/daily ·22 JUL 2026 ·WEDNESDAY ·2 MIN READ ·6 STORIES

194 gigawatts and a record solar cell

BloombergNEF revised its data centre electricity forecast up 83% in a single update; LONGi broke the silicon-perovskite tandem solar efficiency record the same morning.

01 / The Day

WEDNESDAY 22 JUL 2026, ranked

BloombergNEF: data centres will need 194 GW by 2035 — an 83% upward revision

BloombergNEF revised its data centre electricity demand forecast to 194 gigawatts by 2035, an 83% increase from prior estimates, with pressure concentrated on PJM and ERCOT regional grids. Solar PPA prices fell nearly 5% in Q2 2026 over the same period, illustrating how the clean energy buildout is tracking separately from the demand surge.

Why it mattersAn 83% upward revision in a single update is the forecast equivalent of an admission that the prior model was built for a different world — and every grid planner is now recalibrating.

01 heatmap.news↗

LONGi sets world record: 35.5% efficiency for silicon-perovskite tandem solar

LONGi''s crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell achieved 35.5% conversion efficiency, certified by a European testing authority — surpassing the prior world record for the tandem architecture and setting a new commercial viability benchmark.

Why it mattersTandem solar is the most credible route to efficiencies well above the silicon efficiency ceiling; a certified 35.5% record is another data point validating the roadmap.

02 cleantechnica.com↗

European electricity above €110/MWh as Persian Gulf LNG supply is threatened

European gas futures reached their highest level since March on threats to liquefied natural gas supply from the Persian Gulf, pushing most European electricity markets above €110 per megawatt-hour. Reduced solar and wind output exacerbated the move.

Why it mattersEurope''s renewable buildout is a hedge against exactly this scenario; the price spike shows the hedge remains incomplete and fossil exposure is still structurally present.

03 pv-magazine.com↗

Fraunhofer ISE: Germany''s degraded peatlands hold up to 268 GW of solar potential

A Fraunhofer ISE analysis found that re-wetted degraded peatlands across Germany — roughly 70% of the country''s formerly intact peat area — could host up to 268 GW of solar generation while simultaneously reducing emissions from the drained land.

Why it mattersDrained peatlands are currently a source of CO2 emissions; deploying solar on them converts a liability into an asset without displacing productive farmland or natural habitat.

04 pv-magazine.com↗

Brazil''s grid served 68% of World Cup electricity demand from renewables

During the FIFA World Cup, Brazil''s national grid met 68% of electricity demand from renewable sources — 86% of total generation — while absorbing rapid load swings of up to 12.8 GW without supply disruptions.

Why it mattersA high-profile, high-stakes reliability test under peak demand is more useful evidence than any grid modelling study: a grid already at 68% renewables handled it without incident.

05 pv-magazine.com↗

Wärtsilä completes delivery of all 1,038 battery units to 1.4 GWh Wooreen BESS

Wärtsilä completed hardware delivery and installation for the 350 MW / 1,400 MWh Wooreen grid-scale battery storage facility in Victoria, Australia, marking the completion of the hardware phase for one of the country''s largest standalone battery projects.

Why it mattersAustralia now has multiple gigawatt-hour-class storage facilities in service or nearing commissioning, providing the closest available empirical data on large-scale storage grid integration at high renewable penetration.

06 energy-storage.news↗

Be subscriber #012 the weekly ten, every friday by email · no spam · unsubscribe anytime

Past days

The Daily Archive

/SAT 01 AUGThe Heat Is the Story /FRI 31 JULCalifornia hits 51% monthly solar; China sets record targets /THU 30 JULThe Billion-Dollar Build Edition /WED 29 JULWednesday, 29 July — Sodium-ion arrives; Australia breaks records /TUE 28 JULMalaysia orders the grid; Australia scales the cell /MON 27 JULA Solar Farm Becomes a Data Centre, Wisconsin Campaigns Against Solar, and LONGi Breaks the Tandem Efficiency Record /SUN 26 JULThe Build-Out Accelerates /SAT 25 JULUS battery storage breaks Q1 record; China tightens polysilicon /FRI 24 JULShock and Shine /WED 22 JUL194 gigawatts and a record solar cell /TUE 21 JULStorage everywhere, blockages everywhere /SUN 19 JULTwo US LFP milestones, one weekend /SAT 18 JULOvercapacity meets the taxman /FRI 17 JULFriday in Energy: Sodium Scales, Silicon Shines /WED 15 JULRecords fall, costs diverge /MON 13 JULSolid-state gets a quality stamp /SAT 11 JULThe grid just got bigger /FRI 10 JULSodium, Zinc, and CO2: Storage Diversifies Its Chemistry /THU 09 JULThe grid bottleneck, the cell plant, and the inverter ban /WED 08 JULLDES lands, sodium-ion signs 60 GWh, and US solar manufacturing hits 3 GW /TUE 07 JULSodium Goes Commercial