Key takeaways from France’s Energaia trade show
France’s Energaia trade fair drew record crowds and exhibitors last week, underscoring continued investment appetite in solar and storage, even as developers warn that policy delays and a residential slowdown could weigh on activity after 2025.
France pulls reduced VAT status from four DMEGC solar modules
France’s certification body says it has withdrawn eligibility for a lower solar VAT rate from four Chinese-made modules after finding traceability errors that altered their carbon footprint calculations.
EU security doctrine highlights high-risk dependency on Chinese solar inverters
A document published by the European Commission on strengthening the EU’s economic security lists reliance on Chinese solar inverters as an example of high-risk dependency. It adds the commission plans to address such risks under its cybersecurity framework.
SEG Solar starts building 3 GW solar ingot, wafer factory in Indonesia
U.S-headquartered SEG Solar is constructing a 3 GW ingot and wafer factory in Indonesia. The new production is located at its existing cell manufacturing facility, completing an end-to-end solar manufacturing chain for the company.
The impact of laser-assisted firing on TOPCon solar cell performance
UNSW and Jolywood studied the thermal stability of laser-assisted fired TOPCon solar cells during module fabrication and high-temperature stress, identifying hydrogen-related defect dynamics as the key factor behind degradation and recovery. They found lamination causes temporary efficiency losses that self-recover under light exposure, while optimized LAF can restore degraded contacts, providing practical guidance for reliable module manufacturing and testing.
Eswatini starts 20 MW solar project
Eswatini has launched a 20 MW solar project, the first in a series of five expected to add 75 MW of new capacity.
Wood Mackenzie predicts 2-year decline in global solar inverter demand
Wood Mackenzie’s latest analysis expects market uncertainty in China, Europe and the U.S. to cause two consecutive years of contraction in the global solar inverter market, forecasting a fall to 577 GWac this year and 523 GWac in 2026.
GoodWe launches new hybrid inverters for C&I solar
The Chinese manufacturer has launched a new series of three-phase hybrid inverters ranging from 80 kW to 100 kW. They new products feature eight MPPTs with up to 42 A input current.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: PowerChina launches 31 GW solar procurement
China Power Construction Corp. (PowerChina) has launched a 31 GW solar module tender for 2026 projects, split across n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon), heterojunction (HJT) and back-contact (BC) technologies as part of a wider 97 GW renewables and grid equipment program.
Italy clears 710 MW of solar in Puglia, challenges regional PV rules
The italian government says it is fast-tracking utility-scale solar, approving about 710 MW of mainly agrivoltaic projects in Puglia while moving to curb regional limits on where PV plants can be built, sharpening tensions over land use and energy policy.
