News

SunUp provides a backpack-hugging solar-power solution for hikers
The best of rigid and flexible solar panels combine in SunUp, a product for outdoor adventurers invented by Brunel University design graduate Bradley Brister.
Oct 29, 2019 // BIPV, Technology, Solar Panels, flexible, SunUp, Bradley Brister, Lucy Hughes
Total Solar DG has completed Construction of Solar PV rooftop for CARROS Centre in Singapore
Total Solar Distributed Generation (DG) has completed the installation of a solar photovoltaic rooftop system for CARROS Centre, Singapore's first-of-a-kind integrated mega hub dedicated to the Automotive Industry.
Oct 29, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Rooftop PV, Asia, rooftop PV, Singapore, Total Solar Distributed Generation, CARROS, Raymond Ng, Gavin Adda
Elon Musk offers discounted solar panels and batteries after California blackouts
Tesla is offering a discount on solar panels and batteries to people who are affected by wildfire power outages, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted today. More than 2 million people across California have been affected by power outages since October 25th as utility companies try to prevent their power lines from sparking new blazes. A fire just north of San Francisco has already consumed more than 66,000 acres and is only 5 percent under control.
Oct 29, 2019 // Residential, Storage, Rooftop PV, California, USA, BATTERIES, TESLA, Elon Musk, Solar Panels, North America, Tim Hamor, Alternative Energy Systems
Dominion Energy acquires 72MW PV project in South Carolina from First Solar
Dominion Energy has acquired a 72MW PV project from First Solar that is expected to enter service in late 2019. The installation will provide power and renewable energy attributes under a Dominion Energy South Carolina contract that was previously filed and accepted in South Carolina.
Oct 29, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, USA, First Solar, North America, Keller Kissam, dominion
Runergy plans another 6 GW of mono PERC manufacturing capacity by 2022
The fact solar manufacturers in China are still aggressively expanding output illustrates the strength of global demand for PV even as hopes for a rebound in Chinese installations appear to have been groundless.
Oct 29, 2019 // Manufacturing News, China, Asia, Trina Solar, mono perc, Jinko, GCL, Risen, Run Sunshine Technology, CSI
Political uncertainties and market speculation
After several years of stagnation, Spain has started to see a revival in its PV market, writes IHS Markit’s Maria Chea. The country’s newfound growth has been due to a combination of tender and private PPA projects, along with decreasing component costs.
Oct 29, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, Opinions, Spain, Europe, auction, enel green power, x-elio, PV market, Maria Chea, ACS Cobra, Northleaf
EDF secures a slice of UK supermarket Tesco’s corporate solar plan
The French energy giant will provide supermarket Tesco with electricity from 17 rooftop PV installations and two wind farms for a renewables portfolio generation capacity of 59 MW. The groceries retailer has announced plans to install 187 solar rooftops.
Oct 29, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Rooftop PV, UK, EDF, Europe, rooftop PV, Cleantech Solar, Tesco, Jason Tarry
RPCS begins 3-MW solar install for Gap distribution center
RP Construction Services has begun the 3-MW solar installation for clothing retailer Gap’s distribution center in Fresno, California. Once complete, the system is expected to help Gap meet approximately 50% of the Fresno facility’s energy needs and reduce the company’s operating expenses, while supporting the company’s goal to reach 100% renewable energy across its global owned and operated facilities by 2030.
Oct 28, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, USA, SunPower, North America, RP Construction Services, Keith White, GSRP, Nam Nguyen
New Enphase microinverter for high-power solar panels will begin shipping in November
Enphase Energy announced that the Enphase IQ 7A microinverter for high-power monofacial and bifacial solar modules will begin shipping to customers in North America in November 2019. The IQ 7A microinverter augments the lineup of seventh-generation Enphase microinverters with support for modules up to 450 W, targeting high-power residential and commercial solar applications.
Oct 28, 2019 // Inverters, Enphase Energy, microinverters, bifacial, solar modules, Badri Kothandaraman, Wayne Irwin, Jim Straeter, Carlos Martinez
Wind and solar account for nearly 10% of U.S. electrical generation in first eight months of 2019
Renewable energy sources (biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) accounted for 18.49% of net domestic electrical generation during the first eight months of 2019, according to a SUN DAY Campaign analysis of just-released data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). A year earlier, renewables’ share was 17.95%.
Oct 28, 2019 // Solar, USA, North America, EIA, SUN DAY
Perovkiste solar cells need proteins
A U.S. research team has used protein bacteriorhodopsin to improve the efficiency of what it called ‘bioperovskite’ solar cells. The scientists used Förster Resonance Energy Transfer to predict the strength of long-range excitonic transport between the perovskite and protein layers.
Oct 28, 2019 // Technology, USA, solar cells, North America, Perovkiste, Shashank Priya
Is Eskom turning to solar?
The South African utility has issued a 20-strong tender for 50 kW solar inverters and mounting structures, to be used in four power plants. Although it is unclear whether the tender marks the energy company’s first step into solar energy, the procurement follows the recent publication of South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan. Eskom is reportedly developing a renewables-linked large scale storage project which may explain the need for inverters.
Oct 28, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Storage, Inverters, tender, Africa, Chris Ahlfeldt, Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd, K.W. Miller
Four out of five fossil fuel giants dismiss findings of report into EU lobbying efforts
U.S. oil major Chevron did not respond to pv magazine’s questions. Exxon Mobil and BP did not produce figures for their clean energy investment activity and Total responded only with its ‘low carbon electricity’ spending. Shell stated it had invested €1.6 billion in clean energy from late 2016 up to June.
Oct 28, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, USA, Europe, North America, shell, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and BP
PV against cancer
Research from the United States has demonstrated how PV technology can be used to kill cancer cells. Although still at an embryonic stage, the findings of the study and initial test results suggest solar power could be an effective tool in relation to light-activated fluorescent dyes for disease diagnosis, image-guided surgery and site-specific tumor treatment.
Oct 28, 2019 // Technology, PV technology, cancer, Michigan State University, solar glass
Afghanistan kicks off tender for another 40 MW solar project
The facility will be developed under the World Bank’s Scaling Solar initiative on a public-private partnership basis in Herat province.
Oct 28, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, tender, Asia, Afghanistan