The Chinese PV industry has benefited from the availability of substantial finance over the past two decades, supporting the development of the renewable, zero-carbon capability essential for meeting the goals of the Paris climate agreement. Easy access to finance has led to unsustainably low prices and unnecessary losses, however, impacting China’s ability to sustain support for renewable energy systems. As the nation expands clean power installations and enhances grid-balancing capacity, maintaining consistent financial support has become more challenging. From pv magazine 05/24 Around 20 ye ..read more

Scientists from the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) have developed a highly oxygen-deficient perovskite for protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs), while the European Commission has approved its fourth Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI). Tokyo Tech scientists have reported that their newly developed perovskite – BaScO2.5 doped with W6+ cations (BaSc0.8W0.2O2.8) – has achieved high proton conduction at low and intermediate temperatures due to its large amounts of oxygen vacancies. “By the donor doping of large W6 ..read more

JinkoSolar says it has achieved a 33.24% efficiency rating for its perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells, confirmed by the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Chinese solar module producer JinkoSolar said it has achieved a 33.24% power conversion efficiency for a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell based on n-type wafers. The company said the results have been certified by the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology under the CAS. In its previous attempts, JinkoSolar achieved a cell efficiency of 32.33 ..read more

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to María Santa María, Head of Projects at BayWa r.e. Iberia. She says that diversity and Inclusion are worth the central stage in a company's hiring practices and board representation. She also claims that organizations and industry stakeholders have lots to gain by explicitly and outspokenly prioritizing equity and inclusion to create a more inclusive environment for women and other underrepresented groups. In many ways, the solar and energy storage sector tends to be more open to women compared to some traditional industries. And curiously ..read more

Chinese wafer manufacturer TCL Zhonghuan says it wants to invest around $197.5 million to increase its stake in Maxeon from 22.39% to at least 50.1%. A Maxeon spokesperson told pv magazine that the plan would place the company in a solid financial position. TCL Zhonghuan has revealed a plan to become a majority shareholder of Singapore-based solar module manufacturer Maxeon. The Chinese company said it would finalize the deal through a number of financial transactions, including the issuance of convertible bonds and additional shares via private placement. TCL Zhonghuan said it aims to use up ..read more

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that a strong polar jet stream and a record-breaking heat dome in May resulted in a stark contrast in irradiance patterns across North America. The western and central USA, along with Mexico, experienced higher than normal irradiance, while the Gulf and East Coast regions faced lower irradiance. A strong polar jet stream and a record-breaking heat dome in May resulted in a stark contrast in irradiance patterns across North America. The western and central USA, along with Mexico, experienced higher than normal irradiance, w ..read more

JinkoSolar says its exclusion from BloombergNEF's second-quarter list of tier-1 solar module manufacturers was due to a civil case involving a subsidiary, rather than financial issues. JinkoSolar has issued a series of statements on its recent exclusion from BloombergNEF's list of tier-1 solar module manufacturers for the second quarter of this year. The list primarily focuses on the bankability of PV modules. The company said in a statement that its removal from the list was due to a civil legal case involving its Chuzhou unit and an overdue payment of CNY 2,190 ($308), rather than any finan ..read more

U.K.-based indoor PV specialist Lightricity and Japanese capacitator manufacturer Nichicon have developed a PV-powered Bluetooth switch to remotely control home or office equipment, such as lighting, sliding doors, or appliances. U.K. indoor PV specialist Lightricity has integrated its energy harvesting modules with a rechargeable lithium titanate (LTO) battery provided by Japan's Nichicon and ultra-low power components in a new touch-switch that can be used to control home and office equipment, such as turning on lights, opening and closing electronic doors, or activating appliances. The two ..read more

Amea Power has connected the Zina solar plant to the grid in Burkina Faso, to power the Mana gold mine in Mouhoun province. Dubai-based Amea Power has announced the commissioning of the Zina solar plant in Mouhoun province, Burkina Faso. The 26.6 MW installation will be operated under a 25-year electricity purchase contract with the country's national electricity company, Sonabel. The project was initiated in 2009 as part of a public/private partnership between Burkina Faso's government and Canadian mining company Semafo, with the aim of supplying electricity to the Mana gold mine. In 2013, th ..read more

While most long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies are still early-stage and costly compared to lithium-ion batteries, some have already or are set to achieve lower costs for longer durations, finds BloombergNEF. From pv magazine ESS News site Interest in long-duration energy storage (LDES) is rising rapidly as demand for clean firm capacity grows. With most LDES technologies still nascent, information about their cost is not widely available. In its inaugural LDES cost survey, BloombergNEF is bringing transparency to the matter. BNEF has surveyed seven LDES technology groups and 20 t ..read more