Emiliano Bellini
Chinese scientists build copper indium sulfide solar cell with 10.44% efficiency
Copper indium sulfide (CuInS2) are still far from reaching commercial maturity but new titanium dioxide nanorod arrays can reportedly improve their light trapping, charge separation, and carrier collection.
US launches national security probe into polysilicon imports
The US Department of Commerce (DoC) says it will investigate the potential for export restrictions by foreign countries, as well as their ability to “weaponize” their control over supplies of polysilicon.
Rhoss launches reversible heat pumps
Conceived for industrial applications, the novel heat pumps can reportedly deliver hot water at 65 C from -10 C up to 35 C of external air, and hot water at 55 C down to -20 C of external air. Their coefficient of performance reaches up to 3.47.
Poland allocates 1.67 GW of PV in renewables auctions
Figures from Poland’s Energy Regulatory Authority (URE) show that solar accounted for 178 of the 181 successful bids awarded under the country’s latest renewables auctions. Auctions covering hydroelectric power plants, agricultural biogas plants, and biomass went unresolved due to a lack of valid offers.
Ait-Group launches residential heat pumps with low propane charge
Germany’s Ait Group has introduced residential ground-source heat pumps using less than 150 grams of propane, based on results from the Fraunhofer ISE LC150 research project. The new systems deliver up to 6 kW of heating with a seasonal coefficient of performance of 5.14.
Assessing PV cell, module reliability via Arrhenius equation
Researchers in Portugal have used the so-called Arrhenius aging model to measure the temperature behaviour and reliability of different solar modules. Their analysis showed that long-term module performance can diverge significantly depending on the manufacturing processes.
Huawei leads global inverter market as shipments hit 589 GW in 2024
Chinese companies made up nine of the 10 largest global inverter suppliers in 2024, with total inverter shipments reaching 589 GW (AC), according to Wood Mackenzie.
Four-year outdoor testing shows perovskite solar cells suffer from high seasonality
Testing conducted by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) in Germany has shown that perovskite solar cells operating at high latitudes in Europe may suffer from higher performance losses in winter compared to conventional PV devices. The scientists warned, however, that at lower latitudes this seasonality may be less pronounced.
Netherlands increasing vigilance on solar inverter-related cybersecurity risks
The Dutch government said it remains vigilant on potential cybersecurity threats coming from solar inverters. It minimized, however, the risk of hidden hardware components in inverters and said these devices would be “easily detectable” by the Dutch authorities.
Panasonic launches new domestic hot water heat pump
The Aquarea DHW Heat Pump utilizes propane as the refrigerant and is reportedly able to reach maximum temperatures of 65 C. The standalone unit supports PV contact and is compatible with external recirculation pumps.
