Plan-B Net Zero combines battery storage and hydrogen storage in new concept
The Swiss startup presented the battery plus hydrogen idea to a Symposium this week.
Smartvolt adds rooftop lightning protection to pre-assembled mounting system
The Swiss mounting system manufacturer has added new safety features to its pre-assembled, foldable SmartSolarBox solution for flat roofs and temporary sites, as well as support for larger 600 W modules.
Europe’s largest sodium-ion battery installation goes live
Switzerland’s Phenogy has launched a megawatt-hour-scale sodium ion energy storage system at a commercial site near Bremen Airport in northern Germany. With this project, the Swiss manufacturer is making its debut on the European energy storage scene, backed by ambitions to develop fully vertically integrated local manufacturing.
Agrivoltaics for arboriculture
Swiss company Insolight inaugurated a 250 kW agrivoltaic installation on apple, pear, and apricot orchards in Conthey, producing 300 MWh per year for the grid, in collaboration with Agroscope, Romande Energie, and the canton of Valais.
Swiss startup offers timber-framed solar carport
Urbanpv has developed a timber-framed 46 kW parking lot design for ten parking spaces including the access lane.
Solar & Storage Live Zurich 2025 reflects growth of Swiss PV sector
At the Solar & Storage Live trade fair, Swiss and European wholesalers were represented with products from manufacturers in Germany, Lithuania, Norway, Switzerland, and, of course, China. Some manufacturers also had their own booths, and there was also a new area for installers.
Meyer Burger gives up on selling itself as a whole, sells U.S. solar production tools
Sales of module and cell production equipment to, respectively, Waaree Solar Americas and Babacomari North Solar further thin chances of any Meyer Burger revival of its domestic production.
SolarStratos reaches 8,224 m height
Swiss pilot Raphaël Domjan flew the SolarStratos solar-powered aircraft to 8,224 meters on Aug. 10, setting a personal record but falling short of the 9,235-meter world mark held by Solar Impulse.
Solar on the tracks
Swiss startup Sun-Ways inaugurated its railway PV project in April in Neuchatel, Switzerland, after more than two years of planning. Joseph Scuderi, founder of Sun-Ways, tells pv magazine that the pilot is attracting international attention.
High-temperature co-annealing step could cut TOPCon cell costs
Researchers at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have proposed combining the two high-temperature steps used in producing tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells into a single co-annealing process. Initial results show promising outcomes in boron concentration, passivation quality, and contact resistivity.
