solar modules

Longi, Trina and Risen secured solar module supply deals in a tender held by the China National Nuclear Corp. Furthermore, Xinte, Flat Glass and Chint won contracts to supply polysilicon, glass and wafers, respectively.

Researchers in the Middle East have proposed a new passive technology to cool off solar modules, based on highly conductive porous materials.

The Covid-19 crisis temporarily paralyzed the business for large scale unsubsidized solar projects across Europe. At the end of the year, however, demand for projects that are financed through electricity purchase agreements regained speed. Pexapark estimates that there is currently 10 GW of renewable energy capacity under signed PPAs in Europe, most of which is for solar power.

The scheme is now under public consultation and is aimed at enabling citizens, farmers, business owners, and community organizations to sell excess solar power to the grid.

At the end of December, the country’s cumulative installed solar capacity surpassed 10 GW. PV was able to cover around 6.6% of Dutch electricity demand last year, according to a new report from Dutch New Energy.

Canada-based Giyani Metals is planning to build a solar plant for its manganese mining site in Botswana. Three kinds of projects, with capacities ranging from 14 to 60 MW, are being considered. The power generated by the facility may be either consumed entirely by the mine or also sold to the grid under different scenarios.

Developers have already connected 3 MW of capacity in what is purportedly destined to be the world’s largest PV array on a coastal tidal flat. The project, which is particularly challenging due to tidal fluctuations, will feature PV components designed to cope with salt and water damage.

Longi and Risen both announced plans to build up new module and cell manufacturing capacity. Furthermore, the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) has revealed it deployed more than 10 GW of solar power last year.

Scientists in Spain and Colombia took a closer look at the degradation mechanisms affecting perovskite solar cells, and developed a new, high throughput method to characterize their performance in an outdoor setting. The group evaluated the method through outdoor testing on perovskite modules manufactured in a lab. it expects its findings to offer easier device characterization and better understanding of the degradation mechanisms affecting perovskite solar cells, both important factors in the technology’s development.

Iranian scientists have assessed a new active approach for solar module cooling based on water spraying. Water sprayed from different angles can reduce the operating temperature of PV modules, with limited water consumption. However, the team noted that they have yet to assess the economic viability of the system.