India’s Gautam Solar to expand PV module capacity to 2 GW
Gautam Solar says it will invest $18.1 million to double its annual PV module production capacity to 2 GW.
AMEA Power reaches financial close on 120 MW of solar in Tunisia
Dubai-based AMEA Power has signed concession and power purchase agreements (PPA) with the Tunisian government for its 120 MW solar project in Metbassta, northern Tunisia.
Ireland allocates 497 MW of PV in third renewables auction
Ireland’s Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and network operator EirGrid has revealed the 20 solar projects totaling 497 MW that were provisionally selected in the latest auction round of the country’s onshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). The procurement exercise concluded with an average strike price of €0.10047($0.10596)/kWh.
SolarSpace launches first phase of 5 GW solar factory in Laos
SolarSpace, a China-based PV cell and module manufacturer, announced the first phase of a 5GW high-efficiency solar cell plant in Laos, giving momentum to its overseas production capacity.
Carbon electrode perovskite solar cells on track to commercialization
Carbon electrode back-contacts for perovskite solar cells promise simpler, less energy-intense manufacturing, but low power conversion efficiency has held back adoption. However, this may change now, as researchers are overcoming the barriers to commercialization.
Powering bio-based earth homes with photovoltaics
Moroccan researchers have investigated the potential energy savings of PV systems integrated with biomaterial-based walls in rural areas. They say that solar-powered earth homes could achieve a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of $0.218/kWh.
Solar industry should focus on virtual power plants, says US official
Solar industry veteran Jigar Shah, the director of the US Department of Energy’s (DoE) Loan Programs Office, says that virtual power plants are the path to success, as solar net metering now faces an uncertain future.
Australian firefighters contain blaze at Tesla battery facility in Queensland
A fire broke out this week in a Tesla Megapack 2.0 battery unit at the Bouldercombe battery facility in Queensland, Australia.
SolarPower Europe predicts 1 million solar workers in EU by 2025
SolarPower Europe said in its latest report on EU solar jobs that the European solar industry employed 648,000 people at the end of 2022, up from 466,000 the year prior. It said the sector will reach 1 million full-time employees within three years.
Solar-linkable pico-hydro turbine system for commercial buildings
Scientists in Australia have proposed to use a a propeller pico-hydropower turbine to recover the energy used for pumping water in a solar-powered commercial building. They have found that the mini hydro system is a relatively low-cost solution, able to recover approximately 10% of the energy used for pumping seawater.
