Europe

Many of the technologies we come across everyday seem to be either perfect or nearing perfection. However, there is always scope for improvement and this is what the Dutch startup Lightyear follows. The company manufactures a car that comes equipped with a solar panel that helps generate electricity and improve the vehicle’s range. While the solar panel itself is not a new innovation, the company has announced of notably improving the aerodynamics of its car.

PV InfoLink analyzed the key markets of China’s big module manufacturers, as well as product trends, based on export statistics. According to trade figures, the nation’s module exports totaled 34.2 GW in the first half of 2019, up by more than 90% from the corresponding period of 2018. In a nutshell, overseas demand has been strong in 2019.

A team of scientists led by the University of Glasgow has discovered a more efficient method of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity which it says could almost double the amount of hydrogen produced per millivolt.

The Swiss solar equipment supplier today fought off an attempt by its largest single shareholder to have a representative appointed to its board and to have its executive pay regime reviewed. Victory in that battle may secure the company some wiggle room, but the war over corporate strategy appears far from over.

The Netherlands has launched the latest round of its renewable energy subsidy programme SDE+ this week, with a budget to the tune of €5 billion (~US$5.6 billion).

US renewables developer Origis Energy revealed on Tuesday that it had hired Renewable Energy Systems (RES) for engineering, procurement and construction of its 57.5MW solar farm in Mitchell County, Georgia.

The World Bank’s private investment arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has agreed to provide a financing package of US$50 million to Kiev-based firm OTP Leasing for sustainable energy investments in Ukraine.

Consolidation is coming to Spain’s red-hot solar market, but in a post-subsidy world the landing will be relatively soft.

Ukraine’s favorite solar module manufacturer has posted another encouraging set of returns, after a difficult year in 2018. And Risen – which boasted 6.6 GW of annual production capacity at the end of last year, according to analysts at PV InfoLink – is committed to adding another 2.5 GW before 2022.

A study from Sweden seeks to consider how PV could be sympathetically installed on historic buildings. The researchers propose a target-based approach for assessing panel visibility.

Iberdrola’s record investment into renewables and networks is outperforming expectations, freeing the utility to invest even more creating a “virtuous circle of growth”, the company’s chairman has said.

Where seasonal storage is paramount, hydrogen comes into play. Under-the-radar solar market Sweden has presented its hydrogen projects and technological solutions to overcome the country’s natural solar barriers.

Italian asset manager Green Arrow Capital (GAC) has agreed to acquire a 320MW portfolio of renewable energy projects from London-based Quercus Investment Partners for an undisclosed sum.

Origis Energy USA announced it has selected Renewable Energy Systems to construct the Origis Energy Tanglewood Solar project, a 57.5-MWAC solar farm in Mitchell County, Georgia. Origis Energy developed the solar site as one of the facilities under the Georgia Power Renewable Energy Development Initiative (REDI) serving the utility’s customers participating in the Commercial and Industrial REDI (C&I REDI) program. This contract represents the first construction partnership between Origis Energy and RES. Origis Energy will own and operate the facility.