Brazil surpasses 29 GW of installed PV capacity
In terms of centralized generation, the country has more than 104.4 GW of awarded projects still under construction or in development, while in distributed generation, there was more than 30 GW as of February from projects with connection requests made by Jan. 1. In both segments, the availability of network connections remains a barrier in carrying out projects.
Amarenco acquires Jordanian renewable energy company Spectrum
With the acquisition of Spectrum International, Amarenco Group strengthens its presence in the Middle East and North Africa, where it is aiming for 200 MW.
FuturaSun to start PV cell production with 10 GW solar factory in China
FuturaSun is betting on a vertical integration strategy with the launch of a 10 GW solar cell factory in Huai’an, China. It aims to start production in spring 2024.
Fraunhofer ISE opens new outdoor solar technology test field in Germany
The new test field includes laboratory and field measurements, allowing PV modules to be evaluated faster and more accurately by combining and comparing indoor laboratory measurement results with those from the test field. The new location complements existing Fraunhofer ISE testing sites on Gran Canaria and in the Negev desert in Israel.
Storing renewables with compressed CO2, combined heating and power unit
A Chinese research group has combined compressed CO2 with combined heating and power (CHP) units for renewable energy storage. The system has achieved a total energy efficiency of 35.96% and an energy storage density of 1.54 kWh/m3.
First Solar acquires Swedish perovskite specialist Evolar
First Solar has agreed to pay $38 million to buy Swedish manufacturing startup Evolar AB, as it seeks to expand development of high-efficiency tandem PV tech.
Indian developers secure 380 MW of PPAs
Tata Power Renewable Energy has agreed to set up a 280 MW solar project in India, with the power to be sold under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA). PTC India, meanwhile, has revealed plans to sell solar power to various utilities and commercial and industrial consumers.
April irradiance up for US and Mexico, down for Canada
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, presents the solar irradiance data it collected for North America in April. These data show that positive departures from normal April irradiation benefitted solar producers from California, Baja California and Sonora right across the continent to Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maine.
Utility-scale solar installation goes automated
Powered by installation robots, on-site assembly line and digital twin software, the Terabase automated power plant construction system aims to boost productivity and cut construction costs.
Amp Energy wins 150 MW wind-solar auction in India with $0.037/kWh bid
Amp Energy has won a 150 MW wind-solar auction in India with a bid of INR 3.07 ($0.037)/kWh.
