French parliament approves retroactive FIT cuts for pre-2011, large scale PV
The representatives of the French solar industry have already mobilized against the controversial measure and said they are studying all possible legal actions.
Water harvesting tech for PV panel cleaning and cooling
An international research team has proposed to use nighttime radiative cooling to harvest water from PV panels and reuse it for module cleaning during the daytime. According to their findings, the proposed system has, also, a beneficial effect on the modules’ operating temperature.
Indonesia launches call for IPP solar projects
State-owned utility PT PLN (Persero) is seeking proposals from independent power producers to build large-scale solar plants.
Green hydrogen costs could plunge in India by 2030
A cost decline of more than 50% by the end of the decade could make green hydrogen cost-competitive with hydrogen from fossil fuels in certain industrial applications, such as ammonia production for fertilizers.
Digital tool to monitor PV plant construction
U.K.-based Above has developed a digital approach to unifying PV plant testing and inspection data. The company said the new tool can create a permanent digital record for the future.
Improving PV-based hydrogen generation with loss‐mitigation techniques
Australian scientists have demonstrated two loss-mitigation techniques that could improve solar‐to‐hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiencies and may lay the ground for cheaper PV-powered hydrogen generation. By combining the two techniques, they were able to achieve an STH efficiency of around 19.4% at realistic operating temperatures.
Another 300 MW of solar power for Egypt’s Aswan region
UAE-based AlNowais Investments Company has been allowed to increase the size of its solar project in Kom Ombo from 200 to 500 MW. The facility will sell power to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) under a long-term, bilateral PPA.
Tanzania buys solar power from small independent power producers
Three solar plants totaling 15.4 MW will sell power to Tanesco under a PPA. The projects are being developed under new rules enabling independent power producers to participate in the country’s energy market.
Another decade of PERC
A new paper from scientists at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) examines the entire history of PERC technology, from its beginnings in laboratories more than 40 years ago to today, where it represents the majority of all PV cell production. And this story is far from over, as ISE lays out a pathway to efficiencies of 26% as well as use as the bottom cell in a tandem device that it believes will keep PERC technology in mass production to 2030 and beyond.
Competition in transmission sector will drive Indian renewables
Intra-state transmission infrastructure is the weakest link in the Indian grid. However, the introduction of competition from private players could help to drive down construction costs and promote timely completion of projects.
