PV modules

Despite rising tariffs on imports and a looming U.S. Department of Commerce investigation, American solar-grade polysilicon production is expected to keep pace with the growth of the domestic PV supply chain.

The California Solar Canal Initiative (CSCI) aims to use research from the University of California, Merced, to find communities willing to generate power with solar-covered canals.

The German authorities have allocated 317 MW in the nation’s latest rooftop PV tender. The final prices ranged from €0.0790 ($0.0852)/kWh to €0.0969/kWh.

Carbon has obtained €2 million ($2.1 million) from 11 independent power producers (IPPs) and two consulting firms to support its new gigafactory project in France. The French solar module maker is also launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise at least €1 million.

Researchers in Saudi Arabia have compared the performance of ground-mounted PV plants with that of off-shore solar facilities and have found that floating installations benefit from the cooling effect of the seawater.

Spain’s solar PV capacity reached 6 GW in 2024, making it the country’s top power source with a 25.1% share, surpassing wind at 24.9%. Renewable generation grew 10.3%, accounting for 56.8% of total electricity production.

An international research team studied the solar PV impact of emissions from a coal-fired power plant in the Atacama Desert, finding that after five months of exposure, the deposited dust on co-located PV panels reached a maximum of 1.63 mg/cm2 with a 23 % reduction in photocurrent. The accumulation at the co-located plant was 3 times greater than nearby PV sites with similar coastal climate conditions.

Alusín Solar has released the Picos Coplanar mounting system for flat DECK-type roofs with PVC or asphalt surfaces, eliminating the need for drilling.

The Tunisian government has granted licenses to four PV projects with a combined capacity of 500 MW. The selected developers are Qair International, Voltalia, Toyota Tsusho and Scatec.

As the global transition toward sustainable energy intensifies, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) has emerged as a critical innovation in merging renewable energy with architectural design. The recently published guidebook “Building-Integrated Photovoltaics: A Technical Guidebook,” edited by IEA PVPS Task 15 experts Nuria Martín Chivelet, Costa Kapsis, and Francesco Frontini, offers a comprehensive resource for architects, engineers, and urban planners looking to integrate BIPV into the built environment. This article explores the book’s key insights, including applications, challenges, and future pathways.