Switzerland-based Meyer Burger had a PV module inventory of 365 MW at the end of 2023. The closure of its panel factory in Freiberg, Germany, will only be reversed if there are very strong political signals, said CEO Gunter Erfurt.

Austrian startup Mo Energy Systems has developed a standardized system for solar bike roads, featuring 12-meter-long structures with a variable width ranging from 2 meters to 4.5 meters. It includes anchoring, without the need for concrete or excavation work.

Helioplant has developed a 7.2 kW vertical PV installation for high-altitude locations. The system purportedly remains free of snow, even after intense winter precipitation.

Germany’s latest auction for utility-scale solar concluded with prices ranging from €0.0444 ($0.048)/kWh to €0.0547/kWh. The procurement exercise was significantly oversubscribed.

Smart Railway Technology’s new PV2Rail inverters are designed to feed directly into 16.7 Hertz (Hz) railway power grids.

Sax Power has developed a 5.8 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, priced at €4,957 ($5,403) for end customers, with a smart meter for precise electricity delivery.

Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) and Heckert Solar have developed a rooftop solar panel in Germany. The 400 W module, featuring M12 half cells, boasts an efficiency of 20.5%. The collaborative effort led to the establishment of a brand-new production line dedicated to this module series.

Through the procurement exercise, the German authorities allocated 191 MW of rooftop PV capacity.

A German-Swiss research team has calculated how many homes in Europe could be decoupled from external infrastructure with solar power, batteries, and hydrogen storage.

Bosch has invested $106 million in a heat pump factory near Porto, Portugal, where it produces heat pump systems with propane as a refrigerant. It says its commitment to heat pump development and production will hit €1 billion ($1.06 billion) by the end of this decade.