At the high altitude of 5228 meters in the "forbidden zone of life", a groundbreaking "world's highest" photovoltaic power generation project was successfully connected to the grid for power generation.   Recently, the second phase of the Huadian Tibet Caipeng Photovoltaic Storage Power Station project was connected to the grid for power generation. The project is located in Nadong District, Shannan City, with a site elevation between 5046 meters and 5228 meters. It has become the world's highest altitude photovoltaic storage project, providing practical experience for the construction of new energy industries in high-altitude and cold areas.   The total installed capacity of the Tibet Caipeng Photovoltaic Storage Project is 150,000 kilowatts. The project is led by the Kunming Institute of China Power Construction Corporation and the China Power Construction No. 9 Hydropower Bureau is responsible for the construction. Among them, the first phase of the project located at 5100 meters will be put into operation at the end of 2023, and has accumulated more than 60 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, effectively alleviating the seasonal power shortage problem in Shannan area.   The second phase of the project started construction in August 2024. The total rated capacity of the project is 100,000 kilowatts. It is planned to install nearly 170,000 solar panels and configure a 20MW/80MWh grid-type energy storage system, which can output a total of 80,000 kWh of electricity for 4 consecutive hours at night.   China Power Construction introduced that the second phase of the power station project uses a new generation of photovoltaic modules, which has increased the photoelectric conversion efficiency by 7.5%, and adopts bifacial solar panel design, which can make full use of the reflected light on the ground for power generation. The overall efficiency is 20% higher than that of traditional facial photovoltaic panels.   Now, the smooth commissioning of the second phase of the project will further enhance the power generation capacity of the entire photovoltaic storage power station. The annual power generation is expected to reach 155 million kWh, meeting the annual electricity demand of about 50,000 households. This achievement will effectively alleviate the power shortage problem in the winter and spring seasons in the central Tibet region.   China Power Construction said that the entire second phase of the project covers an area of ​​about 2,000 mu, with a total of 250,000 photovoltaic panels laid. The region has extremely abundant average annual solar radiation, more than twice that of plain areas at the same latitude. The resource grade is rated A, providing unique natural conditions for the efficient operation of photovoltaic power stations.

Recently, the data of Trina Solar's 150MW fishery-photovoltaic complementary project in Feicheng, Shandong Province was released. The total power generation from January to November reached 163 million kWh, demonstrating the excellent performance of Trina Solar's Supreme 670W solar panels. With stable operating efficiency, the actual power generation of the Supreme modules exceeded the expected power generation, steadily guaranteeing customers' investment returns. The location of this fishery-photovoltaic complementary project in Shiheng Town, Feicheng is the coal mining subsidence area of ​​Shiheng Town. It is a preferred project for the conversion of new and old kinetic energy in Shandong Province and a key green card project in Tai'an City. Fully tapping the available resources such as the coordinated coal mining subsidence area, and innovatively launching the fishery-photovoltaic complementary model of "surface photovoltaic power generation + underwater fish farming", the project not only provides solid green power support for the local area, but also promotes the governance and improvement of the ecological environment, and develops clean energy to drive the green transformation of the coal mining subsidence area, giving full play to the economic and ecological benefits. The project uses Trina 670W solar panels. This series of modules has many innovative designs. With high power, high efficiency, high power generation and high reliability, it can effectively reduce the cost per kilowatt-hour and ensure the investment return of the project party. As an all-round top student, Trina 670W solar panels passed the reliability test of Jianheng with high scores, and passed the rigorous wet and hot sequence test of Jianheng with the first place in the overall excellent performance. Even in a wet and hot environment, it can ensure that the modules can generate electricity safely throughout the life cycle, bringing more lasting power generation benefits to customers and the industry. It is widely used in multiple scenarios such as fishing, tidal flats, floating, and sea surface. For example, the 70MW fishing-photovoltaic complementary project in Nandagang, which has been connected to the grid for power generation, also uses Trina 670W high-efficiency modules. Supreme high-efficiency modules have become the mainstream of industry development and have become the inevitable choice for large-scale ground power stations. It is worth mentioning that this fishing-photovoltaic complementary project in Feicheng is a photovoltaic storage fusion project, and all energy storage equipment uses Trina energy storage power station system. The second phase project is equipped with a 27MW/54MWh Trina energy storage Elementa King Kong series liquid cooling system. The project demonstrates Trina Solar's product integration advantages from components to energy storage, from battery cells to cabins to PCS, as well as the scenario value it brings to the integrated solut...

On November 30, the Aral 2GW photovoltaic base project (Phase I) of the First Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps was successfully connected to the grid for power generation at full capacity. This project is the largest photovoltaic project in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and the largest photovoltaic project in the CNNC Group. The project has an installed capacity of 1,000MW, with a total investment of approximately RMB 3.83 billion. The construction base covers an area of ​​more than 30,000 mu, with 320 photovoltaic power generation units and more than 1.81 million solar panels. It is equipped with a 220 kV booster station, a 53-kilometer-long 220 kV transmission line, and a 250 MW/1,000 MWh energy storage power station. After completion, it is expected that the average annual grid-connected electricity will be 1.22 billion kWh, which is equivalent to saving 390,000 tons of standard coal per year, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1.07 million tons, reducing sulfur dioxide emissions by approximately 1.08 million tons, and reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by approximately 172 tons. It is reported that the project is located in the desert area north of the Taklimakan Desert, on the vast Gobi Desert of the Second Regiment of the First Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. The location has the natural advantages of flat terrain, long-lasting sunshine and strong radiation. The "grass-light complementarity" operation model it adopts can play a role in restoring the natural ecology of desertified areas.

On November 21, the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport photovoltaic construction project held a groundbreaking ceremony. The project has a planned installed capacity of 30 megawatts. This is also the largest distributed photovoltaic power generation project for civil airports in China. It is expected to be completed and put into operation in the first half of 2025. The project is invested and constructed by CGN Wind Power Co., Ltd. After the project is completed, it can effectively reduce the energy cost of the airport, reduce carbon emissions, and have positive significance for accelerating the realization of carbon peak, carbon neutrality goals and ecological environmental protection. At the same time, it will effectively alleviate the peak power consumption pressure in Chongqing during the "peak summer" period and form a safe and stable local power grid. It is reported that the total investment of the photovoltaic construction project of Jiangbei International Airport is more than 100 million yuan, and the construction scale will cover an area of ​​about 280,000 square meters of Jiangbei Airport. After the project is completed, the annual power generation is expected to reach 24 million kWh, accounting for about 10% of the total annual power consumption of the entire airport, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by about 20,000 tons per year. As an important window for Chongqing to show itself to the outside world, the implementation of the photovoltaic project at Jiangbei International Airport has a good demonstration effect on the high-quality promotion of green, low-carbon and circular development, and is of milestone significance for the implementation of the green development concept and the construction of a "dual-carbon airport". At present, the project construction unit is accelerating the promotion of various tasks such as clearance safety and anti-glare demonstration, striving to achieve formal grid connection and operation in the first half of 2025.

The Brazilian government has raised the import tax rate on solar modules from 9.6% to 25%.   Introduced by the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC) this week (12 November), the tariff will see an increase of duties for solar cells built in solar panels or modules – as described in the government’s Official Gazette of the Union – and entered into force on the same day.   This is the second time the tariffs have been raised this year, with the implementation of the 9.6% duty on solar modules taking effect at the beginning of the year.   The tariff increase was in response to requests from two national module manufacturers, BYD Energy Brazil, a local PV module manufacturer subsidiary of Chinese automaker BYD, and Brazilian module manufacturer Sengi Solar.   After hydropower, solar PV is the technology with the most installed capacity in Brazil, with over 48GW in operation. Solar PV represents 20% of the country’s total installed electricity capacity.   Brazilian trade association Absolar said in a LinkedIn post that the decision was a “setback in the energy transition” and could risk an increase in prices and the loss of investments.   Its executive president, Rodrigo Sauaia, mentioned during a panel at the Conference of the Parties 29 (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, that: “This can impact very severely projects that are already under construction.” Sauaia added that the tariff increases will freeze the conditions for the market to access financing.   He also highlighted the timing of this decision, considering Brazil is set to host COP30 next year. “It is very important to help renewable energy technologies, to help the energy transition accelerate, not decelerate,” said Sauaia.   A survey made by the Brazilian trade association regarding the increase of tariffs on modules to 25% puts over 25GW of solar PV projects at risk of being cancelled by 2026, according to several local news outlets. This represents more than BRL97 billion (US$16.7 billion) in solar investments.

Today (13 September), the Australian government released an updated 2024 version of its National Hydrogen Strategy, focusing on accelerating clean hydrogen industry growth, with solar PV and wind generation set to provide the foundation for a booming industry. Australia’s new strategy aims to position the country as a global hydrogen leader. It will harness Australia’s abundance in renewable energy generation to capitalise on a growing and potentially lucrative export market for the clean energy carrier. Indeed, the strategy states that the global hydrogen market is forecast to reach US$1.4 trillion in 2050 and that Australia is well-placed for export and manufacturing opportunities. Solar PV and wind generation will be at the heart of Australia’s green hydrogen production goals, with these two technologies being the cheapest forms of renewable energy generation. Although Australia’s wind sector has started to pick up pace, solar PV continues to be the dominant clean energy technology, with it being added at an increasingly rapid pace. Indeed, 1.2GW of large-scale solar PV was added to the National Electricity Market (NEM) in the past 12 months, compared to wind’s 0.2GW. As seen in the image above, Australia has ample regions to develop green hydrogen projects via hybrid solar PV and wind projects. The majority are centred around the coastal regions of Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, which grant acres of land to create large-scale projects. It should also be noted that there are various opportunities to create underground salt cavern storage projects, primarily in the Mallowa Salt and the Chandler Formation. This is one of the cheapest and safest ways to store hydrogen, with the gas needing to be purified and compressed before it can be injected into the cavern. At this current stage, the cost of renewable hydrogen production is high. The strategy details that the industry is nascent, and public investment in early movers will generate lessons that will reduce production costs over time. It should also be noted that creating ultra-low-cost solar could grant opportunities in this field. Readers of PV Tech will be aware that the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is working towards its vision for ultra-low-cost solar, arguing that a ‘30-30-30’ approach to solar—representing 30% solar module efficiency and an installed cost of 30 cents per watt by 2030—could help Australia become a renewable energy superpower. This would mean achieving a levelised cost of electricity below A$20 per megawatt hour by 2030 and could aid cost-competitive green hydrogen production. With the rapid rollout of solar PV, the price of the electricity generated will ultimately come down, allowing green hydrogen to be produced at lower rates, something that has plagued the industry in recent years.

Recently, Trina Solar's Central Research Institute announced that it has successfully manufactured the world's first fully recycled photovoltaic module through recycling the materials recovered from dismantling waste photovoltaic modules. After testing, this piece of golden size TOPCon 210N-66 recycled solar panel has a conversion efficiency of up to 20.7% and a power of more than 645W, marking a breakthrough in the recycling and recycling of waste solar panels. Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and the General Office of the National Energy Administration jointly issued the "Implementation Plan for Large-scale Equipment Renewal in Key Energy Fields", pointing out that it is necessary to promote the development of photovoltaic module recycling and reuse technology, support the development of low-cost green disassembly of photovoltaic modules based on physical and chemical methods, and high-value component efficient and environmentally friendly separation technology and complete equipment. Gao Jifan, Chairman and CEO of Trina Solar and President of the Central Research Institute, pointed out that the smooth roll-off of the world's first fully recycled solar panel is a vivid practice of Trina Solar's innovation to promote the development of new quality productivity, and it is also Trina Solar's responsibility to promote the circular economy and green development of the photovoltaic industry, and contribute Trina's strength to global energy transformation and green development. Trina Solar dismantles discarded photovoltaic modules and recycles broken silicon wafers. It uses a self-developed cleaning agent to remove bulk/surface impurities, and uses N-type single crystal direct-pull technology combined with a low-temperature impurity gettering process to obtain silicon wafers with performance close to that of the original. By collaborating with upstream and downstream partners, the silver powder recycled from discarded photovoltaic modules is further used to prepare the front fine grid slurry. By integrating high-resistance dense grid technology, the silver paste and silicon wafers exhibit good process characteristics during the printing process. The glass and aluminum frames recycled from discarded photovoltaic modules are formed through secondary melting, realizing the preparation of the first fully recycled photovoltaic module. Trina Solar has attached great importance to the treatment and recycling of waste photovoltaic modules more than ten years ago. In 2012, the European Union promulgated the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE), requiring that 85% of waste modules must be collected in a centralized manner, and 80% of the materials must be recycled. Trina Solar, with the direction of green environmental protection, low cost and high yield, combined with the existing advantages and conditions in the photovoltaic industry chain, carried out research on the disassembly and recycling of waste photovoltai...

According to energy think tank Ember, Central European countries have the potential to deploy up to 180GW of agri-solar projects. In a study of four Central European countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), Ember estimated that up to 39GW of agri-solar PV could be deployed above agricultural products that shade crops, such as berries, and an additional 141GW of PV could be deployed by placing vertical panels between the grains. Between the four countries, deploying 180GW of agri-solar projects could almost triple the region's annual renewable electricity production, from 73TWh to 191TWh. Combining solar PV with agricultural land for food production could also bring benefits to crops, increasing fruit and berry yields by up to 16%. Less shade-tolerant crops, such as wheat, could still achieve more than 80% of their usual yields. Although there would be some food losses, farmers would still be able to offset some of their income by selling electricity, given that the four Central European countries account for 20% of EU wheat production. Food production in these countries, including wheat production, is at risk due to the deteriorating financial situation of farmers, the impact of climate change and volatile fertilizer prices. The benefits contrast with recent bans by the Italian and Ontario governments on ground-mounted solar PV projects on agricultural land. In Italy, the ban is intended to protect Italy’s productive agricultural land, a move that could cost the country up to €60 billion ($66.5 billion) in lost private investment and tax revenue.   Legislation is key to agri-solar deployment Legislation is a key factor in realizing the potential and benefits of agri-solar projects in Europe, but due to the lack of a unified definition of agri-solar projects, legislation is needed to address this issue. The Ember report said that legislation on agri-solar needs to ensure that agricultural land can maintain its original characteristics after the installation of any agri-solar project, so that it continues to qualify for agricultural subsidies under the Common Agricultural Policy. Facilitating the deployment of agri-solar requires efficient spatial planning and simplified permitting and grid connection procedures. The report argues that agri-solar legislation should prioritize and encourage continued food production, allowing farmers to benefit from agri-solar, both for food and to improve their financial situation. Dr. Paweł Czyżak, Ember’s Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe, said: “Instead of reducing food production, agri-solar can actually increase the yield of certain crops. Agri-solar combines the advantages of electricity production and food production, protecting valuable agricultural land while promoting energy transition and benefiting society and the economy. Governments such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia can seize the opportunities of agri-solar to simultane...