Brazil approves six labs for solar module testing
Brazil’s national accreditation body, Inmetro, has authorized six labs across the country to test solar modules.
French consortium building linear DC solar park along Rhône River
A consortium is installing an experimental linear solar park in shade house configuration in Vaucluse, southern France, using high-voltage direct current architecture to reduce electricity losses.
The best tilt angle to improve PV module performance in world’s worst soiling accumulation zone
Scientists have measured the performance of PV modules under strong soiling conditions in Saudi Arabia and have identified the most suitable tilt angles for improving power generation. They have also found that a key role is played by rain intensity, dust, sandstorms, and cloud cover.
Enecoat claims 30.4% efficiency for four-terminal perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell
The Japanese manufacturer said its tandem cell utilizes a top perovskite solar cell with an efficiency of 22.4% and 81% infrared transmittance.
Italian scientists show technical feasibility of solid oxide fuel cells in PV-driven residential buildings
The researchers conducted a case study on a solid oxide fuel cell system deployed in a nearly zero-energy single-floor villa with a size of 80 m2 located in southern Italy. They found that, in particular conditions of photovoltaic production, the system is not only able to meet the home electric loads, but also to inject surplus energy into the network.
Recycled silicon powder from end-of-life solar panels can be reused in anti-corrosion coating
Researchers in India have demonstrated a wet chemical process to recover silicon with high purity from end-of-life solar panels, which they used to make functionalized silica nanoparticles. Tests of the processed nanoparticles in anti-corrosion coatings showed a corrosion protection efficiency of 99.5 %, which they said was 200 times lower corrosion rate compared to uncoated silica nanoparticles.
The Hydrogen Stream: USGS unveils map of US geologic hydrogen resources
The US Geological Survey (USGS) has released its first map of potential geologic hydrogen reserves in the United States, while Plug Power has secured a $1.66 billion US government loan guarantee to scale low-carbon hydrogen production nationwide.
SoliTek launches made-in-Lithuania, high-voltage C&I battery energy storage solution
The new 51.2 kWh modular storage system connects to European wholesale electricity markets such as NordPool and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to track and analyze dynamic tariffs. It offers three-phase backup and is virtual power plant-ready.
China begins building first GW-scale residential VPP
China is building its first gigawatt-scale residential virtual power plant (VPP) in Jiangsu province. The project will connect millions of high-power household appliances to a cloud-based energy pool to improve grid stability and boost renewable energy use.
Advansor launches CO2 plug-and-play heat pumps
The Danish manufacturer said its novel CO2 heat pumps can reach a water inlet temperature of 40 C and a water outlet temperature of 95 C. The systems have purportedly a combined coefficient of performance of up to 5.56.
