Utility Scale PV

Sweden’s Ionautics has advanced its platinum-based hydrogen catalyst toward full-scale industrial production, while thyssenkrupp nucera has signed contracts for 300 MW of alkaline electrolysis capacity in Spain and 260 MW in India.

JinkoSolar has appointed Cao Haiyun as chief executive, while PowerChina has shortlisted 26 suppliers for a 31 GW solar module tender for 2026.

German engineering firm BEC Energie Consult has developed a substructure for low-mounted agrivoltaics designed to provide cost-efficient installation while supporting crop growth and livestock management, with the potential to enhance economic viability.

Swish Solar has an AI-driven tool that optimizes solar panel cleaning schedules to reduce soiling losses and operating costs. The platform uses data analytics and forecasting models to help operators time cleaning based on financial impact.

Germany’s solar sector is reporting a surge in inquiries following the military escalation between Israel, the United States, and Iran, with E.ON citing a doubling of demand for solar installations. Other industry participants are more cautious, attributing much of the increase to seasonal patterns rather than geopolitical anxiety.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that February saw a sharp East Asia solar divide, with southern China and Taiwan experiencing record-high irradiance due to clear skies and low aerosols, while maritime Southeast Asia faced heavy rainfall and below-average irradiance from enhanced tropical convection. The surplus in China was driven by atmospheric cleanliness, whereas Taiwan’s boost came mainly from persistently clear days, contrasting with widespread deficits across Indonesia, the southern Philippines, and nearby islands.

The fourteenth edition of Solar Solutions Amsterdam showcased the latest technologies across solar, storage, electric vehicle charging and green HVAC. This year saw energy storage systems dominate the show floor, ahead of the event’s rebrand to Sustainable Solutions Amsterdam from next year onwards, reflecting the Dutch market’s position as a mature market increasingly focused on flexibility and the connectivity of different technologies within a single system.

The Danish company said its configurable CO2 system delivers up to 4.8 MW per unit and is scalable to 50 MW for large industrial and commercial projects. The units offer hot water output of up to 95 C and compatibility with complex installations such as food processing, district heating, and commercial buildings.

In an interview with pv magazine, cybersecurity expert Roberto Setola describes a structural shift in cyber threats against solar energy infrastructure, where attacks now target peripheral systems like remote terminal units rather than centralized SCADA, often in coordinated campaigns amplified by AI. He also emphasized that the recent cyberattack to PV plants in Poland demonstrated how simultaneous strikes on smaller, less-protected operators can potentially trigger major disruptions, including blackouts, economic losses, and cascading grid risks.

Sandia National Laboratories conducted the first-ever blind comparison of seven commercial PV modeling software, revealing that differences in weather handling, system modeling, derates, and assumptions grow as system complexity increases. The study emphasizes that software choice should consider project complexity, workflow, and modeling features rather than relying on rankings alone.