Why do solar power plants work inefficiently?
When choosing a solar power plant, individuals and businesses pay the most attention to its power – after all, this will determine how much electricity will be produced. Other equipment, systems and sensors that allow monitoring and analysis of the operation of the power plant are often underestimated. But they shouldn’t be: the solar power plant will be used for several decades, so various failures and poor-quality monitoring can have a significant impact on the efficiency of electricity production.
Brazil hits 20 GW milestone
Brazil has deployed 6.52 GW of cumulative utility-scale solar and 13.57 GW of distributed-generation PV projects below 5 MW in size.
Philippines introduces priority dispatch for renewables, opens market to 100% foreign investments
The government of the Philippines has introduced a new preferential dispatch policy for renewable energy in the country’s wholesale electricity spot market. It has also started to amend the Renewable Energy Act to remove a 40% ownership cap on foreign investments in clean energy projects.
The weekend read: Catalyst for an EU solar cell, module comeback
Plans for Europe’s largest-ever PV cell and module factory are taking shape, with equipment orders placed and a projected start date in mid-2024. Enel Green Power has received €118 million ($116.36 million) in funding from the EU Innovation Fund to support the project, out of a total €600 million investment. The EU is hoping it will catalyze further investment in similar projects, and start a high-tech comeback for European solar manufacturing.
‘Technology geriatrics’ will not ensure survival of nuclear power, says analyst
The latest World Nuclear Industry Status Report shows that nominal net nuclear generating capacity fell by 0.4 GW between 2020 and 2021, even though six new reactors were switched on throughout the world last year. This brought the share of nuclear power in the global electricity mix to below 10% for the first time in four decades.
Pairing batteries with rooftop solar
A growing number of residential solar projects include energy storage batteries. In the first part of this series, we look at the backup power feature of batteries.
The Hydrogen Stream: South Korean scientists achieve photocurrent density of 19.8 mA cm−2 in PEC cell for water splitting
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology researchers have unveiled designs for advanced solar hydrogen production systems to broaden the application of LC biomass. Mitsubishi has started building the world’s first validation center for hydrogen-related technologies, while Fortescue Future Industries has announced investments in Germany and Australia.
Statcon Energiaa launches plug-and-play microgrid inverter solution
India’s Statcon Energiaa has developed an outdoor inverter solution for microgrids that can integrate multiple energy sources, including renewables (biomass, wind, hydro and solar), battery storage, and diesel generators. It can deliver continuous, voltage-stabilized power to the loads and supports AC and DC coupling.
Portugal’s first solar energy community yields results
The first renewable energy community in Portugal was inaugurated in August 2021 in Miranda do Douro, a rural village in the north. One year on, pv magazine spoke with the company behind the project to assess its status. With a production capacity of 73.3 kWp, solar has saved the community €31,500 ($30,850) on electricity bills.
Zinc-cerium redox flow battery for renewable energy storage
Scientists in Hong Kong have designed a redox flow battery with electrolytes made of zinc and cerium. They claim to have solved the incompatibility issue posed by these two elements. The device achieved a record average Coulombic efficiency of 94% during cycling.
