European battery providers mindful of possible coronavirus shortages as LG Chem halts production in China
Storage system providers in Europe have told pv magazine output has thus far been unaffected by the virus outbreak in China. Manufacturers are aware, however, the situation may change rapidly if self-isolation measures taken by the authorities continue.
SMA reduced operating losses in 2019
The German inverter maker last year saw shipments and revenue rise by 35% and 20%, respectively. The company claims measures taken to reduce its cost structure are bearing fruit.
France sees minimal solar energy price fall after another under-subscribed commercial and industrial tender
The procurement round secured an average solar power price of €96.49/MWh from arrays with a generation capacity of 100-500 kW, a small fall from the €97.48 posted in the previous exercise. Only 150 MW of generation capacity was allocated in the 300 MW tender.
Solargiga warns public about fake website
The PV manufacturer said it has no connections to a website which features its logo and some of its completed solar projects and which invites visitors to download an app enabling them to start investing.
MIT researchers say PV innovations should be deployed in niche markets first
Solar module manufacturers should begin testing new technologies in higher-value niche markets, say scientists at the U.S. institution. For example, bringing perovskite technology directly to the mainstream market remains prohibitive in terms of initial investment but segments such as building-integrated PV or microelectronics devices may offer better routes to commercial maturity.
Hunting hidden electricity in crystalline solar cells with new encapsulation technique
Korean researchers claim it is possible to extract more than 10% of ‘hidden electricity’ in crystalline solar cells using a new encapsulation process based on poly‐dimethylsiloxane coatings and a three-dimensional module structure. Compared to EVA films, the new coating is said to avoid cutting off short-wavelength light.
Netherlands to address renewables grid constraints with 1 GW of mobile substations
Dutch transmission system operator Enexis is deploying 11 “e-house” substations in the northern Netherlands, where grid capacity for large scale clean energy projects is limited. The company said it will invest €43 million in the plan “to speed up the energy transition”.
Power Ledger wins contract with Italian energy utility
Australian peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading pioneer Power Ledger has won a lucrative contract with Alperia SpA, one of Italy’s largest renewable electricity utilities.
Innovative PV modules at Intersolar San Diego
In sunny San Diego for Intersolar 2020, we’re seeing a new idea for tracking rooftop solar modules, diodes moving to cell level, two types of building-integrated solar products and some solar hot water.
Solar and the snow
Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories in the United States are working to quantify the effects of abundant snowfall on PV systems and to identify cost effective strategies to mitigate energy losses and reliability issues caused by snow and ice.
