When the rivers ran warm: how a heatwave thinned France’s nuclear export cushion
UK-based engineering and professional services consulting firm WSP explains how a late-June 2026 heatwave forced France to cut output at river-cooled nuclear reactors as the Rhône, the Garonne and the Seine approached their thermal limits. The afternoon surplus that France exports to its neighbours fell from 11–12 GW to under 3 GW within days, even though the month’s total exports remained normal. The episode shows how rising river temperatures can become a recurring constraint on French nuclear output.
14 hours ago
Advertisement
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
When the rivers ran warm: how a heatwave thinned France’s nuclear export cushion
UK-based engineering and professional services consulting firm WSP explains how a late-June 2026 heatwave forced France to cut output at river-cooled nuclear reactors as the Rhône, the Garonne and the Seine approached their thermal limits. The afternoon surplus that France exports to its neighbours fell from 11–12 GW to under 3 GW within days, even though the month’s total exports remained normal. The episode shows how rising river temperatures can become a recurring constraint on French nuclear output.
14 hours ago
The Leadership Lens: Highlighting the double standards shaping leadership in the energy transition
This week, Women in Solar+ Europe (WiSEu) shares key insights from its flagship breakfast workshop at Intersolar Europe 2026, where professionals across the solar and storage sectors explored the double standards that continue to shape women’s careers. From visibility and credibility to motherhood, networking, and organisational culture, the discussion highlighted the barriers still in place — and the leadership behaviours, allyship, and structural changes needed to build a fairer, stronger energy transition.
Jun 26, 2026
East Asia’s sunny May lifts coastal irradiance above average as El Niño builds
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that clear skies driven by a persistent high-pressure system pushed May solar irradiance well above average across coastal East Asia, including Japan, Korea, eastern China, Taiwan, and the northern Philippines, with Japan seeing some of the strongest gains.
Jun 26, 2026
Advertisement
Most Popular
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.
Impacts of the EU inverter ban
The European Commission (EC) is restricting European Union funding to solar projects using Chinese-made inverters, due to the perceived risks of cyberattacks and blackouts. But are European suppliers ready to scale up production and challenge China’s monopoly? Andreas Walstad reports.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Highlights
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.
18 hours ago
India’s annual solar installations could reach 85 GW by fiscal year 2030
A report by Equirus Securities predicts data centres, green hydrogen and night-time connectivity could add 15-20 GW of incremental solar demand annually from fiscal year 2029, which could lead to annual solar installations in India rising from around 50 GW in fiscal year 2027 to nearly 85 GW three years later.
Jun 30, 2026
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Press Release
ISC Konstanz
9 hours ago
Press Release
TBEA
14 hours ago
Press Release
GoodWe
14 hours ago
Advertisement
Lower temperatures, higher heat pump efficiency
A large-scale study of UK heat pump installations has revealed a major gap between hypothetical performance and real-world data. Changes to commissioning could make all the difference. pv magazine caught up with Oxford University’s Jan Rosenow and Heat Pump Monitor’s Trystan Lea to hear how installers can achieve higher seasonal performance factor (SPF) ratings for their customers.
Jun 27, 2026
Advertisement
Biwatt launches modular sodium-ion residential storage system
The new PowerNest R5 Series features a wire-free, stackable architecture utilizing NFPP sodium-ion chemistry. It is available as a standalone battery pack or as an all-in-one system with an integrated single-phase hybrid inverter.
17 hours ago
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.
17 hours ago
Sunoyster showcases 450 W lightweight glass-glass solar module
Sunoyster Systems has presented the PVbondi lightweight glass-glass module, designed for low-load-bearing roofs. The system reportedly improves rear ventilation, reduces roof load, and enables faster installation while offering high adhesive strength for flat-roof PV applications.
Jun 29, 2026
Kyocera testing Sekisui Chemical’s perovksite solar tech at Japanese sites
Kyocera has begun testing perovskite solar modules developed by Sekisui Chemical across six of its facilities in Japan. The trials are being conducted in Fukuoka and Shiga prefectures to evaluate the emerging solar technology’s performance in real-world conditions.
Jun 29, 2026
Advertisement
South Korea’s solar crossroads
South Korean solar is entering a new stage, where structural quality and sustainability are judged more important than speed of growth. The country’s annual solar installations in 2026 are projected to reach approximately 4 GW, similar to 2025 figures. Companies and public bodies see electricity as a long-term risk to be managed, rather than as an expense to be minimized, and the market is shifting from a supply logic centered on power generators to a choice logic centered on electricity consumers.
19 hours ago
When the rivers ran warm: how a heatwave thinned France’s nuclear export cushion
UK-based engineering and professional services consulting firm WSP explains how a late-June 2026 heatwave forced France to cut output at river-cooled nuclear reactors as the Rhône, the Garonne and the Seine approached their thermal limits. The afternoon surplus that France exports to its neighbours fell from 11–12 GW to under 3 GW within days, even though the month’s total exports remained normal. The episode shows how rising river temperatures can become a recurring constraint on French nuclear output.
14 hours ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Time to talk electrification
Switching energy-hungry industries to processes that run on electricity is a key step in many regional decarbonization strategies, and one that will also ensure growing demand for renewable energy sources. For many industries electrification is already underway, and as grids gear up to better manage variable generation and supply shocks, the vulnerability of fossil fuel supply chains makes the case more compelling.
Jun 29, 2026
Advertisement
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.
18 hours ago
India’s annual solar installations could reach 85 GW by fiscal year 2030
A report by Equirus Securities predicts data centres, green hydrogen and night-time connectivity could add 15-20 GW of incremental solar demand annually from fiscal year 2029, which could lead to annual solar installations in India rising from around 50 GW in fiscal year 2027 to nearly 85 GW three years later.
Jun 30, 2026
Ireland expected to exceed 3.3 GW of connected solar capacity by year-end
Ireland’s solar market is continuing to mature rapidly, according to Solar Ireland’s 2026 annual report which also identified the emergence of a ‘duck curve’ and called for more energy storage to balance out the 2.7 GW of solar now connected to the grid.
Jun 30, 2026
Advertisement
Stay informed, stay connected!
- Don’t miss out on key industry events, deadlines, and gatherings that shape the future of the energy transition.
- Visit our comprehensive Events Calendar to mark your schedule with the latest happenings in the photovoltaic and energy storage sectors.
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
Vertical agrivoltaics for oats
Researchers in Sweden studied oat production under a vertical agrivoltaic system during the 2024 growing season, comparing it with ground-mounted and open-field conditions. Results showed that crop performance was generally higher under agrivoltaic systems, highlighting their potential for productive dual land use.
16 hours ago
Goldbeck Solar developing 3-step solution for automated construction of utility-scale PV plants
Goldbeck Solar’s HeliomatiX system uses a container-based Assembly Hub, autonomous crawler, and robotic mounting to automate solar park construction. The technology can reportedly cut installation man-hours by up to 85% and achieve megawatt-scale deployment within hours.
Jun 30, 2026
Advertisement
Advertisement
Press Release
ISC Konstanz
9 hours ago
Press Release
TBEA
14 hours ago
Press Release
GoodWe
14 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
Technology & Products
Sponsored
HiTHIUM launches ARKVOLT residential energy storage products in Europe
Building on its GWh-scale expertise in utility-scale energy storage, HiTHIUM has brought its industrial-grade safety standards and system reliability into residential applications with the new ARKVOLT product series, which made its official debut at The smarter E Europe in Munich this week. ARKVOLT is HiTHIUM’s premium residential energy storage brand, developed specifically for mature markets including Europe, North America and Australia.
Jun 24, 2026
Already a subscriber?
Login