprised about 91% of new capacity in Q1—signaling a continued shift toward clean energy as analysts expect solar to overtake coal on an annual basis in coming years.