‘Covid-19 will provide a significant enhancement to the renewable industry’
Even as global PV forecasts fall, tax equity dries up and unemployment rises, investor Jim Spano believes the right type of government stimulus could not only help the solar industry recover – but drive it to new heights.
Bringing green hydrogen to market
German companies Uniper and Siemens will cooperate on joint projects to advance the use of green hydrogen and sector coupling. Conventional, gas-fired hydrogen production plants will be gradually transformed as part of the initiative.
Shine! You’re on photoluminescence camera!
Researchers in Australia and China used intensity-modulated photoluminescence to map the series resistance of perovskite solar cells with a technique which could further understanding of the causes of instability issues in such devices.
A big grid solution to harness small solar arrays
Scientists at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory are developing a communication system to coordinate and control the volumes of solar power injected into grids by small scale solar arrays.
Europe’s largest solar park now online
Iberdrola’s 500 MW Núñez de Balboa solar park has started commercial operations, following the completion of construction in December.
Global survey on Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on solar
The Global Solar Council has launched a survey to assess the impact of the Covid-19 emergency and understand potential outcomes for the global solar energy sector.
WoodMac expects 106 GW of newly deployed solar this year
As Chinese PV manufacturers are now on the way to fully utilizing their production capacities, it is becoming increasingly clear how much coronavirus containment measures will affect global demand. Wood Mackenzie expects a decline in residential PV demand and a shift in investment to commercial projects, which is why it now only expects 106 GW of capacity additions this year.
Switzerland renews support for renewables
The Swiss government has decided to extend its incentives for renewable energy projects, while also adjusting them to promote greater competitiveness. In addition, it plans to replace feed-in tariffs for large-scale solar installations with a new auction mechanism.
Covid-19 halting European PPA market – Part V
In a recent conversation with pv magazine, Luca Pedretti – the COO of Swiss software developer Pexapark – said that a new mindset is now required for solar and wind PPAs. The market has not completely stalled, he argued, noting that prices have already started to stabilize.
New process for kesterite solar cells with 10% efficiency
German scientists have developed a new process for the formation of a phase pure kesterite Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe), which they claim can improve the material homogeneity and suppress the well-known issue of tin losses. The new technique is based on stacked elemental and alloyed precursors with a Zn/Cu-Sn/Zn precursor structure.
