News

Space age solar solution moves toward production
A consortium of European research institutes has received €10.6 million in EU funding to establish pilot production of a high efficiency module concept developed by Swiss startup Insolight. The module combines high efficiency multijunction cells with a solar concentrator lens and has previously demonstrated 29% efficiency.
Sep 4, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Markets & Finance News, Europe, PV module, European Union, CSEM, Insolight, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laurent Coulot
North Macedonia’s 35 MW solar tender attracts 82 bids
The government intends to build a 25 MW solar park in Sveti Nikole and a 10 MW facility in Makedonski Brod. The feed-in premium granted to the winning bids has been capped at €15/MWh.
Sep 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Europe, North Macedonia, Kreshnik Bektashi, Sveti Nikole
German scientists team up for perovskite tandem cells
Two of Germany’s leading research institutes and a CIGS module maker have announced plans to work on the development of perovskite-CIGS tandem cells with a target of producing thin film modules with better than 30% efficiency.
Sep 4, 2019 // BIPV, Manufacturing News, Solar to Fuel, Germany, pv modules, Europe, hydrogen, perovskite, CIGS module, thin film modules, KIT, ZSW, Nice Solar Energy, Ulrich W Paetzold, Solar to Fuel, Solar to Hydrogen, Producing Hydrogen, Hydrogen from renewable, Renewable fuels
Mini series: LatAm’s early PV leader, with enormous DG potential
The early development of PV projects in Latin America was spearheaded by one country: Chile. And while there remain prospects for large-scale project development, its distributed generation segment has the potential for enormous growth, says Marcela Puntí Martín, the general manager of the Chilean Solar Energy Association (ACESOL).
Sep 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Opinions, Chile, South america, Latin america, enel green power, Marcela Puntí Martín, ACESOL
Dutch government treats 21 municipalities to smart EV chargers
Vehicle-to-grid functions could soon become increasingly important. While policymakers discuss the necessary regulations in other nations, the Netherlands government is motoring ahead with the technology.
Sep 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Storage, Grids, Transport, Germany, Europe, Netherlands, vehicle-to-grid, Stientje van Veldhoven, Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, Mobility House
BayWa r.e. bolsters digital firepower with PowerHub buy
Renewables firm BayWa r.e. looks set to bolster its digital technology services offering with the acquisition of Toronto-based PowerHub.
Sep 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Software, Canada, North America, baywa r.e., entech, digitalisation, powerhub, energy technology, asset intelligence software, Toronto
Solar to power 7MW ‘water battery’ at Aussie university
Energy use by air conditioning can be both expensive and taxing for the environment, with the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), Queensland, Australia, set to trial a three-storey ‘water battery’ to reduce both energy demand and cost.
Sep 4, 2019 // Storage, Thermal, Australia, queensland, Oceania, thermal energy storage, air conditioning, water battery, cooling, USC
Denmark’s European Energy breaks ground on 103MW solar project in Italy
Danish renewables developer European Energy has broken ground on a 103MW project in Italy, bringing a utility-scale newcomer to the Southern European state.
Sep 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Italy, Axpo, PV plants, Europe, utility-scale, subsidy-free solar, post-subsidy solar, Denmark, european energy, Knud Erik Anderson, shell
Mondragon Assembly licences ‘continuous stringing’ IP to Korean equipment supplier
Specialist automation and PV module assembly solutions provider, Mondragon Assembly has struck a deal with Korean equipment supplier, STiN for its ‘continuous stringing’ intellectual property (IP).
Sep 4, 2019 // Manufacturing News, South Korea, c-si manufacturing, Asia, solar cell, mondragon
BayWa r.e. braves bank-free, shorter-PPA approach with zero-subsidy sequel
To hear Dr Benedikt Ortmann tell it, the deployment of a subsidy-free solar successor to BayWa r.e.’s landmark 175MWp Don Rodrigo was nothing short of a foregone conclusion.
Sep 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Inverters, PPA, utility-scale PV, Europe, subsidy-free solar, Huawei, baywa r.e., Dr Benedikt Ortmann, Don Rodrigo, GCL modules
AST wins largest order from a major China-based manufacturer
Inline solar cell measurement equipment specialist Aurora Solar Technologies (AST) has won its largest single order to date from a major China-based manufacturer of high-efficiency PERC solar cells.
Sep 4, 2019 // Manufacturing News, China, Asia, AST, PERC solar cells, Gordon Deans
New Zealand’s floating debut billed as country’s top PV project to date
New Zealand looks set to join the countries tapping into floating solar worldwide via a new, city-based scheme, sponsored by a utility duo.
Sep 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Floating PV, New Zealand, solar pv, floating PV, utilities, IRENA, Oceania, vector group, auckland, Simon Mackenzie, watercare
L.A.‘s Record-Low Solar Project Hits Snag in Union Resistance
Developer 8minute’s groundbreaking solar project is caught up in a disagreement over the city’s clean energy transition.
Sep 3, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, USA, North America, 8minute’s groundbreaking, Los Angeles, Jeff McKay, 8minute Solar Energy
The Biggest Batteries Coming Soon to a Grid Near You
The 100-megawatt club is about to get a lot busier. Here are the world’s eight largest battery storage projects.
Sep 3, 2019 // Storage, California, USA, storage, TESLA, South Australia, North America, lithium-ion battery, AES, NextEra, Vistra
‘Explosive growth’ ahead for Chinese PV predicts Solargiga
The Hong Kong manufacturer is holding out hope a boom that is expected to start imminently will help it turnaround losses that forced it to issue a profit warning last week. Getting its new production line in Qujing up to speed will help, provided the demand materializes.
Sep 3, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, China, Asia, wafer, Solargiga, monosilicon ingot