Are robots coming for solar installer jobs?
Robots on solar sites are not new; they have been deployed to automate everything from operations and maintenance to inspection and cleaning. In recent months, there has been an uptick in interest in robots for installation, particularly among utility-scale solar developers dealing with staff shortages, safety concerns, rising costs, and pressure to build.
Long-term issues found in warehoused solar panels
Clean Energy Associates (CEA) is receiving more calls from solar developers concerned about warehouse panel damage. CEA senior engineering manager Claire Kearns-McCoy explains how improper handling, stacking, and storage conditions can lead to long-term issues.
Sulzer, Hyme Energy to commercialize novel molten salt energy storage
Sulzer is developing advanced pumps for Hyme Energy’s patented molten hydroxide salt energy storage technology. Building on the success of the pioneering Molten Salts Storage (MOSS) project in Denmark, the partners now seek to commercilize the solution.
Edilians launches tile-like mounting system for rooftop solar
Edilians introduced Easy Roof Integration, its new mounting system for residential PV panels, at the BePositive trade show this week in Lyon, France.
Pathway to commercialization of aqueous sulfur-based redox flow batteries
Researchers in China have identified a series of engineering strategies to bring aqueous sulfur-based redox flow batteries closer to commercial production. Improving catalyst design, ion-selective membranes, and device integration will be key to solve this battery storage technology’s issues.
Heat pump control strategy for energy communities
Researchers have utilized measured data from a small energy community on a Finnish university campus to simulate its operation under various control strategies. The first control strategy prioritizes the use of heat pumps, while the second prioritizes price. Total costs were reduced by up to 25% with the second option.
France’s Imeon launches AI-powered home solar-plus-storage system
Neo learns and adapts to user consumption habits, ensuring optimal use of rooftop solar energy and improving battery life.
Sprsun unveils air-source heat pump for swimming pools
The Chinese manufacturer said its new heat pump system has a heating capacity of 6.5 kW to 17 kW and a coefficient of performance ranging from 4.8 to 5.23 at 15 C.
Offshore vs. ground-mounted PV
Researchers in Saudi Arabia have compared the performance of ground-mounted PV plants with that of off-shore solar facilities and have found that floating installations benefit from the cooling effect of the seawater.
Tesvolt presents new C&I battery storage system with 15 year performance guarantee
With two cycles per day, the Forton can be loaded without voiding its 15-year performance guarantee. That opens the possibility of trading on the electricity market, enabling companies to recoup their investment more quickly.
