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.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports a mixed picture for solar irradiance across North America, influenced by the weak La Niña pattern that first emerged in the tropical Pacific last year.

Most studies of European 100% renewable energy overlook pumped-hydro energy storage (PHES), for the following, incorrect, reasons: there are few PHES sites; more dams on rivers are required; large areas of land are flooded; large amounts of water are required; there is a heavy environmental cost; and the capital cost of PHES is high. All these perceptions are wrong.

Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) are emerging as essential tools, enabling consumers to navigate grid complexities, optimize energy usage, and contribute to a more resilient and low-carbon grid.

The Caribbean stands to benefit from low-cost renewable energy solutions, reducing the energy system cost, mitigating climate risks, and driving a clean energy transition. With solar PV as the cornerstone technology, the region is poised to transition to a solar-to-X Economy, leveraging its abundant renewable resources to achieve carbon neutrality.

Distributed solar fell 11% in 2024, dragged down by the residential segment, according to Ohm Analytics’s report on the fourth quarter of 2024. However, signs of recovery emerged with a strong fourth quarter and increasing installation volumes throughout the year.

A total of PLN 4 billion ($1 billion) will be distributed under the subsidy scheme by the end of 2025 in a bid to bring online more than 5 GWh of energy storage projects by 2028.

The country’s cumulative installed PV capacity reached approximately 102.3 GW at the end of February.

Dhaka Electric Supply Co. (Desco), a Bangladeshi power distribution company, has launched a tender for 120 MW of on-grid solar, to be installed in eight lots of 15 MW. The deadline for applications is May 5.

Fraunhofer ISE researchers investigating the impact of single-axis trackers on energy yield and agricultural losses in agrivoltaics have found that their use created an optimal balance between light available for photosynthesis and light available for electricity production.

The Chinese manufacturer said its new propane heat pump can reach a coefficient of performance of up to 5.25 and provide hot water at 80 C.

Northern Ireland turned down 16.9% of its solar in 2024, up from 7.9% in 2023.

Spanish startup BlueSolar has unveiled a patented PV-CSP system that combines hybrid panels and thermal storage to deliver uninterrupted solar power. The technology uses optical light filters to generate electricity and capture heat for storage or steam, targeting large-scale plants in high-solar-resource markets.

Belgian smart energy firm Innovoltus is challenging a new rule from the Flanders energy agency in Belgium capping plug-in solar panels at 800 W per meter, arguing the region lacks authority to impose the limit. The move comes as the country begins sales of plug-in solar panels and home batteries ahead of an April 17 connection date.

Nexol Photovolthermic AG has developed a new hybrid solar water heater for residential use, offering 1.5 kW of heating output and sizes ranging from 80 to 300 liters.

A university team in Poland has developed lightweight bifacial vehicle integrated PV (VIPV) mini-modules with back contact cells and glass fiber-reinforced composite sheets. Fabricated in a low-cost process, larger versions of the device are planned for use in a custom-built solar car for international competitions.

Scientists in Spain have investigated the total or partial interruptions of ribbons that connect solar cells in modules and have proposed a classification based on their type and location.

A research group from France claims to have found a way to reduce indium consumption in heterojunction solar modules by 85 % while maintaining good performances and durability levels. The scientists tested different cell designs and the use of several capping layers to protect the cell from moisture degradation.

This is a proof-of-concept 1.22 kg laptop with a solar panel integrated into the lid, capable of absorbing enough sunlight in 20 minutes to power the device’s video for an hour.

P3C Technology and Solutions plans to initially produce the 30 cm2 modules at a pilot 60 MW manufacturing facility.

Scientists in China have analyzed the impact of soiling of PV module performance and have found that tilt angle has the greatest impact, followed by irradiance intensity and dust deposition density.

The Turkish Antarctic Expedition placed four different PV module types – monocrystalline, polycrystalline, flexible and transparent – outside of their research camp for three months to compare performance, finding that monocrystalline was the clear winner.

India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has ruled that solar cells made with imported diffused silicon wafers, known as “blue wafers,” do not qualify for government programs requiring domestically manufactured PV cells.

Charge Robotic’s portable factory system assembles solar equipment including tracks, mounting brackets and panels on-site and then puts it into place via an automated robotic vehicle. The company’s first commercial deployments are scheduled for this year.

Researchers from UNSW and Longi have found that the silicon nitride layers used in TOPCon cell rear-side are particularly prone to chemical degradation from sodium contaminants. This can lead to significant open-circuit voltage losses and reduce cell efficiency.

In a major policy shift toward electricity market liberalization, China has introduced contract-for-difference (CfD) auctions for renewable plants and removed the energy storage mandate, which has driven up to 75% of national demand to date. S&P Global expects the move to reverberate through the global battery storage supply chain, further driving down prices already at historic lows.

TotalEnergies says it has signed a 15-year deal with RWE to buy 30,000 tons of green hydrogen per year from a 300 MW electrolyzer in Germany, while Plug Power has announced a partnership with Southwire to create a clean hydrogen ecosystem in Texas.

Pairing solar plants with battery energy storage systems (BESS) will be the main strategic focus for the country’s upcoming renewable energy auction. Each project must have a minimum storage duration of four hours to ensure sufficient grid support and energy reliability.

Norway’s Scatec Asa has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Egypt Aluminium for a 1.1 GW solar plant with 100 MW/200 MWh of battery energy storage. The agreement has been billed as Egypt’s first utility-scale PPA with an industrial offtaker.

The administrative provisions regulating the integration of EES into the National Electric System are in effect as of Monday. The incorporation of 8,412 MW of EES is planned for the 2024-2038 fiscal year.