Residential PV

An IEA-PVPS report finds that solar power above 60° North is not only viable but rapidly expanding, driven by cold-climate performance gains, bifacial technologies, and rising energy security needs. While challenges like extreme seasonality, snow, permafrost, and scarce data remain, Arctic PV is emerging as a critical—and technically distinct—frontier for global solar deployment.

Researchers in Brazil tested second-life polycrystalline PV modules for two years and found they retained 87–88% of their original power, with minimal degradation and stable performance. Despite strong sustainability and circular economy benefits, economic incentives remain limited due to the declining cost and short warranties of new state-of-the-art silicon PV modules.

The U.S. Department of Energy is deploying a research framework across four national laboratories to harden the domestic power grid against digital vulnerabilities as solar deployment accelerates.

The UK government is proposing stronger cybersecurity rules for electricity and gas sectors, prompted by recent attacks on European energy infrastructure, including a recent incident involving solar power plants in Poland. The plans would extend baseline cybersecurity requirements to all licensed energy organizations and could also adjust compliance thresholds under NIS regulations.

Lithuania added approximately 600 MW of solar last year, taking total capacity to 3,040 MW. Technical permits have been issued for an additional 4 GW of solar but with grid congestion becoming a primary constraint, future deployments will be increasingly dependent on integration with storage technologies.

A study from the Institute for Essential Services Reform and Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs explores how Indonesia can turn its target of deploying 100 GW of solar from mandate to mobilization.

Researchers in Finland found that dishwashing liquid reduces solar module transmittance and performance, leaving residues even after rinsing. They recommend avoiding its use for cleaning solar panels.

Global solar PV continues its rapid growth, reaching around 650 GW in 2025, with record solar irradiation extremes across regions such as East Asia, India, and Latin America. With current production capacity and emerging technologies like perovskite-silicon tandem modules, PV is poised to surpass all other electricity generation technologies combined by the end of the decade.

Germany’s Federal Network Agency will use a new, structured framework developed by Fraunhofer IOSB-AST to classify cybersecurity incidents in the energy sector. The methodology enables comprehensive risk assessments, from initial reports to systemic and economic impacts, supporting consistent evaluation across the entire energy value chain.

Austria’s photovoltaic market slowed in 2025, with around 1,634 MW of new capacity installed, bringing the country’s total PV capacity to approximately 9.9 GW.