Wärtsilä, Hyundai ink agreement on second-life EV batteries for grid storage – comment
Finnish-based energy-solution provider, Wärtsilä has signed an agreement with automobile producer, Hyundai Motor Group to establish a commercial partnership for the use of second-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries in storage solutions.
LG to make high-efficiency solar panels in the US
LG Electronics has announced plans for a 500 MW/year solar module manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama. The facility will assemble the manufacturer’s 19.8% efficient NeON2 60-cell 340-W panels for residential applications.
Inverters get smart at the 2018 Smarter E
Inverter manufacturers tapped into the major theme of digitization in their product presentations at this year’s Smarter E event in Munich – of which Intersolar Europe is a part of. The solutions deploy smart software solutions for maximizing self-consumption, O&M provision and enable hybrid architectures across all three market segments.
Canada’s Nova Scotia launches rebate program for residential PV
Solar rebates granted through the scheme are expected to cover around 30% of the costs of a residential PV project.
GT Advanced Technologies opens silicon carbide factory in US’ New Hampshire
The upstream technology company plans to sell silicon carbide for applications including advanced inverters for solar and battery storage, as part of a new emphasis on materials supply.
Interview: Array Technologies’ new CEO; expanding and eyeing bifacial
U.S.-based tracker supplier Array Technologies took part in the panel discussion on bifacial technology at the Future PV Roundtable during Intersolar Europe last week. pv magazine caught up with panelist Caesar Alberte, VP International, to discuss the company’s new CEO and its work on bifacial tracking.
Ontario cancels solar rebates program two months after its launch
The decision was taken by the incoming Ontario premier, Doug Ford. The US$70 million scheme had been conceived to support residential and commercial solar-plus-storage solutions installed under net metering.
Researchers turn to spray coating in applying ETL to perovskites
Perovskites, a tempting low-cost alternative to crystalline silicon based solar cells, could be moving closer to commercial production thanks to a new way of applying the critical electron transport layer (ETL) pioneered by an international team of researchers.
Global PV module prices collapse
The predicted fall in global PV module prices appears to have already begun, with PVInsights and EnergyTrend reporting average prices in the $0.27-$0.37/W range.
The smarter E show: A wealth of innovations rewarded
At the smarter E-Intersolar Europe trade show this week, awards have been given to the technologies driving the energy transition to a low carbon future. Prizes include the Intersolar Award, recognizing PV technology; the EES prize for storage innovation; and the smarter E awards – one of which was given to an off-grid agricultural project in Australia.
