Large-scale PV could intensify water stress in China’s Tarim Basin
Chinese researchers have found that massive photovoltaic deployment in the Taklamakan Desert could alter regional climate dynamics and worsen water stress in the already arid Tarim Basin, despite the area’s vast solar potential.
South Africa’s Eskom resorts to grid-scale gravity energy storage
Gravity storage gets a boost from South Africa’s state-owned utility Eskom.
Solar capture factors fall across europe as negative price hours surge in key markets
Latest analysis from Pexapark finds strong solar output and weaker demand caused a drop in solar capture factors in France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain. These countries are also experiencing an increase in the share of solar production under negative price hours.
Alsym and Juniper to deploy 500 MWh of sodium-ion battery storage
Strategic agreement will see California-based renewables developer ramp up sodium-ion battery deployment. Deal follows Alsym Energy entering 8.5 GWh partnership with iron flow battery business ESS.
South Korea’s first agrivoltaics law leaves half of farmland off-limits
South Korea’s National Assembly has passed the country’s first dedicated agrivoltaics legislation, enabling dual use of agricultural land for solar power generation, but the law excludes zones covering nearly half of the country’s farmland, according to a Seoul-based nonprofit group focused on energy transition.
Zambia’s largest solar plant goes online
The 136 MW Itimpi II solar plant is Zambia’s largest operational solar project to date. Elsewhere in the country, an investment agreement has been signed to add 250 MW of solar to the 100 MW Nambala solar power plant.
Germany allocates 2.3 GW in latest ground-mounted PV tender, lowest bid comes in at €0.039/kWh
The latest round of Germany’s PV tender scheme was largely oversubscibed.
How hail is rewriting the solar insurance rulebook
Insurers tell pv magazine that severe convective storms (SCS) drove $60 billion in insured losses in 2025, a mounting toll that has become the primary force tightening capacity and raising prices across the solar energy insurance market.
France, Spain set solar records in May
AleaSoft Energy Forecasting’s latest analysis finds the weekly average electricity price was above €100 ($117.45)/MWh in most major European markets last week, bar the Portuguese, French and Spanish markets.
SoftBank to make next-gen zinc-halogen battery cells in Japan for AI data centers
SoftBank’s mobile arm is gearing up to scale the intriguing zinc-halogen battery cell chemistry to 1 GWh annual production.
