In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that december brought striking contrasts in solar irradiance across Europe, with Northern Europe experiencing irradiance levels up to 30% below the already dim seasonal average, while regions south of Europe’s major mountain ranges saw irradiance up to 30% above typical levels.

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Brigite Gonçalves, Head of Utility-Scale PV Business Developer at Portugal’s EnergyCon. She says Women in the solar industry face unique challenges, such as underrepresentation in decision-making roles and the persistence of unconscious biases. “To achieve equity, the solar sector must prioritize structural changes, including accessible mentoring and sponsorship programs tailored for women,” she states.

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.

As the global solar energy industry grows, so does the need for accurate monitoring of performance and financial viability. The latest report by IEA PVPS Task 13, “Best Practice Guidelines for the Use of Economic and Technical KPIs,” provides a comprehensive framework to address this issue. This article explores the importance, methodologies, and applications of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), with a focus on their role in optimizing PV systems.

Solar and wind are being installed at a rate that is five times faster than all other new electricity sources combined. This offers compelling market-based evidence that PV and wind are now the most competitive and practical methods for deploying new generating capacity.

Malaysia’s Energy Commission has launched an open tender seeking 2 GW of large-scale solar projects, with capacities ranging from 10 MW to 500 MW, to support the nation’s clean energy transition.

The Romanian Ministry of Energy has announced a new round of funding from the Modernization Fund dedicated to battery energy storage systems.

The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association predicts that deployment will accelerate as a strong pipeline of private and public utility-scale projects offsets the decline in installations from 2023 levels.

Denmark installed 545 MW of solar in 2024, with utility-scale projects driving market growth, according to Danish solar association Dansk Solcelleforening.

Brazil’s national accreditation body, Inmetro, has authorized six labs across the country to test solar modules.

Uruguay’s National Administration of Electric Power Plants and Transmissions (UTE) has kicked off a tender for a 75 MW solar project in Cerro Largo, with operations set to begin between March and June 2028. The bidding process will close in January 2026.

Scientists have measured the performance of PV modules under strong soiling conditions in Saudi Arabia and have identified the most suitable tilt angles for improving power generation. They have also found that a key role is played by rain intensity, dust, sandstorms, and cloud cover.

The researchers conducted a case study on a solid oxide fuel cell system deployed in a nearly zero-energy single-floor villa with a size of 80 m2 located in southern Italy. They found that, in particular conditions of photovoltaic production, the system is not only able to meet the home electric loads, but also to inject surplus energy into the network.

From modest beginnings in 2011, Power Capital Renewable Energy (PCRE) has become one of Ireland’s foremost independent power producers (IPPs). Joint CEO and co-founder Justin Brown told pv magazine that despite Ireland’s challenging environment for solar, the company sees a lot of opportunity and is taking full advantage.

German scientists have identified 18 typologies of power purchase agreements for the renewable energy market. Their research is intended to support policymakers, scientists and investors in implementing their own PPA analysis and choices.

Researchers in India have demonstrated a wet chemical process to recover silicon with high purity from end-of-life solar panels, which they used to make functionalized silica nanoparticles. Tests of the processed nanoparticles in anti-corrosion coatings showed a corrosion protection efficiency of 99.5 %, which they said was 200 times lower corrosion rate compared to uncoated silica nanoparticles.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) has released its first map of potential geologic hydrogen reserves in the United States, while Plug Power has secured a $1.66 billion US government loan guarantee to scale low-carbon hydrogen production nationwide.

Qcells has launched an intellectual property (IP) dispute over alleged unauthorized use of its patented laser-enhanced contact opening (LECO) tech in tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells. The case underscores rising tensions in the PV industry over TOPCon patents.

The Danish manufacturer said its novel CO2 heat pumps can reach a water inlet temperature of 40 C and a water outlet temperature of 95 C. The systems have purportedly a combined coefficient of performance of up to 5.56.

The new 51.2 kWh modular storage system connects to European wholesale electricity markets such as NordPool and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to track and analyze dynamic tariffs. It offers three-phase backup and is virtual power plant-ready.

Longi has issued a profit warning for 2024, forecasting a net loss of up to $1.11 billion – a sharp decline from last year’s profit of $1.42 billion.

Work has begun on the Swiss Madrisa Solar project, a 12 MW alpine PV installation located at an elevation of 2,000 m near a ski resort of the village of Klosters. It is part of the Solar Express initiative designed to boost domestic winter energy production.

The solar industry has dragged its heels on the issue of silver-dependence for cell metallization, but China’s Jiangsu Xianghuan Technology (JXTC) is moving into commercial production with a copper plating process that overcomes many of the challenges that have limited interest from cell manufacturers.

The Chinese inverter said its new inverters have an MPPT current of up to 54 A and support more than a 150% DC/AC ratio. The new products also feature a maximum efficiency of 98.8% and a European efficiency rate of 98.3%.

Scientists have placed four PV panels in a 21-meter wind tunnel and run different tests regarding tilt angles, mounting height, spacing, and incoming flow direction. They found that when the spacing between panels exceeds twice the panel height, the mutual influence on dust deposition becomes negligible.

Big BESS battery energy storage systems (BESS) are booming in Australia, with almost 5 GW of projects under construction last year, according Rystad Energy. While encouraging, it reports that the volume remains insufficient to overcome growing rates of renewable curtailment.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but an investigation will begin once the fire is extinguished.

Clean Energy Associates says it has identified five looming risks to the US battery energy storage industry, as analysts predict significant policy shifts under US President Donald Trump’s upcoming administration.

China is building its first gigawatt-scale residential virtual power plant (VPP) in Jiangsu province. The project will connect millions of high-power household appliances to a cloud-based energy pool to improve grid stability and boost renewable energy use.

India could achieve self-reliance in battery cell manufacturing by domestically recycling lithium and reusing it in batteries, an Indian government official claimed this week at a battery manufacturing conference in in New Delhi.