Top News in Solar Energy

Bangladesh Seeks to Improve Rooftop PV Net Metering – On March 19, 2025, Bangladesh is aiming for a complete overhaul of its net metering policy. The new regulations will allow for 100% of electricity to be fed back into the grid and will extend eligibility to all grid-connected users, including those with single-phase and prepaid meters, in an effort to encourage rooftop solar deployment.

UK’s Largest Solar and Storage Project Secures Financing – On March 19, 2025, Quinbrook has completed financing for the Cliff Hill Solar Park in Kent, UK. This solar and storage project is set to be operational later in 2025 and will become the largest of its kind in the UK. Developers have stated that contracts for difference, capacity market agreements, and power purchase agreements are in place.

Philippines Releases Bidding Guidelines for Renewable Energy and Storage Projects – On March 18, 2025, the Philippines announced a collaborative development model focusing on “solar power plants + battery energy storage systems (BESS)” as a strategic priority for upcoming renewable energy tenders. All projects are required to include a minimum of 4 hours of storage to ensure adequate grid support and energy availability.

France Increases Collective Self-Consumption Generation Capacity to 5MW – On March 18, 2025, shortly after announcing VAT exemptions for projects under 1MW, France has raised the cap for domestic collective self-consumption generation from 3MW to 5MW.

Eternit Brazil Subsidiary Halts PV Product Manufacturing – On March 18, 2025, the Brazilian subsidiary of the Belgian company Eternit announced that it has decided to cease its “solar product line” due to competition from China. The last module from this subsidiary is scheduled to be launched in September 2024.

Scatec Signs Major Solar + Storage PPA in Egypt – On March 18, 2025, Norway’s Scatec has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with Egypt Aluminium to construct a 1.1GW solar power plant along with a 100MW/200MWh battery storage system. This agreement is seen as Egypt’s first industrial-scale renewable energy initiative.

Research Finds Rooftop Solar Could Supply Two-Thirds of Global Power – On March 17, 2025, researchers from the University of Sussex found that the widespread deployment of rooftop solar could meet a significant portion of global electricity demand while potentially lowering global temperatures by up to 0.13 degrees Celsius.

France Completes C&I Rooftop PV Auction at Average Price of €0.0982/kWh – On March 12, 2025, French authorities announced the completion of a commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop PV auction, with an average price of €0.0982 ($0.1067)/kWh. A total of 220 MW of solar capacity was allocated.

Spain’s Renewable Energy Share Reaches 54.1% in February – On March 12, 2025, it was reported that renewable energy constituted 54.1% of the total electricity consumption in Spain for February, with nuclear power being the primary source at 22.1%, followed by hydro (20.2%), wind (17.3%), solar (14%), and combined cycle generation (13.8%).

Nigeria Launches Bidding for Hybrid Solar Plant Operations – On March 11, 2025, the Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria has issued a tender inviting companies to provide operations and maintenance services for seven hybrid solar plants, which have a total PV capacity of 32 MW.

Ghana Plans to Establish Renewable Energy Investment Fund – On March 11, 2025, Ghana announced plans to create a green investment fund aimed at accelerating the deployment of renewable energy systems for hospitals, public institutions, and small businesses.

SMA Reports €93 Million Loss in 2024 – On March 11, 2025, German PV company SMA witnessed a nearly 20% drop in revenue last year. The company anticipates stabilization in revenue and profits for 2025, aided by the initial success of its restructuring efforts.

Power Roll Develops 12.8% Efficient Back-Contact Perovskite Solar Device – On March 5, 2025, researchers from the University of Sheffield and Power Roll announced they achieved a 12.8% energy conversion efficiency in indium-free devices based on a novel back-contact process, compatible with roll-to-roll manufacturing.

Floating PV Systems Found to Reduce Lake Water Temperature by 1.2°C – On February 11, 2025, a three-year before-and-after study conducted across six lakes in France demonstrated that PV systems covering the water surface led to an average water temperature reduction of 1.2°C.

Massachusetts Approves Demand Charge Increases to Promote Energy Storage – On February 25, 2025, Massachusetts’ utility department has approved a rate adjustment that allows large energy customers, particularly in commercial sectors, to pay transmission peak demand charges instead of capacity transmission fees.

ACWA Power Developing Hydrogen Corridor Connecting Europe and MENA – On February 24, 2025, in an exclusive interview, ACWA Power CEO Marco Arcelli discussed opportunities for constructing a hydrogen corridor between Europe and the Middle East and North Africa, highlighting a 2GW hydrogen project in Neom and the company’s plans in renewable energy and desalination.

Global LCOE for Utility-Scale Solar Expected to Drop by 2% in 2025 – On February 11, 2025, a BloombergNEF report indicated that the levelized cost of electricity for fixed-tilt solar is expected to fall to $0.035/kWh, while battery storage LCOE is projected to decrease by 11%.

Africa to Add 2.5GW Solar Capacity in 2024 – On January 21, 2025, the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) reported that utility-scale solar projects will dominate the newly added solar capacity in Africa for 2024, with storage capacity surging tenfold.