Author: solarenergy
US Customs and Border Protection blocked Maxeon products despite “clear and objective evidence” of a compliant supply chain. November 15, 2024 Ryan Kennedy By pv magazine USA Solar panels shipped from a Mexican factory by manufacturer Maxeon Solar have been blocked from entering the US market by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). In early September, Maxeon reported that CBP had for the first time detained solar panels imported from its module factories in Ensenada and Mexicali, Mexico. The company explained that US authorities were trying to determine whether the panels comply with the UFLPA. Maxeon has now done it submitted…
CHN Energy has connected the first phase of its 1 GW offshore solar project in China to the grid, making progress on what it calls the world’s largest open sea solar array, which will power 2.67 million city residents upon completion can provide. November 15, 2024 Patrick Jowett Guohua Energy Investment Co. Ltd. of CHN Energy has connected the first batch of PV units to the grid at its 1 GW open sea offshore solar project, 8 km from Dongying in Shandong Province, China. The project covers approximately 1,223 hectares and includes 2,934 PV platforms installed using large-scale offshore steel…
Brazilian PV association ABSolar says the Brazilian government’s decision to increase import duties on solar panels from 9.6% to 25% could delay the country’s energy transition and negatively impact ongoing projects. November 15, 2024 Livia Neves By pv magazine Brazil The Brazilian government this week increased import duties on solar panels from 9.6% to 25%. According to Brazilian PV association ABSolar, this measure could undermine the country’s energy transition, potentially raising solar costs, leading to capital flight, higher inflation, job losses and business closures. The new rules have yet to be published in the Government Gazette. “By deciding to increase…
The European Commission has released version 5.3 of its free Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS) tool, which calculates the output of residential solar-plus-storage systems and provides global data on solar radiation and PV performance. November 15, 2024 Pilar Sanchez Molina Image: European Commission The European Commission has released version 5.3 of PVGISa free online tool available in five languages. It provides detailed calculations on solar radiation and the performance of photovoltaic systems worldwide, excluding the poles. PVGIS estimates electricity production at specific locations, seasonal production variations and the impact of battery storage on the use of generated energy. It offers…
Intersolar & Energy Storage North America (IESNA) has announced the acquisition of Midwest Solar Expo (MWSE). The acquisition strengthens IESNA’s commitment to providing high-quality connections, resources and knowledge to support the energy transition, both nationally and regionally. Jake Rozmaryn, former executive director of the Midwest Solar Expo, will transition to an advisory role and Sharona Kohn will continue as conference director. “Midwest Solar Expo was created to highlight the future of the renewable energy market in the Midwest and will now be our second regional expansion following Intersolar & Energy Storage North America Texas, launching in Austin November 19-20, 2024,”…
Tongwei has launched due diligence on its CNY5 billion ($691.8 million) bid to acquire Chinese solar power maker Runergy, aiming to secure at least 51% of its equity. The deal, which would be the largest in the PV sector this year, remains subject to changes or possible termination. November 15, 2024 Vincent Shaw Tongwei said it is conducting due diligence Run energy after signing a takeover agreement. It is now assessing the financial and operational aspects of the Runergy. The CNY5 billion ($691.8 million) deal, which aims to secure at least 51% of Runergy’s shares, could still face changes or…
As the Maryland Energy Administration prepares to debut the new Maryland Solar Access Program for the fiscal year 2025 (FY25), it has issued a final pre-launch call for public input. In accordance with the requirements of the Brighter Tomorrow Act of 2024, the agency has a Request for information intended to gather information from the residential solar industry and the general public to help inform the program’s consumer protection policies. As the agency aims to open the application window for the program in January 2025, it strongly encourages comments to be submitted by November 26, 2024. “The Maryland Energy Administration…
Portuguese researchers say raw materials are not a major concern for the European supply chain, while Mibgas Derivatives and DH2 Energy have launched the Iberian Peninsula’s first renewable hydrogen auction. November 15, 2024 Sergio Matalucci University of Lisbon Researchers have found that most raw materials pose little threat to the implementation of hydrogen technology in Europe, but iridium is a crucial element. They said in their newspaper: “Strategic raw material needs for large-scale hydrogen production in Portugal and the European Union”, that its scarcity could hinder the widespread use of proton exchange membrane electrolyzers, even though it represents less than…
UAH plasma researcher investigates key factors in solar corona warming via Alfven Waves Syed Ayaz, a researcher at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), has published a study in ‘Scientific Reports’ that builds on his groundbreaking research into kinetic Alfven waves (KAW) as a possible explanation for why the solar corona, the solar radiation’s outer layer of the atmosphere, is much hotter than the surface of the sun. This latest research deepens the understanding of these electromagnetic waves and their role in the distribution of solar energy, essential for heliophysics. Ayaz, a graduate research assistant at UAH’s Center for…
A British research team used electroluminescence imaging to inspect 167 PV installations with a total of 5 million solar cells. Defects were divided into line cracks, complex cracks, edge ribbon cracks and potential induced degradation (PID). November 15, 2024 Emiliano Bellini Researchers from the University of York carried out electroluminescence (EL) analysis on 85,000 PV modules in 167 installations across the UK over a nine-year period and found an increasing presence of complex cracks and edge cracks in recent installations . The scientists explained that the novelty of their approach was to use EL testing exclusively under nighttime conditions, which…