RE+ 2024: Key takeaways on the U.S. solar industry
The 4.9 earthquake that shook Anaheim on the last day of RE+ 2024 did little to rattle the enthusiasm seen and felt at the largest energy conference in North America.
Huawei unveils world’s largest microgrid
China’s Huawei has built a 400 MW/1.3 GWh solar-plus-storage off-grid facility in Red Sea New City, Saudi Arabia.
Innovation driving change in solar tracker market
Shipment volumes are growing in the global solar tracker market as innovation in project development drives demand. Joe Steveni, of S&P Global Commodity Insights, takes a look at the factors shaping the commercial landscape for trackers, from agrivoltaics and undulating terrain to Indian ambition and the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act.
End of the line for a U.S. solar giant
SunPower, one of the largest, oldest, and most influential solar businesses in the United States, has closed its doors. Residential solar installers in the United States have struggled as interest rates have risen and cash generation has emerged as an issue.
The Hydrogen Stream: India’s Uttar Pradesh receives INR 1.15 lakh crore investment proposals from 17 firms for green hydrogen production
The state government of Uttar Pradesh has received investment proposals amounting to close to INR 1.15 lakh crore from 17 different entities for producing green hydrogen/green ammonia
Using surplus PV power for seasonal underground thermal storage
Scientists have proposed a new system that uses surplus PV energy in the spring and the autumn to charge up underground thermal energy storage for later use in the summer and winter. They have simulated it on a school facility in Seoul, with a few optional configurations for thermal storage. Power savings were up to 39%.
Longi achieves 34.6% efficiency for two-terminal tandem perovskite solar cell prototype
In a paper published in nature, the Chinese module maker explained that the 33.9%-efficient tandem device it unveiled in December 2023 is based on a bilayer intertwined passivation strategy that combines efficient electron extraction with further suppression of nonradiative recombination. It also revealed that its two-terminal tandem prototype devices achieved an efficiency of 34.6%.
Scientists design all-back-contact transparent solar cell
A research team from South Korea’s Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology (UNIST) has designed a wire-free transparent solar cell and module with all electrical contacts placed on the rear side. A 16 cm² module achieved a power conversion efficiency of 14.7% and successfully charged a smartphone using natural sunlight.
SECI launches tender for 2 GW of solar
Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) has launched a tender to select developers for 1 GW of interstate transmission system (ISTS) connected solar PV power projects and additional capacity of up to 1 GW to be awarded through Greenshoe option. Bidding closes on Oct. 4.
Silfab launches 640 W utility-scale solar panels
The Canada-based manufacturer said its new panels have a temperature coefficient of -0.29% per C and an efficiency of up to 22.92%. They come with a 30-year power output guarantee for 89.3% of the initial yield.
