Author: solarenergy
Researchers from Japan’s Riken Center for Emergent Matter Science have fabricated an organic solar cell that has achieved waterproofness without reducing flexibility. At 3 micrometers thick, it is believed to be the first cell of its kind to survive a washing machine cycle and maintain its efficiency after multiple cycles. June 3, 2024 Patrick JowettResearchers from the Riken Center for Emergent Matter Science in Japan have manufactured a waterproof and flexible organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cell that can be used in portable electronics.The team’s cell consists of an in-situ growth of a hole-transporting layer to strengthen the bond between the…
Quidnet Energy, a provider of geomechanical energy storage (GES) technology, has joined forces with distributed energy resources developer Hunt Energy Network to deliver 300 MW of storage projects in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) power region. June 3, 2024 Marija Maisch From pv magazine ESS news placeHouston-based renewable energy storage developer Quidnet Energy has announced a major deal that will see hundreds of megawatts of its innovative technology deployed in Texas to help meet ERCOT’s urgent need for energy storage.The company has announced a strategic partnership with a $10 million investment from Hunt Energy Network (HEN), a distributed…
Solertix claims to have reduced yield losses when scaling up from cells to modules by using ultra-narrow 19.5 μm interconnects. It also says that the proposed interconnection technique can be used to achieve 30% efficiency in 4T tandem designs with customized area, with a perovskite module over a silicon cell. June 3, 2024 Emiliano BelliniItalian perovskite specialist Solertix, part of Italy-based solar manufacturer FuturaSun, has manufactured mini perovskite solar panels with an active area of 2.6 cm2 and an energy conversion efficiency of 20.7%.“We have optimized the laser processes to manufacture the compounds used to go from cells to modules,”…
McKinsey & Company has published its 2023 ESG report entitled ‘Accelerating Sustainable and Inclusivity Growth for All’, detailing global efforts to promote sustainability and inclusivity. The report highlights McKinsey’s partnerships with clients, colleagues and communities to advance societal progress. Here are the most important lessons McKinsey’s progress in 2023focusing on their efforts to decarbonize the economy. Unlocking real value: McKinsey’s decarbonization strategy The net-zero transition is transforming the global economy, creating new markets and threatening others. Leaders must reduce emissions, provide affordable energy and materials, ensure reliable energy systems and increase competitiveness. McKinsey has prioritized sustainability and has been working…
California’s Public Utilities Commission has dealt another blow to the industry with its new community order on solar energy. Bifacial solar panels lose tariff exemption after Biden changes courseWashington, DC The Biden administration reinstated imported bifacial solar panels under Sec. 201 tariffs after the specialty solar panels enjoyed a two-year exemption from additional duties first initiated by President Joe Biden in 2022. The exemption resulted in more bifacial modules being imported into the United States than monofacial panels, increasing the objectives of the original safeguard measure were undermined. . The revised 301 rates have been tightened for Chinese solar products,…
Planning for Dengie Solar Park was originally submitted in April 2023 but was refused by Maldon District Council. Image: Wikimedia Commons. Maldon District Council has granted planning permission to British Solar Renewables (BSR) for a new solar project in Essex. BSR has developed more than 700 MW of solar PV across 57 projects to date. Dengie Solar Park, in Essex, will generate 19MW of renewable electricity. Planning for the park was originally submitted in April 2023, but was refused by Maldon District Council due to flooding risks at the proposed site and environmental concerns. To mitigate the impact of the…
In his second monthly column for pv magazinethe IEC is highlighting research into flexible crystalline silicon solar cells led by researcher Zhengxin Liu, the vice chairman of IEC Technical Committee 82, which sets standards for solar PV energy systems. June 3, 2024 International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)Although crystalline silicon solar cells possess many advantages, including their material richness, high energy conversion efficiency and operational stability, as well as their mature manufacturing process, it has always been taken for granted that they cannot be used in flexible applications due to the brittle characteristics of crystalline silicon wafers (Fig. 1). For this reason,…
Panel discussion ‘The Reality of Battery Revenues’ on day 2 of the Renewable Energy Revenues Summit 2024 in London last week. Image: Solar media. At the 2024 Renewable Energy Revenues Summit, a panel praised National Grid ESO’s role in facilitating the market and suggested that third-party optimization may not be commoditization as some had expected. Paul Soskin, head of commercial operations at BESS developer and operator Masdar Arlington Energy, said that by criticizing National Grid for being slow to reform the Balancing Mechanism (BM), people are forgetting how much the operator has for the BESS market done. “It’s not their…
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is offering grants from $10,000 to $250,000 in the second round of funding of the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP) to develop off-grid solar energy in 13 West African and sub-Saharan African countries. The deadline for registration is June 23. June 3, 2024 Patrick Jowett ECOWAS has opened its second call for grants under its ROGEAP initiative. ROGEAP is co-financed by the World Bank, the Clean Technology Fund and the Directorate General for International Cooperation of the Netherlands and aims to expand access to sustainable electricity through off-grid solar products in…
Panhandle Power Solutions (PPS) will serve as EPC for a new battery energy storage system for Whetstone power, a developer of sustainable energy infrastructure. The contract underlines PPS’s commitment to providing specialist full-spectrum EPC services that support the energy transition for its commercial customers. The Colorado-based 202.2 MWh battery energy storage system will demonstrate state-of-the-art technologies that will help reduce peak loads for a local electric utility. It marks a major milestone in the state’s sustainable energy infrastructure and, once completed, will play an important role in increasing the resiliency of the electric grid and optimizing energy resources. “It is…