Switzerland to fund research on PV module, battery, heat pump recycling
The Swiss federal government has launched a funding call for research projects on energy and resource-efficient industrial processes, including the circular economy related to solar modules, batteries, heat pumps and electrolyzers. The deadline to submit pre-proposals is June 30.
Spray cooling for floating PV
A research team in Germany developed a dynamic model of spray cooling for floating PV systems that couples thermal behavior, electrical performance, and active cooling, and validated it against a 750 kW installation. Simulations across four climates showed that spray cooling reduces module temperatures by up to 42% and improves energy yield by up to 3.8%, with benefits strongly dependent on local conditions.
Agrivoltaics maintain or enhance forage quality, study finds
Researchers have analyzed the biomass and nutritional value of grasses and legumes for grazing dairy cattle, growing in agrivoltaics fields. The results showed that forage quality may be maintained or even enhanced in agrivoltaic environments.
The solar support gap: Why do pro-solar citizens reject local projects?
Researchers from the University of Rhode Island explored why citizens who voiced pro-solar sentiments voted against a solar project development in a 2019 municipal referendum. Their analysis found objections over land use greatly outweigh proximity concerns.
Cyber threats for PV: What are distributed denial-of-service attacks and how do they work
Denial-of-service attacks overwhelm networked systems with massive traffic from compromised devices, disrupting communication and making critical services like PV system monitoring and control unavailable. They can cause operational instability, reduced energy production, and safety risks, requiring layered defenses such as filtering, redundancy, and automated mitigation to maintain system resilience.
Microbial biofilms can reduce solar module yield by up to 30% in arid zones
A Spanish-Chilean research team has found that microbial biofilms in the Atacama Desert can significantly contribute to the soiling of photovoltaic modules, reducing short-circuit current by up to around 30% under accelerated laboratory conditions. The study highlights microorganisms as active agents in PV soiling and suggests they may influence optical losses, cleaning efficiency, and future mitigation strategies in arid, high-irradiance solar regions.
European power grid investment set to rise sharply by 2027
The EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) says distribution grid investment has risen 51% since 2021, but warns that fragmented planning rules and regulatory distortions could limit efficiency and slow the energy transition.
Porous silica-based anti-reflective coating increases PV glass optical transmission by 5.2%
Researchers in Spain developed a porous silica anti-reflective coating for solar panels that boosts optical transmission while balancing durability and mechanical stability through optimized sol–gel chemistry.
Cyber threats for PV: What are credential compromise attacks and how do they work
Credential compromise attacks allow adversaries to gain unauthorized access to PV systems by stealing or guessing valid login credentials, enabling them to manipulate operations, disrupt monitoring, or take control of critical assets. These attacks can lead to operational instability, reduced energy production, and safety risks, making strong authentication and access control essential for system resilience.
Mova unveils all-in-one plug-in solar and storage solutions
Entering a competitive small-scale energy storate field is Chinese maker Mova, well-known for its kitchen applicances and growing robotic homewares including vacuums and more.
