Author: solarenergy

The International Energy Agency says renewables are on track to meet almost half of global electricity demand by 2030, with solar accounting for 80% of capacity growth. October 10, 2024 Patrick JowettThe International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that more than 4,000 GW of new solar energy will be added worldwide by the end of the decade.The agency’s flagship report: “Renewable energy sources 2024,” says the world will add more than 5,500 GW of new renewable energy capacity between 2024 and 2030, to reach a cumulative capacity of almost 11,000 GW. The forecast indicates that solar energy will account for 80%…

China’s solar power is moving from supremacy to oversupply Strong state support and massive private investment have turned China’s solar industry into a global powerhouse, but it faces new headwinds, from punitive tariffs abroad to a brutal price war at home. Officials meeting in Baku next month for the COP29 summit hope to agree on new financial targets to help developing countries respond to climate change, including dumping fossil fuels. Last year, countries agreed to triple global installed renewable energy capacity by 2030. China installs almost twice as much solar and wind energy as all other countries combined. And it…

Researchers from Norway and Germany investigated the influence of impurities in fused quartz crucibles used in the production of silicon PV rods. The results suggest that the most important factors affecting crucible uniformity are sand quality, sand particle size and aspects of the manufacturing process. October 10, 2024 Valerie ThompsonResearchers from Norway and Germany investigated the influence of impurities in fused quartz crucibles used in the production of silicon PV rods, particularly the physical properties and uniformity of hydroxyl impurities.The research was made possible by infrared microscopy and viscosity testing.“Understanding the weaker points in the structure of the crucible could…

BlueWave has started three agrivoltaic community solar projects in Johnstown, New York, totaling 16 MW. October 10, 2024 Anne Fischer By pv magazine USABlueWave, a solar developer focused on agrivoltaics, is entering New York State with three solar projects in the design phase. The installations have a total capacity of 16 MW and are all located in Johnstown, New York State.“We have taken a deep dive into agrivoltaic energy, it is now our default land use option in our solar panels,” said Jesse Robertson-DuBois, director of sustainable development at Bluewave, told pv magazine USA.All arrays will feature herd-friendly agrivoltaic designs…

Intelligent energy management company Eaton has announced a partnership with Lunar Energy to simplify installation and maximize the functionality of home energy storage and solar systems. The integration of Eaton’s new AbleEdge smart circuit breakers with the Lunar System will make it easier for installers and homeowners to deploy solar and storage, manage loads, optimize costs and extend the life of the solar battery system. The joint solutions are expected to be available in early 2025, with Eaton being Lunar Energy’s preferred supplier for load management. Eaton’s AbleEdge smart breakers will add load management functionality to the Lunar System in…

Rayzon Solar currently has 4 GW of PV module manufacturing capacity and plans to add 3 GW by December, followed by another 5 GW by September 2025. This will increase cumulative module capacity to 12 GW per year. The company also plans to build a 1.2 GW cell line by the end of 2025. October 10, 2024 Uma Gupta Rayzon Solar’s new TOPCon modules at REI Expo 2024Image: Rayzon SolarBy pv magazine IndiaGujarat-based Rayzon Solar has revealed that it will expand its solar panel manufacturing capacity from 4 GW to 12 GW per year by September 2025.Vineet Tyagi, head of…

The UK government has unveiled a cap-and-floor scheme to boost investment in long-term energy storage. The first application round is scheduled for 2025. October 10, 2024 Matthew Lynas Image: Sirbatch, Wikimedia Commons By ESS newsThe UK government has announced a new cap-and-floor program to support the rollout of long-term storage capacity, in a bid to encourage investment in both mature and new storage technologies.The energy sector regulator, Ofgem, will act as the authority for the programme, which is expected to open to applicants in 2025. Cap-and-floor schemes work by providing revenue support to developers if their annual gross margin –…

A new policy paper from the African Policy Research Institute (APRI) recommends that Africa adopt a regionalized PV strategy to successfully integrate into the global solar value chain. It warns that without a coordinated approach, individual countries are unlikely to integrate into the global market. October 10, 2024 Patrick JowettAPRI recommends a regionalized solar energy strategy in Africa to support the development of a competitive PV industry on the continent.The institute’s new policy document, “Photovoltaic solar energy production in Africa: opportunity or mirage?”, analyzes data on critical materials, trade and investment flows to investigate how African countries can leverage their…

According to the latest report from the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems Program (PVPS), the United States will set solar records in 2023 as international trade concerns eased and financial security increased, thanks to the implementation of US Inflation Reduction Act. . October 10, 2024 Patrick JowettThe IEA-PVPS has a report analysis of the development of the energy systems market in the United States in 2023, defined as all nationally installed terrestrial PV applications with a capacity of more than 40 W.The report states that records were broken in the US solar industry last year as market disruptions…

The ZEUS project to harness solar energy in space with nanowire technology The University of Malaga (UMA) is working in an international consortium to promote the collection and transmission of solar energy in space through the ‘ZEUS’ project, part of the Horizon EIC Pathfinder Challenges. This European project, coordinated by Lund University in Sweden, has been awarded almost €4 million to develop innovative nanowire solar cells designed to function in the harsh conditions of space. The ZEUS project, or Zero-loss Energy harvesting Using nanowire solar cells in Space, focuses on creating radiation-resistant photovoltaic cells that can efficiently absorb solar energy.…