European Commission suggests zero-emission building mandate for 2030
The proposed measure, which will now pass to the Council of Ministers and European Parliament for debate, would further the adoption of PV, according to SolarPower Europe, especially if the commission’s proposal it be applied to public sector structures from 2027 is adopted.
Irish utility plans to have 58 MW of solar generating next year
French clean power company Neoen, part of the Paris-headquartered Impala conglomerate, is constructing three Irish solar plants with a total generation capacity of 58 MWp and has secured an agreement from Bord Gáis Energy to buy the electricity they will generate.
Sembcorp builds 360 MW battery in the UK
Once deployed, the battery will be Europe’s largest storage facility.
German PV equipment providers keep recovering, but uncertainties remain
German engineering association the VDMA has reported increasing orders and sales for PV equipment suppliers in the third quarter. China accounted for around 80% of PV production equipment demand during the period.
South African-owned miner confirms 185 MW solar plan for Zimbabwe
Platinum miner Zimplats will spend $200 million on 185 MW of solar plants to power operations to help seal approval for its capital spending plans by the Zimbabwean government and to make up for deficiencies in local electricity supply.
Plans for EV battery raw material supply in Iberia
The partners behind a JV aiming to develop a lithium conversion factory in Portugal say Iberia could supply enough geological feedstock spodumene to produce 700,000 EV batteries per year, starting in 2026.
Developers sign PPAs for solar parks in Germany
RWE has signed a power purchase agreement with Enerparc for a 57 MW solar project, while a unit of Airbus has signed a deal with GP Joule for a 3.5 MW array.
Large-area bifacial TOPCon solar cell with 23.01% efficiency
The n-type cell was built with phosphorus-doped LPCVD poly-Si passivating contacts and achieved a remarkable open-circuit voltage of 691.7 mV. According to its creators, with some adjustments the cell may be suitable for commercial production.
Adani Green Energy signs solar PPAs with SECI
Adani Green Energy has signed power purchase agreements for 5.5 GW of 8 GW of capacity it won in a manufacturing-linked solar tender by Solar Energy Corp. of India.
US residential PV trends in 2021
This year, residential solar reached several milestones in the United States, as extreme weather events have driven customer interest in home energy storage systems.
