Applications & Installations
Among energy technologies, solar is unique in its flexibility and range of applications. Rapidly growing niches including floating PV and agrivoltaics are proving their worth alongside the more established rooftop and ground mount market segments.
Hybrid systems combining solar with energy storage and other generation technologies are also becoming more common, in the pursuit of 24/7 emissions free energy. And this brings our industry into more frequent contact with other concerns, that need to be carefully managed.
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Notes from the field
Across Europe, North America and high-latitude regions in Asia, agricultural operators face rising energy demand, volatile markets and increasing dependence on electrically driven processes. So why isn’t agricultural solar more popular? Based on her observations on an alpine dairy farm in Austria, complemented by additional insights from other farms in the region, Austrian agriculture consultant Maria Weissenböck finds there is a gap in approaches. Farms tend to approach solar as a risk management decision rather than as an energy transition measure.
Jul 09, 2026
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Multi-drone platform for autonomous solar inspections, digital twin creation
Israeli startup vHive’s has created an autonomous multi-drone platform that streamlines utility-scale solar inspections through coordinated drone flights, thermal imaging, RGB mapping, and automated data collection. The system creates digital twins of PV assets, enabling faster, more efficient monitoring without requiring specialized drone pilots, according to the company.
Agrivoltaic facility supplies traction power directly to Austrian rail network
Austria has inaugurated its first tracking agrivoltaic system designed to feed solar power directly into the railway grid. The 6.6 MW facility in Donnerskirchen combines renewable energy generation, organic farming, and biodiversity measures on the same site.
Free online calculator shows Irish homeowners how to save with solar
Solar consultant Scott McKechnie told pv magazine his online platform, AirPV, is designed to cut through the information noise homeowners have to wade through if they want to save money and get shorter payback time on their panels.
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All Applications & Installations news
Multi-drone platform for autonomous solar inspections, digital twin creation
Israeli startup vHive’s has created an autonomous multi-drone platform that streamlines utility-scale solar inspections through coordinated drone flights, thermal imaging, RGB mapping, and automated data collection. The system creates digital twins of PV assets, enabling faster, more efficient monitoring without requiring specialized drone pilots, according to the company.
Agrivoltaic facility supplies traction power directly to Austrian rail network
Austria has inaugurated its first tracking agrivoltaic system designed to feed solar power directly into the railway grid. The 6.6 MW facility in Donnerskirchen combines renewable energy generation, organic farming, and biodiversity measures on the same site.
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Free online calculator shows Irish homeowners how to save with solar
Solar consultant Scott McKechnie told pv magazine his online platform, AirPV, is designed to cut through the information noise homeowners have to wade through if they want to save money and get shorter payback time on their panels.
Notes from the field
Across Europe, North America and high-latitude regions in Asia, agricultural operators face rising energy demand, volatile markets and increasing dependence on electrically driven processes. So why isn’t agricultural solar more popular? Based on her observations on an alpine dairy farm in Austria, complemented by additional insights from other farms in the region, Austrian agriculture consultant Maria Weissenböck finds there is a gap in approaches. Farms tend to approach solar as a risk management decision rather than as an energy transition measure.
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Australian utility delivers solar microgrid for farming operation
AGL Energy has delivered a solar and battery-based microgrid in South Australia that will supply about 85% of power for one of the country’s largest almond orchards, helping reduce its reliance on grid electricity and slashing its diesel use by almost 90%.
Software can unlock 300 GW of capacity on U.S. grid without building a single power plant
Advanced grid-scanning software, as detailed on the Energy Empire podcast with host Jigar Shah, is uncovering massive blocks of hidden transmission capacity, offering utility-scale solar and storage developers a near-term escape route from the interconnection queue.
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