NREL takes lead on $30m consortium to improve PV technology performance
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory will lead a consortium comprising Sandia National Laboratories and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on the development of new solar module materials.
China Singyes to spin off materials unit
China Singyes Solar Technologies Holdings has confirmed that it has received formal approval to list shares of its Singyes New Materials subsidiary on the Hong Kong stock exchanges secondary board.
Strong investment in German PV production equipment during Q2
Sector research from the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) shows that sales of German PV production equipment in the second quarter of 2016 grew 55% from Q1, continuing a trend which has seen orders of German equipment increase for four consecutive quarters.
Ultra-high efficiency arrays being developed for the residential PV market
Swiss startup Insolight is taking the initiative of concentrating sunlight onto space-age solar cells to make such technology affordable for residential PV customers, resulting in reduced costs for electricity consumption.
Singulus gets prepayment notification from CNBM for CIGS equipment
The German PV production equipment supplier has received an announcement that it has finally been sent prepayment for the EUR110 million of CIGS equipment from China National Building Materials (CNBM).
SMA intelligent management system now integrates Bosch and Siemens appliances
SMA’s Sunny Home Manager has added the prestigious brands of Bosch and Siemens to the list of appliances that it can easily integrate, adding to its ability to optimize power usage from a residential solar system and to continue costs electricity costs.
U.S. boosts energy storage 126% in Q2
According to the latest U.S. Energy Storage Monitor, a quarterly publication from GTM Research and the Energy Storage Association (ESA), the United States deployed 41.2 megawatts of energy storage in the second quarter of 2016, an increase of 126% over the first quarter of the year. The nation is on track to deploy 287 megawatts of energy storage this year.
Quality: Minor differences in yield percentage make the difference between good and bad investment
Changing technology, pressure to cut costs, dizzying price slumps and a number of other issues make solar module quality control as relevant as ever. The danger that modules could fail outright remains slim, so module reliability is still decisive for the success of the investment, explains George Touloupas, Director of Technology and Quality at CEA, in preparation of the 4th pv magazine Quality roundtable at SPI.
Asian growth to drive global DG solar boom report
Falling technology costs and international efforts to reduce carbon emissions will help make PV the biggest segment of the global distributed-generation market in the coming years, led by rapid growth in Asia, according to a new report.
Philae’s comet location revealed while Rosetta’s PV prepares for last adventure
The European Space Agency (ESA) has tracked down Philae, Rosetta’s spacecraft probe, resting in a dark crack on Comet 67P. The news bears great scientific significance for ESA as well as a certain emotional value for PV fans who have watched the Rosetta mission being entirely powered by the sun for about twelve years.
