Technology

A new Stanford University report shows that the transition to clean energy could help many countries to reduce their annual energy costs by around 61%.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says the country has overcome the worst of its power shortages due to tax incentives, investment, the expansion of rooftop solar capacity, and the construction of new transmission lines, despite additional recent power cuts by utility Eskom.

Scientists in Japan have fabricated an inverted pervoskite cell with a new bond/charge regulated defect passivation technique consisting of introducing bifunctional molecules onto the perovskite absorber. The device exhibited a low open circuit voltage deficit and remarkable stability.

PV systems, surpassing minimum load demands in various regions, necessitate innovative grid integration measures. Active power management (APM), notably curtailment, emerges as a powerful solution here. By actively managing power peaks, PV systems can unlock new possibilities, contribute to grid stability, and enhance their overall value. The new IEA-PVPS Task 14 report encourages a shift in perspective, urging DSOs to explore the potential of APM instead of traditional grid expansion methods.

Scientists in Romania have found that extreme dust conditions may cause losses of 45.35% and 38.14% in maximum power and short-circuit current under outdoor conditions for different kinds of solar modules. They warned that, if the effects of climate change escalate, resulting in less rainfall and more frequent sandstorm events originating from the Saharan region, extreme scenarios are very likely to occur in Europe.

A group of researchers from the University of Lisboa and the Military Academy reported on the viability of agrivoltaics in Portugal. It found that spaced rows of PV modules combined with shadow-friendly crops had the most promising return and a payback period of less than five years.

Proa, an energy forecasting company, is rolling out its technology at solar farms at two national defense facilities in northern Australia, with positive implications for scheduling solar energy commitments with certainty.

Energy consultancy DNV has published a data validation and methodology review of solar irradiance data provider Solcast, a company it acquired early last year. The review found that the forecasting specialist’s figures are “at or above industry standards.”

The new products use propane (R290) as a refrigerant and have heating and cooling capacities ranging from 8 kW to 30 kW.

A research team studied factors influencing floating PV efficiency and energy production and determined the optimal tilt and height to achieve lower cell temperatures compared with land-based PV.