Korea National Railway has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea’s Qcells to expand solar deployment across railway assets as part of its energy transition strategy.

The South Korean government has announced plans to invest KRW 321 billion ($222.6 million) in 2026 to upgrade regional distribution networks, deploy 85 energy storage systems, and expand solar integration while piloting microgrids and market reforms.

Intertek CEA has acquired German PV inspection specialist Aerial PV Inspection GmbH (AePVI) to expand high-speed drone and ground-based quality assurance for utility-scale solar assets across Europe.

European businesses installed roughly 20 GW of commercial and industrial (C&I) solar in 2024, but only around 1 GW/2 GWh of C&I battery storage. The gap is striking. Both technologies promise lower energy bills, improved resilience, and decarbonization, but batteries are yet to achieve the same commercial traction that solar enjoys. LCP Delta’s Dina Darshini asks why the gap persists.

UK-based Octopus Energy has agreed to set up a joint venture in China focused on spot power trading, in a bid to scale renewable electricity volumes as market reforms and demand growth accelerate.

Solar Energy Expo 2026, Poland’s flagship PV-plus-storage trade fair, returned this month with a small show-floor footprint but a sharp focus on flexibility and market reform, as well as the storage, inverter and grid-forming technologies shaping the nation’s next phase of grid integration.

The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation to assess whether a €61 million ($71.6 million) arbitration award in favor of Malta-based ACF Renewable Energy is compatible with EU State aid rules.

The Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association (JPEA) has released a voluntary reference guide to support adoption of vertical bifacial PV in Japan, outlining design, performance, and compliance considerations for projects in snow-prone, high-latitude, and space-constrained conditions.

A team at Tokyo University of Science (TUS) has identified a structural mechanism by which adding small amounts of scandium to layered sodium manganese oxide cathodes slows the degradation that typically limits sodium-ion battery lifetimes.

National University of Singapore scientists claim that vapor-deposited perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells built on industrial silicon wafers achieve both high efficiency and long-term thermal stability, addressing a central barrier to commercial deployment.