Solar power generation has risen 13% in Germany this year
The proportion of German electricity generated from renewables is five percentage points higher already than it was in the first nine months of last year.
Over-irradiance events affect utility scale PV components
Researchers are seeking to understand the extent to which sudden spikes in irradiance can affect solar power plants. The preliminary findings indicate large scale PV projects are not immune to such events, especially when the spikes last longer than a minute.
Fraunhofer ISE develops organic solar cell with 14.9% efficiency
The record was obtained with a 1.1 sq cm device.
South African renewables jobs should be in coal regions
A study into the potential pitfalls of the shift to clean power in the nation’s coal-dependent energy mix, pointed out almost all of South Africa’s solar farms are far to the south and west of the coal regions likely to bear the brunt of job losses in a country which already has 29% unemployment.
An optimistic – but realistic – perspective for sodium batteries
International researchers have analyzed the potential of sodium-based energy storage and found recent technical advances have arrived faster than those for the lithium-ion batteries which have been studied for three decades. Issues remain, however, before sodium constitutes a complementary option to lithium.
Subsidy-free, utility scale German solar farms could sell power on spot market
The unsubsidized market is taking another step forward in Germany with the news of two projects ready to sell power to the wholesale market as well as through PPAs.
Germany could add 140 GW of small solar by 2030
The government is aiming for 100 GW of installed generation capacity this decade but analysts suggest 170 GW will be needed to avoid electricity shortages and solar rooftops could hold the key.
Thin-film agrivoltaic solar tubes
German tech company Tube Solar AG has secured €10.8 million to develop its cylindrical agrivoltaic modules. The lightweight devices could also be used on roofs until now considered unsuitable for PV.
New world record for large-area organic PV module efficiency
Scientists in Germany have achieved 12.6% efficiency with a 26 sq cm organic panel and 11.7% for a 204 sq cm device. The feats were achieved with a new module layout and a slower, high-resolution, short-pulse laser structuring process.
National lithium-ion battery supply chains ranked
Analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance have quantified the influence of markets around the world. The ranking supplies a snapshot of 25 countries and also offers a five-year outlook.
