The weekend read: Will the UK emissions trading system deliver on its promises?
U.K. carbon prices have looked relatively strong since the market launched in May. There is now optimism that the U.K. emissions trading system (ETS) will drive investment in renewables and green hydrogen. However, linking with the EU ETS is seen as key for the market to flourish in the longer term.
An environmental failsafe for lead-based perovskites
Scientists in Switzerland discovered that certain types of phosphate salt react with lead only in the presence of moisture, to form non-water-soluble phosphates. Incorporating these salts into the architecture of a lead-based perovskite solar cell could greatly reduce the risk of lead seeping into the environment should the cells be damaged, without incurring significant costs or negatively affecting the cell’s performance.
New residential lithium-ion battery from Germany
The battery system, which is aimed at increased self-consumption, can handle a maximum DC input power of 18 kW and 1000 V.
Micro-inverter for balcony solar modules
Two different devices designed by German manufacturer Bosswerk can feed up to 300 or 600 watts into the home network. The company offers a 12-year guarantee.
Spain deployed 3.4 GW of solar in 2020
Last year’s newly installed PV capacity comes from 2.8 GW of ground-mounted PV and 596 MW of rooftop installations. Sustained growth is expected in 2021.
First lessons learnt from offshore pilot PV system in North Sea after 18-month operation
The 50 kW modular PV system started operating at the end of November 2019. According to its developer, Dutch start-up Oceans of Energy, power production after 18 months of operations is in line with expectations. The installation had to withstand several storms and waves with a height of up to 10 meters.
Sonnen battery still running after 28,000 full charge cycles
Sonnen has published test results indicating the longevity of its storage systems after extended use.
Germany’s first tender for rooftop PV concludes with average price of €0.0688/kWh
The procurement exercise’s final prices ranged between €0.0535 and €0.0789 per kWh. Furthermore, the German authorities revealed that the tender for ground-mounted PV concluded with an average price of €0.05 per kWh.
A tribute to our colleague Joël
Dear readers, It is with great sadness that we have learned of the sudden death of our colleague Joël Spaes, on Sunday. An accomplished professional in the energy industry, he joined pv magazine France in 2019 to report on news and other developments in the solar photovoltaic sector. His kindness, his great intelligence, his keen […]
What is needed to persuade UK households and businesses to go solar?
The government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy surveyed householders and small businesses and was told the prospect of firms having to pay higher taxes after installing PV prompted fury – just as the national solar trade body has been telling Whitehall for years.
