photovoltaics

A failed top rail girder connection was responsible for the 2019 roof collapse at AZ Alkmaar’s football stadium, an investigation by Dutch engineering firm Royal HaskoningDHV has revealed. The collapse was triggered by strong wind loads during a storm.

The new regulations state that import duties on solar modules will now be calculated per kilogram rather than by square meter, as they were under the old regulations. This could favor Turkish manufacturers, as high-efficiency modules are generally now heavier than they were a few years ago. Under the previous rules, PV panel imports enjoyed reduced value-added tax rates as yields increased and module sizes remained unchanged.

Installations are set to fall in India’s rooftop PV sector, even after the current coronavirus lockdown is lifted, as consumers will continue to grapple with financial constraints, according to a newly published research report.

The patentability of Korean company Hanwha’s technology is being examined by a U.S. commission, according to Jinko. The Chinese manufacturer said it expects a final decision by December. Hanwha responded by announcing its decision to appeal.

U.S. researchers claim to have added iron sulfate to anthraquinone disulfonic acid in a redox flow battery for the first time. The scientists said the combination could lead to inexpensive and more stable redox flow storage for just $54/kWh and said $66/kWh is already possible.

French start-up Solaire Box has raised €1.5 million to back its business supplying wooden houses complete with PV rooftops. The buildings cost €1,700-2,000/m² and feature PV modules made by French firm Systovi. The company plans add to add features such as energy storage systems and carbon-free heating.

A U.S. research group has developed a new solar cell, based on six active photoactive layers, to capture light from a specific part of the solar spectrum. The scientists claim that they could potentially reach a 50% efficiency rate with the new cell.

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Action will permit 220 self-consumption projects with generation capacities of no more than 1 MW to be connected immediately. The usual long-winded permitting process has been side-stepped as the government seeks to enable financially-stricken enterprises to benefit from lower energy bills during the public health crisis.

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.

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.