The Japanese electronics giant has unveiled three monocrystalline half-cut cell modules said to provide 2-3% better performance than standard, full cell panels. The claimed efficiency of the modules exceeds 19.5% and Sharp says power output ranges from 330-395 W.

French thinktank the Institut Montaigne says Africa is absent from the global solar revolution for several reasons including a lack of suitable financing tools, the small size of projects and a systematic recourse to tendering. Removing artificial price signals set by ever more competitive tenders could be a step towards a more mature market, ready for large scale solar tenders.

Of 169 pre-selected projects, one is a project for landfill gas production; the remaining 348.5 MW of generation capacity comes from solar projects. The auction’s final results are expected in spring.

The Electricity Authority of Cyprus has issued a public call to select landowners to lease space for the development of large-scale solar projects.

Dutch utility Liander has published a new list congested areas in the provinces of Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Noord-Holland, and Zuid-Holland. The company said that developers of solar parks who are still waiting for grid connection may have to wait longer for additional grid capacity.

The transaction has been approved by AGCM, Italy’s antitrust authority. Prior to acquiring Evolvere – which recorded a turnover of more than €30 million in 2018 – Eni has mainly specialized in the construction of large-scale solar plants, rather than residential and commercial PV projects.

An international research group led by CIC EnergiGUNE, a Spanish research center, is designing new redox organic flow batteries. The researchers claim the batteries will offer longer duration, as well as higher power and energy densities, in a more environmentally sustainable format. The European Commission provided €3.8 million in funding for the initiative.

The procurement exercise, which includes 250 MW of wind to be developed by Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power, was launched in March. The plant will be built at a site located 75 kilometers southwest of Baku. The authorities have not provided any information on final auction prices.

The 4 MW plant will be deployed in Lagoon le Rocher on Mahé Island. Construction will likely begin in the second quarter of this year, while details of the 25-year power purchase agreement should be finalized by the end of March.

Four bids have been lodged for 100 MW projects and fifth for a 90 MW facility, all in peninsular Malaysia, to indicate the 500 MW tender will fall short of its intended capacity. The lowest solar power price lodged is for $0.042/kWh.