A flexible mounting system for rooftop PV systems
Altec Metalltechnik has developed a mounting system that it claims can be combined with all roof types, regardless of the type of module.
Floating solar park begins commercial operations in Germany
Developer 7C Solarparken has deployed a 729 kW floating system on a lake near Salzwedel. Power trader Next Kraftwerke will integrate power generated at the site into its virtual power plant.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: a 15 GW factory, new standards and solar glass output
Risen Solar has unveiled plans for a 15 GW cell and module fab in Yiwu City, Zhejiang province and China South Glass is fundraising for a PV glass factory in Anhui province. Such growth, however, may be slowed by the introduction of new standards by the government.
Valmont becomes largest shareholder of Brazilian PV company Solbras
The parent of Italian tracker business Convert has entered the Brazilian solar market with plans for agri-business products and other systems.
Baywa’s plans for floating PV
Over the past two years, German renewables business Baywa re has developed in-house floating solar technology and installed nearly 50 MW of projects in the Netherlands. Benoît Roux, director of solar activities at Baywa re in France, said the ramp-up in project size has enabled the company to achieve dramatic cost reductions.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: 4.3 GW of new cell capacity and a 1 GW solar park
Cell manufacturer Aiko Solar is raising funds to increase its production capacity with 4.3 GW of new lines while Datang Corporation has inked a deal for a 1 GW desert project.
Algeria plans 4 GW of solar tenders
The government has announced a plan to deploy new PV capacity at a mega site over the next four years. Around 800 MW of capacity is expected to be tendered annually up to 2024. To be eligible, it is anticipated all modules, cables and mounting structures must have been made in Algeria.
Climate-friendly businesses can secure €500,000 EU investment to get through Covid crisis
A cash fund is offering financial aid to start-ups and SMEs to mitigate the effects of the public health crisis. The grants will convert into a stake in the recipients at a future date.
Solar parks may have better biodiversity impact than intensive monoculture farming
A research project in the Netherlands is seeking to assess the impact of large scale PV projects on soil quality and biodiversity. Principal scientist Wim Sinke, of Dutch research center TNO, says well-designed and operated and maintained solar parks could prove to have better outcomes than monoculture farming.
Schletter increases production capacity in China
The German mounting system maker has expanded its production capacity in Shanghai after opening a new, bigger fab in March.
