Chinese PV Industry Brief: TCL Zhonghuan cuts wafer prices by more than 4%
TCL Zhonghuan has announced wafer price cuts, Shenzhen Energy unveiled a plan to build a 2 GW solar-storage project, and the Chinese authorities have announced measures to expedite grid connections for new solar and wind plants.
Netherlands changes grid code to reduce congestion, host more renewables
New rules in the Netherlands will allow new entities known as “congestion service providers” as intermediaries between grid operators and power plant operators, in order to make optimal use of the network.
Kaco unveils string inverters for rooftop solar arrays
Kaco has launched a new line of blueplanet NX3 three-phase string inverters for applications ranging from small residential rooftop arrays to projects on commercial buildings. They have outputs between 3 kW and 33 kW, a maximum efficiency of 98.0%, and a maximum European efficiency of 97.6%.
Floating solar cost-competitive with ground-mounted PV in southern Europe
Researchers have assessed the economic viability of utility-scale floating solar arrays in Europe and have determined that such projects are already cost-competitive in several southern European countries. They claim floating PV could become competitive across Europe if capital costs are reduced by 12%.
Philippines increases net-metering size limit for renewables to 1 MW
New provisions in the Philippines define interconnection standards, the certification of compliance requirements, and pricing methodologies, among other matters.
Portuguese company to build 75 MW solar-to-hydrogen facility in California
A proposed 75 MW solar-to-hydrogen facility in California could mark the start of Fusion Fuel’s green hydrogen vision for the United States.
New manufacturing process for high-quality mono cast ingots
Chinese scientists have made mono cast silicon ingots with high purity and low manufacturing costs. The new method will help industrial casting manufacturers to improve the cost performance of casting ingots.
How variable is rooftop solar power?
A research group has developed a new methodology that shows PV systems located in the same area could have similar distributions of power ramps. Their three-step method could be used for the dimensioning of rooftop arrays and the scheduling of daily operations.
Canada set to hit 5 GW milestone
Canada is set to install 500 MW of new solar in 2022, bringing its total capacity to about 5 GW, according to data from Canmet Energy. The country is expected to hit 35 GW of total solar capacity by 2050.
Italy deployed 1.6 GW of PV in January-September period
The Gestore dei Servizi (GSE) energy agency says that Italy’s cumulative installed solar capacity reached 24.2 GW at the end of September.
