No other energy source has seen more rapid growth in the United States over the past half a decade than solar power. But soaring solar installations have begun to distort the power distribution and transmission systems in the top solar-producing states such as California, creating challenges for utilities and the …
Read More »New Tech could Make Solar Panels more Efficient
University of Ottawa researchers have now devised a smart approach to optimize solar energy effectiveness. Their innovative method includes incorporating artificial ground reflectors, a simple yet powerful enhancement. The study “Artificial Ground Reflector Size and Position Effects on Energy Yield and Economics of Single Axis Tracked Bifacial Photovoltaics” was published …
Read More »Turkey’s Solar Power Capacity Sees Record Increase in April
Turkey’s installed solar power capacity saw a record increase within a single month in April, surging by approximately 1.3 gigawatts (GW) compared to the previous month, according to a report on Sunday. The country’s solar power capacity reached 13.9 gigawatts at the end of April, marking a 1.3 gigawatt increase …
Read More »India Emerges as a Major Exporter of Solar Panels
Rystad Energy’s latest data reveals renewable energy installations in India surged to a record 7.1 gigawatts (GW) in March, more than doubling the previous record of 3.5 GW set in March 2022. The increase in installations helped India reach its highest-ever annual installed capacity of 18.5 GW for the fiscal …
Read More »U.S. Attracts Europe’s Beleaguered Solar Companies
It’s nearly two years since the United States Congress passed the historic Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with the country’s solar sector expected to be one of its biggest beneficiaries. According to the U.S. Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the IRA will drive an additional 160 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity …
Read More »Repsol Unveils 637-MW Solar Farm in Texas
Spanish multi-energy group Repsol SA has wrapped up construction of the 637-MW Frye Solar plant in the US state of Texas, it said on Thursday, hailing it as the largest solar photovoltaic project it has built to date. Frye Solar is equipped with close to one million solar panels installed …
Read More »Chinese Solar Companies Skimp on Quality as Price War Escalates
The solar manufacturing boom in China and the domestic competition for market share are prompting some manufacturers of solar components to sacrifice quality for the sake of higher profits, an executive at the world’s largest solar manufacturer has said. “We’ve noticed that people have started to sacrifice quality to cut …
Read More »Norway’s Energy Major Equinor Starts up Solar Plant in Brazil
Equinor has put into operation a 531-megawatt solar plant in Brazil, which boosts its power production in the South American country by 30%, the Norwegian major said on Friday. The 531-MW Mendubim solar plant will produce 1.2 terawatts per hour (TWh) of power annually, of which some 60% will be …
Read More »EU Puts Millions behind ‘Boundary Pushing’ North Sea Floating Solar Plan
A consortium of 15 companies including German utility RWE and Dutch-Norwegian floating PV pioneer SolarDuck has won €6.8m of Horizon Europe funding to support development of a floating solar demonstration project to be located on the OranjeWind offshore wind farm in Dutch waters. Nautical Sunrise, as the consortium is known, …
Read More »China’s Record Solar Additions in 2023 Top Entire U.S. Solar Capacity
China installed a record-high solar power capacity last year, with additions in 2023 alone topping the current capacity of the entire U.S. solar fleet. China added as much as 216.9 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity in 2023 – a record high, obliterating its previous record of 87.4 GW of …
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