UK government extends CfD contract length to 20 years
Changes announced ahead of seventh Contract for Difference (CfD) allocation round widely viewed as key to achieving government’s clean power targets for 2030. Target commissioning window for solar projects also extended in anticipation of larger capacity projects.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Tongwei, Longi, JA Solar announce H1 losses
Tongwei, Longi, and JA Solar have predicted steep losses for the first half of 2025, as persistent oversupply and falling solar module prices continue to pressure margins across China’s PV manufacturing sector.
Mexico introduces new rules for self-consumption
Mexico’s energy regulator has issued new provisions to streamline the permitting process for self-consumption power plants between 0.7 MW and 20 MW, aiming to improve legal certainty for project developers.
SNEC Interview: Skyworth PV to roll out EPC business globally
During last month’s SNEC exhibition in Shanghai, pv magazine met with Wanfei Qu, CIO of Skyworth Group and CEO and director of Skyworth PV (also named Solavita in Europe), at the Chinese manufacturer’s impressive booth. The company utilizes the “Solavita” brand in Europe, but whether the brand is “Skyworth” or “Solavita” the it can leverage its strong foundation in manufacturing, electronics and IT, which it has built up in over 37 years. The Shenzhen-headquartered manufacturer only entered the solar PV industry in 2020, but in the span of just four years the company went from $10 million in PV-related revenues to $3 billion in 2024. The young CEO of Skyworth PV has ambitious goals for the future, targeting $1 billion in overseas PV revenues in the next three years. Germany and Italy are the company’s target markets in Europe.
Chinese scientists build copper indium sulfide solar cell with 10.44% efficiency
Copper indium sulfide (CuInS2) are still far from reaching commercial maturity but new titanium dioxide nanorod arrays can reportedly improve their light trapping, charge separation, and carrier collection.
US launches national security probe into polysilicon imports
The US Department of Commerce (DoC) says it will investigate the potential for export restrictions by foreign countries, as well as their ability to “weaponize” their control over supplies of polysilicon.
Precise backside irradiance modeling for bifacial PV is often unnecessary
A European research group has developed a new “empirical” method for measuring the backside irradiance of bifacial PV system. The proposed approach was tested across several European locations and it was found to enable annual performance calculations with a fixed backside irradiance share value.
Using photoluminescence, implied open-circuit voltage imaging for perovskite solar cell field testing
To evaluate the outdoor performance and stability of perovskite solar cells using contactless and noninvasive methods, an Australian and Chinese research team found a way to use photoluminescence imaging as well as demonstrating a proof of concept for implied open-circuit voltage (iVOC) imaging. Their research relied on cost-effective equipment that operates under direct sunlight.
Worldwide battery storage installations up 54% in first half of 2025, June sets monthly record
New data from Rho Motion shows that over half of June’s installations were concentrated in China, maintaining the country’s dominance in the global energy storage market.
Rhoss launches reversible heat pumps
Conceived for industrial applications, the novel heat pumps can reportedly deliver hot water at 65 C from -10 C up to 35 C of external air, and hot water at 55 C down to -20 C of external air. Their coefficient of performance reaches up to 3.47.
