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.

India installed 7.8 GW of solar capacity in the first quarter of 2025, marking its second-highest quarterly total in the past 13 quarters, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

With an investment reportedly approaching $400 million, the manufacturing plant will be built in two phases with phase one producing 2 GW of solar modules and phase two expected to produce 2 GW of solar cells in 2026.

For the past five consecutive years, tech and retail giant Amazon has been the world’s largest procurer of renewable energy, investing in projects and signing power purchase agreements (PPAs) all over the world. pv magazine spoke with representatives of the company about its ambitious energy plans.

Axpo has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with EDF Renewables Hellas for two solar plants totaling 102 MW in Greece’s Viotia region.

A delegation from Chinese module maker Longi met with officials from Algeria’s Ministry of Energy and Mining last week to discuss cooperation that would support Algeria’s domestic solar market, including a solar manufacturing facility.

Analysis of feed-in tariff scenarios in Central and Eastern Europe finds that while high feed-in tariffs are linked to the adoption of residential solar, lower tariffs are more likely to encourage battery installations. The study proposes a moderately low range of tariffs as one compromise to support both technologies.

South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) has fined eight solar operators for failing to comply with output curtailment orders and canceled licenses for 11 renewable energy projects totaling 347.4 MW. It did not say how much of the canceled capacity was solar.

Germany’s IBC Solar has developed two new mounting systems for rooftop and facade PV installations: the WallFix system, made of aluminum and stainless steel, and the AeroFix G3.1, designed for modules up to 3 square meters.

Bright Saver, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, aims to bring the European balcony solar trend to US homes with low-cost, plug-in systems that require no interconnection approvals or permits in some jurisdictions.

Scientists in South Africa have used computational fluid dynamics to investigate whether a dummy panel, placed in front of a working PV panel, can mitigate soiling. They have tested this setup with various inclination angles, heights, and distances and have found that the dummies accumulated up to 58% more dust than the PV panels.

The Indian solar manufacturer has launched its Hypersol series panel series with power output from 605 W to 630 W and efficiency between 22.38% and 23.30%.

Bert Thin Films has developed a copper paste for solar cell manufacturing that keeps the copper from oxidizing during the air-firing process while at the same time avoiding it to make direct contact with the silicon. The new product can be used in existing production lines and with different cell configurations.

New research from Germany has shown how improving top-cell transparency and performance remains key to the commercialization of tandem perovskite-silicon solar cells, as well as for all other types of tandem devices. The analysis demonstrated, in particular, that the top cell must achieve higher single-cell efficiency to compensate for reduced transparency.

Swiss startup Sun-Ways says it has activated what it calls the world’s first removable solar plant on active rail tracks, with passenger trains set to run over the 18 kW installation from April 28.

The new 20-foot Center L Max system is configurable for storage durations ranging from two to eight hours and is compatible with 2000 V platforms. It utilizes the manufacturer’s proprietary 783 Ah cells, which feature an oxide solid electrolyte.

Polysilicon prices fell again this week amid weak market activity and elevated inventories, according to industry sources. Downstream wafer, cell, and module prices also continued to slide, with modules now trading as low as CNY 0.68 ($0.09)/W.

The off-grid solution includes module optimizers, an inverter, a battery, and an automatic transfer switch.

The Portuguese company said its new anti-soiling solution lasts for at least a year. It can be applied during routine cleaning operations by mixing it directly in the cleaning water.

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.

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.

Heat pump manufacturers will need to meet ‘smart ready’ standards under new appliance regulations, including stricter rules on cybersecurity. Utilities will be obligated to ensure battery energy storage systems, heat pumps and electric vehicle smart charge points can work across different tariffs under tariff data framework.

The Germany manufacturer said its new heat pump systems use propane (R290) as the refrigerant and are able to provide a maximum flow temperature of 70 C. Their coefficient of performance ranges from 4.7 to 5.1.

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.

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.

Enphase Energy has posted $356.1 million in revenue for the first quarter of 2025, falling short of expectations. The solar microinverter and battery storage provider says it has lowered its margin outlook due to rising tariff pressures.