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One dashboard, five sites and 38 inverters distilled to two curves

Synergi's PV Manager makes distributed solar act as one

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The Finnish company's new cloud-based platform lets utilities, grid operators and asset managers remotely control, aggregate and dispatch scattered solar installations as though they were a single plant.

Marcin Soltysiak is the CEO of Polish energy company ELQ

From nuclear legacy to renewables hub: plans advance at Chernobyl

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Polish developer ELQ and its Ukrainian subsidiary have signed a memorandum with Ukrainian authorities to advance renewable energy projects within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, covering solar, storage, wind and hydrogen.

Parking garages are attractive assets that enhance their worth through solar facades.

Solar Investors Guide #5 – Solarised parking and charging

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The era of petrol and diesel dominance is drawing to a close. Mobility is transitioning to electric, with millions of private electric cars, company fleets, and commercial vehicles creating new demands on the energy supply. Filling stations, parking garages, and parking lots now represent opportunities to provide EVs with solar power.

EU flags fly outside the Berlaymont in Brussels, where REPowerEU was launched in 2022

REPowerEU: four years on, 82 percent of funding still unspent

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The EU's plan to end reliance on Russian energy has lost momentum, auditors warn, with member states earmarking just 54.3 billion euros of the 300 billion euros needed to meet its targets.

New mounting technology is opening up even more areas for solar power

Solar Investors Guide – Innovations for mounting

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Energy crises and rising fossil and nuclear prices are making solar and battery storage more attractive than ever, driving demand across industrial rooftops, open land and car parks – find out more in the latest guide.

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What is photovoltaics?

Photovoltaics (PV) refers to the generation of electrical energy from sunlight. At the heart of this process are the solar-active semiconductors known as solar cells, which capture sunlight and convert it directly into electricity.

From a technical standpoint, a PV system or solar installation functions as a generator. Here, individual solar cells are combined into a solar module, which is protected from the elements. These modules are then assembled into a larger solar generator, which can be mounted on rooftopsfaçadesopen ground or specially designed structures. The electricity generated is direct current (DC), which is converted into alternating current (AC) by an inverter. This AC power can be used directly on site or fed into the public grid via the building’s connection. The electricity is typically supplied to the local utility or grid operator.

Larger PV systems installed on open land are often called solar parks. These feed power into the grid via dedicated transformers and switchgear. In many countries special Acts and regulations govern remuneration for solar power, whether via feed-in tariffs or market premiums for direct sales to third parties.

Self-consumption can be increased by using solar power for heating waterroom heating, air conditioning or refrigeration. Battery storage systems help by storing surplus solar electricity for later use. These so-called solar batteries improve system reliability, especially when solar output dips.

Not all incoming sunlight is converted into electricity. The conversion rate depends on the intensity and wavelength of the incoming light spectrum. This ratio between usable electrical output and the maximum available solar radiation is known as efficiency.

The performance of a solar generator or storage system is defined by its output. When multiplied by the number of sunshine hours, this gives the solar yield – the amount of electricity generated per day, month or year. In addition to charging and discharging power, solar batteries are also rated by their capacity, or the amount of energy they can store. Power is measured in kilowatts (kW) or megawatts (MW), while energy and yield are expressed in kilowatt-hours (kWh) or megawatt-hours (MWh). (HS)