Renewables

Aisa Group is seeking to secure financial incentive to build a massive photovoltaic park in the department of Jáchal, province of San Juan, with an estimated investment of $600 million. The project includes supplying energy to industrial users and the national electricity grid.

The Aquarea DHW Heat Pump utilizes propane as the refrigerant and is reportedly able to reach maximum temperatures of 65 C. The standalone unit supports PV contact and is compatible with external recirculation pumps.

Italy’s first solar auction under the transitional FER X incentive scheme drew 17.5 GW in project proposals and an additional 2.87 GW in wind bids, according to state-run energy agency Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE).

The technology which combines solar PV panels and agriculture is gaining ground. IEC Standards for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems already exist, but more might be required, dealing with some of the more specific issues relating to agriculture.

A research team led by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics in China have used tetramethylammonium chloride in the fabrication of perovskite solar cells and modules, demonstrating that it improved both stability and efficiency results. The group’s 10 cm × 8 cm modules achieved certified 21.60% power conversion efficiency. The novel interfacial modification enabled the use of scalable blade coating to deposit both transport layers and the perovskite layer.

Neoen’s 300 MW Cestas solar park, commissioned in 2015, remains France’s biggest PV plant and the only one in the country that contributes to grid stability, even at night.

Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) says Germany could deploy up to 500 GW of agrivoltaic capacity, based on a nationwide assessment of all agricultural land types and site suitability criteria.

Researchers in Türkiye have conducted an experimental study on the ideal tilt angles for PV systems deployed on canals. Their analysis showed that an 8◦ tilt angle consistently demonstrates greater performance.

Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory grew tomatoes under translucent solar panels, which could play a promising role in agrivoltaics.

In grids increasingly dominated by renewables, grid-forming technology is emerging as critical tool for maintaining stability and ensuring reliable power system operation. In this interview with ESS News, Rui Sun, Sungrow’s Deputy General Manager-Grid Technology Center, explains how grid-forming works, why it matters, and where the technology is already proving its value. He elaborates on technical challenges, regulatory gaps, and why grid-forming could soon become the new industry standard.