The Hydrogen Stream: Vale opens hydrogen metallurgy lab in China
Vale and Central South University have launched a joint laboratory for low-carbon and hydrogen metallurgy in Changsha, in China’s Hunan province, while Nippon Steel has secured approval to acquire U.S. Steel.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Huasun signs wafer, cell supply deals
Huasun has signed two deals with Leascend Group, including a monocrystalline silicon wafer supply agreement, while GCL Technology has agreed to supply Longi Green Energy Technology with 425,000 tons of N-type granular silicon to the end of 2026.
Croatia launches auctions for 607 MW of solar, wind, hydro
The Croatian Energy Market Operator (HROTE) has announced a much-anticipated, €257.2 million ($273.5 million) round of renewable energy auctions. It has allocated the biggest quota of 450 MW for solar projects and has set a deadline to award the subsidies by year’s end.
EC announces European Solar Charter to support PV manufacturing
The European Commission (EC) has proposed the European Solar Charter (ESC) in response to the challenges facing the continent’s solar manufacturing industry. The document sets out a series of voluntary actions to be undertaken to support the EU photovoltaic sector and bears no mention of EU trade tariffs or restrictions on cheap solar panel imports.
European study shows continent exports solar waste
Europe’s solar boom is hiding its waste through exports, according to a new study. Instead of recycling, as expected under European regulations, vast amounts of solar panel waste are exported, undermining sustainability goals. The researchers suggest a digitized value chain as a potential fix to work toward a circular economy.
Making the case for concentrated solar power
Dismissed by many in the solar industry as an overly-complex, outdated technology, concentrated solar power (CSP) is set for a comeback thanks to a scaled-down, modular approach.
Turkish solar module manufacturer launches production in Texas
Elin Energy says it has an agreement with key US distributors and will begin with 1 GW of annual PV module production, with plans to increase to 2 GW within 18 months.
Spanish installer tests vertical rooftop PV array based on conventional panels
Sud Renovables has installed a pilot vertical rooftop PV system on one of its facilities in Barcelona, Spain. The array features two 500 W bifacial modules from US-based SunPower and two microinverters from Enphase Energy.
Dracula Technologies, STMicroelectronics unveil photovoltaic illuminometer
France’s indoor organic PV specialist Dracula Technologies and Swiss-headquartered semiconductor manufacturer STMicroelectronics demonstrated a battery-free illuminometer at the Embedded World trade fair in Germany last week.
France to tender 240 MW of solar capacity along highways
The French authorities plan to launch a series of tenders to deploy PV systems along highways, starting this month.
