CEA-INES, Enel achieve 29.8% efficiency for tandem perovskite-silicon solar cell
The 9 cm² cell consists of a top cell based on a perovskite absorber and a bottom cell with a heterojunction (HJT) structure. The results improve on the 28.4% efficiency CEA and Enel achieved for the same kind of cell in December.
The Hydrogen Stream: US government offers $62 million for hydrogen tech
The US Department of Energy has announced $62 million for 20 projects to accelerate hydrogen technology, while international researchers have revealed how hydrogen injection into existing natural gas infrastructure could affect 115 million gas meters in the European Union.
Finland to build world’s largest air-to-water heat pump plant
Helen, a Helsinki-based energy company, has unveiled plans for a large-scale district heating plant complex. Germany’s MAN Energy Solutions is supplying a 33 MW air-to-water heat pump, the largest ever used for a district-heating plant, with ambient air and renewable electricity for heat generation.
Italian startup offers new bird-protection solution for rooftop PV
Italy-based Italgam has developed a new technology to prevent pigeons from nesting under rooftop solar panels. The EVO 2.0 solution uses brushes that fit between the backside of the panels and the roof.
Tindo Solar unveils 425 W n-type bifacial PV module
Australian PV module manufacturer Tindo Solar has released a new n-type bifacial solar panel featuring an output of 425 W and conversion efficiency of 21.8%.
Scientists build solar panels based on natural fiber backsheet
The solar modules have a power conversion efficiency of 10.8% and “adequate” tensile strength and impact resistance, according to their creators. The research group said it used natural fibre composites as eco-friendly alternatives to conventional polyethylene terephthalate (PET) backsheets.
Vatrer Power launches lithium iron phosphate storage system for residential, commercial applications
The Chinese manufacturer said its new all-in-one storage system has a nominal voltage of 51.2 V and a capacity of 100 Ah. It also features a built-in 5 kW inverter and an RS485 communication interface for real-time monitoring.
Assessing floating PV costs across Europe
Researchers have analyzed the viability of floating PV in terms of net present value, internal rate of return, and LCOE. They included 25 European countries in their work, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy.
California hits new milestone with EV chargers
California installed 24,202 electric-vehicle chargers in the first half of 2024, bringing the total to more than 150,000.
Deep learning tech detects snow coverage on PV systems, calculates energy loss
Conceived by researchers in Canada, the novel method combines image processing and deep learning techniques to locate the areas of the solar panels covered with snow. It reportedly performed better than three other popular image processing-based segmentation methods.
