The Indonesian government has ended net metering for rooftop solar installations. The Jakarta-based Institute for Essential Services Reform says this could make it harder for the country to meet its solar deployment targets, as PV installations will become more expensive for households and small businesses.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad, a Kuala Lumpur-based utility, says it plans to install floating solar farms at its hydropower facilities. It targeting 2.5 GW of capacity to support Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap.

Nepal is seeking consultants to expand its power system, which includes building more than 200 kilometers of new transmission lines, upgrading existing ones, and constructing solar and solar-wind hybrid energy systems for remote areas. The deadline for expressing interest is Feb. 27, 2024.

Solarcycle has invested $344 million in a solar manufacturing facility in Polk County, Georgia. The factory has been designed to use recycled materials from retired solar panels to produce new solar glass, positioning Solarcycle as one of the first manufacturers of specialized glass for crystalline-silicon PV in the US market.

BloombergNEF says in a new report that corporations publicly announced 46 GW of solar and wind power purchase agreements (PPAs) in 2023, up 12% year on year. It says the increase was driven by a surge of activity in Europe.

CubicPV has halted its plans to build a US solar silicon wafer factory, as it has shifted its focus to producing perovskite tandem modules.

The Philippines’ Department of Energy (DOE) is moving ahead with plans to require solar system installers to officially register with it. The DOE says that only registered installers will be recommended to government entities seeking PV installation services.

SolarPower Europe says it expects some of the European Union’s solar fleet to reach end-of-life (EoL) status within the next decade. Its new report outlines sustainable methods for handling EoL solar panels.

Scientists conducting a five-year research project in southern Minnesota have observed a tripling of insect numbers near two solar facilities built on rehabilitated agricultural land. They say the findings show how habitat-friendly solar could help protect insect populations and improve pollination in nearby agricultural fields.

Wood Mackenzie says the solar industry has reached a new stage in its evolution and is predicting around 350 GW of global solar installations annually for the next eight years. The research firm is also forecasting challenges for the solar manufacturing sector and long-awaited benefits from the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States.