Markets

New South Wales has awarded long-term energy service agreements to six battery energy storage projects totaling 1.17 GW and nearly 12 GWh, lifting the state’s contracted storage capacity to 30 GWh.

Affordability, project pipelines secured through safe harbor provisions, and expanding domestic manufacturing capacity are supporting US solar deployment despite policy and trade uncertainty.

The factory is located in Oman’s Sohar Freezone and will be capable of supporting the production of up to 40 GW of solar modules annually once at full capacity.

Wood Mackenzie ranked NextPower as the world’s top PV tracker manufacturer in the first half of 2025, with companies headquartered in the United States, China and Spain occupying all top 10 positions.

This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Yolanda Hoyos, Chief Technical Officer at Spain’s Blacksalt. She says that inclusion, mentorship, and authentic leadership unlock talent, dismantle bias, and are critical to shaping the future of the energy transition. “When organizations respect individual circumstances, commitment and growth follow naturally,” she states.

A Missouri State Senator, with vocal support from the Governor, has submitted a bill stopping all solar construction immediately, and placing a moratorium on all new solar construction starts until December 31, 2027 – or when new rules are developed by the state.

Under the terms of the agreement, Aiko will be licensed to Maxeon’s back-contact solar cell and module patents outside the U.S., while both companies drop all ongoing legal actions.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that January 2026 began with relatively mild, solar-favorable conditions across much of the eastern U.S., but ended with Winter Storm Fern, as a polar vortex disruption triggered widespread cold, clouds, and sharply reduced solar generation. A rare S4-level solar radiation storm was also recorded in mid-January, though it had no direct impact on photovoltaic performance or solar data quality.

The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity published a report on instability detection technologies to help countries with high renewable energy shares maintain grid reliability. The study highlights key tools, research priorities, and the need for stakeholder collaboration to advance real-time monitoring and data-driven decision-making.

Hoshine, Risen Energy, Jolywood, and Irico have all issued forecasts for net losses in 2025, as rising raw material costs and weak industrial silicon prices squeeze margins across the solar manufacturing sector.