Roadmap to achieve CIGS solar modules with efficiencies above 20%
Japanese scientists have described the steps that need to be taken to improve the average efficiency of CIGS solar modules, from around 18.5% at present to more than 20%. They presented all of the critical technical factors that are currently holding the tech back from broader market adoption.
North Sea offshore floating solar project secures funding
A Dutch offshore floating solar consortium has obtained €7.8 million ($8.07 million) to test and develop a solar platform at an offshore wind farm in the North Sea. The 500 kW pilot project is expected to wrap up testing and monitoring by the end of 2024.
Photovoltaic roof for cycling paths
Badenova is installing 912 glass-glass PV modules along a cycling path in the city of Freiburg, Germany, as part of a new pilot project.
Floating PV for water pumping, desalination
An irrigation community has built a 786 kW floating solar array on a small water reservoir in Murcia, Spain. The facility will provide power for a solar water pumping system, a desalination unit, and the community itself.
Proposed HVDC ‘macrogrid’ to transmit low-cost, renewable power in US
A grid-modeling company has proposed an underground high-voltage DC transmission overlay for the continental United States. It could potentially help to reduce climate pollutants and electricity costs, in addition to facilitating solar and wind deployment.
Is hydrogen about to have its solar moment?
As Longi and other solar manufacturers kick off massive growth in hydrogen generation capacity, expect large price decreases resulting from steep learning curves, echoing the rapid advances experienced by the solar power industry since the 1970s.
Indian utility tenders 100 MW of floating solar, 50 MW of ground-mount PV
Assam Power Distribution has launched two separate tenders to develop 100 MW of floating solar and 50 MW of ground-mount PV projects in India. The projects will be developed on a build-own-operate basis.
Eni, Sonatrach start building 10 MW solar array in Algeria
Italy’s Eni and Algeria’s Sonatrach have started building a 10 MW solar project in Algeria. The oil giants also inaugurated a solar lab to test the efficiency of different PV technologies under local irradiation conditions.
PV Hardware opens new solar tracker factory in Saudi Arabia
PV Hardware (PVH), a solar tracker and mounting systems manufacturer, has opened a new factory in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is expected to produce 8 GW of trackers and solar structures per year, mainly for projects in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Taiwanese consortium develops easily recyclable solar module
The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and United Renewable Energy (URE) have developed a solar panel that can be easily dismantled to simplify the recycling process. They claim that 96% of the materials in the panel can be recovered, including all of the solar cells and front glass.
