Vehicle-integrated PV reduces EV charging time in sunny regions by 40%
Dutch scientist Bonna Newmann spoke with pv magazine about the present and future of vehicle-integrated PV from a technological and economic perspective. Solar panels installed on cars could have a payback time of only three or four years and ensure 10,000 km of pure PV-generated road travel per year, she said. Furthermore, if you live in a sunny place, you can drive an electric car with solar panels for weeks during summertime, without the need for recharging, she pointed out.
Strong recovery expected for European PPA market in 2021
German consultancy Enervis said the European market last year saw a 50% drop in new PPA-linked photovoltaic projects, compared to 2019. This year, however, higher capture prices for the PV energy source should enable a larger number of deals to be closed.
Austrian solar industry wants Covid-recovery funds spent on renewables-friendly grid
The national PV body in the country wants €1 billion from the EU’s recovery and resilience fund to be allocated to upgrading the electricity network to host more solar power generation capacity.
Work begins on underground hydrogen storage project in Germany
German energy provider EWE wants to set up a test cavern with a capacity of 500 cubic meters at a depth of 1,000 meters. It is scheduled to go into operation in spring 2022.
Three phase solutions in residential PV
Across Europe, markets for residential PV are evolving. Shifting policy priorities, new module technologies and new use cases for solar mean that component suppliers need to be ready to adapt to different requirements from installers and system owners.
In this pv magazine Webinar, we’ll introduce the latest addition to Sungrow’s residential portfolio in Europe– a 3-phase PV inverter that’s both scalable and packed with features. We’ll take a look at how the inverter enables system designers to meet varying customer needs in terms of power, space, and security, and why this type of flexibility is key in many of Europe’s rapidly diversifying residential PV markets.
New EU battery rules support a sustainable energy industry
On Dec. 10, European Internal Market and Environment Commissioners Thierry Breton and Virginijus Sinkevičius, in conjunction with Vice President Maroš Šefčovič, announced a keenly anticipated piece of legislation: the commission’s proposal for modernized EU battery rules. Pia Alina Lange – head of communications for Recharge, the European battery industry association – says that while there are potential pitfalls with the new regulation, it could pave the way to sustainable industry development.
France allocates 451.9 MW in ninth tender for large scale PV
In the category for PV projects exceeding 5 MW, the final average price was €0.05338/kWh. The tender’s overall final average price, including smaller PV project categories, was 4.7% higher than in the previous procurement exercise.
Japan’s largest floating PV plant being reconstructed after Typhoon impact
French floating PV specialist Ciel&Terre said the plant is being split into smaller islands, with a square shape, to avoid stress concentration.
Northvolt plans to expand gigafactory in Poland
The Northvolt manufacturing facility in Gdansk should become Europe’s largest factory for energy storage solutions. The production is scheduled to begin in 2022 with an annual capacity of 5 GWh. The company wants to expand it to 12 GWh.
The best materials for carrier multiplication in solar cells
Researchers in the Netherlands have sought to identify all those semiconductor materials that may make the application of carrier multiplication in photovoltaics much more than a mere suggestion. According to them, the bandgap of the materials should be between 0.6–1.0 electronvolt (eV), which would result in maximum theoretical efficiency of around 44%. 2D and bulk materials were indicated as the most promising with near-ideal carrier multiplication.
