Last Week On Solar Energy Industry Around the World – July 23rd

A lot happened last week on the solar energy industry, GreyPanels will keep you abreast with trends in the solar market from around the world last week (July 20th to Jyly 27th, 2025)

EU solar growth stalls

According to Reuters, The German Economy Ministry declined to comment on individual study results, but said it was monitoring the country’s energy transition with a focus on climate protection, energy security and affordability. It said it will evaluate potential legal changes based on results expected by the end of summer..

GreyPanels learnt that for the first time in over a decade, solar capacity additions in the EU are projected to fall by ~1.4%, from 65.1 GW in 2024 to 64.2 GW in 2025, largely driven by subsidy cuts and shifting political priorities across countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

“There’s a kind of paralysis. There’s still interest, but people aren’t making decisions,” said Peter Knuth, managing director of German photovoltaic systems installation company enerix.

Global surge in solar output:

A new report from Goldman Sachs reveals that solar generation has hit 2,129 TWh over the last decade, now representing 8% of global electricity, powered mainly by China’s rapid expansion.Financial Times

US New federal oversight

Every U.S. solar and wind projects on federal lands or waters now requires personal sign-off by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, as part of a policy to restrict “subsidy-favored” clean energy. Industry groups warn this will seriously delay projects.

According to AP News In the legislation, Trump and GOP lawmakers moved to dismantle the 2022 climate law passed by Democrats under President Joe Biden. And on July 7, Trump signed an executive order that further restricts subsidies for what he called “expensive and unreliable energy policies from the Green New Scam.”

Tax credit rollbacks  in US

The “One Big Beautiful Bill” legislation, signed July 4, most notably ends the residential solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) at the end of 2025, and drastically accelerates deadlines for the commercial ITC. Developers and homeowners are racing to lock in eligibility.

GreenLancer  reports that the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) has been one of the most effective tools for driving adoption of clean energy in the U.S. It has helped millions of homeowners lower upfront costs and enabled commercial developers to expand access to solar power.

Now, with the solar tax credit ending, both residential and commercial solar customers face urgent timelines. Installers must act fast to design, permit, and complete projects before the incentive disappears. If you’re considering going solar or taking on new commercial projects, now is the time to act.

Industry slowdown expected in the US

 Earlier last week Reuters in an artle publish in its website stated that Analysts forecasted a ~17% drop in new solar installations over the next decade due to subsidy phase-outs. Investment pipelines worth up to $263 billion could be at risk.

Solar trade probe looming in India

 Waaree Energies (India’s largest solar panel maker) faces a U.S. anti-dumping petition filed July 17. Despite this, the firm expects strong continued U.S. demand, expanding its U.S. manufacturing capacity from 1.6 GW to 3.2 GW by year-end and targeting over 2.2 GW in U.S. orders.

As gathered from Reuters, despite growing regulatory scrutiny and policy shifts in the U.S. clean energy sector, Waaree said it sees no slowdown in solar exports due to power demand from data centers, manufacturing “reshoring”, and transportation electrification in the U.S.

“If you are local to the U.S. from a manufacturing perspective, anti-dumping duties do not impact you as much,” Paithankar said, adding that Waaree is doubling its U.S. manufacturing capacity to 3.2 GW by the end of the year.

State-level agreements in Bihar, India

 On July 26, MoUs were signed to develop 2,357 MW of clean power (including solar + battery storage), backed by ₹5,337 crore (~$650 million). This includes a 116 MW / 241 MWh storage facility and 1,000 MW of solar projects with floating solar components. GreyPanels

According to the The Times of India, The MoUs were formalised during the launch of two ambitious policies — the Bihar Policy for Promotion of New & Renewable Energy Sources 2025 and the Bihar Policy for Promotion of Pumped Storage Project 2025 — at an event held at Gyan Bhawan. These policies are aimed at fostering green energy development and attracting major investment into the sector.The renewable energy policy is expected to unlock massive opportunities in solar, wind, biomass and newer technologies like green hydrogen and pumped storage systems.

UK’s largest solar-plus-storage project begins operation

Cleve Hill Solar Park in Kent officially started operations in July. With 373 MW of solar capacity along with up to 150 MW/700 MWh battery storage, it’s now the UK’s largest solar facility.

According to Wikipedia It is the largest solar farm in the UK, generating 373 MW of electricity from 900 acres (360 ha) of solar panels, and will also include 150 MW (possibly with 700 MWh energy) of battery storage. Because of its size, it is a nationally significant infrastructure project so outside the standard local planning procedure. It is about four times larger than the previously largest solar station.

Space-based solar power potential

 A new analysis models two space‐based solar power system designs (RD1 and RD2) and finds that a high‐performance version could reduce European clean energy system costs by 7–15% and displace up to 80% of intermittent renewables if cost targets are met.

We examine two advanced SBSP designs: (1) a near-baseload, low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) concept (heliostat-based Representative Design RD1) and (2) a partially intermittent, higher-TRL concept (planar-based RD2), both drawing on NASA’s 2050 cost and performance projections. Our results show that RD1 can reduce total system costs by 7–15%, displace up to 80% of intermittent wind and solar, and cut battery usage by over 70%, if it meets its forecast cost reductions — though long-duration storage (e.g., hydrogen) remains essential for seasonal balancing.-arxiv.org

Last Week  Summary of Event