Solar supply chain trouble to ease this year, according to analyst
Wood Mackenzie has predicted solar equipment cost increases will ease back after last year saw the average cost of solar electricity rise for the first time in the Asia-Pacific region.
Japanese consortium builds lithium-air battery with energy density of 500 Wh/kg
A Japanese group has developed a storage system with potential applications in residential storage, electric vehicles, drones and Internet-of-Things devices.
India may add 12.5GW of solar in 2022-23
Indian ratings agency ICRA expects the solar boost based on the backlog of PV projects awarded by central and state electric utilities.
Reducing interface resistance in solid-state lithium batteries via annealing
Researchers from Tokyo Tech, AIST, and Yamagata University have demonstrated drastic reduction of resistance at the interface between the positive electrode and solid electrolyte of an all-solid-state lithium battery is achievable by annealing the entire battery cell.
Perovskite solar cell with 24.33% efficiency via ionic liquid capping layer
Developed by scientists in China, the cell achieved an open-circuit voltage of 1.192V, and a fill factor of 80.67%. Its perovskite capping layer was treated with a special ionic liquid that had a positive influence on both the device’s efficiency and stability.
Sungrow talks solar supply chains and remaining competitive in a challenging business environment
Sungrow is a market leader in the manufacture of PV inverters. The Chinese giant is also increasingly focused on the supply of energy storage systems and how these can be best coupled with inverters for improved performance. pv magazine caught up with Jack Gu, Senior Vice President of Sungrow to understand how the manufacturer has dealt with the recent solar supply chain challenges and what the company’s focus is on going forward.
South Korea installed 4.4 GW of PV capacity in 2021
South Korea’s cumulative installed PV capacity hit 22 GW at the end of 2021, according to provisional figures from the Korea Energy Agency.
The Hydrogen Stream: Australia approves $150 million hydrogen promotion program, Mitsubishi developing ammonia combustion burner in Japan
In other news, Oil India is setting up a 100 kW green hydrogen production facility in Assam, while the German government is providing €60 million for a project aimed at preparing electrolyzer technologies for industrial production at gigawatt scale.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Jinko switches on 8 GW TOPCon factory, Tongwei announces skyrocketing profits
Solar manufacturer JinkoSolar announced on Wednesday that its 8 GW TOPCon cell factory in the Anhui Province has started manufacturing activities. Polysilicon supplier and solar cell maker Tongwei announced on Thursday it expects to achieve a net profit of up to RMB 8.5 billion ($1.33 billion) with a YoY increase of around 136%.
Solar-plus-storage for aquaculture aeration
Recent research from Thailand has shown that solar-plus-storage on floating platforms could be the cheapest option to power energy-intensive aeration systems in aquaculture projects. The battery accounts for around 54% of the capital costs, which is why system sizing would be key for economic viability.
