Solar Market and Technology Updates

UK Achieves Record Renewable Energy Generation

On March 31, 2025, Matthew Lynas reported that renewable energy accounted for the majority of the UK’s annual electricity generation for the first time in 2024. Despite reduced sunlight hours, the increase in photovoltaic (PV) capacity deployment resulted in significant gains. By February 2025, the UK had installed a total of 18 GW of solar capacity.

Dortmund to Install 4.2 MW PV System at Stadium

On March 31, 2025, pv magazine announced that Borussia Dortmund is partnering with JA Solar and Rhein Group to install a 4.2 MW solar system at their stadium. This system will include battery storage, providing 4 MWh of electricity for on-site consumption. The stadium already has a smaller solar installation on its roof.

Panama Installs 143.4 MW of Solar in 2024

As of March 26, 2025, Panama has successfully added 143.4 MW of solar capacity in 2024, bringing its total installed capacity to 695.55 MW.

Thailand Launches Tender for 205 MW Floating Solar Project

On March 26, 2025, Patrick Jowett reported that the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has initiated a tender for a 205 MW floating solar-hydropower hybrid project at the Bhumibol Dam, the largest arch dam in Southeast Asia, which currently hosts 779 MW of hydropower facilities.

Morocco’s Solar Capacity Expected to Reach 3 GW by 2028

On March 25, 2025, Patrick Jowett highlighted a report from SolarPower Europe, indicating that Morocco could achieve a solar capacity of 2.97 GW by 2028 under moderate growth scenarios, with potential highs of 4.35 GW under more aggressive growth projections.

GB Energy Invests in Solar Projects for Schools and Hospitals in the UK

On March 25, 2025, Matthew Lynas reported that Great British Energy, a state-owned renewable energy company, is launching its first rooftop solar projects for around 200 schools and 200 NHS sites in England. The investment plan also includes support for community energy groups in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

New Compressed Air Energy Storage System for Homes and Businesses

On March 25, 2025, Pilar Sánchez Molina introduced Segula Technologies’ new Remora Stack, a containerized isothermal compressed air energy storage solution with claimed efficiency of up to 70%.

India Aims for 500 GW of Renewable Energy by 2030

On March 25, 2025, pv magazine reported that India plans to install 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030, with solar expected to contribute nearly 300 GW.

Pakistan’s Net Metering Solar Capacity Exceeds 4 GW

On March 24, 2025, Patrick Jowett noted that Pakistan’s net metering solar capacity surpassed 4 GW in 2024, signaling significant growth in its solar market.

EU Partners to Strengthen PV Industry

On March 24, 2025, Brian Publicover shared that the European Commission has established three Horizon Europe partnerships aimed at enhancing technological capabilities, industrial strength, and environmental innovation, with nearly €1.1 billion (approximately $1.19 billion) allocated to the PV, advanced materials, and textiles industries by 2030.

Bangladesh Revamps Rooftop PV Net Metering Policies

On March 19, 2025, pv magazine reported that Bangladesh is seeking to overhaul its net metering policies to encourage rooftop PV deployment. The proposed changes would allow 100% of generated power to be injected into the grid and expand eligibility to all grid-connected users, including those with single-phase and prepaid meters.

Financing Secured for UK’s Largest Solar and Storage Project

On March 19, 2025, Matthew Lynas reported that Quinbrook has successfully financed the Cliff Hill solar park in Kent, which is set to become the UK’s largest solar and storage project when it becomes operational later in 2025. The developer emphasized the importance of contracts for difference, capacity markets, and power purchase agreements (PPAs) in securing project financing.

Philippines Issues Tender Rules for Renewable Energy Projects

On March 18, 2025, Blathnaid O’Dea indicated that the Philippines has included the co-development model of “solar power plants + battery energy storage systems (BESS)” as a key strategy in its upcoming renewable energy tender. All projects will be required to incorporate a minimum of 4 hours of storage duration to ensure grid support and energy reliability.

Eternit Brazil Halts PV Product Manufacturing

On March 18, 2025, Pilar Sánchez Molina reported that the Brazilian subsidiary of the Belgian company Eternit has decided to cease its PV product line due to competitive pressures from Chinese manufacturers. The subsidiary’s last module is expected to launch in September 2024.

SMA Reports €93 Million Loss in 2024

On March 11, 2025, Sandra Enkhardt revealed that SMA, a German PV company, experienced a nearly 20% drop in revenue last year. The company anticipates stabilizing revenue and profits in 2025, partly due to the positive effects of its restructuring efforts.

Power Roll Develops 12.8% Efficiency Perovskite Solar Device

On March 5, 2025, Valerie Thompson reported that researchers from the University of Sheffield and Power Roll have achieved an energy conversion efficiency of 12.8% in an indium-free device based on a novel back-contact process. They demonstrated a coating process compatible with roll-to-roll manufacturing.

Impact of Wind Load on Offshore Floating PV Systems

On March 4, 2025, Lior Kahana shared that researchers studied the aerodynamic performance of a single floating PV device composed of 16 panels and an array of 15 such devices. They found that drag coefficient distribution and wind pressure impacts vary with the angle of incoming wind, and identified cost-saving opportunities through material optimization.

Contract Signed for World’s Northernmost Floating Solar Plant

On February 25, 2025, Patrick Jowett announced that a 160 kW floating solar system provided by Norwegian renewable energy company Alotta will be deployed off the coast of Norway to help a fishing company reduce diesel consumption and CO2 emissions.

CDIL Semiconductors Launches Solar Bypass Diode in India

On February 18, 2025, pv magazine reported that CDIL Semiconductors has developed India’s first locally made solar bypass diode, optimized for the country’s extreme climate conditions with low forward voltage drop and high thermal stability.

Reducing Shipping Fuel Consumption through Wind and Solar Retrofit

On February 18, 2025, Valerie Thompson discussed a European Union initiative applying hybrid wind and solar technology to retrofit operational long-distance cargo ships to reduce fuel consumption.

Net Metering Pilot in Dutch Province Reduces Grid Load

On March 5, 2025, Patrick Jowett highlighted a pilot study in the Dutch province of Zeeland, which found that homeowners temporarily shutting down their solar panels during peak generation periods could reduce grid load by 57%.

Daytime EV Charging Expands PV Adoption

On February 25, 2025, pv magazine reported that solar PV capacity continues to grow rapidly, making 2024 another record year for solar deployment. Despite recent challenges in the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in some countries, EV usage increased by 25% last year. Assuming each new EV requires 10 kWh of energy daily, the 17 million new EVs sold in 2024 will demand an additional 50-70 GW of solar capacity globally.

Ubitik Launches PV Monitoring Software in France

On February 18, 2025, Francois Puthod reported that French construction company Ubitik has successfully launched Ubix Solar, a comprehensive software designed to help developers monitor large-scale PV projects.

Floating PV Systems Reduce Lake Temperatures

On February 11, 2025, Lior Kahana shared the results of a three-year study conducted on six lakes in France, which showed that PV systems covering lake surfaces reduced average water temperature by 1.2°C. Areas without PV modules also exhibited temperature decreases.

SolarEdge Launches AI-Based Energy Management System

On January 14, 2025, Matthew Lynas reported that a new controller connects to home internet routers via a local area network (LAN) and integrates selected third-party products into the SolarEdge EMS ecosystem. It can communicate with inverters, EV chargers, heat pumps, and SolarEdge servers.

Spanish Researchers Identify Profitable Upgrade Strategies

On December 17, 2024, Pilar Sánchez Molina noted that researchers conducted a techno-economic analysis on three upgrade strategies for an operational PV plant in southeastern Spain, finding that concurrently replacing both modules and inverters yielded the highest value per installed capacity.

Scatec Signs PPA for Large Solar + Storage Project in Egypt

On March 18, 2025, Patrick Jowett reported that Norwegian company Scatec has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Egypt Aluminium to build a 1.1 GW solar power plant along with a 100 MW/200 MWh battery storage system. This agreement is considered Egypt’s first utility-scale PPA with an industrial buyer.

Massachusetts Approves Demand Charge Increase to Promote Energy Storage

On February 25, 2025, pv magazine announced that Massachusetts’ utility department has approved a rate adjustment allowing large electricity customers, especially large commercial clients, to pay transmission synchronized peak demand charges instead of capacity transmission fees.

Decline in Heat Pump Sales in Major European Markets

On February 25, 2025, Patrick Jowett reported that analyses from the European Heat Pump Association indicate that sales of heat pumps in 13 major European markets, which comprise about 85% of the total market, fell by an average of 23% in 2024, with the UK being the only country to experience growth.

ACWA Power Develops Hydrogen Corridor Connecting Europe and MENA

On February 24, 2025, pv magazine conducted an exclusive interview with ACWA Power CEO Marco Arcelli, who described the company’s plans to explore the establishment of a hydrogen corridor between Europe and the Middle East and North Africa. He discussed ACWA Power’s 2 GW hydrogen project in NEOM and its renewable energy and desalination plans.

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

On February 11, 2025, pv magazine reported that a BloombergNEF report forecasts that the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for fixed-tilt solar will drop to $0.035/kWh, while the LCOE for battery storage is projected to decline by 11%.

Spanish Researchers Test Power Market Models Based on Energy Communities and Battery Storage

On January 21, 2025, Pilar Sánchez Molina reported that a distributed asset network model proposed by Spanish researchers, encompassing energy communities and battery storage systems (BESS), aims to eliminate the need for expensive facilities.