Colored facade solar panels with 13.8% efficiency
Dutch startup Solarix has developed a new line of facade solar panels featuring 13.8% efficiency and output ranging from 110 to 180 W, depending on the module size and color. The panels can be bolted or glued onto aluminum mounting systems applied to facades.
Extreme weather causing US solar insurance premiums to explode
Catastrophic weather events in Texas and California have led to steep increases in insurance premium costs, according to a new analysis by Norton Rose Fulbright.
Solar stocks rise as President Xi pledges 1.2 TW of renewables capacity in 2030
The Chinese leader has revealed some details of his nation’s commitment to go carbon neutral by 2060. That solar and wind power promise could even prove to be a conservative estimate, according to the nation’s solar industry.
Solar module passive cooling with lapping fins
Malaysian researchers have proposed a new passive technology for solar module cooling based on fin heat sinks. The tech ensures lower PV system payback times and reduces operating module temperatures by up to 26 C.
Finance platform targets underserved small-scale solar projects
A spin-off of the Connecticut Green Bank, IPC is a not-for-profit investment fund that scales clean energy financing and channels investment capital to communities that need it most.
Italian grid operator awards 250 MW of storage in pilot auction
Terna’s first auction for reserve storage capacity was largely oversubscribed, with over 1,327 MW of submitted projects. Overall, 23 projects were assigned to 17 operators.
Vanadium redox flow battery for utility-scale applications, microgrids
A unit of Largo Resources is launching a new vanadium redox flow battery for utility-scale storage projects, microgrids, renewable energy integration, grid smoothing, and backup power. The battery will feature a modular architecture, based on 1 MW “building blocks” and 2 MWh blocks of storage capacity.
End of subsidies could fuel the corporate PPA boom in Europe
Pioneering solar projects which signed ten-year feed-in tariff agreements will soon need to operate free of subsidy and with local authorities like the City of London starting to embrace direct contracts with renewables generators, the PPA market could be set for another turbo charge.
100 MW solar park comes online in eastern central Europe
The solar plant is located in Kaposvàr, southwest Hungary, and will sell power at €0.09/kWh under the country’s feed-in tariff regime.
Focus on stability as tandem cells approach 30% efficiency
The Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin set a world record for perovskite-silicon tandem cell efficiency last year at 29.15%. The group has delved further into the cell materials, looking to better understand mechanisms behind the impressive efficiencies achieved so far. Their latest work shows that with the current cell design, long term stability at efficiencies up to 32.4% should be possible.
