Covid-19 weekly round-up: US job losses raise concern but France and China continued to add new solar
Cell supply shortages could kick-start manufacturing activity in India, EV car sales are braced for a fall while still gaining market share and a new date has been set for the world’s biggest solar trade show.
US fossil fuel developer goes solar with 350 MW project
The economics of a solar project in Texas are so compelling coal and gas developer J-Power wants a piece of the action.
US module shipments down in January and February
While the volume of combined imports and exports slumped from almost 2 GW in December to 1.49 GW in January and 1.36 GW in February, the price per kilowatt rose dramatically in the second month of the year.
The life of brine
Solar remains an interesting option to power water desalination despite obstacles to its widespread adoption. A recent study has highlighted the processing or dumping of brine waste as an important factor to consider.
Trade shows postponed over coronavirus fears
As the contagion continues to spread, its impact is beginning to be felt on the solar industry outside China with the cancellation or postponement of major trade shows and conferences that were set to take place over the next few weeks.
Batteries under solar modules just like microinverters and optimizers
Texan start-up Yotta Energy has a potential solution for residential solar-plus-storage. Will the micro-storage company become the next SolarEdge or Enphase or suffer the fate of JLM Energy? And whatever happened to SolPad?
Mercedes-Benz teams up with Hydro-Québec for solid-state battery development
The luxury car maker is betting on the timely development of market-ready solid-state batteries. Mercedes will work with the Canadian research institute to quickly integrate new technology into field applications to cut development cycle times.
An alumina lining for silicon in storage
Scientists at Rice University in the U.S. have conducted experiments with lithium-ion batteries using silicon as an anode material and made an unexpected discovery regarding an aluminum oxide passivation layer at the cathode. The finding could open up a new pathway toward better performing lithium-ion batteries.
The world will add 142 GW of new solar this year
IHS Markit has predicted another year of global solar growth but a peek behind the headline figures shows uncertainty dogging the markets of China and India, two of the most important markets and biggest polluters.
Indium provides a boost to perovskite stability
Scientists at Rice University in the United States have found by strategically adding indium to an all-inorganic, lead-based perovskite, they can reduce the number of defects in the material and improve its efficiency, as well as providing a significant boost to stability.
