Swedish authorities issue warning about solar panels on balconies
The Swedish authorities have identified electrocution and fire risks posed by the improper deployment of plug-in solar modules.
Indian coal miner commissions utility-scale floating PV array
Singareni Collieries Co. Ltd. (SCCL) has commissioned 5 MW of a 15 MW floating solar plant on the Singareni Thermal Power Station reservoir in India.
Novel snow-removal tech uses electricity from uncovered PV panels
JA Solar has worked with Chinese scientists to test a new electrical heating system for solar panels that uses the heat from uncovered panels to remove snow. The system starts by using grid electricity, but then relies on the thermal effect of resistance to uniformly heat the whole PN junction area of the snow-covered panels.
New photovoltaic-thermal solar panel from Spain
Spanish PVT specialist Abora Solar has developed aH72SK modules, which combine solar panels with power conversion efficiencies of 17.8% and a thermal efficiency rating of around 70%. Its total area is 1.96 square meters.
Weekend Read: Small change, big effect
Starting this year, ground-mounted solar modules in Germany can be replaced before the end of their service life, unlocking gigawatt-scale potential for new generation capacity without lengthy permitting processes or the need for new sites. Opinions differ as to what should happen with the decommissioned but still functioning modules, as pv magazine Deutschland’s Sandra Enkhardt reports.
Germany launches tender for 1,950 MW of large-scale solar
Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has opened the first round of a 5,850 MW tender for ground-mounted solar. The ceiling price has been raised to €0.0737 ($0.080)/kWh.
Greek manufacturer to open organic solar cell factory
Organic Electronics Technologies (OET) has announced the start of a European-funded project that will develop and build an automated manufacturing production line for integrated printed organic photovoltaics in Thessaloniki, Greece.
A look into a crystal ball reveals the secrets of perovskite solar cell stability
Scientists in Switzerland and South Korea looked deep into the crystalline structure of a perovskite thin-film to better understand the mechanisms behind the sensitivity to heat and moisture that causes so many stability issues for solar cells based on these materials. They discovered a part of the crystal’s surface that is particularly vulnerable to moisture-induced degradation, and developed an approach to grow perovskite thin-films with strong resistance to moisture and thermal stress.
Italy allocates 94.2 MW of solar in latest renewables auction
Italy’s energy agency has awarded 94.2 MW of solar capacity at 15 locations and 22 MW of wind in its latest auction.
Netherlands reports 40 PV installation accidents over past 18 months
The Netherlands Labour Authority (Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie) has provided accident statistics related to the installation of solar energy systems. It says there have been four casualties among solar installers over the past three years.
