Residential PV

Sonnen has introduced a new software solution to seamlessly integrate heat pumps into private household energy supplies and enhance grid stability. The company’s initial partner is heat pump manufacturer NIBE, but additional partners are expected to join in the future.

Dutch solar manufacturer Solarge has unveiled two versions of its lightweight mono-PERC solar panels for rooftop applications. The module have power outputs between 470 W and 520 W and efficiencies ranging from 17.4% to 19.2%.

The country has added 15 GW of new PV capacity since January 2022. In 2023 alone, it deployed 4.4 GW of new solar power, of which 3.15 GW comes from distributed generation and 1,24 GW from utility scale PV.

Mitsubishi Electric has launched a demonstration experiment to assess the efficiency of heat pumps in demand-response control on the Aran Islands in Ireland and San Pietro Island in Italy. As part of the European Union’s REACT project, solar, wind, and storage solutions will also be implemented to enhance the energy self-sufficiency of isolated islands.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, presents the solar irradiance data it collected for North America in May. New York registered a new record on May 18th, when solar power met 20% of the state power demand, while Los Angeles and San Diego rooftops actually received less irradiance during May than New York’s or Boston’s.

Avancis has set a new world record for a copper, indium, gallium, and selenium (CIGS) solar panel with an integrated series connection of 30 cm x 30 cm, achieving an efficiency of 20.3%. The German manufacturer’s accomplishment has been validated by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Germany’s development bank, KfW, is financing a new minigrid project in Senegal with a $138.8 million loan.

India installed 11.4 GW of utility-scale solar capacity in 2022 and 1.9 GW of rooftop PV, for a total of 13.3 GW.

Hungary, one of Europe’s gigawatt-scale solar markets, is a hub of bustling activity. However, government policy shifts and grid constraints are casting a long shadow over growing demand for solar energy. pv magazine recently spoke with Ádám Szolnoki, the president of the Hungarian Photovoltaic Industry Association (MANAP), about the latest market developments.

Belgian grid operator Elia announced that solar and wind generation provided enough electricity to cover the country’s entire electricity demand for the first time this Monday.