France’s largest rooftop solar project begins construction
The largest single-unit rooftop solar power plant in Europe, developed by French independent power producer Urbasolar, is under construction on the Delta 3 multimodal logistics platform in Dourges, in France’s Hauts-de-France region.
Silver price surge shows no signs of slowing, hitting a new all-time high of $117.66 per ounce
Silver hit a new all-time high of $117.66/oz, climbing over 40% in the past month and 275% in the past year, driven by dollar weakness, geopolitical tensions, and gold’s strong momentum. Silver analyst Matthew Piggott tells pv magazine the metal may reach $130/oz within a couple of weeks.
Nissan wheels out solar-powered vehicle
The Ariya demonstration vehicle features 3.8 m² of Lightyear’s custom solar panels integrated across the hood, roof, and tailgate. Testing showed that the car could generate 0.5 kWh of solar energy during a 2‑hour, 80 kilometer trip, delivering up to 3 kilometers of range at no extra cost or charging time.
Korean scientists build mini perovskite solar module with 22.56% efficiency
GIST researchers have developed a perovskite mini-module with 22.56% efficiency by improving the SnO₂ electron transport layer with PEI, reducing defects and electron loss. The module retained 94% of its performance after 500 hours, highlighting potential for scalable, stable perovskite solar cells and modules.
Flexible perovskite solar cells with tunable color, transparency
Researchers at Hebrew University of Jerusalem have demonstrated 9.2% efficient printable semi-transparent, flexible halide perovskite solar cells with tunable color and transparency.
New hydrogel layer tackles solar module hotspots
A team of scientists has developed a novel hydrogel solar panel coating that is reportedly capable of lowering hot spot temperatures by up to 16.2 C, outperforming conventional hydrogels. The hydrogel also demonstrated superior durability and improved power output by up to 13%, according to the research group.
Chinese startup claims record-breaking 27.87% efficiency for single-junction perovskite solar cell
Shenzhen-based SolaEon has reported a 27.87% efficiency for a single-junction perovskite solar cell on a 0.076 cm² lab device, certified by China’s National Photovoltaic Industry Metrology and Testing Center.
Hongyuan rolls out 40 µm ‘engineering-ready’ ultra-thin silicon wafers
Hongyuan Green Energy says it has produced a first batch of 40 µm monocrystalline silicon wafers that support full-size and half-cut formats, with slicing completed using the company’s in-house wafering equipment.
Fraunhofer ISE developing world’s first medium-voltage solar plants
Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) is developing the world’s first medium-voltage PV plants in Germany to cut material use, reduce costs, and simplify grid integration. They will test 1,500 V and 3 kV string configurations to create cost-effective, voltage-resistant components for large-scale solar.
Analysts warn of possible, sudden silver price fall
pv magazine has spoken with silver analysts from Bloomberg and StoneX about the vertiginous growth of silver prices in recent weeks. They both agree that when prices rise too fast, investors’ behavior may change quickly. Meanwhile, the price of the precious metal has reached another all-time high today at $110 per ounce.
