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New process to recycle silicon, silver and glass from end-of-life PV panels

A €4.8 million EU-funded research project is aiming to develop a process that allows recovering all components of a photovoltaic module. French environmental services provider Veolia is leading a research project which is aimed at developing a highly efficient and special process for the recycling of solar modules. Through the ReProSolar initiative, which the EU is funding with…
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First Solar to add 3.3 GW of capacity in a new $680 million US factory

The 1.8 million-square-foot facility is projected to create 500 jobs and produce an enhanced thin-film PV module for the utility-scale solar market in the U.S. US-based thin-film module manufacturer First Solar said it will invest $680 million to expand its domestic U.S. photovoltaic solar manufacturing capacity by 3.3 GW annually, representing an implied capital expenditure of around…
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Australia to host 50 MWh ‘solar hydro’ plant with storage

RayGen Resources has secured funding to build a 3 MW/50 MWh ‘solar hydro’ power plant that could become one of the largest, lowest-cost storage projects in Australia. RayGen Resources has secured AUD 27 million ($20.9 million) of funding to build a 3 MW/50 MWh solar hydro power plant with 17 hours of storage in Carwarp,…
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Cleaning solar modules with sand and wind, on Mars

NASA scientists have partially cleaned up the solar modules of the Insight lander operating on Mars, by using grain sands collected nearby and trickling them on the panels during the windiest time of the day. This handmade technique has made it possible, according to them, to increase the PV array’s yield of about 30 watt-hours…
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Genius award for a student-designed portable solar carport

Dubbed Gismo Power, the appliance is entirely mobile, can be grid-connected, and may be folded for storage. A student from New College of Florida, Antonia “Toni” Ginsberg-Klemmt, won a $10,000 OZY Genius Award for what she calls Gismo Power, a mobile solar carport with an integrated electric vehicle charger. Ginsberg-Klemmt’s Gismo Power is a foldable solar carport that’s entirely…
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Dual-axis tracker supports power production in cold climates

The solar solution installed by Aartha Group uses a unique design to achieve output goals in harsh winter conditions. North of the 39th parallel near Halifax, Nova Scotia, an area familiar with harsh winter conditions, low sun angle, and coastal-related degradation concerns, a dynamic solar array has been installed. A Halifax estate owner hired the Aartha…
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Construction begins on vertical solar project in the Alps

The 2.2 MW vertical solar plant, built on a dam wall at an altitude of almost 2,500 meters above the sea level, is expected to be commissioned within four months. Switzerland-based energy company Axpo and power provider IWB announced that construction began on the 2.2 MW vertical PV system they have planned for the Muttsee dam in the Swiss…
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Germany deployed 620 MW of solar in April

A large amount of April’s new PV capacity is represented by ground-mounted solar projects selected in tenders. By contrast, demand for PV systems ranging in size from 300 to 750 kW, has declined. Germany saw the addition of 619.4 MW of new PV capacity in April, according to the latest figures from federal network agency…
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Another massive solar project proposed in Indiana

The 150 MW Honeysuckle solar farm is still speculative, but would be among the largest projects to come to the state if built. Another massive solar project could be making its way to Indiana, as officials in St. Joseph County, home to South Bend and Notre Dame, are working with renewable energy company RES to…
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Solar 101: Three tips about those solar tax credits

We are by no means tax pros, but here are three insights to help you see how federal tax credits may benefit your solar project. A homeowner or a business that installs solar power in the United States currently is eligible for an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax credit, which offsets 26% of the cost…
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