Australian renewables exceed 50% of power supply in Q4
Renewable generation supplied more than half of Australia’s electricity in the fourth quarter of 2025, driving wholesale power prices down by nearly 50% and coinciding with record battery output, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). Coal-fired generation fell 4.6% year on year to a record quarterly low, while gas-fired output dropped 27% to its lowest level in 25 years.
How to design a UL-certified balcony solar kit in the United States
UL Solutions has published new technical guidance and a proposed certification pathway for plug-in balcony solar systems, outlining safety risks and design requirements as several US states move to legalise the technology.
China added 66.43 GW of new-type energy storage in 2025
CNESA says China’s non-pumped storage technologies hit 144.7 GW in 2025, with 66.43 GW added.
Uncertainty looms as U.S. solar PPA prices climb for second straight quarter
A report from LevelTen Energy finds solar PPA prices in North America rose 3.2% in Q4 2025, marking a nearly 9% year-over-year increase as developers and buyers navigate a complex “post-OBBBA” regulatory environment.
Octopus Energy to set up joint venture to trade renewables in China
UK-based Octopus Energy has agreed to set up a joint venture in China focused on spot power trading, in a bid to scale renewable electricity volumes as market reforms and demand growth accelerate.
DKEM seeks $57.5 million in twin patent suits against Chinese PV rivals
Wuxi DK Electronic Materials is pursuing two patent infringement cases against domestic competitors, seeking injunctions, equipment destruction, and combined damages of CNY 400 million ($57.5 million).
TheStorage launches its first industrial-scale sand-based heat storage system
The Finnish start-up says its sand battery technology is scalable from 20 to 500 MWh with charging power from 1 to 20 MW, depending on industrial needs.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Polysilicon output set to fall by 15% in January
Polysilicon trading in China remained largely inactive, with production cuts accelerating and wafer prices falling week on week, while downstream cell prices continued to rise and module prices held steady, according to a trade group representing China’s nonferrous metals sector.
‘Women with young children are frequently expected to prove they are prioritizing work’
This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Alba Sande, lawyer at Spanish law firm ASande Legal. She states that, despite progress, women remain underrepresented in the renewable energy industry. “As a woman and a mother, I have often encountered the unspoken assumption that professional ambition must take a backseat to family life, a bias rarely applied to men,” she says.
Early tropical storm cuts solar in Philippines, while East Asia sees La Niña gains
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that in January most of East Asia experienced normal to above-average solar irradiance, with southeastern China seeing surges due to reduced clouds and low aerosol levels under lingering La Niña effects. In contrast, the Philippines faced below-average irradiance from early Tropical Storm Nokaen, while other regional cities like Seoul, Tokyo, and Taipei recorded modest gains.
