Rise of bifacial lifts profits for the world’s tracker companies
Things are hotting up in the tracker world as the desire to squeeze down the price per Watt of solar power intensifies. And the rise of the trackers is attracting some well-known businesses to buy their way into the field.
Smart meters set to disrupt the arch disrupter solar
In both Belgium and Chile, the planned mandatory installation of smart meters is raising concerns among consumers, residential PV system owners and the solar industry. Although seen as a positive, the early stages of smart meter deployment create issues related to the calculation of net metering tariffs and the management and ownership of consumption data, as well as additional costs for consumers.
Meyer Burger joins the fray over Hanwha patent infringement claims
The Swiss solar equipment maker has endorsed a claim by Chinese solar manufacturer Longi that the technology it uses differs from that at the center of Hanwha Q Cells’ patent infringement complaints.
Shell powers chemical operations with Dutch solar park
A 27 MW solar project will generate energy for the company’s extensive site in Moerdijk, in the south of the country.
Smart electrification 36% cheaper than green hydrogen in Europe
A report commissioned by the European Climate Foundation suggests a fossil fuel-free energy system in Europe by 2050 should largely rely on smart electrification and energy efficiency. Green hydrogen deployment, the report finds, would require prohibitively expensive infrastructure investment.
Ikea tests rooftop PV and blockchain on miniature wooden village
The Solarville project, by Ikea’s Danish research and design laboratory, has seen the participation of blockchain companies such as Bloc, Blocktech, WeMoveIdeas India and Temporal. It was conceived to help create cooperative community micro-grids to enable homeowners to become clean energy traders.
ITRPV tenth edition: Module prices fell almost a third in 2018
German engineering association the VDMA expects PV system prices to continue to fall, as set out in the latest International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaics report. Falling production costs and rising cell and module performance levels will secure long term competitiveness for PV in the energy mix, says the report. VDMA estimates global production capacity for PV modules reached 150 GW last year.
Eni uses solar to power oil and gas fields in Pakistan and Tunisia
The Italian energy company has started construction of a 10 MW solar plant at its Bhit gas field in Pakistan and a 5 MW facility at the ADAM oil concession in Tunisia. It has also begun work on a 30 MW solar plant at its industrial site in Sassari, Italy.
Manz reports higher sales and positive earnings for 2018
The PV equipment manufacturer said solar sales remained stable. Major CIGS contracts with Chinese partners Shanghai Electric Group and China Energy Investment Corporation dominated the company’s PV business.
Portugal’s EDP confirms plans to divest generation assets and invest in renewables
The utility could invest up to €7 billion in renewable energy projects up to 2022.
