Sodium-ion batteries gain momentum: Unigrid launches commercial deliveries as Altris, Draslovka forge Europe’s first supply chain
With lithium prices reaching a two-year high in early 2026, sodium-ion batteries are once again in the spotlight, as innovators on both sides of the Atlantic announce major milestones.
The Hydrogen Stream: Scatec-led 100-MW green project in Egypt begins operations
The Norwegian company started production in the Ain Sokhna Industrial Zone, while Brazil’s Federal Court provisionally ordered the suspension of construction activities of Solatio’s project in the State of Piauí.
SoftBank pilots solar-wind-powered AI-controlled base station
SoftBank Group is piloting AI-controlled cellular base stations powered by solar panels and a 3 kW wind turbine to reduce energy use while maintaining service quality. The system stores excess power in batteries and can automatically switch to the grid when needed.
Vikram Solar moves entire module portfolio to G12R
Vikram Solar Ltd today announced the adoption of G12R format across its entire PV module portfolio. The company said the move reflects broader industry trends toward larger-format wafers, high-efficiency n-type technologies, and bifacial module designs aimed at improving energy yield and project economics.
Eskom launches tender for 17 MW solar plant
The South African energy utility is seeking applicants to provide design and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services, as well as operations and maintenance services for a solar PV plant at its Duvha Power Station with a minimum 17 MW AC capacity and a maximum evacuation capacity of 30 MW AC on a site with an environmentally authorized land of 35.2 hectares.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Major solar manufacturers report steep full-year losses
JA Solar, TCL Zhonghuan, JinkoSolar, Trina Solar and Daqo each announced significant losses for full fiscal year 2025 amid continued price declines and overcapacity.
‘True leadership comes from listening’
This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Bárbara Linares Turnkey Engineer Director Iberia & Latam at Sunotec Iberia. She says diverse and inclusive teams in the renewable energy sector drive innovation, resilience, and long-term success by combining technical expertise with collaboration, empathy, and clear communication. “I have encountered subtle biases, particularly in international and multicultural environments. At times, there was scepticism linked to being a young woman, assumptions that I was not the decision-maker, or complex discussions being directed toward male colleagues,” she states.
Storm systems and late snow event drag down irradiance in eastern and western Europe
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Central Europe, led by Germany, experienced strong solar generation in December due to clear skies from a blocking weather pattern, while Iberia, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe saw reduced irradiance from storms and cloud cover. Late-month Arctic cold and snowfall further suppressed PV output in Eastern Europe through snow soiling, exacerbating already weak solar conditions.
Compliance premiums lift global polysilicon prices
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
Oxford PV targets 20-year lifetime for perovskite-silicon tandem modules by 2028
Oxford PV CEO David Ward spoke with pv magazine about the prospects of its company and the perovksite-silicon tandem PV technology at the WFES event in Abu Dhabi. He said Oxford PV is expanding manufacturing beyond Germany while focusing on global licensing partnerships.
