Portugal installed 701 MW of solar in 2021
The country’s cumulative PV capacity reached 1.77 GW at the end of December.
France publishes first-quarter FITs for PV systems up to 500 kW
The feed-in tariff granted will still be reduced each quarter, in line with how much solar capacity was installed in the previous three-month period, but to a lower extent.
Maxeon to offer IBC solar panels in the US
The company announced an expanded commercial and industrial push in the states and a partnership with protection and performance plan provider Omnidian. Maxeon said it will offer its interdigitated back contact (IBC) panels in the US.
Chile’s first fast-charging station for EVs
The recharging station will operate 24 hours a day and in a flexible format, which will allow fleets of electric buses, last-mile distribution vehicles, trucks, taxis and private electric cars to be supplied through fast charging points.
Germany deployed 5.26 GW of solar in 2021
The country saw around 421 MW of new PV capacity come online in December alone. Its cumulative solar power reached 56.3 GW.
FuturaSun launches rooftop solar module with 390-410 W output
The new product measures 1754x1098x30 mm and weighs in at 21 kg. It features a temperature coefficient of -0.35% per degree Celsius and a power conversion efficiency of up to 21.29%.
Vanadium redox flow battery to control extreme power ramps in rooftop PV
Researchers in Portugal have tested how vanadium redox flow batteries can be integrated with rooftop PV to balance the system load to ensure firm power output. They proposed a 5 kW/60 kWh battery configuration for a 6.7 kW building-integrated PV microgrid. According to their findings, the battery can be used in different energy management strategy scenarios to better complement solar photovoltaic generation.
Italy introduces 11-month retroactive incentive cut on PV systems over 20 kW
The incentive cut will apply only for the period from February 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, and will reduce the tariffs paid by the GSE to PV system operators under the Conto Energia regime, depending on the zonal energy price, with the incentive reduction being proportional to the increase in energy prices.
Russia deployed 233 MW of solar in 2021
Most of the deployed capacity comes from utility scale solar plants selected in the country’s tender scheme for renewables.
Novel methodology to identify solar-suitable roofs
Swedish scientists developed a three-step method that integrates techniques used for the automatic extraction of buildings along with their underlying roof faces, as well as the identification of utilizable rooftop areas for solar arrays. The novel methodology is claimed to avoid overestimating actual potential of buildings for PV deployment.
