Global solar additions reached record 511 GW in 2025, says IRENA
Latest figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency find solar contributed the majority of a record 692 GW of renewables capacity added worldwide last year.
South Africa’s Eskom extends small-scale solar registration fee waiver
The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association has welcomed the utility’s decision to extend its registration fee waiver for solar systems until the end of September, as it calls for the country’s municipal distributors to streamline their own processes for small-scale embedded generation systems.
TotalEnergies, Masdar to merge renewables activities in nine Asian countries
The two major developers plan to establish a joint venture company with equal ownership that will be their sole vehicle for building, owning and operating both existing and future solar, storage and wind projects across nine Asian countries.
Longi launches integrated solar-plus-storage platform strategy
China-based solar manufacturer Longi is shifting from a multi-vendor system design to a unified solar-plus-storage architecture built around in-house technologies.
UNSW study finds tracker-based PV systems experience higher UV degradation than fixed-tilt arrays
New research from the University of New South Wales shows that PV module degradation varies widely with system design and location, driven by UV exposure, temperature, humidity, and atmospheric conditions. Tropical and desert regions face the highest stress, highlighting the need for climate-specific testing and system design.
Midea unveils PV-compatible indoor heat pump for space-constrained residential applications
Midea has launched a compact indoor air-source heat pump for retrofit and space-constrained homes. The R290-based system offers up to 4.45 kW output, a coefficient of performance of 4.5 and smart PV-compatible controls.
Key takeaways from Chile’s Re+ Cono sur
Chile’s Energy Minister Ximena Rincón called for a more proactive approach to renewables, storage, and electrification at the RE+ Southern Cone Summit last week, highlighting the need to reduce fossil fuel reliance and invest in enabling infrastructure.
BBDF 2026: How financing standalone vs. co-located projects really works
The “lab” session at Battery Business & Development Forum 2026 made transparent how different stakeholders evaluate and view energy storage projects between standalone and co-located options, and where views diverged.
Can sodium-ion storage drive energy flexibility in France?
France’s Association Environnement Juste has proposed a storage mandate for renewables projects exceeding 10 kWp in order to integrate flexibility at the source. The association argues European sodium-ion batteries could present an economically and environmentally viable solution, capable of stabilizing grids without depending on imported metals.
Solbian launches solar kit for boat davits
Available in 80 W and 108 W versions using high-efficiency SunPower Maxeon cells, the kit offers wind resistance up to 25 m/s and easy installation on unused boat surfaces, according to the manufacturer.
