Rooftop PV

Sigenergy has launched a 166 kW IP66-rated inverter for C&I solar and storage offering nine MPPT trackers and flexible AC/DC connections. The launch coincided with the opening of its Nantong Smart Energy Center, a 136,000 m² facility for R&D, manufacturing, and global delivery.

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.

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.

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.

The Chinese manufacturer said its new back-contact module delivers up to 545 W and over 25% efficiency in a compact rooftop format for residential, C&I, and off-grid applications.

In its second monthly column for pv magazine, the Becquerel Institute explains that Europe has vast commercial and industrial rooftops suitable for solar, but decades-old structural limits block conventional PV panels, creating an 85 GW untapped potential. Lightweight PV modules, commercially available and up to 50% lighter, can unlock this constrained market, meeting regulatory, economic, and technical needs for solar deployment across the continent.

California appellate court has affirmed the Public Utilities Commission decision to sharply cut compensation for homeowners and businesses that export rooftop solar electricity production to the grid.

The Chinese manufacturer has launched a fire-resistant version of its Hi-MO X10 module for distributed PV applications, featuring back-contact technology and up to 24.8% efficiency. The company says the module adds enhanced fire-safety design to address rooftop PV risks such as hot spots and DC arcing.

The 3 kW N3300S inverter combines a pure sine wave inverter with an integrated MPPT solar charge controller for small residential and hybrid PV systems. The unit supports multiple power sources, flexible battery chemistries, and rapid grid/off-grid switching.