In 2025, solar and wind dominated global energy growth, delivering around six times more new capacity than all other power sources combined and supplying nearly all new electricity demand. With rapid expansion led by countries like Australia and several European nations, solar and wind are now the fastest-growing and central drivers of the global energy transition.

Q4 2025 in South Australia saw grid-connected loads with spot price exposure actually being paid to use electricity about half the time (46%) – and that electricity was overwhelmingly (80%) supplied by renewables. This demonstrates a shift from managing demand to quietly needing it. Particularly in regions like South Australia, there is growing demand for demand.

In a new monthly column for pv magazine, the Becquerel Institute explains why Europe’s solar manufacturing outlook is shifting from decline to cautious opportunity, driven by rising energy uncertainty and new regulations like the Net-Zero Industry Act that create fragmented, nationally defined markets with partial protection for domestic producers. While demand and policy support are strong, complexity, uneven implementation, and competition risks mean success will depend on how quickly and strategically industry players navigate this narrow window.

This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Carla Vico, CEO of France’s Green Solver. She says building an inclusive culture means valuing people for their work, accountability, and commitment, rather than their gender or background. “I do not believe in positive discrimination; I believe in creating equal opportunities and making merit-based decisions,” she states.

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.

A new report from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) estimates that building façades could offer up to 36 GW of technical solar PV potential, representing a significant but largely untapped resource. However, high costs, regulatory complexity, and lower performance compared to rooftop systems limit widespread adoption, currently making façade PV a niche solution for specific building types.

A U.S. federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction against a Department of the Interior policy that required Trump-appointed Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum’s approval for all renewable energy projects on public lands, effectively stalling tens of gigawatts of capacity.

Ireland recorded more than 10,000 applications for solar PV as part of its home energy upgrade program from January to March 2026, an increase of 65% on the same period for last year.

Enercity has begun constructing a 30 MW wastewater-based heat pump in Hanover as part of its shift away from coal-based district heating, replacing capacity from the Stöcken coal plant alongside biomass, power-to-heat, and waste-heat systems.

The refinancing of GSSG Solar and Voltaiyo’s 104 MW Jupiter Portfolio comes as Japan’s first-generation feed-in tariff (FIT) projects approach the end of guaranteed rates, forcing owners to reassess revenue strategies in a shifting post-FIT market.

The 204 MW Zwartowo solar power plant is the first large-scale solar project authorized to provide balancing services in Poland.

The Enwex Germany Solar (GSM) contract, launching April 23, brings exchange-cleared solar irradiance hedging to a market that has until now operated largely over the counter (OTC), a development Munich Re’s weather derivatives team says could broaden participation and formalize risk management.

Peru’s energy ministry has proposed market-based reforms for complementary electricity services to improve grid stability amid rising solar and wind generation.

The Maun solar project will encompass 500 MW of solar tied to 500 MWh of battery storage in northeastern Botswana, making it one of the largest projects of its kind in southern Africa. A 30-year power purchase agreement is in place between project developers Okavango Solar, wholly-owned by Oman’s NAQAA Sustainable Energy LLC, and Botswana Power Corporation.

Globeleq has started construction on 250 MW solar farm connected to 150 MW/600 MWh of battery storage in Zambia’s Lusaka Province.

Researchers in the United States reviewed claims about PFAS in solar panels and found that while fluoropolymers may be used in limited components like backsheets or coatings, there is no confirmed evidence of PFAS leaching from commercially deployed modules. The study highlights widespread confusion between different PFAS types and emphasizes the need for clearer communication and transparency around fluoropolymer use in PV technologies.

SolarEdge has a new commercial focused battery system, with the new model scaling up to as high as 1 MW / 4 MWh depending on the inverter choice.

Swimsol says the 2.4 MW floating PV array will supply the resort island of Cheval Blanc Randheli, reducing diesel consumption and saving about $1.5 million in fuel costs. The company’s engineering team told pv magazine how the system will operate.

Solx and Caelux said they will supply 3 GW of Solx Aurora modules, which combine domestic silicon cells from Suniva and a top layer of Caelux “Active Glass” to reach 28% efficiency, with commercial volumes available in the U.S. market by 2027.

Ocean 2 brings a more versatile large-scale and expandable, modular home storage solution, capable of handling both small and large solar PV input.

An international research team has developed an AI-driven robotic platform that autonomously designs, fabricates, and optimizes perovskite solar cells, completing the full experimental workflow in a closed-loop system. Using the platform, the researchers fabricated and tested more than 50,000 devices, achieving efficiencies of up to 27%.

Tandem PV has opened a 40 MW commercial demonstration factory in Fremont, California, marking a significant transition for perovskite-silicon technology from laboratory development to repeatable manufacturing at scale.

The new inverter is designed around standardized 5 MW and 5.5 MW PV sub-arrays with the aim to reduce balance-of-system costs. It features a maximum efficiency of 99.0% and a high-voltage architecture of up to 1,600 Vdc and 1,000 Vac.

The Chinese manufacturer said its lightweight Light Diamond TOPCon module delivers 560 W at 24.94% efficiency.

Supply chain attacks compromise PV systems by targeting trusted vendors, software, or hardware components, allowing attackers to infiltrate systems indirectly through legitimate channels. These attacks can disrupt operations, introduce hidden vulnerabilities, and impact multiple assets at once, making vendor security and system validation critical for resilience.

Researchers in the United Kingdom developed a scheduling model for residential heat pumps that reduces electricity costs while maintaining thermal comfort under dynamic tariffs and uncertain rooftop PV generation. It optimizes when to use grid power, PV energy, and building thermal storage.

The Chinese company says the new product targets long-duration storage, grid support, and GWh-scale deployment.

Investors are shifting focus from deployment growth to platforms that can orchestrate and monetize battery fleets.

California is putting the sun to work on the heavy lift that keeps California hydrated.

Jinko Power signed a framework agreement with Zhongwei to develop a 1 GW data center in Ningxia, marking its entry into green computing under China’s “Eastern Data, Western Computing” initiative. The project, however, remains subject to approvals and funding scrutiny.