France deployed 3.5 GW of new solar in January-September period
France added an additional 3.5 GW of solar during the first three quarters of this year, compared to 2.3 GW during the same period of 2023. The country’s total installed solar capacity now stands at 23.7 GW, including 22.9 GW in mainland France.
New report urges Australia to reduce solar supply chain reliance on China
A new report by the United States Studies Centre (USSC), a joint venture of the American Australian Association and University of Sydney, encourages Australia to deeply engage in global solar supply chains and reduce its reliance on China.
Cooling PV modules with lauric acid and nanoparticles
Thai researchers developed three organic phase-change material (PCM) mixtures with nanoparticles to cool PV modules and improve efficiency. They used lauric acid blended with aluminum oxide, copper oxide, and magnesium oxide in an optimal 94:6 weight ratio, boosting module efficiency by up to 14.11%.
Husk Power launches ‘minigrid-in-a-box’ solution
Husk Power says Prism, its new containerized “minigrid-in-a-box” solution, allows it to deploy minigrids at a rate of one per day with the same resources.
TotalEnergies, OQ Alternative Energy to build 100 MW of solar in Oman
France’s TotalEnergies and Omani energy company OQ Alternative Energy have signed agreements to develop 100 MW of solar and two 100 MW wind projects. Construction will begin in early 2025.
Norwegian platform invests $50 million in Egyptian renewables
Empower New Energy, a Norwegian solar investment platform, has signed a $50 million agreement with Egyptian independent power producer Engazaat to fund a renewable energy project portfolio in Egypt.
Nord/LB to invest €73 million in 100 MW Polish solar farm
Renewables developer OX2 has secured a €73 million ($76.8 million) financing package from bank Nord/LB for a 100 MW solar farm currently under development in southwestern Poland.
US grants $305 million loan guarantee for California VPP with ice storage
The US Department of Energy (DoE) has granted a $305 million loan guarantee to finance Project IceBrick, a virtual power plant (VPP) that will deploy up to 193 cold thermal energy storage systems across commercial buildings in California.
Malaysia’s OCK Group invests $79.1 million in solar portfolio
OCK Group, a telecom services provider, says that it plans to invest MYR 350 million ($79.1 million) in a 116 MW solar facility.
Juniper Green places 1 GW PV module order with First Solar
Juniper Green Energy has signed an agreement to buy 1 GW of First Solar’s Series 7 FT1 cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film PV modules. The modules will power projects in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
