European Parliament approves 45% renewables target
A large majority of MEPs support the European Commission’s target of 45% renewables in the energy mix by 2030. Member states are all expected to develop several cross-border renewable projects.
South Korean government begins nationwide inspection on solar parks
South Korean authorities have already identified 2,267 cases of illegal subsidy use for renewable energy plants. They also ascertained that agrivoltaic projects presented as such had no agricultural activities being implemented.
New grid-scale LFP battery from Canadian Solar
The company said it plans to quadruple its battery manufacturing capacity by the end of 2023. The 2.8 MWh lithium-ferro phosphate battery will be unveiled at the RE+ conference in California.
Energy Vault to deploy 2 GWh of gravity storage in China
Energy Vault’s EVx storage system is comparable to pumped hydro, using grid-scale renewable energy when supply is abundant to drive motors and raise 30-ton blocks on a six-arm crane tower, rather than water, up to a height. When power needs to be discharged back to the grid, the blocks are lowered, harvesting the kinetic energy.
Heterojunction solar cell with 24.18% efficiency via hydrogenated amorphous silicon passivation
A Dutch research group has developed a passivation technique for heterojunction solar cells based on a hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer. Their cell achieved an in-house-certified power conversion efficiency of 24.18%, an open-circuit voltage of 726.0 mV, a short-circuit current of 39.97 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 83.3%.
Novel tech to recycle silver, aluminum from end-of-life solar panels
Researchers at the University of Leicester have developed a new method of extracting silver and aluminum from end-of-life PV cells using iron chloride and aluminum chloride dissolved in brines. According to them, the cheap solvents retrieve up to 95% of the metals within 10 minutes, achieving a 98% purity of silver chloride.
Australian grid operator turns to Smart Wires technology to unlock renewables
Transmission network operator Transgrid is counting on technology developed in the United States to increase the capacity for the bidirectional flow of energy between Australia’s most populous states with works on the Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector upgrade project nearing completion.
Goldman Sachs, Cleanhill Partners acquire majority stake in US inverter maker EPC Power
With clean energy installations projected to skyrocket, the two financial powerhouses value EPC Power’s position in the evolution of the industry.
Spain set to hit 20 GW milestone
Spain has reached 17.1 GW of large-scale PV capacity and 2.5 GW of solar under the self-consumption regime, according to new figures from grid operator REE.
Germany to tender another 1.5 GW of solar power
The German authorities say that the country’s new 1.5 GW tender is a response to the current energy crisis. Selected PV projects will have to reach completion within nine months after securing feed-in premium tariffs.
