Utility Scale PV

The Tunisian government says concession and authorization frameworks are advancing multiple PV projects, while new entrants including SoleCrypt plan additional plants, boosting capacity, self-generation, and panel imports.

SMA Solar Technology announces the commercialization in Europe of its new MVPS-9200 medium voltage station in a 12-meter containerized version for battery energy storage systems (BESS) and large-scale photovoltaic power plants.

Chinese researchers have proposed a new methodology for designing utility-scale solar power projects in mountainous regions. They simulated a 386.4 MW solar farm near Pu’er, a city in southern China located 1,037 meters above sea level.

The EU’s third hydrogen auction is open for applications until Feb. 19, 2026, alongside a pilot auction for decarbonizing industrial process heat. The 2025 edition of the Net-Zero Technologies call is also underway, accepting applications until Apr. 23, 2026. Together, the three funding streams have a budget of €5.2 billion ($6.07 billion).

AirWater and Suichoku Solar K. K. have launched a 178 kW vertical PV system at a Tottori parking lot, operating under an on-site PPA. The Verpa-based system, a first for the San’in region, maximizes space, avoids snow damage, and reportedly delivers power equivalent to rooftop solar installations.

Researchers in the United States found that shading from agrivoltaic systems reduces grain numbers in both sorghum and soybean, but sorghum can partially compensate by increasing grain weight while soybean cannot. The study shows that sorghum and soybean respond differently due to their physiology, offering guidance for crop selection and management to minimize yield penalties in agrivoltaics.

Solar and storage industry leaders from China and Europe gathered in Germany this week to advance cross-border partnerships, launch a bilateral storage collaboration platform, and coordinate strategies for scaling PV and battery deployment amid surging demand, grid pressures, and intensifying market competition.

Italy’s PV industry raised concerns over new regulatory measures and funding cuts as Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) published results of the FER X auction showing significant price reductions and strong participation in Sicily.

Researchers in China developed a new compressed air energy storage system that uses flooded roadways in abandoned coal mines to store compressed air and heat for nighttime power generation. Simulations show the design can achieve 71.5% thermal efficiency, stable performance, and higher energy density at greater depths, with minimal long-term impact from air leakage.

The procurement exercise had initially attracted 1,387 project proposals with a combined capacity of 17,537 MW, according the Italian energy agency GSE.