The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) has imposed a 10% import tariff on solar panels to protect local manufacturers, attract investment, and deepen the value chain. The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association has questioned the lack of formal industry engagement, calling the timing “not ideal.”

The new photovoltaic-thermal module, presented for the first time on the first day of Intersolar 2024, has a record electrical efficiency of 26.6% and thermal efficiency of 53.4%. The electrical output of the module with 6cm x 10cm M6 cells is 433 W.

SolarPower Europe forecasts more than 1 TW of annual solar installations by 2028, but financing and energy system flexibility must be unlocked.

Bernreuter Research says low module prices will drive demand in the second half of this year. The researchers note the shipment targets of the world’s six largest solar module suppliers, who are aiming for an annual growth rate of 40% on average.

A UK-based research team has calculated the global potential of deploying floating solar arrays on almost 68,000 lakes and reservoirs. It found some countries could generate the majority of their electricity needs from floating solar panels, while five could meet all their electricity demand.

Standard Energy, a subsidiary of Singapore’s GSTAR Group, says the first batch of equipment has arrived at its new 3 GW silicon wafer and 3 GW solar cell smart factory in Thailand. Production is expected to commence in July.

JinkoSolar says its 182 mm tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar module has achieved a conversion efficiency of 25.42%.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Indonesia has set a quota of 5,746 MW of rooftop solar to be deployed between 2024 and 2028. The Jakarta-based Institute for Essential Services Reform anticipates rooftop solar to be more commonly adopted by commercial and industrial consumers than residential users, following the abolishment of net-metering earlier this year.

A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that the world could miss out on a target of 11,000 GW of global renewables capacity by the end of the decade, as agreed at COP28. It also predicts that solar will become the world’s largest source of installed renewable capacity, surpassing hydropower.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) discussed the financing landscape for small island developing states (SIDS) and mechanisms to accelerate the energy transition at the United Nations 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States.