German institutes unveil facade with PV, weather protection, thermal insulation
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology (Fraunhofer UMSICHT) say their new facade combines PV modules, weather protection, and thermal insulation. It eliminates the need for a substructure and uses insulation made from sustainable raw materials.
Moving energy via batteries on railways
SunTrain is hoping to ship renewable energy via battery-powered trains, charged from solar and wind, using rail networks.
UK solar industry must transition to circular economy, says NICER
The National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) program says in a new report that the UK solar industry could generate 1.2 million tons of waste by 2050. It calls for circular economy measures to meet net-zero and solar deployment targets.
TU Delft scientists integrate power electronics for MPPT in solar modules
A research team in the Netherlands investigated how copper planar air-core inductors can yield the required inductor properties to support sub-module power conversion in PV modules. The scientists claim that implementing MPPT at the sub-module level can increase the panel’s tolerance to shade.
Dualsun presents heat pump-compatible residential PVT panel
The French manufacturer said its PVT module features a PV module efficiency of up to 21.8% and a thermal output ranging from 459 W/m2.
Australian university testing 20 kW agrivoltaic system on vineyard
Australian renewables company Greenwood has installed 48 solar panels at the University of Melbourne’s Dookie Campus vineyard to aid research on how agrivoltaics affect crop yields.
EV charging microgrid project powered by lead batteries
The developers of the first-of-its-kind lead battery-powered EV charging station, currently located in Missouri, say they plan to roll it out across the US.
Shift to 2 kV voltage in solar projects tipped to gain traction
Amid record-low prices for solar modules, the focus of cost reduction for utility-scale solar projects is shifting to non-module balance-of-system (BoS) expenses. A transition from 1.5 kV voltage to 2 kV in solar projects is expected to gain traction through 2030.
Midea Hiconics releases new residential all-in-one battery storage systems
The Chinese company says its three-phase Hienergy series can pair with PV arrays of up to 8.5 kW, with battery storage reaching up to 40.8 kWh.
JA Solar claims world record open-circuit voltage for TOPCon solar cell
The Chinese manufacturer said its Bycium+ PV cell achieved an open-circuit voltage of 748.6 mV. The result was confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research in Hamelin.
