Green roof improves solar panel efficiency by 3.6% on average
The comparison of two solar cladded roofs in Sydney, Australia, one bare beneath its panels and the other adorned with native grasses and plants, has found the panels on the green roof were, on average, 3.63% more efficient, producing an average daily output 13% greater than the conventional roof. The improvements are believed to stem […]
US residential PV pricing fell 6.3% over past 12 months
Residential solar installation price declines have accelerated over the past year in the U.S. solar market. However, energy storage pricing has gone up, with Enphase taking an increasingly larger share of the market. EnergySage has released its thirteenth Solar Marketplace Intel Report, in which the company shows that customers were quoted 27% lower prices in the […]
SMA, Renusol link planning tools
The German companies plan to combine their tools for project planning and battery systems via a new interface. They aim to simplify the work processes of planners and installers. German inverter manufacturer SMA will pair its Sunny Design tool with mounting-system specialist Renusol’s PV-Configurator 3.0 platform via a new interface to make work processes for […]
German government study to evaluate potential of floating solar on lakes at former mines
Around 500 open-pit lakes left behind as a legacy of Germany’s open-cast lignite mining industry could potentially host more than 50 GW of solar generation capacity. With that in mind, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is financing a three-year study into the technology’s revenue potential. The German government will fund a research […]
New cathode design promises battery sustainability
Scientists in the U.S. developed a new cathode design for lithium-ion batteries that they say could open up a range of different materials for further research. The group has high hopes that the discovery can quickly be brought to scale, easing some of the growing concerns around supply chains for battery materials. Energy storage has […]
Could agrivoltaics feed our demand for clean energy?
Could agrivoltaics feed our demand for clean energy? Agrivoltaics could result in more food, more energy, lower water demand, lower carbon emissions, and more prosperous rural communities, says an Oregon State University researcher. He plans to build a farm to prove the point. Using land for both solar photovoltaic power and agriculture could […]
Zimbabwean horticultural firm to be powered by 1.9 MW of solar-plus-storage
Zimbabwean horticultural firm to be powered by 1.9 MW of solar-plus-storage The project is being developed by South Africa-based peer-to-peer solar equipment leasing marketplace Sun Exchange. A 3.9 MWh storage system will be integrated to three different solar plants. The facility will power the packhouse, the cold store facilities, the pump sites and a farm […]
South African Telecommunications Group Wants To Deploy 175 MW Of PV In Africa
South African Telecommunications Group Wants To Deploy 175 MW Of PV In Africa Econet wants to build commercial and industrial PV systems across its homeland, Kenya, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. South Africa-based investment firm Royal Bafokeng Holdings (RBH) has made a $20 million equity investment in these projects. Distributed Power […]
What is distributed generation’s real worth for the grid?
What is distributed generation’s real worth for the grid? A thought experiment by UC Berkeley energy economist Severin Borenstein suggests how much rooftop solar could reduce transmission and distribution costs in the United States. California and other locations are moving to renewable energy at high speed. But even in these forward-leaning areas, there […]
China’s largest rooftop project and a possible new listing
A new week has brought another slew of big production capacity announcements as online retailer JD.com prepares to install 200 MW of solar rooftop capacity and project developer SFSY reported on a promising new business stream. More ingot and module capacity, China’s largest rooftop project and a possible new listing Monocrystalline module manufacturer Longi announced last […]
Japan’s struggle to drive down renewables costs
Japan’s struggle to drive down renewables costs A nation famous for high electricity prices has seen power costs fall 15% this year, according to analyst Wood Mackenzie, a figure which will help attract $100 billion of solar and wind investment to 2030. Renewables will have to work even harder, however, to displace fossil fuels in […]