Commercial & Industrial PV

Research led by the University of Sheffield installed an off-grid agrivoltaic system in Tanzania and a grid-tied agrivoltaic system in Kenya. They found the installations helped boost crop yield and conserve water while generating electricity at a lower cost than the national grid.

Serbia’s upcoming second renewables auction, scheduled for later this month, aims to procure 124.8 MW of solar power with a ceiling price of €72 ($75.30)/MWh. This price is lower than the €90/MWh ceiling offered in the country’s first renewables auction last year.

Panasonic has launched its new R32 heat pumps, introducing the EXTERIOS Z and ClimaPure XZ series. The models offer heating capacities ranging from 10,900 Btu/h to 28,800 Btu/h, depending on specifications.

Researchers in China have created a balloon-integrated photovoltaic system that reportedly represents a feasible solution for emergency PV power generation in mid-to-high latitudes. It consists of a customized balloon, 19%-efficient thin-film cadmium telluride solar cells, an exhaust valve, control and storage modules, fixed ropes, and a cord reel, as well as an upper hemisphere and a lower arc surface.

Australia’s record uptake of rooftop solar is delivering significant benefits for some installers, with new analysis by industry consultancy Solar Nerds showing triple-digit percentage point annual growth rates for some companies.

Developed by researchers in South Africa, the proposed technique is based on the water cycle algorithm (WCA), a population-based metaheuristic optimization algorithm that is inspired by the water cycle process in nature and how streams and rivers flow into the sea.

A new study by Germany’s Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) points to strong potential for solar deployment across the nation’s roadways and highways.

The Netherlands added 1.76 GW of solar capacity in the first half of 2024, with 148,166 new PV projects. By the end of June, the country’s total installed PV capacity had reached 26.06 GW.

Colombian researchers have designed an agrivoltaic system integrating hydroponic growing towers. The modular array, consisting of stackable 20 cm rings, creates a structure up to 2.5 meters tall, optimized for cultivating approximately 80 plants per square meter.

ICRA, an Indian credit rating agency, says India could add 22 GW of solar capacity in fiscal 2025 and 27.5 GW in fiscal 2026, pushing the nation’s total installed PV capacity to 131.5 GW by March 2026, up from 82 GW as of March 31, 2024.