Faster-than-expected price falls and global oversupply of batteries will go up against a rising tide of global protectionism this year. So how will it all shape up for the energy storage industry? Storage industry thought leader and UN adviser Marek Kubik considers the key issues.
This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Hildagarde McCarville, CEO of UK-based Anesco. She believes the evolving renewables industry presents a huge opportunity for women, and also for leadership teams to actively help drive the transition to greater diversity and equity.
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that January was an eventful month for European weather, with a series of named storms impacting Western Europe and Scandinavia. Solar irradiance was above average in the British Isles and around the Black Sea, where periods of high pressure allowed for clearer skies.
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 IEC is preparing a new skills competence scheme for workers involved in the solar photovoltaic market. The Secretary of IEC TC 82, George Kelly, tells us about this new scheme and reflects on the standardization challenges for his TC.
Colombia installed 1.6 GW of solar in 2024, bringing its total capacity to 1.87 GW by year-end. Industry group Ser Colombia says 33 utility-scale projects accounting for 1,410 MW were added to the grid.
Singapore-based Canopy Power has teamed with Norwegian floating PV specialist Ocean Sun aiming to accelerate the deployment of floating solar technology across Australia.
Waaree Energies has started commercial production from the first 1.4 GW of its planned 5.4 GW solar cell manufacturing capacity in Gujarat, India.
The Canadian building-integrated PV manufacturer has launched semi-transparent and opaque solar PV railing systems for balconies or walkways, for retrofit or new buildings. The products are delivered with support bars, concealed cabling and a choice of mounting systems.
Estonia added a record 513 MW of new solar capacity in 2024, bringing its total installed PV capacity to more than 1.3 GW, according to the Estonian Chamber of Renewable Energy (Eesti Taastuvenergia Koda).
The Ministry of Finance and Planning of the Maldives is seeking a developer for the installation of a 100 MW to 150 MW solar project. The deadline for expressions of interest is Feb. 27.
Spanish company Fator has launched a new rivet and riveting tool to install solar panels on trackers. It claims that they have anti-corrosion properties and offer faster installation than conventional systems.
Cyprus installed 159 MW of new solar capacity in 2024, bringing its total to 797 MW by year-end, according to the latest data from the Cypriot transmission grid operator.
Germany’s latest auction for utility-scale solar concluded with prices ranging from €0.0388 ($0.0400)/kWh to €0.0495/kWh. The procurement exercise was significantly oversubscribed.
The French Senate has approved France’s 2025 Budget Law, cutting the value-added tax (VAT) to 5.5% for PV systems up to 9 kW from October 2025. Industry professionals say the delay might prompt homeowners to postpone installations to secure the lower rate.
Only a day before cutting ties with the Russian power grid, Lithuania announced the launch of a major energy storage procurement exercise.
Deye said its new single-phase off-grid inverters have an AC output power ranging from 3.6 kW to 6 kW. The systems feature a maximum efficiency of 97.6% and a European efficiency rate of 96.5%.
The manufacturer claims the new products are particularly suitable for older homes, renovations in extreme climates. All models are said to provide “reliable” cooling and heating at temperatures spanning from -30 C to 50 C.
UtmoLight says it has launched the world’s first gigawatt-scale perovskite solar module production line at a facility in Wuxi, China. The plant will annually produce 1.8 million panels, with a target of achieving 20% efficiency in mass production by 2025.
A before-after-control-impact study conducted at six French lakes for three years has revealed that PV coverage decreases water temperature by 1.2 C on average. The reduction in water temperature also occurred in areas of the lakes that were not covered with modules.
JinkoSolar has sued Longi for alleged patent infringement in Australia, its third legal action against the company this year, following filings in China and Japan. The lawsuit, filed in the Federal Court of Australia, claims that Longi used an unspecified solar cell technology.
China exported 235.93 GW of PV panels in 2024, a 13% increase over the previous year. Of this, 94.4 GW were shipped to Europe, down 7% from 2023.
China has announced new export restrictions on materials essential for the thin-film solar industry, including critical minerals such as tungsten, tellurium, and indium.
India’s solar cell manufacturing capacity will reach 50 GW to 55 GW by fiscal 2027, from 10 GW at the end of fiscal 2024, says Crisil Ratings
Tata Power’s TP Solar unit has opened a 4.3 GW solar cell and module factory in India. Women constitute 80% of the workforce at the facility.
Rotterdam-based S4 Energy is now operating 10 MW / 40 MWh Tesla Megapack battery energy storage system (BESS) in the Netherlands.
The Somali government has kicked off a tender for the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a 55 MW solar plant with a 160 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Mogadishu. The deadline for applications is April 14, 2025.
A report from BloombergNEF said fixed-axis solar levelized cost of energy is expected to fall to $0.035/kWh, while battery energy storage LCOE is expected to decrease 11%.
Carrier, a US-based heating solutions provider, said its new AquaSnap 61AQ heat pump system can deliver high-temperature heating up to 75 C at outdoor temperatures as low as -7 C. The new product is available with capacities ranging from 40 kW to 140 kW.
Scientists have conducted an analysis of 20 years of academic publications about PV-powered electric cooking and have found interest in the field peaked in 2021-2022 in both developing and developed countries. They have also outlined some potential future developments.