Author: solarenergy
Qair acquired a significant majority stake in UK developer Green Switch Capital in August, adding a pipeline of more than 15 GW. Image: Green Switching Capital. Qair, formerly Green Switch Capital, has been granted planning permission for a 49.9 MWp solar power plant in Buckinghamshire. The 49.9 MWp Straws Hadley Solar Farm will cover approximately 56 hectares and site management will include delivering net biodiversity gain, with an estimated minimum 65% habitat gain and 12% hedgerow gain post-development. Qair acquired a significant majority stake in UK developer Green Switch Capital in August, adding its pipeline of more than 15 GW…
An international research team has analyzed which factors contribute to fire accidents in PV facades and discovered that the distance between the wall and the photovoltaic modules plays a crucial role. The scientists also said property developers should carefully consider what combustible materials are embedded in the cavity wall. December 20, 2024 Emiliano Bellini A Danish-Norwegian research group has investigated how fire can spread in building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) facades and found that the gap distance between the panels and the wall, as well as the presence of flammable materials in the wall cavity, are crucial are factors. The research group…
The sale has reached the final stages and is expected to be completed in February. Image: HEIT. Harmony Energy Income Trust (HEIT) has announced that it has reached a new milestone in the sale of its UK portfolio. Yesterday (December 19), HEIT confirmed it was in the final stages of negotiations with an unnamed preferred bidder on an exclusive basis for the sale of the company’s entire portfolio of battery energy storage systems (BESS). This comes after the company’s second phase of negotiations, which began on October 18, 2024, and saw an “encouraging” number of potential bids. HEIT would like…
A scientist in Sweden has developed a new hybrid local feature-based method that uses thermographs to identify defective solar panels. December 20, 2024 Lior Kahana A researcher from Sweden’s Jönköping University has proposed a machine learning-based approach to health monitoring for PV systems using infrared thermography. The method is based on a hybrid local feature-based approach to monitor panels, designed to resist scaling, noise, rotation and blur. It achieved a training accuracy of 98% and a testing accuracy of 96.8%. “Existing image processing-based machine learning approaches for health and fault diagnosis are often limited to specific datasets and suffer from…
Norway’s Scatec ASA has achieved financial close of a 60 MW solar power plant in Botswana. The project will be developed as part of a wider 120 MW complex in the central part of the country. December 20, 2024 Patrick Jowett Image: Jadon Kelly, Unsplash Norwegian sustainable energy developer Scatec has reached financial close for the second 60 MW solar power plant of the 120 MW Mmadinare solar complex in Botswana. The estimated total capital expenditure for the 120 MW project is BWP 1.5 billion ($108 million). The solar power plants will be financed with 1 billion BWP of non-recourse…
Meadow Ridge, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Redding, Connecticut, recently powered a 763 kW solar project. It is the long-term vision of Meadow Ridge’s resident-led Solar Committee and broke ground in August with the support of Senior Care Development and Benchmark Senior Living, the community’s ownership and management company. “This is an exciting day on many levels,” said Meadow Ridge Chief Operating Officer Brett Mehlman. “We can all feel good about making this investment in the future of our community and our planet, while realizing immediate benefits. By 2025, we expect that more than 20% of the power…
SunVest Solar, a renewable energy project developer, has completed construction of a 19.5-MW solar project at Charter Steel’s manufacturing facility in Saukville, Wisconsin. The landmark project is the largest behind-the-meter solar installation, directly powering Charter Steel — Wisconsin’s single largest energy user — with clean, local electricty. Credit: SunVest Solar “We are thrilled to have completed this significant milestone in Wisconsin’s renewable energy landscape,” said Bram Walters, CEO of SunVest Solar. “This project builds on our deep history in Wisconsin and sets a new benchmark for behind-the-meter solar in the state. It’s a testament to how solar energy can empower…
A research team in China improved the efficiency and stability of an inverted perovskite cell using a co-assembled approach to incorporate self-assembling monolayers into the hole transport layer. December 20, 2024 Emiliano Bellini A group of researchers from China Hangzhou Dianzi University has developed an inverted perovskite solar cell based on a hole transport layer (HTL) with a self-assembling monolayer (SAM) aimed at passivating defects and increasing efficiency. Inverted perovskite cells have a device structure known as “pin”, where hole-selective contact p is at the bottom of the intrinsic perovskite layer i with electron transport layer n at the top.…
The fossil fuel-rich region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is facing increasing pressure to diversify its energy mix. Although solar energy is cheap, it faces significant socio-political and economic challenges. December 19, 2024 Tannishtha Das By pv magazine 24/12-25/01 The energy economy of the MENA region revolves around oil and gas, which account for approximately 97% of energy consumption. With more than 60% of government revenues dependent on hydrocarbons in some MENA countries, the region is sensitive to fossil fuel price volatility. Clean energy adoption is gaining ground, helped by sustainable development commitments and the Paris Agreement…
Buried interface engineering drives advances in the efficiency of tin-lead-perovskite solar cells A team led by Prof. Meng Li from Henan University’s School of Nanoscience and Materials Engineering has unveiled an innovative approach to overcoming stability and efficiency challenges in tin-lead (Sn-Pb) perovskite solar cells. The researchers’ work focuses on optimizing the selective interface for buried holes using a specially designed self-assembled material, which has major implications for single-junction and tandem solar cell technologies. Tin-lead perovskites are valued for their narrow bandgap properties, making them a key material for the production of high-efficiency solar cells. However, energy level mismatches and…