First Solar signals interest in US tellurium supplies for solar panel production
Rio Tinto plans to spend nearly $3 million on a facility in Utah to recover tellurium, a critical mineral used in solar panels.
US government pumps $115 million into clean energy R&D for small businesses
Funds from the latest part of the Biden administration’s Build Back Better pledge will go to grid modernization, carbon removal, renewable energy, and energy storage, among other technologies.
These 3 US states have the most small-scale solar PV
Of the 4.5 GW of small-scale solar capacity added in the United States in 2020, California accounted for 31%. New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts are leaders for small-scale solar capacity despite having less favorable solar resources.
Silver accounts for 10% of PV module costs
The share of silver in the total cost of PV modules has increased by around 5% in recent months, according to US analyst Matthew Watson. He told pv magazine that silver prices are set to rise, adding that the metal will eventually account for an even larger percentage of overall module costs.
Floating PV plant at California water treatment facility
A 4.8 MW floating PV installation in California has surpassed an array in the metro New York area to become one of the largest floating solar projects in the United States.
Policy, innovation, markets: will residential batteries hit the big time in 2021?
The last decade saw residential storage take off, achieving vast industry growth and customer adoption in a relatively short time. While the 2010s became the decade of residential solar, can energy storage follow the same blueprint for success in 2021?
Creating an alternative PV supply chain in the US is no cakewalk
The US Solar Energy Industry Association in late 2020 launched a campaign against forced labor and said it was “strongly encouraging” member companies to adjust their supply chains by June. Here is what will likely happen.
Raising the temperature on module standards
Scientists in the U.S. laid out the rationale behind new PV module testing specifications published last year, which aim to better take into account the role of temperature in various types of performance loss. They suggest a new ‘98th percentile’ approach to measuring module operating temperatures, which would offer system designers a better understanding of the module’s performance in a particular ‘micro-environment’.
Nerves of steel: European Commission considers extension to import duty
Since summer 2018, a 25% charge has been levied by the EU on steel-product import volumes in excess of historical norms. European manufacturers say there is still a global steelmaking glut and the U.S. is showing no signs of lifting its restrictions.
Berkeley Lab report assesses status of US renewable portfolio standards
In a new report, Berkeley Lab describes recent legislative revisions, key policy design features, compliance with interim targets, past and projected impacts on renewables development, and compliance costs.
