EU solar manufacturers’ ESG credentials could bolster revival
With calls for a revival in European PV manufacturing becoming more urgent, the Environmental, Social, and Governance credentials of its PV producers are being touted as a way in which manufacturing can be supported or even protected. The case for the ESG credentials of European manufacturing was advanced by multiple speakers at the 2023 SolarPower Summit this week in Brussels.
Switzerland to subsidize alpine PV
The Swiss government introduced measures to fast-track permitting and construction of alpine PV in October 2022. It is set to announce a new incentive scheme for these installations in April 2023. pv magazine spoke with Lionel Bloch, renewable energy project manager at Swiss engineering firm Planair, about the new provisions.
EU loosens state aid rules for green technologies
The EU’s new state aid rules should lead to more investments in clean tech production. The European Solar Manufacturing Council said the new framework will be the basis of Europe’s future manufacturing ecosystem.
The Hydrogen Stream: German grid operator increases hydrogen blend in regional gas network
Netze BW has increased the amount of hydrogen it is injecting into the regional grid of Oehringen, in the southwest of Germany, from 20% to 30%. pv magazine spoke with the project leader, Heike Grüner, about the next phases of the project.
Italy deployed 1,121 MW/2,032 MWh of distributed storage capacity in 2022
Italy hit 959 MW/1,826 MWh of distributed storage capacity at the end of 2022. The segment continues to grow in the country, led by the regions of Lombardy and Veneto.
Belgian consortium unveils offshore floating PV platform
Tractebel, DEME, and Jan De Nul will deploy a pilot offshore floating PV facility off the Belgian coast in the summer. The Seavolt floating platform is reportedly able to withstand difficult offshore conditions.
TOPCon’s time to shine
Several of the world’s largest PV manufacturers are making the switch to n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) cells, in search of higher performance and longer lifetimes. With gigawatts of manufacturing capacity up and running in 2023, TOPCon is described by many as a mature technology today. In this pv magazine Webinar, we will examine the performance and durability advantages that n-type TOPCon cells and modules achieve – with case studies from modules deployed in the Middle East/North Africa region.
FuturaSun announces new 2 GW solar module factory in Italy
FuturaSun, an Italian solar panel manufacturer, has acquired land for its new 2 GW solar module plant in an industrial area near Padua, Italy.
Only5mins! – How a floating solar-powered artificial leaf generates synthetic fuels
University of Cambridge researcher Dr Virgil Andrei sits down with pv magazine to discuss an innovative ultra-thin film device capable of generating clean synthetic fuels while floating merrily on the River Cam.
State of the (European) union
Gerard Reid, co-founder of corporate finance advisory Alexa Capital, considers whether the EU is up to the task of dealing with the twin threats of the energy crisis and the pull of a revitalized US clean power industry.
