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Argentina’s next era

Argentina’s solar sector is entering a new phase, writes pv magazine’s Luis Ini. As the country’s installed PV capacity nears 2.6 GW, demand is growing. This stems from the mining sector, projects connected to distribution grids, the upturn in self-consumption following tariff rises, and the first national tenders for large-scale battery storage. However, the market remains constrained by two structural limitations: transmission capacity and access to finance.
Luis Ini
1 hour ago
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Kepco targets South Korean inverter competitiveness with new tech subsidiary

South Korean state utility Kepco has launched a technology-commercialization subsidiary aimed at bringing thousands of its patents to market, with domestic solar-inverter manufacturers among the first industry partners.
Brian Publicover
13 hours ago
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Sharp unveils 11.5 kWh battery for residential use

Sharp is launching its Japan-made 11.5 kWh Eee Storage battery, offering 21% more capacity in a 35% smaller footprint, with AI-powered energy management and enhanced whole-home backup capabilities. Available in Japan from September 8, 2026, the system targets higher solar self-consumption and delivers up to 4.2 kVA during outages, with the battery priced at JPY 3.751 million ($23,550).
Tristan Rayner
15 hours ago
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Irish electricity generation by grid-scale PV up 51% in 2025

Grid-scale solar farms generated 1.1 GWh of electricity in 2025, 4% of the total and a 51% increase compared with 2024. Electricity storage output from pumped hydro and batteries contributed a small share. Coal fired power plant generation, meanwhile, decreased its share by 52% from 2024.
Blathnaid O’Dea
15 hours ago
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Portugal’s largest solar plant enters administration amid low output, falling power prices

Welink Energy Portugal 2 UK, owner of Portugal’s 220 MW Solara4 solar plant, entered administration after weak generation, low wholesale power prices, technical issues and rising costs strained revenues and cash flow. The plant remains operational as administrators seek performance improvements and a potential sale.
Pilar Sánchez Molina
16 hours ago

Opinion & Analysis

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‘Inclusion means judging ideas on their merits’

This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Janine Wirth, Founder and Managing Director of Germany’s Ilanco GmbH. As a woman in a male-dominated, engineering-driven industry, she has faced questions about how she could develop a technical solution without the “expected” background. She argues that inclusion means judging ideas by their potential and results—not gender, credentials, or who is traditionally expected to solve the problem.
Women in Solar+ Europe
Aug 21, 2026
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Despite record U.S. heat in July, North American irradiance remains near average

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that, despite record-breaking U.S. heat, North America’s net solar irradiance in July 2026 remained near the long-term average, with 75% of the continent within 5% of normal. Wildfire smoke in the Pacific Northwest and isolated heavy rainfall in Texas and the Northeast suppressed solar resources, offsetting otherwise stronger-than-average conditions.
Solcast
Aug 21, 2026
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Brandschutz für Photovoltaik-Anlagen nahe Wäldern

How to protect solar assets from wildfires

The number of forest fires across Europe is rising. Countries in Central and Northern Europe are also increasingly affected. This article presents a range of preventive measures to protect photovoltaic systems from fire and reports on experiences in France.
Felix Hübner
Aug 21, 2026
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China TOPCon cell prices jump on firmer upstream sentiment and rising export demand

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.
OPIS
Aug 21, 2026
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PV+ articles

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Argentina’s next era

Argentina’s solar sector is entering a new phase, writes pv magazine’s Luis Ini. As the country’s installed PV capacity nears 2.6 GW, demand is growing. This stems from the mining sector, projects connected to distribution grids, the upturn in self-consumption following tariff rises, and the first national tenders for large-scale battery storage. However, the market remains constrained by two structural limitations: transmission capacity and access to finance.
Luis Ini
1 hour ago
View article

Brazil’s plan for a battery supply chain

Battery manufacturing in Brazil is being spurred by local content requirements for country’s December 2026 energy storage auction, as well as the financing terms from Brazilian development bank BNDES that are favorable to locally made products. Domestic and foreign suppliers are already announcing investments in battery manufacturing facilities.
Lívia Neves
Aug 25, 2026
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AC-Coupled vs. DC-Coupled

Growing applications for battery storage mean the optimal system design may not be the most obvious. Jakir Hossain and Mujtaba Abdelwahab of Storlytics Energy Storage present a simulation-based comparison of AC vs. DC coupling showing how realistic dispatch modeling rather than generic assumptions fundamentally changes BESS sizing, levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) outcomes and architecture selection.
Jakir Hossain, Mujtaba Abdelwahab
Aug 22, 2026
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Solar powerhouse to storage leader

Chile is transforming in a bid to avoid becoming a victim of its own solar success. Developers have flooded the Atacama Desert with solar projects, turning Chile into a PV powerhouse but also drastically reducing revenues and driving some operators into bankruptcy. S&P Global Energy’s Ángel Cancino sees the country increasingly focusing on energy storage to rescue some of its overbuilt PV capacity.
Angel Cancino
Aug 21, 2026
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New materials in the frame

Solar cells, encapsulants, glass, backsheets, and virtually every PV module component have seen rapid changes and improvements over the past 10 years. During that time, module frames have seen relatively little innovation and remain a simple piece of formed aluminum. However, quality concerns, supply chain diversification, domestic content rules, and emissions reduction requirements have frame manufacturers eyeing alternative materials. And while aluminum isn’t going away, suppliers of steel and glass composite frames argue these materials come with various advantages.
Mark Hutchins
Aug 20, 2026

Highlights

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Residential PV can trigger rebound effects under South Korea’s tiered electricity tariffs

Research finds households in South Korea moving into lower tariff tiers after installing PV systems can offset 11% to 22% of expected energy savings, while net metering can further amplify the rebound effect.
Patrick Jowett
17 hours ago
View article

Researchers use virtual reality to increase understanding of agrivoltaics

Research from Denmark finds using immersive virtual reality can help citizens understand the dual-use logic of agrivoltaics. Participants in the research evaluated agrivoltaics as greener, more innovative and at least as acceptable as conventional solar parks.
Patrick Jowett
Aug 24, 2026
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India adds 3 GW of open-access solar in Q2

India added a record 3 GW of open-access solar capacity in the second quarter of 2026, taking cumulative installations to 36 GW. First-half additions reached nearly 6 GW, up 42% year on year, driven by strong C&I demand and regulatory deadlines.
Uma Gupta
Aug 24, 2026
View article

Norway installs 43 MW of solar in January-July

As Norway’s cumulative solar capacity moves closer to 1 GW, the country’s C&I market accounts for the majority of new installations while its residential market stalls.
Patrick Jowett
Aug 24, 2026
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Technology & Products

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New materials in the frame

Solar cells, encapsulants, glass, backsheets, and virtually every PV module component have seen rapid changes and improvements over the past 10 years. During that time, module frames have seen relatively little innovation and remain a simple piece of formed aluminum. However, quality concerns, supply chain diversification, domestic content rules, and emissions reduction requirements have frame manufacturers eyeing alternative materials. And while aluminum isn’t going away, suppliers of steel and glass composite frames argue these materials come with various advantages.
Mark Hutchins
Aug 20, 2026
View article

Kepco targets South Korean inverter competitiveness with new tech subsidiary

South Korean state utility Kepco has launched a technology-commercialization subsidiary aimed at bringing thousands of its patents to market, with domestic solar-inverter manufacturers among the first industry partners.
Brian Publicover
13 hours ago
View article

Sharp unveils 11.5 kWh battery for residential use

Sharp is launching its Japan-made 11.5 kWh Eee Storage battery, offering 21% more capacity in a 35% smaller footprint, with AI-powered energy management and enhanced whole-home backup capabilities. Available in Japan from September 8, 2026, the system targets higher solar self-consumption and delivers up to 4.2 kVA during outages, with the battery priced at JPY 3.751 million ($23,550).
Tristan Rayner
15 hours ago
View article

A closer look at CATL Tener S 6.017 MWh BESS

Not quite a mystery from CATL, but it’s now clear what the Tener S battery energy storage system (BESS) actually can do.
Tristan Rayner
19 hours ago
View article

Enphase enters commercial battery storage market, announces IQ Battery C80

Enphase Energy has opened U.S. pre-orders for its IQ Battery C80, a fully integrated, AC-coupled commercial energy storage system designed to scale up to multi-megawatt-hour deployments.
Ryan Kennedy
Aug 25, 2026
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AI platform aims to transform solar site assessment

Learnewable uses AI-based insights to detail local solar opposition before developers invest time or energy in projects.
Anne Fischer
Aug 24, 2026
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Korean scientists unveil 10 kW chemical adsorption heat pump prototype

Korean researchers have developed a 10 kW chemical adsorption heat pump that uses waste heat at around 40 C to provide cooling for buildings, factories and data centers. The prototype features a high-performance adsorption bed, an electrochemical compressor with no moving parts and ammonia as a natural refrigerant.
Emiliano Bellini
Aug 24, 2026
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Markets & Policy

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View article

Argentina’s next era

Argentina’s solar sector is entering a new phase, writes pv magazine’s Luis Ini. As the country’s installed PV capacity nears 2.6 GW, demand is growing. This stems from the mining sector, projects connected to distribution grids, the upturn in self-consumption following tariff rises, and the first national tenders for large-scale battery storage. However, the market remains constrained by two structural limitations: transmission capacity and access to finance.
Luis Ini
1 hour ago
View article

Portugal’s largest solar plant enters administration amid low output, falling power prices

Welink Energy Portugal 2 UK, owner of Portugal’s 220 MW Solara4 solar plant, entered administration after weak generation, low wholesale power prices, technical issues and rising costs strained revenues and cash flow. The plant remains operational as administrators seek performance improvements and a potential sale.
Pilar Sánchez Molina
16 hours ago
View article

Residential PV can trigger rebound effects under South Korea’s tiered electricity tariffs

Research finds households in South Korea moving into lower tariff tiers after installing PV systems can offset 11% to 22% of expected energy savings, while net metering can further amplify the rebound effect.
Patrick Jowett
17 hours ago
View article

Sweden could face 150,000 metric tons of end-of-life panels annually

Sweden decommissioned just 17 metric tons (MT) of solar panels in 2021, but a new industry roadmap warns that figure could reach 150,000 MT per year by around 2060, and says current recycling and reuse systems are not yet equipped to handle it.
Brian Publicover
17 hours ago
View article

Silver prices rebound as AI, data centers add to industrial demand

Silver prices have resumed their upward trend amid a broader precious-metals rally, while the market heads toward a sixth consecutive annual structural deficit. Growing demand from AI, data centers and electrification is emerging alongside photovoltaics as an increasingly important driver of silver consumption.
Emiliano Bellini
18 hours ago

Applications & Installations

See all
View article

AC-Coupled vs. DC-Coupled

Growing applications for battery storage mean the optimal system design may not be the most obvious. Jakir Hossain and Mujtaba Abdelwahab of Storlytics Energy Storage present a simulation-based comparison of AC vs. DC coupling showing how realistic dispatch modeling rather than generic assumptions fundamentally changes BESS sizing, levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) outcomes and architecture selection.
Jakir Hossain, Mujtaba Abdelwahab
Aug 22, 2026
View article

Kepco targets South Korean inverter competitiveness with new tech subsidiary

South Korean state utility Kepco has launched a technology-commercialization subsidiary aimed at bringing thousands of its patents to market, with domestic solar-inverter manufacturers among the first industry partners.
Brian Publicover
13 hours ago
View article

Irish electricity generation by grid-scale PV up 51% in 2025

Grid-scale solar farms generated 1.1 GWh of electricity in 2025, 4% of the total and a 51% increase compared with 2024. Electricity storage output from pumped hydro and batteries contributed a small share. Coal fired power plant generation, meanwhile, decreased its share by 52% from 2024.
Blathnaid O’Dea
15 hours ago
View article

Researchers use virtual reality to increase understanding of agrivoltaics

Research from Denmark finds using immersive virtual reality can help citizens understand the dual-use logic of agrivoltaics. Participants in the research evaluated agrivoltaics as greener, more innovative and at least as acceptable as conventional solar parks.
Patrick Jowett
Aug 24, 2026
View article

India adds 3 GW of open-access solar in Q2

India added a record 3 GW of open-access solar capacity in the second quarter of 2026, taking cumulative installations to 36 GW. First-half additions reached nearly 6 GW, up 42% year on year, driven by strong C&I demand and regulatory deadlines.
Uma Gupta
Aug 24, 2026
View article
Sponsored

Two years at 5,200 meters: POWEROAD BESS proven in extreme altitude

At 5,200 meters above sea level, where extreme weather, unstable grid conditions, and limited site access make energy reliability a constant challenge, POWEROAD has achieved more than 800 days of stable operation for its Everest Base Camp energy storage project.
POWEROAD
Aug 24, 2026
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Quinbrook advances plans for polysilicon factory in Australia

Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners’ plans to build a polysilicon plant in Queensland to supply solar panel manufacturers have taken another step forward following the recent signing of an agreement with the local government authority.
David Carroll
Aug 24, 2026
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Research & Development

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The silicon recycling loop remains open

Retrieving silicon from end-of-life PV modules for reuse in solar applications relies heavily on small improvements. As scientists continue to chase that decimal point, AI and robotic labs might beat them to the goal.
Lior Kahana
Jul 20, 2026
View article

Residential PV can trigger rebound effects under South Korea’s tiered electricity tariffs

Research finds households in South Korea moving into lower tariff tiers after installing PV systems can offset 11% to 22% of expected energy savings, while net metering can further amplify the rebound effect.
Patrick Jowett
17 hours ago
View article

AZO-based HJT solar cells more vulnerable to damp-heat-induced degradation, study finds

German researchers have found that aluminum-doped zinc oxide-based silicon heterojunction cells are more vulnerable to damp-heat-induced degradation than their indium tin oxide-based counterparts. To address this issue, they introduced a magnesium fluoride capping layer that significantly improved damp-heat stability by slowing moisture penetration and corrosion.
Emiliano Bellini
20 hours ago
View article

New temperature model improves floating PV performance predictions

Researchers in Malaysia have developed a simplified operating cell temperature model for floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems that incorporates water temperature while remaining compatible with existing nominal operating cell temperature (NOCT) models. The FPV-NOCT model outperformed the standard NOCT approach in validation datasets from Brazil and California, achieving up to 92.3% prediction accuracy.
Lior Kahana
21 hours ago
View article
Experimental greenhouses in which Spanish researchers have demonstrated that semitransparent solar panels improve the microclimate.

Semi-transparent PV reduces greenhouse temperatures by up to 5 C

Semi-transparent photovoltaic modules can reduce greenhouse temperatures by up to 5 C while cutting water losses by more than 60%, according to research from the University of Jaén. The study compared CdTe and amorphous silicon technologies, highlighting the role of spectral transmission in balancing solar generation with crop requirements.
Pilar Sánchez Molina
22 hours ago

Sponsored Content

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Sponsored

Two years at 5,200 meters: POWEROAD BESS proven in extreme altitude

At 5,200 meters above sea level, where extreme weather, unstable grid conditions, and limited site access make energy reliability a constant challenge, POWEROAD has achieved more than 800 days of stable operation for its Everest Base Camp energy storage project.
POWEROAD
Aug 24, 2026
View article
Sponsored

CAB® Solar highlights solar cable hanger solutions for agricultural projects

At The smarter E 2026 in Munich, the company demonstrated its ModulAir® free-air cable hangers for solar projects, as well as its latest 3D locking hangers, which are designed to secure electric cables when used in locations with livestock.
CAB Solar
Jul 29, 2026
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Sponsored

New Tongwei modules boost bifaciality toward 90%

The company showcased its new TNC 3.0 module series and BIFIMAX variants at The smarter E 2026, demonstrating high performance in low-light scenarios.
Tongwei
Jul 28, 2026
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Sponsored

HyperStrong introduces C&I energy storage solutions at The smarter E 2026

The company emphasizes that its innovative configuration – splitting the standard 20-foot container in two – addresses weight and transportation issues common to traditional energy storage solutions.
HyperStrong
Jul 27, 2026
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