In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that the end of the Northern Hemisphere spring is creating favorable conditions for solar generation across key markets in the United States, China, and Europe.

With over 50 GW of renewable capacity stranded nationwide as of June 2025, the message is clear: identifying and overcoming the challenges in India’s construction sector is no longer optional but essential to sustain the country’s solar growth.

Korean policy analyst focusing on solar power plant siting and permitting, Daun Kim, has reported on her recent trip to India’s Bhadla Solar Park. The analyst highlights how clear siting policies and streamlined permitting helped India scale renewables, something that South Korea can learn as it pursues a 100 GW renewable energy target by 2030.

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.

While solar modules and batteries have become icons of rapid progress, most energy models are still stuck in the past. A new global analysis shows that the cost of renewable energy has fallen far faster than expected. Solar PV, wind power, and battery technologies have already reached price levels that models once placed many decades ahead – a misplaced pessimism that risks misdirecting billions in climate investment and could distort long-term defossilization strategies.

A US research team has developed all-solid-state sodium batteries that retain performance down to subzero temperatures. The systems utilize a special chloride-based solid-electrolyte-coated cathode.

Australia’s renewable agency says the trial aims to demonstrate faster, lower-cost utility-scale solar deployment in remote regions.

Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say their polymer coating could be used to protect photovoltaic modules, due to its impermeability to gases. The team has demonstrated that a 60-nanometer-thick film can extend the lifetime of a perovskite crystal by several weeks.

LevelTen Energy says US developers have secured federal tax-credit eligibility for most wind and solar projects planned through 2028, even as long-term pipelines thin under new regulatory pressures.

The systems use propane as the refrigerant and range in capacity from 40 kW to 410 kW. Their coefficient of performance reaches up to 3.88.

Swissolar’s “Solar Monitor 2025” report projects annual PV additions of about 1.5 GW through 2027 and urges policymakers to sustain steady growth amid policy uncertainty and lower tariffs.

A team of researchers in Canada has developed the Jericho Open Resistive Data Logger—an open-access photovoltaic (PV) monitoring platform that integrates data acquisition and processing hardware, a software framework, and a comprehensive sensor array. Designed primarily for agrivoltaic applications, the system has a total estimated cost of around $2,000.

Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy says it has created a state-owned solar panel manufacturer with Swedish government backing to supply domestic renewable programs and strengthen local manufacturing.

The Chinese company says its AT-spark has a length of up to 143 m and a rotation range of 60°. It can accommodate up to 120 solar modules.

Thailand’s Ministry of Energy says it is advancing a community solar plan to add up to 1.5 GW of capacity through small ground-mounted projects selling power to local consumers at THB 2.25 ($0.07)/kWh under long-term contracts.

In a major milestone for the two-year-old Series A startup and the broader stationary energy storage sector, US-based Peak Energy has signed a supply agreement potentially worth more than $500 million.

Researchers in China have developed an inverted perovskite solar cell approaching the 27% efficiency threshold. The device incorporates a specially designed self-assembled monolayer that passivates perovskite defects and enhances efficiency.

The Italian specialty module manufacturer has launched a new lightweight, semi-rigid, glass-free silicon solar panel reinforced with a thin aluminum sheet for marine, mobility, and other offgrid applications. The series includes products with a power range of 145 W to 205 W.

New research from Finland shows how spacing between solar modules plays a key role in determing power and crop yield. The scientists found that, at a separation of 8 m, crops received at least 75% of irradiation, which is expected to result in minimal impact compared with an unshaded scenario.

Researchers in United Arab Emirates have developed a novel model that relies on either the open-circuit voltage or the maximum power point voltage to estimate PV module operating temperature without using sensors.

The name reflects the new approach to providing a complete system rather than individual components, and that system will soon include Nextpower power conversion equipment.

mPower Technology Inc. has switched on an automated production line for its silicon solar panels designed for space missions. The site currently has an annual capacity of 1 MW, set to double by the middle of 2026.

Researchers in the Middle East have developed a fuzzy logic controller that simultaneously optimizes the tilt angle of PV systems and performs maximum power point tracking (MPPT). Year-long simulations indicate that the proposed approach increases power generation by approximately 20%.

The solar cells combine multilayer graphene with silicon wafers, harvesting both solar and kinetic energy for continuous operation. Tests show the cells can autonomously power supercapacitors embedded in a temperature sensor.

Swedish heat pump maker Aira unveils new battery energy storage system and inverter range for the residential market. Aira Power Hub inverters and Aira Power Store batteries are marketed as part of a whole home energy management system, initially launching in the United Kingdom and Italy with a German rollout to follow.

The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) says new EU rules will make grid-forming functions mandatory for large-scale storage and renewable plants.

Last year, German network operators received 9,710 connection requests for battery storage systems planned for commissioning at the medium-voltage level. These requests correspond to a total of 400 GW/661 GWh. At the transmission network level, large-scale battery storage projects with a combined capacity of 51 GW have already been approved for development in the coming years.

TWAICE says California’s Senate Bill 283 will shift developers’ focus from hardware redesign to proactive documentation and data-driven safety compliance.

California-based Apparent Inc. has unveiled a new water heater that can reportedly offset 100% of a home’s water heating cost. The system uses low-voltage DC electricity generated by conventional solar panels and a cloud based, machine learning platform that manages energy in real-time.

Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy says it has opened public consultation for a 2026 battery storage auction to contract systems of at least 30 MW that can deliver four hours of power daily under 10-year agreements.