New research confirms residential PV tends to increase household power consumption
New Swiss research shows PV-powered homes can increase power consumption by up to 11% compared to non-solar households. This rise is linked to electric vehicle adoption or other high-usage appliances, which the study’s author notes is not inherently negative or wasteful.
Premier Energies commissions 1.2 GW TOPCon solar cell line in India
Premier Energies has commissioned a 1.2 GW tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell line at Fab City in Hyderabad, India, increasing its total cell manufacturing capacity to 3.2 GW.
Suntex integrates organic PV into sturdy textiles for outdoor use
A European team from industry and academia is integrating organic solar cells into woven polyester textiles for outdoor use, such as in tents or canopies. The Suntex project also focuses on improving the durability and efficiency of organic photovoltaics.
Neara calls for smarter grid to cut delays in Australia transmission
Jack Curtis, co-founder of Australia-based grid software firm Neara, says upgrading existing transmission networks could unlock capacity faster and with lower risk than new projects backed by the country’s AUD 2.1 billion (USD 1.4 billion) budget allocation for long-distance lines.
UK records 513 MW of January-May solar additions
Inclusion of deployment figures sourced from Ofgem bring UK solar capacity close to 19 GW. Latest electricity generation data shows strong start to 2025 for solar.
Sonnen launches virtual power plant in Canadian sustainable home community
As a prototype, the Blatchford Lands virtual power plant (VPP) launches with 100 Sonnen batteries across the community, providing nearly 0.5 MW of power and more than 2 MWh of storage capacity to support the Canadian energy grid.
Sinovoltaics tracks 86.5 GW of module output capacity for Southeast Asia
PV module manufacturing capacity in Southeast Asia has reached 86.5 GW across 61 active sites, according to Hong Kong-based quality assurance firm Sinovoltaics. The figures come from the company’s latest “Southeast Asia Solar Supply Chain Map” report.
Italy extends construction deadline for agrivoltaic tender
Italy has extended the construction deadline for 1.5 GW of awarded agrivoltaic projects to June 30, 2026, after developers failed to meet the original timeline.
Manitoba launches retrofit program to cut home heating costs
The Canadian province of Manitoba has launched the Affordable Home Energy Program to support ground-source heat pump adoption in electrically heated homes. The initiative, run by Efficiency Manitoba, offers no-upfront-cost options and could cut household electricity bills by up to CAD 1,000 ($730) per year.
Jinko Solar expects transition phase for PV market to last until 2027-28
JinkoSolar expects the PV market transition to last until 2027-28 due to negative power prices and project delays in Europe. In an exclusive interview with pv magazine, Vice President Europe Frank Niendorf says growth will recover as storage and hybrid systems expand and consolidation progresses.
