The US Department of Energy (DOE) has backed teams working on 11 new solar technologies based on micro-CPV (concentrated PV), awarding funding of between just under US$1 million and US$3.5 million to each.
Until clean energy is properly valued in the US, legislation-based storage procurement mandates and solar incentives such as the ITC will remain necessary to support low-carbon technologies like solar and solar-plus-storage, a prominent energy storage industry figure has said.
News in brief from the PV Tech Storage site: Australia gets its largest battery storage system to date, Tesla man persuaded to go back to Sonnenbatterie and Gildemeister installs PV-linked flow battery systems in Czech Republic.
Leading semiconductor equipment supplier Applied Materials (AMAT) has confirmed to PV Tech that it is to close its Precision Wafering Systems (PWS) wire saw business, headquartered in Switzerland and stop development on its ‘Solion’ ion implant product.
Tawian-based solar wafer producer Green Energy Technology (GET) continued to operate plants above 95% in July, increasing sales 3.1% from the prior month.
Silicon PV and sapphire materials equipment supplier GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) said its long-standing CEO, Tom Gutierrez has resigned all positions at the company, which continues to operate under Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Japanese electronics firm Kyocera has partnered with a Brazilian engineering company to provide solar-powered lighting to 73km of highways in Rio de Janeiro, in a project funded by local authorities.
