Chinese solar PV giant Longi unveiled its latest Hi-MO 7 solar modules at the Energy Transition Conference 2023 in Malaysia,promising enhanced conversion efficiency, power temperature coefficient, and higher reliability. The industry-wide race to increase the power and efficiency of solar modules is relentless, with the global standard for large-scale solar modules jumping from 500W just…
A New South Wales-based solar company and its directors have been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for falsely claiming rebates for dozens of rooftop PV systems that they did not, themselves, install. The Clean Energy Regulator, which governs the federal solar rebate scheme, says the Federal Court has ordered civil penalties totalling $240,000 against…
Europe’s solar industry has called for the immediate ban on the import of unethically produced solar panels, amid warnings that ultra-cheap Chinese modules are flooding the EU market and driving local manufacturers out of business. In a letter co-signed by more than 30 European solar manufacturers, start-ups and associated companies, SolarPower Europe calls on the…
After a flurry of social media excitement at the end of last week, Tesla has finally come to its own Powerwall 3 party with an official social media launch of the new home battery in the US, and with some firm details on what to expect, when it lands. So when does it land? Not…
New data shows that the payback period for residential solar systems – and also for battery storage – is once again shrinking as the upfront costs for installing home solar and storage steadily fall. As the chart below shows, the moving average payback for residential rooftop solar has been trending upwards since 2020, bouncing off…
Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic has unveiled its own building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) glass product which it says is the first to integrate perovskite solar cells with glass windows. The BIPV market is a rapidly expanding effort to incorporate solar generation into building materials such as glass windows and outdoor-facing façades. The development of new BIPV…
Solar panel technology has made enormous progress in the last two decades. In fact, the most advanced silicon solar cells produced today are about as good as the technology will get. So what’s next? Enter “tandem solar cells”, the new generation in solar technology. They can convert a much greater portion of sunlight into electricity…
Solar energy company REC Group has launched its highest power residential solar panel ever, a high efficiency 470Wp panel based on advanced heterojunction cell technology (HJT). Hailing from one of the more unlikely countries for a solar manufacturer, the Norwegian based REC Group launched its new 470Wp Tuesday at the RE+ 2023 conference in Las…
We talk with RayGen’s Richard Payne at the newly opened solar and storage plant in Carwarp. Plus: Consumer power to fill coal gap. You can find previous episodes of the Solar Insiders podcast here or on your favourite podcast platform. Pylon is a proud sponsor of Solar Insiders. nextracker is a proud sponsor of…
Specialised training programs to upskill electricians in home battery installation and in the design and delivery of off-grid power systems are being tested out in Victoria, backed by funding from the state Labor government. The industry collaboration, led by not-for-profit Future Energy Skills, aims to create new courses and boost new energy technology qualifications in…
A solar farm proposed for central Queensland’s Calliope renewable energy zone has found itself the subject of some bizarre news reports this week, claiming that “contaminated run-off” from the project could threaten the Great Barrier Reef. The reports originate from a farmer who called in to Sydney’s 2GB radio on Tuesday to air his opposition…
New solar installations around the globe are expected to reach nearly 400 gigawatts (GW) in 2023, driven by soaring electricity prices and record low prices for solar modules. Energy analysts BloombergNEF’s latest analysis includes yet another increase in its prediction for annual installation capacity, driven by the fall in prices and huge activity in the world’s biggest…