Author: solarenergy

First Solar held the grand opening of its new 3.5 GW solar panel manufacturing facility in Lawrence County, Alabama. The $1.1 billion fully vertically integrated thin-film solar panel manufacturing facility is First Solar’s first U.S. factory outside of Ohio. Once at full capacity the site could support 800 jobs. “This is the first of two fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing facilities that strengthen the role of the Gulf Coast states in enabling America’s comprehensive energy strategy,” said Mark Widmar, CEO of First Solar. “This energy technology manufacturing facility produces American-made solar panels, with American-made components sourced from a supply chain…

An international research group demonstrated the first perovskite solar cells on polycarbonate substrates, suitable for flexible PV applications. Using an industrially compatible manufacturing method, the group produced devices with an energy conversion efficiency of 13.0%, of which 87% was retained after 1000 bending cycles at a 20 mm radius. September 26, 2024 Valerie ThompsonAn international research group demonstrated a method to fabricate perovskite solar cells on polycarbonate substrates that is compatible with industrial production processes for flexible PV devices.“Here we developed the very first perovskite solar cell on polycarbonate films with an energy conversion efficiency of 13.0% by developing a…

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has announced two major projects in Washington state that will help add more clean energy to its portfolio. The first is the development of a utility-scale solar facility, known as Appaloosa Solar Project, which PSE will own and operate. The second is a power purchase agreement signed with BrightNight for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), known as the Greenwater project. Together, the projects could generate up to 342 MW of energy to support PSE’s commitment to diversify its mix of renewable resources and meet the state’s Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) goals. Since the approval…

Site C is one of four sites that will be developed under the proposals. Image: Brockwell solar and storage. British developer Brockwell Solar and Storage, formerly RNA Energy, has opened regulatory consultations for a proposed solar and battery storage development north-west of St Neots, on the Cambridgeshire-Bedfordshire border. The East Park development would include a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of 400 MW and a 100 MW battery energy storage system (BESS). The development will include an on-site substation and will be connected via underground cable to the existing electricity transmission network at National Grid’s Eaton Socol…

Researchers in Spain have developed a new method to select those water bodies within a range of water bodies where investment in floating PV could be most beneficial. They combined geographic information systems, multi-criteria analysis and intelligent optimization. The new approach reportedly results in up to 8.4% better LCOE compared to conventional methods. September 26, 2024 Lior KahanaA group of Spanish scientists propose a new framework for stakeholders to assess and optimize floating PV farms (FPV).The proposed approach is aimed at investors and policy makers as it reportedly allows them to find the most favorable water bodies for FPV installation…

Advances in femtosecond laser micromachining of halide perovskites Halide perovskite materials are increasingly recognized for their potential in areas such as information storage, lasers, anti-counterfeiting and planar lenses, thanks to their unique optoelectronic properties. A crucial challenge when using these materials is achieving highly accurate and high-quality patterns. This challenge has hindered progress in several practical applications. A review article entitled “Advances in Femtosecond Laser Synthesis and Micromachining of Halide Perovskites” was recently published by Professor Lin Ma’s team from Guangdong University of Technology in ‘Light: Advanced Manufacturing’. The paper, co-authored by master’s student Shijie Du and professors Fangteng Zhang…

Perovskia Solar has completed a seed funding round and secured ten Internet of Things (IoT) companies as customers. The company designs custom solar cells for devices such as keyboards and smartwatches that can generate electricity indoors. September 26, 2024 Lior Kahana Printed cell from Perovskia SolarImage: Perovskia SolarPerovskia Solar, a startup specializing in custom solar cells for various electronic devices, has raised more than CHF 2 million ($2.36 million) in seed funding. The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), from which the company emerged, announced the closing of the financing round.“The spin-off company has brought the first…

The new Power Control System (PCS) is designed to maximize capacity and storage integration with solar panels. September 26, 2024 Ryan KennedyChinese power electronics supplier APsystems has announced the release of a new power control system (PCS). The new model, ELS 11.4k PCS, offers higher rated and peak power over previous models.The PCS also adds a generator connectivity feature, allowing the homeowner to integrate generators to operate alongside their home solar and energy storage systems.The PCS provides rated power up to 11,400 VA and peak backup power up to 17,100 VA for 10 seconds. This allows the device to support…

Energy Toolbase and Stellar Solar have implemented an advanced energy management system for the Mira Loma transportation campus. September 26, 2024 Ryan KennedyBy pv magazine USAEnergy Toolbase and San Diego-based solar installer Stellar Solar Commercial have collaborated to deliver a solar and energy storage project for a transportation campus operated by Marten Transport in Mira Loma, California. The project included two solar carport structures with a capacity of 197 kW. Stellar Solar also installed a 60 kW / 266 kWh BYD Chess energy storage system. The four-hour battery life is managed by Acumen EMS control software. The primary control application…

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting says most major European markets recorded higher electricity prices last week due to lower solar and wind energy production and despite a decline in gas and CO2 prices. September 25, 2024 Patrick JowettMost major European markets recorded an increase in average electricity prices last week, according to an analysis by AleaSoft Energy Forecasting.Compared to the previous week, average prices rose in the British, German, Italian, Scandinavian, Portuguese and Spanish markets, but fell in the Belgian, Dutch and French markets.Weekly averages were below €81/MWh in all markets last week, except the UK and Italian, where averages of €95.81/MWh…