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Recently, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has selected two manufacturers to support the mass production technology of next-generation perovskite solar cells. The Ministry announced that the chosen enterprises include chemical manufacturer Kinkyo Co., Ltd. and major residential solar system manufacturer Choshu Industries. The Ministry will subsidise development costs totalling ¥9.4 billion before fiscal year 2030, aiming to establish cells with sufficient annual power generation capacity of 1 gigawatt – enough to supply approximately 300,000 households.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy has approved a 30 MW quota for new rooftop solar installations this year, a measure primarily targeting commercial and industrial consumers to manage grid integration. While residential systems under 10 kW remain exempt from prior approval (requiring only notification to local providers), larger projects must now secure explicit authorization from the Electricity Authority of Cambodia (EAC). Currently, solar energy accounts for 18.91% of the nation's power mix, contributing to a total renewable share of 61.11%, which remains dominated by hydropower.

Jupiter International has commissioned a 1 GW mono PERC solar cell manufacturing facility at its Baddi site in Himachal Pradesh, bringing its total installed capacity to nearly 2 GW. Developed by its subsidiary, Jupiter Solartech, the new unit significantly expands the company's production capabilities from its previous 959 MW base. The expansion is expected to double the local workforce, creating numerous skilled jobs in the region. Additionally, Jupiter International is advancing its technology portfolio by setting up a 1.25 GW TOPCon solar cell production line at the same site, reinforcing its commitment to "Made in India" clean energy technologies.

GREW Solar has received approval under India’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) for 3 GW of manufacturing capacity at its Dudu, Rajasthan facility. The approval covers its G12R bifacial n-type TOPCon modules, which feature efficiencies up to 23.14% and power output ratings of up to 635 W. Inclusion in the ALMM allows these modules to be deployed in government-mandated and open-access projects. The company claims the high-power G12R series can reduce module count by 6-8% per MW, lowering balance-of-system (BOS) costs like cabling and land. GREW plans to expand its total module capacity to 11 GW by late 2026 and is establishing an 8 GW cell facility in Madhya Pradesh.

On 21 January 2026, following authoritative certification by the National Institute of Metrology, China (NIM), Maiwei Co., Ltd. successfully developed a perovskite/crystalline silicon heterojunction tandem cell (G12H, 210mm × 105mm) using its independently developed full-line equipment and processes, achieving a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 32.38%.

Pahal Solar has expanded its solar module manufacturing capacity to 3 GW, with the additional output successfully included in India’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) as of February 7, 2026, and certified under BIS 2023 standards. Aligning with government push for domestic manufacturing, the company has also commenced construction on a new manufacturing complex in Surat. This new facility will house a 2 GW Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) solar cell unit and a 2 GW aluminum frame production unit, both targeted for commissioning by late 2026.

[SMM Silicon-Based PV Morning Meeting Minutes] Polycrystalline silicon N-type recharging polysilicon quotes 48.5-58.8 yuan/kg, granular polysilicon quotes 49-51 yuan/kg, the polysilicon price index is 52.6 yuan/kg, polysilicon prices rise slightly, mainly due to some manufacturers being affected by cost delineation subsequently raising expectations slightly, mainstream prices remain stable. Approaching Chinese New Year, market transactions slow down, overall atmosphere shows no significant changes.

[SMM Analysis: Space PV Stimulates Market Sentiment to Heat Up, Yet the Path to PV Commercialization Remains Long] On January 22, Musk strongly endorsed space PV during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, and disclosed key capacity plans. Musk stated that SpaceX and Tesla are simultaneously advancing solar capacity expansion, aiming to achieve an annual solar manufacturing capacity of 100 GW within the next three years to power ground-based data centers and space AI satellites. Following the earlier visit by Musk's SpaceX team to China to meet with Chinese PV enterprises, market sentiment in the PV sector further rose.

Greece's energy regulator (RAAEY) has initiated the first auctions under the ’Apollo Program‘, tendering 200 MW of solar-plus-storage and 400 MW of wind capacity to lower electricity costs for low-income households. The single-step static auction requires developers to submit bids by March 16, with maximum strike prices set at €80/MWh for solar-storage projects and €75/MWh for wind. Winning projects will secure 20-year Contracts for Difference (CfDs) and must be grid-ready by December 31, 2027. To ensure competition, the regulator mandates a 40% oversubscription rate and limits any single bidder to 25% of the total capacity. A second phase targeting municipalities is expected later this year.

Omani manufacturer United Solar Holding has commenced production at its polysilicon facility in the Sohar Freezone, targeting an annual capacity of 100,000 metric tons, which enough to support 40 GW of solar modules. The milestone follows the closure of a massive debt financing package in mid-January totaling over $900 million, split between a $480 million facility led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and over $400 million from local commercial banks. The project's largest shareholder, Future Fund Oman, has increased its stake to approximately $260 million.

Italy deployed 6,437 MW of new photovoltaic capacity in 2025, a 5% decrease from the 6.8 GW added in 2024, bringing the country's cumulative total to 43.5 GW. The overall decline was driven by a sharp 24% contraction in the residential sector and a slowdown in commercial installations. However, the utility-scale segment surged by 15%, connecting 3.4 GW of new capacity largely due to a wave of previously issued authorizations. This growth was heavily backloaded, with the final quarter alone accounting for 2.4 GW of the year's total, fueled significantly by projects larger than 10 MW.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has concluded its auction for 1.2 GW of renewable energy capacity paired with energy storage, designed to supply 4.8 GWh of peak power daily. Adyant Enersol secured the lowest tariff of INR 6.27/kWh for 100 MW. Serentica Renewables (600 MW) and AMPIN Energy (199 MW) followed closely with bids of INR 6.28/kWh, while ACME Solar was awarded the remaining capacity (approximately 301 MW). These projects will be developed on a build-own-operate basis under 25-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), requiring developers to co-locate generation and storage systems and connect them to the interstate transmission network.