Design solar for storage now, or retrofit at a premium later
New analysis of retrofitting solar power plants with energy storage, accounting for the industry’s rapidly falling prices, suggests that prepping your solar projects today has a strong chance of being in your financial interest.
Improving vertical PV performance with adjustable reflectors
Researchers in Taiwan have developed an adjustable aluminum reflector system that boosts the performance of vertically mounted bifacial solar modules. The prototype delivered a 71.32% total power gain over a baseline system without reflectors.
KKR invests $328 million in CleanPeak solar, storage and microgrids
Global investment firm KKR has committed AUD 500 million ($328.2 million) to partner with Australian renewables company CleanPeak Energy and support the growth of its distributed energy platform, focusing on solar, battery energy storage, and microgrid solutions.
The Hydrogen Stream: Lhyfe raises €2.5 million in first crowdfunding round
Lhyfe has raised €2.5 million ($2.9 million) from 1,200 investors for four hydrogen sites in France and Germany, while the UK government has opened a consultation on injecting up to 2% hydrogen into the gas grid.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: China passes 1.1 TW of solar despite June slowdown
China added 212.2 GW of new solar capacity in the first half of 2025, pushing total installed PV capacity past 1.1 TW, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA).
Lithuania expands energy storage scheme amid overwhelming interest
The Lithuanian Ministry of Energy and Environment has approved additional funding for its energy storage procurement program after strong interest from potential beneficiaries. Meanwhile, Trina Storage has secured the first 180 MWh of battery projects in the country under its new gigawatt-hour-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) portfolio in the Baltics.
EnBW activates 80 MW solar park in Germany below planned costs
EnBW has commissioned an 80 MW solar park in Germany built by RWE. They claim they completed the project about 10% under budget due to lower component costs and timely construction.
AleaSoft notes stability in European electricity prices
AleaSoft’s latest analysis finds the weekly average electricity price in most major European markets during the third week of July was similar to the week prior. Meanwhile, Spain broke its record for daily solar energy production on July 16.
Europe’s solar generation hit new heights during June heatwave
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that significant swathes of Europe saw much more solar irradiance than normal last month.
‘Leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice’
This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Jessica Klein, Head of Regulatory EU & Germany at RWE Renewables. She says working in solar it’s not just joining an industry, but also becoming part of a global shift toward a cleaner, smarter, more inclusive energy future. “Claim your space in that movement. And help lead the way,” she states.
