Author: solarenergy

Bolivia announces $1 billion deal with China to build lithium factories Bolivia said on Tuesday it had signed a $1 billion deal with China’s CBC, a subsidiary of the world’s largest lithium battery maker CATL, to build two lithium carbonate production plants in the southwestern part of the country. Bolivia’s state-owned Bolivia Lithium Deposits (YLB) said the plants – one with an annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate and the other of 25,000 tonnes – would be located in the vast Uyuni salt flats. Lithium, nicknamed ‘white gold’, is a key component in the production of batteries for…

Pexapark, a Switzerland-based provider of renewable energy market intelligence, says European developers signed 29 power purchase agreements (PPAs) in October, totaling more than 1.2 GW. November 27, 2024 Patrick Jowett According to Pexapark’s latest report, European developers signed 29 PPAs for 1,227 MW in October. The result is a 20% increase in disclosed volumes compared to September and a 26% increase in the number of deals. This makes October the fourth strongest month of the year so far in terms of volumes and the third in terms of number of deals. Tracked PPA prices reached €49.24 ($51.78)/MWh, down 1.7% month-on-month.…

SolarEdge will close its energy storage unit and manufacturing, eliminating 500 jobs. November 27, 2024 Tristan Rayner By ESS news SolarEdge has announced that it will close and sell its energy storage business and assets, resulting in a workforce reduction of approximately 12%, with employees in South Korea particularly affected as it seeks to restructure its operations. Ronen Faier, SolarEdge’s interim CEO, who was appointed in August 2024, said the measures address cost savings and an increased focus on core businesses. “The decision to close our Energy Storage division was the result of a thoughtful analysis of our portfolio of…

A four-year research project from several German universities is investigating the release of molecules involved in molecular solar thermal energy (MOST). They plan to modify the molecules to obtain the best possible properties for the storage technology. November 27, 2024 Patrick Jowett A German research group led by Goethe University Frankfurt is conducting research into MOST energy storage. MOST energy storage is still in its infancy and is described as a method of storing solar energy, similar to a heat battery, but consisting of a large number of synthetically made molecules. The Formost research project, which will run from 2023…

The location was taken over by ISG Renewables earlier this year. Image: Innovation. Innova Renewables has announced the successful activation of its latest solar project, a 27.8 MWp development in Warwickshire. The Elms Farm Solar Park was acquired in May this year by ISG Renewables, a joint venture between Innova and investment company Schroders Greencoat, after planning permission had already been granted in 2022 and construction had started in 2023. In October, ISG Renewables announced that a 15-year Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) had been signed for the Elms Farm solar project, with Anglian Water agreeing to purchase 100% of…

Power electronics giant SolarEdge announced today it will shut down its energy storage division. This will result in the loss of 500 jobs, mostly in South Korea. The company expects to save $7.5 million this quarter with this decision. SolarEdge “The decision to close our energy storage division was the result of a thoughtful analysis of our portfolio of businesses and product lines, industry trends, and the competitive environment,” said Ronen Faier, interim CEO of SolarEdge. “The measures also represent continued execution of two of our main priorities: financial stability through cost reduction, return to cash flow positivity and profitability;…

The solar panel manufacturer announced a five-year lease for a factory in Albuquerque, New Mexico. November 27, 2024 Anne Fischer By pv magazine USA Maxeon Solar Technologies announced a geographic pivot strategy, stating its intention to exclusively serve the US market. “As Maxeon intensifies its focus on the U.S. market, our priority is to further expand our growing network of residential and commercial partners and support our established utility base,” said George Guo, CEO of Maxeon. To continue this new strategy, the company announced that it will lease a factory site in Albuquerque, New Mexico in early 2026 with plans…

A total of 620 battery units have arrived at Thornton Greener Grid Park, located in West Yorkshire. Image: Statkraft. Statkraft has reached a milestone in the construction of a 200MW battery energy storage system (BESS) with a two-hour capacity. A total of 620 battery units have arrived at Thornton Greener Grid Park, located in West Yorkshire. The site is expected to be operational in late 2025 and will store energy generated at the nearby (but separate) 49.9 MW Soay Solar Farm project, also being developed by Statkraft. Statkraft’s BESS projects are intended for short-term storage and typically last two hours.…

KfW Development Bank has offered a €24 billion ($25.2 billion) grant to bridge the gap between network operators’ high investment costs and initially low network fee revenues. November 27, 2024 Ralph Diermann By pv magazine Germany KfW Development Bank has committed €24 billion to bridge the gap between high investment costs and low initial revenues for network operators in Germany. The German national hydrogen strategy includes a 9,000 km hydrogen network by 2032, approved by the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur). Initially, network tariffs will ensure affordability for users, but operators face significant investment costs. KfW’s loan will fund an amortization…

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has been an integral part of the UK’s solar energy journey by providing technical standards for a wide range of products and services and also provides certification and standards-related services to businesses. Specifically, the BSI Standards Committees GEL/82 for Photovoltaic Energy Systems are responsible for standardizing photovoltaic systems for converting solar energy into electrical energy and for all elements in the entire system. GEL/82 represents the British input into European (EN) and international (IEC) standards. The committee is chaired by KT Tan, chief technology officer at Viridian Solar. Solar energy portal spoke to Tan to…