Floating PV powering sieving machines, suction excavators at German quarry
Rheinland Solar has built a 750 kW floating solar plant to power several sieving machines and suction excavators at a quarry in Germany. On weekends, the excess electricity is sold to the grid at market prices.
IB Vogt secures $135 million from EIG Global Energy Partners
The German developer will use the funds to finance its 16 GW global solar pipeline.
Apple data center in Denmark powered by 50 MW of solar
European Energy has built a solar array and is now constructing a wind farm to provide Apple’s data center in Denmark with 100% renewable energy. The PV project, which features bifacial panels, is the country’s largest unsubsidized PV installation in operation.
Zebra IBC cell with 24% efficiency moves to large-scale production
Netherlands based manufacturer Energyra this week introduced a new back contact module, which it has developed in partnership with Dutch research institute TNO and Germany’s ISC Konstanz. A prototype module was unveiled yesterday in a small presentation at Energyra’s factory in Zaandam, Netherlands. The company is targeting large-scale manufacturing by the end of 2020.
Machine-learning for PV module cleaning
French researchers have developed a machine-learning model to clean low-power PV projects and standalone solar arrays in rural areas isolated from the grid.
Analysis: Initial results of Portugal’s solar+storage auction
Portugal’s recent PV auction marks a new era of battery storage for the country, says UK consultancy Everoze. It notes that the auction was so competitive that the winners had to cut their expected remuneration in the solar+storage category to negative values. It claims that the real winner is the government, as it is maximizing the value of scarce grid capacity, and argues that the auction could become a benchmark for nations with limited grid space.
Renewables-powered 25 MW electrolyser at Dutch port
The large-scale green hydrogen facility is being developed by Dutch energy company VoltH2 at the North Sea Port. The project is planned to be expanded to 100 MW.
Different combinations of PV-powered electrolysers
An EU-funded research project coordinated by German research institute Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin has tested several configurations for solar-powered hydrogen generation. First results showed which may be the most suitable PV technologies for electrolysis.
Germany to tender 18.8 GW of PV by 2028
The German government is planning to tender 5.3 GW in the rooftop segment and 13.5 GW for large-scale PV projects.
Solar projects enable biodiversity
Eco-Tec, an Austrian PV company, is cooperating with a startup, Meine Blumenwiese, to ecologically upgrade ground-mounted solar projects. The two companies aim to generate clean energy while also creating new habitats for a range of insects and animals.
