Holographic film to protect solar panels from overheating
Russian scientists have developed a holographic film based on prismatic concentrators that reduces the operating temperature of solar panels, including thermal-photovoltaic devices. They claim the patented, low-cost technique can even improve PV module efficiency in cloudy weather.
Polish coal power provider secures 15-year PPA for 75 MW solar plant
Poland’s second-largest coal power producer, ZE PAK, will sell solar power to Polish telecommunication group Polsat. The $45.5 million project is being financed by a group of Polish banks.
Saipem wants to set up green hydrogen production in Italy, Albania and Morocco
The Italian gas contractor started to develop three green hydrogen projects in the southern Italian region of Apulia and has identified land for potential projects in Albania and Morocco.
Poland hits 4 GW milestone
The Polish grid operator connected 2.63 GW of PV capacity in 2020, while newly installed capacity surpassed 150 MW in January 2021.
Russia introduces net metering for small-sized PV
The new net metering provisions came into force three years after the legislative process was launched. Power surplus will be sold to the grid at a rate of up to RUB2/kWh ($0.026).
Rosatom plans 2 GWh lithium-ion battery factory in Russia
Russian nuclear energy giant Rosatom has acquired a 49% stake in Enertech International, a South Korean lithium-ion battery specialist, and has announced plans to build a gigafactory at an unspecified location in Russia. The start of production is scheduled for 2025.
A ‘chemical fuse’ – voltage sensitive polymers in the fight against battery fires
A team of researchers from St. Petersburg say they can build a circuit interruptor that works directly into the current collector. The device operates via chemical reactions and would be thus more reliable than current battery monitoring system approaches.
Novel nanomaterial to replace graphite in lithium-ion batteries
Porous nanostructured microspheres made of copper, iron, and iron oxide were used by an international research team as negative anode material in lithium-ion batteries. The new technique is claimed to provide three times more capacity than batteries based on graphite anodes.
Giant solar project under development in Romania
A group of international investors is planning to build a 700 MW solar plant in Arad, in western Romania.
Photon Energy update after ‘difficult’ quarter
The Amsterdam-based, Australia and central Europe-facing developer saw sales slump thanks to Covid-19 last year but has touted a growing operational project portfolio.
