Central & South America

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Rio de Janeiro recorded the sunniest June in over 18 years, with solar irradiance 15% above the long-term average. This was part of a band of higher than average sunshine extending through Bolivia, Paraguay, and parts of Brazil. Conversely, southern Argentina saw an irradiance drop of up to 30% below the long-term average as it experienced its cloudiest June in the same period.

Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) says the country installed 115.5 MW of new solar capacity in the first half of 2024, bringing the nation’s total installed PV capacity to around 400 MW.

Despite global overcapacity, several factors may contribute to a slight increase in solar panel prices in Brazil, with shipping costs and quotas for fiscal exemptions on imported PV modules playing a key role.

A review of indoor PV cell technologies by an international research team delves into recent progress, characterization, and design strategies used to develop highly efficient cells. The study presents 250 commercial and laboratory devices, as well as applications and performance reporting.

Madrid-headquartered independent power producer (IPP) Grenergy has reached financial close on the first two phases of its Oasis de Atacama solar and battery energy storage hybrid project in Chile.

Researchers in Spain have created a novel PV forecasting method that uses only direct radiation as a parameter. They found it to be “comparable, if not superior” to four established forecasting techniques. The method could help homeowners with PV systems decide when to use electricity-intensive appliances and cleaning systems.

Chilean researchers from Universidad Mayor say that the 10.8 MW La Colonia photovoltaic plant, built by IM2 Solar Chile and Enel Green Power, provides a habitat for birds.

Bolivian soldiers sparked controversy last week by questioning President Luis Arce, prompting allies of the ruling party, including former President Evo Morales, to describe the incident as a “self-coup.” However, Arce has blamed the the situation on entities interested in exploiting Bolivia’s lithium reserves.

Colombia’s Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME) says the country’s PV capacity has reached 1,193 MW. The nation surpassed the 1 GW threshold several weeks ago with the commissioning of two large-scale solar facilities.

The latest North American manufacturing hub report from Sinovoltaics maps current and planned capacity for 95 plants in the region’s PV module supply chain. The report tracks announcements of current and future capacities at plants producing PV modules, cells, wafers, ingots, polysilicon, and metallurgical-grade silicon.