Highlights

French developer VSN Energies Nouvelles was able to almost double the capacity of one of its PV projects due to technological advances such as high-powered panels and new plant design concepts.

Hover’s first 36 kW installation survived the recent Hurricane Ian storm system that ravaged southwestern Florida.

The European Union and the United States are seeking a solution for key aspects of “discriminatory” production requirements in the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The EU said it might bring the case to the World Trade Organization if a compromise cannot be reached.

Carrier will soon begin field tests for a prototype air-source heat pump for cold climates. It is designed to provide high-efficiency heating performance in harsh climates with temperatures equal or below negative 29 degrees Celsius, while being grid-interactive. The US-based heating tech specialist expects to commercialize the solution by 2024.

UK independent power producer Rezolv Energy has acquired the late-stage development rights to a 1,044 MW solar project in Arad county, Romania. The Eastern European country is preparing to roll out a contract-for-difference (CfD) scheme early next year to deploy 3.5 GW of solar and wind.

IEA-PVPS has standardized guidelines for O&M programs for large-scale solar plants. It defines O&M performance indicators and standard O&M operator services, as well as tools to analyze PV plant performance and safety.

Radovan Kopecek, an expert on interdigitated back-contacted (IBC) tech, says that IBC solar panels could capture more than 50% of the global market by 2030, potentially pushing TOPCon products out of competition. He told pv magazine how this transition might materialize and discussed the tech advancements that could make it possible.

An unexpected “non-paper” in which the European Commission signaled a U-turn away from a price cap on gas has caused a stir in what was already an agitated European energy industry.

Longi has launched a series of modules featuring an all-new hybrid passivated back contact cell technology, with which it claims a maximum module efficiency of 22.8% in mass production. It will initially offer the modules in 54, 60, 66 and 72 cell formats, targeting rooftop and distributed generation applications.

State Power Investment Corp. (SPIC) has started operating the world’s first offshore floating solar plant integrated with an offshore wind turbine, at a pilot site off the coast of China’s Shandong province. It features floating PV tech from Norway’s Ocean Sun.