In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, reports that prevailing pessimism in the global polysilicon market continues to intensify, with current conditions still favoring buyers to a certain extent, allowing them to retain a degree of leverage in negotiations.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Southern Brazil and the northern Andes were irradiance hotspots during March, posting anomalies as high as 30% above the climatological average. The increase came despite intense rainfall causing flooding in other parts of South America.

Martin Schachinger, founder of pvXchange.com, says the European PV market has remained unaffected by the disruptive effects of the Trump administration’s new tariff policy.

With module sizes increasing, labor shortages worsening and workplace safety risks escalating, automation is a necessity.

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to María del Puy Ayerra, Head of Business Development Iberia at Spain’s Zelestra. She encountered isolated experiences that reflected subtle gender bias – particularly the assumption that women in leadership must adopt a “tough” character to survive in a male-dominated environment. “These stereotypes can be limiting and disheartening, especially for women who lead with empathy, collaboration, and strength of vision,” she states.

The MagicBlock utility-scale storage platform supports two-hour to eight-hour discharge durations, targeting flexibility markets and long-duration energy storage needs. The 10-foot container supports a maximum capacity of 3.2 MWh and is available in both AC- and DC-coupled versions.

Solar power purchase agreement (PPA) prices in North America held steady in the first quarter of 2025, averaging $57.04/MWh, up 1% from the previous quarter, says LevelTen Energy.

India’s Solex Energy has started working on its new 2 GW n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell factory, with operations set to begin in early 2027.

Sunwoda’s MESS 2000 mobile energy storage vehicle redefines the role of mobile power—evolving from a tool for emergencies to a key player in everyday energy supply.

Chinese manufacturer Das Solar says it will open its first European PV panel assembly plant in Mandeure, eastern France, by the end of 2025.

Scientists have developed a system that harvests rainwater running off PV panels for household use or hydrogen production. Their analysis showed that, in the southern Sahel, the system can meet both the energy and water requirements for electrolysis, with surplus rainwater covering up to 50% of a household’s daily water demand.

Off-grid solar investment fell 30% in 2024, with early-stage firms and productive-use tech hit hardest, says Gogla. The global association for the off-grid solar energy industry adds that scale-ups attracted 77% of the nearly $300 million invested, signaling stronger commercial viability among mature players.

Austria has opened applications for its €60 million ($68.3 million) rooftop PV rebate program for 2025, with a second-round “Made in Europe” bonus offering 20% more funding for projects using European-made components, says OeMAG.

Wood Mackenzie warns that policy uncertainty could significantly alter its projections for US solar industry growth. The research firm says the US solar industry will add 502 GW (DC) of capacity over the next decade, with annual installations surpassing 40 GWdc through 2035.

GoodWe BIPV has identified new applications for its Vela residential solar carport. The modular unit is gaining traction in rural and small commercial settings in Australia as an alternative to ground-mounted and rooftop PV systems.

The Spanish manufacturer will exhibit the E/Xpand HV battery at the upcoming Smarter E show in Munich next month. It will showcase racks for commercial and industrial (C&I) and large-scale systems of up to 5 MWh.

Researchers in Italy have designed a novel carbon dioxide heat pump that can work with photovoltaic-thermal energy, a finned coil heat exchanger and a U-tube borehole heat exchanger. Their experiment has shown that the simultaneous use of at least two energy sources always results in improved system performance even with limited heat transfer areas.

The Japanese automotive components and systems manufacturer began testing its proprietary organic perovskite solar modules in what will be a 30 kW outdoor field trial at one of its facilities in Anjo.

A team of researchers based in Japan and Sweden have found a correlation between higher feed-in tariffs and increased capital expenditures of solar projects in Japan. They suggest this may have led to a lack of incentive for developers to innovate or reduce costs, in turn inflating expenditure and hindering long-term market competitiveness.

Aurora Energy Research says the global electrolyzer pipeline now totals around 1.3 TW, with 114 GW in development and 32% expected online by the end of 2026. The firm cites stronger EU policy support and growing momentum in hybrid power purchase agreements (PPAs).

The Indian manufacturer said its new n-type TOPCon bifacial solar module has a a power output of 585 W to 620 W and the same compact dimensions as a traditional 550 W panel.

Toyo Co. has started production at its 2 GW solar cell facility in Ethiopia, with plans to deliver more than 80 MW of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) cells by the end of April before scaling capacity to 4 GW.

Researchers at the Delft University of Technology have developed a top-down processing method localized the front contact in heterojunction solar cells. The new technique reportedly improves a cell’s short-circuit current density enabling higher power conversion efficiency.

An international research team has developed a method to economically synthesize and stabilize conductive colloidal quantum dot inks for solar applications. When used to make quantum dot films in large area PV devices they enabled a certified efficiency of 10%, with lab-sized cells based on the ink material achieving 13.40% efficiency.

The Indian manufacturer said its new TOPCon solar panel is based on rectangular bifacial solar cells and is certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

Dutch energy storage firm Return has started construction on the 100 MW/200 MWh battery energy storage system in Waddinxveen, which will be the first project of the size to connect to the TenneT Netherlands high-voltage network in 2026. Vattenfall will manage and optimize half of the system’s capacity under an eight-year contract.

The Trump administration’s China tariffs have piled atop existing and developing trade barriers on battery energy storage systems, components, and materials – destabilizing the US energy storage industry. While existing inventories will allow project development to move forward in the short term, uncertainty extends across the supply chain, including to prospective manufacturers.

New research from Germany shows that home batteries have much lower chances of being hit by fire than electric vehicles and most home appliances. The researchers warned, however, that fires in residential storage systems can be more dangerous than those of burning tumble dryers.

Adani Green Energy has signed an agreement with Uttar Pradesh Power Corp. Ltd (UPPCL) to deliver 1,250 MW of energy storage capacity from pumped hydro storage projects.

1Komma5° has launched PowerHarvester, a lithium iron phosphate battery system for residential customers without solar. It is offering six power classes and storage capacities from 7.7 kWh to 27.2 kWh.