Since 1993, the World Energy Outlook (WEO) of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has been an authoritative report on energy statistics and guiding future energy supply and demand developments. An examination of these reports, however, indicates that even the most progressive of WEO scenarios has vastly underestimated the growth of renewable energy technologies, especially solar PV.

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Rachele De Angelis, European Affair Officer at Italy’s Enel. She says bringing fresh ideas from new academic backgrounds and early career experiences can help companies achieve transformative insights. “These perspectives can challenge old assumptions and generate more creative and inclusive solutions,” she states.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, FOB China TOPCon below 450 W modules for spot loading were stable at $0.093/W, with price indications between $0.087-0.100/W. Furthermore, it reveals that current price increases are not being uniformly adopted across all Chinese manufacturers, with significant price differences—often several euro cents— being observed between the Top 5 and Top 10 manufacturers.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that irradiance across England, the Benelux region, Denmark, northern France, northern Germany, and northern Poland surged well above long-term March averages. In the UK, aggregated solar irradiance reached its highest March value since 2014.

As the renewable energy sector rapidly evolves, battery energy storage systems (BESS) are emerging as a critical pillar for decarbonization. However, with capital constraints and rising market volatility, not all projects are equally viable. At ABO Energy, we’re witnessing a shift in the investment landscape, where preparedness is the key to success.

Corporate funding in solar fell considerably in the first three months of this year due to policy reversals, tariff shocks and regulatory uncertainties, says a report from Mercom Capital.

India’s Emmvee has inaugurated a new solar module plant in India, boosting its total PV module capacity to 6.6 GWp and solar cell capacity to 2.5 GWp. The expansion strengthens its position in the nation’s rapidly scaling solar manufacturing sector.

The bill places permit restrictions, fees and new regulatory requirements for solar and wind projects.

The European Commission has cleared a €400 million ($455.2 million) Spanish aid program to scale renewable hydrogen output, backing up to 345 MW of electrolyzer capacity and targeting 221,000 tons of production via the EU Hydrogen Bank’s 2025 auction round.

Romania’s energy regulator has proposed new grid connection rules to extend connection agreement terms and set a firm deadline for paying the 5% financial guarantee required to secure a permit, with public consultation open through April 21.

Eskom has issued a tender for partners to help launch a standalone renewables division, in a bid to speed up clean energy development in South Africa. The utility says it will evaluate bids based on sector experience, financial expertise, and project delivery record.

The Austrian manufacturer said its new hybrid inverters can increase the usable output of the PV system to up to 150%. They are available in six version with rated AC power ranging from 15 kW to 33.3 kW.

The Chinese manufacturer said its new product uses inverter units with an output of 800 kW, of which 12 can be connected in parallel. It can work in weather of up to 52 C.

Wood Mackenzie says Europe’s power purchase agreement (PPA) market was dominated by solar and wind deals in 2024, with an increase in battery-linked contracts as buyers looked to hedge against negative pricing periods.

Belgian grid operator Elia says that rapid solar fleet growth is driving earlier seasonal overproduction peaks, raising curtailment risks this spring. It plans to expand flexibility measures to stabilize the high-voltage network.

Chinese manufacturer Thornova says that its new composite frames offers advantages in terms of stability, corrosion, and chemical resistance. Installation is also easier because no grounding is required.

UK energy regulator Ofgem has approved connection queue reforms for Great Britain’s electricity grid. The change could see 65 GW of solar projects enter the fast-track “Gate 2” connections queue. The government claims reform will accelerate renewables and energy storage deployment while unlocking GBP 40 billion ($53 billion) of investment in clean energy and infrastructure.

The French research institute found that switching from silver cell metallization to silver-copper metallization can lower the total silver quantity in a heterojunction module, with a total silver amount of only 14 mgAg/W being required. Their interconnection technique is based on low silver content electrically conductive adhesives and copper ribbons.

The “morphing skin” would track sunlight and have the flexibility and surface area to wrap across large surfaces, such as buildings and stadiums.

Japan’s national energy R&D agency has launched a five-year R&D program to accelerate solar innovation. The fiscal 2025 call for proposals seeks advances in high-efficiency cells, site-specific systems, PV module recycling, and long-term power stability.

PowerChina has scrapped its 51 GW solar module tender for 2025 due to the impact of policy shifts on procurement needs. The tender, which began in November 2024, attracted 58 bids, with average quotes of CNY 0.68 ($0.093)/W for tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules and CNY 0.773/W for heterojunction (HJT) modules.

The new edition of the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV), published this week, reports that average PV module prices last year dropped by 33% compared to the end of 2023.

EcoFlow’s new Stream series, its second-gen balcony solar plant, enables battery coordination and plug-and-play solar for distributed batteries, plus third-party microinverter coordination for its new battery.

Danish researchers have analyzed fundamental material properties of selenium solar cells and have found their potential is higher than generally believed. They used carrier-resolved photo-Hall analysis to address discrepancies and reproduce experimental current-voltage and external quantum efficiency measurements.

Longi said it has achieved a 27.81% efficiency rating for a hybrid interdigitated back contact, as confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH).

The new utility-scale battery energy storage features 565 Ah cells and delivers a rated capacity of 6.017 MWh with a typical discharge duration of four hours.

The 17th edition of SolarEx Istanbul, which took place from April 10 to April 12, was the largest to date. As Turkey’s solar deployment increases, there was discussion on how to manage future installations, develop untapped domestic markets, and secure future investments.

Conceived for industrial applications, the Danae heat pump system is available in 10 versions with cooling capacities ranging from 22.1 kW to 156.9 kW and heating capacities spanning from 24.8 kW and 181.6 kW.

Essential Energy, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), renewable tech company Sigenergy and electric vehicle distributor AUSEV have jointly announced vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is market ready in Australia.

With a fully integrated power conversion system (PCS), battery management system (BMS), and energy management system (EMS), PowerStack 255CS aims to streamline energy storage operations while reducing installation complexity.