Slovakian government hands out €700,000 for residential solar in just 36 minutes
The national Green Houses Program grants incentives for the installation of solar water heaters, PV systems with a generation capacity of up to 10 kW, heat pumps and small wind turbines.
Cheaper flow batteries with new membrane
US scientists claim to have discovered a membrane which could lead to cheaper large scale flow batteries. The material is an ion-selective, aqueous-compatible polymer with intrinsic microporosity known as AquaPIM and is said to have tunable thickness and high conductivity in aqueous electrolytes.
BNEF lowers 2020 global PV outlook due to coronavirus concerns
Many solar factories in China are starting to resume production, suggesting that concerns about supplies of PV components could soon begin to ease. Nevertheless, the temporary standstill will have an impact on the global solar market, as the implementation of some projects will probably be postponed until next year.
Jinko profits surge in 2019
The Chinese manufacturer shipped 14.3 GW of PV modules last year, up 2.9 GW from 2018. In its 2020 outlook, it reiterated its initial shipment guidance and confirmed its plans to ramp up capacity.
Poland added 300 MW of solar in first two months of 2020
The country’s cumulative installed PV capacity reached 1.6 GW at the end of February, according to the national grid operator.
Solar windows made of chromophores
An Italian startup has developed a luminescent solar concentrator technology that can be integrated with active architectural elements and windows. The technology is based on nanoparticles known as chromophores, which decouple the absorption and light-emission processes, thanks to appropriate engineering. The company claims it has achieved a conversion efficiency of up to 3.2%, with a degree of transparency in the visible spectrum of around 80%.
Amazon signs solar deals in Spain and Australia
Chinese PV heavyweight Canadian Solar has announced an offtake deal for its Gunnedah solar project with e-commerce giant Amazon in the Australian state of New South Wales. The e-commerce giant also plans to build a 50 MW solar plant near Zaragoza, in eastern Spain.
A new module factory in Bahrain
Italian company Ecoprogetti will supply the production equipment to Bahrain-based module producer Solartecc. Output is set to begin in the third quarter.
Kenyan utility launches tender for PV panel factory
The electricity company wants a solar module fab at its Tana Power Station in Murang’a county. The factory would have an initial annual production capacity of 10 MW.
Research institute claims 20.3% efficiency for mini perovskite module
France’s Liten organization said it raised efficiency more than 20% with improved thickness homogeneity of the perovskite and optimized composition of the n-type interfacial layer. The previous record of 16.9% was attained by the same research group early last year.
