Asia

The Taiwanese authorities have decided, once again, not to reduce feed-in tariff (FIT) rates for PV, as initially planned, in order to support more solar deployment.

Scientists in Indonesia have developed a vacuum technique to lower the temperature of PV modules below the ambient air temperature. They applied it to a solar module in a casing that is resistant to negative pressure.

Trina Solar said it will start operating a new 6.5 GW solar wafer factory in Vietnam from mid-2023 to exclusively supply the utility, commercial and industrial (C&I) segments in the United States, as well as the US residential solar market.

Australia’s bounteous land and sun, combined with its new energy-transition-focused government, make it attractive for international renewables investors. Two such players are Greek industrial conglomerate Mytilineos and Philippines-based energy company ACEN Corp., both of which have recently announced further large-scale investment to expand their Australian solar portfolios.

The photovoltaic industry is expected to achieve annual global expansion of 300 GW as early as this year. That sounds like a lot, but is it enough? In view of climate change and rising energy demand, it is time for a new vision.

The European Patent Office (EPO) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) have released a new report on hydrogen tech patents. They noted the rise in electrolysis innovation and said automakers and chemicals suppliers are leading the way with hydrogen patents.

Berlin-based Boreal Light has developed water desalination tech powered by PV for off-grid applications. The solution uses 460 W solar panels from Chinese module manufacturer DAH Solar and produces clean water from direct seawater at a cost of €0.50 ($0.54)/m3.

Solax has introduced new products with nominal power ratings of 0.6 kW to 3 kW and efficiencies of 98%. It says the devices are compatible with heat pump systems and home EV chargers.

Bridge to India said it expects companies in India to deploy 45 GW of renewables capacity over the next few years.

JA Solar’s new manufacturing facility is expected to start commercial operations in the fourth quarter of this year.