Technology

Researchers in Germany have assessed direct coupling and integration between PV and batteries at the scale of a single PV module. They say their solution could be cheaper and provide superior performance than maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in optimizing PV system performance.

Japan’s Panasonic says its new GB-L1CMH1A meter can operate without changing the state of the fuel cell. It says it can also measure a wide range of hydrogen flow rates and concentrations.

IIT Madras Research Park and US-based First Solar have agreed to cooperate on a range of R&D activities, including the localization of thin-film solar and other next-generation PV technologies in India.

pv magazine speaks with Luciano Mule’Stagno, director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy at the University of Malta, about the prospects of floating offshore PV in Malta and the Mediterranean. He says offshore PV could become competitive with ground-mounted solar in some land-constrained countries.

Felix Krause, co-founder the Vireo Ventures, tells pv magazine that the Berlin-based company plans to make pre-seed and seed-phase investments in startups that are developing innovations for the energy transition.

The Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity (A2EP) has released a free, online estimation tool to aid Australian businesses in sizing heat pumps to replace gas boilers. The tool estimates the capex, opex, net savings, and payback time based on inputs about heating, cooling, location, and temperature requirements.

Chinese scientists have simulated a new photovoltaic-thermoelectric technology, based on radiative cooling and III-V solar cells, to generate electricity at night.

Zola Electric’s new lithium iron phosphate battery system charges from solar and the grid and can power AC and DC appliances. It has a nominal voltage of 12.8 V and a nominal capacity of 50 Ah.

Vast Solar will move forward with plans to deliver Australia’s first commercial-scale concentrated solar power (CSP) plant after securing financial backing from the federal government to build a 30 MW/288 MWh facility in South Australia.

A new research paper proposes an optimal planning technique to identify the locations and sizes of electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations with controlled charging and hybrid wind and PV systems in a multi-microgrid.