This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Gemma Buckley, Chief Legal Officer at UK-based Solarport. She says that one of the most persistent barriers wome are witnessing is how they are socialised. “Research shows men apply for promotion or a new role when they’re 60% qualified; women wait until they’re 100% qualified. I’ve watched this play out throughout my career,” she states.

The devastating impact of Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 fundamentally transformed how the electric power industry approaches cold weather preparedness, exposing critical Bulk Electric System vulnerabilities and catalyzing sweeping regulatory changes, including new mandatory NERC standards, that renewable energy facilities must now navigate.

Low-cost renewables provide an opportunity for tropical islands to drive a sustainable, secure and self-sufficient economy. Solar PV emerges as the bulk energy provider, driven by excellent resource conditions and fast-improving economic attractiveness. The anticipated momentum of solar PV in tropical islands can best be characterised as a Solar-to-X Economy.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that November brought above-average solar conditions in northern India and Pakistan, while southeastern India and Sri Lanka faced reduced solar output due to Cyclone Ditwah’s storms and heavy cloud cover. Despite southern disruptions, India’s renewable energy share rose, driven by strong solar generation in the north and overall growth in renewable capacity.

A new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance says non-utility community solar expanded meaningfully in only three US states in the third quarter of 2025 amid uneven policy support.

Virya Energy will leverage BayWa re’s local team in Japan to strengthen its position in the country’s lucrative power purchase agreement (PPA) market. The Belgian company will also rely on its Asian affiliate, Constant Energy, headquartered in Thailand.

China Power Construction Corp. (PowerChina) has launched a 31 GW solar module tender for 2026 projects, split across n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon), heterojunction (HJT) and back-contact (BC) technologies as part of a wider 97 GW renewables and grid equipment program.

The italian government says it is fast-tracking utility-scale solar, approving about 710 MW of mainly agrivoltaic projects in Puglia while moving to curb regional limits on where PV plants can be built, sharpening tensions over land use and energy policy.

Chinese battery maker Hithium unveils 1300Ah cell, integrated long-duration system, and lithium-sodium LDES solution for AI data centers.

Blue Current, which has a pilot production line in California, will use funding from an $80 million financing round led by Amazon to advance commercialization of its silicon solid-state battery technology for stationary storage and mobility applications in the United States.

Gokin has launched back-contact solar modules ranging from 480 W to 780 W for residential, C&I and utility-scale projects. The series supports 1,500 V systems and reaches efficiencies of up to 24.8%.

The battery is rated at a nominal 48 V and 314 Ah, with an ingress protection level of IP20.

Mauritius’ Central Electricity Board is running a tender for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of rooftop solar systems, with an added option to procure battery energy storage systems. The deadline for applications is Feb. 2, 2026.

Germany has connected the world’s first supercapacitor-based STATCOM to the grid, with Siemens Energy and transmission system operator TenneT positioning it as a blueprint to replace fossil-fuel generators in providing instantaneous reserve and reactive power.

Another large-scale PV facility is now operating at full capacity in the Australian state of Queensland, as Greek energy company Metlen Energy and Metals has officially activated the 120 MW Munna Creek Solar Farm.

Researchers at MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) in India have developed a liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) system that enables hydrogen to be transported in a stable liquid form. The system is non-flammable, non-explosive, and can be handled at normal temperatures and pressures.

According to Inlyte, the tested unit incorporates what it describes as the world’s largest sodium metal chloride battery cells and modules built to date, with each module capable of storing more than 300 kWh of energy.

A group of scientists has simulated fixed vertical, interspace and overhead single-axis as well as overhead dual-axis agrivoltaic systems for 30 years and has found interspace single-axis system emerged as the most environmentally favorable configuration in Europe.

South Korean researchers developed a process that allows the use of aluminum-doped zinc oxide film in radiation-shielding quartz glass. A demonstration in III-V solar photovoltaic space modules showed it significantly enhanced shielding effect of bare quartz glass.

The Chinese manufacturer said its new Astro 7 TOPCon module features an innovative self-cleaning frame and a power conversion efficiency of 23.2%.

China’s Juhang Energy Technology met with representatives from Pakistan’s Board of Investment to discuss implementation of a solar panel manufacturing facility in Pakistan, aimed at both domestic demand and potential exports.

Waaree Energies says its latest factory expansion strengthens supply to India and the United States as global demand for high-efficiency solar modules accelerates.

Canada’s International Trade Tribunal is running an interim review of the country’s anti-dumping and countervailing duties on solar modules and laminates from China, following a request to exclude flexible solar panels that affix to curved surfaces.

The procurement exercise, the second solar auction under Italy’s Fer X incentive scheme and first to exclude the use of Chinese solar modules, cells and inverters for projects above 1 MW in size, concluded with a final average price of €0.06637/kWh.

Trina Solar and Holosolis signed a strategic cooperation agreement at the recent France–China summit, consolidating the Chinese manufacturer’s role as a key partner in a plan to manufacture 5 GW of solar cells and panels a year.

The European Commission says its new grids package includes €240 billion ($281.8 billion) for hydrogen networks to 2040, alongside fresh Italian State aid for clean tech deployment.

The Hungarian government says its new HUF 100 billion ($305.4 million) program will support 10 kW home battery systems to boost solar self-consumption and cut evening-peak demand.

Energy think tank Ember says utility-scale battery costs can now achieve a levelized cost of storage of $65/MWh outside China and the United States, enabling solar power to be delivered when needed.

Spanish renewables specialist Táctica Industrial says its off-grid photovoltaic system produces green hydrogen at about €400 ($470)/kW using modular alkaline electrolysis without inverters or grid connection.

Naxion Energy says its new sodium-ion systems target residential and commercial users seeking locally made, safer alternatives to legacy backup technologies.