Hands that catch the sun

As temperatures across western Europe climb towards 40°C, many of us are searching for shade. Solar panels, meanwhile, are quietly soaking up the sunlight.

Yet before diving into this week’s heatwave, I want to take you somewhere else entirely. To Dupari and Zukpuri in rural northern Ghana.

There, a group of women in their 60s have earned an unusual nickname: the ‘Solar Grandmothers’. After receiving a 6-months long technical training in India through a United Nations-backed programme, Salamatu Abukari, Memunatu Abudu and several others became the first solar engineers in their villages.

Together, they have helped electrify more than 200 households. They install solar panels, repair systems and train younger residents. Their work has replaced roughly 3 000 litres of kerosene each month while bringing reliable electricity to communities that once lived largely in the dark.

The ‘grandmothers’ were invited to travel to neighbouring countries to promote the concept. It was very warmly received, now practised by a younger generation, too. Today, there are hundreds of women also active in:

• Niger
• Benin
• Brazil
• Kenya
• Senegal
• Togo
• Madagascar
• Ivory Coast
• Mali

I love the simplicity of the idea. It takes a village to raise a child, as the saying goes. Perhaps it also takes a village to build a sustainable future.

Structural damage

Did you hear both Spain and France recently recorded the hottest day since national records began in 1947? Here in the Netherlands, unprecedented temperatures have hit shut down schools as well as scrap yards.

It’s worth remembering that solar panels are powered by light, not heat. I did wonder how easily they are damaged by scorching hot weather. Turns out, fires and other urgent cases causing permanent, irreparable damage are rare. However, most panels we have in Europe perform best at around 25°C.

Once mercury goes beyond that point, efficiency begins to fall. Depending on the technology, output can decline by between 0.2% and 0.5% for every additional degree Celsius.

Fortunately, engineers have anticipated the challenge. Panels in regions such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Nevada are specifically designed for extreme conditions. Improved airflow, specialised coatings and advanced materials help keep temperatures under control.

More rays, more panels

Solar power has become increasingly popular over the last decade. Global solar photovoltaic capacity additions rose by around 12% in 2025, surpassing 600 GW for the first time. Last year, solar accounted for more than three-quarters of all new renewable energy capacity installed worldwide.

Some of the world’s largest solar developments operate in remarkably harsh environments:

• China – massive desert-based projects in Qinghai and Inner Mongolia

• India – large-scale solar parks across Rajasthan and Gujarat

• Saudi Arabia and the UAE – giga-scale desert developments

• United States – utility-scale projects in California and Nevada

• Brazil – the 1 GW Janaúba solar complex in Minas Gerais

Sunny afterlife

Eventually, every solar panel reaches the end of its working life. That is where the next opportunity begins. Dutch research institute TNO recently unveiled a laser-based recycling process capable of recovering more than 99% of silver and high-grade silicon from solar panels.

Across the Atlantic, US firm Comstock Metals is developing a dedicated solar panel recycling facility in Ohio while expanding capacity in Nevada towards 100 000 tonnes annually. The ‘modern hub’ will enable 100% material recovery.

Meanwhile, researchers at Japan’s Kanazawa University have developed a process that recovers between 91% and 99% of lead, gold and indium from next-generation perovskite solar cells.

It’s encouraging that many industry participants are already thinking about what happens after installation day. Besides, stories like the Solar Grandmothers remind us that solutions are spreading, often in unexpected places.

That feels like a silver lining worth celebrating, even on the hottest day of the year.