Sweden increases budget for solar incentives by $48m
Funding for the rebate scheme had already been increased in April. Overall, the budget for this year now amounts to almost $125 million.
Greece to tender 287 MW of new solar capacity in December
The nation’s energy regulator today announced separate tenders for solar and wind generation capacity will be held on December 12.
Silicon and perovskites should stick together, say Korean scientists
Researchers from the Ulsan Institute of Science and Technology have demonstrated a new method of fabricating perovskite-on-silicon tandem devices, using a transparent conductive adhesive to combine the two cells. The scientists have developed devices with demonstrated efficiencies of 19.4%, and propose strategies to bring that above 24% using existing technology.
Solar-plus-storage vs grid enhancement part II
Grid expert Andrea Mansoldo tells pv magazine how energy markets based on solar and storage are feasible as an alternative to costly grid infrastructure work. He says around 6 GWh of battery capacity may be a good alternative to building 1000km of power line or an AC 750 kV high-voltage line.
Germany will need 160 GW of solar by 2030 to prevent power shortages
EuPD Research has calculated what needs to be done to replace the nuclear and coal generation to be phased out in Germany. Accelerated expansion of PV appears the best short-term option. However, storage capacity will need to increase 30-fold by 2040 so solar can become the main pillar of the country’s energy system.
Swiss scientists identify causes of defects in silicon carbides for power electronics
Carbon clusters of a few nanometers in size could be responsible for the defects affecting the thermal stability of SiCs. The defective carbon accumulations arise during the oxidation of silicon carbide to silicon dioxide under high temperatures.
Kosovo planning auction scheme for solar and wind capacity
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is helping the Kosovan government develop a competitive scheme for the award of payments to renewable energy generators. The Balkan state wants to add 400 MW of clean energy capacity by 2026.
Five takeaways from EU PVSEC 2019
This week, pv magazine headed to Marseille for the 36th edition of the EU PVSEC conference and exhibition. During the week-long show, leading universities and research institutes presented their latest results to the industry and public. As the conference heads into its final afternoon, we’ve put together five key takeaways from this year’s event.
Wacker enters battery business with acquisition of 25% stake in Nexeon
The Munich-based chemical company has taken a substantial minority share in the British materials specialist to expand its silicon-based high-performance battery activity. The value of the transaction was not disclosed.
Bangladesh’s first state-owned solar plant comes online
The new generation facility was financed by the Asian Development Bank and built by Chinese company ZTE Corp. The project will sell power to the grid for $0.065/kWh, a record low for solar in the country.
