First Solar to add 3.3 GW of capacity in a new $680 million US factory
The 1.8 million-square-foot facility is projected to create 500 jobs and produce an enhanced thin-film PV module for the utility-scale solar market in the U.S.
Perovskite solar panel with 16.1% efficiency via ambient air blade-coating
The panel, fabricated by scientists in Italy, is composed of five series-connected cells, each with an area of 2.01 cm² and has an aperture area of 11 cm². It showed a power conversion efficiency of 16.1%, an open-circuit voltage of 5.59 V, a short-circuit current of 37 mA, and a fill factor of 72.5%.
Solarwatt, BMW launch new storage system for residential PV
The smallest of the storage units has a capacity of 4.8 kWh and an output of 1.5 kW. It can be expanded to eight battery modules in steps of 2.4 kWh and has a maximum of 57.6 kWh, and 6 kW, of power.
New walkways for the installation of rooftop PV systems
Spanish mounting system provider Alusín Solar has developed a solution to enable the transit of installers on roofs. It has recently commissioned a production line for this product, which it dubbed Carex.
Madrid taxis to be powered by solar hydrogen
Spanish developer FRV has agreed to participate in a €100 million effort to generate hydrogen via a 10 MW electrolyzer, powered by a 20 MW solar plant.
Solar module cooling technique based on multiple phase-change materials
Academics have utilized three PCMs, known as RT26, RT35, and RT42, and decided to pack them ascendingly depending on their melting points and heat-flow direction. The system is claimed to allow lower melting rates and longer thermal management of the modules.
Solar microgrid to offer protection from fire threats
Remote grids provide enhanced reliability, lower risk profiles, and lower total costs than existing distribution lines.
‘More room” remaining for small, medium PV projects in Spain
pv magazine recently spoke to Asier Ukar, managing director & senior consultant at PI Berlin in Spain, about the Spanish solar market, PV module prices, the most common failures in installations, and PV manufacturing in Europe.
Energy storage deployments slowed in the US in Q1, but the sector is on track for 3x growth in 2021, report says
Favorable federal tax policies and state regulatory reform could help the storage sector notch even higher rates of growth.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Huawei launches new unit for renewables and electric vehicles
The technology company and inverter maker has created a new unit to operate in the renewables and e-mobility sectors. Elsewhere, China’s largest e-commerce company, JD.Com, has signed an agreement with the world’s biggest wind company, GoldWind, to establish a renewables joint venture.
