Author: solarenergy

Actual solar energy generation is likely higher, as the 110 GWh of energy generation only came from grid-scale solar developments. Image: ib vogt. Preliminary data from grid operator EirGrid shows that a third of electricity in the Republic of Ireland came from renewable sources in June. Electricity-scale solar supplied 4.4% of Ireland’s electricity demand, a new high for the country. Actual solar energy generation is likely higher, as the 110 GWh of energy generation only came from grid-scale solar developments; According to the Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA), 94,000 Irish homes are equipped with solar panels, amounting to a capacity…

Bluescope, owner of Glenbrook Steel Mill, is one of the companies that would benefit from getting the majority of their emissions released. Photo: CC BY 2.0 / Auckland Photo News The Don’t Subsidize Pollution campaign has sent a 6,000-strong petition to parliament asking the government to scrap free carbon credits for major polluters. Under the emissions trading system, most carbon dioxide emitters, including gasoline companies and electricity companies that burn coal, pay a price – currently around $50 – for every ton of emissions. But companies like Rio Tinto, Methanex and Bluescope, owner of the Glenbrook Steel Mill, get most…

At SNEC 2024 in Shanghai, pv magazine spoke to Martin Green, Scientia professor at the University of New South Wales and expert in solar cell technology. He said perovskite-silicon tandem technologies still have a long way to go before reaching commercial maturity and predicts that silicon-based technologies will dominate the market for many years to come. He also sees potential for copper-zinc tin sulfide (CZTS) solar cells and other absorber materials. “Until we solve the stability issues with perovskite, it’s good to have other candidates,” he said. July 4, 2024 Eckhart Gouras pv magazine Managing Director, Eckhart Gouras, and Professor…

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) has issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to fund pilot-scale energy storage demonstration projects focused on non-lithium technologies, 10+ hour discharge systems, and stationary energy storage systems. storage applications. July 4, 2024 Marija Maisch From pv magazine ESS news placeInterest in long-term energy storage (LDES) is growing rapidly as demand for clean, reliable capacity grows. New funding was announced in the US this week in an effort to make a variety of LDES technologies commercially viable.The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) on…

The Portugal-based company has developed a metal oxide removal product for PV installations near foundries, steel mills and metal ore mines. July 4, 2024 Valerie ThompsonChemitek Solar, a Portuguese manufacturer of industrial maintenance products for the PV industry, has launched a new product line to remove metal oxides, such as aluminum oxide and iron oxide, or rust, from solar panels installed near foundries, steel mills and metal ore mines.The product is available as a concentrate in 5kg and 20kg drums and can be applied via water-fed piles, electric rotary brushes, robots, brush-on-tractor methods and manually with brushes.“Extensive laboratory and field…

Bolivian soldiers sparked controversy last week by interrogating President Luis Arce, prompting ruling party allies including former President Evo Morales to describe the incident as a “self-coup.” However, Arce has attributed the situation to entities interested in exploiting Bolivia’s lithium reserves. July 4, 2024 Luis IniBy pv magazine LatAmLast week, a significant political crisis unfolded in Bolivia when soldiers led by Army Commander General Juan José Zúñiga armored vehicles rammed the Bolivian government palace and called for “the restoration of democracy and free political prisoners.”President Luis Arce reprimanded Zúñiga in front of reporters, describing the incident as a failed coup…

Covenant House of West Virginia has partnered with Everybody Solar to harness solar energy to bring clean, renewable energy to its facility. The planned 27.8 kW solar array will offset 35% of Covenant House’s annual electricity costs. This project marks Everybody Solar’s first venture into West Virginia, a region historically dependent on coal. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), coal-fired power plants accounted for 89% of total electricity generation in West Virginia in 2022, making its power grid the most carbon-heavy of any U.S. state. This project is a critical step toward diversifying the state’s energy sources and…

The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) has imposed a 10% import tariff on solar panels to protect local manufacturers, attract investment and deepen the value chain. The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association has questioned the lack of formal industry involvement, calling the timing ‘not ideal’. July 4, 2024 Patrick JowettSouth Africa’s ITAC is introducing a 10% tariff on the import of crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules and panels. In a statement published on its website, it cited the protection of South African solar panel manufacturers as the reason for maintaining the tariff, which has already come into effect.It…

Tesla says it has registered a significant increase in energy storage deployment, officially reporting sales of 9.4 GWh of deployed storage products in the second quarter of 2024. July 4, 2024 John Fitzgerald WeaverBy pv magazine USATesla set a company record by deploying 9.4 GWh of energy storage in the second quarter of 2024, more than doubling the largest deployment in the previous quarter. The value of 9.4 GWh was 131% larger than the previous quarter and 157% larger than the volume deployed in the second quarter of 2023.The first two quarters of the company’s energy storage deployment in 2024…

Researchers in Italy outlined a new model for estimating hydrogen production costs as a function of plant component sizes. They tested PV, wind and hybrid hydrogen production to determine the optimal size ratio for the period 2030-2050. They also found that solar hydrogen can currently reach a levelized hydrogen price of €5.11/kg in Italy, with a PV ratio of 2.2. July 4, 2024 Lior KahanaResearchers from the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Safety and the Polytechnic University of Turin have developed a new model to estimate hydrogen production costs as a function of plant component sizes.“The goal is to…