Japan

Japan’s latest procurement exercise was open to PV projects above 250 kW in size. The lowest price came in at JPY 9.7 ($0.066)/kWh and the allocated capacity was just 26.2 MW, out of 225 MW tendered.

Japanese researchers have built ultra-soft PV devices and ultra-thin electronics that can be placed on the curved abdomens of cockroaches without affecting their mobility. The system can be used to monitor hazardous areas, or for urban search-and-rescue operations.

A German-US research team has shown that hydrogen condenses on smooth surfaces at a very low temperature, forming a super-dense monolayer that reduces the volume to just 5 liters per kilogram of H2. Dutch researchers, meanwhile, have published a new study on hydrogen storage in porous rocks, and Itochu said it is moving forward with hydrogen plans in Japan and South Africa.

Panasonic has revealed plans to increase the annual production of heat pumps at its facility in Czechia to 500,000 units by March 2026.

Sharp’s newest PV modules feature white backsheets and are made for the needs of design-oriented customers.

Japanese startup Yumes Frontier has developed a 2.7 kW micro-hydropower system that can be used in some buildings. It can also be combined with solar to provide power for lights and surveillance cameras.

Researchers have studied a perovskite solar panel array with little generation loss due to high temperatures, and better performance than expected.

Toshiba has developed a smart synchronous inverter that stabilizes power fluctuations in microgrids. The Japanese company said it has tested the device in combination with PV and battery storage.

Sharp is developing a zinc-air battery tech for renewables storage. The device will be reportedly safer than their lithium-ion counterparts, with high energy densities.

The month of May saw Japan and South Korea set a new benchmark for solar electricity generation, according to a London-based think tank, but PV is still dwarfed by fossil fuel-powered electricity in the two countries.