Technology

The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has modeled the benefits of PV in highly glazed skyscrapers.

Longi said it has achieved a 26.81% efficiency rating for an unspecified heterojunction solar cell, as confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH).

The expected lifetime of PV inverters is significantly shorter than that of modules. In many projects, inverter replacement is included in financial calculations from the start, despite the high costs. Research is being conducted into the causes of faults to develop more durable inverters and components. But plant design can already improve the lifespan of inverters in use today, reports pv magazine Germany’s Marian Willuhn.

Germany has decided to build its first green ammonia import terminal in Hamburg, in collaboration with Air Products. Egypt, meanwhile, has signed $85 billion of hydrogen framework agreements.

SNEC, the world’s biggest solar event, has been postponed for the third time this year. Yingfa Group, meanwhile, inaugurated a 20 GW cell factory in Sichuan province and GCL Tech said it plans to produce raw materials for EV batteries.

Japanese scientists have described the steps that need to be taken to improve the average efficiency of CIGS solar modules, from around 18.5% at present to more than 20%. They presented all of the critical technical factors that are currently holding the tech back from broader market adoption.

An irrigation community has built a 786 kW floating solar array on a small water reservoir in Murcia, Spain. The facility will provide power for a solar water pumping system, a desalination unit, and the community itself.

A grid-modeling company has proposed an underground high-voltage DC transmission overlay for the continental United States. It could potentially help to reduce climate pollutants and electricity costs, in addition to facilitating solar and wind deployment.

Singapore-based infrastructure developer Equis has announced plans to construct a 1,200 MW/2.4 GWh battery in Australia. It claims it will be the largest battery energy storage system to be developed in Australia and Asia.

As Longi and other solar manufacturers kick off massive growth in hydrogen generation capacity, expect large price decreases resulting from steep learning curves, echoing the rapid advances experienced by the solar power industry since the 1970s.