Solar Market and Technology Updates

Bangladesh Seeks to Improve Rooftop PV Net Metering

On March 19, 2025, Bangladesh is aiming for a comprehensive reform of its net metering policy. The proposal includes allowing 100% of generated electricity to be fed back into the grid and expanding eligibility to all grid-connected users, including those with single-phase and prepaid meters, to encourage the deployment of rooftop PV systems.

UK’s Largest Solar and Storage Project Secures Funding

On March 19, 2025, Quinbrook announced the completion of financing for the Cliff Hill Solar Park in Kent, UK. This solar and storage project is set to become the largest in the UK and is expected to go live later in 2025. Developers claim that contracts for difference, capacity markets, and power purchase agreements are key to its success.

Philippines Releases Renewable Energy Generation and Storage Project Bid Guidelines

On March 18, 2025, the Philippines is prioritizing a collaborative development model for solar power plants and battery energy storage systems (BESS) in its upcoming renewable energy bidding. All projects must include a minimum storage duration of four hours to ensure adequate grid support and energy availability.

France Increases Collective Self-Consumption Generation Capacity to 5MW

On March 18, 2025, just over a month after announcing VAT exemptions for projects of 1MW and below, France has raised the domestic collective self-consumption generation capacity limit from 3MW to 5MW.

Eternit Brazil Subsidiary Halts PV Product Manufacturing

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

Scatec Signs Major Solar + Storage PPA in Egypt

On March 18, 2025, Norway’s Scatec signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Egyptian Aluminium to construct a 1.1 GW solar power plant along with a 100 MW/200 MWh battery storage system. This agreement is considered Egypt’s first industrial-scale renewable energy project.

Research Finds Rooftop Solar Could Meet Two-Thirds of Global Power Needs

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

France Completes C&I Rooftop PV Project Auction with Average Price of €0.0982/kWh

On March 12, 2025, French authorities completed an auction for commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop PV projects, with an average price of €0.0982 ($0.1067)/kWh. A total of 220 MW of photovoltaic capacity was allocated.

Spain’s Renewable Energy Share Reaches 54.1% in February

On March 12, 2025, it was reported that renewable energy sources accounted for 54.1% of Spain’s total electricity consumption in February. The main sources of electricity generation included nuclear (22.1%), hydropower (20.2%), wind energy (17.3%), and solar PV (14%). Additionally, 237 GWh were supplied to storage facilities, and there are plans to export 1214 GWh to neighboring countries.

Nigeria Launches Tender for Hybrid Solar Plant Operation and Maintenance

On March 11, 2025, Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REAN) released a tender inviting companies to provide operation and maintenance (O&M) services for seven hybrid solar plants serving educational institutions, totaling 32 MW of photovoltaic 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 solutions, including solar systems for hospitals, public institutions, and small businesses.

SMA Reports €93 Million Loss in 2024

On March 11, 2025, it was reported that German photovoltaic company SMA experienced a nearly 20% drop in revenue last year. The company anticipates stabilization of its income and profits in 2025, partly due to the initial success of its restructuring efforts.

Power Roll Develops Back-Contact Perovskite Solar Device with 12.8% Efficiency

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

Wind Loads Affecting Offshore Floating PV Systems

On March 4, 2025, researchers studied the aerodynamic performance of a single floating PV device made up of 16 panels and an array of 15 such devices. They found that the distribution of drag coefficients and wind pressure impacts PV systems differently based on angle of attack, and identified cost-saving opportunities through material optimization.

World’s Northernmost Floating Solar Plant Contract Signed

On February 25, 2025, a 160 kW floating solar system provided by Norwegian renewables company Alotta has been contracted for deployment near the Norwegian coast to help a fisheries company reduce diesel consumption and CO2 emissions.

India’s CDIL Semiconductors Launches Solar Bypass Diode

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

Hybrid Solar-Wind Retrofit Reduces Shipping Fuel Consumption

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

Floating PV Systems Can Lower Lake Water Temperatures by 1.2°C

On February 11, 2025, a three-year before-and-after impact study conducted on six lakes in France showed that PV systems covering the lake surface resulted in an average temperature reduction of 1.2°C. Notably, water temperatures in areas without PV modules also decreased.

Netherlands Tests Temporary Solar Shutdown to Alleviate Grid Congestion

On March 5, 2025, a pilot study in the province of Zeeland found that homeowners could temporarily turn off solar panels during peak generation periods, reducing grid load by 57%.

Daytime EV Charging Further Expands PV Adoption

On February 25, 2025, photovoltaic capacity continues to grow rapidly, with 2024 anticipated to set another record for solar PV deployment. Despite recent challenges in electric vehicle adoption in some countries, EV usage increased by 25% last year. Assuming each new EV has a daily energy demand of 10 kWh, the 17 million new electric vehicles sold in 2024 will require an additional 50-70 GW of photovoltaic generation worldwide.

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 PV projects.

SolarEdge Introduces AI-Based Energy Management System

On January 14, 2025, SolarEdge released a controller that connects via a local area network (LAN) to a home’s internet router, integrating selected third-party products into the SolarEdge EMS ecosystem, allowing communication with inverters, EV chargers, heat pumps, and SolarEdge’s servers.

Spanish Researchers Find Component and Inverter Upgrades Most Profitable

On December 17, 2024, researchers conducted a techno-economic analysis of three upgrade strategies for an operational PV plant in southeastern Spain, concluding that simultaneous replacement of components and inverters yields 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 technologies compatible with TOPCon or heterojunction bottom cells.

Massachusetts Approves Increased Demand Charges to Promote Energy Storage

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

European Major Markets See Heat Pump Sales Decline in 2024

On February 25, 2025, analysis from the European Heat Pump Association indicated that heat pump sales in 13 major European markets, which account for about 85% of the total market, dropped by an average of 23% year-over-year in 2024. The UK was the only country to see an increase during this period.

ACWA Power Developing Hydrogen Corridor Connecting 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 exploring opportunities to build a hydrogen corridor between Europe and the Middle East and North Africa. He discussed the company’s current 2 GW hydrogen project in Neom and its 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 power will decline to $0.035/kWh, while the LCOE for battery storage is expected to drop by 11%.

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

On January 21, 2025, Spanish researchers proposed a distributed asset network model encompassing energy communities and battery energy storage systems (BESS), aiming to 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 new installations in Africa in 2024, with storage capacity surging tenfold.