Weekly Update (Jan.13)

Astronergy this week

1. #Astronergy gains the first Carbon Disclosure Label in China's PV industry.

On Jan. 9, CTC granted China PV industry's first Carbon Disclosure Label to Astronergy, recognizing our lower-carbon production process and contributions to promote carbon neutrality.?

2. Astronergy Yancheng Manufacturing Base lowers production's carbon emissions

On Jan. 7, 11MW ASTRO series PV modules covering rooftops of Astronergy's Yancheng Manufacturing Base buildings were connected to the grid for generating 11.18 million kWh of clean electricity per year for own use and for the city.

3. Corporate promo video of Astronergy to officially launch on Jan.18, here we'd like to uncover some tidbits about the video. ?

4. #Astronergy is ready for 2023 first date with all our friends.?

From Jan.16 to Jan. 18, Astronergy team will take our ASTRO N high-efficiency module products to show at Booth 6100 in Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center. Welcome all of you to come to meet us.

PV industry-related news this week

1.?South Korea?moves forward with long-expected solar panel recycling scheme

South Korea’s new provisions establish a standardized collection system for each of the country’s major regions, in order to ensure a waste panel recycling/reuse rate of more than 80%.

2.?Brazil?Installed Over 2.67 GW New Utility Solar in 2022

Brazilian National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) counts the country to have installed 2.677 GW of new utility solar PV capacity in 2022, while local solar PV association ABSOLAR believes the cumulative installed solar power capacity of Brazil has reached 23.9 GW making it the country’s 2nd largest power generation source now.

3.?Guyana's solar program set to free up state funds for other uses

GUYSOL could save the Guyanese government "tens of millions of dollars in electric subsidies," according to the program's director, Amir Dillawar. Guyana’s Parliamentary Committee of Supply recently approved $1.7 billion to help Linden Electricity Co. to mitigate higher fuel prices and provide some relief to the utility’s customers.

4.?France?allocates 172.9 MW of solar capacity at average price of $0.09/kWh

The French Ministry of the Ecological Transition allocated 172.9 MW of solar power in the procurement exercise. The authorities selected 66 projects in a recent tender for "innovative" PV technologies. The final average price was significantly lower than the ceiling price.

5.?Tunisia?launches tenders for 1 GW of solar

The Tunisia authorities plan to allocate 1 GW of installed solar power through two different procurement exercises, spread across 10 projects.

6.?Austria?deployed more than 1.4 GW of new solar in 2022

Austria joined the gigawatt club last year after deploying more than 1,000 MW of solar for the first time. It has now reached more than 4.2 GW of cumulative installed PV capacity.

7.?Kenya's state-owned utility announces plan of adding 3000 MW of renewables capacity to the grid

Kenya Electricity Generating Company Plc (KenGen) has announced its ambitious plans to scale up the deployment of renewable energy in Kenya. The utility seeks to diversify the grid by adding 3000 MW of electricity to the grid from clean energy sources over a 10-year period.

8.?Slovenia?launches rebate scheme for rooftop PV tied to storage, heat pumps

The Slovenian Environmental Public Fund (Eko Sklad) recently launched two public calls to assign rebates for rooftop PV systems combined with batteries or heat pumps, under a €10 million program.

9.?Bangladesh?offers PPA for 68 MW of solar at $0.102/kWh

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has agreed to buy solar electricity from a 68 MW facility that is now under construction in the country’s Sirajganj district, as part of a new state plan to buy cheap power.

10.?Romania?to expedite permitting process for solar on agricultural land

The Romanian president has passed a new law to shorten the permitting process for solar projects built on less than 50 hectares of agricultural land.

11.?India?could potentially add 45 GW of corporate renewables by 2027

Bridge to India says corporate renewables deployment will likely grow by 22% per year over the next few years, reaching 45 GW by 2027. Open-access PV and rooftop solar will remain the dominant sources of renewable power for corporate consumers.

Eyes on PV tech development

1. Solar-powered artificial leaf to produce hydrogen from air

Chemical engineers in Switzerland have invented a solar-powered artificial leaf. Their solar-powered, transparent and porous electrode turns water from its gaseous state in the air into hydrogen fuel.

2. Perovskite-silicon tandem PV cell with textured wafers hits 28.1% efficiency

Scientists led by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have achieved a power conversion efficiency of 28.1% for a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell based on textured silicon wafers.