Chinese PV Industry Brief: Longi, Trina Solar Report Losses
Longi Green Energy posted 2025 revenue of $10.3 billion, down 14.8% YoY, with a net loss of about $1.0 billion and margins hovering near break‑even. Trina Solar saw revenue around $9.8 billion, a 16.6% decline, and a widened net loss of roughly $1.1 billion as its module margin turned negative. Both companies generated positive operating cash flow despite shrinking profitability, while shipments of wafers and modules remained robust. Meanwhile, peers such as Hoshine, Canadian Solar and Eging PV announced financing moves, project cancellations and restructuring, reflecting broader stress in China’s PV sector.
People, Purpose and Systems Thinking: The Leadership Layer of the Energy Transition
At Solar & Storage Live London, the Solar+ Leaders panel argued that the energy transition’s success hinges more on leadership intelligence than on technology alone. Speakers highlighted a purpose‑driven culture, the widening skills gap, and the need for systemic alignment...
April ENSO Shift Lifts Northern Coastal Irradiance While Suppressing Brazil and Northern Argentina
April 2026 delivered a split solar irradiance picture across South America, with the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Colombia posting 10‑20% above‑average global horizontal irradiance (GHI) while the Buenos Aires‑to‑Bolivia corridor saw 5‑15% below‑average levels. The divergent pattern aligns with...
Bangladesh’s PV Capacity to Reach 8.5 GW by 2035, Says GlobalData
GlobalData forecasts Bangladesh’s photovoltaic capacity to climb from about 1.3 GW in 2025 to roughly 8.5 GW by 2035. The expansion will be driven by a transition from off‑grid rural solar home systems to grid‑connected rooftop and utility‑scale projects, backed by net‑metering...
Italy Probes PV Companies over €60 Million Tax Evasion and €33 Million Subsidy Fraud
Italy’s financial‑crime police, the Guardia di Finanza, have opened a probe into seven photovoltaic firms based in Trentino that allegedly dodged more than €60 million in taxes and secured €33 million in illicit state subsidies. The companies, linked to a German parent,...
German Solar Module Maker Soluxtec Files for Insolvency
German solar module maker Soluxtec filed provisional insolvency in Bitburg as falling module prices and fierce international competition squeeze European PV producers. The court appointed Jakob Joeres of dhpg as provisional insolvency administrator to stabilise operations and seek investors. Soluxtec,...
Solar-Assisted Air-Source Heat Pump for Radiant Floor Heating
Researchers at the University of Calgary have modeled an air‑source heat pump (ASHP) combined with an air‑based solar collector (SAC) to supply radiant floor heating in a typical Calgary bungalow. The hybrid system, simulated in TRNSYS, raised the coefficient of...
Anker Solix Launches 7 kWh Modular Battery with 5 kWh Bidirectional Inverter
Anker Solix unveiled the XE, an all‑in‑one residential energy storage system that pairs a 7 kWh battery with a 5 kW bidirectional inverter. The unit features AI‑driven management, a 10,000‑cycle lifespan and 100 % depth‑of‑discharge, and can be commissioned in roughly five minutes....
Gotion Unveils 5 MW/18.8 MWh Ensclosed Battery Storage System
Gotion High‑Tech unveiled its first Grid Gen2 high‑voltage cascaded storage system, a single‑cabin unit delivering 5 MW of power and 18.8 MWh of energy. The system passed a scientific‑technology appraisal and earned an “international leading” designation. It uses a three‑phase, grid‑forming architecture that...
China Tightens Carbon Accountability Framework, Strengthening Structural Push for Renewables
Beijing has rolled out a national carbon evaluation system that holds provincial governments directly accountable for meeting China’s 2030 carbon‑peaking and 2060 carbon‑neutrality targets. The new "5+9" indicator framework, approved by the Politburo Standing Committee, grades provinces on five binding...
Cooling PV Modules with Hydrogel-Coated Paper
Vietnamese researchers unveiled a low‑cost passive cooling system for photovoltaic (PV) modules that uses hydrogel‑coated paper to channel water flow and interfacial evaporation. Outdoor rooftop tests in Ho Chi Minh City showed temperature drops of up to 14 °C and relative efficiency improvements...
How to Electrify Greenhouses with Semi-Transparent PV, Heat Pumps
Canadian researchers at Western University demonstrated that 69%‑transparent crystalline silicon semi‑transparent photovoltaic (STPV) modules raise tomato greenhouse yields by up to 38% while providing beneficial partial shading. Simulations using EnergyPlus, Python and SAM showed that pairing these rooftop STPV panels...
CATL Raises $5 Billion in Share Sale, Sungrow Files for Hong Kong IPO for the Second Time
China's battery leader CATL completed a Hong Kong share placement that raised roughly HK$39.2 bn ($5 bn), the largest offering on the exchange this year. The sale was priced at a 7% discount and fully allocated within an hour, with proceeds earmarked...
Bangladesh Launches 495 MW Solar Tender
Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) issued a tender for 495 MW of grid‑tied solar projects across ten sites in nine districts, with individual plant sizes ranging from 25 MW to 100 MW. The bid requires developers to purchase land, arrange financing and post...
China Commissions Salt Cavern Hydrogen Storage Project
China’s first large‑scale salt‑cavern hydrogen storage demonstration, located 1,418 m underground in Henan’s Pingdingshan, has been commissioned. The solution‑mined cavern holds over 30,000 m³ of space and can store 1.5 million standard cubic meters of hydrogen. Developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences,...
Bulgaria Seeks to Revive 864 MW Chaira Pumped-Storage Hydropower Plant
Bulgaria’s state‑owned utility NEK EAD has signed a memorandum of understanding with Toshiba International Europe to restart the 864 MW Chaira pumped‑storage hydropower plant, the largest of its kind in South‑Eastern Europe. The facility, located in the Rhodope Mountains, has been idle...
Huaneng Energizes 5.4 GW Hydro-Solar Complex in Southwest China
China's state‑owned Huaneng Group has commissioned the 5.43 GW Xiaowan Hydropower‑Solar Hybrid Project in Yunnan, merging 4.2 GW of hydropower with 1.23 GW of solar. The complex uses a new hydro‑solar intelligent coordination system that aggregates electricity from 16 photovoltaic farms through a...
Trina Solar Claims World’s Highest Efficiency for Silicon Solar Cells with 28.0%-efficient Device
Trina Solar announced that its TOPCon‑compatible hybrid back‑contact (THBC) silicon cell achieved a certified 28.0% power conversion efficiency, the highest ever for a large‑area 210R crystalline silicon device. The result, validated by Germany’s ISFH, combines TOPCon passivation, HJT‑style surface treatment...
Premier Energies Unveils 600-630 W All-Black TOPCon Solar Modules
Premier Energies has launched the NeoBlack Series, an all‑black, glass‑glass solar module line for residential and premium commercial rooftops in India. The modules deliver 600‑630 W power with efficiencies ranging from 22.21 % to a peak 23.32 % and feature TOPCon n‑type cells,...
Oxford PV Says Tandem Solar Could Add up to 5 Km to Daily EV Range
Oxford PV has joined Nissan’s SUITE consortium to advance perovskite‑silicon tandem solar cells for vehicle‑integrated photovoltaics. The tandem technology promises 20‑30% more power per unit area, adding roughly 3‑5 km of daily range and pushing total solar‑derived range to 15‑20...
UK Startup Showcases All-in-One Water Cylinder Heat Pump Prototype
British startup Nusku unveiled a prototype that packs an air‑source heat pump, a 180‑litre hot‑water cylinder and a smart controller into a single outdoor unit. The integrated design eliminates the need for indoor cylinders and reduces installation time to one...
Chinese Scientists Build Silver-Free Heterojunction Solar Cell with 25.2% Efficiency
Chinese researchers at Nankai University introduced an argon‑hydrogen plasma interface engineering technique that dramatically improves indium tin oxide (ITO) layers used in heterojunction (HJT) solar cells. The treatment enhances adhesion, lowers contact resistance, and enables uniform copper electroplating, replacing costly...
Two-Year Testing Shows How PV Plants Increase Local Temperatures in Semi-Arid Regions
A two‑year field study at a 100 MW photovoltaic plant in Inner Mongolia measured how large‑scale solar farms affect local climate. Using ground sensors, radiation towers and UAV thermal imaging, researchers found the PV site consistently warmed the near‑surface air by...
New Zealand’s Grid Operator Finds Emerging Energy Gap in Early 2030s
Transpower’s draft Security of Supply Assessment warns that New Zealand could face an energy gap as early as 2029‑2031, even if all currently pledged generation and battery projects are completed on schedule. In the short term (2026‑2028) the hydro‑geothermal dominated mix...
Chinese Solar Exports Surge 125% in March on Policy Change Rush, Not Underlying Demand Acceleration
Chinese customs data show solar module exports surged 125% month‑on‑month in March 2026, reaching $3.61 billion in value and about 37 GW in volume. The spike stems from manufacturers front‑loading shipments before China ends its PV export tax rebates on April 1, aided...
AccelerateEU Backs 200 GW Storage Goal but Omits Dedicated Mechanism
The European Commission’s AccelerateEU plan endorses a 200 GW battery‑storage target for 2030 but provides no dedicated financing mechanism. SolarPower Europe warns the EU will likely reach only about 160 GW under its medium‑scenario projections, falling short of the goal. The association...
Israeli Storage Developer Moves Into Solar EPC with Majority Stake Deal
Airengy Ltd., a Tel Aviv‑listed storage developer, signed an MOU to acquire a 51% stake in Green‑Go, an Israeli PV developer and EPC contractor. The transaction would give Airengy a dedicated solar engineering and construction arm, complementing its compressed‑air and...
The Hydrogen Stream: Atome Builds $665 Million Green Hydrogen-Based Fertilizer Plant in Paraguay
Atome PLC announced a Final Investment Decision for a $665 million green‑hydrogen fertilizer plant in Villeta, Paraguay. The facility will produce 260,000 tonnes per year of low‑carbon fertilizer using green hydrogen, with construction to start soon and full output expected by...
UK Solar Generation Hits Record 15 GW as Gas Falls to Historic Low
British solar generation broke 15 GW for the first time on April 23, supplying 42% of the nation’s electricity at its peak. At the same time, gas‑fired plants fell to a historic low of 1.2% of the generation mix, helping the grid...
Colombia Reopens Long-Term Energy Contracting with New Renewables Auction
Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy has reopened long‑term electricity contracting with a 15‑year auction that targets solar, hybrid and battery storage projects. Contracts must be awarded by July 31 2026, with delivery obligations beginning Jan 1 2030 (or 2035 for an optional 24‑hour...
France Streamlines Renewables Environmental Permitting with New Provisions
France issued a decree on April 22 to accelerate appeals for strategic environmental projects, especially large‑scale renewables. The new rules let challengers file directly with the territorial administrative court of appeal, which will issue a final decision, with only a cassation...
Chinese PV Industry Brief: DKEM Seeks Cash Injection to Scale up Gigawatt-Level Production of Copper Metallization Paste
Chinese PV materials maker DK Electronic Materials (DKEM) announced a private placement to raise up to CNY 3.0 billion ($413 million). The proceeds will fund a 2,000‑ton‑per‑year low‑silver, base‑metal paste line, a 1,450‑ton‑per‑year electronic‑grade metal‑powder expansion, R&D for next‑generation metallization and repayment...
Japanese Scientists Build All-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cell with 30.2% Efficiency
Japanese researchers at the University of Tokyo have demonstrated an all‑perovskite four‑terminal tandem solar cell that reaches a 30.2% power conversion efficiency. The device pairs a 24.4% wide‑bandgap top cell with a 21.5% narrow‑bandgap bottom cell using a spectral‑splitting architecture...
Saudi Arabia Launches Qualification Process for 12 GWh of Battery Storage Projects
Saudi Power Procurement Company has opened the qualification stage for a second batch of battery energy storage projects, comprising six 500 MW/2 GWh facilities that together deliver 3 GW of power and 12 GWh of storage. The projects will be built, owned and operated...
How BIPV Façades Behave Under Enclosure Fire Conditions
A research team led by the University of Science and Technology of China built a stainless‑steel compartment to evaluate how building‑integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) façades behave in enclosure fires. The study tested three PV module types—CdTe thin‑film, double‑glazed crystalline silicon and...
China Wafer Declines Narrow as Demand-Side Regulation Lifts Market Sentiment
China's photovoltaic wafer prices saw their steepest weekly declines narrow, with n-type M10 and G12 wafers falling only 0.71% and 0.59% respectively. Despite the modest pull‑back, trading volumes remain weak as solar‑cell manufacturers operate at reduced capacity, dampening downstream demand....
Daikin Unveils ‘Plumb-and-Play’ Residential Heat Pump
Daikin has introduced the Altherma 3 H HT, a pre‑engineered air‑to‑water heat pump that can replace traditional boilers with a plug‑and‑play setup. The unit operates down to –28 °C using R‑32 refrigerant and can deliver water up to 70 °C, making it compatible with existing...
Saatvik Green Energy Enters Transformer Manufacturing
Indian solar EPC firm Saatvik Green Energy has purchased an 80% stake in Jaipur‑based Melcon Transformers, marking its entry into power transmission equipment manufacturing. Melcon produces oil‑type, dry‑type and energy‑efficient transformers ranging from 5 kVA to 12,500 kVA for utilities and industrial...
Bangladesh Launches Tenders for 77.6 MW of Solar
Bangladesh’s Power Development Board (BPDB) has issued tenders for three grid‑connected solar projects totaling 77.6 MW across Chittagong, Rangamati and Dinajpur. The plants will be built on a turnkey basis, financed by BPDB and the Power Sector Development Fund, with completion...
Solar Leads Ireland’s Home Energy Upgrade Grant Scheme in 2026
Ireland’s home‑energy‑upgrade grant scheme is seeing a surge in demand, with applications up 96% in the first quarter of 2026. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland processed over 29,000 applications, of which more than 10,000 were for residential solar PV,...
German Utility Deploying 30 MW Heat Pump for District Heating
German utility Enercity AG has started constructing a 30 MW wastewater‑based heat pump at Hanover’s central treatment plant, targeting district heating for about 13,000 households. The system will generate roughly 130 GWh of heat per year, covering 7‑8% of the city’s demand...
Peru Opens Complementary Services Market to Support Renewables
Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines has released a draft decree to create a market‑based regime for complementary electricity services. The reform shifts the provision, remuneration and oversight of frequency, voltage and reserve services from an administrative model to a...
Botswana Breaks Ground on 500 MW Solar-Plus-Storage Project
Okavango Solar, wholly owned by Oman’s NAQAA Sustainable Energy, broke ground on the Maun solar‑plus‑storage project in northwestern Botswana. The 500 MW solar farm will be coupled with 500 MWh of battery storage and sold under a 30‑year power purchase agreement to...
PV Curtailment Exceeds 3.8% in Spain over Past Nine Months
Spain's photovoltaic (PV) curtailment averaged 3.83% over the past nine months, with stark regional disparities. In Badajoz province curtailment exceeded 37%, while Extremadura and Castilla‑La Mancha also show high rates, contrasting with Andalusia's lower levels despite large installed capacity. Circe,...
SolarEdge Targets C&I with New All-in-One Battery
SolarEdge introduced the CSS‑OD 197, a 197 kWh all‑in‑one commercial and industrial battery that can be configured up to 1 MW/4 MWh. The system uses lithium‑iron‑phosphate modules, delivering 187 kWh usable capacity and a 0.5C charge/discharge rate. It is modular, supporting up to 20 inverters...
Repowering Key for Japanese Solar Assets Approaching Feed-In Tariff Expiry
GSSG Solar and Voltaiyo secured a refinancing deal with SBI Shinsei Bank for the 104 MW Jupiter Portfolio, a collection of eight first‑generation feed‑in tariff (FIT) solar projects in Japan. The refinancing underscores lender confidence as Japan’s FIT rates are set...
First PV Plant Operating in Poland’s Balancing Market
The 204 MW Zwartowo solar power plant has become Poland’s first large‑scale solar asset to operate in the country’s balancing market. Developed by Germany’s Goldbeck Solar and aggregated by Respect Energy, the project required a 14‑month qualification process to meet regulations...
Abaxx Exchange Lists World’s First Solar Irradiance Futures Contract
Abaxx Exchange will list the Enwex Germany Solar (GSM) futures contract on April 23, marking the world’s first exchange‑cleared solar irradiance product. Developed by German energy exchange Enwex, the contract lets participants hedge Germany’s solar irradiance risk in a standardized,...
Bangladesh Opens Public Land to Utility-Scale Solar Under PPP Model
Bangladesh has rolled out a public‑private partnership framework that lets private developers build utility‑scale solar projects on unused public land, with the Bangladesh Power Development Board acting as the contracting authority. The policy, issued by the Power Division, aims to...
European Electricity Prices Increase Despite Falling Gas Prices
AleaSoft Energy Forecasting reported that the weekly average electricity price topped €95 ($112)/MWh in most major European markets last week, except France, Portugal and Spain where prices hovered around €50‑€71 ($59‑$84)/MWh. Italy recorded the highest average at €123.19/MWh ($145), while...