European solar records will continue to tumble this summer
Solar forecasting company Solargis says the insight offered by Covid-19 industrial shutdowns into a renewables-driven future serves to emphasize the value of the chief commodity it trades in – data.
“How’s the serenity?” electric leisure boating to go full-throttle
German electric boating company Torqueedo’s 100,000th sale highlights a shift in leisure and small commuter boating towards the electric.
Solar costs set to continue falling according to ITRPV roadmap
The 11th edition of the German document which tracks solar price falls and efficiency improvements has considered the role bigger wafers are playing in cost reduction.
Europe can be 60% powered by solar before 2050
A study by Solarpower Europe and LUT: Three different cases for the transformation of the European energy system were examined in this study. The more ambitious scenario with 100% renewable energy and a high proportion of PV might be cheaper than less ambitious paths to a green Europe.
JinkoSolar says US authorities see no violation of Hanwha Q-Cells patent
The patentability of Korean company Hanwha’s technology is being examined by a U.S. commission, according to Jinko. The Chinese manufacturer said it expects a final decision by December.
A mechanical technique for PV module recycling
An Italian consortium has developed a panel recycling process it claims can recover up to 99% of raw materials. The developers claim their technique takes only 40 seconds to fully recycle a standard panel, depending on size and recycling site conditions.
Power Ledger to give French customers their choice of energy
Western Australian peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading pioneer Power Ledger has revealed the world’s biggest ‘choose your own energy source’ project in France.
Cooling down PV panels with water
France’s Sunbooster has developed a technology to cool down solar modules when their ambient temperature exceeds 25 C. The solution features a set of pipes that spread a thin film of water onto the glass surface of the panels in rooftop PV systems and ground-mounted plants. The cooling systems collect the water from rainwater tanks and then recycle, filter and store it again. The company claims the technology can facilitate an annual increase in power generation of between 8% and 12%.
Covid-19 to wreck economics of new solar and wind projects
While the full extent of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemics on the renewable energy market is yet to reveal itself, Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy predicts new solar and wind projects will grind to a halt this year and experience a ripple effect in the years beyond as currencies across the globe continue to fall against the US dollar.
Swansea University to install Redflow battery at its solar classroom
The British university will use Redflow zinc-bromine flow batteries at its Active Building demonstrator – an award-winning classroom that generates, stores and releases solar energy at the point of use.
