Gas and CO2 prices continued their downward trend in the fourth week of May, which led to a general downward trend in prices in European electricity markets and several negative hourly prices were registered, which reached -€400/MWh in Netherlands. The notable exception of the Iberian market, which saw a rise in prices, came from the fall in renewable energy production. During the week, records of solar photovoltaic energy production were reached in Germany, France, and Italy.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, presents the solar irradiance data it collected for North America since early May. The province of Alberta saw close to 100 wildfires raging from the beginning of the month and solar asset operators throughout the impacted regions can expect reduced efficiency from both the irradiance impacts and increased panel soiling.

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 the third week of May, negative or zero hourly prices were registered in most of the European electricity markets, especially during the weekend. In the Nord Pool market, the value of -€5.67/MWh registered during an hour on Sunday May 21, is the lowest one in history. For the week as a whole, prices decreased in every market, due to the decrease in demand and gas prices, and also to a higher solar and wind energy production than that of the previous week in several markets.

Solar electricity will have to compete with biofuels in the urban mobility landscape. Biofuels, however, have a very low energy productivity per hectare, as well as high requirements for fertilizers, pesticides, and water.

The first post-pandemic update on the state of the world’s off-grid solar industry has painted a picture of domination by European companies, but highlighted the potential for new startups in West Africa and an increasing use of PV as a backup to unreliable grid supplies.

The off-grid solar sector has shown resilience in the face of pandemic-related challenges, with 70 million people gaining access to electricity from early 2020 to the end of 2021. However, the ability to pay for solar energy kits has taken a hit.

The African Development Bank has announced that European and US donors will provide $20 million of concessional loans to support pay-as-you-go solar companies in sub-Saharan Africa.

With comparisons with a Covid-hit 2020 inevitably offering a string of positive numbers, there was also little to concern the board of the inverter and battery manufacturer from the returns generated in the last quarter.

The latest edition of a clean power jobs survey produced by IRENA and the International Labour Organization has stressed the important role which will need to be played by the public sector if the energy transition’s employment benefits are to be shared equally.

Joules Power has switched on Bangladesh’s largest floating PV plant, with an installed capacity of 3.2 MW. The facility, which is situated on a fish pond, will supply electricity to a nearby rice mill.

Hungary, one of Europe’s gigawatt-scale solar markets, is a hub of bustling activity. However, government policy shifts and grid constraints are casting a long shadow over growing demand for solar energy. pv magazine recently spoke with Ádám Szolnoki, the president of the Hungarian Photovoltaic Industry Association (MANAP), about the latest market developments.

Power purchase agreements (PPAs) are growing in popularity in Poland due to high energy prices and the declining appeal of renewable energy auctions. Nevertheless, regulatory changes have created uncertainty and reduced attractiveness.

Johnson Controls says it will supply four 15 MW heat pumps to the district heating network, in Hamburg, Germany. The new system will be equipped in the city’s central wastewater treatment plant as part of a wastewater heat project.

Futurasun, an Italian module manufacturer, has acquired Rome-based Solertix. It now aims to bring its perovskite-based solar cell technology closer to commercial production.

Scientists in the United Kingdom have proposed using orbiting solar reflectors to enhance the electricity yield of terrestrial solar power plants. They claim this new technology may be particularly beneficial for improving generation at dusk and dawn, when irradiance is lower.

ACEN Australia has secured approval from the New South Wales state government for its expanded battery proposal, making it the largest battery in Australia at 1.4 GW/2.8 GWh. The battery will be built near the company’s 720 MW New England Solar project.

Deye’s new three-phase hybrid inverters have efficiency ratings of up to 97.60% and European efficiency ratings of 97.0%. They are available in five versions, with power outputs ranging from 29.9 kW to 50 kW.

Sunfolding’s new TopoTrack rows are reportedly 10 times shorter than traditional trackers, and they can provide 20 degrees of variation between trackers, thus improving slope tolerance between rows.

Belgian grid operator Elia announced that solar and wind generation provided enough electricity to cover the country’s entire electricity demand for the first time this Monday.

The Global Electronics Council has delivered standard inspection processes built upon models combining local power grid emissions and subcomponent energy needs to determine the embodied carbon footprint of globally manufactured solar panels.

Researchers at Tohoku University in Japan have developed a prototype calcium battery with a long cycle life of more than 500 charge-discharge cycles. The battery was developed using a hydride-based electrolyte and copper sulfide nanoparticle/carbon composite cathode.

Most solar inverters in the Netherlands fail electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements, posing interference risks and raising the threat of hacking, says the National Inspectorate for Digital Infrastructure (RDI).

Brisbane-based Li-S Energy has developed a 20-layer battery cell utilizing semi-solid state lithium sulfur battery technology. The company claims the new cell displays nearly double the gravimetric energy density and a comparable volumetric energy density to lithium-ion cells.

An international research team has crafted an innovative solar cell design. By employing a top absorber consisting of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3), a lead-halide perovskite, and a bottom absorber composed of FA0.5MA0.5Pb0.5Sn0.5I3, a perovskite material, the cell maximizes light absorption across a broad spectrum.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has launched an expression of interest for a consulting study on solar manufacturing in the Desert to Power Sahel countries. Interested parties have until June 7 to submit their bids.

Hail events have historically posed a considerable risk for utility-scale solar projects, with weather creating up to $100 million in damages at large installations in US states such as Texas.

India’s Livsol has released 300 VA, 1 kVA, 2 kVA, 3 kVA, and 5 kVA versions of its new wall-mounted lithium battery inverters, with operating voltages of 12.8 V, 12.8 V, 25.6 V, 51.2 V, and 48 V.

Meyer Burger says it might launch US solar cell manufacturing, and is now in talks with Sunrun and Sunnova

German wafer manufacturer Nexwafe is currently trying to commercialize its highly efficient monocrystalline wafer technology.

Queensland-based flow battery company, Redflow, has commissioned a 30 kWh zinc-bromine flow battery for the Brisbane City Council.

Plug Power has revealed plans to develop three green hydrogen production plants in Finland, while Statkraft is set to increase its investments in the German hydrogen market.

A Japanese consortium is now testing a 100 kW fuel cell system in Tokyo. The system uses green hydrogen and waste plastic hydrogen to provide heat to an industrial building. The demonstration aims to establish an urban hydrogen energy utilization model that combines global and local hydrogen sources.

China-based Sofar has unveiled PowerMaster, a new modular utility-scale battery based on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry. 

German investors have agreed to back a hydrogen project in Namibia, while Plug Power and Thyssenkrupp Nucera have announced separate hydrogen-related deals in Sweden.