Solar Power

The Italian authorities have allocated 1,001 MW of renewables capacity in the nation’s 13th procurement exercise for clean energy. Developers have offered a maximum discount ranging between 2% and 6.3% from the auction ceiling price of €0.07759 ($0.0818)/kWh.

Galp, a Portuguese energy company, has announced plans to build a 5 MW/20 MWh battery storage system in Portugal, in collaboration with Powin. The system at one of Galp’s solar plants will enable it to adjust its PV production profile and meet its energy requirements. This project marks Powin’s first venture in Europe.

Scientists in Japan have fabricated an inverted pervoskite cell with a new bond/charge regulated defect passivation technique consisting of introducing bifunctional molecules onto the perovskite absorber. The device exhibited a low open circuit voltage deficit and remarkable stability.

PV systems, surpassing minimum load demands in various regions, necessitate innovative grid integration measures. Active power management (APM), notably curtailment, emerges as a powerful solution here. By actively managing power peaks, PV systems can unlock new possibilities, contribute to grid stability, and enhance their overall value. The new IEA-PVPS Task 14 report encourages a shift in perspective, urging DSOs to explore the potential of APM instead of traditional grid expansion methods.

Scientists in Romania have found that extreme dust conditions may cause losses of 45.35% and 38.14% in maximum power and short-circuit current under outdoor conditions for different kinds of solar modules. They warned that, if the effects of climate change escalate, resulting in less rainfall and more frequent sandstorm events originating from the Saharan region, extreme scenarios are very likely to occur in Europe.

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.

RWE and PPC have announced the final investment decision for the construction of a 450 MWp solar plant in Greece through their joint venture, Meton Energy S.A. RWE has also shared the details of a 35 MW/41 MWh battery storage project – its first utility-scale storage facility in the Netherlands.

The new products use propane (R290) as a refrigerant and have heating and cooling capacities ranging from 8 kW to 30 kW.

A research team studied factors influencing floating PV efficiency and energy production and determined the optimal tilt and height to achieve lower cell temperatures compared with land-based PV.

Feedgy’s new modules feature 96 heterojunction (HJT) cells and are available in five power ratings, from 300 Wp to 320 Wp, with a transparency of 39%. The panels can be used for gardening, arboriculture and floriculture.