Nearly 20 years after the first perovskite solar cell was developed, its efficiency and durability are drawing interest from industries worldwide. The defense sector is among the most active, as rising geopolitical tensions drive record government spending to protect critical systems from disruption and attack.

Africa has abundant sunlight, arable land, and innovative farmers, and agrivoltaics offers a long-term strategy to boost food security, climate resilience, and energy access simultaneously. Success depends on coordinated policy, inclusive community engagement, and patient, innovative finance to build a viable, scalable market.

In its second monthly column for pv magazine, the Becquerel Institute explains that Europe has vast commercial and industrial rooftops suitable for solar, but decades-old structural limits block conventional PV panels, creating an 85 GW untapped potential. Lightweight PV modules, commercially available and up to 50% lighter, can unlock this constrained market, meeting regulatory, economic, and technical needs for solar deployment across the continent.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are now an investable asset class, and infrastructure funds are acquiring developer platforms and financing large portfolios to accelerate deployment across Europe. Carlos Candil and Carlo de Haas of Lincoln International break down the trend

The electricity grid is a real bottleneck for energy in the United States, and it’s not only utilities and grid operators who are struggling. Grid congestion also puts pressure on renewable energy project owners and is as much a business problem as it is a technical one, writes Alon Mashkovich, CEO of energy management business software supplier enSights.

Eskom says it is issuing notices against around 14 municipalities in South Africa over outstanding municipal debts. The company warns that if the municipalities do not take corrective action, it will take credit control measures that may include interrupting electricity supply at predetermined times.

Eastman Auto & Power has started production at an 800 MW solar panel factory in the Indian state of Haryana.

Solar accounted for 54% of new US generation capacity in 2025, retaining its position as the top technology for the fifth straight year, while PV and storage together made up 79% of new electrical capacity, according to the latest report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie.

The European Court of Auditors says in a new report that EU policies supporting energy communities are progressing slowly and that the bloc’s goal of establishing one renewable energy community in every municipality with more than 10,000 residents by 2025 is unlikely to be met.

Public solar auctions and corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) supported 92 GW of EU solar capacity from 2022 to 2025, supplying enough electricity for 28 million households. SolarPower Europe says the figures underscore the role of long-term contracts in stabilizing energy prices and strengthening energy security.

German manufacturer Ehret has launched SolarSlide, a sliding shutter with integrated PV modules developed with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE). It provides solar shading while generating electricity for residential and commercial facades.

Morocco’s state energy agency and national utility have signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) and begun construction on six Noor Atlas solar plants totaling 305 MW. The project – financed by KfW, the European Investment Bank and Bank of Africa – aims to expand renewables, support local industry and create regional jobs.

Bifacial PV modules, string inverters and advanced trackers are becoming the preferred technologies in utility-scale solar project design, according to new data from RatedPower.

The new prototype ranks among the most advanced sodium‑ion battery systems reported worldwide.

California appellate court has affirmed the Public Utilities Commission decision to sharply cut compensation for homeowners and businesses that export rooftop solar electricity production to the grid.

The Danish company says its new product is ideal for small to medium-sized solar cell testing. It can simulate light conditions in the 390–700 nm range.

Researchers have developed a PFAS-free dual-layer sol-gel and hydrophobic silica coating that repels water, dust, and dirt while maintaining high light transmission for solar panels. The transparent, self-cleaning coating improved photovoltaic efficiency from 13.90% to 14.56%, demonstrating strong durability and potential for future commercial applications.

The Chinese manufacturer has launched a fire-resistant version of its Hi-MO X10 module for distributed PV applications, featuring back-contact technology and up to 24.8% efficiency. The company says the module adds enhanced fire-safety design to address rooftop PV risks such as hot spots and DC arcing.

Researchers from Nanchang University and Trina Solar found that TOPCon solar modules exhibit metastable “degradation–recovery” under UV exposure, with light soaking fully restoring performance and no impact on real-world energy yield. Their findings highlight the need to refine UV testing standards to better reflect field performance and guide PV reliability assessments.

Canadian researchers proposed a laminate-free solar module using polycarbonate instead of EVA and glass. The new encapsulation technique reportedly enables easy disassembly, reuse of solar cells, and open-source local manufacturing.

An Algerian research team has developed a smart water-spray cooling system for PV panels that activates only when temperatures exceed a set threshold, boosting efficiency while minimizing water use in desert conditions. The system raised power output and reduced module temperatures, offering similar efficiency to continuous cooling but with far lower water consumption, pump operation, and costs.

Swedish thin-film solar manufacturer Midsummer has secured its largest-ever order for production equipment, covering a complete solar cell factory. It follows an initial order in May 2025 for a 15 MW line producing thin-film copper, indium, gallium and selenide (CIGS) solar cells.

The 3 kW N3300S inverter combines a pure sine wave inverter with an integrated MPPT solar charge controller for small residential and hybrid PV systems. The unit supports multiple power sources, flexible battery chemistries, and rapid grid/off-grid switching.

In an interview with pv magazine, Empa scientist Mirjana Dimitrievska explains that the CIGS photovoltaic technology, while promising for efficiency and flexible applications, faces persistent challenges in scaling lab-level performance to cost-effective, high-throughput industrial production, limiting its ability to compete with crystalline silicon. She also emphasizes that long-term stability, reliability, and material sustainability, rather than peak efficiency, are crucial for commercial viability, especially in niche markets like building-integrated and lightweight PV.

Researchers tested a solar PV-powered system to gasify dried cattle dung, achieving higher energy recovery than grid-powered setups.Their techno-economic-environmental analysis shows the approach can cut emissions and be economically viable, though system utilization and operational factors strongly affect profitability.

Hizenergy has introduced a four-product commercial-and-industrial (C&I) energy storage lineup, including a 300 kW low-voltage PCS designed for direct connection to 400 V commercial distribution networks.

Volkswagen has connected its first 20 MW/40 MWh stationary storage system in Salzgitter, Germany, marking the start of its plan to integrate battery production, storage, and energy trading within a single corporate structure.

The “Battery Atlas 2026” report shows consolidation in Europe’s battery market. More than 2,000 GWh of cell production capacity was announced in 2023, but the realistic forecast for early 2026 is around 1,190 GWh, including approximately 673 GWh led by Asian companies.

The new product line covers 124–644 kW in heating and 128–632 kW in cooling, operates down to -15 C, and supports various configurations with R454B or R410a refrigerants.

Australia’s rooftop solar market has bounced back into record-setting territory with 281 MW of new capacity registered across the country last month, marking the largest February total on record.