Sprsun launches residential air source heat pump
The Chinese manufacturer said its new heat pump has a coefficient of performance of 4.2 at 7 C and a maximum heating capacity of 9.1 kW. It can reportedly achieve a topwater output temperature of 75 C.
Heat wave affects solar power generation in Brazil
A heat wave drove Brazil’s power demand up to a record high of 102 GW last week. However, it also affected solar power generation and pushed PV module operating temperatures to up to 60 C.
Spain’s installations of new PV systems hits 5.59 GW in 2023
Spain’s cumulative installed PV capacity surpassed 25.54 GW at the end of December 2023, on 5.59 GW of new solar installations for the full year.
Dutch PV additions hit 4.82 GW in 2023
The Netherlands deployed 4.82 GW of new solar capacity in 2023. The country’s cumulative installed PV capacity hit 24.4 GW at the end of December.
Dry Amazon delivers sunny start to 2024 for South America
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Chile, Uruguay and Argentina saw irradiance up 5% to 15% above normal in January and February. Responsible for the surplus sunlight across South America was the ongoing Amazon drought, and circulation changes that pushed weather fronts further south of the continent than usual.
Weekend Read: Gray skies over Californian solar
There may be a global solar boom but a drastic revision of California’s net metering program has ruptured the industry overnight and is affecting everyone from installers to financiers to makers of power electronics.
Zanzibar turns to solar for holiday resorts
Researchers and investors say they see room for PV investments in Zanzibar, due to the energy needs of many luxury holiday resorts.
Key takeaways from Solar Solutions Amsterdam
Volatility in the global PV market did not go unnoticed this week at the Solar Solutions Amsterdam trade fair. However, the prevailing impression is that the Dutch PV market is poised for stability.
PV and prices, the (not so fast) uptake of solar in Argentina and Chile
The Atacama Desert in Argentina and Chile is the sunniest region on earth. Despite the excellent solar radiation resource availability and plenty of room on rooftops and on the ground, solar PV is not as widespread in either country as would have been expected based on the initial deployment of large-scale PV power plants in both countries some ten years ago.
Hydrogen batteries vs. lithium-ion batteries
Researchers in Australia have compared the technical and financial performances of a hydrogen battery storage system and a lithium-ion battery when coupled with rooftop PV. They evaluated two commercially available systems – LAVO and Tesla Powerwall 2 – and found that the lithium-ion battery provides better financial profits, whereas the hydrogen battery offers more battery lifespan for long duration of energy storage.
