Brazil’s PV module demand reached almost 5 GW in 2020
According to a recent report from Brazilian consultancy Greener, the country imported 4.76 GW last year. Domestic PV module makers had a 3.8% market share with around 190 MW in shipped modules. The analyst also revealed that prices for distributed generation PV systems rose by 20% in 2020.
Solar-plus-storage vs grid enhancement in Sweden
Sweden saw extraordinary high spot prices during last summer, due to difficult power transmission from the north, where most of power generators are located, to the south of the country, where most of the demand is concentrated. According to Swedish PV association Svensk Solenergy, solar-plus-storage offers a quick and scalable solution to avoid expensive and slow grid improvements.
South Australia’s hot water systems set to soak in solar
Around 2,400 South Australians will soon be fogging up the bathroom mirror without qualms about the cost of heating water, as Solahart is set to implement a new trial to control hot water systems.
Australia deployed 2.6 GW of rooftop PV in 2020
The rise and rise of rooftop solar PV has established Australia as a renewable energy powerhouse, with new figures from the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) revealing the nation achieved a record in renewable capacity in 2020.
Large-size solar tile from Spain
The product is available both with monocrystalline and CIGS solar cells and is claimed to be the world’s largest solar tile with dimensions of 457 x 510 mm.
High-level photovoltaics
The expedition to Manaslu Peak (8,163m) in Nepal, led by Alex Txikon, will not consume a single liter of fossil fuels thanks to two portable photovoltaic installations. The initiative is being promoted by Eki, a foundation created by Spanish solar company Solarpack and supported by the Basque Energy Agency (EVE).
Romania improves rebate scheme to speed up rooftop PV development
The Romanian government has changed the rules of the Casa Verde Fotovoltaice (green PV home) scheme to support residential solar installations under the country’s net metering regime. The new provisions improve the installation process and settlement of rebate payments.
SunPower launches home monitoring app for solar, storage
The SunPower solar monitoring app draws inspiration for its user interface from unlikely non-energy sources such as Spider-Man.
LG Electronics offers hybrid system combining heat pump, PV and storage
The system generates electricity and heat for residential houses and small businesses. An integrated energy management system should guarantee maximum self-consumption of the solar power produced.
Stochastic fractal search algorithm to measure parameters of PV modules
An international research team has used, for the first time, a powerful metaheuristic and a nature-inspired algorithm to improve the estimation of the parameters of PV cells and modules. The algorithm imitates the natural phenomenon of growth and uses the diffusion process, based on random fractals.
