Markets

The Swiss federal government has launched a funding call for research projects on energy and resource-efficient industrial processes, including the circular economy related to solar modules, batteries, heat pumps and electrolyzers. The deadline to submit pre-proposals is June 30.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that March in Australia was unusually wet and disrupted, with frequent tropical cyclones, polar air intrusions, and repeated low-pressure systems causing widespread cloud, storms, and record cold in the southeast. Solar irradiance was mixed: below average in the south due to persistent cloud and storms, but near or above average on some northern and coastal regions where breaks between systems allowed recovery.

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.

Figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency state that Vietnam’s cumulative solar capacity reached 19,252 MW by the end of last year, indicating a 586 MW increase in 2025.

BMW Group tells pv magazine its iX5 Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) will enter series production in 2028 using a third-generation fuel cell system developed with Toyota, but says hydrogen pump prices must reach parity with diesel for the vehicle to succeed commercially.

Researchers have analyzed the biomass and nutritional value of grasses and legumes for grazing dairy cattle, growing in agrivoltaics fields. The results showed that forage quality may be maintained or even enhanced in agrivoltaic environments.

Germany could break the gigawatt-hour mark for the first time on a monthly basis. Around 45,000 new residential photovoltaic storage systems have been registered in the market master data register so far in March.

The government’s electrification plan, presented last week, includes a goal to double heat pump deployment in France by 2030, potentially benefiting the residential photovoltaic sector.

A study comparing power purchase agreements and solar self-generation in Brazil’s free market finds that direct investment in photovoltaic plants can cut costs by up to 32.9%, with solid returns but higher risk exposure. While regulatory exemptions significantly improve project economics, self-generation remains sensitive to costs, market prices, and policy changes that could affect long-term viability.

Researchers from the University of Rhode Island explored why citizens who voiced pro-solar sentiments voted against a solar project development in a 2019 municipal referendum. Their analysis found objections over land use greatly outweigh proximity concerns.