Cellphone-linked portable device for real-time solar module characterization
Scientists in Colombia have conceived a new portable electronic device for on-site measurements of the I-V and P-V curves of photovoltaic panels. The novel system considers solar radiation, ambient temperature, electric current, and voltage signals from a PV panel via a cellphone through a mobile application.
Argentina raises self-consumption limit under net metering to 12 MW
Argentina’s Secretariat of Energy has increased the self-consumption limit under net metering from 2 MW to 12 MW to expand the country’s renewable energy capacity.
US authorities detain solar modules imported from Mexico
Module manufacturer Maxeon says that US Customs and Border Protection officials have detained all of its panel imports from Mexico since July as the federal law enforcement agency investigates their compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).
Grenada seeking bids for 15.1 MW of airport solar
Grenada’s Public Utilities Regulatory Commission is seeking expressions of interest for 15.1 MW of solar at Maurice Bishop International Airport. The project may also include a 10.6 MW/21.2 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). The deadline for submissions is Sept. 20.
Easter Island launches 3 MW/2 MWh solar-plus-storage tender
Chile’s Sociedad Agrícola y Servicios Isla de Pascua (SASIPA) has kicked off a 3 MW/2 MWh tender for the first solar-plus-storage project on Easter Island.
U.S. DOE allocates $325 million for community solar, battery storage in Puerto Rico
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) new Programa de Comunidades Resilientes will fund solar and battery storage facilities across Puerto Rico serving low- and moderate-income communities.
New ways to feed the world’s lithium habit
Amid significant environmental concern about the impact of more widespread lithium mining, various methods of extracting the battery material from brine could offer a cleaner solution – and reignite a historic Cornish industry.
PV agrivoltaics could revitalize Brazilian crops
Agriculture accounts for 21.5% of Brazil’s gross domestic product and 27% of its emissions. PV companies are now targeting an industry that represents 14% of the nation’s small-scale installations. With credit incentives and growing familiarity with the technology, agribusinesses and solar specialists are discovering new opportunities for collaboration.
PV module cooling tech based on single-channel containing nanofluids
Scientists in Mexico have conceived a new solar module cooling tech that can reportedly improve PV power generation by up to 2%. The system uses nanofluids embedded in an aluminum single-channel attached to the back of the panel.
Winter wildfires smother solar in South America
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that aerosols from Brazilian wildfires significantly reduced solar irradiance across parts of South America in July, although a persistent high-pressure system over the South Pacific boosted irradiance in Chile and Argentina.
