Agrivoltaics increases land productivity, improves animal welfare
New research from the United States has shown the numerous advantages of combining lamb grazing with solar power production. The researchers found, in particular, that the overall return from grazing was the same in both solar pastures and open pasture fields with no PV panels.
Optimization algorithm for vertical agrivoltaics
Developed by Swedish scientists, the proposed algorithm is said to calculate a project’s ideal design by combining climatological data with figures on expected solar power generation, shading distribution, water for irrigation, and agricultural yield. Its creators spoke with pv magazine about the key parameters that the model seeks to determine, one of which is the optimal distance between the solar module rows depending on the kind of crop.
Indian government outlines rules for production-linked incentive scheme
PV manufacturers seeking Indian state funding for new production lines will need to meet minimum scale and module-efficiency requirements, according to new government guidelines.
Bangladesh’s largest PV plant comes online
The solar facility will sell power to the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh under a 20-year PPA.
California to host 1 GW of compressed air storage
Two projects in California will fill part of the 1,600 MW of long-duration energy storage that state regulators have said is needed by 2026.
ITRPV: Large formats are here to stay
The 2021 edition of the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaics (ITRPV) was published today by German engineering association VDMA. The report, which forecasts technology trends across the solar industry, expects PERC to maintain its position as the dominant cell technology and notes that large wafer formats are here to stay.
The father of Spain’s solar tax works, now, for a PV company
The former Spanish industry minister, José Manuel Soria, has become the president of Island Green Power España SL, the Spanish unit of U.K.-based developer of large photovoltaic plants, Island Green Power.
Electric cars to store renewables in the Netherlands
We Drive Solar and Hyundai are planning to set up a network of 500 bi-directional EV recharging stations in the city and region of Utrecht. Through this technology, electric cars may contribute to the storage of renewable energy in a country affected by grid constraints.
Sunowe’s panel-smuggling trial to resume in Germany
Sunowe’s trial over allegations of PV module smuggling is expected to resume on May 4. The company has been accused of not paying €20 million in anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs.
Sungrow launches high-voltage battery and hybrid inverter for residential applications
The Chinese manufacturer will begin selling its new products in Australia and Europe. The hybrid inverter has an efficiency of up to 98.4% and the lithium iron phosphate battery features a storage capacity between 9.6 kWh and 102.4 kWh, depending on the number of modules.
