Analysts expect more than 50 GW of new US solar in 2024
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says that about 45 GW of solar projects above 1 MW (AC) in size will be installed in 2024, while Wood Mackenzie estimates 8 GW of small-scale solar.
Swiss perovskite startup sets up indoor solar cell manufacturing
Indoor solar cell developer, Perovskia Solar, is setting up a factory in Switzerland that may reportedly print 1 million of its custom-designed perovskite devices annually. It targets the market for self-powering consumer electronics and internet-of-things devices, such as fire-alarms, fitness trackers, and sensors.
India allocates 900 MW of hybrid wind-solar hybrid capacity at $0.038/kWh
NTPC Renewable Energy, Green Infra Wind Energy, and Juniper Green Energy have emerged as winners of Solar Energy Corp. of India’S (SECI) latest 2 GW wind-solar hybrid tender. The three developers have secured 900 MW of capacity at an average price of INR 3.19 ($0.038)/kWh.
UK government preps new mechanism for long-duration electricity storage
Downing Street is inviting stakeholder feedback into a “cap and floor mechanism” of long duration electricity storage (LDES) systems, and the move has been “warmly welcomed” by one of the country’s renewable groups, the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA). The organization says the consultation signals the government’s intention for implementation.
Colombia introduces new provisions for energy communities
Colombia’s new decree includes requirements that energy communities must meet, such as rules on collective self-consumption and collective distributed generation.
UK government identifies energy efficiency barriers in heritage buildings
Onerous permits, a deficit of skilled workers, unclear information and expensive retrofitting costs are some of the difficulties that heritage-listed homeowners and building owners in the United Kingdom face when transitioning toward low-carbon heating and energy efficiency technologies, according to a recent government report.
Global solar irradiance ‘relatively stable’ in 2023, says Solargis
With global irradiance above average in Australia, Southeast Asia and Europe, and stable in the United States, solar data provider Solargis says stakeholders should focus on the stability of power grids, while navigating solar financing complexities in developing economies and supply chain capacities in 2024.
Rain does not sufficiently remove pollen from solar panels, say researchers
The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and its research partners say that various types of tree pollen can reduce solar panel efficiency by more than 15%. Unlike the immediate improvements assumed to follow heavy rain, recovery of performance post-pollen season is gradual. Post-rain manual cleaning can boost performance by 5% to 11%.
The effect of PV plants on albedo, vegetation, land temperature
Scientists have used remote sensing to analyze the effect solar farms have across 116 sites worldwide. They found that the cooling effect is higher during the daytime, with albedo decreasing by 0.016 for most facilities.
Smart Railway Technology presents inverters for PV-powered train traction
Smart Railway Technology’s new PV2Rail inverters are designed to feed directly into 16.7 Hertz (Hz) railway power grids.
