World records Saudi Arabia's second PV tender has seen a world record low bid of US$0.0104/kWh. It was revealed that PPAs for seven large-scale solar power projects in various regions of the Kingdom were signed by the government and several undisclosed developers. The output capacity of these projects will amount to more than 3.6 GW.
In another world record, researchers at South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne say they have achieved a new record conversion efficiency of 25.6% in a single junction perovskite solar cell. The cell is based on a type of metal halide perovskite called formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3), which is known for its thermal stability and narrow bandgap.
IRENA has crunched the numbers for its annual survey of new clean energy capacity and said 2020 saw PV and concentrating solar power reach rough parity with the amount of wind power capacity worldwide. Helped along by 78 GW of new grid-connected solar facilities across Asia, it said, solar caught up with wind, and the two non-hydropower sources of clean electricity now account for more global capacity than hydro plants.
In hydrogen news, BloombergNEF finds that green hydrogen costs should fall 85% by 2050, thanks to cheaper solar, leading to costs under $1/kg and easily undercutting natural gas as well as blue and gray hydrogen production. The continuous cost decline on the solar front is being driven by automated manufacturing, less silicon and silver consumption, higher PV efficiency of solar cells, and greater yields provided by bifacial panels.
Meanwhile, a partnership between the University of Newcastle and Southern Green Gas has developed a state-of-the-art green hydrogen fuel which has been demonstrated in Hyundai's Nexo Hydrogen fuel cell SUV; Vattenfall, Sweden-based steel company SSAB, and Swedish state-owned miner LKAB have started building a rock cavern storage facility for green hydrogen near Luleå, in northern Sweden; and Chinese module manufacturer Longi has set up Longi Hydrogen Technology Co Ltd, a new unit aimed at expanding the group's activities into the green hydrogen business.
To recognize the increasing amount of hydrogen news, pv magazine has started publishing a weekly hydrogen brief on Fridays and has created a new Hydrogen hub feature page. Let us know what topics you'd like to see covered by emailing editors@pv-magazine.com.
There was also a flurry of battery updates this week, including news that Russian scientists are using nickel-salen to develop a battery that charges in 10 seconds; the discovery of new materials for organic redox flow batteries; a collaboration between universities in China and the U.S. which are demonstrating a stable, superfast charging Al battery; and Taiwan Cement Corporation's plans to invest US$352 million in the construction of a 1.8 GW battery factory in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan.
Finally, from the new April pv magazine, you can find out if solar developers should be taking notice of ESG criteria.
Enjoy!
Highlights By Michael Fuhs on Apr 10 2021, 6:00am Something is brewing in the financial world. "Sustainable finance" and the growth of ESG funds have been taking the market by storm in recent years. Since most major PV projects end up needing investors from the capital market, it is only a matter of time before they will have to adapt. The beginning of March 2021 saw a milestone reached in this process. Read more »
By Blake Matich on Apr 9 2021, 9:04am A homegrown technology developed by the University of Newcastle and Southern Green Gas has seen the development of a novel green hydrogen fuel and carbon-neutral green methane. The fuel was demonstrated in Hyundai's Nexo hydrogen fuel cell SUV in Sydney. Read more »
By Emiliano Bellini on Apr 8 2021, 5:53pm The record low price was offered for the 600 MW Al Shuaiba PV IP project, which competed in the second round of the country's procurement scheme for renewable energies. Read more »
By Mark Hutchins on Apr 8 2021, 5:17pm Scientists in Russia introduce a promising new material for battery energy storage, the product of more than three years of research. Incorporating a nickel-salen polymer into the cathode, the group demonstrated a battery that can charge and discharge ten times faster than today's lithium-ion batteries. And though the battery still lags in terms of overall capacity, the group is confident that its discovery will lead to big improvements for lithium batteries. Read more »
By Emiliano Bellini on Apr 8 2021, 12:30pm Vattenfall, SSAB and LKAB are building a rock cavern storage facility in a coastal city in northern Sweden. The 100-cubic-meter facility will be built 30 meters below ground and will begin storing green hydrogen next year. Read more »
By Emiliano Bellini on Apr 8 2021, 11:43am Fraunhofer ISE scientists have identified the best metallization pastes to help reduce contact resistivity and contact recombination in p-type TOPCon solar cells. They applied a silicon nitride layer through plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition onto both sides of a cell. Read more »
By Emiliano Bellini on Apr 8 2021, 11:28am Taiwan Cement is planning to build a US$352 million EV battery factory in southern Taiwan. The 1.8 GW facility will produce high-charge-discharge nickel ternary batteries. Read more »
By David Carroll on Apr 8 2021, 9:48am Victorian-based property developer Beulah has announced its soon-to-be-completed Paragon tower, in the heart of Melbourne, will be home to the nation's largest and most efficient vertical solar PV system. Read more »
By Blake Matich on Apr 8 2021, 6:34am BloombergNEF has shown that solar PV is the key driver of declining green hydrogen costs. The forecast shows costs falling by 85% by 2050, undercutting natural gas and blue and gray hydrogen production. Read more »
By Max Hall on Apr 7 2021, 3:20pm Saudi power company ACWA Power today revealed it has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company and said development was on track for generation to start before October next year. Read more »
By Mark Hutchins on Apr 7 2021, 12:45pm Scientists in Russia have designed a whole series of new compounds that could serve as catholytes and anolytes in organic redox flow batteries. The materials promise to open up new pathways for further research, and overcome some of the challenges for organic redox flow batteries in commercial, large-scale energy storage projects. Read more »
By Emiliano Bellini on Apr 7 2021, 11:04am China's UtmoLight has developed a new PV module with an area of just 63.98 cm2 and a 20.5% efficiency rate, as certified by Japan Electrical Safety & Environment Technology Laboratories. Read more »
By Max Hall on Apr 7 2021, 10:50am The latest set of clean energy statistics compiled by the International Renewable Energy Agency signal a changing of the guard when it comes to clean power, with legacy hydropower facilities overtaken by new intermittent renewables. Read more »
By Tim Sylvia on Apr 7 2021, 6:54am Pine Gate Renewables has announced plans to deploy 9 MW of solar and 36 MWh of storage above a commercial cranberry bog. Read more »
By Mark Hutchins on Apr 6 2021, 3:34pm Scientists in the U.S. developed an aluminum battery that demonstrates better than 99.5% reversibility, and could offer "up to 10,000 error-free cycles". By incorporating a substrate of carbon fibers into the anode design, the group gained better control over chemical bonds that form as the battery charges, leading to greatly improved performance. Read more »
By Vincent Shaw on Apr 6 2021, 3:25pm Monocrystalline module manufacturer Longi is venturing into new territory but missed out to its rival on two big panel orders from a state-owned power company. Read more »
By Emiliano Bellini on Apr 6 2021, 1:12pm The solar park is being planned by UAE-based Phanes Group, in Nurata, in the Navoi region. It will sell electricity at a fixed rate over a 25-year period. Read more »
By Emiliano Bellini on Apr 6 2021, 9:22am Scientists have set a new efficiency record for a single-junction perovskite solar cell at 25.6%. The cell additionally showed operational stability for 450 hours, and intense electroluminescence with external quantum efficiencies of more than 10%. Read more »
By Jonathan Gifford on Apr 3 2021, 6:00am Enhanced module appearance and power output can be achieved by a smart cell interconnection technique Longi is employing in its Hi-MO5 module series. But as with all new technologies, there are potential pitfalls. Read more »
Opinion & Analysis By SELVA OZELLI, ESQ., CPA The seventh session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development convened on the theme of "Building forward better towards a resilient and green Africa to achieve the 2030 & 2063 Agenda" and promote the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Read more »
By Radoslav Štompf, CEO, FUERGY A few years ago, fluctuations and complex storage solutions were the main factors hampering solar growth. Today, the sector is poised to leverage technologies to make a decisive leap. With a sustainable future around the corner, it will be innovative battery storage that will drive solar PV to become more powerful and efficient than ever before. But what are the latest developments in PV and energy storage, and which innovations are poised to transform the industry? Read more »
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