Netherlands

Amsterdam has now installed more than 1 million solar panels, with the Dutch capital currently boasting 250 MW of rooftop PV capacity across 120,000 households. The municipal government aims to equip around 500,000 home with PV systems by 2040.

Dutch scientists have developed a perovskite-PERC tandem solar cell based on a new type of tunnel recombination junction that reportedly offers an improved device efficiency distribution. The cell uses a nickel(II) oxide layer that is intended to reduce electrical shunts in the perovskite top cell.

Developed by scientists in the Netherlands, the heat battery prototype consists of a storage module based on potassium carbonate and an electricity-driven mechanical system that maintains continuous charging or discharging powers. Through a series of simulations, the research group found that the device can significantly reduce a dwelling’s electricity consumption for heating.

A Dutch-German research team has used a unique method to detect silver shortages in the PV industry. By mapping the silver supply chain from 1995 to 2021, they have identified distinct supply patterns and associated risks.

A group of Dutch researchers assessed the impact of including stakeholder input in the design process of solar power plants. It found that a co-designed approach may help counter the resistance of local inhabitants and result in more positive evaluations of the project.

Scientists in the Netherlands have assessed how the so-called blue-green roofs can help reduce the operating temperature of rooftop PV panels and have found they provide a significant cooling effect. The irrigation system used for the research project relies on an additional water supply sourced from grey water from showers that is transformed into irrigation water.

Eternalsun Spire launched a solar simulator to test the performance, stability, and reliability of perovskite, tandem, thin film, and conventional PV technologies.

Compared to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) signed by Joe Biden’s administration in the US, the EU’s approach to establishing solar manufacturing appears slow and lacking in clarity. In this blog post, I will explore the EU’s renewable energy policy, specifically its emphasis on solar manufacturing, and evaluate whether Brussels is doing enough to establish a European solar supply chain.

Dutch gas supplier Gasunie says several market participants have reserved capacity in the first salt cavern for large-scale hydrogen storage near the Dutch city of Groningen. According to current planning, the first cavern will be operational by 2028.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, presents the solar irradiance data it collected for northern Europe in the first week of July. The data show that an unseasonal storm created by a strong low pressure system moving across from England into the North Sea had a strong impact on solar power generation in the Netherlands and Denmark.