Australia’s rooftop solar uptake continued to surge in 2024, with a new report revealing more than 300,000 PV systems with a combined capacity of almost 3 GW were installed on the roofs of homes and businesses across the nation in 2024.

Scientists in Spain have investigated the total or partial interruptions of ribbons that connect solar cells in modules and have proposed a classification based on their type and location.

A research group from France claims to have found a way to reduce indium consumption in heterojunction solar modules by 85 % while maintaining good performances and durability levels. The scientists tested different cell designs and the use of several capping layers to protect the cell from moisture degradation.

TotalEnergies says it has signed a 15-year deal with RWE to buy 30,000 tons of green hydrogen per year from a 300 MW electrolyzer in Germany, while Plug Power has announced a partnership with Southwire to create a clean hydrogen ecosystem in Texas.

Aiko Solar has won a 1 GW back-contact (BC) module bid in China Datang Group’s 22.5 GW tender, while CNNC Photovoltaic announced a 19.7% efficiency rating for a perovskite module and plans to launch a perovskite production line later this year.

Pairing solar plants with battery energy storage systems (BESS) will be the main strategic focus for the country’s upcoming renewable energy auction. Each project must have a minimum storage duration of four hours to ensure sufficient grid support and energy reliability.

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting says average electricity prices fell across Europe last week, but France, Germany and Italy all broke their records for solar production on a single day in March.

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Miriam Rodríguez, President of Spain’s Electra Energy S. Coop. She says one of the most striking inequalities she encountered throughout her career was the difference in salaries between men and women in similar roles, the gender pay gap. “At one point, I discovered that a male colleague at my same business level was earning a higher salary. Fortunately, he realized the unfairness, and the salaries were adjusted,” she states.

The West African Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance (WAA) is looking for experts in the region to support its work in its 17 member countries. The deadline for applications is April 15, 2025.

The Brazilian subsidiary of the Belgian company reports that the board of directors deliberated and approved the “discontinuation of the photovoltaic product line,” a decision prompted by Chinese competition. It launched its last module on the market in September 2024.