North America

The Space Solar project will supply electricity to distant military posts, with no necessity to endanger convoys.

Prism Solar Technologies, Inc., an American PV manufacturer, has got a new supply order from the huge financial holding JPMorgan Chase Bank for photovoltaic panels for JP’s financial institutions throughout the United States.

Rice University scientists believe they've overcome a major hurdle keeping perovskite-based solar cells from achieving mainstream use.

Stem, a provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven energy storage services, announced today that it is partnering with NEC Energy Solutions, headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, to simplify and optimize the deployment and operation of solar-plus-storage projects.

Alliant Energy Corp. uncovers its “Powering What’s Next” draft. This long-lasting project is aimed at faster shifting to green energy in Wisconsin.

Dominion Energy, Inc., is creating the biggest PV plant for now. The facility will be located in Fort Powhatan, the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has bought US developer Pattern Energy Group in an all-cash deal valued at around US$6.1 billion.

The recycling industry volume is expected to increase ten times by 2030, driven by vast battery usage in electric vehicles and portable electronic devices. Reusing of valuable materials is becoming a vital necessity. Scores of companies around the world are ready to give second life to the used lithium batteries.

University of New Mexico and Air Force Research Laboratory scientists have teamed up to prolong the life of solar modules by harnessing the Atom Ant-like strength of carbon nanotubes.

For third-quarter 2019, First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA – which makes thin-film photovoltaic modules based on cadmium telluride (CdTe) as well as providing engineering, procurement & construction (EPC) services – has reported net sales of $547m, down 6.5% on $585m last quarter and 19% on $676m a year ago, due primarily to lower systems revenue from project sales in the USA, offset partially by higher module sales volume.

Research from Canada has revealed liquid-like lineshape dynamics in cesium-lead iodide perovskite nanocrystals. The findings could be used to produce cheaper and more efficient perovskite cells, researchers claim.

A technique based on optical imaging has been used by an international research team to illuminate strains in lead halide perovskite solar cells without harming them. The scientists claim the approach helped them discover misorientation between microscopic perovskite crystals was the main cause of the strains.

Google pre-qualified bidders and used reverse auctions to obtain the lowest price for renewable energy. Reverse auctions for corporate purchases could potentially benefit solar developers, if their transparency and simplicity can influence more corporations to procure green power.

The latest figures released by BloombergNEF show new solar and onshore wind power plants have reached parity with average wholesale prices in California, China and parts of Europe. The technologies are winning the race to be the cheapest sources of new generation for two-thirds of the world’s population.

SB Energy Global Holdings, a subsidiary of SoftBank Group, has signed off on a deal with Intersect Power that will see SB Energy acquire a portfolio of five US PV projects with a combined capacity of more than 1.7GW from Intersect.