Residential PV

France installed 743 MW of new PV installations in the fourth quarter alone.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government claims that groups can achieve price reductions of up to 20% on purchases of solar modules and batteries.

Mauritian researchers have developed a solar tracker prototype that increases current by around 37%. The device uses a simplified and mechanical tracking system.

Thin-film technologies have long promised to make a major impact on the solar industry but have largely been constrained to niche applications and research labs if they were not shredded by the market. After several false starts, current trade dynamics and promising research programs may help solar thin films find their place in the sun.

India’s Jakson says its new lithium battery inverter offering consists of a 3 kW battery energy storage system with a 3 kW hybrid inverter and a 4.8 kWh, 48V lithium-ion battery module. It can be expanded to megawatt scale, depending on power backup requirements.

California is looking to implement fixed monthly charges on utility bills, but the potential impact on residential solar remains unclear.

Record solar generation from large-scale and rooftop PV is driving down the wholesale cost of energy, reducing emissions to record lows, and helping to set new records for minimum demand for electricity from the grid, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).

Beny Electric’s new 600 W microinverters are designed for balcony solar modules, with a 96.5% efficiency rating and a European efficiency of 96%. They are available in three versions, with outputs of 500 W, 550 W, and 600 W.

Nippon Sheet Glass (NSG), Japan’s largest glassmaker, plans to show photovoltaic windows developed by its US unit, Ubiquitous Energy, at a train station in Japan. The windows feature a transparent photovoltaic coating with an invisible element of power generation, capable of absorbing non-visible wavelengths.

With speculation rife UK prime minister Rishi Sunak could call a general election next year, Robert Cathcart, a blogger for English installer Solar Fast, takes a look at just how green the current government is.