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 India’s renewable ecosystem matures, open access solar is set to become a cornerstone of corporate energy strategy – delivering both cost savings and sustainability gains. Policy clarity, stronger transmission infrastructure, and incentives for storage integration will be key to unlocking the next phase of growth.

Heat pumps are increasingly used for domestic hot water in Europe due to their efficiency and compatibility with solar power, but their lower operating temperatures can create conditions where Legionella pneumophila may grow if systems are poorly designed. Proper hydraulic design, temperature control, and periodic thermal disinfection ensure both high efficiency and safe, hygienic operation.

Nearly 20 years after the first perovskite solar cell was developed, its efficiency and durability are drawing interest from industries worldwide. The defense sector is among the most active, as rising geopolitical tensions drive record government spending to protect critical systems from disruption and attack.

Africa has abundant sunlight, arable land, and innovative farmers, and agrivoltaics offers a long-term strategy to boost food security, climate resilience, and energy access simultaneously. Success depends on coordinated policy, inclusive community engagement, and patient, innovative finance to build a viable, scalable market.

In its second monthly column for pv magazine, the Becquerel Institute explains that Europe has vast commercial and industrial rooftops suitable for solar, but decades-old structural limits block conventional PV panels, creating an 85 GW untapped potential. Lightweight PV modules, commercially available and up to 50% lighter, can unlock this constrained market, meeting regulatory, economic, and technical needs for solar deployment across the continent.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are now an investable asset class, and infrastructure funds are acquiring developer platforms and financing large portfolios to accelerate deployment across Europe. Carlos Candil and Carlo de Haas of Lincoln International break down the trend

The electricity grid is a real bottleneck for energy in the United States, and it’s not only utilities and grid operators who are struggling. Grid congestion also puts pressure on renewable energy project owners and is as much a business problem as it is a technical one, writes Alon Mashkovich, CEO of energy management business software supplier enSights.

Malaysia’s rising power demand, driven by industrial growth and data centers, is exposing grid and capacity constraints, prompting policies like Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme (CRESS) to enable corporate renewable procurement while maintaining system cost recovery. A key factor is the System Access Charge (SAC), whose uncertain future trajectory affects long-term solar PPAs and investment decisions, making scenario-based modelling crucial for assessing project bankability.

This March, Women in Solar+ Europe (WiSEu) is launching its International Women’s Day 2026 campaign: “Beyond 10X: Leadership Without Double Standards.” Inspired by a reflection from Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgár: “I had to prove myself 10 times more than if I’d been born as a boy”, the campaign invites professionals across the solar plus industries to reflect on how leadership is evaluated and how subtle double standards can shape career trajectories.