Chinese PV Industry Brief: TCL Zhonghuan cuts wafer prices by more than 4%
TCL Zhonghuan has announced wafer price cuts, Shenzhen Energy unveiled a plan to build a 2 GW solar-storage project, and the Chinese authorities have announced measures to expedite grid connections for new solar and wind plants.
Netherlands changes grid code to reduce congestion, host more renewables
New rules in the Netherlands will allow new entities known as “congestion service providers” as intermediaries between grid operators and power plant operators, in order to make optimal use of the network.
Philippines increases net-metering size limit for renewables to 1 MW
New provisions in the Philippines define interconnection standards, the certification of compliance requirements, and pricing methodologies, among other matters.
Canada set to hit 5 GW milestone
Canada is set to install 500 MW of new solar in 2022, bringing its total capacity to about 5 GW, according to data from Canmet Energy. The country is expected to hit 35 GW of total solar capacity by 2050.
Italy deployed 1.6 GW of PV in January-September period
The Gestore dei Servizi (GSE) energy agency says that Italy’s cumulative installed solar capacity reached 24.2 GW at the end of September.
Tesla, Harmony Energy switch on 98 MW/196 MWh storage project in UK
Tesla and Harmony Energy have connected a 98 MW/196 MWh storage project to the grid in Hull, England. The Pillswood battery energy storage system (BESS) features Tesla’s Megapack solution.
Norway to nearly triple annual PV additions in 2022, says research firm
Norway’s annual PV capacity additions could grow from 54.5 MW in 2021 to 150 MW this year, amid rising electricity prices. The large-scale solar market is set to contribute the most at roughly 61 MW, according to EUPD Research.
Scientists make first attempt to design solar cells based on kusachiite
Indian scientists have designed a thin-film solar cell that uses a mineral made of binary copper(II) and bismuth(III) oxide. They identified a cell design with a tin sulfide buffer layer that offers efficiencies close to 27.7%.
India added 3.3 GW of solar in Q3
India installed 3.3 GW of PV in the third quarter, including 2.6 GW of utility-scale projects, 485 MW of rooftop arrays, and 251 MW off-grid capacity.
Ireland mulling mandatory renewables quota for heat sector by 2024
The Irish government wants to introduce an unspecified renewable energy quota for the heating sector by 2024. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) recently predicted that heat pumps could cover 20% of the country’s heating demand in 2030.
