Europe

Rising silver prices are pushing PV manufacturers toward copper-based metallization, with DK Electronic Materials targeting 2026 for large-scale deployment of high-copper paste solutions, while Fraunhofer ISE warns efficiency trade-offs remain unacceptable.

Researchers in Spain have tested the erosion resistance of common galvanized coatings using both free-falling sand and forced-air sand-impingement methods. The study found that continuously galvanized steel coatings showed the lowest erosion rates, outperforming HDG and Zn-Al-Mg coatings.

Scientists from the University of Seville have developed real-time optimization models showing that electricity storage in Spain may be approaching its economic limit, with cumulative capacities above 32 GWh depressing prices and undermining project profitability.

The European Commission is revising its Cybersecurity Act. While presenting the proposals in European Parliament, the commission’s Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said dependency on a very limited number of solar inverter suppliers could “pose a significant security risk.”

Swiss analytics firm Pexapark says last year Europe’s announced power purchase agreement capacity and deal count fell by approximately 13% and 19% year-on-year, respectively.

France-based IT services provider Cyllene has developed the RC-DC4/5G “Cyllene Box,” a network device for PV power plants that manages multiple internet connections, encrypts data, and supports compliance with the European Union Network and Information Security Directive (NIS 2).

Researchers have used multivalent amidinium ligands to boost perovskite solar cell efficiency to 25.4%, achieving over 95% stability after 1,100 hours at 85  C. The proposed approach enables controlled low-dimensional passivation layers, offering a practical route for durable, large-area perovskite devices.

A research group from the European Commission Joint Research Centre has developed a new PV climatic classification, the first to address annual yield and performance ratio. Their work resulted in 10 globally applicable clusters. “It challenges the assumption that many more classes are needed to capture PV-relevant climate,” the researchers said.

China’s PV manufacturing sector is operating at full capacity ahead of an April 1 export tax change, contributing to module price increases of 20% to 30% in parts of the supply chain and raising risks for price-sensitive European commercial and utility-scale projects in early 2026.