Author: solarenergy
Tokyo-based Toyo Co. says it will invest $60 million in a new 2 GW solar cell factory in Ethiopia, which will primarily serve the US market. October 16, 2024 Emiliano Bellini Japan-based tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell manufacturer Toyo has announced plans to build a 2 GW cell manufacturing facility in Hawassa, Ethiopia. The company said it will initially invest $60 million in the new $31,500 million2 factory. “Toyo expects to begin equipping the new factory in November 2024, with the new factory expected to begin production at the end of the first quarter of 2025,” the company…
Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners announces two long-term agreements covering 100% of solar energy generation at Cleve Hill Solar Park. British supermarket chain Tesco has signed a 15-year agreement covering 65% of production and Shell will manage the remaining capacity under a 10-year route-to-market agreement. October 16, 2024 Matthew Lynas Image: Andreas Gücklhorn, Unsplash Tesco Stores Limited and Shell Energy Europe Limited have signed major offtake agreements with Cleve Hill Solar Park, a 373 MW solar and 150 MW battery storage project under construction in Kent, England. The 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with supermarket chain Tesco is the largest PPA for…
First Minister of Scotland John Swinney MSP, second from left, with Highview executives including CEO Richard Butland, second from right. Image: Highview Power. Highview Power has unveiled plans for a long-term energy storage project (LDES) using liquid air energy storage technology (LAES) in Scotland. The company is developing a 2.5 GWh project called Hunterston at a site in Peel Ports in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It will be the company’s second project using LAES technology. The first step is to build the grid connection and infrastructure for grid stability services, for which the construction permit has been obtained, while the full…
Production is now underway in Sweden’s first large-scale agricultural park, owned and operated by Svea Solar. A power purchase agreement has been signed with a local vertical farmer for the electricity produced, while the farm under the solar panels will produce rapeseed, loam and wheat on a rotational basis. October 16, 2024 Patrick Jowett Swedish solar energy company Svea Solar has developed Sweden’s first large-scale agricultural park. The 6 MW solar park, located in the municipality of Gullspång in western Sweden, covers 13 hectares. It features a total of 8,680 panels installed as a 2P single-axis tracker system designed to…
Power Factors has announced the availability of Unity Asset Performance Management (APM) and Unity AI Insights, two applications designed to drive operational efficiency and performance optimization for renewable energy stakeholders throughout the asset lifecycle. These products are available today and represent the next generation of sustainable energy management, integrating the best capabilities of Power Factors’ proven APM products, Drive and Greenbyte. Unity APM, a new asset performance management application, and Unity AI Insights, an extension of Unity APM that amplifies powerful AI-driven analytics, sit on top of the newly redesigned Unity platform, the most scalable, secure and powerful management of…
The competent minister has signed a decree that allows the electricity transmission system operator (TSO) Terna to organize tender exercises, possibly as early as the first half of 2025. October 16, 2024 Sergio Matalucci and Massimiliano Tripodo Italian Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin Image: MASE By ESS news Italy’s Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto, has signed a decree authorizing the creation of a centralized electricity storage system. Now that the European Commission has approved the plans submitted by Italy in December 2023, Pichetto’s signature allows electricity TSO Terna to organize tenders for the purchase of energy…
The Singapore-based manufacturer said its new panel can be self-cleaning through rainwater thanks to its frameless design. The new product has an operating temperature coefficient of -0.30% per C and an efficiency ranging from 21.51% to 22.53%. October 15, 2024 Emiliano Bellini Singapore-based solar manufacturer Gstar has unveiled a frameless TOPCon solar module for residential applications. “The Cleanedge seriess has successfully obtained patent certification from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) due to its innovative design,” a company spokesperson said. pv magazine. “The most striking feature is the frameless design on the front, which eliminates the protrusion of…
Researchers in Western Australia have discovered a method to increase the number of molecules that attach to the surface of small semiconductor nanocrystals. They claim that this breakthrough could significantly improve the efficiency and performance of solar panels. October 15, 2024 David Caroll By pv magazine Australia Researchers at Curtin University in Western Australia have discovered that adjusting the shape of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals allows them to control how these nanocrystals interact with their environment. This modification improves their efficiency in various applications, including solar cells. Associate Professor Guohua Jia from Curtin University’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences led…
Derril Water will be Britain’s first community solar farm. Image: Andreas Gücklhorn via Unsplash. Publicly owned energy company Ripple Energy has successfully funded a new solar development in Devonshire thanks to a deal with Virgin Money. The community energy organization has secured a £21.8 million loan package from the bank to finance the construction and operation of the 42MW Derril Water Solar Park, which will be located near Torridge, Devon. This isn’t the first time Ripple and Virgin Money have collaborated; Virgin Money provided financing for Ripple Energy’s 18.8MW Kirk Hill wind farm in Ayrshire, Scotland, which came online in…
Gautam Solar plans to launch an initial public offering (IPO) in the next 12 to 18 months to fund its PV cell expansion plans. October 15, 2024 Uma Gupta By pv magazine India Gautam Solar has unveiled plans to increase its solar panel manufacturing capacity to 5 GW by 2025. The company has also announced a $121.1 million PV cell expansion project, which will be funded through an initial public offering planned for the next 12 to 18 months. “This expansion will take place in three phases, with the first phase completed in November 2024, followed by the second and…