Chinese PV Industry Brief: Lingda scraps investment in 20 GW solar cell factory
Lingda Group says it is dropping plans to invest in a 20 GW solar cell factory due to poor macroeconomic conditions, challenges in the PV industry, financing constraints, and other external factors.
Indian utility tenders 250 MW/500 MWh of battery storage, 1 GW of solar
Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUVNL) has started accepting bids to set up 250 MW/500 MWh of standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) connected to the Indian grid. It has also tendered for the development of up to 1 GW of solar projects in India.
Envertech launches 800 W microinverter for residential, balcony PV
Envertech says its new microinverter has a maximum efficiency of 96.8%. The short-circuit current of the new product is 25 A and the voltage output is 220 V.
Sinovoltaics tracks emerging PV manufacturing hubs in Europe, North America
Sinovoltaics is studying the changes in the supply chains in manufacturing hubs in Europe and North America to determine site capacity, current and planned, for dozens of manufacturers. The results are being published in free reports.
Austria earmarks €135 million for solar rebates in 2024
Austrian agency OeMAG is allocating €135 million ($146.4 million) of incentives under Austria’s Renewable Energy Expansion Act (EAG).
PV-driven water splitting system with solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 9.8%
Scientists in Korea have built a green hydrogen system prototype that embeds a PV generation unit based on photoanodes made of perosvksite solar cells. The device purportedly achieved a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 9.8% for a device with a size of 0.25 cm2, and 8.5% for a system measuring 123.2 cm2.
New method to find right tilt angle for PV systems located in high-latitude, cold regions
A group of researchers from Sweden has developed a new model to find the optimal tilt angle in PV installations located at high latitudes. The new approach takes into account, among other factors, the effect of transmittance change based on snow.
Longi denies massive layoff plan, says job cuts could reach up to 5%
Chinese solar manufacturer Longi has responded to recent media reports claiming that it might cut 30% of its global workforce.
First attempt to build selenium-silicon tandem solar cells
Scientists in Denmark attempted for the first time to build a selenium-silicon tandem solar cell and found the device was immediately able to deliver a remarkable open-circuit voltage. Despite its current low efficiency levels, the new cell concept promises to reach efficiencies over 40%, according to its creators.
Challenges and prospects in Albania’s PV market
Albanian researchers say that solar could be key to reducing Albania’s reliance on energy imports, but the nation will need to invest in grid infrastructure, streamline laws, and enhance access to funding to support deployment.
