Patrick Jowett
European prosecutor investigates suspected solar tender fraud in Slovenia
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating an unnamed solar company after it breached conditions of a public tender for the co-financing of small solar plants. The office says house searches were carried out this week by Slovenian police, leading to the seizure of documents, electronic data and devices.
Croatia to invest €40 million in household solar, batteries, heat pumps
The Croatian government’s latest set of energy support measures includes new financing for residential solar, batteries and heat pumps, expected to support up to 15,000 applications, as well as an extension of existing electricity price subsidies for homeowners.
Energy transitions continue to produce spillover effects despite geopolitical tensions
Accelerating energy transitions in major economies can create positive spillover effects worldwide, even amid geopolitical tensions, with North America and the Eurozone boosting progress in other regions.
Sekisui-led consortium testing film-type perovskite solar for agrivolatics
A Japanese consortium is piloting agrivoltaics using film-type perovskite solar cells over rice paddies to study energy generation alongside crop production. The three-year project will assess impacts on rice yield, land use, and emissions while testing the technology’s performance and commercial viability.
Saudi Arabia adds around 7.8 GW of solar in 2025
Saudi Arabia had a record year for solar deployment last year, taking cumulative capacity past 12.4 GW. GlobalData is forecasting annual deployments to increase in the coming years but notes that they remain behind the pace required to meet the country’s target of 130 GW of renewables by 2030, instead nearing the goal by 2035.
Tesla advances plan to build 100 GW of U.S. PV manufacturing capacity by 2028
Job advertisements on Tesla’s website outline the 100 GW ambition and follow reports the company is in talks with Chinese firms for the purchase of $2.9 billion worth of equipment for solar manufacturing.
Slovakia deploys 243 MW of solar in 2025
Slovakia’s total solar additions last year fall in line with those seen the prior two years, with cumulative capacity now standing in excess of 1.3 GW.
European residential heat pump sales increased in 2025
Analysis across 16 European countries finds an around 240,000 increase in the number of residential heat pump sales year-on-year. The European Heat Pump Association attributes the upward trend to governments stabilizing subsidy schemes.
Ghana plans to procure 200 MW of battery storage
Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition says the country will advertise competitive bidding processes to deploy 200 MW of battery storage across the country. Ghana’s current installed battery capacity stands at 10 MWh.
Türkiye’s solar capacity surpasses 25 GW
Alparslan Bayraktar, Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, says 2026 will be a record year for renewables in the country after total deployed solar reached 25,827 MW by the end of January.
