Norway records 148.68 MW of new solar in 2024
Norway deployed 148.68 MW of solar in 2024, pushing its cumulative installed PV capacity past 750 MW.
New rules allow VPPs to compete in Australia’s energy market from 2027
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has released a final determination to allow virtual power plants (VPPs) to compete directly with large-scale generators in the energy market, scheduled to begin in 2027.
Germany deploys 16.2 GW of solar in 2024
Germany installed 16.2 GW of solar in 2024, bringing total PV capacity to 99.3 GW by the end of December 2024, according to the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur).
Sierra Leone adopts financing model for private minigrid developers
Sierra Leone’s government is working with the European Union to launch a results-based financing mechanism, offering grants to private developers to build, own, and operate minigrids across the country.
How to measure industry’s carbon footprint
The IEC has launched a new portfolio of carbon footprint verification services to help build trust and credibility in companies’ commitment to monitoring and reducing their emissions.
Phnix releases PV-ready heat pumps for commercial buildings
The Chinese manufacturer said the latest version of its Phnix HeatMaster heat pump series enables seamless integration with PV arrays. The systems have a coefficient of performance of up to 5 and can reach an outlet water temperature of 75 C.
Novel MPPT tech based on salp swarm, hill climbing algorithms
Researchers have suggested to use a hybrid version of the so-called salp swarm algorithm (SSA) algorithm for maximum power point tracking in PV systems operating under highly fluctuating environmental conditions. The novel method also integrates the hill climbing algorithm, which simulates the process of climbing a mountain and reportedly helps find the best possible solution to a given problem.
New simulation tool maps existing, planned district heating networks
Researchers in Germany have developed a simulation software tool that visualizes heat flows in existing district heating networks and is capable of predicting load peaks. It can also be used to help plan and commission new grids.
The impact of wildfires on PV power generation
Scientists have quantified the impact of wildfires on the availability of direct normal irradiance and global horizontal irradiance at the state, regional, and national levels in the United States. They have found that direct irradiance is more sensitive to smoke than the PV-relevant global horizontal irradiance.
Japanese railway operator testing perovskite solar on noise barriers
Central Japan Railway Co. and Sekisui Chemical have revealed plans to deploy flexible perovskite-based PV systems along the Tokaido Shinkansen train line in Japan. They are using thin, lightweight, flexible film-type perovskite solar cells.
