Czechia records 970 MW of new solar in 2023
Czechia registered strong PV capacity growth in 2023, driven by a surge in residential installations. The nation’s PV association says it expects a shift toward larger power plants in the coming year, but notes the need for more energy storage capacity.
Hungary’s 2023 solar capacity additions hit 1.6 GW
Hungary had a record year for new solar in 2023, taking its total capacity to more than 5.6 GW. However, analysts warn that government policies are restricting foreign investment, while grid capacity shortfalls could stunt the country’s rapid rise.
Many buildings in Germany unsuitable for rooftop PV, says TÜV Süd
TÜV Süd has discovered that 8% of the rooftops it examined in Germany last year are not suitable for PV deployment.
Drones vs. aircrafts for PV plant inspection
Scientists in Italy have investigated the performance of drones and a human-crewed airplanes for carrying out aerial infrared thermography inspections on PV power plants. According to their findings, airplanes may be more cost-effective.
PV and prices – the fast uptake of solar in Australia
Australia currently has about 40% renewable electricity, mostly solar and wind. This is not causing wholesale spot prices to change, nor destabilizing the grid. On current policy settings, the country will reach 82% renewable electricity in 2030.
Weekend Read: Agreeing on green hydrogen
In November 2022, Germany’s Energie Baden Württemberg and steelmaker Salzgitter Group signed one of Europe’s first power purchase agreements (PPAs) for hydrogen production. More have followed and with the European Union introducing rules to govern green hydrogen, an industry is planning for its future.
Dark December for northern Europe, sunny in the South
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that increased cloud led to solar assets in Northern Germany and the Netherlands receiving only 70% of normal irradiance in December. This cloud activity, however, did not make it below the Alps, and Southern Europe saw reduced rain and significantly less cloud than normal, with some regions experiencing 130% of the normal December irradiance.
French startup offers new solution for green solar rooftops
Vegetek has developed a “biosolar” roof solution for new and existing buildings. It combines the benefits of greenery and solar panels.
IEA warns of Australian rooftop PV slowdown amid high costs, grid issues
The International Energy Agency (IEA) says the rollout of rooftop solar in Australia will drop off “faster than anticipated,” with grid integration challenges and saturation of the power system contributing to a revision of expectations for renewable energy growth.
Machine learning algorithm for inverter fault monitoring, prediction
The new algorithm monitors the inverter subsystems and sends alarms when maximum and minimum values are reached. It analyzes data and categorizes variables according to historic values.
