Author: solarenergy

German authorities have awarded 2.15 GW of utility-scale solar power in a new tender, with bids ranging from €0.0450 ($0.05)/kWh to €0.0524/kWh. The tender was oversubscribed to 4.2 GW. September 2, 2024 Sandra Enkhardt By pv magazine GermanyGermany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has allocated 2,152 MW of PV capacity in the country’s latest tender for utility-scale solar energy.It has allocated the capacity for 268 bids. The tender was significantly oversubscribed, with 495 project proposals for a capacity of 4,206 MW.The average final price was €0.0505/kWh, with final prices varying between €0.0450/kWh and €0.0524/kWh.In the country’s last PV tender, held in…

A rendered image of the now permitted solar location as seen from the local road. Image: BayWa.Re Renewable energy developer BayWa.re has been granted planning permission for the Springmount Solar Farm, Ireland’s first solar project. Permission for the 60 MWp development was granted by Tipperary County Council and An Bord Pleanála. The project will be located on 69 hectares of land approximately 7km west of Clonmel. The building permit has been granted for a period of ten years, with an operational life of forty years, after which the solar park will be completely decommissioned. The development also includes a loop…

New research from Morocco has shown that the Sandia PV Array Performance Model is best suited for measuring AC power in PV systems located in arid climates. The scientists conducted a series of tests with three different PV systems at a test facility in Ben Guerir, central Morocco. September 2, 2024 Emiliano BelliniResearchers from Hassan II University in Morocco have developed a new methodology for continuously monitoring the durability and reliability of PV inverters in semi-arid climate scenarios, where the annual failure rate is significant.The proposed approach consists of comparing the measured power with the predicted normal operating power of…

ACWA Power has secured $2.6 billion through a consortium of banks for three solar power plants in Saudi Arabia, with a combined capacity of 5.5 GW. September 2, 2024 Patrick Jowett Image: Chirayu Trivedi, UnsplashACWA Power has secured SAR 9.7 billion ($2.6 billion) from a consortium of local, regional and international banks to develop, build and operate three solar power plants in Saudi Arabia. It will build three facilities in Mecca and Qassim with capacities of 2 GW, 2 GW and 1.5 GW.Buraiq Renewable Energy Co., Moya Renewable Energy Co. and Nabah Renewable Energy Co. have signed the financing agreements.…

AMPYR Distributed Energy was launched early this year by Singapore-based AGP, with an initial capital commitment of up to £100 million. Image: AMPYR distributed energy. AMPYR Distributed Energy, an investor in on-site sustainable energy solutions, has announced a partnership with Oakes Energy Services. The £50 million strategic partnership will focus on an immediate portfolio of behind-the-meter ground-mounted solar projects, delivered by Oakes. As a result of the agreement, the installer will deliver fully financed renewable energy projects for commercial and industrial customers as part of its ambitious growth plans. Oakes managing director Nik Smith said the partnership would accelerate the…

The first AUD550 million ($372.2 million) of the Australian Federal Government’s Solar Sunshot program has been launched to support the development of the domestic solar manufacturing industry and help local businesses capture a greater share of global PV conquer the supply chain. September 2, 2024 David CarollBy pv magazine AustraliaThe Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has opened the first phase of the AUD 1 billion Solar Sunshot program, aimed at driving innovation in PV manufacturing in Australia and creating a more resilient renewable supply chain energy.ARENA Chief Executive Officer Darren Miller said the Solar Sunshot program provides manufacturing grants and…

HD Hyundai Energy Solutionsan energy subsidiary of HD Hyundai, will launch its new N-Topcon modules for the US market at the RE+ TradeShow next month. This line includes 108-cell modules for the residential market and 144- and 156-cell modules for the commercial and utility-scale markets. The new N-type modules have efficiency ranging from 22.3 to 22.9%. In addition, HD Hyundai Energy Solutions will showcase its tandem cells and ROHS-certified environmentally friendly products. The tandem cells, co-developed by Hyundai with the Korea Institute of Chemical Technology, combine perovskite cells and HJT silicon cells and achieve a theoretical efficiency limit of 44%,…

QatarEnergy has unveiled plans for a 2GW solar project in western Qatar that will more than double the country’s cumulative installed solar capacity. September 2, 2024 Patrick Jowett QatarEnergy, a state-owned oil company, will build a 2 GW solar power plant in the city of Dukhan, Qatar.Qatari Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, who is also president and CEO of QatarEnergy, announced the plans during a press conference this week.“Developing solar power plants is one of Qatar’s most crucial initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions, develop sustainability projects and diversify electricity production, reducing CO2 emissions by more than 4.7 million tons per…

The new method, devised by researchers in Canada, combines image processing and deep learning techniques to locate the snow-covered parts of the solar panels. It reportedly outperformed three other popular image processing-based segmentation methods. September 2, 2024 Lior KahanaResearchers from Canada’s University of Waterloo have developed a new automated model for real-time detection of snow cover on PV panels and estimation of energy loss. The model is based on image processing and deep learning, using a convolutional neural network (CNN) and a time-lapse sequence of images to identify the snow-covered area compared to the clean area.“In cold climates, where snow…

Reliance Industries says its new energy company is developing heterojunction (HJT) bifacial solar panels with 26% efficiency, alongside plans to commercialize perovskite and HJT with interdigitated back-contact (IBC) technology within the next two years. September 2, 2024 Uma Gupta Mukesh D. AmbaniImage: Reliance IndustriesBy pv magazine IndiaReliance Industries will start manufacturing PV modules by the end of this year, according to Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh D. Ambani. The company is developing the first phase of its integrated solar manufacturing facilities, which will include modules, cells, glass, wafers, blocks and polysilicon, with an initial annual capacity of 10 GW.It says…