Indian state of Telangana pitches for 5 GW lithium-ion battery plant
Following the launch of the Indian government’s 40 GW battery production plan for the states, Telangana has pitched for a 5 GW lithium ion plant by announcing the ready availability of 200 acres of land plus power and water for the fab at a concessional rate.
MIT works to refine the flow of promising perovskites
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed an accelerated process for screening new perovskite compounds as they search for those with the potential to be used in high efficiency solar cells. According to MIT, the process speeds up the synthesis and analysis of new compounds by a factor of ten and has already highlighted two sets of materials worthy of further study.
Five hot PV module and cell takeaways from SNEC
While lacking the swarming crowds of previous years, the 2019 SNEC in Shanghai remained a focal point of the global PV industry when it comes to industrial solar cell and module manufacturing and technology. Here are five hot technology takeaways from the pv magazine team on the show floor and conference sessions.
Dubai ready to explore floating PV in Persian Gulf
Amid mounting political tensions in the region, the city has issued a call for consultants to help it towards its ambitious 2050 climate goals through the use of a PV technology which is proving increasingly popular around the world.
EU Court of Auditors says more renewables auctions are needed
The audit agency said at least half the EU member states will be unable to reach their 2020 renewable energy targets, including the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Poland and the U.K. It recommends citizen participation and more renewable energy auctions to increase investment and raise volume in the EU clean energy sector. Cross border renewables trade and grid improvements are also highlighted as necessary for a successful energy transition.
Nothing can bring down the price of III-V solar cells – just add germanium
A research paper from scientists at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory outlines a new approach to the production of gallium arsenide based cells. The approach, termed ‘germanium on nothing’, could enable the cost effective, high volume production of PV cells based on III-V materials such as gallium arsenide.
The sun rises on the bifacial module market
With market penetration exceeding expectations in 2018, bifacial technology is set to account for one third of global solar module production by 2022, writes Edurne Zoco, Research Director at IHS Markit. Bifacial and half-cell technologies are rapidly gaining momentum due to their improvements in power output, along with their low implementation barriers and minimal capex requirements
The weekend read: China’s hard change towards grid parity
Each shift in Chinese PV policy is watched by the solar world. And the reforms unveiled in late April and early May have left many scrambling to catch up. While they may rein in unbridled growth, the changes are leaning towards a future of further cost reductions, particularly soft costs, and the golden goal of grid parity PV.
Green New Deal secures support from its first national-level US labor union
The ambitious climate, jobs and social program has encountered strong resistance from some national unions, and not only those connected to professions linked to traditional power industries.
Iberdrola plans 590 MW solar park in southern Spain
To be commissioned in 2022, the giant solar plant will be built on a 1,300-hectare surface in the municipal areas of Torrecillas de la Tiesa and Aldeacentenera, near Caceres, in the Spanish southern region of Extremadura.
