Renewables outpace nuclear and coal in the US
The latest edition of the US Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly report shows renewables generated more electricity through May 31 than coal and nuclear.
How much vertical BIPV is too much?
A French-Italian research group has shown that BIPV facades on buildings can cause a ‘darkening’ effect by reducing light reflectance on nearby installations, dragging down energy production by 11%. The ‘urban heat island effect’ can also weigh on PV system performance, the researchers said.
Bosch, IBC Solar combine smart heating production with PV
The German companies are developing an intelligent energy solution for heating, hot water, energy management and solar power generation in a single coordinated system.
Cleaning the air is like ‘moving a solar panel from Toronto to Houston’
An international research team has measured the reduction of air pollution due to the Covid-19 shutdown and its impact on solar radiation levels. They found that solar radiation in Delhi, one of the world’s most polluted cities, was around 8.3% higher in late March, when the Indian government implemented lockdown measures.
Tesla solar business hits new lows in revenue, deployment
It was a series of firsts, including a strong full year and Megapack turning a profit, that factored into CEO Elon Musk explaining that he has “never been more optimistic or excited about the future of Tesla.” Austin, Texas, has been confirmed as the site of the next Gigafactory.
India installed 7.6 GW of solar in the last fiscal year, and plans another 8 GW by April
Some 5.9 GW of utility scale PV generation capacity was added in 2019-20, plus 1.7 GW of rooftop solar, with domestic module manufacturers enjoying around 40% of the market.
The cost of building stronger PV systems
Scientists in the U.S. have estimated the expense of strengthening solar systems. The researchers stressed that the upfront investment needed to take 13 key measures may be outweighed by the benefits.
Australian rooftop PV may face grid constraints
The ability to feed electricity from rooftop PV arrays into Australia’s distribution network may be severely limited in the future, as installations appear likely to exceed expectations. A Cornwall Insight forecast sees some 24.45 GW of rooftop solar to be added through 2030 – a rate that accelerates the need for a distribution-level market and may see connections curtailed in the future.
Bangladesh to install another 40,000 free solar home systems
Time is running out for the government to achieve its goal of universal access to electricity by next year but Dhaka has doubled down by allocating $26 million for PV panels in hard-to-reach areas.
Covid-19 weekly round-up: Solar Solutions show off again but CEOs voice confidence and Spain is moving its green economic recovery up a gear
Plus, solar funding is down and Australian rooftop installers are preparing for tough times ahead as one U.S. utility has warned customers to be alert to scammers hoping to benefit from the pandemic.
