Until recently, Mexico represented the most promising market for solar in Latin America. But the strong growth expected for the country is now much less certain. In fact, solar installation figures in 2016 could be 36 percent smaller than projected last year. What happened? As we’ve documented, solar developers and financiers are dealing with a […]
R&D
Solar, storage and mining: New opportunities for solar power development:Solar Power Europe
Solar energy has become a cost-effective and clean alternative to conventional energy sources. In many countries, electricity prices from large PV parks are in the same range as those for coal power. However, solar power has many more advantages. Solar is a decentralised energy, which is an excellent means to deliver power for remote consumers. […]
High Altitude Wind Power Generation Marks a New Milestone in the Renewable Energy Roadmap, Finds Frost & Sullivan
High altitude wind energy, if developed and executed effectively, has the potential to replace a significant percentage of the power generated from oil and traditional wind turbines. Turbines in conventional windmills are located at heights ranging from 100 meters to 200 meters; however, wind flow is more consistent and quicker at altitudes above 500 meters. […]
ISFH achieves 20.2% record module efficiency for large-area PV modules with PERC solar cells
The Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH), an affiliated institute of the “Leibniz Universität Hannover”, increases the module efficiency for large-area solar modules with industrial silicon-based PERC solar cells to a record value of 20.2% with a power of 303.2W. The TÜV Rheinland confirmed this power in an independent measurement. Thereby, the ISFH surpasses […]
GTM Research: Global Solar PV Installations Grew 34% in 2015
According to preliminary numbers from GTM Research, 59 gigawatts of solar PV were installed globally in 2015, a 34 percent increase over 2014’s total. “The fourth quarter of 2015 showed that global PV demand is very much at the mercy of government support, which can often be unpredictable and idiosyncratic, leading to often negative but […]
Global Revenue from Solar PV Installations Is Expected to Total More Than $1.2 Trillion from 2015 to 2024
A recent report from Navigant Research examines the market for solar photovoltaic (PV), including forecasts for capacity and revenue, segmented by region and country, through 2024.The global electric power industry is evolving into a model that offers more diversity, both in terms of generation and in the ownership of generation assets, and solar PV is […]
China sets target of 3GWp for model PV power stations in 2016
China, to boost the PV industry under the 13th Five-year National Development Plan, has set a target installation capacity of 3.0GWp for model PV power stations to be set up in 2016, according to the government National Energy Administration (NEA). Model power stations are required to use PV modules made of solar cells with higher […]
Cheaper solar cells with 20.2% efficiency
EPFL scientists have developed a solar-panel material that can cut down on photovoltaic costs while achieving competitive power-conversion efficiency of 20.2%. Some of the most promising solar cells today use light-harvesting films made from perovskites – a group of materials that share a characteristic molecular structure. However, perovskite-based solar cells use expensive “hole-transporting” materials, whose […]
World Energy Council: Bright future for energy storage
A narrow focus on cost alone may be leading to misconceptions about the real value of energy storage according to a new report by the World Energy Council ‘E-storage – shifting from cost to value’. The report, which focusses on solar and wind applications, says that the focus only on investment costs is leading to […]
Smart Grid, Battery/Storage And Efficiency Companies Raise $1.7 Billion In Vc Funding In 2015
Mercom Capital Group, llc, a global clean energy communications and consulting firm, released its report on funding and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity for the Smart Grid, Battery/Storage and Energy Efficiency sectors for 2015. Smart Grid Venture capital (VC) funding (including private equity and corporate venture capital) for Smart Grid companies increased slightly to $425 […]