European businesses installed roughly 20 GW of commercial and industrial (C&I) solar in 2024, but only around 1 GW/2 GWh of C&I battery storage. The gap is striking. Both technologies promise lower energy bills, improved resilience, and decarbonization, but batteries are yet to achieve the same commercial traction that solar enjoys. LCP Delta’s Dina Darshini asks why the gap persists.

Affordability, project pipelines secured through safe harbor provisions, and expanding domestic manufacturing capacity are supporting US solar deployment despite policy and trade uncertainty.

This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Yolanda Hoyos, Chief Technical Officer at Spain’s Blacksalt. She says that inclusion, mentorship, and authentic leadership unlock talent, dismantle bias, and are critical to shaping the future of the energy transition. “When organizations respect individual circumstances, commitment and growth follow naturally,” she states.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that January 2026 began with relatively mild, solar-favorable conditions across much of the eastern U.S., but ended with Winter Storm Fern, as a polar vortex disruption triggered widespread cold, clouds, and sharply reduced solar generation. A rare S4-level solar radiation storm was also recorded in mid-January, though it had no direct impact on photovoltaic performance or solar data quality.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

EnBW says it is seeking a new investor for its Senec storage subsidiary Senec to support further growth, though the company could remain wholly owned. The search comes after a comprehensive restructuring and aims to fund expansion in software, hardware, and international markets.

Battery leasing is gaining traction in Europe as a way for households with rooftop solar to increase self-consumption without the upfront cost of purchasing a storage system.

Indian manufacturer Pahal Solar has secured inclusion on India’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) 2023 certification for expanded module capacity and has started building a new solar cell and aluminium frame manufacturing complex.

Shoals Technologies Group has secured a favorable initial determination from a US International Trade Commission (ITC) judge, who found that Voltage violated US trade law by importing trunk bus products that infringe Shoals’ patents.

China’s PV industry expects 238 GW to 287 GW of domestic capacity additions in 2026 as it pivots away from volume-led growth after a loss-making year driven by overcapacity and sharp price declines. The shift follows rapid expansion in 2021-25 that lifted cumulative capacity above 1.2 TW, annual additions beyond 300 GW and exports over $180 billion.

The Chinese company said its modular system supports up to 64 kWh of storage, multiple PV inputs, and 0 ms backup switching for uninterrupted operation.

Greece’s energy regulator has launched two new auctions under the Apollo Program, covering up to 200 MW of solar with storage and a separate 400 MW wind tender, marking the scheme’s first operational rollout since becoming law in 2024.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy has introduced a policy designed to support deployment of solar systems for self-consumption, with the first phase of the policy targeting the agricultural sector.

New research from Italy has shown that agrivoltaic systems can reduce potato yield by up to 15% compared to full-light cropping. However, moderate early-season shading was found to delay soil-moisture depletion, extending biomass accumulation and improving water-use efficiency.

The Chinese manufacturer said its new OG02 series includes IP-65-rated inverters with an AC output power of 3 kW to 6 kW. The new products also feature a maximum efficiency of 97.6% and a European efficiency of 96.5%.

Under the terms of the agreement, Aiko will be licensed to Maxeon’s back-contact solar cell and module patents outside the U.S., while both companies drop all ongoing legal actions.

The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity published a report on instability detection technologies to help countries with high renewable energy shares maintain grid reliability. The study highlights key tools, research priorities, and the need for stakeholder collaboration to advance real-time monitoring and data-driven decision-making.

An international study finds that successful agrivoltaic projects require farm-specific, holistic co-design that integrates PV layout with agricultural mechanization from the earliest planning stages. Without proper alignment between machinery, crops, and PV systems, agrivoltaics risk major land loss, lower field efficiency, and higher operating costs, undermining farm profitability.

Researchers in the Netherlands developed a model to identify tolerable degradation rates of the top cell in perovskite-silicon tandem modules. Simulations showed that an increase in tandem module efficiency from 28.0% to 32.9% could raise the tolerable degradation rate by approximately 50%.

Copec, Luxmeter Energy, and Ventisqueros have commissioned a system at the Quintupeu salmon farming center in Hornopirén, a remote area of southern Chile. The installation features a 48 kW photovoltaic plant paired with a 109 kWh battery storage system, enabling the facility to reduce its reliance on diesel generators in this off-grid aquaculture operation.

Wood Mackenzie ranked NextPower as the world’s top PV tracker manufacturer in the first half of 2025, with companies headquartered in the United States, China and Spain occupying all top 10 positions.

Hoshine, Risen Energy, Jolywood, and Irico have all issued forecasts for net losses in 2025, as rising raw material costs and weak industrial silicon prices squeeze margins across the solar manufacturing sector.

Swiss startup Sun-Ways is testing removable solar panels installed on an operational railway line through a pilot project with French railway operator SNCF in Switzerland.

Xilia Group has introduced composite frames for solar modules made from glass fiber–reinforced polyurethane. The company says the frames reduce weight, resist corrosion, and eliminate the need for grounding.

IRENA’s latest report finds that energy use and material intensity across the solar PV manufacturing supply chain will decline through 2030. The analysis also shows Vietnam remains more cost-competitive than India due to lower electricity prices, while high energy and labour costs keep Australia and Germany less competitive.

Hithium has released results from a large-scale fire safety test of its 6.25 MWh “∞Power” battery energy storage system, with an open-door configuration supervised by UL Solutions to assess thermal runaway risk in 1175 Ah cells under maximum oxygen conditions.

The two 15-year power purchase agreements cover a 805 MW and a 195 MW solar project, set for construction this year, that will power data centers in Texas belonging to Google.

The ETS2 Frontloading Facility will provide €3 billion ($3.5 billion) to sectors set to be covered by the EU’s new emissions trading system. It will support low- and middle-income households with the deployment of heat pumps and electric vehicles.

New South Wales has awarded long-term energy service agreements to six battery energy storage projects totaling 1.17 GW and nearly 12 GWh, lifting the state’s contracted storage capacity to 30 GWh.

Vema Hydrogen has completed two pilot hydrogen wells in Quebec, Canada, while Advait Greenergy and InSolare Energy are moving forward on hydrogen projects spanning exploration, electrolyzers, research, and integrated production.