Author: solarenergy

A case study analysis from Norway’s Over Easy Solar found that vertical rooftop solar panels outperform conventional rooftop PV systems during the snowy months. According to the company, energy yields in Norway were up to 30% higher in the winter months. January 8, 2025 Lior Kahana Vertical rooftop solar panels perform better than conventional systems during the snowy months, Norway’s Over Easy Solar has discovered. The company, which produces vertical PV units, said it conducted a case study study in Oslo and found the output of the vertical panels remained consistent into early spring, even after fresh snowfall. “Our data…

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has expanded the scope of potential solar energy development on federal lands, opening several western states to gigawatts of PV deployment. Credit: Alliant Energy In January 2024, the Department of the Interior released an update to the Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, also known as the Western Solar Plan, formalizing processes for solar construction on federal lands west of the Rocky Mountains . The Western Solar Plan was published in 2012 and initially opened designated federal lands in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico to solar energy development. This latest update to…

The final application is expected to be submitted by the end of 2025. Image: Statkraft. Renewable energy developer Statkraft has announced that it has submitted a scoping report for an upcoming national solar energy infrastructure project (NSIP). The Mylen Leah solar project is a proposed 500 MW solar PV power plant to be located in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Plans for the development were unveiled in September 2024 and Stakraft expects the final application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in late 2025, with final planning approval or refusal expected sometime in…

Researchers have proposed using a hybrid version of the so-called Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA) algorithm for maximum power point tracking in PV systems operating under highly fluctuating environmental conditions. The new method also integrates the hill climbing algorithm, which simulates the process of climbing a mountain and is said to help find the best possible solution to a given problem. January 8, 2025 Emiliano Bellini An international research team has developed a hybrid Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technique for PV systems operating in partial shade or rapidly changing atmospheric parameters. The proposed hybrid MPPT algorithm combines the advantages of…

Researchers in Germany have developed a simulation software tool that visualizes heat flows in existing district heating networks and can predict load peaks. It can also be used in planning and commissioning new networks. January 8, 2025 Patrick Jowett A research project led by the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics (Fraunhofer ITWM) has developed a simulation software tool for visualizing heat flows in district heating networks. The AD Net Heat project combines information on the lengths and cross-sections of pipes and the number and position of supply and consumption points of district heating networks with weather data, sunlight exposure and…

Britain’s Swansea University is leading a consortium that aims to develop the sustainable production of next-generation perovskite solar panels in Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Kenya. January 8, 2025 Blathnaid O’Dea A group of scientists has been awarded £3 million ($3.7 million) to explore potential production opportunities for perovskite solar panels in South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda and Nigeria. The group aims to encourage sustainable indigenous production for the solar energy sector in low- and middle-income countries. The Resilient Renewable Energy Access Through Community-Driven Holistic Development in Perovskite Solar Module Manufacturing (REACH-PSM) consortium is led by the UK’s Swansea University. Kenya’s…

Solar Media Market Research analyst Josh Cornes outlines the UK’s solar pipeline lined up to connect to the grid. The UK government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan (CP30) is currently the main focus of the UK solar market, largely due to the insight it provides into the impact reforms can have on the grid connection queue. With consultation well underway and guidelines being drawn up, developers are currently trying to determine their position in the queue and where to place their resources. Looking at the built-in capacity registers (ECRs) of the distribution network operator (DNOs), the total solar capacity accepted…

On January 8, the US Treasury Department and the IRS announced the figures final rules And procedural guidance for the Section 48E(h) Clean Electricity Bonus Credit Amount Program, Low-Income Communities. The 48E(h) program is an expansion of the first-of-its-kind 48(e) incentive credit, designed to reduce home energy costs and encourage clean energy investments in low-income communities and low-income households. to favor Indian Land. , or as part of affordable housing developments. Treasury Department analysis of the first year of the 48(e) program showed that the program received more than 54,000 applications from 48 states, the District of Columbia and four…

Invenergy has announced that its Hardin II Solar Energy Center has begun commercial operations. Hardin II Solar, located in Hardin County, Ohio, will generate 150 MW of clean energy. As announced last month, Meta will purchase the renewable energy generated by Hardin II Solar. The project represents additional energy generation capacity in the region, increasing the reliability of the area’s electricity grid. “We are grateful to work with the Hardin County community and our project partners to bring Hardin II Solar to fruition,” said Michael Kaplan, senior VP of development at Invenergy. “As energy demand continues to rise, dedicated partners…

The Romanian Ministry of Energy has given the green light for the construction of a 1.5 GW solar panel factory in the northeast of the country. January 8, 2025 Patrick Jowett Image: Michael Wilson, Unsplash RomaniaThe Ministry of Energy has approved €32.92 million ($27.2 million) in state aid for the construction of a 1.5 GW solar panel factory. SC Heliomit SRL will build the production facility in Bârlad, northeastern Romania. The ministry approved the funds under the country’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The investment contract, signed in November 2024, is one of three solar energy production projects approved…