New foldable solar system for rooftop applications
German manufacturer Kopp has developed an easy-to-install, four-module foldable PV array. The system uses n-type TOPCon solar modules with outputs of 430 W and efficiency ratings of 22.02%
COP27 failed the most climate-vulnerable
While the climate summit held at Sharm El Sheikh last month prompted pledges of raised funding for solar lanterns and single-panel systems, the money allocated to date is woefully short of what has been estimated would be required to provide universal access to electricity this decade. Drew Corbyn of Netherlands-based global off-grid solar body GOGLA, outlines three urgent courses of action to accelerate access to electricity.
World to expand renewable energy capacity by 75% by 2027, says IEA
The International Energy Agency (IEA) says the world will deploy as much renewable energy in the next five years as it did over the last two decades.
Customizable sticker to turn solar panels into advertising billboards
An Italian startup has created a fully recyclable sticker that can be used to cover solar panels on rooftops or facades. It replicates high-definition images that can help to improve the aesthetics of solar arrays or turn PV facades into advertising billboards.
Weekend read: Back to the future: Israel’s faith in FITs
Israel’s scarce land resources and lack of interconnections to neighboring countries have driven the rise of rooftop solar. Now a number of recent policy changes, mainly due to electricity reforms, are set to reinforce the decentralization trend, reports Ilias Tsagas.
Growatt unveils new inverters for residential off-grid PV systems
Growatt’s new 6 kW inverters have an efficiency rating of 93% and offer 12,000 VA of surge power, up to 500 V of input voltage, and 8 kW of PV input capacity.
Germany slashes VAT for residential PV to 0%
The German parliament has approved a new package of tax breaks for rooftop PV, including a value-added tax exemption for PV systems up to 30 kW in size.
PV system fires potentially exacerbated by gap between solar panels, rooftops
Norwegian researchers have published a new study showing that the space between solar panels and rooftop surfaces might play a critical role in contributing to PV system fires.
Regulator could prove solar’s NEMesis
The latest attempt by the California Public Utilities Commission – CPUC, the US state’s regulator – to reform net metering rules, seems to again be solely motivated by the desire to kill off rooftop PV, as energy economist Ahmad Faruqui reported in the latest issue of pv magazine.
Trina Solar unveils 425 W all-black solar module with 21.3% efficiency
China’s Trina Solar has developed an upgraded version of its Vertex S All Black PV module, with about 30 W of additional output. It is offering the new product on the Australian market.
