Western Europe

Swiss startup Turn2Sun has developed a PV mounting structure with end-of-life wind turbine blades. It has installed the structure at an altitude of 2,500 meters in the Grisons region of Switzerland, with 16 bifacial 430 W solar modules.

As the solar wave sweeps across Europe, creaking grids are emphasizing the continent’s overriding need for energy storage.

SolarEdge is partnering with Vaillant and Samsung to integrate their heat pumps into its home ecosystem. Homeowners will be able to optimize their energy consumption by using excess PV or shifting consumption in accordance with optimal energy rates.

First Solar has announced a limited production run of the “world’s first” bifacial solar panel with a cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor. The pre-commercial Series 6 Plus Bifacial module is making its debut this week at Intersolar Europe in Munich, Germany.

An international research team has designed a floating PV system that can reportedly withstand wave heights above 10 meters. The system uses splitters to link one mooring tether to multiple floating modules. This reportedly ensures sufficient structural capacity, while avoiding the need for too many mooring lines.

French floating PV specialist Ciel & Terre says it now has more than 1.5 GW of floating PV projects in the design phase or under construction. It has already completed 280 floating solar projects in more than 30 countries, totaling 820 MW.

Munich-based Wacker announced it intends to set up a new production line for semiconductor-grade polysilicon at its facility in Burghausen, Germany. The €300 million ($324.4 million) investment would expand the manufacturing capacity of the ultrapure polysilicon by over 50%.

BayWa r.e. and its Groenleven subsidiary are building an 8.7 MW agrivoltaics project to support raspberry cultivation, in one the largest projects of its kind in Europe. They expect to complete the project in the first quarter of 2024.

pv magazine is on the ground bringing you the latest developments from this year’s three-day European solar shindig in Munich.

South Korea is opening what it claims is the world’s first hydrogen power generation bidding market, while the International Energy Agency says that Omani hydrogen production could surpass current European consumption levels.