Japanese scientists develop new perovskite process
A team of researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) has developed a new process for the production of perovskite solar devices; and reports a 5x5cm² device with an efficiency above 15%. The researchers worked with a 1 micron thick active layer, considerably thicker than in many other perovskite devices, and state that this helped achieve better long-term stability.
Uganda plans for net metering, more off-grid solar
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development of the Sub-Saharan country is currently seeking advice for its Decentralized Renewables Development Program, which includes an off-grid master plan for the electrification of islands on Lake Victoria and the creation of a pilot program for solar net metering.
€1 billion in green bonds issued at Luxembourg Stock Exchange
China Construction Bank Corporation (CCB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have each listed a €500 million bond. The bond issuance of the Chinese company was made on the newly created Luxembourg Green Exchange, a platform exclusively dedicated to sustainable finance.
EDP keeps investing in off-grid solar
Just a day after announcing its entry in the off-grid solar business in Bangladesh, the Portuguese utility agreed to acquire a minority stake in Mozambique’s SolarWorks, a start-up providing pay-as-you-go off-grid PV solutions.
Financing renewables in the EU and Latin America: Trends and market designs
A new report on the financing mechanisms in the European Union (EU) and the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) regions offers lessons that link financing to electricity market design. The report also acknowledges the increasing presence of PV manufacturers in the LAC region.
JA Solar supplies modules to Bangladesh’s first large-scale project
Bangladesh announced plans to install around 1.6 GW of solar capacity until 2021 to meet its growing energy demand. The 28 MW site is the first large-scale project to go online.
US: EnergySage finds $236.5 million tax on solar due to Section 201, USITC
Two major policy decisions in the United States have caused a temporary tax and stagnation in the residential solar industry, finds EnergySage’s Solar Marketplace Intel Report.
Elon Musk to step down as Tesla chair
Under the terms of a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Musk will be ineligible to serve as chair for three years. The deal also involves a US$40 million penalty and structural changes at Tesla.
Naturgy begins work on two PV projects selected in Spain’s RE auction
The Spanish power and gas provider has started construction on two 50 MW solar plants near Ciudad Real, in the southern region of Castile–La Mancha. The projects are part of the 250 MW pipeline it secured in the government’s renewable energy auction held in July.
ITM Power plans 100 MW power-to-gas storage project in the UK
The “Project Centurion” will allow the testing of ITM Power’s Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyser at Inovy’s Runcorn Site, where hydrogen is being produced as a co-product of the chlor-alkali process.
