UK to spend $20 billion on home energy upgrades, mandatory PV for new homes
Cash grants and state-backed loans to support solar and battery storage installations in millions of UK homes as part of government Warm Homes Plan. UK government says investment has the potential to triple the number of homes with rooftop solar by 2030.
Italy installs 6.4 GW of PV in 2025
The country reached a cumulative installed PV capacity of 43.5 GW at the end of December, according to new figures released by Italian grid operator Terna.
Noon Energy demonstrates 100+ hour ultra-long-duration energy storage system
The pilot showcases a reversible solid oxide fuel cell battery and represents the first fully containerized, modular ultra-LDES system to be operated for thousands of hours, achieving more than 200 hours of energy storage capacity.
EGbatt releases 15 kWh storage solution for residential use
The Chinese firm has unveiled its latest energy storage solution, the ENERpro-LFP48300, equipped with a 48V, 300 Ah lithium battery. The company boasts a lifespan of over 9,500 cycles at a high 95% depth of discharge.
Scientists achieve 32.6% efficiency in perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell via interface engineering
Researchers from KAUST, TU Delft, and LMU Munich have improved the performance of monolithic perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells by modifying the physical structure at the front of the bottom heterojunction solar cell.
Hungary adds 1.1 GW of solar in 2025
Hungary deployed over 1 GW of solar for the third consecutive year in 2025, driven largely by grid-scale solar additions. There are concerns momentum could slow in the coming years due to no new connection permits for large-scale projects authorized over the last three years.
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.
Ideal Energy commissions AI-enabled flexible HJT pilot line for space
China-based PV equipment supplier Ideal Energy (Shanghai) Sunflower Semiconductor has completed an AI-enabled pilot line for ultra-thin, flexible heterojunction (HJT) solar cells, targeting lightweight power systems for space and near-space applications.
New design specifications for sodium-ion batteries
U.S. scientists used density functional theory to reveal how sodium ions are stored in nanoporous carbon anodes for sodium-ion batteries, identifying dual ionic and metallic storage mechanisms within the pores. Their findings provide practical design guidelines to improve battery voltage, safety, and commercial viability for stationary energy storage.
China completes first full-scale underwater pumped storage trial at 65 m depth
DEC’s “Dongchu No. 1” prototype completed more than 100 charge-discharge cycles at 65 meters depth in a freshwater lake.
