Commercial & Industrial PV

Researchers in China have developed a novel way to predict the cloud coverage of PV plants. The method uses geostationary satellite and recurrent-neural networks.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is hot right now and is finding central applications in homes and businesses as they move from simple grid connections to self-generation, energy storage, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and load-shifting revenue streams. With AI everywhere, what’s the difference between advanced control, via simple algorithms, and true intelligence?

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that, on April 8, a total eclipse will pass from Mexico, across Texas and up the East Coast, with most of the continental US experiencing a significant drop in solar generation.

AEG is currently offering three versions of its new ABC solar panels for rooftop applications, with power outputs of 445 W to 455 W and efficiency ratings ranging from 22.8% to 23.3%. They feature half-cut ABC cells with n-type technology.

California’s rooftop solar industry is rapidly shedding jobs and losing companies to bankruptcy due to policy changes. The California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA) has suggested some near-term policy changes to slow the bleeding.

Scientists from China have developed a novel system that can detect DC arcs in PV installations through a back-propagation neural network. The novel technique reportedly ensures a detection time of less than 200 ms.

Dubai-based Floating Man is currently negotiating contracts for the deployment of a novel floating structure for offshore solar. A 900 m2 system built with the floaters could support up to 200 solar panels.

Ratings agency ICRA says India could install 17 GW of new PV capacity this year and another 20 GW in 2025. It maintained a stable outlook for the renewable energy sector in India on the back of strong policy support, healthy demand prospects, and tariff competitiveness.

Heat pump sales in Germany rose by more than 50% for the second year in a row in 2023, according to new figures from Bundesverband Wärmepumpe (BWP).

Solar panel and system prices are on the decline in Australia, but figures from industry analyst SunWiz show that a growing number of Australian households are opting to forgo savings in search of higher generation capacity.