China TOPCon solar module prices climb over 30% since mid-December
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
‘An immediate transition to copper is technically and economically feasible’
With silver prices rising, more large solar manufacturers are expected to switch to copper for cell metallization. Radovan Kopecek of ISC Konstanz tells pv magazine that he expects the entire industry to follow. Ning Song of the University of New South Wales says a small efficiency tradeoff may be acceptable if the cost savings are significant and do not introduce new reliability risks.
US, Europe on track for 2030 solar goals despite pipeline gaps
A report from McKinsey and Company says the relative ease of building out solar projects means the U.S and Europe are likely to meet their end-of-decade deployment targets, despite current pipeline gaps of around 205 GW and 181 GW.
Austria’s Andritz to supply South Korean 500 MW pumped storage power plant
Austrian engineering group Andritz has signed a deal to supply the pump turbine units for a 500 MW pumped storage plant in South Korea, the country’s first new pumped storage project in over a decade.
Photovoltaics and jobs: The solar PV sector is the largest employer in the renewable energy industry
The twelfth edition of the International Renewable Energy Agency’s Renewable Energy and Jobs report, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), provides the latest data and estimates of renewable energy employment globally. It finds global renewable energy jobs reached 16.6 million in 2024, but growth slowed. The solar photovoltaic sector is by far the largest employer in the renewable energy industry, accounting for over 7.2 million jobs worldwide. The report calls for stronger public action to build domestic supply chains and ensure a more inclusive workforce.
Spanish electricity grid reaches 85.7% saturation after 2.8 GW loss
Spain’s electricity grid has lost nearly 2.8 GW of available capacity in two months, lifting substation saturation to 85.7% and leaving more than 5,200 facilities without spare capacity, according to new analysis.
Grenada seeks installers for Solar for All program
The government of Grenada is looking for firms to supply and install solar systems for residential and agro-processing customers under its flagship Solar for All program. The deadline for expressions of interest is January 30.
Africa’s installed PV capacity estimated above 63 GW
The Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) has now identified 23.4 GW of operational solar projects across the continent but when taking into account Chinese PV export data, estimates total installed capacity in Africa could reach over 63 GW.
Fujiyama Power commissions 1 GW solar cell plant in India
Fujiyama Power Systems has started production at its 1 GW solar cell manufacturing facility in Dadri, India, with all output intended for in-house use to strengthen supply-chain security and support domestic content programs.
Grid-scale battery economics diverge in Texas and California
Grid-scale battery developers in the United States face different revenue risks in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) markets, with ancillary market saturation compressing revenues in Texas.
