Sojitz, Kansai Electric sign 20-year PPA to power titanium plant in Japan
Sojitz has signed a 20-year corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) with Kansai Electric Power and Osaka Titanium Technologies to deliver solar energy from hundreds of distributed-generation sites.
New cooling gel could raise PV module efficiency by 12%
Researchers in Saudi Arabia have developed a hydrogel composite that absorbs moisture in solar modules overnight and facilitates evaporative cooling throughout daylight hours. The system has undergone lab tests and outdoor experiments on two continents.
2025: A landmark year for solar energy
The IEA-PVPS 2025 Snapshot of Global PV Markets reveals a pivotal moment for solar power: global PV capacity surpassed 2.2 TW, with more than 600 GW installed in 2024 alone. As module prices fell due to oversupply, installation volumes continued to grow, highlighting both the strength and volatility of the global PV industry.
Germany registers 130 hours of negative day-ahead power prices in May
Germany registered 130 hours of negative day-ahead power prices in May, driven by midday solar oversupply, as PV output regularly outpaced demand. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) says prices dipped below €1/($1.14)MWh for 160 hours.
Aerocompact introduces tool-free PV mounting system
Austria’s Aerocompact says its new PV mounting system can be installed on foil, bitumen, gravel, and concrete rooftops. It can reportedly withstand wind loads of up to 1.7 kN/m2 and snow loads of up to 3.5 kN/m2.
Hoarfrost-inspired technique to improve MPPT in PV systems under partial shading
Scientists in China have introduced developments to the RIME optimization method, which takes inspiration from the developmental course of hoarfrost in nature. They have compared it to other MPPT algorithms and found it to be faster and to improve power output.
China’s XYZ launches 261 kWh immersion-cooled commercial battery
Immersion-cooled batteries submerge cells in a special liquid as a fire-protection measure, as XYZ executive Zha Qing explained to pv magazine at May’s Intersolar Europe trade show.
High pressure ridge splits Australia’s solar output in Autumn
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that irradiance across large portions of eastern Australia fell by up to 20% below the seasonal norm in autunm.
Fortescue secures approval for 644 MW solar hub in Australia
Mining giant Fortescue has secured approval from the Western Australian government for a 644 MW solar farm that will help power its operations in the state’s Pilbara region.
California’s regulatory war over rooftop solar
California’s rooftop solar industry faces renewed pressure as the state’s supreme court takes up a legal challenge to its controversial NEM 3.0 policy.
