Casting the net for solar recruits
Solar-industry companies need to forget ideas about office-based roles and look far afield to source the recruits necessary for the energy transition – and then they need to keep them loyal by offering a rewarding career.
Japan’s 18th solar auction concludes with lowest bid of $0.053/kWh
Japan’s latest procurement exercise was open to PV projects above 250 kW in size. The lowest price came in at JPY 7.94 ($0.053)/kWh, with 105 MW of allocated capacity.
Polysilicon prices could hit all-time low by year-end
Bernreuter Research says in a new report that it expects polysilicon prices to soon dip below the historical low of $6.75/kg, which was reached in June 2020. It says global polysilicon capacity could hit 2.95 million metric tons (MT) by the end of December, with just 200,000 MT of the total outside of China.
Chad launches tender for engineer to oversee 30 MW PV plant construction
The Republic of Chad has started accepting applications for a consulting engineer to supervise the construction of a 30 MW (AC) ground-mounted solar power plant – with a 60 MWh storage system, 90 kV line and 90/33 kV substation – near the national capital, N’Djamena.
Performance parameters for residential heat pumps linked to PV, storage
German researchers measured a PV-powered heat pump with battery storage in a single-family home in Freiburg, Germany, for a period of a year. It features smart grid-ready tech that adjusts operations based on the grid.
AEG releases 445 W all-black TOPCon solar module with 22.27% efficiency
AEG is offering three versions of its new all-black solar panels, with power outputs of 435 W to 445 W and efficiency ratings ranging from 21.5% to 22.0%. They feature 108 half-cut monocrystalline cells with n-type technology.
New multilevel PV inverter concept based on switched capacitors, single DC input
Scientists in India have developed a 500 W seven-level inverter prototype based on switched capacitors. The device is reportedly able to achieve a high efficiency despite switching, conduction, and capacitor voltage ripple losses.
Sparc Hydrogen tests prototype photocatalytic water-splitting reactor
Sparc Hydrogen has successfully tested a green hydrogen tech prototype and is now advancing to a pilot plant study near Adelaide, Australia.
Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells provide extra protection against reverse-bias degradation
An international research team demonstrated that monolithic perovskite-silicon tandem cells do not suffer the same degree of reverse bias degradation that is typically seen in perovskite single junction solar cells under partial shading. They explained that the tandem devices are “protected” by the silicon subcell.
US EIA says solar power will surpass hydropower by 14% in 2024
Solar capacity has rapidly grown in the United States, while manufacturing costs have fallen, prompting the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) to predict that PV will generate 14% more electricity than hydroelectric facilities in 2024.
