Research shows how Japan’s PV market suffered from high feed-in tariffs
A team of researchers based in Japan and Sweden have found a correlation between higher feed-in tariffs and increased capital expenditures of solar projects in Japan. They suggest this may have led to a lack of incentive for developers to innovate or reduce costs, in turn inflating expenditure and hindering long-term market competitiveness.
Swiss startup offers project management software for solar installers
Software company Solarstream provides a project management tool for installation teams, including traditional PV installers and electricians serving the solar market. The software is suitable for projects of all sizes, from large-sized commercial and industrial to residential installations.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: New solar additions hit 59.71 GW in Q1
China installed 59.71 GW of new solar in the first quarter of 2025, with 20.24 GW in March alone. National power generation capacity reached 3.43 TW, with solar accounting for 950 GW of the total.
Spain hits first weekday of 100% renewable power on national grid
Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable energy for the first time on April 16, with wind, solar, and hydro meeting all peninsular electricity demand during a weekday. Five days later, solar set a new record, generating 20,120 MW of instantaneous power – covering 78.6% of demand and 61.5% of the grid mix.
France deploys 1.4 GW of solar in Q1
France installed 1.4 GW of solar in the first quarter of 2025, bringing its cumulative PV capacity to 23.5 GW by the end of March.
Net metering policies see significant revision in states across the U.S.
The recent 50 States of Solar report from NC Clean Energy Technology Center identifies three trends in state policy activities and the top five distributed solar actions in Q1 2025.
Italian startup debuts waterproof carbon fiber solar panels for off-grid applications
Levante, an Italian carbon fiber solar PV design and engineering company, has introduced 110 W and 55 W panels for offgrid recreational applications. The modules are lightweight, semi-rigid and made with recycled carbon fiber material.
California proposes break to rooftop solar contracts, raising average bills $63
Over one million California homes that invested in rooftop solar may have their net metering contracts rescinded under the proposed bill AB 942.
Ireland hit new daily peak with over 750 MW of grid-scale solar in March
March 2025 was a record month for solar generation on Ireland’s electricity grid, according to provisional real-time data from the country’s transmission systems operator EirGrid. Solar accounted for 2.8% of the country’s total electricity generation during March.
Teledyne Flir presents new PV inspection products
Teledyne Flir, a US-based sensing solutions company, has launched new PV inspection tools – including a clamp meter, irradiance meter, and I-V curve tracer – alongside two product kits targeting solar installers, utilities, and PV manufacturers.
