Solar News This Week - July 16, 2026
Renewables account for 96 percent of new U.S. grid capacity in Q1
Despite considerable headwinds from Federal policy that significantly favor fossil fuels, during the first quarter of 2026, solar and energy storage combined to account for 91 percent of all new electricity generation capacity added to the U.S. grid. This represents the highest collective quarterly share ever recorded by the two technologies.
Wind generation represented 5 percent of grid generation additions, with natural gas contributing the final 4 percent. No new coal or nuclear generation capacity has been added to the grid this year. Collectively, wind and solar represented 96 percent of all new generating - the highest percentage for renewables ever recorded.
In May 2026, monthly electricity generation from solar resources exceeded generation from coal for the first time in U.S. history. No new coal generation has been added to the US grid since 2013.
While solar accounted for a negligible fraction of the national energy mix a decade ago, it now supplies approximately 13 percent of all power consumed from the grid.
Texas' Grid Operator Prepares for More Demand Than Ever This Week
Texas' electric grid operator ERCOT expects to break power demand records during much of this month. But unlike some past summer hot weather spells, the system appears to have ample capacity to manage the peak load demand. The record-breaking electricity demand comes as triple-digit heat returns to Texas..
The spare capacity on the Texas grid is from large solar and battery storage systems that have been added in recent years, creating a significant buffer between normal operating conditions and energy emergencies.
When the previous all-time peak demand record of 85.5 gigawatts was set on Aug. 10, 2023, it significantly stressed the grid and Texas narrowly avoided widespread blackouts. But a lot has changed since then. Total Generation Capacity is now ~87.5 GW to over 113 GW depending on seasonal availability. Despite the historic load demand experienced last week, ERCOT did not have to issue any conservation appeals or experience significant blackouts.
Solar provided between 35 percent and 45 percent of all electricity on Monday and Tuesday of last week. It produced equal or slightly more energy than the gas-fired power plants which make up the largest share of ERCOT's total power generation capacity.
California batteries discharged nearly 13 GW in a single evening, covering 44 percent of demand
Another example of how renewables are coming to the rescue during recent summer heat waves, On the evening of July 9th, California's battery fleet discharged a record 13 gigawatts of power. That is more power than New York City consumes on a hot summer day. At peak, batteries covered 36 percent of energy demand across the CAISO region.
Evening hours are historically the hardest moment for the grid, but batteries that had been charged during the day when there was ample solar energy available, were able to meet peak demand by spreading the stored power into the evening hours.
California's utility-scale storage capacity has scaled dramatically from roughly 1.3 GW in 2020 to over 17 GW today, allowing the grid to absorb excess daytime solar and redeploy it after dark.
SolarEdge debuts new inverter/storage system
SolarEdge Technologies Inc. has announced that its newest residential solar and storage platform, the SolarEdge Nexis is now available for purchase within North America.
Previously launched in Germany, the Nexis system has reportedly received strong installer demand. Sporting LEGO-like stackable architecture, the single-phase system components make electrical connections simply by stacking batteries, control hardware and the inverter on top of each other, streamlining the installation process.
The inverter delivers up to 13 kW on-grid and 14.5 kW off-grid power, and the battery can scale from 5 kWh to 80 kWh. The system is also manufactured solely in the U.S., aiming to help contractors and their projects meet domestic requirements like foreign entity of concern restrictions. The Nexis also uses up to 40 percent less wall space in the average American home, according to company promotional material.
APsystems introduces plug-in microinverter for U.S. balcony and DIY markets
APsystems has launched a dual-module microinverter specifically designed for the do-it-yourself (DIY) and balcony solar market. The newly introduced EZ1-LV microinverter aims to streamline decentralized, small-scale solar deployments by offering a true plug-and-play grid connection without requiring complex electrical work.
Designed exclusively for applications such as balconies, gardens, garages, and carports, the micro inverter allows for a direct connection into a standard household wall outlet, drastically reducing installation time and lowering barriers to solar adoption for renters and homeowners alike.
The microinverter has a maximum continuous output power of 900 VA and connects with two PV modules simultaneously. To accommodate today's high-power, large-format solar panels, each input channel supports PV module power ratings ranging from 315 W to 660 W.
For off-site monitoring, the microinverter connects directly to the home's Wi-Fi, transmitting production data to cloud servers that can be monitored on your phone.
Longi sets new world record with 35.5 percent-efficient perovskite-silicon tandem cell
Solar panel manufacturer Longi has announced a power conversion efficiency of 35.5 percent for a two-terminal crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell, setting a new world record for the technology.
This surpasses its previous record for a similar panel of 33 percent, certified by NREL back in June 2025. Longi has also been developing larger-area tandem devices aimed at commercial markets.