U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigates Tesla over alleged solar system fire negligence
The lawsuit stems from a 2019 whistleblower complaint alleging that the company failed to properly notify its shareholders, customers and the public of fire risks associated with solar panel system defects over the course of several years.
The Hydrogen Stream: ‘China, Chile, Spain and Australia will lead the hydrogen economy’
The International Energy Agency said the four nations are on track to contribute 85% of the 18 GW of global renewables capacity which is set to be dedicated to green hydrogen production by 2026. Elsewhere, the Port of Valencia has unveiled a plan to install a green hydrogen supply station in the new year.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Shuangliang secures three more wafer deals, Petro China’s 4.5 GW module deal
Shuangliang has secured supply agreements from Xinchao PV, Canadia Solar and SF Solar. Petro China wants modules for 4.5 GW of solar projects across 24 provinces.
Higher module prices impacting Czechia’s rebate program for small solar parks
The Czech authorities have extended, to February, the deadline to submit PV projects of up to 1 MW for the rebate scheme for small sized, ground mounted photovoltaics. According to Jan Krčmář, chairman of the Czech Solar Association, the lower than expected interest in the program may also be down to higher PV component prices.
Ultra-thin silicon layers for 22.2%-efficient heterojunction solar cell
Scientists in the Netherlands fabricated a heterojunction solar cell with a layer of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon just three nanometers thick. The cell’s efficiency was measured at 22.2%, below the highest achieved with HJT cells, however, the researchers note that successfully incorporating this material into the cell stack will open many new doors for improvement.
New provisions may help Italy unlock 110 GW PV project pipeline with grid-connection requests
The Italia Solare Forum event held in Rome last week has shown, once again, that permitting for both large scale and distributed generation projects remains the main barrier to remove to make Italy get the benefits of its huge solar potential. Despite recent progress, new provisions, and a slight increase in new PV capacity, the Italian market may be, again, unable to surpass 1 GW this year.
Hybrid wind-solar generator for rooftop applications
French startup Wind my Roof has developed a new wind power system equipped with two rooftop PV modules. It is currently testing a prototype in Paris.
Indian manufacturer plans 1.2 GW module fab
Gujarat-based solar manufacturer Solex plans to have 1 GW of cell and 3.7 GW of module capacity operational in 2023.
Solax Power launches new inverter series for commercial PV projects
The three-phase inverter series features an efficiency ranging from 98.6% to 99.0%. The devices are equipped with up to 12 MPPT inputs and are able to provide up to 32 A MPPT current.
KAUST achieves 28.2% efficiency for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell
Saudi Arabian scientists have developed a perovskite sub-cell of a tandem device with a molecule that prevents the migration of ions into the perovskite film, even under humid conditions. The solar cell has an efficiency of 28.6%.
