Solar News Explained
New panels, batteries and breakthrough claims can make it hard to know when to act. Here I check the evidence and explain whether a story changes what a Scottish homeowner can buy today.
Home batteries · Design & installation
Five distinctive finalists, our subjective style awards and a checklist for a tidy complete installation. Which gets your vote?
10 October 2026 · 10-minute read
Explore the finalists →
Property · Solar & storage
Lower running costs, greener living and a potential property-price premium. Explore the evidence and make the benefits clear to future buyers, with three comic interludes.
10 October 2026 · 8-minute read
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Panel innovation · Tandem technology
Trina’s record module and first residential order mark commercial progress. What that means for UK availability—and whether to wait.
9 October 2026 · 4-minute read
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Suppliers · Smart tariffs
CMA clearance confirmed. What remains unchanged for OVO customers, why completion is separate, and how solar and batteries fit E.ON’s plans.
Updated 8 October 2026 · 5-minute read
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Solar in Scotland · Public services
524 panels at Cambuslang headquarters—and grid electricity use down more than a third. What this Scottish project can teach homeowners.
6 October 2026 · 3-minute read
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Energy switching · Referral rewards
Ten welcome rewards worth checking, the conditions behind the prizes, and why your ongoing tariff cost matters more than the headline bonus.
2 October 2026 · 7-minute read
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Smart tariffs · EVs and batteries
Seven hours of cheaper electricity for the whole home. Why EDF deserves a closer look—and what EV and battery owners should check.
1 October 2026 · 4-minute read
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Battery economics · Winter tariffs
Charge cheaply overnight, cover normal winter use and buy fewer expensive daytime units. The practical sizing test and the honest savings maths.
27 September 2026 · 6-minute read
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Battery safety · Scottish homes
Outside only? One metre from gas? No front or south-facing walls? What MCS, PAS 63100, planning and building rules really say.
27 September 2026 · 9-minute read
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Scottish research · Batteries
Two 2026 papers address first-cycle charge losses and unstable tin electrodes. Why this Scottish research matters—and what it has yet to prove.
27 September 2026 · 5-minute read
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Batteries · Supply chains
How sodium compares with lithium, who might benefit from a new supply chain, and what Cheshire salt can—and cannot—provide for British batteries.
27 September 2026 · 8-minute read
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Electricity tariffs · Tesla
Ofgem has granted a licence, but there is no published UK household tariff. What is confirmed, what is still unknown, and whether solar and battery buyers should wait.
27 September 2026 · 4-minute read
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Research · Solar panels
Hot electrons may retain their energy 1,000 times longer in an experimental material. What the research really found, what the 33% efficiency limit means, and whether it is worth delaying a purchase.
27 September 2026 · 4-minute read
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