India set for 10 GW of agricultural solar
The Indian state of Andhra Pradesh – which had commissioned an aggregate 3.53 GW of solar capacity as of May 31 – will set up the new plants to ensure nine hours of daily free power supply to the agricultural sector.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: 600 MW of unsubsidized PV in Shanxi, incentive cuts in Shanghai
Longi will build 600 MW of unsubsidized PV in Datong, Shanxi province. The Shanghai Development and Reform Commission, meanwhile, has unveiled new 2020-21 FITs. Yingli is undergoing restructuring, while Trina had a solid listing debut in Shanghai.
Italian government opposes large-scale PV development in historic Tuscia region
The Italian cabinet has accepted a request from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities to cancel approvals granted by the Lazio regional government for two large-scale PV projects. Lazio’s Tuscia area is a potential solar hub for the Italian energy system.
World’s first self-drifting solar boat
The pilotless, high-speed solar boat, now under development by Russian scientists, purportedly has unlimited power reserves. It could be used for marine patrols, search and rescue operations, and cargo delivery, they said.
Lowering costs for PV cooling assessments
Researchers in Malaysia have developed a new, cheaper method to assess PV cooling techniques. Designers and manufacturers of PV cooling systems could follow the parameters of the new approach to evaluate the performance and bankability of their own devices, the scientists claimed.
Poland set to reach 2 GW milestone
The country reached 1.95 GW of installed PV capacity at the end of May, after installing around 653 MW of new projects in the first five months of this year. If the current growth trend continues over the next few months, Poland could become a gigawatt market in terms of annual additions for the first time this year.
Catching up on the Musk-Tesla-SolarCity acquisition case
Tesla CEO Elon Musk finds himself in the news quite often, from groundbreaking SpaceX launches to contentious tweets. Yet one story that has flown under the radar by the brash businessman’s standards has been going on for four years now.
French bifacial standards measure up
A global assessment of bifacial testing methods conducted in Singapore has endorsed the approach taken by France’s Institut National de l’Énergie Solaire.
Kenyan floating solar crowdfunding bid could again end up smelling of roses
German company Ecoligo is offering micro investment in the construction of a 69 kW floating solar plant on the reservoir of a flower farm.
Earth’s magnetic field affecting PV panel performance
Researchers in Kenya say the geomagnetic field could reduce solar panel conversion efficiency 0.21% between the equator and a 50-degree latitude. Their analysis showed the complex magnetic field can determine increases in module fill factor and falls in maximum power.
