Technology and R&D

Czechia’s cybersecurity office said Chinese solar inverters in small power plants are a potential security threat. The Czech solar association told pv magazine work needs to be done on incentivizing European manufacturing to resolve the reliance on imports.

Researchers have developed a maximum power point tracking algorithm based on the social hierarchy and hunting strategy of grey wolves. When tested under realistic shading conditions, the grey wolf optimizer achieved an average MPPT efficiency of 98.15%, significantly outperforming conventional MPPT methods.

Sandia National Labs researchers have created a new dataset on the rates and types of rooftop PV connector failures. Their analysis has shown that tight wire bending radius, extra dirty connectors, and loose nuts are the most common failure causes in 6,276 connectors deployed between 2014 and 2017 across seven U.S. regions.

The Pioneer Na will be available globally from mid-October, 2025.

The new heat pump systems use propane as the refrigerant and can provide hot water at a temperature of up to 75 C, according to the UK-based manufacturer. 

A team of Japanese scientists explored how typical PV panel component materials affect the ability to re-use end-of-life PV cover glass. Specifically, they measured contamination by materials, such as aluminum, silicon, carbon, and copper, and their effects in melted PV panel glass cullet.

In recent months, solar energy has been recognised by the EU Commission as critical grid infrastructure, with a growing awareness around cybersecurity in particular raising questions about Europe’s energy security. In this article, solar cybersecurity specialist Uri Sadot – Managing Director at SolarDefend and Elected Chairman of SolarPower Europe’s Digitalization Group – discusses what PV installers, developers, EPCs and system owners can do to better protect themselves – and the grid.

As off-grid solar systems expand to serve remote and underserved communities worldwide, digitalization has become a crucial need for efficient project development, implementation, and long-term sustainability. A new report from IEA PVPS Task 18 systematically explores digital tools across the entire off-grid energy project value chain, providing much-needed guidance for practitioners looking to optimize their operations.

The new product weighs 13 kg/m2 and is claimed to be particularly suitable for building facades. It features a power ouput of 75 W and a junction box with an IP-68 rating.

Scientists from Spain have developed a daylight electroluminescence method that uses other strings to supply current to the inspected string. It was simulated and then tested in two 50 MW PV plants. Comparative assessment against lab-electroluminescence resulted in acceptable diagnostic performance.