U.S. publicly traded solar installer Sunworks files for bankruptcy
The residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural solar installer files for bankruptcy amid troubled macroeconomic conditions for distributed solar nationwide.
Stormy January impacts irradiance across North America
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that North America saw irradiance below average, primarily due to the stormy conditions that prevailed during the second half of January.
End of load shedding ‘finally within reach,’ says South African president
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says the country has overcome the worst of its power shortages due to tax incentives, investment, the expansion of rooftop solar capacity, and the construction of new transmission lines, despite additional recent power cuts by utility Eskom.
Optimizing photovoltaic grid integration through active power management
PV systems, surpassing minimum load demands in various regions, necessitate innovative grid integration measures. Active power management (APM), notably curtailment, emerges as a powerful solution here. By actively managing power peaks, PV systems can unlock new possibilities, contribute to grid stability, and enhance their overall value. The new IEA-PVPS Task 14 report encourages a shift in perspective, urging DSOs to explore the potential of APM instead of traditional grid expansion methods.
Research finds agrivoltaics have payback time of less than five years in Portugal
A group of researchers from the University of Lisboa and the Military Academy reported on the viability of agrivoltaics in Portugal. It found that spaced rows of PV modules combined with shadow-friendly crops had the most promising return and a payback period of less than five years.
DNV validates Solcast’s satellite irradiance data as bankable
Energy consultancy DNV has published a data validation and methodology review of solar irradiance data provider Solcast, a company it acquired early last year. The review found that the forecasting specialist’s figures are “at or above industry standards.”
The effect of height, tilt angle, and temperatures on floating PV performance
A research team studied factors influencing floating PV efficiency and energy production and determined the optimal tilt and height to achieve lower cell temperatures compared with land-based PV.
Philippines proposes register for PV system installers
The Philippines’ Department of Energy (DOE) is moving ahead with plans to require solar system installers to officially register with it. The DOE says that only registered installers will be recommended to government entities seeking PV installation services.
Kosovo to auction 950 MW of renewables, 170 MW of battery storage
Kosovo plans to auction off 950 MW of renewables over the next two years, to the tune of €1.2 billion ($1.29 billion).
Coupling ground-source heat pumps with heat storage, borehole heat exchangers
Scientists from China have developed a novel optimization method for medium-depth ground source heat pumps, using an improved chaos particle swarm optimization. They coupled it with either a heat storage tank or a shallow borehole heat exchanger and found that both system typologies increase the heat pump’s coefficient of performance.
