2020

The pipeline of large-scale solar projects that are not being planned to compete in public auctions is growing significantly in Brazil, according to a report by consultancy Greener. The study also reveals that all of these projects have already secured a permit to start commercial operations, and that they are located in six states, including Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo and Ceará.

A Dutch company has modified an electric delivery van to feature a solar roof for the supply of cooling and freezing equipment in its load area.

Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin have taken back the world efficiency record for a perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell, achieving 29.15% with a device measuring 1cm². The record has been confirmed by Fraunhofer ISE, and according to HZB, this means that the 30% efficiency mark is within reach.

A new paper published in Nature claims that scientists have reached a consensus on the procedures for the testing of perovskite cells, which they say will lead to better reproducibility and comparability of data produced by different laboratories, and ultimately a better understanding of the degradation pathways affecting perovskite solar cells, and the most effective ways to mitigate them.

The Minerals Council South Africa has urged the government to solve the country’s energy crisis by adding more power generation capacity from both distributed and large-scale renewables. Meanwhile, several mining companies operating in South Africa are planning their own big solar parks, including two 200 MW facilities under development by Sibanye-Stillwater and Vedanta.

Researchers from Hungary have analyzed the thermal behavior of different types of PV module via thermography, and claim to have shown that theoretical models are insufficient to measure the maximum, minimum, and average temperatures of the panels. According to their analysis, glass-glass modules without frame showed the highest temperatures, while the lowest temperatures were measured for polycrystalline glass-backsheet panels with frame.

Corporations contracted a record amount of wind and solar energy through power purchase agreements in 2019, up more than 40% from the previous year’s record, says a new report from BloombergNEF. The bulk of this purchasing occurred in the U.S. with tech companies and oil and gas majors leading the charge.

A new report from Enervis shows that Spain is currently the most attractive European market for PV projects with a PPA, with 4.39 GW of contracted capacity. Italy and Germany are the second and third markets for this type of project, with 1.91 GW and 1.05 GW, respectively.

French water management agency Société du Canal de Provence (SCP) is planning an innovative floating project to test its combination with a solar tracking system. The 250 kW project was awarded a fixed tariff in a special tender for innovative PV projects held by The French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) in February 2018. The plant will be deployed on a water surface managed by SCP in Southern France.

An international research team is proposing a fuzzy logic approach for optimal site selection of large-scale wind, solar and hybrid wind-solar power projects. The new methodology is based on criterial components for energy optimization through climatological, topographic and human factors.