Italian startup offers new bird-protection solution for rooftop PV
Italy-based Italgam has developed a new technology to prevent pigeons from nesting under rooftop solar panels. The EVO 2.0 solution uses brushes that fit between the backside of the panels and the roof.
UK allocates more than 3 GW of solar through CfD auction
Record contracts for difference (CfDs) auction for UK solar results in more than 90 projects securing fixed-price contracts. It follows intervention from the new UK government in summer 2024 to increase the auction budget. Strike prices achieved for all renewables technologies were well below the auction’s ceiling price.
Assessing floating PV costs across Europe
Researchers have analyzed the viability of floating PV in terms of net present value, internal rate of return, and LCOE. They included 25 European countries in their work, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy.
Germany awards 2.15 GW in PV tender with lowest bid of €0.0450/kWh
The German authorities have awarded 2.15 GW of utility-scale solar in a new tender, with bids ranging from €0.0450 ($0.05)/kWh to €0.0524/kWh. The tender was oversubscribed to 4.2 GW.
Fraunhofer CSP developing new patent infringement investigation methods for PV technologies
The German research institute is working on developing advanced, high-resolution material and thin film characterization methods that may become a set of simplified and rapid measurement procedures for routine use in intellectual property investigations.
New ways to feed the world’s lithium habit
Amid significant environmental concern about the impact of more widespread lithium mining, various methods of extracting the battery material from brine could offer a cleaner solution – and reignite a historic Cornish industry.
The Hydrogen Stream: Uniper opens hydrogen pilot in Germany
Uniper says it has launched its Hydrogen Pilot Cavern (HPC) Krummhörn plant in Germany with nearly 500,000 cubic meters of green hydrogen storage, while Air Liquide has inaugurated a 20 MW electrolysis plant in Oberhausen, Germany.
Dutch scientists assess consumers’ willingness to pay for renewable heating
A survey of 1,797 residents was used to determine the willingness to pay for low-carbon residential heating in the Netherlands. On average, respondents were willing to pay a premium of 33% for electricity-based heating. Policy recommendations were also provided as part of the study.
Alpine PV has LCOE ranging from €0.097/kWh to 0.162/kWh
New research from Switzerland shows that capex costs for Alpine PV projects in Switzerland currently range between €2,231/kW and €4,182/KW for ground-mounted projects and up to €3,802/kW and €7,108/kW for wall-mounted and floating projects, respectively.
Subsidies support record UK heat pump installation figures
More than 4,500 certified heat pump installations were recorded in the United Kingdom in July 2024, while battery storage installations continue to significantly outperform previous years. Subsidy schemes that slash the cost of installing a heat pump are a key growth driver, according to the industry.
