PV integration in smart grids is a complex but highly relevant issue, with various aspects to be considered to develop different scenarios. Researchers in the IEA-PVPS Task 14 program are conducting a survey to collect opinions from peers in the PV branch to perform such an analysis.

An international research team is assessing the potential of flywheels for renewables storage in the Philippines. They considered the use of a flywheel energy storage system developed by US-based Amber Kinetics.

The Guyanese authorities are seeking proposals to deploy eight PV plants linked to storage.

The Taiwanese authorities have decided, once again, not to reduce feed-in tariff (FIT) rates for PV, as initially planned, in order to support more solar deployment.

Scientists in Indonesia have developed a vacuum technique to lower the temperature of PV modules below the ambient air temperature. They applied it to a solar module in a casing that is resistant to negative pressure.

Scientists in Sweden have proposed the use of gold polyiodide compounds in monolithic perovskite solar cells. They built a lead-free device that achieved an efficiency of 0.052%.

Solax has introduced new products with nominal power ratings of 0.6 kW to 3 kW and efficiencies of 98%. It says the devices are compatible with heat pump systems and home EV chargers.

South African scientists have designed a novel gravity energy storage system that uses linear electric motors to vertically move multiple solid masses to store and discharge electrical energy. They say its levelized cost of storage (LCOS) is $137.20/MWh, but with efficiency improvements, it could drop to about $100/MWh

Norway’s Over Easy Solar AS introduced a new vertical PV system for rooftop applications last year. pv magazine spoke to CEO Trygve Mongstad about system prices and future market prospects for vertical rooftop solar tech.

Researchers in Saudi Arabia have built a perovskite-silicon tandem cell with textured silicon wafers to offer superior light trapping. The device has an open-circuit voltage of 1,851 mV, a short-circuit current of 18.9 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 80.1%.