Sustainability

The Belgium-based company announced that its panorama-style solar roof for passenger cars is ready for mass production. The glass-glass design features high-efficiency back contact solar cells and a uniform full black appearance.

Researchers at the University of Münster have developed a mechanical recycling process for production scrap from the dry processing of lithium-ion batteries. The method operates without solvents, preserves material properties, and allows the recycled cathode powder to be directly reused in electrode manufacturing.

Scientists used geographic information systems and analytical hierarchy process methods to identify Iran’s most suitable areas for PV water pumping systems. They found 43.2% of land unsuitable, with Ardabil province the most favorable.

Nanyang Technological University researchers have milled solar panel glass waste for use in cathodes used in solid state lithium metal batteries. When used as a functional filler in solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) material, the resulting battery performance was maintained over 80 charge cycles with an 8.3 % improvement over the reference device.

Moneypoint in County Clare, Ireland, joins the ranks of other European nations exiting coal by shutting off power generation at its sole remaining coal plant. Industry observers say Ireland’s increased renewable energy generation in recent years, particularly in wind, has contributed to this milestone. Moneypoint now functions as a backup oil burner under emergency instruction, but it is no longer active in the wholesale electricity market.

A survey of mines closed since 2020 and those planned to close by 2030 present an opportunity for installing nearly 300 GW solar on already-developed lands, finds a report from Global Energy Monitor.

Researchers in the Netherlands have identified all major solar power plants in the Dutch Province of Gelderland and have analyzed all of their spatial measures in an effort to assess their impact on landscape. They have specifically focused on land use competition, biodiversity, and landscape experience.

Researchers in Brazil have installed a vertical thermistor chain with six temperature loggers beneath a floating PV plant and at a nearby reference site. The system also recorded dissolved oxygen and photosynthetically active radiation to assess environmental impacts.

Qcells says its new EcoRecycle facility in the US state of Georgia will remove aluminum, glass, silver and copper from used solar modules and process them for re-use.

A digital product passport could support circular practices in the European PV industry by better tracking material composition, recyclability, and supplier information, crucial for material recovery.