‘I would encourage women to be attentive to how men address each other’
This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Melodie de l’Epine, Senior Project Manager/ Head of Research & Innovation at France’s Becquerel Institute. She says that ncouraging men to shift from strict hierarchy to informal exchanges fosters more equitable rapport. Women can benefit from noticing how men address each other and consciously joining in, since subtle forms of address strongly shape power perceptions.
UAE’s massive solar-plus-storage project set to redefine baseload power, says Wood Mackenzie
Wood Mackenzie highlights a groundbreaking 5.2 GW solar-plus-storage project in the UAE capable of delivering 1 GW of continuous baseload power, signaling a potential shift in renewable energy deployment despite high costs. The report also forecasts strong global solar growth through 2030, including the rise of residential “balcony solar” in the U.S. and expanded solar shares in Asia Pacific and the U.S.
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.
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.
Japan’s solar industry targets vertical bifacial PV with new guide
The Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association (JPEA) has released a voluntary reference guide to support adoption of vertical bifacial PV in Japan, outlining design, performance, and compliance considerations for projects in snow-prone, high-latitude, and space-constrained conditions.
Easing the transformer procurement bottleneck
Anza’s Transformer Procurement Service aims to help solar developers meet new deadline requirements imposed by US federal policy.
EU to ban Chinese inverters? – Commission proposal in Cybersecurity mulls ‘high-risk vendors-list’
The European Commission is revising its Cybersecurity Act. While presenting the proposals in European Parliament, the commission’s Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said dependency on a very limited number of solar inverter suppliers could “pose a significant security risk.”
Global BESS demand jumps 51% in 2025 as installations top 300 GWh
Iola Hughes, Head of Research at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, tells ESS News that 2026 is set to be another strong year for BESS, with forecast additions exceeding 450 GWh and no material supply constraints in sight. Meanwhile, the initial impact of rising lithium prices is already visible at the cell level, but the full effect has yet to ripple through to system pricing.
