The smarter E

India is wasting solar energy, even when the sun shines the most. In Rajasthan, almost half of the solar power made during peak sunlight hours isn't being used. Since April, that's cost around $26 million. In Tamil Nadu, solar energy was 10% lower than expected last quarter. And new solar projects? They've dropped by 75% in just a few months. So it makes sense that investors are starting to worry. 😠Some people might look at this and say, "See? Solar isn't working. Maybe we need to slow down." But that's not really what's going on. The problem isn't with solar panels. It's with the systems that are supposed to support them. 🛑 Power lines are delayed for years. 🪫 Energy storage isn't being built fast enough. In June, India used less than 20% of their solar capacity; not because there wasn't sun, but because there was no way to use or store all that power. And it's not just India. In Europe, too, new clean energy projects are getting stuck in line, waiting for grid connections. Storage systems are taking forever to grow. 🤔 So what's the real lesson? We don't need to slow down clean energy. We need to build smarter, not just solar panels, but also the power lines, batteries, and systems that help us use the energy. If we don't fix that, we're not just wasting money. We're wasting sunlight. ☀️ REUTERS: India curbs solar power output to keep grid stable amid low demand, ministry says https://lnkd.in/e7wDHF4a

🏝️ #Siquijor is a small island, but the #blackout isn't. Every day, 100,000 people live without consistent power. Tourists leave early. Fish rot before they're sold. Farmers can't irrigate. It's not just inconvenient. It's survival grinding to a halt. 🤔 And the reason? One diesel monopoly. One point of failure. That's all it took. This isn't just some island's problem. It's a warning for all of us. Europe doesn't run on a single generator, sure, but it's more fragile than we like to admit. Remember 2022? A single pipeline cut, and prices went through the roof—or earlier this year, when the Iberian grid collapsed out of nowhere. No storm. No hack. Just pressure it couldn't handle. 🤕 The pattern's clear: centralization makes us weak. What's happening on Siquijor is quietly revolutionary. A solar farm's coming online. Rooftop panels. Battery storage. They're not waiting for someone to save them. They're making their own energy future, bit by bit. That shift matters more than it seems. Because people still like to say small systems can't scale, or that distributed power isn't reliable enough. But look at the island. Look at the blackout. Fragility scales, too. Fast. We're seeing the same thing play out across Europe. Every battery added to a home, every microgrid, every panel on a roof. It's not just about electricity. It's about control, stability, and independence. At The smarter E, we've seen this shift happening in real time. And if there's one thing we've learned, it's this: energy freedom isn't a luxury. It's the only real insurance we've got. Source ICSC Pushes Renewable Shift to Address Siquijor Power Crisis https://lnkd.in/gXJkBtbZ

⚡ Europe's battery boom is quietly reshaping the grid. Picture this: a breezy afternoon in Germany. The sun is out, turbines are spinning, and the grid is drowning in electricity. Prices don't just dip; they go negative. Hours later, demand spikes and that same power becomes a scarce, high-priced commodity. This is where massive batteries come in. Traders and utilities are now treating electrons like assets. They buy low, hold through the lull, and sell high when the grid needs juice. It's arbitrage, but with kilowatts instead of cocoa. 🔮 Strategic Outlook # Storage is shifting from a backup role to a core market actor # Arbitrage revenues are scaling faster than ancillary services # Negative pricing hours are turning volatility into opportunity # Large-scale projects are anchoring investment in renewables # By 2030, storage will define grid resilience as much as generation Energy storage isn't a futuristic add-on. It's becoming the backbone of a renewable grid - turning volatility into resilience and intermittent generation into 24/7 clean power. Batteries aren't backstage anymore. They're the stage. Read more: European Market Outlook for Battery Storage 2025–2029 https://lnkd.in/eRuJFU82 Source: Financial Post: The Next Big Energy Trade Is Mega-Batteries for Europe's Excess Power https://lnkd.in/eiCVkSzj

🌞Thinking about where solar is going next? You're right to be curious – solar power just had another record-breaking year. And it's not slowing down. From bold moves in India to steady leadership from China, the global shift is fundamental and full of opportunity. Understand the trends. Follow the momentum. 📘 The full Global Market Outlook for Solar Power 2025-2029 by SolarPower Europe is free to download. https://lnkd.in/eZz8zead

Europe says it's starving the Kremlin. The receipts tell another story. Six months into 2025, Europe has spent €4.5 billion more on Russian LNG; up 29% from last year. That's about €25 million a day. Let's be honest: every tanker pulling into port isn't "energy security." It's financing. And the story we keep telling ourselves? If we switch suppliers, from Moscow to Washington or from Qatar to another supplier, the problem is solved. It isn't. That's just fossil musical chairs. Different tap, same dependence. Because fossil energy is always a hostage game, someone else owns the switch. The good news? We don't have to play. ☀️ Europe's sun doesn't come with sanctions. 🌬 Our wind can't be blocked. 🔋 Storage and grids don't ship in tankers. Tankers keep us captive. Turbines set us free. 💡 Learn more Francesco Sassi @ University of Oslo: "The (Un)Intended consequences of power: The global implications of EU LNG strategy to reach independence from Russian gas" https://lnkd.in/eU6mfZMx

Day one at Intersolar Mexico opened with more than just a busy exhibition floor. The conversations, sessions and perspectives make it clear: the energy transition is a shared job among many. We’re glad to be part of that exchange, and curious to see what the top topics of this year's edition will be!

☀️🛫 When a #solar plane meets a jetliner. Last month, Swiss eco-explorer Raphaël DOMJAN flew the solar-electric plane SolarStratos to 9,521 m, setting a new world altitude record for solar aviation. At one point, he even crossed paths with a commercial airliner. It was a brief encounter, but a striking one; a glimpse of what might come: skies free from carbon. ⚡ More than a stunt This wasn't just about topping a 15-year-old record. It proved that solar power can support long flights in the thin air where fossil-fueled planes usually operate. Domjan's aim? To push past 10,000 m and eventually reach the stratosphere. 🧪 SolarStratos: a unique flying laboratory # 22 m² of high-efficiency solar cells # Dual electric motors with up to 70 kW power # Light carbon-fiber body lifts off at 50 km/h # Zvezda pressure suits for survival at altitude During early tests, one engineer remarked, "The plane is so quiet, we could hear the birds sing.” 🌍 Why it matters for the energy transition Domjan's record is part engineering feat, part spark for the imagination. A solar-powered aircraft climbing alongside jets resets expectations: aviation without fossil fuels, powered only by sunlight and a bit of grit. As Domjan puts it: "My goal is to show the young generation that tomorrow it will still be possible to fly without burning any fossil energy." 🚀 The signal for us The smarter E is about moments like these, when a bold idea works and hints at a bigger shift. SolarStratos shows that solar isn't just a source of power. It's a reason to dream bigger, and to start building the future that dream points to. The sky isn't the limit. It's the testing ground. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/drd9KgZ

From new partnerships to inspiring discussions, last week’s The smarter E South America 2025 showed the energy sector in full motion. The Brazilian energy market is one of the most dynamic in the region, with strong growth in solar, wind, and hybrid solutions – making it a key hub for innovation and investment. We loved seeing these testimonials reflecting on the impact of the event! 📅 Save the date for the next edition: August 25–27, 2026 in São Paulo!

🚧 The bottleneck in solar isn't technology. It isn't capital. It's the systems meant to deploy them. In our latest survey across six major European markets, EPCs, the companies that actually build clean energy, said the same thing: "The technical barriers are manageable. The structural ones are not." More than half report major delays caused by gridlock in approvals and connections, not by supply shortages. ⚡ Grid connections: delayed by years 📄 Permitting: unpredictable, opaque 💸 ROI: investors hesitate without clear timelines 👷 Skilled crews: already overbooked EPCs are fighting back. They are buying direct from manufacturers, cutting lead times, and streamlining installs. But none of that can break a stalled grid queue or a zoning office backlog. The reality: ✅ Policy is in place ✅ Capital is ready ✅ Demand is strong The race to 2030 will be won or lost in the permit office. 📥 Download the full EPC report for free https://lnkd.in/et6-xQCU

🪨 ⛏️ 🔥 #Coal had a good run. Now it's #over. Coal dominated global electricity for more than a hundred years. That era ends in 2026. The International Energy Agency (IEA) just confirmed that #renewables will become the world's largest source of power. ☀️ Solar and wind energy aren't keeping pace. They're taking over. In 2025 and 2026, solar and wind energy are expected to meet more than 90% of new electricity demand. That surge isn't happening because people are using less energy. Global electricity use is expected to increase by 3.3% in 2025 and 3.7% in 2026. That's more than double the pace of total energy demand. What's pushing this growth? Think heatwaves, electric vehicles, heat pumps, and AI data centers. All of them need more power. And renewables are stepping up. 🌍 Look closer. Each region tells a different story. #China leads the way. It accounts for half of the world's demand growth and continues to build record levels of Solar, wind, and nuclear power. #India continues to increase its coal use, but also relies heavily on renewables to meet rising demand. The #US sees significant growth from AI and data centers, with $320 billion in investments expected in 2025. Gas and coal still play an essential role, but renewables continue to gain momentum. #Europe recovers slowly, but countries like Spain show what's possible. In 2025, Spain hit a 56% renewable share. On peak days, solar covered more than 30% of daily demand. ⚡ The grid can't keep up with the transition. Supply isn't the issue. Infrastructure is. Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands experienced a significant drop in wholesale prices. That signals an urgent need for better storage and more intelligent load balancing. Blackouts in Chile and Iberia earlier this year highlighted the fragility of the situation. In Europe, the pain shows up in the bottom line. Industrial users pay nearly twice as much for electricity as competitors in the US. 📊 This isn't a prediction. The shift already started. The world is no longer debating the decline of coal. The numbers confirm it. Renewables now carry the load during the fastest electricity demand spike in modern history. 👑 The crown slipped. Coal won't get it back. By 2026, the post-coal era will be a reality. The energy transition didn't wait. It arrived. Source: IEA Electricity Mid-Year Update 2025 https://lnkd.in/eX_rGwuH