Japanese oil giant opens PV-powered hydrogen pilot in Australia
Japan’s largest oil company, Eneos, has opened a green hydrogen demonstration plant in Brisbane, Australia. The project is relatively small, producing just 20 kilograms of green hydrogen per day, but Eneos Senior Vice President Yuichiro Fujiyama says the company will expand it in the “near future.”
Only5mins! – Standards in agrivoltaics might limit innovation
Makoto Tajima, an agrivoltaics analyst for Japan’s Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP), speaks to pv magazine about the growth of agricultural PV in Japan, as well as cost considerations and the pace of technological development.
Canadian Solar reveals plans to set up 14 GW of solar cell, module capacity
Canadian Solar says its cell and module capacity will reach 50 GW by the end of this year.
Swiss manufacturer unveils mini batteries for balcony solar panels
Soleis AG has developed two storage systems with capacities of 1 KWh and 2 kWh.
Only5mins! – PV system prices could drop by around 10% in Europe in 2023
Andreas Thorsheim, the CEO of Norway-based residential solar specialist Otovo, speaks to pv magazine about solar array prices, current market trends for distributed storage, and shortages of qualified professionals.
Borosil expands solar glass capacity in India
India’s Borosil Renewables has started domestic trial production with its third solar glass furnace, raising its capacity in India to 1,000 tons per day.
Silver-alloyed CGIS solar cell with 18.7% efficiency
Swiss scientists have used a minimal amount of silver to alloy the absorber in a thin-film CIGS solar cell. They say this process could help to improve efficiency, open-circuit voltage, and fill factor, while compensating for the low bandgap of the CIGS layer.
New ‘cushion’ solution to take stress off perovskite solar cells
Scientists in Germany have discovered a polymer compound that, when added to perovskite thin-film precursor materials, wraps itself around the perovskite crystals, acting as a cushion to protect the perovskite structure from thermomechanical stress. They used the additive to fabricate cells with up to 24.6% efficiency, retaining 96% of their initial performance after accelerated testing equivalent to one year in the field.
Former VW boss aims to set up 20 GW vertically integrated PV plant in Europe
In a podcast, former Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess noted the importance of reducing reliance on China in the solar industry. But he said plans to set up production in Europe require state support and the right conditions.
China mulling restrictions on polysilicon, wafer production tech exports
The Chinese government is considering the introduction of export restrictions on solar wafers, black silicon, and silicon casting equipment. It has launched a public consultation process on the proposed measures.
