Commercial & Industrial PV

As the global transition toward sustainable energy intensifies, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) has emerged as a critical innovation in merging renewable energy with architectural design. The recently published guidebook “Building-Integrated Photovoltaics: A Technical Guidebook,” edited by IEA PVPS Task 15 experts Nuria Martín Chivelet, Costa Kapsis, and Francesco Frontini, offers a comprehensive resource for architects, engineers, and urban planners looking to integrate BIPV into the built environment. This article explores the book’s key insights, including applications, challenges, and future pathways.

Digital adoption across the renewable energy value chain reveals a stark imbalance. Operations and maintenance (O&M) has embraced digitalization most enthusiastically, with SCADA systems and IoT-enabled devices revolutionizing efficiency through real-time monitoring and resource optimization. However, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) processes remain surprisingly under-digitized despite their critical importance.

BloombergNEF reports the world installed nearly 600 GW of solar power in 2024, closely aligning with projections that annual global solar installations will surpass 1 TW within the next few years. Although projections for 2025 currently fall short of that pace, early forecasts often underestimate actual deployment.

Solar dominates project queues through 2028, said data from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Researchers in Canada have compared strawberry growth under uniform illumination from semi-transparent thin-film cadmium telluride panels and non-uniform illumination from semi-transparent crystalline silicon modules. Their analysis considered metrics such as fresh weight, height, leaf count, chlorophyll content, soil temperature and humidity.

The partnership combines Larsen & Toubro’s end-to-end expertise in manufacturing, EPC and services with John Cockerill’s expertise in concentrated solar power and thermal energy storage technologies to deliver round-the-clock green power solutions to Indian businesses.

The demand for specialized skills continues to rise, with an emphasis on engineering, project management, data analytics, and sustainable energy solutions. Job roles such as solar panel installers, energy auditors, and operational support professionals are in demand. 

Spain’s Tecnalia and Italy-based Vita International have designed a new photovoltaic guardrail, set for testing later this year on a 100-meter stretch of a highway service area between Turin and Trieste, Italy.

A new report by Primus Partners highlights key regulatory reforms required to accelerate clean energy adoption, stabilize distribution companies (discoms) and boost investor confidence in India’s power sector.

Distributed solar fell 11% in 2024, dragged down by the residential segment, according to Ohm Analytics’s report on the fourth quarter of 2024. However, signs of recovery emerged with a strong fourth quarter and increasing installation volumes throughout the year.