The Hydrogen Stream: Linde invests in blue hydrogen facility in Canada
Linde has signed a long-term deal to supply clean hydrogen in Alberta, Canada, while Hyundai Motor and Pertamina have agreed to jointly develop Indonesia’s hydrogen ecosystem.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Longi, TCL Zhonghuan raise silicon wafer prices
Longi has raised silicon wafer prices to CNY 1.15 ($0.16) for N-G10L wafers and CNY 1.30 for N-G12R wafers, while TCL Zhonghuan has increased its prices to CNY 1.15 for G10N wafers, CNY 1.30 for G12RN wafers, and CNY 1.50 for G12N wafers.
New coating prevents plant growth on underwater solar cells
The US Navy has funded Danish research on preventing biofouling while maintaining visible light transmission on underwater solar cells. The top solution uses ultra-low concentrations of nano-sized, seawater-soluble pigments. Power generation stayed close to 100% after 13 weeks underwater.
New residential storage system from Germany with 12,000 charging cycles
German manufacturer EKD says its new Ampere.StoragePro E3 battery uses lithium-iron phosphate cells and can be cascaded to reach up to 231 kWh.
Japan suspends incentives for 342 agrivoltaic facilities
The Japanese authorities have suspended feed-in tariffs (FITs) and premiums for 342 agrivoltaic projects due to violations of new agricultural land regulations. Analyst Makoto Tajima tells pv magazine that this move could hinder the development of agrivoltaics in land-scarce Japan.
South Africa’s 7th renewables procurement round highly oversubscribed
South Africa’s latest auction is the first to be held under a December 2022 government plan to procure 14,771 MW of new generating capacity.
Lightweight mobility with vehicle-integrated photovoltaics
A European consortium of commercial and research groups is developing lighter weight, solar-powered, cost-conscious, three and four-wheel prototype vehicles for passengers and cargo. The $13.4 million project aims for a platform that has standardized components, including the battery, powertrain, and solar PV parts, as well as support for end-of-life, maintenance, and refurbishment.
EUPD Research expects 11 GWh of home storage to be added in Europe in 2024
According to the Bonn-based analysts, the momentum for home battery storage systems with a capacity of up to 20 kWh is driven by emerging markets such as Poland and Hungary. In Germany, however, they expect a 5% drop in new installations compared to the previous year.
UK analyst finds incentives, education key to flexible EV tariff adoption
As a new phase of government-backed flexibility tariff trials gets underway in the United Kingdom, LCP delta analyst Shaz Shamim tells pv magazine how phase-one research revealed consumers can be convinced to hand over control when cost savings are combined with better understanding.
Major US corporations embracing community solar
The Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA) says that household names such as Microsoft, Google, Walmart, Starbucks, Rivian, Wendy’s, and T-Mobile are just a few of the Fortune 500 companies that have signed agreements with community solar developers.
