Tender opens for solar minigrids in Fiji
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is running a tender for solar minigrids and communication infrastructure in rural areas of Fiji. The deadline for submitting expressions of interest is April 17.
Lockheed Martin developing vertical solar arrays for the Moon
The defense and aerospace company’s vertical solar array technology (VSAT) reaches up to 19.8 m in length. Lockheed Martin says the technology is capable of providing continuous and sustainable power for a range of lunar operations.
India adds 25.3 GW of module capacity, 11.6 GW of cells in 2024
Indian manufacturers built 25.3 GW of solar module manufacturing capacity in 2024, taking the nation’s panel capacity to 90.9 GW as of Dec. 31, 2024.
Smoke and vanadium leak from Swiss home energy storage unit
Vanadium redox flow energy storage manufacturer Prolux Solutions said 50 l of vanadium electrolyte leaked from a residential unit in Arbon but no fire occurred.
New simulation framework achieves higher dual land use efficiency in agrivoltaics
Researchers in Italy have conceived new agrivoltaic modeling for agrivoltaics that includes crop yield response curves for multiple crops. Once the electricity production coming from the PV modules is also assessed, the performance metrics for the agrivoltaic system as a whole are obtained.
Robots to work with humans to demonstrate solar module installation
US electrical contractor Rosendin plans to demonstrate robotic-assisted solar module installation at a large-scale solar energy project under construction in Texas.
International PV module pricing may rise to $0.11/W by year end
International PV module prices, driven by Chinese averages, will likely rise from $0.08/W to $0.10/W today to $0.11/W by the end of 2025 and potentially $0.13/W by 2027, says Clean Energy Associates (CEA), noting that heterojunction and back-contact technologies now make up 12% of global module capacity.
Using laser processed glass as solar concentrators for BIPV
Researchers from Aalto University in Finland demonstrated a proof-of-concept of laser-processed glass to be used as a type of solar concentrator for building integrated PV (BIPV) applications. The treated glass enabled a 55-fold increase in photocurrent generation compared to unprocessed glass, with an estimated optical efficiency of 0.66 %. Additionally, a fluoropolymer coating was applied to create a self-cleaning surface.
GoodWe unveils hybrid inverters for large residential applications
GoodWe says its new EHB single-phase hybrid inverters suit larger residential energy storage applications with the series supporting 200% PV oversizing, allowing for systems up to 20 kW in size.
SMA releases 9.6 kW and 11.5 kW hybrid solar inverters
SMA America introduced two larger power classes to its Sunny Boy residential solar inverter line.
