Germany

Management sees NEM 3.0 changes as a net positive for California and expects strong demand for solar-plus-storage in coming quarters, with installers likely taking another four months of training for integrated systems.

Cannabis prohibition drove a culture of clandestine production in the past and solar helped growers to cultivate it at remote, off-grid sites. Now, as a global commercial cannabis market emerges, solar has an even bigger role to play.

pv magazine USA’s recap of notable upstream solar, integrated solar, finance and rooftop installers that reported fourth quarter or fiscal year earnings over the last week.

Rather than using solar or wind to power electrolysis, researchers are testing the competitiveness of photoelectrochemical cells for producing emissions-free hydrogen fuels.

Scientists from Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE and US panel maker Solaria have applied thermal laser separation and post-metallization passivated edge technology to tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) cell production. They have developed shingle PV devices that are more efficient than cells built with conventional laser scribing and mechanical cleaving methods.

Sono Motors, a solar electric-vehicle manufacturer in Germany, has terminated its Sion passenger car development program, as it has failed to secure enough funding to support pre-series production. It says it will now focus exclusively on retrofitting and integrating its patented solar technology into third-party vehicles.

At a grid-scale energy storage panel at Intersolar North America, industry leaders pointed to international storage project case studies that could be replicated in the U.S.

A $1 to $1.5 billion U.S. market opportunity awaits PV equipment manufacturers through 2030, said a McKinsey consultant, at a Washington D.C. event that brought together potential equipment buyers and sellers.

Mercom reports that it was the second highest year for solar mergers and acquisitions, with an estimated 66 GW of solar projects sold to new buyers in 2022.

The German company plans to invest $8 million into the new facility which will lead to 180 new jobs.