Coronavirus could cause solar panel price spike
The coronavirus outbreak in China could raise solar module prices in the near term as manufacturers have already begun experiencing wafer and solar glass shortages. Production rates are also being affected by an extended new year holiday introduced by the authorities as a measure to deal with the virus, and the requirement workers from infected areas quarantine themselves for two weeks.
Germany added almost 4 GW of PV in 2019
The German network operator reported approximately 339 MW of new solar in December. New installations for 2019 exceeded new capacity additions in 2018 by more than 1 GW.
Perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells approaching 30% efficiency in lab
Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin have taken back the world efficiency record for a perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell, achieving 29.15% with a device measuring 1cm². The record has been confirmed by Fraunhofer ISE, and according to HZB, this means that the 30% efficiency mark is within reach.
Qatar’s 800 MW tender draws world record solar power price of $0.01567/kWh
The winning consortium was formed by French oil giant Total and Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corp.
Tesla approves purchase contract for European Gigafactory, just outside of Berlin
Tesla, California’s pioneering EV builder, will acquire a 700-acre site near Berlin for its first large-scale EV factory. The purchase price has not been finalized. Some local folk are protesting the approval process.
Your guide to solar market growth in the global ‘gigawatt club’
Some 15 countries are able to lay claim to the status of being members of solar’s “gigawatt club” in 2019, according to projections from BloombergNEF. To kick off 2020, pv magazine’s global team of correspondents and editors have highlighted 10 fast-growing solar markets to evaluate where the opportunities, and potential risks, lie.
More thin-film solar carnage: Hanergy subsidiary Solibro Hi-Tech declares insolvency
Insolvency proceedings have been underway for Solibro GmbH since late summer, and business operations have long been suspended. This week another Hanergy subsidiary, Solibro Hi-Tech, has also declared insolvency.
Why Europe and the US failed to capitalize on the benefits of thin-film solar
Is First Solar stalled in innovation and growth? Markus Beck, a thin-film solar expert and former chief scientist at First Solar, provides an industry perspective on the fate of thin-film PV in the U.S.
The world will add 142 GW of new solar this year
IHS Markit has predicted another year of global solar growth but there’s some uncertainty dogging the markets of China and India, two of the most crucial (and polluting) regions.
US scientists claim clear-sky irradiance model provides better results for module testing
Researchers at the American Institute of Physics have used the clear-sky irradiance model developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to measure the degradation rates of solar panels at a testing field in Germany over five years. The scientists say the model, when combined with real-world data, offers an efficient tool to evaluate the aging of PV technology.
