India to extend approved list of solar parts to wafers by 2028
India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) plans to add solar wafers to its Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) from June 1, 2028, requiring government-backed projects to use wafers, cells, and modules from registered suppliers.
QatarEnergy selects Samsung C&T for 2 GW solar project
South Korea’s Samsung C&T Engineering & Construction Group is set to build Qatar’s largest solar project to date. The first gigawatt of the 2 GW project is expected to be online by the end of 2028.
Germany adds 1.95 GW of new solar in August
Germany installed 1.95 GW of solar in August, bringing total additions to 10.8 GW in the first eight months of 2025.
Polycab launches 350 kW string inverter for utility-scale solar projects
Polycab has launched its UT Series 350 kW three-phase string inverter for utility-scale solar projects in southern India. The series offers 15/12 maximum power point trackers (MPPTs) and supports bifacial 182 mm/210 mm modules with a maximum 15 A/20 A DC input current per string.
Micronesia runs solar minigrid tender
A tender is open in Micronesia for the engineering, procurement and construction of hybrid solar minigrid systems at three villages on the Fefen Islands. The closing date for applications is October 27.
Tesla issues product recall for Powerwall 2 battery in Australia
Australia’s consumer watchdog has warned thousands of households to check their Tesla battery energy storage systems with a nationwide recall in place after reports of the manufacturer’s Powerwall 2 units catching fire and damaging homes.
California’s home batteries are replacing gas plants and saving hundreds of millions
Brattle Group analyzed a gigawatt-hour virtual power plant test that may be the world’s largest as part of its review of California’s distributed peak-shaving program.
French city favors domestic modules in 6.8 MW solar carport tender
The city of Grand Nancy, France, awarded a 6.8 MW solar carport tender to Holosolis, tying the 2027 project to its planned 5 GW factory in the Grand Est region.
Can BESS answer US data center power demand?
Data centers’ energy demand is well-documented. Hyperscale AI data centers owned by big-tech companies are placing acute strain on energy infrastructure in the United States, the global data center capital, and many more are expected to come online. There is ongoing debate about how policymakers, grid operators, regulators and the energy industry – renewable or otherwise – can respond to the situation. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) can provide grid-balancing solutions, but not all are convinced they can fully replace gas.
GCL to raise $450 million for China polysilicon consolidation plan
GCL plans to raise $450 million to aid consolidation in China’s polysilicon sector and support the shift from tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) to back-contact solar products.
