Construction begins on Europe’s largest floating PV plant
The plant is being built by Dutch developer Groenleven on a former sand extraction lake in the northern Netherlands. The company’s project manager for floating PV, Willem Biesheuvel, told pv magazine about its approach to deploying floating arrays always with a west-east orientation, which he claims ensures more stability and resistance to wind and waves.
CEA-Ines achieves 19.2% efficiency for flexible perovskite solar cell
The cell was fabricated with a flexible substrate made of indium tin oxide (ITO) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The device was tested through a damp heat test and showed it can retain around 90% of its initial efficiency after 800 hours.
Eastern Australia to host 100 MW / 200 MWh big battery
Murrumbidgee Shire in the New South Wales’ Riverina region is set for a big battery and big flexibility after Edify and Shell Energy came together on a deal that will see the realisation of the Riverina Energy Storage System.
Trina Solar begins production of 550 W modules at Vietnam facility
Trina Solar broke ground on its Thai Nguyen plant in December, and completed construction in five months.
Global solar supply chain under scrutiny
The discussion about the extent to which forced labor exists in the solar value chain continues. A video, a university report, a ministerial response and a parliamentary machinations formed notable developments of the debate last week.
Greece developed 1 GW of solar in 2020 and has linked Crete to the mainland grid
Statistics published by Greece’s leading solar association show the country constructed 913 MW of new photovoltaic systems last year. Meanwhile, Greece’s largest island has been connected to the mainland power network by what has been described as the world’s longest subsea AC cable.
Romania preps auction scheme for large-scale solar, renewables
The scheme is expected to be issued within 18 months. According to law firm Schoenherr Romania, there is a growing appetite for large-scale solar projects in the country among investors.
Solar module factory to resume production in Portugal
An investment of around €5 million will allow an old solar panel factory in the Beja district to reopen and create more than 40 new jobs. Galp Energia’s former director of innovation is part of the new team.
IEA highlights solar’s dependence on Chinese copper processing
The sheer volume of new power lines which will be required to accommodate the rising tide of solar installations ensures copper has been included by the International Energy Agency on its list of minerals which must keep flowing if the energy transition is to stay on course. And it’s not production that’s the potential bottleneck.
The weekend read: Large-format PV modules – is bigger really better?
Large-format PV modules are a key development in solar technology and advocates say their emergence has the potential to be one of the most significant innovations the industry has ever seen. But many people remain unconvinced that bigger is actually better.
