Colombian oil company to power fossil fuel extraction with 50 MW of solar
The PV capacity being developed by EcoPetrol will power Colombian pumping stations at San Fernando and Apiay as well as the oil fields of Castilla, Chichimene and Apiay, in the Eastern Plains of the country.
How to make rooftop PV resilient in hurricane regions
A report published by the Rocky Mountain Institute makes recommendations for rooftop PV in regions affected by high winds. The study draws on the knowledge of structural engineers asked to analyze 25 solar systems across five Caribbean islands after they were hit by major hurricanes in 2017 and last year.
Preventing lead leakage in perovskite cells
A U.S. research group has used a lead-absorbing material to coat the front and rear of a perovskite solar cell stack. The researchers claim the films captured 96% of lead leakage when the cells were damaged.
Spanish bank acquires big stake in solar racking manufacturer
Banco Sabadell has acquired a 41.5% interest in Pamplona-based STI Norland through its Aurica Capita fund.
SolarEdge figures tick all the boxes for investors
Lack of flannel in the latest quarterly and full-year filing indicates the Israeli inverter maker is happy the figures speak for themselves. The company is in an expansionary mode as it enters the energy storage and electrical vehicle markets with cash from its financial warchest.
New layer raises efficiency of heterojunction solar cells
A Dutch research team has used highly transparent, hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon oxide layers to improve the optoelectrical performance of contact stacks in a silicon heterojunction device. The material is said to offer superior electrical as well as favorable optical properties.
New markets for old batteries
The increased urgency for the automotive industry to deal with the disposal of EV batteries in the mid-term future will act as a catalyst for the emerging second-life battery market, writes Abhishek Sampat, Principal Analyst at Delta-EE. Automakers, and potentially third parties, are expected to exploit new value streams and a second-life market is predicted to drive down costs for stationary energy storage, with little to no compromise in quality to the end user.
North Macedonia launches 100 MW solar tender
Utility ESM is seeking potential partners for the construction of two 50 MW solar facilities at its shuttered coal power plant near Kičevo.
German PV tender delivers record low solar power price of €0.0355/kWh
The 100 MW tender was five times oversubscribed and the average final price tariff offered was €0.05 lower than the previous procurement round.
India to add 34 GW of solar through 2024
Consultancy Bridge to India has looked into its crystal ball to predict India will add 10 GW of solar capacity this year and the same next year before deployment slows to 7 GW per year in 2022 and 2023, dogged by hurdles such as an inexplicable ongoing demand for new coal-fired power plants.
