Tesla solar business hits new lows in revenue, deployment
It was a series of firsts, including a strong full year and Megapack turning a profit, that factored into CEO Elon Musk explaining that he has “never been more optimistic or excited about the future of Tesla.” Austin, Texas, has been confirmed as the site of the next Gigafactory.
India installed 7.6 GW of solar in the last fiscal year, and plans another 8 GW by April
Some 5.9 GW of utility scale PV generation capacity was added in 2019-20, plus 1.7 GW of rooftop solar, with domestic module manufacturers enjoying around 40% of the market.
The cost of building stronger PV systems
Scientists in the U.S. have estimated the expense of strengthening solar systems. The researchers stressed that the upfront investment needed to take 13 key measures may be outweighed by the benefits.
Australian rooftop PV may face grid constraints
The ability to feed electricity from rooftop PV arrays into Australia’s distribution network may be severely limited in the future, as installations appear likely to exceed expectations. A Cornwall Insight forecast sees some 24.45 GW of rooftop solar to be added through 2030 – a rate that accelerates the need for a distribution-level market and may see connections curtailed in the future.
Bangladesh to install another 40,000 free solar home systems
Time is running out for the government to achieve its goal of universal access to electricity by next year but Dhaka has doubled down by allocating $26 million for PV panels in hard-to-reach areas.
Covid-19 weekly round-up: Solar Solutions show off again but CEOs voice confidence and Spain is moving its green economic recovery up a gear
Plus, solar funding is down and Australian rooftop installers are preparing for tough times ahead as one U.S. utility has warned customers to be alert to scammers hoping to benefit from the pandemic.
Rooftop solar window based on semi-transparent perovskite solar cells
A prototype of an energy-harvesting, solar-powered smart window device has been developed by scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory. The window was created by integrating a semi-transparent perovskite solar cell and a multi-layer nanophotonic coating.
Water-free module cleaner for residential PV systems
A newly developed autonomous robotic cleaning solution for modules uses artificial intelligence to clean daily or on demand, without substantial human input.
Switzerland deployed 332 MW of solar last year
Cumulative solar generation capacity reached 2.5 GW last year, enough to meet 3.8% of electricity demand.
From Rwanda to Riverside, California: How the US solar industry gave opportunities to an immigrant entrepreneur
When Covid-19 hit his small solar engineering business, chief executive Methode Maniraguha said: ‘No furloughs or layoffs – we’ll pivot.’
