Tesla adds ‘Charge on Solar’ feature to Powerwall batteries
Tesla owners can select a feature in an app to set their Powerwall batteries to solely charge their vehicles on excess stored PV capacity.
Transnational grid across Sub-Sahara Africa may help spur renewables deployment
An international research group has proposed to build a Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) central grid across 12 countries in order to reduce energy poverty. The proposed transmission line would touch Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Mozambique, and South Africa.
India’s PV module exports surged in fiscal 2023, says ICRA
India exported $1.02 million of solar cells and modules in fiscal 2022-23, and the United States was the top destination, according to ICRA Ltd.
China solar module prices rebound
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.
EDF switches on 40 MW of solar in Israel, selling power at $0.0223/kWh
French energy company EDF has built a new 40 MW solar farm in Ashalim, in Israel’s Negev Desert.
Luxembourg launches second tender for C&I solar
Luxembourg has kicked off its second tender for C&I solar projects ranging in size from 30 kW to 5 MW. It is offering rebates of up to €745 ($835) per kilowatt installed and up to 55% of the total cost of buying and installing systems.
Experimental photovoltaic-thermal system based on zirconium oxide nanofluid
An international research group has designed a new photovoltaic-thermal module configuration that uses zirconium oxide as a cooling agent. The system is reportedly more efficient than water-cooled counterparts in reducing its operating temperature.
Australian team claims 99% recovery rate with solar recycling process
Engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have developed a new, more effective method to recycle end-of-life solar panels. The technique allows them to quickly and efficiently separate 99% of PV cell component materials.
Novel approach to build bismuth trisulfide thin-film solar cells
Researchers in Estonia applied for the first time the close-spaced sublimation (CSS) deposition technique to manufacture solar cells based on bismuth trisulfide (Sb2S3). The resulting devices showed limited power conversion efficiency so far, but the scientists claim the new process paves the way for the development of future earth-abundant inorganic PV materials.
PV is the most viable renewable energy technology for the Amazon Energy Transition
In the assessment of scenarios for a sustainable and resilient energy transition in isolated systems in the Amazon, a portion of photovoltaic generators should be installed centrally in order to guarantee a central system of high performance, availability and reliability without clearing any further forest areas, while another significant portion of the generators should be installed distributed over rooftops and in agrivoltaic projects.
