Solar

Taiwan’s United Renewable Energy (URE) says it plans to lay off more than 100 employees as it retires passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cell production lines in Taiwan to focus on its tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) module series.

Researchers in Spain have simulated an energy community with varying electric-vehicle penetration levels (0%, 50%, and 100%) to analyze system optimization under different regulatory frameworks and EV brands. Charging strategies significantly affected overall performance and outcomes.

US-based Ascent Solar Technologies says its latest 30cm2 Titan solar module has a power density of 1,960 W/kg and is designed for space applications.

The Dutch municipality of Utrecht has become the first city in Europe to introduce a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) car-sharing service. It features Renault 5 E-Tech electric cars that run on clean energy and feed power back to grid the during peak-demand times.

A European research team has assessed the levelized cost of hydrogen across 31 African countries and has concluded that importing green hydrogen from Africa to European is economically unfeasible by 2030, with prices ranging from $10.2/kg to $3.8/kg.

Chinese solar manufacturers showed resilience at the 2025 SNEC PV Power Expo in Shanghai despite a deepening supply glut, as strong demand for energy storage and emerging technologies offset a steep drop in new PV module launches. Tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) stayed dominant, while back-contact, perovskite, and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) storage solutions gained traction.

Vanadium flow and lithium-ion batteries both require materials described as critical by the US Department of Energy (DOE).

Chinese solar manufacturer Longi unveiled a new PV module with 25.9% efficiency at the 2025 SNEC trade show this week in Shanghai, produced using both low- and high-temperature passivation techniques.

An international research team has used Lewis molecules to improve efficiency and stability of a perovskite solar cell built with a fully encapsulated trapping tactic aimed to reduce perovskite surface defects. The cell achieved a certified power conversion efficiency of 25.18% and a champion efficiency of 25.37%.

China announced new regulations this year that should result in a more market-oriented approach to renewables deployment. S&P Global Commodity Insights analysts Holly Hu and Anqi Shi say the new regulation No. 136 will play a crucial role in shaping China’s renewable energy sector, while introducing revenue uncertainties that will have a ripple effect on the global cleantech supply chain.