Norway increases support for residential PV
Norway’s clean energy agency Enova will increase the maximum PV system size eligible for rebates from 15 to 20 kW and the maximum subsidy amount from 1,250 to 2,000 NOK ($226.7) per kW installed. In addition, new subsidies of up to 10,000 NOK will be introduced for energy management systems that are often installed alongside solar arrays.
Sun-tracking tessellated photovoltaic array for use in space-restricted areas
Created by scientists in Korea, the shape-transformable 3D PV system is claimed to be able to increase electricity yield by 60% over a day compared to a fixed flat panel due to the shorter shadow length and the bifacial effect obtained during shape transformation. The proposed system doesn’t need any machinery to follow the sun and its developers said it would be a perfect solution for both urban and rural environments with limited space.
Portugal installed 701 MW of solar in 2021
The country’s cumulative PV capacity reached 1.77 GW at the end of December.
France publishes first-quarter FITs for PV systems up to 500 kW
The feed-in tariff granted will still be reduced each quarter, in line with how much solar capacity was installed in the previous three-month period, but to a lower extent.
Zinc-bromide batteries to store solar power at Acciona’s testing field in Spain
Gelion’s Endure battery will undergo commercial tests at the 1.2 MW Montes del Cierzo testing field that the Spanish renewable energy company operates in Navarra.
BloombergNEF says global solar will cross 200 GW mark for first time this year, expects lower panel prices
The analyst also forecasts strong growth for the storage business and a significant increase in PPAs for photovoltaic projects in Europe. It also said the newly installed PV capacity for 2021 reached 183 GW.
Philippines launches 2 GW renewables auction
The Philippines’ Department of Energy hopes to allocate 1,260 MW of solar through the procurement exercise.
Perovskite solar cell with record-breaking fill factor of 86.6%
An international group of researchers has achieved the highest fill factor reported for perovskite cells of any size to date. The device was fabricated with a nitrogen-doped titanium oxide (TiOxNy) electron transport layer aimed at improving charge transport between the cell’s perovskite absorber and the electrodes.
Maxeon to offer IBC solar panels in the US
The company announced an expanded commercial and industrial push in the states and a partnership with protection and performance plan provider Omnidian. Maxeon said it will offer its interdigitated back contact (IBC) panels in the US.
Multi-level fin heat sinks for solar module cooling
Developed by Malaysian scientists, the proposed multi-level aluminum fin heat sinks (MLFHS) were found able to reduce the module operating temperature by up to 8.45 degrees Celsius and increase power yield by up to 10.75%. The system cost was estimated at $0.60/W.
