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Ghana’s Ministry of Energy and Green Transition is establishing a renewable energy investment and green transition fund.

According to reports from the state news agency, the fund will support investments in renewable energy and local deployment of green technologies, while reducing the burden of electricity tariffs on state-owned institutions.

Minister of Energy John Abdulai Jinapor said at the Sustainable Energy Policy Dialogue in Accra that a bill to establish a Renewable Energy Agency, which would oversee the fund, is undergoing technical review and will be submitted to the cabinet “very soon.”

Jinapor said the government plans to invest fossil fuel revenue into renewable energy, including residential solar installations and solar-powered streetlights.

“We will aggressively promote the use of electric charging vehicles, solar for irrigation facilities, providing solar systems for hospitals, public schools, including universities, and small and medium-scale enterprises, and support energy efficiency education,” he added.

Ghana wants to implement competitive procurement exercises for renewable energy projects to help reduce the cost of power. explained Jinapor. “We are already working with the World Bank, and we are confident that through competitive procurement of renewable energy and other energy sources, we can attain a much more reduced cost of power generation,” said the minister.

Figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) show that Ghana deployed 169 MW of solar by the end of 2023.

Swedish solar developer Svea Solar is planning to build eight new solar parks in Sweden with a total capacity of approximately 500 MW.

The developer has entered into several land agreements with forest industry company Stora Enso, one of the world’s largest private forest owners, to build the solar parks on the company’s land across central Sweden and southern Norrland.

A statement from Svea Solar says the location of the parks has been chosen based on good opportunities for grid connection and to minimize impact on other interests such as wildlife.

Construction of the first solar park in the deal is expected to begin next year, with most projects included in the plan scheduled for completion by 2030. Svea Solar added that a 6 MW project on Stora Enso’s land in Ludvika, central Sweden, is due to become operational this April.

Svea Solar says it has built the majority of Sweden’s solar parks. Last August, the company signed a collaborative agreement with the country’s largest forest owner, Sveaskog, alongside solar developer Alight, to develop 2 GW of solar over a five-year period. In October, Svea Solar started production at Sweden’s first large-scale agrivoltaics park.

Sweden deployed a total 1 GW of solar in 2024, taking the country’s cumulative capacity to around 5 GW.

A new report by SBICAPS projects India’s annual solar capacity addition to double to 30 GW in fiscal 2025 against 15 GW in fiscal 2024.

The report states the deployment pace will further improve in fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027, leading to significant spike in module demand. It projects PV deployment for fiscal 2026 at 42 GW and for fiscal 2027 at 46 GW, with residential rooftop solar driving expansion.

Annual module demand is forecast to increase from 50-55 GW in fiscal 2025 to 105 GW in fiscal 2027. [The calculation assumes DC/AC overloading of 1.2-1.4, effective utilization to nameplate capacity ratio of 55% to 65%.]

The report says PV installation projections are likely to be met with moderate PPA-PSA gap reduction, PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijlee Yojana (PM-SGMBY) completion by FY28, and enhanced RPO [renewable energy purchase obligation] compliance. Timely scheme (especially PM-KUSUM) and project execution could further augment demand. On the other hand, land constraints, ALCM [Approved List of Cell Manufacturers] implementation, and restrictive state net metering policies pose as deterrents.

The report says the integration drive needs to kick into next gear to meet ALCM and DCR goals. [DCR solar panels are panels made in India with domestically manufactured cells, meeting the domestic content requirement as stipulated for PV installations under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijlee Yojana, PM KUSUM and CPSU Phase II Scheme.]

“Despite integration factor (cell/module capacity ratio) likely improving from 32% to 65%, more than half of India’s cell requirements will continue to be imported in FY27, even if all capacities promised come on board,” states the report.

DCR module prices will maintain a premium due to PM-SGMBY-driven demand exceeding cell capacity additions and escalating regulatory stringency on DCR. As cell production expands, wafer and ingot manufacturing emerge as the next strategic imperative, with the government expected to allocate $ 1 billion in incentives to foster domestic ecosystem development.

The battery industry is entering a new phase of its development, with the global market expanding and technologies gradually standardizing, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says. This is likely to result in further consolidation across the industry, which is simultaneously being reshaped by government-led efforts to geographically diversify battery supply chains, IEA experts say.

The global battery market is growing rapidly as demand rises sharply and prices continue to fall. By 2024, with electric car sales rising 25% to 17 million, annual battery demand will surpass 1 terawatt-hour (TWh) — a historic milestone. At the same time, the average price of a battery for a pure electric car has fallen below $100 per kilowatt-hour, a threshold considered a key threshold for competing on cost with conventional models.

In addition to electric vehicle (EV) demand, cheaper minerals have been a major factor in this cost decline, with lithium prices down more than 85% from their peak in 2022. Advances in the battery industry are also supporting this downward price trend. Global battery manufacturing capacity reached 3 TWh in 2024 and could triple in the next five years if all announced projects are built.

The success story of the Chinese market and the slowdown in price declines

China currently produces more than three-quarters of the batteries sold globally, and in 2024, average prices in the country fell by almost 30%, faster than anywhere else in the world. Batteries in China are 30% cheaper than in Europe and 20% cheaper than in North America. Many EVs in China are now cheaper than their conventional counterparts.

One of the factors that has driven this competitiveness has been production volume. More than 70% of all EV batteries ever manufactured have been produced in China, with the rise of giant manufacturers such as CATL and BYD, which have centralized expertise in the sector and driven innovation. The country also has a highly integrated supply chain, including access to below-market prices for critical minerals.

Chinese producers’ focus on lithium iron phosphate (LFP), a cheaper battery chemistry, is another factor in the cost decline. LFP batteries now account for almost half of the global EV market and are about 30% cheaper than their main competitor, lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (NMC) batteries, which used to dominate the market.

To remain competitive in the Chinese market, which boasts nearly 100 producers, companies have been cutting their profit margins to sell batteries at lower prices.

However, price declines may slow in the near future. Amid fierce competition and declining margins, the number of companies producing batteries in China is likely to decline, and certain producers will gain greater influence and pricing power. Even so, China is expected to remain the largest battery manufacturer by some distance in the medium term.

Expanding battery production beyond China

Korea and Japan are already major players in the global battery industry, with major manufacturers and suppliers specializing primarily in NMC batteries. Both countries have limited domestic production but are home to established manufacturers with significant overseas investments. Korean companies lead in overseas manufacturing capacity, with nearly 400 gigawatt-hours (GWh), far surpassing Japan’s 60 GWh and China’s 30 GWh. As their overseas investments grow in key automotive markets, a key question is to what extent they will adopt cheaper LFP designs. These producers also have strong histories of innovation and are among those racing to develop new technologies such as solid-state batteries.

In the United States, battery manufacturing capacity has doubled since 2022 following the implementation of tax credits for producers, reaching over 200 GWh by 2024. Almost 700 GWh of additional manufacturing capacity is under construction. About 40% of existing capacity is operated or developed by established battery manufacturers in close collaboration with automakers. However, the manufacturing of battery components has progressed more slowly, and most of the demand for anodes and cathodes is still met by imports. Demand for batteries for stationary applications has increased by over 60% per year over the past two years, opening up a demand stream beyond EVs, albeit smaller in volume.

Meanwhile, Southeast Asia and Morocco are emerging as potential production hubs for batteries and their components. In Indonesia, the source of half of the world’s nickel, the first electric vehicle battery and graphite anode plants will begin production in 2024. Morocco, meanwhile, has the world’s largest reserves of phosphate, a key mineral for LFP batteries, as well as an established automotive manufacturing industry and free trade agreements with the European Union and the United States. These factors have contributed to more than $15 billion in announced investments in battery and component manufacturing in 2022.

Strategies to develop new production capacity

Despite rapidly falling battery prices and continued innovation, the degree of concentration in battery supply chains has raised security concerns among governments in recent years. Announcements such as China’s recently proposed export restrictions on battery cathode and lithium processing technologies have heightened attention on this issue.

In the IEA’s view, efforts to expand production in new markets and reduce the cost gap with China require sufficient and sustained demand for batteries. Electric vehicle sales — which currently account for 85% of the battery market — are the only driver that can create sufficient volume.

Collaboration with established battery producers, through joint ventures or technology licensing agreements, can reduce the time and investment required to produce batteries onshore and develop domestic supply chains.

Another important lever is international collaboration. Many individual markets may not be large enough to justify the necessary investments in battery manufacturing and components and may therefore require closer collaboration with other EV and battery markets, as well as cooperation with resource-rich countries such as those in South America and Africa, Australia and Indonesia, to make the case.

In its latest report on the South American solar PV market, Wood Mackenzie has revealed that the region will add 160 GW of photovoltaic (DC) capacity between 2025 and 2034, driven by diversification efforts, growing energy demand and favorable system economics.

Among the key findings in the report: mature markets Brazil and Chile will account for 78% of total regional installations. However, the South American solar PV market is expected to slow as those mature markets stabilize.

Regional PV installations are expected to peak in 2024 as small-scale and utility-scale solar additions slow in Brazil.

Despite this, growth is expected in emerging markets, such as Colombia or Uruguay.

Felix Delgado, Wood Mackenzie’s senior analyst for the power and renewables sector in the Americas, attributes this “cooling” in annual additions “to lagging transmission infrastructure, increased spills, and rising transmission rates for small-scale solar.”

Small-scale projects (<5 MW DC) will account for 48% of total construction in the region, as distributed generation plans remain attractive across the continent.

Transmission lag and further curtailment hamper growth in mature markets, driving hybridization of solar + storage projects, especially in Brazil and Chile.

The economics of solar PV systems will continue to improve, with a projected 42% reduction in regional LCOE for single-axis trackers and fixed-tilt solar PV by 2035.

Over the longer term, the report indicates that Brazil, Chile and Colombia are well positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for green hydrogen, further driving solar capacity additions and diversifying the region’s energy landscape.

Outlook for Brazil and Chile

Brazil, the largest market in the region, is experiencing a slowdown in solar additions following recent renewables expansion driven by the expiration of incentives.

Specifically, according to the consultancy's forecasts, Brazil will not reach 15 GW this year, and its installation rate will be around 10 GW until 2031, when it will grow again, but without reaching the installation rate recorded in 2024.

Large-scale solar energy faces an environment of energy oversupply and delayed transmission infrastructure. Meanwhile, small-scale solar energy faces rising transmission rates, increased import taxes on solar modules, and interconnection disputes between distributors. However, capacity additions will continue to be driven by power purchase agreements (PPAs) in the free market environment and distributed generation installations.

Chile, on the other hand, will remain at similar levels except for the years 2026 and 2027, when its installation level will decrease. It also faces similar challenges with curtailment and grid restrictions, pushing the solar PV project pipeline towards hybrid projects.

“The transition to solar with storage projects in markets such as Brazil and Chile is a critical development,” Delgado added. “Chile is paving the way for storage adoption in the region and serves as a testing ground highlighting the challenges and solutions available for countries with already high penetration of renewable generation.”

PPAs in Argentina

The report also highlights the role of direct commercial and industrial buyers in driving capacity growth. In Argentina, the corporate renewable PPA market is allowing buyers to sign US-linked PPAs, acting as the main market scheme driving solar capacity additions. In addition, 99% of the current solar pipeline in Brazil is planned to operate in the free market. Nevertheless, regulated auctions remain critical for emerging markets such as Colombia and Peru.

France's Group of Individual Photovoltaic Electricity Producers (GPPEP), an association that defends the interests of small-scale solar producers, is warning of the consequences of recent announcements concerning self-consumption PV installations. pv magazine France spoke to Joël Mercy, president of the association, to discuss the repercussions to be expected for small-scale installations, particularly residential (3-9 kWp).

Cutting subsidies: an accepted measure, but too brutal

The drop in feed-in tariffs and incentives for self-consumption comes as no surprise to the industry. “We were among the first to follow this issue closely and to understand that the feed-in tariff was going to disappear sooner or later,” Mercy says. “We thought it would happen as early as 2019, or at least as soon as the feed-in tariff fell below the price of electricity.” It's for this reason that GPPEP has been advising private customers for some time not to sign up to the feed-in tariff. “We have no idea what the price of electricity will be in 20 years' time, so it's better not to tie our hands with such a long contract.”

According to the text presented to France's Higher Energy Council (CSE), which will issue its opinion on March 6, the feed-in tariff for surplus electricity could be reduced to 4 cents per kilowatt-hour. This measure would apply retroactively to all installations signed on or after February 1, 2025. In practical terms, this “loss” would in fact be offset by the reduction in VAT, “to within a few euros” according to Mercy. “The 5.5% VAT is ready and in place,” he confirms. “There are still a few technical details to be worked out, but it should be in place by October 1.”

But the real problem today is the brutality of the new measure. “Basically, we have nothing against it,” admits Mercy. “Many professionals share this opinion. What's a problem is the way it's happening, and above all the time lag: the reduced VAT is for October. The rate reduction is for February. If the two had arrived at the same time, we'd have had some consistency. Now we're left with eight months of total uncertainty. How are we going to make up for this delay?

The safe route under threat

For several years now, GPPEP has been supporting local authorities wishing to offer their residents efficient, economical and, above all, secure solar energy solutions. The system is based on group purchasing of equipment and working with trusted installers verified by the association. But this model is faltering in the face of the new situation.

“At the last local meetings, around 30% of participants said they were ready to commit to the secure route,” Mercy explains. “But as soon as we told them about the government's announcements, the reaction was unanimous: they'd rather wait.” This wait could last almost nine months, until the economic framework has been clarified. The problem: until then, many installers may not survive.

Mercy points to the the area of Grand Poitiers, whose secure pathway project illustrates this concern. “We contacted fifteen installers. None have replied. They are in a state of total uncertainty about their future.” If the government were to go back on schedule and align the rate cuts with the reduced VAT, “that would restore the balance,” says Mercy. “Households would have good visibility on their return on investment. But in any case, we'd recommend not committing to the feed-in tariff, which is too risky over 20 years.”

Without installers, who will repair small power plants?

If the CSE maintains the timetable as it stands, the consequences for the industry could be dramatic. “There will be carnage among installers,” Mercy warns. Many of them, weakened by the economic situation, risk closing their doors, leaving their customers with no one to turn to.

And this is where new risks emerge for producers already equipped. In France, for insurance reasons, installers are not allowed to work on installations they have not built themselves. “If your installer closes down, who's going to come and maintain or repair your system?” asks the GPPEP president. This problem has existed for several years, but it could become much worse as the market contracts.

Trade unions and professional organizations have long been alerting insurance companies to the need to create a dedicated breakdown service. To date, no viable solution has emerged. And yet, the issue is becoming urgent: some installations are now 15 to 20 years old, some of them integrated, a technique now largely abandoned. Of the 400,000 installations of this type still in service, how many will find an installer ready to intervene in the event of a breakdown or leak?

“If insurance companies don't take action, people won't install them,” Mercy warns. “This problem already existed, but it's becoming dramatic. Today, we have exactly the same interests as the industry professionals. We need a strong, healthy and competent industry.”

UtmoLight said its 0.72m² perovskite PV panel has achieved a stabilized full-area efficiency of 18.1%, or 130.5 W, based on testing by NREL.

The module also showed over 950 seconds of zero degradation under maximum power point tracking (MPPT) conditions, setting a new global efficiency record for perovskite modules of this size, according to the company.

UtmoLight produced the tested module using a scalable, mass-production process at its 150 MW pilot line, which has supplied perovskite modules to commercial projects across Chinese provinces like Anhui, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Hebei.

It claimed that only mass-producible, stable, high-efficiency perovskite modules deliver real customer value.

The company has focused on product deliverability, earning IEC 61215/61730 certification for stability in November 2023 with a module efficiency of 13.2% (95 W). It said it plans to boost certified efficiency to 16.7% (120 W) by November 2024, claiming the world’s highest-efficiency perovskite module to pass IEC stability tests.

The recent leap to 18.1% efficiency stemmed from production line tweaks – cutting film defect rates, fine-tuning process parameters, and upgrading equipment components to lift yield.

In November 2024, UtmoLight’s first gigawatt-scale production line in Wuxi, Jiangsu, hit full-process integration. The initial 2.8m² perovskite module off the line delivered 450 W with a full-area efficiency of 16.1%. As it shifts mature pilot-line processes to large-scale output, UtmoLight targets a mass-production efficiency of 20% by 2025.

In February, renewables generated 11,543 GWh in Spain and reached a share of 54.1% of total energy, while 76.3% of electricity was produced without emitting equivalent CO2.

The main source of production for the month was nuclear, with a share of 22.1%, followed by hydroelectric power, which grew by 41.6% and reached a share of 20.2%. These were followed by wind power (17.3%), solar photovoltaics (14%) and combined cycle, responsible for 13.8% of the total.

In addition, of the total energy, 237 GWh was supplied to storage facilities and 1,214 GWh were scheduled for export to neighbouring countries. In December, Spanish grid operator REE began to include storage capacity in the transport network in its monthly report.

In the Balearic Islands, combined cycle, with 61% of the energy produced, was the main source of electricity in February. For its part, renewable energy generated in the Balearic community represented 12.7% of the total. Renewable production in the Balearic Islands grew by 15.4% in January compared to the same month the previous year. In addition, during February, the undersea link between the Peninsula and Mallorca covered 21.6% of Balearic electricity demand.

As for the Canary Islands, combined cycle, with 39.2% of the total, was also the main source of electricity generation in February. Renewables reached a share of 21% of production by generating 142,420 MWh, 3.7% more than in the same month the previous year. Wind power contributed 16.1% of the total during the month.

Demand decreases by 3.4%

In February, national electricity demand fell by 3.4% year on year after taking into account the effects of temperature and working hours. In the first two months of 2025, in gross terms, electricity demand was 42,779 GWh, 0.2% higher than in the same period of 2024.

In the Balearic Islands, electricity demand in February was 0.5% higher than in the same month of 2024 after taking into account the effects of working hours and temperatures. Thus, gross demand is estimated at 422,796 MWh, 3.1% higher than in the previous year.

In the Canary Islands, electricity demand fell by 3.2% compared to the same month of 2024, taking into account the effects of working hours and temperatures.

South Australia’s Vibe Energy and Victoria’s GWMWater have energized their joint venture, the NREF. The facility, located 380 km northwest of Melbourne, includes a 6.5 MW solar farm with 9,000 panels and a 2.75 MW/6.7 MWh battery storage system, connected to the local grid in Nhill, Victoria.

GWMWater said project will offset 70% of its energy use across 330 sites, supporting its goals of 100% renewable electricity by 2025 and net-zero emissions by 2035. Next Generation Electrical is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.

The first stage of construction at the NREF began in 2024 and is GWMWater’s first venture into large- scale energy generation with direct connection into the local electricity grid.

The NREF, along with solar generation installed at 59 other GWMWater sites, will enable GWMWater to become more self-sufficient by generating the energy needed to operate its services with less reliance on electricity from the grid.

SMA Solar Technology AG recorded a 19.7% decline in revenue to €1.53 billion ($1.65 billion) in the past fiscal year. At the same time, operating earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) slid into the red, from €311 million in 2023 to a loss of €16 million in 2024, according to the PV company's preliminary, unaudited figures published on Wednesday. The decline in earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) was similarly sharp, falling from €269.5 million to a loss of €93.1 million.

SMA attributed the earnings development to low sales in the Home Solutions and Commercial & Industrial Solutions segments. In addition, the company recorded cost increases and write-downs on inventories and provisions in connection with its restructuring and transformation program.

Overall, SMA saw inverter sales reach 19.5 GW in 2024, only 1 GW less than in 2023. The overall lower demand combined with high inventory levels on the distributor side led to significant declines in sales beyond the power plant division. According to SMA, sales in the Home Solutions segment fell from €580.2 million to €170.3 million and in the Commercial & Industrial Solutions segment from €478.9 million to €183.8 million. In addition to the decline in sales, EBIT for small rooftop systems was also impacted by increased costs and impairments on inventories (€44.6 million), capitalized development projects (€14.5 million) and a production line (€4.2 million) as well as provisions for purchase obligations (€10.2 million). It amounted to a loss of €150.7 million last year. In 2023, SMA was still able to record a profit of €148 million in this segment. The commercial and industrial segment also recorded a heavy loss of €164.3 million in 2024. In 2023, this division also recorded a profit of €22.7 million.

SMA was able to partially offset these declines in sales and earnings through its Large Scale & Project Solutions segment. In the power plant sector, the company increased sales significantly from €845 million to €1.176 billion while EBIT also more than doubled. It rose year-on-year from €103.8 million to €227 million. The high level of sales combined with a reduction in fixed costs, a profitable product mix and the sale of a battery storage project by SMA Altenso GmbH had a positive effect. However, according to SMA, impairments of €19.3 million were also made on inventories in the power plant sector.

At the end of the year, the order backlog was significantly below the previous year's level at €1.356 billion. However, this was expected due to the challenging situation in the Home Solutions and Commercial & Industrial Solutions segments. A good €1 billion of the order backlog is attributable to the product business. SMA's net liquidity was also significantly below the value at the end of 2023, falling from €283.3 million to €84.2 million.

Only two divisions in the future

SMA has now launched an extensive restructuring and transformation program. Since September 2024, work has been underway to significantly reduce costs and simplify the company structure and management. As a result, the company intends to merge the Home Solutions and Commercial & Industrial Solutions segments into a new Home & Business Solutions division in the first half of 2025. The existing Large Scale & Project Solutions unit will remain as is.

“In the future, there will be two divisions with strong vertical integration and full profit and loss responsibility,” the company said. It likewise intends to streamline central departments. In addition, SMA plans to withdraw “from countries with low growth potential.”

The company is also planning job cuts in Germany. In February, negotiations with the works council on a so-called voluntary program, or more precisely, the determination of conditions for voluntary termination, were concluded. SMA has already started implementing it. Olaf Heyden, who was appointed chief transformation officer in February, is responsible for the program and has also taken over the Operations, Human Resources and Digitalization areas as chief operating officer.

“Despite the very good sales and earnings development in the Large Scale & Project Solutions segment, the 2024 fiscal year was very challenging overall,” said SMA CEO Jürgen Reinert. “The operational development of the Home Solutions and Commercial & Industrial Solutions segments was largely shaped by the overcapacity in the market and the falling demand in the home and commercial sectors. Due to the worsening market situation, we took decisive countermeasures from mid-2024 with measures to reduce costs and increase sales and have supplemented these measures with a comprehensive restructuring and transformation program since September 2024.” With a successful transformation and restructuring, around €150 million to €200 million in costs are to be saved from 2026, which should create the basis for profitable growth in the future, according to the company.

Forecast for 2025

SMA expects the programs and measures to have the first positive effects on its earnings in the current fiscal year. This is also reflected in the forecast. For its newly created Home & Business Solutions division, SMA expects a stable sales level with a result significantly above the previous year's level. However, the break-even point has not yet been reached. Further sales growth is expected in the second division, although the result is likely to be slightly below the previous year due to higher costs and a changed product and regional mix, SMA CFO Barbara Gregor added.

For the entire group, the management board expects sales of between €1.5 billion and €1.65 billion and a positive EBITDA of between €70 million and €110 million this year.

Somalia’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals has opened a tender for a hybrid solar-plus-storage project. The tender details state that the 12 MW solar and 36 MWh BESS project will be built in the northeastern port city of Berbera.

The chosen developer will be responsible for the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the facility, alongside the development of 13.5 km of 33 kV evacuation lines.

The project is expected to take 15 months to complete. It is part of the Somali Electricity Sector Recovery Project, which is being funded by the World Bank. A pre-bid conference will take place on April 5, 2025, ahead of a deadline for applications on May 5, 2025.

The procurement exercise is the latest in a series of hybrid solar-plus-storage project tenders in Somalia. In February, a 55 MW solar and 160 MWh BESS tender launched in Mogadishu, with a closing date of April 14. A separate tender for 10 MW of solar and a 20 MWh BESS ran through January and February.

Somalia had 51 MW of cumulative installed solar capacity by the end of 2023, up from 47 MW in 2022, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Energy services companies, particularly those providing O&M services, are being invited to provide their expertise to a series of solar PV hybrid power plants that have been deployed under the second phase of Nigeria’s Energizing Education Programme (EEP).

The seven plants are located at education and training institutes across the country, and incorporate solar with battery energy storage systems (BESS). Their capacity varies, but the largest project combines 12 MW of PV capacity with 7 MWh of BESS and 10 MW of direct generation.

Across all seven projects, the total PV capacity is 32 MW. The total BESS capacity is 24 MWh.

The tender was first issued on March 3, and REAN is giving prospective applicants until April 28 to apply.

It expects the companies to provide O&M services for a five-year period that will be renewable for three terms depending on how satisfied the agency is with the companies’ performance. Applicants should have demonstrated experience in operating and maintaining utility-scale power plants.

Ideally, they have at least five years of experience working with distributed service providers on large-scale solar projects, especially projects incorporating energy storage and generator backup systems. They must also comply with Nigerian regulatory requirements and employ suitably qualified people with practical experience in the country’s solar market. Other required qualifications include experience in large-scale payment collections systems.

The service providers will be responsible for O&M services linked to the PV system of each plant, including daily monitoring, preventive and corrective maintenance, performance optimization, and payment management via a provided Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) platform.

They will also be in charge of hybrid system integration and control, as well as an 11kV distribution network and transformer upkeep within the beneficiary institution.

Other O&M services such as training for workers, equipment maintenance, safety and environmental compliance and reporting and documentation are also all included in the remit of the tender.

Interested applicants can find out more about the application process on the REAN’s website. The original tender is available here.

Raptor Maps, a US software, drone and robotics analytics firm, said global annualized losses for solar asset underperformance reached up to $10 billion in 2024. 

The company said that while the growth in underperformance slowed down year over year, increasing 15%, the average solar facility in its database averaged $5,720 per megawatt in annualized losses. This is up from an average of $977 per megawatt in 2020. 

The company’s report draws on analysis of 193 GW of utility-scale, commercial and industrial projects, with 67 GW of projects analyzed in 2024. This is a sample of the roughly 2 TW of global solar capacity installed cumulatively worldwide. 

Underperformance was attributed to equipment-driven issues, increased risk profiles due to extreme weather, ongoing labor constraints and political headwinds. 

Power losses have increased considerably since 2020, climbing from 1.84% to 5.77%, the company stated in its annual report. For context, a 100 MW site experiencing 5.77% underperformance from year two of operations until decommissioning would see its project internal rate of return drop by 249 basis points, according to Raptor Maps. 

At an equipment level, the largest power losses were attributed to inverters (2.13%), strings (circuit/string problems not located in the inverter) (1.26%) and combiners (1.04%). Tracker issues and module-level issues followed as leading contributors to power losses. The most common power loss issue for modules were malfunctions at the cell level. 

Another issue highlighted was the growing gap between solar deployment and operational labor. Cumulative solar capacity increased 182% from 2018 through 2023, but US employment in operations and maintenance increased 91% over that time, according to data from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). 

Power loss averages ranged widely by regional markets, with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and PJM Interconnection regions exceeding an average of $7,100 per megawatt, as seen below. 

Across the US inverters were the leading equipment cause of power losses (39%), followed by strings (22%), and combiners (19%). In the ERCOT and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) markets, more than 50% of power losses were attributable to inverter issues. 

Extreme weather risks varied widely by region. Raptor Maps said ERCOT assets were 16 times more likely to be damaged by weather events than those in the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) region. The Texas ERCOT region is particularly exposed to threats from hail damage, as well as being vulnerable to hurricanes. Assets in the Southeast had weather damage risks 6.5 times greater than the NYISO. 

‘With global capacity surpassing 2 TW just two years after reaching 1 TW, leading players are now embracing automation, software-driven diagnostics, and robotics to combat operational challenges and ensure long-term cost competitiveness,” said the report. 

The CPIA said China’s solar industry expanded rapidly in 2024, continuing strong growth since 2022. A backlog of delayed projects led to a record 148.1% surge in 2023, raising new capacity to 216.88 GW. Despite this, 2024 saw further growth, with installations up 28.3% to 277.57 GW, pushing total PV capacity to 887 GW.

The CPIA’s 2024-25 roadmap warned that growth may slow, projecting 2025 additions between 215 GW and 255 GW, a sharp decline. It said policy shifts, including new distributed solar regulations and electricity market reforms, are causing uncertainty and investor caution due to delays in provincial-level implementation.

China’s solar companies faced sharp declines in 2024. Core supply chain companies saw a 28.8% drop in revenue and a 72.2% plunge in profits. Accounts receivable periods lengthened from 69 days in 2023 to 180 days in 2024.

Overcapacity and price drops drove the downturn in profitability, with prices falling across the value chain. Polysilicon prices fell from CNY 65 ($8.96)/kg to CNY 40/kg, while n-type 182mm wafers dropped from CNY 2 to CNY 1. Tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells fell from CNY 0.45/W to below CNY 0.30/W.

Despite price declines, production rose last year. Polysilicon output grew 23.6% to 1.82 million tons, wafer production rose 12.7% to 753 GW, cell production grew 10.6% to 654 GW, and module output expanded 13.5% to 588 GW.

The CPIA said it expects global solar installations to grow in 2025, forecasting 531 GW to 583 GW of new capacity. A bullish scenario could see a 10% year-on-year increase, driven by demand in emerging markets, especially in Latin America and the Middle East, it said.

SJVN’s third tender for 1.2 GW of round-the-clock renewable power discovered an average price of INR 4.86 ($0.056)/kWh, allocating 448 MW.

ReNew Solar Power secured 100 MW at INR 4.82/kWh, while Dineshchandra R Agrawal Infracon, Serentica Renewables, and EG Energy Development won at slightly higher rates. Tata Power Renewables received 88 MW at INR 4.91/kWh.

Winning developers will supply power from interstate transmission system (ISTS) renewable projects, with or without storage, on a build-own-operate basis. SJVN will sign 25-year power purchase agreements and sell the power to Indian buyers.

Researchers from Slovenia’s University of Ljubljana have developed a novel model for calculating energy fluxes on PV green roofs. Green roofs are rooftops that are covered with vegetation, such as vegetables, and PV might benefit from their cooling effect. Following the creation of their model, the team tested it against a real setup for validation.

“By accurately determining all heat fluxes, this study aims to improve evapotranspiration calculation, which is important for estimating the water consumption,” the group explained. “The approach of this study ensures that the findings can be utilized not only by researchers for further studies but also by industry specialists seeking to implement energy-efficient urban infrastructure solutions, effectively promoting urban sustainability goals.”

The model assumes an extensive green roof that consists of sedum vegetation, organic substrate and a mineral wool substrate layer. Based on available meteorological data and the PV setup parameters, it uses a simplified 2D view factor and advanced 3D approach to calculate how much sunlight and radiation the solar module blocks. With those calculations, it is then able to determine energy fluxes, such as shortwave and longwave radiation, soil heat flux, sensible heat flux, and latent heat flux.

“The novel aspect of this research is the configurable setup with varying shading proportions used to develop and validate the models, providing robustness for different photovoltaic green roof systems,” the academics added. “The longwave radiation model includes a developed parametric model for the green roof surface temperature with varying shading factors and publicly available calculation codes for shading and view factor determination in 3D geometry.”

To verify the accuracy of their model, the team constructed an experimental setup in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It included a green roof sample measuring 0.71 m on 0.71 m, consisting of sedum vegetation blanket with up to 2 cm of organic matter, 2 cm of mineral substrate mix (lava, pumice, zeolite), and 4 cm of lightweight mineral wool substrate. Two monocrystalline modules of 0.65 m in height and 0.505 m in width, were positioned above the green roof. They were 30 cm above it at the lower edge, and had a tilt angle of 25◦.

“The measurements were carried out in two phases: phase I is for the validation of the energy fluxes and evapotranspiration models, which was carried out between 28th June and 6th August 2024,” the group said. “Phase II was carried out between 21st and 28th August, when the longwave radiation instrument was turned facing down for the purpose of green roof surface temperature model development.”

Comparing the measurements from the experimental set-up to those of the model, incoming longwave radiation produced a normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of 5.1%. Modeled evapotranspiration compared to the measured gave an NRMSE of 4.4% for daily values. They highlighted that those metrics demonstrate “high accuracy.”

“Experimental results reveal up to a 100 W m-² difference in incoming longwave radiation on green roof surface under photovoltaics compared to open-sky conditions, demonstrating the significant impact on the energy balance, the results further showed. “Neglecting longwave radiation exchange with photovoltaic modules would result in an 18 % underestimation of daily evapotranspiration.”

Their findings were presented in “Effect of solar photovoltaics on green roof energy balance and evapotranspiration,” published in Sustainable Cities and Society.

Chinese solar manufacturer Trina Solar has announced a novel load-bearing solution for areas with heavy snowfall.

Dubbed “PV Support,” the new mounting system solution was developed with Japanese mounting manufacturer Daidohant.

It relies on a reinforcing bracket conceived by Daidohant and is intended for use with Trina's modules.

“By attaching a special bar to the back of the module, it suppresses deformation of the panel due to the load of snow and reduces damage,” Trina said in a statement. “Solar panels can be installed safely even in areas with heavy snowfall, and the type of roofing material used is a seam-type folded plate roof.”

The company added that it conducted load tests with various solar modules, and the results showed that the new product “significantly improved” load-bearing capabilities.

“The new system is expected to reduce the risk of module damage in areas with heavy snowfall and improve the reliability of power generation systems,” the Chinese manufacturer concluded.

From ESS News

Israeli developer and independent power producer Nofar Energy has secured EUR 86.5 million ($92.5 million) in project financing from NORD/LB for its 104.5 MW / 209 MWh Stendal BESS project in Germany.

The Stendal project is backed by a seven-year fixed-price flexibility purchase agreement (FPA). In its announcement of the deal in December 2024, Nofar described it as the first of its kind in continental Europe.

While common in the U.S. and China, particularly for standalone, front-of-the-meter, utility-scale installations, tolling agreements for BESS appeared for the first time in Europe last year, first in the UK.

To continue reading, please visit our ESS News website.

Tandem PV, a specialist in perovskite solar technology, secured $50 million in Series-A funding and debt, which the company said will enable it to construct a commercial-scale manufacturing facility in the U.S.

The funding was led by Eclipse, a  U.S. venture capital firm, with participation from Constellation Energy, Planetary Technologies, Uncorrelated Ventures, Trellis Climate, Tom Werner (former CEO of SunPower), Stifel Bank, CSC Leasing, and other existing and new investors.

“With Eclipse’s backing, we are no longer just developing breakthrough technology—we are bringing it to market at scale,” said Scott Wharton, CEO of Tandem PV. “As global demand for clean energy surges, Tandem PV is stepping up to meet it—delivering next-generation solar power that is more powerful, more sustainable, and made in America.”

Tandem PV was founded in 2016 to develop perovskite silicon thin-film solar modules that are expected to deliver an industry-leading combination of durability and efficiency. The company reports that its panels currently achieve 28% efficiency and are projected to surpass 30% by late 2025, or what Tandem PV said is 30% more powerful than the average silicon solar panel.

With a perovskite layer 200 times thinner than silicon and requiring just 10% of the energy needed to produce conventional panels, the company reports it will be able to reduce energy use during manufacturing.

“Tandem PV’s performance and progress are incredibly exciting, particularly given there have been minimal breakthroughs in solar technology for the past decade,” said Eclipse Partner Greg Reichow. “Tandem PV’s impressive durability and efficiency is unmatched in the market, and it couldn’t come at a more critical time. By building a manufacturing facility in the U.S., Tandem PV will help the U.S. meet its growing energy needs while weaning off its dependence from China and other foreign manufacturers.”

Upon joining the Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition, Michael Carr, SEMA Coalition executive director said that perovskite technology will be key to U.S. manufacturing success as it is “poised to dominate the solar industry in the coming years.” He added that, “Pioneers like Tandem PV are leading this revolution and will be a critical addition to our ranks as our Coalition works to reshore the U.S. solar supply chain.”

Tandem PV’s co-founder and CTO, Colin Bailie, developed the world’s first perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell at Stanford University and launched the company through Activate, the U.S. Department of Energy startup accelerator. Last year, Tandem PV announced a $6 million venture funding round led by existing investor Planetary Technologies, an early-stage venture capital firm, joined by new compatriot investor Uncorrelated Ventures. At that time it was embarking on third-party validation of the performance metrics, specifically efficiency and durability, and to take part in outdoor testing programs.

To date, Tandem PV has raised a total of $83 million in venture capital, debt and government funds.