Photovoltaic inventions increased seventeen-fold in three decades
The European Patent Office says China has overtaken other countries in photovoltaic patent filings over the past 15 years, while European startups and universities retain a lead in agrivoltaics and niche solar applications.
Solar module prices on a clear downward trend
PV module prices have fallen by around 5% to 8% across all technology classes in recent weeks. says Martin Schachinger, the founder of pvXchange.com. This means that prices are moving strongly back toward the level we saw at the beginning of the year, which can only be described as unhealthy for module producers.
Argentina’s first energy storage tender secures 1.35 GW of bids
Argentina’s first energy storage tender drew 1.347 GW of bids from 15 companies proposing 27 projects, exceeding the 500 MW target and representing more than $1 billion in pledged investment.
Philippines’ rooftop solar capacity estimated at over 1.8 GW
A new solar mapping tool in the Philippines shows that the country’s rooftop solar capacity exceeds 1.8 GW. Its creators say the platform can be used to track unregistered solar rooftop capacity.
Cyprus set to abandon net metering
The Cyprus Ministry of Energy, Commerce says it will accept applications for new net metering and net billing systems until Oct. 1, 2025. While the government has not announced its next steps, pv magazine has learned that it plans to phase out net metering.
France, Italy break daily solar production records
AleaSoft Energy Forecasting’s latest analysis finds weekly electricity prices fell across most major European markets last week. In France and Italy, new records for daily solar production helped lower prices.
Copper doping boosts manganese cathode stability in sodium-ion batteries
Researchers at the Tokyo University of Science have shown that using copper can eliminate defects in sodium manganese oxide battery types, boosting battery cycle life.
Hungary’s solar capacity surpasses 8 GW
Hungary’s Ministry of Energy says rising levels of solar production contributed to keeping the share of imported electricity below 20% across the first six months of the year, compared to nearly 25% over the same time period last year.
Canadian province extends heat pump rebates to apartments, condos
British Columbia’s rebate scheme for heat pump installations now offers up to CAD 5,000 ($3,638) for the purchase and installation of an electric heat pump in suites within multi-unit residential buildings.
Why mid-sized US real estate is finally going solar
By selling power offsite, landlords in the United States can bypass tenant turnover and short leases.
