Residential PV

Scientists have designed a system that combines solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage to operate water pumping systems in Jordan. They simulated it under several scenarios in search of the optimal size.

An international research team has analyzed which factors contribute to fire accidents in PV facades and has found that the distance between the wall and the photovoltaic modules plays a crucial role. The scientists also said project developers should attentively consider what combustible materials are embedded in the wall cavity.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that, while much of the Americas will see cloudier weather than normal for the season, particularly in the eastern United States and parts of central Brazil, Europe’s solar outlook is split with high pressure over central regions bringing clearer skies to the Iberian Peninsula. Across Asia, cloud cover is expected for India and the Far East, while Australia’s northern and eastern regions are likely to enjoy abundant sunshine.

A scientist in Sweden has developed a new hybrid local features-based method using thermographs to identify faulty solar panels.

The latest report from the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS) says the building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) industry is facing significant challenges due to a lack of clear testing and certification procedures. It says international consensus and the harmonization of certification processes will be crucial for widespread adoption of the technology.

Solar installations grew 4% year on year in the European Union in 2024, down sharply from 53% growth in 2023. The slowdown coincides with a decline in solar investment, marking the first such drop this decade. SolarPower Europe now forecasts annual growth of 3% to 7% in solar installations from 2025 to 2028.

Germany installed 1 GW of solar power in November, bringing its cumulative capacity to 97.55 GW by the end of the month.

DMEGC Solar says its new solar panels weigh only 15.3 kg and have a power output of up to 270 W. The new products combine a double-glass design with TOPCon cell technology.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology (Fraunhofer UMSICHT) say their new facade combines PV modules, weather protection, and thermal insulation. It eliminates the need for a substructure and uses insulation made from sustainable raw materials.

Epeu Next Level unveiled a hydrogen-plasma heating system at a recent event in Germany, its home market. It claims the system can easily replace gas boilers in apartment buildings, but it has failed to explain why it apparently contradicts the first law of thermodynamics.