Commercial & Industrial PV

Dutch scientists have developed new landscape change indicators (LCIs) for agrivoltaic projects. The novel methodology is meant to assist policymakers and project developers mitigate the visual and environmental impact of agrivoltaic facilities.

Massachusetts expanded access to net metering, showing a commitment to distributed energy. The Department of Public Utilities expects to save ratepayers $10 million with the regulatory change.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that solar producers in several provinces of Central China benefited from clearer than normal conditions in December and particularly February, bringing up the average to 20% more than expected. Furthermore, Solcast analysis reveals that, during the same period, Korea and Southern Japan saw consistently cloudier conditions than in normal years, decreasing irradiance and solar potential across the region.

Scientists in China have analyzed the performance of PV-driven refrigeration warehouses and have found they can ensure stable operation thanks to a refrigeration coefficient of performance of up to 2.66.

A group of researchers in Germany has designed a novel PV façade using two actuators that allow bending in two directions. The PV functionalization of FlectoSol aims for an energy self-sufficient shading system.

German solar tech developer 1komma5° has strengthened its presence in the Australian market with the acquisition of Arkana Energy Group.

The novel methodology is reportedly able to track global maximum power point and reduce power losses in partially shaded PV systems by up to 33%. It uses a backstepping controller (BSC) algorithm to adjust the pulse width modulation signal and a genetic algorithm to compute the BSC gains to achieve an optimal PV system outcome.

BloombergNEF says US clean energy generation grew by 0.9% in 2023. Wind and hydro generation fell, while solar generation grew by 15.4%.

France added around 3.2 GW of new PV capacity in 2023, with about 955 MW in the fourth quarter alone. The nation hit 20.0 GW of total installed PV capacity at the end of December 2023.

The European Union has secured a critical raw materials deal with Rwanda, expanding collaboration between the two sides – particularly in the solar sector. A friendly regulatory environment deserves credit for helping to fast-track the adoption of solar, according to local analysts.