World

Analysis from Wiki-Solar finds the world’s 33 largest utility-scale solar markets had a cumulative capacity of 1,008 GWac by the end of last year.

Renalfa Power Clusters plans to combine newly acquired solar and battery assets in Romania into a hybrid project using lithium-ion and sodium-ion storage.

For decades, the “energy trilemma” – balancing energy security, affordability, and environmental sustainability – has shaped how nations think about energy strategy. For much of the Global South, it has served as a practical compass. But today, that compass may no longer be sufficient.

The Dutch research institute has presented what it describes as the world’s first perovskite-based roof tile, achieving up to 13.8% efficiency on standalone modules and 12.4% when installed on a curved surface. The flexible modules were produced using TNO’s experimental roll-to-roll platform,

A new sodium-ion cell for ESS may further improve competitiveness in large-scale systems against the weight of the lithium-ion battery sector.

Latest figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency find solar contributed the majority of a record 692 GW of renewables capacity added worldwide last year.

An IEA-PVPS report finds that solar power above 60° North is not only viable but rapidly expanding, driven by cold-climate performance gains, bifacial technologies, and rising energy security needs. While challenges like extreme seasonality, snow, permafrost, and scarce data remain, Arctic PV is emerging as a critical—and technically distinct—frontier for global solar deployment.

New research from the University of New South Wales shows that PV module degradation varies widely with system design and location, driven by UV exposure, temperature, humidity, and atmospheric conditions. Tropical and desert regions face the highest stress, highlighting the need for climate-specific testing and system design.

Researchers in Brazil tested second-life polycrystalline PV modules for two years and found they retained 87–88% of their original power, with minimal degradation and stable performance. Despite strong sustainability and circular economy benefits, economic incentives remain limited due to the declining cost and short warranties of new state-of-the-art silicon PV modules.

Researchers in Turkey optimized electrospray cooling for PV panels, achieving optimal power output with minimal water use and a compact, energy-efficient setup. Their study identified irradiance, flow rate, voltage, and nozzle distance as ideal parameters.