USA

The research group from the University of Houston has found a novel catalyst which is likely to help effectively split hydrogen from seawater. This innovation is supposed to considerably advance the seawater electrolysis development for commercial hydrogen production.

American solar corporation Silicon Ranch has been chosen for deployment of a 107 MW (AC) solar park for powering Facebook-owned data center located in Newton County.

Innergex Renewable Energy has commissioned the 250MWac / 315MWdc Phoebe PV project located in Winkler County, Texas.

The advanced technology developed by the startup funded by Bill Gates is aimed at minimization of gas emissions from heavy industries.

Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA), in partnership with 12 Florida municipal electric utilities and Florida Renewable Partners, has broken ground on the 223.5MW Florida Municipal Solar Project. Once completed, the installation will be one of the largest municipal-backed solar projects in the US.

John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport will be the site of New York City’s self-styled largest solar plant after the project, which includes energy storage, was awarded to SunPower Corp and Goldman Sachs Renewable Power Group.

One of the major public utilities in Arizona is starting deployment of a 250 MW / 1,000 MWh storage facility in Rainbow Valley, the southern neighborhood of Buckeye (Phoenix Metropolitan Area). Sonoran Energy Center is going to become the biggest storage system in Arizona and one of the biggest in the US.

Seoul-headquartered solar supplier Hanwha charges rivals in the United States, Germany and Australia with having violated its patent. In U.S., Jinko Solar – together with REC and Longi – have requested an intermediate review by USITC. Today, Jinko is expecting the judge to decide in its favor.

Ørsted has commenced construction on the company’s first utility-scale solar plus battery storage project, the 460-MWAC Permian Energy Center. The facility is located in Andrews County, Texas, and will come online in mid-2021.

Coolidge-based Planning and Zoning Commission has supported sPower's 100-megawatt photovoltaic project as well as a 472-ha solution implemented by Saint Solar.

The latest study published by the International Renewable Energy Agency says the average solar electricity cost of $0.085/kWh produced by projects commissioned last year is set to fall to $0.048 next year, and $0.02-0.08 by 2030.

United States-based solar energy corporation SunPower is spinning off the majority of its manufacture into a separate company, Maxeon Solar. The latter is going to include Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor, the Chinese silicon wafer supplier, as an investor.

The American subsidiary of Hanergy Holding has set up a new efficiency record for large-scale thin-film PV module. The recorded figure is 18.64 per cent on a unit with a 1.08 sq m opening. The achievement has been registered by German Fraunhofer ISE.

A U.S. research group has developed a metal-carbon-nanotube composite – MetZilla – which can be embedded in commercial, screen-printable silver pastes and is said to reduce the formation of hotspots in solar modules and to prolong panel lifespan. The composite metal contacts are also ‘self-healing’ as they are able to regain electrical continuity after cycles of complete electrical failure caused by extreme strain.

Last Wednesday, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Elektrizitätswerk stated concluding a 30-year-long purchase agreement to supply solar power generated at the 195MW Broken Spoke solar station to Georgia Power.