Sustainability

Tripling clean energy generation capacity to 11 TW by 2030 was a leading pledge from the United Nations’ (UN) climate change conference in Dubai. With few details about infrastructure and energy storage and no clear PV targets, however, it is hard to judge the effectiveness of the 28th global Conference of the Parties (COP) meeting. Angela Skujins considers possible impacts for the solar industry.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have developed a new organic cathode material with an energy density higher than most cobalt-based cathodes. It can charge–discharge in as little as six minutes. Automaker Lamborghini has licensed the patent for the technology.

Researchers assessed the effect of solar energy projects on poverty in China and determined that PV systems can play a role in reducing multiple dimensions of poverty while also contributing to environmental protection.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is hot right now and is finding central applications in homes and businesses as they move from simple grid connections to self-generation, energy storage, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and load-shifting revenue streams. With AI everywhere, what’s the difference between advanced control, via simple algorithms, and true intelligence?

With so much of the space in United States cities allocated for parking, the dual pronged approach of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – production tax credits to drive investment in domestic manufacturing and investment tax credits to attract consumer-side investment – means solar canopies can make a huge contribution to the net zero drive.

Diesel generators have been the workhorse of disaster relief for decades but as the frequency of extreme weather events rises, so do calls to decarbonize the emergency response. Sustainability may not be the only benefit to using solar in a crisis, as pv magazine discovers.

Scientists in Turkey determined the optimal tilt angle for agrivoltaic projects associated with different crops in the central Mediterranean region, and other regions with similar latitude and climatic conditions.

Europe’s leading battery maker, Northvolt, has signed a $5 billion non-recourse project financing arrangement to enable the expansion of Northvolt Ett in northern Sweden. The deal represents the largest green loan raised in Europe to date.

With so much more agricultural real estate than Europe, the United States is building on the body of research built up across The Pond and rolling out solar panels on farmland at an impressive rate.

In November 2022, Germany’s Energie Baden Württemberg and steelmaker Salzgitter Group signed one of Europe’s first power purchase agreements (PPAs) for hydrogen production. More have followed and with the European Union introducing rules to govern green hydrogen, an industry is planning for its future.