Author: solarenergy
At CES, AI-powered garbage trucks reduce the risk of battery fires From laptops to EVs, lithium-ion batteries have fueled phenomenal growth in the 21st century, but companies face a significant drawback: increased fire risk. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), companies unveiled a next-generation garbage truck designed to detect these highly flammable batteries. The innovation comes as the careless disposal of smartphone batteries, electric toothbrushes and other gadgets has become an acute problem at recycling centres. The owner of a New Jersey recycling plant that caught fire early Thursday pointed to batteries as the likely cause. In the United…
The PV market in the European Union (EU) has experienced remarkable growth, driven by the urgent need to transition to renewable energy and enhance energy security. Solar energy has emerged as a cornerstone of EU’s strategy to achieve its climate goals and reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports. These efforts have been supported by policy measures, including financial incentives and revised renewable energy targets from EU member states, making solar PV deployment a key priority across the continent. In 2024, the EU set a new growth benchmark for PV installations, fueled by rising energy demand and increased investments in renewable…
EQT announced that EQT Transition Infrastructure has agreed to acquire Scale Microgrids, a developer, buyer, owner and operator of microgrids and distributed energy resources for commercial and industrial, EV fleet, data center, municipal, university, hospital and agricultural customers , developers and communities , from Warburg Pincus and other existing shareholders. Headquartered in Ridgewood New Jersey, Scale’s portfolio consists of approximately 250 MW of operating and under-construction assets, with an additional 2.5 GW of near-term pipeline. Scale deploys a variety of technologies, including solar, battery storage, natural gas generators, fuel cells and cogeneration, and its portfolio represents one of the largest…
Discovery of green batteries turns waste into treasure The batteries used in our phones, appliances and even cars rely on metals such as lithium and cobalt, sourced from intensive and invasive mining. As more products begin to rely on battery-based energy storage systems, moving away from metal-based solutions will be critical to facilitating the transition to green energy. Now a team from Northwestern University has transformed an organic industrial waste product into an efficient storage medium for sustainable energy solutions that could one day be deployed on a much larger scale. This is the first time that a waste molecule…
Anker introduced an off-grid perovskite umbrella and cooler with battery energy storage at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. January 10, 2025 Ryan Kennedy By pv magazine USA Anker introduced a new solar-powered umbrella at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The umbrella is integrated with thin and foldable perovskite solar cells and supports 100W power via USB-C and XT-60 ports. Perovskite solar cells are an emerging technology that offers an alternative to conventional silicon-based solar cells. While silicon solar cells today have a maximum efficiency of about 24% and a theoretical limit of about 30%,…
An international study led by Flinders University in Australia has advanced nanoscale chemistry to further develop the sustainable and efficient generation of hydrogen from water using solar energy. January 10, 2025 Ev Foley By pv magazine Australia An international research team has discovered a new class of kinetically stable ‘core and shell Sn(II) perovskite’ oxide solar material, which could in the future be a potential catalyst for the critical oxygen evolution reaction in producing pollution-free hydrogen energy. Combined with a water splitting catalyst developed by US-based Baylor University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Paul Maggard, the research paves the…
India installed a record 24.5 GW of solar capacity in 2024, which is the highest annual addition to date. January 10, 2025 Uma Gupta Image: Ampin Energy Transition By pv magazine India According to JMK Research & Analytics, India added 24.5 GW of solar and 3.4 GW of wind capacity in 2024, doubling solar installations and increasing wind capacity by 21% compared to 2023. These additions boosted the total renewable energy capacity in India at 209.44 GW, with solar accounting for 47% of the total. According to JMK Research, the country’s 24.5 GW of solar capacity included 18.5 GW of…
“We believe that local communities have an important role to play in informing and influencing how our GNR Solar and Biodiversity Park proposals evolve,” said Mark Noone. Image: Unsplash. Elements Green, a UK-based renewable energy developer, has launched the second phase of regulatory consultation for its 800MW Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park. The solar power plant will also feature energy storage and has been renamed to reflect the focus on biodiversity which was a priority for the developer following local feedback in previous consultations. This second consultation phase runs until February 20. “We believe that local communities have…
Italy has expanded incentives for PV projects using EU-made modules under its Transizione 5.0 Tax Credit program, which offers coverage of up to 35% and higher calculation bases for high-efficiency cells and modules. January 10, 2025 Massimiliano Tripodo Image: Ricardo Gómez Angel, Unsplash By pv magazine Italy The Italian government has increased incentives for PV projects using EU-made solar panels under the Transizione 5.0 Tax Credit scheme, a tax program aimed at transitioning industrial processes to renewable energy. The tax credits cover up to 35% of the cost of solar panels and are awarded through tenders for projects using modules…
Researchers from Belgium and the University of Cyprus conducted outdoor stability tests with solar-powered perovskite mini-modules, providing two years of stability performance data. The tests showed that the performance loss of the modules during the burn-in period of perovskites varied between 7% and 8% per month. January 10, 2025 Valerie Thompson Researchers from Belgian research center imec and the University of Cyprus have announced that they have completed outdoor stability testing of solar perovskite mini-modules, which will provide stability data over two years. The research team tested 4 cm2 metal halide perovskite mini-modules, developed at imec/EnergyVille at the University of…