NatPower UK says it will bring over 60 GWh of battery storage online in the UK by 2040. It has already set aside GBP 600 million ($769.8 million) for the development of substations and says large-scale solar and wind projects will be announced later this year.

Wood Mackenzie says the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) in the Asia-Pacific region hit an all-time low in 2023, as utility-scale PV beat coal to become the cheapest power source. It predicts a further drop in costs for new-build solar projects, driven by falling module prices and oversupply from China.

Bernreuter Research says the volume of polysilicon shipments into China dropped 28.5% year on year in 2023 to the lowest level since 2011. It predicts that imports could fall by another 40% this year.

The Indonesian government has ended net metering for rooftop solar installations. The Jakarta-based Institute for Essential Services Reform says this could make it harder for the country to meet its solar deployment targets, as PV installations will become more expensive for households and small businesses.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad, a Kuala Lumpur-based utility, says it plans to install floating solar farms at its hydropower facilities. It targeting 2.5 GW of capacity to support Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap.

Nepal is seeking consultants to expand its power system, which includes building more than 200 kilometers of new transmission lines, upgrading existing ones, and constructing solar and solar-wind hybrid energy systems for remote areas. The deadline for expressing interest is Feb. 27, 2024.

Solarcycle has invested $344 million in a solar manufacturing facility in Polk County, Georgia. The factory has been designed to use recycled materials from retired solar panels to produce new solar glass, positioning Solarcycle as one of the first manufacturers of specialized glass for crystalline-silicon PV in the US market.

BloombergNEF says in a new report that corporations publicly announced 46 GW of solar and wind power purchase agreements (PPAs) in 2023, up 12% year on year. It says the increase was driven by a surge of activity in Europe.

CubicPV has halted its plans to build a US solar silicon wafer factory, as it has shifted its focus to producing perovskite tandem modules.

The Philippines’ Department of Energy (DOE) is moving ahead with plans to require solar system installers to officially register with it. The DOE says that only registered installers will be recommended to government entities seeking PV installation services.