Canadian Solar prepares to rein in production capacity expansion plans
While the Sino-Canadian business expects high polysilicon and shipping costs to be a temporary problem, CEO Shawn Qu has acknowledged the company will have overcapacity in cell and wafer production lines by the end of the year.
Solar job numbers kept on rising in 2020
The latest edition of a clean power jobs survey produced by IRENA and the International Labour Organization has stressed the important role which will need to be played by the public sector if the energy transition’s employment benefits are to be shared equally.
Solar tile with 19.22% efficiency from Canada
The solar tile has a power output of 15 W and is recommended for flat concrete roof tiles. It can operate with a maximum system voltage of 600 V.
Canadian fund Omers plans to acquire 49% of FRV Australia
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures’ (FRV) Australian platform includes 637 MW (DC) in projects already operational or under construction, and a pipeline comprising 7 GW of solar projects and 1.3 GWh of battery storage.
Canada’s Grasshopper closes $48m financing deal for U.S. solar expansion
Grasshopper, a Canada-based renewable energy developer, will use $48 million of financing to support four solar+storage projects in Massachusetts.
The Hydrogen Stream: Indian group makes bold green hydrogen claim as plans emerge for production capacity in Spain
The renewables-powered sustainable hydrogen announcements have come as a group of international researchers made controversial claims about the potential of gas-fired blue hydrogen to be part of the climate change solution.
CPV module with improved short-circuit current via microstructured encapsulant coatings
A Canadian consortium led by the Sherbrooke University has developed a CPV panel with improved light absorption through a microstructured anti-reflecting coating consisting of a monolayer of silica beads, which they claim can improve the device’s short-circuit current by up to 3.7%. The module is based on III-V solar cells.
China holds the key to cancelling half the world’s new coal project plans
With pressure mounting on the world’s governments to turn their back on the fossil fuel, China and peers in South East Asia, Europe and South Asia could help deliver a coal-free future at the COP26 climate summit planned in Glasgow in November.
Rooftop solar could mean big savings for Ontario
A rapid ramping up of deployment would have little impact on the electricity price during summer, when air conditioning drives demand to its annual peak in the Canadian province, but it would bring hefty savings on the annual gas generation bill, even before carbon levies are factored in.
Harnessing heat loss with thermionics
Scientists in Canada evaluated the potential of a lesser-known approach to boosting solar generation efficiency. Thermionics uses heat from the sun to generate electricity, and could be combined with photovoltaics to create devices with better than 40% efficiency from a single junction. In their evaluation, the scientists find promising pathways for further research, despite a mountain of challenges that will need to be overcome.
