Malaysia’s rising power demand, driven by industrial growth and data centers, is exposing grid and capacity constraints, prompting policies like Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme (CRESS) to enable corporate renewable procurement while maintaining system cost recovery. A key factor is the System Access Charge (SAC), whose uncertain future trajectory affects long-term solar PPAs and investment decisions, making scenario-based modelling crucial for assessing project bankability.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that destabilized polar circulation in February produced wet and cloudy conditions in some parts of North America, while the central and eastern regions enjoyed elevated irradiance under clearer conditions.

This March, Women in Solar+ Europe (WiSEu) is launching its International Women’s Day 2026 campaign: “Beyond 10X: Leadership Without Double Standards.” Inspired by a reflection from Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgár: “I had to prove myself 10 times more than if I’d been born as a boy”, the campaign invites professionals across the solar plus industries to reflect on how leadership is evaluated and how subtle double standards can shape career trajectories.

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.

Learnewable uses AI-based insights to detail local solar opposition before developers invest time or energy in projects.

Qcells says it has resumed solar panel production at its Georgia manufacturing facilities after US Customs and Border Protection released seven solar cell shipments from South Korea that had been held under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), forcing a furlough of 1,000 workers and temporarily halting output at the second-largest module factory in the United States.

The country’s first solar-plus-storage project will be located on a 400 hectare surface near Kébili, a town in the south of Tunisia and one of the main cities in the Nefzaoua region.

Freight costs from the Far East to the U.S. and Europe have increased week-on-week, while almost 150 container ships currently unable to leave the Arabian Gulf due to the risk of sailing through an active conflict zone, according to analysis from ocean and freight rate benchmarking platform Xeneta.

Twelve photovoltaic storage systems with capacities of 5 kW or 10 kW were included in the comparison, among them several new products, all of which achieved efficiency class A. A new study – also examining efficiency losses when storing electricity from the grid – highlights the importance of highly efficient battery storage. The researchers also took a closer look at the warranty conditions of the devices.

Solar Ireland told the Irish government that the Private Wires Bill’s proposed definition of private wires could bring rooftop solar installations within a full electricity licensing requirement, which would place significant additional demand on the energy regulator and slow down installations.

Researchers in Sweden have developed an air-based photovoltaic-thermal system that can preheat ventilation air and domestic hot water, cutting district heating demand by up to 16% for ventilation and 7% for hot water while also reducing peak heating loads in cold Nordic climates.

Two models in the series are designed to capture up to 4000 W of solar input with four independent MPPTs, while the third model – the SolarVault 3 Pro Max AC – is an AC-coupled solar storage solution that allows households to add battery storage without rewiring. The model is particularly suited to regions where net metering schemes are being phased out.

Longi says it has ranked first in a recent 800 MW PV module tender in China’s Gansu province, while Canadian Solar says the first 2 GW phase of its US heterojunction (HJT) cell factory is set to begin pilot production in March or April.

BP and Iberdrola say their 25 MW green hydrogen project in Spain is nearing commissioning, while Moeve has approved a final investment decision for a 300 MW project in Spain.

The new product has a maximum wattage of 725 W, a maximum current of 22 A, and a maximum efficiency of 99.6%.

Global solar supply chains face renewed price pressure as weak post-holiday demand in China collides with high polysilicon stockpiles, pushing wafer costs lower and weighing on exporters ahead of policy changes.

The Chinese manufacturer said its new three residential battery lines support a depth of discharge of 90% and deliver over 6,000 cycles.

The Chinese electric vehicle maker said the new batteries can charge from 10% to 70% in 5 minutes and from 10% to 97% in 9 minutes. The company also announced a new generation of its Flash Charging Technology.

Researchers in the U.S. have developed a set of guidelines and protocols to assess the performance of three-terminal (3-T) and four-terminal (4-T) tandem solar cells, including those with subcells made of III–V, CdTe, perovskites or silicon materials.

Austrian researchers analyzed commercial ethylene vinyl acetate–polyolefin–ethylene vinyl acetate (EPE) solar encapsulants and found that products sold under the same label can have significantly different material structures and performance. While EPE offers better moisture barriers and thermal resistance than EVA and is rapidly gaining market share, the study warns that its long-term reliability and behavior vary widely and require deeper investigation.

The Industrial Accelerator Act says solar projects awarded through public procurements or other public support schemes would need to feature Europe-made solar inverters and cells within three years after the act becomes law. For battery energy storage systems, similar requirements would be introduced using a phased approach from one year after the act enters force.

French solar manufacturer Heliup has raised €16 million ($18.6 million) to scale production of lightweight solar panels designed for commercial and industrial rooftops with low load-bearing capacity.

The research team developed the perovskite solar cell with a spin-coated bilayer tin oxide electron transport layer that boosts charge extraction, achieving a 4.52% efficiency and improved stability.

Researchers in Türkiye have developed a passive anti-soiling coating for PV panels using oleic acid–modified aluminum oxide nanoparticles applied via spray coating. Laboratory and field tests showed the coating reduced dust accumulation and initially boosted daily energy output, though performance declined under prolonged environmental stressors.

The Chinese manufacturer has launched its third-generation Vertex S+ G3 dual-glass TOPCon modules for residential and commercial applications. The new products feature upgraded module architecture and a temperature coefficient if -0.26% per C.

Researchers reviewed 110 studies on cold thermal energy storage in liquid-air energy storage, finding that cold storage performance has a far greater impact on system efficiency than previously assumed. While phase change materials offer high theoretical efficiency gains, simpler packed-bed sensible heat systems are currently the most mature and cost-effective option, with further experimental validation needed to bridge the gap to large-scale deployment.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and installer Aussie Solar Batteries will develop and test AI-driven energy management platforms to optimize solar and battery systems and support virtual power plant (VPP) deployment.

Norway’s Photoncycle has raised €15 million ($17.4 million) to develop a seasonal home energy storage system that converts excess solar power into ammonia-based hydrogen for winter use.

The EU’s third cross-border solar tender is offering a share of €54.9 million ($63.8 million) to solar-plus-storage projects in selected Bulgarian districts and ground-mounted solar projects in Finland, with funding provided by Luxembourg. The deadline for applications is September 1.

With 600 MW of installed capacity and 2,400 MWh of storage, the Huai’an Salt Cavern project is now the world’s largest compressed air energy storage (CAES) facility, surpassing the 300 MW/1,500 MWh project commissioned earlier this year that previously held the title.