Weekend Read: Race to the top
A flurry of clean energy announcements in the European Union this year bodes well for the expansion of renewables but there will be a race against time to get key legislation adopted before next summer’s European elections.
India’s Nithin Sai to start making solar panels with Mondragon Assembly line
Nithin Sai has revealed plans to begin making PV panels with a new Mondragon Assembly production line. The initial manufacturing capacity is set at 500 MW for M10, half-cut cells, with plans for a second-phase expansion to reach 2 GW.
The Hydrogen Stream: South Korea launching hydrogen bidding market
South Korea is opening what it claims is the world’s first hydrogen power generation bidding market, while the International Energy Agency says that Omani hydrogen production could surpass current European consumption levels.
PPA prices falling across Europe, says Pexapark
Pexapark says power purchase agreement (PPA) prices are falling in Europe, with prices in Spain and Portugal down by 6.4% and 6.2% to €40.90 ($43.99)/MWh and €39.60/MWh, respectively.
Global rooftop PV additions soar by 50% to 118 GW in 2022
The world installed 239 GW of new solar capacity in 2022, according to SolarPower Europe. The rooftop PV segment accounted for 49.5% of additions – the highest share in the past three years. The rooftop sectors in Brazil, Italy, and Spain grew by 193%, 127%, and 105%, respectively.
IBC solar cell based on ultrathin black silicon wafer achieves 16.4% efficiency
A Spanish-Finnish research team has fabricated an IBC solar cell with an ultrathin black silicon wafer with a thickness of 40 µm. The device is based on vanadium oxide and laser-processed phosphorus-doped silicon carbide stacks as hole and electron transport layers, respectively.
Global solar additions to hit 310 GW in 2024, says IEA
The International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a new report that solar will remain the main source of global renewable capacity expansion in 2023, accounting for 286 GW. In 2024, the figure is set to grow to almost 310 GW, driven by lower module prices, greater uptake of distributed PV systems, and a policy push for large-scale deployment.
Spanish PV market exposed to over-investment risk by 2030
New data from Afry Management Consulting suggests that Spain’s solar power producers could face prices below €20/MWh before 2030 if renewable penetration continues to increase. Such low prices would render power purchase agreements (PPAs) and merchant projects unprofitable.
PV system collapses on roof of sports facility in Spain
The mayor of Bilbao, Spain, has attributed the recent collapse of a local sports center’s roof to heavy rains and the presence of numerous solar panels, according to local news outlets.
Madrid to generate green hydrogen using recycled water, PV, biogas
Madrid will open Spain’s first plant to produce green hydrogen from recycled water in 2024. The facility, situated at a water treatment plant, will use electrolysis to simultaneously extract oxygen and purify water.
