Blocking, El Niño and extreme events redistribute solar resource in 2026 so far
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that, in the first half of 2026, solar irradiance was broadly above average across Europe, the United States, Southeast Asia, South America, and Central Africa, driven by shifting atmospheric patterns transitioning from early-year blocking and polar vortex disruption to developing El Niño conditions. Elsewhere, conditions were more mixed: Canada, Mexico, South Africa, North Africa, parts of Western Russia and Central Asia saw 5–10% deficits, while Asia, Australia, and parts of the Americas experienced strong regional variability influenced by cloud, rainfall, cyclones, dust, and smoke events.
9 minutes ago
Chinese PV Industry Brief: TCL Zhonghuan completes acquisition of Das Solar
TCL Zhonghuan has completed its acquisition of Das Solar, gaining 20 GW of n-type TOPCon cell capacity and 50 GW of module capacity while outlining plans to upgrade 20 GW of cell and 25 GW of module production to back-contact technology.
27 minutes ago
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Oil in turmoil, solar stays stable
Soaring energy costs have grabbed headlines around the world the past two months, but prices across the solar supply chain are marching to their own beat, writes Hanwei Wu of OPIS. Oversupply in Asia continues to distort markets, with either sharp price falls or tepid price gains.
May 25, 2026
Blocking, El Niño and extreme events redistribute solar resource in 2026 so far
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that, in the first half of 2026, solar irradiance was broadly above average across Europe, the United States, Southeast Asia, South America, and Central Africa, driven by shifting atmospheric patterns transitioning from early-year blocking and polar vortex disruption to developing El Niño conditions. Elsewhere, conditions were more mixed: Canada, Mexico, South Africa, North Africa, parts of Western Russia and Central Asia saw 5–10% deficits, while Asia, Australia, and parts of the Americas experienced strong regional variability influenced by cloud, rainfall, cyclones, dust, and smoke events.
9 minutes ago
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Daikin unveils residential heat pump combining air-to-air and hydronic heating
The X Series heat pump integraes cooling, hydronic heating, and domestic hot water via one outdoor unit with inverter-based load sharing. It uses R-32 refrigerant, supports 180–230 L hot water storage, and connects to HEMS via Onecta for centralized, PV-optimized energy management.
Panasonic launches CO₂ air-to-water heat pump with coefficient of performance of 6.1
Panasonic has launched a residential CO₂ (R744) air-to-water heat pump range designed for efficient hot water production, even in low ambient temperatures, using natural carbon dioxide refrigerant.
The system offers 4.0 kW or 6.0 kW outdoor units with 250–400 L tank options, up to COP 6.1 performance, around 37 dB(A) operation, PV integration, and a 10-year warranty.
Sungrow releases its first all-in-one battery inverter for residential use
Sungrow’s new PowerHarbor residential all-in-one hybrid inverter system offers 10–30 kW inverter power, 6–10 kWh modular LFP battery blocks, 1.6× PV-to-battery fast charging, AI-driven energy optimization, and up to 150% phase unbalance output.
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Highlights
Solar warehouse in Kyiv struck by Russian missiles
Ukrainian solar energy company Atmosfera was struck during a Russian missile attack on Kyiv last week, destroying some of the solar equipment at its central warehouse. The company says a substantial share of the inventory was saved and confirmed all employees were unharmed.
18 hours ago
Solar can outcompete grid power in rural India
A new study finds that solar-based distributed renewable energy (DRE) systems can supply electricity in rural India at lower cost than conventional grid power when projects are tailored to local demand, storage, and grid conditions. It recommends Village Energy Plans (VEPs) as the foundation for scaling reliable, cost-effective DRE deployment through integrated planning and stronger utility participation.
Jul 01, 2026
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Press Release
GCL SI
13 hours ago
Press Release
Trinasolar
13 hours ago
Press Release
19 hours ago
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Rapid shutdown explained
Rapid shutdown is a safety function that reduces the voltage of PV conductors if a system failure occurs. While it can be incorporated into module level power electronics (MLPE) devices – such as optimizers and microinverters – some markets require dedicated rapid shutdown devices (RSDs).
Jul 02, 2026
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Sunner unveils predictive technology to detect tracker galloping in real time
Spanish control systems specialist Sunner has launched True Wind, a predictive monitoring system that detects wind-induced galloping in solar trackers before structural damage occurs. The company says the technology improves tracker availability by replacing wind speed-based protection with real-time structural analysis.
19 hours ago
Technology & Products
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Dahua Technology showcases “Visible AI in New Energy” at Intersolar Europe 2026
The AIoT solution and service provider presented a portfolio of solutions, including perimeter protection and intelligent inspection systems, among other offerings to help energy operators enhance efficiency, reliability, and security across the energy value chain.
22 hours ago
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The aggregation imperative
Grid operators across the United States face an unprecedented dual challenge of surging electricity demand from data centers and frequent extreme weather events. These grid strains are forcing a structural shift in the US energy market, and decentralized generation capacity aggregated under virtual power plants (VPPs) is entering the mainstream.
3 hours ago
Blocking, El Niño and extreme events redistribute solar resource in 2026 so far
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that, in the first half of 2026, solar irradiance was broadly above average across Europe, the United States, Southeast Asia, South America, and Central Africa, driven by shifting atmospheric patterns transitioning from early-year blocking and polar vortex disruption to developing El Niño conditions. Elsewhere, conditions were more mixed: Canada, Mexico, South Africa, North Africa, parts of Western Russia and Central Asia saw 5–10% deficits, while Asia, Australia, and parts of the Americas experienced strong regional variability influenced by cloud, rainfall, cyclones, dust, and smoke events.
9 minutes ago
Chinese PV Industry Brief: TCL Zhonghuan completes acquisition of Das Solar
TCL Zhonghuan has completed its acquisition of Das Solar, gaining 20 GW of n-type TOPCon cell capacity and 50 GW of module capacity while outlining plans to upgrade 20 GW of cell and 25 GW of module production to back-contact technology.
27 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Rapid shutdown explained
Rapid shutdown is a safety function that reduces the voltage of PV conductors if a system failure occurs. While it can be incorporated into module level power electronics (MLPE) devices – such as optimizers and microinverters – some markets require dedicated rapid shutdown devices (RSDs).
Jul 02, 2026
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Shallow gabion foundations enable solar plant deployment on archaeological site
Shallow gabion foundations enabled the installation of a solar plant on an archaeological site with minimal ground disturbance. The approach ensures structural stability while preserving sensitive subsurface heritage through a fully reversible foundation system.
18 hours ago
French company unveils on-site manufacturing concept for modular floating PV systems
Araymond has developed Neluma, a modular floating PV system using containerized microfactories to manufacture float components directly on-site, reducing transport needs and installation complexity. The company is targeting multi-megawatt projects globally, with pilots and early deployments already underway in Europe, India and Brazil.
Jul 02, 2026
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Solar skills shortage intensifies
Solar plays an outsized role in skills and employment, as the largest growing employer in the energy sector worldwide. pv magazine looks at an investigative report into a European skills provider and digs further into the challenges of training workers for the solar industry.
Jun 26, 2026
New PV module recycling tech achieves 97.75% silicon recovery for electrode production
Researchers developed a process to recover silicon and silicon dioxide (SiO₂) from end-of-life crystalline silicon solar cells for use in lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery electrodes across different substrates. The recovered material achieved around 97.75% silicon yield and showed substrate-dependent performance.
24 hours ago
New research shows ground-mounted PV needs enhanced earthing systems to safely manage lightning-induced step voltages
Large ground-mounted PV plants face significant lightning-induced transient voltages that can increase step-voltage hazards, especially in open, high-exposure terrains, requiring carefully designed earthing and bonding systems. Researchers from Austria used frequency-resolved electromagnetic simulations to show that equipotential bonding reduces risks, but effectiveness depends strongly on soil resistivity and is not guaranteed by standard grounding resistance limits alone.
Jul 02, 2026
Glass frit optimization in silver paste leads to measurable gains in solar cell efficiency
Researchers in China found that fine tuning the lead(II) oxide (PbO) and silicon dioxide (SiO₂) molar ratio in silver paste glass frits affects silver-silicon contact resistance in crystalline silicon solar cells. They found that an intermediate ratio optimizes interfacial structure, lowering contact resistance and improving efficiency by 1 percentage point.
Jul 02, 2026
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Press Release
GCL SI
13 hours ago
Press Release
Trinasolar
13 hours ago
Press Release
19 hours ago
Technology & Products
Sponsored
Dahua Technology showcases “Visible AI in New Energy” at Intersolar Europe 2026
The AIoT solution and service provider presented a portfolio of solutions, including perimeter protection and intelligent inspection systems, among other offerings to help energy operators enhance efficiency, reliability, and security across the energy value chain.
22 hours ago
Technology & Products
Sponsored
EcoFlow unveils OASIS 3.0: Pioneering energy intelligence for the European home
With its new OASIS 3.0 home energy management system (HEMS), unveiled at Intersolar 2026 in Munich last week, EcoFlow targets the rapidly expanding European residential energy market. This launch marks EcoFlow is leading the industry to another new chapter of intelligent energy management.
Jun 29, 2026
Technology & Products
Sponsored
Sunwoda Energy launches SunESS H Series and deepens European partnerships
At Intersolar and ees Europe 2026, Sunwoda Energy launched its upgraded SunESS H Series under the theme “One Core, All Scenes” and signed agreements with BayWa r.e., CEF, and IBC Solar to support European expansion.
Jun 25, 2026
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