Sandra Enkhardt
Heckert Solar inaugurates 400 MW solar panel factory in Germany
The German manufacturer invested €21 million in the manufacturing facility. It will be devoted to producing the company’s new product series.
Frameless glass-glass solar modules made in Europe have the best CO2 footprint, Fraunhofer ISE says
The German research institute has compared the CO2 emissions of glass-glass and glass-backsheet solar modules manufactured in Germany, the EU and China, and found glass-glass modules enable an additional emissions reduction ranging between 7.5 to 12.5% compared to PV modules with backsheet film, regardless of the location.
Sonnenstromfabrik launches new PV module series with large wafers and power of up to 490 W
The German solar manufacturer has unveiled three new formats for its glass-film and glass-glass PV modules for the first quarter of 2022.
Hybrid wind-solar for highways
Switzerland-based Energy Pier has developed a new concept for hybrid-wind solar projects located along highways. The proposed solution combines a rooftop PV system with small scale wind generators that are installed on both sides of the supporting pillars of the system.
Green roofs may improve PV system performance by 8%
German solar company Polarstern sees many performance-enhancing effects when photovoltaic systems are combined with green roofs. These are provided by cooling, dust absorption and reflective behavior, which are favored by the plants on the roof.
Germany installed another 400 MW of PV in July
In the first seven months of the year, the country deployed 3.2 GW of PV, which compares to 2.8 GW a year earlier.
Fraunhofer CSP develops repair process for PERC solar cells
The performance of the solar cell contacts can be improved with laser-assisted current treatment. The process does not damage the solar cells but only optimizes faulty semiconductor-metal contacts.
Conical roof equipped with solar tiles
The solar tiles were deployed on a conference center in Glücksburg, Germany. In addition to PV, the building also uses solar thermal energy and biomass to cover heat demand. The power generated by the PV array is utilized entirely for self-consumption.
Austria allocates additional €20 million for rooftop PV projects
The Austrian authorities will use €20 million to provide more support for the country’s rebate scheme for residential PV projects up to 50 kW in size.
SMA warns of electronic component shortage
In the first half of the year, the German PV inverter maker recorded high demand for its inverters and storage solutions from the residential solar segment. The effects of the corona pandemic, however, have had an impact on the commercial segment and, although a recovery in demand is expected in the second half of the year, SMA said it is currently dealing with delivery issues.
