New water-draining device for rooftop PV systems
Portuguese startup Solarud has developed a way to eliminate soiling around the frames of PV panels with low inclination slopes. The device drains water that would otherwise stay stagnant on the surface of modules.
Solarwatt enters heat pump business with new energy management system
Solarwatt and Stiebel Eltron have agreed to cooperate on the development of heat pumps.
Fortescue provides backing for Dutch PV module maker
Fortescue Future Industries continues to advance its green energy ambitions, announcing it will provide new funding for Dutch solar PV module maker HyET Solar, in a move designed to accelerate a planned expansion of the company’s manufacturing plant in the Netherlands.
PV-powered portable seawater desalination system for drinking water
US researchers have developed a portable desalination unit that generates clean drinking water without filters or high-pressure pumps. The device is powered exclusively by solar energy and requires just 20 W of power per liter.
Sharp launches 540 W bifacial solar module
Sharp’s new IEC 61215 and IEC 61730-certified-certified panel features 144 half-cells based on M10 wafers and a 10-busbar design. Its operating temperature coefficient is -0.349% per degree Celsius and its power tolerance reaches up to 5%.
Titanium oxide nanoparticle-based perovskite PV cell with 24.05% efficiency
A new perovskite PV cell based on titanium dioxide nanoparticles exhibits low efficiency losses when scaled up from cell to module.
Solar briefcase packs in 200 W for off-grid, mobile living
FlexSolar has developed a foldable, portable PV briefcase kit with a charge controller and connection cables.
Novel PV system design for green rooftops from France
French startup Ecovégétal has developed a PV system configuration that uses vegetation to reduce the operating temperature of the modules. It says the presence of certain plants on a flat rooftop can even serve as a bulwark against the risk of fire.
Self-powered, dry-cleaning robot for solar panels
Enray Solutions has developed an autonomous, water-free cleaning robot for ground-mount solar installations that draws its power from an on-board PV panel and battery. The robot is designed to withstand the harsh environmental conditions of all kinds of terrain.
Atomic layer deposition tool for perovskite cell pilot line
Dutch equipment supplier SALD has announced delivery of a spatial atomic layer deposition system to an unnamed customer in the United States. The tool will be used in the pilot-scale production of perovskite solar cells. While it has not disclosed the exact function of the tool within the pilot project, it said it will be used to deposit thin coatings to protect cells from damage in later manufacturing stages, and ensure their longer-term stability.
