2025

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide more than half a billion dollars in loans to add nearly 1 GWh of capacity via Convergent, to build and operate utility-scale solar-plus-storage in Puerto Rico, improving grid resilience.

Maxeon Solar Technologies and Tongwei have settled a global patent dispute over shingled solar cell and module technologies, ending litigation initiated by Maxeon in Germany in 2023.

Renewables supplied 71% of Portugal’s electricity in 2024, including 10% from solar, as production hit a record 36.7 TWh, according to grid operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN).

Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA) says its feed-in tariff (FIT) for PV systems up to 10 kW in size will be maintained at TWD 5.7055 ($0.17)/kWh, with the aim of further supporting homeowners and small businesses adopting solar.

A tender is open for the design, supply and installation of 10 MW of solar alongside 20 MWh of battery energy storage in northeastern Somalia. The deadline for applications is Feb 10, 2025.

Gambia’s National Water and Electricity Co. (NAWEC) is searching for consultants to update and implement a resettlement plan for regional solar development, with expressions of interest due by Jan. 31, 2025.

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Ines Monroy, founder of Spain-based Licenciasocial.energy. She says the global renewable energy industry should be prepared to adress the so-called authority gap. “When I’ve adopted a neutral, professional tone to convey directives or focus on problem-solving, I’ve been met with comments suggesting that my approach was ‘bossy’ or ‘too harsh.’ My impression is that this reaction stems from ingrained stereotypes that expect women to be overly accommodating, even in roles where decisiveness and objectivity are critical,” she states.

Tesla’s energy storage deployments broke its own year-on-year records in 2024, for another consecutive year.

Moldova expanded its solar capacity to 344 MW by September 2024, up from 185 MW in 2023, according to the National Center for Sustainable Energy (CNED).

Stanford University professor Mark Z. Jacobson spoke to pv magazine about recent research work showing that California could easily rely on a wind-water-solar-dominated large grid. He says the state’s current electricity prices are high because of several reasons that have nothing to do with renewables. These include high fossil gas prices and the cost upgrading aging transmission and distribution lines, among others.