Irish ESB to add 100 MWh of Fluence storage to its portfolio
State-owned utility ESB is working with energy storage solution company Fluence and EPC service providers Powercomm Group and Kirby Group on its first battery projects in Ireland.
Hard carbon for a high energy sodium battery
Scientists in Japan demonstrated a hard-carbon electrode that can greatly increase the capacity of a sodium-ion battery. With further work on the long-term performance, the discovery could make sodium-ion batteries better able to compete on energy density with their lithium-ion counterparts.
SunPower to close module factory in Oregon in June
The US module maker plans to start shutting down production in Hillsboro in March. Around 170 employees are affected by the closure. At the same time, however, Sunpower is examining other options for continued operation.
French developer secures PPA for 5 MW agrivoltaic project
The solar park will host sheep grazing and sell power to green energy provider Enercoop under a 30-year PPA.
Dutch business regulation agency rules network operators lacking capacity are allowed to deny grid-connection
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets has established that the first-come, first-served principle applied by grid operators is the correct approach to manage current grid congestion. The decision was taken to resolve a legal dispute between Liander and an agricultural entrepreneur that was denied grid access for a PV project.
‘There is no clear best module configuration under partial shading’
A Slovenian research team has analyzed the behavior of a full-size cell PV module and several 1/6 cell panels under partial shading and has come to the obvious conclusion that the cell cut panels suffer fewer energy losses. They also found, however, that the orientation of the cells connected in series should be aligned as much as possible with the shade shape to lower the losses and to minimize reverse cell voltage.
Gambian utility seeks consultants to improve water management with solar and renewables
Gambia’s national utility is seeking proposals for an energy and water audit of its water operations. Selected consultants will assess the possibility of using solar to improve energy efficiency. The utility will consider floating PV, rooftop arrays, and solar pumps.
Belgium deployed 900 MW of PV in 2020
Renewable energy production increased by 31% and now represents 18.6% of the country’s electricity mix. Its cumulative PV capacity increased from 3,887 MW at the end of 2019 to 4,788 MW at the end of December.
Sembcorp wins 400 MW solar project in Indian auction
With its latest victory, Sembcorp Industries has expanded its renewables portfolio to more than 3 GW across Singapore, China, and India.
Urban land, aerosols could accelerate hail storm formation
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy have shown that urban landscapes and man-made aerosols have the potential to accelerate the formation of hail storms – a clear threat for PV arrays.
