Markets

The 185 MW / 370 MWh Koorangie battery energy storage project in Victoria has reached a major milestone with developer Edify Energy confirming the system has successfully exported power to the grid for the first time.

A state-backed consortium is constructing China’s first large-scale compressed air energy storage (CAES) project using a fully artificial underground cavern, marking a major step in the technology’s commercialization.

Administrator Zeldin said there will be “zero tolerance of any waste and abuse,” saying financial agreements under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund must be “instantly terminated.”

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Kristi Ghogh, a Clean Energy Associate at an energy advisory Trio. She says deep-rooted cultural biases can impact women’s choices, sometimes leading individuals to avoid entering male-dominated careers. “Overcoming these biases involves stepping outside our comfort zones and embracing new learning experiences, which can be challenging and time-consuming,” she states.

Weekly average electricity prices were above €120 ($125.54)/MWh in most major European electricity markets during the first week of February, according to analysis from AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, as gas futures prices reached their highest settlement in two years.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that South America saw widespread above-average irradiance in January, despite weak La Niña conditions. However, storm systems fueled by Atlantic moisture suppressed solar generation in parts of Brazil and Bolivia.

Radovan Kopecek, an expert on back-contacted (BC) solar cell and module technologies, spoke with pv magazine about BC manufacturing costs, efficiency and technical challenges. He believes that global BC solar module manufacturing capacity could reach 1 TW by 2030, potentially making BC products the industry’s mainstream technology. Kopecek added that 2028 will be a crucial year for its development, as most of the critical patents associated with this module tech will expire.

China General Nuclear (CGN) New Energy has awarded contracts for 10.5 GW of solar modules under its 2025 procurement framework. The winning companies, including JinkoSolar, Longi, and GCL SI, will supply high-capacity n-type bifacial and monofacial panels.

A Chinese research group has created a novel method to calculate city-scale rooftop PV potential not only based on roof areas but also including installation parameters and economic feasibility. The novel methodology was demonstrated in Nanjing, east China, and was found to be superior to conventional methods when it comes to estimating planned capacity.

Cyprus curtailed 29% of its renewable energy in 2024, a record high that signals risks to the island’s energy transition.