In another weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that a significant reduction in airborne pollutants has contributed to year-to-date irradiance in some parts of China being up to 30% higher than the long-term average. South Korea has benefited from a similar pattern, recording a 10% increase in irradiance from January to April relative to its long-term average.

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.

The recent blackout in the Iberian grid should not be interpreted as failure of renewables. But it did provide Europe with a sign the energy system is changing, shedding light on the necessity to govern 21st-century technologies with 21st-century control systems.

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Frank Niendorf, Vice President Europe at JinkoSolar. He says that assumptions about women’s capabilities or work-life balance can unfairly impact their career progression. “While women are primarily affected, men who value diversity and inclusion can also find themselves outside traditional leadership expectations,” he states.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, reports that TOPCon modules from China held steady at between $0.085-0.090/W. It also reveals that Europe prices for TOPCon modules of over 450 W rose by 0.96%, assessed at €0.105/W.

In a new special, pv magazine Brazil reports on how rising Chinese demand, price volatility and the global tech race are reshaping Brazil’s solar market, with major manufacturers weighing in on supply shifts, pricing and the outlook for storage.

At pv magazine’s Focus event at Intersolar Europe this week, moderated by ESS News Editor Marija Maisch, the panelists discussed co-location and financing, alongside forward-looking presentations on market trends.

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting says increases in solar energy production contributed to lower electricity prices across major European markets last week. Most analyzed markets also continued to experience negative hourly prices.

China’s Mingyang produces solar glass based on cadmium telluride (CdTe) cells and has launched a pilot production line for perovskite technology. It is positioning itself as a supplier to building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) companies.

A report by the European solar association SolarPower Europe highlights the cybersecurity challenges of PV installations in the European Union. A main concern are the vulnerabilities of connected inverters and data management via cloud services outside of Europe.

The Chinese company said its new product is intended for commercial and industrial use. It uses 233 kWh LiFePO4 batteries.

As Texas suddenly finds itself a leader in both solar deployment and manufacturing, debate in the state legislature and US Congress could shape how much the Lone Star State once again will shape the nation’s energy trajectory.

The Chinese manufacturer told pv magazine that high production costs and low module prices influenced its decision to change its well-known metal wrap through (MWT) technology out for mass produced n-type technology for its latest product.

Additional project management and design automation tools are available on the Swiss software company’s subscription-based platform made for small and medium-sized (SME) businesses that are targeting commercial and industrial (C&I) and residential the solar PV segments.

The new 300 kWp power plant in the Haute-Loire commune of Rosières, designed with a mounting system made from local wood, is part of a collective self-consumption operation that sells surplus energy to green supplier Energie d’ici in the local currency, the LIEN.

Chinese solar cell and module maker Aiko presented its new intelligent solar module series, Navigator, at this year’s Intersolar. Based on the company’s N-type, all-back-contact (ABC) technology, Navigator promises a 3% to 5% boost in annual energy yield and lower operating costs.

Cow dung battery binder, a beautiful electric moped, parking lot level car charging, big rig charging, and “balcony solar” energy storage on the floor at Europe’s largest solar power show.

FuturaSun and The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research will work together on advancing the design of bifacial n-type silicon solar cells, with the technology to be integrated into FuturaSun’s Silk Nova solar modules.

The SunPower M Class product portfolio offers solar panels for the residential and commercial markets featuring the company’s latest back contact solar technology. The panels are expected to reach 25% efficiency for residential applications up to 500 W and 24.4% for commercial applications up to 660 W.

The new products are available in seven versions with power output ranging from 630 W to 660 W and power conversion efficiency spanning from 23.3% to 24.4%.

India is expected to reach 160 GW of solar module capacity and 120 GW of cell capacity by 2030, up from 80 GW and 15 GW respectively in 2025, according to a new SolarPower Europe report, with input from the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI).

At the Intersolar trade show in Munich, the startup Carbon is showcasing its first PV modules, which will be available from mid-2026 in power ranges from 445 Wp to 505 Wp. A third module, with power outputs from 615 Wp to 625 Wp, will later complete the Carbon One series.

The Qurmit battery gel lead-acid battery has expanded to the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector with a larger capacity battery, and new technology has improved the lifespan.

An international research team has developed a metallization technique for TOPCon solar cells that can reportedly reduce silver usage in the devices’ rear side by 85%. The scientists replaced the commonly used Ag fingers with intermittent Ag dashes for contact formation and Ag-free fingers and busbars for electrical conduction. 

The EcoLife series brings Longi’s back contact technology to the residential solar market with panels that reportedly offer quicker system payback and reduced power degradation over time.

The government of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, is granting grid access to 10 renewable energy and energy storage sites in the new Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), while utility AGL has acquired pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) projects at the Glenbawn and Glennies Creek reservoirs.

EcoFlow’s Home Energy Management System (HEMS) and app is rolling out to the EU market, with AI functions to manage dynamic tariffs and weather for home solar+storage setups.

Sungrow Hydrogen has started production at China’s largest dual-tech green hydrogen project combining PEM and alkaline electrolyzers, while HNO International has partnered with Zhuhai Topower to pilot its modular hydrogen platform in China.

BYD has launched its new Gen4 home battery known as HVB, and is expected to be a popular addition to the residential storage space.

The world’s biggest battery maker unveiled its latest utility-scale battery energy storage product- the Tener Stack – at the Smarter E show. The 9 MWh system supports both centralized and string power conversion system architectures, offering flexibility for a range of deployment scenarios.