Highlights

pv magazine group welcomes Eric Wesoff as the new editorial leader of the U.S. platform. With two decades of experience working in the renewable energy industry, Wesoff brings a plethora of expertise in solar power, advanced batteries, clean technology investing and finance, utility structures, and the electric grid.

Solar electricity production increased by almost 9.2% in the January-September period, but installations barely changed from the first nine months of the preceding year.

EOn has calculated the number of PV modules that could theoretically be installed on the Imperial space station from the popular film series. It concluded that even a small version of the station would be able to provide enough solar power to supply 2.5 billion households on Earth.

Solar is included among the competing sources but with a maximum quota of only 10%. Around 13,500 GWh will be allocated across five rounds under the new scheme, which is still subject to EU state aid approval. Community-led projects will be allowed to participate from the second round, with a bonus of €2/MWh.

Microgrids are traditionally deployed where end users are not spoiled for choice. The remoteness and terrain of the Maldives make grid access impossible, and without any other choice, the deployment of hundreds of microgrids could be spot on. A leaf out of the island nation’s book could also support other less remote regions in preparing for the energy transition.

Baden-based utility Axpo is building a 2 MW facility at the Muttsee reservoir in the canton of Glarus, Switzerland. It expects the plant to maintain high levels of power generation, especially throughout the winter months.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a transparent coating they successfully incorporated into a perovskite solar cell, increasing efficiency and stability. The group says with further improvements the material could be used as a simpler, less expensive alternative to widely used indium tin oxide as a transparent conductive material for a range of applications.

Three energy associations, including Holland Solar, have asked the Dutch parliament to take action amid worsening grid connection problems for renewable energy projects in the Netherlands. According to the energy groups, around 700 MW of solar and wind projects allocated under the SDE+ incentive program could lose their payments if they miss connection deadlines.

Some 37 solar projects with a combined generation capacity of 202 MW were assigned in a procurement round which was oversubscribed despite a lack of onshore wind bids.

Raad Al Haris, an energy advisor to the prime minister, announced the idea at the Energy Transition in the Arab World conference held in Berlin this week. Al Haris also revealed the Iraqi government has pre-qualified 45 bidders for the first tender.