PV

Fortescue Metals Group has unveiled plans for a massive 5.4 GW solar PV, wind and battery storage project at its iron ore mining operations in Western Australia.

Project Nexus is a pilot project that aims to build solar panel canopies over a portion of Turlock Irrigation District’s existing canals to operate and research a how water-plus-energy can meet California’s needs for climate resiliency.

Quantum dots, a type of semiconductor based on tiny nanometer sized particles, are a cause for excitement in many disciplines thanks to their unique electronic properties. In solar cell technology, quantum dots fabricated from perovskites could have several advantages over more commonly researched “bulk” perovskite materials, and researchers are beginning to take note of these. A group of scientists in China evaluated recent progress in perovskite quantum dot solar cells, noting both strong potential and a long way to go for this early-stage technology.

JA Solar is expected to put another 3.5GW of cell capacity into operation by the end of June and Hong Kong-based IDG Energy Investment will venture into cell manufacturing by establishing a “foreign invested” project company.

The country’s Ministry of Defence has decided to ban large scale solar plants in some regions bordering Russia claiming that these facilities may affect radio system performance. State-owned utility Eesti Energia is opposing this measure, stating the interested regions are the most suitable for the construction of big solar plants.

The French authorities have allocated 157MW of solar power in the country’s latest procurement exercise, with an average final price of €0.08312/kWh.

Indian developer ReNew Power has commissioned a 17.6 MW captive wind-solar project to supply clean energy to Grasim Industries Limited’s Chlor-Alkali unit in the Indian state of Gujarat. The second phase will involve an additional installation of 16.68 MW.

The Chinese inverter manufacturer said the new device can be used for residential and commercial projects as well as to replace diesel power generators or as back-up power. The device features an efficiency of 97.5% and a European efficiency of 98%.

Hyundai wants to use a partnership with South Korean PV equipment supplier Jusung Engineering to commercialize solar modules based on 24.45%-efficient heterojunction solar cells.

Jackery displayed its latest portable solar generators at the recent Quartzsite RV Show, which is the world’s largest event for recreational vehicle enthusiasts.