String inverters best for partially shaded PV systems, says IEA-PVPS
The International Energy Agency (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS) has released a technical report exploring innovations and challenges in optimizing the performance of partially shaded PV systems.
U.S. sees a 22% drop in land available for solar sites
Available land in the U.S. for renewable energy sites is continuing to shrink, found a new report by Paces, a renewable-energy project-planning software developer.
DOE seeks experts in renewables siting to advise 13 state collaboratives
To improve renewable energy siting, the U.S. Department of Energy seeks permitting experts to provide technical assistance to state siting collaboratives. DOE expects to fund each collaborative, and to support additional collaboratives in other states.
The use of AI in hydropower plants is creating new challenges
Hydropower has long been used to stabilize the rid and store energy to compensate for the fluctuations of solar and wind power. Its use of artificial intelligence is helping cope with new demands but making it more sensitive to cyber attacks.
U.S. targets 50 gigawatts of solar in 2024
With projections of greater than 8 GW of distributed solar being installed, and more than 40 GW of utility scale solar, the country is projected to grow its solar fleet greater than 25% from its 2023 deployments.
Fraunhofer ISE warns of risk from higher than expected UV-induced degradation in TOPCon, PERC, HJT cells
The researchers of the German institute explained that UV-induced degradation may cause larger than expected efficiency and voltage losses in all dominant cell technologies, including TOPCon devices. The scientists expect that silicon nitride layers could be used to enhance TOPCon UV stability compared to PECVD layers typically utilized in PERC and heterojunction cells.
Sunrise brief: SolarEdge announces closure of its energy storage division
Also on the rise: LCOE not correct optimization parameter of PV plants, say researchers. The great grid transition in the age of data centers and EVs. And more.
LCOE not correct optimization parameter of PV plants, say researchers
New research from Italy shows the importance of considering power plant dispatchability in PV project planning. The scientists claim assessing a project’s levelized cost of energy could be misleading, especially with variable and sometimes negative electricity prices.
Fifteen states shine with 50%+ solar growth in a year
The US saw solar power generation grow by 21.6% over the last year, with 26 states outpacing the national average. Among these, a group of 15 states achieved remarkable growth of over 50%, led by some surprising players.
New research finds utility-scale solar facilities foster biodiversity
A series of longitudinal studies of three solar-pollinator sites in Minnesota have demonstrated evidence of native prairie growing under solar panels, providing both soil benefits and habitat for wildlife and pollinators.
