Policy

This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Irene Mihai, Policy Director at the Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association (RPIA). She says her personal experiences show how mentorship, collaboration, and inclusive workplace practices are essential for attracting and retaining talent while empowering the next generation to contribute to a sustainable future.

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has opened a Section 337 investigation into tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells, modules, panels, and related products following a complaint by First Solar, naming 47 entities across 11 countries as respondents.

Marine energy is renewable and generally predictable. It could thus compensate for the unplanned intermittency of solar and wind generation, its proponents argue. But several challenges still need to be overcome for the energy to become widely used.

Global solar PV continues its rapid growth, reaching around 650 GW in 2025, with record solar irradiation extremes across regions such as East Asia, India, and Latin America. With current production capacity and emerging technologies like perovskite-silicon tandem modules, PV is poised to surpass all other electricity generation technologies combined by the end of the decade.

An international research team developed a multi-stage intrusion detection system that uses supervised and unsupervised AI techniques to detect and mitigate cyber threats in smart renewable energy grids. The system can reportedly achieve high accuracy, low false positives, and real-time detection, outperforming traditional intrusion detection system models.

Germany’s Federal Network Agency will use a new, structured framework developed by Fraunhofer IOSB-AST to classify cybersecurity incidents in the energy sector. The methodology enables comprehensive risk assessments, from initial reports to systemic and economic impacts, supporting consistent evaluation across the entire energy value chain.

Austria’s photovoltaic market slowed in 2025, with around 1,634 MW of new capacity installed, bringing the country’s total PV capacity to approximately 9.9 GW.

Accelerating energy transitions in major economies can create positive spillover effects worldwide, even amid geopolitical tensions, with North America and the Eurozone boosting progress in other regions.

France’s energy regulator has reduced feed-in tariffs (FITs) for PV systems up to 100 kW for the April to July 2026 period, with lower rates across all segments and reduced compensation for surplus electricity.

Spain’s grid operator Red Eléctrica and regulator CNMC have launched real-time voltage control services, allowing renewable energy installations to provide dynamic grid support under a new regulatory framework.