Germany

A British-German research team claims that organic PV technologies may become mature enough to compete with crystalline silicon and thin-film products not only in BIPV, but also in power generation in the electricity market. In order to get there, however, organic PV products will have to achieve higher efficiencies.

In Spain, Swiss pharmaceutical group Novartis has agreed to buy wind and solar power through six different PPAs. In Germany, Enerparc has secured a PPA from German railway operator Deutsche Bahn.

The French energy giant has acquired Charging Solutions, a recharging stations specialist, from German industrial group Viessmann. It has also won a tender by the municipal government of Paris to operate 2,300 EV charging points.

The German research institute wants to develop an efficient and reliable methodology, which could contribute to considerable cost reductions in photovoltaic generation – both for manufacturers and operators.

Spanish company Isigenere has deployed a 739 kW floating array on a quarry lake near Dettelbach, in the Bavaria region. The plant is relying on 1,896 panels with a power output of 395 W each.

Oxford PV is currently building a manufacturing facility for its silicon perovskite tandem solar cells in Brandenburg an der Havel.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the photovoltaic inverter maker was able to significantly increase its turnover and sales compared to the previous year.

The Japanese tech giant and German power company have followed the lead of General Electric by promising not to take on any new coal power station contracts.

With the International Energy Agency publishing its latest five-year clean energy forecast today, pv magazine takes a look at the solar content of the 162-page document.

Scientists have fabricated a working battery using a new type of dual-ion chemistry. The design avoids many of the rare or expensive materials found in today’s lithium-ion batteries, and also comes with an inherently lower risk of fire. The battery showed promising performance, and its creators say they have identified several areas where performance could potentially be improved.