Brazil’s oldest PV system turns 26
Prof. Ricardo Rüther, the coordinator of the Strategic Solar Energy Research Group at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), installed a solar energy system at the university 26 years ago. It currently operates at about 80% of its nominal power.
We need a ‘Domestic Renewable Energy Production’ standard for PV installations in Europe
The threat of catastrophic climate change, as well as increasingly obvious economic benefits, make it advisable, indeed essential, to convert our entire energy system to a sustainable system, based on renewable energy (RE) as soon as possible. The two main pillars of our future RE-based energy system will be power generation from PV and wind. In Germany alone, according to detailed studies by Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE, we will need at least about 300 GW of PV and an equally large amount of wind power.
Using air conditioning to cool down PV modules, dry dishes
An international research team has investigated how air conditioning may be used to reduce the operating temperature of PV panels. The researchers not only found that the proposed approach is technically viable, but they also tested the use of excess heat from the panels for drying dishes.
India’s residential rooftop solar potential estimated at 637 GW
The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) says in a new report that residential rooftops in India could accommodate 637 GW of solar capacity.
Fenice Energy unveils microinverters for high-power solar panels
Fenice Energy, formerly SunEdison, has developed single-phase and three-phase microinverters for residential and commercial solar installations. The microinverters support up to 670 Wp+ PV modules, with a maximum input current of 20 A.
‘Cool roofs’ increase power yield in bifacial rooftop PV systems
A Spanish-Algerian reserch group has tested how “cool roofs” could help increase power yield in rootop bifacial PV systems. Cool roofs are based on coating materials with high reflectance properties.
New MPPT approach for multi-string PV systems under partial shading
Egyptian researchers have developed a multi-string PV system with a converter control strategy, achieving 99.81% efficiency with a direct duty cycle for maximum power point tracking (MPPT).
SAJ releases new battery inverter series for residential applications
China’s Guangzhou Sanjing Electric (SAJ) has developed two new single-phase and three-phase all-in-one battery inverters with efficiencies of 97.8% and 98.0%, respectively. They use artificial intelligence to support energy management.
California to use flexible appliances for renewable energy integration
California plans to shift 3 GW of load from dirtier, more expensive times of day to cleaner, less expensive times by setting flexible demand standards for many types of electric appliances. Global interest in California’s work is high, according to a state agency commissioner.
Cyprus embraces residential solar, awaits competition
Cyprus has announced a new scheme to increase residential solar deployment and help about 6,000 households to lower their electricity bills. Constant delays in the opening of the national retail electricity market to competition, meanwhile, are costing households millions.
