photovoltaics

Christian Pho Duc, CTO of Smartenergy, spoke with pv magazine at Intersolar 2023 about the recent EU decision to remove uncertainties over the production and use of green hydrogen, as the European Union has finally defined criteria for solar-powered electrolyzers. He stressed the importance of the new targets, under which the industry will have to buy 42% of its hydrogen from clean sources by 2030.

Rodrigo Sauaia, the president of the Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy (Absolar), recently spoke with pv magazine about power purchase agreements, regulated auctions, macroeconomics conditions, and electricity prices in Brazil. He said the Latin American country could add 4.6 GW of utility-scale solar capacity this year, as well as another 5.5 GW from distributed generation.

Volkswagen France has commissioned a 20 MW solar carport project at its facility in Villers-Cotterêts, In northern France’s Hauts-de-France region.

The China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association said this week that wafer prices dropped by up to 5.6% compared to a week earlier. Wafer manufacturer Longi, meanwhile, said that the price downward trend reached the bottom in late June, with demand now beginning to grow.

The Dutch cabinet said it will support solar factories that will produce panels with a circular economy approach. It also allocated €296 million to support battery manufacturing.

Sofar, a China-based inverter and battery manufacturer, has introduced a new series of microinverters for balcony solar arrays and rooftop PV systems. They have a 97.5% efficiency rating and offer between 500 VA and 2,400 VA of rated power.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, presents the solar irradiance data it collected for June, which showed that Mexico, the US Southwest and Midwest, and Canada received significantly above average solar irradiance. The enhanced solar generation was particularly welcome in Mexico and the Southwest, where it helped meet higher electricity demand caused by record-breaking heatwaves.

Scientists in the United Kingdom have investigated the durability and performance of all antireflecting coatings for solar modules and said further work is needed to improve industry standards. Their review addresses single-layer and multi-layer techniques and provides insight on their costs and viability.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

China has suspended a tender for a 4 GW off-grid solar-hydrogen project. The CNY 35 billion ($4.83 billion) project – set to be built in Jiuquan, Gansu province – includes 800 MW/1600 MWh of energy storage. It is designed to feature 8,638 electrolyzers and will span 67 km².