Researchers in Pakistan have evaluated the impact of shading on inverter set-ups to assess PV system performance. Tests were conducted on a 51 kW system featuring SMA inverter topologies but the researchers say the findings could be applied to products from other manufacturers. The results showed the number of maximum power point trackers is important but levelized cost of energy calculations are also crucial to selecting the right inverter configuration.

A Norwegian company has developed a way to melt snow on modules to avoid excess weight on roofs and panels, especially on large commercial and industrial arrays. A control system measuring snow density is linked to DC power supply units to warm the panels.

Despite the country’s difficult struggle with the COVID-19 outbreak, the Italian solar market is sending some encouraging signs. Italian lender Intesa San Paolo has awarded a €55 million credit facility to Canadian Solar for a portfolio of 12 unsubsidized solar projects.

The Swedish Energy Agency this week said solar power supplies will increase from 400 GWh in 2018 to 1.7 TWh in 2022. Total energy supply in the country is expected to decline from 551 TWh to 526 TWh in the 2019-22 period, due to the shutdown of several nuclear power plants.

Researchers from the United States have proposed a new electrode design for fractal solar panels that combines the typical aesthetic advantages of the technology with the efficiency of busbar design. The proposed pattern is based on the fractal tree structure known as H tree, or T-branching, which is a geometric shape consisting of a repeating pattern that resembles the letter H. The hybrid H-tree/busbar pattern showed power losses that are close to those of standard busbars.

The Ministry of Energy of Republika Srpska is seeking proposals for its first large-scale PV project. The solar park is planned to be located in Bileća, in Bosnia’s southernmost part.

The national Green Houses Program grants incentives for the installation of solar water heaters, PV systems with a generation capacity of up to 10 kW, heat pumps and small wind turbines.

US scientists claim to have discovered a membrane which could lead to cheaper large scale flow batteries. The material is an ion-selective, aqueous-compatible polymer with intrinsic microporosity known as AquaPIM and is said to have tunable thickness and high conductivity in aqueous electrolytes.

The Chinese manufacturer shipped 14.3 GW of PV modules last year, up 2.9 GW from 2018. In its 2020 outlook, it reiterated its initial shipment guidance and confirmed its plans to ramp up capacity.

The country’s cumulative installed PV capacity reached 1.6 GW at the end of February, according to the national grid operator.