EU records annual rise of 7 TWh in third-quarter solar output
European renewables, including Spanish solar, made big gains as energy demand recovered before the second wave of Covid infections. Nuclear was a notable loser, in part because clean energy volumes in the north of the continent drove down power prices sufficiently to make reactors uncompetitive.
New manufacturing method for kesterite solar cells
German scientists have designed a manufacturing process to reduce the thickness of the molybdenum diselenide interface layer in kesterite solar cells. They used two different configurations of silicon-oxynitride diffusion-barrier layers.
Germanium-based solar cell tech for agrivoltaics
German scientists have fabricated an enhanced amorphous germanium PV cell that confines light in an ultra-thin absorber. It has the potential to combine PV with photosynthesis in new solar applications on bio-reactors, greenhouses, and agricultural land.
Fraunhofer ISE develops technique to produce glowing colored solar modules
The German research institute has proposed a technique based on the surface structure of the wings of the morpho butterfly to produce colored BIPV panels for facades and rooftops. The process is claimed to make it possible to color the modules with an optical effect and not with color pigments, which reduce their efficiency.
New mounting system to integrate small PV into wind farms
Switzerland’s Smartvolt has developed a special mounting system that facilitates the quick deployment of small ground-mounted PV systems at the base of wind turbines.
Eon enters UK rooftop PV business
The German energy company has acquired a 49% stake in U.K. installer Eco2solar. The British company offers solutions for commercial and residential projects.
Zinc-air batteries with non-alkaline, aqueous electrolytes
New battery chemistry developed in Germany promises to make zinc-air batteries the storage technology of the future.
Meyer Burger gets €22.5 million in public subsidies for heterojunction cell factory
The funds come, on the one hand, from the regional government of Saxony-Anhalt and on the other, from the German central government.
Germany added 480 MW of PV in November
The country added around 4.4 GW of new solar in the first 11 months of 2020 while its cumulative installed PV capacity reached 53.1 GW.
Germany’s solar boom set to continue in 2021
From PV panels to solar storage and solar collectors, rooftop installations grew 25% in Germany this year as due to increasing consumer demand for greater energy independence, lower solar tech prices, improved subsidy conditions and the rising popularity of electric cars. A further increase in solar technology expansion targets is expected to meet climate targets and avoid electricity shortfalls, according to the German Solar Association.
