Bulgaria and Romania set to be EU solar hotspots
Each of the nations, like Greece, will have gigawatt-plus solar additions in 2024, according to Solarpower Europe, enough to carve out a 3% slice of an anticipated 35 GW regional market.
Belgium’s Flanders region to provide €58 million for PV rebates in 2021
The authorities in Flanders will grant maximum rebates of €1,500 per PV system to homeowners from Jan. 1. The scheme is expected to drive up solar installations by 1.5 GW by 2025.
World could add more than 900 GW of solar by 2025 if politicians grasp the nettle – IEA
With the International Energy Agency publishing its latest five-year clean energy forecast today, pv magazine takes a look at the solar content of the 162-page document.
Agrivoltaics for pear orchards
Belgian researchers are testing agrivoltaic power generation in a pear orchard. The first pilot project features specially designed 185 W solar panels with transparent backsheets, conventional silicon cells, and a 21% efficiency rate.
Wallonia’s prosumer grid fee comes into force
The tariff, imposed by the regional energy regulator for use of the distribution network, will be charged via bills issued by electricity suppliers.
Belgium’s first floating PV project comes online
The plant was installed by developer Floating PV NV on five hectares of a lake created by sand extraction and owned by sand and minerals company Sibelco in Dessel, Antwerp province.
Foil method for PID test misleading if only one side of bifacial module is stressed
Results from PID stress tests can be misleading when bifacial PV modules are PID-stressed from just one side using the foil method in IEC TS 62804, according to a new study by Belgian researchers. An unintended electric field arises between the non-stressed side of the cell and the grounded interior of the climate chamber, which may have the undesired effect of causing additional PID stress.
Belgian school selling solar power to neighbors
Belgium is testing its first energy community by giving special status to a solar energy pilot near Brussels. The project will help to create a large-scale legal framework to apply the European Directives to energy communities.
Covid-19 weekly round-up: Polish solar is immune to the effects of Covid-19 and the coronavirus will drive EV manufacturing from China to India, apparently
Plus, one Australian installer says residents who had installed solar and storage at home will be cushioned against thumping, coronavirus-related electricity bill rises this quarter and there are signs of recovery in overall energy consumption levels.
European consortium bid to bring 25.4%-efficient heterojunction-IBC solar cell into mass production
The EU-funded Nextbase project aims to manufacture heterojunction, interdigitated back-contact solar modules for less than €0.275/W. Solar panels featuring the Nextbase cell tech are expected to have a conversion efficiency of 23.2%, according to the European Commission.
