EU Council adopts new renewable energy directive
The European Council today announced policies aimed at targeting sectors – such as transport, industry and buildings – that are ‘slow’ to adopting the recently cemented 45% by 2030 renewable energy goal.
Kenya’s first hybrid solar-hydro plant goes online
Located near Nairobi, the project consists of a 150 kW solar array, a 50 kW crossflow turbine and a 240 KWh storage facility. SolarNow director and CFO Ernst Vriesendorp told pv magazine that despite the project’s humble size, it has ‘large’ benefits.
Reducing solar module temperature via dew-point evaporative cooling
Japanese scientists have designed a cooling system that reduces the solar panel operating temperature at the air inlet of the module. It consists of a dew-point evaporative cooler that supplies the near-saturation air to wet air channels that are attached to the back of a PV panel.
A reaction to Rystad’s recent estimates on European solar module stockpile
Rystad Energy has abruptly changed statements about photovoltaic module stocks in the EU. German PV analyst Karl-Heinz Remmers questions the numbers from the Norwegian consultancy and provides different figures.
1Komma5° announces TOPCon solar module factory in Germany
1Komma5° says it plans to start production at a new TOPCon solar module factory in Germany from next year. The Hamburg-based startup aims to achieve an annual production capacity of 1 GW, with further expansion targets set to reach 5 GW by the year 2030.
Becquerel Institute’s Data Hub aims to plug solar PV ‘information gap’
Consultancy firm, the Becquerel Institute, recently switched on its European Solar PV Data Hub, an online tool aiming to provide clear information about the solar PV industry. The organization’s COO, Philippe Macé, told pv magazine that the platform aims to provide users a way to access solar PV market data ‘easily,’ its other purpose is to shrink the industry’s ‘information gap.’
French startup raises funds to build 100 MW factory for ultralight solar modules
Heliup has raised €10 million ($10.5 million) to finance the construction of a PV panel manufacturing facility at an unspecified location in France.
Philippines’ first canal-top solar irrigation projects go online
Philippine government’s National Irrigation Administration revealed that two canal-top solar arrays for irrigation purposes were recently commissioned. It also said that 147 solar-powered irrigation projects in the country will be delivered by the end of the year, with 183 in the pipeline for 2024.
Solar cell prices are expected to hit fresh record lows following China’s Golden Week
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
Yemen kicks off solar tender
The Yemeni government and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) are now accepting proposals from developers for four solar projects, ranging from street lighting to a 300 kW array.
