Another 11 solar mini-grids for Mozambique
The public body responsible for expanding access to electricity is seeking consultants to prepare a tender for rural PV mini-grids.
Germany deployed 1.1 GW of solar in Q1
In March alone, 368 MW of new PV capacity was deployed, representing an increase of just 18 MW from the same month a year earlier.
Global PV capacity additions hit 115 GW in 2019, says IEA
In terms of new solar installations, China was the world’s largest PV market for the third year in a row with 30.1 GW of fresh capacity in the 12 months to the end of December, followed by the United States with 13.3 GW and Japan with 7.7 GW.
Chinese manufacturers join forces to build 5 GW module factory
Chinese solar manufacturers Seraphim and Lu’An Solar will invest around $565 million in the new factory.
Pakistani regulator expects solar capacity to hit 27 GW by 2047
Solar and wind are expected to account for a growing share of the electricity mix in the years ahead, rising from around 3% at present to 23% by 2030. Over the following two decades after that, however, this share will likely remain unchanged, as the national regulator expects the country to deploy more coal-fired generation capacity.
Indian Railways tenders for 1 GW of solar
Developers have until June 30 to lodge bids to develop plots of solar capacity across the national rail network which offer a maximum INR2.71/kWh ($0.036) for the electricity generated under a 25-year contract.
LCOE from large scale PV fell 4% to $50 per megawatt-hour in six months
Analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance say the lowest-cost projects financed in Australia, China, Chile and the UAE in the last six months hit a levelized cost of energy of just $23-29/MWh and the best solar and wind projects will produce electricity for less than $20/MWh by 2030.
Mini perovskite module with 18.13% efficiency
Scientists from Singapore have developed semi-transparent perovskite solar cells that can be easily integrated into a range of urban contexts, including building facades, gates and windows. The 21cm2 mini panels are made of perovskite solar cells based on methylammonium lead iodine (MAPbI3), with an efficiency of 20.28% for 0.16 cm2.
Cost-effectiveness of PV module cooling techniques
Researchers in Malaysia have proposed a new method to determine the best way to design PV cooling systems. They will rank cooling technologies by manufacturing costs and expected panel output.
The 900 MW fifth phase of 5 GW solar park moves forward in Dubai
The $570 million fifth phase of the project will sell power at $0.016953/kWh under a 25-year power purchase agreement. It is scheduled to go online in the second quarter of 2021.
