September 2021

In a short interview with pv magazine, Indra Overland, head of the Center for Energy Research at the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs, explains how keeping a cap on gas and electricity prices is crucial to avoid long-term political damage and a loss of support for decarbonization plans. While it is difficult to say what the overall impact on the world economy will be, high costs and instability are rarely beneficial for economic growth, he says.

The clean energy joint venture, which is half owned by British energy company BP, today said it expects to create around 500 jobs as it ramps up its solar portfolio from less than 4 GW to 25 GW in four years.

Adani Solar, Jakson, Premier Energies, Vikram Solar, Waaree and other Indian manufacturers are showcasing their high-output modules ranging from 500 W to over 600 W at this year’s Renewable Energy India Expo 2021.

A Canadian consortium led by the Sherbrooke University has developed a CPV panel with improved light absorption through a microstructured anti-reflecting coating consisting of a monolayer of silica beads, which they claim can improve the device’s short-circuit current by up to 3.7%. The module is based on III-V solar cells.

A new report from the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) has shown that heat pump technologies are currently unable to compete for heating with gas due to high taxes and levies on electricity. According to its experts, a carbon tax, or removing this tax imbalance, may create a level playing field for renewable technologies in the heating sector.

U.S. start-up EnerVenue has secured funding to build a gigafactory to produce nickel-hydrogen batteries for large scale renewable and storage applications. The battery has an efficiency ranging from 80 to 90%, depending on the cycle rate, and its energy density per square foot is equal to, or better than lithium-ion batteries, according to the company.

Green hydrogen cost may reach between €0.7 and €1.8/kg by 2030 and €0.3 and €0.9/kg by 2050, according to a European research team led by the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Photovoltaics. The scientists found that the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) could drop from around €0.031-0.081/kWh currently to €0.02-0.05 by 2030 and €0.01-0.027 by 2050.

Until this year, Lord Howe Island was totally reliant on diesel generation for its electricity. A solar-powered hybrid microgrid, integrated into the island’s supply since April, has now been declared a resounding success.

A printed circuit board-based hydrogen fuel cell for use in autonomous boats and ships has been engineered by a British consortium, and Italian energy companies Snam and Edison want to set up a 220 MW green hydrogen production plant powered by 380 MW of solar in Apulia.