Asia

The inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States has brought hope the country will play a central role in the world’s energy transition and combating climate change. However, rather than teaching other countries lessons, the U.S. will need to catch up with the rest of the world, and it needs to do so quickly – the world won’t wait for the U.S.

With the nation almost doubling its new generation capacity figure for the year last month, the National Energy Administration is reportedly considering a joint solar and wind capacity target of 120 GW for this year.

Falling module prices will help PV post another record year after an estimated 132 GW was installed worldwide in 2020, according to an energy transition investment trends report published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

The 452 kWp array features 1,300 photovoltaic panels across an acre of water split between two artificial lakes at the airport golf course.

Scientists in China found that capsaicin, the natural compound responsible for a chili pepper’s spicy flavor, can also act as a ‘secret ingredient’ in perovskite solar cells, making them both more efficient and stable. The group added capsaicin to the precursor materials of a common perovskite, leading to dramatic improvements in the resulting solar cell.

Developers have already connected 3 MW of capacity in what is purportedly destined to be the world’s largest PV array on a coastal tidal flat. The project, which is particularly challenging due to tidal fluctuations, will feature PV components designed to cope with salt and water damage.

A new Wood Mackenzie report suggests that costs for front-of-the-meter battery storage systems in the Asia-Pacific region could fall by 30% by 2025. The declining costs are already having a palpable impact, as 2021 has opened with a slew of large-scale battery project announcements.

Longi and Risen both announced plans to build up new module and cell manufacturing capacity. Furthermore, the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) has revealed it deployed more than 10 GW of solar power last year.

The private-sector arm of the World Bank, which claims to leverage $3 of its own capital and $8 from third parties for every dollar invested in its blended finance funds, has attempted to quantify what devoting Covid recovery funds to green investment would mean for emerging economies.

In an interview with pv magazine, Frank Haugwitz – the director of the Asia Europe Clean Energy (Solar) Advisory (AECEA) – explained how the recent China-EU investment deal could offer more opportunities to European companies in China’s renewable energy market. He said the agreement shall provide transparency over policies, regulations, financing, and subsidies. And competition shall grow, especially in the C&I solar segment, he added.