Author: solarenergy

After announcing last year, it would start a 1GW manufacturing facility in Indianapolis, a lightweight solar panel company Bila Solar will unveil a new product next week at RE+: a 520W silicon panel that weighs just 25 pounds. “This latest product enables a wide range of installation methods for all types of commercial roofs, including quick connections and removable mechanical mounting – plus it is pre-integrated with mounting hardware and brackets,” said Mick McDaniel, Bila’s VP & US General Manager. “Customers ask us for lightweight PV panels that can be mechanically attached to roofs. This innovative new panel is a…

Japanese scientists have built organic solar cells and modules using donors and acceptors that are green light selective. They used a mixture of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and fluorinated naphtobistiadiazole. September 5, 2024 Emiliano BelliniA research team from Osaka University in Japan has developed wavelength-selective green light organic solar cells (OSCs) that emit blue and red light needed for crop growth and use green light, which makes only a small contribution to photosynthesis, for energy generation. “This was developed by taking advantage of the wavelength selectivity of OSCs,” said the study’s lead author, Yutaka Ye. “Like OSCs are lightweight and flexible. If they…

The German PV project developer Fellensiek Projektmanagement GmbH & Co. KG has filed for bankruptcy due to claims from an unnamed investor. However, the company’s 20 project entities remain unaffected and buyers are being sought for their sale. September 5, 2024 Petra Hannen By pv magazine GermanyThe German PV project developer Fellensiek Projektmanagement GmbH & Co. KG (FPM Projektmanagement) has filed for bankruptcy due to liquidity problems.The Wilhelmshaven District Court in northern Germany ordered provisional bankruptcy administration for Fellensiek and appointed Christian Kaufmann of Pluta Rechtsanwalts GmbH as provisional trustee on September 3.Kaufmann said business operations will continue with the…

Chinese PV industry leaders are urging Beijing to implement requirements to help manufacturers operate more sustainably, as solar panel prices hit record lows amid China’s large-scale PV tenders. September 5, 2024 Vincent ShawThe China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) organized a symposium in Beijing on August 29 to discuss tender pricing mechanisms for large-scale PV projects.The event attracted participation from several central government departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) and the National Energy Administration (NEA). Major state energy groups such as China Huadian Group, China Datang Corp., China Energy…

FlexGen has announced that it has launched the latest version of its Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) management software platform. HybridOS V12 is the latest version of the company’s AI-enhanced software platform. It adds more than a dozen new detection, evaluation and action features that minimize downtime and increase availability at the battery, location and fleet levels. Site availability is critical to the long-term value of a BESS project for the asset owners and the grid. HybridOS is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform available for licensing worldwide. “At FlexGen we strive to deliver maximum value to our customers. The data is…

Company representatives agreed to the deal at a ceremony earlier this week. Image: Sungrow Sungrow, supplier of PV inverters and battery energy storage systems (BESS), has signed an agreement with two major developers to supply BESS systems for an upcoming storage project in the UK. Sungrow will supply 280 sets of its PowerTitan 2.0 liquid-cooled BESS units for the Hams Hall energy storage project, currently under development in North Warwickshire, England. The Hams Hall project, which was granted planning permission in May 2022, is a 350 MW/1750 MWh BESS project by Penso Power and Luminous Energy, funded by BW ESS.…

Finland’s Wartsila Energy has released a new turnkey battery energy storage system (BESS) with new fire safety features. September 5, 2024 Ev FoleyBy ESS newsFire safety is a key feature of Wärtsilä Energy’s new Quantum3 BESS, alongside upgrades in cybersecurity, energy density and sustainability.The Finland-based company’s AC block BESS builds on the Quantum2 model, which has undergone nearly 10,000 hours of fire safety testing, including fire extinguishing water and plume gas research.Wärtsilä said the Quantum3 meets the changing needs of customers and markets for network-scale energy storage, including Australia.Wärtsilä Energy Storage and Optimization Vice President Andrew Tang asserted that the…

BNZ, a Barcelona-based independent power producer (IPP), has announced a 49 MW solar project in northern Portugal in partnership with GRS, a Madrid-based solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor. September 5, 2024 Patrick Jowett BNZ, a Spanish IPP, is working with GRS, an EPC solar contractor under the Gransolar Group, on a 49 MW solar power plant in northern Portugal.The project, located near Vila Nova de Famalicão, will generate enough energy to power approximately 14,000 households. Construction is now underway and GRS is building the factory together with local company Triple Watt. BNZ has also signed a protocol with…

Module manufacturer Maxeon says U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have detained all of its panel imports from Mexico since July as the federal law enforcement agency investigates compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). September 5, 2024 Emiliano BelliniMaxeon, a Singapore-based PV module maker, said in its second-quarter earnings report that U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the first time stopped solar panels imported from its module factories in Ensenada and Mexicali, Mexico. The company explained that US authorities are trying to determine whether the panels comply with the UFLPA.“These arrests involved both Performance Line panels manufactured…

There is a substantial need for large-scale BESS in Scotland to help offset regional supply and demand inequality in Britain. Image: Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit. The Scottish Government has approved the construction and operation of a 228 MW/456 MWh battery energy storage project (BESS) by developer Kona Energy. The 2-hour Smeaton BESS in East Lothian is strategically located to increase grid resilience and reduce grid constraints, Kona said. The nearby Torness nuclear power station will close in 2028, which will increase the usefulness of the Smeaton BESS, it added. Kona did not say when it expected the project to…