US government nuclear sites going solar
Hecate Energy is working on a 1 GW solar facility at Hanford, a former US nuclear weapons manufacturing site, while NextEra is negotiating to build solar at a nuclear storage facility in New Mexico.
Semi-online tech for short-term solar irradiance forecast in PV plants
Scientists in Spain have created a semi-online technique to predict solar irradiance at different locations inside a photovoltaic plant. The proposed training approach is described as suitable for highly variable time series forecasting.
U.S. solar industry on track to install 250 GW in five years
According to the U.S. Solar Market Insight Q3 2024 report, in the two years since passage of the IRA the solar industry has added 75 GW of new capacity to the grid, representing over 36% of all solar capacity built in U.S. history.
Saudi Arabia launches 3 GW solar tender
Saudi Power Procurement Co. (SPPC) has announced a request for qualification (RFQ) for 3 GW of solar across four projects in the sixth round of Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy tender program.
Sharp unveils 610 W TOPCon solar panel with 22.58% efficiency
Sharp’s new IEC61215- and IEC61730-certified solar panels have an operating temperature coefficient of -0.29% per C and a bifaciality factor of over 80%.
Danish solar park gets go ahead after 25 companies sign PPA
A coalition of 25 Danish companies has signed a five-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to buy electricity from a new solar project in Denmark. The deal is with electricity supplier Reel Energy and developer Energicenter Nord.
Offgrid hybrid PV-biogas system for residential applications
The system was conceived to respond to Lebanon’s energy crisis and help homeowners become independent from grid electricity. Biogas production is used when PV power generation is insufficient and machine learning techniques help the system predict solar energy production.
Malaysian scheme lets businesses buy on-grid renewables from developers
A new initiative now allows businesses in Malaysia to purchase green electricity directly from renewable energy developers through the national grid. The country’s Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) estimates that it will generate more than MYR 10 billion ($2.4 billion) in direct investments.
Taiwan improves PPA rules for renewables
The Taiwanese government has introduced a new, favorable framework for renewable-energy power purchase agreements (PPAs). Large energy consumers are no longer required to buy the entire output of large-scale facilities.
Computer vision for real‑time shadow detection in PV systems
Scientists have developed a novel method that uses live video feed to detect shadows on solar panels. It uses computer vision techniques, such as gamma transform and histogram matching, resulting in performance that is reportedly better than conventional techniques, especially in large arrays.
