Utility Scale PV

Innio Group has started operating a combined heat and power (CHP) plant for heating purposes in Austria, while PureWave Hydrogen has told pv magazine that it is exploring geological hydrogen in Kansas using proprietary software and an AI system.

Spain’s Gonvarri Solar Steel claims that its new single-row tracker can improve structural stability and performance in adverse conditions.

Tokyo-based startup Girasol Energy and the enterprise bureau of Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture have repowered Japan’s oldest PV system, a 100 kW array built in 1993. The project aimed to partially replace the original 13.3% efficient solar modules, offering an alternative to dismantling and recycling the system’s components.

Researchers in Sweden have measured barney yield in a vertical agrivoltaic facility and have found that despite the shade created by the modules the yields are comparable to open-field control conditions, if not slightly higher. Their methodology can be replicated for other sites and crops.

The Energy Taiwan & Net-Zero Taiwan 2024 trade show kicked off in early October with a whimper rather than a bang, as the threat of Typhoon Krathon prompted organizers to cancel the first two days of the conference in Taipei.

The Panamanian authorities have kicked off an energy auction open to new and existing power plants. Wind, solar, hydropower, and biomass projects are eligible to participate in the procurement exercise.

Scientists have utilized a device based on the Duffing oscillator to solve the problem of PV systems’ low efficiency at low input voltages at dawn and sunset. Its performance was reportedly better than that of a conventional DC-DC boost converter in amplifying weak input voltages.

Harvard University researchers say hydrogen costs are underestimated due to unaccounted storage and distribution variability across sectors, while Kore Infrastructure has told pv magazine that it aims to reach a levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) of between $1/kg and $2/kg.

The Vietnamese authorities have approved a new price framework for importing renewable energy from Laos, with base import prices for wind and hydropower set to take effect at the end of 2025.

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Sofie Graunbøl, Technical Sales and Sustainability Lead at Denmark’s Solar Polaris. She explains that solar installation is a male-dominated segment, as many of the practices regarding installation are built around the physical strength of men, making it harder to hire women. “This is an important issue that needs to be addressed for the industry to improve,” she states.