Australian PV plant tests 2 MW/8 MWh vanadium flow battery
Australia’s first utility-scale vanadium flow battery will be built in South Australia. It will demonstrate the tech’s potential to provide energy and frequency control ancillary services for the national grid.
European Commission proposes minimum sustainability thresholds for batteries
The world’s second largest battery market is mulling strict regulation of what type of products can be sold within it. The bloc wants to tighten rules on using hazardous materials and would encourage circular economy approaches. The scope of the commission’s proposal would also affect the design of devices, with phones, laptops and other portable gadgets without removable batteries set to be prohibited.
Italy’s 2050 decarbonization plan needs 6 GW of new PV capacity annually
A recent forum held by Italian trade body Italia Solare has shown that Italy needs to streamline its large scale PV sector if it wants to reach its energy and decarbonization targets.
Photovoltaic-thermal district heating networks are feasible
A group of scientists and companies in the Netherlands has tested a PVT heating concept in a green district and has found that the proposed design, which is also based on underground storage and the use of heat pumps, is technically and economically feasible.
Chinese polysilicon makers driving industry’s second great consolidation
The 275,000 metric tons of annual polysilicon production facilities pushed out of the industry by the expansion of big Chinese producers is more than double the capacity lost in the last great poly market shake-out, between 2010 and 2013.
Meyer Burger and Ecosolifer sign settlement agreement on heterojunction cell line
The two companies have concluded a settlement after several years of stalling. Ecosolifer will pay for part of the cell production line ordered in 2015 but Meyer Burger will incur a net loss of almost CHF2 million.
A closer look at perovskite degradation
Scientists in Japan put perovskite solar cells under the microscope, aiming to observe at the molecular level the degradation mechanisms that can occur during operation. Their findings offer an improved understanding of performance loss in perovskite thin films, as well as several pathways towards mitigation.
African Development Bank opens $50-60m pot for off-grid solar Covid recovery
The development lender has established a Covid-19 Off-Grid Recovery Platform with impact investors from the Netherlands, U.S. and U.K., to offer affordable loans to off-grid solar companies operating in Africa.
Solar power providing heat for Indo-Tibetan border outposts
Indo-Tibetan Border Police outposts along India’s border with China are using MicroSun solar panels to generate electricity for heating purposes, among other applications.
Finnish solar manufacturer finally starts production in Vilnius
Valoe completed the 15-month purchase process of a 60 MW cell production line from Solitek in the spring and installed interdigitated back-contact production equipment. It hopes to begin deliveries in the next quarter.
