Huasun claims 23.30% efficiency, 723.97 W output for utility-scale solar panels
Huasun’s new PV modules have an open-circuit voltage of 49.46 V, a short-circuit current of 17.57 A, and a fill factor of 83.29%. Germany’s TÜV SUD has confirmed the results.
Iberdrola using dogs, robots to monitor solar plants
Iberdrola is using a springer spaniel in a solar park to smell electrical problems that could lead to power cuts. It is also using a robotic dog to detect and analyze faults in substations.
Solar grazing methods a centerpiece of inaugural agrivoltaics conference
Dan French, executive producer of the Solar Farm Summit, told pv magazine USA that more than 500 farmers, manufacturers, and community solar developers likely attended the first US agrivoltaics conference in Chicago last week.
Field data on heat pump efficiency, cold climate performance
Energy Systems Catapult has released interim data from air-source heat pump field monitoring in the United Kingdom between November 2020 and August 2022. Figures show that heat pumps are three times more efficient than gas boilers and that their median coefficient of performance (COP) on cold days is 2.44, compared to 2.80 year round.
India deployed 2.5 GW of large-scale, unsubsidized solar capacity in 2022
India installed 7.7 GW of cumulative, open-access solar capacity by Dec. 31, 2022, following record annual additions of 2.5 GW.
Reshoring of US solar manufacturing
The Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) latest white paper on solar and storage manufacturing includes an interactive map. It shows that momentum has started to build for a transformational expansion of domestic solar and storage manufacturing.
Solar mounting structure made of recycled wind turbine blades
Spain’s Acciona Energia is using fiberglass from the blades of used wind turbines to make the torsion beams of solar trackers. It is using the tech as part of a pilot project in Badajoz, Spain.
India’s SECI tenders 100 MW floating solar plant
Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) has started accepting global bids to build a 100 MW (AC) floating solar project in the Indian state of Jharkhand. Bidding closes on May 2.
ACEN moves forward with 720 MW Australian solar farm
The largest solar project in the Australian state of New South Wales has officially opened, with ACEN Australia confirming that the first 400 MW stage of its planned 720 MW New England Solar Farm is now progressing through the commissioning process.
European Commission proposes electricity market reform
The European Commission’s long-awaited reform of the European Union’s electricity market proposes to keep the merit order mechanism, but going forward the European energy market will be more strongly characterized by long-term PPAs and bilateral contracts for differences.
