Bridgestone World Solar Challenge leaderboard: what’s on deck
This edition of the 3,000 km solar car race across Australia from Darwin to Adelaide has the same teams in the lead in the Challenger class since early on. Each has a 6 m2 solar deck but no two are exactly the same.
US trade court orders retroactive solar duties on Southeast Asian imports
The US Court of International Trade has ruled that the Biden administration’s two-year suspension of solar duty collections was unlawful, clearing the way for retroactive tariffs on billions of dollars of solar gear from Southeast Asia.
Rooftop solar reshaping Australia’s energy mix
The rise of rooftop solar is rapidly reshaping Australia’s energy landscape with a new report revealing that PV systems mounted atop the nation’s buildings contributed 14.7% of the National Electricity Market’s (NEM) total generation in the first quarter of 2025.
Guyana commissions 0.6 MW solar farm on island
The Guyanese government has secured energy independence on Leguan, the country’s second island to do so, with a 0.6 MW grid-forming solar farm and 1.2 MWh of battery storage, according to Prime Minister Mark Phillips.
African PV imports from China up 60% in one year, says Ember
Think tank finds evidence of “take-off” for solar in Africa, with import growth is spread across the continent. Ember analysis notes import surge has potential to markedly increase electricity generating capacity in some countries.
India installs 18 GW of solar in H1 2025
India installed 18 GW of solar in the first half of 2025, a 31% increase from a year earlier, with 11.3 GW commissioned in the second quarter alone, according to Mercom India Research.
Lithuania approves 1.7 GW/4 GWh of energy storage
Lithuania has concluded its latest energy storage procurement round with plans to deploy 1.7 GW/4 GWh, five times its initial 800 MWh target, to strengthen grid flexibility and reliability.
Electrical fault at PV plant triggers forest fire in Spain
A forest fire in southern Spain that burned roughly 800 hectares of pasture, crops, and oak forests originated in an electrical box of a photovoltaic plant’s tracking system, according to the Civil Guard’s Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA).
JA Solar unveils 650 W TOPCon module for desert PV projects
JA Solar has launched DesertBlue, a 650 W tunnel-oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) module for desert PV projects, featuring self-cleaning glass, reinforced frames, and heat-tolerant design with desert-specific certification.
Photovoltaic roofing for airport access roads
The German state of Bavaria has commissioned a €4.2 million ($4.9 million) photovoltaic system along a 35-meter stretch of airport access road near Munich.
