2023

In the first week of June, prices of most European electricity markets fell and some negative prices were registered, thanks to the decrease in demand and prices of gas and CO2, and to the increase of renewable energy production in some cases. However, prices rose in the Nord Pool and MIBEL markets, with the latter being the highest weekly price, something that did not happen since the first week of November. A record photovoltaic energy production was registered in Germany on June 3.

TW Solar announced it will invest around $1.48 billion in a new integrated solar module manufacturing facility in Chengdu City. Meanwhile, Jinkosolar began to buy new production equipment for its expansion plans from Wuxi Autowell.

Germany’s MAN Energy Solutions has supplied two 50 MW seawater heat pumps for district heating at the port of Esbjerg, Denmark. They use CO2 as a refrigerant and will be powered by nearby wind farms. The project will start producing 350,000 MWh of heat per year in the fall.

The Serbian government has allocated a quota of 50 MW for its first solar auction. Solar plants with capacity of more than 500 kW will be allowed to participate in the competitive tendering process, with the ceiling price set at €90 ($96.10)/MWh.

India’s Lohum has designed a 5 kWh energy storage system in collaboration with MG Motor India, as part of efforts to develop second-life solutions for used EV batteries.

Bangladesh has introduced tax exemptions to reduce water production costs and promote the use of solar power in 19 coastal districts. This initiative comes in response to grid electricity shortages caused by a decline in coal and fuel imports. The goal is to enhance reliance on solar-powered water desalination in these areas.

Akuo, a French independent power producer, has secured a 20-year power purchase agreement for a 8.7 MW floating PV array in southern France.

The government of the Philippines is set to hold the country’s second renewables auction on June 19.

Singulus says its new production equipment can apply a passivation layer to the edges of half-cell, multi-cell, and shingle cells. Its Generis PET machine is also suitable for batch or inline processing and is compatible with all crystalline solar cell technologies.

A British research team has investigated the technical feasibility of an air conditioning unit powered exclusively by solar-plus-storage and has found that two 130 Ah batteries charged by two 400 W solar panels are capable of supporting the system during the night.