South Africa approves six solar projects totaling 1,290 MW
An additional six solar projects have been approved as part of South Africa’s seventh renewables procurement round following the reallocation of unused onshore wind capacity to solar bids.
The best tilt angle to improve PV system performance on low-cost buildings
Researchers have demonstrated that the theoretical optimal tilt for rooftop solar energy production in low-cost buildings in Nigeria is approximately 5.67°. Their modeling suggests to adopt south-facing roofs for PV generation in the Global South.
JA Solar, ARTsolar agree to expand PV module manufacturing in South Africa
JA Solar has set up a manufacturing partnership with South Africa’s ARTsolar to annually produce 340 MW of PV modules, supporting domestic content rules under South Africa’s procurement programs and reducing reliance on imports.
NOA secures financing for 349 MW solar project in South Africa
South African independent power producer NOA has reached financial close with Standard Bank on its 349 MW Khauta South Solar PV project near Welkom, Free State. The project will be the country’s largest single-asset solar facility once operational.
South Africa’s BESIPPPP Window 3 ends with two big winners
South Africa has approved 616MW in new battery storage projects as part of its energy storage scheme, a $530 million investment boosting national grid capacity and championing local industry wins.
The Hydrogen Stream: ZeroAvia to build UK hub for HTPEM fuel cells
ZeroAvia says it will build a hydrogen-electric powertrain factory in Scotland to produce high-temperature proton exchange membrane (HTPEM) fuel cell systems, while Thyssenkrupp Nucera and Fraunhofer IKTS have opened the first solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) pilot plant in Germany to scale green hydrogen stack production.
Eskom tenders green hydrogen pilot in South Africa
South African utility Eskom is searching for a developer to engineer, procure and construct a renewable green hydrogen facility at its research unit in Johannesburg. The deadline for applications is June 27.
Preventing soiling with surface textured photovoltaic dummies
Scientists in South Africa have used computational fluid dynamics to investigate whether a dummy panel, placed in front of a working PV panel, can mitigate soiling. They have tested this setup with various inclination angles, heights, and distances and have found that the dummies accumulated up to 58% more dust than the PV panels.
Eskom seeking partners to set up independent renewables unit
Eskom has issued a tender for partners to help launch a standalone renewables division, in a bid to speed up clean energy development in South Africa. The utility says it will evaluate bids based on sector experience, financial expertise, and project delivery record.
Compression-assisted adsorption thermal battery prototype for seasonal heat storage
Chinese researchers have developed a thermal battery prototype using composite sorbents and have scaled it up via simulation to operate in real world conditions. A compression ratio from 1 to 4 reporteldy boosts average output heat power by 300%.
