Irish government allocates €380 million for residential, community grant schemes
Roughly €380 million ($403 million) has been earmarked for spending in Ireland’s residential and community grant upgrade schemes, which includes solar PV installations, according to the Irish government’s 2024 Budget. The head of the local energy association, however, cautions to pv magazine that the new budget may not be ‘quite so generous’ as it first appears.
Bangladesh introduces rooftop PV requirement for big, new buildings
Bangladesh has implemented a new rule stating that new buildings with rooftop spaces exceeding 92.2 square meters must install net-metered solar power systems as a prerequisite for grid connection.
Australian competition regulator issues warning about LG home batteries
South Korea’s LG has updated a recall of its solar batteries, with Australia’s consumer watchdog warning owners of LG-branded batteries to “immediately” switch off their solar storage systems, amid concerns of overheating batteries.
France expands limits of ‘energy communities’
The French government has issued a long-awaited decree to expand the maximum permitted distance between members of energy communities from 2 km to 20 km.
Japanese scientists design flexible crystalline silicon solar modules with PET front cover
The new solar panels have flexible properties and are suitable for roofs with loading restrictions. According to their creators, the modules showed high reliability under both high temperature and high humidity conditions.
European electricity prices were down in first week of October
In the first week of October, average prices in most European electricity markets were below €85/MWh and lower than the previous week – but in some hours and markets, prices exceeded €200/MWh.
Key takeaways from Spain’s Foro Solar
The latest edition of Foro Solar, hosted by the Spanish solar association, UNEF, showcased Spain’s advancing market growth, but also highlighted several challenges the country may encounter in the future.
Loom Solar unveils 5 kWh/10 kWh storage system
India’s Loom Solar has developed an Internet of Things (IoT)-based, all-in-one energy storage solution for homes and businesses, featuring lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
Recipe for expansion
After years of debate, the Indian government made domestic manufacturing a central feature of renewables policy in 2021. The pivot came as the government sought economic growth and self-sufficiency following a border conflict with China. Vinay Rustagi, managing director of Bridge to India, says that trade barriers, subsidies, lower taxes, and demand growth have created the perfect recipe for expansion.
Bslbatt introduces high-voltage battery for residential PV
China’s Bslbatt says its new batteries feature individual battery modules with voltages of 102.4 V and a capacity of 52 Ah. They can be stacked in series with two to seven battery modules.
