pv magazine International – Page 75 – News from the photovoltaic and storage industry: market trends, technological advancements, expert commentary, and more.
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Taiwanese researchers unveil 31.5%-efficient perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell

The cell utilizes a heterojunction device as the bottom cell and a perovskite top cell integrating a hole transport layer made of nickel(II) oxide and methyl-substituted carbazole.
Technology

Decision-making model for wind, solar projects in Saudi Arabia

Conceived by an international research team, the model can also be utilized for hybrid wind-solar projects. According to its creators, it provides a practical solutions for land-use optimization and renewable energy planning.
Markets & Policy

US corporate funding for solar down 24% in 2024

Solar venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, and debt financing funding totaled $26.3 billion in the United States in 2024, says Mercom Capital.
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Installations

Around 10% of the world’s inland reservoirs could host 22 TW of floating PV

An international research team has assessed the worldwide status and potential of inland floating photovoltaic (FPV) installations, including analysis of the use of trackers and bifacial solar panels.
Markets & Policy

Renewable energy plus storage auctions to gain traction in India

India Ratings says it expects renewable energy and storage tenders to gain further traction in India in the coming years, given the storage requirement of around 74 GW/411 GWh under National Electricity Plan (2023-32).
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Markets & Policy

China hits 277.17 GW of new PV installations in 2024

China's cumulative installed solar capacity hit 886.66 GW at the end of 2024, with 277.17 GW of new annual installations, up 45.48% year on year. The deployment surge exceeded forecasts, setting a new historical record for PV installations.
Markets & Policy

Europe posts record negative power prices for 2024 as renewables rise

The number of periods when day-ahead power prices fell to zero or below hit a record 4,838 instances in Europe in 2024, driven by surging renewables, weak demand, and limited grid flexibility, says Montel Analytics.
Energy Storage

The Hydrogen Stream: Algeria, EU nations plan Southern Hydrogen Corridor

Algeria, Austria, Germany, Italy, and Tunisia have agreed to develop the Southern Hydrogen Corridor linking North Africa and Europe, while Sungrow Hydrogen has signed a deal to supply electrolysis gear for ACME’s 320 MW green ammonia project in Oman.

Press Releases

The LEAPTING Intelligent Automatic Navigation PV Module Mounting Robot made a groundbreaking entry into the Australian market

Recently, LEAPTING has officially declared that it will provide an Automatic Navigation PV Module Mounting Robot for a large-scale photovoltaic power station project in Australia, and the robot has dispatched from the Huzhou Smart Factory by the end of 2024.

TIANWU Series Liquid-Cooling All-in-One Energy Storage Earns UL9540A Certification, Setting a New Industry Safety Benchmark

The TIANWU series liquid-cooling all-in-one energy storage solution from WEIHENG has recently achieved the prestigious UL9540A certification.

JinkoSolar Named Preferred Supplier for World’s Largest Solar-Storage Project

At Abu Dhabi Sustainable Development Week (ADSW), Masdar, a global leader in renewable energy and sustainable urban development, announced that JinkoSolar is the preferred module supplier for its Round the Clock (RTC) project in the UAE, the world's first large-scale, all-weather, gigawatt-scale renewable energy project.

Scatec signs 15-year CfD contract for Romanian solar portfolio

Scatec ASA has signed a 15-year Contract-for-Difference (CfD) with Opcom, the Romanian electricity market operator. The CfD will cover approximately 70% of the estimated production from a 190 MW solar portfolio, with the remaining production being sold in the Romanian wholesale electricity market.

Opinion & Analysis

Featured

PV module prices at crossroads

Martin Schachinger, founder of pvXchange.com, said PV module prices will depend on national and international demand trends in the coming months, with outcomes ranging from increases to stagnation or further declines. Almost anything is possible, but nothing is certain.

Carbon dioxide removal portfolios enable reaching ambitious climate targets

In a new monthly column for pv magazine, the Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) describes how carbon dioxide removal may support reaching climate targets from a portfolio perspective.

Jet stream shift brings gloom to Northern Europe in December

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that december brought striking contrasts in solar irradiance across Europe, with Northern Europe experiencing irradiance levels up to 30% below the already dim seasonal average, while regions south of Europe’s major mountain ranges saw irradiance up to 30% above typical levels.

‘Technical expertise is often questioned more rigorously when exhibited by women’

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Brigite Gonçalves, Head of Utility-Scale PV Business Developer at Portugal’s EnergyCon. She says Women in the solar industry face unique challenges, such as underrepresentation in decision-making roles and the persistence of unconscious biases. “To achieve equity, the solar sector must prioritize structural changes, including accessible mentoring and sponsorship programs tailored for women,” she states.

Global solar module prices mixed on varying demand expectations

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

Optimizing photovoltaic systems: Best practices for economic, technical key performance indicators

As the global solar energy industry grows, so does the need for accurate monitoring of performance and financial viability. The latest report by IEA PVPS Task 13, “Best Practice Guidelines for the Use of Economic and Technical KPIs,” provides a comprehensive framework to address this issue. This article explores the importance, methodologies, and applications of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), with a focus on their role in optimizing PV systems.

Markets & Policy

Featured

Bangladesh launches 500 MW PV tender

The Bangladeshi authorities are seeking proposals to build 10 PV plants with each a capacity of 50 MW across several regions.

Chinese PV Industry Brief: JinkoSolar, TBEA report lower profits

Five major Chinese PV manufacturers issued profit warnings this week.

US state attorneys general urge Congress to keep IRA clean energy credits

Seventeen US state attorneys general have urged Congress to retain clean energy tax credits, citing the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) “catalytic” effect on economic growth, especially in Republican districts.

The best residential PV system configuration for Saudi Arabia

Researchers in Saudi Arabia have identified the best and optimum PV system configurations for the Saudi residential market. Their analysis investigated the capacity threshold that leads to a lower cost of electricity compared to grid electricity costs. They used NREL’s HOMER software to analyze the energy requirements of the residential units, the solar energy potential and weather characteristics of the selected location, and the financial parameters influencing a project’s profitability.

Malaysia opens bidding for 2 GW of large-scale solar

Malaysia’s Energy Commission has launched an open tender seeking 2 GW of large-scale solar projects, with capacities ranging from 10 MW to 500 MW, to support the nation’s clean energy transition.

Romania allocates €150 million for standalone battery storage rollout

The Romanian Ministry of Energy has announced a new round of funding from the Modernization Fund dedicated to battery energy storage systems.

Installations

Featured

Novel BIPV concept integrates louvers to enhance power production

Scientists have proposed a building-integrated PV system that integrates airflow to cool the panels and control room temperature. The system, which also acts as a shading device, can reportedly mitigate drops in power generation efficiency without additional energy consumption.

South Africa adds 1.1 GW of solar in 2024

The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association predicts that deployment will accelerate as a strong pipeline of private and public utility-scale projects offsets the decline in installations from 2023 levels.

Denmark’s solar capacity surpasses 4 GW

Denmark installed 545 MW of solar in 2024, with utility-scale projects driving market growth, according to Danish solar association Dansk Solcelleforening.

French consortium building linear DC solar park along Rhône River

A consortium is installing an experimental linear solar park in shade house configuration in Vaucluse, southern France, using high-voltage direct current architecture to reduce electricity losses.

Uruguay launches tender for 75 MW solar park

Uruguay’s National Administration of Electric Power Plants and Transmissions (UTE) has kicked off a tender for a 75 MW solar project in Cerro Largo, with operations set to begin between March and June 2028. The bidding process will close in January 2026.

The best tilt angle to improve PV module performance in world’s worst soiling accumulation zone

Scientists have measured the performance of PV modules under strong soiling conditions in Saudi Arabia and have identified the most suitable tilt angles for improving power generation. They have also found that a key role is played by rain intensity, dust, sandstorms, and cloud cover.

Technology

Featured

Reducing silver use in heterojunction solar cells via low-cost copper wires

A research team in Germany has proposed to use direct wire bonding to reduce silver consumption in heterojunction solar cells. The scientists used low-cost copper wires as electrodes with conductive paste applied in discrete pads to replace the traditional metallization and interconnection process.

Brazil approves six labs for solar module testing

Brazil’s national accreditation body, Inmetro, has authorized six labs across the country to test solar modules.

Enecoat claims 30.4% efficiency for four-terminal perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell

The Japanese manufacturer said its tandem cell utilizes a top perovskite solar cell with an efficiency of 22.4% and 81% infrared transmittance.

Italian scientists show technical feasibility of solid oxide fuel cells in PV-driven residential buildings

The researchers conducted a case study on a solid oxide fuel cell system deployed in a nearly zero-energy single-floor villa with a size of 80 m2 located in southern Italy. They found that, in particular conditions of photovoltaic production, the system is not only able to meet the home electric loads, but also to inject surplus energy into the network.

Recycled silicon powder from end-of-life solar panels can be reused in anti-corrosion coating

Researchers in India have demonstrated a wet chemical process to recover silicon with high purity from end-of-life solar panels, which they used to make functionalized silica nanoparticles. Tests of the processed nanoparticles in anti-corrosion coatings showed a corrosion protection efficiency of 99.5 %, which they said was 200 times lower corrosion rate compared to uncoated silica nanoparticles.

The Hydrogen Stream: USGS unveils map of US geologic hydrogen resources

The US Geological Survey (USGS) has released its first map of potential geologic hydrogen reserves in the United States, while Plug Power has secured a $1.66 billion US government loan guarantee to scale low-carbon hydrogen production nationwide.

Manufacturing

Featured

MENA region hits 24 GW (AC) of total solar capacity

The Middle East Solar Industry Association’s (MESIA) latest report says solar capacity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region grew by 25% in 2024, with local manufacturing and energy storage also accelerating.

Chinese PV Industry Brief: Longi issues net loss warning for 2024

Longi has issued a profit warning for 2024, forecasting a net loss of up to $1.11 billion – a sharp decline from last year’s profit of $1.42 billion.

TOPCon IP battle intensifies with Qcells launching infringement notices

Qcells has launched an intellectual property (IP) dispute over alleged unauthorized use of its patented laser-enhanced contact opening (LECO) tech in tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells. The case underscores rising tensions in the PV industry over TOPCon patents.

Construction begins on 12 MW Swiss alpine PV project

Work has begun on the Swiss Madrisa Solar project, a 12 MW alpine PV installation located at an elevation of 2,000 m near a ski resort of the village of Klosters. It is part of the Solar Express initiative designed to boost domestic winter energy production.

A copper-bottomed answer to solar’s silver dependence

The solar industry has dragged its heels on the issue of silver-dependence for cell metallization, but China’s Jiangsu Xianghuan Technology (JXTC) is moving into commercial production with a copper plating process that overcomes many of the challenges that have limited interest from cell manufacturers.

Solis releases three-phase string C&I inverters with fuseless design

The Chinese inverter said its new inverters have an MPPT current of up to 54 A and support more than a 150% DC/AC ratio. The new products also feature a maximum efficiency of 98.8% and a European efficiency rate of 98.3%.

Energy Storage

Saudi Arabia commissions its largest battery energy storage system

The 2 GWh battery energy storage system (BESS) features 122 prefabricated storage units, designed and supplied by China’s BYD.

Australian utility-scale battery deployment surges

Big BESS battery energy storage systems (BESS) are booming in Australia, with almost 5 GW of projects under construction last year, according Rystad Energy. While encouraging, it reports that the volume remains insufficient to overcome growing rates of renewable curtailment.

Pioneers in Irish solar energy

From modest beginnings in 2011, Power Capital Renewable Energy (PCRE) has become one of Ireland’s foremost independent power producers (IPPs). Joint CEO and co-founder Justin Brown told pv magazine that despite Ireland’s challenging environment for solar, the company sees a lot of opportunity and is taking full advantage.

All renewables PPA structures at a glance

German scientists have identified 18 typologies of power purchase agreements for the renewable energy market. Their research is intended to support policymakers, scientists and investors in implementing their own PPA analysis and choices.

Advansor launches CO2 plug-and-play heat pumps

The Danish manufacturer said its novel CO2 heat pumps can reach a water inlet temperature of 40 C and a water outlet temperature of 95 C. The systems have purportedly a combined coefficient of performance of up to 5.56.

SoliTek launches made-in-Lithuania, high-voltage C&I battery energy storage solution

The new 51.2 kWh modular storage system connects to European wholesale electricity markets such as NordPool and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to track and analyze dynamic tariffs. It offers three-phase backup and is virtual power plant-ready.

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