Technology and R&D

Maintaining grid stability becomes more challenging as the share of intermittent renewables grows in the electricity generation mix, but system resilience is essential to continued solar deployment. Grid-forming inverters offer a solution, and their capabilities are increasingly being tested and relied upon in key energy markets globally.

A machine learning model uses cloud type and cloud cover to predict rapid changes in surface solar irradiance, including short-term “ramp” events that affect grid stability. When tested across 15 global sites, it showed strong generalizability, with most locations matching or exceeding the original model’s predictive performance, though extreme climates performed less consistently.

A Cornell University research team developed a control framework that simultaneously considers past and future conditions when determining solar panel tilt angle. The researchers told pv magazine it is designed to be plug-and-play, allowing for software developers and solar operators to incorporate their optimization algorithms directly into the framework.

Amazon has conducted a six-month field trial of a rooftop heat pump system developed by U.S. startup Transaera at one of its logistics facilities. The system uses metal–organic framework (MOF)–based dehumidification to remove moisture from outdoor air before cooling.

Dubbed RISE 261H-XH, the system is available in 50 kW, 63 kW, 85 kW, and 125 kW output configurations. It supports 100% three-phase unbalanced load in backup mode and delivers 160% rated AC overload capacity for 10 seconds.

Chinese researchers have found that massive photovoltaic deployment in the Taklamakan Desert could alter regional climate dynamics and worsen water stress in the already arid Tarim Basin, despite the area’s vast solar potential.

Gravity storage gets a boost from South Africa’s state-owned utility Eskom.

Latest analysis from Pexapark finds strong solar output and weaker demand caused a drop in solar capture factors in France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain. These countries are also experiencing an increase in the share of solar production under negative price hours.

U.S. researchers have developed an IR-CW laser-based method to remove backsheets from end-of-life silicon solar modules without damaging the glass or wafers, using controlled heating of the silicon–EVA interface through the front glass. The process enables clean mechanical delamination with preserved device performance and offers a lower-energy, lower-cost alternative to conventional thermal or chemical recycling methods.

The aircraft, acquired by Skydweller Aero in 2019 and converted into an autonomous long-endurance platform, crashed after a loss of power. It was equipped with approximately 17,000 photovoltaic cells on its wings.