In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports a mixed picture for solar irradiance across North America, influenced by the weak La Niña pattern that first emerged in the tropical Pacific last year.

Most studies of European 100% renewable energy overlook pumped-hydro energy storage (PHES), for the following, incorrect, reasons: there are few PHES sites; more dams on rivers are required; large areas of land are flooded; large amounts of water are required; there is a heavy environmental cost; and the capital cost of PHES is high. All these perceptions are wrong.

Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) are emerging as essential tools, enabling consumers to navigate grid complexities, optimize energy usage, and contribute to a more resilient and low-carbon grid.

The Caribbean stands to benefit from low-cost renewable energy solutions, reducing the energy system cost, mitigating climate risks, and driving a clean energy transition. With solar PV as the cornerstone technology, the region is poised to transition to a solar-to-X Economy, leveraging its abundant renewable resources to achieve carbon neutrality.

CIRCE presents Communit-e, a software program to support the work of community managers, streamline management time and improve transparency among members.

This is a proof-of-concept 1.22 kg laptop with a solar panel integrated into the lid, capable of absorbing enough sunlight in 20 minutes to power the device’s video for an hour.

Out of 6.9 GW of prequalified battery energy storage systems (BESS), equal to 1.9 GW derated capacity, about 1.8 GW of derated BESS secured 15-year contracts in the UK’s T-4 auction – nearly double last year’s volume. Just a week earlier, the T-1 auction also set a record for BESS procurement.

Rystad Energy says Australia will miss its 82% renewables target by 2030 by 17% even under its most optimistic scenarios, with gas expected to play a key role in energy security and the transition.

Wood Mackenzie reports that the United States installed around 4.7 GW of new residential PV capacity in 2024.

Scientists in China have analyzed the impact of soiling of PV module performance and have found that tilt angle has the greatest impact, followed by irradiance intensity and dust deposition density.

The rate of solar installations slowed in the Belgian region of Wallonia last year, as government incentives for residential solar came to an end. Brussels-based renewable energy federation Edora says deployment will need to accelerate across all market segments if the region is to meet its 2030 solar targets.

On March 4, Schiphol’s Polderbaan Runway has been unavailable to landing traffic between 10 am and 12 pm in sunny weather due to glare from solar panels.

Researchers at the University of Sussex have found that widespread deployment of rooftop solar could cover the vast majority of the world’s electricity consumption, while lowering global temperatures by up to 0.13 C.

BloombergNEF says global solar installations could reach 700 GW in 2025, with additions rising to 753 GW in 2026 and 780 GW in 2027.

Scientists in China have simulated a system that combines liquid-based direct air capture with diabatic compressed air energy storage, for the benefit of both processes. Exploring its economic feasibility, they found the system could achieve a levelized cost of energy of $0.53/kWh and a levelized cost of CO2 captured from air of $259/tCO2.

Charge Robotic’s portable factory system assembles solar equipment including tracks, mounting brackets and panels on-site and then puts it into place via an automated robotic vehicle. The company’s first commercial deployments are scheduled for this year.

Beita Pharmatech and Northwest Normal University have develop a carbon-14 nuclear battery encased in silicon carbide, offering unprecedented longevity and application potential.

Researchers from UNSW and Longi have found that the silicon nitride layers used in TOPCon cell rear-side are particularly prone to chemical degradation from sodium contaminants. This can lead to significant open-circuit voltage losses and reduce cell efficiency.

Two Dutch manufacturers have teamed with TNO’s perovskite solar cell experts to integrate spatial atomic layer deposition equipment to produce ultra-thin, high-quality nickel-oxide hole transport layers in a roll-to-roll process. The team targeting production integration in mid-2027, with full-scale production by 2030.

A strong market exists for wholesale secondary market solar modules, says EnergyBin.

The Chinese manufacturer launched its new Infinite panel at the Solar Solutions Amsterdam event in the Netherlands. The module measures 1,762 mm x 1,134 mm x 30 mm and has a temperature coefficient of -0.26%/C.

A longitudinal research project from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE reveals that since 2017, the institute has measured less power on average in a solar module than promised by the manufacturer.

Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency has entered into an agreement with Oando Clean Energy for a 1.2 GW project consisting of an off-grid power plant, mesh electricity generation, interconnected power grid and solar manufacturing power plant. A 600 MW line is scheduled to be rolled out next year.

The equipment with a processing speed of up to 10,800 pcs/h can be used to upgrade existing super multi-busbar (SMBB) and multi-busbar (MBB) equipment made by China-based Wuxi Autowell Technology (ATW). It is suitable for tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon), heterojunction (HJT), and back-contact (BC) cell technologies.

Fuji Electric said the new heat pump system is currently in the first stage of prototyping, with commercial launch being scheduled for 2026. It is being conceived for recycling of heat energy from wastewater in industrial facilities.

Dutch start-up develops sodium-ion battery tech for solar colocation

The Guyana Energy Agency is looking for solar installers to transport, deploy and commission solar arrays with accompanying battery storage at selected public buildings located across four regions of the country. The deadline for applications is April 1.

Electricity generated by water moving across a surface can be 10 times more powerful than previously thought, according to Australian researchers who say their finding could boost energy storage and charging rates and improve safety in fuel-holding systems.

Long duration energy storage (LDES) support scheme will have eight-hour minimum. First application round opens to well-established technologies, such as lithium-ion battery technology, with at least 100 MW capacity in April 2025. Flow batteries, compressed air, and liquid air likely to progress in second round, says regulator.