End of the line for a U.S. solar giant
SunPower, one of the largest, oldest, and most influential solar businesses in the United States, has closed its doors. Residential solar installers in the United States have struggled as interest rates have risen and cash generation has emerged as an issue.
India to face significant land, water challenges in scaling renewables beyond 1.5 TW, says CEEW study
A new report by CEEW states that India’s unconstrained RE potential exceeds 24 TW (terawatts), but not all of it is achievable. Even reaching the 7 TW required to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 will require a holistic approach to addressing challenges such as land access, climate risks, land conflicts, and population density.
Pathway to a green transition
In this article for pv magazine, Naresh Mansukhani, chief executive officer, Juniper Green Energy, writes about the barriers to India’s transition to green energy and suggests the way forward.
PM Modi stresses on democratization of solar manufacturing, technology
“Solar manufacturing and technology must be democratized to help developing countries. Empowering the least developed countries and small island developing states should be a top priority,” said prime minister Narendra Modi in his inaugural address at the first International Solar Festival 2024.
India’s decarbonization presents $12 trillion opportunity in clean technologies
A BloombergNEF study estimates India’s energy sector investment and spending under its net-zero scenario at $12.4 trillion over 2024-50, 34% (or about $3 trillion) higher than in the economic transition scenario.
Italian startup offers new bird-protection solution for rooftop PV
Italy-based Italgam has developed a new technology to prevent pigeons from nesting under rooftop solar panels. The EVO 2.0 solution uses brushes that fit between the backside of the panels and the roof.
Solar module installations could hit 592 GW in 2024
BloombergNEF says the global solar industry will install 592 MW of modules this year, up 33% on 2023. The consultancy has also lowered its estimate for 2024 polysilicon production, as manufacturers are temporarily scaling back output.
Solar industry faces collapse amid surplus and plunging prices
The solar industry is at a crossroads. While demand for PV installations is higher than ever, systemic overcapacity, falling prices, and financial losses across the supply chain threaten to undermine the industry’s long-term sustainability.
JMK expects India to add 21.5 GW of solar this year
India is expected to install 16.5 GW of solar from utility-scale installations, 4 GW rooftop and another 1 GW from off grid component in 2024.
How much shade is enough?
Researchers have covered part of a rooftop solar plant with a different numbers of shading cloth layers to measure their power, current, and voltage. They have been able to identify a point after which the value of system current and maximum power is no longer sensitive to shading heaviness.
