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Younity
@younityuk.bsky.social
On a mission to supercharge UK community energy ⚡

Connect volunteers | Provide funding | Buy clean energy 🤝

Please email [email protected] for any enquiries 💚
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🚗☀️ Solar panels are moving beyond rooftops.

Chinese automotive glass manufacturer Fuyao Glass says it now has mass-production capabilities for vehicle-integrated solar roofs, with PV cells built directly into laminated car glass.
Chinese automotive glass giant announces vehicle-integrated solar roof - pv magazine Global
Fuyao Glass has confirmed mass-production capabilities for solar sunroof glass, with photovoltaic cells embedded in laminated automotive glass to power auxiliary vehicle loads. While reports have link...
www.pv-magazine.com
☀️🇬🇧 UK rooftop solar is on track for a record year.

More than 207,000 solar installations have been recorded so far in 2026, already surpassing the previous annual record.

If the current pace continues, Solar Energy UK estimates the UK could reach 300,000 installations this year. ⚡🌱
Iran war spurs 'record' year for UK rooftop solar
2026 in set to be a record-breaking year for UK rooftop solar installations, according to MCS and Solar Energy UK.
www.solarpowerportal.co.uk
September 17, 2026 at 8:43 AM
☀️🏭 A Swansea manufacturer is investing £250K in rooftop solar.

Afon Engineering is installing 699 panels with a 329kW capacity, expected to cut its carbon emissions by around 60 tonnes a year.

The project is also forecast to pay for itself within just four years. 🤯
Swansea manufacturer invests £250,000 in major solar energy project
Afon Engineering is investing in a 329kW 699-panel rooftop solar energy system at its Swansea manufacturing facility, helping the business reduce carbon emissions, lower energy costs and strengthen lo...
wales247.co.uk
September 17, 2026 at 8:32 AM
☀️🍺 An Edinburgh brewery is putting 400 solar panels to work.

Vault City Brewing expects the installation to generate 175,400kWh a year, saving almost £33,000 annually on its energy bills.

Over 25 years, that could add up to £820,000+ in savings, while cutting the brewery’s emissions too. 🌱⚡
Edinburgh brewery installs 400 solar panels in push for energy independence
Edinburgh brewery Vault City Brewing has installed 400 solar panels to cut energy costs.
www.heraldscotland.com
September 17, 2026 at 8:30 AM
☀️🔋 A new 128MW battery is helping shift solar power to when it’s needed most.

The Robins Battery Facility can store electricity from a nearby solar farm for up to four hours, releasing it when demand rises.

A great example of how storage can help make renewable energy more flexible and useful. ⚡🌱
128MW battery stores solar power for four hours during peak demand
Georgia Power has put a 128MW battery facility into commercial operation, adding four hours of storage to Georgia's grid.
interestingengineering.com
September 17, 2026 at 8:30 AM
☀️🇺🇦 For Ukraine, solar power is becoming a tool for resilience.

Attacks on the country’s grid have caused widespread outages.

Solar is helping provide a more reliable source of electricity, supporting communities and businesses when the wider grid is under pressure. ⚡🌱
As Russia attacks Ukraine’s grid, solar offers a path to resilience
This story was produced by Grist and co-published with the Kyiv Independent. On a spring day earlier this year, 10 men stood on the rooftop of a door manufacturing facility in the central Ukrainian t...
kyivindependent.com
September 17, 2026 at 8:25 AM
⚡🏫 £1.4m is heading to schools and community groups across Greater Manchester to develop their own clean energy projects.

The funding will help 20 local organisations build and control renewable energy, aiming to cut bills and keep more of the benefits of clean power within communities. 🌱🏘
Andy Burnham names 20 schools and groups in Greater Manchester given £1.4m boost
The government funding is to build their own clean power projects
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
September 17, 2026 at 8:14 AM
⚡🇬🇧 The UK’s clean energy transition could require more than £500bn of investment.

A new report estimates at least £511bn will be needed between now and 2040, with around £137bn expected to come through project finance debt.
Over £500bn needed for UK clean energy transition - Utility Week
At least £511 billion of investment will be needed to fund the UK’s clean energy transition between now and 2040, according to a new report. The report published by Santander and Standard Life, with a...
utilityweek.co.uk
September 17, 2026 at 8:13 AM
🌊⚡ Europe’s ocean energy sector is set to reach almost 200MW by 2030.

A report expects 16 tidal and wave energy farms totalling 196MW to be deployed across Europe, with public funding and revenue support helping projects get off the ground.
Europe seen to deploy close to 200 MW of ocean energy farms by 2030
Europe is expected to deploy 16 ocean energy farms totalling 196 MW by 2030 thanks to public grants and national revenue-support schemes, according to a new report by Ocean Energy Europe (OCE).
renewablesnow.com
September 17, 2026 at 8:12 AM
⚡🏘️ A big moment for community energy.

Great British Energy has launched £30m of funding for community energy and local authority projects, the first wave of its wider £1bn Local Power Plan.

More communities will be able to own and benefit from clean energy. 🌱
‘People’s Power’ projects to give more control over local energy
Communities across the country will be able to build and control their own clean energy supply.
www.gov.uk
September 17, 2026 at 7:52 AM
💰🌍 20 private equity firms have energy portfolios producing more emissions than most countries.

A new report estimates their energy holdings produce 1.5bn tonnes of greenhouse gases a year, while the firms collectively manage $7.3tn in assets.
World’s top 20 private equity firms produce more greenhouse gases a year than most countries, report finds
Firms manage $7.3tn in assets and could afford to transition away from fossil fuels yet invest in natural gas and coal-fired plants to power datacenters
www.theguardian.com
September 16, 2026 at 8:32 AM
✈️🇬🇧 Aviation could become an increasingly difficult part of the UK’s net zero challenge.

The CCC says aviation emissions are already a concern, with emissions in 2025 reaching 37.9 MtCO₂e despite improvements in aircraft efficiency.
CCC: Heathrow expansion could push flights to ‘80% of UK emissions by 2050’ - Carbon Brief
Aviation is on track to be responsible for 80% of the UK’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2050, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC).
www.carbonbrief.org
September 16, 2026 at 8:31 AM
🤝🏫 School & community energy collaboration

One primary school is crowdfunding for solar panels, which could save £175,000+ over 25 years.

Schools partnering with community energy groups is a tried and tested model, helping schools cut energy bills while creating wider community benefits. 🌱⚡
Village school launches £15,000 campaign for solar panels to cut energy costs
A primary school is hoping to raise £15,000 to install solar panels and cut energy costs.
www.bracknellnews.co.uk
September 16, 2026 at 8:29 AM
⚡🇬🇧 Britain is embarking on a £150bn overhaul of its electricity grid.

More than 4,000 miles of new power lines are planned to connect growing amounts of wind and solar power to where it’s needed.

The upgrade could help strengthen energy security and make better use of homegrown renewables 🏡🌱
Mapped: the £150bn megaproject that aims to protect Britain from energy shocks
Thousands of miles of new power lines are needed to deliver climate targets and energy security, but bills will rise in the short term and opponents are mobilising
www.theguardian.com
September 16, 2026 at 8:20 AM
💻⚡ Could Scotland’s AI data centre boom push up electricity prices?

MSPs have been warned that the growing data centre demand increases pressure on the electricity system.

As data centre demand rises, balancing new electricity demand with clean generation is important. 🌱
Building more data centres could push up electricity prices, expert warns
Scotland has been identified as a key location for building hyperscale AI data centres because of the high potential for renewable energy.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 16, 2026 at 8:19 AM
☀️🏥 A UK hospital is putting its rooftops to work.

James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston is installing solar panels across some of its buildings to generate green electricity for the hospital.

Another example of solar helping public services cut their reliance on grid power. 🌱⚡
Hospital installing new solar panels on buildings to generate green energy
The James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston is placing new panels on some of its buildings to boost its sustainability efforts.
www.edp24.co.uk
September 16, 2026 at 8:16 AM
☀️🍑 Solar panels could help protect fruit trees from frost.

A French trial found that tilting solar panels flat over nectarine trees on frosty nights warmed flower buds by up to 1.7°C.

During a damaging frost, crop injury fell from 35% to 10%, showing how they could help farmers protect crops 🌱⚡
A French trial found that tilting solar panels flat over nectarine trees on nights when frost is forecast warmed the flower buds by up to 1.7 degrees Celsius, and during the frost that caused damage, ...
As climate change brings unpredictable frosts, French farmers are discovering an unexpected ally: solar panels that double as frost shields, protecting delicate fruit blossoms while generating power.
scienceblog.com
September 16, 2026 at 8:15 AM
☀️🔋 Australia’s largest community co-owned solar and battery project is now complete.

The Yiray Clean Energy Park in New South Wales combines 6.8MW of solar with a 10.5MWh battery, funded in part by 128 community co-owners who invested $1.36 million.
Community-owned 6.8 MW solar and 10.5 MWh battery mark project completion - pv magazine Australia
Australia’s largest community co-owned solar and co-located battery project by community investment capital has been completed in the NSW central west.
www.pv-magazine-australia.com
September 16, 2026 at 8:11 AM
☀️🇪🇸 Spain added 10.1GW of solar in 2025.

Solar now provides almost 23% of Spain’s electricity, making it the country’s largest power generation technology.

But falling solar prices are putting pressure on new projects, highlighting the growing need for storage and electrification ⚡
Spain added 10.1 GW of solar in 2025 - pv magazine Global
Spain installed 10.1 GW of new solar capacity in 2025, including 8.97 GW of ground-mounted PV and 1.14 GW of self-consumption systems, according to Spanish PV association UNEF. The trade body says fal...
www.pv-magazine.com
September 16, 2026 at 8:10 AM
Imagine this:

Your community energy project powers local homes 🏡
Those homes help fund your project 💰
Everyone benefits from the same clean electricity ⚡

That’s Community Power Club.
September 15, 2026 at 8:46 AM
☀️🇱🇹 Lithuania is making it easier for apartment residents to generate their own solar power.

The government plans to remove barriers to solar panels on apartment balconies, while also supporting energy communities, solar projects and battery storage.
September 15, 2026 at 8:30 AM
☀️🔬 Solar efficiency records keep being broken.

Researchers at Nanjing University have developed a perovskite organic tandem solar cell that reached a record 27.35% efficiency.

The cell also retained 80% of its performance after 744 hours of continuous illumination. ⚡
Chinese scientists achieve record-breaking 27.35% efficiency for perovskite-organic tandem solar cell - pv magazine Global
Nanjing University researchers developed a perovskite-organic tandem solar cell using a novel low-bandgap acceptor to boost near-infrared light harvesting and improve photocurrent matching. The device...
www.pv-magazine.com
September 15, 2026 at 8:29 AM
☀️🏢 UK commercial rooftops could generate as much electricity as 20 nuclear power stations.

Analysis highlights the huge amount of untapped solar potential sitting on commercial buildings across the country.

Using existing rooftops more effectively also wouldn't impact any agricultural land. 🌱⚡
New data shows untapped commercial real estate solar capacity
A significant new report, commissioned by Real Estate:UK, in partnership with Forsters and Push Power Ltd, and authored by Cushman & Wakefield, has found that the UK’s untapped commercial rooftops cou...
specificationonline.co.uk
September 15, 2026 at 8:28 AM
☀️💧 What if wastewater could help produce clean hydrogen?

Scientists at NTU have developed a solar-powered device that produces hydrogen from seawater while removing toxic hydrazine from wastewater.

The system uses sunlight to power both processes ⚡🌱
NTU solar device produces hydrogen while treating wastewater - The Engineer
NTU researchers develop a solar-powered device that produces hydrogen from seawater while removing toxic hydrazine.
www.theengineer.co.uk
September 15, 2026 at 8:22 AM
☀️🏙️ Nine Sheffield community buildings are getting solar panels.

The city council is investing £350,000 in rooftop solar across libraries and community centres, helping cut running costs and carbon emissions.

A great example of public buildings putting their roofs to work. 🌱⚡
Sheffiled public buildings toget solar panels in £350k project
Sheffield City Council is investing in solar panels at sites, including libraries and community centres.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 15, 2026 at 8:19 AM
☀️🔋 Community solar can do more than cut carbon. It can keep the lights on when the grid goes down.

Across the US, solar and battery projects are helping community centres, health clinics and places of worship stay powered during heatwaves and storms.
The power of community-based solar to close the clean energy gap - Kresge Foundation
kresge.org
September 15, 2026 at 8:18 AM