This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Carolina Nester, Head of Operations Iberia at Sonnedix. She says one of the particular challenges women face is the perfectionism pitfall and self-confidence, which can lead them to be self-limiting and impact career development. Nester also explains that gender equality in management and board positions must be achieved and perceived as a natural development that begins in early career stages.
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia, and New South Wales were over-performing solar regions in March. This overperformance in the southeast and southwest came despite most of the Australian continent seeing below-average irradiance, due to thicker-than-usual clouds over the sparsely-populated interior and tropics.
As photovoltaic (PV) technologies evolve, understanding their environmental implications is crucial for a sustainable energy transition. IEA PVPS Task 12 analyzes the environmental impact of passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) technology in PV installations in comparison to the monocrystalline silicon technology (AI-BSF) and the trend towards installing horizontal singla-axis tracker systems as opposed to fixed tilt systems. Primary data from one PERC and tracker manufacturer enable this study’s conclusions. Using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, the study compares two locations in Italy with different irradiation patterns to evaluate the sensitivity to solar irradiation. The findings reveal that PERC technology and horizontal single-axis tracker systems demonstrate lower environmental impacts compared to Al-BSF and fixed tilt configurations.
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Chile, Uruguay and Argentina saw irradiance up 5% to 15% above normal in January and February. Responsible for the surplus sunlight across South America was the ongoing Amazon drought, and circulation changes that pushed weather fronts further south of the continent than usual.
The need for long-duration energy storage in a net-zero world is undeniable but with conventional battery prices tumbling, can anything dislodge the mainstream grip of lithium ion? S&P Global’s Susan Taylor provides an update on non-lithium storage technologies.
A position paper from Solar Industry Regions Europe (SIRE) says a balance must be struck between protecting the European solar market and reaching the market objectives of the energy transition.
Greece installed 1.59 GW of solar in 2023, bringing the country’s cumulative PV capacity to 7.1 GW by the end of December.
Suniva has agreed to supply domestically manufactured solar cells to Heliene under a three-year sourcing contract, for integration into its solar modules.
Adani Green Energy (AGEL) has commissioned a 180 MW solar plant under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI).
The Australian government will allocate AUD 1 billion ($652.8 million) to help build a domestic solar panel manufacturing industry to underpin the nation’s future as a renewable energy superpower.
Certification specialist Bureau Veritas has awarded what is says is the world’s first prototype certification for a floating offshore solar solution. It will now be deployed in the North Sea, off the coast of The Hague.
Australian researchers have calculated the levelised cost of green hydrogen under different installed capex scenarios for 2030. They also looked into the different possible sizing of PEM electrolyzers.
Researchers in China have applied a machine learning technology based on temporal convolutional networks in PV power forecasting for the first time. The new model reportedly outperforms similar models during all seasons.
The Korean manufacturer claims the new product has a seasonal energy efficiency ratio of up to 9.47 and a seasonal coefficient of performance of up to 5.20.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says developers installed 345.5 GW of solar throughout the world in 2023. China mainly drove the surge, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all new renewable energy, but IRENA says more equitable growth will be needed to hit 2030 deployment targets.
The municipality of Falconara Marittima, Italy, has installed a free off-grid photovoltaic shade for electric vehicle charging at no cost to users. The system has a capacity of 7 kW and includes a 10 kWh battery.
The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has added a high-resolution solar data set covering Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East on its Renewable Energy Data Explorer tool.
Polish grid operator Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne (PSE) has announced its third disconnection of renewable energy capacity this year. This time it has initiated the reduction of 1,201 MW to 1,877 MW of PV in response to oversupply.
Sweden-based Nordcell Group announced plans to build a 1.2 GW module factory in its home country. With a site decision coming soon, module production is planned to start in the first half of 2025.
US-based Thornova said its new panel features a power conversion efficiency spanning from 22.4% to 23.2% and a temperature coefficient of -0.29% per C. The company is a subsidiary of China-based manufacturer Sunova Solar and is currently planning a cell and module factory at an unspecified location in the United States.
Maxeon has filed a lawsuit against Canadian Solar in a US court, claiming patent infringement on an unspecified TOPCon solar cell technology.
China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) says that the nation’s cumulative PV capacity hit 646.2 GW at the end of February.
India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has established minimum efficiency standards for cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film solar modules to qualify for inclusion on the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM).
French startup Colas raised eyebrows in the PV industry when it introduced its Wattway technology in 2016, due to mechanical issues with roadway PV modules. However, it now claims that IEC certification is a step toward commercialization.
Modular solar array manufacturer 5B has started building the solar component of an 89.7 MW hybrid microgrid that will help Bellevue Gold’s gold mine in Australia with up to 100% renewables.
The Australian government has granted environmental approval for UK developer Lightsource bp to proceed with its plans to build Australia’s largest solar farm and battery energy storage system on any of the country’s main electricity grids.
Europe’s leading battery maker, Northvolt, has started building a battery cell factory in Heide, Germany. The facility will employ roughly 3,000 people with a maximum annual production capacity of 60 GWh. It will begin operations in 2026.
The Chinese manufacturer said its new heat pump has a coefficient of performance of up to 5.3 and a maximum heating capacity of 16 kW. It can reportedly achieve a topwater output temperature of 80 C.
Enapter has secured four new orders for its AEM Nexus 1000 megawatt-class electrolyzer, while Fraunhofer IWU says it has started working on electron beam welding technology to overcome the speed limitations of laser beam scanner welding.
The Chinese manufacturer said its new heat pump has a coefficient of performance of 4.2 at 7 C and a maximum heating capacity of 9.1 kW. It can reportedly achieve a topwater output temperature of 75 C.
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