In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that April 2026 was one of Australia’s driest Aprils in recent years, with widespread rainfall deficits driven by persistent high pressure and ENSO returning to neutral, leading to mostly clear skies and above-normal solar irradiance across much of the continent. New South Wales and Victoria saw the strongest sunshine surpluses, while remnants of ex-Tropical Cyclone Maila brought cloud and rain to the north, creating regional contrasts in rainfall and solar conditions.

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.

An engineer and home-energy enthusiast installs the Anker Solix E10 on a fire-prone California hillside, and documents the entire process in a deep dive review for ESS News

As Europe’s first generations of integrated PV systems age, researchers and industry actors are only beginning to explore the long-term realities of maintenance, compatibility and repair.

Can micro hydropower be a solution for remote energy access, especially in developing countries? And what standards are required?

Gasunie has launched a 32-km hydrogen pipeline in the Port of Rotterdam linking Maasvlakte and Pernis, marking the first operational section of the Dutch hydrogen backbone and enabling future expansion toward national and cross-border hydrogen networks.

A study from Türkiye has introduced the Agrivoltaic Innovation Index (AII), a composite scientometric tool designed to assess innovation readiness in agrivoltaics beyond traditional publication and citation metrics. The index evaluates research across four dimensions – conceptual, translational, network, and societal – and shows that high publication volume does not necessarily correspond to higher innovation readiness.

At 531 TWh, electricity generated from wind and solar reached a new global record in April 2026, according to energy think tank Ember. Gas-fired power plants supplied 477 TWh.

The Chinese manufacturer said the system is designed for easy AC-coupled integration with existing PV systems and scalable expansion up to 7.5 kW three-phase output. The system purportedly delivers 800 W–2.5 kW AC output, supports up to 5.76 kW PV input with 96.5% efficiency.

The Plug and Play Solar Act, which passed on a 35-1 vote, would allow portable solar generation devices with up to 1,200 W of output to connect to a building through a standard outlet. The bill now moves to the state Assembly, which has until August 31 to pass it during the current session.

The measure aims to reduce grid connection delays and ease congestion in the National Interconnected System (SIN) amid rising electricity demand.

According to Montel, energy consumers in Europe are seeking to hedge against price volatility and supply shocks amid rising geopolitical tensions. The report said the hedging value is highest in short-term PPAs.

Mercom reports that the so-called “open-access” solar installations were up 170% year-over-year from 1 GW added in Q1 2025. As of March 2026, cumulative installed solar open access capacity stood at 32.9 GW.

Australia’s New South Wales is rolling out two of the biggest renewable energy tenders in the state’s history, seeking 2.5 GW of new generation capacity in addition to 12.5 GWh of long-duration energy storage.

Stray voltage is unwanted electrical potential differences in barns that can cause small shocks to livestock, especially dairy cows, through damp floors, metal equipment, and water systems, leading to stress and reduced productivity, and in some cases even to death. While PV systems are sometimes blamed, experts told pv magazine that the real causes are faulty or poorly designed grounding and electrical infrastructure, and that proper equipotential bonding is key to prevention. With attentive design, these risks to animal health can be avoided.

The new modules feature bifaciality of 85%, an efficiency of up to 24.8%, annual degradation of 0.35%, and a 30-year performance warranty,

Instances of cracks in PV module glass started appearing about five years ago. Spontaneous glass breakage is now one of the solar industry’s top issues, but manufacturing pressures and a lack of standards are hindering solutions.

Scientists in Sweden experimentally evaluated a Stirling engine–based Carnot battery (SECB) prototype using low-cost sand as thermal energy storage, aiming to validate electricity-to-heat-to-electricity storage concepts. Tests showed that higher engine temperatures improved output and duration, but round-trip efficiency remained low, mainly due to thermal losses and limited heat transfer in the sand bed.

Research from Indiana University suggests that concerns over the impact of solar development on US agricultural production are largely exaggerated, with prices for maize, soybeans and wheat expected to increase by less than 5.6% if the build out of utility-scale solar on cropland is consistent with historical patterns.

The company’s new facility, located in the Salalah Free Zone in southern Oman, is currently manufacturing PERC technology, with plans to transition to TOPCon before the end of the year.

Driven by multi-billion-dollar investments from the likes of Tesla and Corning, U.S. solar manufacturing capital expenditure is forecast to skyrocket 150% year-on-year to $7 billion in 2027, marking a massive breakout year as silicon-based technology eclipses thin-film spending and cements a domestic supply chain.

China is advancing the Sun Chasing project to develop space-based solar power systems that collect energy in orbit and beam it wirelessly to Earth or spacecraft for continuous power supply. Early tests demonstrated over 100 m wireless power transmission and efficient microwave beaming to moving targets, with up to 1,180 W delivered and promising system efficiencies.

Producing polysilicon in Europe remains challenging due to its energy-intensive, ultra-high-purity nature and the cost advantages of established Asian supply chains. However, Dutch startup Resilicon argues Europe can still make polysilicon by leveraging innovation and policy support. The company’s CEO, Remco Rijn, tells pv magazine how polysilicon factories could compete through cheap renewable energy supply and diversification.

Norwegian classification society DNV has published two new guidelines covering the structural design of floats for floating solar systems and their mooring and station keeping systems.

The plant will serve global markets, especially GCC countries and the United States, combining Sahaj Solar’s manufacturing expertise with Clarion Investments’ logistics capabilities.

The Italian manufacturer said its Gemini air-to-water heat pump is intended for commercial and industrial applications. It reportedly achieves a coefficient of performance of up to 3.28 and delivers hot water temperatures of up to 60 C.

The gigawatt-scale solar, wind and battery project developed by O-Green Energy expected to provide round-the-clock power. It is part of a push from Nama Power and Water Procurement to secure 7 GW solar, 3 GW battery storage capacity by 2030.

Australia is in the grip of a consumer-led energy storage boom with new figures showing more than 400,000 batteries representing 11.2 GWh of storage capacity have been installed nationwide in the past 10 months.

Bluetti has launched the Balco 260 and Balco 500, two integrated balcony PV storage systems combining MPPT, inverter, battery storage and smart control in a plug-and-play architecture for urban households.

The battery supports 1,000 W input and 800 W output, is compatible with most balcony PV systems, and can be optionally app-controlled via a dedicated app.