2024

Replacing existing transmission lines, known as conductors, with advanced conductors could enable 764 GW of transmission-connected solar by 2035. However, some US utilities are slow to adopt this technology. In a recent webinar, two utilities that have used advanced conductors for years shared their experiences.

The costs for renewable energy funding this year will be higher than forecast, due in part to the many hours with negative spot market prices on the electricity exchange. A new report expects the trend of high costs to continue until 2029.

Surge in battery storage installations shown in installer data from UK accreditation body MCS. While 2024 is comfortably the best year on record, MCS Head of Scheme Alex Hughes tells ESS News she would like to see even more solar installers take on a storage accreditation.

Supporting First Nations people to effectively engage in and benefit from the energy transition is a timely priority for Australia’s emerging Net Zero Economy Authority, which is tasked with facilitating investments nationwide. pv magazine Australia’s Ev Foley finds the road to clean energy for remote communities can be long and hard, but possible. In the Pilbara, a First Nations group is blazing a trail as a developer of a 3 GW renewables pipeline.

Now that incentives from the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are well understood, global manufacturers are announcing factories in the United States to constitute much of the solar supply chain. While some plans have been scrapped already, and more cancellations are expected, the broader trend is unprecedented growth.

Researchers in China and Malaysia simulated a new structure for copper zinc tin sulphide (CZTS) cells featuring a tungsten oxide buffer layer and a back surface field kesterite layer. A device simulated with this configuration achieved an open circuit voltage of 1.2 V and a fill factor of 83.37%.

Following Ireland’s most recent renewables auction finalized in late September, the average final price for PV was €0.10476 ($0.12)/kWh, which just a 4% decrease compared to 2023’s auction. pv magazine has spoken with the government, the local PV association and several market operators to understand the reasons behind final high prices.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) are funding a 99 MW solar project in southwestern Croatia with a total investment of €62 million ($67.2 million). Construction will begin next year, and commissioning is set for 2026.

The Spanish company said that its new tracker “is designed for maximum adaptability to any terrain.” It works with all PV modules.

A group of researchers have investigated the influence of the regulatory framework on supporting the expansion of ground-mounted PV plants close to transport routes as railways, highway and federal roads in Germany. Their analysis showed that most of the PV systems installed next to these routes are located on what was once agricultural land.