PV Evolution Labs (PVEL), Extel Energy, and PI Berlin have unified under the Kiwa brand. Dutch company Kiwa, which has acquired the three PV testing laboratories over the past three years, says it aims to more effectively present its range of services for the solar industry.

Volatility in the global PV market did not go unnoticed this week at the Solar Solutions Amsterdam trade fair. However, the prevailing impression is that the Dutch PV market is poised for stability.

Austrian agency OeMAG is allocating €135 million ($146.4 million) of incentives under Austria’s Renewable Energy Expansion Act (EAG).

The German authorities have reviewed 278 MW of bids to select 264.1 MW of projects in the nation’s latest rooftop PV tender. The final prices ranged from €0.0690 ($0.075)/kWh to €0.0948/kWh.

Encavis AG has started installing 260 MW of solar capacity in Germany, with completion set for 2025. It is on track to become one of the country’s largest PV plants.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) has opened a PV module production lab for new product ideas in a former Solar Fabrik factory in Germany. It is equipped with systems for cell interconnection, laminators, and a range of materials and solar cell technologies.

Researchers at the Jülich Research Center in Germany have used novel photoluminescence measurements to analyze the recombination of charge carriers in perovskite solar cells. They have found that the loss of charge carriers in perovskite devices works differently from other types of PV cells.

Minimax’s PVProtect system, which is recognized by German insurers, detects solar panel fires and fights them in their early stages.