Another bumper year sees green bonds push through $1tn mark
Sustainability-linked debt financing is experiencing ever increasing popularity and the success of green bonds has driven other products linked to social performance and other sustainability criteria. The total volume of such investments to date passed the $2 trillion point this year.
Improving outdoor I-V curve measurements with PV module irradiance sensors
Japanese scientists have replaced common pyranometers with PV module irradiance sensors to measure the I-V curves of crystalline silicon PV modules. The sensors provide highly precise outdoor measurements, the researchers said.
South African platinum mine tenders for 10 MW of solar
Developers have until October 20 to submit bids with the Marula Platinum Mine having lost patience with unreliable power supply from the troubled state electric utility.
India tenders for Himalayan off-grid solar and storage
The Solar Energy Corporation of India has issued a call for expressions of interest to supply clean energy to isolated off-grid communities and warned components will probably have to be transported manually.
Soltec plans IPO
The Spanish solar tracker maker is hoping to debut on the stock markets of Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia this year.
Concentrating photovoltaic-thermal system with 91% efficiency
A global research team has developed a parabolic trough linear concentrating photovoltaic-thermal system to produce heat and electricity, for both residential and large-scale applications. The PV unit relies on Azure Space’s multi-junction solar cells, based on indium gallium phosphide (InGaP), gallium arsenide (GaAs) and germanium (Ge).
Off-grid solar funding concentrated in just three companies
With a previous 50-50 split between equity and debt investment funding for the off-grid market lurching to 84% borrowing, and commentators stating most of this year’s backing was agreed before the onset of Covid-19, fears are mounting about the prospects for the sector.
kWh Analytics unveils tool to address optimistic pricing, underperformance in PV projects
Jigar Shah, the president of Generate Capital, says that accuracy will come with the use of “objective market data.”
Australian startup to replace silver with copper in solar cell manufacturing
Startup SunDrive has secured US$2.2 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to help scale its low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell manufacturing process.
Nuclear ‘not an effective low carbon option’
Researchers in the UK have analyzed 25 years of electricity-production and carbon emissions data from 123 countries. Their findings show renewables are considerably more effective than nuclear in reducing carbon emissions from energy generation and that the two technologies tend to get in each other’s way when considered in a joint approach.
