‘Back contact will reach cost parity with TOPCon before end of decade’
During a pv magazine Week Europe 2025 webinar, panelists forecast back contact (BC) solar cells’ market share will draw level with TOPCon towards the end of the decade, before tandem technology begins large-scale momentum in the early 2030s.
IEA sets distributed solar, storage policy path for Ukraine
A report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) recommends three strategies to accelerate the deployment of distributed solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Ukraine as the country works to increase its energy security.
Scatec switches on 273 MW of solar in South Africa
Norway’s Scatec has reached commercial operations of a 273 MW solar project in South Africa, the first to be completed from the country’s fifth bid window of its renewable energy procurement programme and the company’s first in the Western Cape province.
Perovskite solar testing field commissioned in Japan
Kanazawa University has begun long-term outdoor testing of tandem perovskite solar cells in collaboration with Toshiba. The research project aligns with Japan’s broader push to scale perovskite PV technologies toward large deployment by 2040.
Agrivoltaics for biomethane
Researchers in Italy have simulated an agrivoltaic-powered anaerobic digestion plant for biomethane production and optimized it across eight scenarios, using vertically mounted panels in some cases with one-axis tracker and with two-axis trackers in others.
Japan’s 26th solar auction concludes with average final price of $0.046/kWh
Japan has allocated 75.3 MW of PV capacity in its latest procurement exercise. The lowest price in the auction was JPY 4.97 ($0.032) /kWh.
World’s first high-power aluminum-ion battery system for energy storage
For the first time, a complete aluminum-graphite-dual-ion battery system has been built and tested, showing that lithium-free, high-power batteries can deliver stability, fast response, and recyclability for next-generation grid applications.
Denmark’s second largest PV plant goes online
Swedish independent power producer Alight has completed a 215 MW solar project in Lolland, southern Denmark. The construction of Lidsø solar park started in the summer of 2024.
Brazil adopts legal framework for battery storage
Brazil published Law 15.296 on November 25, establishing a series of changes to laws in its electricity sector including guidelines for the regulation of storage systems, tax exemptions and the reduction of import tax rates on battery energy storage systems and its components to zero.
Keeping the smart grid cyber secure
As smart grid tech is rolled out around the world to modernize legacy assets and integrate renewable energy generation, it is also making the electricity network more prone to cyber attacks. IEC Standards provide protection but they also are challenged to keep up with the latest threats.
