Sodium-ion vs. lithium-iron-phosphate batteries
Researchers in Germany have compared the electrical behaviour of sodium-ion batteries with that of lithium-iron-phosphate batteries under varying temperatures and state-of-charges. Their work shows how state-of-charge during cycling significantly affects the efficiency of sodium-ion devices.
Enhanced Innovations develops solar-powered cold storage unit for ‘last mile’ vaccine transport
India’s Enhanced Innovations has developed the Phloton active cooling vaccine carrier with a 14-hour lithium battery backup and solar charging support.
Large batteries with grid-forming inverters can increase renewables hosting capacity
Researchers recommended that transmission system operators consider adopting grid-forming battery energy storage systems system-wide to improve grid stability and to maximize system hosting capacity for solar and wind generation.
Trump executive order places 25% tariff on aluminum and steel
Aluminum is used in solar panel frames and racking and steel is used in solar ground mounts and trackers.
Back contact solar module manufacturing capacity may reach 1 TW by 2030, says tech expert
Radovan Kopecek, an expert on back-contacted (BC) solar cell and module technologies, spoke with pv magazine about BC manufacturing costs, efficiency and technical challenges. He believes that global BC solar module manufacturing capacity could reach 1 TW by 2030, potentially making BC products the industry’s mainstream technology. Kopecek added that 2028 will be a crucial year for its development, as most of the critical patents associated with this module tech will expire.
Global module prices stable-to-soft amid mixed sentiments
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
Philippines’ green energy auction heavily oversubscribed with nearly 7 GW of pumped hydro bids
The country’s Green Energy Auction (GEA-3) attracted a cumulative 7.5 GW of projects, far surpassing the 4.65 GW installation target.
Global utility-scale solar additions hit 182 GW in 2024
Utility-scale solar installations reached 182 GW (AC) in 2024, with the top 33 countries now accounting for 765 GW, or roughly 93% of the global total, according to Wiki-Solar.
New test method for curved VIPV surfaces
IEA-PVPS has conceived a new test method and analysis of the impact of curvature in vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV) surfaces. Over the course of an 8-day summertime trial in south-eastern France, the researchers found that the curvature triggered irradiance and temperature non-uniformity of up to 261W/m² and 13 C, respectively.
LCOE of grid-scale solar expected to drop 2% globally in 2025
A report from BloombergNEF said fixed-axis solar levelized cost of energy is expected to fall to $0.035/kWh, while battery energy storage LCOE is expected to decrease 11%.
