Risen Energy unveils 500 Wp+ half cut mono PERC modules
The PV manufacturer announced the development of the new solar panels, which feature new M12 series monocrystalline wafers, at a conference on Thursday in the Chinese city of Ningbo. The 50-cell modules are actually slightly bigger than 72-cell designs with 156.75 mm wafers, it said.
New transparent solar cell for window applications
South Korean scientists have transformed an opaque crystalline silicon solar cell into a transparent one by punching holes into it measuring around 100 μm in diameter. A neutral-colored, transparent c-Si substrate was used to develop the new cell, which is said to have an efficiency of up to 12.2%.
EU Commission presents ‘historic’ European Green Deal plan
Described as “historic”, the draft outlines the future climate protection course of the European Union. Overall, the EU should become climate neutral by 2050, and trigger €1 trillion in investment. €100 billion is expected to be made available for the transition. This is to be formalized in a climate law in the coming months. Although solar was noticeably absent in the draft, plans have been detailed by SolarPower Europe as to how it could be included.
Power Ledger, Japan’s Kepco extend blockchain energy collaboration
Japanese utility Kansai Electric Power has extended a demonstration project with Australian P2P energy pioneer Power Ledger to track renewable energy certificates and trade PV-generated electricity.
100% renewables means 95% less water consumption for conventional power generation
According to a new study by Finland’s LUT University, solar PV consumes between 2% and 15% of the water that coal and nuclear power plants use to produce just 1 MWh of output; for wind, this percentage ranges from 0.1% to 14%. Under the researchers’ best policy scenario, water consumption could be reduced by 75.1% by 2030, compared to 2015 levels.
ACWA Power switches on 50 MW solar park in Jordan
The PV project, which was tendered by Jordanian utility NEPCO in 2017, will sell power at $0.059/kWh. The plant is located in Jordan’s Risha region, which is roughly 300 km northeast of Amman.
Offshore PV system goes online in North Sea
The 8.5 kW pilot project, which was launched in February 2018, will soon be expanded to 50 kW. The Dutch consortium behind the installation eventually plans to expand it to 1 MW and then up to 100 MW at a later stage. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) provided financial backing for the project.
Green shoots of recovery
There has been significant progress in the decarbonization of the electricity supply in Great Britain in recent years, underscored by a record run of 19 days of zero coal generation in May and June 2019. With National Grid’s stated aim of operating a carbon-neutral electricity system by 2025, the co-location of PV with battery storage could play a key role. The proposition offers the twin benefits of enabling increasingly high renewables penetration while simultaneously improving network stability. Adam Sharpe of Everoze explores the role of co-located PV and energy storage assets within the context of the UK’s future decarbonization plans.
Investors learn about Tasmania’s green hydrogen potential
The Australian state of Tasmania has approached international investors to present its unique potential for the production of hydrogen from renewable sources, as it aims to position itself at the forefront of the nation’s green hydrogen push.
US senators call for Huawei ban in letter to energy regulator
Eleven U.S. Senators have signed a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission about the threat that Huawei’s equipment poses to the nation’s energy infrastructure.
