Norwegian firm introduces fire-resistant membrane for rooftop PV
Norwegian fire safety specialist Bridgehill has developed a fire-resistant roofing membrane designed for use beneath rooftop PV systems. The company says the product is intended to limit heat transfer and flame spread in commercial and industrial installations subject to strict fire safety and insurance requirements.
Carbon dioxide removal benefits from solar PV
Carbon dioxide removal is most likely needed for rebalancing the climate to comply with the 1.5 C target set in the Paris Agreement, as data suggest this level has already been breached on an annual basis. Beneath natural climate solutions and land use change, technological and bio-technical solutions are most promising. Solar PV may play a key role in minimizing area demand and supporting cost optimization even in unexpected places such as Iceland.
Retrofit coloring solution makes conventional solar panels less visible
Fraunhofer CSP researchers in Germany are developing printing and color technologies to make conventional silicon PV panels less visible when installed on building façades, roofs, and balconies.
South Korea’s Won Kwang S&T launches mobile solar panel recycling solution
Won Kwang S&T has developed a mobile, on-site solar module recycling system for utility-scale PV plants. The SolreBorn unit can reportedly process up to 2.5 tonnes of modules per day and improve the economics of solar panel recycling through on-site dismantling and material recovery.
Pahal Solar expands module manufacturing capacity to 3 GW
Indian manufacturer Pahal Solar has secured inclusion on India’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) 2023 certification for expanded module capacity and has started building a new solar cell and aluminium frame manufacturing complex.
Global cadmium telluride solar module manufacturing capacity could reach 100 GW by 2030
In a perspective paper in Joule, a group of U.S. researchers described technology and supply chain efforts required to reach worldwide annual cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar PV capacity of 100 GW by 2030.
All agrivoltaic cropping systems at a glance
An international research team reviewed agrivoltaic systems, highlighting challenges in design, crop performance, and PV efficiency, while mapping their global potential. They call for innovative layouts, targeted crop selection, and improved modeling to maximize energy yield and land-use efficiency.
DAS Solar unveils new method to identify hot-spots in TOPCon back-contact solar modules
The Chinese manufacturer said it developed a new circuit-model–based method to accurately detect hot-spot risks in TOPCon back-contact modules, overcoming limitations of the IEC 61215 approach caused by low shunt resistance. Validated through indoor and outdoor tests, the method predicts temperature rise under shading and reportedly enables faster, more accurate hot-spot risk assessment.
The impact of agrivoltaics on potato farming
New research from Italy has shown that agrivoltaic systems can reduce potato yield by up to 15% compared to full-light cropping. However, moderate early-season shading was found to delay soil-moisture depletion, extending biomass accumulation and improving water-use efficiency.
United Solar begins production at Omani polysilicon factory
The factory is located in Oman’s Sohar Freezone and will be capable of supporting the production of up to 40 GW of solar modules annually once at full capacity.
