Gentari seals deal for Wirsol’s Australian solar, storage assets
Gentari, the clean energy unit of Malaysian oil and gas supplier Petronas, has finalized its acquisition of Wirsol Energy’s Australian renewables assets, including 422 MW of operational capacity across solar and storage facilities, and 765 MW of potential capacity under development.
US scientists improve photoresponsivity in solar perovskite by 250%
Researchers led by the University of Rochester claim to have increased the photoresponsivity of a lead-halide perovskite for solar cell applications by 250%. They created a perovskite film with a plasmonic substrate made of hyperbolic metamaterial and characterized it with transition dipole orientation.
Tongwei unveils 21.7%-efficient shingled solar panels for residential PV
Tongwei is offering six versions of its monofacial monocrystalline panels, with power outputs ranging from 400 W to 430 W and power conversion efficiencies between 20.1% and 21.7%.
New Aalborg inverter design for PV applications
An international research group has developed a new Aalborg inverter design for high-power applications in solar arrays. The device has fewer switches than conventional, voltage-source inverters and can reportedly improve PV system performance by reducing switching losses.
Trina Solar, Hanwha Qcells reach settlement on patent dispute
Hanwha Qcells and Trina Solar say they have signed a patent licensing and transfer agreement with each other to end a dispute over their intellectual property.
Global trends for solar in 2023
Component cost declines, local manufacturing and distributed energy are the three big trends for the renewable energy sector this year, according to S&P Global.
Dutch Heat Pump Association reports surge in residential installations in 2022
The Dutch heat pump market grew by 57% in 2022, with 70,000 heat pumps installed in new buildings and 40,000 in existing homes. The Dutch Heat Pump Association (DHPA) now wants to focus on investing in solar-thermal heat pumps and bringing the technology to low-income households.
UK power capacity auction delivers 627 MW of battery storage
Britain’s T-1 Capacity Auction for delivery in the 2023-24 period saw battery energy storage technology emerge as the third-biggest winner in terms of secured contracts, following gas and nuclear. Batteries accounted for more than a half of the new build capacity.
Only5mins! – Silver price outlook and PV industry impact
Michael DiRienzo, executive director of The Silver Institute, tells pv magazine that average silver prices will hover around $23 per ounce this year, without any anticipated supply disruptions for the solar industry.
Snow damaged 30 MW of PV systems in Japan in 2018-21 period
Japan’s National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) says in a new report that snow has damaged 43 PV installations of different sizes over the past four years. It urges PV system owners to conduct regular site inspections, use surveillance cameras, and remove snow at early stages.
