India launches 2 GW/8 GWh renewables-plus-storage tender
Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) has started accepting bids to set up 2 GW of renewable energy projects backed with energy storage systems for assured peak supply of 8 GWh. Bidding closes on Oct. 14.
Chinese solar module prices fall despite price hikes in upstream segment
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
Lebanon launches tender for 8 MW solar plant
Lebanon’s Minister of Energy and Water has opened a tender for an 8 MW solar plant that will be publicly funded and connected to the medium-voltage grid to supply power to Electricité du Liban.
POLO back junction solar cell built with PECVD achieves 24.2% efficiency
A group including scientists from Insititute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH) and German PV equipment manufacturer Centrotherm has developed a POLO back junction solar cell by using an industrial plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system with a low-frequency plasma source. The device achieved a slightly higher efficiency than a reference device fabricated via more expensive atomic layer deposition (ALD).
Freeware tool predicts light transmission, power generation of PV materials used in agrivoltaics
A research paper from scientists at Swansea University describes their tool for analyzing thermodynamic limits of organic semiconductor-based photovoltaics (OPVs). One of the findings was that semi-transparent solar PV deployed in greenhouses may deliver comparable performance to conventional crystalline silicon PV.
Using surplus PV power for seasonal underground thermal storage
Scientists have proposed a new system that uses surplus PV energy in the spring and the autumn to charge up underground thermal energy storage for later use in the summer and winter. They have simulated it on a school facility in Seoul, with a few optional configurations for thermal storage. Power savings were up to 39%.
Works begin on 1.4 GWh Inner Mongolia project combining lithium-ion, redox flow storage technologies
The Dengkou Renewable Energy Storage Project is billed as the largest single-capacity energy storage station under construction in China.
Novel fuel cell tech based on silicon-based bipolar plates
Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation has backed a hydrogen fuel cell developer $7 million to support an innovative form of technology using silicon-based bipolar plates.
Italy’s first agrivoltaic tenders draws bids for 1.7 GW
Italy’s Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) says it has received 643 bids totaling 1.7 GW in its first agrivoltaic tender. About 56% of the proposals have come from the country’s sunny southern regions.
Belgium to allow plug-in solar panels, batteries
Belgium’s transmission and distribution system operator says it plans to allow household solar panels and batteries with a plug and socket to connect to the grid from May 2025.
