photovoltaics

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Antonio Arruebo, Market Analyst at SolarPower Europe. He says that widespread lack of awareness about the barriers women face throughout their professional journeys is currently the major hurdle for change. “Many obstacles are invisible or completely normalised,” he also stated. “Without more education and conscious effort, this self-perpetuating cycle will not be reversed.”