More land restrictions for solar in Taiwan
PV developers will no longer be allowed to deploy solar on salt flats in ecologically sensitive areas in Chiayi County and the city of Tainan.
Danish fund backs 5 GW Australian renewable hydrogen project
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Hydrogen Renewables Australia have agreed to develop the 5 GW Murchison Renewable Hydrogen Project in Western Australia. It will use PV and wind to produce hydrogen fuel for export to Japan and South Korea.
New panel cleaning tech based on nano-coating and mechanical vibration
Researchers in Egypt have tested a new solar module cleaning technique for solar arrays in arid regions. They claim that the combination of nano-coatings with vibration mechanisms on the backs of modules can reduce manual cleaning requirements.
Solar park built on rough wooden structures in France
French cooperative Céléwatt and engineering company Mécojit are building a new, 250 kW solar park in southwestern France. The solar panels are installed on a raw wood structure, sourced from the surrounding forests, to promote local employment and a regional natural resource.
Floating PV on a quarry lake in southern Germany
Spanish company Isigenere has deployed a 739 kW floating array on a quarry lake near Dettelbach, in the Bavaria region. The plant is relying on 1,896 panels with a power output of 395 W each.
French alliance to build intelligent shade systems for agrivoltaics
French companies Ombrea and RES are partnering on the development of special PV shade systems for agrivoltaic projects. The devices will be equipped with artificial intelligence technologies to make them react to unfavorable weather conditions.
Cadmium sulfide-free kesterite solar cell with 11.22% efficiency
South Korean scientists have built a kesterite solar cell based on a zinc tin oxide (ZTO) buffer layer. It offers almost the same efficiency as kesterite cells based on toxic cadmium sulfide buffer layers, as the energy of the electrons between the kesterite absorber layer and ZTO buffer layer are aligned.
Switzerland allocates another $513m for solar incentives
The new funds will eliminate the waiting list for old feed-in tariff contracts. Around 22,400 new renewable energy systems have secured public support in Switzerland this year.
FRV buys 115 MW solar project in Australia
Spanish developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) has reaffirmed its presence in the Australian renewable energy marketplace by adding the 115 MW Metz Solar Farm to its solar portfolio.
Jigar Shah: Policy action and tech deployments needed for power sector innovation
“We’ve averaged 2.4 cents a kilowatt hour for the last six months for PPAs. That’s actually too low. I think we would be fine at 3.4 cents… I don’t think that solar and wind industries would skip a beat [without their tax incentives], and they have other policy mechanisms.”
