Photovoltaic (PV) energy has evolved from a rapidly expanding renewable option into a core pillar of modern power systems. Yet the PV sector is no longer defined solely by incremental improvements in conventional crystalline silicon modules. The period between 2023 and 2025 has marked an acceleration in technology diversification (TOPCon, HJT, xBC, and perovskite-based tandems), the adoption of advanced characterization methods, the widespread deployment of hybrid PV architectures, and the emerg ...