Iraq inaugurates 2 MW solar array at government palace
Iraq has installed a 2 MW solar array at a key government building as part of a broader effort to transition state facilities to renewable energy. The project supports the country’s push for sustainable power use across its public sector.
Cooling bifacial PV modules with mist
Scientists have placed mist nozzles inside a bifacial PV module and measured it under an extremely hot climate. The module was found to generate up to 37% more electricity on sunny days and up to 46% more on cloudy days compared to standard monofacial panels.
Iraq’s first solar-powered village begins operating
Iraq’s first fully off-grid solar-powered community, developed by the Rwanga Foundation, was inaugurated earlier this week. The village features almost 200 solar panels that will power homes, a mosque, a school and a community hall.
TOPCon solar cell built with silver-doped nickel metallization achieves 23.66% efficiency
Scientists in Turkiye claim to have developed a nickel-based TOPCon solar cell with a minimal silver content and almost the same efficiency as fully silver metallized counterparts. The device uses a new nickel contact method that requires a trace of silver of only 0.5 mg/W.
Scientists build photovoltaic-thermal panel hosting four different cooling techs
Researchers from the Middle East have simulated a novel PV thermal module which includes a thermoelectric generator above the absorber layer, conical helical tape in the cooling tube and a ferrofluid. These technologies reportedly contributed to increased PV efficiency and thermal efficiency by 2.12% and 23.34%, respectively.
Kuwait launches tender for 500 MW of solar
The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) is tendering two proposed solar plants in the Jahra region of Kuwait.
Jordan kicks off 200 MW solar tender
A tender in Jordan is seeking an independent power producer to develop a 200 MW solar project on a build-own-operate basis. The deadline to submit expressions of interest is July 15.
Middle East, North Africa solar manufacturing capacity to reach 44 GW by 2029, says WoodMac
Wood Mackenzie forecasts the Middle East and North Africa region will emerge as a tariff haven and overtake Southeast Asia as a top solar export hub, becoming the primary exporter of solar panels to the US towards the end of this decade.
Three-year field test shows TOPCon, HJT solar module reliability in desert areas
A three-year field experiment comparing the performance and reliability of passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC), tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon), and silicon heterojunction (SHJ) modules in desert climates found that HJT modules exhibited the highest degradation, while TOPCon modules showed the lowest degradation.
New method to optimize bifacial PV system performance in residential applications
Scientists in Qatar have outlined a new approach to optimize residential bifacial PV systems by combining south-facing and vertically mounted east-facing configurations. The novel methodology reportedly results in a 21.6% increase in a system’s net present value.
