The weekend read: A fast-changing renewables PPA landscape
Power purchase agreements are ideal risk-management tools, given that electricity price volatility is the new normal and renewables uptake is a matter of urgency due to untenable Russian gas dependency. pv magazine sat down with Andy Sommer, team leader of fundamental analysis and modeling at Swiss trader Axpo Solutions, to discuss the situation of prices and PPAs in Europe.
Longi to use French patent success against Q-Cells in Netherlands
The patent litigation dispute between Hanwha Q Cells and Longi is heating up in Europe.
The mobility rEVolution: Charging on the go via peer-to-peer system to reduce range anxiety
In other news, Stellantis demonstrates wireless charging tech that transfers energy from road infrastructure to EVs, Toyota defies shareholder pressure to step up electrification efforts, and Volkswagen threatens to dethrone Tesla on EV sales by 2024.
Solar panels based on biosourced materials
French solar energy institute INES has developed new PV modules with thermoplastics and natural fibers sourced in Europe, such as flax and basalt. The scientists aim to reduce the environmental footprint and weight of solar panels, while improving recycling.
Amorphous carbon nitride anti-reflection coating for solar cells
Scientists in Iraq have applied an amorphous carbon nitride (CNx) thin film as an anti-reflective layer in commercial crystalline silicon solar cells. They claim they were able to improve their efficiency from 5.52 to 13.05%.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: China’s solar cell capacity exceeds 361 GW
Tongwei has also secured another massive polysilicon order and Golden Glass has invested in more heterojunction solar cell capacity. Furthermore, China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) said 23.7 GW of new solar was deployed in China in the first five months of the year.
Four-terminal tandem perovskite/CIGS solar cell with 25.5% efficiency
Researchers in China have developed a four-junction tandem perovskite/CIGS cell. They claim it is the most efficient device of its kind with an n-i-p structure thus far. They used a novel surface passivation strategy to improve the perovskite cell efficiency and fill factor.
The Hydrogen Stream: Novel concept for alkaline capillary-fed electrolysis
Researchers from Australia’s University of Wollongong presented a study for alkaline electrolysis where the liquid electrolyte is continuously drawn up a separator, leading to bubble-free operation at the electrodes. Meanwhile, Korean researchers developed a novel heterostructured catalyst, Argentina’s province of Tierra del Fuego presented its hydrogen strategy, Lhyfe and shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique are working on the world’s first offshore renewable hydrogen production demonstrator, and Saudi Aramco outlined its hydrogen targets in its first sustainability report.
TotalEnergies, Gecol to build 500 MW of solar in Libya
TotalEnergies and Libya’s national utility plan to build a massive solar park in the Sadada region, 280 kilometers southeast of Tripoli.
Spanish court orders Iberdrola to dismantle 60% of 500 MW operational PV plant
A Spanish court has ruled that Spain’s largest operational PV project – the 500 MW Nuñez de Balboa solar plant – occupies a piece of land that was illegally expropriated. Project owner Iberdrola must now shut down a large portion of the installation.
