Record year for UK solar as renewables generate most electricity
Renewables accounted for majority of annual UK electricity generation for the first time in 2024, with solar enjoying record highs despite fewer sun hours Gains for PV reflect increased deployed capacity, which hit 18 GW in February 2025 according to the latest government figures.
Austria installs 2.2 GW of PV in 2024
Austria installed 2.2 GW of new PV capacity in 2024, bringing its cumulative total to 8.3 GW by the end of the year, according to industry group PV Austria.
California fast-tracks solar-plus-storage project
California Governor Gavin Newsom has expedited BayWa re’s 300 MW Cornucopia Hybrid agrivoltaic project, streamlining judicial review and cutting permitting delays.
Heat pump control strategy for energy communities
Researchers have utilized measured data from a small energy community on a Finnish university campus to simulate its operation under various control strategies. The first control strategy prioritizes the use of heat pumps, while the second prioritizes price. Total costs were reduced by up to 25% with the second option.
Sinovoltaics report maps 128 transformer factories in China
The technical compliance and quality assurance services firm has published a report describing the location and contact details of 128 transformer factories in China. The free publication is intended to help project developers identify manufacturers in the face of concerns about delivery delays.
California solar on canals initiative moves forward
The California Solar Canal Initiative (CSCI) aims to use research from the University of California, Merced, to find communities willing to generate power with solar-covered canals.
Solar adds record 452 GW to global renewables capacity in 2024
Global renewables capacity grew by a record 585 GW in 2024, with solar accounting for 452 GW, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Solar and wind together made up 96.6% of the increase.
Offshore vs. ground-mounted PV
Researchers in Saudi Arabia have compared the performance of ground-mounted PV plants with that of off-shore solar facilities and have found that floating installations benefit from the cooling effect of the seawater.
Solar becomes Spain’s top power source in 2024
Spain’s solar PV capacity reached 6 GW in 2024, making it the country’s top power source with a 25.1% share, surpassing wind at 24.9%. Renewable generation grew 10.3%, accounting for 56.8% of total electricity production.
The effects of coal dust on solar PV plants
An international research team studied the solar PV impact of emissions from a coal-fired power plant in the Atacama Desert, finding that after five months of exposure, the deposited dust on co-located PV panels reached a maximum of 1.63 mg/cm2 with a 23 % reduction in photocurrent. The accumulation at the co-located plant was 3 times greater than nearby PV sites with similar coastal climate conditions.
