Technology & Products
Solar technology moves fast, as the industry pursues the joint goals of improving efficiency and lowering costs. From tiny tweaks in battery or solar cell materials, to optimizing large-scale system layouts, solar rewards effective innovations with a quick route to market.
As the industry grows, reliability testing becomes more complex and factors like recycling and critical mineral consumption come into the frame as well.
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Scaling sodium storage
Chinese battery integrator HyperStrong has signed a deal with CATL for 60 GWh of sodium-ion battery cells to be supplied over three years. This represents the biggest deal seen yet for the emerging battery technology. pv magazine caught up with HyperStrong Chairman and CEO Jianhui Zhang to discuss the company’s plans for implementation of sodium-ion battery systems.
Jul 21, 2026
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A. O. Smith launches CO₂ split heat pump water heater for residential use
A. O. Smith has launched the Voltex X, an outdoor split-system heat pump water heater using CO₂ refrigerant and designed for cold-climate operation down to -31.7 C. The system offers up to 303 L of storage, smart controls, leak and freeze protection, and a 10-year limited warranty.
Tesla files tax incentive application for $10.1 billion Texas solar cell plant
Tesla has submitted plans for a $10.1 billion vertically integrated solar cell manufacturing campus in Fort Bend County under the internal name Project Crystal Sun, seeking property tax limitations under the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation Act.
Rhoss launches propane heat pumps for multi-family residential applications
The Italian manufacturer has expanded its MidiPACK-PI R290 heat pump range with four new models offering heating capacities of 38.2 kW to 64.7 kW and cooling capacities of 34.6 kW to 60.3 kW. The units have a reported SCOP of 3.34 to 3.50 and can produce water at temperatures of up to 80 C.
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Exploring electrochemical recovery of silver from end-of-life solar modules
Australian researchers have identified 316L stainless steel as an effective electrode material for recovering silver from recycled PV cells, achieving up to 93% recovery and 96% Faradaic efficiency. The study shows that optimizing current density improves silver deposition, while copper contamination affects electrochemical behavior without causing significant co-deposition.
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Technology & Products
CAB® Solar highlights solar cable hanger solutions for agricultural projects
At The smarter E 2026 in Munich, the company demonstrated its ModulAir® free-air cable hangers for solar projects, as well as its latest 3D locking hangers, which are designed to secure electric cables when used in locations with livestock.
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US bans foreign-produced solar inverters
In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has added foreign-produced power inverters to its Covered List, executing an immediate ban on equipment authorizations for unapproved foreign models over national security and hacking concerns.
As solar breaks records, its security must catch up
In May 2026, U.S. solar power hit a historic milestone by generating more electricity than coal for the first time, but rapid industry expansion brings critical security risks, particularly during construction, that require scalable and proactive physical defense strategies to protect valuable assets.
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