Rodrigo Lopes Sauaia, the CEO of the Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy (ABSolar), speaks to pv magazine about why Brazil is poised to install a record-breaking 10.1 GW of new capacity in 2023. He says both distributed-generation and utility-scale PV projects will contribute to “the best year of solar so far.”

Emirates Water and Electricity Co. (EWEC) has started accepting expressions of interest from pre-qualified developers to develop a 1.5 GW solar project in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

US scientists have discovered that using wavelength-selective, semi-transparent PV modules to absorb the blue light spectrum while transmitting red light onto crops can increase crop yield.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIOT) recently introduced new ceiling prices for solar and wind projects that sell electricity to Electricity of Vietnam (EVN). The ceiling price for ground-mounted solar has been slashed from $0.0709/kWh to $0.0502/kWh, threatening the financial viability of large-scale solar projects.

The European Union Commission President wants to introduce a new industrial plan to turn Europe into the global clean-tech market leader, with looser rules for state funding and less red tape.

Power Capital Renewable Energy (PCRE) has secured €240 million ($259.5 million) to build 1.2 GW of solar projects across Ireland. Commercial operations are expected to start in 2025.

Chinese manufacturer Hoymiles has developed a new line of microinverters with up to 96.7% efficiency and outputs of up to 2,000 VA. It said they can be connected with up to four high-power solar modules.

French research institute CEA-INES has produced a 566 W heterojunction (HJT) demonstrator PV panel using Norwegian silicon wafers based on German polysilicon and solar cells made in France. The prototype has a carbon footprint of 317 kgCO2eq/kW, which is considerably lower than the maximum 800 kgCO2eq/kW standard for Chinese products.

The Middle East Solar Industry Association (Mesia) has reviewed the latest achievements of key PV markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in its newly published “Solar Outlook Report 2023.” The report offers an overview of developments across the PV industry, including green hydrogen, floating solar, and robotic cleaning.

South Africa scientists have developed an integrated, solar-powered heat pump and refrigerator for use by food vendors in sub-Saharan Africa. The dual system is powered by two 90 W solar modules and repurposes waste heat.