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The mountains of old modules coming back from solar parks and roofs are slowly growing. The company Reiling has set up a competence centre for recycling in Münster. Managing Director Tom Reiling and Plant Manager Malte Fislake talk about the opportunities and the pitfalls - often underestimated.
The European PV market closed 2024 on a resilient note despite slight seasonal adjustments. The December edition of the PV Index of sun.store highlights continued demand stability paired with notable price adjustments in solar panels and inverters. While the PV Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) dipped slightly to 67, the market exhibited confidence, with half of buyers planning increased purchases as they prepared for 2025.
Recently Jinko, announced a multi-year global partnership with Manchester City Football Club. As a vital part of this partnership, Jinko will provide over 10,500 Tiger Neo PV modules to power Manchester City’s training ground – City Football Academy.
LONGi Solar and the Keno Group have entered a strategic partnership on the supply of LONGi’s latest back contact series to Central and Easter European countries. The collaboration will comprise the new Hi-MO X10 solar panels.
Photovoltaic facades are emerging as one of the most innovative solutions for maximizing energy generation in urban environments. Companies and building owners are recognizing the benefits of using vertical surfaces to produce electricity, and European manufacturers like Eurener offer solar panels designed to meet the demands of the market.
Aiko achieves high module efficiency in series production. The new panels have already passed their first test in installations in China.
Manufacturers of high-efficiency modules with TopCon and back-contact technology communicate different test results to prove the efficiency advantages of their technology. Trina Solar now points to generation gains of TopCon PV modules.
Due to an ever-expanding supply, without increasing demand, a gigantic overcapacity in the solar energy sector has rapidly arisen in the past year. The rapidly dropped prices have subsequently caused financial problems throughout the supply chain. "There's no one taking advantage of this at all”, says Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar. To put a stop to the current situation, the Chinese government wants to take measures.
Sunova/Thornova module manufacturer and Austrian installer Solenso established the joint venture ALP for specialty module sale, the official launch is June 20 at Intersolar Europe.
Spanish PV panel manufacturer Eurener is opening a new photovoltaic module factory in Langreo/Asturias. This will increase Eurener's production capacity to over 500 MW. Partners of the industrial project are Iberdrola and Exiom.
.Following a robust start to the year, the pace of PV installations across Europe continues to stabilize with minor fluctuations. The PV Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for May shows a reading of 72, a slight increase from 68 in April, indicating a positive shift in market sentiment. Despite a moderate demand outlook, solar panel prices have seen a notable decline across various categories.
The supplier from the Far East is presenting the new Vanguard 1P Smart Tracker and the Elementa 2 battery container. The tracking system has been optimised for modules from the Vertex N series.
Meyer Burger has added a balcony power system manufactured entirely in Germany to its range. Private customers can now configure and purchase the complete ‘Meyer Burger Balcony’ package directly from the manufacturer's online shop.
Now that spring is halfway through and temperatures are starting to rise, there is also a cautious optimism in the solar sector. There is a very slight recovery in prices and a pick-up in demand. The big question seems to be: how will demand react to real price increases? "Everyone is now used to low prices and will want to buy just before a price increase," says Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar. "That can lead to chaos in another way."
The pace of PV installations across Europe is showing a slight deceleration. This trend is mirrored in the PV Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), which has recorded modest yet consistent declines since February. Along with softening demand for residential modules, there is a noticeable fall in solar panel prices, particularly in specific categories.
Longi presented its BC-based Module Hi-Mo 9 yesterday evening in Madrid, which uses silicon solar cells with a world record efficiency of 27,3 %.
What are the most important PV market and industry trends? Bartosz Majewski, CEO and Co-Founder of Menlo Electric, provides answers and his point of view in our new monthly series.
Prices for solar modules have remained largely stable for the past four weeks. Nevertheless, there is no recovery in sight that would help European module production. Politicians must take urgent action here.
SolarEdge has entered into a collaboration with Scania Regional Council in the south of Sweden to explore the potential of agrivoltaics (Agri-PV), the combined production of solar energy and agricultural crops on the same land.
Lithuanian manufacturer Solitek is engaged in solar panel research, with a focus on long-term outdoor performance testing. The company's research primarily centers around comparative analyses of bifacial and monofacial glass/glass module technologies, both enhanced with advanced nanocoatings.
The Australian federal government is investing $1 billion in the Solar Sunshot program to booster domestic PV manufacturing and the solar supply chain.
In 2023 India added 20.8 gigawatts (GW) of solar modules and3.2 GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity, according to Mercom India.
Eurener, a Spanish solar module manufacturer, presents its latest offering: An agri-PV module with 335 watts of power output. Specifically designed for agricultural installations, including large utility projects, carports and greenhouses, these panels have a lot to offer:
The criteria for BloombergNEF's Tier 1 list, which is seen by the solar industry as a seal of assurance, has recently been adjusted. The number of the manufacturers on the top list has been halved, notes Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar. "As many as 26 have dropped out, which means that Tier 1 really serves as an elite list again, but the way this has been done is quite outrageous."
SLIM, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s spacecraft equipped with thin-film compound solar cells developed and manufactured by Sharp, has landed on the Moon's surface on January 20.
