Will Africa be left behind in the scramble for renewables?
Buoyant predictions about a rosy future for African photovoltaics, based on the continent’s abundant solar resources, continue to overlook the difficulties of securing investment, as Empower New Energy co-founder and CEO Terje Osmundsen explains, referring to a report published by the Africa Solar Industry Association at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi today.
Hoymiles reveals microinverters for high-power PV modules
Chinese manufacturer Hoymiles has developed a new line of microinverters with up to 96.7% efficiency and outputs of up to 2,000 VA. It said they can be connected with up to four high-power solar modules.
MENA’s leading solar PV markets
The Middle East Solar Industry Association (Mesia) has reviewed the latest achievements of key PV markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in its newly published “Solar Outlook Report 2023.” The report offers an overview of developments across the PV industry, including green hydrogen, floating solar, and robotic cleaning.
Soiling – a multibillion-dollar issue
A new report by the International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS) estimates that lost revenue from PV module soiling amounts to more than €3 billion ($3.2 billion) per year – an amount that is only set to increase as PV systems grow larger and more efficient.
Survey: How should smart grids be implemented?
PV integration in smart grids is a complex but highly relevant issue, with various aspects to be considered to develop different scenarios. Researchers in the IEA-PVPS Task 14 program are conducting a survey to collect opinions from peers in the PV branch to perform such an analysis.
India installed almost 14 GW of solar in 2022
India installed 13,956 MW of solar between January and December 2022. This included 11.3 GW of utility-scale PV, about 1.9 GW of rooftop solar, and nearly 700 MW of off-grid/distributed capacity.
Taiwan maintains FIT rates for PV
The Taiwanese authorities have decided, once again, not to reduce feed-in tariff (FIT) rates for PV, as initially planned, in order to support more solar deployment.
Austria allocates $650 million for solar incentives in 2023
Austria is ramping up its budget to support solar, on top of new measures aimed at simplifying approval processes for the deployment of PV systems.
French gas supplier acquires Sys EnR
Butagaz is continuing its investments in solar energy through the acquisition of Sys EnR, following its purchase of French installers Soltéa and Solewa.
Solar-powered water desalination tech for off-grid applications
Berlin-based Boreal Light has developed water desalination tech powered by PV for off-grid applications. The solution uses 460 W solar panels from Chinese module manufacturer DAH Solar and produces clean water from direct seawater at a cost of €0.50 ($0.54)/m3.
