What is the latest information about solar energy?

Here are some recent solar news:

1. Solar power installations have surged in the United States, with more than 5 GW of new solar capacity added in the first quarter of 2023 alone. This marks a 46% increase over the same period last year, according to a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association.

2. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have developed a new type of solar cell that uses perovskite materials and can convert sunlight into electricity with an efficiency of 29.1%. This is a significant improvement over existing perovskite-based solar cells, which typically have efficiencies of around 20%.

3. The Indian government has announced plans to build the world's largest floating solar power plant, with a capacity of 600 MW. The plant will be located on the Omkareshwar reservoir in the central state of Madhya Pradesh and is expected to be operational by 2024.

4. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has announced funding for a new project that will explore the use of solar power to produce green hydrogen. The project, which will be led by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), aims to develop a cost-effective and scalable solution for producing hydrogen from solar energy.

5. Solar power is becoming increasingly popular in Africa, with countries such as Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa leading the way in terms of installed capacity. According to the International Energy Agency, Africa's installed solar capacity could grow from around 5 GWin 2020 to as much as 50 GW by 2040, as governments and businesses invest in renewable energy to meet growing demand for electricity.