Chinese-German enterprise Nice Solar Energy has set a new world record for CIGS (copper-indium-gallium-selenide) module efficiency at 17.6%. The record setting module measured 120x60cm for a total area of 0.72m². Nice was founded in 2017 as a joint venture by Chinese state-owned coal miner and energy company China Energy Investment Corporation Limited, coal power business Shanghai…
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Amazon is building three major solar energy projects in Illinois, Virginia and Spain, the corporation announced Tuesday. The investments are part of the company’s pledge to reach 80 percent renewable energy by 2024 and 100 percent renewable by 2030. They’ll power Amazon fulfillment centers and Amazon Web Services data centers, the corporation said. The projects will be Amazon’s first in…
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Can cars be run on solar energy alone? Vehicle-mounted photovoltaic (PV) cells have been able to provide sufficient day-time power for very light-weight experimental “solar cars” as demonstrated in the cross-Australia World Solar Challenge.  However, even with lighter, more efficient cells, it is a big step from that to conventional cars for general use. Solar PV…
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The Maryland State Fair will install 7,219 on the roofs of its Cow Palace and another barn building to reduce its dependence on conventional energy production, officials said Tuesday. The energy demand from the fairgrounds, located in Timonium, will not be entirely met by the solar panels, fair officials said. But the energy produced by…
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Royal Yacht Brokers, a yacht advisory company, has announced it is the first brokerage company to present eco-friendly full solar-powered luxury yachts, which reduce carbon emission while raising the issue of damaging environmental effects on maritime transportations. Conventional motor-yachts are powered by diesel or gas engines. Additionally, they have a generator on board to supply all household appliances. Depending…
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Joy Loving bought a Prius in 2012. The purchase was the first of two investments she said she made in a personal effort to save money and reduce her carbon footprint. The second: go solar. After converting her home to solar energy, Loving began leading solar cooperatives with members of her Harrisonburg community who also…
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Device offers a new avenue for capitalizing on abundant solar energy. Researchers from the University of Houston have reported a new device that can both efficiently capture solar energy and store it until it is needed, offering promise for applications ranging from power generation to distillation and desalination. Unlike solar panels and solar cells, which…
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Solar energy technologies are becoming increasingly accessible and practical. The panels used to obtain clean electricity from the Sun develop every year, and we start to see innovative examples. Panels installed on the roofs of our houses or buildings are spreading day by day. The solar panels have even reached the point where they can be mounted…
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In 2012, as publisher of pv magazine, I invited the publication to a breakfast event during the EU PVSEC show. The topic discussed was a polarizing one: A prediction 300 GW of solar generation capacity would be deployed annually in 2025 with a maximum of 200 GW of cumulative PV capacity expected in Germany. As it turned out, that…
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Whether triggered by unprecedented storms, heatwaves or wildfires, blackouts are becoming increasingly common and hazardous. New Yorkers who weathered Superstorm Sandy understand better than most how challenging disaster recovery can be when the grid fails. But thanks to a new approach to disaster recovery, a few NYC community centers are about to become clean, resilient…
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