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Longi denies massive layoff plan, says job cuts could reach up to 5%

Chinese solar manufacturer Longi has responded to recent media reports claiming that it might cut 30% of its global workforce.
Manufacturing

Envertech launches 800 W microinverter for residential, balcony PV

Finnish manufacturer Envertech says its new microinverter has a maximum efficiency of 96.8%. The short-circuit current of the new product is 25 A and the voltage output is 220 V.
Manufacturing

Sinovoltaics tracks emerging PV manufacturing hubs in Europe, North America

Sinovoltaics is studying the changes in the supply chains in manufacturing hubs in Europe and North America to determine site capacity, current and planned, for dozens of manufacturers. The results are being published in free reports.
Announcements

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TOPCon overcoming obstacles: improving performance of backsheet-based monofacial products

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Weather alert – measuring module load in snowy regions

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Hail risk mitigation strategies for solar assets

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Installations

Austria earmarks €135 million for solar rebates in 2024

Austrian agency OeMAG is allocating €135 million ($146.4 million) of incentives under Austria's Renewable Energy Expansion Act (EAG).
Energy Storage

PV-driven water splitting system with solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 9.8%

Scientists in Korea have built a green hydrogen system prototype that embeds a PV generation unit based on photoanodes made of perosvksite solar cells. The device purportedly achieved a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 9.8% for a device with a size of 0.2...
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Installations

New method to find right tilt angle for PV systems located in high-latitude, cold regions

A group of researchers from Sweden has developed a new model to find the optimal tilt angle in PV installations located at high latitudes. The new approach takes into account, among other factors, the effect of transmittance change based on snow.
Manufacturing

First attempt to build selenium-silicon tandem solar cells

Scientists in Denmark attempted for the first time to build a selenium-silicon tandem solar cell and found the device was immediately able to deliver a remarkable open-circuit voltage. Despite its current low efficiency levels, the new cell concept promi...
Installations

Challenges and prospects in Albania’s PV market

Albanian researchers say that solar could be key to reducing Albania’s reliance on energy imports, but the nation will need to invest in grid infrastructure, streamline laws, and enhance access to funding to support deployment.

Press Releases

The Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo returns to Kenya for its 8th Edition: Powering Lives | Energizing Potential

Between the 8-10th October 2024, government ministers, climate investors, development partners, and pioneering companies from across the distributed renewable energy industry will gather at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi for the sector’s flagship bi-annual event, the 2024 Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo.

Collaboratively Drawing a Bright Blueprint for Green Shipping

On March 13, the highly anticipated Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) event was grandly inaugurated in Singapore. The biennial event drew in over 500 exhibitors and 10,000 visitors from 60 countries to observe the most recent innovations in maritime engineering and port technology.

JA Solar DeepBlue 4.0 Pro Awarded the Highest A+ Rating Certificate in Frontrunner Plus Cold Weather Field Test by CGC

JA Solar DeepBlue 4. 0 Pro has been awarded the highest A+ Rating Certificate in Frontrunner Plus Cold Climate Field Test by the China General Certification Center(CGC), an authoritative third-party technical service organization specializing in standard development, testing, inspection, certification, technical and industry research services.

Durapower breaks ground for new Suzhou battery manufacturing factory in China

New factory will expand Durapower’s manufacturing capacity in China • Aims to be Durapower’s first intelligent manufacturing and green factory that meets Industry 4. 0 requirements • Expected to be fully operational by second quarter of 2025

Opinion & Analysis

Featured

Who maintains the chargers?

While much of the focus on electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure focuses on volume, what about quality? And who is going to maintain a multi-million strong fleet of EV chargers?

Underrepresentation of women in solar requires ‘holistic approach’

In the second article of a series, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to its president, Carmen Madrid. She says the solar and energy storage industries are full of opportunities for women, but a correct path must be set.

Atlantic blast hits European solar production

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that irradiance and PV production was more than 15% below normal during February across most of Europe, due to thick clouds in moist westerly winds from the Atlantic.

Wafer prices stable-to-soft on market oversupply

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, offers bite-sized analysis on solar PV module supply and price trends.

Pedaling Power

The co-founder of a Lithuanian company which has developed a new exercise bike that can generate and store electricity makes the case for the contribution “energy harvesting from daily human activity” can make to the energy transition.

Weather records tumble across U.S. as Atlantic pressure keeps eastern skies clear

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that persistent high pressure in the upper atmosphere led to irradiance as high as 30% above normal, and new records for solar generation and temperature in North America in mid-February.

Markets & Policy

Featured

Researchers identify path to fast-charging lithium-sulfur batteries

Australian researchers have designed a new catalyst that has the potential to deliver a new generation of lithium-sulfur batteries that can be charged in less than five minutes, instead of several hours.

Japan’s 19th solar auction concludes with average final price of $0.034/kWh

Japan has allocated 134 MW of PV capacity in its latest procurement exercise. The lowest bid for a 19 MW solar project came in at JPY 0.00/kWh, surprisingly, while other bids ranged from JPY 4.94 ($0.03)/kWh to JPY 6.98/kWh.

Endesa switches on 1.1 MW/ 5.5 MWh redox flow battery in Spain

Spanish utility Endesa has activated a 1.1 MW/5.5 MWh redox flow battery in Spain. It says it is the vanadium redox flow storage system connected to a PV plant in Europe. It is situated near Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands.

TotalEnergies hits 1.5 GW of on-site solar PPAs

France’s TotalEnergies says it has signed 1.5 GW of on-site solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) with more than 600 industrial and commercial customers in more than 30 countries.

Cuba addresses energy crisis with 2 GW of solar

Cuban Minister of Energy Vicente de la O Levy says 2 GW of planned solar capacity will come from 92 ground-mounted PV plants spread across the island.

Uzbekistan connects first phase of 511 MW solar project

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. (Masdar) has connected the first phase of a 511 MW solar project in Uzbekistan, linking the initial units of two solar plants. Chinese manufacturer TrinaTracker has supplied the plants with 11,248 sets of Vanguard 1P trackers.

Installations

Featured

K2 Systems to offer mounting system for green solar roofs

Germany's K2 Systems says that its new mounting system will be available in the spring. It supports module elevation of 10 degrees to 15 degrees.

How to convert PV plants with dual-axis trackers into agrivoltaic facilities

A Spanish group of researchers has investigated how much agricultural production may be hosted by existing ground-mounted PV plants using dual-axis trackers. They outlined a new methodology that reportedly enables to quantify how much space around and beneath the panels can be uses for agricultural purposes.

Romanian plastics manufacturer secures financing for 4.56 MW of PV

TeraPlast SA has secured financing for 4.56 MW of solar, with approximately one-quarter of the project’s total value obtained through non-refundable financing from the Romanian government’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The project, which will include a 920 kW storage facility, is set to be completed in June.

French startup offers solar aerothermal system for space heating

Solar Brother, a French startup, has developed a solar aerothermal system for space heating. The system incorporates a PV panel, an aerothermal heat pump module, and cassette filtration, enabling homeowners to save on heating.

Austrian startup launches portable containerized PV system

Solarcont has developed a portable, containerized PV system featuring 240 solar modules on a folding system for easy removal and storage.

TSUN debuts DC-coupled 1,024 Wh battery

The Chinese manufacturer said its new residential storage system is an ideal solution for balcony PV system. The battery features a maximum input power of 1,200 W and a maximum output power of 800 W.

Technology

Scientists identify new ‘promising’ absorber material for thin-film solar cells

Researchers in the United States have identified zintl-phosphide (BaCd2P2) as a new potential high efficiency absorber material for thin-film PV applications among 40,000 promising inorganic materials. The selected compound has a potential energy bandgap of 1.45 eV and a carrier lifetime of up to 30 ns.

Solitek launches bifacial solar panels for carports

The Lithuanian module manufacturer has unveiled 37O W bifacial dual glass modules for carports featuring 3 mm glass on both sides and an anodized aluminum frame. The new products are certified as overhead glazing by the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt), with a class 4 hail resistance and efficiency of 19.57%.

Researchers claim record efficiency for roll-to-roll fabricated perovskite PV cell

Researchers led by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) recorded an 11% efficiency on 50 cm² large-scale solar panels consisting of optimized roll-to-roll fabricated hybrid perovskite solar cells.

DAH Solar unveils frameless double-glass TOPCon panels

Chinese manufacturer DAH Solar says its new double-glass panels have a power conversion efficiency of 22.65% and a power output of up to 585 W.

Bulgaria launches renewables-plus-storage tenders

Bulgarian businesses can apply for funding under two new tenders that aim to facilitate 1,425 MW of renewable energy generation capacity coupled with 350 MW of energy storage. Funding support is only offered for the storage component.

Sunman unveils 520 W glass-free solar panel with 19.3% efficiency

The new panel has a white backsheet and a temperature coefficient of -0.34/C. It weighs 4.1 kg per m2 and, according to the manufacturer, supports all types of installation methods, including roof adhesive and removal mechanical mounting.

Manufacturing

Systovi searching for buyer due to ‘Chinese dumping’

French PV module maker Systovi, facing a sharp drop in orders, is seeking a buyer for its design, production, and commercial activities. It has been manufacturing solar energy equipment since 2008 at its Carquefou factory near Nantes, France.

Tests show rooftop fires propagate slowly with vertical PV systems

New tests conducted by the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute have shown that vertical PV installations offer improved fire safety compared to conventional diagonal or flat solar arrays. The experiment showed, in particular, how rapidly a fire can propagate under inclined panels.

Vehicle-integrated photovoltaics for electric ground transport

Canadian custom module manufacturer Capsolar developed a vehicle integrated PV system (VIPV) for an electric material towing application, reportedly enabling 30% to 40% range increase per battery charge.

European consortium targets end-of-life PV panel silicon recycling

A European consortium of 11 commercial and non-profit organizations is developing several technologies to make use of end-of-life PV panels by either re-deploying them or by recovering and reprocessing the silicon.

New modular design for offshore floating photovoltaic platforms

A team of scientists from China and the United States studied ways to optimize floating photovoltaics for offshore use. It found that the robustness of the systems was influenced by the size and number of platforms, as well as the types of connections between platforms.

Quantifying effect of cooling, cleaning in PV systems operating under desert conditions

Scientists in Oman have analyzed the effect of soiling, cleaning, and water injection on the performance of PV panels in Oman. They have found the use of water for cooling may increase power yield by up to 23.9%.

Energy Storage

Featured

Construction begins on 2 GWh of storage in Australia

Western Australian government-owned utility Synergy has commenced construction of its third grid-scale battery as the state government looks to ramp up energy storage capacity to support its planned transition from coal-fired power generation to renewables.

Indian state tenders 1 GW of pumped storage, 5 GW of solar power

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd (MSEDCL) has started accepting bids to provide 1,000 MW/8,000 MWh of grid-connected energy storage capacity from pumped hydro storage throughout India.

Weekend Read: Hanging in the balance

Battery storage revenues in Britain are well below historic highs but an appetite for storage capacity remains. Electricity system-operator modernization, increased competition, and new opportunities could all shape the future of British battery energy storage systems (BESS’).

The Hydrogen Stream: DNV launches hydrogen blending studies in North America

DNV has started working on blending feasibility studies in the Canadian province of British Columbia, while the US Department of Energy has announced $750 million in funding for 52 hydrogen projects across 24 states.

Evaluating the profitability of vanadium flow batteries

Researchers in Italy have estimated the profitability of future vanadium redox flow batteries based on real device and market parameters and found that market evolutions are heading to much more competitive systems, with capital costs down to €260/kWh at a storage duration of 10 hours.

247Solar close to commercializing modular concentrating solar plant

The 247Solar Plants are modular and most of the components are mass produced and can be assembled on site.