Solar module prices lagging behind soaring silver costs
Solar manufacturers are facing rising cost pressure as silver paste now accounts for up to 30% of total cell production costs. OPIS analyst Hanwei Wu tells pv magazine that module producers currently have limited ability to raise panel final prices, which is accelerating efforts to reduce silver use across all mainstream cell technologies.
Comstock Metals expands solar recycling network with new California center
The company has secured a strategic site in California to process end-of-life photovoltaic modules for the Western United States. It will feed its Nevada facility that is designed to process more than 3 million solar panels annually.
2026 is set to be a year of reset, repowering, and resilient growth
As the solar industry navigates a transformative 2026, success belongs to the “middle market” innovators and service-driven firms mastering the billion-dollar repowering boom.
Solar module efficiency could exceed 35% by 2050
A new Perspectives research study on the future of the global PV supply chain outlines how module prices, performance, and lifetimes could evolve over the next 25 years. The work reflects a collaboration among leading solar research institutions worldwide. One of the study’s authors, the director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), told pv magazine that solar module and cell efficiencies could exceed 35% by 2050, with panel prices expected to drop by a factor of two.
Renewable Properties increases capital facility to $120 million
Additional funds of $40 million from AB CarVal will support pipeline expansion into new markets and technologies.
U.S. would reach 100% renewable energy by 2148 at recent pace
China is outpacing the U.S. toward 100% renewables for all energy uses and is on track to reach that standard by 2051, versus 2148 for the U.S., projects a study of 150 countries by Stanford professor Mark Jacobson.
AI-based solar service provider enters largest U.S. market
Otovo, a European solar operations and maintenance service firm headed by former Sunnova CEO, enters California residential market with acquisition of Solar Service Professionals.
Exus Renewables secures $400 million credit facility to fund 4.5 GW pipeline
The capital will fund development expenditures for solar, wind, and battery storage projects across North America.
ERCOT outperformed on interconnection in 2024 likely due to “connect and manage”
More than 25 GW of large-scale generating projects seeking an interconnection agreement in the ERCOT grid region reached that stage in 2024. Berkeley Lab said ERCOT’s “connect and manage” approach “is likely one reason” for the grid operator’s success.
Companies turn to agrivoltaics to differentiate their products
CleanCounts says environmental attribute tracking helps show solar value to customers.
