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Technology and R&D

Chinese scientists develop colorless solar concentrator for PV windows

The research team’s semi-transparent solar concentrator can be directly coated onto standard window glass. It uses liquid crystal films to reflect and guide circularly-polarized sunlight to solar cells installed toward the edge of a window. A 1-inch diameter prototype was found capable of directly powering a 10 mW fan under sunlight.

Enphase presents bidirectional EV charger

The microinverter company has disclosed details on the architecture of its IQ Bidirectional EV Charger, which will be available for sale in the second half of 2026. It is reportedly able to deliver up to 11.5 kW of bidirectional power.

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Decision making tool for crop selection in agrivoltaics

Researches in Germany have created a comprehensive crop selection tool for agrivoltaics across more than 25 countries. The proposed matrix evaluates species-specific responses of 12 major crop types to shading, microclimate changes, and crop growth, while also assessing their water needs, shade tolerance, and space requirements.

SMA secures German certificate for grid-forming battery inverter

SMA Solar Technology AG has obtained the first German unit certificate for a grid-forming battery inverter with instantaneous reserve. The certification allows use in high- and extra-high-voltage projects ahead of the new reserve market in 2026.

Rable offers mounting system for east-west PV systems on low-load flat roofs

The Dutch startup said it is developing markets in France, Sweden, and Belgium after completing more than 50 solar rooftop projects in its home market based on its east-west oriented, self-supported mounting system.

Domain adaptation framework for PV power forecasting

A team of researchers have developed a domain adaption framework capable of transferring knowledge from solar power plants with abundant data to plants that need to be trained without labelled data. The framework has been tested at three solar power sites in Germany and was found to perform better than reference models.

Italy issues new fire safety rules for PV and storage systems

Italy’s fire service has introduced binding guidelines for PV systems up to 1,500 V, adding rules on storage, spacing, compartmentalization, and maintenance.

Tesla unveils new generation of utility-scale batteries

Tesla’s long-anticipated innovation in utility-scale battery storage has yielded two new products, marking a leap toward faster deployment, greater scalability, and higher energy density.

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Solar, wave-powered uncrewed vehicle for marine monitoring

UK-based Autonaut offers wave-propelled and solar PV-powered drones capable of data collection at sea for several months at a time.

Canadian Solar presents 660 W ‘low-carbon’ heterojunction module with 24.4% efficiency

The new products are available in nine versions with power output ranging from 620 W to 660 W and power conversion efficiency spanning from 23.0% to 24.4%. Canadian Solar said the panels have a carbon footprint of 285 kg CO₂eq/kW, which is reportedly one of the lowest among all silicon-based solar modules worldwide.

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