In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that a persistent high-pressure system over the North Sea created a major April solar irradiance surplus across western and northern Europe by suppressing clouds and boosting GHI well above average. At the same time, displaced storm tracks reduced irradiance in the eastern Mediterranean and parts of Eastern Europe, producing deficits in Greece, Turkey, and Ukraine while maintaining a sharp west–east contrast.

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.

Hourly ENTSO-E data show the summer midday-to-evening gap in French nuclear output has grown nearly eightfold since 2019. The reactors have adapted. The rest of the European power system has some catching up to do.

Global solar PV capacity reached around 2,974 GW by end-2025, with nearly 698 GW added in 2025. The sector, however, is shifting from rapid deployment to integration challenges, as high penetration rates drive curtailment, storage demand, grid constraints, and evolving policy and market designs.

Low-cost solar PV enables to turn CO2 from an unwanted burden into a precious raw material and sequestered in materials with many applications. This effectively reframes carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration as a monetizable carbon dioxide removal option. Three recent studies on electricity-based carbon fiber, silicon carbide, and graphene aimed at enabling large-scale negative emissions by 2050.

Brazil added 4.4 GW of solar capacity in Q1 2026, led by 2.3 GW of utility-scale and 2.2 GW of distributed generation, with continued strong expansion expected if current rates persist.

Mitsubishi has expanded its Hydrolution EZY R290 heat pump series with two models with capacities of 10 kW and 14 kW. The new products use R290 refrigerant and can deliver up to 75 C flow temperatures.

Chinese solar manufacturers reported sharply mixed Q1 results amid ongoing polysilicon and module price pressure, with output increases, weak demand-driven margin compression, and continued net losses.

Through this million asset purchase, Inox Clean acquires 3 GW of operational TOPCon solar module manufacturing capacity in the United States, aligning with the “Make in America, For America” initiative.

India installed 15.3 GW of solar capacity in the first quarter of 2026 – the highest quarterly addition on record – representing a 143% year-on-year increase, according to Mercom India.

The 8th annual Solar Risk Assessment from kWh Analytics identifies equipment-driven fires, regulator fines, and battery inaccuracies as the latest threats to renewable asset returns.

Research from Lund University has explored how Sweden is building out utility-scale solar in the absence of an overarching national strategy. The researchers told pv magazine that without clearer national direction, projects will cluster in areas with favorable conditions while stalling elsewhere.

New research identified the most suitable areas for offshore floating PV deployment in Italy using a geospatial multi-criteria assessment model. The study found that exploiting just 2% of Italy’s technically feasible offshore solar area could theoretically generate enough electricity to meet the country’s annual power demand.

The Solomon Islands Electricity Authority and Asian Development Bank have signed an agreement aimed at developing the country’s first large-scale solar project.

The city of Bruges is offering small- to medium-sized enterprises and organizations looking to install large-scale rooftop solar free advice from an independent solar broker. The solar broker will be available to support the entire installation process, from initial calculations through to final commissioning.

Researchers at the German institute built a photovoltaic water electrolysis system based on micro-concentrator photovoltaics coupled to proton exchange membrane electrolysis. Outdoor testing demonstrated a record solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 31.3%, achieved by a four-junction CPV system driving two PEM cells in series under real operating conditions.

Maintaining grid stability becomes more challenging as the share of intermittent renewables grows in the electricity generation mix, but system resilience is essential to continued solar deployment. Grid-forming inverters offer a solution, and their capabilities are increasingly being tested and relied upon in key energy markets globally.

A machine learning model uses cloud type and cloud cover to predict rapid changes in surface solar irradiance, including short-term “ramp” events that affect grid stability. When tested across 15 global sites, it showed strong generalizability, with most locations matching or exceeding the original model’s predictive performance, though extreme climates performed less consistently.

A Cornell University research team developed a control framework that simultaneously considers past and future conditions when determining solar panel tilt angle. The researchers told pv magazine it is designed to be plug-and-play, allowing for software developers and solar operators to incorporate their optimization algorithms directly into the framework.

Dubbed RISE 261H-XH, the system is available in 50 kW, 63 kW, 85 kW, and 125 kW output configurations. It supports 100% three-phase unbalanced load in backup mode and delivers 160% rated AC overload capacity for 10 seconds.

Eight US solar manufacturers have filed an anti-circumvention complaint with the US Department of Commerce, alleging that solar cells and modules assembled in Ethiopia using Chinese-origin components are evading existing antidumping and countervailing duty orders on Chinese solar products.

A High Court in South Africa ordered the country’s Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy to deliver full documentation relating to three solar tenders awarded in 2021 and 2022 to local solar manufacturer ARTsolar, after the company questioned if the preferred bidders had followed local content requirements for PV modules set out in the tenders. ARTsolar told pv magazine its legal team is currently reviewing the documentation it has received.

U.S. researchers have developed an IR-CW laser-based method to remove backsheets from end-of-life silicon solar modules without damaging the glass or wafers, using controlled heating of the silicon–EVA interface through the front glass. The process enables clean mechanical delamination with preserved device performance and offers a lower-energy, lower-cost alternative to conventional thermal or chemical recycling methods.

The aircraft, acquired by Skydweller Aero in 2019 and converted into an autonomous long-endurance platform, crashed after a loss of power. It was equipped with approximately 17,000 photovoltaic cells on its wings.

The Chinese manufacturer said its novel TOPCon cell design enables partial replacement of silver with aluminum paste while maintaining TOPCon-level efficiency of over 27% and compatibility with existing production lines.

Genex has announced plans to reconfigure the first stage of its 2.5 GW Bulli Creek multi-stage development in Australia from a 775 MW solar farm to 300 MW, adding a 425 MW / 1,700 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).

The massive renewable energy complex will include 8 GW of solar, 4 GW of wind, 2.04 GW/8.16 GWh of energy storage, and 2.64 GW of coal-fired power. The project is planned to be located in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and deliver clean electricity to the energy-intensive Jiangsu province.

Ratul Puri, chairman of Hindustan Power, tells pv magazine that India’s battery energy storage system (BESS) market is moving from aggressive tendering toward large-scale project execution, as the country increasingly prioritizes grid integration, transmission readiness and long-term supply resilience.

Amendments to Armenia’s Energy Law permits the development of energy storage systems for the first time, subject to licensing. Systems smaller than 1 MW, or those above 1 MW designed for self-consumption, are exempt from licensing.

Germany led the way with the UK and Bulgaria tied in second place, followed by Spain, Hungary, and France.