Author: solarenergy
DR Congo is suing Apple for alleged illegal exploitation of minerals DR Congo on Tuesday filed a criminal case against European subsidiaries of tech giant Apple, accusing them of illegally using “blood minerals” in its supply chain. The Democratic Republic of Congo alleges that Apple purchased contraband from the country’s conflict-ridden east and Rwanda, zones where the materials would be illegally extracted and then integrated into global supply chains before ending up in tech devices. Apple’s French and Belgian units also used deceptive business practices to convince consumers that its supply chains were clean, according to a statement from lawyers…
Waaree Solar Americas has announced that it has begun pilot production of solar panels at its manufacturing facility in Brookshire, Texas. India’s largest solar panel manufacturer Waaree first announced its US factory last year. The company now expects to commission its “phase 1” production capacity of 1.6 GW in the coming months. “This milestone marks the beginning of our ambitious plans for further expansion in the United States, strengthening our commitment to building a resilient domestic supply chain, supporting U.S. energy security and strengthening the India-U.S. trade and energy partnership is being strengthened,” said Sunil. Rathi, president of Waaree Solar…
Huadian says it has connected the second phase of its 1GW Tengger solar project to the grid in China’s Inner Mongolia region, while First Applied Material has extended the construction timeline for its film encapsulation project in Vietnam to December 2025. December 20, 2024 Vincent Shaw Huadian Group has connected the second phase of its 1 GW Tengger solar project to the power grid in Inner Mongolia. The Tengger New Energy Base, part of a strategic cooperation agreement with the government of Inner Mongolia, has a total planned capacity of 12.2 GW, including 8 GW of PV, 4 GW of…
New solar material promotes green hydrogen production Researchers in the field of nanoscale chemistry have made significant progress in advancing the sustainable and efficient production of hydrogen from water using solar energy. An international study led by Flinders University, with partners in South Australia, the US and Germany, has identified a new solar cell process that could play a crucial role in photocatalytic water splitting for the production of green hydrogen. The research introduces a new class of kinetically stable ‘core and shell Sn(II) perovskite’ oxide solar material. In combination with a catalyst developed by American researchers led by Professor…
In a new weekly update for pv magazineOPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a brief overview of the major price trends in the global PV industry. December 20, 2024 OPIS FOB China: The Chinese Module Marker (CMM), the OPIS benchmark rating for TOPCon modules from China, remained stable this week at $0.087/W Free-On-Board (FOB) China, with price indications between $0.083-0.095/W. The module market continues to stagnate as the industry digests the impact of the recently signed “self-regulation agreement” by more than 30 Chinese solar companies, which aims to stabilize prices by controlling supply. “Most module manufacturers are now likely to…
Researchers in Qatar have proposed a solar-powered freeze desalination and electrolysis system for producing freshwater and green hydrogen, while BP says it has made a final investment decision for its 100 MW Lingen Green Hydrogen project in Germany. December 20, 2024 Sergio Matalucci Hamad Bin Khalifa University Researchers have proposed a self-contained solar-powered freeze desalination and electrolysis system to produce fresh water and green hydrogen from brackish groundwater in remote desert areas. They used a 10,456 m² air-conditioned system for ice storage, metal hydride canisters for hydrogen storage and a fuel cell to deal with fluctuations in solar radiation. They…
The U.S. Department of Energy closed its $1.45 billion loan to support Qcells’ supply chain manufacturing facility in Cartersville, Georgia. The Loan Programs Office (LPO) first announced the loan in August. The LPO provides financing for large-scale, high-impact energy infrastructure projects in the United States. Qcells is the largest manufacturer of silicon solar panels in the Western Hemisphere and is currently building an all-inclusive solar panel manufacturing facility in Georgia. The site will produce silicon ingots, wafers, cells and finished panels. Qcells has committed to investing $2.8 billion in the facility. Including its other panel manufacturing facilities in Dalton, Georgia,…
Qair acquired a significant majority stake in UK developer Green Switch Capital in August, adding a pipeline of more than 15 GW. Image: Green Switching Capital. Qair, formerly Green Switch Capital, has been granted planning permission for a 49.9 MWp solar power plant in Buckinghamshire. The 49.9 MWp Straws Hadley Solar Farm will cover approximately 56 hectares and site management will include delivering net biodiversity gain, with an estimated minimum 65% habitat gain and 12% hedgerow gain post-development. Qair acquired a significant majority stake in UK developer Green Switch Capital in August, adding its pipeline of more than 15 GW…
An international research team has analyzed which factors contribute to fire accidents in PV facades and discovered that the distance between the wall and the photovoltaic modules plays a crucial role. The scientists also said property developers should carefully consider what combustible materials are embedded in the cavity wall. December 20, 2024 Emiliano Bellini A Danish-Norwegian research group has investigated how fire can spread in building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) facades and found that the gap distance between the panels and the wall, as well as the presence of flammable materials in the wall cavity, are crucial are factors. The research group…
The sale has reached the final stages and is expected to be completed in February. Image: HEIT. Harmony Energy Income Trust (HEIT) has announced that it has reached a new milestone in the sale of its UK portfolio. Yesterday (December 19), HEIT confirmed it was in the final stages of negotiations with an unnamed preferred bidder on an exclusive basis for the sale of the company’s entire portfolio of battery energy storage systems (BESS). This comes after the company’s second phase of negotiations, which began on October 18, 2024, and saw an “encouraging” number of potential bids. HEIT would like…