Magazine Archive 06 - 2025 The hunt for high efficiency

At The smarter E Europe exhibition in May 2025, perovskite-silicon tandem modules were on show for the first time at the booths of several large PV manufacturers. For the most part, these were prototypes not yet available for purchase. But the technology’s growing visibility at industry events in 2025 is a sign that perovskites have progressed beyond the small lab-made devices seen earlier this decade. The focus is now on developing materials, processes, and a supply chain ready for large-scale manufacturing and deployment.

Saudi Arabia made a raft of renewables commitments as part of its Vision 2030 plan, announced in 2016. Nearly a decade on, the country is developing local supply chains for renewables and energy storage components while deploying solar and storage projects at scale. Energy storage expert Marek Kubik discusses Saudi Arabia’s project and manufacturing progress.

Europe’s battery energy storage systems (BESS) market is growing. Kicking off this year’s pv magazine Focus session in Munich, Germany, Wood Mackenzie analyst Anna Darmani gave an overview of the market, explaining that 14 countries in the region now have energy storage targets. Panelists explored offtake agreements and financing for BESS, as well as some of the technical and financial considerations associated with co-location of PV and storage in Europe.

Effective thermal management is essential for the safety and performance of battery energy storage systems (BESS). Thermal runaway events can have catastrophic consequences and poor heat dissipation hurts BESS performance in the long run. While air- and liquid-cooling are the industry standard for tackling high temperatures, immersion has emerged as a novel approach.

Battery fires, while a rare occurrence given the number of lithium-ion batteries manufactured and deployed each year, are common enough to worry insurers and others in the industry. Following high-profile battery fires in 2024 and 2025, the industry is busy implementing solutions not only to reduce the risk of fire breaking out in the first place, but to contain and mitigate the risk of injury or damage should it happen. Conclusions from large-scale fire testing will be key.