Solar

Researchers from the United States have investigated how fuel cells and electrolyzers may be able to operate under intermittent availability provided by both wind and solar and have found that an affordable hydrogen-based system for seasonal energy storage could be achieved at a hydrogen price lower than $3, produced from inexpensive renewable electricity at $0.02/kWh.

The solar panel glass manufacturer expects strong growth in demand for its products at home and abroad with a significant rise expected in the production of PV modules in the USA and Europe.

Recent analysis from German consultancy Enervis has shown that only 40% of the electricity to be generated by solar capacity in Poland’s latest auction for utility scale renewables will be sold under the exercise’s contracts for difference regime, and that the remaining share will be sold under bilateral power purchase agreements or to the spot market.

France has set a new target under which it will install 5GW of new PV capacity per year.

The triple-junction solar cell is based on indium gallium phosphide (InGaP), gallium arsenide (GaAs), and Germanium (Ge) and is made with a micro-grating made of glass, consisting of a two-dimensional x-framework structure fixed onto the surface of the solar cell. Its operating temperature was found to be 6 degrees Celsius lower than that of a reference cell without the cooling technique.

The developers of the proposed 1.5GW Marinus Link transmission project, which would link Tasmania and the Australian mainland via an undersea electricity interconnector, have launched a new engineering survey to identify the most suitable corridor for the cables.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory launched a new catalyst based on nitrogen and carbon to extract hydrogen from hydrogen storage materials at mild temperatures and under normal atmospheric conditions. Furthermore, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the country is working on attracting new investments in electric vehicles and hydrogen and Norwegian consultancy and classification society DNV launched, together with 18 industry partners, a new Joint Industry Project (JIP) to enhance the standardization for hydrogen production systems that use renewable energy-powered electrolysis to produce green hydrogen.

Scientists have investigated how utility-scale solar may be used to power multistage flashing-brine recirculation (MSF-BR) water desalination plants in Aqaba, Jordan. They found the facility would be sufficient to provide the entire city with drinking water. The proposed system configuration comprises a 30 MW solar plant and a standar MSF-BR unit.

Germany’s Sunfarming is testing the new project design in cooperation with research centers Jülich and the Fraunhofer ISE.

According to Swiss consultancy Pexapark, around 11 GW of power purchase agreements were closed in Europe last year. For 2022, the analyst expects shorter deals and the presence of more new entrants.