News

Bolivia will try and capitalise on its large lithium reserves to set up an industrial ecosystem around batteries and other storage technologies, according to a top government official.

PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) and Heliolytics have partnered to provide the first comprehensive testing and evaluation services to PV power plant owners and operators when extreme weather and other force majeure events have damaged plants. The partners are launching the service at Solar Power International in Salt Lake City.

Heineken is to fully power its Spanish operations via a new utility-scale solar plant, set to be developed by energy giant Iberdrola.

The lithium ion battery market is experiencing growth on all sectors, including consumer and industrial applications, electric vehicles, and stationary energy storage systems (ESS).

Engie North America has bought a four-project portfolio in Massachusetts that comprises 25MW of solar and 22MWh of energy storage.

Top UK solar investor Bluefield Solar Income Fund (BSIF) has hailed the advent of subsidy-free utility-scale solar in the UK, announcing a number of agreements to bring forward unsubsidised projects in the country.

One of Spain’s prominent subsidy-free solar players has witnessed a bullish start in 2019 after becoming the offtaker for some of the largest deals seen in the country so far this year.

Japanese carmaker Honda has clinched the car industry’s supposedly “largest” renewable energy deal, signing a duo of virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) for 320MW of wind and solar to power its US operations.

Ahead of Solar Power International 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has set a roadmap to achieving several key goals for the PV industry over the next 10 years.

Leading CdTe thin-film PV module manufacturer and ‘Solar Module Super League (SMSL), First Solar expects to start volume production at its second US manufacturing plant in early 2020, restoring its bragging rights as the largest PV module manufacturer in US and western hemisphere.

The nation’s political parties have found agreement on a green electricity package which is expected to create stable conditions for the next three years. From next year, €36 million will be made available annually for the further support of PV systems and energy storage.

Scientists at South Korea’s Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology have set a new efficiency record of 11.4% for a cell based on a copper zinc tin sulfide thin film applied to a flexible substrate.

The global expansion of PV, wind power and other clean energies will see double-digit growth this year as solar continues to lead the pack.

Utility SaskPower is set to close the net metering open to systems up to 100 kW in size once a 16 MW cumulative generation capacity limit is reached in the province.

Research has found even short-lived, 10 to 15-year solar panels could provide enough return for bankable projects. The researchers believe panel costs, coupled with an industry mindset now fixed on the final solar energy price rather than costs per kilowatt installed, may open opportunities for PV products currently snubbed because of a short lifecycle.