Novel plant design for agrivoltaics
Developed by Chinese researchers, the novel design methodology consists of utilizing metal brackets as mounting structures, conventional solar panels, and a grooved glass plate placed between the solar panels. According to its creators, it ensures a farmer’s average income increases by 5.14 times, including the solar power generation business. A system built with this approach should cost around €715 per kW installed.
Sandia researchers develop new grid-scale energy storage battery
The battery operates at 230 degrees Fahrenheit, opening what researchers said could be “a whole cascading cost savings” including everything from less expensive materials to less insulation.
Georgia launches tender for 5 MW solar park
A fund controlled by the Georgian government is seeking investors for the country’s first solar park. Its development began in 2017.
Hybrid wind-solar-storage powering mine in Madagascar under 20-year PPA
The 8 MW/12MW wind-solar facility will be connected to 8.2 MW of storage and will power operations at Rio Tinto’s ilmenite mine in Southern Madagascar.
After a solar generator caused a house fire, US insurance company wants Amazon to pay
Courts have ruled both ways on whether the online retailing platform can be held liable for selling products that cause damage. The latest case involves a house fire in Minnesota.
Four-terminal heterojunction perovskite tandem solar cell with 30.09% efficiency
Developed by a Vietnamese-Korean research group, the complex PV device was built with a bottom bifacial crystalline silicon perovskite-filtered heterojunction sub-cell that is able to absorb all solar spectra in the short-wavelength range.
Foreign investors tapping into India’s solar market undeterred by untimely payments
100% ownership in renewable energy projects and 25-year power purchase agreements are cited as major factors drawing foreign investors to India’s high-growth solar market. Major developers in India have solar portfolios distributed across states, which further minimizes the risk for investors.
MSquare Energy becomes Australia’s second module manufacturer
Sydney-based MSquare Energy has ambitions of becoming Australia’s largest solar panel manufacturer, and it is entering the market at a pivotal moment when Australia’s panel manufacturing industry is pushing to compete on equal footing with global leaders.
SunPower added 13,000 solar customers, looks to strong growth in the third quarter
In its second quarter earnings statement, the company said it expects volume and margin improvements in its residential business to continue, with Q3 volume expected to top 40% compared with 2020.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: New heterojunction equipment factory in Jiangsu province
Maxwell Technology is planning to raise RMB2.3 billion (US$356 million) for a new HJT equipment production base in Suzhou City, Jiangsu province. Furthermore, Ginlong has reported its profits grew by more than 100% in the first half of the year.
