solar modules

The German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has identified issues with certain inverters that lack CE markings, instructions in German, or German retailer addresses. The defects render them ineligible for distribution or use in the country.

US-based Runhood has introduced a modular battery design that directly connects to a portable solar array, so it can be quickly swapped in and out of the power bank for off-grid flexibility.

AEG is offering three versions of its new all-black panels, with power outputs of 420 W to 430 W and efficiency ratings ranging from 21.5% to 22.0%. They feature 108 half-cut monocrystalline cells with n-type technology.

The China Photovoltaic Industry Association reports robust production growth among Chinese solar manufacturers, while the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association confirms an ongoing decline in polysilicon and cell prices. Canadian Solar, meanwhile, has commenced share trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Germany’s RWE and Greek state-owned utility PPC have signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) for three of five solar projects to be built in a former coal mining region in Greece. They will sell the electricity to local utility Heron.

Zonergy has developed a 2.5 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery system featuring an inverter with an output ranging from 8 kW to 15 kW. It says four to 16 modules can be combined for between 10 kWh and 40 kWh of energy storage capacity.

New research shows that floating PV plants may have superior generating capabilities compared with ground-mounted PV plants in several areas of Bangladesh. Furthermore, the study indicates that floating arrays in the country may reach a levelized cost of energy ranging from $0.0341/kWh to $0.0486/kWh depending on the location.

Samsung and SMA are using a new cloud-to-cloud system that allows PV systems with SMA inverters to be integrated with Samsung heat pumps.

A research group in Ghana has conducted a series of tests to assess the performance of polycrystalline solar modules in PV systems operating in their home country for at least 5 years. They found that the vast majority of the panels may ‘fail’ before 20 years in operation under outdoor conditions.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, presents the solar irradiance data it collected for Europe in May. Below-average cloud cover meant above normal irradiation for much of the UK, France, Germany, the Baltics and Scandinavia, with anomalies as high as 30% and 40% above climatological means. Solar assets across Northern Europe will have overperformed on expectations for May.