Seasonal hydrogen storage for residential self-consumption
Finnish and German researchers have assessed the role of seasonal hydrogen storage for PV prosumer households with a “least-cost” model at a global level up to 2050. They have found that seasonal hydrogen storage can only be expected in a niche, off-grid market.
How to combine offgrid PV, heat pumps, and fuel cells in residential complex
Finnish researchers have studied different scenarios to convert a Nordic oil-heated townhouse into a carbon-neutral building. They dimensioned an off-grid PV-powered heat pump system using waste heat recovery from a hydrogen storage system and calculated its life-cycle cost. They concluded that the solution is less profitable than grid-connected systems.
Netherlands may hit 180 GW of installed solar power by 2050, say grid operators
A new report from the association of Dutch grid operators predicts strong growth for the Dutch PV sector, regardless of potential international scenarios.
Cadmium telluride PV windows for domestic hot water production
Romania-based startup Photovoltaic Windows has developed an off-grid domestic hot water system powered by cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic semi-transparent glasses. It claims a 0.7 kW pilot installation on an apartment balcony in Bucharest resulted in annual savings of €1,100 ($1,202).
Daikin starts building heat pump factory in Poland
Daikin has started building its first heat pump factory in Lodz, Poland. The Japanese heating manufacturer will invest €300 million ($327.2 million) in the new facility, which is expected to start operations in July 2024.
South Korea to allocate $185 million for renewables rebates in 2023
The South Korean government says its rebates for building-integrated PV (BIPV) systems have gone up from 13.4% to 15%, but its rebates for conventional rooftop PV systems have gone down from 50% to 47%.
Switzerland to scrap rebates for small residential PV systems from 2024
Switzerland says it wants to reduce its incentives for small PV systems to encourage larger projects that use all available rooftop surfaces.
French startup offers ‘manual’ solar tracker for residential PV systems
France-based Luciole & Basilic has developed a tracking system that can be manually oriented according to the zenith every 15 days. The startup recently introduced the first prototype and is now looking for distributors.
Dutch heating specialist offers solar-tied thermal battery for domestic hot water
Netherlands-based One Solution says its new FlexTherm Eco battery can be used in combination with rooftop PV systems and residential photovoltaic-thermal installations. It consists of a thermal charging station that converts power directly into heat and stores it for the provision of hot water.
European companies raise more than $25 million for heat pump development
UK-based Ideal Heating has announced plans for a new GBP 10 million ($12.5 million) heat pump R&D research center in Hull, England. Heat Transformers, meanwhile, said it has raised €15 million ($16.4 million) to accelerate heat pump deployment in the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
