On April 12, the Silicon Industry Branch announced the latest solar-grade polysilicon prices, which were between RMB190-200/kg on average, with the lowest price set at RMB180/kg (US$26.2/kg).
As the PV industry reckons with its social and environmental impact and the byproducts of its processes, beyond the near-term questions over provenance and manufacturing ethics, concerns at the horizon of a module’s lifespan are coming more and more into focus.
Cheap and quick to deploy, solar PV can provide a vital source of power to areas impacted by war, supporting critical infrastructure and helping to keep day-to-day life running. Molly Lempriere details how the technology is helping communities in Ukraine and other war zones.
With grid availability, plenty of land and a new contracts for difference scheme that is set to go live this year, Romania is proving an increasingly attractive market for solar developers. Lena Dias Martins finds out more.
While solar has been the backbone of Japan’s renewable energy push, deployment has been stalling in recent years. Chris Wilkinson of Rystad Energy details the benefits of the country’s feed-in premium scheme, the potential for corporate PPAs and the importance of battery storage.
Presenting findings on the exposure of PV panels to the harsh environment of the Arabian
Desert, a team from the Qatar Environment & Energy Research Institute details the multiple
mitigation approaches to solar soiling.
Allegations of fraud at Indian conglomerate Adani Group, which have knocked around US$125 billion off its market value since January, are unlikely to cause any perceptible damage to India’s long-term solar growth, according to two prominent members of the industry.
With appropriate policy support and investment incentives, agrivoltaics could play a crucial role in Africa’s green energy transition, writes Dr Richard Randle-Boggis of the University of Sheffield.
