Chinese PV Industry Brief: China may add 280 GW of new PV this year
China Securities has revised its annual guidance for China, predicting up to 280 GW of new PV installations this year, while glass manufacturer Kibing and wafer maker HySolar revealed new solar investment plans.
Germany launches new measures to support solar
The German parliament has approved “Solarpaket 1,” a policy package that includes higher feed-in tariffs for commercial and industrial (C&I) solar projects and new measures related to the size of eligible installations in large-scale solar auctions.
Jet stream, prolonged monsoon shape March solar patterns across Asia
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that warm sea surface temperatures and disturbances increased onshore moisture along China’s southern coast, which in turn increased solar irradiance by 5-15% on long term averages.
India’s new solar installations hit 6.2 GW in March
India set a new record for monthly renewable energy installations by deploying 7.1 GW of capacity in March 2024. The monthly renewables additions included more than 6.2 GW of solar.
Solar-assisted thermochemical heat pump based on caustic soda, water
Researchers in China have designed a two-stage, solar-assisted thermochemical heat pump system that uses caustic soda and water as a working pair. The system is reportedly able to achieve an energy storage density of 363 kWh/m3 and is considered by its creators an ideal solution for residential buildings with limited space.
US to upgrade power transmission infrastructure
As the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ramps up clean energy efforts across the United States, the government has outlined a plan to expand transmission lines to accommodate more power.
Ireland introduces home energy loan scheme
The Irish authorities have presented a new plan to allow homeowners to borrow between €5,000 ($5,350) and €75,000 for up to 10 years, with low interest rates. Heat pumps, solar electricity and solar water heater installations are all eligible under the scheme.
Solar key to easing Burundi’s severe energy crisis
Burundi, the poorest country on earth, is unable to buy fossil fuels on theinternational market due to a lack of hard currency. pv magazine spoke with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a PV analyst to assess the true potential of PV in the nation’s current energy crisis.
Norwegian startup unveils CO2 water-to-water heat pump
Tequs said its new plug-and-play heat pump can deliver up to 90 C of heat for space heating, air conditioning, and domestic hot water. The new product is available in eight versions with capacity ranging from 17 kW to 268 kW.
SunPower to close business units, cut about 26% of workforce
The US-based company announced plans to wind down its residential solar installation locations and close its direct sales unit.
