Patrick Jowett
Amea Power secures financing for 120 MW of solar in South Africa
Amea Power says it has obtained financing for a 120 MW solar plant near Klerksdorp, South Africa. The funds include $100 million in debt from Standard Bank South Africa and $8 million in equity from Industrial Development Corp.
Kosovo opens subsidy scheme for solar thermal systems
Household consumers in Kosovo can now apply for a subsidy to install a solar system for heating sanitary water. Applications to the first of two stages are open until August 31.
Hive Energy secures grid connection permit for 215.6 MW of solar projects in Serbia
UK’s Hive Energy said the projects will feature battery energy storage systems that equate to 10% of the overall solar capacity.
Azerbaijan gives green light to 760 MW of solar
Azerbaijan has approved the construction of two new solar plants totaling 760 MW in the southeastern part of the country. Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. (Masdar) will oversee the development of the projects.
Electricity prices falling in most European markets
AleaSoft Energy Forecasting says electricity prices fell in all major European electricity markets during the last week of May, except for the Italian and Nordic markets. Additionally, Portugal broke its record for daily solar energy production again.
Freight costs edge toward pandemic levels, hitting solar module costs
Freight costs, which represent around 4% of a solar module’s total costs, are increasing on trade lines between the Far East and the US West Coast, Northern Europe, and Mediterranean region.
Organic solar cell based on trichlorobenzene achieves 19.31% efficiency
An international research team developed an organic solar cell based on a novel non-monotonic intermediated state manipulation strategy. The device reportedly showed non-radiative recombination losses while exhibiting remarkable power conversion efficiency.
Energy Vault unveils design partnership for gravity storage in skyscrapers
The partnership will see architecture and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), responsible for some of the world’s tallest buildings, incorporate Energy Vault’s gravity energy storage technology into tall buildings in urban environments and deployable structures in natural environments.
IRENA calls for investment in small island nations
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) discussed the financing landscape for small island developing states (SIDS) and mechanisms to accelerate the energy transition at the United Nations 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States.
Japan reports radio interference from PV systems
Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications says that since 2021, it has received 44 reports of unwanted radio wave emissions from solar power systems, including interference with defense facilities and emergency wireless equipment. The ministry warns that PV systems may be removed by law if they continue to cause problems.
