Related coverage on photovoltaic systems

The Hidden Components Powering the Renewable Energy Revolution

A rooftop solar system looks simple: panels, an inverter, a battery and a few cables. But beneath that simplicity lies a bill of materials thousands of lines long, where tiny current sensors, magnetic cores, gate drivers, capacitors and connectors quietly determine efficiency, safety and lifespan. These overlooked components—not the solar panels themselves—are why today's residential solar systems are smaller, smarter and far more reliable than those of a decade ago.

Desert art and solar energy in Oman

Highlighting this beautiful scene is the French-Swiss artist Saype who laid out a mural of hope in the sands of the Wahiba Desert at an Oman solar power plant.

Downgrade your expectations for solar energy investments in the UK

Within the report, Evans points to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) data that shows that given the UK’s climate, solar energy is within the worst 5% areas in the world to develop solar electricity, as only 10%-11% of the capacity of Solar Farms will ever be generated annually compared to double that in places such as Spain, Australia and parts of the US.

Who was Mária Telkes, the solar energy Sun Queen?

Mária Telkes pioneered solar energy by inventing a solar oven, a solar desalination kit and, in the late 1940s, she helped design one of the first solar-heated houses.