Taiwan to revise environmental impact rules amid floating solar scrutiny
The Taiwanese government has revealed plans to update environmental impact assessment (EIA) standards for solar projects, following storm-related damage to installations and growing public concern over floating PV deployment.
South Africa simplifies registration process for distributed PV
South African utility Eskom is urging consumers with grid-tied rooftop solar to register their systems and integrate them with the national grid, waiving registration fees until March 2026.
Philippines raises FIT levy for renewable payments
The energy regulator of the Philippines has approved an increase in the feed-in tariff allowance (FIT-All) to PHP 0.2073 ($0.004)/kWh from PHP 0.1189, with the new rate set to take effect next month.
Nearly half of solar capacity will be co-located with storage by 2060, says DNV
DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook 2025 report also predicts that distributed generation solar should begin outpacing utility-scale installations in some parts of the world by 2060. It adds that the levelized cost of electricity for solar is beginning to plateau and is expected to slow to an annual drop below 1% by the 2050s.
Optimizing solar-plus-storage operation for markets with imbalance penalties
Scientists in Japan have used a deep reinforcement learning–based AI model to calculate discrepancies between the planned and actual electricity supply volumes in PV-battery systems operating in markets where grid imbalances are penalized. Through a series of simulations, they found that the proposed methodology can reduce imbalance penalties by approximately 47%.
Romania drafts cybersecurity rules for PV, cogeneration up to 1 MW
Romania plans to amend its energy law to require the National Cybersecurity Directorate (DNSC) to define technical standards for PV and cogeneration systems up to 1 MW, aimed at preventing data breaches and safeguarding grid operations.
Deployable tracker-based rooftop PV system for stadiums
An international research team has developed a tracker-based rooftop PV system that can be installed on both new and existing stadiums. The proposed design reportedly allows for easier deployment and delivers higher power output compared to conventional stadium PV covers.
Mexico targets up to 9.5 GW of solar and wind by 2030
Mexico’s Secretaría de Energía (Sener) plans to add 6.4 GW to 9.5 GW of renewable capacity while keeping state-owned CFE’s share above 54%, integrating storage and efficiency measures to stabilize the grid.
Sunny summer forecast for South America despite La Niña
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that emergence of a weak La Niña in the tropical Pacific is expected to reinforce sunny conditions over the southern parts of the continent, including Chile, Argentina, and southern Brazil.
France certifies first solar panels eligible for reduced 5.5% VAT
France’s Certisolis approved four Voltec Solar panels and one Meyer Burger module with carbon footprints under 530 kg CO₂/kWp, making them potentially eligible for the country’s 5.5% VAT rate.
