Solar self-consumption viable on all Spanish roofs, regardless of orientation
Spanish researchers have discovered that 3 kW to 5 kW rooftop solar self-consumption systems can deliver competitive payback across most roof orientations, with coplanar designs often matching the performance of optimized setups at lower cost.
Premier Energies launches 620 W TOPCon solar module
Premier Energies has started commercial output at its 1.2 GW n-type G12R solar cell line in India and introduced a 620 W bifacial module with n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) cells based on the rectangular G12R wafer format.
Sunniest state in US turns its back on the sun
Arizona holds a Guinness World Record for “most sunshine” and holds no significant gas reserves. However, despite hundreds of objections, its commission voted to repeal its renewable energy standard, letting its utilities take the wheel and head back toward more gas.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Maxeon posts H1 net loss as US import ban hits sales
Maxeon Solar Technologies says its net loss widened to $65.5 million in the first half of 2025, while Power Construction Corp. of China launched a tender for 60 GW of fixed PV mounting systems for 2025-27.
Ireland curtails almost 89 GWh of solar in H1
Commenting on its report on Ireland and Great British renewable energy curtailment, Montel Energy’s Fintan Devenney described Great Britain’s solar curtailment as “negligible” during the first six months of 2025. Solar curtailment in Ireland has increased sevenfold since 2022, the report found.
Zambia begins building 100 MW solar project
Zambia has started construction of the 100 MW Chipata West solar project, as part of the country’s target to reach 1 GW of utility-scale solar capacity.
Sumitomo Heavy unveils reactive plasma tech for thin-film perovskite PV
Sumitomo Heavy Industries (SHI) has developed a new reactive plasma deposition (RPD) method to form ultra-thin tin oxide electron transport layers (ETL) for perovskite solar cells. It claims this enables low-temperature mass production with minimal substrate damage.
France’s largest battery storage system powers up
Harmony Energy has switched on a 100 MW/200 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at the port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire. It is the largest BESS in France, with full operation expected by the end of 2025.
High temperatures drive up electricity demand, prices in Europe
AleaSoft Energy Forecasting says higher average temperatures across major European electricity markets last week drove up power demand and prices. France and Germany, meanwhile, set new records for solar energy produced during a single day in August.
China new energy storage capacity tops 100 GW, surpasses hydro
China’s installed energy storage capacity reached 164 GW by June 2025, according to the China Energy Storage Alliance (CNESA). More than 100 GW came from new energy storage excluding pumped hydro, driven by accelerating deployments and market shifts.
