Longi announces 27.30% efficiency for heterojunction back contact solar cell
The Chinese module manufacturer said the new efficiency record was confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH).
Buildings can offer gigawatts of new peak capacity as ‘batteries’
Modeling shows that shifting just one-third of the electricity consumption of commercial and institutional buildings in Australia to the middle of the day, coinciding with peak solar supply, would create almost 12 GW of new peak capacity in the National Electricity Market.
Research shows high-albedo ground reflectors increase bifacial solar plant yield by up to 4.5%
Tests conducted by Canadian researchers at the NREL’s testing field in Colorado have shown that ground reflectors based on high-density polyethylene can significantly increase bifacial PV plant performance. They stressed the profitability of this technology is strictly dependent on the location and warned avoiding to combine it with inverter clipping.
PV plant based on 5B’s modular solar tech goes online in Australia
A 4.4 MW solar project featuring modular PV technology from 5B has commenced operations in Australia. The project includes 2 MW/1 MWh of battery storage systems from UK supplier Aggreko.
KIT researchers develop18.2%-efficient perovskite solar cell via scalable inkjet process
Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a scalable two-step evaporation and inkjet process for perovskite thin-film solar cells. The new technique reportedly enables to build champion cells with the same efficiencies as those made with the spin coating process.
Integrating pumped hydro with compressed air energy storage
A group of Chinese researchers has made a first attempt to integrate pumped hydro with compressed air storage and has found the latter may help the former to better deal with large head variations.
Solar-hydrogen solution rolled out for off-grid settings
A new mobile power generator that combines solar and renewable hydrogen to provide zero-emissions power for remote and off-grid applications has been unveiled by Australian startup H2PowerBox.
Passive solar tracker wind stowing boosts energy production
Solar panels are often tilted to a stowed position to prevent wind damage to utility-scale assets. Array Technologies introduced a passive stowing strategy that reportedly prevents unnecessary production losses.
Sonnenkraft unveils 400 W TOPCon panel for terracotta red rooftops
Austrian manufacturer Sonnenkraft has developed a terracotta glass-glass module that aesthetically blends in with tiled roofs. It has an efficiency rating of 20.02%.
The impact of seasonal, meteorological factors on PV plant performance
Scientists in Japan have investigated the impact of seasonal, metereological factors on solar plant performance and have found the average power generation inefficiency reached significant levels. The findings suggest that optimal site for power plants requires careful consideration of meteorological and geographical data.
