South Korea Targets 2,500 Community Solar Cooperatives by 2030
South Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety launched the Sunlight Income Village program, aiming to create more than 2,500 community‑owned solar cooperatives by 2030. Over 500 villages will be selected this year, with installations ranging from 300 kW to 1 MW on idle public or farmland. The government allocated KRW 550 billion (about $366 million) for 2026 and will provide low‑interest loans covering up to 85% of costs, while new legislation guarantees priority grid access. The initiative is backed by multiple ministries and state‑owned utilities, linking renewable growth with rural revitalization.
France Proposes Linking Solar Subsidies to Storage as Prices Turn Negative
France’s energy regulator, the Commission de Régulation de l’Énergie (CRE), is proposing to tie subsidies for large‑scale photovoltaic projects to the inclusion of energy‑storage systems. The rule change targets installations above 100 kW and aims to curb revenue erosion caused by...
Solar Curtailment Reaches Tokyo, Japan’s Last Holdout Grid Area
Tokyo’s grid experienced Japan’s first economic solar curtailment as solar output outpaced system flexibility. Tepco Power Grid ordered generators to cut up to 1.84 GW between 11:00 and 16:00 JST on March 1, 2026, marking the capital’s entry into a nationwide issue. The...
GCL Optoelectronics Wins China’s First Commercial Perovskite-Silicon Tandem PV Module Order
GCL Optoelectronics secured a 1.2 MW contract from China Huaneng to supply commercial perovskite‑silicon tandem solar modules. The tender required mass‑producible, IEC‑certified modules delivering at least 26% efficiency and a 25‑year performance warranty, with delivery by June 2026. GCL is the sole...
Slovakia Deploys 243 MW of Solar in 2025
Slovakia installed 243 MW of new solar capacity in 2025, bringing cumulative photovoltaic capacity to 1.357 GW. The additions comprised 124 MW residential, 102 MW commercial‑industrial and 17 MW utility‑scale, largely fueled by the Green for Households subsidy and EU Resilience and Recovery Fund support....
Molecular Solar Battery Stores Energy for Days, Yields Hydrogen on Demand
Researchers at Ulm University and Friedrich‑Schiller‑Universität Jena have created a water‑soluble redox copolymer that functions as a molecular solar battery, achieving over 80% charging efficiency and storing energy for several days. The stored electrons can be released on demand as...
PVT-Driven Tower Heat Pump for Building Retrofits
Chinese researchers demonstrated that coupling an energy‑tower heat pump with either an evaporator‑side boiler or a solar‑thermal system dramatically improves winter heating efficiency in commercial retrofits. The two configurations achieved the highest coefficients of performance—1.904 and 1.891—far surpassing the 1.595...
SolaX Power Validates System Level Safety Through Extreme Testing
SolaX Power’s ORI 5 MWh large‑scale energy storage system successfully completed the world’s first UL‑led system‑level deflagration test under the proposed UL 9540A:2025 framework. Real lithium‑ion cells were driven into thermal runaway while the emergency ventilation remained closed, forcing the pressure‑relief structure...
Spain Completes Testing of Europe’s Largest Research Vanadium BESS
Spain’s Fundación Ciudad de la Energía (Ciuden) has finished operational testing of a 1 MW/8 MWh vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) at its Cubillos del Sil technology centre. The €6.4 million (~$7.4 million) system, built by CYMI using H2 Inc technology, is the largest vanadium...
European Residential Heat Pump Sales Increased in 2025
Residential heat pump sales across 16 European nations rose to 2.62 million units in 2025, a 10.3% year‑on‑year increase and the third‑largest annual total on record. The growth follows a reversal of a 23% decline seen earlier in the year, driven...
Ghana Plans to Procure 200 MW of Battery Storage
Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition announced a plan to procure 200 MW of battery energy storage through competitive bidding. The initiative aims to bolster the national grid’s capacity during nighttime peak demand. Currently, Ghana operates only 10 MWh of battery...
Brazil’s LRCAP Battery Auction Demand Estimated at Nearly 3 GW
Brazil’s second 2026 Long‑term Reserve Capacity Auction (LRCAP) secured 501.3 MW of thermoelectric capacity, primarily from diesel, fuel‑oil and biodiesel plants. The auction follows a March 18 tender that awarded 19 GW of capacity, underscoring a rapid build‑out of reserve resources. Analysts...
German Startup Offers Team of 22 Specialized AI Workers for PV Plant O&M Operations
German startup Invertix has introduced a suite of 22 specialized AI "workers" that autonomously handle key operation and maintenance (O&M) functions for photovoltaic (PV) plants. The agents process SCADA telemetry, classify alarms, and perform grid analysis, while escalating high‑risk decisions...
Türkiye’s Solar Capacity Surpasses 25 GW
Turkey’s solar capacity hit 25.8 GW by the end of January 2026, marking a record start to the year. The nation added roughly 4.7 GW of solar in 2025, pushing the share of solar in total generation from 0.1% in 2014 to...
When Tiny Magnets Attack PV Systems
Cybersecurity researcher Mohammad Al Faruque demonstrated that low‑cost magnetic, electrical and acoustic perturbations can manipulate current and voltage sensors in photovoltaic inverters without physical access. Using a $45 kit of Arduino, MOSFETs, Zigbee and an ultrasonic sensor, his team generated controllable...
Why BESS Insurers Are Sweating Transformers and Contractor Errors over Battery Fires
Insurers covering gigawatt‑scale battery energy storage systems are moving beyond thermal‑runaway concerns to scrutinize balance‑of‑plant components such as high‑voltage transformers and EPC integration errors. Rapid product evolution, exemplified by a jump from 3 MWh Megapack enclosures in 2019 to 14.5 MWh units...
‘The Barriers I Encountered Were Never Dramatic, They Were Cumulative’
Women in Solar+ Europe featured Delfina Muñoz, CEA research director, who argues that diversity is a catalyst for faster, fairer clean‑energy innovation. She describes how everyday micro‑biases accumulate to create barriers for women, and stresses that inclusion must be embedded...
Why Technical Due Diligence Is Becoming the Backbone of Europe’s Solar-Storage Boom
Europe’s hybrid solar‑plus‑storage projects are scaling rapidly, turning isolated PV and battery assets into integrated systems that deliver firm capacity and grid services. The added electrical, mechanical and digital interdependencies raise failure risks, making superficial technical due diligence a liability....
Iran Conflict Stirs Solar Demand Debate in Germany
Germany’s residential solar market is seeing a sharp uptick, with E.ON reporting that inquiries for rooftop installations have roughly doubled since the Israel‑U.S.-Iran escalation in late February. Other installers such as 1KOMMA5° and Enpal echo the surge, while some industry...
Clean Winter Air Drives Major Irradiance Surplus Across China and Taiwan in February
February delivered a stark East‑Asia solar divide: southern China and Taiwan recorded record‑high irradiance, driven by exceptionally clean air and persistent clear skies, while maritime Southeast Asia suffered 10‑20% below‑average irradiance due to heavy rainfall and enhanced tropical convection. In...
Greece Receives 12.2 GW of Merchant Battery Applications for 4.7 GW Program
Investors have lodged applications for 12.15 GW of utility‑scale merchant battery storage in Greece, far surpassing the 4.7 GW capacity earmarked in the country's new program. The applications split into roughly 10 GW for the transmission grid and 2.15 GW for distribution networks. The...
Japanese Firm GBP Launches Fencing for Solar and BESS Sites
Japanese clean‑energy firm GBP K.K. has introduced customizable perimeter fencing for grid‑scale solar farms and battery energy storage systems. The fences use modular high‑carbon steel mesh with optional barbed or blade wire, mounted on galvanized, polyester‑coated steel posts to withstand...
Thermochromic Bifacial PV Glazing System for Reducing Building Cooling Loads
Researchers at City University of Hong Kong have created a thermochromic bifacial photovoltaic (TC‑BiPV) glazing system that combines a hydrogel‑based thermochromic layer with bifacial solar cells. The hydrogel switches from transparent to translucent as temperature rises, reflecting light toward the...
US Wafer Origin Rules Put Solar Domestic Content Bonus at Risk
The U.S. Treasury and IRS have issued guidance that could strip the 10% domestic‑content bonus under the Inflation Reduction Act from solar cells that rely on imported silicon wafers, even if the wafers are later coated domestically. The rule hinges...
Japan Publishes New Guidelines for Flexible Solar Cell Installations
Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has issued new design and construction guidelines for flexible photovoltaic (PV) and perovskite solar installations, focusing on structural load, frameless mounting and flammability. The standards target low‑load rooftops and building walls...
India’s PV Module Manufacturing Capacity Tops 210 GW
India added 119 GW of solar module capacity and over 9 GW of cell capacity in 2025, pushing cumulative module capacity to roughly 210 GW and cell capacity to 27 GW, according to Mercom India. The surge was driven by robust utility‑scale pipelines, the...
Solar-to-X Could Redefine Iran’s Energy Future
Iran could pivot from oil‑centric growth to a solar‑led energy system by 2050, with solar PV providing over 80% of installed capacity and 93% of electricity generation. The study projects a 1.66 TW installed power base, 3,200 TWh of renewable electricity, and...
China’s New Five-Year Plan Deepens Shift Toward Focus on Renewables System
China’s 15th Five‑Year Plan (2026‑2030) places clean electricity at the heart of its economic strategy, shifting focus from merely adding wind and solar capacity to building an integrated “new energy system.” The plan calls for incremental clean power to meet...
UAE Installs Around 1 GW of Solar in 2025
The UAE installed roughly 1 GW of solar power in 2025, lifting cumulative capacity from 5.7 GW to about 6.7 GW. GlobalData projects an additional 2.4 GW will be added in 2026, taking the total to 9.4 GW, and forecasts a compound annual growth rate...
Dutch Startup Plans Roll-to-Roll Factory for Perovskite Solar Cells
Dutch research institute TNO has spun off Perovion Technologies to industrialise lightweight, flexible perovskite solar cells. The company aims to construct the first roll‑to‑roll perovskite manufacturing line in the Netherlands by 2030, targeting applications where glass panels are impractical. A...
Arctech Presents Dry Cleaning Robot Weighing Just 38 Kg
Chinese firm Arctech Solar has launched the Star Shine I, a 38 kg autonomous dry‑cleaning robot for utility‑scale photovoltaic plants. The robot can travel 10‑18 m per minute, covering up to 3 km round‑trip (9 km one‑way) and achieves more than 99.5 % cleaning efficiency....
Ciemat Unveils Large-Area Multispectral Solar Simulator for PV Module Testing
CIEMAT has launched a large‑area multispectral solar simulator designed for precise electrical characterization of full‑size photovoltaic modules. The system delivers better than 0.4% spatial irradiance uniformity, 500 ms LED illumination pulses and dynamic I‑V acquisition, enabling single‑pulse testing of high‑capacitance modules....
Is Switzerland Going Back Contact?
Back‑contact (BC) solar modules from Aiko Solar and Longi captured over 50% of Switzerland's rooftop PV market in 2025, driven by a premium on module efficiency rather than price. The report notes a gradual decline in the AC/DC ratio to...
Pii Energy Unveils Plug-In 1.2 kW Solar, 2 kWh Home System
Pii Energy has introduced the Edge 2000, a plug‑in solar‑plus‑storage kit aimed at renters and apartment dwellers. The system pairs 1.2 kW of photovoltaic panels with a 2 kWh battery, ten smart outlets, and a Raspberry Pi‑driven controller. Priced at roughly $2,400, it...
Ukraine Prioritizes Solar-Plus-Storage in Renewables Auctions
Ukraine enacted Law No. 4777-IX, overhauling 15 energy‑market statutes and creating a dedicated solar‑plus‑storage auction track. The new framework extends renewable support to 2034, mandates a minimum 10% quota for solar‑plus‑storage, and sets a €0.12/kWh price ceiling. It also eases...
The Hydrogen Stream: Atome Secures $420 Million Debt for Paraguay Plant
Atome secured a $420 million debt package to fund a $650 million low‑carbon fertilizer plant in Paraguay, targeting 260,000 tonnes of output per year and marking one of the first industrial‑scale green‑hydrogen fertilizer projects outside the EU. Meanwhile, Asahi Kasei began installing a 1 MW...
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Wafer Prices Fall on Weak Demand
The China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association reported that polysilicon and wafer prices fell sharply this week, with n‑type re‑feed and dense polysilicon down about 6.4% to CNY 45,200 per tonne. Wafer prices slipped as well, with G10L at CNY 1.03, G12R at...
Sigenergy Unveils 166 kW Inverter for C&I Solar
Chinese solar equipment maker Sigenergy has introduced a 166 kW IP66‑rated inverter aimed at commercial and industrial (C&I) solar projects. The unit features nine MPPT trackers, a peak efficiency of 98.7%, and flexible three‑phase AC outputs up to 480 V, while tolerating...
Bahrain Reveals Qualified Bidders for 100 MW BAJ Solar IPP Project
Bahrain’s Electricity and Water Authority has shortlisted Saudi‑based ACWA Power and UAE‑based Yellow Door Energy to develop a 100 MW solar plant in Bilaj Al Jazayer under a build‑own‑operate public‑private partnership. The project targets commercial operation by 30 September 2027 and forms part...
Increased Spacing Between Solar Module Rows Boosts Agrivoltaics Viability
U.S. researchers at Colorado University introduced an economic framework that evaluates how wider spacing between solar photovoltaic (PV) rows can make agrivoltaic systems viable for large‑scale, mechanized farming. Simulations on a 160‑acre Colorado site across potatoes, onions, sugar beets and...
Japan Establishes National Benchmarks for Agrivoltaics as Sites Expand
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has introduced national benchmarks for agrivoltaics after 24% of projects reported reduced crop yields in fiscal 2023. By the end of FY2023, 6,137 sites covering 1,361.6 hectares were approved, prompting tighter oversight. New...
Vikram Solar’s PowerHive Unit Launches VION Lithium Batteries in India
PowerHive, the energy‑storage arm of Vikram Solar, has introduced the VION lithium‑battery portfolio for residential backup, e‑rickshaws and distributed energy projects. The launch includes five commercial products spanning inverter batteries, integrated inverter‑battery kits, and dedicated e‑rickshaw packs. By moving beyond...
GoodWe Introduces Low-Noise All-in-One Storage System for Rooftop PV
GoodWe has launched a three‑phase all‑in‑one energy storage system for rooftop PV, integrating inverter, battery and AI‑driven energy management in a single unit. The system operates at a whisper‑quiet 30 dB, earning TÜV Rheinland’s world‑first Grade A low‑noise certification, and can reduce...
Heat Pumps Are Transforming Domestic Hot Water Production – How to Avoid Hygiene Risks?
Heat pumps are rapidly becoming the preferred method for domestic hot water (DHW) production across Europe, driven by decarbonisation goals and the rise of rooftop photovoltaics. Their low‑temperature operation (45‑55 °C) maximises efficiency but overlaps the growth window of Legionella pneumophila,...
Toshiba Rolls Out AI-Powered Solar Plant Portfolio Management Platform
Toshiba has launched EneTogo, an AI‑driven PV management platform within its Spinex for Energy suite, enabling real‑time monitoring and O&M of distributed solar plants. The system automatically calculates capacity factor, performance ratio, and lost generation while detecting zero‑output faults using...
Research Shows Conventional Solar Arrays Can Support Livestock Grazing
A new study by the Federal Association for New Energy Industry, based on research from the University of Göttingen and the University of Cologne, examined five German solar parks over 18 months. It found that vegetation growing under and between...
Russia Adds Around 100 MW of Solar in 2025
Russia added roughly 100 MW of solar in 2025, bringing total installed capacity to about 3.1 GW. The increase follows the government’s capacity‑supply agreement framework that guarantees long‑term payments for utility‑scale projects. GlobalData forecasts annual additions of around 200 MW, pushing cumulative solar...
India Launches Tender for 1 GW Round-the-Clock Renewable Power
Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) has opened a tender for 1 GW of round‑the‑clock renewable power projects, mandating integrated energy‑storage systems. The projects will follow a build‑own‑operate (BOO) model and attract 25‑year power purchase agreements with Indian distribution companies. Bidders...
New Simulation Platform Lets Energy Operators Train Against Realistic Cyberattacks
German Fraunhofer FKIE researchers unveiled PowerRange, a virtual cyber‑range that lets power‑grid operators test defenses against realistic attacks. The platform models both traditional centralized networks and renewable‑heavy, decentralized grids, integrating IT, OT and control‑room environments. It supports multi‑stage scenarios—reconnaissance, lateral...
Waaree Solar Americas Invests $30 Million in Omani Polysilicon Supplier
Waaree Solar Americas is committing roughly $30 million to United Solar Holdings by purchasing 5.37 million Series B preferred shares. The deal locks in a long‑term source of fully traceable polysilicon from United Solar’s newly operational plant in Oman. The Omani facility is...
