News

Urbasolar has started construction on a massive 17.5 MW rooftop solar system at the Delta 3 logistics platform in Dourges, northern France, a project it claims will be the largest single-span rooftop installation in Europe. Covering over 128,000 square meters on the Omega building—partially occupied by PepsiCo—the installation utilizes nearly 29,000 Jinko Solar modules and is already approximately 50% complete. Operating under a 30-year lease secured after a 2024 tender, Urbasolar aims to commission the complex project by late 2026 or early 2027. Once operational, it is expected to generate 17 GWh annually, with 1 GWh consumed on-site and the remainder sold to the grid under a regulated tariff.

UK solar deployment surged to levels unseen for a decade in 2025, expanding total capacity by 13.6% to reach 21.6 GW. This growth was driven by a record-breaking 257,397 small-scale installations (up 32%) and significant utility-scale achievements, including the commissioning of the country’s largest plant, the 373 MW Cleve Hill Solar Park.

Indian photovoltaic enterprise Fujiyama Power Systems Limited announced the formal commencement of operations at its solar cell factory in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, adding 1GW of new production capacity. In a statement, Fujiyama disclosed that this new Dadri facility will primarily manufacture monocrystalline PERC cells. These cells will meet Domestic Content Requirements (DCR) and are specifically designated to supply the company's own 1.6GW module manufacturing capacity (1.2GW of which is located in Dadri).

On 27 January, Dier Laser (SZ:300776) announced that to advance its international strategic layout, establish a diversified capital operation platform, enhance its global brand image and comprehensive competitiveness in international markets, and accelerate overseas business development, the company is planning to issue foreign-invested shares (H-shares) for listing on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.

Recently, Indian solar manufacturer Premier Energies has commissioned its 400MW solar cell manufacturing plant in Maheshwaram, Telangana. The facility will utilise PERC (Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell) technology for cell production. This commissioning increases the company's solar cell manufacturing capacity from 3.2GW to 3.6GW.

Scientists at the University of New South Wales in Australia have developed an improved antimony-based chalcogenide solar cell, with a certified photoelectric conversion efficiency of 10.7%, setting a new record high for this type of material. The related paper was published in the latest issue of the journal *Nature Energy*. This material has four significant advantages: abundant raw materials and low cost, with no reliance on rare or precious metals; stable structure and longer lifespan—as an inorganic material, it is far more resistant to aging than organic or perovskite devices; extremely strong light absorption, requiring only a film about 300 nanometers thick to efficiently capture sunlight; and the ability to form a film at relatively low temperatures, significantly reducing energy consumption and facilitating large-scale production. Despite these clear advantages, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of such cells has struggled to break the 10% barrier since 2020. The latest research found that the issue lies in the uneven distribution of elements during the manufacturing process—sulfur and selenium are unevenly distributed, creating an "energy barrier" that hinders the smooth transport of photogenerated charges, leading to energy loss. To solve this problem, the team ingeniously added a small amount of sodium sulfide during the synthesis process, a modification that significantly improved charge transport efficiency.

Ukraine installed approximately 1.5 GW of solar power in 2025, nearly doubling the previous year's additions and bringing cumulative capacity to over 8.5 GW, according to estimates from the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine. This growth was largely driven by commercial and utility-scale sectors increasingly adopting battery storage to mitigate electricity shortages and blackouts caused by the ongoing war. Supported by tax exemptions extended until 2028 and new concessional lending programs, the market also saw the rise of ancillary services with 398 MW of storage installed specifically for grid stabilization. The association projects continued resilience and expansion in 2026, anticipating at least another 1.5 GW of solar and over 3 GWh of storage as businesses and municipalities aggressively seek energy autonomy.

France set a new solar record in 2025 by deploying 5.9 GW of new capacity, pushing its cumulative total to 31.1 GW and surpassing the previous year’s 4.6 GW. The growth was heavily driven by a 38% surge in the 100-500 kW commercial and agricultural segment, which accounted for roughly 65% of all new installations. However, the residential sector contracted to 929 MW due to regulatory delays regarding VAT rates and reduced feed-in tariffs for small systems, prompting a shift toward larger 3-6 kW installations with storage. Despite the record numbers, industry outlooks for 2026 are cautious due to pending updates to the Multiannual Energy Program and uncertainties surrounding new tendering processes.

[SMM Flash] On January 24, Suez, Egypt/PRNewswire – Boda New Energy, a leading global integrated PV module manufacturer, announced the official commissioning of its new 5GW PV module factory located in the Suez Canal Economic Zone of Egypt, marking a significant milestone in the company's global expansion strategy. The factory encompasses 2GW of high-efficiency solar cell capacity and 3GW of PV module capacity, establishing a fully integrated production platform to supply products to customers in the global centralized, industrial, and commercial sectors. Located in Ain Sokhna, the factory is central to Boda New Energy's international growth strategy. It combines centralized technology control, globally unified standards, and localized production in strategic regions to rapidly respond to market demands in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America. On December 16, 2024, Boda New Energy held the groundbreaking ceremony for this project, which covers an area of 78,000 m² and was originally scheduled for full commissioning in September 2025. Following this capacity expansion, Boda New Energy is expected to further solidify its position as a trusted global partner and support the implementation of large-scale renewable energy projects worldwide.

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced a major policy pivot by renaming its Loan Programs Office to the Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) and restructuring or eliminating $83.6 billion in financing to favor baseload power over renewable energy. Citing a need to correct "rushed" spending by the previous administration, the department has already de-obligated nearly $30 billion and cut $9.5 billion in wind and solar subsidies to redirect funds toward nuclear, gas, and coal projects, including the restart of Three Mile Island. Secretary Chris Wright emphasized that the new authority will prioritize consistent power generation sources while explicitly excluding intermittent renewables and battery storage from its six funded sectors.

The Australian federal government has announced a AUD 24.7 million investment over three years to establish a national solar recycling pilot with up to 100 collection sites. With 4.2 million rooftop systems installed and roughly 4 million panels decommissioned annually, the country currently recycles only 17% of this waste due to high processing costs that are six times that of landfilling. The program aims to recover critical minerals like silver and copper while laying the groundwork for a future national stewardship scheme. Industry leaders describe the initiative as the start of an ‘urban-mining boom’ that could eventually generate up to $7.3 billion in economic benefits through material reuse.