Europe

With cumulative capacity reaching 9.43 GW at the end of December, France saw electricity generation from solar increase 7.8% last year.

The French oil company will enter the booming Spanish market through subsidiary Total Solar International thanks to agreements with Powertis and Solarbay Renewable Energy to develop 2 GW of generation capacity.

After announcing plans to test hydrogen fuel cell buses in November, the European coach travel route planning start-up has begun a pilot project to reduce diesel consumption by using solar panels on the vehicles of its partner companies. FlixBus says the ultra-thin, lightweight CIGS modules help save 1.7 litres of diesel per 100km.

Chemists from Russia’s RUDN University have developed a series of compounds based on methylammonium iodide and iodine which they say could be used to make perovskite solar devices without toxic solvents. That would enable perovskite cells to be manufactured without chemical by-products.

The German start-up provides mounting structures for bifacial solar modules as well as PV systems which can be installed as a fence to enclose pastures. Next2Sun Mounting Systems is offering 5% annual interest over five years.

Researchers have found strong anodic activity in disordered particles of magnesium chromium oxide. Unlike conventional, ordered nanocrystals, the disordered particles reportedly achieved reversible magnesium extraction and insertion.

The Italian oil super major says its latest, 31 MW facility takes it to 80 MW of installed capacity across 13 solar plants in five Italian regions. Some 70% of the power generated by the new project will be used by Eni chemicals subsidiary Versalis.

With fire-extinguishing rain on the east coast, coronavirus flagged an urgent threat and PM Scott Morrison drumming up support for technology and free-market forces to beat climate change, it all made for a weekend to shake the resolve of some Australians to act on their carbon emissions. Understanding the psychology of how we perceive risk and commit to action can help us focus and keep fighting the fight.

Researchers from Switzerland’s École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have used molybdenum oxide as the hole-selective contact in an heterojuction silicon cell. The scientists claim the compound can compete with traditional contacts despite a lower level of optimization.

Renewables generated more electricity than coal in the EU for the first time ever in 2019, driving the sharpest reduction in the European power sector’s carbon emissions in three decades, according to a new report.