Technology

A US-Chinese research group has developed a hybrid system proposal based on photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) modules, a heat pump, a backup electric boiler, and biomass generating units. They say it could be used as space heating in a single-floor home.

An international research team has proposed the use of water from high-altitude rivers and regenerative braking in electric trucks to store electricity for reuse in power networks, or for transport purposes.

Transgrid, the transmission network owner in the Australian state of New South Wales, has started building its section of the AUD 2.3 billion ($1.64 billion) Project EnergyConnect. The high-voltage electricity transmission interconnector will link power grids across three states, unlocking gigawatts of planned renewables.

In Texas, where batteries cannot send power to the grid, Tesla has filed a request for a rule change and has called on Powerwall owners to form a virtual power plant.

CHN Energy has linked a 100 MW floating PV plant to an existing 4.1 MW tidal energy system in China’s Zhejiang province. The tidal power station was commissioned in 1980 and is the fourth-largest system of its kind in the world.

Scientists in Saudi Arabia looked at the potential of different solar technologies to meet energy demand for cooling systems. They found that PV is the best cost-effective option, especially for compression refrigeration cycles in hot climates.

Hungary’s Platio Solar has developed a new PV module line featuring monocrystalline and polycrystalline cells with clear or opal glass.

Aurora Energy Research says in a new report that maximum green hydrogen project profitability could be achieved when solar and wind power plants are combined with electrolyzers.

Fraunhofer ISE have improved the performance of a cell structure originally developed by France’s Soitec in 2014. The German scientists managed to reduce resistance losses and the reflection on the cell front side.

Ciel et Terre has unveiled a new rough-water floater and another rigid platform that maximizes the number of solar panels per square meter.