The pv magazine weekly news digest
Developments in the U.S. continued to make headlines this week as utilities across the country carry out systematic attacks on net metering and a California city weighs a PPA for possibly the lowest solar power price on record.
Giga Solar lightweight PV modules pass Fraunhofer CSE tests
The manufacturer’s lightweight, glass-free modules enable innovative, low-cost rooftop and speedier mounting methods without the need for racking hardware or roof penetrations. The test results demonstrate that the solar PV modules can withstand the very tough conditions that modules experience on rooftops, Giga Solar says.
ABB invests in Finnish inverter research center
The Swiss power company has invested close to four million euros into the research facility in Finland, which will primarily carry out a series of weather simulations and network disruptions designed to test inverter performance.
Heliatek raises bar for OPV efficiency to 13.2%
The German organic PV developers reveal new record conversion efficiency for an OPV multi-junction cell; measurement independently verified by Fraunhofer CSP.
CG joins CEA to explore solar market potential in India
The Indian conglomerate and European research organization have teamed up to examine opportunities for solar energy in the country’s airports, which have an estimated solar potential of more than 500 MW.
UK awards £40 million in funding to boost EVs
The U.K. government has awarded £40 million to four British cities to support the spread of electrical and low-emission vehicles. Supported projects include car-charging street lighting and zones offering free parking and traffic priority to plug-in and low-emission cars. The initiative is seen as another step towards the smart energy revolution.
GSA taps Solaria for Green Proving Ground program
The PV module technologies provider will participate in the U.S. government program, which evaluates innovative sustainable building technologies.
US DOE: Austin Energy biggest winner under SHINES storage program
Austin Energy has emerged as the biggest winner under the U.S. Department of Energys (DOEs) latest funding round, which has seen US$18 million awarded to six energy storage+solar projects. It will partner with the likes of Tesla, Samsung and SolarEdge to develop solar LCOEs of $0.14/kWh when combined with storage, for example.
ViZn Energy Systems wins flow battery system contract from INL
Idaho National Laboratory, part of the U.S. Energy Department’s national laboratory network, will use the battery system for research and development.
First Tesla Powerwall operational in Australia under Energex solar battery trial
Queensland has seen the first Tesla Powerwall home battery switched on in Australia under Energexs battery storage trial, launched today by State Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk.
