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.
‘Women still hold only 11% of academic leadership positions in Europe’
This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Vida Engmann, Asssociate Professor at the University of Southern Denmark. Shes says ender bias affects everything from research funding and journal reviews to hiring and promotion. “It also influences our own career choices, shaped by societal expectations about roles in domestic work, childcare, and leadership,” she states.
Battery maker Energy Renaissance enters administration in Australia
Lithium ion battery maker Energy Renaissance has gone into administration in Australia after a key investor pulled out of a planned funding round, leaving the company in a cash crisis.
Tesla delivers Megapack batteries for 912 MWh storage project in Chile
Tesla has delivered 240 Megapack batteries to the port of Puerto Arica for Colbún’s 228 MW/912 MWh solar-plus-storage project in Chile’s Arica and Parinacota region, scheduled for commissioning in mid-2026.
Schneider Electric acquires WattBuy home-electrification software platform
Schneider Electric is expected to merge WattBuy with EnergySage and Qmerit to provide an end-to-end experience for residential solar, EV integration, home electrification, and related services.
