Spain’s nationwide blackout leaves millions in the dark, cause still unclear
Spanish energy expert Antonio Delgado Rigal tells pv magazine that while the exact cause of yesterday’s nationwide blackout in Spain remains unclear, preliminary signs point to grid instability triggered by system failure.
India installs 7.8 GW of solar in Q1
India installed 7.8 GW of solar capacity in the first quarter of 2025, marking its second-highest quarterly total in the past 13 quarters, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
Amazon buying big on solar
For the past five consecutive years, tech and retail giant Amazon has been the world’s largest procurer of renewable energy, investing in projects and signing power purchase agreements (PPAs) all over the world. pv magazine spoke with representatives of the company about its ambitious energy plans.
Axpo, EDF Renewables Hellas sign 102 MW solar PPA in Greece
Axpo has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with EDF Renewables Hellas for two solar plants totaling 102 MW in Greece’s Viotia region.
South Korea fines solar operators, cancels 347 MW of renewable projects
South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) has fined eight solar operators for failing to comply with output curtailment orders and canceled licenses for 11 renewable energy projects totaling 347.4 MW. It did not say how much of the canceled capacity was solar.
Preventing soiling with surface textured photovoltaic dummies
Scientists in South Africa have used computational fluid dynamics to investigate whether a dummy panel, placed in front of a working PV panel, can mitigate soiling. They have tested this setup with various inclination angles, heights, and distances and have found that the dummies accumulated up to 58% more dust than the PV panels.
Guatemala opens 1.4 GW energy auction
Guatemala has launched a 1.4 GW energy auction for renewable and low-emission projects to secure 15-year capacity contracts starting in 2030.
Spain hits 65.8 GW of solar projects with grid permits in March
Spain now has 65.8 GW of solar projects with grid-connection permits, says the country’s energy agency. Total renewable energy installations with grid permits hit 129.5 GW by the end of March, up 15.5% from February.
Solar gains across Brazil and Caribbean despite above average rain
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Southern Brazil and the northern Andes were irradiance hotspots during March, posting anomalies as high as 30% above the climatological average. The increase came despite intense rainfall causing flooding in other parts of South America.
Chemitek Solar launches new antistatic soiling mitigation coating
The Portuguese company said its new anti-soiling solution lasts for at least a year. It can be applied during routine cleaning operations by mixing it directly in the cleaning water.
