Eggplants grow 50% more under solar panels
French specialist Sun’Agri unveiled the agronomic results on a crop of eggplant grown in a greenhouse commissioned in the Lot-et-Garonne in September, 2020.
Estonia to host 550 MW pumped hydro storage facility
Energiasalv has secured a construction permit to build a 6 GWh pumped hydro storage plant in Paldiski. Work on the facility is planned to start in the summer of 2024.
US startup begins producing 40%-efficient thermophotovoltaic cells
Antora Energy says its new 2 MW factory will make thermophotovoltaic cells for thermal storage applications. The cells are based on III-V semiconductors and reportedly have a heat-to-electricity conversion efficiency of more than 40%.
The fastest energy change in history
Solar and wind are being installed at a rate that is three times faster than all other new electricity sources combined. This offers compelling market-based evidence that PV and wind are now the most competitive and practical methods for deploying new generating capacity.
New way to calculate LCoE of perovskite solar
Italian researchers have analyzed different ways to assess the levelized cost of energy (LCoE) of perovskite solar cells and modules. They said a common approach should soon be defined to increase the market maturity of the tech.
Only5mins! – The steeplechase of perovskite solar
The potential of perovskite solar cells and modules is still held back by issues such as stability and efficiency losses when scaling up from cell to module. But Annalisa Bruno, a scientist at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, says most of these challenges could be overcome in the near future, with this technology extending from building-integrated PV to conventional solar projects.
Administrators move swiftly to settle future of Sun Cable
Two of Australia’s richest people are expected to be rivals in the bidding process for Sun Cable, the developer of what could be the world’s biggest intercontinental solar and energy storage project. Administrators indicate that the sale process could be completed within three months.
Passive solar module cooling tech based on paraffin wax
Egyptian researchers have used paraffin wax as a phase-change material (PCM) to reduce the operating temperatures of PV modules. They have found that the material improves power yield by more than 15%, compared to a reference module without cooling.
Storing renewables via regenerative braking in underground mines
Scientists in Austria have developed a long-term energy storage system that uses regenerative braking to adjust the descent speed of sand in mine shafts and generate electricity.
Vertical PV for clean energy and crop production
Researchers and project developers throughout the world are increasingly looking at agrivoltaic installations with vertically oriented solar panels.
