Chinese PV Industry Brief: Increasing wafer prices and new glass and polysilicon orders
Zhonghuan and Longi raised the prices of their wafers before the Chinese New Year holiday. Longi also secured more polysilicon and glass through two different orders, with OCI Group and Flat Glass, respectively.
Mini organic solar module for indoor low-power applications
Under typical indoor illumination of around 500 lux, from light sources such as LED or fluorescent light, the device’s power conversion efficiency is just below 15%. The largest device has an open-circuit voltage of 3.8 V, a short-circuit current of 146 μA, and an output power of 418 μW. The product can also be used in conjunction with capacitors to replace batteries or to prolong their lifetime in low-power applications.
Enercoop signs more solar PPAs in France
French renewables specialist Enercoop has secured an annual solar power supply of 25 GWh over a 30-year period through three new deals.
Solar-plus-storage vs grid enhancement in Sweden
Sweden saw extraordinary high spot prices during last summer, due to difficult power transmission from the north, where most of power generators are located, to the south of the country, where most of the demand is concentrated. According to Swedish PV association Svensk Solenergy, solar-plus-storage offers a quick and scalable solution to avoid expensive and slow grid improvements.
South Australia’s hot water systems set to soak in solar
Around 2,400 South Australians will soon be fogging up the bathroom mirror without qualms about the cost of heating water, as Solahart is set to implement a new trial to control hot water systems.
Australia deployed 2.6 GW of rooftop PV in 2020
The rise and rise of rooftop solar PV has established Australia as a renewable energy powerhouse, with new figures from the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) revealing the nation achieved a record in renewable capacity in 2020.
Large-size solar tile from Spain
The product is available both with monocrystalline and CIGS solar cells and is claimed to be the world’s largest solar tile with dimensions of 457 x 510 mm.
Energetica unveils solar modules with gapless tech
Austrian solar manufacturer Energetica aims to commercialize gapless PV modules by the fourth quarter.
Australia’s first large-scale PV recycling operation amps up ‘waste’ collection
Reclaim PV is now one step closer to ensuring that solar generation lives up to the promise of providing clean energy throughout its life cycle, and that repurposing its component materials becomes viable.
Air conditioning powered by self-consumed PV
French company Sirea has installed one of its energy management systems on a rooftop PV plant that is connected to an air conditioning system at a school on Reunion island. The system can help manage four real-time measurement points: photovoltaic production, withdrawal and injection into the distribution network, consumption of cooling units, and building consumption.
