Queensland announces ‘biggest pumped hydro scheme in the world’
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has launched a $62 billion energy and jobs plan, which includes the biggest pumped hydro scheme in the world. The government is also planning to convert publicly owned coal-fired power stations into clean energy hubs from 2027.
H2X launches long-awaited Warrego hydrogen powered ute
Australian startup H2X is finally launching its fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) Warrego Ute announced last year. The vehicle is currently undergoing final validation and verification with the company saying it expects to have the model on the market within nine months.
‘The first terawatt of solar PV installed globally took some 70 years to achieve, while the second will likely take only three’
Leading solar researchers from around the world are meeting for the first time in four years in Milan, Italy, for the 8th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC-8). The first morning has seen prestigious awards bestowed on two scientific leaders and inspirational discussions as to how the “second terawatt” of solar can be installed globally in just a handful of years.
Enel unveils 680 W n-type heterojunction solar panel for utility-scale applications
Enel Green Power’s new solar panel has average efficiencies ranging from 22.6% to 22.9% and a temperature coefficient of -0.24% per degree Celsius. It is based on an n-type solar cell with G12 format and a power conversion efficiency of 24.6%.
IEA PVSP predicts high-cost, low-revenue scenario for solar recycling
A recent report by the International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA PVSP) reviews the current regulatory and industrial landscape for end-of-life PV management in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, and the United States.
Vehicle-integrated solar kit may reduce frequency of recharging by 14%
Developed by the French research institute Liten, the prototype kit consists of a 145 W PV panel, a magnetic rear panel, and an MPPT charge controller. It also includes a battery and a micro-inverter that can be used to inject the stored energy into the grid when the vehicle is recharged.
Taiwanese battery maker targets NT for manufacturing plant
The Northern Territory government has signed an agreement with Taiwanese battery company Aleees and Western Australia-based miner Avenira to develop a battery cathode manufacturing plant in Darwin.
Sunpower launches two new batteries for residential applications
The two batteries have a storage capacity of 13 and 19.5 kWh, respectively. Both lithium-ion systems use LiFePO4 as the cathode material and have a round-trip efficiency of over 86%.
Longi achieves 26.12% efficiency for gallium-doped p-type heterojunction solar cell
The result, confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH), was achieved on a heterojunction solar cell based on an M6 wafer.
Solar PV employed about 3.4 million people in 2021
A new report published by the International Energy Agency shows solar PV provided employment for approximately 3.4 million people in 2021 with almost half of the workers employed in China, about 280,000 in North America, over 260,000 in Europe, and some 50,000 in Africa. The vast majority of workers were employed in manufacturing and installation of new capacity, with solar jobs paying lower wage premiums than the nuclear, oil, and gas industries.
