Novel method to turn existing solar parks into agrivoltaic facilities
An international research team has developed a new methodology to increase levels of pollination at ground-mounted solar plants. It involves the development of new vegetated land cover below and around solar parks.
New method to evaluate performance, LCOE of elevated agrivoltaics
Scientists in Belgium have developed a way to assess elevated agrivoltaic projects, by calculating key performance indicators such as energy yield and levelized cost of energy (LCOE). They have found that shade-tolerant crops such as potatoes could potentially be paired with around 1,290 GW of PV capacity in Europe.
Solar power costs continued to fall in 2021, despite rising panel prices
The average global price of solar kilowatt-hours fell 13% on 2020’s prices, as around two-thirds of the renewables capacity installed last year was cheaper than the lowest-cost fossil fuel alternative.
The real value of energy storage
An international research team has developed a new way to evaluate the economic value of energy storage technologies. They went beyond pure cost assumptions to consider the benefits that such technologies could bring to energy systems.
There’s big money in recycling materials from solar panels
Recycling solar panels keeps them out of landfills, but also provides much-needed raw materials with Rystad Energy projecting a value approaching AU$118 billion (US$80 billion) by 2050.
No let-up in sight for polysilicon price hikes
A prominent analyst in China expects the price of the solar panel raw material to pass CNY 300 (AU$65.5) per kg soon and says the sky-high prices will continue at least through September.
Weekend read: Batteries are getting better
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are getting better, according to the Energy Storage Inspection 2022 report by the University of Applied Sciences, HTW Berlin. The fifth edition of the study assessed 21 storage systems and found that while only two of the BESS studied were categorised as being efficiency class “A” in 2020, that number grew to six in 2022.
IEA warns one-third of global PV manufacturing capacity at risk of bankruptcy
A new report from the International Energy Agency stresses the importance of geographically diversifying the global PV supply chain. This would prevent supply chain vulnerability to bankruptcies and underinvestment.
Water-based zinc-ion battery for stationary energy storage
Salient Energy developed the water-based zinc-ion battery to have the same power, performance, and footprint as lithium-ion systems without the safety risk.
JinkoSolar commissions 20 GW n-type ingot fab
In other news, DAH Solar announced a 5 GW TOPCon solar module factory in Anhui province and Tongwei further raised the prices of its solar cells.
