1komma5° acquires Australia’s Arkana Energy
German solar tech developer 1komma5° has strengthened its presence in the Australian market with the acquisition of Arkana Energy Group.
Aerocompact releases new portrait mounting system
Austrian manufacturer Aerocompact has developed the SN2 Q PLUS solar mounting system, which can support PV modules measuring up to 1,310 mm x 2,500 mm. It has an installation angle of between 5 degrees and 10 degrees.
New approach to improve MPPT in partially shaded PV systems operating at high temperatures
The novel methodology is reportedly able to track global maximum power point and reduce power losses in partially shaded PV systems by up to 33%. It uses a backstepping controller (BSC) algorithm to adjust the pulse width modulation signal and a genetic algorithm to compute the BSC gains to achieve an optimal PV system outcome.
US solar up 52% in 2023 as nation deploys 35.3 GW of capacity
BloombergNEF says US clean energy generation grew by 0.9% in 2023. Wind and hydro generation fell, while solar generation grew by 15.4%.
France hits 20 GW milestone
France added around 3.2 GW of new PV capacity in 2023, with about 955 MW in the fourth quarter alone. The nation hit 20.0 GW of total installed PV capacity at the end of December 2023.
Indonesian government abolishes net metering
The Indonesian government has ended net metering for rooftop solar installations. The Jakarta-based Institute for Essential Services Reform says this could make it harder for the country to meet its solar deployment targets, as PV installations will become more expensive for households and small businesses.
Arizona approves ‘discriminatory’ charge for rooftop solar customers
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) has approved a request from utility APS to raise rates and add a punitive charge to rooftop solar customers.
PVT-assisted heat pump for residential water heating
A group of scientists in China has designed a residential heat pump system with a potential cofficient of performance of 4.271 at -5 C. The system is reportedly able to adjust the required pressures based on solar irradiance intensity and ambient temperature
UK installers Stratford Energy, Bannister Ventures merge to strenghten services
The two UK companies are joining forces to consolidate and develop opportunities in the residential and commercial energy solutions market.
Malta extends FITs, rebates for residential solar and batteries
Malta has extended its feed-in tariffs (FITs) and a rebate scheme to support the adoption of residential solar and battery energy storage systems for another year. The authorities will start accepting applicants for the two initiatives again from Feb. 23.
