Belgium’s Flanders region records 230 MW of January-May solar additions
PV analyst Wannes Demarcke tells pv magazine that solar deployment in the Belgian region of Flanders slowed in the first months of this year. Initial figures show a decline from 2023 levels following the expiration of subsidies and reduced value-added tax on buildings less than 10 years old.
China Three Gorges to build 16 GW renewables cluster in Inner Mongolia
China Three Gorges has announced plans to build a 16 GW renewables cluster in China’s Inner Mongolia region, including 8 GW of solar, 4 GW of wind, a 200 MW solar thermal system, a 4 GW coal plant, and a 500 MWh energy storage system.
Philippines announces second microgrid auction for underserved areas
The Department of Energy (DOE) of the Philippines has announced a second microgrid auction for underserved areas, opening in August to support more than 12,000 households.
Desay Battery, Victory Giant Technology partner on China’s largest user-side energy storage project
The project, located in Victory Giant Technology Industrial Park in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, is designed to have a capacity of 121 MW/630 MWh, making it the largest commercial and industrial (C&I) energy storage station in China.
Ireland reaches 400 MW of operational distributed-generation solar
New figures from Ireland’s ESB Networks reveal that the country has surpassed 1.2 GW of cumulative installed PV capacity, with the residential segment accounting for 20% of the total capacity installed over the past six months.
Indosolar starts production at 1.3 GW solar module factory
Indosolar, a subsidiary of Waaree Energies, has started production at its new 1.3 GW solar module manufacturing facility in India.
IEA-PVPS identifies 456 patents in PV module recycling
The IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme’s (IEA-PVPS) latest report on solar panel recycling offers a comprehensive review of all existing technologies in this market segment, from pure mechanical recycling to innovative techniques such as as light pulse treatment, water-jet cleaning, pyrolysis, and chemical treatments.
High-altitude floating PV has energy payback time of 2.8 years
New research from Switzerland showed that alpine floating PV systems can outperform lowland or ground-mounted counterparts in terms of energy yield and sustainability. The scientists found that the main material-reduction potential of such floating PV installations lies in the resource-intensive mounting system.
A gulf between PV ambition and testing facilities
Though it already hosts several of the world’s largest PV installations, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s solar industry is still young, with limited local infrastructure and expertise. Project developers are learning quickly that building PV in harsh desert environments requires a careful eye on quality. New testing laboratories are looking to meet demand.
France concludes C&I rooftop PV tender with average price of €0.1016/kWh
The French authorities have concluded a commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop PV tender with an average price of €0.1016 ($0.11)/kWh. The government allocated 179.9 MW of PV capacity in total.
