Commercial & Industrial PV

The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy has introduced a policy designed to support deployment of solar systems for self-consumption, with the first phase of the policy targeting the agricultural sector.

New research from Italy has shown that agrivoltaic systems can reduce potato yield by up to 15% compared to full-light cropping. However, moderate early-season shading was found to delay soil-moisture depletion, extending biomass accumulation and improving water-use efficiency.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that January 2026 began with relatively mild, solar-favorable conditions across much of the eastern U.S., but ended with Winter Storm Fern, as a polar vortex disruption triggered widespread cold, clouds, and sharply reduced solar generation. A rare S4-level solar radiation storm was also recorded in mid-January, though it had no direct impact on photovoltaic performance or solar data quality.

The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity published a report on instability detection technologies to help countries with high renewable energy shares maintain grid reliability. The study highlights key tools, research priorities, and the need for stakeholder collaboration to advance real-time monitoring and data-driven decision-making.

The country’s cumulative installed PV capacity reached 43.5 GW at the end of December, according to the latest figures released by Italian grid operator Terna.

Rooftop solar installations in Australia declined sharply in January, with small-scale technology certificate (STC) volumes down 32% month on month after four consecutive months of growth, according to market analyst SunWiz. It says the result was broadly in line with seasonal norms and does not signal a trend for 2026.

An international study finds that successful agrivoltaic projects require farm-specific, holistic co-design that integrates PV layout with agricultural mechanization from the earliest planning stages. Without proper alignment between machinery, crops, and PV systems, agrivoltaics risk major land loss, lower field efficiency, and higher operating costs, undermining farm profitability.

The Global Solar Council’s Africa market outlook report says the continent saw its fastest year for solar growth to date in 2025. Its medium-term outlook forecasts Africa to install over 31.5 GW of solar by 2029, with distributed and utility-scale markets set to continue their expansion across an increasing number of countries.

Swiss startup Sun-Ways is testing removable solar panels installed on an operational railway line through a pilot project with French railway operator SNCF in Switzerland.

Armenia enjoyed a record year for solar deployment last year, surpassing 1 GW of cumulative solar capacity. The market is currently led by autonomous solar producers, of which there are now more than 50,000 in the country.