Israeli regulator grants grid access to 2.5 GW of renewables
Israel’s Electricity Authority has approved a 2.5 GW capacity extension plan for renewable energy. The initiative will enable the connection of plants in the southern and northern parts of the country.
Fraunhofer ISE launches app to maximize consumption of renewables
Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) has launched a smartphone app to help consumers use more electricity at times of high renewable energy availability.
Batteries in hybrid hydro-PV systems could increase profitability by 2%
Researchers from Norway have discovered that adding batteries to projects that combine hydropower and floating PV could increase annual profits by as much as 2%, due to revenues from ancillary services and capacity markets.
Cambridge scientists recommend careful cost assessment before switching to heat pumps
The researchers said that an increment in heating demand due to the use of heat pumps can be accurately predicted based on heating hours, local climate, heat loss and thermal mass. They also recommended including heat loss and thermal mass parameters in buildings’ energy performance certificates, so households can make more informed decisions before changing their system.
Novel mathematical model to assess wind stability of solar trackers
Researchers from Spain have developed a method to estimate the critical speed a tracker can withstand. They found “good agreement” when comparing the model to experimental results.
New solar-air dual-source heat pump design based on blower fans
Scientists have utilized two blower fans with two roll-bonded bare plates to create a heat pump that can operate in variety of ambient temperature and solar radiation conditions. The system has an average daily coefficient of performance of 3.24.
Exploring the depths of Italy’s oldest BIPV project
Scientists have assessed the performance of Italy’s first publicly funded BIPV project, which was installed in 2001. Their analysis shows that only one of the 10%-efficient panels in the 11 kW array experienced a severe fault that caused the complete loss of functionality.
MIT researchers plan to use acenes to make singlet fission solar cells
Acenes are benzene molecules with unique optoelectronic properties. Singlet fission solar cells can produce two electrons from one photon, making the cell more efficient.
Toshiba develops PV photocoupler for automotive applications
Japan’s Toshiba says its new PV output photocoupler for solid-state relay could be used for battery management systems, onboard chargers, and inverters.
Scientists unveil low-cost, wireless monitoring system for PV systems
Researchers from Egypt have utilized NodeMCU WiFi modules and a single-board Raspberry Pi to monitor and control PV modules. Their tests showed a “good degree of agreement” between the system and multimeter readings.
