Technology

Aalborg CSP will connect a 2.5 MW ammonia heat pump to a district heating system operated by E.ON Denmark. The facility will be located at a local wastewater treatment plant.

Toshiba has developed a smart synchronous inverter that stabilizes power fluctuations in microgrids. The Japanese company said it has tested the device in combination with PV and battery storage.

The 25-meter-wide Airbus solar drone, which is remotely controlled by satellite, is entirely covered with PV modules.

Hydrostor has selected an engineering company to provide front-end studies for a 500 MW compressed air energy storage project in California.

US utility Xcel Energy will test the use of Ambri’s energy storage technology at the Solar Technology Acceleration Center.

The urgency of rooftop solar uptake has only been accelerated by the current energy crisis, but the spread of PV to historic and landmarked buildings remains limited. In Europe, historic buildings constructed before 1945 represent at least a quarter of total building stock. To boost uptake, some municipalities are considering a loosening of their protection policies, while researchers are finding interesting byways for installation. Furthermore, building integrated PV solutions are being touted as the ideal compromise between aesthetic continuity and new generation opportunities.

Germany has launched the world’s first operational hydrogen trains and US researchers have presented a novel design for a tubular PEM fuel cell. ABB and Hydrogen Optimized, meanwhile, have expanded their strategic ties and Slovakia has moved forward with a major gas-blending pilot project.

Sharp is developing a zinc-air battery tech for renewables storage. The device will be reportedly safer than their lithium-ion counterparts, with high energy densities.

Trina Solar said TÜV Nord in Germany has confirmed the efficiency rating of its latest solar cell.

The new product features a power conversion efficiency of 22.0% and a temperature coefficient of -0.25% per C.