As the world becomes increasingly roiled by extreme weather, drone-based electroluminescence (EL) mapping can be a key weapon in the arsenal of solar investors.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that a significant high-pressure anomaly in the Pacific fostered more settled conditions and pushed a deep layer of dryer air over the Western United States, resulting in clearer skies. Whilst coastal regions saw average to slightly more irradiance than normal, Midwestern states including Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Wyoming, received up to 110% normal levels.

In another article of a series, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Angelika Möbius, the founder of the startup Solar AI Twin. She says addressing the gender gap in the solar industry is a complex task that requires a deep understanding of the unique challenges women face. Key barriers include a lack of mentorship opportunities and the absence of professional networks.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, offers bite-sized analysis on solar PV module supply and price trends.

The United Kingdom is playing catch-up with many of its European neighbors when it comes to solar but recent signs have been hugely promising and the nation remains primed for a solar revolution.

Prices in the majority of major European electricity markets fell during the first week of May, according to analysis from AleaSoft Energy Forecasting. The exception was in the Iberian market of Portugal and Spain, but prices remain lower there than anywhere else.

Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a scalable two-step evaporation and inkjet process for perovskite thin-film solar cells. The new technique reportedly enables to build champion cells with the same efficiencies as those made with the spin coating process.

Longi recorded 67.5 GW of solar module shipments in 2023, according to its latest financial results. The Chinese module maker reported revenue of $17.9 billion and a net profit of $1.49 billion for the year.

A 4.4 MW solar project featuring modular PV technology from 5B has commenced operations in Australia. The project includes 2 MW/1 MWh of battery storage systems from UK supplier Aggreko.

A group of Chinese researchers has made a first attempt to integrate pumped hydro with compressed air storage and has found the latter may help the former to better deal with large head variations.

Solar panels are often tilted to a stowed position to prevent wind damage to utility-scale assets. Array Technologies introduced a passive stowing strategy that reportedly prevents unnecessary production losses.

The US Department of Energy says it is aiming for “clean” hydrogen production costs of $2/kg by 2026 and $1/kg by 2031.

Austrian manufacturer Sonnenkraft has developed a terracotta glass-glass module that aesthetically blends in with tiled roofs. It has an efficiency rating of 20.02%.

Researchers have designed a transparent conductive oxide film with different thicknesses and different Zr atomic concentrations. They have eventually also created proof-of-concept cells. The best sheet resistance was achieved with the thinnest film of 15 nm.

A new mobile power generator that combines solar and renewable hydrogen to provide zero-emissions power for remote and off-grid applications has been unveiled by Australian startup H2PowerBox.

Scientists in Japan have investigated the impact of seasonal, metereological factors on solar plant performance and have found the average power generation inefficiency reached significant levels. The findings suggest that optimal site for power plants requires careful consideration of meteorological and geographical data.

An “Australian first” demonstration of aggregated flexible demand in residential settings will be rolled out in South Australia, with the state’s principle electricity distributor to deliver smart energy upgrades for 500 households as part of a pilot program to coordinate power usage and support the grid.

The modules are equipped with Maxeon solar cells and a microprism sheet that reportedly upholds a transmittance exceeding 99%. The microprism array is imprinted onto a PET sheet using the roll-to- roll embossing technique.

Tongwei, Canadian Solar, TCL Zhonghuan and JA Solar all reported significantly higher profits in 2023.

Researchers in India have developed a new solar module recycling process that transforms lead into less toxic lead monoxide. It consists of three main steps – leaching, precipitation, and calcination.

A team from Université Grenoble Alpes CNRS in France has designed a silicon heterojunction (SHJ) industrial-scale prototype with a significantly reduced carbon footprint compared to conventional, and other pioneering lower carbon SHJ modules. It reports a 566-Wp recyclable module with an average efficiency of 22.57% and a carbon footprint of 313 kgCO2eq/kWp

Conceived by researchers from Iran, the new conductive adhesive ink is made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and is used as an interlayer between the cell’s hole transport layer and carbon foil. It reportedly ensures higher cell stability while also providing remarkable efficiency.

Scientists in China have developed a PV-driven direct-drive refrigeration system for electronic device cooling. The proposed system has so far provided low exergy levels, but its costs are much lower than those of conventional vapor compression refrigeration technologies.

Sunrun, a US-based residential solar installer, says nearly 1,800 customers have already signed up to its PowerOn Puerto Rico virtual power plant (VPP). The program deploys stored solar energy from customers’ batteries to the grid, preventing power supply shortfalls on the island.

New research from Sweden suggests that low platinum fuel cells for hydrogen vehicles, when scaled up for the same number of cells, may achieve similar or higher efficiencies compared to commercial fuel cells. Their modeling is expected to act as a bridge between material science research and vehicle implementation.

The European Commission has selected the winners of European Hydrogen Bank’s first auction, with bids coming in below €0.50 ($0.54)/kg, while Chile and Namibia have revealed new hydrogen plans.

In a recent chat with pv magazine, Yasser Zaidan, senior sales manager for the Middle East at JinkoSolar, described the trajectory of the large-scale storage business in the main markets of the Middle East.

Battery prices reached an all-time low in India in 2023, led by a moderation in raw material prices amid rising production across the value chain, according to credit rating agency ICRA.