South Africa launches tender for 1GW of PV
South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has kicked off the sixth round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP). It aims to procure 1 GW of PV and 1.6 GW of wind power.
Lightweight solar for agricultural water reservoirs
The Genap Energy Cover uses HyET Solar Powerfoil thin-film solar modules, rated at 12.0% efficiency, for agricultural water storage and reservoirs, with an initial focus on the greenhouse and horticulture markets in the Netherlands. Genap said a 12kWp test setup had a generation density of 60W/m2, rising to 120W/m2 within a year, with an eventual target of 165W/m2.
Designs, control strategies for PV-integrated shading devices
Photovoltaic shades in buildings offer energy efficiency and electricity generation, but an international research group says their commercial viability will depend on the control strategies used to optimize performance.
Juwi commissions 204MW solar park in Greece
German renewable energy developer Juwi has completed a 204MW solar plant with more than 500,000 JinkoSolar PV modules. The company said it is currently Europe’s largest bifacial solar park.
Could ‘hot carrier’ solar cells break the theoretical efficiency limit?
Up to 50% of the energy absorbed by a solar cell is lost as heat. Scientists are now developing a third generation of “hot carrier” solar cells that take advantage of this heat, potentially breaking the Shockley-Queisser limit of silicon-based PV.
Australian battery storage market passed 1GWh in 2021
Australian deployment of battery storage remained steady in 2021, according to market research firm SunWiz, bringing cumulative installations to 1,089MWh.
Gautam Solar releases gel battery solution for solar storage
India’s Gautam Solar says its gel batteries provide a safer, cost-effective, and long-lasting alternative for the energy storage space.
India’s utility-scale PV capacity hit 41.7GW in December
India installed 41.7GW of cumulative utility-scale solar capacity as of Dec. 31, 2021. It has another 44.6GW in the pipeline.
Ikea invests €340 million in solar
Ikea’s holding company, INGKA Holding, will invest €340 million ($371 million) to acquire nine PV systems from Enerparc. In the future, Ikea said it will work with Svea Solar to sell residential PV systems.
Germany introduces new provisions to support solar, wind
Germany has come up with new measures that could lead to a cumulative installed PV capacity of 215GW by 2030. Higher feed-in tariffs for rooftop PV will likely be announced soon.
