Solar

Researchers in Australia have compared the firing resistance of p-type and n-type poly-Si/SiOx passivating contacts and found that the former have better resistance to hydrogen diffusivity and higher passivation quality after firing.

Thanks to a funding round that will be carried out by the end of the year, French start-up Carbon aims to open its first production site in France in 2025. pv magazine spoke with Pascal Richard, one of its founders, about the timeline for the project.

The factory is expected to begin operating with an annual capacity of 300 MW and to produce bifacial modules with a power output of 600 W.

Europe’s declining security situation and rising fossil fuel prices are driving calls for independence from gas. A new study by the Wuppertal Institute, commissioned by Greenpeace, shows that a complete shift away from fossil fuels in the heating sector could be possible for Germany within 13 years.

The Italian authorities have introduced new provisions in the DL Energia decree to reduce energy bills for households and businesses. Italian companies will be able to secure rebates for projects and several southern regions have also been granted a fiscal break for rooftop PV and energy efficiency.

US coal company Peabody Energy has launched a joint venture with Riverstone Credit Partners and Summit Partners Credit Advisors to develop more than 3.3GW of solar and 1.6GW of battery storage capacity over the next five years.

Researchers in Saudi Arabia have fabricated an integrated fully PV-powered system to extract fresh water from the atmosphere. The system uses excess heat from the solar modules to evaporate and condense water that can then be used to grow crops. Part of the water is also used to cool down the solar modules through an active cooling technique.

Sumitomo, Sunseap and Shikoku Electric are partnering to offer bilateral PPAs to big power consumers in Japan. The consortium will operate through a dedicated joint venture and will offer three different PPA options.

Built by Korean oil provider SK Energy and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the “Energy Super Station” is equipped with 20kW of solar panels and 300kW of fuel cell stacks. It can refuel conventional combustion vehicles as well as electric vehicles and fuel cell cars.

The Indian state of Rajasthan, with 10.6 GW of installed solar power capacity, has announced plans to build an 800MW solar park in Jaisalmer with Rajasthan Power Generation Corp. Rajasthan Solar Park Development Co. has also revealed plans to build a 1,000MW solar park in Bikaner.