Analyst expects recovery for PV and storage supply chains
U.S.-owned analyst Wood Mackenzie expects solar demand to decline but predicts the market will recover, with the prospects for the energy transition remaining intact.
Solar growing faster than expected in Sweden
The Swedish Energy Agency this week said solar power supplies will increase from 400 GWh in 2018 to 1.7 TWh in 2022. Total energy supply in the country is expected to decline from 551 TWh to 526 TWh in the 2019-22 period, due to the shutdown of several nuclear power plants.
Cheaper flow batteries with new membrane
US scientists claim to have discovered a membrane which could lead to cheaper large scale flow batteries. The material is an ion-selective, aqueous-compatible polymer with intrinsic microporosity known as AquaPIM and is said to have tunable thickness and high conductivity in aqueous electrolytes.
France’s largest storage project
Total is building a 25 MW/25 MWh lithium-ion storage system in Mardyck, northern France. The oil giant plans to commission the facility by the end of the year.
Solar windows made of chromophores
An Italian startup has developed a luminescent solar concentrator technology that can be integrated with active architectural elements and windows. The technology is based on nanoparticles known as chromophores, which decouple the absorption and light-emission processes, thanks to appropriate engineering. The company claims it has achieved a conversion efficiency of up to 3.2%, with a degree of transparency in the visible spectrum of around 80%.
Belgium deployed more than 500 MW of PV in 2019
The country’s cumulative installed PV capacity reached 4.82 GW at the end of 2019. Most of last year’s new PV additions were rooftop projects, but Engie also started up a 100 MW solar park.
Solar-powered hydrogen production in Japan
Toshiba has finalized construction of a 10 MW hydrogen plant in Fukushima prefecture which draws power from 20 MW of solar generation capacity as well as the grid.
Fuel cell technology to power disaster management systems
Fuel cell systems provide sustainable electricity using hydrogen gas, without the need for grid power, which makes them highly useful in medical centers, as such facilities need to respond immediately in emergencies with state-of-the-art communication platforms.
Solar will turn vicious water-energy-climate cycle into virtuous loop
The International Water Management Institute is promoting the Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience (SoLAR) initiative to expand the use of solar irrigation systems throughout Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Proponents of solar irrigation pumps say that they can have a strong positive impact on groundwater.
Renewable-powered hydrogen for Oman
Belgian engineer DEME is planning up to 500 MW of hydrogen production capacity at the port of Dumq, which is rich in solar and wind power resources. The engineer plans to ship hydrogen from the port to Europe.
