The U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran is unlikely to materially affect solar manufacturing projects in the Middle East for now, as most of these investments remain at an early stage. OPIS analyst Brian Ng sees the most immediate risk in logistics. If disruptions persist, shipments of solar products into the region could be delayed and export pricing may turn volatile.

This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Ilse Cappelle, Head of Marketing & E-commerce at Netherlands’ Libra Energy. She explains how returning from maternity leave directly into a leadership role showed her the company’s strong support for career growth and work-life balance.

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.

Solar energy, driven by excellent resource conditions and rapidly improving economic attractiveness, is expected to emerge as a bulk energy supplier in future energy systems. The self-limiting effects of solar power can be circumvented through solar-hybrid solutions, such as PV-geothermal hybrid configurations.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Saharan dust caused widespread panel soiling in southern Europe in early May, while much of central and eastern Europe benefitted from above-average solar resources. Favourable conditions broke down later in the month as cold polar air and a powerful storm system brought cloud, snow and damaging winds to many parts of the continent.

San Francisco-based Merino Energy has launched the Merino Mono, a plug-and-play indoor heat pump that can be installed in under an hour and is priced at a flat $3,800 including installation.

Jupiter International and AMPIN Energy Transition have inaugurated a 1.3 GW solar cell and module facility in Bhubaneswar, India, under a joint venture.

A new report from global energy think tank Ember shows 814 GWdc in new solar and wind capacity was installed in 2025, but the pace of wind deployment rose 47% year-over-year compared to just 11% for solar.

The 18th SolarEx Istanbul showcased Türkiye’s expanding solar ecosystem, bringing together hundreds of exhibitors and reinforcing its role as a rising global hub for PV manufacturing and innovation. At the same time, strong growth in distributed solar and emerging battery storage highlights both the market’s potential and its key challenges, including regulatory constraints, grid limits, and increasing global competition.

The country added around 44.6 GW of new PV capacity in fiscal year 2026, according to new figures released by JMK Research.

BMW says its new hydrogen tank enables longer range and flexible production, while South Korea has revealed plans to develop large-scale liquid hydrogen storage systems.

Tokyu Corp. and partners will supply Tokyu Railway with newly built solar power under a corporate power purchase agreement (PPA), covering about 30% of traction electricity demand.

Solarport has launched the modular PowerPark PRO PV carport series, designed to meet UK/EU parking standards and adapt to various site layouts with multiple configurations and orientations.

Data from the Swedish Energy Agency finds there are now approximately 314,600 grid-connected solar plants in Sweden, the majority of which are systems smaller than 20 kW. The agency’s latest analysis also notes the rate of installations is slowing.

The Canadian province of Ontario has shared the results of what it has called its largest public power procurement exercise in its history, offering contracts to 12 solar projects and two wind projects with a cumulative capacity in excess of 1.3 GW.

The TOPCon solar cells with fabricated with screen-printed, fire-through copper rear contacts and silver front contacts, using laser-enhanced contact optimization (LECO) to significantly reduce contact resistivity. Optimized copper cells achieved 24.3% efficiency, comparable to Ag-contacted cells, with excellent stability.

Swiss national grid company Swissgrid teamed up with a group of Swiss energy expects to publish a white paper covering how Switzerland can integrate up to 40 GW of solar by 2050 while maintaining safe and reliable operation of the grid.

A Czech team developed an IoT system using MQTT to autonomously cool PV panels, boosting daily energy yield by 7.38% with a positive net energy balance.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have reduced silver consumption in solar cell metallization to 1.1 mg/Wp using an electrodeposition-based process, down from current levels of 10–12 mg/Wp.

The new Anker Solix Solarbank Max AC steps up from balcony-scale storage with a 3.5 kW inverter, plug-in capabilities for do-it-yourself (DIY) ease of installation, and expandability to 42 kWh, priced from €2,229.

Polysilicon prices have fallen sharply over recent weeks due to persistent oversupply and weakening demand, briefly dipping to low levels before stabilizing slightly above CNY 50 ($7.31)/kg, though still near historical lows and below production costs. OPIS analyst Summer Zhang tells pv magazine that despite policy signals and potential future regulations, unclear implementation and continued excess capacity mean market conditions remain weak, with further demand declines and possible production cuts or discounted sales expected in the near term.

A research team has developed a solvent-free method using ultrasonic cavitation to delaminate end-of-life crystalline-silicon PV modules, fully separating the glass and front EVA layer while partially releasing c-Si fragments. The proposed approach achieved an 82.2% mass-based delamination efficiency, highlighting ultrasonic cavitation as a sustainable alternative for PV module recycling.

In its first monthly column for pv magazine, experts from UK-based consultancy Ricardo, part of the WSP Group, explain how UK will soon allow low-cost plug-in solar panels under 800 W to be installed without a qualified electrician, making home solar more affordable and accessible. These portable systems, expected on sale by summer 2026, could significantly boost household solar adoption while complementing the country’s wider renewable energy growth.

An international study found that the specific power of commercial silicon solar modules increased from 8.5 W/kg in the early 2000s to 23.6 W/kg today, driven by advances in module design, bifaciality, and temperature management. The researchers highlighted that glass and framing dominate module weight, and considering operating conditions like nominal operating cell temperature and rear-side illumination is essential for accurate PV system design.

IT security firm Jakkaru has identified a vulnerability in microinverters from AP Systems that could enable a “kill switch” scenario, potentially shutting down tens of thousands of inverters simultaneously and disrupting grid operations.

China’s Sigenergy has announced a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO), with shares open to retail investors until April 13 and backing from major international asset managers.

Brazil’s National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) has authorized a 5 MWh battery system co-located with a solar plant, setting a regulatory precedent for integrated storage.

Renalfa Power Clusters plans to combine newly acquired solar and battery assets in Romania into a hybrid project using lithium-ion and sodium-ion storage.

A Japanese–Chinese team developed a titanium molten salt redox-flow battery using abundant titanium ions and molten salt electrolytes to enable high-voltage, fast, and stable grid-scale energy storage. The system demonstrates high efficiency of over 97%, strong cycling stability, and improved cost and scalability compared to vanadium-based batteries, with further optimization underway.

Inpow Battery has launched a 587 Ah semi-solid-state storage cell with safety-focused design features, while outlining plans for a 6.5 GWh production line.