Author: solarenergy

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) claim they can efficiently produce hydrogen from recycled aluminum cans in seawater by combining them with gallium-indium and caffeine. August 16, 2024 Sergio Matalucci The research focuses on a new process (for which a patent has been applied for) for generating green hydrogen from the reaction between aluminum and water. They are studying the recovery of a gallium-indium eutectic, eGaIn, which is used to treat the surface of aluminum, allowing it to react with water and spontaneously produce hydrogen and heat. Their work explores the application of seawater as an ionic solution…

Crendon’s location in East Harling (photo) now has a solar energy installation with a capacity of 110 kW. Image: GB NRG. Solar installer GB NRG has successfully completed solar PV installations at Crendon Timber Engineering sites in the UK. All 15 British locations of the timber production company are equipped with solar panels, which together generate 2MW of solar energy. One of the largest installations is at Crendon Timber’s site in East Harling, which is equipped with 250 400W panels, which together can generate 85,000 kWh of power annually. This leads to an estimated CO22 saving of 19.5 tons per…

In a new weekly update for pv magazineOPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a brief overview of the major price trends in the global PV industry. August 16, 2024 OPISIn the Chinese marketThe majority of OPIS module sellers surveyed said the TOPCon FOB China market was calm and prices were stable, although there were some buyers in the market who talked down prices. Market talk of TOPCon prices below $0.09/W FOB China circulated the market, with one buyer pointing out that there were offers of TOPCon class A loads rated at 580-585 W, with load sizes above 10 MW being…

The Netherlands has recorded more hours of negative energy prices between January 1 and August 17 than in all of 2023. The Dutch research agency Stratergy has noted a clear link between expected solar and wind energy and negative hourly prices in the coming day. market. August 16, 2024 Emiliano BelliniDutch EPEX SPOT Day-ahead market registered 347 hours of negative prices between January 1 and August 14, according to figures from the Dutch consultancy Stratergy. In 2023, the total number of hours of negative prices was 316 for the full year.“The expectation is that the total this year will be…

Luxury apartment complex Birch House has announced the recent activation of a 154 kW rooftop solar energy system in Jersey City. This eco-friendly addition complements the property’s focus on wellness and luxury living. Located just 20 minutes outside of Manhattan, the property offers residents an oasis of luxury amenities with a smaller environmental footprint. With more than 300 panels, the new solar system offsets 30% of Birch House’s energy consumption, mainly powering the communal areas. Halpern Real Estate Ventures (HREV), a New York City and Denver-based real estate investment, operations and advisory firm, acquired the Birch House land in December…

An international research team has developed an all-perovskite tandem PV device that reportedly exhibits reduced recombination losses in the cell’s lower apparatus and remarkable stability. To improve the surface of the perovskite solar cell, the scientists created partially non-conductive and non-functional regions that protect the perovskite region below from defects. August 16, 2024 Emiliano BelliniA group of researchers led by the University of Toronto in Canada have fabricated an all-perovskite tandem solar cell with a wide bandgap bottom cell based on tin-lead (Pb-Sn) perovskite with a limited number of passivating defects and reduced interface recombination.“Our work presents an effective strategy…

Green Travel – Embracing Sustainable Tourism As the world becomes increasingly aware of the environmental impacts of travel and tourism, the importance of sustainable practices in the industry has never been greater. Green travel, or sustainable tourism, seeks to minimize the negative effects of tourism on the environment while enhancing the positive contributions to local communities and ecosystems. A pivotal element in this shift towards sustainability is the integration of renewable energy sources, with solar energy playing a leading role. This blog will explore the various ways in which renewable energy promotes green travel, with a special focus on the…

Heliene has closed a deal to purchase US-made solar wafers from NorSun, sourced from its upcoming 5 GW plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma. August 16, 2024 Anne FischerBy pv magazine USANorSun, a Norway-based solar wafer manufacturer, has signed a multi-year contract with Heliene, a solar panel maker. The exact number of wafers is not specified, but Heliene reports that the supply will meet the annual demand for silicon wafers from 2026.Heliene has been manufacturing solar panels in Ontario, Canada since 2010, and in Mountain Iron, Minnesota since 2018. Last year, the company announced an investment of an additional $10 million to…

Leaf-inspired solar concentrators can significantly improve efficiency Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) have been a major focus of research since their inception in the 1970s, with the aim of improving solar energy capture by converting and concentrating sunlight on photovoltaic (PV) cells. Unlike traditional solar concentrators that rely on mirrors and lenses, LSCs can efficiently capture diffused light and are used in applications such as building-integrated solar photovoltaics, where their semi-transparent and colorful appearance adds aesthetic value. However, scaling up LSCs to cover larger areas has faced challenges, such as the self-absorption of photoluminescent (PL) photons in the waveguide. Researchers from…

While battery makers have fallen on hard times in 2024, the sun is shining on the stationary storage market, BloombergNEF notes. August 15, 2024 Tristan Rayner The Tamaya BESS will have 152 battery containers from SungrowImage: EngieBy ESS newsBattery and cell makers have had a tough 2024 so far, with declining margins and revenues due to slower-than-expected global sales of electric vehicles (EVs), driving down volumes.However, BloombergNEF (BNEF) reports that the stationary storage market is up 61% and prices for turnkey systems are down 43% from 2023, part of driving that deployment. In April, this figure was at a record…