2025

Researchers in Germany have modeled dozens of indirect-expansion solar-assisted heat pump systems using photovoltaic-thermal panels for single-family homes in Munich, Berlin, and Hamburg. Simulations accounted for local weather, electricity use, and thermal demand.

Chinese solar cell maker Drinda and Turkey’s Schmid Pekintas Energy have revealed plans to jointly develop a 5 GW n-type solar cell facility to bypass EU trade barriers.

The IEA-PVPS 2025 Snapshot of Global PV Markets reveals a pivotal moment for solar power: global PV capacity surpassed 2.2 TW, with more than 600 GW installed in 2024 alone. As module prices fell due to oversupply, installation volumes continued to grow, highlighting both the strength and volatility of the global PV industry.

JinkoSolar led global PV module shipments in 2024, followed by JA Solar, Longi, Canadian Solar and Trina Solar, according to Wood Mackenzie. The research firm notes a growing shift toward full vertical integration among top manufacturers.

Chinese scientists hit 24.6% efficiency with a two-terminal perovskite-CIGS tandem cell by adding D-homoserine lactone hydrochloride (D-HLH) to the perovskite precursor, marking one of the highest reported performances for the technology.

T.J. Rogers, the founder of now-defunct Cypress Semiconductor, is forging global strategic alliances and hunting acquisition targets to restore the SunPower brand to solar-business greatness.

The Chinese PV production equipment provider is expanding to Malaysia with the aim to “enhance supply chain agility and efficiency.”

Germany registered 130 hours of negative day-ahead power prices in May, driven by midday solar oversupply, as PV output regularly outpaced demand. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) says prices dipped below €1/($1.14)MWh for 160 hours.

Anker Solix has unveiled the F3000, a 3-kWh portable power station designed for home backup and off-grid use in the United States and Canada, featuring fast charging, EV and generator compatibility, and scalable capacity up to 12.3 kWh.

Scientists in India have designed a new soiling chamber that is capable of emulating the soiling conditions of a given geographical location in a shorter time frame, hosting larger panels compared to conventional setups. The new chamber can be used to estimate soiling losses and cleaning costs for potential solar power plant sites, to improve existing soiling models, to investigate how factors like tilt angle affect soiling, and to evaluate the effectiveness and durability of anti-soiling coatings.