Here are the Top 3 stories about solar industry happenings that Electrek readers got most excited about in 2023.

In an agrivoltaic study I reported on in March, UCLA engineers put a semi-transparent solar roof on a greenhouse, and some pretty cool things happened with the roof and the plants. It may look insignificant in the photo, but it’s got significant implications. It’s a fun solar story with impact, and it’s worth checking out if you haven’t read it.

You can read the solar greenhouse story here.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) had a warning for Texas in July: Texas solar and wind are going to double by 2035, but if the state’s grid isn’t upgraded, then all that power is going to go to waste, according to the EIA’s analysis.

It also had suggestions to rectify that problem for the Lone Star State, which is No. 1 in the US for solar and wind. It’s an interesting case study – on a massive scale because it’s Texas – about how important it is for the US to upgrade its grids to prepare for the renewables coming online.

You can read the Texas solar and wind story here.

In November, the United Arab Emirates launched Al Dhafra solar farm – the world’s largest single-site solar farm. But while the achievement and scale of this solar farm are impressive, there’s a lot more to the story when it comes to the UAE’s “Energy Strategy,” especially because the country hosted COP28 this year – just after Al Dhafra came online.

You can read about the world’s largest single-site solar farm here.

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