Retail data-sharing offers consumption monitoring without meters
Solar Analytics, an Australian solar energy analytics company, is now offering a new service that allows solar owners to retrieve consumption data directly from retail meters, eliminating the need for additional consumption metering.
Solar-powered tool shed store electric lawn equipment
SunVilla says its new Smart Yard power station is a 6.4 kWh semi-solid state battery system with 3.8 kW of battery output. It features 100 W to 200 W solar modules mounted on a tool shed to charge electric systems and provide storage for lawn equipment.
Agrivoltaics for vertical farming
An Italian research group has assessed the advantages of combining solar power generation in greenhouses with vertical farming. The scientists claim this new approach offers better land use while increasing agricultural yield.
Weekend Read: Cash pours in to rooftop solar
The growth of European rooftop solar continues this year, with innovative companies raising capital to develop the market. It’s an encouraging trend with the potential to accelerate rooftop solar adoption. pv magazine correspondent Valerie Thompson takes a closer look.
New app to calculate payback periods of rooftop PV systems
The Amortisator app, initially developed for the German market, is now available on the Apple and Google Play stores. Primarily targeting customer advisors, the app can be accessed for a monthly fee of €9.99 ($10.93).
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Big module makers call for wafer standards
Trina Solar, JinkoSolar, JA Solar, Longi, Risen, Canadian Solar, Tongwei, Chint, and Das Solar have issued a joint statement demanding the standardization of wafer sizes.
The Hydrogen Stream: Thyssenkrupp lists hydrogen business in Frankfurt
German engineering conglomerate thyssenkrupp has listed shares of its hydrogen business, thyssenkrupp nucera, on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Prime Standard).
French railway operator launches renewables unit, plans 1 GW of solar
SNCF says it wants to devote 1,000 hectares of its land to solar development, so it can cover 20% of its electricity consumption by the end of the decade.
Dutch government mulling PV ban on agricultural sites
Dutch Economy Minister Micky Adriaansens said this week that she aims to make it impossible to install solar farms on agricultural land, with some unspecified exceptions. The plan has raised concerns at Holland Solar, with the trade group warning of potential damage to farmers and solar project developers.
Chinese oil company switches on high-altitude 40 MW solar-plus-storage plant
China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) says it has completed a 40 MW solar-plus-storage plant at an altitude of 3,000 meters. It is connected to 6 MW/12 MWh of battery storage and hosts grazing farm animals.
