2024

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Nataliia Cherepovska, communication manager at Poland’s Menlo Electric. She says that especially in Ukraine, where she comes from, solar is more than a green initiative – it’s a lifeline. “Solar-powered crucial facilities keep running even when the grid falters, ensuring critical services,” she states. “Solar energy doesn’t just power buildings – it powers hope, security, and progress.”

JinkoSolar and Trina Solar have separately reported that on-field testing shows tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar modules outperform p-type back-contact PV modules in monthly power generation.

China’s Hithium has joined hands with a local partner to establish a 5 GWh production facility in Saudi Arabia. It has also unveiled its specialized energy storage solutions tailored for desert applications.

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has received proposals from 134 companies for a total of 3.6 GW. It says that 259 projects from 127 developers passed the technical bid evaluation and will be considered when financial proposals are opened on Oct. 22.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that low-pressure systems caused cloudier skies and reduced irradiance in Southern and Western regions in September, while areas further north and east enjoyed sunnier weather. A series of low-pressure systems centered over France led to the biggest drop in irradiance by up to 25%.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

In a new paper published in nature communications, the Chinese solar manufacturer explained that the heterojunction back contact cell it unveiled in late 2023 achieved one of the highest open-circuit voltage ever reported for this cell technology, as well as smaller than usual short-circuit current losses. The results were confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH).

An Australian Research Council funded report co-authored by Sydney-based University of New South Wales and UK-based charity SolarAid says the off-grid solar sector should do more to enhance its product repair initiatives.

Researchers have simulated the operation of bifacial PV and proton exchange membrane reversible fuel cells across restaurants in five different US states. Taking into account varying rates of bifacial PV’s rearside gains, they found that LCOE was as low as $0.029 per kWh.

The Golden State recently signed AB 2661, granting the Westland Water District authority to develop transmission lines that will enable solar energy and storage projects on 130,000 acres of drainage-impaired farmland.