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The trillions spent by G20 nations on fossil fuels between 2015 and 2019 could have paid for more than 4 TW of solar at today’s prices

Polluting energy sources received more than $3 trillion from the EU and 19 of the world’s largest national economies over that four-year period, despite G20 members having pledged to phase-out fossil fuel subsidy and address climate change back in 2009. A new climate factbook released by BloombergNEF has criticized the policy actions of G20 members, and…
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Arc-shaped PV system for agrivoltaics from Germany

The PV mounting system was developed by Germany-based Goldbeck and will initially be available in the Netherlands from 2022. The company will test the new technology in a 45 MW PV project. German EPC contractor Goldbeck Solar has developed an arc-shaped PV system for applications in agrivoltaic projects. Called MarcS, the system was developed in partnership with German mounting…
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Botswana utility signs nation’s first PPAs for independent solar projects

Two projects with a total generation capacity of 4 MW will be the first of a planned 12 that are set to bring 35 MW of solar to the grid of the Southern African nation by the end of next year. Johannesburg-based renewables developer Sturdee Energy today announced it had secured a commitment from state-owned electric company…
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NASA developing 10 kW movable PV array for moon mission

NASA plans to place a solar array on a tall mast to avoid lunar shading and capture uninterrupted light. It will hang a pair of PV cell blankets from a horizontal cross arm supported by the mast, anchored to a deployable tripod base. A group of scientists at NASA‘s Langley Research Center Hampton is developing a…
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These organic solar panels generate electricity (and maybe spread a little joy)

A French PV specialist and a Dutch designer who integrates PV into furniture, windows, and other objects, teamed up to provide technology for a pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai. France-based organic PV module maker Armor solar power films and Dutch designer Marjan van Aubel crafted transparent organic PV modules for the Netherlands’ pavilion at the Expo 2020…
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Palmetto launches Instant Proposal service

Using data from Mapdwell, Palmetto can now generate and design a residential solar system proposal in a minute. Palmetto, a Charleston, S.C.-based software company focused on home energy savings, has launched Instant Proposal, a service which enables a solar system proposal to be generated and designed within 60 seconds of a Palmetto sales member entering…
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Scientists: Floods, Wildfires Are Signs of Global Warming

Massive flooding killed at least 195 people in northern Europe last week. Massive wildfires are burning across much of the western United States. These extreme weather events, scientists warn, are clear signs of global warming. And they say more is needed to be done to fight climate change. Floods in Europe In Europe, officials continue to find…
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Testing field for PV noise barriers

Two testing facilities for photovoltaic noise barriers are being built by a Belgian consortium. Their creators want to assess different PV technologies, reduce costs and plan large scale projects in Belgium, where land and policy constraints make the construction of ground-mounted PV plants almost impossible. EnergyVille, a joint venture between the Belgian research institute KU Leuven, VITO,…
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Spain deployed 3.4 GW of solar in 2020

Last year’s newly installed PV capacity comes from 2.8 GW of ground-mounted PV and 596 MW of rooftop installations. Sustained growth is expected in 2021. According to new statistics released by Spanish photovoltaic association UNEF, 2020 was the second-best year ever in terms of newly deployed PV capacity in Spain. The association reports that 3.4 GW…
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Why cheaper solar photovoltaics are key to addressing climate change

The rapidly dropping price of solar power has transformed how we think about clean energy. But it needs to still get a whole lot cheaper. In late 2007, less than 10 years into the company’s existence, Google came out swinging on the clean energy front. To a fanfare of plaudits up and down Silicon Valley…
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