500 W-plus panel race intensifies with JA Solar’s new module, Risen’s first shipments
Chinese manufacturer JA Solar has announced a new 525 W+ panel and said the product will be available from the second half. Domestic rival Risen has shipped the first batch of its high-powered modules and intends to stick to pre-Covid-19 plans to ramp up production.
A 3 GWh redox flow battery factory in Saudi Arabia
German production equipment provider Schmid and Saudi chemical group Sabic are planning to begin activities at a new factory in Saudi Arabia, with production being expected to begin in 2021.
Indian renewables-plus-storage tender secures power for $0.038/kWh
Winning developer Renew Power can opt for solar, wind or hybrid plants along with energy storage systems to ensure round-the-clock power supply.
Investigating backsheets and ultraviolet stability
Five testing laboratories led by Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE have begun a ‘round robin’ project to test the effects of ultraviolet light on polymer backsheet materials. Initial results indicate a route to accurate accelerated testing of backsheet UV stability over module lifetimes of 20 years-plus.
How to protect clean energy auctions during Covid-19 crisis
The EU research group tasked with optimizing renewable energy auction procurement processes said the achievement of climate change goals brought about by plunging energy demand should not endanger longer-term ambitions.
Flexible, 22.6%-efficient perovskite cells for indoor use
The developers of a perovskite device designed for use under illumination of 100-500 lux say it could be manufactured for $78-108 per square meter.
Storing wind and solar with new gravity-based system
Scottish start-up Gravitricity is planning a project to store surplus power from renewables at Port of Leith. A 250 kW, grid-connected prototype facility will have its ability to stabilize the network tested. The system involves a 16m rig over a 150-1500m shaft.
Solar canopies can put PV panels in some new and interesting places
A major advantage of this design is the ability to string cables over a longer distance without the support needed in traditional racking approaches.
The weekend read: South Korea’s floating ambition
Every summer, millions flock to a festival in the city of Boryeong, 200km south of Seoul. The community offers visitors the chance to strip down and cake themselves in mud from the local tidal flats – a key geographic feature of the Korean Peninsula’s west coast. Another 50 km to the south lies the Saemangeum Seawall – the world’s longest manmade sea dyke, and the planned site of a massive 2.1 GW, state-backed floating PV installation.
Solar chimney saves energy and lives
Researchers at Australia’s RMIT University have designed a solar chimney that could offer powerful safety and environmental benefits.
