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.
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.
Solarcleano launches panel cleaning robot for large PV installations, trackers
The Luxembourg startup’s newest product is a portable, dry and wet cleaning system with 2.45 m wide brushes, designed to be operated by a single person.
Photovoltaic trees can save forest cover
Research simulating a solar tree farm within a coastal forest in South Korea found that solar tree structures could preserve 99% of forest cover when compared to a fixed solar farm built in the same area, without sacrificing power output.
Saharan dust events can reduce PV power output in Mediterranean area by up to 50%
New research from Hungary shows that Sarahan dust events can reduce PV power output in five Mediterranean countries by an average of 25-40%. The scientists stressed the need for including real-time dust monitoring and cloud interactions in solar forecasting.
Czech cybersecurity agency warns against Chinese solar inverters
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.
Novel MPPT methodology uses grey wolf hunting as inspiration
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.
Analysis of 6,276 connectors for rooftop PV systems
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.
Bluetti debuts world’s first sodium-ion portable power station
The Pioneer Na will be available globally from mid-October, 2025.
