Zinc battery specialist NantEnergy has acquired the U.S. energy systems and services business from Japanese electronics giant Sharp. The acquisition, according to NantEnergy, will provide the company with an important foothold in the U.S. market and allow it to provide “energy as a service” business models, using its Zinc-air battery, in multiple markets.

Chinese monocrystalline manufacturer Longi Solar Technology has broken its own record for PERC module efficiency, reaching 20.83% in independent testing conducted by TÜV Süd.

New solar installations in the country reached the milestone in six months, according to Dutch New Energy Research, which publishes its first Dutch Solar Quarterly report today.

A report published today by U.K.-headquartered energy company Drax says that, for the first time ever, total generation capacity available from renewables has overtaken that of fossil fuels on Britain’s electric grid.

From a little known niche just a few years ago, floating solar has quickly grown to more than 1 GW of installed capacity worldwide, and a source of great hope for the industry’s future, particularly in countries where space for solar is at a premium. pv magazine spoke with experts from leading floating PV test centers in Singapore and the Netherlands to outline the challenges still faced by floating PV as the technology moves towards major growth.

Norwegian developer Scatec has upped its holding in three operational PV projects in South Africa. Each of the plants is operating under a 20-year PPA with utility Eskom. Scatec’s investments in the country are secured by guarantees from the World Bank Group.

Local authority West Sussex County Council has commissioned the 7.4 MW Westhampnett Solar Farm, co-located with a 4.4 MW lithium-ion battery. The project was built without government subsidy, according to the council, and is expected to deliver significant income over its 25-year lifetime.

State owned oil company Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has awarded an independent power producer contract for a 100 MW solar project to a consortium led by Japanese conglomerate Marubeni. Once constructed, the plant will power PDO’s operations in Oman under a 23-year PPA.

Scientists at the United States Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory have created a hybrid device which can produce both hydrogen via water splitting and electricity via photovoltaics.