Global module prices trend upward in Q2
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.
Weak La Niña patterns shape North American solar in February
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.
UK T-4 auction clears path for nearly 7 GW of new battery storage by 2028
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 forecasts 17% shortfall from 82% renewables target
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.
Unlimited energy storage in Europe
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.
U.S. residential solar declined 31% in 2024
Wood Mackenzie reports that the United States installed around 4.7 GW of new residential PV capacity in 2024.
Belgium’s Wallonia region added 92 MW of solar in 2024
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.
Solar panel glare temporarily cancels air traffic at Amsterdam Airport
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.
Rooftop solar could supply two-thirds of global power, study finds
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.
France sharply reduces PV targets in draft energy program
In the latest version of the draft Pluriannual Energy Program, photovoltaic targets have been revised downwards: For 2035, they have been reduced from the 75 GW to 100 GW range to 65 GW to 90 GW. For 2030, the target would be 54 GW, the low end of the 54 GW to 60 GW range submitted for consultation at the end of 2024.
