China expects up to 287 GW of new PV capacity additions in 2026
China’s PV industry expects 238 GW to 287 GW of domestic capacity additions in 2026 as it pivots away from volume-led growth after a loss-making year driven by overcapacity and sharp price declines. The shift follows rapid expansion in 2021-25 that lifted cumulative capacity above 1.2 TW, annual additions beyond 300 GW and exports over $180 billion.
Greece to auction up to 200 MW of solar plus storage
Greece’s energy regulator has launched two new auctions under the Apollo Program, covering up to 200 MW of solar with storage and a separate 400 MW wind tender, marking the scheme’s first operational rollout since becoming law in 2024.
Deye releases new off-grid inverter series
The Chinese manufacturer said its new OG02 series includes IP-65-rated inverters with an AC output power of 3 kW to 6 kW. The new products also feature a maximum efficiency of 97.6% and a European efficiency of 96.5%.
DAS Solar unveils new method to identify hot-spots in TOPCon back-contact solar modules
The Chinese manufacturer said it developed a new circuit-model–based method to accurately detect hot-spot risks in TOPCon back-contact modules, overcoming limitations of the IEC 61215 approach caused by low shunt resistance. Validated through indoor and outdoor tests, the method predicts temperature rise under shading and reportedly enables faster, more accurate hot-spot risk assessment.
Solar, wind PPA prices continue to fall in Europe
LevelTen Energy says solar and wind power purchase agreement (PPA) prices in Europe continued to fall in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the most competitive percentiles in Spain below €30 ($35.65)/MWh, reflecting strong downward pressure.
Abu Dhabi unveils solar-plus-storage self-supply policy
The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy has introduced a policy designed to support deployment of solar systems for self-consumption, with the first phase of the policy targeting the agricultural sector.
The impact of agrivoltaics on potato farming
New research from Italy has shown that agrivoltaic systems can reduce potato yield by up to 15% compared to full-light cropping. However, moderate early-season shading was found to delay soil-moisture depletion, extending biomass accumulation and improving water-use efficiency.
Hithium completes open-door fire test of 6.25 MWh battery system
Hithium has released results from a large-scale fire safety test of its 6.25 MWh “∞Power” battery energy storage system, with an open-door configuration supervised by UL Solutions to assess thermal runaway risk in 1175 Ah cells under maximum oxygen conditions.
TotalEnergies signs 1 GW of solar PPAs for Google’s Texas data centers
The two 15-year power purchase agreements cover a 805 MW and a 195 MW solar project, set for construction this year, that will power data centers in Texas belonging to Google.
Voltage Energy Announces Planned Global Headquarters in Roxboro, North Carolina
The 72-acre site has been upgraded with a manufacturing space over 246,000 square feet in size, which will produce the company’s solutions for the solar and clean energy industries.
