India’s 1 GW-plus ‘ultra-mega’ solar parks driving the energy transition
The nation hosts numerous gigawatt scale sites, two of which are the largest commissioned in the world. The huge PV parks have been instrumental in driving economies of scale and continue to attract global capital and some of the most recognized renewables developers.
European solar records will continue to tumble this summer
Solar forecasting company Solargis says the insight offered by Covid-19 industrial shutdowns into a renewables-driven future serves to emphasize the value of the chief commodity it trades in – data.
PV module recyclers aiming for high-purity material recovery
France’s National Institute for Solar Energy takes a look at the state of play in the European solar panel recycling industry.
People in quarantine in the United States are searching for solar power
New data from The Harris Poll and LG show that LG’s solar web traffic, as well as quote requests for residential systems are both trending high since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the issue becomes turning this interest into concrete sales.
Fine-tuning plasmonic solar cells
Two different studies published this week show new advances in the use of plasmonic enhancement to improve performance and stability of perovskite solar cells.
Assessing impact of residual stress in solar cells
Scientists in China have analyzed the impact of residual stress in triple-junction solar cells used in aircraft and satellite applications. The group observed damages such as holes, fractures of grid lines, cracks at the cell level, and fractures of the PV materials.
A closer look at battery degradation, assisted by machine learning
Scientists at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in the U.S. have developed a machine learning algorithm that can identify and track individual particles within a lithium-ion battery cell. Their findings shed more light on how the batteries lose performance over time, and could challenge previous assumptions of scientists working to develop batteries with longer lifetimes.
A 25-year power purchase agreement for 60 MW of floating solar in Singapore
Utilities and marine company Sembcorp Industries has secured an energy offtaker for its Tengeh Reservoir project.
A gigawatt solar factory in Europe? Why it must be in France
With Swiss solar equipment company Meyer Burger laying plans for a module fab in North Rhine-Westphalia and Norwegian panel maker REC Group mulling a fab in Sarreguemines, northeastern France, Xavier Daval – from French renewables association the SER – says it is time Europe resumes its path to a stable solar manufacturing industry, not least because of the rising proportion of solar module costs accounted for by shipping.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Lower wafer prices, new modules, and a factory under construction
Longi has announced more cuts to wafer prices, while cell manufacturer Tongwei has started building the first phase of its 30 GW Jintang PV manufacturing base. Risen Energy has also released solid financials, while JA Solar has unveiled plans to start selling its 500 W-plus solar modules.
