This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice Molly Morgan, Senior Research Analyst at UK-based CRU. She says that mentoring platforms offer aspiring professionals access to relatable role models, providing both inspiration and practical guidance to help them overcome their challenges and thrive in their careers. “A way to address the issue of women making up the minority share in the PV industry would be to encourage more women to enter the world of renewable energies earlier whilst still in academia,” she states.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that November proved challenging for solar energy across most of the US and Canada, as persistent cloud cover reduced solar irradiance.

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.

Vertical solar at airports can reduce energy costs, provide a revenue stream and enhance operational efficiency and public image.

As battery energy storage system costs plunge, energy price volatility is shortening payback times for storage solutions. This shift, driven by a surge in intermittently generating renewables, and ongoing innovations in battery manufacturing, marks a pivotal moment for energy markets worldwide.

US trade officials have announced preliminary affirmative determinations for antidumping duties on crystalline solar cell imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tariffs range from 21.31% to 271.28% depending on the company and country.

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has opened an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) tender for solar installations at its sites across the country. The deadline for expressions of interest is Jan. 21, 2025.

Muktagacha Solartech Energy Ltd. has agreed to build and operate a 20 MW solar project in Bangladesh, following the signing of a $24.3 million investment package from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The Chinese manufacturer said its new products have a capacity of up to 5.1 kWh and are scalable up to 20.48 kWh. The systems feature a depth of discharge of 90% and can purportedly operate for more than 6,000 cycles.

Reden Solar has launched a 200 MW solar module production line in France, with capacity to produce up to 300,000 modules per year, primarily for its own renewable electricity projects.

Panasonic has unveiled a new version of its Eco Cute CO2 heat pump that produces domestic hot water mostly during daytime based on solar radiation data. It integrates a dedicated app to obtain day-ahead solar forecasts and schedule water heating hours for the next day.

The novel smart solar window combines photoelectric and electrochromic functions. It can produce electricity while also regulating the amount of solar radiation entering a building.

The first large-scale solar project in the Australian state of Tasmania has been locked in, with project developer TasRex reaching a commercial offtake agreement with utility Hydro Tasmania.

Eskom is seeking a contractor to provide turnkey design, engineering, operation and maintenance services for a solar project at the Komati Power Station, South Africa.

European researchers have told pv magazine that hydrogen production costs are often underestimated in prefeasibility studies, while the South Korean authorities have reported a rise in deals for large-scale hydrogen consumption projects.

The researchers of the German institute explained that UV-induced degradation may cause larger than expected efficiency and voltage losses in all dominant cell technologies, including TOPCon devices. The scientists expect that silicon nitride layers could be used to enhance TOPCon UV stability compared to PECVD layers typically utilized in PERC and heterojunction cells.

An India-based research team has boosted the power conversion efficiency and stability of indoor dye-sensitized solar cells based on co-sensitized organic dyes. The best indoor PV devices achieved 40% efficiency under 4000 lux fluorescent lighting and 10.40% under standard AM 1.5G one sun illumination.

German engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions’ CO2-based seawater heat pump, located in the Danish port city of Esbjerg, has started operation. The facility, with a total heating capacity of 70 MW, will provide climate-neutral heat to Esbjerg and neighbouring town Varde.

French agrivoltaics company Sun’Agri says that two of its facilities increased grape yields by 20% to 60% in 2024, compared to areas without solar panels. The PV modules helped regulate temperature fluctuations, reducing summer heat peaks and winter temperature declines.

While some may call it a fairytale chemistry, solid-state lithium-air battery (SS-LAB) technology is now a step closer to commercial reality with the foundation of Air Energy. The startup has set out to scale the application of this promising technology over the next five years.

Oman has launched its first solar panel production line. A project spokesperson told pv magazine that the facility will serve the domestic market and countries throughout Africa. It is currently supplying panels for a 200 MW project.

McLaren Applied Group has purchased Italian inverter manufacturer Fimer for an undisclosed sum through its subsidiary, MA Solar Italy Ltd. The deal, which includes Fimer’s business assets, will help McLaren Applied expand its core operations.

The latest list sees India-based Insolation Energy, Waaree Renewable Technologies, and Solex Energy maintain the top three positions and Kyocera entering the top ten, up from thirteenths spot.

The government of the Indian state of Odisha has approved new solar manufacturing investments from Grew, Jakson, Jupiter Renewables, and Saatvik.

Fraunhofer ISE researchers have investigated whether PV panels installed above orchards can affect the reception of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals and, in turn, affect the precision of advanced autonomous tools. They found a disruption and suggested some alternatives.

The financial sector is increasingly throwing its weight behind battery energy storage systems (BESS), but transparent regulations are necessary to keep the investment going. This was one of the resounding messages from the 2nd BVES Investor Summit, held in Berlin on Wednesday.

The Bulgarian authorities awarded BGN 526 million ($284 million) to 397 renewable energy projects in the country’s latest procurement exercise.

Dr. Hicham Bouzekri, Director of R&D and Industry for the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN), explains how battery energy storage is helping the country to empower all of its people through renewable energy microgrids.

Sodium-ion batteries are undergoing a critical period of commercialization with Chinese cleantech juggernauts actively working on their products.

The company’s new mobile app is designed to combine all operations for solar installers, from installations and commissioning to management and servicing, in one streamlined platform.