TotalEnergies acquires minority stake in UK-Moroccan solar-wind interconnector
TotalEnergies says it has invested GBP 20 million ($25 million) in Xlinks’ 11.5 GW hybrid solar and wind facility in southern Morocco. Xlinks aims to transport power to Great Britain through 3,800 kilometers of underwater cables.
Workflow for integration of BIPV in historical buildings
Italian researchers have outlined a four-step method to assess the technical feasibility of building-integrated PV (BIPV) projects in historical buildings. They applied the proposed approach to a courtyard building from the 16th century in the historical Italian town of Marcianise.
Imec integrates silicon heterojunction solar cells into curved surfaces
Imec has successfully integrated silicon heterojunction PV cells into curved surfaces, resulting in a 6% efficiency increase compared to passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) half cells. The cells are suitable for applications in vehicle-integrated and building-integrated PV (BIPV).
Limited success for large-scale PV auctions in Austria
The Austrian authorities have only used 35% of their 2023 budget for large-scale solar auctions thus far.
Renewable energy has MIBEL recording lowest Euro prices in the final week of November
Strong solar and wind meant MIBEL recorded the lowest energy prices compared to the other major European markets in the final week of November, according to data collected by Aleasoft Energy Forecasting.
Engie starts building 400 MW of solar in India
Engie has secured a 400 MW solar project through competitive bidding in an auction by Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUVNL). The project is set for commissioning by the second quarter of 2024.
Are Europe’s major solar associations divided, again?
An article published in French newspaper Le Monde recently sparked a war between two prominent European PV associations – the decades-old SolarPower Europe and the three-year-old newcomer the European Solar Manufacturing Council. pv magazine looked into the matter to unpick the potential long-term impact the rift could have on the sector.
France’s INES building first TOPCon panels for space applications
France’s National Solar Energy Institute (INES) – a division of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) – is developing ultra-thin TOPCon solar devices for space missions, in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA).
GCL claims 18.04% efficiency for perovskite solar panel
The China National Institute of Metrology has certified the result. The manufacturer claims it was able to increase the panel efficiency from 16.02% to 18.04% in a few months.
LG launches residential air-to-water propane heat pump
The new product utlizes propane refrigerant with a lower global warming potential and has a seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) of over 5. According to the manufacturer, it can achieve a flow temperature of 75 C and 100% heating output at outside temperatures of -15 C.
