Solar Market and Technology Updates

Bangladesh Seeks to Improve Rooftop PV Net Metering

As of March 19, 2025, Bangladesh is looking to overhaul its net metering policy by allowing the injection of 100% of electricity generated and expanding eligibility to all grid-connected users, including those with single-phase and prepaid meters. This initiative aims to promote rooftop photovoltaic (PV) deployment.

UK’s Largest Solar and Storage Project Secures Financing

On March 19, 2025, Quinbrook announced the completion of financing for the Cliffsend Solar Park in Kent, England. This solar and storage project is set to commence operations later in 2025, becoming the largest of its kind in the UK. The developers highlighted the significance of contracts for difference, capacity markets, and power purchase agreements in securing funding.

Philippines Releases Bidding Guidelines for Renewable Energy Projects

On March 18, 2025, the Philippines introduced a collaborative development model for solar power plants combined with battery energy storage systems (BESS) as a key strategic focus in its upcoming renewable energy bidding. All projects are required to include a minimum of four hours of energy storage to ensure adequate grid support and energy reliability.

France Raises Collective Self-Consumption Capacity to 5MW

On March 18, 2025, following a recent announcement to exempt projects under 1MW from consumption tax, France has increased its domestic collective self-consumption power limit from 3MW to 5MW.

Eternit Brazil Subsidiary Halts PV Product Manufacturing

On March 18, 2025, the Brazilian subsidiary of Belgian company Eternit reported that, due to competition from China, the board has approved the decision to cease its photovoltaic product line. The final module from this subsidiary is expected to be launched in September 2024.

Scatec Signs Large Solar + Storage PPA in Egypt

On March 18, 2025, Norway’s Scatec signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Egypt Aluminium to build a solar power plant with a capacity of 1.1GW and a complementary 100MW/200MWh battery storage system. This agreement is considered Egypt’s first with an industrial partner.

Research Shows Rooftop Solar Could Provide Two-Thirds of Global Electricity

On March 17, 2025, researchers from the University of Sussex found that widespread deployment of rooftop solar could cover a significant portion of global electricity consumption, potentially reducing global temperatures by up to 0.13 degrees Celsius.

France Completes C&I Rooftop PV Project Bidding

As of March 12, 2025, French authorities have concluded a bidding process for commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop PV projects, achieving an average price of €0.0982 ($0.1067) per kWh, with a total allocation of 220 MW of solar capacity.

Spain’s Renewable Energy Share Reaches 54.1% in February

On March 12, 2025, it was reported that renewable energy accounted for 54.1% of Spain’s total electricity generation in February, with the main sources being nuclear (22.1%), hydropower (20.2%), wind (17.3%), solar (14%), and combined cycle (13.8%). Additionally, Spain supplied 237 GWh to storage facilities and planned to export 1214 GWh to neighboring countries.

Nigeria Launches Mixed Solar Plant O&M Tender

On March 11, 2025, Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REAN) issued a tender inviting companies to provide operation and maintenance (O&M) services for seven mixed solar plants serving educational institutions, totaling 32 MW of PV capacity.

Ghana Plans to Establish Renewable Energy Investment Fund

On March 11, 2025, Ghana announced plans to create a green investment fund to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy systems, including solar solutions for hospitals, public institutions, and small businesses.

SMA Reports €93 Million Loss in 2024

On March 11, 2025, it was revealed that German PV company SMA experienced a nearly 20% drop in revenue last year. The company anticipates stabilization in 2025, partly due to the positive impact of its restructuring measures.

Power Roll Develops 12.8% Efficient Back-Contact Perovskite Solar Device

On March 5, 2025, researchers from the University of Sheffield and Power Roll achieved an energy conversion efficiency of 12.8% in a new indium-free device based on a back-contact process, demonstrating a coating technique compatible with roll-to-roll manufacturing.

Wind Load Impact on Floating PV Systems

On March 4, 2025, researchers studied the aerodynamic performance of a floating PV system composed of 16 panels, as well as an array made up of 15 such systems. They found that the drag coefficient distribution and wind pressure impact varied with incoming wind angles, revealing opportunities for cost-saving through material optimization.

World’s Northernmost Floating Solar Power Plant Contract Signed

On February 25, 2025, a 160 kW floating solar system provided by Norwegian renewable energy company Alotta is set to be deployed near the Norwegian coast, helping a fishing company reduce diesel consumption and carbon emissions.

India’s CDIL Semiconductors Launches Local Solar Bypass Diode

On February 18, 2025, CDIL Semiconductors announced the development of India’s first locally produced solar bypass diode, optimized for extreme climate conditions typical of the country, featuring low forward voltage drop and high thermal stability.

Mixed Wind and Solar Retrofit to Reduce Shipping Fuel Consumption

On February 18, 2025, a European Union initiative is applying hybrid wind-solar retrofitting and inclined wing technologies to existing long-distance cargo ships to reduce fuel consumption.

Floating PV Systems Can Lower Lake Water Temperature by 1.2℃

On February 11, 2025, a three-year before-and-after control impact study conducted on six lakes in France indicated that covering lake surfaces with PV systems resulted in a mean water temperature reduction of 1.2℃, with temperature drops observed in areas without PV modules as well.

Netherlands Tests Temporary Solar Shutdown to Alleviate Grid Congestion

On March 5, 2025, a pilot study in Zeeland, Netherlands, found that homeowners could reduce grid load by 57% by temporarily shutting down their solar panels during peak generation periods.

Electric Vehicle Daytime Charging Expands Solar Adoption

On February 25, 2025, the capacity for PV generation continues to grow rapidly, with 2024 projected to be another record year for solar PV deployment. Meanwhile, despite recent challenges in some countries, electric vehicle usage increased by 25% last year. Assuming each new electric vehicle has a daily energy demand of 10 kilowatt-hours, the 17 million new electric vehicles sold in 2024 will require an additional 50-70 GW of solar generation capacity globally.

French Construction Company Launches PV Monitoring Software

On February 18, 2025, French construction firm Ubitik successfully launched Ubix Solar, a software suite designed to assist developers in monitoring large-scale solar projects.

SolarEdge Introduces AI-Based Energy Management System

On January 14, 2025, SolarEdge unveiled a controller that connects to a home’s internet router via a local area network (LAN), integrating selected third-party products into the SolarEdge EMS ecosystem. This system can communicate with inverters, electric vehicle chargers, heat pumps, and SolarEdge servers.

Spanish Researchers Identify Most Profitable Retrofit Strategies

On December 17, 2024, researchers conducted a techno-economic analysis of three retrofit strategies at an operational PV plant in southeastern Spain, discovering that simultaneous replacement of modules and inverters yielded the highest value per installed capacity.

ISE Develops Copper Metallization Technique for Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Solar Cells

On December 17, 2024, a German research institute announced it is exploring three copper metallization methods: screen printing, FlexTrail printing, and rotary printing, with plans to use technology compatible with TOPCon or heterojunction bottom cells.

Massachusetts Allows Demand Charge Increases to Promote Energy Storage

On February 25, 2025, Massachusetts’ utility department approved a rate adjustment that enables large electricity customers, particularly commercial entities, to pay a transmission synchronized peak demand fee instead of a capacity transmission fee.

Large Market Heat Pump Sales Decline in 2024

On February 25, 2025, analysis from the European Heat Pump Association indicated that sales of heat pumps across 13 major European markets, accounting for approximately 85% of the total market, fell by an average of 23% year-on-year in 2024, with the UK being the only country to experience growth.

ACWA Power Developing Hydrogen Corridor Linking Europe with MENA

On February 24, 2025, in an exclusive interview with pv magazine, ACWA Power’s CEO Marco Arcelli revealed that the Saudi energy giant is currently exploring opportunities to build a hydrogen corridor between Europe and the Middle East and North Africa. He discussed the company’s 2GW hydrogen project in NEOM and outlined plans in renewable energy and desalination.

Global LCOE for Utility-Scale Solar Expected to Decrease by 2% in 2025

On February 11, 2025, a report from BloombergNEF projected that the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for fixed-axis solar generation would drop to $0.035/kWh, while battery storage costs are expected to decrease by 11%.

Spanish Researchers Test Energy Community and Battery Storage Market Model

On January 21, 2025, Spanish researchers proposed a distributed asset network model encompassing energy communities and battery energy storage systems (BESS) that would eliminate the need for costly facilities.

Africa Adds 2.5GW of Solar Capacity in 2024

On January 21, 2025, the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) reported that utility-scale solar projects dominated the new solar capacity additions in Africa for 2024, with storage capacity surging tenfold.