PV plant

Researchers in India have developed a novel layout design tool to identify the optimal locations for solar panel installation on undulating terrain. The tool consists of two components: a filtering module that excludes unsuitable land patches, and an algorithm that determines the optimal distribution of panels across the remaining usable area. The approach was demonstrated on a test site in India.

The Chinese firm says its new EnerCube product is designed for commercial and industrial applications. It has a capacity of 2,250 kWh.

The researchers have used computational fluid dynamics-based modelling of snow patterns in an effort to establish best practices to mitigate snow accumulation in alpine PV plants.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that North America experienced a highly variable solar performance in October, as a strong high-pressure system boosted irradiance across the eastern regions while cooler, cloudier conditions reduced solar potential in the Pacific Northwest.

After a record year, the European power purchase agreement (PPA) market has declined sharply. At an industry gathering this week in Amsterdam, participants highlighted rising PPA complexity and potential solutions, including how to handle negative prices in solar PPAs and the move toward hybrid PPAs with battery storage.

The French authorities have concluded a commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop PV tender with an average price of €0.09648 ($0.1108)/kWh. The government allocated 300.9 MW of PV capacity in total.

GSE Intégration has introduced a new version of its ground-mounted photovoltaic structure, the GSE Ground System Evolution. It is designed for faster installation and compliance with France’s soil conservation laws.

Solar panel cleaning equipment company Objectif Drone has launched a new 7 kg dual-brush cleaning robot with a speed of 5 km/h made for small and medium-sized PV installations.

A four-year analysis conducted at a testing field in eastern Poland has shown that crystalline solar panels offer a stronger performance than thin-film panels at high latitudes. The tests revealed pronounced seasonal variability across all technologies, with thin-film modules showing markedly lower capacity factors than crystalline silicon, particularly in winter.

The Taiwanese manufacturer showcased the new module range at Energy Taiwan trade show. Two modules in the lineup boast a wind resistance of 17 on the Beaufort scale, making them typhoon ready, according to the company.