Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan plan energy interconnection
Ministers from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have agreed to connect their energy systems. They will lay an energy cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to facilitate the sale of green energy to Europe.
European Consortium seeks to streamline agrivoltaics design
A European consortium including Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE is researching suitable crop and PV system combinations, conducting tests under Nordic conditions, and developing software to expedite adoption.
VPP preventing blackouts in Puerto Rico
Sunrun, a US-based residential solar installer, says nearly 1,800 customers have already signed up to its PowerOn Puerto Rico virtual power plant (VPP). The program deploys stored solar energy from customers’ batteries to the grid, preventing power supply shortfalls on the island.
Low platinum fuel cells for hydrogen vehicles
New research from Sweden suggests that low platinum fuel cells for hydrogen vehicles, when scaled up for the same number of cells, may achieve similar or higher efficiencies compared to commercial fuel cells. Their modeling is expected to act as a bridge between material science research and vehicle implementation.
Zambia set for 60 MW/20 MWh of solar, storage
Turkish developer YEO and Zambian sustainable energy company are constructing a 60 MW solar plant with a 20 MWh battery energy storage system in southern Zambia.
Mauritius seeking consultants for 15 MW solar array
The state-owned Central Electricity Board of Mauritius has launched a tender for consultancy services at a 15 MW solar project. The deadline for applications is May 22.
Sinovoltaics updates financial stability ranking of PV module manufacturers
The latest Sinovoltaics financial stability report ranking lists Tainergy, Eterbright, First Solar, Era Solar, and TSEC as the top five module makers. There was a slight reshuffling in the top ten, and seven new manufacturers were added to the ranking.
The Hydrogen Stream: EU hydrogen tender ends with bids below €0.50/kg
The European Commission has selected the winners of European Hydrogen Bank’s first auction, with bids coming in below €0.50 ($0.54)/kg, while Chile and Namibia have revealed new hydrogen plans.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: GCL Technology posts 2023 revenue dip
GCL Technology says revenue and profits fell in 2023 due to losses on certain assets, higher financing costs, and an uptick in R&D spending.
Italy’s EU-made PV incentives raise specter of Chinese opposition
A World Trade Organization (WTO) official and several Italian lawyers recently spoke with pv magazine Italy about the timing of a potential Chinese legal challenge against Italy’s new solar measures, which exclusively provide incentives for high-performance PV modules produced in the European Union.
