Author: solarenergy
The two companies are working together to expand Hometree’s solar panel installation financing packages. Image: The solar network The Solar Nation, a network of solar panel installers, has partnered with Hometree to provide financing options for people looking to install residential solar panels. Hometree’s Solar Plan is a no-down payment financing option that allows potential solar panel owners to spread the cost of their solar panel installation over five to 25 years. Those using Solar Nation’s installer network can now easily access this financing package, regardless of which local installer they use. Kevin Holland, MD of The Solar Shed Ltd…
Small-scale solar installations in Scotland will increase by 174% by 2023 – including the installation at Edinburgh Castle (pictured). Image: Historic environment of Scotland. Solar Energy Scotland has raised concerns about the new energy efficiency standard for buildings proposed by the Scottish Government. Last week, the Scottish Government opened a consultation on implementation rules inspired by the international Passivhaus standard. The original, or ‘classic’ passive house was conceived when renewable energy sources were rare and expensive, thus confirming that buildings have very high levels of insulation and airtightness, leading to low energy demand. Passivhaus Classic has been replaced by ‘Plus’…
The UK is likely to copy EU regulations on end-of-life BESS projects, experts say. Image: RES A partner at a major British law firm has said that Britain is ‘likely’ to emulate EU regulations on waste batteries in the coming years. In conversation with our sister site Energy storage.news, Suriya Edwards, construction and engineering partner at law firm Freeths, highlighted some of the key issues with the lack of legislation for end-of-life batteries in BESS or EV applications, as well as the ways in which EU policy is leading the way on environmental responsibility for batteries. The EU recently introduced…
The Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) has adopted several changes to the grid connection processes, including the implementation of an auction-based grid connection mechanism for power stations above 5 MW from 2026. August 5, 2024 Patrick JowettThe Romanian National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) has approved a competitive auction-based mechanism for grid connections of new power stations of at least 5 MW. The new rule will come into effect from January 1, 2026.The approved methodology reflects the process outlined in the draft proposals published earlier this year. Auctions will take place annually, with a ten-year allocation period starting from the second…
Researchers at James Cook University have developed a process to synthesize graphene from tangerine peel oil, which they then used to recover silver from waste PV material. To demonstrate the quality of the recovered silver and synthesized graphene, they created a dopamine sensor that reportedly outperformed reference devices. August 5, 2024 Valerie ThompsonA team from Australia’s James Cook University has synthesized “free-standing” graphene using non-toxic and renewable tangerine peel oil that can reportedly be used for the recovery of silver from end-of-life organic PV devices.“Not only did it result in high-quality graphene, but it also demonstrated a remarkable ability to…
Cadmium telluride solar cells are usually based on non-ohmic back contacts that affect the open-circuit voltage of the device. Researchers in the United Kingdom attempted to address this problem by adding a nickel oxide back buffer layer, which formed an ohmic back contact and increased open-circuit voltage levels. August 5, 2024 Emiliano BelliniResearchers at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom have designed a cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cell with a buffer layer of nickel oxide (NiO) deposited without oxygen, which reportedly significantly improves the device’s open-circuit voltage.They explained that CdTe cells generally suffer from low open-circuit voltage levels because these…
New research from Britain shows that Oman could use a floating PV farm at the Wadi Dayqah Dam to generate hydrogen. The scientist said the project is technically feasible, although only with advances in hydrogen storage technology could it become economically viable. August 5, 2024 Lior KahanaScientists from the University of Exeter in the UK have explored the potential of installing a floating PV (FPV) farm on Oman’s Wadi Dayqah Dam and linking it to a hydrogen storage system.Using various software programs to simulate and optimize the project scope, the researchers found that the project is technically feasible, albeit at…
US-based PeroNova specializes in metal halide perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells made with a new stability-enhancing interfacial treatment. It targets a range of applications including the aerospace and rooftop markets. August 5, 2024 Valerie Thompson PeroNova, a US-based startup specializing in solar perovskite technologies, has developed a solar perovskite module for building-integrated solar photovoltaics (BIPV) and space applications.“Our new interfacial treatment technology improves the stability and reliability of perovskite films in testing and under manufacturing conditions. Thermal cycling resistance tests have shown more than 80% of initial energy conversion efficiency after 2,500 cycles,” a PeroNova spokesperson said pv magazine.The company is…
Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) is accepting bids to set up 2 GW of solar PV projects with 1 GW/4 GWh energy storage systems on a build-own-exploit basis. The projects can be implemented anywhere in India and must be connected to the inter-state transmission system. August 2, 2024 Uma Gupta By pv magazine IndiaSolar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) has invited bids for setting up 2 GW of solar PV projects with energy storage systems (ESS) in India. The projects must be developed on a build-own-operate basis. These can be located anywhere in India and must be connected to…
The AES Corporation today introduced “Maximo,” an AI-powered solar installation robot. Maximo is a robotic solution that works with construction teams to help meet the rapidly growing demand for renewable energy. AES released its first AI installation robot in 2021, called Atlas. According to the IEA, the annual increase in solar energy is expected to triple by 2035 and the workforce will need to almost double. Maximo can install solar panels in half the time and half the cost, working with on-site crews to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, reducing time-to-power for customers. “Maximo is the first proven solar…