Solar power costs continued to fall in 2021, despite rising panel prices
The average global price of solar kilowatt-hours fell 13% on 2020’s prices, as around two-thirds of the renewables capacity installed last year was cheaper than the lowest-cost fossil fuel alternative.
Study confirms rule of thumb that PV inverters should run without faults for around 15 years
A new study by Bern University of Applied Sciences shows that the performance of most PV inverters and power optimizers remains optimal for up to 15 years. The inverters considered came mainly from the manufacturers Fronius, Sputnik, and SMA and most of the power optimizers examined came from Solaredge.
Shipping costs remain key challenge for solar sector
The solar industry will face elevated shipping costs and supply disruptions for at least another year until the global ocean freight system starts to normalize.
Gautam Solar hits 100 MW of DCR solar module sales
The Delhi-based solar manufacturer has supplied 100 MW of modules to projects set up under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy schemes mandating domestic content requirement (DCR).
Emmvee eyes early-mover advantage with wafer-to-module production
Bengaluru-based Emmvee Photovoltaic has a 1.25 GW module manufacturing facility that can produce polycrystalline and mono PERC solar panels, with the ability to upgrade to TOPCon. By the end of 2023, it will raise its module capacity to 3 GW by adding new units, including 1.5 GW of wafer-to-module capacity. Suhas Donthi, director-sales and operations, spoke to pv magazine about current demand for Indian manufacturers and what’s in store.
Huawei tops inverter supply rankings for 2021
China’s Huawei has been named the world’s biggest inverter supplier for the seventh year in a row, followed by Sungrow and Growatt, according to Wood Mackenzie.
NTPC seeks bifacial modules for 735 MW Nokh Solar Park
NTPC will accept the bids to supply bifacial solar modules until July 28. The panels must have a nominal output rating of a minimum 530Wp and a maximum 560Wp.
Plug-and-play mobile energy storage system
India’s AmpereHour Energy has released MoviGEN, a new lithium-ion-based, mobile energy storage system. The system is scalable and can provide clean energy for applications such as on-demand EV charging, remote construction sites, and large-scale outdoor events.
Energy output is over 100 times the input needed to manufacture solar panels
According to a third-party study, the projected output over the 40-year warranty period of Maxeon solar panels exceeds the energy demand of manufacturing them by over 100-fold. Plus, more details from the Maxeon 2021 sustainability report.
The long read: Structural solar matters
While it comes with clear performance advantages, the move to larger module formats has created plenty of confusion since it began in 2019. As the dust settles and standards emerge, pv magazine caught up with Hongbin Fang, director of product marketing at Longi Solar, to discuss the latest on wafer and cell dimensions.
