Thieves steal 50 km of cable from 11 MW solar farm in Germany
Thieves stole 50 km of cable worth about €100,000 ($117,400) from an 11 MW solar project in southern Germany, with repair costs expected to exceed the material loss, according to police.
Swiss startup offers timber-framed solar carport
Urbanpv has developed a timber-framed 46 kW parking lot design for ten parking spaces including the access lane.
Enhancing dual-axis solar tracker performance with new optimization techniques
Researchers in India have developed two solar tracker optimization techniques can purportedly increase power generation by up to 54.36% when combined. One uses a light sensor and the other relies on data from GPS and a real-time clock.
‘Preaching to the unconverted’ – EUPVSEC 2025 kicks off in Bilbao
The annual European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (EU PVSEC) got underway today, this year in Bilbao. Conversations on the first morning focused on the need for strong policy support across multiple areas of renewable energy. While the week is sure to be filled with new ideas on the technological side, it’s clear that ensuring policies to support further growth in renewable energy is a growing challenge. Those working in the solar industry and research community need to reach a wider audience, and one that may not be as easy to convince.
Xpanner launches robotic automation kit to retrofit solar pile drivers
The U.S. startup offers a new kit to integrate robotic automation with existing equipment.
Solar floodplains and fault lines
With the early expiration of key US solar tax credits in 2026 and 2027, solar developers from the United States and Europe are looking to diversify, and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region represents attractive prospects for many. But unpredictable site conditions can defy even the most experienced developers’ assumptions, causing delays and cost hikes. Upfront due diligence is vital, argue Clean Energy Associates engineers Nicholas Hudson and Evan Woolard.
Solarcleano launches panel cleaning robot for large PV installations, trackers
The Luxembourg startup’s newest product is a portable, dry and wet cleaning system with 2.45 m wide brushes, designed to be operated by a single person.
Analysis of 6,276 connectors for rooftop PV systems
Sandia National Labs researchers have created a new dataset on the rates and types of rooftop PV connector failures. Their analysis has shown that tight wire bending radius, extra dirty connectors, and loose nuts are the most common failure causes in 6,276 connectors deployed between 2014 and 2017 across seven U.S. regions.
PV Hardware opens solar tracker factory in Texas
PV Hardware has opened a 95,000-square-foot solar tracker factory in Houston, Texas. The facility is expected to create 100 jobs and expand the company’s local manufacturing footprint.
Nextracker unveils NX PowerMerge trunk eBOS for utility-scale solar
Nextracker has introduced NX PowerMerge, a 2 kV trunk connector-based eBOS solution for utility-scale solar projects, designed to cut connection points, simplify layouts, and lower project costs.
