Canada

A Scandinavian research team has investigated the best set-up for energy islands, to determine whether they are better achieved with submarine cables or hydrogen infrastructure.

CSI Solar, a Canadian Solar subsidiary, is increasing its manufacturing capacity in 2024 by adding significantly more ingots, wafers, cells and modules, in order to meet strong market demand and accelerate growth.

The government of Canada announced it is now accepting applications for its Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program. Eligible low-to-middle-income Canadian households currently heating their homes with oil can apply for an upfront payment of up to CAD 10,000 ($7,413) toward purchasing and installing a new, electric, air-source cold climate heat pump.

Cannabis prohibition drove a culture of clandestine production in the past and solar helped growers to cultivate it at remote, off-grid sites. Now, as a global commercial cannabis market emerges, solar has an even bigger role to play.

An international research group created a triple-junction perovskite solar cell with an efficiency of 24.3% and a quasi-steady-state efficiency of 23.3%. The prototype cell, which has been independently certified by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), features rubidium/cesium mixed-cation inorganic perovskites with a bandgap of around 2.0 eV to suppress light-induced phase segregation.

Canada’s new policy plan mirrors the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), including two new input tax credits (ITCs) targeting clean energy and technology manufacturing that will remain at 30% through 2033, stepping down to 15% in 2034 before phasing out altogether after 2034.

The North American module manufacturer announced a second investment round from ARC Financial Corp.

With electric vehicle (EV) adoption set to turbocharge demand for rare earth elements in Canada and the US this decade, attempts are being made to loosen the region’s dependence on China for the sourcing and processing of such critically important energy transition materials.

When it comes to gravity batteries, pumped-hydro storage is the gold standard, but its cost and topography-specific limitations are driving innovations ranging from freight-train braking to super-dense liquids. We consider whether any of the new technologies can punch above their weight.

BMW has launched its iX5 Hydrogen vehicle pilot fleet, with plans to start production by the end of the decade. Everfuel and Hy24, meanwhile, have launched a joint venture to accelerate hydrogen development in Scandinavia.