West African commercial solar installer looks east
Nigeria and Ghana-based Starsight Energy has spent an undisclosed amount to acquire a half stake in the Kenyan subsidiary of East African peer Premier Solar Group.
Role of distributed solar at issue in California’s net metering update
Industry groups focus on solar-plus-storage, or preserving the distributed solar industry, while a state agency aims to compensate rooftop solar at avoided costs and add a grid service charge.
EU carbon price running at level not expected until next year
Emissions permits are selling at around €50 per ton, completing a rally from last year’s Covid-driven slump faster than expected by business respondents to the 2021 Refinitiv Carbon Market Survey.
Another 2 GW of solar under review in Chile
The Chilean environmental authorities are currently scrutinizing the projects Solar La Pampina (160 MW), Gabriela (220 MW), Ghungnam Kcs (709 MW of PV and 300 MW of CSP), Pelequén (175 MWp), and Planta Solar Sol del Loa (640 MW).
Air-assisted water spray for PV module cooling
Turkish researchers have developed a cooling technique in which water is sprayed via an air-assisted external mixing flat fan nozzle. The system can produce smaller droplet sizes to ensure the even distribution of water on panels.
Future of cadmium telluride PV tech
In the third interview of a series, pv magazine spoke to Prof. Arvind Shah of École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne and Associate Prof. Alessandro Romeo from the University of Verona about the challenges and opportunities of cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV tech. They said there is still potential to ramp up efficiency and cut costs, and claimed that the toxicity of cadmium should not be seen as a serious concern.
Tongwei became the largest polysilicon producer in 2020
A new report from Bernreuter Research reveals that Wacker Chemie lost its top spot in the 2020 global polysilicon rankings. It was also the only western company among the “Big Six” that are expected to form a new polysilicon super league in the PV industry. Overall, these six reached a total polysilicon capacity of 470,000 MT last year.
Dealing with solar park visibility
Dutch researchers have studied how solar parks can be blended into the landscape across 11 “frontrunner” sites in Europe. They considered visual impact, land availability, and end-of-life issues.
Switzerland allocates $521 million for solar rebates in 2021
The Swiss federal government has also decided to improve the bureaucratic procedures for the installation of solar PV systems.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Zhonghuan raises wafer prices as president calls for faster action on emissions
Henan province immediately responded with a plan to deploy another 20 GW of solar and wind by 2025.
