Solar still largely underestimated
Two recent studies have separately shown that many scenarios assessing global decarbonization pathways are still predicting too-low future PV capacity and too-high LCOEs for the solar technology. The researchers analyzed scenarios provided by scientific researchers, government bodies and non-governmental organizations, including the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the European Commission, the Indian government, the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), among others.
Baywa’s ‘fruitvoltaic’ project to bear fruit – 23 tons a year, in fact
A 1.2 MWp installation featuring more than 4,500 solar panels has sheltered a berry crop from high temperatures and damp to strengthen the claims made by agrivoltaics companies that their systems can offer climate change mitigation as well as clean energy.
Italy installed 625 MW of PV in 2020
The Italian PV market saw a year-on-year decrease in new PV installations last year. Residential PV systems up to 20 kW in size still accounted for the largest share, at around 250.4 MW of capacity.
Solar could help Azerbaijan consolidate gains in Nagorno Karabakh after recent conflict
That was just one of the revelations of the latest Dentons’ Guide to renewables investment in Europe, which also noted solar plants could be switched off in Slovakia, Ireland could go either way on clean power pricing, and Luxembourg is struggling with a surprising headache.
Renewables could provide Australia with grid security, study shows
New research shows that renewables plus batteries could offer Australia’s electricity grid the same energy security as coal and gas generators, prompting calls for regulatory changes.
Bright future for long-duration storage, but costs must fall
U.S. researchers have discovered that long-duration energy storage technologies could make the decarbonization of the electricity system more affordable and reliable.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: More module and glass capacity
Risen Energy is planning to add 6 GW of module capacity to its factory in Jiangsu province and Flat Glass wants to add six production lines to its facility in Zhejiang. Meanwhile, JA Solar says it shipped 15.88 GW of solar products last year.
German start-up develops anti-reflective film claimed to improve PV module performance by 10%
German start-up Phytonics has developed the film by taking inspiration from nanostructures in plants. In solar cells, the film enables a broader absorption spectrum and a higher angle of light-incidence tolerance.
MIT scientists reveal method to identify stable perovskites
U.S. researchers are using a data fusion approach to identify the most stable perovskites for PV cells. Their machine-learning method combines perovskite test results with first-principles physical modeling to identify the best candidates.
What will African nations require to produce competitive green hydrogen exports?
A robust national strategy, a portfolio of renewable energy assets, public subsidies and, ideally, existing gas pipelines will all favor African nations aiming to become exporters in the energy storage medium, participants heard at a recent two-day green hydrogen conference.
