Author: solarenergy

RES says it is “disappointed” with the outcome. Image: RES. Renewable energy developer RES has failed to gain approval for the proposed Stoneworthy Energy Storage project in Devon. The decision to reject the 49.9MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project was made at a meeting of Torridge District Council, with councilors voting six to two to refuse planning permission, despite the fact that the assigned case officer had recommended granting permission. If the plan had been approved, 32 BESS units would have been built on site, located on 3.6 hectares of land in Pyworthy, Devon. Local residents objected to the…

Researchers in China have proposed a novel lithium-free doping strategy to fabricate spiro-OMeTAD-based hole transport layers (HTLs) for applications in perovskite solar cells. A PV device built with a salt-doped HTL achieved a record-breaking efficiency of 25.45%. September 18, 2024 Emiliano BelliniScientists from China’s Northwestern Polytechnical University have used a lithium-free doping strategy to fabricate a perovskite solar cell based on a metal-free hole transport layer (HTL) made of spiro-OMeTAd that reportedly offers remarkable levels of efficiency and stability.The research team explained that for perovskite cell applications, spiro-OMeTAD is commonly doped with a compound known as lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) to…

The government of the Canadian province of Ontario has commissioned the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to finalize a design framework for a large-scale energy procurement that will also include solar energy. It says ground-mounted solar installations will be banned in key agricultural areas. September 18, 2024 Patrick Jowett Image: Chirayu Trivedi, UnsplashThe Canadian The province of Ontario is planning large-scale, competitive energy purchasing.The Second Long Term Procurement (LT2), announced by the Ontario government as the largest in the province’s history, is expected to consist largely of new bioenergy, solar and wind projects.In a letter to the province’s IESO, Stephen…

The world’s strongest battery could enable lightweight, energy-efficient vehicles Building vehicles or electronics with materials that serve as both batteries and structural components could significantly reduce weight and energy consumption. A research group at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has introduced a major development in the field of massless energy storage. Their newly developed structural battery has the potential to reduce the weight of devices such as laptops by half, make mobile phones as thin as credit cards and increase the driving range of electric cars by as much as 70% on a single charge. “We have managed to create…

Researchers measured the power loss of a 50 W panel stationed in a 30 meter wave tank. Based on ten different scenarios, they were able to create an empirical equation for predicting power loss, with the highest loss measured at 12.7%. September 18, 2024 Lior KahanaScientists from the United Kingdom and Australia have built an experimental setup to measure the loss of solar energy due to wave movements when deploying floating PV (FPV) panels. Based on their results, they were also able to derive an empirical equation showing that the power loss is predictable via the rotation amplitude.“Solar panels undergo…

A group of researchers in Thailand outlined a new methodology to identify the optimal temperature in two-stage cascade heat pumps using non-azeotropic refrigerants. Through their analysis, the scientists discovered that the coefficient of performance for simultaneous heating and cooling is affected by the bottleneck temperature at the cascade heat exchanger, with lower temperature levels responsible for a higher COP. September 18, 2024 Emiliano BelliniResearchers from Chiang Mai University in Thailand have proposed a new approach to find the optimal temperature to increase the coefficient of performance (COP) of two-stage cascade heat pumps using non-azeotropic refrigerants.Despite their limited success in industry,…

Italian winemaker Svolta Srl has deployed an agrivoltaic facility at its vineyard in Apulia, Italy. The PV array enabled the cultivation of vines that are not normally viable at this latitude. September 18, 2024 Lara MorandottiBy pv magazine ItalyWine producer Svolta Srl has installed an agrivoltaic system in its vineyard Vigna Agrivoltaica di Comunità in Laterza, in the Italian province of Taranto, in the sunny southern region of Apulia.The south-facing 970 kW system features approximately 7,770 panels with different output powers: 135 W, 125 W and 100 W. The technology is largely an unspecified thin-film dual-junction. The modules are deployed…

The project follows other successes for Renewable Connections. Image by Markus Spiske via Unsplash. Local authorities have given solar and battery developer Renewable Connections full approval for an upcoming solar project in Leicestershire. The 22.5MW Old Hall Solar Farm, located near Ragdale, was approved for development and operation over a 40-year life by Melton Borough Council and Charnwood Borough Council on September 13. The development uses two-sided solar panels, which collect light at both the front and the back. Bifacial solar panels can generate up to 30% more electricity than traditional solar panels, depending on site conditions; rows of panels…

DYCM Power says it will build an $800 million solar cell and module factory in the United States, starting with a capacity of 2 GW and planning to expand to 6 GW. September 18, 2024 Ryan KennedyBy pv magazine USADYCM Power, a joint venture formed by Das & Co., LLC and APC Holdings, LLC, has announced plans to develop a solar cell and module manufacturing facility in the United States. The plant is expected to require approximately $800 million in capital expenditures. It will initially produce 2 GW of both cells and modules per year, with planned expansions up to…

India has made great strides in building a domestic PV supply chain. Do you also see this happening in the energy storage sector?JT: India’s domestic industry has made very impressive investments in manufacturing facilities, technology transfer and business partnerships. The government has encouraged investment in solar energy through production-related incentives and basic customs duties, and many financial incentives have been extended by banks and private equity to increase the number of manufacturing facilities in India.Based on the approved list of models and manufacturers that companies must be on to deliver projects related to government tenders, there are now more than…