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.

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) reflects on the need for tangible DEI practices and inclusive leaders who understand the meaning of equity and diversity to create inclusive environments that acknowledge individual needs and systemic barriers. Addressing these aspects is critical to fuel innovation, creativity, and resilience to overcome the challenges of our sectors in the energy transition.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that the US Midwest enjoyed exceptional conditions with irradiance up to 10% above normal across the year, while areas along the Gulf Coast and much of the West Coast experienced slightly below-average sunshine.

The IEC has launched a new portfolio of carbon footprint verification services to help build trust and credibility in companies’ commitment to monitoring and reducing their emissions.

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.

Sweden installed about 1 GW of solar in 2024, matching 2022 levels after a record 2023.

The Czech government has approved new legislation for agrivoltaics. The measures extend the amount of crop types that agrivoltaics can be deployed on and defines two categories of permissible agrivoltaic systems.

The proposed system uses waste heat by thermally coupling a water lithium bromide absorption heat transformer with a water vapor compression heat
pump. It reportedly achieved a temperature elevation of up to 110 C and ultra-high temperature heating of up to 180 C.

The controller integrates selected third-party products into the SolarEdge EMS ecosystem by connecting to a household’s internet router via the local area network (LAN). It can communicate with inverters, electric vehicle chargers, heat pumps and SolarEdge’s servers.

The plant features 12 reversible pump-turbine units, each with a capacity of 300 MW, including two variable-speed units, bringing the total installed capacity to 3.6 GW.

Researchers have tested eight stand-alone deep learning methods for PV cell fault detection and have found that their accuracy was as high as 73%. All methods were trained and tested on the ELPV benchmark dataset, which includes 2,624 electroluminescence (EL) images of PV cells.

Norway deployed 148.68 MW of solar in 2024, pushing its cumulative installed PV capacity past 750 MW.

The government of the Canadian province of Ontario is launching an energy rebate program later this month, offering up to 30% off the cost of residential rooftop solar panels, heat pumps, and battery storage for homes.

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has released a final determination to allow virtual power plants (VPPs) to compete directly with large-scale generators in the energy market, scheduled to begin in 2027.

Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Water and Electricity Co. (EWEC) has invited 16 companies and consortia to submit proposals for a 1.5 GW solar project in the Al Dhafra region, with responses due by the second quarter of this year.

Techno-economic analysis conducted by NREL researchers has shown how perovskite-silicon tandem solar modules could currently hardly compete in cost with incumbent PV panels. Production costs for U.S.-made tandem products were found to range between $0.29/W and $0.42/W, with module efficiencies ranging from 25% to 30%.

European researchers are developing miniaturized space propulsion technology that is propellant-free and based on electrodynamic tethers integrating perovskite-copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) tandem solar cells. It is meant to maneuver satellites in space or in de-orbiting without relying on heavy propellants on board.

Scientists in Korea have fabricated a solar-powered charging device that can reportedly achieve a power density of 2,555.6 W kg and an energy efficiency of 63%. The system uses nickel-based compounds to enhance the electrochemical performance of its electrodes.

The UK’s University of Swansea is leading a consortium that aims to develop sustainable next-generation perovskite solar manufacturing in Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Kenya.

A case study analysis by Norway’s Over Easy Solar has found that vertical rooftop solar panels outperform conventional rooftop PV systems during snowy months. Energy yield was up to 30% higher in the winter months in Norway, according to the company.

Saatvik Green Energy has signed a contract to supply 1 GW of n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar panels.

Romania’s Ministry of Energy has given the green light to a 1.5 GW solar panel factory to be built in the northeastern part of the country.

Researchers have suggested to use a hybrid version of the so-called salp swarm algorithm (SSA) algorithm for maximum power point tracking in PV systems operating under highly fluctuating environmental conditions. The novel method also integrates the hill climbing algorithm, which simulates the process of climbing a mountain and reportedly helps find the best possible solution to a given problem.

Indian float glass manufacturer Gold Plus Glass has commissioned a new PV glass factory with an installed production capacity of 109,500 metric tons per year.

Chinese module maker GCL SI has expanded into back contact (BC) solar cell production with its first 660 W BC module, featuring tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) technology.

A massive 2.4 GW solar power plant with a 2:1 DC-to-AC ratio, coupled with six hours of energy storage, has been approved in northern Oregon.

Sierra Leone’s government is working with the European Union to launch a results-based financing mechanism, offering grants to private developers to build, own, and operate minigrids across the country.

The Chinese manufacturer said the latest version of its Phnix HeatMaster heat pump series enables seamless integration with PV arrays. The systems have a coefficient of performance of up to 5 and can reach an outlet water temperature of 75 C.

Researchers in Germany have developed a simulation software tool that visualizes heat flows in existing district heating networks and is capable of predicting load peaks. It can also be used to help plan and commission new grids.

Scientists in China have used ground heat exchangers based on volcanic tuff stones to improve storage capabilities and efficiency of photovoltaic-thermal systems. Their experiments showed that the proposed combination effectively improves PV module cooling and thermal efficiency.