PV modules

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that February saw a sharp divide in Europe’s solar conditions. Northeastern regions experienced clear, cold weather with irradiance 20% above average, while western and southern Europe endured persistent storms and widespread irradiance deficits.

Fire caused by an electrical fault from an overheated arcing cable hit the solar panels at Europa Point Stadium in Gibraltar. Firefighters contained and extinguished the blaze within 20 minutes.

U.S. researchers developed a framework showing that wider spacing between solar PV rows can make agrivoltaic systems economically viable for large-scale mechanized farming. Their simulations in Colorado demonstrated that optimized row spacing maintains crop production while improving combined agricultural and energy revenues.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

Researchers in Japan have achieved a 12.28% efficiency in a copper gallium selenide solar cell, the highest reported for indium-free wide-bandgap chalcogenide absorbers in the 1.65–1.75 eV range. The device uses aluminum-engineered films with a back-surface field and optimized cadmium sulfide buffer layers to enhance voltage, reduce recombination, and improve overall performance.

Solar manufacturer Swift Solar has acquired the heterojunction technology (HJT) intellectual property and manufacturing assets of Meyer Burger to establish domestic cell production.

Heat pumps are increasingly used for domestic hot water in Europe due to their efficiency and compatibility with solar power, but their lower operating temperatures can create conditions where Legionella pneumophila may grow if systems are poorly designed. Proper hydraulic design, temperature control, and periodic thermal disinfection ensure both high efficiency and safe, hygienic operation.

Toshiba has unveiled a PV management platform within its Spinex for Energy portfolio that enables real-time monitoring and O&M of multiple solar plants.
The system uses AI to track plant performance, detect faults, calculate capacity and PR metrics, automate reporting, and support troubleshooting.

Researchers from Australian National University and Longi used photoluminescence imaging to analyze dopant distributions in RCz-grown silicon wafers doped with antimony, phosphorus, and gallium, finding highly uniform radial concentration profiles suitable for high-efficiency solar cells. The study also found that antimony-doped wafers provide more stable axial doping along the ingot, highlighting their potential for next-generation photovoltaic manufacturing.

The European Court of Auditors says in a new report that EU policies supporting energy communities are progressing slowly and that the bloc’s goal of establishing one renewable energy community in every municipality with more than 10,000 residents by 2025 is unlikely to be met.