World

The International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS) recently published a report on trends in PV applications for the 2021-22 period. Prices for polysilicon, wafers, cells and modules rose, while production capacity expanded in China and beyond.

A group of UK companies has started working on a 10 MW wind-to-hydrogen project, American Airlines has announced a new investment in hydrogen distribution, and ACWA Power has teamed up with South Korea’s Kepco to develop green hydrogen/ ammonia projects in the Middle East.

Clean Energy Associates said in a new report that it expects polysilicon production capacity to exceed PV installations next year.

Record energy prices, particularly in Europe, are driving demand for renewables and energy storage. That is changing the equation for utility solar and wind investment and shortening project payback times to under a year in some regions. Storage deployment, driven by recent policy developments around the world, is also expected to get a big boost through to 2030.

Chinese scientists have built a selenium solar cell with an alloyed selenium-tellurium absorber, which reportedly reduces interfacial defects. Under standard illumination conditions, the device has an efficiency of 1.85%.

The first post-pandemic update on the state of the world’s off-grid solar industry has painted a picture of domination by European companies, but highlighted the potential for new startups in West Africa and an increasing use of PV as a backup to unreliable grid supplies.

Portuguese startup Solarud has unveiled the next generation of its water-draining device for PV panels with low, sloping inclines. The new design avoids clogs caused by sand and dust, in nano and customized versions that fit installations and modules of different sizes.

The Clean H2 Infra Fund has closed with new investors to mobilize up to €20 billion ($19.4 billion) of investment capacity over the next six years for heavy mobility and energy-intensive industries. Toshiba has revealed new production tech for electrolysis electrodes that slashes iridium use, while Hyundai Heavy Industries has kicked off a demo project for fuel cell vessels.

Scientists result have confirmed a 22.2% efficiency rating for a flexible CIGS solar cell with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.

The off-grid solar sector has shown resilience in the face of pandemic-related challenges, with 70 million people gaining access to electricity from early 2020 to the end of 2021. However, the ability to pay for solar energy kits has taken a hit.