Almost half of the workers were employed in China, around 280,000 in North America, over 260,000 in Europe, and some 50,000 in Africa, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The vast majority of workers were employed in manufacturing and installation of new capacity, with solar jobs paying lower wage premiums than the nuclear, oil, and gas industries.

IHS Markit said it expects the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands to be the top three markets for cumulative shipments of module-level power electronics in the 2022-26 period. Cumulative shipments are set to hit almost 100 GW by 2026.

France’s AX Solar Robot has unveiled two battery-free, hydraulic-powered cleaning solutions for ground-mounted PV plants. It is also distributing a modular battery-powered solution suitable for rooftop installations.

Zendure has developed a residential storage system using a semi-solid state battery with 6.438 kWh capacity. Each unit is scalable with up to four batteries, bring the capacity of one unit to 32 kWh and of two units to 64 kWh. The system can be used with solar panels.

Hanwha Group has marked World Bee Day by unveiling the country’s first solar beehive. The PV modules on the beehive generate electricity to automatically monitor and control internal conditions.

Portuguese startup Solarud has developed a way to eliminate soiling around the frames of PV panels with low inclination slopes. The device drains water that would otherwise stay stagnant on the surface of modules.