Solar News
Aggregated from PV Magazine, SolarPower Europe, Electrek, CleanTechnica. Updated every 4 hours.
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- PV Magazine· May 9, 2026market
Grid operators may reduce renewables penetration if data center growth continues unchecked, says ENTSO-E
A new report from the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity explores the potential for data centers to become flexible assets in Europe’s electricity system, as well as how to manage grid planning and grid security.
- PV Magazine· May 9, 2026market
U.S. solar panel manufacturers need to learn to solder
CEA’s 2026 manufacturing quality report finds that yield rates vary widely based on the age of solar module assembly facilities, with mature Chinese firms nearing 100% and U.S. outlier facilities ranging all the way down to 30%.
- PV Magazine· May 8, 2026market
Pacific ridge reversal brings Western U.S. solar conditions back to average in April
In a new weekly update for pv magazine , Solcast, a DNV company, reports that April 2026 marked a reversal from March’s widespread high irradiance across North America, as weakening Atlantic and Pacific high-pressure systems brought more cloud cover to the western U.S. and neutralized Mexico’s earlier sunshine gains, while the eastern U.S. remained sunnier and warmer than average. Meanwhile, Canada stayed under persistent cold, cloudy conditions linked to polar vortex disruptions, and coastal Texas saw significantly reduced irradiance due to tropical moisture and heavy rainfall.
- PV Magazine· May 8, 2026market
Chinese PV Industry Brief: JinkoSolar, Longi, Trina Solar, JA Solar post Q1 losses
China’s leading solar manufacturers all reported first-quarter net losses, despite improving margins and continued high shipment volumes across the sector.
- PV Magazine· May 8, 2026market
Germany risks €45 billion taxpayer hit on hydrogen overbuild, warns IEEFA
Germany risks leaving taxpayers liable for at least €34.7 billion ($40.8 billion) in unrecovered hydrogen infrastructure costs by 2055, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) says in a new report, putting the true regulated cost base at approaching €50 billion against the commonly cited €19.8 billion construction figure.
- PV Magazine· May 8, 2026market
Europe’s negative electricity price hours double in Q1 amid renewables surpluses, market imbalances
UK-based consultancy Ricardo, part of the WSP Group, reports that EU-27 day-ahead power markets saw 1,223 negative-price hours in Q1 2026, more than double Q1 2025, driven mainly by Spain, Portugal, and Greece, while Nordic markets fell back to zero after prior spikes. Germany’s April 2026 data shows negative prices aligning with large renewable forecast errors and likely curtailment during oversupply periods.
- PV Magazine· May 7, 2026market
Study finds PV plants reshape land surface conditions, reducing wind speed and increasing soil moisture
A China-based research team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 147 studies on how solar PV systems alter land surface processes, covering 609 installations worldwide and 11 key climate variables. The results show mixed but mostly significant environmental effects, including reduced wind speed, albedo, and land surface or soil temperatures, alongside increased soil moisture, while air temperature changes remained largely non-significant.
- PV Magazine· May 7, 2026market
New record of negative electricity prices in France
Negative electricity prices are making a strong comeback in the French energy market. Driven by rising photovoltaic output and reduced nuclear flexibility, they dominated much of April, often falling close to the regulatory floor.
- PV Magazine· May 7, 2026market
Longer-duration BESS finds footing in Germany’s toll market
BlackRock‑backed developer Akaysha Energy says lenders require 60% to 80% contracted revenue before committing project debt to utility‑scale battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in Germany – a threshold that structured offtake products borrowed from its home market can meet.
- PV Magazine· May 6, 2026market
Firm solar and storage costs fall to $54/MWh, says IRENA
A new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) finds that round‑the‑clock solar and wind paired with battery storage deliver power at lower cost than new fossil fuel generation in high‑quality resource regions.
- PV Magazine· May 6, 2026market
PV module recycling technologies ‘progressing’, says IEA-PVPS
Latest report from the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS) finds measurable advancements in PV module recycling performance compared to its prior studies, including higher material recovery rates, improved process yields and higher output purity.
- PV Magazine· May 6, 2026market
Trina launches rooftop solar module with lower-voltage design
The Chinese manufacturer has launched an “Australia specific” variant of its Vertex S+ modules featuring a power output of 515 W and a maximum efficiency of 24.65%. Its lower-voltage design reportedly enables more flexible string sizing, allowing installers to optimize system layouts across a range of inverter configurations.
- PV Magazine· May 5, 2026market
EU solar and storage push could cut power system costs by nearly half
A scenario analysis by SolarPower Europe, modeled by Rystad Energy, finds that accelerating PV and battery storage deployment could save the European Union €223 billion ($260.7 billion) in gas imports between 2026 and 2030 and reduce wholesale electricity prices by 14% compared with 2025 levels.
- PV Magazine· May 5, 2026market
Dutch regulator plans grid fee for large solar producers
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets is progressing with plans to introduce a grid fee that would see large-scale electricity producers, including solar power plants, contribute to the costs of the electricity grid. Its introduction is expected no earlier than January 2032.
- PV Magazine· May 5, 2026market
Swiss balancing energy market now open to C&I solar
With the “AMAG Energy Flexpool,” existing photovoltaic systems in commercial, industrial, and multi-family buildings can now participate in the Swiss balancing energy market without additional hardware and via fully remote integration. Self-consumption, however, remains fully possible.
- PV Magazine· May 5, 2026market
Rooftop solar surges to new high in Australia on back of battery boom
Australia’s rooftop solar market climbed by 31% in the past month with the latest data revealing that a record 442 MW of small-scale PV capacity was installed across the country in April 2026.
- PV Magazine· May 5, 2026market
New technique measures water ingress in PV modules without disconnecting them
A German research team has developed a nondestructive, on-site method to quantify water ingress in photovoltaic modules using near-infrared absorption (NIRA) spectroscopy calibrated with Karl–Fischer titration (KFT). The approach enables precise measurement of absolute moisture content in sealed modules without disassembly, improving inspection, failure analysis, and lifetime prediction.
- PV Magazine· May 4, 2026market
Solar on canals reduces water evaporation by 70% and algae growth by 85%
The 1.6 MW Nexus pilot project in California has demonstrated that solar panels installed over irrigation canals can significantly reduce water evaporation and algae growth by 85%, while also showing operational efficiency.
- PV Magazine· May 4, 2026market
China Datang brings online 500 MW solar farm for direct data center supply
The project is integrated into a larger 2 GW first-phase build-out combining solar, wind, and storage, and uses dedicated transmission lines plus market trading to match renewable supply with data center demand.
- PV Magazine· May 4, 2026market
Free market, curtailment, and storage reshaping Brazilian solar sector
Brazil’s solar sector is entering a new phase marked by curtailment, grid constraints, and regulatory shifts, with growth increasingly tied to new business models and market dynamics. Industry leaders say storage will be central to this transition, enabling system integration, mitigating risks, and unlocking future demand.
- PV Magazine· May 1, 2026market
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Longi, Trina Solar report losses
Longi says its 2025 revenue and losses declined year on year, while Trina Solar reports deeper full-year losses and margin pressure across its core module business.
- PV Magazine· May 1, 2026market
April ENSO shift lifts northern coastal irradiance while suppressing Brazil and northern Argentina
In a new weekly update for pv magazine , Solcast, a DNV company, reports that April 2026 brought mixed solar irradiance conditions across South America, with above-average GHI along Colombia’s Pacific and Caribbean coasts and parts of southern Argentina, while eastern and northern temperate regions — including Buenos Aires to Bolivia — saw reduced irradiance due to persistent cloud cover and wetter-than-average conditions.
- PV Magazine· May 1, 2026market
Bangladesh’s PV capacity to reach 8.5 GW by 2035, says GlobalData
Bangladesh's solar capacity is forecast to increase more than sixfold over the next decade, driven by a shift from off-grid rural deployment toward grid-connected and distributed generation, according to a new GlobalData report.
- PV Magazine· May 1, 2026market
Europe’s solar and storage development: Selectivity amid rising global supply and returning energy shocks
Escalating Middle East tensions and global energy supply risks are accelerating Europe’s shift toward solar and storage, particularly in commercial, industrial, and utility-scale segments where energy security, resilience, and price stability are becoming central investment drivers. At the same time, expanding manufacturing capacity in China and India is redirecting surplus solar and storage supply toward Europe, creating a highly competitive and increasingly selective market where long-term success depends on quality, reliability, ESG alignment, and strategic market positioning.
- PV Magazine· Apr 30, 2026market
Singapore requires hydrogen-ready gas capacity in 2031 generation tender
Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) has made hydrogen readiness a mandatory requirement in a new request for proposals for at least 600 MW of gas-fired generation capacity, with proposals that do not meet cardinal requirements disqualified from evaluation.
- PV Magazine· Apr 30, 2026market
Renewables growth cut Spain’s electricity bills by 24.2% over the past two years
Spain and Portugal are 53% less exposed to gas price volatility than they were three years ago, according to a new report from Positive Money.
- PV Magazine· Apr 30, 2026market
Chile reaches 4.6 GW of energy storage under construction
The March 2026 Energy Sector Construction and Investment Projects Report, released by the Chilean Ministry of Energy, records 38 storage systems under construction, for 4,597 MW and 18,780 MWh.
- PV Magazine· Apr 30, 2026market
Solar break quarterly generation records in Australia in Q1
In Q1 2026, grid-scale solar generation jumped 648 MW compared to the same period in 2025, recording an all-time quarterly high of 2,706 MW output, according to new figures released by the Australian Energy Market Operator.
- PV Magazine· Apr 29, 2026market
Indium oxide promises to increase CIS solar cell efficiency to unprecedented levels
Indian scientists developed a cadmium-free CIS thin-film solar cell using indium oxide as an electron transport layer, achieving a simulated efficiency of 29.79% with SCAPS-1D modeling. Through sensitivity analysis, they showed that low defect density, optimized absorber thickness, and effective thermal management are critical for minimizing recombination losses and enabling high-performance, scalable devices.
- PV Magazine· Apr 28, 2026market
How to electrify greenhouses with semi-transparent PV, heat pumps
Researchers in Canada found that 69%-transparent crystalline silicon semitransparent PV modules can improve tomato greenhouse yields by up to 38% while maintaining healthy plant growth through beneficial partial shading. Their simulations also showed that combining rooftop agrivoltaics with heat pumps can fully eliminate fossil fuel heating.
- PV Magazine· Apr 28, 2026market
Dyness battery container stolen from BM Energy logistics partner, units to be remotely blocked
A market alert for the attention of installers, distributors and traders in the solar and storage market.
- PV Magazine· Apr 27, 2026market
Record solar, wind surge drives 3.3% drop in India’s fossil generation in 2025
India’s renewable power generation from solar, wind, hydro and bioenergy rose by a record 98 TWh (+24%) in 2025, driven by strong growth in solar and wind, according to Ember. The increase was twice the country’s electricity demand growth of 49 TWh, which was relatively low due to milder temperatures and slower industrial activity. As a result, India’s fossil power generation fell by 3.3%.
- PV Magazine· Apr 27, 2026market
Australia’s energy commission targets lower solar curtailment
Australia's Energy Market Commission says introducing a new distribution planning framework and undertaking enhanced data reporting will help to reduce rooftop solar curtailment.
- PV Magazine· Apr 24, 2026market
‘Breaking barriers is rarely a solo effort’
This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Sara Kapeller, CEO of Germany's Twistor GmbH. She says building impactful careers in the renewable energy landscape requires courage, curiosity, and inclusion, turning setbacks into growth and empowering more women to lead technical innovation and shape the future.
- PV Magazine· Apr 24, 2026market
UK solar generation hits record 15 GW as gas falls to historic low
Solar set a new generation record on Great Britain’s electricity grid during a week that also saw zero-carbon supply reach an all-time high. The new records come as the grid operator expands demand-side flexibility markets in anticipation of lower summer demand driven by strong solar irradiance.
- PV Magazine· Apr 24, 2026market
Daikin unveils ‘plumb-and-play’ residential heat pump
Daikin has launched the Altherma 3 H HT, a pre-engineered air-to-water heat pump using R-32 refrigerant, operating down to −28 C and delivering up to 70 C leaving water temperature for direct boiler replacement in existing radiator systems. The system reportedly achieves a coefficient of performance of 4.86.
- Electrek Solar· Oct 7, 2020market
These 5 green-tech startups just might make our world better
Global climate- and green-tech accelerator Elemental Excelerator just announced its newest cohort of 19 tech companies it said would be “ground-breakers and market-makers.” Here are five up-and-comers in Cohort 9 in the green-tech energy, mobility, and climate change sectors. more…
- Electrek Solar· Apr 21, 2016market
SunEdison (SUNE) officially files for bankruptcy – Wall Street couldn’t wait
SunEdison has officially filed for bankruptcy . This has been expected by some players as far back as the 3rd quarter of 2015. SUNE has been a big player in the solar industry for a long time as they’ve strived to become the biggest global developer. By aggressively going after growing markets around the world and innovating with Solar Power YieldCos it looked like SunEdison might make it as well. Now, both SunEdison and their YeildCo is being sued. Alas…this party has come to an end. more…
- Electrek Solar· Apr 21, 2016market
Kurzweil predicts solar industry dominance in 12 years – that’s a lot closer than you think
Ray Kurzweil is known for inventing things, wanting to live forever, The Singularity and – of relevance in this article – Exponential Growth of technology, like solar power. Recently, during a medical device presentation , Kurzweil reiterated his predictions that solar power will continue to double its global capacity every two years and six more times in the next twelve years. Some charts look suspiciously like they’re shooting upward just ahead of his predicted pace. Personally, being in the field day to day, as a Project Developer, it is hard to believe that solar power might install such volumes in the next twelve years – but ten years ago, when I got into the industry, I never thought it’d grow like it has. more…
- Electrek Solar· Sep 9, 2015market
Solar energy represents 40% of new electricity generation installed in 2015
GTM Research is out with a new report on the US solar industry’s second quarter 2015 and according to the firm, by most metrics the industry had its best quarter ever. The firm says that 40% of new electricity generation installed in the US in 2015 is from solar energy. more…
- Electrek Solar· Aug 24, 2015market
Elon Musk buys $5 million worth of SolarCity’s stock during global market correction
The global stock market had a horrible day. Even Wall Street darlings like Google and Apple saw billions of dollars trimmed off their market capitalizations. A surprising exception, SolarCity, the largest residential solar installer in the US, managed to go against the grain and closed the day with an impressive 7% gain thanks to its Chairman and major shareholder Elon Musk who bought another $5 million worth of shares during the stock’s price fall to add to his holding in the company now worth over $900 million of SolarCity’s total market cap of just over $4 billion. more…