Highlights

Laser contact opening (LCO), a standard process in PERC cell production, has seen little market development in the past few years. Stiff competition from equipment suppliers in Asia, combined with the fact that most new n-type manufacturing doesn’t make use of LCO, has kept the level of interest here quite low. However, as the PV research community increases its focus on reducing silver consumption, new approaches to cell contacting and metallization provide impetus for a second look at laser processing.

Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. has started accepting bids to develop 1,000 MWh (500 MW x two hours) of grid-connected battery energy storage systems in Gujarat.

Renewables major Greenko will develop 375 MW to 400 MW of solar and wind capacity to power Hindalco’s aluminum smeltering operations in Odisha. It will back the renewables generation with hydro pump storage capacity in Andhra Pradesh to ensure 100 MW of round-the-clock supply to Hindalco.

REC, a Norwegian solar panel specialist, will exhibit the latest module in its award-winning REC Alpha line at the Renewable Energy India (REI) exhibition in September. It will also join forces with its new owner, Reliance Industries Ltd., to recruit new talent for a planned solar gigafactory in India.

JSW Energy, a private-sector power producer, has revealed that its green energy arm has signed an agreement to acquire 1.33 GW of wind and 422 MW of solar assets from Mytrah Energy. The assets are spread across nine states in India.

Rajasthan-headquartered Rays Power Infra has commissioned a 150 MW (DC) solar plant in Raichur and Koppal, Karnataka.

Sunora Solar’s new 144-cell solar module is available with power outputs ranging from 520 W to 550 W and a power conversion efficiency of 20.18% to 21.03%.

New research from Stanford University researcher Mark Jacobson outlines how 145 countries could meet 100% of their business-as-usual energy needs with wind, water, solar and energy storage. The study finds that in all the countries considered, lower-cost energy and other benefits mean the required investment for transition is paid off within six years. The study also estimates that worldwide, such a transition would create 28 million more jobs than it lost.

Shell has completed the $1.55 billion acquisition of Solenergi Power, an Actis company holding 100% of Indian renewables developer Sprng Energy.

India’s national hydrogen mission includes the development of hydrogen as a fuel for transportation. Toward that objective, state-run oil and gas companies are engaged in a number of projects, including the blending of hydrogen with compressed natural gas for use as a transportation fuel, and the use of green hydrogen for fuel-cell-based mobility.