The panel has an absorption area of 1.96 m2 and a weight of 27 kg per square meter. According to the manufacturer – Swiss startup TVP Solar – it may be a real booster for thermal output, by combining it with photovoltaics and heat pumps to provide enhanced output per square meter, in particular for low-temperature applications such as district heating.

Scientists in Russia have developed a new wide-band optical absorber called ‘black silicide’ which they claim is more adjusted to match AM-1.5 solar spectrum with theoretically higher photogenerated current density. It could be used for tandem operation in photovoltaic devices.

The solar cell achieved an open-circuit voltage of 1.75 V, a short-circuit current density of 15.5 mA cm−2, and a fill factor of 73.6%. It was also able to retain 93% of its initial efficiency after 100 hours at a temperature of 80 C.

The European Investment Bank has agreed to provide €400 million ($406.5 million) in funds for the €2.8 billion project. Construction on the infrastructure should begin by the end of this year.

The Macedonian government increased the size limit for PV installations under net metering, launched a €1 million rebate scheme, and is now planning to eliminate all grid fees for prosumers.

US startup New Use Energy Solutions has launched a new line of portable PV systems built with a module technology provided by Merlin Solar. The modules are assembled in the system via a custom vinyl tarp.

Researchers in Hungary have found that a high tilt angle may increase power forecast errors in a PV installation by up to 49%. They also ascertained that
undersizing the inverters by a sizing factor of 1.5 may reduce forecast errors by up to 25%.

Swiss scientists have built a 4T tandem perovskite/CIGS mini-panel with a geometric fill factor of over 93%. It combines a 10.8%-efficient mini perovskite module and a 15.1%-efficient CIGS device.

Estonian startup Solarstone has developed two solar tiles with an efficiency of up to 19.5% and an operating temperature coefficient of -0.41% per C. It recently secured €10 million in funds to expand sales across Europe.

Spanish scientists developed a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with a bipolar plate based on a nature-inspired structure. This architecture, according to its creators, shows remarkable performance when operating at high relative humidity values of 90%.