During the period from August 14th to 20th, 2025, the following international news occurred:
1. Australia faces slowdown as investment in solar and wind falls 64% in 2025
Investment in large-scale solar and wind energy in Australia dropped 64% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, reaching only $363 million. Grid bottlenecks, slow approvals and social licensing issues have led to project delays, with 9GW of projects under construction but progressing slowly. Rooftop solar installations fell 20%, with an estimated 2.8GW of new additions for the full year. Energy storage installations grew against the trend, with household batteries expected to double within the year.
2. Indonesia unveils plan for 100 GW of solar
The Indonesian government launched a 100GW solar energy plan, which includes deploying 80GW in 80,000 villages, with 1MW solar + 4MWh energy storage off-grid systems in each village, as well as 20GW of centralized solar power plants. The plan aims to replace diesel power generation, with an expected levelized cost of electricity of $0.12-$0.15/kWh, which can reduce electricity costs and help rural electrification. It will become the largest rural electrification project in Southeast Asia.
3. California activates $2 billion solar and energy storage facility
U. S. developer Arevon commissioned the $2 billion Eland solar-storage project in California, combining 758 MW PV with 300 MW/1,200 MWh storage. Annual output will meet 7% of Los Angeles’ electricity demand. The project features 172 LFP battery containers, created 1,000 jobs, and is expected to generate $36 million in local revenue.
4. Africa’s solar capacity surpasses 20 GW
Data from the African Solar Energy Association (AFSIA) shows that Africa's photovoltaic installed capacity has exceeded 20GW, with 10GW of projects under construction. Utility-scale projects account for 70% of the under-construction capacity, with South Africa leading with 50% of the total installed capacity, followed by Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. Senegal added 54MW this year, becoming a highlight in West Africa.
5. Egypt-UAE joint venture wins Ivory Coast solar tender at €0.0310/kWh
Egypt’s Infinity and UAE’s Masdar joint venture Infinity Power won an 80 MW solar tender in Ivory Coast with record-low bids of €0.03310/kWh and €0.03213/kWh for West and Central Africa. Construction starts March 2026, powering 400,000 households and supporting the country’s goal of 45% renewables by 2030.
6. US may lose 60 GW solar pipeline under stricter tax credit rules
The Clean Energy Association (CEA) warned that if the US Treasury strictly enforces the tightening of the definition of "commencement of construction" under Trump's executive order, the US may lose 60GW of photovoltaic installations by 2030. The new regulations require projects to complete at least 5% of actual investment or substantial construction to be eligible for tax credits, which may cause unlicensed projects to lose subsidy eligibility. The installed capacity may drop by 17% in ten years, and the industry faces long-term damage.
7. Eskom tenders 291 MW of solar PPAs
South Africa’s Eskom launched a tender for 291 MW of solar projects (minimum 10 MW each), with PPAs spanning 5–25 years. Bids close September 19. The government recently approved 1.3 GW solar under Round 7, targeting 5 GW annual renewable additions by 2030.
8. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners plans 1 GW of PV-wind, 3,831 MWh BESS
Danish renewable energy investor Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) is advancing a hybrid energy project in the Antofagasta region of Chile, planning to build a 1004MW photovoltaic system, a 152MW wind power system and a 3831MWh energy storage system, with an investment of $1.3 billion, and has applied for environmental permits. Covering an area of 2064 hectares, the project is equipped with 1.39 million photovoltaic modules and 19 wind turbines, with energy storage capable of supplying power for 5 hours, and will be connected to the national grid. The construction period is expected to provide 628 jobs, with a facility life of 43 years.
9. Ukraine adds 500 MW of solar in H1
Ukraine added 500 MW solar in H1 2025, with full-year capacity expected to reach 1 GW, per the Solar Association. Distributed self-consumption dominates, boosted by VAT exemptions on imported components and storage. Amid war-damaged infrastructure, solar stabilizes the grid, with growing corporate and agricultural applications.
10. NIB, NORD/LB finance 182 MW of solar in Lithuania
The Nordic Investment Bank and Germany's NORD/LB jointly provided €64 million in financing to Lithuania's Green Genius for the development of two 91MW solar power plants, located in Ignalina and Trakai. The project is supported by an 18MWh energy storage system and is scheduled to be put into operation in July 2027. Lithuania added 240MW of solar energy in the first half of 2025.
11. Philippines secures financing for 125 MW Citicore solar project
Philippines' Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation (CREC) obtained 4.4 billion pesos ($775 million) in project financing for the construction of the 125MW Pangasinan solar project. Located on Luzon Island, the project has been certified as a national energy key project and needs to be completed by the end of 2025. CREC plans to deploy 5GW of renewable energy within five years, and a subsidiary of Indonesia's national petroleum company has acquired a 20% stake in it.
12. Record-warm July boosts solar in North, dampens South and East
Solcast reported that the continuous high pressure in the Scandinavian Peninsula in July 2025 made irradiance 30% above normal, significantly increasing solar power generation. Central and Eastern Europe saw irradiance 10-30% below normal due to increased cloud cover and wildfire smoke. Germany experienced its worst July on record in terms of solar potential, but the growth in photovoltaic installations still ensured that the power grid received 76.66GWh of electricity.
13. Germany deploys 1.4 GW of solar in July
Data from the German Federal Network Agency shows that 1.4GW of new photovoltaic installed capacity was added in July this year (after adjustment for the registration period), with a cumulative 8.65GW added in the first seven months, and the total installed capacity exceeded 109GW. Among them, the new additions of rooftop and ground-mounted photovoltaics increased significantly compared with June, and the demand for balcony photovoltaics remained stable. From August 1, the feed-in tariff for photovoltaics below 1MW will be reduced by 1%, and the next adjustment is expected in February 2026.