Malta launches 15 MW solar tender
The government wants to procure several 1 MW-plus solar plants. The tender is the third of its kind, and part of the 50 MW incentive scheme the island’s government launched in November 2017.
Renewables can avoid crippling LNG and coal subsidy bill for Bangladesh
U.S. thinktank the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis says the nation should reorder its power network to harness cheap, modular renewables after existing power station overcapacity was worsened by plunging electricity demand during the Covid-19 shutdown.
Compensation for curtailments of renewable generation in Ukraine
As of November 2019, certain RES producers have been intermittently forced to reduce their output or halt production of electrical energy altogether under the instructions of Ukraine’s transmission system operator, NEC Ukrenergo. DTEK, along with several other large market players led the call for limitations. Many of the country’s RES producers have become alarmed.
Norway deployed 51 MW of solar in 2019
The figure took the nation to a cumulative 120 MW at the end of the year, according to figures published by Norwegian solar industry organization the Solenergiklyngen. Around 2 MW of the capacity added in 2019 came in the form of off-grid projects.
Shuifa playing central role in bailing out distressed Chinese PV developers
The state-owned construction business which saved Singyes Solar with a US$200 million bail-out is now preparing to invest in a 75% stake in debt-saddled peer China Solar, whose shares have been unlisted since August 2013.
Solar tariffs of less than $0.034 not financially viable in India
Solar developers in India must consider a range of risks to secure reasonable returns on solar projects, according to research by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis and JMK Research & Analytics.
New method to measure cell voltages in operational PV modules
Scientists in Japan have proposed a new model to estimate cell voltages in solar modules by irradiating the cells with a weak modulated laser light. The method could be used to detect hot spots and other panel-degradation issues, such as potential induced degradation (PID) peeling, cracking, and poor contacts.
Solar arrays on wave energy generators, along with wind turbines
German startup Sinn Power has combined wave, wind and solar power to create what it claims is the world’s “first floating ocean hybrid platform.”
New 650 V MOSFET for silicon carbide inverters
CREE has developed a new MOSFET that could be suitable for silicon-carbide-based string inverters above 10 kW in size. The U.S. manufacturer says switching losses are 20% lower with the new transistor than with common silicon carbide MOSFETs, and claims that the product reduces conduction losses by 50%, to offer potential power-density growth of 300%.
Schletter increases production capacity in China
The German mounting system maker has expanded its production capacity in Shanghai after opening a new, bigger fab in March.
