Author: solarenergy

Photo by Stetson Tchividjian, D3Energy, on LinkedIn Ameresco celebrated the completion of Utah’s first floating solar array in late September, developed in partnership with Mountain Regional Water Special Service District. The floating solar project, located on a pond at the Signal Hill Water Treatment Plant, was commemorated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by representatives from Ameresco, Mountain Regional Water and Rocky Mountain Power. Ameresco partnered with D3Energy to develop the 587.5 kW floating solar panels, supported by a $400,000 grant from Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Award program. By supplying electricity directly to the water treatment plant, the system will…

France-based Solarcloth tested and compared three colored solutions: MorphoColor interference sheets from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute; ColorQuant interference encapsulants from the German company Lenzing Plastics; and diffuser films from Swiss-based Solaxess. October 3, 2024 Marie BeijerBy pv magazine FranceFrench CIGS specialist Solarcloth wants to integrate color into its flexible CIGS photovoltaic modules.The company tested and compared three colored solutions: MorphoColor interference sheets from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute; ColorQuant interference encapsulants from the German company Lenzing Plastics; and diffuser films from Swiss-based Solaxess.The company’s CEO, Alain Janet, said this pv magazine France that the tested technologies were selected based on seven main criteria,…

After a challenging but record-breaking year in 2023 for U.S. residential solar installations, the first six months of 2024 were characterized by near-record-low solar prices, persistently high interest rates, surging homeowner demand for storage and shifting shopper motivations. These factors, along with recent interest rate cuts, suggest the industry is at a turning point, with the potential for lower solar and storage pricing, higher-quality equipment, and better financing options in the second half of the year. This is according to EnergySage, which today released its 19th “Solar & Storage Marketplace Report.” This semiannual report analyzes homeowner shopping transactions on the…

Once completed, Sheaf Energy Park will complement the 100MW/100MWh Richborough Energy Park. Image: Pacific Green Pacific Green has achieved major milestones in the construction of its 373.5 MWh Sheaf Energy Park in Kent, England. The Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project, developed on the brownfield site of the former Richborough coal-fired power station, will serve as a vital asset for energy storage and transmission, supporting the Nemo Link interconnector with Belgium and the nearby Thanet Offshore Wind Farm. The Sheaf Energy Park is a partnership between Pacific Green and Sosteneo, the asset owner. Once completed, the park will complement the…

The new heat pump concept should enable ready-made energy storage, even in existing installations. It features capabilities that easily detect self-consumption of PV energy, maximizing the amount of energy that can be produced and consumed on site October 3, 2024 Emiliano BelliniPanasonic Marketing Europe GmbH, part of the Japanese conglomerate Panasonic, announced this week that it is part of a consortium currently developing a multi-source heat pump in combination with phase change material (PCM), optimized by new control algorithms.PCMs can do that absorb, store and release large amounts of latent heat within defined temperature ranges. They are often used at…

Nautilus Solar Energy is no stranger to building solar panels on covered landfills. The New Jersey-based solar developer has completed many solar projects in the Northeast, but building a ballast array at the former Schenectady Army Depot in Albany County, New York, was an entirely new experience. The community solar project at the former Schenectady Army Depot was built within narrow stretches of capped landfills surrounded by a series of obstacles. Nautilus Solar The 2.8 MW Altamont solar project is the first community solar project on a previously used defense site (FUDS) in the United States, and Nautilus had to…

The first phase of the rollout is underway, with Zestec and its supply partner Custom Solar identifying approximately 25 initial locations to deploy the first 1MW of solar PV. Image: Chris Bull/UNP Zestec Renewable Energy, a power purchase agreement (PPA) provider, has announced a partnership with UK retailer Co-op to deploy up to 30 MW of rooftop solar installations. Solar installations across Co-op’s 700 UK locations will be part of the retailer’s efforts to achieve its net zero ambition by 2035. Under the PPA model, Zestec will design, develop, finance and actively manage rooftop solar PV systems. op does not…

Researchers have developed a new passivation process for formamidinium lead iodide perovskite films, which has reportedly resulted in solar cells with an energy conversion efficiency of 23.69% and modules with a certified efficiency of 21.44%. After 1000 hours, the hetero-polytypic passivated devices retained 92% of their initial efficiency and outperformed untreated devices. October 3, 2024 Valerie ThompsonAn international research team led by the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) in South Korea developed a passivation process for formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) perovskite films, demonstrating it in solar cells with a certified energy conversion efficiency of 23.69%, and modules with…

Australian renewable energy developer and electricity retailer Flow Power will install a 3 MW DC-coupled battery energy storage system next to the recently completed Cootamundra Solar Farm in New South Wales, a measure designed to improve the facility’s flexibility. October 3, 2024 David CarollBy pv magazine AustraliaAustralia-based Flow Power has announced plans to expand its battery-based solar offering into New South Wales (NSW), with a 3MW battery energy storage system to be installed alongside its 5.8MW Cootamundra Solar Farm deployed. The battery is connected to the SMA 4.6 MVA solar inverter via DC-DC converters.The Cootamundra Solar Farm consists of 8,080…

An international group of scientists has designed a patented mooring technology and vertical PV system that reportedly allows the two-sided solar panels to adapt to the prevailing wind direction to shed wind loads. Depending on the scope of a project, the system can deliver different power yields. October 3, 2024 Lior KahanaAn international research group has developed a vertical PV system design for applications in offshore waters.The new system, called PVSail, allows the floating structure to align with the prevailing wind direction to shed wind loads.“SolarMarine Energy’s patented system minimizes the environmental impact of both wind and waves,” said corresponding…