In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that the Tropical Storm Beryl caused a large but temporary dip in solar generation potential across Texas on July 8. However, cross-referencing with grid operator reports revealed that very little production went offline due to the storm, showing the resilience of Texas’ solar infrastructure.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that, while in June Western Europe experienced below-average irradiance, Eastern Europe and the Balkans in particular saw a notable increase, resulting from persistent and static weather patterns.

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Olga Kovalchuk, Head of Finance and Investment – Managing Director at Germany’s Goldbeck Solar. She says that the underrepresentation of women in STEM subjects affects the pipeline of women entering both the renewable and traditional energy sectors, though this is gradually improving with more targeted educational initiatives. “The gender pay gap is ever-present and, given how much pay is linked to performance in senior positions, the underrepresentation has a knock-on effect on the gender pay gap for the industry,” she stated.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

New figures from Ireland’s ESB Networks reveal that the country has surpassed 1.2 GW of cumulative installed PV capacity, with the residential segment accounting for 20% of the total capacity installed over the past six months.

Indosolar, a subsidiary of Waaree Energies, has started production at its new 1.3 GW solar module manufacturing facility in India.

The IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme’s (IEA-PVPS) latest report on solar panel recycling offers a comprehensive review of all existing technologies in this market segment, from pure mechanical recycling to innovative techniques such as as light pulse treatment, water-jet cleaning, pyrolysis, and chemical treatments.

New research from Switzerland showed that alpine floating PV systems can outperform lowland or ground-mounted counterparts in terms of energy yield and sustainability. The scientists found that the main material-reduction potential of such floating PV installations lies in the resource-intensive mounting system.

Though it already hosts several of the world’s largest PV installations, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s solar industry is still young, with limited local infrastructure and expertise. Project developers are learning quickly that building PV in harsh desert environments requires a careful eye on quality. New testing laboratories are looking to meet demand.

The Polish government has outlined its main objectives for the development of hydrogen, while Tyczka Hydrogen says a damaged compressor from Maximator Hydrogen caused a recent incident at one of its filling stations in Germany.

Magna Exteriors and Woodburn Capital Partners have signed a 15-year solar power purchase agreement (PPA) in Czechia. The agreement covers energy generated on-site at a 2.4 MW solar plant located at Magna Exteriors’ site in the northwestern part of the country.

A new paper finds that combining photovoltaics with crop farming can result in revenue gains over the life of a PV system at a diverse range of locations in the United Kingdom. Researcher Aritra Ghosh tells pv magazine that the benefits of agrivoltaics are “multifaceted.”

The Albanian authorities have revealed that a recent 300 MW solar tender has attracted a lowest bid of €0.0397/kWh. The government has shortlisted nine bidders with an average offered price of €0.0513/kWh for 283.9 MW of preselected capacity.

The retail giant matched 100% of the electricity used in its operations with investments in renewable energy in 2023.

Building on research work at Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology, Sinonus has developed carbon fiber-based structural batteries that not only store energy but also become an integral part of a product’s structure. Their possible span of energy density is said to be around 25-50% of a conventional lithium-ion battery at current technology level.

Three companies, including US-based startup Sol Clarity, are experimenting with electrodynamic screen systems to clean solar panels using minimal electricity and no water.

The IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme’s (IEA-PVPS) latest factsheet covers bifacial PV modules and advanced tracking systems. It says a combination of bifacial modules with single-axis tracking could increase energy output by up to 35%.

Chinese manufacturer Deye says its new three-phase residential storge system and integrated hybrid inverter system has a rated output power ranging from 14 kW to 20 kW.

Somalia’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources has launched a tender for off-grid solar-plus-storage power plants to serve 46 education facilities in the southeast of the country. The deadline for bids is August 1.

Scientists in the United States have fabricated an all-perovskite tandem solar cell that reportedly shows reduced interfacial energy loss in the cell’s top device. It was built with a hole transport layer based on a compound known as P3CT that was doped with lead iodide.

Researchers in Spain have created a novel PV forecasting method that uses only direct radiation as a parameter. They found it to be “comparable, if not superior” to four established forecasting techniques. The method could help homeowners with PV systems decide when to use electricity-intensive appliances and cleaning systems.

The PV modules on India’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) comply with the Bureau of Indian Standards and meet the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s (MNRE) module efficiency criteria for utility-scale, rooftop, solar pump, and solar lighting applications.

Longi says it expects a net loss of CNY 4.8 billion ($660.2 million) for the first half of 2024, while Tongwei is bracing for a CNY 3 billion loss. Aiko Solar and TCL Zhonghuan, meanwhile, are predicting losses of CNY 2.9 billion and CNY 1.4 billion, respectively.

The new provisions are intended to reduce overcapacity in the market while selecting the most efficient technologies and products.

Enfinity Global has closed $162.4 million in financing for a 250 MW solar portfolio in Japan. The seven utility-scale projects are expected to produce 300 GWh of clean energy per year.

Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, have shown that their response to a February 2024 grid emergency provides evidence that electric vehicles (EVs) equipped with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems could strengthen the grid during blackouts, marking a global first for such research.

Bulgaria has installed between 40 MWh and 50 MWh battery energy storage capacity to date. However, a new national legislation as well as funds provided through the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility could see the country install another 1 GWh over the next two years.

The deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Canada is picking up the pace, with the announcement of a 705 MWh battery storage system delivery to Nova Scotia by Canadian Solar’s e-Storage and various other projects in provinces across the country. However, this surge cannot come quickly enough says Energy Storage Canada.

Esysteme21 has built a 100% self-sufficient energy system with photovoltaics, hydrogen and battery storage. The German solar company describes the concept as a solution for medium-sized enterprises.