Policy

New Zealand has exempted rooftop solar from building consent requirements, aiming to cut costs and simplify installation processes while maintaining compliance with national safety standards.

Researchers have modeled a hybrid financing scheme combining contracted and merchant components to improve the bankability of PV-battery energy storage system (PV-BESS) assets, using a Bayesian LSTM forecast integrated with a MILP optimization model to assess performance.

Energy China and PowerChina have secured $4.3 billion of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts for gigawatt-scale wind and solar projects in Saudi Arabia.

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) analyzes the findings of IRENA’s latest “Renewable Energy: A Gender Perspective (2025)” report, revealing that women’s representation in the renewable energy workforce remains stagnant at 32%, unchanged since 2019. Through the voices of WiSEu ambassadors and industry leaders, this article explores the persistent barriers, pay gaps, and cultural biases that continue to limit progress and the collective responsibility to build a truly inclusive and people-centric energy transition.

South Korea has announced plans to introduce legislation next year to expand the deployment of agrivoltaics, enabling broader use of solar panels on agricultural land.

At the Modules and Material Worksop in Konstanz, organized by solar manufacturing engineering company RCT Solutions and ICS Konstanz, experts from the European PV equipment production industry gathered to discuss the current and future trajectory of manufacturing costs, technology advancements and equipment and raw material capabilities. RCT Solutions CEO, Peter Fath, told pv magazine that a European 1 GW module assembly facility using the same supply chain as Chinese Tier 1 counterparts could reach module manufacturing costs of €0.11-0.12/W.

Mexico has opened a call for proposals for generation and interconnection permits to integrate new projects into the national electricity system under an accelerated evaluation mechanism aligned with binding planning.

Australia’s Community Power Agency has launched a two-year incubator to provide funding, mentoring and investor connections for local groups developing mid-scale solar and battery storage projects.

Chinese manufacturers such as JinkoSolar and DMEGC Solar have launched low-carbon PV modules that comply with France’s 530 kgCO₂eq/kWp threshold for residential systems eligible for a 5.5% value-added tax (VAT) rate, with more compliant products expected.

E2, a clean economy tracking specialist, says private and federal cancellations have slashed US solar, wind, and storage investments, hitting Republican districts hardest.