Yaskawa Solectria Solar unveils string inverter series for utility scale projects
The US manufacturer said the device has an efficiency of 99.0% and a California Energy Commission (CEC) efficiency of 98.5%. It has a size of 750x1125x390 mm and weighs in at 131.5 kg.
Australian energy giant submits plan for 500MW of PV, 400MWh of battery storage
Woodside Energy has submitted a proposal for a 500MW solar facility to the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority. The company wants to install up to 1 million solar panels to power industrial customers in the state, including its own Pluto LNG export facility.
Millions saved with onsite mulching of solar trash
Florida utility FPL has been mulching solar panel packaging – cardboard boxes and pallets – to save approximately $130,000 per 75 MW (AC) site, compared to standard disposal practices.
Spain’s first utility scale solar plant linked to storage goes online
The 40MW solar plant is linked to 3MW/9MWh of storage and is located in the department of Almaraz, in the southern region of Extremadura. It was built by Spanish energy giant Iberdrola.
Cadmium selenide solar cell with 1.88% efficiency
The cell may be potentially used as a top subcell in tandem crystalline silicon-based devices. It was built with CdSe thin film with a direct bandgap of 1.72 eV.
‘Ultra low-cost solar’ gets AUD 40 million R&D boost from ARENA
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has announced AUD 40 million ($28.7 million) of research and development funding across two streams. Stream 1 consists of cells and modules, while Stream 2 is focused on balance of system, along with operations and maintenance. It is hoped the additional funding will spur Australia’s pioneering solar research to push for the federal government’s “ultra low-cost solar” target of AUD 15/MWh.
Lightsource bp to build 520 MW agrivoltaic project in Australia
The solar arm of oil major BP is proposing to build an agrivoltaic project in the Upper Hunter region big enough to provide 4% of New South Wales’ (NSW) electricity demand. The project will include 296 MW of storage capacity.
PV set to be largest source of new US generating capacity in 2022
About 46% of all new generating capacity in the United States is expected to be PV this year, giving it the largest share of the new US generation mix.
India may add 12.5GW of solar in 2022-23
Indian ratings agency ICRA expects the solar boost based on the backlog of PV projects awarded by central and state electric utilities.
Brazil introduces new rules for distributed generation, net metering
The Brazilian authorities have introduced new rules to ensure that PV systems below 5 MW in size will still be eligible for net metering tariffs until 2045. A grid fee for prosumers will go into effect from 2023, but the economic profitability of rooftop PV and small solar parks is expected to remain high.
