Asia leads charge in renewable energy growth
IRENA’s report Renewable Capacity Statistics 2023 shows that in 2022, Asia accounted for nearly 60 percent of the worldwide increase in renewable energy generating capacity, resulting in a total of 1.63 Terawatt (TW) of renewable capacity by year end. A huge part of this increase occurred in China.
The Hydrogen Stream: South Korea launching hydrogen bidding market
South Korea is opening what it claims is the world’s first hydrogen power generation bidding market, while the International Energy Agency says that Omani hydrogen production could surpass current European consumption levels.
Reducing solar module temperature with acrylic sheets
Jordanian researchers have developed a method using acrylic sheets to reflect and absorb unused solar radiation in PV power generation. The solution has the potential to decrease solar panel temperature by more than 14% and increase power yields by approximately 2%.
A bright spot in the darkest hour
Solar is not only helping to keep the lights on in Ukraine – it also has a vital role as part of Europe’s energy transition and clean energy economy.
Australian developer moves forward with solar-to-hydrogen project
The Hydrogen Collective (H2C), an Australian project developer, has revealed plans to build a solar-powered production facility in the state of Queensland. The facility, set to be operational from later this year, will supply commercial customers with green hydrogen. Construction is scheduled to start in the coming weeks.
PPA prices falling across Europe, says Pexapark
Pexapark says power purchase agreement (PPA) prices are falling in Europe, with prices in Spain and Portugal down by 6.4% and 6.2% to €40.90 ($43.99)/MWh and €39.60/MWh, respectively.
Panasonic releases propane heat pump for residential applications
Japan’s Panasonic has developed an air-source heat pump that uses propane (R290) as the refrigerant. It can produce between 5 kW and 9 kW of heat, as well as domestic hot water up to a temperature of 75 C. It says the heat pump can be paired with rooftop solar to maximize self-consumption. The new Aquarea series also includes a heat pump with R32 as the refrigerant.
Global rooftop PV additions soar by 50% to 118 GW in 2022
The world installed 239 GW of new solar capacity in 2022, according to SolarPower Europe. The rooftop PV segment accounted for 49.5% of additions – the highest share in the past three years. The rooftop sectors in Brazil, Italy, and Spain grew by 193%, 127%, and 105%, respectively.
Eneco to build 50 MW/200 MWh project in Belgium
Dutch utility Eneco has announced plans to build a 50 MW/200 MWh battery energy storage installation in Wallonia, Belgium, using Tesla Megapacks. The battery plant will offer four hours of storage.
Reflective membrane to increase albedo, energy yield in bifacial PV
Thrace Group has developed a reflective, permeable membrane made of polypropylene resins and coated with a thin white layer that reflects ultraviolet (UV) rays. It claims that the membrane increased the energy yield of a large-scale pilot installation by 4.5%.
