Utility-scale battery costs have fallen to $65/MWh outside China and the United States, making solar power more reliable. Ember reports a significant drop in battery costs in 2024 and further declines in 2025, making storage more accessible for dispatchable solar projects. The cost of a full utility-scale battery system is $125/kWh for long-duration projects of four hours or more. The levelized cost of storage (LCOS) is calculated at $65/MWh, factoring in various costs and improvements in efficiency and financing. Solar power is now considered anytime dispatchable electricity, changing the game for countries with high solar resources and growing energy demand.
Author: Pv Magazine
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Cambridge startup targets 15% module efficiency gain
Cambridge Photon Technology, a UK-based startup, has secured funding to commercialize a photon multiplication technology that can boost solar panel output by up to 15% without changing existing manufacturing processes. The technology splits high energy photons into two half-energy infra-red photons, increasing the number of usable photons for silicon PV cells. In addition to efficiency gains, the technology also reduces heat and acts as an ultraviolet photoprotective agent, contributing to the preservation of a PV module's intrinsic efficiency over time. The startup plans to demonstrate the technology's effectiveness to the industry over the next two years and investigate its impact on module temperature and UV degradation, with the potential to significantly improve the performance of photovoltaic modules.
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/12/11/cambridge-startup-targets-15-module-efficiency-gain/
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Small islands, big impact: the role of solar PV for the tropics
Many island nations are vulnerable to climate change and reliant on costly fossil fuels, creating economic pressures. Renewable energy pathways are feasible and economically viable on islands, but research gaps remain. Studies highlight pathways for islands to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through high electrification and rapid renewable energy adoption. Solar PV dominates electricity generation in tropical islands, with offshore technologies providing a scalable pathway to a sustainable energy future. Wave power enhances energy system diversity and complements solar PV and wind power generation. The concept of a Solar-to-X Economy in tropical islands, where low-cost solar PV electricity is used to produce e-fuels, e-chemicals, and e-materials, enables deep defossilization of hard-to-abate sectors. Importing e-fuels can play a key role in cost-effective renewable energy systems on islands like the Caribbean and the Maldives. Integrating solar PV-driven solutions within a Solar-to-X Economy provides environmental and economic benefits, with key elements for defossilization including low-cost renewable electricity, energy storage, electrification, e-fuel imports, sector coupling, and grid interconnections. Power-to-X technologies are crucial for achieving carbon neutrality, energy security, and economic growth in island nations, with solar energy being a key focus in research at LUT University.
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Snapsun introduces rooftop mounting system made of recycled plastic
French mounting system provider Snapsun, a unit of recycled plastic provider Cifra, has introduced a new lightweight rooftop PV mounting system made from recycled plastic. The system, weighing only 8 kg, simplifies installation and reduces physical strain with integrated cable guides and clip-on connectors. Compatible with most conventional photovoltaic panels, the system's adjustable mounting bracket housings can accommodate panels up to 1,180 mm wide. Installation is quick and straightforward, requiring minimal training, making it a promising solution for sustainable and efficient solar energy deployment.
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DMEGC launches framed solar module weighing 7.5 kg/m2
At the EnerGaïa trade show in France, Chinese manufacturer DMEGC unveiled the DMxxxM10RT-54HBW-LV lightweight rooftop solar module designed for roofs with low load-bearing capacity, weighing less than 7.5 kg/m2. With a power output of 460 W, the module meets the requirements of fragile roof structures and is certified to IEC standards. By utilizing thinner glass, the module aims to make thousands of square meters of rooftops usable for solar energy, offering a promising solution for expanding solar energy capacity in areas with limited roof strength.
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/12/10/dmegc-launches-framed-solar-module-weighing-7-5-kg-m2/
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Calefa Oy releases waste heat-powered steam heat pump
Finnish company Calefa Oy has introduced the AmbiSteam, a waste heat-powered steam heat pump that can produce process steam above 5 bar. CEO Petri Vuori claims that the efficiency of this system surpasses combustion-based technologies and electric steam generators. The AmbiSteam solution, based on the company's SteamLevel heat pump technology, is suitable for industries with steam demand between 300 kW to 5 MW and can be easily integrated into existing facilities without extensive construction. This innovation offers a promising climate solution for reducing carbon emissions in various industrial sectors.
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/12/10/calefa-oy-releases-waste-heat-powered-steam-heat-pump/
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Africa’s largest off-grid solar-plus-storage project comes online in Angola
Africa's largest off-grid solar-plus-storage project, the Cazombo Photovoltaic Park in Angola, has been successfully launched with 75.26 MWh of battery storage and 25.40 MW of solar power. This project aims to provide electricity to over 136,000 people in the region by relying on solar energy during the day and battery storage at night, completely eliminating the need for fossil fuels. Part of Angola's Rural Electrification Project, the focus is on developing solar power plants with battery storage in off-grid areas. The financing for this innovative project came from British Standard Chartered Bank and German export agency Euler Hermes.
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M-Tec launches modular propane heat pump for residential, commercial use
Austrian manufacturer M-Tec has launched a new residential propane heat pump system with a heating capacity of up to 26 kW, expandable to 78 kW with an electric heating element for peak loads. This system is versatile, compatible with different heat sources like geothermal energy, groundwater, and photovoltaic-thermal modules. It also integrates with M-Tec's energy management platform, offering features like variable electricity tariffs and self-consumption optimization for efficient and sustainable heating solutions.
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World’s first high-power aluminum-ion battery system for energy storage
The INNOBATT project led by the Fraunhofer Institute has developed a lithium-free, high-power aluminum-graphite-dual-ion battery system for energy storage applications. This rechargeable aluminum-ion battery technology offers stability, fast response, and recyclability, with energy densities of 160 Wh/kg and power densities exceeding 9 kW/kg. The system uses easily obtainable materials like aluminum and graphite, providing a cost-effective and non-flammable solution for grid applications. Climate solutions experts can benefit from this new battery system's ability to allow rapid charging and discharging at high C-rates, contributing to sustainable energy storage solutions.
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Fraunhofer ISE achieves 30.6% efficiency for perovskite-silicon tandem based on industry-standard bottom TOPCon cell
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