Spain installed 1.14 GW of solar capacity for self-consumption in 2025, lifting cumulative capacity to 9.3 GW, as residential and commercial installations declined while industrial and off-grid segments showed greater resilience, according to data from the Spanish Photovoltaic Union.

From pv magazine Spain

Solar self-consumption capacity in Spain reached a cumulative 9.3 GW in 2025, according to data from the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF).

Spain added 1,139 MW of new self-consumption capacity during the year, representing a 3.7% slowdown compared with 2024. UNEF said the deceleration signals a phase of market stabilization following several years of rapid growth.

The residential segment accounted for 229 MW across 36,330 new installations, a year-on-year decline of 17%. UNEF attributed the contraction to the phase-out of tax incentives linked to energy-efficient home renovations and lower compensation for surplus electricity exported to the grid under deregulated market contracts.

UNEF said falling surplus compensation prices are reducing the attractiveness of oversized systems designed primarily for grid injection. As a result, demand is shifting toward installations optimized for instantaneous self-consumption. The association is calling for revisions to the simplified regulated compensation mechanism to enable broader settlement of surplus energy and improve economic signals for small-scale systems.

The commercial segment installed 176 MW in 2025, down 15% from the previous year. Collective self-consumption remains limited despite its potential to optimize shared generation and demand. Industry representatives said pending regulatory updates are needed to enable aggregated management models, dynamic energy allocation, and an expansion of eligible self-consumption areas.

Industrial self-consumption installations totaled 679 MW, marking a slight increase compared with 2024. UNEF said growth in this segment is being driven by larger medium-voltage systems aimed at reducing electricity costs and partially covering electrified thermal demand. Project viability increasingly depends on tariff structures with a higher variable component and more streamlined permitting for medium-sized installations.

Off-grid installations reached 55 MW in 2025, reflecting growing uptake of hybrid solar-plus-storage systems in rural areas and locations without grid access. Battery integration in grid-connected installations also continued to rise, improving controllability of generation and supporting system flexibility.

UNEF said Spain will need to deploy an average of around 2 GW of self-consumption capacity per year to meet the 19 GW target set out in the country’s National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan. Achieving that level will require regulatory stability, administrative simplification, and more effective integration of distributed energy storage.

The Economic Survey of India 2025-26 has highlighted significant progress in energy generation from non-fossil fuels and renewable sources. It highlights that India has surpassed its goal of achieving 50 per cent installed power capacity [...]

The post Economic Survey 2025-26 highlights for renewables sector appeared first on Renewable Watch.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that in January most of East Asia experienced normal to above-average solar irradiance, with southeastern China seeing surges due to reduced clouds and low aerosol levels under lingering La Niña effects. In contrast, the Philippines faced below-average irradiance from early Tropical Storm Nokaen, while other regional cities like Seoul, Tokyo, and Taipei recorded modest gains.

Most of East Asia recorded normal to above‑normal solar irradiance in January, as weak La Niña conditions continued to influence regional weather patterns. The largest gains were observed across southeastern China, where suppressed cloud formation and reduced aerosol-effects delivered a strong start to the year for solar operators, while unusual early tropical storm activity brought significant rainfall and irradiance losses to parts of the Philippines. With two days left in January at time of publishing, this data uses live data from 1-29 January, and forecasts for 30-31 Jan from the Solcast API.

Irradiance in southeastern China surged well above historical averages in January, with Hong Kong exceeding 25% above average. A dominant Siberian high pressure system, with temperatures in parts of Siberia more than 10 C below normal, extended into western China. The resulting northerly flow delivered drier air into southeastern China, reducing both precipitation and cloud formation. This irradiance pattern aligns with typical La Niña effects, even though the La Niña signal was weak and fading toward neutral by late January. Additionally, lower than normal aerosol levels contributed to above average irradiance in coastal parts of China.

In a continuation of the irradiance and aerosol pattern seen in 2025, many parts of China, in particular low-lying industrial areas saw significant drops in aerosol load and a corresponding increase in available irradiance. Both Hong Kong and Shanghai regions saw significantly lower winter average aerosol loads, than the historical average for winter months from 2007-2026. Whilst this supported the exceptionally high irradiance in Hong Kong through January, Shanghai recorded slightly above-average irradiance, despite experiencing a rare snowfall late in the month. By contrast, Beijing has historically lower aerosol loads, however still saw slightly below-average irradiance due to prevailing cloud levels.

Elsewhere in East Asia, irradiance levels were generally normal to above normal for this month. Seoul and Tokyo recorded irradiance 5–10% above January averages and Taipei saw gains exceeding 10%. Across the maritime continent, irradiance and precipitation anomalies were near normal.

The most significant negative irradiance anomaly in the region was associated with Tropical Storm Nokaen (Ada), which marked an unusually early start to the 2026 Pacific typhoon season. Making landfall in January—the first such occurrence since 2019— Nokaen delivered intense rainfall and heavy cloud cover to the central and northern Philippines. Daily rainfall totals reached up to 200 mm, triggering mudslides and widespread disruption. Irradiance across the northern Philippines dropped by as much as 10% below average, while the southern parts of the archipelago, spared from the worst of the storm, saw irradiance climb to 10% above average.

Solcast produces these figures by tracking clouds and aerosols at 1-2km resolution globally, using satellite data and proprietary AI/ML algorithms. This data is used to drive irradiance models, enabling Solcast to calculate irradiance at high resolution, with typical bias of less than 2%, and also cloud-tracking forecasts. This data is used by more than 350 companies managing over 300 GW of solar assets globally.

Dutch utility Eneco is testing low-noise air-to-water heat pumps from startup Whspr in around 20 homes, aiming to ease installation constraints near property boundaries. The systems reportedly achieve coefficients of performance of up to 5 and show up to 80% noise reduction in laboratory testing.

Dutch utility Eneco has begun testing an”innovative” type of air-to-water heat pump with low sound levels in residential buildings.

The company said conventional heat pumps rely on outdoor units that emit a constant hum, requiring installations several metres from property boundaries under Dutch building regulations and often forcing placement in prominent locations on terraced houses. By contrast, the “silent” heat pumps under test can be installed just 30 cm from the boundary.

“The pilot will provide insight into both ease of installation and real-world performance,” Eneco said in a statement. “The results will be used to further optimize the system, with the aim of making it widely available by the end of the summer.” The company added that around 20 homes are currently equipped with the systems to assess noise levels without “compromising residents’ everyday heating comfort.”

The heat pumps are supplied by Dutch startup Whspr. “Our 4 kW freestanding hybrid monoblock systems are designed for domestic space heating,” founder Hugo Huis in ’t Veld told pv magazine.

The unit measures 60 cm × 60 cm × 90 cm and weighs around 70 kg. “It is compact yet robust,” Huis in ’t Veld said, adding that initial measurements show efficiencies in line with the market, with coefficients of performance (COP) of between 4.5 and 5.0.

According to the manufacturer, the heat pump uses propane (R290) as its refrigerant and shows up to 80% noise reduction in laboratory testing.

Whspr also highlights ease of installation, stating that a single installer can fit and connect the unit, including the water side, in one day. A dedicated control and thermostat system has also been developed to reduce compatibility issues and simplify commissioning.

Further technical details have not yet been disclosed. “We are not at liberty to share designs at this stage, as patents are still pending,” Huis in ’t Veld said.

Eneco noted that pilot installations include both standard locations and more complex sites, such as rooftops and sheds at the end of gardens. The systems have also been installed in several rental homes owned by housing association Wooncompagnie. “Testing will continue until the end of April, after which the heat pumps will be further optimized,” the company said.

The new Tesla Solar Panel and mounting system pairs with the company’s inverter, Powerwall battery, EV charging and vehicles, creating an all-Tesla residential solar offering for the first time.

From pv magazine USA

In the residential solar sector, the industry has long sought the “holy grail” of vertical integration, creating a single point of contact for hardware, software, and energy management.

While Tesla has been a dominant player in storage with the Powerwall, a market leader with its inverter, and in electric vehicles, the company has historically relied on third-party solar panels.

With the launch of the Tesla Solar Panel (TSP-415 and TSP-420), the company is closing that loop. The company’s new modules, assembled at its Gigafactory in Buffalo, New York, represent a significant shift toward a proprietary, integrated ecosystem designed to solve the common rooftop challenges of shading, aesthetic clutter, and installation friction.

“This panel completes the full package of the residential energy ecosystem,” Colby Hastings, senior director, Tesla Energy, told pv magazine USA. “It is based on our long history of innovation and engineering when it comes to solar.”

Domestic manufacturing

Tesla said the new modules are assembled at its Buffalo, NY facility, the same site where it continues to produce Solar Roof components, which inspired the design of the panel. The factory is currently scaling to an initial capacity of over 300 MW per year.

This domestic assembly allows Tesla to leverage federal manufacturing incentives while securing a local supply chain for its growing network of installers.

Power zones

The most technically significant departure from industry norms in the TSP series is the implementation of 18 independent “Power Zones.” Standard residential modules typically utilize three bypass diodes, creating six distinct zones. In traditional architectures, a single shadow from a chimney or vent pipe can effectively “shut down” large swaths of a string’s production.

Tesla’s design essentially triples the granularity of the module. By dividing the electrical architecture into 18 zones, the panel behaves more like a digital screen with a higher pixel count; if one “pixel” is shaded, the remaining 17 continue to harvest energy at near-peak efficiency.

While high-density substring architectures have been explored in the utility space, Tesla’s specific 18-zone layout is unique to the residential market, engineered to deliver optimizer-like performance without the added cost and potential failure points of module-level power electronics (MLPE) on the roof.

Inverters, batteries, and mounts

The TSP modules are designed to pair specifically with the Tesla Solar Inverter and Powerwall 3. While Tesla offers these as a unified “Home Energy Ecosystem,” they are not strictly sold as a single, inseparable bundle. However, the hardware is optimized to work as a package; for instance, the panel’s 18-zone design is specifically tuned to perform with Tesla’s string inverter technology.

Tesla is not keeping this technology exclusive to its own crews. While Tesla’s direct installation business leads the rollout, the package is available to Tesla’s network of over 1,000 certified installers.

This “installer-first” approach is further evidenced by the new Tesla Panel Mount. The new rail-less mounting system, made of black anodized aluminum alloy, uses the module frame itself as the structural rail.

By eliminating traditional rails and visible clamps, Tesla said the system is 33% faster to install. The mount sits closer to the roof and is enhanced by aesthetic front and side skirts, maintaining the “minimalist” look Tesla consumers expect.

Product specs

The modules are competitive with the current Tier 1 market, pushing into the 20% efficiency bracket while maintaining a robust mechanical profile, said the company.

 The new Tesla Solar Panels are now available nationwide. 

Solar roof 

For those wondering about the Tesla Solar Roof, the company maintains that the glass tile product remains a core part of its “premium” offering for customers needing a full roof replacement.

The cascading cell technology used in the new TSP modules, which overlaps cells to eliminate visible silver busbars, was originally designed in its Solar Roof product. Tesla is essentially taking the aesthetic and electrical innovations of its luxury roof product and integrating it into a traditional module form factor.

Virtual power plant

Tesla also highlighted the ability for virtual power plant (VPP) participation to increase value for its customers. VPPs coordinate the dispatch of energy stored in Powerwalls, acting as a distributed energy network. 

“We’re working more closely with utilities than ever to ensure that these assets participate in virtual power plants and support the grid and opening up new value streams, both for utilities and consumers that have these assets at home,” said Hastings. “We announced recently that we have a million Powerwalls deployed worldwide and 25% of those are enrolled in a virtual power plant program of some kind.”

Market strategy

The timing of this launch comes at a volatile moment for U.S. solar. With the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (OBBBA), the industry is navigating the early expiration of the 25D residential credit at the end of 2025 and the sunsetting of the 48E commercial credit.

Tesla’s move now is an opportunistic play for standardization and soft-cost reduction. By controlling the entire stack, Tesla can drive down customer acquisition and labor costs, which currently represent the largest portion of a system’s price tag.

“Utility rates across the country are going up, electricity is becoming increasingly unaffordable for homeowners,” said Hastings. “We’re still very bullish on the future of distributed energy here in the United States.”

The largest single-unit rooftop solar power plant in Europe, developed by French independent power producer Urbasolar, is under construction on the Delta 3 multimodal logistics platform in Dourges, in France’s Hauts-de-France region.

From pv magazine France

The US startup Terra Energy is expanding its subscription-based rooftop solar panel business in California, Florida, and Texas, the three hottest solar markets in the US.

The post Rooftop Solar Panels By Subscription: Up To 50% Savings On Electricity Bills appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Electricity demand in Virginia is rising at a historic pace, and families and businesses are feeling the impact in the form of higher utility bills. Solar and energy storage offer the most immediate and cost-effective solution. These technologies are the fastest and cheapest new sources of electricity to build, allowing power to come online ... [continued]

The post Solar & Storage: The Key for Energy Affordability in Virginia appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Ikea is expanding its energy offerings in Germany with a dynamic electricity tariff in partnership with Svea Solar, changing every 15 minutes based on day-ahead market prices and available even to customers without its PV systems, storage solutions, or heat pumps.

From pv magazine Germany

Ikea is expanding its energy footprint in Germany. After offering PV systems, balcony solar panels, storage solutions, wallboxes, and heat pumps, the retailer now provides a dynamic electricity tariff. Prices fluctuate every 15 minutes according to activity on the day-ahead electricity market.

The offer is in partnership with the German subsidiary of Swedish PV installer Svea Solar. Ikea acts solely as an intermediary, while Svea Solar is the contractual partner. Customers can subscribe to the tariff without owning any solar or storage systems. Germany is the first market worldwide where Ikea is introducing this tariff.

Called Svea Strom, the tariff supplies electricity exclusively from TÜV-certified renewable sources. An app displays expected electricity prices for the following day. Ikea has not detailed the calculation method for the energy charge but confirmed there is no price cap. A test inquiry with Svea Solar indicated a two-cent-per-kilowatt-hour procurement fee on top of the market price. Network charges, taxes, levies, and surcharges also apply.

The monthly basic fee is €6.99 ($8.21) or €5.95 for Ikea Family and Ikea Business Network members. Members signing up by Feb. 1, 2026, receive a six-month fee waiver. After six months of loyalty, Ikea provides a €25 shopping voucher. The tariff is immediately available and can be canceled monthly.

Eligible households receive a free smart meter if electricity consumption exceeds 6,000 kWh per year or if a heat pump or wallbox is installed according to Section 14a of the German Energy Industry Act (EnWG).

Ikea projects households with battery storage could save around €300 per year, with potential savings up to €500 if a PV system, wallbox, or heat pump is installed.

“We want to make sustainable energy affordable and accessible for the many people, regardless of housing situation, income, or technical expertise,” said Jacqueline Polak, expert for sustainable energy solutions at Ikea Germany. “Our goal is to create more transparency, flexibility, independence, and social participation in the energy market. Sustainable energy should not be a privilege, but the new normal.”